Ring Of Scales

"It's funny… Why did you choose me?" I asked the Priyank, digging my elbow into his torso. 

I clicked my tongue as his sword formed a shallow cut on my forearm, but I ignored the stinging sensation.

The only thing I was concerned about was the pileup of wounds.

If the battle continued, I would undoubtedly suffer many wounds, which could hinder my future scuffles. 

But the Ring Of Scales would be more than enough to compensate for the injuries.

With a higher Strength stat, I could overpower the other people.

"It was either you or that red-haired guy over there," Priyank pointed to the crimson-haired man who harassed the djinn alongside me. "It was not only because of your response to the djinn but also your confidence."

"Confidence? Also, it feels weird, getting praise from a lizard who's about to die."

"I ain't dying yet. And yes, confidence. I don't know how to explain it."

I didn't respond. I continued bashing my fists into the lizard's tough scales, trying to shatter them with pure strength. 

While our swords danced, we competed in terms of raw power, testing ourselves and pushing each other to the limit.

It was a type of battle I hadn't had in a while.

In which I felt the intense urge to win, as if it would consume me at any moment.

It was funny.

[Strength has risen by 1.]

As I continued to swing my sword with as much power as I could muster, my body began absorbing such power. 

It was a concept beyond the boundaries of human biology, but in the Desirer's Summit, anything was possible.

The Summit itself was a lender of power… one that allowed a person to harness their abilities to their full potential.

The strongest would become rulers.

The weakest would become slaves.

[Agility has risen by 1.]

It was quite easy to raise stats in the beginning, but as they increased, it became more and more difficult to shatter the thresholds. 

Once one's stats reached the triple digits, even a single upgrade would be exponential.

"Let's end this," Priyank suggested. His eyes contained pure excitement, and he shivered as if savoring the fun. 

I chuckled as I nodded, increasing the intensity of my attacks. As I sliced his shoulder, blood splurted from the wound.

He gritted his teeth, barely managing to deflect my next slash.

With his shoulder injured, it'd be difficult to swing his sword, practically rendering him useless. However, the ambidextrous fucker grabbed the handle of his blade with his left hand, slicing a bit of my hair as he caught me off guard.

"What, did you expect me to enter the Desirer's Summit unprepared?" Priyank questioned, having understood the cause of my change in expression.

"You considered the possibility of losing the ability to swing your sword beforehand? That's some serious dedication."

"That's ripe coming from you," Priyank said. "I'm sure you carried a bag with daggers poking out of it at all times on your planet."

I blushed. It was different for me.

As our battle became increasingly heated, I felt my muscles ache. My physique was built for less strenuous usage. I didn't have the time to train myself prior to entering the tower, either… I thought Stats would make up for my lack of physical strength.

But it seemed I'd have to do it myself.

'Hopefully, the drawback doesn't hinder me in this battle.'

As he rushed forward, his sword in tow, I clapped back, thrusting the tip of my blade at his throat. I felt a jolt of pain, but I ignored it. Uncaring of my condition, I shoved my blade towards his throat.

If I wanted to regain and even surpass the power of my previous life, risks were necessary.

Life was about risk and the reward that came alongside it.

The more the risk, the better the potential reward.

Spelch! 

Crimson dyed my vision, the light vanishing from my pupils. I felt my arm shake. My sword deflected off of something before digging deeper. My face felt hot as if a pot of sizzling oil had been dropped on it.

But it wasn't unbearable.

A shrill scream, followed by the sound of a falling corpse. Yeah, the sound was ingrained into my mind. I hurriedly wiped away the blood from my face before grasping at my stomach. It hurt…

It felt as if my organs had been ripped out.

It felt as if my ears had shut off. A weird beeping sound replayed in my head.

Priyank lay before my eyes, dead.

'But what about his scales?'

I saw an opening at his throat, through which my sword had slid in. It was either a weak spot or an opening created by my blade… I guess I would never know. I released a short sigh, steadying my unstable breath.

That was more dramatic than it was supposed to be.

It was also very short.

'A certain type of confidence, he said. I wonder what that was all about,' I thought, ruffling my hair as I moved on. Yet a little part of me wanted to stay behind. I tore that piece of myself apart, finding my next playmate,

It was one of my first battles after the regression…

Whether I wanted to or not, I'd remember the battle forever. 

[You have gained 3 Coins.]

[Strength has risen by 1.]

[Strength has risen by 1.]

It wasn't enough.

I needed to grow faster. Even though I had just entered the tower, if I wanted to rival the best, I needed to become the best.

I approached Priyank's corpse, grabbing the "Ring Of Scales."

[Name: Ring Of Scales]

[Type: Accessory]

[Grade: D]

[Effects: +2 Strength, +2 Agility]

Sweet. 

Wiping the blood from my sword, I immediately entered another battle, slaughtering two people within seconds. 

Not everyone was as strong as Priyank.

Also, the increase in my stats through the Ring Of Scales made it easier to pierce the defenses of my opponents, as well as follow up with rapid attacks.

Finally, after killing more than 25 people within only a few hours, I encountered my second formidable foe.

Another Descender…

But he was different from Priyank.

Very different.