Chapter 80: The Forbidden Path

"Che! Not enough to finish him off," William grumbled to himself, disappointed with the outcome of his sneak attack on Jack. Though he had managed to pull Jack down from the tower and inflict a significant wound, William knew he could have done more. He had hoped to deliver a decisive blow, but it seemed that fate had other plans.

According to their plan, sealing the tower core would create a moment of opportunity for William to strike. The realm spirit had assured him that it would handle the effects, allowing William to focus solely on the attack. While he had caused damage, it wasn't as substantial as he had anticipated.

"Stop dreaming that you can kill him in one strike. Considering the difference in strength between the two of you, it's already impressive that you made him look like this," the realm spirit's voice echoed in William's mind, reminding him of the reality of the situation. The realm spirit continued, "Even for me, those few moments were too short to strengthen your attack. Don't show me that unsatisfied look!"

William acknowledged the realm spirit's words and refocused his attention on the task at hand. The back door spell prepared by Emperor Alexander had been activated, providing an opportunity for their victory. Curious about the spell's effects, William questioned the realm spirit.

"What can it do? Hurry up, as Jack won't stay down there for long," William asked eagerly.

"Hehehe. Don't worry, it's already in motion," the realm spirit replied mysteriously.

As the realm spirit spoke, a phenomenon unfolded beneath the tower. From William's vantage point atop the tower, he witnessed a massive magic circle with a radius of ten meters emanating from the tower's center. Hope surged within him as he believed the end of their ordeal was near. However, fate had a different plan in store.

Just as William's attention was directed to the magic circle, he heard a sound coming from where Jack had fallen. When he looked in that direction, he saw a shadow of Jack rising within the cloud of dust.

"I never thought you would push me this far," Jack declared, slowly rising to his feet. The coldness in his demeanor surpassed anything William had seen before. Despite the injuries he had sustained, Jack's aura emitted a surge of dark energy, drawing in the surrounding darkness like a vacuum.

The more dark energy Jack absorbed, the colder and stronger he became. It was as if his body thrived on the dark energy, mutating his dragon scales from red to a dark purple. William's instincts told him that the situation had taken a turn for the worse, as Jack grew stronger with each passing moment.

Just as he thought things were about to get worse, an anxious voice from the realm spirit shocked William further. "William, this is bad! The tower is regaining control!"

Panic filled William as he realized the gravity of the situation. Their plan had faltered, and now the tower was turning against them. The realm spirit's failed plan left him with more questions than answers, but he had no time to dwell on it. He was now facing Jack alone, his greatest adversary.

Observing Jack from above, William sensed the impending danger. While he didn't fully understand the situation, his instincts warned him that Jack had become significantly stronger. Trusting his instincts, he knew he couldn't let this continue.

Channeling the strength bestowed upon him by the realm spirit, William decided to rely on his tried and true method: charging forward and initiating close combat tactics. Like a bullet fired from a pistol, he poured all his strength into his legs, propelling himself off the tower and hurtling toward Jack with Darkmoon in hand.

Jack, unfazed by William's attack, raised his hand as if to block the strike. His hand, still covered in dragon scales, had transformed from red to dark purple due to his absorption of dark energy, a mutation within his constitution.

The clash between William's sword and Jack's scaled hand created a powerful explosion. Jack was pushed back several steps, while William somersaulted backward, regaining his footing after the failed attack. It was clear that his previous tactic of piercing through Jack's scales was no longer effective.

"Give up. There's no way you can defeat me anymore. I have walked the forbidden path—the path of invincibility," Jack coldly declared, his voice sending chills down William's spine.

Facing Jack's increased strength and his claim of invincibility, William knew he had to find a new strategy if he wanted to stand a chance against this formidable adversary. The battle had taken an unexpected turn, and the stakes had never been higher.