The moment Caspian stepped into the chamber, he could feel it—the pressure.
The room was vast, its towering walls inscribed with ancient sigils that pulsed faintly.
Ding!
A translucent screen flickered before his eyes.
_________
Current Rank – B+
Strength Points – 901,500
Unused Points – 4,300
(Nearest Rank – 1,000,000 | A Rank)
__________
Caspian exhaled.
"It’s been a while since I had a decent challenge," he muttered under his breath.
{You lunatic.} Bloodmoon’s voice echoed in his mind.
Then, the cage crumbled.
A five-headed serpent, each head grotesque and deformed, their overlapping snarls forming a nightmarish chorus of discordant voices.
Their eyes—ten in total— slitted pupils locking onto Caspian as their forked tongues flicked out.
"Hisssssssss"
The creature moved like a tidal wave.
For the first time in a long while, a genuine thrill coursed through his veins.
Caspian rolled his shoulders.
First, I’ll test it. If I can’t win outright, I’ll use Unleash.
Then —Caspian shot forward, his speed blurring his form.
Bloodmoon howled as he swung the blade in a sharp, decisive arc, aiming for the nearest head—
CLANG!
A wall of scales met his strike.
The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air, his arms numbing from the sheer force of the collision.
His attack had barely scratched the monster’s hide.
Before he could react, a massive head lunged.
Instinct.
Caspian twisted mid-air, narrowly avoiding razor-sharp fangs that snapped shut where his throat had been a second ago.
He landed, boots skidding against the stone as he pivoted—
Another head came from his blind spot.
Too fast.
CRACK!
The impact exploded against his side, sending him careening across the chamber.
He barely managed to twist his body, planting his sword into the ground to halt his momentum.
His feet dragged against the stone, leaving deep grooves as he skidded to a stop.
Pain flared through his ribs.
That was just one hit.
Before he could fully regain his balance, the serpent struck again.
This time, all five heads attacked at once.
This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.
The world blurred.
Dodge.
Duck.
Weave.
Step back.
Caspian moved on pure reflex, twisting his body in impossible angles, barely slipping through the monstrous barrage.
Each strike shattered the ground where he had been standing moments ago.
A fang scraped his shoulder.
A tail grazed his ribs.
His coat was in tatters, blood seeping from shallow cuts. But his mind was razor-sharp.
"Alright. Enough playing."
Bloodmoon pulsed in his grip, the legendary sword reacting to his rising intent.
Caspian’s breath evened, his focus narrowing to a single, perfect moment.
The next time a head lunged, he didn’t dodge.
He countered.
His sword flickered in a deadly arc—
SLASH!
A streak of violet carved through the air.
A sharp roar echoed as one of the heads jerked back, a shallow wound forming across its snout.
Caspian smirked. "Got you."
But then—
A deep, guttural laughter rumbled through the chamber.
The five heads hissed in unison, their blood-red tongues flickering as if tasting amusement.
And before he could even register what was happening—
A tail the size of a battering ram swung from behind.
Too fast.
It connected.
CRASH!
The impact was like being struck by a meteor.
Caspian’s vision whitened. His body was launched through the air, slamming against the farthest wall.
CRACK!
The stone shattered beneath the force, debris raining down around him.
Pain flared through his entire body.
His bones ached, his breath came ragged, and for a split second, his vision flickered.
He could hear Bloodmoon’s voice in his head.
{Brat, that thing is not playing around.}
Caspian exhaled sharply, blood dripping from his lips.
He slowly stood, brushing off the dust.
His body screamed in protest, but his eyes burned with something darker.
A slow, eerie smile spread across his face.
"Alright, then."
His grip on Bloodmoon tightened.
The force of that last hit had been enough to pulverize lesser fighters.
Across the chamber, the five-headed
serpent loomed.
Its massive body undulated in slow, predatory movements.
It had struck him down, thrown him like a ragdoll.
It wasn’t going to get it.
Caspian exhaled.
Bloodmoon pulsed, its evolved form resonating with his intent.
The purple aura coiling around the blade flickered and twisted like a living thing.
{You felt that one, didn’t you?} Bloodmoon murmured in his mind.
Caspian’s lips twitched into a smirk. "Barely."
The serpent hissed, the sound reverberating through the chamber.
Then, it struck.
Faster this time.
The first head lunged, fangs glinting with venom, aimed straight for his throat.
Caspian didn’t flinch. His body moved before his mind could think.
Step forward.
Tilt.
Twist.
The world blurred as he sidestepped with barely an inch to spare.
He felt the displaced wind as the monstrous maw snapped shut right next to his ear.
No hesitation.
Bloodmoon sang through the air as he whipped around, slashing upwards in a violet arc—
SLASH!
A deafening shriek.
Blood sprayed across the chamber as he tore through the nearest head’s eye, carving a deep, jagged wound down its snout.
The beast reeled back in agony, its other heads snarling in unison.
But Caspian wasn’t done.
Before it could recover, he charged.
His body became a blur of motion, weaving between the serpent’s writhing forms, each step calculated, each movement flowing into the next.
Another head lunged from his right.
He ducked, feeling the heat of its breath against his skin.
The third head whipped around from behind—he spun, barely avoiding its crushing fangs.
Then, his eyes narrowed.
There.
An opening.
In one smooth motion, he leapt forward, Bloodmoon’s aura flaring as he drove the blade straight into the monster’s fourth head.
CRACK!
The impact sent a shockwave through the chamber.
The serpent screeched, its body convulsing violently as Caspian twisted the sword deeper, violet energy searing into its flesh.
The beast thrashed, trying to shake him off.
Caspian held firm, his muscles straining as he gritted his teeth.
Then, with a savage yank, he ripped Bloodmoon free.
A geyser of dark blood erupted from the wound, the serpent’s agonized shrieks rattling the very air.
Caspian landed lightly on the ground, his boots skidding against the stone.
He straightened, rolling his neck. "Not so tough when I get serious, huh?"
{Narcissistic}
The serpent’s remaining heads snarled in fury. Their previous arrogance was gone—now, they were wary.
But Caspian knew better than to get cocky.
He could feel it.
The shift in the atmosphere.
Hisssssssss
A slow, guttural chuckle rumbled through the chamber.
The beast had been holding back too.
A faint smirk pulled at Caspian’s lips.
Good.
Then, with an ear-splitting roar, the serpent unleashed its full power.
CRACK!
The ground beneath them fractured as the monster’s energy exploded outward.