The shadow dwarf let out an enraged roar, its voice reverberating throughout the chamber.
"AAAHHHHHHHHH....!!!"
But before it could even finish its scream—
Renan’s hand clamped over its mouth.
"SHUT UP."
His voice was cold, devoid of emotion.
Then—without hesitation—he continued his assault.
Renan continued hitting the shadow dwarf with his full strength. Every blow was devastating, causing the surroundings to break apart slowly. The ground cracked beneath their feet, the air trembled from the sheer force of each impact, and Renan’s muscles burned from exertion. Yet, he did not stop.
*CRACK*
After what felt like an eternity, Renan finally ceased his relentless assault. His fists, now slightly trembling, hovered midair before he slowly lowered them. His breathing was rough and ragged. His chest rose and fell rapidly as exhaustion seeped into his body.
"Huu, haa... huu, haa..." he panted heavily.
His gaze remained locked onto the fallen shadow dwarf, watching for any slight movement. Five long minutes passed in silence. Not even the smallest twitch came from the once-ferocious opponent. The hammer that had been so tightly gripped in his hand finally lay abandoned beside him. His body sprawled lifelessly across the cracked floor.
Renan exhaled in relief.
"Finally," he muttered, after finally winning the long battle. His entire body ached, and he felt bruises forming beneath his scaled skin. This battle had pushed him to his limits, but now, at long last, he could claim his reward.
His eyes shifted from the motionless shadow dwarf toward the box that remained untouched, waiting for him at the center of the hall. A satisfied smirk appeared on Renan’s face as he took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"I guess my hard work didn’t go to waste," he whispered, a hint of pride in his tone.
With slow, heavy steps, Renan walked past the shadow dwarf, moving toward the box. Each step felt like a victory. His anticipation grew with every inch he closed between himself and the mysterious object. However, halfway through his approach, something caught his eye.
The wall—
Where the words ’Shadow of the Past’ had once been inscribed—was now different. The letters had changed, shifting into something new, something ominous.
Written in the same bold, commanding strokes were the words:
"Arrogant, just like the predecessor."
The mocking tone of the inscription sent an unsettling chill down Renan’s spine. His smirk faded instantly, replaced by a deep frown.
’What does that mean?’ Renan wondered. Confusion filled his mind as he stared at the new inscription.
And then—
*WOOSH*
A sudden gust of wind roared behind him.
His instincts flared in alarm.
He turned around at full speed, his body tensing in preparation for an attack.
The moment he completed his turn, his eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
The shadow dwarf—who he had been absolutely certain was dead—was no longer lying on the ground. Instead, he stood tall once again, his hammer gripped tightly in his hands. His body radiated a renewed, menacing presence. But that wasn’t the most shocking part.
The stars on his chest—previously seven—had now increased to eight.
"What…?" Renan whispered, flabbergasted. "How...?"
How was this even possible? He had fought with everything he had. He had broken that thing apart with his own fists. And yet, here it was, not only alive but even stronger than before.
Before he could even think of a plan, the shadow dwarf moved.
But this time, Renan couldn’t even see it.
All he saw was a blur of motion.
Then—
*SWISH*
In the next instant, the blade side of the hammer was right in front of his chest, a little below his heart, positioned perfectly for a devastating, fatal blow.
"No...!" Renan yelled in panic, his eyes widening in sheer horror.
For the first time in the battle, he felt fear—not for pain, not for defeat, but for something much worse. The place where the attack was aimed wasn’t just his heart—it was the core of his being.
The very place where both his energies—his fox and dragon powers—coexisted in perfect balance.
And if they were damaged—
Even slightly—
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The balance would break.
And if that happened—
The energies would clash violently, causing absolute chaos within his body. They would tear him apart from the inside, destroying his organs, ripping through his veins, and consuming him in a self-destructive force far beyond his control.
Or worse—
They could explode.
Renan had no time to dodge. No time to counterattack. No time to think.
His only hope was the scroll given to him by Belinda—his trump card. If he could just bring it out. If he could just use it in time—
*SLICK*
The hammer sliced through him cleanly.
Renan’s body split in half.
*THUD*
Both halves of his body hit the ground.
His expression was frozen in shock, his brain unable to fully register what had just happened. His arms twitched, his golden-red eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.
Then—
The pain came.
"ARGHHHH!"
A bloodcurdling scream tore from Renan’s throat. But it wasn’t from the pain of getting cut in half—he had experienced that before, countless times in Namari’s brutal training.
No.
This pain was far, far worse.
Because at that very moment, his energies—his two opposing forces—had begun to go completely out of control.
And the pain was unlike anything he had ever felt before.
It was agony beyond human comprehension.
His transformation flickered wildly.
First, he reverted to his fox form—his tails and ears reappearing, his dragon scales vanishing.
Then—
He transformed back into his dragon form, his horns reemerging, his fox features disappearing.
Then back again.
Fox.
Dragon.
Fox.
Dragon.
Over and over.
His body couldn’t decide what it was supposed to be. His energies were battling each other for dominance, neither willing to submit.
And all the while—
Renan was writhing in torment.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
His screams echoed through the chamber, his voice filled with pure, raw suffering.
His body spasmed violently, his muscles locking up and then releasing in chaotic bursts. His white scales cracked. His fur bristled. His vision blurred.
The balance was gone.
And without balance—
There would be nothing left.
The energies twisted inside him like raging storms, colliding with each other in an uncontrollable frenzy. His internal organs burned as if being consumed by fire. His veins pulsed erratically, struggling to handle the immense power tearing through them.
And amidst the agony—
A single thought surfaced in his mind.
’Am I... going to die?’
The idea felt foreign.
The thought felt strange to him. He had been in many fights, but barely any had truly pushed him to the brink of death.
This time—
It wasn’t an enemy that was killing him.
It was himself.
His own power.
His own existence.
And if he didn’t find a way to stop it—
He was going to be destroyed.
Completely.