CHAPTER 291: DESTROY THE CURSED (106)

Chapter 291 – Second Round

"Thanks. I’ll handle it from here," Han said.

LightRunner raised an eyebrow.

Han still looked the same.... no armor, no change.

Where was the gear he’d been given?

From what the Seenya techs said, that armor was supposed to give him an edge.

So why wasn’t he wearing it?

Before he could ask, space itself twisted.

The Dark Emissary appeared, her presence bending the air, her eyes dripping malice.

Her voice cracked out, broken and eerie.

"Back."

Han smiled faintly. "Yeah. I’m back. And this time, you’re the one going down."

He raised his hand. "Ifrit. Thunderwrath, merge."

Flame and lightning erupted, fusing around his body. Pain burned through his veins, the kind that could break bones from the inside, but he didn’t even flinch.

He’d planned for it this time.

"Nova Phase...equip."

The armor shimmered into existence, wrapping around him like liquid metal. Midnight blue that shimmered into black under the shattered light. Intricate lines glowed across the plating .... elegant, brutal, alive.

It didn’t look human-made. It looked born for war.

His shoulder guards flared like the tusks of some ancient beast, his aura thick and heavy enough to shake the room. Lightning crackled in one eye, fire burned in the other.

Han grinned. "Now... let’s go for round two."

The Dark Emissary bared her teeth in a feral grin.... then launched forward, a streak of shadow and hate.

She was fast. Too fast.

But Han didn’t move.

Her dark-imbued fist slammed into him... and stopped cold. No impact recoil, no knockback, no flight through the air.

He stood there. Solid. Unmoved.

The Dark Emissary froze for half a heartbeat. That was all he needed.

"My turn."

Flame and lightning coiled into his palm.

"Fourth Jungle Art.... Tiger Punch!"

The hit connected clean on her chin. The explosion of force drove her skyward, cracking the ceiling.

Han kicked off the ground, boots grinding against the wall like gravity was a joke. Energy spiraled around his arm.... flame and lightning folding in on themselves until it screamed.

"Thirteenth Jungle Art... Rhino Charge!"

He dropped like a meteor. The collision thundered through the chamber.

The ground split. The shockwave blew dust, stone, and darkness outward in a storm.

LightRunner blinked, watching from the side, stunned.

Was it just him... or had Han gotten way stronger?

Faster too.

His eyes narrowed toward the armor, and a grin touched his lips.

So that’s it... the armor.

It had to be at least a peak S-rank piece. No way something that powerful was just standard issue.

"Damn," he muttered. "Can’t believe an upstart guild crafted that."

---

Han, meanwhile, stood calm amid the wreckage. His gaze locked on the Dark Emissary as she pulled herself up, cracked armor and fury in her eyes.

"You... wretched... pest!"

That disturbing grin spread across her face again.

"I will destroy you."

Then she exploded in motion. A storm of strikes rained down... each one heavy enough to turn steel to dust.

But Han didn’t move. Not once.

Her blows crashed against him, but he stayed rooted. The floor cratered beneath his feet, yet he stood like a mountain.

That was Behemoth Stand... one of Nova Phase’s passive skills.

No matter the force, no matter the weight, the wearer could not be moved.

That’s how he stayed standing through her onslaught.

But even then... every hit still shredded at his life force.

If he kept taking it, even Nova Phase wouldn’t save him.

Han’s eyes flickered, lightning and fire burning bright.

He clenched his fist, pulling power tighter and tighter, compressing it until the air screamed around him.

The next punch from the Dark Emissary hit nothing.

Han was gone.

He appeared behind her.... already mid-strike.

The compressed cannon of flame and lightning roared out from his hand, blinding, furious, unstoppable.

It hit her dead on.

She went crashing through the wall again.

Han landed hard, dust swirling around him. His gaze was calm... too calm. He knew that hit wouldn’t be enough to end the Dark Emissary. Not her. She’d be back.

And fast.

