The Animagus: From Hunter to Monster-Chapter 104: Gate of Reckoning

The cavern trembled as Buji and the Skeletal General stood face to face, their energies clashing in an unseen battle of dominance. The air burned with anticipation. The Skeleton General's void-metal armor pulsed with an eerie black glow, while Buji's Emberheart aura flickered like molten fire, ready to devour all in its path.

A moment of silence.

Then—

BOOM!

The Skeletal General charged, its massive war axe ablaze with a dark crimson fire. The force of its movement shattered the cavern floor, sending debris flying in all directions.

Buji reacted instantly. Phantom Step. His body blurred, moving faster than the eye could follow. He sidestepped just as the axe cleaved through the spot he had occupied a fraction of a second earlier. The sheer force of the impact sent shockwaves outward, leaving a crater in its wake.

Buji countered with a precise flick of his Emberheart Cord, sending it wrapping around the Skeletal General's arm. With a forceful pull, he attempted to disrupt its stance.

The General barely budged.

Instead, it yanked back.

Buji's eyes widened.

He was pulled straight toward the hulking monster.

A massive fist shot forward like a battering ram.

Molten Fluid Shield—Manifest!

A sphere of molten energy erupted around Buji, absorbing most of the impact. But the sheer force still sent him hurtling backward, crashing against a jagged rock formation.

'Damn… this thing is strong.'

Buji spat out a glob of blood, feeling the sting of battle already sinking into his bones. But he didn't falter. His grip on his Magic Staff of Embellishment tightened as he leaped back to his feet.

"This one's different from the rest," he muttered, his smirk returning despite the pain.

The General didn't hesitate. It charged again, swinging its war axe with monstrous precision. Each swing carried enough force to cleave through solid rock, and each time, Buji barely dodged, his Phantom Step the only thing keeping him from being obliterated.

Buji retaliated.

Infernal Strike—Unleash!

A torrent of molten energy burst from his staff, streaking toward the General.

The attack slammed into its chest.

BOOOOM!

A massive explosion rocked the cavern. Dust and fire engulfed the battlefield.

Buji exhaled, his body ready for another move. But as the smoke cleared, his eyes narrowed.

The Skeletal General was still standing.

Not only that—it hadn't even flinched.

The void-metal armor had absorbed the brunt of the attack, leaving only faint scorch marks behind.

And then, the General did something unexpected.

It raised its war axe to the sky.

A deep, guttural growl reverberated through the cavern.

Ding!

[The Skeletal General has activated its Unique Skill: "Necrotic Requiem."]

A dark energy pulse spread outward from its body. The scattered remains of the fallen skeletons twitched—then reassembled.

Buji watched as an entire army of undead warriors rose from the grave once more.

"Are you serious?" he muttered.

Not only was he facing a monstrous foe, but it was also reviving its entire legion?

The General pointed its axe at Buji. The skeletal army charged.

Buji clicked his tongue.

"Fine. Then I'll just have to burn you all again."

Infernal Awakening!

His body flared with golden-red energy, heat waves distorting the air around him. He spun his staff, flames licking at its edges.

Blazing Havoc—Unleash!

A scorching tidal wave of flames erupted from the cavern floor, consuming the oncoming skeletons. Bone turned to ash in seconds.

But the Skeletal General was unaffected.

It moved through the flames unscathed, its burning war axe cutting through the inferno like a god of war.

Buji gritted his teeth. He had to take this fight to the next level.

Emberheart's Successor—Awaken!

A new surge of power coursed through his veins. His Cord pulsed with an intense ember glow, shifting into a more volatile state.

He didn't wait.

Buji lunged, his movements a blur. The Cord struck out like a living flame, wrapping around the General's legs.

This time, he poured all his strength into it—

CRACK!

The General stumbled, its balance momentarily disrupted.

Buji seized the moment.

He vanished—only to reappear above the General.

Infernal Resonance: Awaken!

His magic staff pulsed, condensing all of his firepower into a single, devastating strike.

Buji swung down.

BOOOOOOOM!

The force of the impact tore through the cavern. Flames erupted outward, consuming everything in a blinding inferno.

When the dust settled, Buji stood panting.

The Skeletal General's massive form had collapsed to one knee. Its armor was cracked, its once-bright sockets dimmed.

But it wasn't over.

Slowly, with a deep, unnatural groan, the General rose again.

