Warning: This chapter contains graphic descriptions of violence that may be disturbing to some readers. Please read at your own discretion.

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  Arthur swallowed hard and prepared himself mentally and physically for what was coming.

  Even though he knew it was useless, he spoke quickly, trying to justify himself and calm her down, even a little.

  “My lady, just wait, I didn’t—”

  Before he could finish, the Spider Woman suddenly dashed toward him, killing intent blazing in her eyes.

  Soil exploded behind her, and in the blink of an eye, she reached him, standing before him like a towering mountain.

  His eyes widened in shock. Startled, he burned the last of his remaining mana and activated "Immortal Body."

  At the same time, he attacked with everything he had, swinging his sharp claws toward her delicate neck.

  Before he could even touch her—or get a clear look at her expression—she punched him in the stomach.

  An unimaginable pain spread throughout his entire body, and he was blasted backward, flying dozens of meters while smashing through trees along the way.

  “Damn it?!”

  Gritting his teeth, he barely managed to adjust himself midair. He landed on his three legs, sliding across the ground and dragging up soil behind him. Eventually, he came to a stop as a light cloud of dust rose around him.

  Crack!

  The mana barrier surrounding him fractured, then shattered completely. The "Immortal Body" skill lost all its effect.

  The blow he had taken was far too powerful, consuming all the damage the skill could withstand.

  He shook his head, dizzy, barely able to comprehend what had just happened.

  And suddenly, the Spider Woman appeared in front of him again.

  Her white silk dress fluttered, and her thick hair danced in the air. A gust of wind followed her arrival, scattering the remaining dust cloud around them.

  “No…”

  His heart pounded like a drum. His body stiffened completely. His thoughts raced, his movements clashed—he tried to retreat, tried to attack, even tried to speak—but he didn’t have the time to do any of it.

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  She stepped to his side again and punched him in the stomach.

  Cough!

  This time, since he took the blow directly without any defenses, her fist almost drilled through his body.

  The sheer force shattered his bones. He felt his intestines tremble and tear, and a massive crack spread across his Primal Core.

  His mouth opened wide as he coughed out a large mouthful of blood mixed with stomach fluid. Blood streamed from his nose and even from the corners of his eyes.

  Just like before, he was sent flying dozens of meters backward. He crashed into the ground, rolled a short distance, and came to a stop right beside the unconscious Amaya.

  His body trembled violently. Even though he had activated "Regeneration," the chaos inside him refused to settle.

  At that moment, a system notification appeared.

  [ Warning ]

  [ HP has fallen below 10%: "Last One Standing" has been activated ]

  [ You have entered Desperate Frenzy Mode: From now on, all your Attributes will temporarily increase by 50% for 45 seconds ]

  Crack!

  In that instant, every pore in his body opened. He began absorbing the surrounding mana.

  His Primal Core slowly repaired itself, and the effectiveness of "Regeneration" increased dramatically. His body started healing at a rapid pace.

  His bones fused back together. His organs returned to their proper places, and all internal tears disappeared.

  Not only that—his body swelled, his ferocity intensified, and his strength surged, both physically and mentally.

  Ignoring everything, Arthur let out a long, exhausted sigh and stood up straight. He slowly raised his head.

  For the third time in a row, the Spider Woman appeared before him. She looked stunned by the change that had occurred in him—yet the killing intent in her eyes hadn’t faded in the slightest.

  His long black fur danced wildly in the wind. Time seemed to slow in his vision as he saw her solid fist shooting toward his chest like an unstoppable projectile.

  He didn’t remain still. He leaped slightly to the side at maximum speed. With his Attributes temporarily increased, he barely managed to dodge.

  Then he opened his mouth and lunged straight for her exposed neck.

  He bit down with all his strength. His sharp fangs pierced her skin, tearing through flesh, nerves, and surface arteries. Her blood gushed out heavily, and a large portion flowed into his mouth.

  He tasted it.

  It was incredibly delicious.

  [ +1XP ]

  “You bastard!”

  Enraged, the Spider Woman punched him in the chest. His eyes widened from the overwhelming pain as he was sent flying several meters to the side, crashing into a thick tree trunk.

  It shattered upon impact and fell to the ground, releasing a violent shockwave filled with dust and leaves.

  But she didn’t stop there. She dashed toward him again, grabbed his shoulder with unbelievable force—her fingers digging into his flesh until they touched bone.

  Then she raised her other hand and slapped him across the face.

  His jaw shattered. The bones of his right cheek were crushed. His teeth scattered. His right eye was completely smashed and partially popped out of its socket.

  Then she screamed, “How dare you hurt me, you bastard?! How dare you challenge me? I treated you well. I spared your life, and yet you keep irritating me… always!”

  Drowning in pain, Arthur paid her no attention. He completely ignored her existence.

  With his one blurry remaining eye, he stared up at the blue sky and thought with strange clarity.

  ‘Ah… how pathetic I am. It seems my end has finally come. That’s fine. I’ve grown tired of this madness and suffering anyway. Some rest would be nice.’

  He let out an extremely exhausted sigh, heavy with countless emotions.

  He knew he still had one last card—the “Final Awakening” effect of the "Last One Standing" skill.

  But honestly, he didn’t care. He knew he couldn’t kill the Spider Woman. All it would do was delay his death a little longer.

  With difficulty, he curled his shattered lips into a small, crooked smile. Calmly, he looked at the beautiful woman who had put him through endless torment and said in a faint voice,

  “Go on… do it. Kill me. Why the delay?”

  “Ah—”

  The words caught in the Spider Woman’s throat. Her expression trembled for a brief moment. She raised her hand again and clenched her fist.

  “You damned wretch… are you tired of living? Don’t test my patience any further.”

  Without any hesitation, he answered her, “Yes. I’m tired. I want to die. Kill me. Go on. I’ve had enough of your madness and your twisted obsession with hurting me and controlling me.

  Don’t you understand? I don’t belong to you—and I never will.”

  The Spider Woman clenched her teeth, tightening her fist. A flicker of hesitation appeared on her face. She muttered a few incomprehensible words under her breath, not translating them for him.

  When Arthur noticed that, he flared up and shouted with all the strength he had left,

  “Then kill me!”

  In that instant, the hesitation vanished from her eyes. She threw her punch, but instead of crushing his skull, it struck the tree trunk right beside his head.

  She released a very long sigh. With impatience and mixed emotions in her voice, she said,

  “Fine. Show me the cave… and I’ll give you your freedom.”

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  ?Well… if this story gets bad reviews, I get it—I just beat Arthur to a pulp again (poor guy, he can’t catch a break, haha).

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  ?And please, don’t tell me I have serious psychological issues… though at this point, Arthur himself might start drafting a complaint.

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  ?If you want to see him survive—or not—and read some extra chapters while supporting his endless torment… I mean, continuing the story… join me on my Patreon!

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  ?https://patreon.com/Umbryth