Before that happened, he had to move.

The Behemoth Stand — that was the skill that anchored him to the ground, made him unmovable. But it came with another side.

He clicked the small crest on his armor, and the crimson lines streaking across its surface bled into white. The entire suit pulsed.

Then—

His body grew weightless.

It felt like becoming the wind itself. Every motion effortless. Every breath lighter than air. The rush was intoxicating, but Han forced the thrill down. Now wasn’t the time to get lost in the power.

He extended both hands, palms open. The air shimmered, then roared to life — flame and lightning twisting into existence.

Two long scythes formed, both blazing with pure destruction.

Right then, the Dark Emissary reappeared, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.

Seeing her wounded — bleeding — told Han one thing: this fight wasn’t impossible.

But he didn’t let pride creep in. Pride killed faster than any blade. One mistake, and he’d die here. He wasn’t about to let that happen.

She lunged.

But something went wrong. Her attack didn’t land.... instead, a deep, burning gash tore across her chest, blood spilling like dark fire.

Han turned to face her, eyes cold.

"No more games," he said. "Everything ends now. And your nightmare ends with it."

Those weren’t empty words. His confidence came from something real , another skill pulsing beneath the armor’s glow.

Active Skill: Phantom Stand.

Active Skill: Echoing Damage.

The Nova Phase Armor was worthy of its rank .... SS-class. Its defensive power alone could put ancient relics to shame. But that wasn’t even its full strength.

It held three passive skills, two active skills, and one ultimate.

The first passive.... Pain Suppression.... cut all incoming damage by half. That alone made the armor legendary.

Then came Graviton Shift, the dual passive:

Behemoth Stand — the immovable mountain.

Phantom Stand — the untouchable wind.

Han couldn’t use both at once. He had to choose.

And this time, he chose speed.

The third passive.... Vital Resurge.

Every strike he landed stole vitality from his opponent and fed it back into him. No cooldown. No energy cost. Just raw life-for-life exchange.

Then the actives:

Echoing Damage,

Guardian Retribution.

Right now, he’d stick with Echoing Damage.

Every wound he dealt would reappear.... again and again.... echoing through his enemy until they fell apart. The number of repeats depended on how much energy he was willing to spend.

With Phantom Stand and Echoing Damage active together, he had a real chance.

Han leveled his gaze at the Dark Emissary, his voice cutting through the crackling air.

"Your nightmare ends here. I promise."

Her eyes flicked down to the crimson bleeding from her chest. Then up at him again. Her grin stretched.... wider this time.

Was that amusement?

Or fear?

Han couldn’t tell.

But whatever it was, the Dark Emissary wasn’t done. Not even close.

The air around her darkened, the ground quivering as her aura.

The dark aura around her surged.... then solidified.

It twisted and coiled into a tenebris whip, a black weapon that distorted the very air around it.

"Let’s play, then," Han said, stepping forward.

The Dark Emissary moved at the same instant.

When they collided....

The world held its breath.

A deafening boom ripped through the air. The half-collapsed walls of the cursed base finally gave way, crumbling like dust.

Then everything broke.

The entire structure shuddered violently.

The land itself split open, torn apart as if the ground couldn’t bear the weight of their power.

In a single instant, the base was gone.... erased in a storm of pure destruction.

Far off in the distance, Jay and the others watched in horror.

They saw the cursed fortress implode, then explode outward in a rain of unending annihilation.

The shockwaves hit them moments later — waves of force so violent they made the air itself scream.

They couldn’t move.

Couldn’t breathe.

Dread sank into every heart watching from afar.

This wasn’t just power.

This was something else.... raw, unrestrained cataclysm.

The clash between Han and the Dark Emissary tore through the heavens like a forgotten myth come alive.

No one had seen destruction on this scale... not since the Sendok Calamity, the catastrophe that reshaped history itself.

And now, it seems to be happening again.

To Be Continued....

AUTHOR’S NOTE

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– Ultra