Chapter 17: The Final Stand

Chapter 17: The Final Stand

The battlefield was a war-torn digital wasteland, the corrupted energy from the Overlord's awakening distorting the very fabric of reality. Aryan stood at the center, gripping his sword tightly, his heart pounding against his chest. His teammates, scattered and injured, struggled to rise, the overwhelming power of the Overlord pressing down on them like an unbreakable force.

Nyx wiped blood from her lip, her breath ragged. "We can't keep this up for much longer… he's too powerful."

Shira's fingers raced across her console, sweat trickling down her temple. "I've almost bypassed his control! Just a little more time!"

The Overlord smirked, his eyes gleaming with malice. "You think I will allow that?" With a wave of his hand, a storm of black tendrils lashed out, aiming straight for Shira.

Aryan lunged forward, his blade igniting in blue flames. SLASH! The tendrils were severed just in time. "You focus on the System! We'll handle him!"

Kaine, barely able to stand, let out a battle cry and launched himself at the Overlord, his fists glowing with raw power. "LIKE HELL I'M GOING DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!"

The Overlord caught his fist with a single hand, squeezing tightly. CRACK! A sickening sound echoed as Kaine screamed in agony.

Aryan didn't hesitate. "SYSTEM SKILL: DRAGON'S WRATH!"

A burning shockwave erupted from his sword, colliding into the Overlord and forcing him backward. Kaine collapsed, clutching his broken arm, but he grinned. "Heh… that actually worked."

Shira gasped. "I did it! The Core Override Terminal is unlocked! We can shut him down!"

Aryan nodded. "Then let's end this!"

The Overlord's form flickered, his expression shifting from amusement to pure rage. "YOU DARE—?!"

A surge of energy exploded from him, sending waves of destruction across the battlefield. The final battle had begun.

Aryan took a deep breath, his muscles screaming in exhaustion. The energy pulses were relentless, tearing through the digital space like a storm. He could barely keep up.

"NYX, COVER ME!" he shouted, dodging another blast.

Nyx leaped in front of him, conjuring a barrier of light. The Overlord's attack crashed against it, shattering the barrier but buying them precious seconds.

"Damn it! He's regenerating too fast!" she growled.

Kaine struggled to stand, his broken arm dangling uselessly. "We have to—" He coughed blood, his vision blurring. "We have to find his weak point."

Shira's eyes widened as she tapped rapidly on her console. "I FOUND IT! His core—it's embedded in his chest! We need a direct hit to disrupt his control!"

Aryan's grip tightened on his sword. "Then we finish this. Together."

The Overlord raised his hand, summoning a massive black sphere of energy. It pulsed with chaotic energy, the sheer force cracking the digital ground beneath them.

"DIE!" he roared, hurling the attack straight at them.

Aryan, Nyx, and Kaine didn't hesitate. They charged forward, their remaining strength pushing them beyond their limits.

The moment of impact was an explosion of energy, sending shockwaves through the entire game world. The very sky cracked like shattered glass, digital fragments falling like rain. Aryan's sword connected with the Overlord's chest, cutting through his core with a devastating slash.

The Overlord let out an earth-shattering scream as his body convulsed, black energy erupting in chaotic bursts. His eyes, once filled with malice, flickered with something akin to shock… then fear. "Impossible… you… mere… players…" His voice distorted as his form disintegrated into a million fragments, vanishing into the abyss of the System's void.

The entire battlefield trembled violently, and a SYSTEM ALERT echoed through the air.

[WARNING: SYSTEM OVERLOAD DETECTED!]

Shira's console lit up with an emergency prompt. "Oh no… His death triggered a failsafe! The entire game world is collapsing!"

Nyx gasped. "Then what the hell are we supposed to do now?"

Aryan's breathing was heavy, his fingers tightening around his weapon. "There has to be a way out. Shira, find the System's mainframe!"

Her fingers danced across the controls at lightning speed. "I see it! A backdoor exit—but it's buried under layers of encryption! I need time!"

Kaine groaned, struggling to his feet. "Time? We don't HAVE time! The whole damn world is falling apart!"

The sky darkened as pieces of the System shattered, entire landscapes crumbling like glass. In the distance, digital storms erupted, consuming everything in their path. The game was dying… and so were they if they didn't escape soon.

Aryan's heart pounded. "Then we do the impossible—" He turned to his team, determination burning in his eyes. "We survive."

The final mission had begun.

🔜 [Next Chapter: The System's Fate] 🔜