Chapter 20 - Arena Run 2, Trolls, Gains
Floor 5: Goblin's Arena
Threat Level: H - F
You have stepped foot in the Goblin's Arena, fight in the arena to win glory, prizes, and wealth, compete with your fellow climbers or against them. This is for sport, Violence and Bloodshed! Shops are available at the goblin's stalls if anything suits you. Be warned for if you attack neutral parties, Guardians will descend upon you.
Are you ready for a more difficult challenge?
The rewards are just as great as the risks.
Remember you have chosen to NOT have a safety net.
If you perish in your fight in the Arena you will Die. Fight for your life, fight for your path, fight to climb!
Greater Danger, Greater Rewards
Steady Path, Steady Rewards
"What choice will it be Climber?"
"Do you want to see what people are betting on that you will take?"
'Now that was an interesting thought, since i'm being watched might as well see what others will choose.' "Go ahead lets see what the watchers think I will do." The voice is quiet for a a few moments, seemingly taken back from my emphasis on watchers. Since I knew systems like these, Towers and more there are always beings watching. The favored from before, systems in place for selection. Other lives seems to have across this faint echoes coming to me. Shaking it off.
"AND THE RESULTS ARE IN..... "
"34% Think you will take the risk, 66% think you will take the steady path!"
"Are you ready to choose?"
Shaking my head slightly, 'Greater danger, better rewards, faster progression. Sounds like the path I need anyways, no reason to waste too much time fighting the masses when I can go toe to toe with something higher rank. Lets get this place done with, we will see what the gains are worth after the fact but this floor really is a stopping point for the low rank climbers, higher floors, higher experience, higher levels, better things.'
Thumbing the Greater rewards button.
"The Climber has chosen to brave the more difficult to step on the path to greatness!"
"Congratulations and Good luck Climber!"
The ground begins to shake, the arena pushings outwards expanding slightly giving more room in the arena, sand shifting pillars jutting out of the ground randomly around the arena, instead of being the size of half a foodball field, its tripled in size. rock croppings appear around the arena floor, creating blindspots and height advantages.
"The First of the Difficulties Survive 5 Rounds and you are in the clear!!"
Floor 5: Goblin's Arena
Difficulty Adjustment Executed by: Announcer
Adjustment based on: ????
Round 1
3 Ogre Warriors(Lvl:???)
"Good Luck once again Climber!"
No flashy teleports of the monster getting put in the arena. I stand there for a moment, listening slowly, the sound of crunching comes to my ears as one ogre comes around a rock outcropping in front of me. "Oh now that is surprising, getting chosen for an arena match." the ogre looks at me oddly for a moment, before recognition hits its eyes, "KILL HIM NOW QUICKLY! TATHAS DEMANDS IT!" the sound of a gasp comes from the announcers box, and some from the audience.
"Wha? Tathas?.. The Warlord?.. oh its still on--"
Murmurs start circulating around the crowd as I turn to dodge a sword cutting through the space my head was. "So now I have a name of someone who is attempting to kill me, thank you.." the sword slices the air in front of my chest, a dagger comes from the opposite side, an ogre warrior lunging from the shadow of the rocks that I was close to. I reach out my right hand shadows flowing out from underneath my Tunic trailing down my arm, wrapping it all the way to my fingers, increasing the strength in my fingers easily stopping the dagger in its tracks. Shadows from my feet keeping me rooted to the floor. "Well since I got some information, I might as well send you guys on your way." I wrench the ogre forward towards me off balance, its eyes wide a lance of darkness comes up from the ground going through the jaw of the ogre, light immediately fleeing its eyes. "HOW DARE YOU FILTH!" the ogre from before shouts as it is upon me, the one with the sword I dodge a moment ago, swinging another time for my side. 'Move and contain.' pulling the dead ogre forward putting it in the path of the incoming blade, the ogre warrior grimaces as his sword cuts into the body of its dead teammate. Raising my right hand up over the shoulder of the dead ogre that is falling on the ogre with the sword, a bullet made of pure dark shaped conically drills through the swordsman ogres face, as it drops lifelessly in a heap with it's teammate.
