The Damned Demon

Asher's eyes froze as he felt the bottomless killing intent flooding him from behind.

An aura of dark purple mist, thin but omnipresent, surrounded him, sucking whatever light there was out of the air.

This mist swirled continuously, but then it suddenly rippled,

*SHSSSHK!*

With an agility that belied its massive size, the serpent lunged forward with a chilling hiss, its gaping maw aimed directly at where Asher stood.

Reacting with honed reflexes, Asher dove to the side, his ring blade gleaming in the dark light of the cavern as he rolled across the rough, scale-strewn ground.

He came up in a crouch, eyeing the serpent as it reoriented its tremendous bulk for another strike, "Didn't expect you to be quite this big," Asher muttered under his breath as he got a good look at this coiling behemoth.

Its head was triangular and massive. Its deep-set, glowing dark purple eyes pierced through the darkness and were looking down on him.

Above each eye, bony ridges ran back toward the skull, adding to its fearsome visage.

Its colossal body with a girth that could rival age-old oaks, easily spanning over a hundred feet in length, uncoiled like a sinister spring released from its deadly trap.

Its body was covered in thick, overlapping scales that shimmered with an iridescent sheen of dark purples and blacks, reflecting the dark light in the cavern with an unsettling glow.

The scales were edged with sharp spines, giving the serpent a jagged, formidable silhouette that bristled with a lethal sharpness at the slightest movement.

His eyes immediately tried to scan its mana system and felt half-surprised to see that he couldn't see through its stats. That could mean it had a higher INT than him despite him specializing in INT.

*HSsshhhhhh…*

It slowly slithered forward with a low spine-chilling hiss while opening its mouth, revealing rows of dagger-like teeth with particularly horrifying fangs—curved and barbed, dripping with a venom that glowed a sinister purple, mirroring its mana.

Asher blinked upon seeing its venom making hisses and smokes on contact with just air, making him feel as if its venom might be strong enough to kill a dragon…of course, if it managed to get close and pierce a dragon's skin.

*KSSSHHHRR!*

The serpent hissed, a sound that filled the cavern and vibrated through Asher's bones.

It lunged again, faster this time, its enormous head darting forward like a striking viper.

Asher rolled away, feeling the rush of air as the serpent's jaws snapped shut where he had just been.

He quickly regained his footing and swung his ring blade in a wide arc, releasing a burst of damned energy towards the serpent.

*SSSKREECH!*

To his surprise, the attack found its mark, slashing across the serpent's snout and drawing first blood as it let out an ear-rendering screech.

A dark ichor spilled onto the ground, sizzling slightly as it made contact with the stone.

Asher's confidence surged, "Looks like you're not so tough after all," he shouted, allowing a smirk to cross his face.

However, since he managed to deal with some damage, he got an idea of its HP, and it was at least a whopping 150,000, while his was few thousands more than 60,000!

The serpent recoiled, shaking its massive head, eyes narrowing as it reassessed its opponent.

*KSSSHHHRR!*

With a thunderous hiss, it struck again, this time unleashing a torrent of toxic spit from its fangs.

Asher, prepared for the venomous attack, sidestepped the deadly stream, closing the distance between himself and the serpent.

Utilizing his Diabolical Speed, Asher darted beneath the serpent's massive form, slashing upwards with his ring blade, embedding it with Resentful Slash.

The blade left a trail of flaming curses along the serpent's underbelly, causing it to thrash violently. Each movement of the serpent echoed through the cavern, stirring up clouds of dust and debris.

"You'll have to do better than that!" Asher taunted, feeling the thrill of the battle coursing through him.

It felt as if it had been a long time since he had a good battle. Ever since he became a king, it felt as if he got stuck with a desk job.

He was beginning to enjoy the challenge, his earlier apprehension replaced by the adrenaline of combat.

However, the serpent was far from defeated. It began to coil around, its massive body moving with a deceptive speed, encircling Asher.

The air grew thicker, heavier, as it began to release some mist, enveloping the area in a dark, choking fog.

Asher coughed for a second or two, his lungs burning slightly as the poisoned air tested his body's defenses, but he was still not ready to activate his Hellbringer form to conserve mana as much as possible unless necessary.

Realizing that the battle was shifting, Asher's smirk faded. The serpent's tactical use of its environment and abilities reminded him that he was not just fighting a beast, but a creature of great intelligence and power.

