The Black Market Arena – A Deadlier Challenge
The air in the underground arena was thick with tension. The torches along the ancient stone walls flickered with blood-red flames, casting eerie shadows over the sand-covered battleground.
Leon stood in the center of the ring, his cloak billowing slightly as he rolled his shoulders, his mana gun freshly loaded.
He could still hear the muffled roar of the crowd from behind the heavy iron gates that separated him from the battlefield. His first match had already drawn attention. His second fight would decide whether he was just lucky… or dangerous.
The stone floor vibrated slightly, and above him, the announcer's voice boomed once more.
"WELCOME BACK, BLOODTHIRSTY SPECTATORS! OUR NEW CONTENDER HAS PROVEN HIMSELF IN THE FIRST ROUND—BUT CAN HE SURVIVE ROUND TWO?"
The crowd erupted, some cheering for him, others already placing bets against him.
Leon barely listened. His focus was on the opposite gate, where his next opponent waited.
A moment of silence stretched between them.
Then the gates groaned open.
A cloaked figure stepped forward, moving slowly, methodically.
Leon narrowed his eyes.
His next opponent wasn't a brute like the Deathbound Gladiator.
This one was calculating.
And that meant this fight would be far more dangerous.
The Bone Shaman Appears
The opponent's cloak swayed slightly, revealing glimpses of dark tattoos running up his arms, glowing with faint necrotic energy. His face was hidden beneath a skull-shaped mask, and bones—real bones—were braided into his hair.
Leon recognized the symbols along his robes.
A Shaman.
Not just a necromancer. A bone manipulator, someone who could weave bones into powerful undead constructs in the middle of battle.
The announcer's voice boomed again.
"FACING HIM—A MASTER OF THE DEAD WHO CONTROLS THE VERY BONES OF HIS FALLEN ENEMIES! THE UNDEFEATED—BONE SHAMAN KRAVIS!"
The crowd exploded into cheers.
Leon's grip tightened on his gun.
Undefeated, huh?
Let's change that.
The Battle Begins – A Field of Bones
A deep drumbeat echoed through the arena—the match had begun.
Kravis lifted his arms, and immediately, the ground beneath them shifted.
Bones erupted from the sand, clicking together, forming jagged spires and curved barricades.
Leon instantly recognized what was happening.
The Shaman was reshaping the battlefield.
"Delay him," Leon commanded.
His Elite Sorcerer reacted instantly, launching a Mana Bolt at Kravis.
But before the attack could land—
A massive skeletal wall shot up from the ground, blocking the spell.
Leon narrowed his eyes.
So that's how it's going to be.
Kravis raised his hand, and the bone formations began to shift again.
This time, they weren't just walls.
They were moving.
Kravis' Summon – The Bone Behemoth
The skeletal walls cracked apart, twisting, bending, merging—until they formed something massive.
A towering construct of fused bones rose from the arena floor, standing twelve feet tall. Its arms were massive, shaped like war clubs, its head a twisted skull with glowing red eyes.
Leon clicked his tongue.
So he wasn't fighting just one opponent.
He was fighting two.
Kravis finally spoke, his voice cold, hollow.
"Your undead are strong," he said. "But mine are part of me."
He raised his hand—and the Bone Behemoth charged.
Leon's Counterattack
Leon moved immediately.
He darted backward, his Warrior Zombie stepping in front, greatsword raised to block the incoming strike.
The Bone Behemoth's club-like arm crashed down, and the impact sent a shockwave through the sand, nearly making Leon lose his footing.
But his summon held firm.
"Now."
His Elite Sorcerer reacted instantly, firing a Mana Explosion at the Behemoth's legs.
The blast struck, sending fragments of bone flying in all directions.
But Kravis only chuckled.
The bone shards scattered across the arena floor… then started moving.
Leon's eyes widened.
The Behemoth wasn't just one summon—it was a field of regenerating bone.
Breaking the Cycle
Leon reloaded his gun, already analyzing the battlefield.
Kravis had two major strengths:
His ability to manipulate bones meant that every attack Leon made just gave him more materials to use.
The Bone Behemoth wasn't a single undead—it was a constantly reforming construct.
Leon gritted his teeth. There had to be a weakness.
Then he saw it.
The red glow in the Behemoth's chest.
That wasn't just decoration. That was a mana core.
And that meant—
It was a power source.
Leon adjusted his stance.
"Focus fire on its chest!"
Ending the Fight
Kravis realized what Leon had seen—and his hands moved instantly.
The bone walls shifted, trying to cover the Behemoth's core.
Leon didn't give him the chance.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Three mana-infused bullets tore through the shifting defenses, carving through the barriers before they could fully form.
The Elite Sorcerer followed up, launching a final Mana Explosion straight into the exposed core.
The arena flashed with light—
Then—
BOOM.
The Bone Behemoth cracked apart, the red glow in its chest shattering into fragments.
For the first time, Kravis staggered backward. His connection to the construct was severed.
Leon leveled his gun at the shaman.
"Looks like you're the only one left."
Kravis growled and lifted his hands to fight—
Bang.
Leon's shot hit him square in the chest.
The arena fell silent.
Then the announcer's voice rang out.
"THE WINNER—LEON!"
The crowd erupted.
Leon lowered his gun, exhaling.
Two fights down. One more to go.
And next time, he would be facing the strongest opponent yet.