Turning on heel as the third and final ogre gets close, "Now... might I know why this Tathas was it?... Wants to kill me?" my left hand catches the ogre by the throat darkness spreading covering its body from the neck down, the thrashing from the ogre becomes more and more frantic, his eyes wide, "How Dare You! You Will Die Soon Enough Filth!" the ogres spittle and foam coming from its mouth. "I will not answer to you!" it keeps struggling, 'not surprising...' "At least I have a name, thank you." the shadows cover the face of the ogre after a moment more of struggling the shadow falls to the ground, shortly after losing the shape of the ogre receding into the floor below, the shadows pulling the other two bodies through the ground.
"NOW THAT IS A FINISH FOR A ROUND!"
"Are you ready to keep going? Do you have a Choice?"
"More of Tathas Faction Seems to be vying for a chance to kill you!"
"They know you are fighting now! They are watching!"
"They want a piece of YOU!"
"Lets get going to Round 2! One more round after this one and you will be free to advance!"
Floor 5: Goblin's Arena
Round 2
Thump(Lvl:???) and Stump(Lvl:???)
A massive thumping sound drops into the arena, one infront of me and one behind. The one infront of me coming from a massive humanoid form, easily 9ft tall, weighing more than half a ton of muscle, the ugly greenish skin, bulbous nose on its face, [Inspect] fires off on thought.
[Inspected: Thump(Lvl:???)]
System Status
Name: Thump
Tier:D
Class:Troll Warrior
Level:18
Health:???
Energy: ???
Strength:173
Endurance:210
Dexterity:80
Agility:96
Perception:34
Intelligence:16
Wisdom:12
Charisma:2
Luck:2
Resistances
Physical Defense:
127
Elemental Defense:
42
Mental Defense:
0
Soul Defense:
0
Immunities:
N/A
Skills
Name Grade Level Description
Club Mastery [Uncommon] 4
Due to continuous use of a club, the user has increased strength and dexterity using them.
Trolls Regeneration [Uncommon] 1
You have a trolls natural regenerative abilities, your natural healing is accelerated by a factor of 2. This can be countered through an innate weakness to fire.
Trolls Physique [Uncommon] 2
You have a trolls physique, your natural muscle sinew is stronger and more fibrous. Higher density muscles has allowed this being to have a natural bonus to their strength and endurance.
Berserker [Uncommon] 1
You have unlocked the beast within and fed it carnage, use your rage to deal increased damage to your foes. Take damage deal damage.
My eyes going wide at the monstrous being in front of me, my mind snapping back to the message stating two different names. I feel a massive amount of pressure start to buffet me as the Dark catches the form of a huge club swinging at me from behind. Wide eyes, I lose all tension in my body dropping quickly to the floor missing the horizontal swing from Stump behind me. 'D rank, now this might be an issue. Especially with two of them.. stat wise I am completely outmatched.
"Oh our Climber seems to be having an issue already!"
Rolling to the side to once more dodge an club swing from Thump instead. The impact from the club to the grown jolts me off the ground sending rock and shrapnel all around me. The Dark swiping away or straight absorbing the incoming shrapnel that could cause harm. Quickly jumping back to my feet, I turn my head to the two lumbering forms of the trolls staring down at me. They side eye each other for a moment before both bringing their clubs in a horizontal swing attempting to crush me between both of them. A tendril of darkness bursts from beneath my tunic towards a pillar of stone behind me pulling me away quickly from the collision zone of the two clubs. A grin drops to my face as I eye both of the Trolls, 'This is going to be great, an issue yes, hard, yes.. lets see how they handle the Dark.' a lance of darkness forms in my palm, pulling my arm back as the two trolls clubs collide a shockwave blowing dirt, sand a more away from the area and a loud bang causes my ears to start ringing. I launch the lance from my hand toward one of the two, Thump I think. The troll watches the lance impact its shoulder with disinterest, the lance sinking into it with a solid whack. The troll, harrumphs as it reaches a hand up grabbing the solid darkness pulling it out with a grunt and clenching its fist, the dark lance shatters. The wound in its shoulder is healing at an incredibly visible rate.
