Chapter 573 - Hope it is worth it

I help the Witherclaw break free from another trap set by Leticia, Luna, and their group. As it charges forward, Monte shifts, growing to twice his height. Dark green scales spread across his body while his face stretches into a lizard-like shape, his movements turning sharp and predatory.

I disrupt their attempt to help their tournament winner as Monte clashes against the beast.

Leticia calls out to me in surprise, but I ignore her call and dodge aside as Luna, now the size of an elephant, snaps at me with her teeth. The huge golden retriever continues to attack me while Leticia supports her by spreading a web around the area and attacking from a distance.

During the fight, I tear down the web and deflect projectiles aimed at me. The clash lasts barely thirty seconds. In that time Witherclaw grows noticeably stronger. Its mana expands and it begins to use it much more naturally. It disrupts skills, applies pressure on others with it, and strengthens its body.

Monte in his current form has strength nearly equal to Jean’s. The green scales covering his body resist mana impressively and I can even feel as mana bounces off them. The forest where he and the Witherclaw clash turns into a wreck. Trees are uprooted by shockwaves, and huge holes mark the ground wherever they land. Both the shapeshifted man and the beast display remarkable physical strength.

In the end, it is Witherclaw who wins. The beast grows just a little stronger as its mana surrounds it and it moves faster than before. With a sudden attack it drives its claw through the green scales and Monte’s head falls to the ground.

Then Witherclaw turns to the rest. It passes by me as it heads to attack Luna and Leticia. Its body remains fragile and its eyes empty, but its figure stands taller now as if it has grown during the fight.

Leticia, Luna, and their group die soon after despite all their effort.

So do Baek and his group, and through the fight, Witherclaw learns to control its mana much better and begins using it more in its fighting style.

Klara, who tries to face it alone, manages to wound the beast a few times.

A group of Beyonders attack with rifles and bows from a distance.

Hector with his invisibility and arcane spear gets in one powerful attack and even poisons it. The beast uses its mana to expunge the poison and attacks the man with extreme cruelty.

Maxim, using void energy and creatures formed from his shadow, cuts the beast off from its mana, forcing it to rely only on its physical abilities to track him as he teleports from shadow to shadow. In the end, the beast breaks through the disruption in a way I know I couldn't replicate, tracks him down, and, with a single blurred movement of its arm, sends him out of the event.

Derick and the large group he has collected also fall to the now too powerful beast.

Every time I let the beast fight and only help when really needed. During these few minutes, Witherclaw would have undoubtedly died multiple times without my help—that much is clear. But gradually, I find myself needing to intervene less and less. The beast adapts quickly. Its strength grows, its mana expands, and it uses everything it has far more efficiently.

Just minutes ago, the beast got scared during the fight with Baek and Klara and ran to me for help while letting out those creepy cries. Now it rarely does, slowly realizing its potential and learning to control the immense power it possesses. But at the same time, as Witherclaw grows stronger, it becomes increasingly arrogant and more inclined to torture anyone weaker.

It likes to wound people and watch them die. It likes to bite into them while they are still alive.

We also run into Savant, who stands with an orange light radiating from him. The green dagger Tacita used is still lodged in his side. Sweat beads on his forehead, and I wonder what kind of dagger it is and what effect it has had on him.

But even in the state, Savant is in, Witherclaw hesitates upon seeing him. It sniffs the man surrounded by an orange light and growls.

Savant glances between me and the beast. Absent-mindedly he reaches and touches the handle of the dagger in his side. His expression shows pain from that simple touch.

As if he just confirmed something, he straightens up and looks at me. “Unlike someone, I know when pushing back is useless,” he says.

After that, he disappears into pale blue particles.

Barely six minutes have passed since the beast emerged from the island where Lissandra held it. That means only two minutes remain until I can kill it.

Instead of hunting for more opponents, Witherclaw stops and turns to me. It straightens its tall, lanky figure looming over me and opens its mouth, revealing rows of sharp teeth. Has it already judged that it’s strong enough to kill me?

“So you didn't notice her?” I ask calmly.

The beast tilts its head in confusion and its pupils expand. It raises its arms in front of its chest just in time to block a dagger aimed at the spot where its heart beats.

Appearing out of nowhere, Tacita lets go of the dagger without hesitation and pulls out another. She stabs it into Witherclaw’s leg and leaves it there, then she pulls out another dagger and circles the beast to stab it again.

After initial confusion, Witherclaw reacts quickly and matches her speed. A pale red light glows around its fangs as it clashes with her attacks.

Tacita’s messy blown hair turns her into a blur but the beast matches her. While Tacita shows wild instinct moving her body at high speed, the beast brute forces it with mana.

They clash across the battlefield, each gaining the upper hand at times before the other catches up.

But gradually it becomes clear that Tacita is reaching her limit while the beast keeps getting faster.

After one of the clashes, the mute woman suffers a deep wound. Quick to react, she cuts Witherclaw’s Achilles tendon before leaving. By the time the beast begins to regenerate, she is already gone.

After regenerating the wound, Witherclaw takes a step to follow her when I release my mana.

The beast halts mid-step, turning to me while letting out those unsettling noises, then drops to all fours and unleashes its mana. Even crouched, its head is now above mine.

