Merissa shook the unmoving body of Alex despite knowing that he had already departed from this world. She looked at his lifeless eyes staring at her.

‘This wasn’t how it was supposed to go… I should have snatched it then and there!’ Merissa began cursing under her breath. But it only lasted for a few seconds as she remembered her goal. She closed Alex’s eyes and began searching for the pentagon wooden item.

‘The soul holder should be here somewhere—

As Merissa found it in his pocket, she quickly grabbed it and got ready to run when suddenly pain shot through her body. It was over, she had already surpassed the limits of her body. Suddenly she got lifted up by her throat.

“He appeared out of nowhere, I thought he would have long since gone back. But who knew he was a fool.” Marx said as he burst out laughing.

“Rest easy though I won’t kill you so quickly, you’ve costed me my summons so, I’ll at least make you suffer hell before actually sending you to one.” Marx stated as he began to apply pressure on her neck and choking her slowly.

Merissa struggled to get free as she flailed her hands and legs but it proved futile. A while later her struggling began to stop as her hands dropped to her sides and her flailing legs stopped struggling.

Just when hope seemed to have been lost darkness emerged. A large stream of black colored mana shot out from Alex’s body in the sky and the force blew the two away. Merissa rolled back several times before she regained her balance. When she looked back up the large output of mana had vanished and so was Alex’s body.

Marx was on his feet looking around for him but couldn’t find him anywhere. “You! Where did he go?!” He rushed towards Merissa to grab her again. But his stretched-out arm never reached her, instead it fell to the ground!

Alex who had dropped from the sky out of nowhere sliced his arm cleanly. A painful scream ensued as blood spurted out from his right hand. Merissa looked with wide eyes at the scene in front of him. The large gaping hole in his body had disappeared as if it had never been there. What was equally surprising if not more was the glowing sword in his hand or more particularly the soul holder from which the blade had emerged. She had placed it in her pocket and didn’t even remember when it left her side.

‘Remember kid I am inputting a greater portion of mana than your body can handle currently. Finish it within the next 2 minutes. The after effects will be severe and you will be rendered vulnerable.’ The dragon’s voice resounded in Alex’s head.

“You fu*king bastard!” Marx screamed at the top of his lungs as he stretched his left hand forward. The next moment transparent greyish coloured small Naclas began to emerge out of his hand and rushed towards Alex.

The latter also charged at them at quick speeds and began slicing them with his sword all the while shortening the distance between the two. Just when Alex was a step away from Marx he quickly stepped back as a punch landed on the spot he stood, cracking it. Alex immediately swinged his sword to chop his arm but Marx withdrew it in the nick of time.

Marx continuously cursed Alex and swung his fist at him in blind rage but the latter was quick enough to doge all of them. The bleeding from the cut on his right arm had been completely stopped as it was quickly covered by the Nacla armour.

‘Don’t try to restrict the feeling of mana instead let it flow through your body. Concentrate it on one point and you can surpass that insect in front of you.’ The dragon’s voice resounded again. Alex did, as told and gathered the mana in his left fist. He stepped forward swinging his arm in full motion. Marx scoffed at him trying to beat him in power and replied with a kick.

The clash resulted in the punch breaking through the Nacla’s armour and blowing Marx away. Alex looked surprised at his fist. But not getting distracted by it he charged forward to finish the job. Marx who’s fractured leg didn’t allowed him to get up noticed Alex coming his way.

‘This… should be impossible how am I losing in a battle of strength…’

Disbelief shadowed his mind. But this was the spark for him to do something crazy. It was a do or die moment for him now as he removed another one of the earlier brown pills and popped it. The next moment a huge surge in mana occurred from within him. Even Alex who had become capable of sensing mana with the dragon’s powers, sensed it and stopped in his tracks.

The black armour began to undergo a transformation. “HAHAHAHA! Now you’ll see, with this I’ll become even stronger! A mere brat like you can’t kill—

Marx’s rambling suddenly stopped as he looked at the area near his heart. A black glowing blade had pierced through it. His head slowly rose up glancing at Alex’s indifferent face. ‘Was this kid always this cold?’ Was his last thought as blood trickled out of his mouth. The large surge in mana immediately vanished along with the Nacla armour.

Alex pulled the blade out as Marx’s body fell limp on the ground. He stared at the unmoving body lying on the ground and recalled back to the dragon’s sudden question. As soon as Alex sensed the increase in mana, he was somehow able to tell instinctually that he had to stop him immediately otherwise he would not survive.

Then came the dragon’s question ‘Do you have what it takes to survive?’ It was simply asking him whether he would kill to save himself. If he had tried to subdue him and failed then it was guaranteed that the summoner would’ve killed him.

The next moment everything became a blur to him as he felt his head hitting the ground.