The adamantine dagger had only pierced three inches into the Red Ao King's spine before it could go no further. A faint blue glow suddenly radiated from the hard armor surrounding the Red Ao King, sending a violent tremor through Brian Carter, nearly causing him to lose his grip on the dagger.

　　“Pop pop... pop pop”

　　Several unusually sharp noises burst from the Red Ao King's mouth as its massive body suddenly sprang up. In pain, this most powerful creature of the Death Black Desert tried to throw off the little bug that had ambushed it from behind. At the same time, its tail, gleaming with a fierce crimson light, stabbed viciously at Brian Carter, who was still clinging to its back. The speed was so great that it had already surpassed the limits of Brian Carter's vision.

　　Relying on instincts honed through countless brushes with death, Brian Carter rolled to the side, dodging the deadly strike purely by reflex. Then, mustering all his strength and using the momentum from his twist, he yanked the adamantine dagger out of the Red Ao King's spine.

　　Clearly, such a minor wound was nothing to the Red Ao King. But as the supreme creature of the Death Black Desert, it was now thoroughly enraged by the "little reptile" on its back daring to challenge its kingly authority.

　　Suddenly, as Brian Carter was using all his weight to stand firm on the Red Ao King's back, he felt a tremendous force surge beneath his feet. At the same time, the blue glow intensified, and the Red Ao King leapt into the air, its body spinning rapidly like a giant top.

　　Under the influence of two completely different, immense forces, Brian Carter could no longer keep his footing and was flung off uncontrollably. At the same moment, the Red Ao King's massive tail lashed out, giving Brian Carter no time to react, and the crimson stinger stabbed straight into Brian Carter's chest.

　　Given Brian Carter's current abilities, he could usually anticipate even subsonic attacks—maybe not always dodge them, but at least have a fifty-fifty chance.

　　But even so, the Red Ao King's speed and power far exceeded what Brian Carter could withstand. He could clearly see the giant, blood-red stinger piercing toward his chest, but his body simply couldn't react in time.

　　With a muffled "thud," the Red Ao King's crimson tail stinger pierced straight through Brian Carter's chest.

　　If this had happened a year and a half ago, Brian Carter would have been dead beyond saving. But after experiencing over a thousand deaths, Brian Carter's body had been strengthened to an unprecedented degree, and his potential had been pushed by those countless deaths to a level unattainable by ordinary humans.

　　The Red Ao King's crimson stinger left a bowl-sized bloody hole in his right chest and injected a lethal neurotoxin into his body. Yet Brian Carter was still able, in the moments before death, to launch a final counterattack—perhaps it was more accurate to say that Brian Carter had planned this desperate gamble from the very start.

　　Brian Carter didn't immediately strike back in his death throes. Instead, he reversed his grip and drew the adamantine dagger in a semicircle, forcibly enlarging the wound in his chest where the stinger had pierced through, sending flesh flying.

　　But precisely because of this, Brian Carter was able to survive a few moments longer in what should have been instantly fatal poison. As early as half a year ago, Brian Carter had learned that sometimes being ruthless to oneself was even more effective than being ruthless to the enemy.

　　Hundreds and thousands of brutal deaths had long since given him a pain tolerance far beyond that of ordinary people. Even at this moment, Brian Carter could still manage a smile.

　　"I thought I'd have to die a hundred times to finally take you down... but now I don't have to. I'm really sick of this place, so I'll just borrow that thing on your tail..."

　　A fierce glint flashed in Brian Carter's eyes. He summoned every last bit of strength in his body, first clamping the crimson stinger still piercing his chest with his left hand, then swinging his right. The adamantine dagger became a streak of golden light, slashing down horizontally. This strike used up almost all of Brian Carter's remaining strength, leaving him, already on the brink of death, unable to resist the combined destruction of physical trauma and neurotoxin.

　　"No matter what happens, at least I fought back..."

　　Brian Carter didn't even get to see whether his desperate plan succeeded before the frenzied Red Ao King tore him to pieces with its massive pincers.

　　※※※

　　That night, in the intensive care unit of the Zujin Federation Hospital.

　　After being unconscious for sixteen hours, Brian Carter suddenly opened his eyes. The icy look in Brian Carter's gaze—absolutely not what an eighteen-year-old should have—nearly scared the young nurse watching over him into falling over.

　　"Ah! Mr... Mr. Fang, you're awake!" The young nurse blinked her big eyes, not daring to meet Brian Carter's gaze, and said timidly.

　　"How long was I unconscious?" Brian Carter seemed to realize there was something wrong with his expression and softened his voice.

　　"It's been sixteen hours since you were brought to the hospital."

　　After speaking, the nurse pointed to the door of the ICU and said, "I'll go notify the head nurse and your attending physician right away. Oh, and your father just left half an hour ago—he left a message for you."

　　"Dad? He actually left without waiting for his precious son to wake up? That's pretty irresponsible!" At this moment, Brian Carter had already returned to his usual lazy demeanor. He sat up in bed, shrugged, and smiled slightly.

Chapter 10: Return to Reality