For the last time, I scan the area. I locate Jean far away and sense no one else nearby. I'm also sure Tacita won't interfere once I start, and I make a mental note to repay her.

Then I connect to the Ley Lines heading toward two floating islands. The crown over my head turns black as I take over the two black spears and absorb all they have into the crown. The inscriptions I have been etching into my skin the entire time I have followed Witherclaw activate. My entire body becomes interwoven with them; each cut runs deep into my skin and flesh.

In slow motion I watch Witherclaw move to attack me. It charges on all fours with its mana blazing around its body.

A small part of me watches the timer tick down as I wait, holding out for as long as I can.

At this stage, Witherclaw is not only stronger and faster than me but also has more mana. In a few more seconds, I’m sure I won’t be able to kill it anymore. This is my only chance.

I do nothing fancy and I don't attempt to use my skills. I rely on my physique, my circuits, [Mana Manipulation], and all the experience I’ve gained from using Mana Cycling.

All that collected mana blazes through my body at once. No other Earth attendee can channel this much. That, I know for certain. When it comes to channeling huge amounts of mana or any other energy I am one of the best. That is my talent and my gift.

In a single burst, much like the ones Lissandra used to train me on the 5th floor but with a vastly greater amount of mana, I unleash everything at Witherclaw.

The blast rips forward, erasing everything in its path. The ground shatters, it ceases to exist, torn down to raw nothingness. The air distorts from the sheer force, rippling outward.

Witherclaw vanishes in an instant, erased without resistance or struggle. It is unable to gather enough mana quickly enough to defend itself. One second, it is there. The next, it is gone, leaving nothing behind. The destruction doesn’t stop with it. The blast carves deep into the battlefield, a raw wound stretching far beyond. Dust and debris fail to rise, consumed before they can even form.

Then there is silence.

All my internal and gathered mana are gone. Even the crown over my head cracks and disappears.

In front of me lies a ruined wasteland. The ground is torn open, jagged, and uneven with deep scars where the blast carved through. What remains of the trees are blackened stumps or uprooted trunks scattered across the devastation.

The air is thick with the fading hum of spent mana.

As I stand there a single thought occupies my mind. I glance at the rankings.

2nd - 37,600 points - Hadwin

And above that is a new placement

1st - 39,001 points - Noname

Standing there even [Focus] deactivates because of my nonexistent mana reserves. These reserves start slowly filling up but I do not bother reactivating the skill. I do not even try to defend myself as constant lightning strikes closer. One of these strikes hits me straight away and, as many attendees experienced previously, turns me into fine pale blue particles.

I find myself outside with these people in our common area, watching the huge screen showing the rest of the event. Not feeling like moving even with my now restored mana reserves in both body and crown, I simply find a nearby bench and sit down.

“C-Congratulations,” the man I sat next to whispers.

It surprises me. I lift my head to face him. “What?”

“You won... so congratulations. I am sorry if I said anything rude.”

I do not speak the word aloud and only gesture it with my mouth. Won. I guess I really did win, but that was always the intention.

“Thanks.”

I notice that the simple answer calms him down and even makes him smile slightly. He is just some guy I have never seen before. I choose not to use my mana senses or try to estimate his level through his movements, so he could easily be someone from Hell or Easy difficulty.

“It was cool as hell, by the way! My son would probably say 'absolute cinema' or some silly thing kids like to say nowadays,” he laughs briefly, gesturing wildly. “It looked like you would steamroll the event and then the rankings appear and your alias is nowhere to be found! What even happened? How is it possible? I even asked around but no one knew that Hadwin guy. Is it someone who stole your points?”

“Something like that,” I confirm.

“What a dick.”

“Indeed.”

“I don't know about you but doesn't that make things so much more interesting? All these twists and people with their own goals.”

“Well, on another day I wouldn't mind it at all. But not during this specific tournament,” I shrug.

“ It is a girl, right?” he asks immediately with a smile while looking at me with an unexpectedly honest expression.

Everyone else around us is focused on the screen watching reminders of people trying to collect more points. Mainly Jean, who as always looks super impressive. Many people even talk to each other, and it feels as if the two of us have been forgotten.

“Girl?” I ask.

“People as young as you usually have two problems. Money and girls.”

“I don't think I'm that young. I believe plenty of people have different problems now,” I gesture toward everything around us. “The tutorial, the tournament, all these floors, powers, pairings, skills, rules and more.”

“So it's not a girl?”

“I mean...”

“I knew it! Want to hear some unsolicited advice from me?”

“Why the hell not? Go on.”

“Most things are not as serious as they feel in the moment.”

I exhale slowly, letting my head rest against the back of the bench. The guy says nothing for a while and just watches the event play out on the massive screen.

Then he chuckles. “Damn, I sound like an old man.”

“You do.”

He glances at me. There is something in his expression, perhaps curiosity or something else. “I am guessing you are the kind of guy who takes everything on himself, huh? Even when you do not have to.”

I do not answer, and I do not need to. He just nods.

“Well, good luck with that.” He grins and stands up, stretching. “Hope it is worth it.”

With a goodbye, he leaves to find his son, who he says went to bother some Hard difficulty guys he admires.

***

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