Hudson rolled his shoulders and stepped forward.
Wren’s heart pounded violently.
Come on... think.
The giant’s speed was terrifying. Trying to dodge another punch without knowing when or where it would land was practically impossible.
But what if he didn’t need to dodge?
What if he could stop Hudson before the punch connected?
Wren lowered his gaze toward the ground.
Chains of the Damned.
He remembered the description displayed on his status window.
Summons cursed chains from the ground to bind enemies.
That was all he knew.
He had never used the skill before. He didn’t even know how much control he possessed over it.
But he had to try.
Hudson suddenly leaned forward.
"Second punch!"
The giant surged toward him.
This time, Wren didn’t freeze.
He focused every ounce of concentration he could muster and reached for the unfamiliar power within him.
For a split second, nothing happened.
Hudson’s fist was already rushing toward his face.
Damn it!
Then—
CLANG!
Black chains burst from the stone floor, twisting upward like monstrous serpents. Before Hudson could complete his punch, several thick links wrapped around his right ankle.
His forward momentum came to an abrupt halt.
The giant’s eyes widened.
"What the—?!"
Wren stared in disbelief.
It worked?!
The chains strained as Hudson attempted to move, their dark surfaces scraping against the stone.
For the first time since the fight began, the giant’s grin disappeared.
And Wren finally saw an opening.
Now!
He thrust out his trembling hand.
Black flames flickered to life across his palm.
They were small, barely larger than a candle’s flame, but their unnatural darkness made them stand out against the arena’s dim lighting.
A strange chill spread through the air.
Envy’s voice rang out inside his mind.
"Careful, Wren. That’s Hellfire."
The flames danced across his fingers.
"Unlike ordinary fire, they don’t just burn flesh."
Wren’s golden eyes narrowed.
They burn the soul too, right?
"Correct."
Hudson roared and violently yanked his leg.
The chains groaned.
Cracks spread across the stone beneath his feet.
Wren’s expression changed.
They’re not going to hold him for long!
"Then I suggest you do something useful before they break."
Wren gritted his teeth and stared at the approaching giant.
His first punch had nearly broken him.
His second was already coming.
But this time, he wasn’t completely helpless.
For the first time since arriving in Norhera, Wren Extenguard was ready to fight back.
Hudson’s eyes burned with fury as he ripped his leg upward.
CRACK!
The black chains shattered, scattering into wisps of dark smoke.
Wren’s pupils shrank.
He broke them that easily?!
Before Wren could react, Hudson’s massive fist came flying toward his face.
"YOU LITTLE RAT!"
BOOM!
The punch connected with Wren’s raised arms, sending him skidding backward across the stone floor.
Pain exploded through his forearms.
His bones felt as though they had been struck by a hammer, and his fingers went numb. He barely managed to stop himself from crashing into the iron bars behind him.
"GAAAH!"
Wren collapsed to one knee, gasping for breath.
?[ [Warning!] ]
[ Host is in a critical condition. ]
[ Immediate conscious shutdown will commence in one minute. ]
[ 00:01:00 ]
[00:00:59]
Wren stared at the warning flashing before his eyes.
A minute?
What the hell did conscious shutdown mean?!
"Envy!" he shouted inwardly. "What is this warning?!"
"Your body has taken too much damage," Envy replied, its usual playful tone replaced by a serious one. "If you keep taking hits like that, your body will shut down. And if you lose consciousness before completing the quest, you’ll fail."
Wren’s face paled.
"And the penalty is death!"
"Congratulations. You can read."
"THIS ISN’T THE TIME FOR YOUR JOKES!"
Hudson’s laughter boomed across the arena.
"HAHAHA! What’s wrong, brat? Already regretting your decision?"
The giant rolled his shoulders, his scarred face twisting into a cruel grin.
"That was only my second punch. You still owe me one more."
The crowd erupted.
"FINISH HIM, HUDSON!"
"BREAK HIS DAMN ARMS!"
"COME ON! I WANT TO SEE SOME BLOOD!"
Wren struggled to his feet, clutching his aching forearms against his chest.
Every movement sent waves of pain through his body. His arms trembled, and his vision blurred around the edges.
He couldn’t take another direct hit.
Not like this.
His gaze shifted toward the black chains that had disappeared into smoke.
Chains of the Damned had worked, but they hadn’t held Hudson for more than a few seconds.
?Wren slams his palm against the ground, desperately attempting to channel his class energy to summon the dark flames.
?Hellfire... come out!
?He tries to force the dark, destructive energy to manifest right in the palm of his hand, but nothing happens. The air remains cold and still, no sparks appearing, no heat rising. His mana pathways feel sluggish, dry, and unresponsive.
?What the hell...? Wren thinks, panic flaring in his chest. Why isn’t it working?!
?Just as cold sweat breaks out across his forehead, Envy’s voice slices sharply through his mind, dripping with absolute exasperation.
?"Are you truly this monumentally stupid?"
?Wren grits his teeth, his mental shout laced with fury. Shut up and tell me why it’s failing!
?"Look at your pathetic stats, you idiot! Your current pool is practically nonexistent," Envy snaps back, hovering just out of sight. "With reserves this low, you only have enough raw energy to use a skill once. Just once, do you understand? You already wasted your only window of mana on a half-baked activation!"
?The harsh reality hits Wren like a physical blow.
?Just once...?
?"Just because you formed a contract with me doesn’t magically turn you into some invincible god overnight," Envy’s voice echoes, cold and unyielding. "You’re still an ant. Act like one and start using your brain instead of blindly flailing!"
?Wren clenches his teeth so hard a sharp pain shoots through his jaw.
?An ant...
?That was the exact word everyone had hurled at him like cheap dirt ever since his disastrous Awakening Ceremony back home. And now, even after receiving a mysterious, terrifying new class and two unknown, high-potential skills, he was still being treated—and acting—like a helpless bug.
?Worse still, Envy wasn’t entirely wrong.
?He had rushed blindly into using his skills without taking a single second to understand their actual limitations or his own physical boundaries. He had stupidly expected the system’s power to instantly solve all his problems, only to discover that his fragile body and exhausted reserves were barely enough to scratch the surface.
?Fine... Wren thinks, his eyes narrowing into cold, sharp slits. I won’t make that same arrogant mistake again.
?Across the blood-stained stone floor, Hudson is steadily approaching him with a deeply satisfied, cruel grin, cracking his knuckles with deliberate slowness as though he were preparing to squash an annoying insect under his boot.
?"What’s the matter, brat? Lost your courage already?"
?Wren says nothing. He doesn’t waste his breath on empty threats.
?He knows there is only one punch left before this nightmare reaches its devastating peak, and looking up at the floating trial interface, the remaining time is already ticking away fast.
?[ Remaining Trial Time: 00:00:27 ]
?He has to do something—and he has to do it right now. Time is running out, and death is breathing right down his neck.