Chapter 17 – Blood in the Sand

Aldric woke to the familiar scent of damp stone and blood. The Hollow Maw never truly slept, its corridors pulsing with the restless energy of fighters preparing for their next match or drowning their fears in cheap ale. But the air felt different this morning. Tension hummed beneath the surface, a silent anticipation that settled into the bones of those who had been here long enough to recognize it.

Word had spread.

The masked warrior and the red-haired phantom had put on a show in the training grounds. And now, they would be tested in the arena.

Aldric pushed himself up from the stiff cot, rolling his shoulders. His body ached from the previous day's fight, but pain was just another reminder that he was still here. Still moving. Still hunting.

As he strapped on his armor, his mind drifted to Kira.

She was an enigma—reckless yet disciplined, sharp yet unpredictable. And she had seen something in him. Something that made her approach him, challenge him, and ultimately propose an alliance.

He didn't trust her. Not fully. But for now, they had the same goal.

And that was enough.

A sharp knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.

Aldric opened it to find a pit runner—a scrawny boy, no older than twelve, his face smudged with dirt. "You and the girl," the boy said, breathless. "They're putting you in the ring together."

Aldric's jaw tightened. "Against who?"

The boy hesitated. "A group fight. Four against you two. No rules."

Aldric nodded. The pit's masters weren't wasting time. They wanted to see if he and Kira were worth the spectacle. He grabbed King's End from the corner of the room, its Abyssal edge humming faintly under his grip. If the pit wanted a show, they would get one.

The Hollow Maw's arena was a pit of stone and steel, the ground stained with centuries of spilled blood. Above, the stands roared with excitement, eager for the brutality that would unfold. The smell of sweat and rusted iron mixed in the air, thick and suffocating. Aldric and Kira stood in the center of the pit, side by side. Across from them, their opponents emerged from the opposite gate.

Four men.

All seasoned killers.

One was a towering brute, thick muscles wrapped in crude chainmail. He carried a war hammer, its head dented from years of crushing bones. To his right, a twin pair—lithe, quick-looking men armed with curved blades, their movements already twitching with anticipation. And finally, at the far left, a gaunt man wrapped in dark leathers, his hands resting on a pair of short daggers. His eyes held no expression—just the cold calculation of a professional killer.

Kira exhaled, stretching her fingers. "They didn't pick amateurs."

Aldric's grip on King's End tightened. "Good, that way they will know what we are worth."

As Aldric look in the direction of the four fighters he heard a chime.

[Abysswalker's Veil: Combat Analysis Activated]

The system flickered to life within his mind. A haze of crimson outlines traced his enemies, predicting possible attack angles, weak points, and movement patterns.

Calculated Threat Levels:

- Brute (War Hammer): High – Power-focused, slow reaction time.

- Twin Blades (Agility Fighters): Medium – Coordinated, but weak against unpredictable counters.

- Assassin (Daggers): Extreme – Precision strikes, highly adaptable.

That's interesting.

The announcer's voice boomed across the pit. "Today, we witness the rise or fall of new blood! Four seasoned warriors against two upstarts who dare to challenge the Hollow Maw's order! Will they survive, or will their bodies feed the sand?"

The crowd roared.

The bell rang.

The fight began.

Aldric moved first, closing the distance between him and the brute with the war hammer.

The massive man swung, the hammer crashing down toward him like a falling star. But then a ghostly red afterimage of the hammer's arc flickered in Aldric's vision. He adjusted a fraction of a second before impact, stepping into the blind spot just beneath the brute's swing.

The hammer slammed into the dirt, missing by inches.

Aldric twisted, King's End carving upward in a counter slash.

[Skill Activated: Predator's Gaze]

Target Weaknesses Identified.

The world shifted.

His vision adjusted, and suddenly—he could see the weak spot right below the ribs where the chainmail didn't fully cover.

Aldric rotated his wirst making King's End change direction, and hit right in the weak spot.A sickening crunch followed as the impact shattered bone. The brute let out a strangled roar, stumbling back, blood spilling down his armor.

One down.

