Chương 83: (B2) Chapter 10 - Challenge dungeon (3)

Blood dripped from the black creature's fur, splattering steadily against the stone arena floor below. The Shadow Wolf was fast. Far faster than Ethan had initially expected. Worse, it possessed some kind of shadow movement ability that allowed it to instantly traverse between connected patches of darkness. Ethan had learned that the hard way when the beast had suddenly erupted from his own shadow, jaws wide and aimed directly for his throat. Luckily for him, full plate armor existed for a reason.

Even if the wolf had managed to fully connect with the bite, there was little chance its teeth would have pierced straight through the colossus armor and into flesh. Still, Ethan had treated the encounter like the armor didn't exist. The moment the wolf emerged from the darkness, he had reacted instinctively, raising the scimitar just in time to intercept the attack.

Teeth screeched violently against curved steel as the creature's momentum slammed into him, the force carrying the wolf partially through his guard before Ethan slipped sideways and redirected it past him. After that, he had been ready. The next time the beast used its shadow ability, Ethan had anticipated the angle entirely through [Keen Sense].

The instant it emerged, his scimitar flashed outward and carved deep across the wolf's hind leg before the creature crashed awkwardly across the arena floor, sliding several meters while letting out a low pained whimper. Now it stood once more. Its wounded leg remained lifted slightly from the ground as the creature slowly tested how much weight it could still place on it. Blood soaked through the dark fur around the injury, dripping steadily against the stone beneath it. Ethan, for his part, remained unharmed.

Well… mostly. He was slightly out of breath now, having spent the last several minutes playing cat and mouse with the damn thing while it sized him up and carefully picked each engagement. Looking back on it, Ethan realized he had allowed the wolf to completely dictate the pace of the fight. He had spent too much time reacting instead of forcing exchanges himself. Too defensive. Just because he couldn't use sweeping, overpowering attacks with the scimitar didn't mean he suddenly lacked offensive pressure.

The weapon simply demanded a different style entirely. Faster strikes. Smaller movements. Feints. Precision cuts aimed toward weak points instead of trying to overpower the opponent outright. He knew all this, yet instinct had been holding him back. Now it was time to force the issue. Time to force change. The strike on the wolf's leg had proven he had started to adjust. Ethan let out a slow breath before finally deciding to push his advantage.

Mana coursed through his body as he rushed forward, once again using his aura to narrow certain pathways while directing more mana toward his legs than anywhere else. The Shadow Wolf lowered itself toward the ground, a low growl rumbling from deep within its chest as Ethan closed the distance. Ethan brought the scimitar down toward its neck. But the wolf instantly darted sideways. The blade carved through empty air as the creature retreated immediately, but Ethan followed this time instead of letting it disengage.

His scimitar flowing through fast chained strikes. The wolf narrowly avoided each strike, even injured as it was. Worse, every time Ethan thought he had finally cornered it, the beast simply melted into nearby shadows and escaped at the final second. Ethan eventually stopped pursuing and exhaled slowly. The wolf now clung to the shaded edge of the arena opposite him while Ethan stood fully beneath the sunlight pouring down into the center.

The creature stared at him cautiously now, no longer eager to engage directly after realizing Ethan was stronger than expected. Cowardly little shit. The stadium around them had also gone noticeably quieter. The audience looked down with growing boredom while even the announcer sounded annoyed now.

"This won't do!" he shouted loudly through the arena.

"This won't do at all!" Ethan's head snapped toward the opposite side of the arena just as another gate began opening. A low growl emerged from the darkness beyond it and immediately Ethan understood what was happening. Another Shadow Wolf slowly emerged from the shadows. It looked identical to the first apart from the missing injuries. Ethan narrowed his eyes beneath the helmet. Was that even allowed? The fight already wasn't exactly easy. Sure, he was stronger overall, but not overwhelmingly so.

The wolves were faster than him and their shadow movement made them incredibly slippery opponents. Catching even one of them had already proven troublesome enough. Now there were two. Ethan slowly looked between them as calm settled over him instead of frustration. If there were two wolves now, then he would need to approach this differently. Tracking one through [Keen Sense] was manageable. Tracking two while they constantly moved through connected shadows would be significantly harder.

Stolen novel; please report. The injured wolf seemed to perk up immediately upon seeing the second arrival. It glanced toward the newcomer and the two beasts seemed to silently reach an understanding before both slowly turned toward Ethan once more. Only now they thought they had a chance. The crowd seemed to like the addition as well because excitement rapidly returned to the stadium. Cheers and chants rose throughout the audience while anticipation built once more in the air around them.

Ethan slowly spun the scimitar through an arc before letting it settle naturally back into his grip. Then, through the visor of his helmet, he calmly tracked the two wolves as they prowled toward him. They spread out, one limping slightly while the other moved low to the ground with fresh aggression. Ethan tracked both carefully, [Keen Sense] stretching outward while the crowd slowly regained its excitement now that things were moving again. Honestly, this was more what Ethan expected from a challenge dungeon.

