Hunter felt the cool rush of air as he entered the gate, taking a moment for his vision to clear as he absorbed his new surroundings. He soon realized that the chi in the air was more potent than back in the guild room, raising his hairs on his skin.

As his vision cleared, Hunter found himself standing in a vast sandstone arena. The heat prickled at the back of his neck as the sun blazed down, unforgiving, from its high perch in the clear blue sky. He rolled his shoulders and bounced on the balls of his feet, sand shifting in treacherous formations beneath him.

Empty stalls surrounded him, echoing with ghostly silence, only broken by the faint whisper of a warm breeze that flirted with his cheek.

"Great, not even a crowd to applaud my inevitable victory," Hunter said to himself, scanning the deserted arena with a wry smirk.

He wasn't completely alone, though. Stony eyes stared down at him from statues of the Pantheon of gods that he or his mentor Nic had never worshiped back on Death Island. They watched with cold indifference, the only spectators to his ordeal. "No pressure then, just a bunch of stony-faced gods and their lofty expectations." He eyed the statues with mock reverence.

“No offense, Claude,” Hunter said in case the god was listening.

Among the imposing figures was one statue Hunter didn’t recognize; it stood out, smaller than the others but still towering over Hunter. As he approached, a familiar house symbol on the armor caught his eye—the legend of the infamous unknown warrior who collected heads as trophies. This guy clearly had a flair for the dramatic, with a face and body shrouded in heavy hoplite armor, one hand wielding an impressive, realistic spear, and the other an imposing shield embossed with a blazing blue star phoenix.

Hunter squinted as an ice-blue shimmer rippled across the shield's surface. "Nice touch with the special effects.” He stepped back as the statue's sandstone skin began to glow with liquid gold lines, revealing intricate runes like divine tattoos. It shuddered with violence, and Hunter took a few more steps back as brilliant blue eyes snapped open within the helmet's visor.

Without warning the warrior lunged. Its shield sliced through the air towards him. "Whoa, easy there, big guy!" Hunter exclaimed, barely raising his spear in time to block the blow. The force of the impact sent him skidding back across the arena floor, sand spraying from beneath his boots.

The warrior charged across the arena with frightening speed. Hunter had no time to react. The shield crashed into him with a thunderous clang. Hunter's chi flared, lessening the force of the impact, enough to keep his bones from shattering like glass. He was flung backward, landing hard on the arena floor, his lungs gasping for air and his shoulder blades screaming in protest.

Shaking off the shock, Hunter leapt to his feet, steadied himself, and turned sideways to make himself a smaller target. He channeled his chi into his spear, feeling a surge like a storm meeting a volcano inside him. He watched in awe as his power traveled up the spear, lighting the blade with a fierce glow.

The stone warrior closed the gap as quick as a gazelle, its spear aimed right at Hunter. Igniting the chi in his legs, Hunter pushed forward, his steps boosting his strength and confidence. He felt as if he could see seconds into the future, anticipating the warrior's strike with perfection. With effortless movements, he dodged the blade, weaving around the warrior with the agility of a snake, his feet barely touching the sand. He then planted his spear into the ground for stability and swung swiftly to the warrior's side.

His eyes scanned for any weak spots.

The armor was nearly impenetrable, save for a few scant gaps. Memories of defeating similarly armored foes flashed through his mind, sharpening his focus. He spun his spear, building momentum, while the warrior’s eyes glowed with a deadly resolve, signaling a fatal blow was imminent—either from its spear or the massive shield swinging towards Hunter's right.

In the split second before the shield could reach him, Hunter lunged forward. His spear tip drove upward, finding its mark in the left eye of the warrior's helmet. A gust of wind buffeted him as the shield loomed large, casting a shadow over him like an eclipse. Simultaneously, the warrior dropped its spear, grappling to dislodge Hunter's weapon from its eye.

Hunter hit the ground, rolling just in time as the sharp edge of the shield skimmed past, narrowly missing his head.

The ground vibrated under the weight of the warrior’s movements, but Hunter was already moving, rolling to evade the crushing stomp that followed. His heart pounded in his ears, adrenaline fueling his swift reactions.

Pausing briefly to catch his breath, Hunter saw the shield swinging towards him again. He dove across the hot sand, the heat scorching his skin. Had he been wearing heavy armor like the warrior, he wouldn't have been able to move so swiftly, but being less protected meant he felt every bit of the heat. The pain was intense, like his skin was burning off, but Hunter gritted his teeth and pushed through.

Even as the spear dripped crimson, protruding from its eye, the stone warrior seemed unfazed, continuing its assault as if driven by some unyielding engine. If it had a brain, Hunter mused grimly, it would surely be scrambled by now. Yet the spear seemed ineffective in truly disabling the behemoth. That realization sparked a memory—an image from his youth, stark and vivid, hinting at a possible weakness.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

If it bleeds, I can kill it.

Knowing he couldn't rely on brute force alone, Hunter scooped up a handful of hot sand and hurled it towards the warrior’s face, using the distraction to unleash a torrential attack with his Dust Storm Whip. Cracking the air, the whip slashed across the warrior’s chest, stripping away a layer of stone but failing to halt its advance.

