The crowd cheered as the next match was announced, the excitement in the air thick enough to choke on.
"Next up! Jered Dallas!"
The fight was done in turns between warriors and casters.
Jered strode into the arena with a grin plastered across his face. His green-gold combat armor shimmered under the light, a faint aura of flame curling around his shoulders.
He raised both arms, soaking in the crowd's cheers. He was no stranger to the spotlight. As a Dauntless Warden, he had taken on foes above his level before and came out on top.
This was just another day.
Back in the preparation area, Kaelen smirked. "You better not embarrass us."
Neal crossed his arms. "Don't die out there."
Jered rolled his eyes. "Please. I'll be back in five minutes. Save me a spot at the lounge."
Then the host's voice echoed again:
"Facing him, we have Hagra of the Crimson Spine!"
Jered turned his head casually, expecting some skinny kid or arrogant noble trying to make a name.
Instead, what stepped forward was a snot-nosed brat, a short, unassuming kid with patchy hair and a nervous shuffle.
Jered raised a brow. "This is it? You're my opponent?"
The crowd laughed. Even the host chuckled awkwardly. The boy didn't say a word. He simply walked to the center, looked up at Jered, and smiled.
Something about that smile made Jered's skin crawl.
The arena host raised a hand. "Begin!"
The moment the word left his mouth, the brat's body cracked, contorted and expanded.
Bones elongated, skin shredded and muscles exploded.
In a flash of red light and sickening crunches, the boy became something monstrous.
A horned beast of nightmares.
Eight feet tall, thick red scales gleaming like molten iron.
Two spiraling horns twisted outward from the sides of his skull. His hands ended in claws sharp enough to split stone.
A tail of jagged bone whipped behind him, screeching as it tore across the arena floor.
A hush fell over the audience.
Hagra was anything but weak.
The crimson spines were a group of lunatics, a battle maniac who would use any means to gain power and this kid just so happens to be level 22 purple system awakener with epic class Abyssal Fiend.
A creature of the dark that feeds on fear becoming stronger as it invokes more fear into its prey. This class was truly a nightmare. It has no obvious weak points.
Abyssal fiends strength are determined by the colour of their scale, current Hagra was a red scaled abyssal fiend the lowest tier possible but they are not one to be look down on as they were made as apex predators strength, defense, speed, intelligence you named it.
They had it all.
Jered's jaw dropped. He raised a hand timidly. "Wait, wait, I give u—"
Too late.
The creature lunged.
Its fist smashed into Jered's gut, lifting him off the ground and hurling him backward.
Jered slammed into the arena wall with a thunderous crash, cracking stone and denting the reinforced barrier. He groaned.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" he wheezed.
No answer came. The beast charged again, faster than anything its size should've been. Jered rolled, barely dodging another strike that cratered the floor where he'd been.
He scrambled to his feet, coughing blood, trying to summon his flame barrier.
But no skills were allowed.
Only raw combat.
A clawed hand wrapped around his ankle. Jered yelped as he was yanked into the air and swung like a ragdoll. He was hurled into the ground. Again. And again. And again.
Each impact drove the breath from his lungs. Each slam drew gasps from the crowd.
Jered tried to strike back with a punch, but his fist glanced off the beast's scaled chest like a breeze. In response, the monster slammed its forehead into Jered's face, snapping his head back.
"Not the nose! Not the nose!" Jered cried as blood gushed down his lips.
The creature snarled.
Jered rolled aside, kicked upward, but the monster caught his leg and used it to swing him into a pillar and threw him down to the floor and stone scattered everywhere.
The beast charged again.
Jered hurried ducked under a claw swipe and landed a mana infused jab into its ribs.
" Take this you stupid beast."
But the creature didn't flinch.
"Wait! Wait….!"
Instead, it lifted him by the neck and walked forward, dragging Jered across the floor.
"Okay…okay.. get it! You're strong! You win! Just let me—"
The monster slammed him into the floor like a hammer pounding nails.
The crowd winced.
" Oooohhhh thats gonna hurt".
"Stop! He's already dead!" someone shouted.
"No he's still moving," another guy interjected.
But the monster wasn't done.
It leapt into the air and landed with a massive BOOM beside Jered, sending a shockwave across the arena.
Jered groaned, trying to crawl away. His limbs wouldn't listen.
Then came the final blow.
The creature raised both fists and brought them down in a double-hammer strike. Jered barely had time to cross his arms in defense. The impact rocked the ground, shaking dust from the walls.
He was embedded into the arena floor, coughing blood.
Silence fell.
Jered blinked through one swollen eye, dazed. His vision blurred, but he could still see the blurry outlines of the audience above.
He forced his gaze upward, toward the stands.
There, among the students, was Kaelen.
Calm, smug, standing with arms crossed.
Their eyes met
But his lips moved.
He cannot hear what Kaelen was saying but he can still read the lips.
"Pussy."
Jered's eyes twitched. He couldn't move. Couldn't talk. But deep in his battered heart, he screamed.
"ONE DAY, KAELEN… ONE DAY!"
This humiliating defeat and that smug face of Kaelen and the insults. He had lost every bit of pride as a Dallas.
The pain, the humiliation, the wounded pride all turned into anger.
"Aaaaahhhhhh....."
Hagra wasn't done yet. He concentrated his abyssal energy into his mouth firing right at Jered's head.
"Stoppp!..." Neal shouted.
BOOOOM!.