Nameless King

Wain killed the monster as he finally got the last shard of Gladius, however, things were not as simple as he thought.

The monster's silhouette slowly disappeared as if it had never existed while the hall at the top of the tree slightly transformed.

'Was it an illusion...? What the fuck is going on here!" Wain inwardly exclaimed as his pupils narrowed and his eyes opened wide.

The damage from their attacks completely disappeared as suddenly the last floor became much larger, expanding in front of his eyes. Everything was the same as before, except for one detail-the mirrored wall behind which was the real monster. The monster was the same, so the illusion was just a copy.

Roooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!

It was slightly wounded and tried to get out of its confinement, but the cage was impenetrable as the roar of the massive beast did not even pass through it.

Goosebumps ran down Wain's body as he began to realize that this was all a trap? No, it was more like a performance, for someone Wain had just now noticed.

Out of the darkness, two blue eyes were pointed at him that was as pure as the most precious lapis lazuli in all the world. Even Soul Pearls would have seemed dirty before them.

Whoooooooooosh.

A silhouette emerged from the shadows, keeping its gaze fixed on Wain. The darkness around the silhouette slowly dissipated, revealing the mysterious watcher.

It was a tall young man with pale skin and thick hair as white as snow. He wore a silver robe with ancient runes as well as a simple platinum ring. The most notable detail of the man was his long, pointy ears.

'What...? An elf? But, why is he here? How did he know I'd be here, and why did he arrange all this? We've definitely never met him before...' Wain muttered inwardly as dozens of questions popped into his head at once.

The man stared at Wain for a while, then he blinked for the first time in a long time and said quietly, "Wain Norheim, I've been waiting for you for a long time, but I knew you'd come for a shard of... your sword soon."

"Who the fuck are you?" Wain cursed with a frowned look as his aura intensified.

"You're puzzled, I understand that. I'll be honest with you, you're my target. I've wanted to fight you for a long time, but I could only do it here in Lands of the Gods." The man said in an indifferent voice as he looked around.

'Damn... What a strange guy. I can't feel his whole aura, normally I would think it's because he's too weak, but this is clearly not the case...' Wain wondered before swinging his sword and asking, 'Who are you? We haven't met before, so why should you have any reason to fight me?"

There was no way Wain could expect someone to create the illusion of the monster he came for by locking the real beast behind a barrier, it was too weird or even creepy.

"Well, you're not quite right. I noticed you at Colosseum a long time ago, moreover, I've been following some of your fights. It was actually quite impressive." The man said with an ice-cold look, "At first I wondered who was hiding behind the mask, who the famous Nameless was, but when I found out, I knew I'd found a real treasure."

"What the hell are you talking about...?" Wain muttered while in confusion as he raised an eyebrow.

Whoooooooosh.

The man's aura intensified as his robe soared upward as well as his hair.

"Wain Norheim, Nameless, Top-2 of the Colosseum as well as Heir of the Nameless King, I challenge you!" The man said in a thunderous voice as a faint sheath glowed over his body.

At the same time, the man's ears became less sharp as they were the same as those of all other races. Nothing else changed except for one detail, a seven-pointed star appeared on the man's chest.

'What?! He's an Arkan...? How does he know I'm the heir of the Nameless King?! Wain inwardly exclaimed with eyes wide open while in disbelief.

"My name is Virion Payne, I am the Champion of the Colosseum, the only one you haven't beaten yet! However, I doubt you have any chance at all." Virion exclaimed with a deadly look as white streams of energy burst from his body.

"Wait... You waited for me just to fight...?" Wain uttered with a confused look.

The question was strange, and Wain understood that, but for some reason, he did not sense murderous intent from Virion.

"No. This may be the most important fight of your life and mine because it's not just a fight to the death." Virion muttered in a calm voice before stepping forward, then his gaze became as cold as ancient glaciers and his piercing voice headed toward Wain, "I'm going to absorb your power. You are not a Nameless King, you are merely the successor to his power, which means that if I am more worthy than you, that power will be mine!"

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

At the same moment, around Virion appeared pillars of white energy that were as though white flames surrounded him. With each step, the energy grew larger and larger until Virion suddenly disappeared and appeared in front of Wain with a silver sword in his hand.

Wain's pupils narrowed as he instantly put Gladius in front of him, blocking the attack. Their swords clashed as the shockwave passed through his entire body, testing it for strength.

Whooooooooosh.

The impact of their attacks caused a small explosion that threw Wain sideways, a few meters back. His feet didn't come off the ground, but the incredible pressure caused two deep cracked lines to appear on the floor.

'What the hell...?' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at his trembling hands from the recoil, 'He's so strong it will be dangerous... But, he wants to take my power? Is that possible...? No way...'