"Everything is getting interesting," the king smirked with pleasure as he looked around the chaotic arena below.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
His fingers drummed lightly on the throne's armrest, a habitual gesture whenever he felt comfortable, until he stopped for some unknown reason.
He glanced at a muscular goblin and smiled faintly.
"He has already killed plenty of humans. Perhaps my pet still lacks the cruelty needed to break their foolish resolve."
After these words, the king resumed tapping on the armrest of his throne with growing excitement.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Meanwhile, similar scenes were unfolding in another corner of the arena, not far from where the lion beast was wreaking havoc.
The muscular goblin, the very one the king had referred to, gripped his massive steel sword tightly with both hands.
He fixed his piercing gaze on his target, his eyes burning with intensity. That state lasted only a second before he lunged forward, rapidly closing the gap to just three meters.
Without hesitation, he swung his blade in a powerful horizontal arc toward the human in front of him, shouting in exhilaration.
"Go to hell!"
The human was locked in combat with another monster, making it nearly impossible to notice the incoming attack in time.
Moreover, the goblin was incredibly fast. Despite wielding such a massive weapon, the sharp, bloodied edge of the goblin's sword still swiftly approached the human's body, but death wouldn't claim him just yet.
Boom!
A massive explosion suddenly erupted, obliterating everything in its vicinity. Powerful waves of electricity surged outward like a raging thunderstorm, knocking everyone nearby off their feet and sending them tumbling like ragdolls.
For those who were in the center of the blast, death was inevitable.
It was all the king's doing.
As soon as the king finished speaking, the lion underwent a dramatic transformation. The muscles covering its body thickened and hardened, and its wounds healed almost entirely. Not only that, but the creature became even more violent.
Most significantly, it gained the ability to wield thunderous mana, a power it demonstrated by forming a crackling Thunderball in its maw.
The change was so overwhelming that anyone who hadn't been paying attention to the lion beast before was now in grave danger if they failed to remain vigilant.
Of course, only a rare few noticed this transformation.
And naturally, Hector was one of them.
At this moment, Hector was in a surprisingly advantageous state—hidden in plain sight. His body was drenched in pungent blood, surrounded by corpses, making anyone who glanced at him assume he was dead.
In truth, he was deliberately disguising himself as a lifeless body. He had even smeared blood and intestines all over himself to make the ruse convincing.
He was positioned in an area with minimal humans and monsters. When the chaos erupted, he had chosen to hide there.
However, there was one glaring issue—he hadn't killed anyone yet, apart from a short goblin during the initial skirmish.
Lying beneath a pile of corpses, Hector peered out at the ongoing battles around him.
"Damn it! What can I do now?" he thought, narrowing his brows in frustration. "If I rush out and attack blindly, I'll just get myself killed. I don't know a thing about fighting or killing techniques!"
A few seconds passed.
With a sigh, Hector turned his gaze toward the maddened lion beast.
"Before long, that thing will attack this area. It must be the king who activated it," he muttered to himself.
"I need something different, something that will actually work. If I don't figure it out soon, I'm finished with this challenge without any significant achievement."
Lost in thought, Hector remained motionless for what felt like an eternity.
Boom!
A minute passed.
Boom!
…
Boom!
Five enormous, crackling thunderballs erupted from the lion beast, shooting out with devastating force.
The situation was dire.
Countless lives had already been lost, all because of one fatal flaw among both humans and monsters.
That was disunity.
Neither side was willing to cooperate to bring down the lion beast. Though the humans had suggested an alliance, the monsters nearly refused immediately. Only after nearly half their numbers had perished did they grudgingly acknowledge the need for unity.
But even then, it was too late. The delay cost more lives.
Despite their joint offensive, all they achieved were minor gashes and surface wounds. Luckly, amidst these almost of pointless efforts, they uncovered a crucial weakness.
The lion beast could release only one massive thunderball per minute. After discharging it, the creature would be momentarily immobilized, unable to move or channel mana.
Their objective was clear at this point: strike during that vulnerable window.
"Now, everyone! Attack together!" shouted a pale young man, his voice piercing through the battlefield. Without pause, he sprinted toward the monster, intending to bait out another thunderous blast.
"Don't bark orders for me, you damned human!" snarled the muscular goblin, his face twisted in fury as he rushed forward with large speed.
Together, they launched an assault.
However, sensing the threat, the beast began to charge, its deadly groan crackling with volatile energy.
But this time was a bit different.
The moment the creature locked into its casting stance, the pale young man seemingly realized something else, then he quickly bellowed:
"Get back! Scatter!"
Panic spread like wildfire. Fighters charged in all directions, retreating, increasing their chances of survival.
Boom!
Once more, a deafening explosion erupted, rocking the blood-soaked arena. But this time, they had anticipated it.
Though the casualties were still heavy, they avoided what could have been the worst-case scenario. No one was ready to let die with the explosion die.
Then, their scattered will converged into one decision when the time finally came
"Charge!" the pale young man roared, voice laced with fierce determination.
His heart pounded with exhilaration as the lion beast, staggering, began to falter under their combined.
For a fleeting moment, hope surged. Without waiting for commands, warriors surged forward like a crashing wave, adrenaline fueling every step.
They believed this would be the final blow that would end the nightmare here.
"The reward is mine alone!" the pale young man cried, laughing as he lunged, blade pointed directly at the creature's chest.
As he closed within three meters, the beast began to morph.
He froze.
"Shit!" he spat, eyes widening. He turned sharply to flee—but it was already too late.
The creature's body spasmed violently, arcs of energy coursing through its fur. Layer upon layer of thundering mana surged across its outside of built, accompanied by a bone-chilling crackling.
Power kept building until—A blinding flash.
Boom!
A concussive blast tore through the arena, hurling bodies like weightless dolls in the air.
Then, warriors smashed into the walls, crumpling and rolling to the broken floor.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
The shriek of electricity tearing the air lingered, followed by silence.
"Unbelievable..." the pale young man whispered, voice shaking. He stared at the electrified beast, horror etched on his face.
Pain consumed him. His muscles twitched uncontrollably, burnt skin seared by the violent shock. Still, he pushed through the agony, dragging himself upright.
Around him, fighters lay in the ruined arena, groaning, unconscious, or utterly still.
None could rise.
None could fight.
Yet all eyes were drawn to the beast at the center of devastation.
"Huh?"
"Wait...who's that?"
"A human?!"
"Who the hell is he?"
Murmurs of disbelief rippled through the wounded crowd as a lone figure stepped forward.
He charged at the creature, intent sharp and undeniable.
"Damn it... this is my moment!"
The lion beast, though unstable, still towered before him.
And that man was Hector.