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Chapter 83: The Catacombs of the Skeleton Soldiers
🕑 Added 2025-09-16 11:40:47 +0000 UTCThe two of them walked side-by-side through the crowd, which parted for them automatically. With every step closer to the black hole, Owen could feel an invisible pull and a chilling cold radiating from its core. The surrounding chatter slowly faded, replaced by an uncomfortable silence.
Nova stopped at its edge and turned to give him a final smile. "Ready?"
Owen gave a firm nod. He didn't answer with words, but his blazing eyes said it all.
With that signal, they both stepped over the invisible threshold at the same time.
Instantly! The feeling of being sucked into a violent vortex slammed into Owen. His body felt weightless and distorted for a moment. His entire world became nothing but lines of purple and black light, shooting past at high speed, before everything went dark…
And in the next instant, Owen's vision returned to normal. The uncomfortable sensation from a moment ago vanished, replaced by a sudden, biting cold that gnawed at his skin.
He was standing in a dark and vast underground catacomb. Damp stone corridors stretched into the darkness, their ends out of sight. Only the faint, blue glow from patches of "mana moss" clinging to the walls and ceiling served as a creepy guide. The air was thick with the musty smell of the earth and the faint stench of death that had hung in the still air for centuries.
Before Owen could even adjust to his surroundings, a chilling, scraping sound rose from all directions!
The ground before him trembled before pale yellow, bony hands shot up through it, followed by the bodies of dozens of "Skeleton Warriors." At the same time, from the dark crevices in the walls, the bodies of "Frenzied Zombies," so rotted their ribs and internal organs were visible, emerged. Their eyes were hollow sockets, lit by a blazing red fire. They let out a mournful shriek that echoed through the catacomb before charging at the two of them instantly.
"Watch closely, Owen… This is a real 'cardio' workout!" With those words, Nova shot into the middle of the encirclement like a raging storm.
She didn't use brute force for a direct assault but moved with a beautiful, fluid grace, like a dance. She stepped on a zombie's head, using it as a springboard to launch herself into the air, before twisting mid-air and bringing her heel down on a skeleton warrior's skull, shattering it to pieces. Then, she landed softly, her elbow slamming into the middle of another zombie's back, snapping its spine. It was a "dance of death," both beautiful and powerful. She was clearly enjoying it.
Owen, who had been watching, was stunned at first, but the sight of Nova happily rampaging through the horde of enemies ignited a fierce fire in his heart. He roared and charged into the fray, not to help her, but to "join the fun" with her!
The battle raged on. Owen used the Mana Steel Knuckles as his main weapon. He relied on his strength and the martial arts he had trained in to clash with the monsters directly. Every punch landed with a loud "THWACK! CRACK!", crushing bone and rotten flesh to pulp. He began to frantically yell out his score, competing with Nova.
Nova easily dodged a rusty sword that swung at her before countering with a punch to the skeleton's ribs, causing its body to shatter. "That's 25 for me!"
"In your dreams! This one's mine! 10 points!" Owen yelled back. He grabbed a zombie's head and slammed it against the stone wall so hard its rotten brain splattered out.
Ten minutes later, they had cleared out all the monsters in the first hall. The remains of bones and zombie parts littered the floor. Owen stood with his hands on his hips, panting slightly, sweat beginning to form on his temples, while Nova still looked relaxed, as if she had just finished a walk in the park. She turned and gave him a challenging wink.
"Warm-up's over… Let's keep going."
She led the way into the dark corridor, leaving Owen to quickly catch his breath and run after her, refusing to give up. The real competition had only just begun.
An entire hour of non-stop fighting passed…
They had broken through countless winding corridors and halls until they reached a medium-sized chamber. After Owen used a final punch to crush the last Frenzied Zombie's skull to pieces, he took the opportunity to catch his breath, completely spent. He slumped against the cold, damp stone wall, letting its chill soothe the heat that had built up in his body.
His lungs burned from the heavy exertion. Sweat soaked his black t-shirt, making it cling to his chest and revealing the tense, trembling muscles from being pushed beyond their limits. But even though his body was exhausted, his eyes still blazed with the unyielding fire of competition.
He glanced at Nova, who was standing not far away… and a feeling of awe mixed with frustration washed over him. She looked as comfortable as if she hadn't exerted any effort at all. Only a few small beads of sweat on her temples confirmed that she had been fighting. And that's when he noticed something interesting…
Her shirt and sweatpants had a few small scratches from the sharp claws of the zombies, but the fair white skin beneath was completely unscathed. It was as smooth as if nothing had ever touched it. He asked, his curiosity genuine.
"Nova… I've been wondering since we were outside," he said, looking at her clothes. "Why don't you wear armor like other Awakened? Isn't it too risky? If it were me, the first thing I'd do is find a good set of armor… Or is it that someone at your level doesn't need it anymore?"
Nova chuckled softly, her laugh echoing strangely in the silence of the catacomb. "Armor is for those who can't control their mana well enough, Owen," she explained in a casual tone. "Experienced Awakened, especially close-combat fighters like us, have much better ways to protect ourselves than lugging around those heavy, cumbersome plates of steel."
Seeing the lingering confusion in Owen's eyes, she decided to teach him a new lesson.
"It's a technique called 'Mana Armor'," Nova said, slowly and clearly. "It's the act of projecting mana to coat the skin, then controlling it to flow around you rapidly and fiercely, like a raging current. If you can do it… your defensive power will surpass most of the armor sold on the market, and you'll be a hundred times more mobile."
She paused for a moment to let Owen absorb the incredible information. "But it's not easy," she warned. "It requires delicate mana control and a high level of concentration. And most importantly, you need someone to teach you closely. Most Awakened who can use it are at least B-Rank or higher… And if you master it…" A cunning smirk appeared at the corner of her lips. "…even an armor-piercing tank shell or an RPG could be blocked with ease."
And as if the dungeon itself had heard her words… the moment Nova finished speaking, a secret stone door that had been seamlessly hidden slid open on its own.
KRRRRRRR!
The sound of stone grinding against stone echoed from the end of the corridor, revealing a small room filled with dozens of "Skeleton Archers." The eyes in their hollow sockets lit up with a blazing red fire simultaneously, like hellish embers. They drew their bone bows in unison and immediately fired arrows coated in a dark purple poison at the two of them!
FWISH! FWISH! FWISH!
Dozens of arrows cut through the air at high speed!
"Watch out!" Owen yelled instinctively. He was about to charge in and deal with the enemies, but Nova held up a hand to stop him, her demeanor calm.
"Stay still… and watch closely."
Nova walked in front of Owen, letting the hail of arrows fly directly at her, completely unfazed. Owen held his breath in shock, but just as the first arrow was a few millimeters from her body… he saw it…
An "energy curtain," invisible to the naked eye, shimmered violently around her, like the heat haze rising from a road on a hot day. It distorted the air around her, making her image blur for a moment!
CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
A sound like high-voltage static crackled! Every time the tip of an arrow touched the energy curtain, a spark of blue light flashed for a moment, before the entire arrow vibrated violently and disintegrated into dust, falling to the ground without leaving a single scratch on her body! The sharpest arrowheads couldn't even get close to her skin!
Owen's jaw dropped in utter shock. The sight before him was even more incredible than when she had blown up the rock. Now he understood… he truly understood why she didn't need to wear armor, and why she was so unbelievably strong.
"See?" Nova turned and gave him a slight wink. "This is your next training goal…"
With that, Nova shot into the room like a moving black shadow, taking out all the archers in just a few seconds, leaving Owen standing motionless…
In his heart, a new, higher goal had been set… He had to use 'Mana Armor' just like her! No matter what it took!
Another two hours passed…
Finally, they arrived at the largest, circular hall, likely the last room of the dungeon. The air in this room was colder and heavier than anywhere they had been, as if all the death in the catacomb had gathered here.
In the center of the room, a "Dungeon Core" floated in mid-air. It was a large, jet-black crystal that pulsed with a "thump… thump…" like a demon's heart. Every time it pulsed, an ominous, dark purple light spread out in waves, creating an invisible pressure so heavy it was almost impossible to breathe.
And surrounding the core was its final line of defense…
Owen knew his score was far behind half of Nova's. He was tired… so tired he could barely stand. But when he saw the last group of monsters before him, he knew this was his only chance to turn the tables and seize victory.
GRRRRRRRR!
The final group of monsters were dozens of "Skeleton Knights." They were completely different from the trash skeletons they had fought before. Their bodies were larger and taller than an average human's, clad in full steel armor that, though corroded, still looked strong. In their bony hands, they gripped intimidating greatswords. The eyes in their hollow sockets burned with a blood-red fire filled with malice. They roared in unison until the stone walls trembled, before charging at the two of them!
"I'll take the left!" Nova yelled quickly, before charging to meet her targets with unbelievable speed, like an arrow shot from a bow.
That left Owen to face nearly ten knights on the right, all by himself. He gritted his teeth. The pain and exhaustion were erased by the image of the sweet reward… He would absolutely not lose this bet!
CLANG!
But the knights' strength was far greater than he had anticipated! Just raising his knuckles to block a direct hit from a greatsword sent a shockwave through his arm all the way to his shoulder, as if he had been struck by a sledgehammer. And just as he was about to be overwhelmed by another greatsword swinging down, he decided to play another card he had been saving.
'It'll use a lot of mana… but I have to try!' Owen thought with determination.
"Avatar of Asura!"
