The synergy of the group continued at an excellent pace. The blonde-haired man dashed forward relentlessly, attacking the beast with his sword and inhuman strength. Each time his blade made impact, it tore deeply into the Shadow Eater's flesh, sending dark, viscous blood spewing across the arena floor. Other times, he was forced to brace himself, blocking the monster's savage retaliations as claws and shadow-laced force crashed against his steel.
From afar, Lin provided constant support, her arms moving in sharp, practiced arcs as she released glowing pink crescent slashes that sliced through the air toward the Dreadling. Her attacks landed where the blonde man needed openings most, forcing the beast to stagger and shift its footing.
The last was Favour—the heavy dealer of the entire Cohort—sending roaring water blasts toward the Dreadling in rapid succession. However, many of her attacks failed to connect. The beast, having already calculated the damage cost of each assault, moved with uncanny precision. Even the blasts that struck only grazed the monster, leaving shallow damage at best.
Steven watched the entire battle closely, his eyes sharp and unblinking. For now, he wasn't needed. At this rate, under the relentless pressure of coordinated attacks, the Dreadling would fall soon—without a single death on their side.
'Still…' Steven tightened his grasp around his daggers, his heart burning with raging determination. 'I must be the one that gets the kill.'
He took a step forward, preparing to lunge—and then—
"Run!"
A single deafening scream pierced the air, surpassing even the roaring chaos of the stadium. It came from the blonde-haired man, who had turned away from the monster to shout at the Cohort.
Steven froze.
There was no reason to retreat. The Shadow Eater was losing ground rapidly. At their current pace, it would be slain within moments. So why run?
His confusion vanished instantly.
A loud bang erupted through the air, as though reality itself had rippled and shattered.
The heavily injured Shadow Eater suddenly wrenched its jaw wide open. A surge of violent red energy—charged for barely a second—bubbled violently within its maw, crackling with lightning before exploding outward in a devastating beam aimed directly at the Cohort.
From the distance it had traveled, it was nearly impossible for the blonde-haired man to dodge, even though he had predicted the attack before it happened.
However, the beam passed by him and Lin entirely.
They were not the target, the blast was aimed at Favour. The heavy dealer—the one causing the monster the most trouble.
Luckily for them, Steven acted without hesitation.
He dropped one of his daggers instantly and seized Favour by the wrist, yanking her toward him with brutal force. Thanks to his enhanced physique stats, he moved with explosive speed, dragging her clear just as the beam tore past them—missing them by barely an inch. Severe heat washed over Steven's skin, scorching the air and making his vision blur as the blast screamed by.
The beam continued onward until it slammed into the metal wall of the arena, carving a massive dent deep into the reinforced surface. The impact sent a thunderous echo rippling through the Colosseum.
It was a grim reminder.
One mistake against such a behemoth—and they would die horribly.
Though the attack failed to strike its target, it created a dangerous opening. The blonde-haired man and Lin had both been forced to retreat several feet to avoid the beam and its unbearable heat.
That left a straight, unobstructed path.
Straight to Steven and Favour.
The Dreadling snarled and lunged forward, its speed suddenly surging far beyond anything it had displayed before. Its target was clear.
The blonde-haired man noticed immediately and charged to intercept the beast, pouring everything he had into his movement.
But he wasn't fast enough.
Not against a desperate monster fighting for survival.
"Attack it, Lin! Slow the bastard down!" he shouted, desperation bleeding into his voice.
Lin responded instantly, swinging her twin blades in rapid succession and releasing a barrage of crescent slashes toward the Shadow Eater. Many missed as the beast weaved and dodged while maintaining its terrifying pace. Others struck true, carving into its body—but the monster didn't slow.
It knew If it killed Favour, the Cohort's chances of survival would plummet. She was their heavy hitter—their cornerstone.
Soon, Lin's movements faltered, her mana reserves were gone. Her hands trembled violently, and her face drained of color as exhaustion overtook her, now She could only watch helplessly.
Steven held his breath, his hand tightening around the hilt of his last dagger as the rampaging Dreadling closed in at terrifying speed. At this point, it was all on him.
He was the only one left who could protect Favour, the deciding factor rested solely on his shoulders.
"Favour," he spoke in a low voice, forcing calm into his tone. The girl was still pressed tightly against his chest—more accurately, his ribcage—trembling from how close she had come to death. "Do you still have mana left?"
She shook her head weakly. "Barely… just enough to maintain the buffs."
"Good enough."
Steven didn't hesitate, his hand clenched the fabric of her robe tightly. When the Shadow Eater loomed before him, he used every ounce of strength in his body and hurled Favour aside.
Shockingly, he managed to fling her through the air with minimal resistance. His enhanced body bore the strain effortlessly, sending her clear of the monster's path.
The Dreadling barely spared Steven a glance, Its bloodshot eyes locked onto Favour once more, Just as Steven had expected.
Using the opening created by the beast's complete disregard for him, Steven surged forward. His body felt lighter than ever as adrenaline flooded his veins. He leapt, soaring upward with reckless audacity, and landed squarely on the beast's back.
Mocking fate itself.
Gripping tightly, he wrapped one arm around the monster's thick neck. With the other, he drove his dagger deep into a shallow wound at its throat using all the strength his body could muster.
A sickening crunch echoed as the blade buried itself completely, letting Dark blood erupt violently, pouring from the wound as the monster shrieked in agony.
Its massive body thrashed wildly, slamming into the ground and jumping around as it tried desperately to dislodge the skinny man clinging to its hide.
But Steven did not let go. He dared not let go, holding on with everything he had.
The hilt of the dagger dug painfully into his palm, his bones screaming under the strain. His other hand clawed into the monster's thick skin, fingers digging deep as he fought to keep his grip.
Letting go meant death!
The Shadow Eater remained terrifyingly tenacious, flailing and swiping its claws blindly, trying to reach Steven and impale him. But its anatomy betrayed it—it couldn't reach its own back.
"KIEEECK!" it shrieked, its cry echoing with rage and pain.
"Die, you filthy beast!" Steven roared back, unleashing his own battle cry as his determination surged.
His arms burned. His lungs screamed for air. His intestines and organs felt as though they would spill from his mouth.
Yet he endured.
His vision blurred; Consciousness threatening to slip away.
Yet he endured.
Even if he had to cling here until the grotesque creature bled itself dry, he would not release his hold.
{Your buff has increased by 5}
The notification barely registered as all Steven could feel was the scorching blood soaking his hands and the violent convulsions of the monster beneath him.
Desperate, the Shadow Eater turned toward one of the metal blockades of the arena. Its eyes fixed on it with grim intent. It began charging forward, staggering and disorganized, hoping to slam its back into the wall and crush Steven against it.
But after only a few unstable strides, its movements faltered, vision dimmed, steps wavered. The massive body of the colossal beast swayed once… twice... And then collapsed helplessly to the ground dead.
Steven still clung to its back as it hit the ground with a thunderous crash his body refusing to just yet release the Shadow eater.
{Ding!}
{Congratulations: You have killed a Grade One Dreadling}
{You can now copy a skill}
//Author's note//
Spare me a single power stone, if not today tomorrow. Just one power stone will increase the amount of fans on the work. And it will really support me to keep going further to make this one of you favorite picks.