Final Life Online

Rhys didn't waste a heartbeat.

Mana surged through his veins as he invoked [Magic Enchant], again channeling pure Ancient Light Magic into the Corrupted Treant Lord's Sword.

The once-blackened blade burst into a blinding golden radiance, the holy glow spilling across the broken street like sunlight piercing through a storm. The corrupted noble demons recoiled instinctively—their twisted forms hissing and smoking under the light's touch.

"Let's burn the rot out of you," Rhys muttered, stepping forward.

The first noble demon swung its blackened greatsword down, but Rhys slipped past in a flash of [Ghost Edge Step], the golden blade singing as it cleaved clean through the demon's torso. The light seared the wound instantly, the corrupted flesh crumbling into ash before the monster could even fall.

Above, Puddle floated like a deadly little artillery turret.

[Light Bullets] erupted in rapid succession—golden streaks hammering into gargoyle demons on the rooftops, bursting their heads in showers of radiant dust.

[Water Jet] followed, slicing through the legs of the corrupted cavalry's nightmare mounts, sending them screaming to the ground in a crash of black flame and shattered bone.

The dismounted riders barely had time to rise before Puddle shifted to darker arts.

[Abyssal Grasp] tore from the cobblestones, massive spectral hands locking around the demons' limbs, holding them fast in place.

Rhys grinned. "Perfect setup, Puddle."

He swung wide—Whirlwind Slash enhanced by the golden blaze of Ancient Light. The holy arc carved through three immobilized knights at once, their armor exploding into fragments, their corrupted essence burning away before they could even scream.

The surviving noble demons roared, their eyes flaring red as they charged.

But Puddle was already casting again.

[Gleaming Halo] bloomed around him—a spinning crown of radiant magic that burned everything within reach every two seconds. The moment the cavalry broke formation and entered the halo's range, their armor sizzled, their flesh blistering under the relentless light.

Rhys stepped into them without hesitation, his blade cleaving in bright, merciless arcs. Every strike was an execution, every movement a dance of light and death.

The street was soon littered with empty armor, black ichor, and drifting motes of light—the noble demon cavalry utterly annihilated.

And Soon, he cleared the whole Inner district too and then arrived at the gateway to Core District.

The road to the Core District was a graveyard of broken stone and burned corpses, but ahead…

the gate itself was blocked by something far worse.

A hulking demon—skin pale like rotting ivory, its body stitched together in jagged plates of bone—stood in the ruins of the gate. Its black, oil-like mane oozed down its spine, dripping in thick globs that hissed as they hit the ground. The stench of nightmare filled the air; Rhys could swear he heard muffled screaming from its very shadow.

Its name tag flickered into view:

[Bone Horror of the Gate] — Level 85 (Elite Demon)

The monster turned, a lipless grin stretching across its jaw.

Rhys just groaned. "Urgh… now that's a new definition of ugly."

He flexed his fingers around his weapon. "Let's clean up this mess."

He called on Halo Spear immediately.

A lance of light materialized in the air beside him, spinning once before locking on the demon. But instead of firing it raw, Rhys began to use Power-up—letting the light gather power, increasing its spell strength by 1% every second.

Puddle floated up above the rubble, mana swirling around him like a miniature storm.

The slime's form shimmered as he began stacking light magic, feeding power into Rhys's spear as well.

The demon suddenly lunged, bone claws gouging trenches in the cobblestones.

Rhys switched to defense instantly—Light Shield flared to life, a luminous barrier snapping into place as the claws raked against it. Sparks and golden motes burst outward, but the shield held.

"Not today."

In that moment, Rhys's halo spear hit full charge.

With a sharp thrust of his palm, the weapon of light shot forward—piercing straight through the Bone Horror's ribcage. The impact detonated in a column of golden flame, ripping away nearly a quarter of its health instantly.

The demon shrieked—a sound that made the very stones tremble—and spewed a wave of bubbling acid across the street.

Rhys' eyes narrowed. "Acid…?!"

The liquid ate through everything it touched.

He darted sideways in Ghost Edge Step, barely avoiding the deadly splash. Behind him, a line of cobblestones melted into a smoking slurry.

Rhys landed low, instantly countering.

"Puddle—Water Light combo!"

The slime answered with brutal precision:

Torrential Cage erupted, trapping the Bone Horror in a swirling vortex of crushing water.

Radiant Pulse followed a heartbeat later, a shockwave of purifying light exploding outward from Puddle's core, searing the demon's flesh and healing Rhys's minor scratches.

Then, as the demon staggered, Aqua Lance burst forth—a high-pressure spear of water slamming into the same wound the Halo Spear had left, tearing it wider.

The creature's defense plummeted.

Rhys seized the moment.

His weapon flared white-hot as he poured mana into Magic Enchant—Ancient Light wrapping around the blade like a living flame. He charged, each step cracking the street beneath his boots.

The Bone Horror tried to lash out with all four claws at once—

but Abyssal Grasp erupted from beneath it, dark spectral hands locking its limbs in place.

Rhys vaulted high—his silhouette backlit by the burning gate—

and brought the golden blade down in a single, decisive arc.

The light cut clean through bone and shadow alike.

The Bone Horror froze… then split from crown to waist in a blinding flash, its two halves collapsing into smoldering heaps.

[Elite Demon Slain — EXP Gained]

[Item obtained: Abomination Mask — Legendary Grade]

Rhys reached down into the steaming remains of the Bone Horror.

Something hard and curved jutted out from the charred ribs. He gripped it and pulled — the object came free with a wet, tearing sound.

It was… a mask.

Smooth, pale bone shaped into a warped parody of a human face, its features twisted into an expression halfway between rage and sorrow. Jagged cracks ran across the surface, faint black mist seeping from them. The inside was slick with a faint, tar-like sheen.