Endless Evolution As A Skeleton In A Game-Like World

Cain managed to summon a shield just in time, the green energy forming around him like a crystal dome.

But the shield had been hasty, his mana had not been given enough time to properly form. So the moment the fireball met it, it shattered like a glass vase, just before the fire poured in.

Vwooosh!

”AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Cain screamed at the top of his voice as the fire seared his skin, charring his body and eating at his flesh.

He ran out of his shield screaming and rolling on the floor to quench the fire, all while Ark watched from a distance.

If he wanted to, he would have ended the battle right there and then. A lightning bolt, or another fireball and there would have been nothing left of the warlock.

But Ark waited, watching coldly, almost as if he enjoyed watching him burn... hearing his disturbing screams.

That was what most of the Players gathered believed, and because of this, they had begun to harbour fear for Ark within their hearts.

Not just because of his cruelty, but because of the unconventional way he used his magic, the tricks that seemed to never end, and the sheer, overpowering nature of his attacks.

But in reality, Ark was not waiting because he enjoyed watching Cain cry like a newborn. Where was the joy in that?

The reason he was waiting was because he was sure... there was still much more to Cain than met the eye. There was still so much more he could learn from him!

The fire finally settled and Cain got to his feet, body charred, magic robes reduced to tatters, eyes burning with fury.

”Are you finally going to show me what you have been hiding?”

This time, Cain did not say a single word. He had no words for Ark, all he could do at that moment was envision a thousand ways to bring him to his knees, a thousand ways to make him grovel, a thousand ways to cause him pain.

”Forma Demonis.”

Cain’s red eyes glowed brightly, his pupils transforming to a tri-triangle star that seemed to stare into the very soul.

His hair elongated, growing long enough to reach his lower back, and then his horn grew, elongating backwards.

His staff had also transformed along with him, the tip of the weapon transforming into a demonic skull.

And then dark wings tore out of his back, fanning out by his sides.

”So this is it? This is what you have been hiding all this while!” Ark screamed excitedly.

This was likely a secret technique Cain was unwilling to reveal to the public, something that he only used when in the face of death.

Ark had finally managed to draw it out.

He wordlessly slammed the butt of his staff against the floor and then hands tore through an abyss that had formed below his feet.

Skinny arms, lanky bodies, eyes filled with a maddening hunger... Right before Ark’s eyes, more than twenty lesser demons emerged, stumbling as they stampeded towards him.

And then a larger hand came out, grabbing onto the floor before pulling out its full body.

The monster was over ten feet in height and bore rippling muscles at every side. Its skin was pitch black, its teeth so long that they escaped its mouth.

A demonic Orge.

Warlocks were known for their expert control of dark magic, but to think Cain’s had already reached this level, to be able to command so many demons...

”It is no wonder you are the heir of Order!”

The first imp arrived in front of Ark, swinging its clawed hand at his face.

Ark dodged the blow and punched it right in the gut, his hand tearing through its stomach and sending intestines and foul blood spewing out.

He kicked the other one in the head, shattering its skull, grabbed another by the neck, strangling it, and then unleashed a wide-area fireball that completely decimated the rest of them.

They may have been demons, but imps were no better than goblins.

But the demonic Orge...

The monster looked over Ark, bringing its spiked mace down with so much force that the wind howled as though offended by the disturbance.

It was on a whole other level!

”Since you have shown me respect as a mage, I guess it is only right that I return the favour.”

Ark pointed his wand at the monster and then unleashed a wave of yellow lightning.

The lightning pounded into the mace, flinging it out of sight, just before the lightning slammed into the monster.

The monster blocked with both hands, trying to push through the attack to crush Ark with its bare fists.

”Oh? Not bad.”

The yellow lightning ceased, for a second, just before a stream of black lightning emerged. It tore through the demon’s guard like paper, blew its head apart, sending skull fragments flying into the air, and then tore a hole right through the dome above—

The demon’s body fizzled away, burning into ash, and then Cain emerged from the ash, cutting through the wind like a hypersonic missile.

He crashed into Ark with enough force to rip through a wall, sending him flying back. But he didn’t even allow him to properly land before he stuck to him like glue.

Cain lashed out like a vicious beast, or demon, his wings tearing at Ark’s face and body.

Ark dodged a slash meant to take out his head, leaned back as the feather tore off bone from his jaw, then leaped into the air, spinning around before driving his foot into Cain’s neck.

The blow should have been enough to send him to his knees, but Cain was no longer the Cain he had fought a few seconds ago.

He grabbed Ark’s leg and drove him down to the floor, before diving towards him.

Ark responded with lightning—

A yellow strip of lightning that sent Cain flying back into the air, and racing through the sky to evade it.

The sky was bathed with spells as both mages unleashed their hidden arsenals.

Cain unleashed a wave of darkness, Ark responded with light. Cain unleashed his hellish flames, Ark responded with destructive fire, Ark launched lightning, Cain responded with force explosion.

In mere seconds, multiple holes had been created in the dome, the field had been turned into a mess of magic-born scars and the air was rife with concentrated mana.

And the audience, they loved every single moment of it. A duel that was meant to be a fight to the death, now became a means to showcase just how powerful the younger generation had become.

Soon, cheers began to erupt from the crowd as explosion after explosion rocked the arena.

”Is this really a spar among newbies?”

”How is that skeleton able to keep up with a demonic transformation?”

”This is crazy!!!”

A black distortion in space raced towards Ark, blurring in the air, and transforming to nets just before it got to him.

But Ark smoothly dodged every single one of them, just before sending lightning flying.

Cain tried to dodge the pulsing bolt of sheer destruction, but it curved around in the air, before coming at him from the back.

They had both expended tons of mana, using more to defend against an attack would have been foolish, so instead of dodging, Cain charged at Ark, leading the lightning right towards him.

”Not bad.”

Both Cain and the lightning arrived at the same time, but Ark caused it to stall, darting around their heads like a spectator, witnessing a brawl between mages.

Cain’s wings were blocking Ark’s attacks, while unleashing strikes aimed at dislodging his head.

But with each defence, Cain felt tremors race through his body, and his feathers peel out of his wings.

He unleashed a ball of fire at point-blank range, but Ark vanished, just for a second, but it was more than enough to send the fire flying back.

Ark held Cain’s outstretched hand, pulled it down, and then sent a punch flying at his abdomen—

But before the punch could land, the lightning that had been hovering came down, wrapping around Ark’s fist, just as he sunk it right into Cain’s bowels.

Tzzz—Bang!

Cain blocked with his wings, but his wings had already suffered from taking several of Ark’s dilapidating blows—

His dark wings bent backwards, one by one, his bones snapped, and then Ark’s fist tore right through.

Vwooosh!

Ark’s jaws snapped open, steam seeping out of his mouth. His eyes glowed like fire as he stared into Cain’s eyes.

He could see pain, anger, regret. But most of all, he could see hopelessness.

Cain had worked hard, put himself through hell, just for this day, the day he would finally triumph over him.

The weight of being the guild heir, the overwhelming expectations of his family, the fear and torment of his brother, the hopes of his mother.

He had carried everything with him into this fight...

Only to fail.

”You did well.”

Cain’s eyes widened slightly.

Ark’s words had been a whisper, his voice so low that Cain thought he might have imagined it, but something tingled in his heart, and his eyes blurred with tears, just before he was launched back like a baseball.

Bang!

Cain slammed into the other side of the dome, his blood splattering all over its shimmering surface—

The crowd went silent.

Slowly, Ark stalked up to him, and then his wand sparkled with magic as he placed it right underneath his jaw.

Captivated by the show, the people gathered had long forgotten...

This was a fight to the death.