Bonus Chapter 114: Another Challenger


    "Sorry to keep you waiting," Axel pronounced, his voice echoing through the barren wastnd. Thendscape around him was deste, stretching out in every direction. Cracks littered the ground like scars on an ancient battlefield, and the air was thick with the scent of dust and death.


    A few twisted, lifeless trees stood crooked against the skyline, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. In the distance, the horizon was barely visible beneath a sky that flickered between shades of grey and purple.


    In the middle of this wastnd, a figure sat cross-legged, her annoyance radiating off her like heat from a furnace. The challenger— a woman with two wickedly curved horns protruding from her skull and arge, violet sword resting across herp— red at him. Her sharp eyes never left his, filled with a seething rage.


    [**Wee to Barren Zero**]


    [**Defeat your opponent and defend your title**]


    Axel''s attention was momentarily diverted by the system notifications shing before him, but he casually dismissed them with a wave. His focus returned to his opponent, who seemed less than thrilled with the wait. He lifted a hand in an almost friendly gesture. "I''m Axel," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "And honestly, I''d much prefer just to talk."


    The woman growled in disgust, her hands tightening around the hilt of her de. "Liar!" she spat, her voice dripping with venom. "How dare you keep me waiting so long."


    Axel shook his head, a wry smile forming on his lips. **Liar.** That word still stung, even after all this time. **Mtecuhtli**, the dark god who had cursed him, had robbed him of the ability to lie. Although, thanks to his pact with **Velerium**, there was a loophole. He could lie, but only five times within two days—an absurdly small allowance for a man in his line of work. But this woman?


    He wouldn''t waste one of those precious lies on her. Not a chance.


    ''And I won''t waste a lie on such a small fry.''


    His system hummed to life again, scanning the opponent before him.


    [**Name: Reya ???**]


    [**Abilities: Turbo Recoil (A-Rank), Bullet Damage (B-Rank)**]


    [**Full Inspection: Your opponent excels at short-rangebat. Close contact is extremely dangerous. Proceed with caution.**]


    Axel''s eyes gleamed with amusement. **Turbo Recoil**? That exined her short-range affinity. The more he thought about it, the more he was tempted to end this quickly. But no, that wouldn''t be satisfying. He liked to understand his enemies first.


    Letting out a small sigh, Axel shrugged. "Honestly, you should reconsider. Only an idiot woulde at me right now."


    Reya snarled, her sharp teeth visible as her rage intensified. She stood, her massive sword rising with her as she aimed the tip at Axel. "Are you mocking me? Do you know who I am? I am **Reya de**, the terror of the Blood Realm!"


    Axel raised an eyebrow, nodding slowly in mock respect. "You sound very impressive where are you from, Reya de. But I''d like to know—where exactly do youe from, and why did you choose me? I am really quized please exin."


    Reya hesitated, her grip on her sword faltering. She had been ready to strike, but Axel''s question seemed to catch her off guard, seemingly. After a moment, she snarled again, not quite as ferociously this time. "It doesn''t matter where I''m from. What matters is that you''re one of the top candidates—someone worth defeating."


    Axel tilted his head, curious. "Top candidate? For what?"


    "For the power you hold," Reya spat, her voice growing more agitated. "The hierarchy is clear—defeat you, and I ascend. But enough talk! I will finish you here!"


    Without another word, Reya exploded into motion, her sword zing through the air as she charged toward Axel at terrifying speed. The ground trembled beneath her feet, and her form became a blur, moving faster than most eyes could follow. The wind whipped violently in her wake, kicking up dust and loose debris as she bore down on him.


    Axel barely moved, watching her advance with mild interest. He yawned, adding to her fury. The gap between them closed in less than a second. Reya hoisted her massive de high above her head, ready to bring it crashing down with devastating force.


    But her swing nevernded.


    Reya''s eyes widened in disbelief as her arms froze mid-swing. The muscles in her body locked up, refusing to obey hermands. Something—no, **someone**—had stopped her. Her gaze darted toward her hands, where she saw, with growing horror, that they were no longer connected to her body. Her forearms, now severed at the elbows, floated in the air, held aloft by ethereal hands made of shadows.


    "Wh-what...?" Reya gasped, her voice trembling. Pain hadn''t even registered yet, but the sight of her dismembered arms made her scream. "Aahhhhhhh!" Her shrieks echoed across the wastnd, filled with raw terror. She tried to retreat, but her legs refused to move. Looking down, she saw that shadowy hands had emerged from the ground, anchoring her feet in ce.


    "Impossible!" she cried out. Panic overwhelmed her as her mind raced, desperate for an exnation, an escape—anything. But there was none. She had made a fatal mistake, and now her fate was sealed.


    Axel stood before her, his expression one of cold indifference. "You should''ve listened," he said quietly. "I warned you." He raised a hand and ced it gently on the top of her head, his fingers sinking into the sweat-soaked hair.


    [**Activating Deceased Touch**]


    Reya''s screams reached a fever pitch as her body began to disintegrate from the top down. Her skull dissolved first, crumbling into dust beneath Axel''s hand. The darkness that held her in ce crept up over her body, swallowing her whole. In mere moments, Reya de—the once-mighty warrior of the Blood Realm—was reduced to nothing more than a pile of ashes, scattered by the wind.


    Axel watched the remnants of his opponent disappear, and then sighed in disappointment. "Well, that was underwhelming." He nced at his system, hoping for something more rewarding.


    [**Rewards**]


    *You have gained 1000 Exp from the mission*


    *You have gained Reya''s weapon*


    He nced at the de that now floated in his inventory, unimpressed. "Her weapon isn''t even worth keeping," Axel muttered, selling it off instantly in the system''s store. "I expected more."


    He checked his stats, his expression growing more frustrated. **8899/100000 Exp**. "Leveling up has officially be a nightmare. I knew it would get harder, but this is just ridiculous."


    Axel shook his head, his mood souring. "I better head back. Trisha''s probably waiting on me to pack for the journey." He cracked his neck and stretched. "Man, I don''t get women."


    ***


    **//Stats//**


    Name: Axel Teras


    Exp: 8899/100000


    Level: 63


    Job ss: Dormant Devour


    Axel closed the interface and nced at the horizon, where the dark, barrennd seemed to stretch on forever. But all he could think of was the family he had waiting back home.


    ***Author''s thought***


    Now that we have gotten a rest or should I say, a short introduction and fun. The true matters start here. Ourary adventure begins. And the question about Luxiam!