Ethan took a slow step back from the edge of the arena, sweat beading down his temples. His eyes flicked toward the stands.
Rows upon rows of dark-robed mages leaned forward in silence, hoods shadowing eager eyes. The atmosphere was electric—a lethal mix of curiosity and cold indifference. They weren't there to cheer him on. They were there to see if he'd die horribly.
"Fuck… no pressure," Ethan muttered under his breath.
He sucked in a sharp breath and wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the blade strapped to his back. In a single fluid motion, he drew it out—a long, slightly curved sword whose steel shimmered like tarnished silver. Jagged runes etched along the fuller glowed with a faint crimson pulse.
Warlord's Fang.
A rusted piece of metal to the naked eye. But to the system—and to Ethan—it was a forgotten relic of a legendary warlord who'd once brought empires to their knees.
"Alright, big guy," Ethan said, eyes narrowing at the Grimfang Revenant. "Let's dance."
The creature roared, rattling its chain-lashed arms, necrotic flames flaring from its skeletal jaws
Ethan shot forward like a bullet. The crowd's murmurs hissed through the chamber like distant wind.
Steel clashed against bone. Sparks burst into the air.
The Revenant swung a spiked limb downward, aiming to split Ethan in two. Ethan rolled under the blow, dust spraying around him, and lashed out with Warlord's Fang across the monster's ribs.
Metal shrieked over bone. Black sparks erupted where the blade struck—but the Revenant barely flinched. Instead, it twisted with terrifying speed, skeletal claws swiping sideways.
Ethan's instincts screamed. He ducked back just in time, feeling the cold gust of air as claws passed inches from his nose.
"Jesus—you're fast for a skeleton!" Ethan barked.
Another roar shook the chamber. Chains lashed out like serpents. One coiled around Ethan's ankle, yanking him off his feet. He hit the ground hard, the wind exploding from his lungs.
The Revenant dragged him closer, skull jaws opening wide as dark flame gathered between its teeth.
Ethan's pupils shrank.
[Dominion Warlord Trait Active – Battle Focus]
A rush like ice water spilled through his veins. Time dilated into an eerie crawl. The roar of the crowd faded into muffled echoes.
He saw everything in perfect detail—the shifting weight of the monster's hips, the tiny sparks where bone met iron, the subtle recoil in its arms just before it tried to swing down.
"Oh-ho… I can see you now, asshole."
The Revenant lunged to bite his head off. But Ethan twisted violently, slicing the chain around his ankle in one perfect arc. He sprang up, pivoting around the Revenant's side, and slammed Warlord's Fang straight into the creature's ribcage.
Bone splintered. A shockwave of black flame rippled outward.
But the Revenant didn't fall. It shrieked, backhanding Ethan with enough force to send him skidding across the chamber floor, blade clanging beside him.
Stars danced in his vision. His entire arm went numb.
He forced himself upright, spitting out blood. "Damn it… you're one persistent bag of bones.
The creature stalked toward him, flames gathering anew. The dark-robed mages in the stands leaned forward even further, faces hidden but anticipation palpable. This was the deciding moment.
Ethan grit his teeth, eyes darting to his system overlay.
A new prompt flashed across his vision:
[Skill Activation – Dark Blade]
[Channel shadow mana through your blade.
[Converts base mana into high-density shadow energy. Attack Power: +50%. Additional Effect: Armor Penetration.]
Ethan drew a deep breath, raising Warlord's Fang.
"Alright… let's try this new toy."
Shadowy energy surged from his chest, flooding down his arm into the sword. Veins of black lightning danced across the steel. A faint black mist coiled from the blade's edge, like smoke rising from a dying fire.
The Revenant shrieked and charged, skeletal claws outstretched.
Ethan met the charge head-on. His footwork sharper than before, he sidestepped at the last second, swung his blade in a brutal horizontal arc—
WHOOSH.
The Dark Blade carved cleanly through the Revenant's shoulder, black flame exploding outward. Bone and chain shattered under the force. The monster howled, dark fire sputtering as its left arm tumbled away, severed.
Ethan pressed his advantage, pivoting around its back, and plunged the sword straight through the Revenant's spine. Shadow mana erupted like a detonation. A thunderous boom echoed through the chamber.
The creature gave one last, shuddering cry… and collapsed to the stone floor in a heap of blackened bones.
Silence fell over the entire arena.
The dark mages stared at Ethan, robes fluttering in the aftermath of the shockwave. For several seconds, not a single voice rose. Then, murmurs began weaving through the stands—some impressed, some skeptical, some simply stunned that a random human brat hadn't been slaughtered in seconds.
Ethan let out a shuddering sigh, chest heaving.
He lowered Warlord's Fang, black smoke still gently wafting off its blade.
He grinned, despite blood dripping from his split lip. "Who's next, huh?"
One of the dark mages leaned forward. "He… he actually killed it."
From the shadows above, the Tower Master's voice rang out, rich and smooth like black velvet. "Interesting… Ethan Graves."
She appeared atop a balcony high above the arena, violet eyes shining like twin stars in the gloom.
"A knight… and a man who wields shadows as if they were silk threads." Her lips curved into a dangerous smile. "This… will be most entertaining."
Ethan blew out a long breath. "Yeah, well… I'm glad you're entertained. Meanwhile, I need a fucking chiropractor."
He wiped sweat from his brow and tried to steady his trembling hands.
But the fire burning in his eyes had only grown brighter.
Because this was the price of being an Overlord—and Ethan was all in.