The crowd was still in uproar from the death of the Iron Back Devourer when the announcer’s voice boomed back across the coliseum. The sheer volume of it rattled through the arena walls while Ethan stood amongst dissolving motes of light and boiling black blood. His chest rose steadily beneath his armor as he rolled one shoulder, feeling bruises protesting beneath the plate where the Devourer’s tail had caught him earlier in the fight. Even with [Aura Overload] dulling the pain and accelerating his recovery at an absurd rate, the battle had still taken its toll and he was hesitant to dump more aura into the skill. He needed to keep some in reserve for the next challenges. His poisonous aura pulled back into him as he deactivated [Aura Field], looking down at the blackened and damaged ground.
“Well now!” the announcer shouted, practically cackling into the microphone. “Would you look at that! The human tears apart another challenger and marches onward! I’ve got to admit, dear audience, I truly didn’t believe we’d ever see this happen!” The voice rose with growing excitement until it practically shook the arena itself. “Not a single challenger has ever crossed beyond the seventeenth floor! Not once! Which means we are officially entering uncharted waters!”
The crowd matched the churn of his voice. Feet stomped against stone while countless voices merged into one overwhelming wave of sound.
“So tell me everyone!” he yelled. “Will our little human continue making history? Or will he finally break beneath the weight of the pit?” Laughter echoed through the stadium before the announcer screamed loud enough to hurt ordinary ears. “Bring out the Hundred Blade Mage!”
The gates slowly groaned open and the crowd became deathly quiet. Ethan watched as the arena was mended through magic, like his previous battle had never existed.
As he looked to the entrance where the gates were opening, he noticed there was no monstrous roar waiting behind the shadows. No heavy breathing. No overwhelming killing intent radiating outward. Instead, all Ethan heard were calm footsteps steadily approaching from the darkness.
Then a man emerged.
He wore dark robes reinforced with strips of fitted leather armor while black hair hung loosely around a pale gaunt face. His posture remained relaxed as he stepped into the arena light, eyes roving the crowd before eventually settling onto Ethan without even the slightest hint of concern. Then the swords behind him rose into the air.
One after another. Six blades floated upward before slowly beginning to orbit around the mage in perfect silence.
Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly beneath the helmet. Interesting. Was this some kind of kinetic ability?
The man didn’t carry himself like a swordsman. His stance was too detached, his form too frail and sickly. The floating blades rotated slowly around him and Ethan realized this was going to be an interesting fight, with a mage using unusual powers. Though judging from the name the announcer shouted, he had already gathered that. Now it was time to see if he could really wield a hundred blades.
One of the swords suddenly pointed directly at Ethan. He watched it with curiosity, his senses expanding outward so he could even hear the breath leaving the mage’s lungs.
The blade launched forward far faster than Ethan expected the man to be able to control it. He reacted instantly, his greatsword snapping upward just in time to smash the blade aside. Another sword immediately followed from his blind spot. Then another. Then another. Steel rang constantly through the arena as Ethan’s arms moved in rapid succession, batting away attacks that curved unnaturally through the air while the mage himself barely moved from where he stood.
He could feel mana rolling through the arena. Threads of control stretched through the air connecting each sword back to the mage while he manipulated them with terrifying precision. One blade thrust low toward Ethan’s knee. Ethan deflected it aside just as another swept toward the exposed gap beneath his arm. He twisted out of the way, dodging the blade as an invisible force slammed into his chest.
Ethan staggered backward a step as he confirmed the man was using some kind of telekinesis. Two floating swords immediately followed the opening, forcing Ethan to raise his greatsword defensively while the impacts rang violently through his armor.
Ethan dumped mana explosively through his legs and surged forward in a blur, crossing half the arena while his greatsword came crashing downward toward the mage’s skull with enough force to split flesh and bone alike.
The air distorted. An invisible force shoved against Ethan’s body mid-swing. Not enough to fully stop the strike, but enough to alter its angle. His blade slammed harmlessly into the arena floor beside the mage instead while three floating swords immediately punished the opening, smashing into Ethan’s exposed side and hitting his armored body.
Ethan clicked his tongue beneath the helmet, but thankfully his armor held.
Annoying. The mage wasn’t physically overwhelming. Ethan could already tell that much. If he landed one proper hit, the fight would probably end instantly. The problem was actually getting close enough to do it. Another telekinetic shove yanked subtly at Ethan’s armor while a floating sword stabbed toward his thigh. Ethan knocked it aside before another blade immediately swept toward his neck.
The mage lifted one hand slightly. All six swords moved forward together. Ethan planted his feet. Aura exploded outward from his body. The corrosive field spread through the arena like poisonous smoke while the floating swords entered its range once more.
Ethan pushed forward at once, mana coursing through his body in controlled bursts while the floating swords hammered against him relentlessly. One pierced through a weak point in his armor and sliced across his shoulder. Another slammed into his ribs hard enough to bruise beneath the plate. Ethan ignored all of it.
His attention remained entirely fixed on the mana surrounding them.
