My HUD flickered crimson as Aurelion''s cosmic breath atomized the battlefield. [System Alert: Death Count - 4]. Lucky''s draconic form lay shattered nearby, his pixelated essence flickering like dying embers.


    "Fall back!" I croaked through shattered vocal modulators. "Phantom, evac protocol!"


    The AI companion''s voice crackled: [Spatial Jump Imminent - Target: Dragon''s Cerebellum].


    The teleport ripped reality like tissue paper. For three nanoseconds, I existed inside divine neurons - a cockroach in God''s cranium. Then the feedback wave hit.


    Aftermath


    Consciousness returned in stuttering frames. My armor resembled abstract art - Voidrend Claws sparking, Abyssal Ward breastplate holding on through sheer spite. The Worldbreaker''s decapitated head smoldered nearby, its orbital scales dimming into cosmic ash.


    A voice pierced the static: "You... need help?"


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    The rookie paladin knelt beside me, her novice robes smudged with phoenix ash. Her ID tag read Lumina_207 - all wide eyes and trembling hands. Perfect.


    "Red... potions..." I rasped, leaning into the "wounded NPC" act.


    She fumbled through her starter pack. "I-I have three Minor Heals! Will that..."


    "Sufficient." I drained the vials, systems rebooting. [HP: 15% - Combat Ready].


    The Bait


    "Seek... powerful companion?" I modulated my voice to sound like corrupted code. "This unit... can assist."


    Lumina''s eyes lit up. "You''d be my battle thrall?!"


    "Temporary... alliance." My Eclipse Tassets flared for dramatic effect. "Call... when needed. No... pet slot required."


    The newbie practically vibrated. "Deal! Let''s shake on—"


    Her hand passed through my holographic disguise. Oops.


    "Glitch... in system," I covered. "Irrelevant."


    Epiphany


    As Lumina logged off, the Worldbreaker''s corpse dissolved into stardust. A spectral dragon materialized - not angry, but... impressed?


    "Clever meatbag." Aurelion''s echo rumbled. "Using mortality as weapon."


    I adjusted my shattered visor. "You offering a rematch or a philosophy seminar?"


    The apparition tossed a pulsating core. [Acquired: Dragon''s Bane Shard - Soulbound Artifact].


    "Next time," the cosmic wyrm faded, "aim for the other eye."