"Guess it's time." Reever exhaled slowly, his eyes glancing at the spider ant queen lying mere inches from death. "Fun time's over. It's a bit sad that it has to end this way."
Conner's aura pulsed violently, energy crackling across the cavern. He was preparing his next devastating attack, fully certain that by the end of this assault, he would uncover the secret behind Reever's uncanny ability to dodge. His twin blades shimmered in his hands, reflecting the dim light of the cave, their edges poised to carve through anything in their path.
Yet as he focused, he noticed something, an almost imperceptible hesitation in Reever's posture. A flicker of doubt, or maybe amusement, crossed the other man's expression beneath the helmet.
"Chance."
Conner lunged forward, blades aimed with precise intent, every movement deliberate, each step pounding against the cavern floor. The air seemed to vibrate as he gathered momentum, ready to cleave Reever into pieces.
Then Reever lifted his right hand, calm as a stone statue.
'Snap.'
Reality itself seemed to bend. Conner's forward motion froze mid-step as if some unseen force had claimed him. The world tilted, and a searing pain tore through his torso, a massive scythe slicing through the air, tearing past his armor and embedding itself deep in his stomach.
"How." His eyes widened, a mixture of disbelief and despair. Blood poured from his mouth as he struggled to breathe. When he glanced toward the supposed fallen queen, his jaw tightened in shock. She was alive, vibrant and almost untouched.
"I thought you were... cough... cough..." Conner coughed violently, more blood spraying as he tried to strike with his blades. The attack never connected. Another mighty swing from the queen herself ripped through his hand, tearing it off. Agony surged through him, sharp and unrelenting.
"You forgot your weakness, Conner. No device to shield you from illusions," Reever said calmly, his previously injured arm now fully restored. He stepped closer, trident glowing faintly, a dangerous serenity in his movements. "From the moment this battle began, I had already won."
Conner's breath hitched, blood dripping, his mind racing. "You... are despicable. Mon... cough... cough..." He tried to speak, tried to curse, but his injuries made coherent words impossible.
"Who cares?" Reever replied, unflinching. "As long as I am the final winner, nothing else matters. I knew I couldn't defeat you head-on, so I used tricks, deals, and deception to gain the upper hand. Truthfully, using Boundless weakened your mental defenses, and you made it easier for me." His trident's glow intensified, bathing the cavern in golden light.
"Thank you for being a worthy opponent," he whispered near Conner's ear, voice soft yet chilling. "And for the time we have shared. I hope you get to rank up next time."
With a sudden, fluid motion, Reever lunged, his trident piercing through Conner's chest. Pain exploded through his body, and then silence.
[Congratulations for Killing a player. Calculating Rewards...]
Reever exhaled, adrenaline still racing. Killing Conner had been necessary, though their camaraderie made the act bittersweet. Betrayal had sealed the fate of their battle, and Reever's satisfaction mingled with a quiet respect for the fallen opponent.
[Skill reward detected
Skill: Limitless Assault
Skill rank: Profound
Skill description: Marks the target based on the user's visual prowess, teleporting limitless attacks instantly into their body.
Skill can be charged by absorbing attacks from the enemy.
Skill can be used with any weapon.
Skill limits: Only usable once the user ranks up to Veteran, due to no internal energy source.]
"The f**k," Reever muttered, stepping back to create distance from the queen. "All that trouble, just a skill I can't even use." Still, the reward information had flashed instantly in his mind, precise and complete. He allowed himself a faint smirk, knowing it didn't matter in the grand scheme.
The queen's gaze swept over him, fury evident in her eyes. She had intended to honor their deal, but watching Reever's efficiency and strength shifted her resolve. With a shrill screech, she called forth her dead kin, a small army rising from the shadows around her.
Reever did not flinch. He had expected this. The queen's rage was a façade, and he doubts about on that. The queen was not that careless to allow all her cards revealed.
But what about him? He had brought a mythical-ranked descendant to his knees. How could a mere creature made at the labs compare?
He whispered, almost casually, "Explode."
A deafening roar followed as a massive explosion tore through the cavern. The queen and her minions were obliterated, shards and dust scattering violently. Bombs had already been planted, and every hidden mechanism detonated with precise timing.
[Congratulations for killing the queen Bot 067.]