CHAPTER 131: SERVES YOU RIGHT...

His body stiffened, and an unfamiliar weakness coursed through him. His chest heaved sharply as if his strength had been torn away.

His mana—half of it, gone in an instant, drained from his very core.

"What—what is this...?" he muttered in disbelief, his head snapping around wildly. "What’s... happening to me?"

He felt hollow, unstable, his instincts screaming louder than ever, panic clawing at the edge of his mind.

And then—

Behind him, something began to stir.

A shadowy form rose from the dungeon floor, silent and deliberate.

Its shape twisted unnaturally, limbs stretching into a form both humanoid and monstrous. Its body was forged of purplish-black energy, darker than night, flickering with an eerie glow that radiated malice.

The demon’s instincts shrieked, however, it was already too late.

Before he could even turn, or even raise his arms to defend himself—

SHLK!

A piercing sensation erupted in his chest. His breath hitched violently, his body jolting as pain spread through his torso.

Slowly... his gaze lowered.

There, jutting out from his chest, was a dagger.

A purplish-black dagger of pure shadow, its surface seething with unnatural energy.

The blade pulsed inside him, radiating hunger, as if it was drinking the very essence of his being.

Blood welled from the wound, spilling down his scaled body. His glowing eyes trembled in disbelief, the realization creeping into his mind like ice.

He had been stabbed.

By something he hadn’t even seen coming.

"Argh!" A harsh, wet choke tore from his throat.

Spurt!

Blood sprayed out from his mouth, splashing unto the ground.

His breath hitched, ragged and uneven, each exhale flecked with crimson.

Slowly, with disbelief still etched across his monstrous features, his gaze shifted sideways.

There stood Riley.

His back pressed against the cracked dungeon wall, his body bruised and battered, yet his eyes burned with defiance.

His lips had curved into a wide, cruel smirk, the kind of grin that carried both triumph and mockery. His voice cut through the heavy silence, low and venomous.

"Surprise... bitch."

The demon’s claw tightened reflexively for a moment around Riley’s throat—then slackened.

The crushing force pinning him to the wall weakened, until it was nothing but a feeble grip.

Riley slipped free, dropping to his knees and began coughing violently.

Blood splattered across the stone floor as his battered lungs screamed for air, and he clicked his chest gasping.

However, even through the agony coursing through him, the smug smirk on his face never faded.

The demon, meanwhile, staggered. His claws twitched uselessly in the air, his immense frame trembling as though it could no longer hold itself upright.

With a guttural growl, he collapsed down to one knee, thick trails of blood spilling from his chest wound.

His mouth filled with the metallic tang, each breath a ragged choke.

’What... is happening?’ he thought, his face twisting in confusion.

He tried turning around, hoping yo see who or what just drove a blade through his body.

But then, the heavy injury inflicted by the blade still stuck in his chest made that impossible.

His instincts screamed for answers, but none came.

After all... Riley was supposed to be the only other presence in this boss room. No one else should have been here. No one.

His claws scraped weakly against the stone as he tried to pivot, to glance over his shoulder.

But his vision wavered and blurred, the world around him spinning in a haze.

And then—

SHLK!

Another blade ripped through him, this one stabbing clean through his skull.

The purplish-black dagger erupted from his forehead, its sharp edge glistening with his blood.

Splurt!

Blood sprayed in a violent burst, spattering the cracked ground and running down his face.

His glowing eyes went wide one final time, shock frozen within them—before the light within them vanished.

His towering, monstrous body swayed once, then toppled forward with a thunderous crash that shook the boss chamber.

Dust and debris trembled loose from the dungeon walls, echoing the fall of a once-fearsome foe.

Finally, the demon which had given Riley so much trouble lay still, dead.

"Ugh..." Riley grunted, staggering weakly to his feet.

His eyes locked on the corpse sprawled across the ruined boss room, a cold glint flashing across them.

The once-proud demon, now nothing but a lifeless husk, lay twisted in death.

Riley’s lips curled into a bitter scoff as he spat blood to the side.

"Serves you right... disgusting demon." he said, his words dripping with venom..

His voice carried both hatred and grim satisfaction, like a man spitting on the grave of a lifelong enemy, which wouldn’t be wrong in his case.

He let the silence stretch for a moment, savoring the sight of the monster that had very nearly killed him lying broken and still.

Then, slowly, his gaze shifted.

Standing in front of him, unmoving, was the purplish-black figure.

Riley’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The figure was the exact same height as him. The exact same frame. The exact same features—down to the sharp curve of his jawline, the faint strands of shadow flickering around his form, even the expressionless blankness in its eyes mirrored Riley’s own gaze when he was calm.

It was him. His shadow clone.

The figure didn’t move. It stood rooted like a statue, still and silent, its lifeless stare fixed directly on Riley.

For a second, the atmosphere felt heavier, as though the room itself was holding its breath.

Then Riley let out a low chuckle. His lips stretched into a faint smirk as he muttered, "It’s really helpful when you’re not after my life."

His arm raised, slow and deliberate despite the ache coursing through his muscles.

He clenched his fist and extended it toward the clone in a gesture so casual, it contrasted sharply with the blood-soaked battlefield around them.

The shadow clone remained still for a heartbeat. Then, with the same mechanical precision as before, it lifted its own hand, forming a darkened fist. The two fists met in the middle.

Thump!

The moment their knuckles connected, the shadow clone shimmered faintly before dissolving into smoke-like wisps of shadow.

Those wisps flowed back into Riley’s body, merging with him seamlessly.