The Gladiator Candidate – Daisuke VS Lekton

Garrett turned away from Ribbit's desperate cries for help and faced Daisuke with gleaming eyes as the feline sat atop his shoulder. "Are you a summoner? Man, I can't believe you managed to learn magic!"

"That's so amazing!" exclaimed one of the other kids.

"Incredible!" another one chimed in.

"Are you really a summoner?" asked a third.

"Well, I wouldn't really say I'm a summoner," Daisuke clarified modestly. "I'm more of an all-rounder, but I still have a pretty long way to go."

"Wow~"

The kids looked on in wonder, clinging to each and every syllable that left his lips, all while Brek looked on with an indecipherable expression.

After carefully opening the cage, a clever use of Daisuke's Magic Chains enabled the kids to escape without needing to drop roughly twenty feet into the freezing pool below.

Similar to their days in Dusthaven, everyone hovered close to Daisuke and carefully adhered to his instructions, even more so now that he had demonstrated a portion of his abilities.

As they all hid behind one of the many large wooden crates in what appeared to be a storage room, one of the kids regarded the canine and feline perched upon Daisuke's shoulders.

"So… do they have a name?" he asked. "The cat and wolf, I mean."

"Oh," Daisuke paused his scan of the dreary chamber to address the question. "This is Zephyr and Midnight," he informed with a smile. "Midnight's actually the newest member of the team."

Ribbit was covered in bruises—now, he was suffering from an additional type of pain. Surreptitiously, he stole a glance at the vicious monster that had just bullied him. In the same beat, Zephyr's head slowly swiveled around like a creaking door, fangs bare, his eyes flashing menacingly.

Ribbit blanched and immediately looked away.

"By the way, Haxks," Garrett began, "how did you manage to find us? You couldn't possibly have known we were captured?"

"Yeah," another boy added. "I would imagine these guys didn't leave much of a trail behind."

"I went back to Dusthaven," Daisuke informed candidly. "That's where I learned what had happened to you guys. I was also able to get some valuable information too. One thing led to another and I ended up here."

"…How's the village holding up?" Garrett asked while everyone listened with a trace of indifference.

"Well… I think it's on the verge of an incredible change," Daisuke said, noting as everyone's expressions gradually shifted from disinterest to surprise. "Turns out the lord isn't as big of a jerk as we thought. He's taken notice of the slum folk and has proactively been participating in the development of agriculture and improving the welfare of the people. The next time we visit, we honestly may not be able to recognize the place."

"N-No way!"

"That's great news!"

"You're kidding?! The lord was actually a good guy?!"

"That means Rob and the others must be okay!"

While the children celebrated in hushed voices, Brek huddled close to Daisuke and whispered, "So? What's the game plan?"

"…The plan's to clobber the guy who imprisoned us here," Daisuke responded, his eyes stirring with a gleam Brek had never seen before. "If we don't teach him a lesson and figure out who he's working for, they may come after us again in the future."

"We've definitely come a long way from just running away."

Daisuke's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "I'm done running."

***

Adrian sat crossed-legged in a lavish chair that could easily pass as a throne. In his hands, he daintily held a small saucer and a teacup, his lips puckered as he took a small sip.

The chamber surrounding him, much like the Mhaledictus' former mountain hideaway, was an extravagant attempt to elevate a dark, damp cave into something regal. Mana lamps bathed the space in a soft, eerie glow, highlighting rich tapestries, deep crimson carpets, and lavish furnishings. His personal bodyguard stood beside him, unmoving, as though part of the room itself—an imposing, silent sentinel watching over his master.

"You've just made a terrible mistake," Adrian said condescendingly, watching with displeasure as Daisuke and the children entered the chamber. "I was willing to spare the others if you agreed to comply, but now you leave us with no other choice but to get rid of them to teach you a lesson. And it would seem that you need a harsh lesson in obedience, too."

As if his words were the signal, a familiar tentacle suddenly shot out from a nearby pool with dark intent.

Without a word, Daisuke nimbly sidestepped the appendage and then severed it with the Lipanthyer's Fang. In the same beat, he followed up by flicking a Lightning Bead into the pool, fatally electrocuting the annoying fiend.

"You," Adrian hissed, his lovely face creasing. "How did you—"

"This is the boss room," Daisuke simply said, "I'd dump the mob with the mana debuff ability in here, too, to beef up security."

"You really are a nuisance as warned," Adrian scoffed, noting as the corpse of the monster floated to the surface of the pool. "Well, the fact that you were able to defeat it so quickly explains how you managed to get past the mercenaries.

But no matter," he said, resting his tea ware on a nearby table. Then he snapped his fingers authoritatively and crossed his legs, this time from left to right. "Crush him within an inch of his life, then kill his friends while he watches."

The man who stood as a motionless statue just moments ago finally started to move, an impressive glaive clasped tightly within his hand, his bulging muscles accentuated by pieces of armor.

"Lekton wasn't a cheap mercenary to come by," Adrian admitted with an amused smile. "He hails from a prominent warrior race and was the mightiest among his kin. He's so skilled that he was even scouted to participate in The Bloodforge."