'You have got to be kidding me.'

Buji clenched his fists. This thing refused to die.

Then, the screen appeared again.

Ding!

[The Skeletal General's final phase has begun.]

Buji's eyes widened.

The General's armor began to morph. The cracks sealed themselves. Its axe pulsed with new, horrifying energy.

And then—

It roared.

A deep, hollow sound that shook the very foundation of the cavern.

Buji braced himself.

The real battle had just begun.

Buji's breath came in short bursts as he locked eyes with the Skeletal General. The cavern pulsed with an overwhelming aura of death and decay, the very air thick with necrotic energy. The once-damaged armor of the General had regenerated, and its war axe now crackled with black lightning, distorting the space around it.

Ding!

[The Skeletal General has entered its Final Phase: Abyssal Deathlord Awakening]

Buji gritted his teeth. "Final phase? Just how many tricks does this bastard have?"

Without warning, the Skeletal General vanished—vanished—and reappeared behind Buji in an instant.

Buji barely had time to react before—

BOOM!

A colossal force struck him in the back, sending him crashing through several stone pillars. His body slammed against the cavern wall with a sickening crunch, blood spraying from his lips.

Pain surged through him. His ribs felt like they were on the verge of snapping.

But there was no time to recover.

The Skeletal General was already upon him.

SHING!

The war axe came down with devastating force.

Buji rolled away at the last second, narrowly avoiding being cleaved in half. The impact shattered the ground, sending tremors throughout the cavern.

'Damn it, it's faster now… and stronger.'

Buji forced himself up, his entire body aching. His Emberheart Aura flickered wildly as he struggled to maintain control.

The General didn't give him a moment's rest.

With a bone-chilling growl, it thrust its hand forward—

Abyssal Chains!

Black chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around Buji's limbs before he could escape. The moment they touched him, a chilling sensation seeped into his bones, sapping his strength.

His eyes widened.

'It's draining my energy?!'

The Skeletal General raised its axe, ready to finish him.

But Buji wasn't done yet.

Infernal Resonance—Overclock!

His body ignited with intense golden flames, a force so hot that the very air shimmered. The chains began to melt, hissing violently as they evaporated under the sheer heat.

SNAP!

The moment he was free, Buji vanished—appearing above the General.

His Emberheart Cord lashed out, wrapping around the monster's neck, glowing a fierce molten red.

"This time, you're not getting back up," Buji growled.

Phoenix Collapse!

A surge of raw fire energy exploded outward. The entire cavern trembled as a blinding pillar of flame engulfed both of them, turning the darkness into a sea of golden-red inferno.

The Skeletal General let out an unholy shriek as the flames ate away at its void-metal armor. Its bones cracked and shattered under the pressure of the Phoenix Collapse, its very essence beginning to disintegrate.

The cavern walls started to crumble.

Rocks tumbled from above, smashing into the battlefield.

But Buji didn't let go.

With a final surge of power, he twisted the Cord, snapping the General's neck—

And then, with one last explosion of heat—

BOOOOOOM!

The Skeletal General was gone.

Nothing remained but a pile of charred bones and molten metal.

Buji staggered back, his vision swimming. His body was at its limit. He barely had any energy left.

Then—

Ding!

[Congratulations! You have defeated the Skeletal General!]

[You have acquired: Void-Metal War Axe (Cursed)]

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[You have leveled up!]

Buji let out a weak chuckle. "Finally…"

But then—

The cavern reeked of burnt bones and the acrid stench of necrotic energy. Buji stood amidst the destruction, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to catch his breath. The remnants of the Skeletal General lay in a shattered pile of molten metal and charred bones. His body throbbed with pain, but victory was his.

Then—

Ding!

[The remnants of fallen souls are converging…]

A sudden shift in the air sent shivers down Buji's spine. From the scattered remains of the undead, a glowing mist began to swirl, thickening into an eerie, condensed orb of pure essence. Shadows twisted around it, the energy crackling and pulsing like a heartbeat. Slowly, the mass of energy began to reshape itself.

The swirling essence compressed, forming an ancient key—black as obsidian, with faint golden engravings spiraling along its jagged edges. The key hovered in midair, pulsing ominously.

[The Ethereal Key has been forged from the lingering essence of the dead.]

[Catch the Key and use it to unlock the Gate of Reckoning before you.]