Temple of the Demon Lord of Wishes

As the dust settled, Moris, the brown cat, froze mid-stretch. Its ears twitched, and its wide eyes locked on the pile of rubble where the altar had fallen, crushing the Ruiner beneath it.

The calm didn't last. Moris' fur bristled, standing on end like a startled porcupine. A low growl rumbled from its throat, sharp and warning.

Ivaim felt it too. A strange heaviness filled the air, sending a chill down his spine. His brows knit together as unease crept over him. Something wasn't right.

The rubble began to shake, faintly at first, then more violently, as though something beneath was trying to claw its way free. The sound of shifting stones filled the silence.

A grim thought struck Ivaim.@@novelbin@@

Walkers leave behind magical artifacts when they die... but what happens when a Ruiner dies?

Before he could dwell on the question, a deep, low groan rumbled from the pile of debris. The sound wasn't just heard—it was felt, like it was crawling under his skin.

Then it hit. Pain, sharp and searing, shot through Ivaim's body like fire racing through his veins. His knees wobbled, and his breath came in sharp gasps. The world spun as the pain spread.

Moris let out a faint whimper before collapsing, unconscious. Even the sturdy cat couldn't withstand the strange force pressing down on them.

'This... feels like Lyria's [Pain Infliction], but worse!'

Ivaim gasped.

Through the pain, he raised a trembling hand and activated [Coin of Fortune].

The flicker of luck surrounded him just in time. His knees gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.

It was a blessing in disguise. As he fell, a massive chunk of rubble flew over his head, missing him by mere inches.

It slammed into the wall behind him with a loud crack, shattering into sharp fragments.

Ivaim forced himself to look up, his vision blurred and his chest heaving. What he saw made his blood run cold.

The creature stepped out of the rubble, its thin, sharp body gleaming like polished blades.

It looked as though it was made entirely of knives, each limb a razor-sharp edge. Its jagged form moved smoothly, slicing through the air with an eerie sound.

Then he saw its eyes. Tears, bright and glistening, welled up in its sockets, ready to fall.

The creature's gaze was haunting—a strange mix of sorrow and anger that made Ivaim's heart pound.

The creature took another step forward, its blade-like limbs slicing through the debris with ease.

The sharp, metallic sound echoed in the air, making Ivaim's ears ring. Its jagged body shimmered in the faint light, like a living weapon forged from the darkest steel.

Ivaim's instincts screamed at him to move, but the searing pain anchoring him in place refused to let go. His breath was ragged, his muscles trembling, yet he knew staying still wasn't an option.

Before he could muster a plan, the creature surged forward with terrifying speed, a blur of sharp edges and deadly intent. The ground seemed to quake under the force of its charge, and its bladed limbs tore through the air, aiming straight for him.

Ivaim gritted his teeth and activated [Lucky Leap]. The world seemed to shift for just a moment as the power took hold, propelling him out of harm's way at the last possible second.

The creature's attack missed by inches, its limb slamming into the ground where he had just been, carving deep grooves into the earth.

Rolling to his feet, Ivaim barely had time to catch his breath. He scanned the area for cover, spotting a cluster of broken columns nearby. He darted toward them, hoping to use the rubble as a shield.

But as he moved, a strange sensation washed over him.

Confusion.

His mind suddenly spun in circles, every step feeling wrong. Turning left felt dangerous, but turning right felt like walking into a death trap. He froze, the indecision gripping him like chains.

This was [Reverse Direction]!

Having realized this, the memory of the Ruiner's disorienting ability flashing in his mind.

But this wasn't just a lingering effect—it was sharper, stronger, like the creature had twisted the power into something far worse.

Ivaim clenched his fists, forcing himself to stop overthinking. There was no time to hesitate.

He activated [Lucky Leap] again, letting the ability guide him without thought or reason. His body moved instinctively, launching him out of the path of the creature's next attack.

The creature didn't stop. It spun with a fluid, unnatural grace, its blade-like limbs striking out in rapid succession. Each swing was precise, aimed to corner and shred him.

Ivaim ducked and weaved, relying entirely on [Lucky Leap] to stay one step ahead. His heart pounded as each dodge brought him dangerously close to the razor edges of the creature's limbs.

There was no mocking laughter from him this time, no quips to lighten the tension. This fight was no game.

The creature hissed, its movements becoming faster, more aggressive. Sparks flew as its limbs scraped against the debris around them, turning the battlefield into a maze of jagged obstacles.

Ivaim's foot slipped on loose gravel, and he stumbled. The creature seized the opportunity, lunging with both bladed arms raised.

In a split-second decision, Ivaim flicked his hand, activating [Coin of Fortune]. The faint glimmer of luck surrounded him as he twisted his body. The creature's blades missed his torso by a hair's breadth, but one caught his sleeve, tearing through the fabric.

The force of the dodge sent him tumbling backward, crashing into a pile of rubble. His head spun, but he couldn't afford to stop. Scrambling to his feet, he faced the creature again.

The creature stood still for a moment, its tear-filled eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. They bore into Ivaim with an intensity that felt almost human—an emotion that was equal parts sorrow and unrelenting fury.

The mix of pain and hatred in its gaze was chilling, almost hypnotic, as though it were mourning its existence even as it sought to end his.

Ivaim's breathing slowed, his body trembling from both the pain coursing through his veins and the sheer weight of the creature's presence. A fleeting thought slipped into his mind, unbidden and dangerous.

'Would dying here mean returning to my original world?'

The idea lingered, heavy and tempting. For a moment, the fight seemed distant, as if it wasn't worth it anymore.

The pain, the fear, the struggle—it all felt so endless.

But then, like a jolt of lightning, another thought surged through him.

He gritted his teeth, shaking his head violently to clear the creeping despair.

The creature tilted its head slightly, as though it sensed his shift in resolve. Then, without warning, it lunged.

Its movement was a blur—unnaturally precise, every limb slicing through the air like a blade seeking its mark. The ground cracked under its force as it closed the distance in an instant.

Ivaim barely had time to react. The creature's razor-sharp limbs came down toward him, their gleaming edges mere inches from his chest.

But then, reality itself seemed to ripple. A faint hum filled the air, followed by a sharp, crackling sound like glass shattering.

The creature froze mid-attack, its body flickering as if caught in some invisible force.

And then, it vanished.

[Intruder has been forced out of the Fractured Reality.]

There was no longer a restriction placed by the system since the original ruiner had died!

Relief flooded through him, but it was short-lived. His hand trembled as he wiped sweat from his brow, his mind racing.

"What the hell was that..." he muttered to himself.