Temple of the Demon Lord of Wishes

Chapter 36 A Deadly Aftermath

As the dust settled, Moris, the brown cat, froze mid-stretch. Its ears twitched, and its wide eyes locked on the pile of rubble where the altar had fallen, crushing the Ruiner beneath it.

The calm didn't last. Moris' fur bristled, standing on end like a startled porcupine. A low growl rumbled from its throat, sharp and warning.@@@@

Ivaim felt it too. A strange heaviness filled the air, sending a chill down his spine. His brows knit together as unease crept over him. Something wasn't right.

The rubble began to shake, faintly at first, then more violently, as though something beneath was trying to claw its way free. The sound of shifting stones filled the silence.

A grim thought struck Ivaim.

Walkers leave behind magical artifacts when they die... but what happens when a Ruiner dies?

Before he could dwell on the question, a deep, low groan rumbled from the pile of debris. The sound wasn't just heard—it was felt, like it was crawling under his skin.

Then it hit. Pain, sharp and searing, shot through Ivaim's body like fire racing through his veins. His knees wobbled, and his breath came in sharp gasps. The world spun as the pain spread.

Moris let out a faint whimper before collapsing, unconscious. Even the sturdy cat couldn't withstand the strange force pressing down on them.

'This... feels like Lyria's [Pain Infliction], but worse!'

Ivaim gasped.

Through the pain, he raised a trembling hand and activated [Coin of Fortune].

The flicker of luck surrounded him just in time. His knees gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.

It was a blessing in disguise. As he fell, a massive chunk of rubble flew over his head, missing him by mere inches.

It slammed into the wall behind him with a loud crack, shattering into sharp fragments.

Ivaim forced himself to look up, his vision blurred and his chest heaving. What he saw made his blood run cold.

The creature stepped out of the rubble, its thin, sharp body gleaming like polished blades.

It looked as though it was made entirely of knives, each limb a razor-sharp edge. Its jagged form moved smoothly, slicing through the air with an eerie sound.

Then he saw its eyes. Tears, bright and glistening, welled up in its sockets, ready to fall.

The creature's gaze was haunting—a strange mix of sorrow and anger that made Ivaim's heart pound.

In a split-second decision, Ivaim flicked his hand, activating [Coin of Fortune]. The faint glimmer of luck surrounded him as he twisted his body. The creature's blades missed his torso by a hair's breadth, but one caught his sleeve, tearing through the fabric.

The force of the dodge sent him tumbling backward, crashing into a pile of rubble. His head spun, but he couldn't afford to stop. Scrambling to his feet, he faced the creature again.

The creature stood still for a moment, its tear-filled eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. They bore into Ivaim with an intensity that felt almost human—an emotion that was equal parts sorrow and unrelenting fury.

The mix of pain and hatred in its gaze was chilling, almost hypnotic, as though it were mourning its existence even as it sought to end his.

Ivaim's breathing slowed, his body trembling from both the pain coursing through his veins and the sheer weight of the creature's presence. A fleeting thought slipped into his mind, unbidden and dangerous.

'Would dying here mean returning to my original world?'

The idea lingered, heavy and tempting. For a moment, the fight seemed distant, as if it wasn't worth it anymore.

The pain, the fear, the struggle—it all felt so endless.

But then, like a jolt of lightning, another thought surged through him.

He gritted his teeth, shaking his head violently to clear the creeping despair.

The creature tilted its head slightly, as though it sensed his shift in resolve. Then, without warning, it lunged.

Its movement was a blur—unnaturally precise, every limb slicing through the air like a blade seeking its mark. The ground cracked under its force as it closed the distance in an instant.

Ivaim barely had time to react. The creature's razor-sharp limbs came down toward him, their gleaming edges mere inches from his chest.

But then, reality itself seemed to ripple. A faint hum filled the air, followed by a sharp, crackling sound like glass shattering.

The creature froze mid-attack, its body flickering as if caught in some invisible force.

And then, it vanished.

[Intruder has been forced out of the Fractured Reality.]

There was no longer a restriction placed by the system since the original ruiner had died!

Relief flooded through him, but it was short-lived. His hand trembled as he wiped sweat from his brow, his mind racing.

"What the hell was that..." he muttered to himself.