I had to turn the surrounding regions into fast food. There was no time to chew my food and savor it. This was simply mass building, growing big enough that I can face to face with the avatar of killing that graced me with so many epiphany.

  “I can’t be disappointing,” I said to myself.

  “What are you-“

  Death at the flick of my finger. There was no need to be beautiful about it. You don’t put on a suit to eat a burger. I even used [The Great Decay] to bring it all to and end even faster.

  “More, more, feed me more!”

  Hundreds slipped into [The Devouring]. Entire communities disappeared into my gaping maw until there was nothing left but the message to meet the Fist.

  I flexed my legs and ascended skywards at supersonic speeds. The air around me turned frigid, forming ice crystals on my scales. My eyes narrowed as my eyes slowly froze. I flexed my body, generating as much heat as I could.

  He was high, oh so impressively high. I wouldn’t expect anything else from such an impressive individual. I flew by entire wars; empires carved into the side of the mountain. I appeared and disappeared in a flash like a stealth jet. By the time that anyone noticed me, I was already long gone.

  I was carried up to where the air grew thin and the mountain was so narrow. Yet, the pantheon resting at the top of the mountain still looked impossibly far away. How was I going to reach that place?

  Near the location that was indicated to me, I found a cave opening. I turned my angle and flew into the mouth at full speed.

  I heard the snapping of chains as iron whipped around me body. I spewed acid to melt the restraints. They bubbled like flesh, but remained intact. I was enveloped into chains and swung to the ground with terrible force.

  The mountain quaked from the impact. Rocks tumbled down from the top of the cave and exploded into pieces once it hit the bottom.

  A trio of demonic creatures stood at the mouth of the cave. They each held a set of long, ink-colored chains. They rushed me. Inhuman screeching surrounded me.

  The sound of it resonated deep inside of me. Their appearances all looked familiar; people that I buried long ago. My blood began to boil and my vision narrowed exclusively on these enemies. It was an emotion that went beyond explanation. To ask me to explain why I felt the way that I did would get you stomped out.

  Sadistic rage.

  “Don’t worry,” I reassured as I rose to my feet. “If I let a single thing live on my way to the Master, I’d be a failure.”

  They descended upon me. Their chains screamed down to bludgeon me into submission. I reached my hand out with maximum defenses. Grab and rip; I would bring their contemptable faces into my fists. There would be nothing left of them.

  The chains smashed into my scales and I heard a cracking all over my body. For the first time in a while, my scales were insufficient to protect me.

  Blood spewed out of several places like a cracked dam. They screamed at me, taunting me. Their metallic whips snapped from all sides mercilessly. Blood, pain, damage; a punch to the nose from a surprising opponent. I should be more excited. This is the sort of thing that I strive every day to face.

  “This is the best you can do?” I heard in their incoherent screaming. “You thought yourself worthy in this condition?"

  I was volcanic. They all had to die. They all had to suffer while they died. I opened up my hands and summoned [Burning Rain]. A giant globe of tar formed in the middle of the cave. I clenched my fists and released the spell. It went off like a bomb, painting the walls black with molten tar.

  The creatures hissed, their flesh boiling from the heat. But, they did not stop. A chain smashed me in the shin as I rushed forward.

  I’m going to hit you. I’m going to turn you into nothingness. No amount of attacks or pain is going to keep me from ripping you to shreds.

  Their weapons were like a group of cobras made of tire irons that beat me like an avalanche of bricks. A piece of metal slammed into my teeth, snapping several of the points off. A different chain smashed my foot; the pressure shot all of my talons off like a blow dart.

  I wasn’t going to endure all of this pain without a little pleasure of my own. My fist connected with the head of the nearest beast like a nuclear warhead. The heat spewing out of my hand flashed the entire cave with blinding light. I felt the flesh deform around my hand and muscles and sinews were ripped and severed.

  That was not where my satisfaction would end. I stepped forward, delivering another punch into the creature. I whipped out my tail and wrapped around the creature’s ankle so it couldn’t fly away from me.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  I pulled it back, sending it screeching into another deadly punch. This time, sending the creature into the ground. A foul smelling liquid sprayed up as the creature bounced. I punched again, sending it down even harder.

  “Keep whipping me! I won’t let go of your friend!”

  The chains of the creature’s companions wrapped around my neck while another caught my hand. I sprayed my [Draconic Breath] all over the creature. I heard it scream more.

  I was lifted off of my feet and slammed into a wall. My snout felt flattened against my skull and blood flowed out of my nostrils. Just as I landed, another chain landed. This time, I managed to grab it and great cost to my palms. I could already feel hot liquid coating the chain.

  I yanked with all my might and landed a punch center mass of the creature. It flew upwards. I ducked under another chain and ran on all fours for a moment.

  I saw it, the battered beast that I got my hands on. You were not going to escape me. You were not going to survive this no matter what happened in the end. Even if I had to drag my dying corpse over to you.

  I pounced on the weak creature, taking a sharp blow to the ribs in exchange. It didn’t matter. I reached my destination with speed. I could turn my momentum into power. A fist smashed into the creature’s head, driving it into the ground with nowhere else to go. In between my fist and the cave, the skull squeezed until it could take no more pressure.

