Chương 82: (B2) Chapter 9 - Challenge dungeon (2)

The monster's roar echoed through the arena. He tightened his grip on his greatsword, feeling adrenaline course through his veins alongside the beat of the crowd. The beast came lumbering out from the shadowed cage, moving on all fours and revealing its enormous size. Its fur was white as snow, thick enough that it almost looked soft, though the illusion was ruined by the massive claws extending from each paw. Three on every foot. Long as daggers and thick as short swords.

All six of its silver eyes locked onto Ethan. Then it stood. The creature rose onto its hind legs, revealing its true size. The thing towered over Ethan easily two times over, muscles shifting beneath dense fur while drool dripped from its jaws and splattered against the arena floor below. But despite the monster's size and overwhelming presence, Ethan didn't feel fear. Only excitement. Aura rolled beneath his skin naturally while mana rested calmly inside his core, waiting for his command.

The Lyra Claw lowered itself again, claws gouging grooves into the stone floor as it prepared to charge. Then it moved. Every step thundered through the arena as the beast barreled directly toward him, the ground trembling beneath its weight. Ethan grinned beneath his helm. This felt right. No tricks. No strange abilities. Just raw force crashing toward him like a runaway truck. A massive claw descended toward him with enough force to pulp a person instantly.

Ethan stepped sideways just before impact, the strike detonating against the arena floor hard enough to crack stone apart beneath them. Dust exploded upward in a violent cloud, but Ethan was already moving. Mana surged through his body as he activated [Mana Infusion]. Strength flooded his limbs in a violent burst and Ethan stepped in, swinging his greatsword across the creature's foreleg.

The oversized blade carved deep through fur and flesh before Ethan immediately disengaged, his mana retracting back into a manageable flow instead of continuing to burn through him. The Lyra Claw barely reacted to his attack. Instead, its other claw swept sideways with surprising reach. Ethan raised his greatsword instinctively and the impact blasted through his arms hard enough to send him skidding backward across the arena floor despite [Steadfast] anchoring him as much as possible. Strong.

That was Ethan's first thought. It was far stronger physically than most monsters around its level had any right being. The crowd roared louder. Though now that the fight was happening, Ethan had pushed them out of his mind, focusing solely on the monster in front of him. The Lyra Claw slowly turned toward him again, almost casually, as though it already understood Ethan lacked the strength to stop it head-on. Ethan's grin widened beneath his helmet. This was exactly what he wanted. The beast charged again.

Ethan circled, letting [Keen Sense] spread across the arena while he tracked every shift of muscle beneath the creature's thick fur. The Lyra Claw was enormous. Which meant commitment. Weight. Momentum. He could see it even now as it moved toward him, each movement inevitable. Each movement waiting to be abused. Another claw slammed downward. Ethan slipped around it narrowly before surging forward with another burst of [Mana Infusion].

The sudden increase in speed carried him inside the creature's guard where he drove the edge of his greatsword into its shoulder joint. The strike bit deep enough that blood sprayed across the arena floor. The Lyra Claw roared and twisted violently. Ethan immediately ripped the blade free and ducked beneath the retaliatory swipe that passed over his helmet close enough for him to hear the claws whistle through the air. The crowd were screaming again. He could hear the announcer shouting through his microphone.

This was good. A challenge without truly being dangerous was exactly what he needed. He had multiple things that needed testing, and it seemed this challenge dungeon would be the perfect opportunity. The Lyra Claw lowered itself before charging headfirst. It was slow. Ethan had ample time to back up, but instead he planted himself. [Steadfast] naturally anchored his body while mana slowly trickled through his limbs. The beast reached him in an instant and Ethan released the mana all at once.

Power exploded through his muscles. He stepped aside at the final second. The massive body thundered past like a wild bull. Ethan pivoted smoothly and brought his greatsword down across the creature's side, opening another massive wound through white fur and thick flesh. The Lyra Claw skidded across the arena before turning again with another enraged roar. Ethan exhaled slowly. Then focused inward. The monster was at the other side of the arena now, its momentum creating plenty of space. He remembered the undead.

