Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 88

Several velociraptor corpses lay scattered across the ground. Luke was clearing the path, advancing through the streets.

Up ahead, Charlie charged straight toward a massive carnivorous plant. Thick tendrils burst from the soil, but she sliced through them with clean precision, cutting her way forward with her sword. One larger tentacle lunged to grab her—but Charlie activated her Fire Ring, and a small blaze ignited the air, driving the attack back.

Spectral Charge.

She surged forward at high speed and struck at the base of the plant. With a powerful spin, she delivered the final blow.

[Princess Charlie has slain a Carnivorous Dodder – Lvl 18]

More monsters were waiting for them. But then—

CRASH!

Trees snapped like twigs. A massive figure burst from the forest, roaring with primal fury.

“ROOOAAR!!”

“He’s here!” Luke shouted.

A tyrannosaurus rex. Towering. Covered in thick scales like stone plates. Its wild eyes scanned the battlefield.

Charlie and Luke sprinted to meet it. The monster roared again, sending a gale-force shockwave through the air. The ground trembled.

Charlie stabbed her sword into the soil, bracing herself against the pushback. Luke veered to the side, using Dark Dash to slip past the slicing wind. He jumped—came down with his kukri—and slashed the T-rex across the face, cutting off its roar.

Charlie followed right behind. She leapt and landed another strike with her blade.

The dinosaur twisted—

WHAM!

Its tail slammed into Luke.

He was sent flying like a missile, crashing through a wall and landing inside the ruins of a crumbling house. His back burned.

The monster inhaled sharply and charged toward Charlie. She dodged bite after bite, but a tail swipe hit her clean. She flew through the air and tumbled hard across the ground.

Luke pushed himself up, panting.

He sprinted toward the beast.

“I’m here!” he yelled, trying to draw its attention.

He hurled both kukris. The tyrannosaur roared again—the blast of air knocked the blades off course. Luke spun, caught them midair, and launched himself forward.

The dinosaur lowered its head and barreled toward him like a train, tearing through trees and stone. But then—something shifted.

A spectral chain burst from the ground, wrapping tightly around its leg.

Charlie held it with both hands, pulling with all her strength.

The tyrannosaur stumbled—and collapsed, crashing into the ruins with a thunderous impact.

They didn’t waste the opening.

Luke and Charlie rushed in, slashing at the beast from every angle. But its eyes gleamed with fury. With a roar, it rose again.

And something changed.

ts jaw opened. The teeth began to grow. They turned gray—metallic.

Luke realized instantly.

“Their teeth... they’re like blades of steel...”

The monster snapped at the air, jaws opening and closing, trying to crush them. They fell back into the forest.

Charlie threw a tree trunk. The tyrannosaur bit into it—splintered the wood like paper. It advanced again.

Charlie leapt—

Spectral Charge.

She drove an Iron Fist punch directly into the creature’s chin.

Luke saw his chance. Activating the bonus from his Spider Leggings, he jumped higher, twisted in the air, and came down hard—slashing across the dinosaur’s neck with both kukris.

The beast screamed.

It turned its head, and the jaw dropped, gleaming metal teeth closing fast toward Luke.

“Charlie!” he shouted.

SHHHRAAAK!

A Spectral Chain wrapped around one of the monster’s teeth, yanking its head sideways. The bite missed Luke by inches.

Charlie reeled in the chain, pulling herself toward the creature. With a swift motion, she drove her sword straight into its eye.

The roar that followed was deafening.

Luke darted beneath the tyrannosaur’s legs, striking whenever an opening appeared.

Then the beast jumped—and came crashing down.

Its feet slammed into the earth with bone-shaking force, sending shockwaves through the forest.

CRASH.

The tail swept across the field. Luke and Charlie were hit, thrown like ragdolls across the battlefield.

Luke crashed into a thick tree trunk, the world spinning around him.

"ROOOAR!"

The creature’s roar echoed like thunder through the forest.

And then, dozens of velociraptors burst from the treeline, drawn by the alpha predator’s call.

Luke saw them coming. He and Charlie stood up, wounded, gasping, but they didn’t hesitate. They charged into the swarm, cutting down beasts with everything they had.

The tyrannosaur lunged, jaws snapping in brutal, relentless bursts. Luke rolled back, activated Basic Dark Dash, and slipped around to its flank.