Even if it was only the second challenge and already reached a point where he would need to take things seriously if he was going to win. Dungeons weren't meant to be easy, and judging from the first two challenges, this one was definitely trying to prove the point. The wolves circled opposite directions, sticking close to the shadows cast by the towering stadium walls. Ethan slowly adjusted his footing, the scimitar resting low at his side while mana coursed steadily through his body in a controlled stream.

He didn't dare overcommit now. The moment he lost sight of one, the other would capitalize instantly. The healthy wolf moved first. Its body melted into the shadow and vanished completely. Ethan's eyes narrowed beneath the helmet as [Keen Sense] screamed at him to move. The beast erupted from his own shadow directly behind him, jaws already snapping toward him, in the same predictable strike. Ethan twisted, raising the scimitar just enough to redirect the bite away from his throat.

Teeth screeched against steel as the wolf's momentum slammed into him before it immediately kicked away again, retreating low across the arena floor before Ethan could retaliate properly. The injured wolf attacked the moment the other disengaged. It lunged low for Ethan's legs while the healthier one circled wider, clearly attempting to herd him and slowly force mistakes out of him. Ethan stepped over the bite narrowly before slashing downward with the scimitar.

The curved blade carved across the injured wolf's shoulder, but the creature twisted away before the strike could properly cripple it. The crowd roared louder as Ethan reset his footing. And the wolves came at him again. They were hunting him properly now. Testing him. Drawing his reactions out while constantly repositioning through nearby shadows. And worse, they were faster than him.

Even with [Mana Infusion] supplementing his speed, Ethan still couldn't outright catch them unless they committed to an attack first. Every time he tried to pressure one, the other forced him to back off before he could finish the exchange. The healthier wolf vanished again. Ethan didn't bother turning immediately. Instead he relied fully on [Keen Sense], letting the skill paint the arena around him.

The injured wolf prowled closer deliberately, forcing Ethan's attention while its companion moved unseen through the surrounding darkness. Then both moved together. The healthy wolf erupted from the injured one's shadow, launching directly toward Ethan's side while the wounded beast lunged low for his legs again. [Mana Infusion] flowed through his body in a sharp burst as he stepped forward, slipping narrowly between the attacks.

The healthier wolf's jaws snapped shut inches from his visor while Ethan's scimitar flashed upward across its muzzle, drawing blood before both beasts disengaged once more. The crowd cheered wildly, but Ethan ignored them completely. Instead he snorted. He expected them to be smarter. But perhaps he had been wrong, because he understood the problem now. The wolves only attacked confidently from connected shadows. Each time they disappeared, they emerged from another patch of darkness already close to Ethan.

His own shadow. Each other's shadows. The walls surrounding the arena. Which meant there was a limit to how they moved. A path they had to follow. Ethan slowly adjusted his positioning while continuing to pressure them lightly with the scimitar, deliberately herding the fight toward the brightest section of the arena floor where sunlight poured down from above. Now, once again, Ethan was standing where no shadows but his own touched him. And like clockwork the wolves attacked. The injured wolf vanished first.

The healthier one attacked immediately afterward, forcing Ethan to block another snapping bite aimed directly at his arm. Teeth scraped violently against the curved blade while Ethan intentionally moved backward several steps into the center of the arena. The crowd gasped as Ethan exposed himself completely beneath the sunlight flooding the stone floor. The wolves committed instantly. The healthier beast melted into shadow. And Ethan had been waiting for exactly that.

The injured wolf lunged, desperate to capitalize before the opportunity vanished. Ethan exploded forward with [Mana Infusion], abandoning defense entirely as he stepped directly into the attack. The scimitar flashed, opening the wolf's throat completely as it passed him. Before the corpse even hit the ground, Ethan spun. The healthy wolf erupted from his shadow exactly as expected.

Ethan slammed his free hand into the side of its jaw, disrupting the bite for a fraction of a second while the scimitar carved cleanly upward through its neck. Blood sprayed across the arena floor as the creature collapsed beside its companion. Then both wolves dissolved into motes of light while the stadium exploded into deafening cheers once more. Ethan had ended the fight in one decisive move. To be honest, he had expected more from them. They were predictable and weak, using the same attack over and over.

But he couldn't really expect more from them. After all, he was likely the higher level out of the three of them. Again the announcer called out.

"Would you look at that. It seems the human can dance after all! What do you say we move onto the next challenge. But maybe it's time to up the ante?" The notification appeared again, Ethan accepted it, ready to see how far he could begin pushing through this dungeon. After all, he hadn't even been forced to use any of his aura skills yet. And a small part of him looked forward to hearing the crowd's reaction when his corrosive aura seeped through the stadium.

He could also feel the system fighting for his attention, likely telling him of a skill that had leveled or something similar. But he had learned long ago to ignore such things. At least until he was out of danger. Which wasn't any time soon. Not as the doorway opened once more, revealing his next challenge. Hopefully this one would push him a bit further.