From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

He couldn't die here.

But the more Daemon struggled, the tighter the chains grew, their ethereal energy constricting around his throat, squeezing the breath from his lungs. Xuán Wěi watched with an almost detached amusement, his lips curling into a smile as he flicked his fingers, sending another pulse of magic through the chains.

"Why fight it?" Xuán Wěi asked, his voice a low hum, almost a whisper. "This world doesn't deserve your loyalty, Lieutenant. You're just another casualty, another fool chasing ideals that died long ago."

Daemon's vision blurred as he fought to keep his eyes open. The weight of the chains dragged him further down, his body trembling with the effort to stay upright. But it was Osalf's voice that pierced through the fog, sharp and biting, filled with a cold certainty.

"Realdo never had to die," Osalf said, stepping forward, his blade gleaming in the dim light. "But his death was inevitable. Just like yours. He was loyal to a system that has rotted from the inside out. He refused to see the truth—the real truth of this world." Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

Realdo. The name hit Daemon like a hammer, a sharp pain ripping through his chest. His friend's face flashed before his eyes—Realdo's easy smile, his laugh, the way he always seemed to bring light to even the darkest of days. But now, all that was left was the memory of his death, the moment he had fallen in this mess that was never supposed to include him.

"Realdo's death wasn't part of the plan," Osalf continued, his voice softening, almost regretful. "He was an accident. A necessary one. He got too close to the truth, and for that, he had to be silenced. But I didn't want it to end that way."

Daemon's heart twisted, the weight of Osalf's words sinking in. An accident. Realdo had been caught in something far bigger than either of them had realized. And now Daemon was too.

"You're just like him, Daemon," Osalf said, his voice growing colder. "Chasing shadows. Believing in a kingdom that no longer exists. I tried to save you, but you're too blind to see it."

"Save me?" Daemon gasped, his breath ragged as he tried to force the words out. "You call this… saving me?"

Osalf's smile faded, his eyes narrowing as he stepped closer, the weight of his presence pressing down on Daemon like a crushing force. "You were never supposed to be here, Daemon. You're an accident in this, just like Realdo. But now… now I can't let you walk away."

The truth of Osalf's words hit Daemon harder than the chains that bound him. He wasn't part of the plan. He was never supposed to be involved. And yet, here he was, trapped, weakened, and on the verge of death, all because he had chosen to fight for something he believed in—something that Osalf had long since abandoned.

"I can't let this go on," Daemon rasped, his vision growing darker as the chains tightened further. "I can't let you… destroy everything."

Osalf sighed, his blade glinting as he raised it, the cold steel reflecting the dim light. "This world is already destroyed. I'm just finishing the job."

"Is that what you told Realdo?" Daemon asked, his voice barely above a whisper, the pain in his chest almost unbearable now. "Is that how you justified his death?"

Osalf's jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with something that looked like regret, but only for a moment. "Realdo was a good man," he said quietly. "But he was a fool. He couldn't see the bigger picture. Neither can you."

Daemon's body trembled, his muscles straining against the chains as he tried to force himself to stand. But the weight was too much. His strength was fading, and with it, the hope that he could ever stop Osalf. The kingdom was dying, just as Osalf had said. And now, so was he.

"Give in, Daemon," Xuán Wěi whispered, his fingers tightening around the arcane chains, pulling them taut. "It's over."

But even as the world grew darker, even as the pain threatened to overwhelm him, Daemon refused to give in. He refused to die here, alone and forgotten, just another casualty in a world gone mad.

Yun-Jin. Her name flickered in his mind, a faint glimmer of hope in the darkness. He couldn't leave her behind. He had promised to protect her. He had promised Realdo that he would keep fighting, no matter what.

But now… now he wasn't sure he could.

Osalf stepped forward, his blade raised, the edge gleaming as he prepared to strike the final blow. "Goodbye, Daemon."

And then, he struck.

Daemon gasped as the blade pierced his chest, the sharp pain blinding him as the world spun around him. He could feel the cold steel tearing through flesh and bone, the taste of blood sharp on his tongue as the life drained from him. His body jerked violently, the chains pulling him down as the blade twisted deeper.

Daemon gasped, the cold bite of Osalf's blade tearing through him, the sharp, metallic taste of blood filling his mouth. His vision blurred as the pain surged through his body, every breath a ragged struggle. The spectral chains wrapped around his legs tightened, their ghostly energy pulling him further into the dirt as his strength drained away.

He could feel it now—his life slipping through his fingers. The cold, the numbness spreading through his limbs, the weakness settling into his bones. This was it.

But then, through the pain, Yun-Jin's voice rang out, sharp and defiant, cutting through the fog of death like a lifeline.

"You won't touch him!"

Yun-Jin burst into the clearing, her eyes wide and wild with fury, her face streaked with tears. Her hands trembled as she gripped her sword, her body taut with rage and fear. Reinforcements flanked her, their weapons raised, their eyes hard and unyielding as they prepared to engage.

Daemon's chest tightened—not just from the pain of the wound, but from the sight of Yun-Jin. She was crying, her shoulders shaking with barely contained sobs as she locked eyes with him. For a moment, the battle around them faded, and all Daemon could see was her—broken, desperate, and fighting for him.