Noah didn’t know why Victor had just received a power-up. Was it a stimulant, a skill, or something else?

With Noah’s recent knowledge of Expansion, the energy that was now radiating from Victor was staggering. But he could tell it wouldn’t last long. The wolf-man’s limbs were trembling, and Noah could hear the bones creak under his fur flesh.

Victor moved. It was incredibly fast, and if Noah hadn’t managed to tame Gluttony, and level him up beforehand, he doubted he would be able to handle his new speed.

But now it was different. With his new mount focusing on speed, when Noah blinked, it was the same for Gluttony. They reappeared into the shadows, only to bolt out in a flash of movement.

Noah thrust his spear at Victor’s skull, but he blinked to the side, and attacked Noah’s leg. His blade sliced against his armoured greaves. However, he forgot about Gluttony.

Natural blades emerging from his legs, they tore into Victor’s flesh like a phantom blade.

Blinking away, Victor snarled. It was difficult dealing with a mounted warrior. He not only had to worry about the long range of his spear, but the sharp fangs of his beast.

“Hey Victor, aren't you forgetting something?” Noah chuckled. As if he wasn’t taking this seriously. He wasn’t.

Noah gazed around. Both entrances were blocked, and now Thraz, and Krall were stampeding toward Victor like a rampaging bull on steroids. Filled with wrath, they wanted to separate the wolf-man’s limbs from his body.

Victor seemed to realise the situation he was in. He blinked away, trying to run toward one of the doors, but he was met with resistance.

Lorena fired her arrows, each one aimed straight for the vitals, while the others stood in his way.

“Noah, face me on your own!” Victor snarled, blinking, dodging another arrow. “Or are you scared?”

Noah shook his head. His view of the wolf-man couldn’t be lower. Ever since he had first met him, all he had been doing was running away. Now, faced with him once more, he was trying to slither away again. But Noah wouldn’t let him.

“Sure thing.” Gluttony walked forward, graceful like a large cat.

“Without your mount,” Victor snarled.

“Well, you wouldn’t want me to fight without my strength, would you?” Noah teased. “But fine, if you want it so bad, I’ll give you a handicap.”

Noah climbed off Gluttony and had him stand behind.

His words only seemed to incense the wolf-man as his eyes turned red. In a flash, Victor moved at high speed and clashed with Noah. Metal met metal in a sparking explosion.

Hit after hit, blood seeped from both of them.

Noah blinked to the side, within a shadow, and activated his Thrust Shard. Like a javelin leaving his spear, it pierced the air, slicing through Victor's shoulder.

Victor replied with a blink of his own. Not only his blade, but from the top of his shoulder, a red haze emerged like a bloodied mist. The red in his eyes became more vibrant as they gazed into Noah’s soul.

A fear grabbed hold of his heart. Noah’s sight moved from the outside world, to within his mind. Images flashed from his childhood. He was curled up in a ball, in a dirty alleyway. Rain dripped from the buildings, soaking him until his clothes stuck to his body like a second skin. He was cold, alone. Noah crawled forward, until his head emerged from the night alleyway.

In the distance, looming high above was the multiversal broadcast. People killed each-other, worked with each-other, and loved each-other. It was a new world filled with untold possibilities, and although it was filled with violence, sparks of… more existed within.

It was his chance of a new life.

The world turned black. It was the same feeling when he was hidden in the shadows. It wasn’t loneliness this time, but it was powerful. Something called out to him, like his eyes had always been shut, and for the first time, he opened them.

An enormous pair of white monstrous teeth opened its maw, then engulfed him entirely. His eyes snapped open. Victor was in front of him.

Noah activated [Beastly Aegis] and raised his shield. Dark tendrils emerged from his wooden shield. They grabbed hold of Victor’s blade, slowing it down, but his impressive speed managed to get through the darkness, and clash against his shield. But the strength difference was too much.

Grunting, Noah slammed his shield into Victor, sending him tumbling back.

Krall was itching to join the fight, but Noah told him not to. This was a fight between the two of them.

However, Gluttony had a mind of his own. Like a stubborn child, he slunk into the shadows, and Noah could only smirk at his actions. Well, he didn’t blame him.

Noah summoned another thrust, and threw it at Victor as he approached, but the wolf-man blinked to the side, then blinked once more to close the distance.

Spear held at the front, he flicked it when Victor attempted to move to his flank. With his keen eyesight, Noah kept track of him. The spear tip aimed right between his eyes.

Gritting his teeth, Victor ducked below, and snapped his leg to the spears shaft in an acrobatic kick.

Noah was surprised at the flexibility, but it made sense considering he was specialised in agility. He attempted to regain control of his spear, moving it to his front, but Victor was already in front of him. Having to give up on his attack, Noah blinked backward, into the shadows.

Victor lost sight of him for a second, but it was all Noah needed. He summoned another lance from his Thrust shard, and threw it forward with [Power Shot] activated. It surged through the air, piercing Victor’s stomach.

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Noah knew that the wound wasn’t enough. The damned wolf-man was like a snake, shifting his body this way and that, dodging his attacks.

Chasing him after a second, Victor used a new skill that he hadn’t seen before. The haze of red above him warped, and what appeared to be ghosts, shot forward. Mouth open, it seemed that they wanted to bite Noah.

He wasn’t sure how it would work, but he didn’t want to risk getting bitten by whatever the hell it was.

Noah threw out multiple spears with his Thrust shard while moving backwards. It proved effective as one of the javelins hit Victor square in the shoulder, while the others barely missed. Or more accurately, Victor dodged them.

