She attempted a feint, and Max read it, moving back a step and lowering his halberd, stopping the move she was trying to make.

Adaneth growled at him for a second before her whole body flashed yellow.

Max knew she was coming, but his eyes couldn’t keep up with her. His sonar skill told him what he needed to know.

[ Armored Warrior Activated ]

Pulling his halberd’s shaft in, Max tried to get it closer as he prepared for whatever was coming.

Swings and blows hit him, and Max almost wanted to laugh as he barely noticed them.

The attacks made minor cuts on his arms, legs, and side, but none were deep. His exhaustion was gone. Max wasn’t sure how the ability impacted his stamina, but he felt amazing.

Sword strikes rained down, and Max swung his halberd with one hand, using the other to protect his face.

He could sense her, moving all around him, thrusting, slashing, and striking at him, but none of them doing any damage.

Unsure what skill she had used or how long it would last, Max continued swinging his halberd, knowing it pushed her back slightly as she moved out of its way.

And then the moment came when she stopped moving for a second.

The hammer side of Max’s weapon caught her square in the shoulder, sending her tumbling.

She rolled, standing up but dropping one of her swords. Adaneth was breathing hard, trying to get air in as Max closed on her.

He knew she wanted to ask questions and had no idea how he had survived what must have been her trump card.

Feeling like a new man, Max went to work, sending thrusts, slashes, and slams that began to inflict wounds since she couldn’t keep up with only one sword.

Her speed was gone, and she was exhausted.

The look on her face told him everything he needed to know. She knew he was going to win.

Every attack he sent brought blood. Each time, she barely regained her footing in time to prepare for another hit that staggered her.

The hunger inside him yearned for whatever skill she had. An ability like that was precious. It could make him so much stronger.

Kill her! Consume her!

Max felt himself wince, the desire inside him coming like a flood.

His halberd came down, the hammer side connecting with her injured shoulder and crushed her to the ground.

She lay there, bent over on her hand and knees, blood dripping into the dirt as her chest and sides heaved, trying to take in air. A wheeze came and then a cough as she spat blood on the ground.

Max knew Adaneth was trying to look up at him but couldn’t. She dropped her sword and leaned back on her heels.

“I… I don’t deserve it, but… I surrender.”

The crowd was going wild, calling for him to finish her. Calls for him to end the woman's streak of fighting here on this floor.

His own soul raged with that lust. Raged to take what could be his.

Yet inside him was a small voice. A voice that he couldn’t shake.

He felt a finger on his chest and remembered the words Tanila had spoken.

“What about dying here? What if… if you give in?”

“If you surrender all your gear, I will let you live.”

Another cough came, and Adaneth spat on the ground, leaving a bloody reminder of what he had just done.

“Why?”

Max looked at her; she only had one eye partially open, staring at him.

“Why what?”

“Why spare me? Who are you? I don’t… slowly, she glanced around the floor to look in the direction of where they had come. “Alfred…”

She motioned toward the windows.

Max turned, looking at where she had pointed.

He wanted to frown. Wanted to realize that she was right. Alfred was indeed staring at the two of them.

Yet, with his back turned, his sonar told him what else was happening.

Adaneth had grabbed her sword and was lunging toward him. She hoped that he would be distracted enough.

Anyone else might have succumbed at that moment. Would have felt the sword enter their back.

He wasn’t anyone else.

His halberd spun in his hand, catching her as she approached him. She was slow, broken, and beaten. Surprise was her only chance, and Max could see Adaneth’s mouth open wide as his halberd’s pointed tip pierced her chest, penetrating her armor and into her heart.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

The impact only lasted a second. He felt her life end. The cold wave of power filled him, and a satisfied sound came from within him.

He lowered his weapon, letting the weight of her body slide itself off it.

The sound of the crowd boomed like thunder, vibrating the air around him.

[ 6 Dexterity Consumed ]

[ Consume has successfully consumed two skills ]

[ One skill will evolve ]

[ Choose which skill to consume]

[ Would you like to learn [Weapon Mastery - Rare ] or [Assault]]

Max stood straight, ignoring the fire within his bones and the voice inside him.

A healer approached him and cast a spell.

“That was impressive.”

Max turned and saw the man looking at him.

“Seriously, no one has survived that before, and you took it without any issues.”

Nodding, Max held his hand up and waved at the crowd before turning and walking toward the gate. He could see that Alfred had disappeared.

Every step he took felt heavy as he considered what might come next.

Fowl looked at Tanila, who sat in her seat, staring at the woman’s body on the floor they were preparing to carry off the floor.

“He tried.”

She nodded.

“He did.”

Fowl put a hand on top of hers and squeezed.

“Now what?”

Tanila snorted and shook her head.

“I keep praying. Everything is in the gods hands now.”

