The gladiator's crimson eyes locked onto me, their glow radiating raw menace. His sword was a slab of metal, heavy enough to cleave boulders, and the air around him crackled with suppressed violence. Every instinct screamed at me to move carefully.
And then—
\[New quest generated]
\[Defeat the summon]
\[Reward: All of your skills will level up]
\[Time limit: None]
A grin spread across my face. "Oh, that's more like it."
I tightened my grip on my blade, my body tensing like a drawn bow. The summon raised his broadsword in silent challenge, and I lunged forward.
The first clash rattled through my bones. His strike was a hammer, crushing down with weight that nearly forced me to my knees. Sparks scattered as our blades met, steel ringing like a bell. I gritted my teeth, twisting to deflect the blow, only to feel the ground shake as his sword carved a crater into the earth beside me.
"Strong," I muttered, leaping back, "but not unstoppable."
He didn't speak. His silence was worse than any taunt—an endless, faceless wall of killing intent.
The gladiator swung again, a horizontal sweep that could have cut me in half. I ducked, rolling forward, and countered with **Moon Slash**. Silver energy arced from my blade, cutting through the air like a crescent moon.
The gladiator raised his sword, blocking the slash as if it were nothing. The impact shook him, but he didn't falter. He pushed forward, swinging again, faster than his size should have allowed.
I triggered Dimensional Veil, my form blurring as the strike passed through where I'd been. Reappearing behind him, I slashed at his back—only for his cape to whip around, blocking my blade as if it had a life of its own. The backlash sent me stumbling.
"Tch. Tougher than I thought."
He pressed the attack relentlessly, each swing a storm meant to crush me. I dodged, blocked, and countered where I could, but every mistake left my arms trembling, my body bruised. Sweat beaded on my forehead.
*I can't outlast him. I have to outplay him.*
I steadied my breathing, summoning lightning to my fingertips. Blue sparks danced along my arm, surging into my blade.
"Let's see how you handle this."
I activated Arc Discharge. The blade howled with electricity as I swung, releasing a torrent of lightning that streaked toward him.
The gladiator raised his sword like a tower shield. The current exploded against the metal, filling the air with light and ozone. His armor smoked, but when the sparks faded, he still stood—knees bent, sword braced, like a wall refusing to crumble.
"Unbelievable."
I dashed forward, chaining lightning through my legs for speed. The distance closed in a blink. I feinted left, then slashed right, my sword glowing with residual sparks. He caught it on the flat of his broadsword, twisting with brutal precision. The counterstrike nearly tore the weapon from my hands.
Pain shot up my arm. I bit down hard. "Not… yet."
I needed to gamble.
"Perfect Poker," I whispered.
The system pulsed, cards of fate shuffling in my mind. Probability twisted, outcomes weighed themselves. I forced the skill to activate alongside my instincts. The next strike—yes, I could *just* avoid it.
The gladiator's sword fell like a guillotine. I sidestepped with pinpoint precision, the edge brushing my hair as it carved the ground open. Using the momentum, I spun and drove my blade into a gap in his armor.
The strike landed—metal screamed, sparks burst. The gladiator staggered.
But only for a heartbeat.
His gauntleted fist slammed into my chest like a battering ram. Air burst from my lungs. I flew back, crashing hard into the grass, vision swimming. My ribs burned. My sword slipped from my grip.
"Damn… it…" I wheezed, coughing blood.
The gladiator advanced, steps heavy, relentless, like an executioner closing in for the kill.
I forced myself up, body trembling. "Not yet… I'm not done yet!"
Mana surged wildly through me. I grabbed my sword and let the skills overlap—Dimensional Veil to slip through his strike, Arc Discharge to electrify the blade, Moon Slash for a cutting edge, and Perfect Poker guiding my timing.
The world slowed. Every movement became sharp, every breath measured.
I dashed forward, vanishing as his sword descended. The veil pulled me past him. Lightning surged, silver light arced, probability tilted in my favor—
And my blade pierced through the gap beneath his helm.
A blinding flash exploded. Energy ripped outward, a shockwave tearing through the golden grassland. I was hurled back again, my body rolling across the earth. My ears rang, and my arm throbbed from the impact.
When the dust settled, the gladiator stood motionless. His broadsword fell from his grasp with a thunderous clang. Then, slowly, he collapsed, his armored body disintegrating into glowing fragments that scattered into the air.
The silence that followed was deafening.
I lay on the ground for a long moment, chest heaving. I was almost out of mana. Every muscle screamed, my lungs burned, and my arms shook violently. But as I looked at the fading fragments, a laugh slipped from me—raw, broken, but victorious.
"I… I actually won."
\[Quest completed]
\[You have defeated the summon]
\[Your skills have leveled up]
The system's notification rang clear. Relief flooded me. My lips curved into a faint smile.
"That… was the hardest fight I've ever had," I whispered. "And somehow… I survived."
When I finally dragged myself to my feet, I saw her.
Sylandra stood a short distance away, emerald hair glinting like polished jewels, golden eyes fixed on me. She looked radiant, framed by the fading light of the battlefield.
Her lips curled into a smile. "Looks like you aren't just all talk, pretty boy."
I managed a breathless chuckle, brushing dirt from my uniform. "Told you… I could back it up."