Fallen Realm Online: Rise of The Fallen Monarch

******

"My lord…" Lilith suddenly muttered quietly, her voice barely above a whisper, her gaze fixed on Xylen's closed lids.

Her fingers tightened around her bow and her breath turned shallow as she watched him in silence.

Then—Xylen's eyes snapped open.

"I'm ready," he muttered.

His voice was steady, but his heart pounded like a war drum inside his chest.

Although he had already taken the potions given to him by Lilith, his Health Points, and Stamina were barely scraping past the danger threshold, and at their current state, he could only unleash five skills at most.

Yet… out of those five skills he could use, only three were truly useful at present.

It wasn't enough.

But hesitation wasn't an option.

Thinking this, Xylen took a slow, measured breath, forcing his nerves into submission. Then his fingers curled into fists, his resolve hardening like tempered steel.

This risk—he had to take it.

With this, he crouched low, his muscles coiling like a predator preparing to strike.

"Let's move," he commanded, his voice quiet and almost inaudible.

Hearing him, Lilith released a slow and helpless sigh, the tension gripping her chest refusing to release.

There was no stopping her lord now. But even then, a fleeting moment of hesitation danced in her eyes before she ultimately gave a reluctant nod.

Xylen said nothing more, instead, his gaze shifted and quickly locked onto the battlefield, still blazing with chaotic, merciless combat ahead.

"This route is the shortest… but it'll expose us immediately." He muttered suddenly, his brows knitted together as he analyzed another path.

'That path, on the other hand, is longer, but… it is definitely safer.'

Thinking this, his decision was made.

Without hesitation, he veered toward the longer path, mumbling to himself; "Better to be late than to walk straight into the jaws of death."

Not wasting another moment, he and Lilith slinked through the undergrowth without making a sound, weaving between the shadows cast by shattered trees.

The closer they got to the battlefield, however, the heavier the air became.

Very soon, a crushing force was boring down on them—a suffocating, merciless weight, and feeling this, the two's lungs burned, their hearts thundering in their chest as though trying to leap out.

Then, finally—after what felt like an eternity—they reached the battlefield's edge.

They were so close that they could literally feel the shockwaves of every collision, the tremors of the monstrous struggle vibrating through their very bones.

Xylen's breath hitched, his heart badly pumping, knowing well that the next moment would determine his failure or hope for a successful mission.

Without hesitation, he raised a hand—a silent command to halt.

Lilith obeyed without question, and following this, Xylen's sharp eyes locked on the clashing monsters again, pausing for a second.

"I'll charge in at the right moment," he murmured, his voice laced with an almost eerie calm.

Lilith instantly stiffened at this, her heart seeming to stop working for a moment.

But before she could process his words, Xylen continued—

"You'll stay here. Keep your distance and fire poison-infused arrows at the Springfox to slow it down."

'This…' Lilith's grip tightened on her bow.

Then…

"Absolutely not!" Her voice snapped like a whip, fierce and unwavering, her head frantically shaking. "We go together, my Lord!"

"Huh?"

Xylen, midway through his strategy, blinked at her in confusion.

In the next moment, he stared at her in a stupor, caught between exasperation and helplessness.

Then—he sighed, releasing a breath laced with exhaustion, frustration… and understanding.

"Are we really going to start this pointless argument again?" He asked helplessly.

Lilith opened her mouth to argue—but then, after a second, she shut it.

She knew fully well what he meant, and as much as she wished to refute it, she understood he was right.

On the other hand, Xylen held her gaze for a long, tense moment before exhaling sharply.

"At this point, all we can do is trust each other... and leave the rest to fate." He muttered, his fists clenched and his pulse roaring.

Then—his focus whipped back to the battlefield.

Just at that moment, the Mossling, whose movements had become sluggish from exhaustion, its power waning—suddenly launched a venomous green arrow straight at the equally fatigued Springfox, and seeing this, Xylen's eyes flared.

This was it.

"NOW!"

His command pierced the air like a lightning strike.

Lilith flinched, but instinct took over in the next second, and before the two monsters could react;

Her hands moved, and then arrow after arrow shot forth, each one laced with deadly poison.

As for Xylen—

Without further hesitation, he burst from the shadows, and in the following second;

Corrupted Power!

The words crashed through his mind like thunder.

In the very next instant—His body tensed slightly, and dark energy erupted from his core.

Immediately following this, a swirling, malevolent force coiled around him like a living shadow.

His veins darkened, pulsating with a wicked crimson light, and his once-clear, black eyes glowed with a haunting red-violet hue.

The air itself seemed to distort around him, the transformation happening in a blink—too fast for even Lilith to fully process.

In the next moment, her heart lurched.

"Is… is that my… my Lord?!" She whispered in a daze, her voice trembling slightly.

He looked nothing like himself.

He wasn't just a fighter anymore.

He was now a demon. A force of destruction.

Eventually, a grin slowly stretched across Lilith's face.

'Another power skill?'

'It seems the Demon God has finally truly turned his merciful gaze upon our city…' Her eyes burned with emotion.

On the other hand, the battlefield had frozen right now.

Staring at the unexpected presence of dark power before itself, the Springfox's pupils shrank, and for the briefest second—it hesitated.

But then…

"AAAAAHHHH!"

A piercing shriek of pure, unbridled rage suddenly tore from its throat, eyes Seeming to ak;

How dare you insignificant insect interfere in this lord's fight?!

The Mossling also mirrored its fury, its wrath ignited, and without any forewarning, its branches lashed out—razor-sharp whips aimed straight for Xylen.

"Damn it!"

Lilith, returning to her senses, bit her lip and unleashed a relentless storm of arrows, each striking the incoming branches, slowing them—but not stopping them.

Xylen, meanwhile—

Endless power surged through his body at this moment.

Every wound, every ache, was vanishing as though he had taken a magical, immortal potion.

His stamina also seemed to have become… limitless, and for a second, he was stunned by the sheer force raging through him.

But then—

His vision flared red and in the next second,

-1 HP

.

.

.

-1 HP

.

.

.

-1 HP

.

.

.

The sudden, relentless notifications flashed through his mind and vision, and seeing this, Xylen froze.

His HP was bleeding away one at every second.

This was the price of Corrupted Power, and he had known. He had accepted the risk.

But…

Xylen had completely forgotten about it just now, wasting three whole seconds… Three entire seconds to the intoxicating rush of power.

His initial plan was to attack the moment he activated the skill, but now… he became so regretful that he almost smacked himself on the face.

But then suddenly, a powerful chill ran down his spine, his instincts screaming danger.

Without hesitation, his eyes snapped in the Springfox's direction, and the sight he saw nearly made his heart leap out of his chest.

The Springfox beast had become a shadow—a blurred specter of death, and currently, it was lunging straight at him.

Xylen recognized the skill about to be used against him instantly, without needing anyone to say a word.

Torn Veil!

This was the same skill that had left the Mossling—a monster of raw power into a pitiful bleeding wreck a moment ago.

Without a doubt, Xylen knew he wouldn't even live past a second if this Skill was to land on him.

His blood ran cold, and his body reacted even before he thought.

Infernal Wound!

He screamed in his mind, and then, taking a step to the side, he slashed with every ounce of power in his frame.

Then—

-2.5 HP.

A negative figure appeared.

In the following second, however, Xavier froze.

The Springfox froze, too.

Then, the two stared in a daze, seemingly unable to believe the reality before them.