Iron Sovereign: I Hunt the Apex

Chapter 6: The Pit Beast

The floor of the arena trembled as the heavy iron gate slammed against the concrete ceiling. From the dark tunnel, a four-eyed shadow beast stepped out into the bright stadium lights. It stood nine feet tall, its body covered in thick, coarse black fur and jagged bone armor plates. Its four glowing red eyes locked directly onto Aiden, and a long, spiked tail whipped against the ground, shattering marble tiles into dust.

Marcus backed away quickly, using the distraction to climb back onto the high stage. He looked toward Guild Master Vane's balcony, a small, relieved smile returning to his face. A shadow beast was a high-tier monster usually reserved for team trials, not solo fighters.

Aiden stood his ground in the center of the arena floor. The crowd held its breath, thousands of spectators leaning forward in their seats.

Guild Master Vane's voice echoed from above.

"In the Iron Vanguard, strength determines the truth. If you survive this trial, your claims of betrayal will be heard by the council. If you fail, your story dies here."

Aiden did not look up at the balcony. He kept his eyes fixed on the monster. He adjusted his stance, wrapping both hands around the hilt of his red energy blade. The energy he had absorbed from the construct and Vance hummed steadily in his muscles, making his senses sharp.

The shadow beast let out a deafening roar and charged.

It moved with surprising speed for its size, its heavy clawed feet cracking the floor with every step. As it closed the distance, its form seemed to blur, creating two dark images that rushed toward Aiden from different angles.

Aiden activated his Shadow Stride ability. He took a fast step to the side, shifting his weight effortlessly as the monster's heavy claws swiped through the air where his head had been a second before. The wind from the strike whistled past his ear, showing the sheer power behind the attack.

Aiden swung his red blade in a fast horizontal arc, aiming for the monster's side. The energy blade bit through the coarse black fur, but it hit a hard layer of bone armor beneath the skin. Sparks flew, and the monster let out an angry growl, sweeping its spiked tail around to crush him.

Aiden leaped backward, ducking under the swinging tail. The tail slammed into a nearby stone pillar, snapping the thick concrete like a twig.

Aiden landed lightly on his feet ten yards away. He analyzed the monster's armor plates. The bone covered its ribs, back, and head, but its throat and the joints behind its front legs were exposed.

The monster turned around slowly, its four red eyes glowing with intense hatred. It opened its wide jaws, and a dark ball of concentrated shadow energy began to form in its throat.

"Move!" someone shouted from the crowd, but Aiden stayed right where he was.

The shadow beast unleashed the blast. A beam of dark energy surged across the arena, scorching the marble floor and leaving a black trail of frost in its wake.

Aiden did not try to run away. He held his energy blade vertically in front of his chest, channeling the metal core energy through his arms and into the weapon. The red blade flared brightly, creating a heat shield in front of him.

The dark beam slammed into the red energy shield with a loud crash. The impact forced Aiden back two steps, his boots digging deep grooves into the marble. Smoke rose from his clothes, but his body held firm under the pressure. The rock armor structure beneath his skin absorbed the residual shockwave, keeping his bones intact.

As the dark beam faded, the monster hesitated, surprised that the human was still standing.

Aiden did not give it time to recover. He sprinted forward, using his increased movement speed to close the gap instantly. He kept his body low, sliding under the monster's front claws as it tried to swipe at him again.

Positioned directly beneath the beast's chest, Aiden thrust his red energy blade straight upward into the soft flesh under its jaw.

The glowing blade sank deep into the monster's neck, piercing through its brain. The shadow beast stiffened, its four red eyes widening in shock. Thick, dark blood poured from the wound, showering the marble floor.

Aiden pulled the blade out with a hard twist and rolled out from under the falling body. The giant beast crashed onto the arena floor with a heavy thud, its legs twitching once before going completely still.

Silence fell over the entire stadium.

A instant later, the familiar blue letters appeared before Aiden's eyes:

Target slain: Four-Eyed Shadow Beast.

Trait absorbed: Shadow Domain.

Stealth and dark energy resistance increased.

A rush of cold, dense energy flooded into Aiden's heart, mixing with the heat of his previous abilities. His physical power surged again, making him feel grounded and completely unshakeable.

The crowd erupted into wild cheers. People stood up from their seats, shouting in amazement at the low-tier porter who had just slain a high-grade monster alone in less than three minutes.

Marcus stood on the stage, his face pale and sweating. He looked terrified as he realized Aiden was now far too powerful for him to handle.

Aiden turned toward the royal balcony and looked directly at Guild Master Vane.

"I have completed your trial. Now answer for the corruption in your guild."

Guild Master Vane looked down at Aiden, his expression unreadable. He slowly raised his hands and clapped three times.

"Impressive," Vane said, his voice amplified across the arena. "You have proven your strength, Aiden Sebastian. As promised, the Iron Vanguard will investigate Marcus and clear your name."

Vane paused, a cold, unnatural smile spreading across his face.

"However," Vane continued, "you carry a power that does not belong to this city. Seize him."

Before Aiden could move, four heavy iron doors around the perimeter of the arena floor opened simultaneously. Dozens of elite guild enforcers in heavy black armor poured onto the field, holding iron chains attached to glowing suppression stakes.

At the same time, the ground beneath Aiden's feet lit up with a dark red magic circle, locking his legs in place and draining the energy from his body.