The black construct stepped fully into the arena.
It was taller than the others by nearly a head.
Its frame was carved from obsidian stone rather than granite.
Veins of red light pulsed through its limbs like flowing magma.
Its core was not amber.
It was crimson.
The air grew heavy.
Elias exhaled slowly.
Balance Sense activated automatically.
A faint sensation tugged at his instincts.
Danger level: Extreme.
The knights retreated to the perimeter.
No one intervened.
This was no longer training.
This was evaluation.
The construct moved first.
Not fast.
Precise.
It vanished.
Not through magic.
Through speed.
Elias barely turned in time.
A black fist collided with his blade.
The shockwave cracked the stone floor beneath him.
He was thrown backward again — but this time he rolled midair, landing on one knee.
Stronger.
Faster.
Smarter.
The red core pulsed once.
A beam of condensed energy fired straight toward him.
He dove.
The beam carved a molten trench through the arena wall.
The Sword Saint's expression sharpened.
"Adaptive model."
So it had ranged capabilities.
Good.
Elias smiled faintly.
So do I.
He charged.
The construct met him halfway.
Steel struck obsidian.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Each clash sent tremors through his arms.
His Endurance was still reduced.
Every hit hurt more than it should.
The construct feinted.
Elias stepped wrong.
The elbow strike connected with his shoulder.
Bone cracked.
Pain flared white.
He stumbled.
The red core brightened.
Finishing strike incoming.
Think.
Balance Sense pulsed violently.
Left.
Not backward.
Left.
He pivoted inside the swing, ignoring the screaming in his ribs.
He let the strike graze instead of crush.
Then he did something reckless.
He dropped his sword.
And grabbed the construct's arm.
The red veins burned against his skin.
He endured it.
Held it.
Forced it open.
He drove his head forward and slammed his forehead directly into the exposed core.
Crack.
The crimson light fractured.
The construct convulsed.
He ripped his sword from the ground and drove it through the split core.
Silence.
Then the obsidian body collapsed.
Dust and red fragments scattered across the arena.
The knights stared.
The Sword Saint did not smile this time.
Above, the archmage whispered:
"Impossible."
Elias stood there, breathing heavily.
Blood ran from his brow.
His shoulder hung slightly wrong.
Then—
The whisper returned.
But this time—
It was delighted.
[Boss-Type Enemy Defeated: Obsidian Evaluation Construct]
Devour Activating…
High-Variance Category Triggered.
Rolling…
The air around him warped slightly.
He felt the pull again.
But stronger.
More chaotic.
Like dice tumbling in the dark.
Result Category: Multiple Outcome Trigger.
Rare Interaction.
His vision blurred.
Pain spiked.
Warmth surged.
Then split.
Primary Roll: +2 to All Stats (27%)
Secondary Roll (Boss Modifier): Additional Effect Granted
Rolling Secondary…
The whisper grew sharper.
Predatory.
Secondary Result: Skill Steal (10%)
Skill Acquired: Core Overdrive (Limited Use)
A shockwave burst from his body.
Light rippled outward.
The knights staggered.
System notifications rang in rapid succession.
All Stats +2
Strength: 14 → 16
Agility: 13 → 15
Endurance: 9 → 11
Intelligence: 12 → 14
Mana: 11 → 13
Luck: 1 → 3
Skill Gained: Core Overdrive
Temporarily amplifies physical output by 40% for 30 seconds.
Severe stamina drain. Risk of structural damage.
Elias dropped to one knee.
The surge was overwhelming.
It felt—
Good.
Too good.
Balance Sense flared hard.
Warning.
Power spike instability detected.
Across the arena, the Sword Saint walked forward slowly.
"You just absorbed a boss-tier construct's internal function."
Elias wiped blood from his eyes.
"Seems that way."
The archmage descended from the balcony this time.
"That ability is not standard absorption."
He studied Elias carefully.
"Does it always grant such results?"
Elias hesitated.
He remembered the Endurance loss earlier.
The hollow feeling.
The pain.
"No," he answered honestly.
"Sometimes it takes."
The archmage's eyes sharpened.
So it isn't pure gain.
Interesting.
From the edge of the yard, another summoned stepped forward.
A tall young man with polished armor and an immaculate blade.
Blue eyes.
Calm.
Measured.
"I'd like to test him," the newcomer said evenly.
The Sword Saint looked amused.
"You're still recovering, Hero."
The young man's gaze never left Elias.
"I insist."
Hero.
So that was him.
The chosen one.
Elias stood slowly despite the pain.
Devour purred faintly in the back of his mind.
Hungry again.
The Hero smiled politely.
"Let's see how your luck holds up."
Elias glanced at his status.
Luck: 3.
He didn't know what it did yet.
But something told him—
He was going to find out soon.