Chapter 40: Colosseum

Chapter 40: Colosseum

Astrid stood in the middle of the room with her Mind Barrier activated. Leena held her lance-umbrella pointed to the floor.

“My lady, I’m going to attack now.”

Astrid nodded. With a burst of movement, Leena rapidly approached her Mind Barrier, and lunged her lance at the barrier. With a strange sound of friction, sparks erupted. Her lance slid off the shield and crashed into the hardened tiles underfoot.

Level ?? - Leena - Battle-maid

“Leena, what level are you?” Astrid said as she felt the heavy force of the hit.

“Level 89, my lady.”

“Okay, use your strongest skill against my barrier!” Astrid smiled.

“With your permission.” Leena nodded.

She dashed back and crouched into her combat stance and then blasted forward. The iron gauntlets hugging her arm, and the steel umbrella seeped into her skin, forming a massive lance. Her lips curled as the arm-like lance spun at a tremendous speed. With a shower of sparks, the drilling lance contacted the barrier.

Astrid could feel a tremendous impact bear down on her mind. The drill was like a rotating drill that struck her brain. New novel chapters are published on

Suddenly, Leena took a step back. The lance in her hand extended backwards, like a massive counterweight. Metal seeped around her body, encasing her in battle-armour, then she attacked once more. The lance blurred and slammed into the barrier.

Astrid’s psychic mana surged at the attack. Blood seeped from her nose. It was too much to bear. Like glass, the barrier shattered as Leena’s body continued, and stopped right in front of Astrid. She could feel the air swirling around her maid's weapon.

“Are you okay, my lady?” Leena reverted to normal, the umbrella in hand.

“I’m fine, new ability?” Astrid asked in wonder, she wiped the blood from her nose.

“Yes.” Leena’s eyes shone with excitement. “My metal control is finer now, not just my boots, but I have a new weapon.”

“I saw that–and felt it.” Astrid chuckled.

Plopping her behind on the hard tiles, her fingers pinched her chin. So I can stop a powerful attack on a level 89. Monsters, and beasts tend to be stronger. So I can probably stop a powerful attack at, let's say, 70 just to be safe. She was going to say 80, but better being safe than sorry.

After recovering her mana naturally, she wandered over to Losef, as he was on his own.

“Hey, new Skill upgrade?” Losef sat cross-legged with his lance rested over his thighs.

“That’s right, I should be able to help the frontline a bit more now. My barrier is stronger.”

“That’s great. Just watch yourself and don’t get too confident.” Losef smiled.

Astrid nodded. “I don’t mean to pry–but, you seem quiet compared to everyone else.”

“I suppose I’m not much of a talker." Losef chuckled. “Brett talks enough for all of us.”

“That’s true.” Astrid agreed.

“How are you dealing with all of this so far–the Wayfaring life?” Losef gazed at Astrid.

“It’s difficult, very difficult.” Astrid continued. “But I couldn’t imagine doing anything else now. Exploring, fighting, surviving.”

“I do.”

“Then you won’t mind us taking one of these tunnels then?” Daniel motioned towards the other side of the room, where six different passageways disappeared into the wall.

“Go right ahead.”

Daniel nodded. “C’mon, let’s move.”

They neared the passageway when the man said from behind.

“What’s the big chain around the big lad’s neck?”

“That? Oh, it was a gift from his missus.” Daniel chortled. "They’re big into symbolism and all that."

“That so?” The man said. "Go on then."

“Appreciate it.” Daniel nodded and headed into the tunnel.

After walking for a few minutes, he stopped.

He then shuffled around the formation, so he was now at the back.

Are they going to ambush us? For our artefacts? Astrid could only guess. She had only heard stories of betrayal, and back-stabbery. But to think it may happen to her. They waited a full hour in full silence.

“Alright, let’s keep going.” Daniel said as he returned to the front.

Astrid breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn’t even imagine attacking someone for their hard earned artefacts.

Will there come a day I need to take a life to defend myself? Astrid shook the sullen thoughts from her head as they once more entered a new room. This one was vastly different, however. This one was enormous. Steps descended further into a sprawling field of yellow as it replaced the tiles on the floor. It looked familiar, just like the Sinwen training grounds back home.

There was nowhere else to go but forward. Rob took the lead down the steps, and then his foot slammed onto the golden floor. Astrid soon joined everyone else. She was expecting it to be hard, instead; it was soft like a carpet. Her foot sunk into it, with a step, it was pushed to the side as it travelled up her boot. It made walking more laborious than normal.

Astrid peered around. Now that they had travelled down the steps, she looked up at the steep black walls surrounding them.

“Well, this can’t mean anything good.” Astrid shook her head.

With the words, the bricks, or something, began grinding beneath them as it trembled the floor. Holes emerged from the sand flooring, then a beastly roar rocked Astrid’s eardrums. With a thud, a monster leapt up from the hole and collided against the sand, sending it scattering around like a cloud.

Positive thoughts, think of the levels. The beast had a large mane covering its throat, it then travelled back, all the way down its spine and finishing at the tip of its horned tail. Two large horns sprouted from the beast's head. With each step, the floor thudded at its immense weight.

Level ?? - Demonic Chimaera -

This one isn’t a good fluffy, let’s kill it. Astrid’s hands itched. Then another appeared, leaping out of a new hole from the ground–and another.

Four monstrously big cats began flanking them on all sides.

“Just like before. We’ll take our own. If you need help, shout.” Daniel said.

Astrid nodded as she focused on the chimaera in front of her and Leena. It slowly stalked towards them. Its eyes were twitching from Astrid, to Leena, to the other Wayfarers. As if trying to decide something. She watched as its eyes sparked with intelligence. Then, the cat’s muscles tensed and rushed straight at them.

As it approached, the beast shifted its weight. Dodging to the side, it suddenly spun as its spiked tail whipped at Leena like a club. Astrid encased Leena in her Mind Barrier. With a strike of sparks, the barrier shattered. But it gave Leena more time to react. Her umbrella seeped into her skin as an enormous lance took its place. She lunged forward. The beast attempted to dodge, but Astrid locked onto it with her mind.

She sent a [Crash] to its legs. It stumbled, losing its footing. It tried to regain its balance, but Leena was already there. Her lance plunged into the monster’s eye as its beastly roar scratched at Astrid’s eardrums. Its other eye, filled with red, peered toward the duo.