Era of Players: Death God

The final boss was defeated.

A glowing dungeon completion portal appeared at the center of the chamber, along with piles of loot.

Arthur chuckled. "We did it."

Ilya smirked. "Of course we did."

With renewed determination, they stepped toward the rewards. The dungeon was cleared, but their journey was far from over. They had to move forward. Arthur's competitive side was burning, maybe this time he might win against that abomination of Noah he thought.

°°°

Aiden stood before the grand entrance of the tenth floor, his crimson eyes burning with determination. Behind him, his lackeys—loyal dogs who followed him without question—awaited his command. Their armor gleamed under the eerie silver glow emanating from the ancient gate, and their weapons were drawn, ready for battle.

The air was thick with tension. The final floor of the dungeon awaited, and with it, the ultimate test of strength. Aiden knew he had no time to waste—Noah had already cleared this place, and if he wanted to catch up, he needed to finish this fight quickly.

"I need to prove myself. Like this Lilith will choose me over him. I'll prove I'm most worthy to be by your side not that asshole of Noah!"

Flames erupted around his longsword as he infused it with Fire energy, the heat distorting the air around him. At the same time, Wind magic surged around his legs, coiling like invisible currents, ready to propel him forward at blinding speed.

With a final glance at his men, he smirked.

"Stay sharp. We end this fast."

Then, with a powerful step, he surged forward, leading the charge.

The moment they stepped into the throne room, the temperature fluctuated wildly between scorching heat and bone-chilling frost.

At the center of the vast chamber, a massive two-headed ogre loomed over them, one head wreathed in fire, the other breathing ice. Its thick, gray skin was covered in jagged scars, and its monstrous eyes gleamed with intelligence and fury.

The beast rose from its throne, its deep, guttural growl reverberating through the hall.

Then, without warning—it attacked.

The red head spewed forth a torrent of flames, scorching the ground beneath them. At the same time, the blue head unleashed a frost storm, ice shards flying through the air like deadly spears.

Aiden smirked. "Too slow."

With a burst of Wind magic, he vanished—moving so fast he left behind an afterimage. Reappearing mid-air, he swung his sword, sending a crescent arc of fire crashing toward the ogre's chest.

BOOM!

The impact exploded against the monster's thick hide, making it stagger, but not fall.

"Spread out!" Aiden barked at his team.

His lackeys immediately followed his command. Two shield-bearers moved to the flanks, blocking any incoming attacks, while the archers and mages positioned themselves at a safe distance, ready to strike.

Aiden landed, the wind around him still thrumming with energy. His smirk widened.

"Let's see how strong you really are."

The ogre roared, its fury ignited.

It stomped the ground, sending shockwaves through the chamber, causing massive stone pillars to crack and fall. The red head launched another fire breath, this time directly at Aiden.

He dashed forward, weaving through the inferno with inhuman speed. With a flick of his wrist, his sword pulsed with Flame Art, and he struck at the fire-breathing head.

The ogre howled in rage, swiping at him with its massive claw.

Aiden grinned. Perfect.

Channeling Wind magic, he twisted mid-air, avoiding the attack by mere inches, then retaliated with a downward slash, carving a molten wound into the beast's arm.

Meanwhile, his team worked in perfect coordination.

The mages unleashed Lightning Spears, striking the ogre's joints, slowing its movements.

Meanwhile, the archers fired arrows coated in explosive runes, detonating against the beast's thick hide.

While those with the warrior class harassed its legs, hacking away at its tendons to restrict its mobility.

But the monster wasn't done.

The blue head, infuriated, gathered frost energy, and in an instant—the entire battlefield froze.

The ground turned into a sheet of ice, catching some of Aiden's men off guard. One of the warriors slipped, and before he could react—the ogre's massive foot crushed him into the ground.

Aiden clicked his tongue. "Useless."

Then, without hesitation, he leaped forward, his sword erupting in blazing heat.

The fire surged across the ice, melting it instantly. The battlefield was his to control.

"Try again."

The battle raged on, but Aiden was relentless.

With each attack, he pushed the monster back, his flames consuming everything in their path. The ogre, despite its massive size and strength, was weakening.

The final blow came swiftly.

Aiden summoned everything he had—both Fire and Wind magic converging into his sword. The weapon blazed brighter than ever, pulsing with raw power.

He crouched low. Then—he moved.

A streak of fire shot across the battlefield. Aiden appeared behind the ogre.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—a deep crimson slash split across the monster's chest. Flames exploded from within, consuming it in a violent inferno.

The ogre let out a final, deafening roar before collapsing to its knees. Its massive body disintegrated into golden particles, vanishing into the ether.

The dungeon was cleared.

Aiden flicked the blood from his sword, his red eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"Too easy."

The dungeon completion portal appeared, swirling with golden energy. Around him, his lackeys were either panting in exhaustion or celebrating their hard-fought victory.

Aiden, however, wasn't satisfied.

Clearing the dungeon was expected—but he still wasn't ahead of Noah.

His fists clenched.

Lilith was chasing after Noah. Arthur and Ilya were likely following too. If he wasted any more time, he'd fall behind.

Aiden turned to his team. "Rest for ten minutes. Then we're moving out."

One of his lackeys hesitated. "My lord, shouldn't we recover first?"

Aiden's glare silenced him instantly. "If you're too weak, stay behind."

Without waiting for a response, he turned toward the portal, stepping through.

His mind was set.

He would catch up to Noah.

And when he did—he would make sure to crush him and proudly declare Lilith as his woman, she would eventually fall for him, no matter what, he would make sure of that.