Chapter 561: Golden Fangs

Lento let out a furious roar and charged forward.

The stone floor shattered beneath his feet as his enormous body surged toward Adam. His claws scraped against the ground, leaving deep grooves in the stone, while the crimson aura surrounding him flared like an inferno.

Adam tightened his grip on the Soul Reaper’s Scythe, his white aura gathering around his body. The moment Lento entered striking distance, Adam shifted his weight and swung the weapon in a wide arc.

Lento raised his massive forearm to block.

CLANG!

The scythe struck the armor-like growth covering his arm. Sparks scattered, and the impact forced Lento’s body slightly off balance. But before Adam could follow up, Lento’s other fist came crashing toward his head.

Adam leaned aside.

The fist passed close enough to disturb his hair before smashing into the ground behind him.

BOOOOM!

A crater formed beneath Lento’s fist, sending fragments of stone flying in every direction.

Adam used the opening to step forward and slash across Lento’s exposed side.

Blood sprayed from the wound.

Yet Lento barely reacted.

Instead, he twisted his body and swung his elbow toward Adam with frightening speed.

Adam crossed his arms to block.

THUD!

The impact sent him sliding several meters backward. His claws dug into the stone to halt his momentum, leaving long scratches across the floor.

Lento immediately pursued him.

"STOP RUNNING!"

He threw another punch, followed by a second and third. His attacks came in a relentless barrage, each strike carrying enough force to pulverize the surrounding pillars.

Adam weaved between them, occasionally using his scythe to redirect Lento’s arms. He wasn’t simply avoiding the attacks. He was studying their rhythm, looking for a weakness in the increasingly aggressive movements.

However, Lento’s strength was becoming troublesome.

Even when Adam successfully blocked or redirected an attack, the sheer force behind it continued to push him back.

’His physical strength has increased considerably since entering Stage Three.’

Adam glanced at the crimson energy flowing through Lento’s transformed body.

’And Endless Battle is still accumulating power.’

Lento suddenly stopped his barrage.

His enormous chest expanded as he drew in a deep breath. The crimson aura around his shoulders condensed, gathering around both gauntlets.

"CRUSH!"

He slammed his fists together.

A violent shockwave erupted from the collision, tearing through the chamber. Adam immediately spread his wings and jumped backward, but Lento was already moving.

His massive body blurred.

Adam’s eyes narrowed.

’He’s also getting more and more out of control.’

Lento appeared directly in front of him and swung his fist.

Adam twisted his body, narrowly avoiding a direct hit. Nevertheless, the edge of the attack grazed his side, sending him crashing through a broken pillar.

Stone fragments buried him for a brief moment.

Then a white glow emerged from the rubble.

Adam stepped out, brushing a few pieces of stone from his shoulder. Several cracks along his scales had already begun to close.

Lento grinned, revealing his sharp teeth.

"What’s wrong?! I thought you were going to test my new body!"

Adam looked at him calmly.

"I am."

He lowered his scythe slightly.

"That’s why I’m taking my time."

Lento’s expression twisted.

"YOU—!"

He charged again, but this time Adam didn’t wait for him to close the distance.

He moved first.

His wings snapped open, propelling him forward with a sudden burst of speed. The scythe swept toward Lento’s neck, forcing the beastkin to raise both arms defensively.

Adam abruptly changed the angle of his swing.

Instead of striking the neck, he brought the weapon down against Lento’s knee.

CRACK!

The impact forced Lento’s leg to buckle.

Before he could recover, Adam spun around and delivered a powerful kick to his chest.

BOOM!

Lento staggered backward, his enormous body sliding across the floor.

But he didn’t fall.

He dug his claws into the ground, stopping himself with a furious growl. The wound on his knee was already beginning to recover, while the crimson aura around him pulsed even more violently.

[Endless Battle — Power Accumulation Increased.]

[Physical Attributes Temporarily Enhanced.]

Lento straightened his body.

"HAHAHAHA! KEEP GOING!"

His laughter echoed through the chamber.

"EVERY HIT MAKES ME STRONGER! EVERY MOMENT YOU SPEND FIGHTING ME ONLY MAKES YOUR DEFEAT MORE CERTAIN!"

Adam stared at him for a moment.

Then he smiled faintly.

"You’re awfully confident for someone who’s been getting cut up this entire time."

Lento’s face darkened.

"THEN I’LL TEAR THAT SMILE OFF YOUR FACE!"

He raised both arms, and the crimson energy around his gauntlets gathered into the shape of enormous spectral lion jaws.

Adam immediately recognized the ability.

[Lionfang.]

The jaws opened wide, revealing rows of glowing teeth. Lento intended to devour any energy-based attack Adam might throw at him and return it with twice the power.

But Adam had no intention of giving him that opportunity.

Instead, he tightened his grip on the scythe and approached.

Lento roared and swung both arms downward.

Adam slipped between the two strikes.

The fists smashed into the floor on either side of him, but before Lento could pull them back, Adam stepped inside his guard and drove the handle of his scythe into his abdomen.

THUD!

Lento’s upper body bent forward.

Adam followed with a knee strike to his jaw.

CRACK!

The beastkin’s head snapped upward.

And before he could retaliate, Adam swept the scythe across his torso, opening another deep wound.

Lento stumbled.

For the first time since activating Stage Three, his expression showed more than anger.

There was a hint of disbelief.

Adam stood before him, his white aura flickering around his body.

"Your strength keeps increasing," he said. "But you’re still relying too much on it."

Lento clenched his fists.

"SHUT UP!"

He swung again.

Adam stepped aside and let the attack pass, then struck the back of Lento’s knee with the shaft of his scythe.

The beastkin’s leg buckled once more.

Adam immediately followed with a powerful slash across his back.

Blood splattered across the shattered floor.

Yet Lento refused to collapse.

His crimson aura erupted once again, spreading throughout the chamber like an expanding storm.

[Endless Battle — Accumulation Threshold Approaching.]

[Greed Authority — Intensifying.]

Adam’s eyes briefly flickered toward the notification.

’So there’s another threshold.’

Lento slowly turned around. His breathing had grown heavier, but his grin returned as the power within his body continued to swell.

"YOU CAN KEEP CUTTING ME! YOU CAN KEEP BREAKING MY BONES!"

He spread his arms.

"BUT YOU’LL NEVER BRING ME DOWN!"

Adam remained silent for a moment.

Then he raised his scythe.

"Let’s see about that."