The other troll looks at its partner grunting, a rumble echoes from its belly, "This is what Tathas wants dead.. eh Stump." the other troll grunts back, a grating sound, "Not worth the effort.. Thump" looking between the two of them incredulously. My grin slips from my face to indifference, 'They are trying to toy with me. Fantastic.' standing up straight I stare at them both. Pushing the Dark along the floor, it begins to cover the entire arena floor, the two trolls relaxed demeanor shift raising their clubs, Thump stamps down on the darkness below its feet, the a massive boom explodes as dust and dirt cloud my vision, from the darkness I witness stump rush forward a serious glint in its eyes. Two handing its club it bursts out of the edge of dust cloud, swinging at my body, 'too fast.. won't be able to dodge in time-' a large swathe of the shadows covering the floor near me arc up in response pulling in a blanket around me, while another section reaches up solidifying creating pressure breaks in the path of the club, one shield of shadow after another shatters slowly but surely, the impact of the club smashing into my side after losing most of its power rockets me to the other end of the arena. Pain wracks my body as I fly in the air 'Can't breathe..' I notice Thump already moving into position to swat me down the moment I get within range of the club on the other side of the reason. 'I get there I'm dead, shadows did little to stop the impact, should have moved myself instead... moved myself... connection... Dark.'
"Step through, walk together.. embody." The shadows surge up as I get close to Thump, swinging his club like a bat to splat me against the walls, or floor. The pressure hits me for a moment my vision darkens, then the shadows coil around my body, swallowing me into the shadows. The shadows drop to the ground, I am gone... I feel it... but I can still see everything in the arena.. 'where am I seeing from.. where am I?' a unique feeling pulses from me, but echos around me, everything around me slowing down to a crawl. 'Ah.. you always are helping me.. especially lately.' "If your body can not stand up to your foes, use ours.." my mind reels at that. 'Use who's?' the space around me ripples, 'And at what cost.. do not think I don't know I am being influenced in the background I have been through too much not to notice!' "Yes.. Influenced, needed to, influenced by one, influenced by all.. learn from us.. grow from our knowledge, Grow, Climb!!"
My body shakes from the last words, 'who..' "YOU!" the voices coalesce into one. the pressure from the voice was more than any lifetime I had experienced yet. Slamming me down, I appear once more in the middle of the arena. Body shaking, the trolls eye me as I reappear out of the shadows, time resumes to normal pace "There he is, Stump!" "Aye, Thump. Squish him before he disappears again, Thump." the ground shakes as they make their way toward me.
"Enough from you two.." the dark surges up around me forcing my hurting and pained body upright. 'Finish them quickly.. hope the next group is easier, most likely won't be.' standing upright. the darkness starts solidifying on my body, thicker than before, 'I wasn't using it correctly, instinctive sure without thought.. brute force mainly. Influenced by you all. The influence wasn't that great when this system wasn't active but now.. little by little, more and more it seems you are pushing in on me.' a pressure descends down upon the trolls stopping them in place leaving them to stare at me.
"Thump, he isn't a newly awakened like they said... He feels like Tathas.." "Enough Stump, I know, I see too."
I stare at them my body screaming at me. "Dark Embodiment." the words barely leaving my lips, the Dark threads around the arena start to become visible, the trolls were casually walking through the ones I had set up before so I wasn't able to use them, but now... 'Now it's different.' the threads pulse with a blackened reddish hue. "Molecular Dark..." the threads start to hum, a low drone at first, followed by a buzz they an acute whining sound. The two trolls faces turn to rage as they push forward, "Just cause he isn't newly awakened, don't mean we can't stomp, Thump!" "AYE STUMP!" they bellow at me as the come close, raising my right hand palm up the threads that are around the arena burst, flowing into a single sphere above my palm pulsing in a black reddish hue. I make a small motion tossing the sphere up into air. The trolls split to each side, pincering in, attempting to get close, there footsteps shaking the ground beneath us. The orb reaches a high point in the air, the trolls watching it as they come close step by step, unable to stop their charge as the orb explodes, thousands, millions of black reddish shards released from the orb, spraying down on the arena. Shards slamming down into the trolls, they raise their clubs to cover their bodies from the shards piercing them. After a few moments the shards stop, the trolls breathing heavy, wounds littering their body.
