Chapter 383: Hero Of Death

"That’s right, a girl. She was a talented girl. However, I was her final battle. But it seems for you, there’s still one more to face." The Hero of Death shook his head.

"I see." Daniel said, then focused his attention on the man in front of him. Even though he was just standing there, his presence alone made Daniel feel a great sense of danger.

He was definitely far stronger than the version Daniel had fought inside the Pagoda of Death—much, much stronger.

"Shall we begin? I’d like to see just how much you’ve really improved."

"Of course." Daniel nodded and summoned the sword The Heavens Honor.

The moment the sword appeared, it released a terrifying and domineering aura.

"So you managed to evolve it." The Hero of Death smiled as he saw the sword—his old friend. The fact that he could witness his old friend regaining its former power filled him with joy.

"It was a bit difficult, but yeah." Daniel nodded with a smile.

"Good. Last time we fought, you won. This time might be different. However, if you manage to win again, aside from the reward you’ll receive from the stairway, I’ll also give you an extra reward—something connected to the Law of Death."

"Then it looks like I’ll need to use my full strength."

Suddenly, the Hero of Death laughed, and it seemed as though the sky itself split open.

Black clouds spread across the sky like a wrinkled curtain.

He slowly raised his hand. No sword was in it. It was as if he was pulling something out from the heart of darkness itself.

The air trembled. From nothingness, a black-silver blade was formed. A sword terrifyingly similar to The Heavens Honor, but with something different—something that burned the flesh and froze the soul: the Aura of Death. The aura of that sword was incomparably pure.

It wasn’t just the aura of death—it felt like death itself.

The Hero of Death gave a faint smile.

"What the hell is that?" Daniel shivered when he saw the sword.

"When you gain sufficient understanding of the Law of Death, you can make far greater use of it."

Before Daniel could even respond, the ground—or rather, the very space—between them cracked. The Death Sword moved once. Just once.

That single strike crushed the distance of several meters in an instant. Daniel reacted quickly, raising his own blade to clash against the Aura of Death.

The clash of the two swords shook the sky. A powerful wave rippled through the clouds. Everything went silent, and for a moment, the world itself was drowned in stillness.

Daniel was thrown back, his breathing heavy. The force of that strike was beyond anything he had imagined.

The Hero of Death took a step forward—calm, unhurried. Each step echoed like the toll of a death bell.

He raised his other hand, and in that moment, [Chains of Oblivion] burst forth from the darkness. Black, suffocating chains coiled around Daniel’s arms and legs.

Daniel growled, struggling to cut them apart with his sword, but the chains only tightened further.

The Death Sword drew closer.

"This is your mistake. You rely too much on your body and your muscles. Death cares nothing for muscles. Only the soul stands—or collapses." The Hero of Death said.

"Do you expect me to understand anything when you’re speaking all poetic like that?" Daniel groaned, though he still grasped the meaning.

Against the Law of Death, physical strength had no value whatsoever.

The Death Sword struck Daniel’s side. Blood spurted out. With clenched teeth, Daniel stopped himself from screaming and immediately healed the wound with mana. But the injury continued to burn like a black shadow—the effect could not be healed.

"See? That’s the difference. You can close the wound, but the mark of death... always remains." The Hero of Death continued.

With a wave of his other hand, [Grave Silence] was unleashed.

The air became mute. Sounds vanished. Even Daniel’s own heartbeat disappeared from his ears for a moment. The only thing left was the sound of the Death Sword moving forward in that absolute silence—slow, merciless.

Daniel roared with all his strength and activated [Demonic Twilight Shield]. Demonic energy surrounded him.

The next strike of the Hero of Death crashed down on it. The sound wasn’t metal—it was the sound of bones breaking. The shield trembled, and fragments of black energy flew back toward the Hero.

But he only laughed.

[Death Assimilation.]

The returning energy particles were absorbed into his body, and his aura of death became even stronger than before.

Daniel narrowed his eyes. Even my defense becomes fuel for his weapon...

"Damn it, how is he this strong?" He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He had to admit that after defeating the other heroes, he had grown arrogant.

That was why he had underestimated the Hero of Death. But he never expected him to be this powerful—stronger even than the previous encounter.

"Did you forget? I’m the strongest hero among all those fools."

In an instant, the Hero of Death vanished and appeared behind him. Daniel turned, but it was already too late. [Soul Requiem] descended on him. His mind went dark. Distorted, painful, old memories surged forth:

The voices of friends he had lost in his past life. Faces swallowed by flames. His darkest, most sorrowful memories.

Yet, the attack didn’t have much of an effect on him—or at least, that’s what he thought. Even though he suffered no real damage and quickly calmed his mind, his soul’s defenses had been injured.

Daniel dropped to his knees. His breathing was heavy. His body was wounded and bleeding all over, but it was his mind that bore the greatest pressure.

Even Mana Healing wasn’t working properly here. No matter how much he healed the wounds, nothing really changed.

"You haven’t seen anything yet, boy. Let death shape you." The Hero of Death raised his sword.

The black chains still gripped Daniel’s arms tightly, but with a muffled roar, he forced mana to surge through his veins.

His sword trembled, and his Aura of Death flared like a storm. With an explosion from within, the chains shattered and dissolved into smoke.

"Looks like you’re finally learning." The Hero of Death smiled at the sight.

Daniel didn’t respond. Instead, he suddenly activated [Bloody Shadow Dance].

The shadows of the clouds turned into a black wave, and Daniel vanished within them. His movements became unpredictable—sometimes appearing right above the Hero of Death, other times behind him—like reflections breaking apart again and again.

Each time he emerged from the shadows, he struck with his sword at full strength, always making sure to infuse it with the Aura of Death.

After all, only death could harm death.

Daniel’s blade cut into the Hero’s shoulder, sparks of red-black scattering.

The Hero of Death tilted his head slightly. A small stream of blood dripped from his shoulder. Yet, he smiled.

"Yes... that’s it."