For the next two minutes, their battle intensified. Alexander repeatedly attempted to close the distance whilst Anlaf bombarded him with increased tenacity.

And when Alexander arrived close, Anlaf zoned him out with Fire Stream before escaping with Shadow Escape, worsening Alexander’s damaged body.

*Huff* ‘Fuck’ *Puff* ‘It has only been two minutes, and my body is barely keeping up!’

True to his words, flame marks, blisters and burnt scars marred most of his body. The only thing that remained of his distinctive, beautiful hair were a few stands of singed hair dangling in the wind.

*PTUI*

Alexander spat out a mouthful of blood containing a few of his teeth knocked out from stray debris as he took out another flask and drank it.

_ _ _

_ _ _

As the chained halo disappeared once more, Alexander glanced at Anlaf's ever-increasing [Stats].

_ _ _

[Name]: Anlaf the Defiant

[Level]: 2?(???)

[Stats]: 19.1(??) Strength, 2?(??) Agility, 0(??) Charm, 18(??) Endurance, 19.3(??) Intelligence, 2?(??) Mana, 4(??) Mental

[Traits]: March of the Eternal Legion, Regeneration, ???, …

[Affinity]: Death, Fire, Shadow

[Attainment]: Umbramancy, Pyromancy, ???, …

_ _ _

‘More and more of its stats are reaching the 20s,’ Alexander sighed.

However, Alexander had other things to worry about. With the chained halo gone, he could finally activate his refined plan.

***

Hopefully, this would be the last time they reenacted this dance.

Alexander dashed towards Anlaf and baited its Fire Stream. However, even if he did account for the spells improving with Anlaf’s increased [Stats]. The new stream was so hot that it was singing him from afar. With his barely healing skin charring up, Alexander lobbed his Shortsword towards Anlaf to activate its Shadow Escape.

As it used Shadow Escape, Alexander again dived into a nearby crater. Checking his injuries, a single counter alone caused most of his injuries to be exasperated. Pain consumed most of his body. Yet, he didn't dare to use his last remaining healing flask.

In that ditch, surrounded by the smell of rot and burn emanating from his body, Alexander endured as he waited for the skeleton to wander back.

He focused his mind on the most crucial component of his new plan, his only ability.

‘Glitter!’

As his mana surged into the onesie, firefly like light balls emerged from his suit. Alexander stood still, letting them stack up.

***

The lost skeleton again wandered towards its previous spot. Seeing his opportunity, Alexander grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it in the air, drawing it towards the crater.

Like a moth drawn to a flame, Anlaf took the bait, moving toward the crater.

Alexander smiled. He burst out from below like a rising comet.

A single upper blow, aimed at its jaw, dislocated it.

Using the weapon’s upward momentum, the sword slammed back down at its lumbar.

Anlaf was staggered by the precise strikes.

Alexander, however, was not done with his combo. He started dashing in a circle around it, leaving a trail of beautiful light balls.

*Clang* *Clang* *Clang*

Alexander rained precise strikes down at the metallic restrainers.

As Anlaf regained itself, a sea of white light balls somehow surrounded it. Blinded, It flailed its hands around to smack the buzzing Alexander.

Alexander responded by chopping the creature by the neck before ignoring it. He continued his relentless assault on the metallic restrainers.

*Clang*

*Clang* *Clang*

*Clang* *Clang* *Clang*

Occasionally, he would attack the skeleton’s knees and lumbar, re-staggering it.

The skeleton tried to shriek. However, before it could fully open its damaged jaw,

*Thud*

A smack arrived, semi dislocating its jaw.

After failing to shriek, the skeleton staggered to move its body away from Alexander’s sea of light. However, Alexander pinned his sword between its fibula and tibia, keeping it in place.

With only his hands left, Alexander continued punching the metallic restrainers. After repeated hammering, light cracks slowly formed.

***

Alexander repeated this sequence for the next few minutes.

Punch metallic restrainers.

Punch the lumbar, knees or neck.

And, of course, occasionally venting on it.

With its leg being pinned, its sight blinded by the sea of lights. The skeleton was helplessly beaten up by Alexander.

“How do you like it, asshole?”

“Was it fun shooting at me from afar like a rat?”

“Not so fun now, eh?”

Alexander spat out hateful words in disdain at the skeleton’s misdemeanour.

***

The restrainers around its wrists cracked, breaking into pieces and releasing the skeleton’s arms from the accursed golden chains.

Seeing his endless attacks worked, Alexander took aim at the last restrainer by the creature's neck.

With one more precise hit, he could break it too.

However, as the blow came down, Alexander fell a wave of mana washed over him. His punch was stopped a couple of centimetres away from the neck restrainer.

The skeleton turned its crooked skull towards Alexander.

Through the blinding sea of light, its eerie fiery eyes were a lighthouse of darkness, extinguishing the surrounding radiance with its endless bloodlust.

As the abyss glanced at Alexander, Alexander looked back. Strangely, trances of sanity could be seen dancing amidst a sea of madness. Blue fire lingered in the dark.

Before Alexander could internalise something from the wondrous phenomenon, a punch landed on his chest, launching Alexander through the sky, accompanied by a stream of blood.

*BOOM*

His rapid collision caved the ground in.

The punch also destroyed any semblance of Alexander’s ribs and ravaged most if not all of his internal organs. Crimson blood continuously leaked from various parts of his body, forming a small puddle. With a quivering hand, Alexander barely managed to retrieve his last flask.

As he emptied its content down his throat, blood dripped from the flask cover also came along.

With both healing flasks working overtime to save his collapsing body,

‘So close. Fuck!’ Alexander struggled to sit up.

_ _ _

_ _ _

‘Hahaha. So it *GRR* worked!’

Although he was gurgling in his own blood, Alexander was happy about his result. He also inspected the skeleton again.

_ _ _

[Name]: Anlaf the Defiant

[Level]: ??(???)

[Stats]: ??(??) Strength, ??(??) Agility, 0(??) Charm, ??(??) Endurance, ??(??) Intelligence, ??(??) Mana, 1?(??) Mental

[Traits]: March of the Eternal Legion, Regeneration, Last Stand, …

[Affinity]: Death, Fire, Shadow

[Attainment]: Umbramancy, Pyromancy, ???, …

_ _ _

‘How did its stats increase so much? Shouldn’t it be in the mid-20s at most?’

Alexander was astounded by its fraudulent abilities. He stared blankly at the creature before staring at his terrible body.

‘How can I survive the next minute?’

As Alexander had predicted, Anlaf began his counterattack.

A half-broken longsword sliced through the sky. It cleanly pierced through Alexander’s leg, breaking his knee and tearing through his muscles. The sword implanted itself deep in the ground after completely separating Alexander’s calf from his thigh.

“AHHHHHH!”

Alexander screamed whilst thanking the pain settings.

With his weary hands, Alexander tore some damaged sections of his onesie to bandage his legs.

As the blood level around Alexander deepened, Alexander laboured in exhaustion to cover his wound whilst occasionally glancing at the skeleton.

Its behaviour after being released was strange. Thankfully, it wasn't bombarding Alexander with spells but was moving slowly towards his other sword.

It stood there in silence to observe the sword, giving Alexander more time to escape after closing his injury. However, before Alexander could complete his bandaging, it lobbed Shortsword towards him.