"Everything's getting interesting," the king grinned with pleasure as he looked around the chaotic arena below.
His fingers repeatedly tapped on the throne's armrest, a natural gesture whenever he felt comfortable, until he stopped for some unknown reason.
He glanced at a muscular goblin and smiled faintly.
"He's already killed plenty of humans. Perhaps, my pet still lacks the cruelty needed to break their foolish resolve."
After these words, the king resumed tapping on the armrest of his throne with growing excitement.
Meanwhile, similar scenes were unfolding in another corner of the arena, not far from where the lion beast was wreaking havoc.
The muscular goblin whom King had referred to gripped his large steel sword tightly with both hands.
He fixed his gaze on his target, his eyes burning with intensity. That state lasted only a second before he lunged forward, rapidly closing the gap to just three meters.
Without hesitation, he swung his sword in a powerful horizontal arc toward a man in front of him, shouting in exhilaration.
"Go to hell!"
The man was locked in a fight with a monster, since he couldn't notice the incoming attack in time.
The goblin was incredibly fast, despite wielding such a large weapon. The sharp, bloodied blade of the goblin's sword closed in on the human's body, but death wouldn't claim him just yet.
Boom!
A massive explosion suddenly erupted, wiping out everything in its vicinity. Powerful waves of lightning surged outward like a raging thunderstorm, knocking everyone nearby off their feet and sending them tumbling like ragdolls.
For those caught in the center of the blast, death was unavoidable.
The lion beast had undergone a dramatic transformation. The muscles covering its body thickened and hardened, and its wounds healed almost entirely. Not only that, but the creature became even more violent.
Most significantly, it gained the ability to wield lightning mana, a power it demonstrated by forming a crackling lightning ball in its maw.
The change was so overwhelming that anyone who hadn't been paying attention to the lion beast before was now in grave danger if they failed to remain cautious.
Of course, only a few noticed this transformation. And naturally, Hector was one of them.
At this moment, Hector was in a surprisingly advantageous state—hidden in plain sight. His skin was coated in pungent blood, surrounded by corpses, making anyone who glanced at him assume he was dead.
In truth, he was proactively disguising himself as a lifeless body. He had even smeared blood and intestines all over himself to make the ruse convincing.
He was positioned in an area with minimal traffic, a spot where few fighters ventured. When the chaos erupted, he had chosen to hide there.
However, there was one glaring issue. He hadn't killed anyone yet, apart from a short goblin during the initial skirmish.
Lying beneath a pile of corpses, Hector observed the ongoing mess battles ahead.
"Damn it! What can I do now?" he thought, narrowing his brows in unease. "If I rush out and attack blindly, I'll just get myself killed. I don't know anything related to fighting or killing techniques!"
A few seconds passed.
With a sigh, Hector turned his gaze toward the maddened lion beast.
"Before long, it will attack this site. It must be the king who activated its hidden ability," he muttered to himself.
Lost in his thoughts, Hector remained motionless for what felt like an eternity.
Boom!
A minute passed.
Boom!
…
Boom!
Five huge lightning balls erupted from the lion beast, shooting out with devastating force.
The situation was dire.
A large number of the lives of humans and monsters had fallen because of one fatal flaw amongst them. No sides were willing to work together to take down the beast. Even if the humans had demanded temporary cooperation, the monster was just too stubborn until both sides had lost half their numbers that the monsters reluctantly realised the necessity of cooperation.
Yet even then, it was too late. More lives were lost in their delayed effort.
Despite their combined attacks, all they managed to do was minor scratches and shallow wounds on the lion beast. However, amidst their meaningless attempts, they discovered its critical weakness.
The lion beast could only unleash one huge lightning ball every minute. It would be temporarily immobilized, unable to move or use its mana for a short period.
Their mission was clear: attack the beast during that vulnerable moment.
"Now, everyone! Together!" shouted a pale young man, his voice echoing through the messy battlefield. Without hesitation, he darted toward the lion beast, his swift movements meant to draw its attention and lure it into firing another lightning ball.
"Don't give orders, you damn human!" the muscular goblin yelled, his face twisted in anger as he charged at the beast with all he could, too, along with their group.
Sensing the danger, the beast prepared to fire another lightning ball, its body crackling with lightning mana.
However, this time was different.
The moment they noticed the lion beast prepared to use its skill, the pale young man let out a loud warning:
"Run by your lives!"
Panic erupted as everyone scattered, running in every direction. Their frantic movements, though chaotic, significantly increased their chances of survival.
Boom!
Once again, the shockwaves from the explosion sent everything into chaos, shattering the broken battlefield. But this time, they were prepared.
The loss of life was significant, though perhaps not as disastrous as it could have been. Anyway, no one intended to let things end in complete failure.
"Attack!" the pale young man roared, his voice bringing eagerness.
He couldn't help but feel exhilarated as the lion beast, visibly struggling, began to collapse under their combined assault.
For a brief moment, it seemed their nightmare might finally come to an end. Without waiting for further orders, the fighters across the arena surged forward at the beast with a wave of adrenaline-fueled excitement.
Everyone hoped this nightmare would conclude quickly, that this moment would mark the beast's final stand.
But not all shared this unity of purpose.
"The greatest reward will be mine!" the pale young man declared with a loud laugh as he darted forward, his blade aimed directly at the lion beast's heart.
However, just as he closed the gap to within three meters of the beast, it began to transform.
The sight brought him to an abrupt halt.
"Fuck!" he cursed angrily, recognizing what was about to happen. He spun on his heels and tried to retreat, but it was too late.
Layer upon layer of lighting mana rippling across the Lion beast's gigantic frame, emitting a series of cracking sounds. They continued to build until, with a blinding flash of brilliant blue light, the beast unleashed a shockwave.
Boom!
The explosion swept through the arena, throwing everyone into the air, crashing into walls, and landing heavily on the ground.
"FUck..." the pale young man mumbled, his voice trembling with fear as he stared at the lighting beast in horror.
He gritted his teeth in pain. The electric shock had left him trembling uncontrollably, his muscles refusing to cooperate, and burn marks covered his skin.
Still, he forced himself to move.
The rest of the ones lay scattered across the arena, groaning in pain or entirely motionless. None were in any condition to rise, let alone fight.
And yet, all eyes were drawn to the lion beast standing at the center of the carnage.
"Huh?"
"What's that?"
"No! A human?!"
"Who is he?"
Murmurs of confusion and disbelief rippled through the battered crowd as they spotted a lone figure moving toward the beast.
"Damn! My chance... I'm taking it!"
The lion beast, still in a weakened state, loomed before him.
Yes, this man was Hector.