My Demonic Energy Manipulation skill activates and I feel all the tension and mana fatigue soreness in my body completely disappear.

Actually, all feeling in my body dissipates completely. My perception of reality shifts, making the world around me move much slower than the thoughts in my brain race to piece together this new puzzle.

The blue ice turns white from my point of view, and all the color is sapped from my vision.

The furious mutilated Arch Demon is running my way with its silver sword outstretched, but I can't see the shielding or aura surrounding it like earlier. The ground cracks beneath its feet with every step, but the calmness of the air around me is both ominous and soothing.

There's no loud buzzing, no constant strain on my muscles and bones, and most importantly no.... mana.

My eyes shift back and forth, then down to my sword and dagger in my hands. They're both dull, not glowing, and after what Ember warned me of, I don't dare channel any magic into them. Now that I think about it, I don't think I'd be able to channel mana into them if I tried. Not while this skill is activated at least.

Both of the golem cores I was manipulating moments ago fall to the floor and the matter surrounding them crumbles as well.

The Arch Demon still approaches fast, now half the distance away from when I first activated my skill. A shiver runs down my spine, then I feel an instant shift in my perception again. My mind is being thrown for a loop over and over as I try to comprehend what's happening.

The long black line on my arm pulses with a black outer glow and a veil of brighter light filters my vision. The Greater Demon's core that bonded with me after defeating a Labyrinth Guardian activates fully for the first time and I see the world around me in a new light.

Or.. well, a new shade of darkness.

In the air of this Boss Room, tiny particles of black energy float in thin nearly imperceivable wisps of smoke-like waves. Less than 1% of the air contains what I can only guess is Demonic Energy.

Not only can I see it, I can feel it. The moment I focus on pulling the matter in, silently drifting clouds of dark matter swirl toward me.

I hold both my dull lifeless weapons, and let the skill take over.

The streams of black matter that hit my back feel like someone dumped boiling water on me. I tighten the grip on my sword and dagger while clenching my jaw and baring the pain.

It flows through my veins and gives the sensation of searing my body from the inside out. The hot flames in my veins make their way toward my chest. It's heading to the source that draws them in. It all collides at one point, my core.

As this energy filters through my Greater Demon's Core, it comes out the other side as a cool and refreshing counterpart to the violent burns of the raw energy. It's almost like crystal clear chilled water from a faucet flows through me now.

It glides down my arms and into both blades as I swing them across my body to collide with the Arch Demon that makes its final attack.

Its glowing white eyes meet mine as our blades clash. Mine are cloaked in dense black energy without any trace of magic and undetectable by any means except a refined Demon Monster's hyper-focused senses.

We collide.

The expression on the overly confident Arch Demon's face changes from pure joy to absolute terror as yellow and white sparks begin to fly.

I hardly feel any pressure from the impact, cool streams of energy leave my fingertips and become amplified by the swing of my sword.

I'm not controlling it at all, merely letting waves of it flow from the air through my body and out my sword and dagger in a more condensed form.

The moment it leaves my blades and touches the Demon's Silver sword, the energy completely closes its form and splashes out onto my incoming target.

This is what activates an incredible light show.

The violent crackling and popping expands exponentially reacting with what I can only assume is its mana-imbued aura and shielding. I'm unable to sense any of it in this state, but I jump to the side and run as fast as my base stats can take me.

I monstrous roar comes out of the Demons's mouth. It's one that sounds more like a dying monster than the intelligent creature I was talking to moments ago.

It turns to follow me.

I grit my teeth, and deactivate my Demonic Energy Manipulation skill. Simultaneously, the creature speaks through the link in an urgent and malicious tone.

"Demonic Energy. A human wielding the pinnacle achievement of Demonic Power. You've just ranked up, t-this is impossible."

The furious voice in my head turns to a tone of confusion and fear as the world around me begins to become much more vibrant and colorful again. The hot and cold sensations of Demonic energy entering and leaving my body have comply vanished and the buzzing of mana returns to my ears.

As I start to reactivate my buffs to outpace the Demon, it becomes clear this won't be entirely necessary.

The chain reaction of jet-black energy covering its full body and eruption of sparks explodes outward over 5 meters on all sides.

The loud crackles almost drown out the violent hums in the rest of the Boss Room.

Its two body doubles turn toward me. One of them raises its sword while the other stands silently with its eyes closed. The main body still screams in agony.

A purple Dungeon Walker portal opens next to one of the doubles while the second lunges at me with alarming speed.

I grit my teeth and channel mana into my sword and dagger to block the incoming attack.

Following a loud clang, the Demon speaks up again. Its main body falls to its knees a distance away and its other clone disappears through the portal it created.

The Arch Demon's voice is slower but still steady. It's coming to terms with the reality of this situation.

"I've Lost. I've lost to a human. A message has been sent across the abyss to the superior Arch Demons. They will know your battle style and all of your skills. You've bested me with your filthy imitation of Demonic Energy Control, but this is as far as you'll go."

I power through the body doubles defenses and slice it in two.

The main Demon's body begins to fizzle out and the crackles of sparks cease. It leaves me with a final remark.

"You cannot stop what's already in motion. In time, your world will be ours."

The sparks stop, and the arena falls silent.

All that remains is a melted silver sword and a pile of black ash.

______________________

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Use Absorption]

Skill: Body Double [Special Grade]

[YES][NO]

[Bonded Familiar Skill Link]

[Use Absorption]

Skill: Combat Magic [Advanced Ice Summoning]

[YES][NO]

______________________

Multiple lines of text hover over the Arch Demon's remains as I eye my status screen reading out Level 514. I choose yes on both options and two new skills enter my skill slots.

The Frost Dragon dies once its master ceases to exist. Bonded Demons and Dragons seem to share an essence upon death.

I whisper under my breath in confusion, sporting a wide grin.

"It's... over...?"

Usually, battles like this end with me critically injured or unconscious when I try out a new skill or last-resort option to defeat a truly superior opponent.

I assumed today would be no different...

The body of the enormous ice dragon falls from the sky and Ember hovers above the mountain flapping his wings.

I gulp, taking a step forward as the remains of the Final Boss begin to dissolve.

Before they do, a small yellow glimmer of sparks glisten from the tips of my sword and dagger.

I feel a sharp pain in my chest, then my vision pulses to black and white. I gasp for a breath of air and fall to my knees.