A Slow Road to Recovery. (90)

Recovery was painfully slow, with my progress dwindling from 76% to a snail's pace of 1% in the span of 30 minutes.

After several rounds of treatments, Sesaelia gazed into my unblinking eyes, her astonishment evident. She then nodded understandingly and tugged on a metal cord hanging from the ceiling.

The sound of metal clanging was punctuated by muffled chuckles.

I suspected there was a door behind me, and a gentle breeze brushed the back of my neck as silk clothing rustled, eventually falling to the floor. The bed groaned slightly under the weight of two strikingly beautiful nurses.

"General," one of them purred, blowing softly on my earlobe before teasingly nibbling it.

Stroking my shoulder, the other newcomer giggled. Her sharp nails traced over my collarbone before settling on my stomach, tantalizingly close to my navel.

"You seem to have more energy than injuries."

---

Once I was finally able to move, I gave the nurses a lesson they wouldn't soon forget, lasting for a couple of hours with nearly boundless endurance.

Tossing a sheet over their exhausted bodies, I donned a loose robe and made my way through the wooden door.

[The automatic assimilation of energy from High-grade Spiritual Stones has begun.

Participant 137 used an automatic absorption card, with 7 pieces remaining.]

The corridor appeared deserted, resembling the branches of a vast, eerie mansion, yet the poor sound insulation vividly contradicted the appearance.

Approaching a large glass window, I gazed at the glittering signs of various establishments in the Western Territory of the Third Level.

These "sanitariums," as I preferred to dub them, offered a broad spectrum of services, some more perverse than others.

For instance, the lowest-rated hospitals allowed fighters to enact their most brutal fantasies, often with innocent employees serving as unwitting victims. There were even establishments where creatures and animals, especially the perverted ones, devoured their partners alive during the act itself; the blood and flesh of the nurses supposedly had a beneficial effect on the fighters' strength.

However, I knew Gena wouldn't have brought me to such a place. The sanitarium boasted a decidedly average rating but offered premium services. Mutilating Sesaelia, used for double cultivation of dark forces, was strictly forbidden.

Born into servitude, these creatures had little choice. They served as raw materials for elixirs or as healers for ungrateful fighters. Such practices were the only means of preserving their race's population. As pitiful as it sounded, there was little I could do to counteract the greed of millions of creatures.

I scratched my neck, gazing up at the cloudless sky.

It was time to wrap things up on the Second Level.

Arriving at a spring, I washed away the lingering sensations. The water carried a faint scent of mint, and the smooth, warm stones I leaned on were incredibly soothing. Shaking the water droplets from the ends of my hair, I tied them back with a black ribbon and opted for silver attire.

[Energy fully absorbed; all parameters increased by 200 points.]

The automatic absorption card had consumed 30% of my energy, a reasonable price for the significant boost it provided.

Leaving a message for Gena, I set out for the Waiting Area. It was time to confront the Bosses, and I intended to do so on the same day. With only three days remaining before I'd be thrust onto the Battlefield according to the Arena's Rules, I needed to break the monotonous routine and gain an edge.

Adjusting the hem of my tunic, I gazed at the open portal amid the towering skyscrapers. The higher skeletons still exerted their invisible authority over the frenetic crowd, everyone hurrying yet maintaining the double formation with unwavering discipline.

The Fourth Floor of the Second Level unfolded before me like a daunting challenge.

As I strode onto the metallic terrain, I engaged the General's Armor, feeling its empowering embrace, and made a beeline for the formidable beast known as the Heaven Destroyer.

With an earth-shattering bellow, the creature flung its massive golden hammer to the ground, creating tremors that resonated throughout the batterfield.

Poisonous arrows found their mark in its throat, yet they failed to penetrate deeply enough. Nevertheless, the brief exposure to the toxin began to impair the coordination of the Boss, making it unable to evade my Spiritual Weapon. As I drove my blade into its sinewy mass, it got wedged amidst the expanding muscles.

I deftly withdrew my weapon just in time to evade a thunderous punch, nimbly perching upon the handle of the colossal axe lodged in the ground. The monster lunged toward me, but I propelled myself away with a powerful push from my shoe, landing squarely before the seven-meter-tall behemoth.

"GRAAAH!"

The resulting sonic wave threw me off balance, and though General's Armor protected me from the worst of it, the sensation of countless invisible needles pricking at my skin was unnerving.

[Participant 137 is attacked by the enemy, the new Boss skill, the Fel Eater, is functioning at optimal speed. Damage sustained: 20 points, out of 46,100.]

With a flick of my wrist, I utilized Shadow Steps, positioning myself behind the hulking creature. I managed to plunge my sword into its back, targeting the heart area. The Boss emitted a guttural growl, sidestepping and dragging me along.

Engaging in close combat, we exchanged brutal blows. His hulking frame soon bore the telltale signs of our fierce encounter, covered in scrapes and gashes, while I, too, had my fair share of injuries.

[Participant 137 is attacked by the enemy, sustaining 50 points of damage.]

The enigmatic hammer possessed an uncanny ability to draw me toward it with each swing. I braced myself against the unforgiving metal surface and unleashed a flurry of Poisonous Arrows. They passed through the Boss's afterimage, and he materialized before me, his gaping maw a deadly threat.

