The battlefield was shifting.
Astralis was pushing forward.
The once-invincible Dreadborne warriors—who had believed themselves unstoppable—were falling back, their monstrous forms dissolving under the radiant fury of the First King's blade.
But Leon knew… this battle was far from over.
Gral'Zhor was still standing. And he was furious.
The Warlord's Wrath
Gral'Zhor touched the burning wound on his chest, his fingers trembling with rage.
For centuries, he had slaughtered kings, destroyed kingdoms, and crushed armies without suffering a single injury.
But now?
A mere mortal had wounded him.
His eyes darkened, his voice a deep growl.
"I see… You are different."
He raised his massive bone axe, its dark aura surging.
The ground trembled.
A deep, terrifying energy pulsed through the battlefield.
Leon's interface flickered with warnings.
───[Warning: Gral'Zhor Activating Forbidden Power]───
Name: Abyssal Rebirth
Effect: Sacrifices own vitality to unleash an overwhelming force.
Risk: Unknown.
Leon's eyes narrowed. So this is your trump card?
The Abyss Unleashed
Gral'Zhor slammed his axe into the ground.
The earth cracked apart, and from the depths of the abyss, black flames erupted.
The battlefield was engulfed in darkness, an unnatural void that swallowed even light itself.
Astralis' warriors stumbled back in fear.
Even the First King hesitated.
Then, from within the abyss, figures began to rise.
Twisted, undead monstrosities—warriors long since slain, now resurrected by abyssal magic.
Leon's interface pulsed.
───[New Threat Identified: Abyssal Revenants]───
Undead warriors infused with abyssal power.
Immune to conventional weapons.
Weakness: Divine Light.
Leon sighed. Of course he has necromancy.
Gral'Zhor's laughter echoed across the battlefield.
"You thought you had a chance? This war is far from over!"
The First King's Struggle
The First King tightened his grip on his sword.
His warriors needed him.
He had to end this.
His sword still glowed with divine power—but now, surrounded by abyssal forces, its light was beginning to dim.
Leon watched carefully.
The First King was reaching his limit.
His stamina was depleting. His divine power could not last forever.
Leon could intervene.
He could grant more power.
But should he?
Was this the moment to push him beyond his limits… or was it the moment for the king to awaken a power of his own?
Leon hesitated.
And in that moment…
Gral'Zhor charged.
The battle was about to take its deadliest turn.
The Breaking Point
Gral'Zhor moved like a storm, his abyssal power shaking the battlefield.
The First King braced himself, lifting his sword just in time to block the warlord's devastating strike.
CLANG!
The impact sent a shockwave across the battlefield.
The First King staggered back, his arms trembling from the force.
Gral'Zhor sneered.
"You are strong, King of Astralis… but strength alone will not save you."
He swung again, faster than before.
The First King dodged, but not fast enough.
CRACK!
The axe grazed his side, tearing through his armor. Blood splattered across the dirt.
The Astralian warriors cried out in alarm.
Their king was wounded.
Leon's interface flashed red.
───[Warning: First King's Vitality Critically Low]───
Blood loss increasing.
Divine Energy weakening.
Survival Rate: 15%.
Leon narrowed his eyes. No. Not yet.
The First King still had a chance.
A Warrior's Will
The First King gritted his teeth.
His vision blurred. His body ached.
But he refused to fall.
He had sworn an oath.
He had knelt before the Creator's altar and vowed to protect Astralis until his last breath.
This was his kingdom. His people. His war.
And he would not die here.
He took a deep breath, his grip on his sword tightening.
Then, from deep within, he felt it—a spark of something new.
Something greater.
Leon's interface pulsed.
───[Hidden Potential Unlocked]───
Name: King's Ascension.
Effect: Grants the user the power to resist death once per battle, awakening new abilities.
Leon smirked. That's it. You're finally evolving.
The Ascension Begins
A golden light erupted from the First King's body.
The battlefield froze.
Even Gral'Zhor hesitated, sensing the change.
The First King lifted his sword, now pulsing with divine fire.
His wounds began to close.
His armor reformed, now inscribed with glowing runes.
His eyes blazed with a celestial light.
The Abyssal Revenants screamed, their dark forms flickering.
Even the Dreadborne warriors shrank back in fear.
Gral'Zhor's expression darkened.
"Impossible."
The First King stepped forward.
"This is the will of the Creator."
And with that, he charged.
The battle had entered its final phase.
The Final Phase Begins
The golden radiance blazed across the battlefield, pushing back the abyssal darkness.
Gral'Zhor stared at the First King, his grip tightening around his bone axe. For the first time in centuries… he felt something unfamiliar.
Doubt.
This was no longer the same warrior he had been fighting.
The First King had ascended.
A Clash of Gods
The First King moved.
In an instant, he vanished from sight.
Gral'Zhor's instincts screamed—he spun around, raising his axe just in time.
CLANG!
The First King's blade crashed against his axe, sending a shockwave across the battlefield.
But this time, Gral'Zhor was the one pushed back.
His feet dug trenches into the earth.
His arms shook from the force.
The First King didn't stop.
SLASH!
BOOM!
CRACK!
Each strike blazed with divine fire, forcing Gral'Zhor on the defensive.
For the first time, the warlord felt overwhelmed.
Leon watched through his interface, his eyes glinting with satisfaction.
───[Status Update]───
First King's Combat Ability: Increased by 200%.
Gral'Zhor's Strength: Dropping.
Abyssal Influence: Weakening.
It's happening.
For the first time in history, Gral'Zhor was losing.
The Army of Astralis Rises
The Astralian soldiers watched in awe.
Their king—once bloodied and beaten—was now unstoppable.
His every strike shook the battlefield.
His light burned away the darkness.
The Dreadborne warriors faltered, their once unbreakable morale shattering.
Then…
Astralis roared.
The warriors of Astralis charged, their courage rekindled by their king's strength.
The Dreadborne hesitated.
And in war, hesitation was death.
Gral'Zhor's Desperation
The warlord gritted his teeth.
"I AM THE UNDYING! YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME!"
His abyssal power surged, black tendrils rising from the ground, clawing toward the First King.
But the divine fire burned them away.
Gral'Zhor lunged—his final, desperate attack.
The First King met him head-on.
Their weapons clashed one last time.
A blinding explosion of energy erupted, shaking the very sky.
The battle for Astralis… would soon reach its end.