The door yawned open like a bird spreading its wings, inviting him into a hall.
Leon maintained a cautious expression. He took a measured pace in, eyes lingering on the vaulting roof and everything else.
His steps drummed down the hall.
'Ah, it's like the arena's throne room...'
The flame lamps lip without warning. But Leon couldn't afford for his attention to sway. Because he had already found his target.
Massive pillars stretched from Leon to an altar, where a large orc sat with the poise of a true leader.
Leon gripped the dagger tighter. His eyes flashed to the blazing lamps. "I see. The orc must have ignited them. Now, I'm surprised an E-rank creature could be a Caster."
If he was right, then the orc's unique ability was...
"... Flame magic," Leon mumbled, his tone revealing an unexpected certainty.
Without notice, the fiend descended the altar. Causing Leon to pause; flames coiled around its spiked mace.
He affirmed, "A Flame Caster it is." Lowering his gaze, he ordered, "Open the store."
Leon had only just discovered
The window popped up...
"Can I get an item that is able to repel flames?"
[Store
Rank: Trainee
Available: 1
Ashen Cloak: This is a cloak layered with volcanic rock dust. It converts flames into harmless smoke, dissipating them into the air.
Price: 400 EXP.]
"So close. Purchase..."
SWOOSH!
"Wh—" he gaped, his widened eyes shooting forward.
The orc's shadow loomed over him out of nowhere. In the next second, it drove the mace into Leon's abdomen. Leon spat out blood. The attack sent him flying in the backward direction. Mid-air, a grey cloak wrapped itself around him.
He dropped to the floor with a faint thud.
"Argh..." Leon winced. In spite of tightening ribs, he jumped back to his feet. But his eyes widened even more... The orc had disappeared from in front of him.
Pouce...
"Uh?" His heart pounded.
As he turned his eyes, the monster's sight met him. Its weapon descended towards Leon's skull.
"Ey...!"
Shift. Shift. That was what his mind told him. Leon gritted his teeth, finally shifting...
The maze jabbed into his shoulder immediately. The spikes pierced his flesh.
Blood sprinkled out.
"Kh-" Looking at his shoulder as if he saw a phantom, Leon hissed amidst clenched teeth. Regardless, the orc punched his abdomen with a force that seemed to shatter his ribs. His body rolled on the concrete floor several times before gaining momentum.
This wasn't a moment to nurture a wound like a child - Leon told himself to get up.
He grunted, his hand pressing down on his shoulder wound. Amplifying the terror even more, the panel displayed that.
[Energy: 40/100.]
Leon clenched his jaw. "Damn it! Give me the liquor..."
As soon as the jar arrived, he uncorked it and gulped it down. Then, glittering yellow light danced atop the wound. The injury closed in a heartbeat.
[Energy restored!]
The beast approaching, Leon muttered, "Must be pleasing to be able to land those attacks. Just know I'm jealous, you bastard!"
The air thickened as the orc charged towards him. Leon's glance flashed around until he saw a dead chandelier on the roof. The four pillars around him held the chains that were hooked to it.
'There must be a way...' In a flash, he hid behind one of the pillars. He swallowed as he awaited the orc to come for him.
WHAM!
A fireball shattered the pillar, the sound almost deafening Leon...
"Ah-kh!" he yelped, his body jerking backwards. But he regained his balance immediately, hiding behind another pillar.
'Once I tempt the bastard to shatter all the pillars, then the chandelier will descend on it with ease!'
SNARL!
Upon inching close to Leon, the monster swung its mace forward. Leon clenched his jaw, brazing himself for what was to...
That pillar shattered as well. Debris sliced across his face. It stung, and Leon winced.
Regardless, he headed for the third pillar. But without warning, the orc blurred from his back. It appeared in front of him in the next second.
Leon came to an abrupt halt. He clenched his jaw. 'It caught on my plan... Damn it!'
SWOOSH! The monster closed in on him.
He clenched his dagger with a firm grip, closing in as well. "Bring it on!" The moment he lunged forward, the beast sidestepped it. Then, it lifted him by his collar, flinging him towards the distant altar. As though he were a piece of paper.
CRASH!
"GAH!" Leon cried out. The brick altar shattered as his back slammed against it. Blood gushed from his mouth.
