Chapter 14: Sacrifice
The heart-wrenching sight of Melissa's chest being punctured was seared into Silas's vision. She was the first genuine connection he had made since his return to this realm. Owing her for rescuing him from both the trolls and the deadly quicksand, Silas was consumed by a mix of anger and desperation. He launched himself at the Troll King. Harnessing the power of his wings and the newfound speed of his fairy form, which was now under his command, he surged forward, delivering a punch imbued with all his might.
However, the Troll King, with a prowess as immense as his wickedness, quickly dropped Melissa and caught Silas's fist, smirking. "You're still alive, creature? It seems I'll have the pleasure of killing you twice," the Troll King taunted. Silas's determination didn't waver. During their clash, the Troll King's balance faltered for just a split second, revealing a glimmer of surprise at Silas's newfound strength. Sneering, the Troll King said, "Even with this boost, you remain beneath me."
Seizing this brief moment, Silas retracted his punch, channeling that momentum into an airborne kick. This deflected the Troll King's arm, exposing his chest. Suddenly, in a display of a new power, Silas's left arm transformed into a gleaming blade. Without a second's hesitation, Silas thrust the sword into the Troll King's chest.
A triumphant grin spread across Silas's face. It was a direct hit. But when he looked up, the Troll King's face still bore that chilling grin.
"Foolish creature," the Troll King mocked. Silas attempted to withdraw his sword arm from the Troll King's chest, but it was stuck fast. The Troll King then launched a series of punches at Silas, gripping the arm embedded in his chest. The Troll King's dominion over his body was remarkable. Reeling from the blows, Silas's gaze darted to the remaining time granted by Chaos: only 1 minute and 30 seconds. Time was running out. With a Herculean effort, Silas managed to pull his arm free.
However, the wound on the Troll King's chest healed instantly. The Troll King began to laugh with a sinister glee. Silas was running out of time, and he wasn't even certain if Melissa was still alive. Memories from his past life began flooding back: the diverse powers he had honed, the formidable enemies he had defeated, even when they had seemed insurmountable. An idea sparked in Silas's mind. If the system had the capacity to adapt, perhaps he could tap into his former abilities.
Leaping backward, Silas shut his eyes. The Troll King, still wearing his smug grin, taunted, "Oh, are you running away again, creature?" But Silas remained silent, directing all his focus inward, attempting to channel the mana coursing through his veins. He felt an unfamiliar sensation permeate his being. Suddenly, a system message appeared: "Mana veins have been unlocked. You can now channel mana. Mana stat has been unlocked.
Would you like to select a new elemental affinity or retain the previous one?" Time was a luxury Silas didn't have. Choosing the familiar, he responded, "Fire element." The system promptly confirmed, "Fire element has been chosen." "This is getting boring. I have better things to do," said the Troll King. "I'll finish this with one last move." He stuck out a finger, and a small red and black orb began to form on its tip. The orb grew to the size of a basketball, then quickly shrank down to the size of a pea.
The Troll King popped the tiny orb into his mouth and swallowed. Right after, he started growing bigger, especially his belly. He set his feet wide apart, like a sumo wrestler getting ready. Silas stood still, eyes shut, working on controlling his new mana power. He knew he only had time for one more move. Taking a deep breath, he focused hard. The countdown showed only 30 seconds left. That's when Silas opened his eyes. They shone with determination.
In a quick move, he dashed towards the Troll King. Flames began to wrap around his fist, growing bigger with each second. Without waiting, Silas punched the Troll King's belly with all his might. This made the Troll King cough up green blood, and the Troll King yelled, "Too late!" But Silas was fully focused. He could see energy moving up from the Troll King's stomach. The Troll King opened his mouth wide, and a huge beam started to shoot out. Only 10 seconds were left.
Silas put all the fire magic he could muster into his fist and jammed it straight into the Troll King's mouth. The Troll King looked completely shocked. Silas had always been a gambler in his past life and knew risks all too well. But now, as his fiery fist clashed with the Troll King's energy inside the beast's mouth, a massive explosion erupted. A powerful gust of wind sent everything nearby flying. Trees were uprooted, and the once-green surroundings turned into a barren wasteland.
All the watching trolls were gone in an instant.
The Troll King lay in pieces, defeated by Silas. Inside a nearby spaceship, Jack had watched everything. He stood up from his chair, anxious about the outcome. As the smoke from the battlefield began to clear, Silas's battered body came into view. He had taken a lot of the explosion's impact, and his life was slipping away. As his vision blurred, thoughts of unfulfilled revenge weighed on him.
There wouldn't be a third chance. "At least I had one last epic fight," he thought, managing a weak smile. But as he started to close his eyes, he felt a warm touch. "Silas," whispered a familiar voice, "You were fantastic. Ever since we met, I knew you were special." Silas recognized Melissa's voice. "Melissa, you're alive?" he murmured. "Shush. Save your strength," she replied. Suddenly, Silas began to glow. "It's not your time," Melissa told him.
"But we won't meet again. I cherish our memories and will always watch over you." With that, Melissa gently kissed Silas. He was stunned but felt deep affection for her. A strange energy flowed into him, healing his wounds. Melissa was using her last power, giving up her life so Silas could live. Silas felt his body healing, but just as the relief washed over him, an intense pain jolted through his entire being. The countdown from Chaos had reached zero. It felt as if lightning was striking him directly.
He screamed, a sound so loud it seemed to shake the very core of the planet. As darkness started to close in on him, a mysterious shadow approached, but before he could see who or what it was, everything went black. The only thing left was the sound of system notifications: "Congrats! You defeated all 20 trolls. 2 levels granted. You're now level 5. Random ability unlocked." "Congrats! You defeated the Troll King. Choose one power to steal from him." "Congrats! Defeating a much stronger enemy earned you 5 more levels. You're now level 10." "Congrats! You've reached level 10. Evolution is now available. Want to evolve?"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone