Chapter 65 ‒ The Final Gamble
Chapter 65 ‒ The Final Gamble
Tyler glared at Drellic, bloodied hands trembling over his swords. “Another offer? I don’t care. I kept my end of the deal, so please release half the slaves,” he said, voice low but firm.
Drellic’s eyes glimmered with amusement. “Ah, our righteous champion! But are you truly content with just half the slaves? Wouldn’t you like to free them all?”
Tyler’s eyes narrowed. “What are you saying?”
Drellic stepped forward, grinning. “How about one more opponent? If you defeat him, I’ll give you ownership of every single slave. Even if you lose, you still keep half. A win-win for you.”
Tyler hesitated, suspicion clouding his gaze. “What’s in it for you? How do I know this isn’t another trick?”
Drellic spread his hands. “Ah, you see, I didn’t make as much money as I had hoped. Just handing over half doesn’t sit right with me.”
“That’s not my problem,” Tyler snapped. “The contract clearly stated—”
Drellic interrupted with a laugh. “I know, but think of it as an opportunity to become a true hero. And if trust is an issue, we can use the Scroll of Truth again.”
Tyler shook his head. “I still don’t believe you. What’s stopping you from forcing me into more fights afterward? I’m done playing your sick games.”
Drellic leaned forward, eyes glinting. “Then don’t fight someone. Fight something.”
“What?”
“A beast. A wild creature. Surely you don’t mind that? Besides, if you agree, I’ll make enough to retire. No more capturing people. The suffering ends. Isn’t that what you want?”
Tyler felt his heartbeat echo in his skull. He imagined the prisoners’ broken faces, the desperate eyes. Could he walk away, leaving them behind?
No. He couldn’t.
“I’ll accept,” he finally said. “Where is my opponent?”
Drellic’s smile widened grotesquely. “Splendid! Rest first. You need it.”
---
Tyler limped to the stands and collapsed. His bones screamed in pain, each breath sharp as broken glass. He thought bitterly that if only he could level up, his wounds would vanish, his bones reset, and his ruptured organs healed. But to level up meant to kill — and he had vowed to never take a life again.
This time, there was no voice whispering in his mind to finish it, no ghostly push toward slaughter. Maybe the last time with Velin had only happened because he’d been poisoned, triggered into a state of blind rage. Maybe… he could still hold on to his humanity after all.
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A thunderous bellow shook the arena. Tyler’s head snapped up. The ground cracked, dust falling in sheets. The roar split the air like a divine hammer striking the earth.
[Enemy Identified: Brontusk the Behemoth]
[Level: 180] [HP: 2500/2500]
A colossal rhino stomped forward, its eyes wild and foam dripping from its jagged maw. Chains strained against its mountainous frame. In terms of size Brontusk could give serious competition to Gorrum the Juggernaut. Tyler’s breath caught.
A rhino again. Full circle. He remembered the first time he’d trembled before a giant beast in this world — the Big Momma Rhino that had almost killed him back when he knew nothing of survival. And now, a rhino stood between him and the freedom of hundreds.
A cruel cosmic joke? Destiny’s twisted sense of irony? Whatever it was, he couldn’t run from it now. Tyler clenched his fists. He wasn’t that same terrified, naive Player anymore. This time, he’d face the beast head-on.
The guards and announcers fled, climbing the stands in terror. Tyler conjured fireballs, blasting each chain. With an echoing crack, Brontusk roared and charged.
The beast’s first charge split the earth open, a jagged scar racing across the arena floor. Stone pillars toppled in showers of rubble. Walls crumbled as if paper-thin, sending tremors that rattled Tyler’s teeth. Dust billowed upward, swallowing the stands in a suffocating fog.
Tyler activated [Dash], narrowly evading the horn that sliced the air beside him. The shockwave from Brontusk’s momentum shattered nearby archways, raining bricks and shards. Tyler rolled across broken tiles, agony flaring in his ribs where bones strained to hold together.
Gasping, he scrambled to his feet, blood dripping from his knuckles. Each inhale felt like inhaling knives. He staggered, eyes darting for an opening. Brontusk turned, hooves pulverizing the earth, each footstep like a drum of war.
He glanced at his stat window.
[Remaining Attribute Points: 25]
If he didn’t act now, he’d be crushed.
He distributed his points: 5 to attack, 5 to agility, 5 to speed, and 10 to defence.
[Player: Tyler] [Level: 123]
[HP: 500/500] [PE: 40/40]
Stats:
> Attack: 30 (+25)
> Defence: 30 (+50)
> Agility: 10 (+10)
> Speed: 10
> Power Regen: 30
> Accuracy: 5
> Dodge: 5
> Health Regen: 10
Remaining Attribute Points: 0
A surge of power coursed through him, sharpening every nerve. He activated [Gigantify], towering even above Brontusk.
Tyler lunged, giant hands closing around Brontusk’s horn. But Brontusk’s momentum was unstoppable. Tyler felt his joints scream, his muscles tearing at the seams as they were pushed back. Together they slammed into the stands, concrete and steel warping like wax under flame. Seats flew into the air, shattered marble rained down in shimmering arcs.
Drellic’s voice echoed from above. “You’ll have to pay an additional fee for the damage.”
Tyler spat blood and dust, a savage grin splitting his face. “At least it looks closer to the real Colosseum now!”
Brontusk roared again, flinging Tyler through a row of pillars. He crashed, each impact rippling through his bones like thunderclaps. His vision flickered, black edges crawling in.
But Tyler pushed up, shards embedded in his skin, warm blood trickling across his giant fingers. He swung his fists again, metal shrieking against Brontusk’s armoured hide. Sparks flew, illuminating the dust-choked arena in brief staccato bursts.
He roared back, voice echoing like a war cry through the ravaged coliseum. “COME AT ME!!”
Brontusk lowered its head, eyes burning with primal fury. The ground cracked beneath its hooves as it charged, each footstep leaving craters behind. Waves of force rippled outward, toppling walls and sending shattered statues crashing in a chorus of ruin.
Tyler steadied himself, pain forgotten for an instant, the world sharpening into a single, perfect moment. His heart drummed a steady rhythm of resolve. He drew in a deep, ragged breath, tasting iron and dust.
Two titans surged toward each other, the air between them screaming, the stones beneath their feet splintering like glass. An unstoppable beast against an unbreakable will — the final collision loomed, promising either devastation or liberation in a single, soul-splitting heartbeat.