[15th April 2024]

"Now enjoy, kid, and no changing it before you complete this task," Victor said, taking pleasure in Rey's expression.

"What the heck is this? Are you kidding me?" Rey shouted, backing away frantically with the weapon Victor had given him.

"Well, you did give him something decent," Aiden remarked as he watched Rey struggle with the weapon.

The weapon Rey received was a double-handed hammer, nearly four meters tall.

Its weight wasn't too much to carry, unlike a sword or dagger. He could manage it, but it was proving to be an obstacle in his evasion.

"How am I supposed to fight with a weapon that requires prior experience?" Rey yelled, having trouble handling it at first but gradually getting the hang of it, even though he was still being outmaneuvered by them.

"Well, what can we say, kid? Just imagine you're in a war without a weapon, and suddenly you find one that isn't suited for you. Are you going to search for a suitable weapon or use it for defense and offense?" Victor posed the scenario.

"Huh, what are you even talking about? Why should I use a weapon when I have my own resources? Can't you see the person behind you, Zero? She's a living weapon, you bastard," Rey retorted as he attacked one of the stragglers.

The hammer crashed directly into Jacob's chest, sending him flying backward and giving Rey a moment to focus on the others, who were struggling to stand.

Seizing the opportunity, Rey lunged at the one beside him and, with tremendous force, brought the hammer down on his head, causing it to burst like a watermelon.

After that, he paused to catch his breath from the prolonged fight.

As he rested, the second Jacob was already on his feet, glancing at the body of the first before charging at Rey with increased fury, intent on killing him.

Punch after punch rained down. Rey was in trouble; his hand was sore from using the hammer so forcefully and for so long, and now he was feeling the recoil.

But he continued to defend himself; he couldn't afford to lose now.

He threw the hammer with some strength towards the man who caught it effortlessly.

As he inspected it, a punch landed squarely on his face, sending him stumbling backwards.

Blood oozed from his nose after Rey struck him twice in the face.

Exhausted, Rey walked over to the hammer next to Jacob.

He hoisted it into the air and, with a final swing, delivered a deadly blow to Jacob's head.

Rey also fell backwards as exhaustion overcame him, but then something strange occurred—the two bodies of Jacob dissolved into the ground.

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Instantly, Rey's fatigue dissipated as if it had never been.

He stood up in shock, thinking he could rest, but perhaps not.

"So, how was the battle, kid? Did you enjoy yourself?" Victor inquired, his image appearing on a screen, observing Rey while lounging on a sofa.

"You think I'm a battle-hungry junkie, huh? Just a regular kid here, being pushed into chaos," Rey retorted, lunging for a punch that hilariously missed its mark, passing right through his target.

"Ah, 'normal'—slaughtering two illusions in such a savage manner. Quite the average Joe, aren't you?" Victor quipped, replaying the violent scenes for Rey's benefit.

"I had no choice; it was them or me," Rey protested, his expression a comical mix of confusion and indifference.

"Great job, nonetheless. Ready to switch up your arsenal, or fancy another round with the same tool?" Victor inquired, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Uh, let's switch it up... Different tools might just do the trick," Rey decided, watching his trusty hammer morph into a hefty single-handed sword right beside him.

"That's the spirit!" Rey exclaimed, grabbing the blade and swinging it with an enthusiasm that would make a swordsman jealous.

"And where are my new punching bags? The usual, or something more challenging?" Rey asked, brimming with a newfound confidence that shattered like glass when, instead of the usual pair, an additional dummy appeared, upping the ante.

"Hi, what is that thing? You told me you would increase them as time goes by, but this is too much," Rey exclaimed. Before he could continue, the three lunged at him, intent on beating him to pieces.

He had no time to speak or listen, his entire focus was on the movements of the three assailants.

He tried to fend them off, but this time the third one was causing too much trouble. Previously, he could dodge or block the attacks of two, but the third made it too difficult to manage.

If he blocked the first attack and dodged the second, he had no time to avoid the third, so he took the hit, and the other two seized the opportunity to strike him.

Now his whole body was covered in red; the beating was too much for him, despite his strength.

"Stop this, I can't take it anymore," Rey pleaded as he attempted to flee.

"You can't die or kill; that's the only way to escape this hell," Aiden stated, no longer laughing, as he could see that Rey couldn't take much more.

"Let's stop, he can't handle any more," Aiden urged, looking at Victor, who instantly refused.

"Why are you being so sympathetic toward this kid? Didn't you throw him into that hell? So why now? Because it's my setup or something?" Victor said to him in anger.

"No, I didn't, but this kid might have gotten some trauma from it, and he won't be able to fight more than two enemies later on, so I am closing it," Aiden said as he was about to stop the beating show when Victor stopped him.

"No, stop. My mind says that this boy can do it, just wait," Victor said as he clutched his hand into the sofa.

"Think, Rey, you can do something, just think. The way is right in front of you," Victor shouted at him. Rey, who was getting beaten, listened to him and tried to find it.

He didn't see anything, but then his eyes fell on his weapon.

He thought of a way and tried to implement it right now as he couldn't withstand it anymore.

He then rolled back several times and looked at the three Jacobs walking toward him with the full intent to kill. If Victor handed them even a single knife, he was sure that he would die.

"Okay, let's do this," Rey said as he prepared to implement his plan.

He noticed the first assailant approaching to punch him, which he dodged with ease. As the second attacker approached, he blocked the punch, but then a third appeared, aiming for his chest. Unlike before, when Rey would try to evade or block, he counterattacked with a slash of his blade towards the assailant's face. The attacker recoiled, but not before the blade left a mark on his face. Jacob, seeing the fresh blood, was filled with rage, while Rey's face lit up with triumph, his risky plan having succeeded.

-- To be continued --