It was then that Noah realised that Victor had no projectile skill. Grinning, Noah blinked away, throwing another javelin while keeping his distance.

Victor may be faster, more agile, but along with a spear, and using it as a projectile at the same time, it was difficult for the wolf-man to progress.

However, it didn’t last long. Blood seeped from his eyes as the power within his body surged.

Oh what the hell now?! Noah frowned as Victor sped up even further.

Muscles bulging, skin splitting, Victor teleported far further than he was previously able to. He appeared right in front of Noah with his blades already against his throat. He grinned, razor-sharp teeth bathed in his own blood.

“I’ve got you now,” Victor proclaimed. His forearms tensed, but Noah simply smiled in response.

A spectral blade appeared out of thin air. From the darkness, it tore straight through his arms as if they weren’t there in the first place. Blood sprayed, and Victor’s weapons fell to the floor.

Noah hefted his spear, then in an instant, shot it through Victor’s heart.

Victor glanced to the side. Gluttony emerged from the shadows, snarling.

“You–” Victor groaned.

“Oh please,” Noah spat. “How much help are you getting from your sponsors? All I get is a scant few coins. Fuck you.”

Noah moved forward next to his spear, and slammed Victor’s skull into the ground. Lifting his foot, he stomped downward. First it was solid, then it turned into mush as a wet sound splatted underneath.

You defeated a - Level 43 Victor, The Chosen of Naira: the Goddess of Fear.

Gluttony has Levelled up.

| Gluttony level 31 -> Gluttony level 33

You have angered Naira, the Goddess of Fear.

| You have slain her Chosen.

| Your sponsors are wary of your future.

Ekralo, the Beast Tamer, has sponsored you.

| Grace Coins added.

| Rare Potion added.

| Note received: Haha! You should see the wretched goddess’ face right now! You’ve definitely angered her alright, she’s even moving out against the Nightbear kingdom! Oh man, it’s going to be a bloodbath. Here’s some advice, little tamer, watch out for her other Chosen. The runt named Victor is just a little mouse that had potential.

Well, that can’t be good. Noah held his knees, panting.

He took a breath to regulate his breathing. He was nearing his limit in that fight. If it went any longer, he doubted either of them would have come out of it alive.

And thankfully Declan decided to stay out of it. Well, not that he was overly worried. Krall and Thraz stood there like two brick walls. Walls that had sharp fangs, and even bigger weapons.

Krall charged forward and planted his face over Noah’s shoulders.

“There we go buddy,” Noah laughed. “See, I’m alright.” Noah beat his chest. He was bleeding, but it wasn’t anything serious.

More than that however, was the new strength he felt. With Krall and Gluttony next to him, it seemed that [Monster Allegiance] was taking both of them together, and adding their strength to his own.

Noah flexed his muscles, happy with the surprise.

“Noah!” Thraz ran over, only slightly behind Krall. He grabbed hold of him in a tight bear hug, yet the strength wasn’t even enough to make him tense. “I thought you died!”

“You can’t get rid of me that easily.” Noah slapped the dragonborn on the shoulder and turned to Declan and the others.

“It’s good to see you, Noah,” Lorena said with a slight smile. Although for the dark-elf, it looked more like a sinister grin than anything else.

“I hate to admit it, but it’s true,” Declan said. He was crouched next to someone, busy trying to bandage up their wounds.

“Victor went insane, huh?” Noah asked, he approached and used some of his rarer bandages to help out the injured.

“He did,” Declan continued. “I’ll need to hear the story later, but we have bigger problems than that right now.”

“What’s up?”

“It’s the princess,” Lorena added. “She’s already fighting the boss.”

“Well that can’t be good,” Noah mused. “Did you meet her before she went in?”

“Yes,” Declan finished bandaging the young man next to him. “It was her decision to go in even without us.”

Noah also finished bandaging the other young woman. “It means she has some confidence in being able to defeat the lord.”

“That’s what I thought.” Declan nodded.

“Alright then, give me a second,” Noah said as he approached Victor’s body. He wasn’t going to let the spoils of his fight go to anyone else.

He was wearing armour that was half white, half leather. It had a fur collar, but it was made of coarse hairs. Not like a wolf, or any other animal he was used to. The hair did look strangely familiar, but he couldn’t place his finger on it. Noah Identified it.

Level 30 Epic - Armour of Regeneration: An armour made from the blood essence of a troll king, and its bones.

| This is a set piece. The entire set increases regeneration considerably.

Noah whistled. Your sponsor was good to you. And now it’s mine. Noah looked up at the sky. Hopefully the so-called goddess could see him.

Next up was the blades. Victor used some kind of dual-wielded scythes. One of them looked special. One of them was ordinary.

Epic - Level 5 - Blade of Fear: A blade that harnesses fear. When struck, reduce the wounded creature's state of mind.

| Added Stats: Dex+5, Str+3

Interesting… But he had no use for it.

The armour was also nice, but it didn’t have the stats he was looking for. Nor did it increase his damage with tamed monsters, which his class kind of revolved around. Despite having no use for it, he stuffed it into his backpack, then slumped it onto his back. He was ready.

Noah headed toward the other door. “With us, the lord shouldn't be a problem.” His words radiated confidence, but it was rightfully earned through blood, sweat, and tears.

So many times he had received the breath of death on his neck, yet here he stood. Victorious. Victor realised it too late. To advance, one had to risk having their body carved into mangled flesh.

Noah was ready for all of it.

Krall was in front. Now and then, he would sniff Gluttony, but the wolf-bat was having none of it. He kept out of his way, wary of the enormous mole-kobold hybrid.

It wasn’t long before he stood in front of a huge set of golden doors.