Thundering blasts reverberated throughout the dome as the Depravita of Wrath’s sword clashed repeatedly with the Peak Sage Dino Warrior’s colossal axe. Each collision unleashed energy waves and kinetic force potent enough to level entire cities and pulverize mountains. Neither combatant showed any mercy, pouring their full power into every strike.
Vlad fought with an otherworldly vigor fueled by the Mark of Cain. Wrathful energy roiled through his veins, elevating his strength and reflexes to match the raw might of the Peak Sage Dino Warrior.
In turn, every slash or thrust he made, no matter how seemingly insignificant, left a bleeding wound on his opponent that continued to expand over time.
However, the Dino Warrior’s retaliations were equally devastating. Even though the creature could only unleash its overwhelming pressure every few seconds, every time it did, it was a monstrous blast capable of shattering bones and crushing organs if it struck head-on. It forced Vlad to stay in constant motion, his eyes wide and senses heightened, for even a single mistake could end the battle in an instant.
Vlad danced around the Dino Warrior’s whistling axe, his footwork precise and fluid. He spun and stepped, using angles to sidestep direct hits that might have sheared him in half. The dome itself shuddered each time their weapons collided, sending shockwaves that formed visible ripples in the air.
Despite his speed and skill, Vlad occasionally found himself dangerously close to the axe’s blade. Each time, he pushed a surge of wrathful energy into his limbs and twisted away at the last second, narrowly escaping dismemberment.
The Dino Warrior, for its part, appeared nearly unstoppable. Its towering figure radiated primal power, bellowing a bestial roar before each massive swing.
Vlad managed to slip under the descending axe and deliver a sweeping slash across the Dino Warrior’s abdomen. The Mark of Cain’s aura flared the instant his blade met the beast’s flesh, and the wound tore wider as though invisible teeth were gnawing at it from the inside.
The Dino Warrior snarled, lifting its axe to strike again. This time, the creature let out a guttural roar, and that suffocating pressure accumulated around the blade like a swirling vortex. Vlad could see the air warping as the energy coalesced, intensifying the weapon’s destructive potential beyond anything it had shown before. For a heartbeat, a hush fell over the battlefield—then the Dino Warrior swung.
Vlad instantly sprang to the left, but a fraction too late. The edge of the vortex clipped his shoulder, sending agony flooding down his arm. Gritting his teeth, he retaliated with a savage slash to the Dino Warrior’s flank, carving another gash across its thick torso. As before, the Mark of Cain devoured the wound, causing tendrils of energy to burrow into the Dino Warrior’s flesh and widen the laceration.
Wounded though it was, the Dino Warrior answered with a snarl, thrusting its knee forward and catching Vlad in the stomach. The impact cracked one of his ribs, forcing a choked gasp from his lips. Still, Vlad refused to yield. He rolled with the force of the blow, letting his body’s momentum carry him a few steps back. Through sheer will, he remained standing, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
This furious dance continued for many heart-stopping moments. At times, it seemed as though Vlad had the upper hand, scoring yet another laceration on the Dino Warrior that the Mark of Cain immediately aggravated and expanded. But then, the Dino Warrior would rally, sweeping its axe in a broad arc. That crushing aura or a sudden tail swipe would slam into Vlad, leaving him gasping and battered. Back and forth they went, neither one dominating long enough to claim victory.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!"
The dome trembled with an even greater force as the Dino Warrior brought its axe down in a colossal overhead smash, meeting Vlad’s blade head-on. The impact violently separated them, hurling both combatants backward for several kilometers. Vlad crashed and tumbled across the ground while the energy-construct slid over the dome’s smooth surface, gouging long trails where its feet dragged.
For a few seconds, neither opponent moved. Vlad lay there, his chest heaving, vision swimming. He saw the Dino Warrior forcing itself upright on the far side, similarly battered and gasping. Blood—an inky, ethereal substance—dripped from the cracks in its torso, a testament to the wounds Vlad had inflicted. On Vlad’s part, every muscle screamed, and his body throbbed with pain, but wrathful energy and raw determination fueled him forward.
They locked eyes across the battlefield. Both knew the end of the clash was near. A silent tension filled the dome, more profound than any roar or strike could be. Summoning the last vestiges of their energy, they exploded into motion once more, bounding across the distance at breakneck speed. Their combined power caused the white dome to quake as though it might collapse.
A savage grin split Vlad’s lips when he noticed the Dino Warrior infusing its axe with that lethal pressure yet again. But rather than trying to outmatch it directly, he waved his sword in a wide arc before the Dino Warrior could reach striking range.
Flames and lightning burst forth from the blade, forming a wall of crackling fire in the creature’s path. The Dino Warrior hesitated, momentarily blinded by the sudden conflagration. Though it sensed the elemental attack wasn’t potent enough to harm it significantly, it hindered its vision.
Growling in frustration, the Dino Warrior swung its axe in a horizontal sweep, launching a massive wave of concussive force. The air rippled as it sliced through the flames and lightning, scattering them like sparks in a gale. Unfortunately for the Dino Warrior, Vlad was no longer where he had been moments before. He had slid low to the ground, evading the concussive arc that passed overhead. Then he lunged forward with all the strength he had left.
Too late, the Dino Warrior realized its vulnerability. Disoriented by the screen of flames, it had not anticipated Vlad’s rapid advance. Before it could properly defend itself, Vlad’s sword found its mark, slicing cleanly across the neck. The cut was perfect—so final that the Dino Warrior’s massive head separated from its body.
Vlad’s momentum carried him forward, and he tumbled end over end, skidding for hundreds of meters before finally coming to a stop. He coughed, his vision blurred by exhaustion. Still, a triumphant grin curved his lips.
"Victory!" he shouted, though his voice was raw from the strain of battle.
The Peak Sage Dino Warrior’s body disintegrated into strands of white energy. Instead of fading away entirely, these streams converged upon Vlad, flowing into his wounds and suffusing him with healing warmth.
"Hahahaha, excellent," Vlad whispered between breaths. He flexed his arms experimentally, finding that his strength was returning, if not quite to one hundred percent. The white dome around them dissolved, and in the next instant, he found himself in a new, unfamiliar level of the library.
Awe flickered across his features as he realized he was no longer standing on a floor. Instead, he appeared in a vast, star-studded void, illuminated by three majestic spheres of swirling plasma—each nearly five times larger than the Soul Worlds he had encountered at the Peak Sage Level.
"Legendary Techniques..." Vlad murmured. The realization sent a thrill down his spine.