Aura and mana naturally fought for control over a space. That was common knowledge. His own mana and aura constantly clashed within his body even now, though the title he gained had eased the conflict significantly. They fought more like violent siblings these days instead of mortal enemies.
But this mana? This wasn’t his. It was foreign. And his aura hated it. In his previous life this would have been effortless. [Aura Domain] would have swallowed the foreign mana whole and crushed it beneath his will. But this wasn’t [Aura Domain]. This was merely [Aura Field].
Then Ethan frowned slightly beneath his helmet. He didn’t have enough aura to advance the skill further, but this also wasn’t good enough.
The principles of the two skills were identical. Only the scale had changed.
Another floating sword entered the field. This time Ethan actively pushed his will into the aura itself. It was eager to listen, even if it wasn’t to the same scope he once could have conjured.
The blade violently trembled in the air. The mage’s calm expression cracked for the first time as Ethan felt something shift within the field itself as it shrunk closer and condensed.
His aura wasn’t merely resisting the mana anymore. It was hunting it. Like an enraged beast sinking its teeth into prey.
The mage reacted instantly. Mana exploded outward through the arena while all six swords sped toward Ethan simultaneously and telekinetic force crashed against him from every direction at once. Ethan roared and forced himself forward anyway. [Steadfast] rooted him in place while mana flooded explosively through his muscles. The pressure battered against him relentlessly, dragging at his armor while attempting to throw him off balance, but Ethan ignored all of it and continued advancing.
One step. Then another.
His aura field intensified further.
One floating sword flickered violently before dropping from the air entirely. The mage’s eyes widened slightly as panic finally entered his expression. Ethan rushed forward. A blade slammed into his shoulder. Another smashed directly into his chestplate.
The telekinetic pressure collapsed beneath the overwhelming aura flooding the space between them, his poisonous aura eating any mana in the area, corrupting it until it fell apart, all the while the mage desperately raised one hand to cast another spell. Ethan’s greatsword crashed through him before it could form.
The mage split apart into dissolving motes of light.
Ethan looked up. He could feel the system pushing against him, notifications waiting for his attention, but he also knew it wasn’t that elusive class level, so they didn’t matter for now. Even if he had a feeling [Aura Field] had just leveled a few times.
The crowd was quiet, looking down at him as he selected to continue. Maybe they weren’t programmed this far into the dungeon? None of them reacted to his display of power or how easily he had killed the mage.
So he kept his sword in his hand and waited for the second-to-last challenge to show itself.
However, when it did, Ethan’s stomach dropped slightly. How was this possible? He watched as a juvenile wyvern prowled across the arena floor, its gold scales reflecting the arena lights with a metallic sheen while its wing-arms dragged through the stone beside it. Hooked claws carved deep grooves into the ground as the creature stalked forward slowly, head lowered and slit pupils fixed entirely onto Ethan. Luckily, he was aware this dungeon was capped at level thirty-five. Even if the challengers he faced were a higher level, it still meant the system deemed this dungeon clearable by individuals under the level cap. So even if he felt anxious at the sight of the wyvern, he knew he could win.
However, just as that thought formed, another aura fell over the ring. And it wasn’t Ethan’s poisonous one. Instead, a sense of dread pooled around the area, making the already silent crowd rear backward in fear, trying to escape it. Ethan felt it immediately. The aura pressed against instinct more than flesh. It whispered at him to back away. To freeze while the predator before him closed in for the kill. Weaker challengers probably would have broken from it before the fight even started. Ethan instead tightened his grip on the greatsword and let his own aura rise to meet it. Poisonous energy bled from his armor in dark wisps, spreading across the arena floor while the wyvern’s golden eyes narrowed slightly.
It let out a roar that shook the ground and exploded forward. Stone shattered beneath its claws as it launched itself across the arena with terrifying speed. Its wing-arms spread outward while the membranes caught air, propelling the creature faster than something its size had any right to move. Ethan reacted instantly, mana surging through his body while he sidestepped the initial lunge. The wyvern twisted mid-charge with unnatural agility, its tail whipping around toward him hard enough to crater stone. Ethan blocked. The impact rang through his entire body. Even with [Steadfast] anchoring him, he still slid backward several feet while the wyvern landed in a low crouch and immediately launched itself forward again. It fought like an apex predator. Relentless. Violent. Every attack chained naturally into the next while its fear aura continuously battered against Ethan’s instincts.
Ethan swung his greatsword in a brutal horizontal arc. The wyvern ducked beneath it before raking its claws across his chestplate, sparks erupting outward while the creature bounded away once more.
Ethan narrowed his eyes beneath the helmet while [Keen Sense] flared. His aura held close to him, fighting off the opposing force as the two energies came to a standstill. The wyvern circled him, prowling slowly through the arena while poisonous aura continued spreading from Ethan’s body. Wherever he walked, the stone darkened slightly. Cracks spread beneath repeated clashes while the arena floor slowly became brittle from prolonged exposure to his corrosive field.
The wyvern lunged again and Ethan met it head-on this time. Mana surged through his arm while he thrust his free hand forward and unleashed Molten Blast directly into the creature’s shoulder at point-blank range. Heat exploded outward. Molten mana crashed against gold scales in a violent eruption while the wyvern screeched and staggered sideways. Blackened burns spread between its scales while smoke rose from scorched flesh.