The initial advantage he felt was quickly waning as the serpent seemed to be just beginning to reveal the depths of its capabilities.

"I may have underestimated you," Asher conceded, gripping his ring blade tightly.

The serpent's eyes glinted with a knowing malice, its body readying for another strike, now more serious and deadly than before. Asher braced himself, knowing that the real battle was just beginning.

*KSSSHHHRR!*

With a sudden and explosive motion, the serpent launched a series of attacks. Its massive tail, like a living siege weapon, smashed against the cavern floor where Asher had been moments before.

The cavern's walls echoed with its rumbling hiss and the destruction it caused.

Debris flew, and a shockwave rippled across the room, nearly knocking Asher off his feet.

He leaped back, using the Diabolical Speed to enhance his agility, narrowly avoiding a second strike that obliterated a crystal formation nearby, sending sharp fragments into the air.

His eyes shifted towards its muscular and prehensile tail, tapering to a spiked tip that it wielded like a whip.

The tail was armored with heavier, thicker scales that he knew could deal crushing blows, capable of shattering stone and bone with equal ease.

"Clever beast, aren't you?" Asher grunted, regaining his footing while the air remained thick with the mist.

He found his movements slightly hindered, his breaths shorter. He wiped his brow, his skin slick with a cold sweat—not just from exertion but from the creeping realization of the serpent's strategic depth.

It was slowly wearing him out and probably toying with him.

He scanned the environment, noting the strategic placement of the serpent's attacks—they were herding him, limiting his space to maneuver, and forcing him towards the darker, more confined spaces of the lair.

The serpent's dark purple eyes fixed on him with a predatory gaze as it opened its mouth wide, unleashing another volley of venom.

This time, Asher was less fortunate. While he managed to dodge the main stream, droplets splattered against his arm, burning through his armor and sizzling against his skin.

He cursed under his breath, feeling the venom's potency even as his mana flared to neutralize the poison.

But he still refused to transform and swung his ring blade, casting a wide arc of Resentful Slash that illuminated the cavern with a burst of cursed flames.

The attack sliced through the mist, briefly revealing the serpent's coiling form as it prepared to strike.

Asher's tactical mind raced. He needed a new approach—a way to turn the battle's tide back in his favor.

His eyes caught a glimmer of something within the serpent's open mouth, a brief shine that suggested a vulnerability. Perhaps the beast's armor was not as impenetrable as it seemed.

Utilizing his Hell Master ability, Asher decided to risk a direct confrontation.

He summoned a damned soul, Victor Hart or Dickart as he named him, directing the spectral figure to attack the serpent from the side, hoping to distract it.

Dickart raised his greatsword, wailing eerily and drawing the serpent's fleeting attention while Asher charged forward.

"Yargh!" he yelled, plunging towards the serpent with his ring blade poised to strike at the glowing vulnerability.

*SSSKREECH!*

But the serpent was swift to react. Ignoring the Damned Victor, with a thunderous screech of anger, it countered, its tail sweeping in a deadly arc toward Asher.

He rolled under the swipe, feeling the wind of the massive tail as it passed overhead, a reminder of the narrow margin between life and death in this duel.

As he came up on the other side, Asher launched himself up, aiming for the serpent's head.

His blade met scale, and for a moment, he felt a surge of triumph as the blade bit deeper than before.

However, the serpent recoiled with a violent thrash, knocking Asher back with a force that winded him.

*BOOOM!*

Landing hard against the cavern wall, Asher coughed blood, his body aching from the impact.

He also made Dickart go back into the Damned Dimension to preserve mana. It was not like he could do much with only 20% of his stats available.

But seeing the serpent's wounded form, he only felt confident of finishing it off, probably without even having to switch to his Hellbringer form.

However, suddenly, its eyes burned with a renewed fury, its body coiling tighter.

As he kept looking, his heart sank. He watched in stunned disbelief as the serpent's injuries began to heal at an alarming rate.

The gashes he had inflicted with his ring blade closed up, and the torn scales regenerated almost instantaneously, leaving no trace of the brutal impacts from moments before.

*Hssshhhhh...*

Letting out a hiss that sounded like ridicule, Its dark purple eyes shimmered with a malevolent glee, its gaze piercing Asher with a look of sheer contempt and mockery.

"You cunning old thing…" Asher mumbled with a cold scoff of disbelief,realizing it purposefully let itself get injured to raise his hopes only to crush it afterward.

How sly but cruel was this beast?...