Lukas took a steadying breath, preparing to face the dire challenge before him. Four sand lions emerged from the ruins, their eyes gleaming with hunger as they charged.
He had only a few moments to act. Lukas raised his pen and cried, "[][] Spiraling Spear Shot!" A massive spear formed and was launched with incredible speed, skewering the lead lion before it could react.
Its momentum carried it into one of its companions, bringing them both crashing to the ground in a tangled heap. But the other two continued their charge, almost upon Lukas.
At the last moment, he yelled "[][] Shield Bash!" and gushed out Elemental Essence, which transformed into a spinning shield that he slammed into the first lion with all his might. It was hurled back with a painful roar.
But the fourth and final beast was almost upon him. Lukas knew he had no time left for techniques. He braced for impact as the lion pounced. Its claws scraped against the dome of essence, failing to penetrate.
The shield's effect was about to end. He was prepared for such situations and quickly used the single sigils he had drawn today specifically for this purpose.
"Sigils of Burst!" A massive explosion erupted from the shield, propelling the sand lion back into the air with a roar.
Seeing an opportunity, he dashed towards the narrow alley with all his might. The third lion, which had been pushed away with the shield, had already recovered and chased him.
Fortunately, it was a little too slow, as Lukas quickly entered narrow paths. Its paws waved and struggled to reach him.
Lukas wasn't stupid enough to just see its reaching out to him. He immediately drew out another amount of elemental energy and formed a spiraling drill towards its face. Before it could react, it pierced through its face.
As the spiraling drill penetrated the final lion's face, a terrifying roar echoed through the narrow alleyway. The drill spun ruthlessly, and the beast's skull began to cave in from the pressure. Blood sprayed out in a gruesome arc, covering Lukas from head to toe in crimson liquid.
As the light in the lion's eyes faded, its roar turned into a gurgling whimper. It collapsed with a vicious wrench.
Lukas began taking deep breaths and wiping the red blood from his face. It was somewhat frightening. He patiently waited for the sigils from the system, but hearing no notification, he realized they were still alive.
He widened his eyes, thinking how that was possible, and started thinking. The lion in front of him was obviously dead, along with the other two which also had two holes in their bodies.
He then realized which one it might be. It might be the fourth lion which he pushed away using the shield and sigil of Burst.
Lukas took a deep breath and spoke. "To think it's still alive after such an impact."
Yes, he had also tried this combo on the training dummy. The impact was high along with the rating from the testing dummy.Lukas realized he couldn't stay any longer. The lion should obviously be hurt. He crawled back to the entrance and, with the dagger he had along with the saber, he pushed the corpse of the lion and got out to gaze at the area.
And, as he expected, the lion was still alive; it was struggling to stand up. Its face was messed up, along with its hind front legs. It was whimpering in pain.
He took some elemental essences, which strangely were the last he had, and made a small spear. He launched it towards the lion and, before it could react, the spear hit its head like an arrow. Before a hole was created, it fell down to the ground dead.
[You have passed the 12th floor. 500 credit points rewarded.]
[Proceed to the next floor?]
Lukas took a deep breath, stretching his hands and back. He had really pulled it off somehow. Luck played a huge role. But isn't luck also part of one's strength, however unreliable it might be? Strength is strength.
He then replied to the question with a big and clear "no." He didn't want to face a similar situation again.
"I bet the next floor has at least seven or more of them," he muttered as the surroundings changed and he found himself back at the entrance of the tower.
The moon was shining brightly. He realized it was already midnight.
As Lukas exited the training tower, he gazed up at the moonlit sky with a tired but satisfied sigh. Though fortune had favored him this time, facing down those dire sand lions had taken its toll. All he wanted now was a hot meal and a soft bed to recover his strength.
Yet as he made his way across the courtyard toward the cadet dormitories, something caught his eye and gave him pause. Other students and trainees were heading in the opposite direction, toward the glow of lights in the distance that marked the city market. Curiosity overcame exhaustion in Lukas's weary bones. What could have drawn such a late-night crowd, he wondered? Against his better judgment, his feet followed theirs down the winding path.
As the market square came into view, Lukas understood at once what spectacle had summoned the students from their rest. It turns out today was the weekly auction.
His interest was immediately piqued. He had around five hundred credit points. He might be able to buy something if he was lucky.
[To be continued...]