Rise of the Devourer - Book 3: Chapter 11 — Sparring Match Pt. 3

Noah walked up to the glass pane, taking a breath as he prepared himself for his turn. Kaelan stepped up beside him. “You know the drill. Put your hand on it and send a pulse of mana.”

Noah nodded, placing his hand on the magic circle, as he felt the runes flare up at his touch. He sent a light pulse to the spell, feeling it activate as a prompt appeared in front of him.

Would you like to begin a Simulated Battle?

Yes/No?

As he selected yes, Noah felt himself being pulled into the spell, magic flowing over his body. For a brief moment, he saw the ripples within space itself, flowing outward from the spell, but he let himself be pulled along as his mind was transported somewhere else.

Opening his eyes, Noah found himself standing in what looked to be a coliseum arena. Stone walls and stairs encircled his position, two barred gates barring the only way outside as sunlight beamed down upon the two of them.

Kaelan stood on the other end, a spear in his hand and wearing his usual attire. He held a spear in his hand, carved seemingly of a glasslike stone with an aquamarine shimmer and jade green engravings running up its length. Noah looked at the Drakonian standing confidently, reached out his hand sideways, summoning his own spear.

“That’s a nice spear you have, beautiful and… ancient. Oh, a growth weapon. But it’s still untamed. Fascinating. I’m curious to see what abilities you have, Noah. This is my first time sparring with an Outerworlder. So show me everything you have,” Kaelan said.

Noah nodded. Reaching out to Tony, he felt the abyssal symbiote spreading over his body as armor formed around him. Taking a stance with his spear poised, Noah lunged forward. Rushing in, he used arcane step to immediately arrive in front of Kaelan as he thrust his spear outwards, taken by surprise. The Drakonian hit his spear under the base of the blade, deflecting it to the side, while the Dragon warrior used the back of his spear to push Noah back, still standing exactly where he had been before.

Noah’s eyes widened for a moment, surprised at how easily he had been deflected.

“Whoa, you almost got me there. Nice trick!” Kaelan said, laughing as if pleased by the fact that he had almost been hit.

Activating arcane Specter, Noah summoned two copies of himself who stood with spears in their hands as well, formed of glowing blue mana and starlight that twinkled across their bodies, shimmering with the light of distant galaxies. Arcane runes ran across the specters, as they inherited his intent.

Using arcane step, all three of them vanished, thriving together as they began to attack from all directions. Kaelan, with his wings spread out, a gust of wind flowing outwards, raised his spear and began to spin the weapon. Twisting his body, the spear struck against all three of them, the back of the weapon hitting all their chests, pushing them backwards.

With a single swipe, his specters’ necks were separated from their bodies as they dissipated, while Kaelan’s own spear rested against Noah’s throat.

Noah gulped.

“You have a habit of trying to jump in closer. You prefer close-range combat and hitting your enemy hard, but it looks like you cannot match them if they can keep you at range,” Kaelan said.

Noah stepped back, lowering his spear. “Well. This has been embarrassing,” he said, feeling awkward.

“No such thing. You would have gotten someone closer to your level. They would not have the speed or reflexes to react quickly enough. There’s also the fact that I have been studying you this entire time, so I already knew how you might like to fight before you even began. I know how that sounds, but I would’ve been fast enough to react to them anyway, which you weren’t ready for. You have a nice trick, but it’s ultimately just a trick; if it fails once, it’s not going to work again,” Kaelan said.

“Anyways. The others are probably getting bored, and this is supposed to be a spar. Now that I have a general understanding of your level and capabilities. Why don’t you go all out with everything you have, no holding back, and see how you do,” Kaelan said.

Noah looked up, before nodding. Stepping back, he began to gather his abilities. Abyssal inferno crackled, fire running up Noah’s armor, lighting it up from the inside. Weapons manifested around him from Runeforged armaments, floating beside him. He reached out with his aura, using predator’s Mark upon Kaelan as he felt his ability settle in and his senses hone in on his target. He reached out to Tony, the symbiote shifting his body as he began to transform.

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Metamorphosis activated, and Noah felt a surge of power rising through him, flames burning within him as he took on a demonic form. Steam flowed from his body, mixing with dark smoke, and the red wisps of his blood aura.

Metamorphosis has activated.

All attributes increased by 100%

Power: 774 → 1419.

Agility: 662 → 1214.

Constitution: 778 → 1355.

Mystic: 895 → 1558.