Remembered the molten eruption leaving his hand after he forcibly redirected his mana pathways with aura. It had damaged his body while doing so, but it had still worked. Aura and mana naturally fought each other. One wanted dominion over the body while the other sought control of everything. Trying to merge them was like forcing two predators into the same cage. But things had changed. He had a title now. After all his work on the first level, he had finally unlocked the Legacy path.

Now, with Dual Awakening Initiate, it should technically be a lot easier to force the two energies to interact with each other. Hopefully without tearing him apart. The Lyra Claw charged again, not letting him procrastinate any longer. Ethan decided to meet it halfway. If he was playing it smart and was worried about losing, he perhaps should have used the monster's slow speed against it, but right now he wasn't worried. He had gotten a feel for the creature.

It was more than likely a lower level than him, and he had a feeling if he really wanted to he could end the fight at any moment. So he moved forward, their clash ringing through the arena as claw met greatsword, Ethan using [Mana Infusion] in a controlled burst to match the beast's strength, while [Steadfast] held him firmly in place. Then, while locked against the creature's strength, Ethan shifted his focus inward. The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

He called on his aura, blocking the channels in his body. Directing his mana to one location. He forced it through his body, sealing pathways one by one. The process immediately sent pain lancing through his arm and the strength of the Lyra Claw seemed to double, pushing so much pressure on Ethan that the ground began to crack. His mana built up rapidly, smashing against his aura walls in painful waves, but it was nothing like it had been. His title was clearly doing its job, even if it wasn't perfect.

Ethan felt heat spreading through his arm as the redirected energy searched desperately for escape. The Lyra Claw roared and shoved harder, slowly overpowering him physically as his mana was cut off from parts of his body. Ethan looked at the massive beast. Its jaws were opening, razor-sharp teeth moving down to chomp into him.

"Please work," Ethan muttered, releasing the handle with one hand and punching forward. Mana erupted outward just as he had hoped. A molten blast exploded from his fist and slammed directly into the creature's chest before the Lyra Claw could react properly. Lava-like energy splashed across white fur and burned deep into muscle, the sudden eruption forcing the beast backward as the energy seared into its body with a sickening hiss.

Ethan stumbled slightly as pain rippled through his arm, the feeling similar to a deep muscle burn that accompanied a workout. His aura that was blocking the pathways pushed forward as he used it to activate [Aura Overload] and heal any damage. However, there wasn't nearly as much as the first time he used it. The Lyra Claw roared in fury, breaking Ethan from his mid-battle thoughts. He looked up to see the Lyra Claw crashing toward him like a living avalanche, its massive frame dripping with waterfalls of blood.

Smoke still curled from the molten wound in its chest, but the creature either didn't feel pain the same way humans did, or it was simply far too angry to care. All six silver eyes locked onto Ethan with murderous intent as it raised both claws high. Ethan quickly decided it was the second option. Ethan steadied his breathing. It was time to end this. Even if this monster wasn't actually real, he didn't want to keep testing out his skills on it. Didn't want to cause it any unnecessary pain.

Not when he didn't need to. There would be plenty of other rounds to overcome. The Lyra Claw slammed both claws downward. Ethan exploded sideways with a burst of [Mana Infusion], the impact behind him detonating the arena floor hard enough that chunks of stone launched into the air. Before the dust could even settle, Ethan was already moving back in. Mana flooded his muscles in sharp bursts, each pulse enhancing his speed and strength without draining him dry. His greatsword carved upward.

The blade slammed into the creature's wounded foreleg, biting deep into already damaged flesh. The Lyra Claw roared and retaliated instantly, its remaining claw sweeping toward Ethan's head. Ethan ducked underneath it and stepped deeper into the beast's range, forcing the Lyra Claw to awkwardly shift its massive body while Ethan hacked another chunk from its injured leg. Blood sprayed across the arena floor. The creature staggered slightly.

He could hear the crowd erupting in chaos, their feet stamping the stadium once more. The Lyra Claw tried to pull away so it could use its massive claws, but Ethan didn't let it. His muscles screamed from the strain as he brought the greatsword down in a brutal overhead strike. The wounded leg gave out. The beast crashed sideways into the arena hard enough to shake the entire stadium. Aura surged through his body as he redirected mana once more, forcing pathways shut while pressure rapidly built through his arm.

