Downward Spiral

Bang!!!

The resounding thud of the wolf's fiery paws striking Dante's chest reverberated through the air. The force of the attack was immense, with the wolf's scorching claws tearing through Dante's layered muscle defense, inflicting deep and searing wounds. Dante stumbled back, gasping for air and grasping his chest in agony.

It might have been expected that the wolf would retreat after dodging Dante's attack as a precaution. However, contrary to expectations, it pressed forward even after Dante's strike passed harmlessly through its now fiery form, determined to launch its own attack. The drawbacks of having a premonition ability with a double-edged nature had always been recognized.

The intense pain that wracked Dante's heart and left him breathless would serve as a permanent reminder of this truth. Essentially, all abilities have their limitations and weaknesses.

Indeed, using an ability often came with a cost. Whether it was the depletion of stamina, physical strain on the body, or neglecting one's defense, there could be downsides to using one's powers. As was evident in Dante's situation at the time, where the exertion of his ability had left him vulnerable and weakened.

Struggling to maintain his balance, he tightly gripped the hilt of his katana with fierce determination. Despite his efforts to plan for every contingency, nothing seemed to go as expected, and he found himself in many precarious situations following his recent arena match.

Dante gazed at the blazing wolf, its fur now reduced to flickering flames that danced across its body, and muttered to himself, ''How am I supposed to defeat something I can't even cut?''

As Dante observed his searing wound, which showed no signs of healing, he realized he needed to find a way to minimize the damage.

His initial plan had been to escape the dimension, but he soon realized that this was impossible while he was engaged in combat with the wolf within a certain range.

He considered fleeing, but he knew that the beast was incredibly swift, and he didn't want to risk turning his back and being caught while it roasted him alive.

Dante contemplated his options and concluded that being crushed by the golem's club might be a better way to die than being burned alive.

Although the wolf was nowhere near as strong as the golem, the pain he would experience either way would be excruciating.

He also considered the possibility of bringing the pills he had purchased earlier for his dungeon expedition, but he realized that he could not transport items between the Abyss Dimension and the real world apart from The Void Edge.

With no other recourse to overcome his present precarious situation, his only option was to engage in combat. After all, his demise in this realm would not necessarily equate to his ultimate demise in the real world.

With unshakable determination and willpower, he concentrated his muscles at the point of impact where the flaming wolf's paws had made contact, minimizing the damage and preventing excessive blood loss.

It was yet another unexplored aspect of his Oppressive Control ability, presenting endless opportunities for exploration. Dante felt a surge of confidence knowing that his life would be full of exciting discoveries as he continued to uncover the many extensions of his abilities.

''Let's dance. If you can't be cut, I'll just have to keep slicing until I find a way'' Dante said, rubbing the hilt of his katana as a bloody grin spread across his face. The usual expressions of fear, indifference, admiration for the fiery flora, and confusion that had adorned his face since his arrival were nowhere to be seen. In their place was an unwavering battle intent that burned within him.

The human's cocky attitude in the face of its strength only served to fuel the wolf's pride as a wild beast and flame elemental. A glint appeared in its eyes as it growled, causing the fire surrounding its features to burn even brighter.

As the wolf pounced towards him, Dante swiftly entered the stance of the first movement of his sword technique. He knew that with his vast array of forms, there must be at least one that could penetrate the wolf's defenses and leave an injury. With a sharp focus, he prepared to strike.

First Form: Fiery Eclipse

The gleaming sword emitted a phantasm that manifested as a dragon descending from the sky, enveloped in flames and illuminated by the gentle moonlight.

Second Form: Barrage

The pitch-black katana cast forth a mirage of an immense water surge, capable of overwhelming adversaries and unleashing widespread devastation.

Third Form: Earthen Slice

As if infused with the very essence of the earth, Dante's katana suddenly felt weightier and sturdier in hand. Its presence exuded a formidable energy, capable of obliterating the toughest armor with a single, powerful blow.

Fourth Form: Wind Vortex

With a single stroke of the sword, a mighty windstorm was conjured forth, emanating an aura that seemed capable of engulfing all in its path.

He activated his sword skills, and his voice resounded throughout the battlefield as the illusory projections of the technique illuminated the dimension.

Dante and the wolf clashed in the dimension, and the sounds of battle echoed all around. The metallic noise of the flame-like wolf's claws grinding against the katana was harsh and grating.

As the wolf's sharp claws scraped against the hard surface of Dante's katana, they produced a series of high-pitched screeches. The shockwave and heat were so intense that they burned the fire-resistant grass up to a distance of twenty meters around.

Dante repeatedly executed the first four forms of the sword technique, alternating between performing them in sequence and displaying erratic swordplay. Despite the frenzied display of swordsmanship, the clash remained intense as both combatants blurred in and out, their bodies colliding only with claws and a sword.

The two adversaries paused briefly before disappearing and reappearing about seventy-five meters away, where they resumed their deadly fight. Dante narrowly evaded each charge the wolf made, but counterattacking seemed futile as his attacks only phased through the wolf's flame-like body.

