Flashy Adventurer System : Show Off to Get Stronger! - Chapter 962

Chapter 962: Victory and Defeat
‘3’…

Shye realized something was wrong with his doppelganger through his connection with it.

It was… only half as strong as him, and its eyes were not bleak like his.

This was the level-four system version of himself, possessing only half the attributes he currently had.

The skill, unfortunately, glitched at such a crucial moment, failing to replicate the massive soul-enhancement provided by the level-five system.

It was understandable, though—such enhancements would be impossible even in the rarest of cases.

It was only due to the absolutely demonic combination of his [Limitless Physique] and the Flashy Adventurer System that he obtained such strength.

Nonetheless, a doppelganger that was stronger than all the humans in the world except for its original body was an utter menace in combat.

It was able to fend off almost all of the attacks from the forbidden creations.

From beyond the gate, the Crowley couple finally managed to push back what remained of Dweezel’s forbidden army, granting them a glimpse of the battle within.

There, their son knelt—ruthlessly attacked by hundreds, if not thousands, of enemies, defended only by what seemed to be his clone.

“My dear!!” Alicia cried out in horror.

She wanted to help her beloved child, but she was powerless.

It would take them minutes to carve a path through the enemy ranks. By then, their son would already be dead.

All they could do was cry out in utter despair and grief.

Shye, meanwhile, had no such emotions in his heart.

There were only two things he cared about: success and failure.

But now, things were turning sour—especially since his final trump card had frustratingly glitched.

Nevertheless, he pressed on, even as he vomited a large volume of blood and bled from his seven orifices.

The darned black star damaged his body a little more than he expected.

“Die, Shye Crowley!!”

From his left, Dweezel and Primo finally completed their killing attack—a horrifying black-and-white ray of light that converged into a dull gray as it shot toward his kneeling figure.

But Shye wasn’t so vulnerable this time.

Despite being only half as strong as him, the doppelganger fearlessly held its ground, assuming an aggressive stance.

A roar, reminiscent of ancient demons, echoed through the hall as jet-black armor materialized on its torso, and a pair of rotten mana wings unfurled majestically from its back.

The blades of its twin greatswords then gleamed with an eerie, silent purple.

It intended to meet the incoming gray death ray head-on, using [Nightfall Reaper] to defend its original body—even at the cost of its own destruction.

Pouring all three charges of [Boost] into itself, the doppelganger surged forward, bringing its blade down in a devastating chop to intercept the attack.

Alas, the ray proved to be ethereal—untouchable by any kind of metal.

It only took physical form upon contact with skin and flesh.

Fortunately, the doppelganger skill could perfectly replicate such composition, allowing it to shield the original—if only using its own body.

Nine hundred points of vitality clashed against the dull gray death beam, and the result was disastrous.

Though the ray lost a fair amount of power, it still tore through the doppelganger’s chest with ease before continuing its path towards Shye.

The doppelganger was thoroughly destroyed, dissipating into black smoke as it collapsed to the ground.

Meanwhile, the gray death beam pressed on and surged forward, footsteps echoing just a few meters behind.

‘2’…

Shye was now defenseless, his body teetering on the brink of death, unable to evade the attack.

At the last moment, however, he activated [Mana Shift], triggering another splitting headache as his mana instantly drained to a mere eight percent of his vast pool.

This was proof of the death ray’s overwhelming power.

Even if the doppelganger had used the same skill, its mana pool wouldn’t have been large enough to save it from the gray reaper’s wrath.

Such a sudden drop in mana reserves naturally had a drastic effect on a mere human’s body.

Limitless or not, Shye’s physique was still mortal, and he nearly fell forward—face-first—almost letting go of the unsealing magic circle.

But he ultimately held on.

“DIE! MEDDLESOME BRAT!! EREBUS’ APOSTLE!!!”

Dweezel, ever meticulous, never truly believed the gray ray would be enough to kill the ashen-haired cockroach.

He had been madly dashing behind it the whole time, preparing to unleash another [Legendary]-tier skill—[Erebus’ Apostle]—the very ability Shye had seen when he appraised Alexander Aphelion back at the Heroes’ Banquet.

A jet-black, sinister shadow—born from the most ancient and profound darkness—surged forward from Dweezel’s body, an equally sinister dagger in its grasp, its eyes glowing a spine-chilling crimson.

The apostle stabbed its dagger straight towards Shye’s heart from the back, blades sizzling with shadow poison and black thunder coiled around its edges.

It was using the same [Legendary]-tier attack that Dweezel had used earlier.

‘1’…

*SPURT!*

A thin, translucent golden coating covered Shye’s body, but [Stoic] did little to stop the Erebus’ Apostle’s attack.

The blade cleanly pierced his heart, causing him to vomit black blood, his eyes turning bleaker—reminiscent of a dead person’s.

“Fall, Crowley!!” Dweezel roared as he kicked Shye’s back, hoping to send him plunging into the abyss.

‘0’…

But it was too late…

Despite being devoid of emotions, Shye was smiling as he was pushed off the magic circle, his eyes bleak and his body unresponsive.

He had undoubtedly lost his life, but not before he felt the magic circle activate.

He fell deeper… and deeper still…until no one could see his body anymore.

He lost his life but he won the war.

“DEAR!!!!”

“SON!!!”

Alicia and Maverick saw everything unfold, their anguished roars echoing as they wailed in anger, despair, and grief at the loss of their child.

But they weren’t the only ones calling out to Shye.

“SHYE CROWLEY!!!!!”

Dweezel bellowed in utter fury, clutching his head as though he had gone mad—his face twisted in pure wrath.

Both the sinister snake and Erebus’ Apostle turned to the magic circle before them.

It was smeared with blood, yet its glow was unmistakable—a dark purple radiance pulsing from its core.

The unsealing ritual had succeeded.

“YOU BASTARD!! I’LL KILL ALL YOUR FRIENDS, EVERYONE YOU LOVE!! YOUR CURSED ACADEMY WON’T ESCAPE MY WRATH!!” Dweezel’s curses tore through the air.

But his vows of vengeance were drowned midway by an infinitely louder noise—one that made the rampaging White Dragon of Creation halt and shudder.

It was a roar that, in stark contrast to the white draconic deity’s heavenly voice, seemed to rise from the depths of hell—a nightmarish fusion of six hundred and sixty-six screams, howls, and roars.

An utterly blood-curdling sound.

And in the next moment, a towering black figure emerged from the abyss…