Rise of the Devourer

Book 2: Chapter 16 — Big Boss of the Pit

The Pit was both an easy and hard place to find. Hard because Noah had to walk through thin alleyways and go through shady looking places until he found a door with no symbol or signs to denote anything. Easy, because once you knew where to look, it was hard to mistake the giant structure.

The pit was a dome carved beneath the earth, with seats of earth forming a viewing arena, inside of which warriors would fight each other to the amusement of their audiences. There were no real safety precautions and the cost of viewing seats got higher the higher up they were, so if you wished to watch from a safe distance, that safety was going to cost.

Noah walked through the halls outside of the fighting arena itself. He had expected to have to argue with the guards or be stopped on the way, but somehow, no one had tried to keep him.

He did have to ask for directions a couple of times, each interaction being slightly awkward as people stared at him for long moments, unsure of what or who exactly he was before they told him where to go.

Finding a door with magical enchantments on it, Noah presumed he was at the right place. After coughing once, he knocked, but found the door to already be open.

Two men and one woman were inside, the men seated on sofas with food set on a small table and mugs of ale in their hand. The woman sat on a large chair in the center, looking at him in confusion. She had dark blue hair, with two fox-like ears and a tail behind her back, with a scar running across her jaw up to her left eye.

[Dream Snatcher - ??]

“Who the fuck are you?” she barked.

“Someone who wants to talk,” Noah said, shutting the door behind him. The guys had stood up by now, their hands ready at their sides. Both were D-rank and while Noah was confident in his ability to escape, he was hoping it didn’t come to a fight.

“I’m looking for a Tome-crafter, and I was pointed towards you. Need someone who can work with some unconventional requests,” Noah said.

The woman looked at Noah, before raising her hand as the two men pulled back. “You think you can just walk in here and ask me for things? How did they even let you in?”

Noah gave a shrug.

“He looks like one of them damned Celestian. They probably thought he was an officer. Not many folks with white hair,” one of the men standing nearby said.

“I’m not here to make demands, just ask. And I will pay,” Noah said.

“Pay huh? No, I’m not interested in crystals,” the woman said, taking a sip before she licked her lips revealing two fangs. “Why don’t you pay me with your body?”

“What?” Noah blurted, taken aback by the comment.

The woman laughed, before pointing outside the glass window behind here. “Get in there, and fight. I lost a fighter yesterday, you’ll do as a replacement. If you win, I’ll let you talk.”

Noah considered the option, glancing out into the Pit. “What’re the rules?”

"You either surrender or you die. Quite simple, really," the woman said, taking a sip out of her wine glass.

“Sure, how many will I have to fight?”

The two men nearby burst into laughter at his words. “Guy here thinks he can survive against more than one!”

“Shut up you two,” the woman snapped. “Three. Three rounds, three opponents.”

Noah nodded. “Alright.”

“What’s your name, boy,” the woman asked.

“Noah Brown. You?”

“You can call me Vix,” the woman said. “Let’s see what you can do.”

***

Noah stood in the waiting arena, feeling a little strange to be here. People had gathered as the day had passed and now a crowd of onlookers was seated all around, as crystals exchanged hands and alcohol began to loosen inhibitions.

A few moments later, Noah saw a man with a box in his hand take up one of the central platforms.

“WE’VE GOT SOMETHING EXCITING TODAY!” a loud voice boomed through the arena.

“A NEW F RANKED CHALLENGER, NOAH BROWN, HERE TO TAKE ON THREE FIGHTS, FOR A PRIZE. THE FIRST FIGHT? AGAINST THE QUAKER!”

Noah winced at the loud booming announcement, as people cheered and shouted in a cacophony of noises. Some seemed like slurs against Celestians, while others were shouting how long he would last and making bets.

The ground shook for a moment and Noah watched a sturdy and well built topless man walk through. He had leather wrapped around his waist with claws forming the buckle. The man screamed in a loud roar as he stepped through and Noah used Identify.

[Stone Carved Warrior - lvl 82]

Noah prepared for his own fight, deciding to start with just his spear. The man was shorter than Noah, but with a much stronger physique. Though Noah already knew that with magic being a thing, physique was not a good way to tell how strong someone was. After all, he’d had his own body modified to grow beyond normal limits.

Taking out his spear, Noah stood, ready for the fight. The man looked at him, before snorting. “You’re in over your head kid. Surrender and I’ll let you go with only a few broken bones.”

Noah didn’t respond to the taunt, though the words did bring a grin on his face.

“NOW. LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!”

The man let out a roar, his voice vibrating the air as he raised a foot and stamped it down. Spikes of rock jut from the ground, shaking the earth and the entire Pit. Noah teleported, jumping in the air. Charging up Obliterate, he shot arms of void towards the man, before throwing his spear.

Dimensional Pocket whirred, as the spear vanished midair, before shooting from behind the man. To his opponent’s credit, the man moved fast, preventing the spear from skewering him right through the middle, and taking the hit to his arm.

Noah didn’t stop, teleporting closer as he struck with his fists at the Quaker’s chest. Grabbing the spear back in his hand, he dodged the shards of rock shooting towards him with Blink, before putting his spear at his opponent’s throat.

