The Damned Demon - Chapter 776

Chapter 776: Too Late For Regrets



"Urgh!" Asher crumbled to the floor with a single punch from the undead, forcing his mana to deplete to almost zero despite getting stronger. The undead has grown so frighteningly strong that he can't even take more than two punches from him before his MP plunges to near zero.

But this time, he learned his lesson and didn't want to risk fighting it a second longer until he ran out of mana. And so before the undead could come closer to him, his figure zoomed towards Lori at the other end of the hall, away from the undead.

"Sssss, you told me not to fight Skully and yet you are fighting it. Do you realize how sssstupid it sssounds??" Lori hissed in frustration upon seeing him return after a close shave with death.

"As you saw, I can afford to risk my life a few times, but you can't do that. I will just have to keep trying until I find a way to defeat this monster who somehow has some of my powers," Asher said with gritted teeth as he chugged down another health potion to replenish his mana.

His mind raced to understand who or what this thing really was, especially when it even had the power to stop him from going to the Damned Dimension. He couldn't escape death even if he wanted to against this thing.

Never before, as a demon, did he ever feel death looming so close to him. Even when facing the Moon Guardian, he still had the option to escape to the Damned Dimension. But now he can't. Yet he also knew there was no other choice. There was nowhere else to run to.

Lori could only stare speechlessly upon seeing him replenishing his mana through some masochist ritual.

"I will be back," Asher said with a face overrun by sweat as he got up to face the undead again. "Ssstupid brat, get back here! Skully is going to burn your ass to cinders if you keep this up!" Lori hissed loudly from behind, but her words fell on her deaf ears as Asher sped away.

The oppressive air in the dark hall seemed to mock Asher as he charged at the undead for the third time, his blazing green flames roaring defiantly, their battle beginning in the next moment.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

His skeletal frame glowed brighter with each surge of mana, and yet, despite his efforts, the cloaked undead swatted away his attacks with almost mechanical ease. Every swing of his ring blade, every burst of dark flames, was met with an equal or overwhelming counter.

Asher grunted as the undead's skeletal fist smashed into his ribcage, the force sending him flying backward until he crashed into a jagged wall. His bones cracked audibly but quickly mended, though the drastic boost in his stats and the plunge his MP had just taken reminded him just how much sheer power was behind that single attack.

"Fuck this..." Asher muttered under his breath, staggering to his feet. His flames flickered weakly, and he could feel the last remnants of his mana slipping away. Yet, the undead was relentless, advancing with that same eerie, dead-eyed gaze, its every step carrying an oppressive aura that bore down on him.

Before it could close the distance, Asher turned and sprinted back toward Lori, who was coiled at the far end of the hall. Her serpentine body looked noticeably smaller, and her dark purple scales had lost their usual luster, a clear sign of her declining strength.

Lori's eyes narrowed as she saw Asher approach, her voice sharp with worry and frustration. "Brat! How many timessss are you going to try this before Skully buries you here? You're just wasting your time!"

Asher ignored her, fumbling to retrieve another health potion. His hands trembled as he uncorked the bottle and downed the crimson liquid in one go. His entire body shuddered as he sacrificed a chunk of his life force to replenish his dwindling mana.

The pain hit him like a tidal wave. His bones crackled under the strain, and his blazing flames flared erratically as his essence burned away to fuel his powers. He clenched his teeth, groaning through the torment. He felt his vision blur momentarily before the effects of the potion stabilized him.

Her once-vibrant scales had dulled to an ashen hue, her powerful body now frail and trembling. The faint glow in her serpentine eyes was flickering, a pale remnant of the fiery spirit she always carried.

He knew her body was getting corrupted with this "cursed" mana, and not long after, she would die like those who died here.

Asher's grip around her tightened as if trying to keep her life from slipping through his grasp, "Should we go back up?" His voice cracked, uncharacteristically unsure.

He looked up at the hole he had descended from, the faint outline of the distant opening taunting him, "We can still find another way..."

Lori's weak laugh sounded more like a rasp, her breath shallow as she muttered, "It'sss too late for such sssilly nonsense. Even if you weren't so obsessed with defeating Skully...I wasss doomed the moment I came here. There is nothing else out there...nothing we can find with the little time I was left with..."

Her words hit him like a hammer, and his jaw clenched as his flames flickered dimly around his skeletal form, "I'm sorry, Lori," he whispered, his voice heavy with guilt, "You ended up

here because of me."

"Sssss..." Lori's faint smirk tugged at her scaled lips, "Again, it'ssss too late to regret not

listening to my wise words. But don't forget...I made the dumb decision of coming with you. You brat...got nothing to blame yourself for..." She rested her head weakly against his chest, her voice barely above a whisper now with a hint of bliss on her face, "At least I got to make my partner hold me like this."

Her words stung, and Asher couldn't help but chuckle weakly despite the pain that gripped his heart. He gently adjusted her, trying to provide even a modicum of comfort, though the

chillness spreading through her body made it feel futile.

He wished he could somehow stop this cursed mana from corrupting her but it was too strong and powerful that he didn't know what to do.

"But if you really feel sssorry for your partner," Lori rasped, her tongue flicking weakly, "at

least tell me...why that little queen exiled you. Tell me what ssssecret you are hiding so

desperately?"

Asher blinked, his flames dimming further as he looked down at her, "You're still concerned about that at a time like this?" he asked, disbelief flickering in his tone.

Lori managed a faint hiss of indignation, "Brat, how cruel can you be...to sssstill not share it with your dying partner?"

A sad smile tugged at his lips as he shook his head, "Fine, fine," he muttered, his voice tinged with resignation, "It's not anything worth saying...or something I can proudly say. But..." He paused, the weight of the truth pressing against him. "I was once a human...a Hunter...not in this life but a life long gone."