While everyone cowered back in fear, Daisuke arched one brown in question. "The Bloodforge?"

Adrian palmed his face and chuckled mockingly. "The fact that you're clueless about The Bloodforge's existence merely mirrors your incompetence as a warrior.

The Bloodforge is a colosseum located in Valtaris—a city renowned for its brutal gladiatorial contests and savage warrior culture. And right now, you're about to be put in your place by a man who would've stood at the pinnacle of those savages should he fight in the arena."

Right on cue, Lekton eased into a battle stance and flexed his glaive, his lips peeling back from his teeth to reveal a psychotic grin. Without missing a beat, he hurled his weapon forward like a projectile launched from a ballista.

Time slowed.

Daisuke lurched forward.

CLANGGGGG!

The Lipanthyer's Fang screeched against the glaive's shaft, sparks flying as Daisuke deftly redirected the weapon's path. Brek's eyes widened in terror as the glaive whipped past his face, slicing through the air and leaving a thin, stinging cut along his cheek.

BOOOOOOM!

The polearm smashed into the wall with a deafening explosion, embedding itself deep within the stone. Ribbit's face drained of color, a series of panicked farts sputtering out like a deflating balloon.

Garrett, eyes wide in terror, staggered backward and landed on his rear. The rest of the kids huddled together, trembling. But Daisuke? He had disappeared into thin air.

Before Lekton's eyes could shift from his weapon and refocus, Daisuke materialized before him, a blur of motion. In the same heartbeat, he funneled all of his stats into Strength and delivered a bone-shattering blow.

DING!

[The active skill «Meteor Smash» has been acquired.]

[Meteor Smash]

[Rank: Unique

Classification: Active Skill

Lvl: 1

Proficiency: 0%

Every ounce of your being channels raw power, concentrating it into a singular, earth-shattering blow, crushing your target with the force of a falling meteor.

When activated, all your stats are reallocated to Strength, allowing you to deliver an attack of overwhelming force.

Skill Effect:

▪︎ Reallocates all Stat Points to Strength, increasing Attack Power by 300%.

▪︎ Upon usage, Stat Points return to their original distribution, and the Stat Reset skill is disabled for 6 hours.

Mana Cost: 200

Skill Cooldown: 24 Hours]

With a single devastating punch, the so-called mighty warrior's eyes bulged in shock. The impact rippled through his body, shattering his armor like brittle clay. He clutched his stomach, collapsing to his knees in disbelief before emptying the contents of his stomach onto the cavern floor.

Adrian stood paralyzed, his once calm and collected demeanor shattered like fragile glass. His usually composed and beautiful face now twisted into a ghastly expression of shock, fists clenched and trembling. The children were no less stunned, their wide eyes reflecting the disbelief that filled the room.

Brek glanced over at Zephyr who wore a smog grin, and then at the mysterious feline with its indifferent expression. It was clear both of them knew what Daisuke was capable of. But how had he managed to become so powerful so quickly? What had he gone through to trigger such an immense change?

Brek's gaze dropped to his own palm, noticing the absence of calluses. It was a glaring reminder that he wasn't pushing himself hard enough. If Daisuke hadn't stepped in earlier, the glaive would have split his head open like a ripe watermelon.

"I need to become stronger," he muttered, clenching his fist tightly as an image of his baby sister flashed in his mind. "If I can't even protect myself, how am I supposed to protect anyone else?"

The dull thud of Daisuke kicking the self-proclaimed warrior like a soccer ball snapped Brek's attention back to the battlefield.

Lekton hit the ground hard at his employer's feet, still writhing in pain from the earlier blow. Adrian stood above him, seething with fury. He clenched his jaw, the rigid lines of rage deepening across his face.

But then, without warning, something changed—Adrian's tension melted away. His clenched fists relaxed, and his hardened expression shifted. Tilting his head back, a strange giggle bubbled up from his throat. His palm slid over his face as the giggle darkened, evolving into an unsettling, maniacal laugh that echoed through the cavern.

"I was only planning to rough you up a bit," he admitted darkly, pulling a small, marble-like medicinal pill from his pocket and forcing it into Lekton's mouth. "But now it seems I'll have to slaughter your pathetic friends and break a few of your bones before you start taking this seriously."

Lekton's eyes widened in horror as the pill slid down his throat, its bitter taste searing his senses. His body convulsed, muscles rippling unnaturally beneath his skin. Veins bulged grotesquely, his breaths turning shallow and ragged as he clutched at his chest.

A sickening crack echoed through the cavern as his bones began to shift and warp. His limbs elongated, skin stretching taut over his altered form. His fingers thickened into jagged claws, his once-human features contorting into something primal. His mouth stretched wide, sharp fangs protruding as a low, guttural growl rumbled deep from his throat.

Lekton's eyes blazed with feral intensity as they found their prey, pupils narrowing into menacing slits. Now towering over everyone, his body had swelled to twice its original size, coarse fur bristling across his skin. No longer recognizable as human, he stood as a monstrous homunculus, the effects of the strange pill coursing through him like wildfire.