I stand there looking at them the wounds already starting to heal slightly, the shards stopping the healing from happening, "Burst..." is my last word for them. the shards criss-crossing their bodies lash out spreading lines to one shard or another. Leaving a net over their body humming with reddish black energy. The humming energy vibrated heavily, causing wounds to cut into the body of the trolls, they started bellowing in pain. The shards expand in length pushing into the trolls from all directions from their wounds, afew a few more bellows, both trolls drop to their hands and knees letting their clubs drop to the ground.
Thump looks up glaring at me, "Filthy Human.. Couldn't get squished... Tathas comes for you." the life drains from his eyes the trolls body dropping to the ground causing the arena to shake. "STUMP SQUISH HUMAN, STUMP AVENGE THUMP!" The troll's physique bulks up.. a red color starts to flare up on its skin. Stump shoves itself back to standing up from the ground its lumbering form bleeding heavily, "AVENGE!" the red skin cracks, more blood dripping down the trolls form.
"THESE HAVE BEEN SOME AMAZING DEVELOPMENTS FOLKS!"
"A CLIMBER FIGHTING SO FAR ABOVE THEIR RANK!"
"A Troll Berserker!"
'Berserkers, can definitely double up physical stats, darkness its stressed.' standing there watching the bands of dark reddish black holding the troll, the troll flexes out some of the bands snapping and shattering away, the wounds hissing as they heal. 'Nope, not letting this go further..' raising a hand making the shards follow. All the shards in the arena, pull back once more floating into the sky. The troll eyes me angrily its eyes a bloody red, promising death. I look up and follows the action looking above is a solid spear of glowing shards. That drops with the force of everything I have, the troll raises a fist punching at the incoming spear. A twist of my hand and the spear follows along, twisting unnaturally around the fist just as it is about to collide, slamming into the forehead of Thump, going through straight into the ground. The spear keeps Thump standing for a moment longer before cracking sounds emit from the spear and Thump. Falling to my knees, breathing heavily, the shadow armor that encased parts of me starts falling apart and dissolving into nothing.
"AND THERE WE HAVE IT FOLKS!!!"
"OUR CLIMBER HAS DONE IT ROUND 2 IS COMPLETE!"
"BUT WILL HE SURVIVE THE FINAL ROUND?!"
'I don't know if I can withstand another round.. body is already falling apart.. can't-' "You made a mockery of this arena.. letting others use it for petty schemes." a child stands before me, the Arena Master from earlier today.
"Arena Master?! What do you-"
"Do not lie to me.. your foolishness is exhausting." the child states. Turning to me, "You did well to get to this point, I will send you on your way to the next floor along with your rewards." turning back he looks up at the sky raising a fist. Lightning streaks across the sky, "ARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHH" the scream penetrates the entire arena, the crowd looking lost and confused.
He waves a hand towards me one last time before vanishing once more.
The moment the Arena Master's hand passes in front of my face, I am laying on a bed facing up staring at a ceiling of wood. "Wha.." Staring at the popup that appeared above me after I appeared in this room. "Stay here until you recover, then you may proceed to Floor 6 as usual, apologies for the behaviour of an Arena Official.. Do not hold it against us all please." the Arena Masters voice echoes in the room.
Floor 5: Goblin's Arena Cleared
The Arena has tested you, beyond the normal that it does for the Climbers before though the means were foul, you have triumphed against:
Goblin(Lvl:???) x 5
Goblin Warrior(Lvl:???) x 3
Goblin Archer(Lvl:???) x 2
Goblin Spearman(Lvl:???) x 3
Goblin Shieldbearer(Lvl:???) x 2
Goblin Wolfrider(Lvl:???) x 3
Wolf(Lvl:???) x 3
Ogre Warriors(Lvl:???) x 3
Thump(Lvl:018)
Stump(Lvl:???)
Experience Earned: 12,288
Tower Coins: 2,671
No Dropped Items from the Arena.