The Quaker stared at the blade, pressing against his neck as a droplet of blood slid down. “Your arm can still heal from the rot after you cut it out. But your neck won’t,” Noah said, and the man raised his arms.

“I… surrender,” The Quaker said.

The arena remained silent for a moment.

“A-AND THE WINNER IS NOAH! J-JUST WHAT HAPPENED HERE? THE QUAKER HAS LOST IN UNDER A MINUTE!”

Cheers now shook the Pit, boos and jeers mixed in with loud cheering noises from any who had bet on him. Noah smiled, enjoying the attention as he gave a bow to the audience.

“So, who’s next?” Noah shouted, looking around.

“A CONFIDENT CHALLENGER, AND NOT WITHOUT REASON. BUT WILL HE BEAT THE VOLT? THE MAN WHO CANNOT SPEAK, CANNOT SURRENDER!”

From the other entrance, Noah watched the next contestant come through. The man was huge, taller than Noah by a good bit with a massive body and no hair or eyebrows. He wore thick armor, with his lower jaw replaced with a metallic contraption of some sort.

Noah sensed lightning crackling around the man and used Identify.

[Shock-warrior lvl - ??]

"GET READY FOR AN ELECTRIFYING SHOWDOWN!"

The crowd erupted into cheers, their anticipation palpable. Noah considered his options. Given the rank difference, he had to be at least a little careful this time around. The man struck his fists together, the metal gloves leaving sparks as they touched.

“LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!”

This time, Noah moved first. Striking with his spear, he charged Obliterate as the weapon struck into the armor. A blue shimmer shone on it, as Obliterate buckled, scratching, but unable to pierce through the man.

A massive punch covered in electricity shot towards Noah and he dodged the fist, ducking under the attack. Deciding to go all in, he summoned Starforged arms, before using Quadrivium ink to bring out his energy blades.

The Volt screamed, clashing his fists together, as the area around him was covered in lightning.

Noah jumped back but found the attack singeing his body and tensing his muscles as one portion of the lightning landed on his body. The Volt rushed forward, using his giant body as the metallic hinge on his mouth opened up, and a concentrated beam of lightning shot towards Noah.

Teleporting, Noah dodged, but the man continued, turning his head as the lightning shot again.

Moving rapidly, Noah dodged the attacks as his mana faded away. He needed to find a way to strike.

Thinking quickly, Noah changed his Quadrivium ink to a bow, shooting mana arrows at the Volt’s face. The bolts struck the lightning shots, nullifying them as Noah closed in. His spear spun around, Bleed and Obliterate running in a frenzy. Pulling his hand back Noah shot the weapon as hard as he could, using Dimensional pocket to teleport it around before striking at the Volt’s neck.

The weapon struck, hitting the armor, where lightning exploded from the man’s body. Noah moved in closer, letting obliterate gather on his fingers as his claws formed. Slashes, he aimed for the metallic attachment at the neck. The volt roared as Noah took a powerful bolt of lightning to his body.

Quadrivium ink rapidly formed a shield, blocking most of the impact as Noah struck at the man’s jaw. A heavy punch knocked him back, his ribs aching from the strike, but the damage was instantly healed by lifeblood.

Noah skid across the arena, teleporting his spear back into his hands as he watched the Volt standing, with sparks coming out of his now dislocated metal jaw. With a roar, the man rushed forward, lightning echoing his trail. Noah dodged sideways, letting the Volt crash into the wall as the arena wall broke. The audience screamed, running away to avoid being crushed and cheers shook the ground. Taking the opportunity, he moved in closer, as he kicked up his way on the Volt’s body and grabbed his neck.

The Volt pulled back, lightning coursing through Noah’s body and burning his nerves but Pain Tolerance kept his mind focused. Meditation ran, keeping his mana recharged as lifeblood continued to heal any injuries.

The heavy man thrashed before slamming himself backwards to crush Noah. Taking the fall, Noah almost felt his ribs being crushed under the weight, but he maintained his grip on the Volt’s neck. His arm muscles bulged as he continued to choke the man, turning his bald face red.

After a few moments of thrashing, and one final blast of lightning, the Volt passed out.

“THE WINNER IS NOAH BROWN!”

Cheers shook the arena as Noah panted, feeling his body aching in pain. Burns covered him all over and his health was down to nearly half. He took a moment to glance at his stats and felt pleased to see lightning resistance in his skill list, but the feeling was short lived. One match remained, and he was in less than ideal shape now.

Feeling blood in his mouth, Noah spit it out. He’d just have to push through.

“THE FINAL MATCH REMAINS. THE TERROR OF THE PIT, THE UNTAMED BEAST. SNOW!”

Noah looked at the entrance, waiting for his opponent. He kept his spear in hand, ready to strike, but the sight of who came out made him pause.

A young girl, barely fourteen years old, walked into the arena. Chains tied her hands and legs, a collar around her neck. Her skin was pale, her eyes a deep blue, yet the most striking features were the two black horns jutting from her forehead.

Noah watched the girl, feeling confused. He used Identify, and the Path name made his gut sink.