Sinking into his chest, the orb of Fate detonated, scouring his body with an ocean of pain. Thousands of potential futures converged into one, in all of which, Sam was injured. It only covered the next few minutes, meaning that death was impossible, given the weakness of his foes, but it was by far the most damage he had taken so far. His skin peeled apart as great gashes were etched into it, and searing heat cooked the flesh beneath. His armor was torn to shreds, drifting around him in space as he reeled from the attack.

  Sam pushed past the pain, turning his burning gaze towards the enemy leader. His Dao crackled with potency as he visualized his vengeance, all elements of it converging upon one outcome.

  “You like destiny, don’t you?” Sam called out. “Well, I have one for you.” He teleported next to the man, a wave of his Dao canceling out the shroud of Fate that was interfering with his movements. Before his enemy could react, he snapped his hand out, grasping his neck. “Death.” As Sam said that word, he squeezed, and a nova of his conceptual energy tore the mage apart, reducing him to atoms.

  The field of Fate that the mage had erected around his allies shattered into a million pieces, fading off into the elemental ether. With the key defence neutralized, Sam clapped his hands together, and a razor blade of the Dao sliced through everyone present, save for his allies from the Blacktusks. As corpses drifted off into the void, Sam watched as his quest was fulfilled, another title upgrade sending more power coursing through him.

  His next quest notification popped up. It was exactly what he had expected.

  You have entered Floor 9 of the Desolation Belt(Challenge Mode)

  With Abrinadus crippled by the destruction of the bulk of his forces, he is protected only by his elites. Storm his citadel, and make your way to his throne room, where the dragon awaits. Be warned, however, as the beast is no easy foe, despite his age.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Completion: 0/1

  Rewards: Title Upgrade

  Sam closed the notification, and turned to his allies.

  “It’s time. Gather all of the Blacktusks. We march upon Abrinadus’ bastion.” Such respect had Sam engendered in his allies over the war, they simply nodded.

  “It will be done,” Boss replied. “I’m ready for this damn war to be over, and that worm to die.”

  ***

  Wyrm’s Haven was even larger than Sam had expected. At least, the swarms of automated ships and robots patrolling its environs made it so. The immense gravity of the celestial body, forged from the heart of a dwarf star, tugged at everything in the vicinity. Anyone below high F Rank would have been torn apart by the forces, but to Sam, it simply felt like he was wearing weighted clothing. While his stats would take a significant hit as soon as he stepped foot on the stellar core, his destructive potential, which depended more on his Dao than his strength, would remain the same. Besides, everyone else would be just as inhibited.

  On the planet’s surface, clouds of drones and autonomous craft poured out of vast metal domes, part of a gargantuan palace complex, one that Sam assumed Abrinadus made home.

  All around him, the fleet of the Blacktusks waited, dozens of them arrayed to face the far greater forces of the Dragonclaws. The Blacktusk flagship led the way, a truly massive vessel, almost five miles in diameter. At its top was a gun the size of a battleship, within which an orb of fire and heat spun, gathering power from a fusion cell array that made up the internal casing of the weapon. It was able to create tiny stars, and loose them into the world, with predictably devastating effects.

  As the fleet neared their target, Sam watched as the titanic weapon blazed into its full glory, the tip glowing a brilliant white as it fired. A shimmering sphere of incandescent heat shot out of it a moment later, blasting through the darkness of space. The surrounding area was briefly lit up, as if a sun had been born into the darkness. The positions of the enemy ships were rendered in stark contrast, casting deep shadows on the planetoid below.

  Between one second and the next, the nascent star traveled a thousand miles, crashing into the enemy fleet. With an explosion that ripped apart space, it detonated, melting everything in a hundred miles radius. Hundreds of vessels were obliterated by the blast, and the shockwave buffeted the remaining ones, pushing them away from the planet. That was Sam’s cue to act.