Hidden beneath the cover of the growing darkness, Ash rolled away just before the soldier's hands could reach him. Standing on one knee, he stretched one leg across the soldier's path.
Already confused by the darkness, the mindless soldier couldn't notice the trap. His foot caught against Ash's leg, throwing his balance forward.
The stumble was small, but it was exactly what Ash had been waiting for.
The spear was already planted into the ground at an angle. With nothing to stop his fall, the soldier's own weight carried him forward. His chest crashed into the waiting spear, and the iron tip drove through his body before bursting out from his back.
The impact forced a sharp gasp from the soldier as blood spilled over the shaft and trickled onto Ash's trembling hand.
For a brief moment, neither of them moved, and then the lanterns flared back to life.
Standing only inches away, Ash found himself staring directly into the soldier's face. Instinctively, he took a shaky step backward and tried calming his breath when he noticed something.
"Ohohoh!! This is certainly not the outcome our dear guests were expecting, now, is it? Well, I certainly wasn't… not even a bit."
Ignoring Monarick's theatrical voice, Ash focused entirely on the shifting corpse.
He saw the soldier's skin moving as if something was crawling in between them. Suddenly, the sound of breaking bone could be heard by him.
'Huh?'
Confused, Ash darted his eyes around before noticing where the spear had struck. In the darkness, his aim had been off. Instead of piercing the man's heart, the spear had landed a few centimeters to the side.
Growll!
The soldier was still alive, growling in a low tone.
Ash moved his hand to pull the spear apart when a sudden surge of black aura materialized around the soldier.
A sudden chill ran through his nerves; his hair stood on end.
Ash's instinct cried in fear as he forgot about the spear and stumbled back. Creating a distance between the two, he observed the changes that were happening.
Dark veins popped all over the soldier's body; his already inflated body began to increase in size even more. Skin began to tear itself apart, blood trickling while the dark miasma around him thickened.
Growls!
Growling, the soldier, no, a monster looked at Ash with eyes full of bloodlust.
'Fuck!! What happened to him?'
Instead of an answer, he saw the monster charging without a moment's hesitation.
Cursing under his breath, Ash turned and ran with everything he had left. His exhausted legs screamed in protest, but he forced them to move faster.
Every step sent pain shooting through his body, yet he didn't dare slow down. The heavy footsteps behind him grew louder with each passing second, shaking the dirt beneath his feet.
Ash glanced over his shoulder. The monster was gaining on him with terrifying speed. The distance between them shrank, and he instantly understood that he wouldn't make another lap around the colosseum.
'Fuck!'
The realization struck as Ash found himself without any options.
Turning around, his eyes immediately locked onto the spear still lodged inside the monster's chest.
'To hell with it…'
A desperate plan formed in his mind. It was reckless, and if he failed, he wouldn't get another chance.
Reaching in an instant, the monster raised its massive fist.
Instead of dodging, Ash took a step toward the charging monster. For a fraction of a second, a nearly invisible barrier formed between his head and the incoming punch.
At the same moment, Ash grabbed the hilt of the spear with both hands.
Boom!
Dispersing most of the power, the barrier disappeared as if it had never been there. Still, the punch slammed into Ash's head with enough force to send his body flying across the arena.
The impact ripped the spear free from the monster's chest as Ash was thrown backward, blood spraying through the air.
His back crashed into the stone wall of the colosseum with a sickening thud before he collapsed.
Pain exploded through every part of his body. His arms trembled violently, his vision blurred, and a warm stream of blood ran down the side of his face.
It felt as though every bone in his body had cracked from the blow. Even breathing was getting painful, yet Ash ignored all of it.
"Oppsss!! something bad has happened here… I apologize for showing something this disgraceful to you, my dear guests…."
Monarick's voice echoed in the surroundings, but Ash prioritized the growling of the monster more.
Growl!!
He looked straight and found no semblance of humanity left on the monster's face. His face was now filled with numerous eyes, sharp teeth barred between the jaws, while one part of the face felt melted.
"Fuck... come at me… I'm not afraid..."
Using the walls as support, Ash somehow stood up. Gripping his spear, he pointed it forward as if challenging the monster for a last bout.
As if honoring his wish, the monster charged, his speed twice as before.
The distance between them disappeared in an instant, leaving Ash barely enough time to inhale.
Planting one foot behind the other, Ash lowered his center of gravity and settled into a thrusting stance. His eyes remained fixed on the monster's chest, waiting for the single moment when it would enter the reach of his spear.
Closer.
Closer.
The monster was only a few steps away when a crushing pressure suddenly descended from above.
Boom!
The impact shook the entire colosseum. A cloud of dirt and broken stone burst into the air, swallowing both Ash and the monster from sight.
As the dust slowly settled, a figure emerged from the haze. The monster lay pinned beneath him, its massive body buried into the cracked ground.
And standing calmly on its back, as though crushing such a monster required no effort at all, was Monarick.
No matter how much it struggled, the monster couldn't move an inch beneath the weight of the performer.
Extending his hand, Monarick giggled as if amused.
"Hahah!... I loved it... the dedication, the preservation and the… thee intelligence... muhhh!! I loved it all..."
Giggling, Monarick raised his hand before folding it in a bow. Satisfied with the performance, he gave Ash a chance to pull the curtain.
"Now do you want to finish what you started?"
At first, Ash hesitated and didn't want to make his hand dirty, but then he remembered Imp's words. Every kill he makes will increase his essence.
"Sure..."
Mumbling under his breath, Ash inched closer to the monster and lifted his spear. Staring right in its eyes, he brought the spear down and pierced its head.
The spear lodged itself between its numerous eyes, and not long after, a familiar voice whispered in his ears.
[You have killed a Primor human: Name unknown.]
[You have gained a small amount of essence.]
Ash thought this was the end of it, but a second later, the voice echoed, congratulating him for his gain.
[Congratulations, you have obtained the Ember...]
***
Author's Note
If you're enjoying the story so far, please pleaase consider adding it to your library... It really helps the novel reach more readers and motivates me to keep writing. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy what's coming next!