  It popped like a balloon. Its grotesque innards coating my hands hand mixing into my open wounds.

  You have defeated an Avatar of Hatred +75000 XP.

  “Ha!” I screamed in jubilation as the creature screeched in primal anger. These monsters were stronger than any demon I have ever met. Even one of these would be a Boss on a lower dungeon and I was gifted with three of them at once.

  The Master is gifted with his choices in residence.

  Joy argued with rage in my head. They needed to die but I needed to appreciate how happy they made me feel to suffer for a victory. Either way, they had to be removed, it was just a matter of how I would feel while doing it.

  Why couldn’t I manage both? I can simply hate and love at the same time. It was all passion wasn’t it? It was all just strong feelings targeted at a certain thing, wasn’t it?

  Somewhere, I could feel a folly smiling on me; the one that I saw most of my self within. It was true. Feeling this strongly was far better than how I will feel when it ends. Even if it’s bitter disappointment, it’s something.

  Something real.

  This cave would be our shared grave. We would pick each other apart, blow by agonizing blow. No relief existed. There was only pain at the end of chains and within knuckles delivered at the same speed a jetliner cruises at.

  One of my eyes went blind. A chain smashed me squarely in it while I bit at the throat of one of the creatures. What an awful flavor; tennis balls and bile and raw chicken. It was a steak cooked in battery acid. It was so nostalgic. Oh, what better times I had found myself in. What blessed things I could experience because I kept crawling.

  A chain ripped into my throat. A fountain of blood left my mouth. I lifted both hands over my head and came down like an industrial press. The sound of dynamite going off shook the cave as my weakened scales all popped off like faulty rivets.

  You have defeated an Avatar of Hatred +75000 XP.

  There was only one left. The game was close to an end.

  One of us looked like roadkill. Every vein was ruptured, every scale shattered. One bloodshot eye stared like a wounded animal. The other one has singed flesh, cracked bones, and ruptured muscles. Torn flesh clung to its tar-covered chain like an ornament.

  We were both alone.

  “Why do all good things have to come to an end?” I asked the creature who only howled in response. It kept its distance wary of me.

  “That doesn’t make sense here though, does it?” I continued. “Everything comes back. There are always more opportunities to feel those things again. Do you know how many rematches that I’ve actually had?”

  One screech from the creature was the answer.

  “That’s right, one,” I nodded. “And it wasn’t even a rematch. It was a person trying to get revenge. Do you think they put up a good fight?”

  Silence.

  “Also correct. I can run Dungeons again. I can fight good fights again. But, it won’t be the same the second time. They won’t be good enough. Is that why you stopped as well? Is it because you want to savor a moment that will never again return?”

  Screech.

  “That’s good,” I chuckled. “That’s very good. I was worried that it was only going to be me that felt that way. When you reform from the depths with your siblings, form yourself even stronger next time. So strong that I can never hope to overcome it.”

  It lashed out with all of its might. If it could hit me in a critical spot, maybe it would be able to kill me.

  But, now I was unburdened. There were no flanking chains that I needed to worry about. The attack moved in slow motion as all of my stats went to speed. I side-stepped around it watching it slam uselessly into the rocks.

  I took a large step into the creature and pulled my fist back. I could see its eyes slowly pan towards me. It knew it was dead, and yet it still burned with hatred towards me, with a rejection to my very being. Unrelentingly, it accepted the death without complaint; its body ripped open and its innards sent to the four walls of the cave.

  You have defeated an Avatar of Hatred +75000 XP.

  “You all were excellent,” I said with a nod. “However, I have a different appointment to keep.

  I flew forwards. The mana in the cave wobbled like I flew into a pond. Magic rippled all over my body and the damp rocks melted away to reveal a spacious area atop a mountain. I could see a enrapturing view below; a valley that shouldn't be able to exist within the confines of a mountain. However, I was far beyond such things surprising me.

  Slam. Slam. Slam.

  I heard the sounds of blacksmithing from a small hut that resides upon the peak. I descended quickly landing just outside of the hut.

  A powerful figure with horns as wide as my wingspan hammered out metal. My eyes widened in surprise to see that the imposing demon did not use a hammer to work this metal; just a fist pounding over and over and over again.

  The gaze of the demon moved my way. His eyes landed on me and I was hit with a wave of bloodlust so intoxicating that I might fall drunk from it. If he wanted to, I think that his look alone could strike me dead. This was the only demon that earned my full respect. I could still hear his mandate ringing throughout my head.

  Kill.

  “I greet my Master,” I greeted with a bow. “I am here to fulfill my duty as your student.”

  “Welcome, my student,” Master said calmly. It was like the ocean; tranquil, but capable of destroying even the mightiest of vessels. “You have journeyed well, but, it appears to me that you are incomplete.”

  “What am I lacking?” I asked.

  “Your physical body is not yet at its peak. Do not worry, my specialty is forging,” Master informed with a nod. He gestured to his workbench. “Lay here, I will make you whole.”