Noah let out a breath, dark flames licking his body as every muscle in him tensed, ready for the next strike. Void annihilation flowed through his spear, black lightning crackling around the weapon.

Kaelan looked down in surprise, before taking on a stance, readying himself.

Letting himself tense like a stretched rubber band, Noah raised his spear and then shot forward like an arrow. A powerful boom shook the arena as the two warriors met, their spirits colliding as the very ground shook beneath them. Kaelan laughed, wings spreading behind his back as both of them took to the skies.

Noah let his charge of abyssal inferno loose, fire raining through the air, turning the world red and black as the Draconian warrior flew around the skies, maneuvering around the searing hot flames, his spear striking against Noah’s claws. Noah moved in closer, Runeforged armaments shooting forward as the blades slashed Kaelan’s body.

With a powerful stir, he split into a shadow, appearing beside him with a charged abyssal inferno let loose, as Kaelan’s eyes widened in surprise. Noah did not waste his chance, moving in closer as his spear struck the warrior, stabbing him in the chest as the crimson rot began to spread.

Kaelan swung his spear, his wings slashing at the shadow specter who melted into darkness, teleporting around. Noah moved with a furious frenzy, his claws ringing against Kaelan’s spear as the two warriors collided, their strikes sending pulses of shockwaves around the Colosseum.

Noah rushed in close, his claws charged with void annihilation. Using arcane step, he arrived right next to Kaelan, his claws swinging; they struck his spear, the weapon cracking under the strike. The warrior roared, flames rising in his mouth as a red aura spread around Kaelan. His demeanor shifted as his spear struck rapidly, three strikes landing within a second, the shaft of the spear cracking as it broke the sound barrier with a sonic boom.

The impact shattered Noah’s rift, flinging him backward, and the Draconian warrior didn’t give him any chance, flying forward as he lunged into following Noah, tackling him to the ground.

Noah summoned his Bloodwyrm swarm, the serpentine limbs rising from around him as they wrapped around Kaelan. The Dragon warrior roared, pulling at the Bloodwyrms as his spear impaled Noah’s chest. Noah grabbed the weapon, void annihilation in his claws as he clenched his fist, breaking the spear in two.

Kaelan threw the broken shaft, slamming Noah into the ground, tossing his own spear before taking it into his arm as he stabbed him again in the chest. Noah coughed up blood, kicking Kaelan as he dodged the strike of his own spear aimed towards his throat. Rolling sideways, he pushed himself to freedom; Kaelan kicked him in the gut, sending him rolling once more.

He grabbed the spear still lodged in his chest, pulling it out as he teleported, dodging another strike from the Dragon warrior, as Kaelan roared flames out of his mouth. With a powerful roar, the Dragon warrior retaliated, aiming for where Noah had teleported as the two began to wrestle on the ground. Kaelan grabbed at Noah’s throat, and Noah clawed at his face, gouging his eyes, before pushing Kaelan down underneath him and pinning him to the ground. Kaelan struck with his fist, striking Noah’s chin, as he threw him off, breaking and dislocating his lower jaw.

Both combatants lay on the ground, bleeding and half-dead, as they both panted for air. Kaelan rose first, limping over to Noah as Noah prepared himself for another death, but instead, the Dragon warrior offered him his arm. Noah looked at it in surprise, grabbing it as he pulled himself up, using his hands to put his jaw back in place and his broken fingers into their sockets.

Wyrmblood whirled in a frenzy, pulling his body back together as Noah returned to his normal form, metamorphosis fading, and his body aching and shivering from the exertion.

“That was amazing!” Kaelan exclaimed, still panting and beaten but with a beaming smile on his face. “You were matching my strength there. I am shocked. You have some terrifying abilities, Noah.”

Noah smiled in reply. “You’re the terrifying one. Did I make you worry even once that you could lose?”

Kaelan simply grinned in reply. “You will get there.”

Noah smiled as well, before he raised his hand and shouted out. “I surrender.”

The spell activated at his words, blue light flashing all around him as the two of them returned back to the training hall.

[Wyrmblood Guardian] has reached level 108!

[Runebody Arcanist] has reached level 108!

[Abyssal Predator] has reached level 110!

Noah smiled as he saw the notifications. His body was still in peak condition and ready to go for one more round.

“All right. Unfortunately our time with this baby is over now. But we can all use it once every day. For now the regular training hall is open, we can use that to train our skills now that you’re familiar with what each of us can do,” Kaelan said, glancing around the room as everyone returned a nod.

A smile took over the man’s face. “Alright. So what are we waiting for? Let’s get to it.”