When Mark laid his hands on the huge black door, he felt a flow through it, similar to the rushing current of a stream. The material of the door was rough, as hard as the bark of a thousand-year-old tree.
With a faint squeak, the doors opened meekly at his touch.
In front of him stretched a path paved with blue and white stones that led to a circular arena. Around it, water and dense aquatic plants moved slowly. From the walls gushed waterfalls that cascaded thunderously into the lakes below. Every ten meters, huge columns held giant flashlights, which lit up one by one, illuminating the entire hall with warm, flickering light.
Mark advanced slowly until he reached the center of the arena. The path behind him, the one that had led him there, sank gently into the water.
'Where am I?" he whispered.
[Notice: Mission Detected]
[Mission: Courage of the Weakest has been unlocked]
[Notice: You have 50 characteristic points to allocate before the mission begins]
'...'
'Actually, with everything that happened before, I haven't assigned my points yet.'
He quickly chose how to distribute them:
[System:
Characteristic points: 0
- Strength: 29
- Dexterity: 26
- Perception: 22
- Stamina: 30
- Intelligence: 18]
'That should do it,' he murmured.
[Warning: Confirm to start the mission].
Mark hesitated.
'It's strange... Boss rooms are almost never considered by the system as missions.'
He was about to take a step back when a new warning appeared:
[Notice: The Heir cannot get out. He cannot escape. He cannot hide. The doors will open only upon completion of the mission]
The door behind him vanished in the blink of an eye.
[Warning: The mission has begun]
The system had not only locked him in there, but also activated the mission without his consent.
'Wait, just a moment!'
In front of him, a vortex of water opened.
From it emerged a creature he had never seen before.
It was tall, massive, with sculpted muscles and a vaguely human face. Four horns sprouted from its temples: two long and curved upward, and two smaller ones. Its arms were disproportionately large, and its entire body was covered with dark blue skin, shiny as night.
He came out of the water and stood on the arena, a few meters from Mark
"You..." he said in a scratchy voice.
"I don't..." - took a long breath -
"You are..." - one more breath -
"Worthy!"
At those words, he opened his right hand. Out of nowhere, a black sword materialized, from which flowed a dark aura that seemed to consume the very light around her.
The creature moved like lightning.
The black sword dropped violently toward Mark, who could barely lift his arm to parry. The impact threw him back several meters. The ground trembled under the blows of his opponent, who attacked with animalistic fury, combining brute force and lethal precision.
Mark dodged, blocked, struck. But it was useless. Every slash he managed to avoid anticipated three more, and every attack of his was easily repulsed. Blood began to stain the stones of the arena. His strength diminished with every moment.
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A direct blow to his left leg caused him to collapse to his knees.
A punch to the chest sent him flying away, crashing him against one of the columns.
He coughed blood. He fell to the ground. His ribs were fractured. His vision blurred. The sound of the system seemed distant.
[Critical physical state - estimated survival: 17 seconds].
"Is this how it ends...?" whispered Mark, as the creature advanced, ready to deal him the killing blow.
But something stirred within him. A flame. A memory.
"Mark, remember, when you find yourself in desperate times trust yourself. Remember that true courage is nothing more than facing fear head on. You are special Mark, don't forget that."
Those were grandfather's words spoken several years earlier.
A dull thump, then the system reacted.
[Uniqueness activated: Ardor]
[Skill activated: - Berserker]
Mark's body trembled. An explosion of crimson light enveloped him. His wounds began to cauterize, blood stopped flowing, and his eyes flashed back with a glowing glow.
He stood up again.
'You're right...' he said, in a rough but determined voice. 'So far I've only been following the game...'
He took a step forward, and under his pressure the arena trembled.
'...I've had enough of being a victim of history, from now on, I will write the rules.'
The creature took a step back. For the first time, he hesitated.
The statistics were increasing by the minute.
The creature did not wait. With a violent roar it launched itself forward.
But Mark did not move. He waited. And when the blow came - he blocked it with his sword.
The creature snapped backward in surprise. Mark looked up, his eyes blazing.
'You told me earlier that I was not worthy...'
He raised his sword, pointing it at the creature.
'Then let me show you what it means to be worthy.'
A blink of an eye.
It disappeared.
He was behind the creature, and a fiery furrow crossed the enemy's chest. The creature staggered, amazed at its speed.
[Skills activated].
The enemy charged angrily, but Mark anticipated him. He deflected the blows as if he already knew where they were going. He could see a flow he could not see before, he could see the creature's circular mana and the flow of physical energy the creature put on the blade.
'Those are...'
"You've realized it at last!" cried the creature.
"the rules of the world where you live are not made for me or for YOU!" exclaimed the creature.
'What do you mean!
The creature did not respond, it raised its left hand and a sphere of fire was created, a barrage of fire projectiles followed, faster than any magic Mark had seen, but the flow of mana was slow and time gradually slowed.
"Perhaps I was wrong, you are worthy of that power," said the creature, watching Mark avoid each blow.
Then Mark jumped. Up like never before. His body was a projectile.
It landed hard, unleashing a shock wave that shattered part of the arena. The creature was hurled away, sword shattered.
It trembled.
Mark slowly approached it.
'I got tired...'
He raised his sword. He took a deep breath
With a final blow, Mark pierced the enemy's heart. The creature's energy was sucked into the blade, which glowed intensely before fading away like extinguished embers.
"Good luck Heir"
The creature fell to its knees and dissolved into ashes.
[Mission Complete: Courage of the Weakest Requirements met, A seal was unlocked, half of a map was deposited in your system.]
[Notice: The heir has broken the system's first bond]
[Notice: two skills have just been learned: Magic Perception, Physical Perception]
[Notice you have leveled up]
[Notice you have leveled up]
[Notice: all your skills have leveled up two levels]
[Notice: your uniqueness Ardor has leveled up]
Mark let himself fall backward, his body exhausted and his gaze turned to the ceiling of the arena now shrouded in silence. The ground, still warm beneath him, seemed to pulse slowly -- as if alive
The flashlights around dimmed, as if out of respect. The water continued to flow along the walls, calm, while the glow of the waterfalls created plays of light on the ceiling.
Mark closed his eyes.
'Damn...' he whispered. 'That was too much even for me...'
A faint smile broke out on his face.
He inhaled deeply. The smell of stone, plants and water enveloped him, lulling him. His body was shattered: tense muscles, wounds everywhere and shortness of breath. Yet he did not want to get up. Not yet.
Because in that moment, in that brief respite...
Mark finally felt free.
[System:
Name Mark lv 16 Apprentice
Life: 50/475 hp
mana: 5
Fatigue: 5
Uniqueness:
- Aberration of Perseverance
- Basic Ardor lv 2
Skill
- Nimble Sword Technique lv 5
- Conscience Base lv 8
- Thick Skin Intermediate lv 2
- Perfect balance Basic lv 9
- Ultra focus Intermediate lv 3
- Berserker Base lv 3
- Longevity Base lv 6
- Somatic change Base lv 6
- Physical Perception lv 1
- Magic Perception lv 1
Character Points: 10
- Strength: 29
- Dexterity: 26
- Senses: 22
- Stamina: 30
- Intelligence: 18
Inventory:
Half map