But it wasn’t enough.
The creature recovered almost instantly. Its scales had dispersed too much of the force. Ethan clicked his tongue as the wyvern launched itself backward before immediately charging again, more furious now than cautious. The fear aura pouring from it intensified alongside the aggression. They exchanged multiple back-and-forths as the wyvern raked his armor and he unleashed molten blasts at it, hoping to damage its scales enough to slide his sword into its body.
The wyvern came at him again in another violent rush. Ethan avoided the jaws by inches while the creature’s wing-arm slammed into him hard enough to launch him sideways through broken stone. He rolled across the arena floor before rising quickly, breathing heavier now while mana churned violently through his core, though he was beginning to run low. The wyvern stalked toward him once more. Its scales were scorched. But the creature was still more than capable of killing him. He could tell from his previous molten blast that the skill wasn’t powerful enough to break through its scales. And unlike the Devourer, it didn’t have a weak underbelly. He needed something else. Not only for his skill advancement but also to help with this fight.
Ethan looked down briefly at the arena floor. The stone around them had changed throughout the fight. Cracks spread everywhere, darkened and brittle from prolonged exposure to his aura while molten scars from repeated blasts still glowed faintly beneath the surface.
Then the wyvern lowered itself. Its wing-arms spread outward while fear aura crashed through the arena hard enough that he could see the distortion in the air as the two energies clashed. He planted his feet. Mana flooded downward through his body while his aura constricted pathways violently, forcing unstable molten energy down into his legs instead of his arm.
The wyvern charged.
Ethan released everything. More than half his remaining mana disappeared as it shot down into the ground. He felt himself beginning to fall off balance from the force but [Steadfast] took hold, not allowing him to move.
Molten veins burst outward beneath the stone while cracks exploded across the battlefield like spiderwebs as he dumped more and more mana through his legs and into the ground. Entire sections of arena floor buckled and exploded as superheated pressure surged through weakened stone already rotting beneath Ethan’s aura. The wyvern hit the collapsing ground at full speed. One claw punched through brittle stone just as its momentum carried the rest of its body forward. Something snapped. The wing-arm twisted violently beneath the creature’s own weight while the ground beneath it gave way entirely. Chunks of shattered stone exploded upward alongside molten debris as the wyvern lost balance for the first time since the fight began. Its damaged wing buckled while the creature crashed sideways through collapsing terrain, shards of broken arena embedding themselves between cracked golden scales.
The wyvern shrieked in pain. Ethan moved immediately. Mana surged through his exhausted body while he crossed the ruined battlefield in heavy strides, molten cracks lining the floor. The wyvern thrashed violently amongst the rubble, trying to free itself while fear aura erupted wildly around it. One wing-arm hung twisted unnaturally while molten cracks spread beneath its scales where debris had pierced between scale and flesh and fiery mana ate at it as it lay there.
It still tried to kill him. Even crippled. The wyvern lunged the moment Ethan entered range, jaws snapping toward his torso while claws tore through the shattered ground beneath it. Ethan stepped into the attack. With it weak and slow to move, he timed his blow, sending his greatsword up and through the inside of its mouth as its teeth crushed down on his blade, further damaging it.
The wyvern screamed and thrashed violently. Ethan slammed his free hand into the side of its head while pulling his sword free from its mouth. The wyvern turned back to him, its good wing clawing at him. His sword came up, slicing through the membrane before hitting something solid, stopping the attack before it reached him. He brought it down again, hacking into its eye. Though his first strike through the mouth should have impaled its brain.
The wyvern withered, a low roar rumbling from it. But Ethan could tell it was finished. The fight was over. So he created space, making sure he was out of range as he unleashed [Aura Field] as much as possible, letting his poison do the rest.
Ethan stood there breathing heavily while molten cracks slowly dimmed around him. The crowd above had gone completely insane, their screams echoing through the ruined coliseum while notifications appeared one after another before his eyes. However, all he could do was watch the majestic beast draw its last breath, the poison finally finishing it off.
Luckily, it had just been a wyvern. And a juvenile at that. If it had been an adult or a juvenile dragon, he knew he wouldn’t have stood even the slightest chance. His weakness was fighting something with good mobility. And that included flight. Lucky for him, wyverns couldn’t fly until they were adults. But even then he had been lucky. His idea to erupt the floor had worked. He had needed something to take out multiple enemies and with his aura destroying the environment, it worked perfectly.
As the wyvern began breaking down, the arena once again began healing. Stone shifted. Cracks sealed themselves. Collapsed sections rose back into place while molten veins cooled and vanished entirely. Within seconds the battlefield Ethan had destroyed was rebuilding itself before his eyes like time itself was reversing. The announcer’s voice rang out once more, and hopefully for the final time.
“Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable! The human has crossed the nineteenth challenge!” the announcer practically screamed with excitement. “Which means, dear audience…” His laughter echoed through the stadium. “We finally arrive at the final round!”