Meanwhile, Kira had already engaged the twins.

They came at her in perfect coordination, their curved blades dancing like vipers. But she was faster. One blade whistled past her throat—she ducked, twisting into the gap between them. Her dagger flashed, carving a deep line across one man's side before she spun, kicking the second fighter square in the jaw.

Aldric barely had time to process her movements before the assassin lunged at him from behind.

He heard another ring.

[Hostile Presence Detected – Rear Strike Imminent]

Aldric turned just in time to parry the twin daggers aimed at his ribs. The force sent vibrations up his arms. The assassin was fast, precise—each strike meant to kill.

Aldric countered with brutal efficiency. He used his superior reach, forcing the assassin back with heavy strikes.

But the man was slippery.

Every time Aldric thought he had an opening, the assassin twisted out of reach. The brute had recovered by now, breathing heavily but still standing. He lifted his hammer once more, preparing to charge.

Kira, having dispatched one of the twins with a blade through his throat, shouted toward Aldric. "We need to finish this before they regroup!"

She was right.

[Abyssal Execution: 20% Charge]

Aldric turned, sidestepping the assassin's next lunge. With a surge of strength, he slammed his fist into the man's chest, sending him sprawling. Then, before the brute could bring his hammer down again, Aldric surged forward—King's End pulsing with dark energy.

[Abyssal Execution: 100%]

He swung.

A pulse of Abyssal power erupted from his blade, the force cleaving through armor and flesh like paper.The brute's body split in the diagonal. Blood sprayed across the sand.

The remaining two fighters hesitated.

Kira took advantage.

She darted forward, her dagger flashing in a silver slash. The second twin barely had time to react before her blade was buried in his heart.

The assassin, realizing the fight was lost, turned to run.

Aldric didn't let him.

[Blood for Power Activated]

Sacrifice health to temporarily enhance Strength and Agility by +10. Lasts 30 seconds.

As Aldric agility went up by ten he closed the distance in two steps, the world blurring around him.

King's End came down.

The assassin collapsed, his chest split open.

Silence.

Then, the crowd erupted.

The announcer's voice boomed once more. "A stunning victory! The masked warrior and the red phantom have proven themselves worthy of the Maw!"

Aldric exhaled, his body still swirling with the lingering tension of battle.

Beside him, Kira wiped her blade clean on one of the fallen men's tunics. She turned to him with a wild grin, her eyes alight with something dangerously close to exhilaration.

"That," she breathed, "was fun."

Aldric simply looked up, past the roaring crowd, toward the high seats where the pit masters watched.

Varik wasn't there. But soon, he would be. And when that day came, Aldric would make sure the champion knew exactly who was coming for him.

Aldric let the roar of the crowd wash over him, but his mind was already moving past the fight. This was just the beginning.

He turned to Kira. "We made a statement," he said, voice low enough that only she could hear.

She smirked, rolling her shoulders as if shaking off the last vestiges of the fight. "Yeah, but statements aren't enough. They'll send stronger ones next time."

Aldric knew she was right. The pit masters weren't fools. They would see this fight for what it was—not just entertainment, but a warning. Aldric and Kira weren't here to survive. They were here to rise.

A clang echoed from the far gate as it creaked open. A group of armored enforcers entered the arena, their dark leather uniforms marking them as part of the pit's inner ranks. One of them, a tall, wiry man with a jagged scar across his jaw, stepped forward.

"Impressive," he said, his tone unreadable. "The masters will be pleased. But you're not done yet."

Aldric tightened his grip on King's End. "What do you mean?"

The man gestured toward the blood-soaked sand. "The weak get discarded. The strong get tested. You've earned an audience with the pit masters. They want to see if you're more than just a one-time spectacle."

Kira let out a short laugh. "About time."

The enforcer's expression didn't change. "Follow me. And don't keep them waiting."

Aldric took a final glance at the bodies cooling in the sand. The pit had tried to break him before. It had failed. And now, step by step, he was climbing toward the top.

Toward Varik. Toward vengeance.

He took a breath, steadied himself, and followed the enforcer toward whatever trial awaited next.