Instantly! A dark red mana exploded around him before forming into two translucent "energy arms," blazing like flames. They floated in the air on either side of his body, moving freely! He now had a total of four arms ready for battle.
The appearance of the extra arms completely changed Owen's fight. He could use his two real arms, wearing the Mana Steel Knuckles, to firmly block and parry the greatsword attacks of two knights, while the other two energy arms were free to rain down punches, destroying their armor and bodies!
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
He became a raging storm of fists, overwhelming the skeleton knights until all they could do was defend, being destroyed one by one. The sound of fists on steel armor and bone echoed through the hall.
"Three left!" Owen yelled to Nova, his voice hoarse but full of determination.
"Only one left over here!" Nova yelled back, not to be outdone.
Owen glanced over and saw that Nova was about to finish off her last knight. He threw all his remaining power at the three knights with a crazed frenzy, and finally, he managed to take down the last one with a victorious roar. His score had shot up, putting him ahead by a razor-thin margin.
At the end of his roar, the energy arms dissipated… Owen collapsed to his knees, panting so heavily his shoulders shook. Using that power in such a short time had drained nearly all his mana. He felt empty and powerless.
Nova, who had finished her part and had been watching Owen the whole time, showed a slightly surprised expression before walking over to him, her eyes filled with an unconcealed awe and admiration.
"What was that?… The ability to create extra arms…" she murmured to herself, before speaking to him directly. "Not bad… Very convenient." As an expert, she saw its potential instantly. "If you train to use it more skillfully, it's no different from having a clone of yourself fighting with you… You never cease to amaze me, Owen."
Her sincere praise made Owen smile with pride. Though he was tired to the point of collapse, he knew he had done it… He had proven himself to her.
The two of them looked at the Dungeon Core, now unguarded… It floated silently in the air, releasing one final wave of its evil aura. Owen glanced at Nova, who stood beside him, with eyes full of victory and challenge, before gathering his last ounce of strength and walking to face the heart of this catacomb.
He growled in his throat, relentlessly hammering it with his Mana Steel Knuckled fists until it began to crack.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Krrk…
Finally, the black crystal made a cracking sound like glass before exploding into shards of jet-black energy that dissipated into the air. The moment the core shattered, the oppressive, cold atmosphere suddenly grew warmer. A soft white light flashed, and a small "stone chest" appeared before him. Owen opened it. Inside were only 5 "low-grade Mana Stones," glowing with a faint blue light.
Nova roughly estimated they could probably sell for about a thousand dollars each… Five thousand dollars for a "warm-up" wasn't bad at all.
The moment he put the mana stones in his bag, their bodies began to glow and were sucked back to the open area in front of the dimensional gate in an instant…
The feeling of the rapid dimensional shift made Owen lose his balance. He collapsed to the ground the moment he emerged into the light of the outside world. He knelt, panting heavily, his shoulders shaking. His body was covered in minor wounds and soaked with sweat.
In contrast, Nova stood beside him casually. She had only a light sheen of sweat on her temples and showed no signs of fatigue at all. It truly was just a "warm-up" to cure her boredom.
"Can you stand, champ?" she asked, holding out a hand to him, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
Owen nodded and took her smooth, strong hand to pull himself up. Nova led him away from the public eye to a rest area with a bench in a relatively secluded corner. She smirked and announced the results in a voice that was neither loud nor soft, but clear enough for Owen to hear.
"Hmph… not bad for a rookie~" she said. "And the final score is… I got 112 points… and you got 57… You made it by a single kill."
Owen sat down on the long bench to rest for a moment before looking up at her with eyes full of anticipation. He knew he had won the bet… won by the slimmest of margins. His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would explode. Nova chuckled softly before sitting down on the bench next to him, so close their faces were level. She leaned in closer… until her warm breath, with its faint sweet scent, caressed his face.
"A promise… is a promise," she whispered hoarsely.
With those words, Nova pressed her lips against his, soft yet passionate. It was a kiss that tasted of victory and salty sweat. Owen responded instantly, sliding his tongue into her mouth hungrily, tasting the sweetness hidden within. Their tongues tangled hotly, like two snakes in a fierce battle.
At the same time, one of her hands took Owen's slightly trembling right hand… and deliberately placed it on her soft, oversized left breast.
Thump! Thump! Thump!~
Owen could clearly feel the handful of softness and the strong, rhythmic beat of her heart under his palm. It was the same rhythm as his own heart, which was pounding in his chest. Instinct made him squeeze that softness without thinking. Her hardened nipple pushed back against his hand through the damp fabric of her sports bra, further arousing his primal desires.
Nova moaned in her throat with satisfaction at his touch. She pressed her lips against his even more fiercely, letting Owen explore her body freely… as if to say this was the reward he deserved to receive.
The scene ends with Owen kissing Nova deeply and passionately, his hand gripping the heated prize of his victory…
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