Jack dodged left as another Ice Beam scorched past his shoulder, the concentrated ray of absolute cold freezing the ground where he'd been standing a heartbeat before.

His agility made the movement look effortless, but Permafrost's attacks were growing more desperate, less controlled.

The Nightmare demon's crystalline form bore dozens of cuts and burns from their extended engagement. Dark blood leaked from wounds that his Demon Regeneration struggled to seal, frost forming over injuries only to be melted by residual lightning damage.

[Permafrost's HP: 14,247/25,000]

Jack's own health had fluctuated throughout the fight, dropping as low as 2,000 when Permafrost landed a solid hit, then climbing back up as his Crimson Recovery ring activated from killing basilisks and harpies.

[Jack's HP: 2,847/3,250]

Above them, Corvin had become a whirlwind of shadows. Three more fell to his Shadow Strikes, their bodies plummeting from the sky.

[Demonic Frenzy Count: 11/25]

Jack activated Lightning Steps, teleporting five meters to Permafrost's right flank.

The demon tried to pivot, but Jack's spear was already moving in a rising thrust aimed at the crystalline ribcage.

[-1,067 HP]

Jack was constantly switching his classes around mid fight to be able to use all 3 classes skills.

Permafrost hissed in pain, ice forming around the wound even as Jack yanked his spear free. "You're... persistent…" the demon gasped.

"I'm the last thing you'll see before you die," Jack said, lightning crackling along his spear.

He activated Spear Barrage, three rapid thrusts that caught Permafrost in the shoulder, chest, and thigh.

[-1,334 HP]

[-1,334 HP]

[-1,334 HP]

The demon staggered backward, his Demon Regeneration finally faltering under the sustained damage. Frost spread across his wounds more slowly now, the healing factor depleting along with his health pool.

[Permafrost HP: 9,245/25,000]

Jack pressed his advantage, using his superior speed to circle around Permafrost's guard. The demon tried to raise an Ice Prison, but Jack was already inside his guard before the walls could seal.

His spear lashed out in a horizontal slash that carved deep into Permafrost's side.

[-1,067 HP]

A harpy dove from above, her Wind Blade cutting toward Jack's exposed back. He spun his spear defensively, the blade intercepting the wind magic and dispersing it.

But the momentary distraction cost him, Permafrost's clawed hand caught him across the chest, frost spreading instantly across his chest.

[-600 HP]

Jack gritted his teeth against the cold and activated Arc Blast point-blank. Blue lightning erupted from his extended hand, the stream catching Permafrostl in the face.

[-1,967 HP]

The demon screamed, his crystalline features cracking from the thermal shock of superior elemental energy.

He stumbled backward, one hand pressed against his ruined face while the other blindly fired Ice Beams in random directions.

Jack used the opening to kill two more basilisks that had been trying to flank him, his spear punching through their skulls with brutal efficiency.

[Demonic Frenzy Count: 13/25]

[Crimson Recovery Activated]

His health climbed back toward maximum as the ring worked its magic, while his Sanguine Accelerator converted magic damage into healing.

The lifesteal effect was keeping him alive through what should have been a losing battle of attrition.

At this point as long as Jack could land hits more than his enemy, he was a tank.

Permafrost's face regenerated slowly, frost reforming his features into something approaching their original crystalline beauty.

But the cost was visible, his movements were slower now, his attacks less coordinated.

[Permafrost HP: 9,278/25,000]

"You're running out of health," Jack observed, circling the demon with predatory focus. "And I'm still standing. How does it feel, knowing a 'flimsy human' is about to kill another member of the demon race?"

Rage flashed in Permafrost's eyes, momentarily overriding his survival instinct. He gathered frost around both hands, preparing what looked like a massive attack.

Jack saw the opening and took it.

"Piercing Strike!"

He lunged forward with all his strength concentrated into a single devastating thrust.

The Lightning Spear moved faster than Permafrost could track, driven by technique and timing that had been drilled into Jack through hours of brutal training.

The blade caught Permafrost's right arm at the shoulder joint, finding the exact weak point where crystalline structure met organic tissue.

Blue lightning flooded the wound, superheating from the inside while Jack's momentum carried the thrust through completely.

Permafrost's arm separated from his body with a wet crack, the limb falling to the ground still wreathed in dying frost.

[CRITICAL HIT!]

[-8,003 HP]

The demon's scream split the air, raw and agonizing.

He clutched at the stump where his arm had been, dark blood spraying across the scorched stone.

His Demon Regeneration tried to seal the wound, but regenerating an entire limb would take more energy than he had left.

[Permafrost HP: 1,2,75/25,000]

Jack stared at the notification in surprise. 'Critical hit? That's a thing?'

[Affirmative. Critical hits occur when attacks strike weak points with optimal timing, speed, and force]

[Previously, your attributes were insufficient to generate enough power for critical strikes against creatures]

[Congratulations on your first critical hit against a higher-ranked enemy]

[Reward: None]

Jack frowned at the notification. He had gotten used to when the system said congratulations, the system normally gave him extra rewards.

'So I was just too weak before,' Jack thought, a grim smile crossing his face. 'Not anymore.'

[Critical Hits will always multiply damage by 2.5×]

'2.5!!! That's ridiculous. If I could get a critical hit with Arc Reversal, I could outright kill Nightmare Class monsters in one hit!'

Corvin shrieked from above, and two more harpies fell from the sky, their bodies broken by the great raven's talons.

[Demonic Frenzy Count: 15/25]

Permafrost backed away, one-armed and bleeding, his earlier arrogance completely shattered.

His crystalline form was cracked in dozens of places, dark blood leaking from wounds that refused to fully heal. His breathing came in ragged gasps, each one sending visible puffs of frost into the air.

"You... you cannot..." the demon wheezed, struggling to form words around the pain. "This is impossible... no human should..."

"And yet here we are," Jack said, his Lightning Spear still crackling with residual energy. "Any last words before I finish what Cho started?"

Before Permafrost could respond, multiple system notifications flooded Jack's vision in rapid succession.

[DING!]

[Warning: Five Nightmare-class entities detected with significant injuries]

[Life signs: Critical but stable]

[Location: Northwest]

[Additional Warning: Large hostile force detected approaching from the north]

[Composition: Approximately 800 lesser demons + 4 Nightmare-class entities]

[Estimated arrival: 90 seconds]

[Threat Assessment: EXTREME]

[Recommendation: Go into Blood Frenzy]

Jack's smile faded as he processed the information. Eight hundred demons. Four more Nightmare-class enemies. All converging on his position while he was already engaged with a nearly-dead Permafrost.

'Well,' he thought, looking at the Demonic Frenzy counter sitting at 15/25, 'at least I won't have trouble reaching the trigger threshold.'

The ground began to rumble, a sound like distant thunder that grew steadily louder. Jack could feel vibrations through his boots, the march of an army that had decided one enhanced human needed to die.

Permafrost, despite his injuries, managed a weak laugh. "You hear that, human? That's the sound of your death approaching. You may have beaten me... but there's no escape from what's coming."

Jack didn't respond. He simply raised his Lightning Spear, blue electricity dancing along its length, and prepared for the largest fight of his life.

'System,' Jack thought, 'if there was ever a time for that legendary skill to prove its worth, this would be it.'

The rumbling grew louder, and the first shapes began appearing on the northern ridge a tide of claws, wings, and elemental fury that blotted out of the crimson sky.

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