The warrior braced, lifting its shield in defense as Hunter used its knee as a springboard in a desperate, acrobatic leap. His hands grasped his spear, yanking it free from the warrior's eye with a spray of golden light—the essence of its vitality. As he landed, the warrior swung wildly, nearly connecting with a deadly counterstrike.

Hunter exhaled, relief washing over him as the warrior stumbled backward, its movements finally showing signs of faltering. The golden light bled more profusely from the damaged eye, signaling the warrior’s imminent collapse.

Seizing the opportunity, Hunter plunged his spear into the warrior's remaining eye, quickly retracting his weapon as more golden light spilled forth. The arena filled with a radiant glow as the warrior collapsed, its life essence spilling out like liquid wealth.

A notification flickered in Hunter's vision, but a sudden, a gut-wrenching pain twisted through him, dropping him to his knees. "Perfect timing," he said, gasping for breath. His skin was aflame, as if pierced by thousands of hot needles, a fire raging through every part of him.

At his core, it felt as if he might split in two. His breaths came in sharp, ragged gasps as he struggled to master the pain and failed. Like a guiding star in a storm, Tower sent him a message.

Tower: Regulate your breathing Hunter. Everything is going to be fine. It seems you're on the verge of a breakthrough.

Hunter forced himself to take a deep, steadying breath, but his body felt more like a battleground than a temple. His heart pounded against his chest, echoing the thud of the stone warrior he had just dispatched. With his eyes squeezed shut, he visualized the calm using his cultivation technique Stallions River Run. He visualized a clay horse rising from the cool waters of a mountain spring, its serenity at odds with the chaos broiling within him.

The pain intensified, threatening to drag him into madness. As soon as he felt he might succumb to the darkness, his inner turmoil broke like a dam, giving way to a brief, exquisite relief. But the respite was fleeting; another wave of agony surged, pulling him toward oblivion. Instead of resisting, Hunter surrendered to the onslaught, letting the pain engulf him whole.

Suddenly, it was as if he plunged into an icy bath, his body's temperature plummeting, snatching his breath away. His eyes snapped open to a world sharply in focus. He was on his hands and knees, the once scorching sand now strangely benign beneath his palms. Coated in black tar, he discovered beneath a skin not blistered but reborn—smooth, tough, transformed.

Breathing now brought a potent surge of energy, filling him with a crescendo of power reminiscent of a symphony he’d once heard at the Valkyrie Opera. It was a haunting melody of invincibility, one he wished could last forever.

Notifications blinked into view, nudging him back to reality. Hunter pushed himself to his feet, scanning the arena where the warrior had fallen—nothing remained, not a scrap of loot nor a core.

His spear, cleansed of the warrior’s golden ichor, felt balanced and eager in his hand.

Tower: Well done, Hunter. You've defeated your first minion, a formidable tower defender. Although training in the tutorial might have smoothed your path, you've managed quite the admiration.

A flicker of irritation crossed Hunter's mind. "How could I overlook the hierarchy of bosses? Seems I'm in for even tougher fights next time, maybe facing multiple adversaries." The thought of escalating challenges sent a thrill of anticipation through him, tempered by the knowledge of the brutal tests ahead.

“What’s next in the Founder gate?”

Tower: I'd hate to spoil the surprise. Next time, try not to ascend to a new cultivation stage in the heat of battle—you've missed all the loot that warrior dropped.

Hunter sighed, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Great, missed the loot drop—story of my life. Guess I'll chalk it up to experience. Won't happen next time."

Despite the mishap, a sense of pride swelled within him. The thrill of his new rank buoyed his spirits.

[Name: Leocedes “Hunter”

Age: 18

Clan: Filo

Class: Primary – Ranger. Secondary – Fighter.

Path: Holly and Horse

Element Type: Primary – Earth. Secondary – Wind.

Energy Type: Granted – Chi. Earned – Aether.

Chi Cultivation: First Star Founder.

Specialization: Beast Tamer

Titles Earned: Phantom Pilferer of Death Island. Handy-man.]

[Health: 80/100

Chi: 25/100

Aether: 25/100

Stamina: 25/25

Physical: 45

Mental: 40

Weapons Mastery: 35

Armor Mastery: 7]

[New Weapons Skill: Eye Gouger. With the Divine spirit, you have no issues delivering precise strikes to their most vulnerable spot—the eyes. Enhances attacks by ten percent.]

"Look at me now," he couldn't help boasting a little, "I’m officially a First Star Founder. Eye Gouger, that seems fitting."

Tower: Despite your lack of preparation, you've done well. Your vital signs were concerning for a moment there, but I for one am delighted you survived.

Hunter leaned on his spear, rubbing the residual ache in his core. ”That was intense. Thought I was done for. Is it the leap from Refiner to Founder stage, or is there something else at play?"

Tower: Are you still feeling the effects?

Hunter nodded.

Tower: It might be due to your exposure to dark plasma in the Black Temple. Your unique affinity for chi and aether complicates things. It's too early to say how this will affect your progression. For now, though, you really stink. How about that bath?

Hunter chuckled, rising to his full height. "A bath sounds perfect. Good thing someone fixed the pipes and gave us all running water, huh? Couldn't have timed it better."

With a stretch and a satisfying crack of his neck, Hunter headed toward what he hoped would be a long, hot, and very cleansing bath.