World's Last Hope

Eric shot some arrows; some hit their marks, though they didn't do much damage, while others missed, triggering the bow's side effect and making Eric feel as though he was having a heart attack.

Despite the pain, he forced himself to push past it, seeing the dragons flying toward them. He kept firing.

Each time he drew the bowstring, it was harder and more painful than the last.

How many arrows had he shot? How many had he missed? His attacks didn't seem to accomplish much—the only thing they did was momentarily slow the dragons. Only Olivia's attacks were visibly effective.

She focused on targeting a specific dragon, her arrows piercing through the monster's skin. After firing a dozen arrows and hitting her mark, the dragon stopped moving and fell into the sea of darkness below.

Eric wasn't sure when this had happened. He had thought crossing the ravine would be fast and easy, but he was wrong. This wasn't a ravine at all—it was more like a literal sea of darkness. Or had the environment changed before he could realize it?

This place, where the laws of the world no longer seemed to apply, was truly a death zone.

"Shit, it's getting closer!" Eric spat as the remaining six dragons neared them.

"I see a mountain up ahead! Slow them down a bit longer!" Aria, who was preoccupied with guiding the worm, shouted from behind.

"Princess! They're too close! They'll burn us to a crisp soon!" Olivia yelled, her focus never wavering from the battle.

With a gesture of her hand, Aria summoned something behind the worm—a shield barrier appeared, glowing faintly as it formed to protect them.

Moments later, the dragons opened their jaws, unleashing a deadly red flame. The shield held, taking the brunt of the flames… for now.

Glancing backward, Eric saw the mountain Aria mentioned. It was still several kilometers away.

"Don't think. Just shoot. Don't think. Just shoot," he muttered to himself, trying to stay focused.

It seemed the barrier allowed their arrows to pass through while successfully stopping the dragons' breath.

The dragons released another deadly breath attack. The third time, cracks appeared on the shield. The fourth time, the cracks widened.

"What am I even doing?!" Eric asked himself. Despite giving it his all, his shots lacked the power to harm the dragons meaningfully. They were merely a minor inconvenience.

Olivia, on the other hand, was drawing her bow faster and faster. Each arrow she fired was fiercer than the last. But how long could she maintain that pace?

"If Olivia falls, we all fall."

The dragons were closer now, only dozens of meters away. Their next breath attacks would be even more focused.

"When the barrier breaks, could I survive the fire?" Eric wondered.

"No. Even if I did, if Olivia falls, the dragons would catch up. I wouldn't be able to stop them."

With another fiery attack, the barrier finally broke.

"Shit!" Olivia cursed.

Eric knew why. They had discussed their strengths and weaknesses before. Olivia's armor was strong against physical attacks but weak against magic and elemental damage, unlike his own, which offered greater overall protection.

"I know what I have to do. But do I have the strength to do it?"

"I don't want to die. I don't want to die! But if Olivia falls, I'm as good as dead!" Eric gritted his teeth as the dragons took aim again. This time, they were clearly targeting the biggest threat: Olivia.

Eric acted.

*****

"Shit!" Olivia cursed internally. No matter how many arrows she fired, the dragons—despite their wounds and bloodied scales—didn't stop their advance.

Suddenly, the jaws of the nearest dragon opened, glowing with fiery light as it aimed directly at her.

'Am I going to die? Just like that?' she thought.

She knew her armor couldn't withstand a magical attack like this. If the fire hit her, she was dead. But if she moved out of the way, the flames would reach Aria. If Aria let go of the worm, they'd all plunge into the sea of darkness.

The dragon roared and unleashed its deadly fire. Olivia's eyes widened in shock. 'Is this… what death looks like?'

The fire soared through the air… but before it reached her, something strange happened.

She found herself shielded behind the back of a man clad in dark armor with a red cape.

'Eric?' was the only thought she could form before the flames struck him.

*****

'It hurts!' Eric gritted his teeth, refusing to scream. He knew that if he opened his mouth, the smoke would enter his lungs, killing him instantly. The flames burned his flesh, his face, and his hair, heating his armor to unbearable levels. He shut his eyes tightly against the onslaught, as if he'd stepped into hell itself.

But even though his eyes were closed, he knew there were still six dragons chasing them. Even though he was burning alive, he still had a job to do.

He strained his muscles, moving the bow in front of him despite the flames. He pulled the string, which resisted fiercely, and manifested an arrow. He fired—blindly, then again and again.

He fired.

Despite not looking where he was aiming, he fired.

Despite feeling his muscles and tendons burning, he fired.

Despite the fear gripping him, he knew he had only one thing he could do: he fired.

At first, his shots were slow, but the rate of fire steadily increased. Even though his muscles were being burned and reduced to nothing, an unbelievable strength surged within him, driving him forward. The system's announcement echoed faintly, but he was too focused to hear it.

[New Trait Gained: Last Stand]

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[Last Stand]

Description: One last time…

Positive:

Activating this skill grants you unbelievable strength for a short time.

If the requirements are met, this trait could evolve, pushing you further toward godhood.

Negative:

Activating this skill means your fate has already been sealed.

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[Something far away smiles, watching you.]

[Something far away suddenly approaches.]

[ERROR smiles and whispers: "You will not escape me a second time."]