Chapter 241: Killing Everyone!
"Recall your summons!" Someone finally realized the problem. "Don’t let him keep killing them!"
Summoning lights began flashing one after another.
The players who moments ago had wished they could release every single one of their summoned beasts to surround and kill Zich were now scrambling to recall their strongest magical beasts back into their summoning spaces.
Kane watched this scene with an incredibly complicated expression.
Dozens of people were surrounding and attacking a single summoner.
Yet somehow, they were the ones who had become afraid of losing their summons first.
Nadia, however, was not looking at them.
Her attention remained fixed entirely on Tiamant, while the Nether Eye White Tiger’s third eye remained firmly locked onto Zich, who was continuously absorbing the energy from the beast souls.
The first time could have been a coincidence. Even the second time could have been dismissed as one. But after seeing it happen over and over again, she had come to understand that this was a unique ability belonging to the latter.
She clenched a purple crystal in her hand, causing cracks to form. "If only we had met under different circumstances, he would have been really interesting. It’s such a shame we met like this."
As for Kane, standing beside her, he was shaking in his boots. He wanted to run if possible. However, there was no way to leave, as they had all been pulled into this place.
In other words, everyone was forced to compete until the 60 minute timer was over.
[Time Remaining in the Third Trial: 5 minutes 41 seconds.]
The system notification appeared once again, snapping him out of his thoughts.
But this time, hardly anyone was paying attention to the remaining time.
Because Zich slowly rose beside the corpse of a fallen magical beast, blood dripping from the tip of Frostgrave, while behind him, Tiamant slowly ripped apart another corpse.
Zich raised his eyes, his gaze passing over the players who had already begun retreating before eventually landing on the opposite side of the arena.
There were still two summoned beasts that had never been recalled.
The Level 26 Golden Armored Lion and the Level 29 Nether Eye White Tiger.
They were also currently the two highest quality magical beasts in the entire arena.
Tiamant seemed to notice them as well.
Its enormous dragon head slowly turned.
First toward the Golden Armored Lion.
Then toward the Nether Eye White Tiger.
Both magical beasts immediately tensed.
The corner of Kane’s eye twitched. In a forced tone, he said,
"Hey. What kind of look was that dragon of yours giving my lion just now?"
Zich tightened his grip around the scythe and shrugged. "Maybe it’s hungry."
"..." Kane’s expression instantly darkened.
On the other side, Nadia slowly rose to her feet.
She placed a hand against the Nether Eye White Tiger’s forehead, her deep purple eyes truly locking onto Zich for the first time.
"Looks like we can’t keep standing by and watching either."
Zich did not answer. He simply took one step forward.
Tiamant followed closely behind him, the figures of the Golden Armored Lion and Nether Eye White Tiger reflected within its dark gold vertical pupils.
Kane’s expression was dark. The Golden Armored Lion crouched low beside him, blood continuously seeping between its golden scales. Yet despite its severe injuries, the Level 26 magical beast still stood firmly in front of its master.
"Zich."
Kane clenched his fists. For the first time, there was not the slightest trace of contempt in his eyes.
"I admit you’re strong. But if you want to kill my Golden Armored Lion... then you’ll have to kill me first."
The moment those words fell, the Golden Armored Lion suddenly roared. Its enormous body erupted with golden mana as it charged forward head on.
Kane followed closely behind.
At that moment, the power between Beast Tamer and contracted beast became completely connected, their auras nearly merging into one.
Zich did not retreat.
"Tiamant."
The dark golden dragon pupils slowly contracted.
The next instant, countless pitch black chains suddenly shot out from the shadows behind Tiamant!
Clatter!
The Golden Armored Lion shattered the first chain with its claw, but the second had already wrapped around its foreleg. Then came the third and fourth, crossing in from different directions.
In only an instant, its enormous body was completely restrained.
Kane’s expression changed drastically.
"Break free!"
ROAR!
The Golden Armored Lion erupted with mana. The chains stretched taut one after another, but just as it was about to tear itself free, Tiamant suddenly raised its head.
Buzz!
Two even thicker black chains pierced through the void.
Puchi!
The first pierced straight through the Golden Armored Lion’s chest.
The second pierced Kane’s heart at the exact same moment.
Time seemed to freeze. Kane lowered his head and stared at the chain protruding from his chest as blood slowly spilled from the corner of his mouth.
The Golden Armored Lion also stopped struggling.
At that moment, the contract between master and beast shattered simultaneously.
Bang!
Man and beast collapsed almost at the same time.
Two masses of spirit energy emerged from their bodies. The beast soul belonging to the Golden Armored Lion was even more condensed than those of the previous summoned beasts.
A sharp light flashed through Zich’s eyes as the beast soul was instantly absorbed by him.
In the distance, Nadia watched this scene and finally abandoned any thought of continuing the fight.
The third eye on the Nether Eye White Tiger’s forehead suddenly opened wide.
"We’re leaving."
Without hesitation, she crushed the purple crystal in her hand.
Boom!
A spatial force far beyond the level of any young player present suddenly erupted. A curtain of purple light instantly enveloped both her and the Nether Eye White Tiger.
Zich narrowed his eyes.
A life saving treasure!
Just before the spatial passage completely closed, Nadia gave him one final, deep look.
"Zich Grave. I won’t forget that name."
Displaying a faint smile, she and the Nether Eye White Tiger disappeared completely.
Zich hurriedly launched a Blood Arc attack, but it merely sliced through the empty air and struck the wall on the other side.
He remained motionless for a few seconds, his eyes fixed on the place where Nadia had disappeared.
Then, he slowly looked around. What greeted him were broken weapons, shattered summoning formations, and the corpses of magical beasts scattered throughout the arena.
Not far away, Kane lay beside the Golden Armored Lion, while the bodies of the other players remained where they had fallen.
Eventually, Zich’s gaze returned to the fading traces of purple light in the air.
To be able to forcibly escape from a trial space that should have been completely sealed, that woman clearly had quite the background.
Now that she was gone, Zich could already tell what was about to happen.
"Nadia... Nadia," he repeated the name as if wanting to commit it to memory.
He made a mental note to find this person the moment he left this place.
Right then, a notification popped up.
[The Provisional Beast King has successfully protected the throne.]
[Third Ancient Beast Altar Trial completed.]
[Third Trial Mark obtained.]
[Ancient Beast Trial Marks collected: 3/3.]
The three Trial Marks emerged and combined above Zich’s palm.
Simultaneously, the black throne split apart.
Beneath it appeared a staircase descending into endless darkness.
"Whatever it was that called out to you should be down there," Zich said as he stroked Tiamant’s large head.
He then glanced at Iron, who stood beside him with its heavy sword, and nodded.
"Lead the way."