Chapter 61: Chapter 61: First Lost

The whole day had been a blur of celebration. The demons cheered, the Clan Lords feasted, and Balor's servants had filled the air with music and laughter. But Seojun? He sat alone in the quiet of his house, staring into the dimly lit space. He had barely touched the food that was delivered to him, too lost in thought to enjoy the festivities.

The chants of "Lord Seojun" still echoed in his ears, yet the question that gnawed at him wouldn't let go: How did I defeat Nerathiel?

He sighed deeply and sat up from his resting position, rubbing his face with his hands. His body still ached from the battle, the sensation of Nerathiel's blade piercing through his stomach fresh in his memory. He shook his head, unable to push the thought away.

I should've died, he thought grimly. I was too weak... too injured. When his final blow struck me, I lost consciousness. That should have been the end... but I'm still here.

Seojun closed his eyes, calling for his system.

[You seem to be troubled, host. What's wrong? Aren't you happy?]

Seojun sighed again, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "I don't know how I defeated Nerathiel," he admitted, his voice low. "I was at the brink of death. I felt it. His sword pierced me, and everything went dark. I should have died."

The holographic figure of the system remained silent for a moment, processing his words before replying.

[Do you want to look at your memories, host? And see what really happened?]

Seojun's eyes snapped up to the system, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "Is that… possible?"

[Of course, host,] the system responded [When you were on Earth, we could view the memories of animals. With a little manipulation, we can do the same for you.]

Seojun sat up straighter, his expression hardening. He had to know. He couldn't keep living with this uncertainty hanging over him. "Then let's see it," he said firmly. His voice left no room for hesitation.

The system emitted a small chime, and a notification appeared in front of Seojun.

[New Skill Unlocked: Memory Recollection]

Seojun took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was to come. "Show me everything," he said.

The hologram flickered to life, showing Seojun lying weak and injured in the crater, his body battered and bloodied. Nerathiel stood over him, his sword piercing Seojun's stomach. Seojun's eyes widened as he saw the scene unfold.

"See? I died!" he exclaimed, horrified by the sight of his own vulnerable form. Before he could react further, a powerful explosion of energy erupted from the crater. The smoke obscured everything, and the ground trembled with the force of the blast.

Nerathiel's face twisted in shock as his black wings unfurled, allowing him to fly into the air, clearly disturbed by the sudden surge of power.

"What happened?!" Seojun muttered in disbelief, watching the chaos unfold on the screen. As the smoke began to clear, Seojun's eyes widened in shock.

His own body, or something resembling him, emerged from the smoke. This figure had glowing red eyes and emanated an aura of intense power.

[I think I know what happened, Host.]

Before Seojun could react, his other self leapt into action, the scythe swinging with incredible speed and precision. In one fluid motion, Seojun unleashed a barrage of devastating skills, starting with Hellshadow Fire.

Dark flames erupted from his body, engulfing the battlefield and forcing Nerathiel to scramble back. The flames crackled with power, casting ominous shadows across the ground, but Seojun pressed on, his scythe cleaving through the air with lethal force.

Nerathiel retaliated, swinging his sword and summoning bolts of dark energy, but it was no use. Seojun activated Cursed Emberstorm, sending fiery embers spiraling from the ground, each one igniting on contact with Nerathiel. The embers swirled in a vicious storm around the fallen god, cutting off his escape and eating away at his defenses.

With every swing of the scythe, Seojun's attacks grew stronger, each strike cutting deeper into the ground. The raw force behind his blows was unimaginable, and Nerathiel barely managed to dodge the attack that nearly split the ground beneath him. "How can a human be this strong?" Nerathiel thought, his confidence crumbling as he struggled to avoid Seojun's relentless onslaught.

Seojun then unleashed Soulfire, a dark and malevolent energy that burned from within. The black flames latched onto Nerathiel, draining his strength and weakening his already fading regeneration. Desperation filled Nerathiel's eyes as he realized his usual healing abilities were useless against the cursed flames that Seojun had summoned.

The intensity of the battle reached its peak as Seojun's scythe cut through Nerathiel's final defense, sending shockwaves through the ground. The sheer force of the attack left Nerathiel staggering, unable to keep up with Seojun's raw speed and power. The souls Seojun had collected in battle swirled around him, amplifying the strength of each strike, while Nerathiel's attempts to escape were futile.

"IMPOSIBL- !"

With a final, decisive swing, Seojun's scythe connected. Nerathiel's defenses shattered completely, and the Fallen god crashed to the ground, his body broken and defeated. The dark energy around Seojun faded, leaving only silence as the battle came to an end.

The scene faded, and Seojun found himself staring at the now-blank screen, his mind still processing the incredible power he had just wielded. Sёarᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

[A Skill is activated akin to a Second life, Host.]

Seojun absorbed the information, his heart still racing. "A second life?"

[Correct. This ability triggered when you were critically injured, allowing you to fight with immense power until the threat was eliminated.]

He sat in stunned silence, grappling with the revelation. "If not for this skill... I would've died, right?" His voice wavered, frustration bubbling up as he continued, "And still... I lost."

It was the first time Seojun truly tasted defeat. The weight of it was suffocating.

[Host, you did a good job. Don't forget, your opponent was a Fallen God. Lasting as long as you did against such a being is already remarkable. This is your first loss, but it was not in vain. You've gained experience and strength from it.]

The system paused, then added reassuringly, [Even the greatest fall before they rise again.]

Seojun took a deep breath, letting it sink in. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but he couldn't deny the truth. He had been up against a Fallen God, a being far beyond anything he had encountered before. Slowly, he nodded to himself. "I lost... but not for nothing."

He accepted his defeat—not as a failure, but as a stepping stone. Seojun clenched his fists. "I'll rise stronger next time."

[That's the spirit, Host. That's how you should face a loss—with resilience.]

Seojun felt a sense of calm wash over him. The system's comfort was strange, but somehow, it always knew the right thing to say.

[Anyway Host, When I was reviewing the events, I discovered that this skill was granted to you as a result of saving Yggrith. It seems that this special ability was bestowed upon you during that time.]

Seojun's eyes widened as he processed the new information. "A new skill? That didn't show up when I checked what I got after saving Yggrith."

[Yes, Host. I muted the skill to understand more about it.]

Seojun then asked, "This skill should have some effect on me, right?"

[Yes, Host. The effects should have occurred after you got out of the forcefield. However, I immediately blocked the effect to prevent any harm to you. The effect would have been a significant reduction in your lifespan.]

Seojun breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Thank you, System."

[You're welcome, Host. Now, here are the details about the skill.]

A notification appeared:

Skill Name: Eternal Resilience

Description: This skill activates when the user's health drops to 1%, unleashing their full potential and granting immense power to overcome dire situations. The activation of Eternal Resilience requires an immense amount of mana However, this power comes with a significant cost, as it can reduce the user's lifespan by half.

Seojun lay down, He looked up at the ceiling, reflecting on the intense battle. "Let's avoid making my health drop to 1% again, System. I'm never going to use this skill again."

[As you wish, Host.]

Seojun then shifted his focus. "Let's check my rewards from Nerathiel's defeat."