Sora gripped her weapons as tightly as she could, trying to guard herself with it, her knuckles stretching as the monstrous boar charged at her with terrifying speed. The impact was as brutal and devastating it sent her crashing into the coliseum wall, the sheer amount of force enough to shatter the stone. She gagged, blood spilling from her mouth as her weapons clattered to the ground.
[Health Points: 56/101]
The system's message flashed before her eyes, its orange glow shining on her face but Sora barely had time to process the haunting message. Pain radiated through her body, but her mind was racing. 'Dammit,' she cursed inwardly. 'This thing is far too strong. If I don't act fast, I'm dead.'
Forcing herself out, she dropped from the shattered wall and faced the monster before her. It prepared another charge again, its massive and muscular body shifting as it scraped the ground with its hooves. Sora's body trembled from the pain, but she refused to back down. She scooped up her axes, her grip tightening as she stared into the beast's wild, bloodshot eyes
The boar charged another time, its horns aimed straight at her. Sora was ready this time and as it closed in, she leaped forward, latching onto its horns with all her strength. "I've got you!" she shouted, a fierce and confident smile spreading across her face. With one swift motion, she raised an axe and drove it into the monster's right eye.
The boar roared in agony, thrashing wildly as it tried to shake her off. Sora held on for dear life, but the beast flung her away. She tumbled through the air, landing on her feet with practiced precision. One axe remained in her hand; the other still lodged in the boar's eye.
The monster wailed, but Sora didn't let up. She charged again, her movements calculated and precise. As the boar turned to face her, she dropped low, sliding beneath its massive body. With a powerful swing, she sliced at one of its legs, the blade cutting deep. The boar let out another deafening roar, its body swaying unsteadily.
Sora stood, her body screaming in protest, but she forced herself to stay upright. The monster turned toward her, its remaining eye blazing with fury. But this time, it didn't charge. Instead, it stopped, its muscles pulsing unnaturally. Veiny structures began to bulge across its body, and its bones cracked and shifted grotesquely.
'What in the world is it doing?' Sora thought, her heart pounding as she watched the transformation. The axe fell from its eye as its body shimmered with a red light. The boar's form began to change, its shape twisting and elongating.
When the light faded, the creature before her was no longer a boar. It was something far more terrifying—a humanoid figure with the head of a bull, its muscular body radiating raw power. Above its head, the title changed:
[Minotaurous]
Before Sora could react, the monster vanished. "Where'd it go?!" she shouted, her eyes darting around the arena. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. She spun around, but it was too late. The Minotaurous grabbed her by the neck and slammed her face-first into the ground.
[Health Points: 30/101]
Sora's vision blurred as her consciousness began to slip. Her body went limp, and her eyes rolled back. The monster lifted her into the air, prying the remaining axe from her grip. With a brutal swing, it struck her with its hooves, sending her sprawling across the ground.
[Health Points: 25/101]
•Critical Health!
Sora lay motionless, her body broken and battered. Her consciousness faded, but her mind was still active, drifting through memories. She found herself in a serene field, the sound of a lyre playing softly in the background. A woman—her mother—danced gracefully, her black hair flowing in the wind and her blue eyes shining like the ocean. Little Sora sat on the grass, watching in awe.
'Why am I seeing this?' she wondered. 'Is this the afterlife?' Her mother had died long ago, and this vision felt like a farewell. The woman approached, her face illuminated by the sun. She bent down, extending her hand to little Sora. "Hey, Sora, stand up. It's time to go," she said, her voice calm and soothing, sounding very motherly.
Stand up? Sora thought. But this is the afterlife… isn't it?
No.
This wasn't the end. It wasn't time to leave everything behind. It was time to move forward, to fight, to survive. Sora's thoughts crystallized, and she reached out, taking her mother's hand. As she did, the darkness around her began to dissolve, replaced by a warm, glowing light.
Her consciousness returned back, and rhe world around her came back into focus. The Minotaurous stood tall, letting out s triumphant roar as it had won the battle. But then, it heard the sound of footsteps in the sand.
Sora was standing.
Her hair had grown longer inches longer, cascading down her back like the laws of time had changed her appearance making her age two years forward. Her body radiated an intense orange aura. Her eyes glowed with the same fiery light, strands of energy swirling around her like threads caught in the wind.
The monster turned, its gaze locking onto her. Sora's expression was fierce, her voice steady as she spoke.
"I'm not done yet." she whispered.
The monster, enraged by Sora's unyielding spirit, let out a deafening roar and charged at her with terrifying speed, its massive hands outstretched to grab her. Sora stood her ground, her mind sharp and focused. She quickly calculated the monster's trajectory and braced herself, her arms outstretched.
When the two collided, their hands locked in a fierce struggle. The ground beneath them cracked and shattered under the immense force, dust and debris flying into the air. Sora screamed, pouring every ounce of strength into the battle. With a sudden burst of energy, she slammed her forehead into the beast's, the impact causing blood to stream down her face. The monster staggered, momentarily dazed.
Seizing the opportunity, Sora launched herself at it. Her fists flew in a flurry of blows, each strike connecting with the creature's chest and stomach. "I'm not done yet!!" she roared, her voice filled with raw determination. Summoning a blade from the system, she drove it deep into the monster's chest.
The memory of her mother dancing in the field, the sound of the lyre, and the call to stand up had awakened something deep within her. She wasn't going to die here, not in this unknown place. All her life, she had dreamed of becoming a knight, and now, with this chance, she refused to let it slip away.
With a fierce cry, Sora forced the blade upward, slicing the creature open from its chest to its head. "Die, you bastard!" she shouted, her voice primal and fierce, echoing through the coliseum.
Blood erupted from the monster's open skull, raining down on Sora like a crimson storm. She stood amidst the carnage, her body bathed in the creature's blood, her chest heaving as she fought to catch her breath.
The system chimed in, its messages flooding her vision:
[Health Points Recovered]
•Level Up!
•Level Up!
•Level Up!
•Level Up!
•Level Up!
•Level Up!
•Level Up!
•Level Up!
[You have obtained Silver x20]
Sora stared at the cascade of level-up notifications, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. But one message in particular caught her attention:
[You have obtained the Siphon Skill Stone]
Her eyebrows arched in curiosity. "Siphon Skill Stone? What could that be?" she muttered. There was only one way to find out.
"Inventory," she commanded, summoning her inventory tab. From it, she retrieved a strange, round stone glowing with an orange hue. She examined it closely before squeezing it in her hand. Instantly, a swirling vortex of black energy enveloped her body. The system chimed again, displaying a new message:
—Siphon Skill—
•Allows the user to draw out energy, life force, and skills from every dead beast.
Sora's eyes widened in awe. "Draw out life force, energy, and skills?!" she exclaimed, a grin spreading across her face. "That's amazing!"
The system prompted her again:
[Please name your Siphon Skill command]
An empty box appeared below the message, waiting for her input. Sora tapped her chin, deep in thought. After a moment, she nodded. "Extract," she declared.
The system accepted her choice, filling the blank space with the word 'Extract'.
Sora rose to her feet, her body still aching but her spirit unbroken. The gate that had drawn her into the coliseum reappeared, signaling it was time to leave. But before she did, she wanted to test her new skill.
Turning to the Minotaurous's lifeless body, she stretched out her hand and uttered the command: "Extract."
A surge of orange and black energy erupted from the monster's corpse, swirling around Sora like a living storm. She watched in awe as the energy enveloped her, filling her with newfound strength and power. The Siphon Skill had worked, and Sora couldn't help but smile.
She was ready for whatever came next.