"Let the fights begin!" the priestess yelled.
The prisoner dashed toward Arthur the moment the match started, clearly looking to waste no time. With controlled movements, Arthur settled into a fighting stance, his gaze locked on his opponent. The prisoner wasn't fast.
"I knew it! This prisoner is weakened!"
When the prisoner closed the distance and threw a punch, Arthur ducked to the side and countered with a powerful knee to the ribs! The move was fast and precise, and when their bodies collided, a sickening crack echoed through the arena. Two of the prisoner's ribs snapped from the blow.
Arthur didn't let up. He immediately followed up with a straight punch to the man's face, crushing the nose. Blood gushed from the prisoner's nostrils, and he growled in pain.
"Bastard! You'll regret this!"
The prisoner grabbed Arthur by the shoulder and lunged forward, trying to sink his teeth into him. He was that vicious—that desperate to win.
Arthur couldn't let the prisoner bite him. Human teeth were powerful, and considering how crazed the man looked, a single bite could easily tear off a chunk of flesh. But how could he dodge? The prisoner was moving fast, jaws snapping as he closed in. There was no time to evade.
Arthur made a split-second decision. He shifted to the side, sacrificing his shoulder to minimize the damage. Teeth sank into flesh, and sharp pain coursed through Arthur's body, but he didn't flinch. He twisted around the prisoner, using the close quarters to slip behind him and lock his hands around the man's throat.
The prisoner thrashed, helpless. He managed to sink his teeth into Arthur's forearm, but Arthur refused to let go. He choked the man relentlessly, squeezing until the prisoner finally went limp.
"You need to kill him," the priestess called out when she saw Arthur hesitate.
The prisoner was unconscious, but to win the fight, Arthur had to snuff out his life. He looked down at the blood spurting from the wound on his forearm and shoulder. He didn't want to do it. Arthur had killed monsters, of course, but killing another human was different. Yet, if he wanted to pass the test, he had no choice.
He gripped the man's neck again and twisted with all his strength. The neck snapped. The prisoner was dead.
[Mission Completed]
[+1 Level]
Arthur was now level 4.
The mission reward was incredible. It hadn't just given him EXP—it had granted him straight levels. If more missions like this came his way, Arthur could skyrocket his power in no time. Once the fight ended, the villagers erupted into cheers and applause. For them, the show was thoroughly entertaining.
Arthur glanced at the old man watching from the sidelines. His expression hadn't changed in the slightest.
The priestess called for another prisoner to face Arthur. This one was Level 6, meaning he was actually weaker than the last opponent. Another mission appeared for Arthur, and the reward was the same: a free level.
"This is too good," he thought. "I hope there are plenty of fights. I could rack up a lot of levels like this."
This prisoner wasn't as fierce as the first one. Having watched the previous fight, the man knew Arthur wasn't an opponent to take lightly. Arthur glanced down at his forearm. A significant amount of blood was still flowing from the wound. It hurt, and it would definitely make the upcoming fights harder.
"I need to endure it."
"Fight!" the priestess yelled.
Unlike the previous bout, neither of them moved immediately. They circled one another, eyes locked, trying to analyze the other's rhythm. Arthur decided to make the first move. With his current wounds, the more time he wasted losing blood, the worse his odds would get. Before engaging, however, he dumped five points into Agility. He felt the power surge through his body again.
He dashed toward the prisoner. This time, his speed was vastly superior, shocking the man, who clearly hadn't expected such explosive acceleration. Arthur closed the distance in a heartbeat and landed a solid punch to the face, then retreated a few steps to avoid any counterattack. He repeated the maneuver. The hit-and-run strategy was proving devastating.
The prisoner lunged at Arthur a few times, but Arthur was simply too fast, dodging the attacks with ease. Eventually, the man snapped.
"Stop running like a coward and face me!" he shouted.
The poor prisoner already had a broken nose and a badly bruised face. Blood gushed from his nostrils and his split eyebrows. He looked a mess.
Arthur laughed. "Why shouldn't I use my advantage to win? Just accept that you're weaker."
The prisoner grit his teeth, then said, "I give up."
However, surrender wasn't an option.
"Continue the fight. You have to fight until death," the priestess stated.
Faced with that harsh reality, the prisoner turned to flee, but the guards caught him and tossed him back into the arena.
There was no way out. Arthur felt a pang of pity at the sheer terror on the prisoner's face. Once again, he would have to kill a human being. But the worst part was how good he felt after receiving the free level from the system. The rush of the reward washed away the guilt almost instantly.
This time, Arthur ended the prisoner's life by crushing his head with a heavy stone that had been tossed into the arena. No one complained, so the move wasn't prohibited.
Arthur was now level 5. His strength was growing by the minute—which was incredible!
More prisoners were sent to face him. One after another—five in total—Arthur cut them down. By the end of it, he had reached level 10. It was a massive leap! He hadn't even needed to use his free stat points yet.
Then, the test took a drastic turn. The old man—a fragment of the Sovereign's soul—stepped forward into the arena. He would be Arthur's final opponent.
"Are you ready to face me, kid?" the Sovereign said.