The Fight

Alex's fist, avoiding every shred of resistance, directly landed in the boss's internal organs.

The impact behind this attack penetrated the boss's body.

Alas, the technique wasn't activated, so this strike didn't accomplish much damage.

"Duck down!" the spirit urged.

Alex quickly stepped back and bent his body forward, barely evading the kick aimed at his head.

Without wasting any more time, the boss used his arm, swinging it at Alex's head. In the process, the flesh on that arm transformed into a blade, its edge glowing like crystal, its sharpness tearing the air into two parts.

—Swish!

Side-stepping at the spirit's guidance, Alex avoided the attack and counterattacked using his fist, intending to aim for the boss's head. The punch landed successfully without activating the technique.

"Just a few more," Alex murmured. He could sense that if he could land just a few more strikes, it would result in the activation of the Dev technique, meaning the damages he intended were not that far.

All of that struggle had only one reason – he had partially learned the technique, resulting in a 25% chance of activation. Meaning, if he threw ten successful punches one by one, there would be two successful punches that could severely harm the boss.

The focus here is, he too didn't know which strike would be the one carrying the force of the technique Although he could sense after whichever punch the technique would be activated, but before one or two punches.

Regardless.

Three strikes had already landed.

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted to complete stillness as Alex's eyes emitted a white glow, the luminance so intense that even his blindfold was unable to conceal the light. His voice, tainted with hope, echoed in the surroundings.

"This is it."

In that crucial moment, his fist, previously covered with an unrefined and random shape of spirituality, now transformed into a genuine image of azure flame. Yes, a blue flame coated around his fist, flickering with navy light, each time emitting blue sparks.

As he prepared for the impending strike, a playful smile spread on his face, knowing this punch was one of those two successful strikes which carry the weight of a mountain..

With a sense of urgency he immediately executed the attack as his fist tear the air

a silent stillness gripping the surroundings as Each passing second heightened the suspense, amplifying the intensity as Alex's fist closed the gap between the boss's head and his knuckle.

"No!!!" echoed in the ethereal realm. It was the voice of the evil spirit, a sense of urgency concealed in her voice as if she wanted to avert an incoming catastrophe. What this danger was, all were left to speculate. Was she pleading for the boss's survival? If yes, then this was a betrayal of Alex's trust, a trust never placed in her. Or was it for something else?

Nevertheless, Alex had already assumed this ghost was teaming with the boss, so he ignored her scream and focused on his strike. He even gave her a smug smile, mocking her for the upcoming misery.

—BOom!

A resonating explosion reverberated throughout the enclosed pyramidal structure as Alex's decisive strike found its mark on a solid surface. A palpable roughness came into contact with his finger's skin, akin to the rugged embrace of stone.

An audible crack echoed, a representation that whatever was in contact with his fist had shattered completely to the core, signifying a fracture.

Dozens of crystalline debris floated around him.

One or two small crystalline fragments, born from the aftermath of the explosive impact, inflicted superficial wounds on Alex's face. They were too shallow, barely considered injuries, yet they bled slightly.

"FUCK," an involuntary curse escaped from Alex's lips as realization dawned upon him.

The boss had evaded the blow, sidestepping in a critical moment. Because of that, instead of his head, now his arms had become the victim of a critical strike.

—BOom!

Alex felt intense pain in his abdomen, momentarily blanking his vision, sending his consciousness into complete darkness. In this place, Alex's thoughts, which were rapidly calculating for any possible danger and the next action of the boss, stopped surrounded by completed abyss a starless lightness place

A large white portal became visible in that place, giving off a shine akin to a final goodbye and an inviting feeling.

The fabric of Alex's armor twirled around, absorbing most of the impact of the attack.

As the scene and what had transpired became visible, the boss had landed a strike on Alex's abdomen.

Alex's body propelled backward, flying in that dome, ultimately colliding with the wall that was blocking the trajectory.

After two seconds of contact, Alex's body slid downward.

The wall's surface now cracked, almost like a spider web.

"NO, NO, NO, DON'T, JUST FUCKING NO. Hang in there. Gimme a minute, a minute, just a sec." Steve, who was banging on the surface of the wall on the other side, witnessed the entire exchange between the boss and Alex. Each strike and counter-attack had held his breath; each second had stretched to infinity.

COUGH!

Thud, Alex's body landed on the ground..

—Alex!!!

STEVE YELLED IN PANIC while running toward the place where Alex had landed, with the boss standing in the center.