10. The Final Challenge

Soon Zeik came out on a narrow bridge like a stone walkway. There was only about 4 feet from edge to edge and both dropped off endlessly into darkness. Zeik looked up to see above him on both sides the crowd was now in stands high above. In the center above a huge open passage sat the same king like area that was back in the coliseum. "Welcome! To the final challenge!" The booming voice rattled the air before cheers and screams rang out from either side. " Young Ezekiel, I want to commend you for making it this far already. For your final task you must get through the door below me." Anbak grinned wickedly, sending a shiver down everyone's backs. Zeik lifted his chin ready for anything. He pulled his scythe from his back spinning it in a deadly arch.

Anbak clapped and the challenge started. The ground beneath his feet rumbled as suddenly thousands of undead crammed down the walkway towards him. Gasping at the sight Zeik shot a glare up at Anbak before he thought of a way to do this. "Guess I get to see what all out looks like now huh? I won't be able to do this for long so I'm gonna have to be as quick as I can be." Grinning like a mad man Zeik started to shift quickly.

His height grew to about six feet tall as jet black fur sprouted from his body. His muscles bulged and bones shifted his legs bowing more canine like. His head shifted to that of a ferocious wolf while he stood on two legs like the half man beast he was. His arms from the elbows down grew black scales while long sharp claws grew from his fingers. His vest and boots had shifted to accommodate his change in anatomy as his tattered pants barely held together ripping into little more than shorts. Gripping his scythe he got his boots ready to activate as he took off like a meteor. The air broke around him in a stream as his feet cracked the ground with every step. He launched himself up and over the first dozen undead before he kicked off using his first air step. He jumped to the right straight out over the open darkness like he was bout to commit suicide. A whole group of undead about 30 or so fell straight off the path and into the void. Using his immense strength he kicked off again glancing at his Mana bar. "Shit almost a quarter gone already I have to go faster!"

He launched himself over top of the crowd of undead again and he came down swinging in a fast violent arc. He cleaved straight through around 15 undead before landing in a roll. Just as 10 seconds passed he leapt again straight over the crowd. He was about halfway to the door now and his Mana had burned to about 45% full. Cursing he quickly kicked off in rapid succession using all 6 of his air steps in a burst. He shot off through the air clearing the crowd of zombies and his Mana bar ticked closer and closer to empty. He was only about 50 feet away when he came down in another violent arc. He took out a group of 3 huge undead before landing. "I got about 15% left, like 7 seconds shit!" He couldn't waste anymore time. Roaring he charged straight through like a maniac cleaving anything in his path out of the way. Just as his Mana hit 1% everything deactivated but his werewolf transformation, seeing as that was the only thing that didn't require his Mana to function. However as it all ended he'd taken the last mighty step through the doorway and everything behind him froze and no more appeared from the darkness he'd pierced.

Suddenly, with a poof, the undead from the path disappeared, and everyone was shocked to see Zeik shift back into his human form. He fell to his knees in complete exhaustion before the crowd roared in absolute madness. In all the time the inheritance ground had been here only 9 people had ever completed all 3 stages and this boy had just become the 10th. Maya was clapping and whistling, unable to help herself. "He actually fucking did it. His unorthodox method on the last stage, his steady head that kept him from losing himself in the maze, and his rough battle prowess. I can't wait to see what his future holds. Looks like it's finally time for me to leave." She smiled brightly before turning into a bright red ball of light and zooming down toward Zeik before disappearing into the ground at his feet. Everyone wondered at it but none more than Anbak, 'no she wouldn't dare. She knows I can't stop it if she enters that! Damnit,' he thought angrily in his head, barely able to control his absolute rage. This little brat had just cost him an entire lifetime in a sense. He'd just completed an inheritance which means more rewards, not to mention the girl he'd won earlier, and now even his own daughter? Damn this brat. Putting on a fake smile his booming voice shouted," This is a most wonderful day! Congratulations! I present to you our 10th champion!" The crowd lost their minds screaming and howling in excitement. Never in most of their lives had they ever seen a champion who completed all 3 of the challenges. Anbak angrily flicked his hand with his fake smile still plastered on as he said,'' your reward young master."

The same type of black box floated up from Zeiks feet but this one was almost twice the size. His eyes popping he eagerly went to open it but Anbak stopped him. "Uh uh uh. Not in here young champion. First your friend will be waiting for you at the place where you are about to be sent. Secondly your rewards can not be opened here for if you do some of them will be stuck and bound to these grounds. Lastly," here he paused and a hint of pain showed through his otherwise plastered smile," please, take care of her." Before Zeik could piece together anything, ask any questions, or even comment on what the demon dog man had said a bright gold light blinded him before he felt something like a hook around his spine. Suddenly his feet slammed into hard ground and a huge black trunk like box crashed down beside him. To his left he felt another body fall right beside him before he blacked out as his head collided with stone.