The cool power of Edgar’s wind filled his body as he charged, and he started to direct his Void power and Divinity towards his fist, creating blazing beacons of light that stood out amidst the gore strewn courtyard. The king lifted his sword, blasting through the stone roof of the throne room in his impatience, and brought it down. The boom of thunder and the crackle of lightning accompanied the attack as it ionized the atoms in the air through its sheer speed and size.
A black flame burst into being around the weapon as it descended, and Jonathan felt a conceptual weight drop down onto his shoulders. Acting on pure instinct, he channeled his stamina and legged it away from the impact zone. The attack hammered into the obsidian with full force, releasing its massive energy load. The obsidian that made up the castle shattered under the strike, sending a wave of supersonic shrapnel into Jonathan’s back. He rolled with the force, but he still could feel his skin tearing under the onslaught. With a curse, he rose and turned towards the monster, who seemed surprised that he was still alive.
“You’re going to need to do better than that, you wannabe edgelord!” Jonathan taunted, knowing full well that the other fighter would have no idea what he meant.
The king got the gist of the insult well enough, and let out an ear splitting roar in response. Jonathan dashed towards his enemy, gathering as much power as he could in his fists and legs. Like a purple comet, he pushed off the ground with full force, using his stamina to shoot him like a rocket. He moved faster than the monster could react, and as he neared the creature’s face, blasting past the pitifully slow swing of its sword, he cocked back his fist and punched.
The full force of his martial talent, his Void power and his Divinity combined in a glorious explosion of light that rocked the titan of a man on his feet. Jonathan was snatched up a moment later by a lightning fast swipe of the monster’s hand. He let out a curse, muffled by the gauntlet. With a grimace, the monster started to squeeze, blood running down his ruined face.
Jonathan struggled, but the monster had the advantage in this situation. His physical strength alone was not going to cut it. A nexus of purple mist started to expand outwards as he loosed the unfettered power of the Void, and the armored gauntlet started to melt. The king did not notice, instead squeezing even harder, causing Jonathan’s bones to crunch. Then a look of confusion took over the beast’s face as he suddenly lost control over his hand. Nerveless hands dropped Jonathan to the ground as the Void tore apart the living flesh. Suddenly realizing what had happened, the king roared in pain and anger. Jonathan watched him, one eye closed as he spat up blood. That had been a lot closer than he would have liked.
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He took advantage of the situation and barreled forwards, weaving around the monster’s desperate strikes. With only one hand to wield his weapon with, the monster was unable to build up the same sort of strength. As Jonathan moved, he got a better look at his handiwork. The monster’s entire hand was melted away, with only a few bone fragments remaining. However, his elemental energy reserves were below half from that one expulsion of Void energy. It was an attack that would have been highly dangerous to him as well, save for the fact that he was completely immune. In fact, it was an ability that he was interested in cultivating to the point that it became a System skill.
Eventually the monster realized that his wild thrashings were futile, and he directed his attention to his feet. The king started to stomp the earth, sending shockwaves rolling across the obsidian. Jonathan merely ignored it.
With another blast wave rippling across the ground, he tore himself free from gravity’s smothering embrace with his stamina redirection. He cocked back his fist, sending enough power to it to erase a small hill.
All of that power struck the monster’s already weakened face, caving in his skull. Bone fragments and flesh rained down as the king toppled, dropping his sword in the process. Jonathan sighed in relief, and let gravity take him, landing next to the monster’s corpse. A surge of essence entered him, finally taking him over the edge to the next level. A sudden wave of exhaustion overtook him at the same moment, and he sat down, taking a deep breath. Edgar landed beside him, the man smiling broadly.
“Did that wear you out too much?” He said jokingly, patting Jonathan on the back. “Good job in any case. We should have a chance at reaching the end with that showing.”
“Are you sure?” Jonathan asked, his voice a little bit glum. He looked up at Edgar, and even though his helmet was on, his expression was clear. “Is it possible to level past the curve here? All of the monsters are like us, able to fight above their tier. This is the training ground for demigods in the making. Can we really make it, especially considering how short of a time we have lived? Hell, I’ve only been in this world for a few months, and I’m already approaching the peak of this hell circle. Are we going too fast?”
“No,” Edgar said with certainty. “I’ve seen those who push themselves beyond their limits. One more monster, they say. One more level. One more treasure. That lucky break that they are waiting for never comes however, and they invariably die. None even make it to level fifty, at least from the ones that I know. Reaching Tier 2 is a good indication that you have what it takes to reach higher.”
“That’s certainly comforting,” Jonathan said as he rose to his feet. “Let’s check out the treasure, shall we?”