Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part One]

CHAPTER 121: The Gladiator Candidate - Daisuke VS Lekton

"We've definitely come a long way from just running away."

Daisuke's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "I'm done running."

***

Adrian sat crossed-legged in a lavish chair that could easily pass as a throne. In his hands, he daintily held a small saucer and a teacup, his lips puckered as he took a small sip.

The chamber surrounding him, much like the Mhaledictus' former mountain hideaway, was an extravagant attempt to elevate a dark, damp cave into something regal. Mana lamps bathed the space in a soft, eerie glow, highlighting rich tapestries, deep crimson carpets, and lavish furnishings. His personal bodyguard stood beside him, unmoving, as though part of the room itself—an imposing, silent sentinel watching over his master.

"You've just made a terrible mistake," Adrian said condescendingly, watching with displeasure as Daisuke and the children entered the chamber. "I was willing to spare the others if you agreed to comply, but now you leave us with no other choice but to get rid of them to teach you a lesson. And it would seem that you need a harsh lesson in obedience, too."

As if his words were the signal, a familiar tentacle suddenly shot out from a nearby pool with dark intent.

Without a word, Daisuke nimbly sidestepped the appendage and then severed it with the Lipanthyer's Fang. In the same beat, he followed up by flicking a Lightning Bead into the pool, fatally electrocuting the annoying fiend.

"You," Adrian hissed, his lovely face creasing. "How did you—"

"This is the boss room," Daisuke simply said, "I'd dump the mob with the mana debuff ability in here, too, to beef up security."

"You really are a nuisance as warned," Adrian scoffed, noting as the corpse of the monster floated to the surface of the pool. "Well, the fact that you were able to defeat it so quickly explains how you managed to get past the mercenaries.

But no matter," he said, resting his tea ware on a nearby table. Then he snapped his fingers authoritatively and crossed his legs, this time from left to right. "Crush him within an inch of his life, then kill his friends while he watches."

The man who stood as a motionless statue just moments ago finally started to move, an impressive glaive clasped tightly within his hand, his bulging muscles accentuated by pieces of armor.

"Lekton wasn't a cheap mercenary to come by," Adrian admitted with an amused smile. "He hails from a prominent warrior race and was the mightiest among his kin. He's so skilled that he was even scouted to participate in The Bloodforge."

While everyone cowered back in fear, Daisuke arched one brown in question. "The Bloodforge?"

Adrian palmed his face and chuckled mockingly. "The fact that you're clueless about The Bloodforge's existence merely mirrors your incompetence as a warrior.

The Bloodforge is a colosseum located in Valtaris—a city renowned for its brutal gladiatorial contests and savage warrior culture. And right now, you're about to be put in your place by a man who would've stood at the pinnacle of those savages should he fight in the arena."

Right on cue, Lekton eased into a battle stance and flexed his glaive, his lips peeling back from his teeth to reveal a psychotic grin. Without missing a beat, he hurled his weapon forward like a projectile launched from a ballista.

Time slowed.

Daisuke lurched forward.

CLANGGGGG!

The Lipanthyer's Fang screeched against the glaive's shaft, sparks flying as Daisuke deftly redirected the weapon's path. Brek's eyes widened in terror as the glaive whipped past his face, slicing through the air and leaving a thin, stinging cut along his cheek.