"Haah...haah..." Austin was...tired.
Sweat and blood poured from different sides of his body. He has been fighting for the past hour and has dispatched more than a hundred ninjas.
He received over a hundred points. However, the problem was that with each wave, the points were getting lesser.
Like now, each ninja gets him only 0.4 points, which means he needs five of them to gain two points.
He still had five hours before the System would forcibly throw him out; however, as of now, he couldn't think straight to fight anymore.
His hands were trembling, and his vision was hazy.
If not for the temporary resting point he purchased for five points, he might have returned by now.
"System...show me my stats ..."
He could feel he had become sharper and stronger by now, however, how much, he had no idea.
[Combat: 32.5/100]
{Next reward at 40}
[Romance: 42/100]
{Next reward at 60}
[Durability: 44/100]
{Next reward at 60}
[Trickery: 21/100]
{Next reward at 35}
[Overall Progression: 31.1/100]
[Next Reward at 50]
...
His combat and durability have gone up in just an hour...crazy.
Although training with Valerie and Sebastian was beneficial, their fondness towards him restricts them from actually going a little harsh on him. So this experience, where his opponents were coming at him with the intention to kill him was quite good for a change.
But the question arises whether he should proceed or retreat?
'Can I really defeat that guy?' After defeating one hundred and fifty dungeon dwellers, a mid-boss appeared before Austin.
This one was quite intimidating, wearing a red shroud over its face and carrying a long sword.
Austin could tell that the being was quite dangerous....but the points highlighting over its head... were quite tempering.
[Vice Commander Mentis.]
[100 Points.]
That was like defeating two fifty ninjas at once...and that was quite tempting.
'Should I retreat and come back with more preparation?' The thought passed through his mind when suddenly,
[Note: If you leave now and enter the dungeon later, you would need to face one hundred and fifty soldiers first before reaching the Vice-commander.]
"..." So this system doesn't want him to leave, eh?
Austin heaved a sigh. He still had two minutes left before this resting zone would fade away, and he would get attacked by the mid-boss.
"Going back and returning...would result in something similar to how I am feeling right now."
Austin wiped the sweat and blood from his face using the corner of his sleeve. His school uniform was quite dirty by now, but he had more than a dozen hanging in the wardrobe, so no worries there.
Summoning his Shard in his left hand, he squatted on the ground and faintly whispered, 'I know I don't have much Soul Energy left, but until the last breath, stay by my side...' He might have lost a few screws to talk to his Shard, but he felt the real necessity of his Shard's support right now.
Looking at the clock, Austin saw only thirty seconds left.
He clenched his fists and shut his eyes, forcing his racing heart to slow.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
His breathing steadied, his thoughts sharpened, and his senses expanded.
Tick. Tick.
'This is it...'
**BUZZZZ**
Austin shot forward like a bullet, his Shard gleaming as he charged at the towering knight. Every muscle screamed with effort as he raised the blade high, aiming straight for its head.
**WHOOSH**
The knight vanished.
Austin's Shard sliced through nothing but air.
**WHAM**
"Gah!" The blow came from his blind spot, slamming into his ribs like a sledgehammer. His body spun midair before being sent hurtling away.
**SCREECH**
Digging his Shard into the earth, he skidded to a halt, coughing as pain exploded in his side. His gaze snapped up—but the knight was gone again.
*WHOOSH*
"Damn it!" Austin ducked just as a massive sword carved through the space where his neck had been. The air howled with the force of the swing.
He spun while being squatted, and tried to grab the sword by its handle, desperate to gain control.
*CLANG*
Too late. The knight jerked the weapon away, its glowing eyes locking onto Austin as its massive fist rocketed toward him.
**CRACK**
"KHAAK!" The punch hit Austin square in the chest, sending him flying like a ragdoll. Blood burst from his mouth as his back slammed into a jagged rock, the impact knocking the air out of him.
He collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. His body ached, every muscle screaming in pain. His vision blurred, and the knight's heavy footsteps echoed in his ears.
Austin struggled to stand, his knees shaking. Pain burned everywhere, and for the first time, he felt completely overwhelmed.
'It hurts... it hurts so much... I can't take this...'
The knight drew closer, raising its massive sword. The cold steel gleamed, ready to finish him off.
Austin could retreat. One word and this would all be over.
But then Valerie's face filled his mind—her determined smile, her strength...it was like she was whispering, 'I know you can do it.'
Against his thoughts, the knight reached Austin and delivered the final blow.
*CLANG*
The sword came down, but it didn't hit him. A cyan barrier appeared above him, stopping the blade in its tracks.
[Ding!]
[Absolute Barrier is in use!]
Austin's eyes snapped open. His hand shot up and grabbed the blade. His fingers tightened, blood dripping down the edges, but he didn't let go.
"This sword…" Austin growled, his voice low and full of anger. "It's annoying."
His grip tightened, and cracks spread across the blade. The knight jerked back, startled, but Austin didn't give it a chance.
With a roar, Austin charged forward, his fist glowing with raw energy.
**BOOM**
His punch connected with the knight's chest. The force was terrifying. The knight's armor caved in with a deafening crunch, and its body shot backward like a missile, slamming into the ground with an earth-shaking crash.
The ground trembled. Dust filled the air. Austin stood there, his bloodied hand trembling, his eyes burning with fury.
Austin clenched his fist and was about to lunge forward to end this battle when suddenly,
[Congratulations, host, for defeating the Vice-Commander!]
[You have gained: 100 points.]
[Total points: 205]
"..." That knight was ...more feeble than Austin thought....
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A/N:- Thanks for reading.