[Energy: 50/100.]
Something threatened to rip his skin off from the back region. Leon hissed and panted hard. He could have sworn he had broken a backbone.
Pain burned up his spine. He clenched his fist, trying to suppress it. The scent of dust and metal surrounded him.
Nonetheless, the orc strode towards him. A disturbing sound echoed in the hall non-stop as the beast dragged its maul over the floor.
Leon let out a series of sighs.
"Despite the varying number of E-rank fiends I fought in the Log Arena, I'm still no match for an E-rank boss. Argh..." he looked up at the vaulting ceilings, "... I was in this same position when I encountered the Chrono Wolf."
His heart pounded with a weak rhythm. At an unexpected moment, a fireball slammed into his chest. But that was all there was to it. Leon didn't even react; the cloak dispersed the flames into helpless smoke.
The orc's brows creased in the distance.
After descending the altar, Leon limped forward. He sighed, "Good thing I wasn't that confident in myself from the outset. Otherwise, I would have felt let down for not matching the boss monster's skills and experience!"
The air flowed in a continuous manner. Both of them closed the distance. Ten metres apart to eight... then seven...
Leon limped on, every step driven by frustration. He let out a bitter chuckle, "In the end, I never was strong. Run. Think. Exploit. That's all I have. God... I hate this."
It came to his mind - defeating the fiend wasn't what the system had tasked him with. The main goal was to get its Genesis Orb instead.
Leon chuckled. "It's even obvious which class I would end up awakening."
Four metres. Three.
He gripped his dagger tighter.
A cheap victory. That's all he had always resorted to.
Two metres.
PHROOM!
The orc's mace tore the air over Leon as he dodged. In the next second, he switched positions. His eyes locked on its chest. His lips parted, ready to give out his final command.
"Activate Freeze!"
...
Embers thickened in the air. Flames solidified. Existence dragged like a tortoise, moving at a slow pace. The orc froze in place, which was the most critical sight. Leon's brows creased with frankness.
'Once I get the pill, the quest will be over!' Amidst a rushed movement, he shouted, "Blink Dash!"
Azure light coiled over him like thunder alive with fury. At this rate, he didn't even move. Instead, he had blurred close to the orc.
In an instant, Leon lunged forward. But... the monster unexpectedly sidestepped it!
Leon's jaw dropped, his eyes widening. 'It can move within this time freeze?! What the hell!'
Then, with a frustration-driven scream, Leon lunged again. The monster seemed to attempt the same thing... but it was too late. Leon drove his dagger into its chest.
STAB! SPLASH!
Thick blood splashed on his face, as hot as magma that matched his turmoil. He knew it—without the cheats of an ability he had, he wouldn't be able to survive. Could he even call himself a fighter at this point?
"I fucking hate myself right now!" he yelled, pushing the dagger deeper into the monster.
...
CRASH!
Pulling the weapon out, the orc's body crashed to the floor, showing no signs of life. A cloud of dust thickened in the air. His chest tightening, Leon pulled over to its top. He dug his hand into its chest.
His saliva thickened.
Then, at that moment, something with a slippery texture rubbed against his palm. Leon could feel strange thrills surging through his arm.
'I found it...'
***
A few seconds later, the system screen appeared before Leon.
[Side-quest: Completed.]
[Give the Genesis Orb a firm grasp for a few seconds.]
Leon raised his brows. He sighed, following the instructions given to him. With time, the orange circular orb started to glow. Its light became brighter with every passing second...
TWISH!
Fiery orange coils of energy burst from the orb, wrapping around him like snakes. The glow brightened until it engulfed everything in its surroundings.
A numb feeling washed over Leon. His head turned upwards, eyes glowing yellow. A powerful wind roared through the space, billowing his clothes and hair.
Deep inside, Leon knew the class he would awaken already. Only a fool wouldn't at this point.
... Then, the coils of energy dispersed into the air. Yet, Leon's eyes continued to glow.
He glanced at the screen.
His brows creased. "It would be a Caster, like the dead orc..."
He stared more.
[...]
[Congratulations, you have awakened a class!]
[You now belong to the class of... Strikers!]
"No...? That can't be right."