Chapter 327: Prove Yourself!
"Something bigger? What could possibly be bigger than the army of beasts we're already dealing with?" Dave asked, his brow arched with disbelief.
SKREEEEEEEE!
A soul-piercing screech exploded through the arena, echoing off every wall like a siren from the heavens—primal, menacing, and ancient. The very air trembled with its cry.
"That," Amir replied grimly, his eyes locked on the sky above, where the fabric of space twisted and warped. A massive portal was widening—slowly but steadily—like a mouth preparing to vomit something truly catastrophic.
"What the hell is that?" Dave breathed, his gaze lifting as a colossal hawk-like beast began to descend from the swirling vortex. Its talons looked like blades forged in hell, its wings vast enough to block out the sun.
"The fight of our lives," Amir said coldly.
As he scanned the battlefield, his heart sank. All across the blood-soaked arena, hundreds of beasts from every known species raged in chaos—clashing against exhausted, battered students who had already given more than they had.
'Crap. That thing… it's the boss. The apex hawk beast that commanded the aerial strikes. And if my theory's correct…' Amir clenched his jaw. '…then boss-class monsters from every species might begin to appear. This isn't just bad—it's a nightmare.'
His mind raced, thoughts turbulent. 'I might be able to handle one on my own, but multiple? Even I can't fight gods without breaking.'
Shit! This is going to be bad. I can actually handle a boss on my own. But multiple? That is a different story entirely. And that beast, if I'm not mistaken, its emitting a level 15 aura. This is bad!
None of the students can handle that, none. The one person that could possibly hold his ground is freaking sound asleep.
While the person that could help in destroying them, no one knows his whereabouts! Damn it! Curse you Kael!' Amir screamed inwardly when a thundering stomp pulled Amir out of his spiraling thoughts. A hulking ogre barreled toward him, eyes ablaze with primal fury.
"Know your place, you overgrown lizard," Amir snarled.
With a flick of his hand, a colossal metal sword erupted forward, slicing through the air like divine judgment. It tore into the ogre's head with a deafening CRACK, ending the beast before it could even blink.
"Now that's the captain I remember," Dave muttered with a smug grin. "Not the guy who was struggling against low-tier beasts."
He turned to the others who were still in combat. "So what's the plan?"
"I need time," Amir said, his voice focused. "Whatever is coming through that portal… I need to be ready. You handle the small fry."
Amir's eyes never left the hawk beast's slowly emerging frame. 'If I'm lucky, I've got a minute. Just a minute to scrape together enough mana to make a difference.'
"Roger that," Dave said, lifting his hands.
A magnificent battle axe shimmered into existence—its blade crescent-shaped, forged from a silver-gray metal that pulsed with elemental force. The handle was midnight-black steel, sturdy yet graceful, made for a warrior and a warlord.
The weapon was no mere tool—it was a symbol of destruction.
"Hey, Dave," Amir called out, just before leaping away. "I know I usually restrain you—tell you to hold back, not to wreck things…"
"Yeah, you act like I'm some uncontrollable beast just because I go a little overboard," Dave replied with an exaggerated sigh, though a smirk tugged at his lips.
"This time," Amir said, eyes narrowed, "I want you to let loose. Go wild. I know casting your Domain drained you, but there's still fight in you, right?"
Dave's grin widened, teeth flashing. "More than enough."
"Then raze the field," Amir said, slamming his foot on the ground. Metallic platforms formed beneath him and blasted him away like a rocket, propelling him toward the observation booth for a better vantage point.
"I got this," Dave whispered, turning back to the battlefield with murderous determination.
Before he could charge, ten wolves and ten ogres burst toward him, claws and blades glinting in the sunlight.
"Bring it," Dave muttered.
He held his axe with one hand, spinning it with practiced ease, the metal whistling through the air like a storm waiting to strike.
The wolves lunged first, jaws wide and snarling. Simultaneously, the ogres swung their massive blades downward with terrifying force.
Dave leapt back just in time, narrowly avoiding a synchronized death. Their weapons slammed into the ground, sending dust and debris erupting into the air and momentarily blinding them.
"Fools," Dave muttered. He raised his axe skyward.
Ching!
Metal shards rained from the heavens, magnetized toward his weapon. With a mighty swing, he launched the shards into the dust cloud. The wolves' skulls were punctured mid-lunge, collapsing like rag dolls as blood splattered across the battlefield.
The ogres, surprisingly agile, dodged the incoming barrage—but it was too late.
BOOM!
Dave propelled himself forward with a sudden burst, a metal plate beneath his feet launching him like a cannonball. The ogres raised their swords to counter, but Dave was already airborne.
With a thunderous CRACK, he came down like divine punishment—his axe splitting one ogre from skull to spine.
The others roared and turned. One swung at his side—
CLANG!
Dave's axe met the blow. A shockwave rippled through the arena. Without pause, a hidden metal spear launched upward and skewered the attacking ogre through the head.
But a second later—
WHAM!
A blade slammed into Dave's side, sending him skidding back across the earth. He jammed his axe into the ground just in time to stop himself from tumbling face-first.
The ogres stared in confusion—no blood, no cries of pain.
The slash had torn through his robes, revealing the sheen of metallic skin beneath.
"Surprised?" Dave grunted. He tapped the earth.
SHRRK!
Pillars of steel burst from the ground like demonic stakes, impaling the remaining ogres one after another in a ballet of brutal precision.
Panting, Dave scanned the battlefield, shoulders rising and falling.
'I'm not done yet.'
"Come on, Dave," he muttered to himself. "You're not finished. You can't let these people die. Not yet. Not when you've still got something to prove."
Teeth gritted, eyes blazing, Dave stood tall once more—and charged headlong into the sea of monsters, a lone reaper against an unending horde.