Demon Tamer's Ascension-Chapter 20: Ironridge Territory 3

Its body looked like a wolf, but grotesquely evolved to something unknown.

Four meters long, with its bones protruding through its back like jagged spikes. But it wasn’t just that.

Its fur was patchy and blackened, as if burned by demon energy corruption. And its jaw split wider than that of normal wolves, as a faint screen appeared before Alex.

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[Evolutionary Beast Detected!]

[1/3 Evolution Pathways]

[Creature Detected]

└ Mutated Ironfang Wolf

└ Rank: E-Rank (Evolved)

└ Threat Level: Fatal to F-Rank Hunters

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Alex blinked, "E-Rank?"

Adoff stared at the monster silently, then sighed. "You have brought me to fight something an entire rank above us."

Adoff assumed correctly, simply from the dumb expression Alex made after questioning the threat level out loud.

"Yeah," Alex said, "Sounds fun, doesn’t it?"

No chatter, the monster gazed at them, then lunged.

BOOOOM!!

Alex dove sideways just as its massive claws slammed into the ground. The cave shook, and some stone from below exploded outward.

"SHIT!"

The creature turned instantly, fast, too fast to think.

Adoff dashed forward like a silver flash and bit the beast’s leg, "I got him!"

The monster howled, but Alex saw the opening just in time.

He sneered, "Guess it’s time to see what this skill can do, "Sharp Claw."

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[Skill Activated]

└ Sharp Claw

└ Cost: 5 DE

└ Duration: 5 Seconds

[DE Remaining: 10]

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In that moment, black energy wrapped around Alex’s fingers. His right hand enlarged, while his nails remained the same size.

Though, his nails started to reshape into something sharper, like the point of a knife, only there for a stab.

Alex sprinted forward and slashed.

SHRRAAAK!

Three glowing claw marks ripped across the beast’s shoulder.

The monster roared violently and slammed its tail onto the floor.

WHAM!

Alex flew backward and smashed into the cave wall, "GAH-!"

[HP: 82/100]

Dust filled the air, while Adoff darted around the monster like a phantom, snapping and biting to distract it.

"Move, idiot!" Adoff barked telepathically.

"I AM!"

The monster charged again, and Alex rolled under its jaws and slashed upward, "Sharp Claw."

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Cost: 5 DE

[DE: 5 Remaining]

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SLASH!

This time, the claws cut across its eye, and the beast shrieked. Blind on one side now, terribly blindsided by Alex’s [Sharp Claw] skill.

Adoff leapt onto its back and dug his fangs into its neck. The monster slammed itself into the cave wall, trying to crush him.

BOOM!

Rocks cracked around. Adoff barely jumped free. "You don’t have much energy left, I’d guess, so be careful," Adoff warned.

Alex breathed hard, "Yeah, but that’s not the problem right now."

The monster charged again, and Alex activated the same skill again, "Sharp Claw."

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Cost: 5 DE

[DE Remaining: 0]

His claws glowed one final time, or so he thought. Alex sprinted forward and slashed across the creature’s throat, and blood sprayed across the stone floor constantly.

The monster staggered, but it still didn’t die. And instead, it roared louder than before. Alex froze in thought, ’You’ve gotta be kidding me.’

The system screen flickered again, and this time, it wasn’t something he wanted to see.

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[Warning]

└ User Demonic Energy Depleted

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The monster lunged, Alex raised his empty hands, then, for some unknown reason, he smirked.

"System." The interface flickered lightly, "Nowhere did it say I can’t go negative."

The system paused, then responded, one that meant true change and vulnerability.

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[Overdraft Warning]

└ Demonic Energy may enter Negative Values.

└ Consequences: Unknown

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Alex grinned, "Good enough for me." Then he crouched lightly, "Come on, Adoff, let’s kill that son of a bitch."

Then, he raised his right arm again, "Sharp Claw."

This time, the interfaces before him glitched violently.

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Cost: 5 DE

[DE: -5]

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In that moment, that same black energy exploded around his hands. His right hand, shaped grotesquely, grew in the same way as earlier. But for some reason, this power felt more violent and heavy.

It was like something ripped from his own life.

But Alex didn’t care, because he slashed again, with a smug grin running along his face.

SHRRAAAK!

The beast staggered, but still moved, "And again." Alex whispered.

--------------------------- 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

[DE: -10]

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"Again."

Alex wasn’t finished, not yet, at the very least.

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[DE: -15]

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He continued to do this for many more attempts.

"I SAID AGAIN GODDAMIT!"

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[DE: -25

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At the end of this hazardous approach, Alex’s vision blurred.

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[DE: -60]

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His hair slightly faded at the edges, and wrinkles barely began forming near his eyes.

Adoff’s eyes widened, worried, "Alex, just stop. Let’s find another way out of this hellhole. Why don’t we just run?"

But Alex didn’t, "That’s not how one ascends," he charged one last time, "But this is."

"ONE MORE!"

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[DE: -100]

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The claws exploded with severe demonic force, while Alex spun and drove his right arm deep into the beast’s throat.

SHRRRAAAAAAAAK!!

The head nearly separated from its body, as the monster shivered slightly. Alex waited patiently, "I’ll keep doing this until I die, so get up."

But the monster didn’t, it growled once more, then collapsed, one deadly fall it truly was. Silence filled the cave after, as dust slowly settled. The massive corpse crashed onto the ground, and Adoff stepped forward.

He stared at the fallen evolutionary beast, then lifted his head and released a low, victorious growl. A growl not of a small wolf, but something far older. Far more royal, like a king stepping down from his throne for once.

The system chimed in on the fun.

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[Quest Completed!]

[Congratulations!]

[Rewards]

└ +1,500 EXP

└ [IronFang] Evolutionary Path Unlocked For [Adoff!]

└ +100 DE

└ E-Rank Beast Core Obtained

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Alex smirked, but then another message appeared, coldly, and this time, it wasn’t one he had hoped to appear.

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[Penalty Applied]

└ User exceeded Demonic Energy limit.

[10 Years of Lifespan Consumed]

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Alex looked at it, staggered slightly, then exhaled calmly, "Worth it."

He already knew there would be grave consequences, and in all honesty, this was better than he had hoped for.

Adoff looked at the corpse one last time, then spoke calmly within Alex’s mind.

"So..." Adoff turned his gaze toward the darkness deeper in the mine, his silver eyes gleaming with quiet pride, "Very well, a king does not fear the path of ascension."

He looked back at Alex, "Let us climb it together."

But in that moment, something grotesquely changed.

Adoff started to evolve.