The repeated utilization of Dante's forms had taken a toll on his body. Without the aid of his enhanced stats, he would have already been defeated.

Final Form: Timeless Ripple!

Dante's voice rang out as he struck the wolf with his sword, a pale yellow aura enveloped a five-meter radius around him. It was the first time Dante had managed to injure the wolf, but his strike only left a nick on one of its paws, which quickly healed as flames covered it up. However, the execution of the move had taken more than half of Dante's remaining stamina.

The wolf's eyes glinted dangerously as it quickly retreated from Dante. Despite being wounded, its animal instincts urged it to flee, but its pride as a beast of the Abyss Dimension wouldn't allow it to let a being of a lowly race get away with breaking through its defense.

However, the wolf decided to play it safe and maintained a convenient distance from Dante. It started spitting fireballs from its mouth, and the searing flames burned everything in its path, heading straight toward Dante.

Out of nowhere, a pitch-black aura coated the blade of Dante's katana. He swung at the incoming fireball, and as the blade collided with it, the fireball was suddenly devoured by the powerful aura.

Dante was momentarily interrupted by the message that floated before him, stating, [Ding!! The host has lost fifteen Abyssal Energy points.]

Dante tightly clutched his katana, ignoring the message as he had a feeling that the Abyssal power could easily devour the fireball. The fact that the power had consumed the fireball only confirmed his suspicion that he could have easily defeated the wolf by coating his blade with it.

''What is the fun in that?'' Dante thought to himself as he used his strong leg muscles to propel himself towards the wolf, covering the distance in mere seconds. With a burst of flames focusing on the mouth of the fiery wolf, Dante materialized in front of it.

From close range, the wolf unleashed a fireball dangerously close to Dante as he appeared. Swiftly sidestepping to the right, he narrowly avoided the attack, but not before the flames sang a portion of his left shoulder.

Timeless Ripple

Dante's strike missed the wolf as he refrained from using the Abyssal Energy. He had learned from his previous encounter that the wolf could be wounded. Dante understood that the Abyss Dimension was not a place for mindless killing, but for training.

He was determined to improve his skills, and winning the fight with a single move would not suffice as training.

Dante murmured to himself as he created some distance between himself and the wolf, ''Controlling it shouldn't be much different from the Abyssal Power''

Dante had observed numerous mages channeling their mana to cast spells during his many fights with them. However, he knew that firsthand experience was always more valuable than just observation. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the seemingly inactive mana within his body.

Through extensive studies, it had been revealed that mana was concentrated at a specific point in the head of living beings, forming a core. Although the mana core was present in every living being, the ability to awaken it was determined by fate.

Dante maintained his full concentration on the mana core and began to envision how to channel the mana within it. As he delved deeper, he imagined a silver core surrounded by dark, pitch-black flames. It was an eerie resemblance to the orb situated at the center of his subconscious.

Upon awakening, the color of one's core could reveal their elemental affinity. For instance, a person with a flame mana core possessed flame-type mana and could only cast flame spells. However, in Dante's case, the color of his core did not match any of the known elemental affinities.

Dante channeled the silver-colored mana towards his right hand, ignoring the peculiarity of his mana core color. He had witnessed many mages cast this basic spell numerous times, but in essence, it held no practical use other than enabling the activation of another spell.

This subsequent spell was useful to weapon wielders, and its activation required the initial spell.

(A/N: Weapon wielders are mages who normally use magic weapons to fight instead of the traditional ranged mage spell casting.)

However, truly skilled mages were capable of casting the second spell without the need for the first. Unfortunately, Dante was not one of these accomplished mages, so he had to follow the standard method like any other novice mage.

''Burning Hands''

As Dante channeled the silver-colored mana, it suddenly transformed into a fiery red hue. His right hand appeared red hot as the mana covered his palm. He clutched the hilt of his katana and charged toward the wolf.

Although the process seemed to have taken a long time to describe, it had transpired in less than five seconds. As the wolf was still stunned from avoiding Dante's final form sword attack, it provided him with a few precious moments to familiarize himself with casting the basic spell.

Dante arrived right before the wolf, and with a loud shout, he incanted, ''Ignition!''.

The red hot mana, which had concentrated in Dante's right hand, suddenly enveloped the blade of his katana in its entirety.

With the mana-infused blade of his katana, Dante swung in full force, aiming for the wolf's head.

Earthen Slice

As if infused with the very essence of the earth, Dante's katana suddenly felt weightier and sturdier in hand.

Bang!

Suddenly, Dante was sent flying backward as he crashed into a fiery tree. The impact was so forceful that one of the branches pierced through his back, emerging from his chest. He coughed out a mouthful of blood, which continued to spill out of his mouth.

Summoning all his strength, Dante used his body weight to push himself away from the impaled tree branch. He fell onto the grassy plain, where he lay still, panting heavily as he tried to regain his bearings.

As Dante lay there, gasping for breath, he couldn't help but wonder what had gone wrong. He had thought he had won the fight, having finally mastered the ''Ignition''spell. However, it seemed that something had gone awry.