Kale entered the battlefield already crippled, missing his right leg. The stump where his leg had been was bound tightly, yet blood still soaked through the bandages. He leaned heavily on his crutch but wielded Nandaki with his other hand. The eerie glow of Sage's Eyes illuminated his gaze, reading the battlefield in an instant. The ground was littered with fallen bodies, all teleported out of the trial, but the real challenge still lay ahead—an army of players who stood united, and a priest who somehow kept them going.
"Is that all?" Kale spat, his voice cold, taunting the remaining fighters. "You think a missing leg makes this easy for you?"
No one moved. They knew what kind of opponent they faced—someone who was more than just a climber of the Tower. Kale had experience, the kind you earned only through war. But their hesitation didn't last long. A spear-wielding warrior, unable to bear the tension, lunged forward, aiming for Kale's chest.
In an instant, Sage's Eyes revealed the attack before it happened. Kale's body moved almost on its own, his crutch dropping as he shifted his weight. His remaining leg pushed him to the side, the spear narrowly missing. In the same motion, he swung Nandaki, slicing through the warrior's defenses. The man let out a sharp cry before the system teleported him away.
"Pathetic," Kale muttered. His sword hand shook slightly from exhaustion, but his grip remained firm. He knew his limits were close, but Sage's Eyes kept him one step ahead.
The others reacted quickly, sensing their opening. Three fighters rushed him at once, their coordination tight. A rogue dashed in from his blind spot while a warrior charged head-on, and a mage began chanting from behind them. Kale's eyes flickered as he predicted their movements. Nandaki gleamed as it moved through the air, cutting through armor and flesh. The rogue's strike missed entirely, and Kale countered with brutal efficiency, taking him out.
But even as he cut down the rogue, the warrior's sword came crashing toward him. Kale parried it with Nandaki, though the impact sent a jolt of pain through his arm. The mage's spell—a flaming orb—hurtled toward him from behind, forcing Kale to roll awkwardly to his left, using his one leg to push off the ground. His body screamed in protest, but he endured.
"You'll have to do better than that," Kale growled through gritted teeth, rising to his feet once more.
They were all thinking it. No matter how many times they attacked, how many angles they tried, he wouldn't fall. Even with a missing leg, he remained untouchable. But as the battle dragged on, Kale knew something wasn't right. His enemies—unlike him—weren't tiring. His stamina dwindled, his strikes slowing, while they kept coming, fresh and relentless.
And then he saw it—the priest in the back, hidden among the crowd. A faint glow surrounded the fighters, and Kale understood. The priest had somehow survived, providing healing and stamina boosts. It was no wonder they hadn't exhausted themselves like him.
"Figures," Kale spat, wiping blood from his lip. His Sage's Eyes locked onto the priest, and in that moment, a singular goal crystallized in his mind: he had to eliminate the healer, or he wouldn't last much longer.
With a roar, Kale charged. The crowd of enemies surged to block him, but Sage's Eyes guided him through their defenses. He moved like a ghost, avoiding swords and spears by the thinnest of margins. Nandaki swung wide, slicing through an opponent's chest, but he didn't slow down.
Each step sent waves of pain through his body as his crutch dug into the earth, pushing him forward with a brutal determination. His vision blurred from fatigue, but the priest was within reach now. Just a few more steps.
Then it happened. A colossal warrior with a hammer appeared from the side, too fast for Kale to react. The hammer struck him across the back with a sickening crunch, sending him sprawling. Kale gasped, feeling ribs crack under the force. He tried to rise, but a glint of steel caught his eye—a sword already coming down toward him. With only moments to spare, Kale raised Nandaki to block, but it wasn't enough. The blade sliced through his forearm.
His hand severed cleanly, his sword clattering to the ground.
Pain exploded through him, but Kale refused to scream. Blood gushed from the stump where his hand had been, yet his gaze remained fixed on the priest. He forced himself back to his feet, stumbling as his balance wavered.
"You think... this is over?" Kale growled, his voice a hoarse whisper, his breath ragged from the pain.
He bent down, grasping Nandaki with his remaining hand. "I don't need two hands to beat you. One's more than enough."
The cold defiance in his voice froze his enemies for a split second, just long enough for him to act. With a roar, Kale charged again, his eyes blazing with fury. He swung Nandaki in wide arcs, cutting down anyone who dared get in his way. Every step was agony, his body failing him, but he pressed on.
Blood ran freely from his side and arm, but the fire in his eyes had only grown fiercer.
The priest's eyes widened in terror as Kale approached. Desperation flickered in the remaining fighters as they tried to shield the healer, but Kale was unstoppable. With Sage's Eyes, he predicted their every move, sidestepping, dodging, and countering with brutal precision.
He was almost there. The priest cowered, hands raised in a last-ditch spell, but Kale wouldn't allow it. With a final burst of strength, he raised Nandaki.
"Looks like... I've got one more shot," Kale muttered, his voice low but clear. "And I'm not missing."
The sword came down, cleaving through the priest's shield with a crack. The healer crumpled, teleporting out in defeat. The healing aura vanished, and for the first time, the battlefield fell eerily silent.
But Kale didn't stop. He turned to the remaining fighters, his vision dimming, but his spirit undeterred. His breath came in ragged gasps, and his grip on Nandaki faltered, but he still stood tall.
"You wanted a fight?" he snarled, blood dripping from his wounds. "Come and get it."
His voice was sharp, daring them to strike, yet they hesitated. Even missing a leg and a hand, Kale was still standing. Every breath was a struggle, every movement a test of will, but he refused to fall. The ground beneath him was slick with his own blood, but he steadied himself.
"I'll stand... until the last of you falls," Kale declared through gritted teeth, more to himself than to his enemies.
The remaining fighters charged, knowing it was now or never. Kale grinned through the pain, raising Nandaki for one final stand.
"Even if you break me..." Kale whispered to himself, planting the sword into the ground to hold himself up. "I'll break you first."