Adam’s wings beat hard as he shot through the darkness, weaving between stalactites and jagged rock formations. The archer Titan was still behind him, its arrows streaking past with deadly precision. The Void Abomination’s tentacles lashed out from the shadows, slamming into the ground where he had been moments before.

"Tch! This is getting ridiculous!" Adam snarled, dodging another arrow by inches.

His breath came in ragged gasps. His body was reaching its limit—the constant wounds, the lingering void energy, the exhausting evasion.

’I’m at my limit,’ he thought, his internal voice strained. ’If I don’t find the Bloom soon—’

TWANG.

The arrow struck him from behind.

Adam gasped as the projectile tore through his shoulder, piercing his scales and flesh with unnatural ease. He stumbled mid-flight, his wings faltering as pain lanced through him.

"Ghh! What the hell?!" He glanced at the wound, his eyes widening. "It pierced my defense... and my scales!"

His regeneration was already working, but slowly. The arrow had struck true, and the void energy in it was stubborn, refusing to dissipate.

Before he could recover, a massive tentacle surged from the darkness ahead, slamming into him with brutal force. Adam was hurled backward, crashing into a stone pillar. He crumpled to the ground, gasping, his vision swimming.

"Aghhh—!" Blood sprayed from his mouth as the tentacle coiled around his torso, squeezing with crushing pressure. Adam struggled, claws raking against the void-touched flesh, but his grip was weak. The pain from the arrow wound was overwhelming, and the tentacle’s grip was iron.

The archer Titan stepped forward, its burning red eyes fixed on him. It drew another arrow, its movements slow and deliberate, savoring the moment.

Adam’s eyes blazed. "Damn it... I can’t move!"

The arrow released.

It struck him square in the head.

Adam’s vision went white. Then black.

The world dissolved into silence.

Adam’s body fell limp, crumpling to the ground like a discarded doll. Blood pooled beneath him, dark and thick. The archer Titan lowered its bow, its burning eyes staring at the fallen figure. The Void Abomination’s tentacles retracted slowly, coiling back into the darkness.

And then—

Crack.

A faint sound, barely audible, echoed through the cavern. The archer Titan’s head tilted, its burning eyes narrowing as it stared at Adam’s fallen body.

Crack.

A thin line of light appeared on Adam’s skin—white and gleaming, spreading across his body like cracks in a frozen lake. The light grew brighter, pulsing with an ancient, familiar warmth.

Crack—CRACK—SHATTER!

Adam’s body erupted with brilliant white light. The archer Titan stumbled back, raising its arm to shield its eyes. The Void Abomination roared, its tentacles lashing out instinctively.

Adam rose from the shattered remains of his own body.

Adam’s scales were no longer black. They were white—pale as moonlight, gleaming with an inner radiance that pushed back the oppressive darkness. His eyes blazed crimson-gold, brighter than ever, but his form wavered, his shoulders sagging as the weight of his rebirth settled into his bones.

[Ouroboros Rebirth Activated!]

[Vitality reduced by 10 (Permanent).]

[Current Vitality: 106 → 96]

[All wounds healed. All negative status effects removed.]

[Warning: User is now in a severely weakened state after using Ouroboros Rebirth. All attributes are reduced by 40% for the next 10 minutes. Regeneration rate is reduced by 60%.]

Adam’s body swayed as the notification faded. His muscles felt hollow, his limbs heavy. The brilliant white light that had accompanied his rebirth guttered and died, leaving him standing on unsteady legs.

He forced himself upright, his jaw tight. His voice came out rough, strained.

"Damn... I feel like I just got run over by a stampede."

The archer Titan stared at him, its burning eyes narrowing with confusion. The Void Abomination’s tentacles writhed, coiling back as if sensing weakness.

Adam’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Of course... rebirth isn’t free."

The archer Titan surged forward, its burning red eyes locked onto Adam’s weakened form. Another arrow already nocked, the bowstring drawn taut.

Adam’s instincts screamed. He threw himself sideways, the arrow grazing his arm as he rolled. He came up in a crouch, fumbling for a potion from his pouch. His hands shook as he uncorked it, the liquid burning down his throat.

He felt the energy flow through his veins, warm and steadying. His movements became less sluggish, but he was still far from full strength.

"Better," Adam gritted out, stumbling forward.

He activated Abyssal Step, his body dissolving into shadow. But the moment he emerged, a massive tentacle slammed into his side, hurling him into the wall.

"Ghh—!"

Adam pushed himself up, blood dripping from his lips. The tentacles were everywhere, and the archer was already drawing another arrow. There was no time to run.

Adam’s eyes blazed, and his body began to shift. Scales rippled across his skin, his form growing larger, more serpentine.

"[Ouroboros Form]!"

His wings snapped open, his jaws elongating as he transformed into his draconic state. The energy drain was immediate—he could feel his reserves plummeting. But the power that surged through him was undeniable.

"[Fire Breath]!"

A torrent of searing flame erupted from his throat, engulfing the tentacles in a blazing inferno. The Void Abomination roared, its tendrils recoiling from the heat. Adam followed up immediately, channeling the storm.

"[Tempest Sovereign]!"

Lightning and wind exploded outward, combining with the flames to create a devastating vortex that tore through the darkness. The archer Titan staggered, forced to raise its bow to shield itself.

Adam didn’t wait. He seized the opening, his wings beating hard as he shot through the chaos. He transformed back to his human form mid-flight, his smaller frame weaving through the gaps in the tentacles with greater agility.

But the archer was faster.

An arrow slammed into Adam’s shoulder, spinning him sideways. He crashed onto a rocky outcropping, rolling to a stop. He pushed himself up, breathing hard, blood dripping from his wounds.

Adam spat blood onto the stone, his eyes blazing with renewed fire. "I’m not dying here...."

He forced himself to his feet, dragging himself forward. He grabbed another potion and drank, the liquid burning through his throat.

Another arrow.

It struck his leg, and his knee buckled. He fell, the impact jolting through his body. For a moment, he stayed there, gasping.

"Hah... haah..." Adam’s voice cracked. "Get up... come on... get up!"

He forced himself upright, his legs trembling. The tentacles were closing in, and the archer was already nocking another arrow.

"[Abyssal Step]!"

He dissolved into shadow, emerging twenty meters ahead. But the effort drained the last of his mana, and he stumbled, the world spinning.

Another arrow.

It struck his side, sending him crashing to the ground.

Adam lay there, his body broken, his vision dimming. The darkness pressed in from all sides, cold and suffocating. His thoughts began to drift, memories surfacing unbidden.

’Why am I even doing this...?’

A face surfaced in his mind. Alice. Her warm eyes, her quiet strength. The way she had always believed in him, even when he didn’t believe in himself. He saw her pale face, her body broken and still, waiting for him to save her. The image sparked something in him, blazing and defiant.

"No. I won’t stop. I can’t stop now... Alice is waiting for me."

The tentacle coiled around his waist, lifting him into the air. The archer Titan drew its bow, its burning eyes fixed on his heart.

Adam’s hand shot into his pouch and closed around the World Tree Serpent Core.

His jaw unhinged, shifting into its draconic form, and he shoved the core into his mouth.

GULP!