Chapter 444 - Lord Champion

"If you truly understood what this place was, you wouldn’t be standing so close to the edge," the Champion warns us.

Something in his voice makes all of us react and take just a half step away from the hole.

He continues, "You’re not the first to visit. The others… well, let’s just say they were less interesting." There is that small smile on his face as he casually sits down there.

There is something about his voice, about that confidence that makes me nervous, but I seem to be in state than the others. I’ve met someone much more powerful than the man down there.

Even so, I must never underestimate him. Not even for a moment.

His state might be similar to Niall's when I met her, crippled before being thrown into that hole. Even so, given the smallest opportunity, he would be more than capable of killing us all.

“Do you remember us, Lord Champion? We used to be candidates for your disciples,” Dravos steps in, pulling his brother closer.

The Champion's eyes move over them for a short moment before he smiles gently and continues in his soothing voice, “Dravos and Drekar, right? Your father used to be a Champion candidate before he died.”

“Yes! It's an honor you remember someone as low as us!” Drekar responds, seemingly excited, “We have come here to propose our services should you require them. As you can imagine, it was a difficult journey.”

“I appreciate your efforts, young Dravos and Drekar, but who are the people with you?”

“We are the ones who got pulled into all of this while these two tried to reach you, Lord Champion.” Tess interrupts the brothers.

The thylarin's eyes glance at her crown before settling on her face, “And what is your plan, young human?”

“We are temporarily stuck here because of a storm. In the meantime, we have decided to check our options.”

“Am I one of these options?”

“Yes, and I hope you understand, Lord Champion. It's something we need to look more into, and we can't make any moves before deciding if it's safe for us.”

He nods, “What if the brothers have decided to help me on their own?”

“I would stop them.”

“Just you?”

“It would be my decision, and in case you got out anyway, I would like to be the only one bearing your wrath.” As Tess says these words, I know she means them. They have an undertone of her [Declaration].

The Champion tilts his head, the faintest flicker of amusement crossing his face, as though Tess’s boldness has stirred something in him.

There’s a tension in the air, a quiet reminder of the power he holds even in this state. His eyes linger on Tess for a moment longer before he finally speaks, “I’m curious, young human. What do you see when you look at me? A prisoner, or something more?”

“Are you not?”

As Tess asks that, I watch him carefully, looking for a sign of annoyance as she asks a question instead of answering his. There is no sign of that.

“I am, indeed,” he smiles at her. “But young human, you are not the first one to come here. Some wanted my help, others wanted my knowledge and guidance. Sometimes, out of boredom, I have fulfilled these requests. Yet I'm still here.”

“So you think we can't get you out?”

“I’m afraid the two brothers, as charming as they are, lack the means to release me. But within your group, there are a few who have a small chance of achieving it - with my guidance, of course.”

“You won’t share who they are with us, Lord Champion?”

“I won’t. I apologize.”

“Then allow us to talk among ourselves before we decide our next steps.”

“Do as you wish, young human.” He leans back, his movements unhurried, as if this conversation is merely a passing amusement.

As we walk away from the hole, pulling the thylarin brothers, the Champion calls after us, "It’s amusing, really, watching people make the same mistakes over and over, but perhaps you will be different?" He then laughs shortly and quietly.

The meaning of these words stays behind with him.

(What now? The fucker seems to be too confident, is he acting though?) Sophie asks right away.

(First, be careful what you say. We can't be sure he is not somehow listening to our conversation. Nat, Sophie, how sure can you be that we are not being listened to?) Tess asks.

(I wouldn’t be so sure,) I shrug. (Cockroach would be capable of it, and some specialized people under Champion rank as well, so who knows. Try using Community as much as you can. Oh, and I wanna chat with the guy alone for a bit and will rejoin you on the other side of the bridge later.)

With that said, I temporarily cut off the connection and turn around, splitting from the group.

My steps feel weird on this metallic material as I head towards that hole. But while observing that white grain of sand in me, I start thinking about who could be the ones capable of helping him.

The main suspect is me with the most mana and primordial energies that can ignore the sand. There is Biscuit with his primordial energy and Tess. Then maybe Sophie? Or even Min-Jae with his eye? Or some other passenger? There are quite a few options.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” the same soothing voice sounds from down there as I plop on the edge of the hole, staring down at him, but still making sure to not move too close.

“What happened to your arms?”

“I used them as fuel for my body and in my early attempts to escape. Looking at your left arm, you might understand my willingness to sacrifice them.”

I glance at my pale left arm and then back at him, “Yup. Do you want me to call you Lord Champion and all that stuff?”

“Do whatever you find most fitting.”

“Sounds good. Am I one of the people who could help you escape?”

“Yes, the one with the second greatest likelihood.”

“What would you do if you got out?”

“First, I will reward Dravos and Drekar. They show promise, so I might even consider taking them as my disciples for a time.”

“No slot for me?”

His eyes glint down there. Light from my orb reflected in the polished walls of that dark blue metal the hole is made of.

“You, young human, are taken by someone far more terrifying than I ever was.”

“And how do you know that?”