Charlie ran in and punched the lower jaw, diverting the bite, then leapt with her sword raised. She gripped it with both hands and activated:

[Heavy Strike]

The blade came down hard across the tyrannosaur’s snout.

The monster roared, snapping toward her.

Charlie fired her Spectral Chain at a tree branch and pulled herself out of reach just in time.

Luke landed at the perfect moment.

He jumped onto the dinosaur’s back and began to move like a shadow in motion.

A dance of cuts.

Kukris spinning like fangs.

The monster thrashed, trying to shake him off. Luke held firm, carving bloody gashes into its face. It looked like he was riding a raging bull, but he was the beast now.

Every impact against trees and branches slammed into his back, but his chestplate held. He didn’t stop.

When he finally lost balance, he jumped again, landed on the dinosaur’s spine, and slid down its back, kukris tearing through hide until he reached the ground.

The raptors surrounded him immediately.

Then came a crash.

The tyrannosaur slammed into a stone building, demolishing the wall. The raptors hesitated.

Seconds later, Charlie spun into their ranks with Whirlwind Strike, her sword slashing like a living storm. The raptors backed off.

Luke and Charlie rushed toward the staggering monster together.

Luke jumped, Dark Dash activated, and drove a kukri deep into its neck.

Charlie followed.

[Spectral Charge] + [Iron Fist].

Two punches collided with the beast, sending it flying into the ruins. Part of the upper floor collapsed on top of it.

Luke ran through the rubble.

In the dim light, the massive body lay slumped.

He twisted midair, reversed his grip on the kukris, holding them like claws.

He jumped and struck down.

Both blades sank into the monster’s face.

Predator’s teeth.

The tyrannosaur, in its final second, looked into Luke’s eyes.

One beast recognizing another.

And then it died.

[You have slain a Tyrannosaurus Commander – Lvl 24]

Your class [Demonic Assassin] has reached Level 19! (Class Bonus Points Acquired)

*[Princess Charlie has reached Level 9 – Skeleton (Rank F)] (+1 bonus point to all attributes, +1 free point)*

[An item has been added to your Inventory]

The velociraptors entered the building, alert and tense. But they stopped when they saw the scene.

Luke stood over the corpse of the beast, his kukris drenched in blood, eyes locked on them. Beside him, the tall skeletal knight still held her sword pointed forward—ready.

The raptors glanced at each other, then stepped back… and fled.

They knew the truth. If the strongest among them had fallen, they stood no chance.

***

Luke stood atop a ruined building, overlooking the sleeping city below. The crumbling remains of the Wild Zone stretched in every direction, cloaked in the pale mist of dawn. The wind sliced across the rooftops like a blade—sharp and bitter. Above it all, the moon hung full and radiant, enormous in the sky like an unblinking eye.

He opened his interface and glanced at the item he had just acquired:

[Tyrannosaurus Commander’s Boots (Uncommon)

Description: Forged from the hide of a tyrannosaurus and fused with its teeth. The toe of the boot is as sharp as the fangs of the predator that once ruled the forest.]

He clicked. The boots on his feet vanished, replaced by dark leather with jagged details. Light. Firm. Dangerous.

Luke took a deep breath. The city was quiet.

And then—

“DONG...”

The bell rang. A second later, others began to echo across the ruins, the sound spreading through the Wild Zone like a slow, ominous wave.

Midnight.

He knew what that meant. The Midnight Wardens were emerging from their hiding places.

Luke stared down at the streets. Slowly, dozens of glowing points began to appear across the city. Each one marked the location of a Reward Event chest.

That was the real reason Bartholomew had grown so powerful. That was why Marshall fought for control. Potions. Healing. Mana. Stamina. Weekly rewards.

It was the true treasure of the Safe Zone—because over there, the Wardens did not roam. This was the fuel of the elite. And now, Luke wanted it for himself.

Many of those chests spawned in the Wild Zone, but no one dared claim them. Luke knew that sooner or later, he would have to face a Midnight Warden. He also knew he wouldn’t survive. Not him. Not anyone who stood with him.

Unless... he was ready.

And there was only one way to find out.

It was time to face one. Not to kill. To steal.

He looked once more at the city, lit by the faint glow of the chests scattered across its corpse-like sprawl. A smile curled at the corner of his lips.

“Tonight... I will feast like a king.”

And he leapt from the rooftop—silent as a shadow, hunger in his eyes, kukris in hand.

Luke was going to steal a Reward Event chest right from under the nose of a Midnight Warden.

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