Chapter 66-Varkos Final Stand (Floor 48 -The Blade's Wrath)

The battlefield quieted for a brief moment as the wind picked up, swirling the ash of battle around Elias and Varkos. The golden light enveloping Varkos pulsed, his body swelling with power, and the aura radiating from him was overwhelming.

[SYSTEM ALERT: VARKOS, THE BLADE OF CONQUEST, HAS ENTERED HIS FINAL FORM.]

Elias could feel the shift in the air-the temperature dropping, the tension rising. He had barely begun to recover from the previous battle, his strength low, but he couldn't back down now. Not with his allies still recovering and the victory so close.

"Is that all you have left?" Elias grinned, trying to mask the strain in his voice.

Varkos eyes glowed with a terrifying intensity. as he unsheathed his cursed blade. It hummed, the air crackling with anticipation. "I have only just begun."

The spectral general moved so quickly that Elias barely had time to react.

Phantom Step!

Elias flickered to the side, narrowly avoiding the swipe of Varkos' blade. But the sheer power behind it sent a shockwave through the air, rattling his bones.

"You can't escape me forever!" Varkos roared, slamming the blade down again.

Elias barely brought his sword up to block the strike, the force sending him to one knee. His arms were shaking from the impact, his body weak from the earlier fights.

This isn't good. I can't rely on sheer strength anymore, Elias thought.

The System had warned him earlier-his strength and magic were drained, but they would gradually recover over time. The only thing he had left now was his skills, his wits, and the will to fight.

"Time for your final test, Elias Vaelthorne," Varkos said, smirking as he raised the blade.

Elias' heart raced. He couldn't let Varkos take the upper hand now. He needed to think, to

adapt.

Necrotic Shield!

A barrier of dark energy surrounded Elias, protecting him from Varkos' next barrage of blows. The cursed blade hit the shield, and Elias felt his vitality drain just a little as the shield absorbed the impact.

It won't last long like this... Elias thought, sweat beading on his forehead. But it gave him the precious moments he needed.

I need to end this quickly.

Nightmarish Realm!

Elias cast the skill just as Varkos prepared for another strike. The world around them warped, and the air thickened with an unnatural

darkness. Varkos' vision was clouded by his own fear-his movements became sluggish, disoriented as Elias' phantasmal power took root in his mind.

Varkos shook his head violently, trying to dispel the illusion, but it was too late. Elias had already closed the distance between them.

Death's Touch!

With a swift strike, Elias' blade laced with necrotic energy struck Varkos' side. The spectral general staggered, gasping as the life drained

from him.

Varkos' golden aura flickered, his form starting to unravel. His eyes flashed with disbelief.

"You... you think this is over?"

Elias didn't give him a chance to recover. He followed up with a powerful strike that pierced the spectral general's heart.

For a brief moment, the battlefield went still.

[SYSTEM ALERT: GENERAL VARKOS, THE BLADE OF CONQUEST, HAS BEEN DEFEATED.]

Varkos crumbled to the ground, his form

disintegrating into dust. His cursed blade fell with a soft thud, the faint hum of its power fading away.

Elias stood over the remains of the final general, his breathing heavy, but his heart still pounding with adrenaline.

It was over.

For now.

Althea and Lyra approached, the weight of their battle clear in their faces, but there was a shared relief between them. They had done it-together.

"We did it..." Althea whispered, her voice barely audible.

Elias nodded, his hand still gripping his sword tightly. "Yeah. But it wasn't easy."

Lyra stepped forward, wiping the sweat from her brow. "It never is."

Elias allowed himself a brief smile, but it didn't last long. There was still the matter of the next floors. Still the Trial ahead.

"We're not done yet," Elias said, his voice low but firm.

They turned toward the staircase leading to the next floor, their bodies battered, but their resolve unbroken.

[SYSTEM ALERT: THE FINAL GENERAL OF THE WAR COUNCIL HAS BEEN DEFEATED. PROCEED TO FLOOR 49.]

Another challenge awaits.