Max stood there in the room.

Twice, he had been asked by different workers if he was really going to go ahead and fight Alfred. Both had seemed shocked as they left.

They said he had ten minutes before the next fight.

Weighing his choices, Max went ahead and accepted the weapon mastery upgrade. With an improved weapon mastery ability, Max felt so many more things were possible with every weapon he knew. Assault had been tempting, but without knowing what was coming next, Max wanted to be at his best for this fight and everyone to come.

[Skill Description - Melee Weapon Mastery]

*****

Melee Weapon Mastery - Rare Skill: This skill provides mastery of all melee weapons, even ones not previously learned. Every attack will be more likely to successfully hit the location they are aimed at. Attacks will have a higher chance of critically striking and doing increased damage. Mastery grants an improved understanding of combination attacks. This rank negates defenses through the fourth tier, allowing normal damage to occur from attacks.

*****

Reading that description, Max realized how lucky he was to have acquired this. They were currently fighting in the third tier of monsters. This skill would carry him until they reached level fifty.

A roar of noise from the spectators informed him that they had just found out there would be one more match.

As the walls vibrated, the door to his room opened, and a man walked in. His red robe reminded Max of the advisors who had visited his village, and he fought to suppress the fear that wanted to wash over him.

“Seth Pendal?” the older man asked, he too sported a bald head.

Max nodded.

“I am advisor Unrol and wanted to verify that you understand your decision.”

Max nodded and tried to understand why so many people were visiting him, asking that same question.

The older man sent the two guards away and turned to stare at Max.

The older man’s lips pursed, and every wrinkle he had appeared on his forehead and cheeks.

“I need to go over a few rules then. First, you must understand that your death is expected. No one has ever won against Alfred. I must also caution you–”

“Please stop,” Max said, interrupting the older man, who looked surprised by his actions. “This is a horrible pep talk, and I understand what I am doing. This is a fight to the death. I have signed for it multiple times and understand that. If he chooses to walk away or surrender, I will accept it. If not…”

Unrol seemed surprised as Max stopped talking, waiting to hear how he would reply.

“That is just the thing,” he finally said after a few moments of silence. “In the impossible event you win, killing Alfred would be ill-advised. He comes from a well-off noble family, and they would…”

Unrol glanced around the room, even though it was just him and Max. “I cannot promise your safety afterward if you had the opportunity to allow the boy to live and didn’t. Your previous fight showed you were willing and that the young woman’s own actions caused her demise.”

Max couldn’t believe how the man was talking and how much his face seemed pained at the words he was required to say. “Her family will find no fault with you for ending her life.”

“But if I choose to kill Alfred when I could let him live?”

“It would be a bad thing for months to come for anyone you might call a friend. Even a…” The man swallowed the lump in his throat. “A young dwarven woman currently recovering in a guild hall.”

Max leaped to his feet and moved across the room so fast that the older man held up a hand, looking prepared to cast a spell.

“Are you telling me they are threatening my friends?”

Wincing and making his lips and cheeks dance before answering, Unrol slowly nodded a few times.

“Trust me when I say no one expects you to win. I was only sent here because someone believes you have a chance. Even as small of a chance as it may be, no one wanted to risk the potential fallout if you were not warned and a life that could have been saved was not.”

Crossing his arms, Max felt the rage inside him boiling over.

Taking a few deep breaths, Max let each one out slowly.

“So I have to fight to stay alive, but I cannot fight without fear of killing my opponent. He, however, does not have that handicap at all.”

“Correct,” replied Unrol.

“What do I get if I win and let the boy live?”

Max paused for a moment, considering the opportunity before him.

Ignore them… the boy must be strong and worth consuming. Why else would they offer such a deal?

Quiet! There are other ways to get stronger besides killing everyone. I am too weak to fight against what this family would throw at me. At us… We couldn’t fight B or A rank if they came to kill us.

The voice went silent, not responding, and Max wasn’t sure if it was because it somehow knew Max was right or he just imagining this whole discussion.

Unrol waited, not saying a word but watching Max, believing he was lost in thought instead of having a conversation with himself.

“I’ll ask a favor from the guild one day. Whatever that favor is, regardless of what it is, you will accept it.”

The man winced and started to shake his head.

“If you don’t accept this offer and have a signed contract for me to put in my storage before I am called out on that floor, I will promise you, Alfred will die, and the fallout will be on your head.”

A cough came from the older man, who had initially expected Max to fold under pressure and now realized perhaps this boy might somehow actually win, which would make life difficult for himself and the others.

Nodding, a frown appeared.

“I will have it ready within a minute.”

He turned and moved toward the door and paused. Glancing over his shoulder, Unrol stared at Max. “For your sake, I hope you lose quickly. That boy likes to toy with people and make them suffer.”