noveldrama
Chapter 108: Fight or Fall
Chapter 108: Fight or Fall
Warlock Ch 108. Fight or Fall
Malthus's laughter rang out, rich and mocking. "Ah, don't look so surprised," he said, spreading his arms theatrically. "Those sigils you see? They're not just for decoration. This room is designed for duels, competitions between mages. No one leaves until one of us loses."
Damian's jaw tightened as he processed the words. "A duel? You dragged me here for a duel?"
Malthus smirked. "A duel. A game. A test. Call it what you like. But the rules are simple: you fight, or you fall."
Damian's heart pounded as he weighed his options. 'Great. Trapped in here with a guy who's way out of my league and his pet shadow demon. Just my luck.'
The Umbra Devourer lunged at him again, faster this time, its claws raking through the air. Damian activated [Spectral Surge], his body moving like a blur as he dodged to the side, leaving a faint afterimage in his place. The Devourer swiped through the illusion, its claws striking stone with a deafening crack.
Damian took the opening to counter. "[Dark Bolt!]" he shouted, firing a concentrated blast of energy toward the creature's side. The bolt struck, the impact creating a ripple of energy across the shadowy mass.
[Umbra Devourer] took 210 damage.
The creature recoiled slightly, but its form didn't waver. It turned back to Damian, its glowing eyes narrowing in what could only be described as fury.
"Not bad," Malthus said, his tone calm and condescending. "But you'll need more than that to bring down the Umbra Devourer. It's been devouring mages far stronger than you for centuries."
Damian's lip curled. "Guess I'll have to ruin its perfect record, then."
He darted around the room, keeping his distance as the Devourer pursued him relentlessly. Each step felt heavier, the oppressive energy of the sigils making it harder to move, harder to think. He fired another [Arcane Bolt], the energy chaining between the creature's many eyes.
[Umbra Devourer] took 180 damage.
The creature roared, its massive form growing darker, denser, as if feeding off the room's energy. Damian felt the weight of its presence pressing down on him, and his chest tightened as his mana reserves drained faster than usual.
"Fenrith!" Damian summoned his servant. Yet another announcement appeared.
[You can't summon your servant in the middle of a duel!]
"What the---"
"Feeling it yet?" Malthus asked, his voice smooth as he watched from the sidelines, his hands clasped behind his back. "These sigils don't just trap you. They siphon energy, feeding the room and making it harder for anyone but me to survive. Also… no one can summon their servants in my place. Only those with a higher rank than me can do it."
Damian gritted his teeth, forcing himself to keep moving. "Sounds like a coward's way to fight."
Malthus chuckled. "Or a tactician's. Depends on your perspective."
The Umbra Devourer lunged again, its claws glowing faintly with dark energy as it activated [Void Rend]. The strike tore through the air, sending a shockwave that cracked the stone floor beneath Damian's feet. He barely dodged, throwing himself to the side, the oppressive energy of the sigils making every movement feel sluggish. His breath came in ragged gasps, his heart pounding as the creature turned toward him once more.
'I can't keep this up,' Damian thought, frustration mounting with each failed attempt to gain the upper hand. His mana was draining too quickly, and the Umbra Devourer showed no signs of slowing down. Every strike he landed seemed to barely scratch it, while the creature's attacks grew stronger, faster, more relentless.
He fired another [Dark Bolt], the concentrated blast of energy slamming into the creature's side.
[Umbra Devourer] took 215 damage.
The hit staggered it, but only for a moment. The creature hissed, its glowing eyes narrowing as it began to circle Damian like a predator toying with its prey.
'Think, Damian. Think!' he urged himself, his mind racing for a solution. But no matter how he looked at it, he was outmatched. The room itself was working against him, draining his mana and making every spell he cast feel like a monumental effort.
Then, like a whisper cutting through the chaos, a voice echoed in his mind.
"You know what? If you can't beat the servant, just go straight to the caster."
The voice was calm, confident, and eerily familiar. It wasn't the mocking voice of the Mana Core—it was the same one that had helped him during training, the one that always appeared when he was at his lowest, offering cryptic but useful advice.
"Just use melee combat mixed with your spells---"
"---And aim straight for his face…"Damian couldn't help but mutter the words aloud, finishing the sentence as if they were his own.
Damian's eyes widened as the realization hit him. His gaze flicked to Malthus, who stood at the edge of the room, watching the fight with that infuriating smirk on his face. 'The Umbra Devourer isn't the real threat. It's him.'
The Umbra Devourer lunged at him again, but this time, Damian didn't back away. He activated [Spectral Surge], his body moving in a blur as he dashed toward the creature. At the last second, he slid beneath its massive claws, the afterimage of his movement confusing it for a split second.
That split second was all he needed.
"[Dark Chains!]" Damian shouted, summoning ethereal chains that shot up from the ground and wrapped around the Umbra Devourer. The creature roared, thrashing violently as the chains bound its limbs, slowing its movements.
[Umbra Devourer] is immobilized. Physical and magical power is reduced by 40%.
"Stay put," Damian muttered, not waiting to see how long the chains would hold. He turned his attention to Malthus, his gaze narrowing as he charged toward him.
Malthus raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Oh? Abandoning the fight already? How disappointing."
Damian didn't respond. He clenched his fists, his knuckles glowing faintly as he gathered what strength he could. He couldn't afford to waste time or energy on banter—not when the stakes were this high.