The chamber reshaped itself into an endless obsidian plain under a crimson sky. Before me coiled Aurelion the Worldbreaker - a celestial dragon whose iridescent scales refracted prismatic light. His voice rumbled like tectonic plates colliding. "Mortal! You dare claim the mantle of the Voidrend Champion?"


    I adjusted my newly acquired Helm of the Abyssal Wyrm, its arcane HUD flickering with threat assessments. "Let''s negotiate! How about I take these shiny toys and we pretend this never—"


    Aurelion''s tail cracked the ground like God''s whip, triggering cascading system alerts:


    [Warning: Divine Aura Detected]


    All healing effects disabled


    Respawn protocol: Localized


    The dragon''s maw ignited with starfire. "The Crucible recognizes no bargains!"


    <hr>


    Combat Log


    [00:00] Voidrend Claws Activated - Soul Leech Engaged


    [00:01] Nightmare Stampede Initiated (Mount: Vulcan''s Grudge)


    [00:03] Critical Strike: 1,207 DMG (Dragonfire Resistant)


    My meteorite-forged rhino mount shattered against Aurelion''s diamond-hard scales. Xiao Feng''s phoenix flames barely singed the draconic behemoth.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "Pathetic!" Aurelion''s wingbeat unleashed a coronal mass ejection. My health bar vaporized instantly.


    [System: Phoenix Rebirth Triggered]


    Remaining Charges: 0/1


    <hr>


    Tactical Reassessment


    I switched to guerilla warfare, using the Eclipse Tassets to create darkness pockets. The dragon''s laughter shook reality. "You think shadow can hide from starlight?"


    His obsidian claws tore through my voidshroud, triggering cascading debuffs:


    [Affliction: Celestial Brand]


    -50% Shadow Resistance


    +300% Divine Damage Received


    Xiao Feng screeched a warning as Aurelion''s maw opened for the killing blow. In desperation, I activated the forbidden skill etched in my Voidrend Claws:


    [Ultimate: Abyssal Sunder]


    Cost: 99% HP | Effect: Reality Fracture


    The spacetime tear swallowed Aurelion''s foreleg. "CLEVER VERMIN!" The dragon''s roar birthed supernovae in his orbital scales.


    <hr>


    Turning Tide


    Aurelion''s health bar finally budged - 28,457/300,000. My arms trembled, the Dragontooth Glaive slipping from blood-slicked hands.


    The Worldbreaker''s remaining claws pinned me like a specimen. "Your tenacity... almost admirable." His starforge breath charged.


    Then came the miracle - a system prompt from beyond the simulation:


    [External Override Detected: Fatherly Intercession Protocol]


    Initiating Divine Retcon...


    The dragon froze mid-roar, pixels unraveling. Dad''s hologram flickered into existence wearing a "#1 Dad" nebula-print tie.


    "Son, perhaps we should discuss appropriate challenge scaling?"