Cataclysmic Fireball!

The instant Leon unleashed the spell, the entire atmosphere inside the throne room changed violently, as though the very air itself had suddenly become unstable under the overwhelming amount of mana gathering around the [Destiny Staff].

Space distorted visibly around the tip of the weapon while crimson and dark energy spiraled endlessly together, creating a terrifying pressure that spread throughout the chamber.

Even the darkness surrounding the room began trembling.

And for the first time since Leon entered the castle, the [Forsaken King] stopped looking bored.

His glowing white eyes narrowed with genuine interest as he stared directly at the fireball forming before him.

At first, the spell looked small, barely larger than Leon’s hand, but it rapidly began to grow larger and larger as more mana poured into it.

The flames darkened every second, shifting from red into an almost black-crimson inferno that radiated enough heat to make the stone floor crack beneath Leon’s feet.

The larger the fireball became, the more terrifying its aura grew, until eventually it reached its full size, hovering above Leon like a miniature dying star that was over twice the size of a car.

Dark flames swirled around its surface while streaks of violent crimson exploded from within it, making the spell look completely unstable.

The ghoul’s expression changed instantly.

Even after transforming, even after throwing away every trace of fear and weakness it once had, the creature still immediately realized that this attack was capable of killing it.

"NO—!"

The ghoul exploded with power and struggled violently against the [Vines of Torment], its muscles bulging while darkness erupted endlessly from its body.

Several vines immediately began cracking apart under the sheer strength of the monster, but Leon had no intention of giving it even another second to escape.

Without hesitation, he swung the staff downward. The gigantic fireball shot forward instantly.

"YOU INSOLENT HUMAAAAAAN—!"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The explosion that followed was so absurdly powerful that the entire [Forsaken Castle] shook violently from top to bottom, while the sound itself echoed far beyond the throne room and spread throughout the city outside.

Crimson flames exploded outward in every direction, swallowing the center of the chamber completely while violent shockwaves shattered the already damaged floor and walls apart even further.

The impact was so powerful that even Leon had to shield part of his face while standing his ground against the pressure erupting from his own spell.

Stone debris crashed from the ceiling. Dark smoke flooded the throne room.

The heat alone became unbearable for several seconds. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

And then, slowly, the flames began fading. The smoke dispersed little by little.

And where the ghoul had once stood... There was nothing left. No remains whatsoever.

The creature had been completely vaporized by the attack, leaving behind nothing except black ash scattered across the cracked floor.

Ding!

[You have killed "Forsaken Ghoul (Boss)"]

[100% Drop Rate has triggered...]

Leon stared at the empty space for a moment before letting out a small breath.

"Damn," he muttered with genuine surprise, "that actually one-shot it."

Even Leon himself hadn’t expected the spell to erase the ghoul that thoroughly.

The [Forsaken Ghoul] had been stronger than the [Forsaken Minotaur] before the effect of [Celestial’s Might], yet a single cast of [Cataclysmic Fireball] had annihilated it completely, showcasing just how monstrous Leon’s spell power had become after everything he acquired recently.

His absurd amount of spirit. The [Destiny Staff]. The [Blood Heart Blessing].

Everything had stacked together into something terrifying.

Leon slowly turned his head afterward and looked toward the [Forsaken King], a faint grin spreading across his face while purple aura swirled around his body endlessly.

"All your allies are dead now," Leon spoke calmly while pointing his sword toward the king.

The [Forsaken King] stared at him silently for several long seconds before suddenly bursting into laughter.

A loud, mocking laugh echoed throughout the throne room while darkness swirled around his figure.

"You mean those worthless insects?" the king grinned widely. "I could not care less about them."

Dark aura erupted from his body while he slowly stepped away from the throne made of skulls, finally revealing himself completely beneath the pale light descending from the ceiling above.

"Now that you are here," the king continued while lifting his giant dark blade slightly, "this assessment has finally reached its end."

Appraisal!

---

[Forsaken King (Assessment Boss)]

[Level: 75]

[Talent: Monarch of Darkness (SS-Level)]

[Combat Power: 3,000,000]

[Details: The King of the Forsaken City, tasked with killing any player who entered it, the end of his journey is near.]

---

"And yet," the king continued while staring directly at Leon, "you stand before me believing that you have a chance of victory."

"Maybe I do," Leon replied casually, suddenly closing his eyes while enormous amounts of mana continued pouring out of his body in dense waves.

Even after killing the ghoul, Leon had not stopped gathering mana for even a single moment.

Still, the king only smirked.

"I could kill those previous bosses with a single strike if I wished," he declared proudly while darkness intensified around him. "The difference between us is immeasurable."

"Maybe," Leon answered again while remaining perfectly calm.

The atmosphere between the two became heavier and heavier every second, to the point where even the small amount of light shining through the ceiling seemed to dim under the overwhelming pressure filling the chamber.

The king slowly raised his sword.

"I understand your strange pressure ability now," he grinned darkly. "The moment you attack me directly, my combat power decreases."

His smile widened further.

"So I simply won’t allow you to get near me."

Shadow Bullets!

BOOOOOOM!

Darkness exploded outward from the king’s body instantly as thousands upon thousands of shadow bullets materialized throughout the throne room. The entire chamber trembled violently while the projectiles filled every direction imaginable.

Above Leon. Behind him. Beside him. Everywhere.

Each bullet radiated terrifying power empowered by the king’s [Monarch of Darkness] sub-talent, making every single projectile deadly enough to instantly kill monsters with over two million combat power.

Leon was completely surrounded. There was nowhere to dodge.

The king chuckled while tightening his grip around his blade.

"Well then," he grinned confidently, "game over."