From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

As Erebos finished his sentence, he suddenly took a clean punch to the chest. The impact sent him stumbling back, a look of surprise and pain flashing across his face. Jalen's clothes began to rip as his body expanded, black and red fur wrapping around him.

The transformation was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. Jalen's form grew larger, more imposing, as the fur covered his body. His muscles bulged, and his eyes glowed with a fierce, unyielding light. The pentagram on his chest seemed to pulse with energy.

Jalen's eyes narrowed with determination as he plunged his hand into his chest, the muscles rippling with raw power. With a swift, fluid motion, he pulled out a chained sickle blade, the weapon forged from black steel with intricate lines of red running along its length, glowing ominously. The chains clinked with a metallic resonance, the blade itself exuding an aura of lethal elegance.

"Right, I should have probably started off going all in, but I hate ruining my clothes," Jalen said with a smirk. "Now, how do you want to die, you damned Vampire?"

Before Erebos could respond, Jalen rushed him with blinding speed. Erebos snapped his fingers, summoning a dozen coins that shot through the air, aiming to pierce Jalen's skin. But Jalen vanished, performing a deft sidestep that left the coins whistling through empty space.

"Where the hell...," Erebos began, his frustration evident. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself, closing his eyes. "He's in my barrier, so I can sense anywhere he goes."

Moments later, Jalen reappeared, carrying Robrick in his arms. Robrick's eyes looked lifeless, and his body was limp. Jalen gently laid him down in the corner next to where Elithira was.

"I am sure you are responsible for your own injuries," Jalen said softly, addressing Robrick's unconscious form. "But it is a severe crime that we ever intervened in this planet's matters, so you have my apologies."

Jalen stood up to face Erebos again, but Erebos had vanished from his sight. His eyes darted around the battlefield, scanning for any sign of movement while his grip tightened on the chained sickle blade. The weapon thrummed with power, its chains clinking softly as he readied himself for an attack.

Suddenly, the ground beneath him began to bubble and churn, transforming into a sinister black liquid. Without warning, Erebos shot up from the inky depths, the force of his emergence sending Jalen flying upward. He crashed into the barrier with a bone-jarring impact, the translucent wall rippling with the collision.

Jalen, seemingly uninjured, coughed slightly, his keen senses assaulted by a putrid smell. What a vile stench, he thought, a look of disgust crossing his face. One clean slice should be enough to deal with him, though.

He steadied himself, the glow from his blade intensifying as he began to murmur incantations. "Apply curse: no regeneration, blood siphon, essence bind."

The blade responded to his words, pulsing with dark energy. The red lines along its length flared brightly, the curses embedding themselves into the steel.

Words began to etch themselves onto the blade, filling the black steel with red sigils that glowed ominously. Jalen watched as the curses took form, his resolve hardening. Kill Erebos, fix all the mistakes on this planet, and then everything will slowly go back to normal, he thought. I can't allow the Demon King to deal with any more stress than he already has!

With a powerful leap, Jalen dove down, his furred feet planting firmly on the ground. The impact cracked the earth beneath him, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. His eyes locked onto Erebos, and without hesitation, he launched himself forward, the sickle blade aimed directly at his foe. Find your next read on empire

Erebos sidestepped with ease, a smirk playing on his lips as Jalen's blade slammed into the ground where he had just been standing. Undeterred, Jalen hurled the chained weapon at him with lightning speed. The chains whistled through the air, the blade cutting through the darkness like a streak of red lightning.

Erebos dodged the attack effortlessly, his movements a blur as he evaded each strike. Jalen pressed on, his attacks relentless. He spun, twirling the chain with deadly precision, sending the blade hurtling toward Erebos again and again. Each dodge by Erebos was fluid, almost graceful, as he seemed to dance around Jalen's onslaught.

Jalen's fur bristled with frustration as he unleashed a flurry of strikes, the blade slicing through the air in rapid succession. Erebos continued to evade, his smirk never faltering. He ducked under one swing, then leaped over another, his movements a mesmerizing display of agility and speed.

With a final, powerful swing, Jalen attempted to catch Erebos off guard, but Erebos twisted away, the blade missing him by inches. As Jalen paused to catch his breath, he noticed an orange glow emanating from Erebos's wrist.

What is that? Jalen wondered, his eyes narrowing. I see, it's his way of knowing when his energy signal has been picked up so he can leave a place before anyone notices… he probably got that from my King somehow.

Jalen's grip on the chained sickle tightened. "The Demon King trusted me to be one of his Twelve when everything went to hell... I will not fail his trust."

Erebos sneered, his eyes glinting with mockery. "And what could a nobody like you hope to accomplish?" he taunted, his voice dripping with disdain.

Jalen's eyes narrowed, a flood of memories surging through his mind. "You have no idea what you're dealing with," he replied, his voice steady. "When someone dies, their soul goes to the Demon King. Those who lived a good and righteous life, or even those damaged souls, he gives them a second chance. He lets them live in his castle as warriors. I started as one of those souls."

Erebos raised an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued. "So, you're one of those reformed souls? How quaint."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Jalen continued, undeterred. "I climbed my way up, earning my place through countless battles and trials. Now, I stand as the 8th guard."

Erebos laughed, a cold, cruel sound that echoed across the battlefield. "Honor? Loyalty? Such outdated concepts.