“CRIMSON SOUL!”
Stark’s body glowed with a crimson light as his soul manifested in front of him: a pulsating crimson heart with a smiley face on it.
Without hesitation, he took the two chains that controlled the heart, and from his single rage determination slammed it into the mini-boss’s body twice.
The Gargantua screeched, its iron body shuddering as Stark’s soul heart hurt it badly.
-124714! -132379!
Even with its defense, the damage was insane.
The creature roared, struggling against Stark’s control, but it was too late.
“ITS OVER!” Stark gritted his teeth and activated [Aura Storm], summoning the five crimson fists, which instant merged into a violent whirlwind of energy.
The storm pulled the Gargantua in, its massive iron body slamming into the ground as the crimson energy tore through its defenses.
The iron plates cracked and shattered under the relentless assault, the Gargantua’s HP plummeting.
FWISH…
And when it was almost at the heart of the [Aura Storm]… it exploded.
BOOOOOM!
-543713!
Its defenses were already most shattered from the hits of his soul, so its defense had plummeted.
The Gargantua let out one final, pained roar before the storm crushed it completely.
Its body collapsed to the ground, its once-impenetrable armor shattered into pieces.
[You have slain ‘Wrought Iron Gargantua’. You have gained 2,200,000 experience points!]
Ding!
[Your level has increased to level 79, granting you four skill points and a boost in stats.]
Stark stood over the defeated creature, his chest heaving as the last remnants of his soul heat gradually seeped back into his body.
His heart returned to his body, and the crimson aura around him disappearing.
He turned, his eyes immediately searching for Lana. She was conscious, but clutching her side in pain.
Sora was already beside her, healing her wounds with [Regenerative Drop].
After thirty seconds, a single golden drop emerged from a giant flower above Lana’s head, the drop hitting her forehead and fully healing her.
“+70000!”
Lana got up almost immediately, the healing abilities of the flowers working wonders!
[You have beaten the fifth floor!]
[You are the first team to reach complete the first half of the colosseum!]
…
Across the Capital
The sudden notification that appeared in front of all the students—and even the teachers—sent shockwaves through the capital. Every student stopped in their tracks as the message flashed in front of them.
They were getting ready to final enter to attempt to beat the first floor with their teammates, some others wanting to relax before risking their lives.
And some crazy fuckers were already halfway done?!
The entire academy fell into chaos as students stared at their status screens in disbelief.
The Colosseum Trial, a grueling test of endurance and skill, was designed to be a challenge that would push students to their absolute limits.
A challenge where most teams would take weeks to reach even the third or fourth floors.
How in the world had someone managed to complete five floors so fast?
Inside the faculty lounge, the teachers and staff looked at one another, stunned.
The chairman, Theodore, sat silently at his desk, his fingers joined as he stared at the notification hovering before him.
“This is… outstanding,” one of the senior instructors muttered, shaking his head in disbelief, “No team has ever done this so quickly not in… ever…?”
Theodore’s expression remained neutral, but his mind was racing. Deep inside, he knew.
Only two people could have possibly done this.
“Stark and Sora,” he muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing in contemplation, “It has to be them.”
Back to the Trio, inside the safe zone after the fifth floor.
As the notification disappeared, Stark, Sora, and Lana were suddenly teleported away from the battlefield.
The familiar golden light of the system wrapped around them, pulling them to their next destination: the safe zone at the halfway point.
They blinked, finding themselves standing inside a luxurious room.
It was vastly different from the others, which all mimicked the harsh environments of the previous floors.
A table in the center of the room was filled with an assortment of food, drinks, and healing items. Plush couches lined the walls, inviting them to rest.
“Wow…” Lana whispered, her eyes wide with amazement. “This is… amazing.”
Without hesitation, she plopped down onto one of the couches, sinking into the soft cushions with a sigh of relief. S
tark, on the other hand, was more focused.
He glanced at the healing items scattered across the room, grabbing a few potions and downing them quickly.
“We deserve a break,” he muttered, collapsing into a nearby chair and leaning back, his head resting against the cushions.
He didn’t even bother questioning why there was such a place in a colosseum.
[This place only appears to users who complete the first five floor in a row, otherwise it will be a normal room.]
‘Makes sense,’ he sighed.
Sora, the quiet one, simply sat on the floor near the table, sipping from a glass of water.
She didn’t say much, but she didn’t need to. Her presence alone was enough.
For thirty minutes, they rested in comfortable chatter: Lana and Stark chatted lightly about the trials they’d faced so far, and though Sora didn’t contribute much to the conversation, she listened intently.
Despite her usual stoicism, there was something comforting about being here with Stark and Lana, hearing them speak.
She didn’t express it outwardly, but deep down, she realized that this was the first time in a long while that she felt truly… at ease.
Sora, who had once felt a bit of jealousy towards Lana for being so close to Stark even though she was ‘weak’, felt relieved now: that jealousy inside of her disappeared.
Thirty Minutes Later.
Stark suddenly stood up from his seat, cracking his neck.
His eyes burned with a deep crimson color, the aura around him sparking to life once again.
“Let’s go,” he said, his voice filled with determination. “I want to get this over with.”
Sora was already on her feet, her expression as calm and composed as always. She nodded silently, ready to follow him to whatever awaited them beyond the sixth-floor door.
But as they moved towards the door, Lana stayed back, hesitating.
She fidgeted with her fingers, biting her lip.
“Um…” she mumbled. “I think I’ll just stay here…”
Stark stopped, turning back to her with a confused expression.
“I… I’m just not good enough to be fighting with you two,” Lana admitted, her voice trembling slightly, “I feel like I’m holding you both back… and… I wouldn’t even be here without your protection, Stark. I’m already grateful for that.”
She looked down at the floor, her face flushed with embarrassment.
For a moment, Stark didn’t say anything: he didn’t know what to say.
He tried to open his mouth, but before he could speak, Sora quietly stepped forward.
Sora’s hand reached out, gently stroking Lana’s hair.
“It’s fine,” Sora said softly, her voice lacking its usual coldness, “You can just wait here. We’ll complete the tower before you even realize it.”
She offered Lana a small, reassuring smile, something most people would call an actual miracle, it was faint, but it was enough to make Lana’s eyes well up with tears.
“…Thank you,” Lana whispered, her voice cracking.
And at that moment, she too, realized that Sora wasn’t a rival, not at all, and so she also lost that jealousy she had with her.
Now, maybe they could find a middle ground concerning Stark?
Afterward, Lana gave Stark a quick hug, which he returned, and then she went back to sit on the couch.
With that done, Stark turned and pushed open the door labeled with the sign [Sixth Floor].
The heavy door creaked as it swung open, revealing the next arena.
Lana stood back, watching as the two disappeared into the arena, the door slowly closing behind them with a heavy thud.
…
The air was thick with tension as Stark and Sora stepped into the massive, circular arena.
Before them stood their next opponent: a hulking figure clad in dark armor. Its face was hidden behind a helmet with glowing red eyes, and its body radiated an aura of pure malice.
The elite let out a low growl, its hands tightening around a massive sword.
Stark and Sora exchanged a glance, their respective auras flaring to life around them: Stark’s crimson and frenzied, while Sora’s remained calm and green.
The elite shifted its stance, and it almost seemed like it was… trembling.
“Gulp,” it audibly gulped, clearly aware of the overwhelming power in front of it.
Even though it was an elite, it knew itself that facing these two awakeners was a battle it couldn’t win.
And so, the fight began.
