On the other side of the portal, Lucian was met with a surprising sight.
No gloomy dungeon halls. No torch-lit corridors. Instead, he found himself standing at the center of a massive colosseum, sunlight pouring down from an open sky. High above, a glowing blue panel floated like a divine scoreboard, its letters crisp and unmistakable:
[Wave 1]
Lucian raised a brow.
"Wave one, huh?" he muttered, cracking his knuckles. "A horde battle? Sounds simple enough."
He rolled his shoulders, stretching his neck with a satisfying pop.
"Alright then... let's try something new."
Taking a breath, he called out with a grin:
"Open Inventory!"
Sure enough, shimmering runes spun into view, forming a transparent panel in front of him. A single item hovered at the center of the screen—the reward from defeating Lu Bu.
"Sky Piercer Halberd!" he commanded.
A flash of light surged in his hand, and a massive, ornate halberd materialized—its edge gleaming with power. Lucian tested its weight with a slow spin, eyebrows lifting in pleasant surprise.
"Huh. I thought it'd be heavier."
A small notification flickered into existence:
[Halberd Mastery: 0%]
Lucian smirked, resting the weapon across his shoulders.
"How convenient."
Before he could admire it further, a thunderous horn echoed across the arena, shaking the ground beneath his feet. The sky shifted.
[Wave 1: Begin]
With a deafening groan, the colosseum gates burst open. From the shadows surged an army of steel-clad knights, their polished armor catching the light, swords and shields ready.
Lucian tilted his head.
"This is wave one? Alright, then…"
His thoughts flashed back to Lu Bu—how he'd spun the halberd like a storm incarnate, a whirlwind of power and precision. Lucian's grin widened.
"Well, if it worked for him…"
He twirled the halberd and began to spin, mimicking the technique with growing momentum.
"Nothing wrong with copying greatness—especially if you can perfect it!" he laughed.
Right on cue, a soft chime echoed in his ears—his Codex, now affectionately dubbed the Codex System, flared to life.
[Dominion of War Activated: "Clashed with a Legend (Legendary)"]
The winds around Lucian surged in response. His halberd dance became a full-blown hurricane, roaring across the battlefield and kicking up a cyclone of dust and magic that nearly engulfed the entire arena.
Yet the knights held fast. Shields braced, feet planted—they advanced steadily through the storm.
Lucian chuckled, halting his spin.
"Alright, so I can't just copy the technique and expect it to work perfectly…"
He adjusted his grip on the halberd, eyes glinting with anticipation.
"But I guess it's time to brush up on some old-fashioned martial combat."
He stepped forward, lightning dancing in his eyes.
"I've been relying on magic too much anyway."
Lucian lunged forward with a grin, halberd whistling through the air. One swing—and a dozen knights vanished in a flash of light.
"Damn! This might even be as good as Damnarex!" he laughed, cleaving effortlessly through the armored horde. Each fallen knight dissolved into nothingness the moment they hit the ground, their bodies breaking apart like smoke on the wind.
The rest fell just as easily. Lucian barely needed to aim—each wave of his halberd was a display of raw power, brute force sweeping the battlefield clean.
He came to a stop at the center of the arena, the last knight fading before him.
"That was it?" he said with a laugh. "Almost too easy."
But then he paused, a shadow flickering in his expression.
"Can't get too confident," he muttered, flexing his fingers. "Wouldn't be the first time false security got me sucker-punched."
The memory crept in—breezing through those enchanted armors only to be blindsided by a boss that nearly killed him. He shuddered.
A familiar chime echoed overhead:
[Wave 1: Completed]
[EXP: 1,000]
Lucian ran a hand through his hair, grinning.
"Not bad for a warm-up."
[Level: 118 → 120]
He whistled. "That quick? At this rate, I'll be unstoppable."
[Stat Increases will be seen after Trial Dungeon ends]
"Guess I'm flying blind till then," he said, scanning the arena. "Still… I do feel stronger."
Before he could say more, another thunderous horn blared across the colosseum. The floating panel shimmered, new text illuminating the sky:
[Wave 2: Begin]
Lucian turned toward the gates, halberd in hand.
Within moments, five frost giants lumbered into view—towering twelve feet tall, their icy breath curling in the warm air, eyes glowing an otherworldly blue.
Lucian blinked, then let out a low whistle.
"Okay. That's a hell of a jump from tin-can soldiers."
He rolled his shoulders, halberd spinning in his grip.
"Finally—some real training dummies."
With a wicked grin, Lucian stepped forward to meet them.
Lucian gripped the halberd, muscles coiling as he aimed. With a sharp exhale, he hurled it like a spear—fast, lethal, and true.
The weapon tore through the air, the tip humming with contained power. It slammed into the nearest frost giant's head with a thunderous crack—an explosion of violet energy detonating on impact. The giant's head didn't just shatter—it vanished, vaporized in a blast that echoed through the colosseum.
Lucian blinked.
"Holy… crap," he breathed, stunned.
"That was one throw?"
A grin broke across his face.
"If this is the reward for clearing just the first trial dungeon…" he chuckled, eyes gleaming, "then I need to finish this one fast."
He raised his arms to prepare for the next strike—but then paused as the halberd returned, arcing through the air like a boomerang before landing neatly in his hand.
"Well now," Lucian said, impressed. "This thing just keeps getting better."
[Halberd Mastery: 5%]
He stepped forward, confidence radiating off him like heat. The remaining frost giants—now four—halted briefly, visibly shaken after seeing one of their own obliterated in seconds.
But hesitation gave way to rage. With guttural roars, they charged, shaking the ground beneath them. Every step left jagged frost and ice in their wake.
Lucian raised the halberd high. Its blade pulsed with a deep violet glow—Dominion of War still active.
"One-man army!" he called out.
With a flash of runes, a squad of lesser animated armors materialized at his side—worn, dented, but loyal.
"They won't last long," Lucian muttered, "but they make damn fine distractions."
The giants were nearly upon him—massive weapons drawn, eyes burning with fury.
But Lucian vanished.
In an instant, he flash-stepped—his new agility blurring him from sight, even to the towering giants. One second he was there… the next, gone.
"Let's dance," he whispered from the shadows.