Pain flared immediately, but Ethan grit his teeth and endured it. The molten sensation spread faster this time, heat gathering in his hand as the Lyra Claw desperately tried to rise. Too slow. Ethan planted a boot against its shoulder and punched downward. Mana shot from his fist in a molten blast. The attack slammed directly into the creature's skull, lava-like energy exploding through fur, bone, and flesh. The Lyra Claw convulsed violently before collapsing back against the arena floor. The world turned quiet.

Through [Keen Sense] he could see the crowd watching, a muted energy enveloping them for a split second. Then the stadium exploded.

"Well would you look at that!" the announcer screamed over the deafening crowd.

"Our human challenger takes the first challenge! And in style too! Someone get this man another monster before he starts getting bored!" Ethan exhaled slowly as he watched the Lyra Claw break into motes of energy, its corpse breaking apart beneath Ethan's boot until nothing remained except scorched stone and blood staining the arena floor. Then he looked down at his trembling hand beneath the gauntlet and smiled.

"Surely that can't be enough for everyone here, can it?!" the announcer continued. As if on cue a system message popped up. You have passed the first challenge, proceed to the second challenge? Yes/No Ethan selected yes, rolling his shoulder slowly while flexing his hand. He tempered his excitement, even though deep inside he was ecstatic that he had managed to cast magic not once but twice!

"What do we throw at him next?" the announcer continued dramatically.

"Another beast? Maybe something faster? Something deadlier?" The audience shouted their enthusiasm. Ethan snorted beneath his helm as he bent down and grabbed his greatsword properly. The oversized weapon had served him well against the Lyra Claw. Raw power against raw power. But that had never really been the point of this dungeon run. No. This was about growth. Experimentation. Testing himself.

Now that he was confident he could clear the first few challenges without too much of an issue, it was time to begin experimenting with other things. He rolled the massive blade once through his grip before smoothly sliding it into his sheath and removing the entire weapon from his body. Then he brought his necklace out, held the two close together, and dismissed it into the storage necklace. The weapon vanished instantly, disappearing into the dimensional space contained within the enchanted item.

The crowd quieted slightly as Ethan focused once more on his dimensional storage. The scimitar materialized in his hand, the curved blade catching the light. Even holding it felt strange compared to what he was used to, the missing weight immediately noticeable now that he had been using his greatsword again. Ethan rolled the weapon through his fingers, adjusting naturally to the balance while loosening his shoulders slightly. The announcer had been quiet, likely watching like most of the crowd.

"Ohhh?" he practically purred through the stadium.

"What's this? Changing weapons already?" His laugh echoed across the arena.

"You see that everyone? He's not just a brute!" The crowd burst into laughter, even though Ethan wasn't so sure what the man was saying was a joke. He settled into his stance and immediately noticed the difference, adjusting as he dropped lower, bouncing on the balls of his feet. His body naturally wanted to root itself in place, to use [Steadfast] and take any challenge head-on. But that wasn't what he was here to do. So he banished the thought immediately.

The arena gates opposite him suddenly began rattling violently. The announcer's voice boomed out once more.

"Alright then, human! Let's see if you can dance as well as you swing that oversized slab of metal!" His voice rose higher.

"Release the next challenger!" The gates exploded open. Something small shot into the arena so quickly Ethan almost lost sight of it immediately. And if it wasn't for [Keen Sense] he would have. A blur moved low across the arena floor, darting from side to side with unnatural speed while the crowd stood up from their seats. Ethan turned smoothly, tracking the movement as best he could while tightening his grip on the scimitar. It seemed he had just fought strength with strength.

Now it was time to see how his speed handled the test. The creature finally slowed enough for Ethan to properly see it. A lean, black-furred beast no larger than a wolf crouched low against the arena floor. Its body was unnaturally thin, muscles twitching beneath sleek fur while long hooked claws scraped against stone. Unlike the Lyra Claw, this thing didn't radiate overwhelming power. It radiated killing intent. The creature's glowing yellow eyes locked onto Ethan, an intelligent glint lining them.

Ethan cracked his neck. Let's do this.