A vicious hammer strike sent me hurtling three meters through the air, my back impacting a hard, unyielding surface.

[Participant 137 is attacked by an enemy. The damage is 120 points.]

Gritting my teeth, I tasted the acrid tang of blood as I staggered to my feet, just in time to intercept the charging hammer with my sword. The clashing of metal set the audience roaring with encouragement.

"Kai Theron is attempting to regain control of the battle. Can he withstand the next onslaught from the Boss? I can already sense the tremors rippling through the arena!"

The batterfield swayed as if on the brink of collapse, and for a moment, I felt as if I might be thrown off my feet. Only a sharp spike in the Boss's strength kept me alert and upright.

With a final, resounding exhalation, the Heaven Destroyer collapsed onto his belly, choking on a viscous black ichor. Sinister white maggots wriggled out from beneath his massive form, their sharp fangs sinking into his still-warm flesh.

And then, slowly, the Heaven Destroyer began to disintegrate into dark, dissipating flakes.

The injection had taken its time, a full 18 minutes.

Dabbing at the corners of my mouth with a silk handkerchief, I entered the open portal, the hushed arena suddenly erupting with resounding praise.

"KAI THERON..."

---

The Fifth Floor of the Second Level presented a peculiar and exceedingly perilous challenge to novices.

A colossal, ancient tree-like entity stood before me, its vibrant leaves swaying in an eerie rhythm. In the center of its gnarled trunk, two narrow, predatory pupils gleamed.

I already wore a mask beneath my helmet, safeguarding me against the minuscule pore-parasites that threatened the exposed parts of my skin. Oval mushroom heads hovered around me, attempting to reach vulnerable patches of flesh.

In response, the Shield of Light activated, cocooning me in a protective barrier, thwarting the complete invasion from the outside world.

The ancient tree stirred, its colossal limbs, resembling massive arms, descended from the canopy above and crashed onto the battlefield. I maintained my deliberate advance towards the formidable Boss, each step measured and calculated.

As the parasitic pores transformed into full-fledged Lords of the Forest, their humanoid forms emerged, characterized by robust legs extending from narrow waists. Their pollen-laden palms pressed against the shimmering surface of my protective shield. I nimbly maneuvered onto the outstretched hand of the Corpse Eater before springing towards its luminous, predatory eyes.

My sword struck the tree with a visceral, slurping sound, eliciting a haunting moan from the depths of the monstrous creature. The metallic soil released potent, elongated roots that took up defensive positions.

Twisting the blade within the wound, I winced at the pained response from the monstrous tree. On one close call, I nearly lost my leg; a drop of pollen landed on my skin, sprouting leaves and corroding flesh and blood. Had I not acted swiftly, I could have transformed into a walking bush in a matter of hours.

Swiftly, I withdrew my Spiritual Weapon and deftly parried the onslaught of two or three roots before pouring the contents of a black vial into the Corpse Eater's ravenous maw.

The gurgling transformed into a heart-rending scream, and soon the entire defensive network of roots and shadowy silhouettes began to wither away.

This floor had always been a place for contemplation, where I could devise more intricate methods of torment for my adversaries.

"AND AGAIN KAI THERON WINS!"

"Kai Theran, number 6,541, has completed the Second Level. You are now proceeding to the Crossroads of the Third Level."

It was the moment I had been eagerly anticipating.

Retracting the General's Armor, I found myself in a cramped chamber, barely an inch of free space to spare.

"Are they trying to suffocate us for lack of air or something? Why do all these creatures and beasts cram in and when the trial begins?"

"Why don't we get started?"

Before the creature could finish its sentence, the chamber expanded in all directions.

From the ceiling, entire bundles of Spiritual Stones cascaded down upon each petrified being.

"Protection is the way out, but battling will strip everything away from you," a disembodied voice declared.

Simultaneously, the walls of our cell shot upwards, revealing the limbs and bodies of other creatures. Three new territories sprawled ahead, each teeming with beings exhausted from their wait.

"HEY, LOOK, THEY HAVE STONES!" someone shouted from the fringes of the crowd.

Everyone surged forward, desperately grasping for the coveted stones. Their faces bore a veneer of otherworldly cruelty and desperation. No one knew when the bell would toll, signaling the end of the trial.

In the end, it was a test of the poor against the rich, pitting three modest cells against one opulent one.

How fortuitous for me.

The Spiritual Stones adorned my arm, heavy with potential.

Yet, there was a twist.

Shrouded within the folds of my invisibility cloak, I enshrouded both my physical form and my aura with the thick, otherworldly matter. It provided an impenetrable veil, rendering me invisible to the hundreds of creatures approaching in an ominous wave.

"Which asshole collected all the stones?" the beast with round horns grumbled.

"Even I can't sense the energy anymore. Who could it be?" the dwarf, perched atop a mound of torn corpses, inquired while clutching his staff.

"Heh. No need to play detective. It's better to fight to the last breath, until only one remains," reasoned the giant with a bronze shield adorned with razor-sharp edges, smeared with purple flesh.

"Then I'll start." The young beast with round earrings dangling from triangular ears grinned, tossing the Spirit Stones into the air and catching them once more.