"There are things you can’t even begin to comprehend yet. But don’t worry, I can guide you without taking the place of your master…I just need you to offer something in exchange."

“And if I refuse?”

“I’ll pick someone else instead.”

“No threats?”

He shakes his head with a soft smile and then shifts slightly. His blue body moves under the white clothes. That movement allows me to see his emaciated body below it all.

“Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to rest. Speak with your companions and decide your next course of action. But be warned - my prison holds greater dangers than you’ve seen so far. If you’re not careful, you’ll regret it.”

As I turn to leave, his voice calls out once more, “Before you go, remember - sleep in this place comes with a price.”

***

Noname (Hell, group 4) - we should leave the guy.

I send as I walk across the bridge connecting the round platform to the other side.

Noname (Hell, group 4) - and don't fall asleep. I don't know why, but he recommended that, and something about this place makes me want to accept that little advice.

Sset (Hell, group 4) - we should be able to go without sleep for a few days and probably for a week or two if needed.

Soph (Hell, group 4) - I keep checking just in case, but I don't think he’s using mind manipulation or anything. By the way, Nat, did you notice how weird that hole is?

StrongestOne (Hell, group 4) - even I sensed that it was weird!

Sset (Hell, group 4) - for now, we will be using Community if needed. There is a limit and some information might get censored, but consider our link compromised. I don't know how he would do that, but we shouldn't underestimate him.

Brainiac (Hell, WhiteWing) - sounds like a good idea!

NotDennis (Hell, group 4) - how do you like the 6th floor so far?

NotAaron (Hell, group 4) - probably got his ass already kicked a few times

NotDennis (Hell, group 4) - surely

Brainiac (Hell, WhiteWing) - Gary is doing some scary stuff again, and I just enjoy the view. I might turn him into my bodyguard once I start building my kingdom.

NotAaron (Hell, group 4) - not building your harem anymore?

Brainiac (Hell, WhiteWing) - maybe during the second tournament. I'm kind of a big shot, am I not? I got quite far into the tournament duels.

To preserve my time limit, I disconnect from the Community, reaching group 4 with the last boost of kinetic energy. Tess is there already, telling others that they shouldn't be sleeping right away, making sure to emphasize something terrifying might happen.

I watch as everyone listens to her, and supported by Famir and Heryd, it doesn't seem to be too difficult to get them in line. Even the thylarin brothers agree the only problem seems to be the last guide who seems to want to just lie down and go to sleep, but even he takes it seriously and doesn't fall asleep.

I, meanwhile, survived 2 weeks without sleeping, and it went quite well. Closer to the end, because of exhaustion, constant training, and lack of sleep, I started forgetting that I lost my limbs, but other than that, it wasn't that bad.

Knowing what needs to be done, I reach Maya and tap her shoulder, making her turn away from Sophie with whom she was talking.

“Are you still up for beating me?”

The smile that climbs onto her face is probably the biggest I've seen her make.

***

In the end, I also call the twins to join, thinking they might be eager to get in a few hits because of the first floor.

Of course, they were.

So with my unique epic, our group moves to the side, and our experiments start, here in the dark colossal tunnel of this prison for the human equivalent of a hydrogen bomb that’s sitting in a hole nearby.

I create batons made of mana, manabloc batons they use to constantly hit my thighs. I think the thigh bone is the strongest one in the human body, so it somewhat weirdly feels logical.

As I'm getting beaten by them, it isn't even that painful. Sure, there’s some sting with each hit, but without using body strengthening, they can only use the power of their bodies.

Maya and Lily probably have the highest physical stats in the group, followed by Tess and the twins, then Sophie and Izzy, and me at the last spot.

Maybe I could be placed higher with all my free stats from Active Tempering and Restrictive Training Emblem that I still refuse to check on. There will be time to be let down later.

So, maybe my stats are at the level of Tess and the twins or just below? Maybe higher? I could ask them, but with me refusing to check my stats, it doesn't make sense.

To be honest, I should have realized it a bit sooner, but this unique passive of mine might be even nicer than I thought. And that’s saying a lot considering I already thought it was pretty “broken” as the twins might say. It replenishes my mana and allows me to ignore physical damage from blunt force and weaken stronger hits if it's too much for the passive? How crazy is that?

Unique in the name also says a lot. This passive was made by combining two upper epic passives, and it was especially created for me. A unique passive, as the name says, something that either no one else has or is extremely rare.

Of course, that mana is not free, the source of that kinetic energy hitting me is the bodies of my three group members. Something they will have to replenish by resting and by consuming food and water. But they are not using mana, so in the end, I think it's worth it.

The amount I'm getting might feel like a drop in the bucket, but I want to have as much of it as possible and my primordial energies in my vortex core topped up as well.

While we do so, there are a bit more conversations happening, but in the end, it's decided we go back to the ship and use its sensors to try to estimate how long the storm will stay. Then we will consider our option of modifying the ship and leaving just like that.

Dravos and Drekar do not like it, but according to the Champion, they are unable to help him get out. He might be lying so who knows, still, there is no way I will just let them reach the guy.

The problem is that I'm sure he can cause us a lot of trouble even as he is now.

***

Next Chapter