Chapter 173

Words : 1332 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

Chapter 173: Chapter 173 That "warm" smile from the Sly figure made Clayton unable to shake the feeling that he’d been manipulated from the very start. Yet, after thinking it through, he was convinced there had been no direct manipulation. Even so, that smile made him feel as though he was being toyed with. Clayton desperately wanted to unravel the mystery behind that smile, but there was no time. Six figures rushed toward him—this time without hesitation. The walls around him shifted again, sealing Clayton in with the six. Watching them closely, he was taken aback. Unlike the greedy, distrustful bounty hunters he’d faced before, this group moved in perfect coordination. Their attacks came simultaneously and precisely, as though they’d done it countless times before. "Ugh... this is going to be a tough one," Clayton muttered helplessly. After a string of relatively easy battles, facing such an organized group was overwhelming. But he wasn’t alone—his miniature skeletons leapt into action, blocking some strikes and counterattacking. The battle turned fierce. The six unleashed all manner of spells—fireballs, slicing gusts, and arrows of ice. Clayton fought hard, relying on water shields and quick footwork to survive. In the chaos, he discreetly scattered poisonous gold dust into the air. The group sensed something was wrong, but couldn’t pinpoint what. Gradually, their movements slowed. At first, they didn’t notice. But soon, their limbs and heads felt heavy, as if filled with lead—they realized they’d been poisoned. Enraged and desperate, they scrambled to pull antidotes from their spatial pouches. Clayton wasn’t about to give them that chance. Cursing them inwardly, he ordered his skeletons to unleash a barrage of water projectiles. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Marble-sized bullets of water tore through the air toward their heads. Sluggish from the poison, they couldn’t react in time. Three skulls burst like overripe melons, the other three left badly wounded. Seizing the moment, Clayton finished them off. Once their bodies lay still, he looted their belongings and restored his strength. It wasn’t long before the walls trembled and vanished, revealing a wide stone field. Clayton scanned the surroundings—his pursuers were fewer now, but the ones remaining were the strongest and most relentless. Far in the distance, atop a rocky cliff, he spotted that Sly figure. The man smiled, raised a hand toward Clayton, and called out, "Enjoy yourself. I’m always watching you!" Clayton clenched his fists in fury. He realized he was caught up in a much larger game than he’d imagined, and he would do whatever it took to survive. "I’ll make you pay for this, you bastard," Clayton whispered through gritted teeth. Yet even in his anger, he couldn’t ignore the fact that the man seemed completely unharmed—as if he’d never fought at all. Clayton narrowed his eyes, studying him carefully. There was... something odd about the man’s movements. The realization piqued his curiosity, but before he could investigate further, another group closed in, and the same bloody scene repeated. After defeating two opponents, Clayton slipped past the walls again, scanning the area—only to see the man still perfectly fine. This time, he didn’t want to miss any clues, so he kept watching. At first, the movements puzzled him, but then he noticed a pattern. The man seemed to be stepping in a specific sequence, as if forming some kind of code. Clayton’s curiosity burned hotter, but another group surrounded him. Fortunately, it was only a single opponent this time, and he dispatched them easily. When the walls faded again, Clayton’s eyes went straight to the man—and at last, he noticed the strange detail. There was a subtle difference in the floor tiles the man stepped on. Clayton had no idea what it meant, but now he could distinguish between ordinary tiles and the "special" ones. Intrigued, he decided to imitate the man’s movements. The Sly figure, watching him, was clearly baffled by what Clayton was doing. When Clayton’s odd, awkward steps mirrored his own, the man couldn’t help but laugh in amusement, thinking Clayton was just copying him. "Hahaha! Smart kid! But do you really think random steps will save you from pests like me? If I didn’t already know this dungeon like the back of my hand, I’d have never found it!" the man said smugly, shaking his head and losing interest in Clayton’s actions. But then—his expression froze. Clayton had suddenly vanished, sealed inside coffin-sized walls. "What?! How is that possible?!" he exclaimed in disbelief. Inside the tiny enclosure, Clayton panicked. Did I step wrong? Will there be a penalty for messing up? he thought frantically, regretting his curiosity. But... nothing happened. After a long wait with no consequences, he even wondered if he’d somehow made a "double mistake" that broke the mechanism entirely. Eventually, the walls opened, revealing the familiar wide field—but with even fewer people this time. Clayton’s eyes darted to the Sly man. The look of shock on his face made Clayton pause... then realization struck. Wait... did I get it right? It made sense now—the reason the man was never in combat was because he’d been hiding the whole time, tucked away in spaces no one else could enter. A grin spread across Clayton’s face. "Hehehe... thanks for the tip," he said with a meaningful smile. Now he was the one playing the game. Clayton celebrated inwardly, but his joy was short-lived—a new group was still pursuing him. Unbothered, he followed the movement pattern he’d observed. Soon enough, the coffin-sized walls rose again, hiding him away. A wide smile spread across his face. Fatigue, anger, and frustration melted into satisfaction. I knew it, he thought triumphantly. Safe inside, he tended to his wounds and rested until the walls fell once more. The crowd had thinned even further. If he could keep this up, he might actually make it out alive. From then on, he moved freely and cheerfully, following the pattern. The Sly man, however, now wore a more complicated expression as he watched. For a while, both of them avoided trouble in peace—until the man began deliberately disrupting Clayton’s steps, preventing him from forming the code. Clayton’s temper flared. What grudge does this guy have against me?! Even so, he managed to keep slipping into the coffin walls. The cycle repeated until only a few exhausted fighters remained. Then, the man stopped playing—slaughtering the rest until only the two of them were left. Frustrated, Clayton wondered when this trial would finally end. The man smirked at his expression. "What? Wondering why it’s not over? What if I told you it won’t end until there’s only one person left standing?" A chill crept into Clayton’s heart. The man, clearly entertained, wasted no time attacking. Clayton fought back seriously, ordering all his skeletons to strike at once—but the man was too strong. Realizing a direct fight was hopeless, Clayton returned to his odd movements. The plan worked—he was sealed away again. While inside, he racked his brain for a way to win. When the walls opened, Clayton scanned the field for his enemy—but the man was nowhere in sight. Then, without warning, a torrent of crimson water magic surged toward him. Clayton threw up a water dome, but the crimson blasts shattered it, wounding him. The man didn’t let up, forcing Clayton onto the defensive. He considered retreating into the coffin walls again, but then the entire arena began shrinking. Shocked, Clayton scrambled to block and dodge the relentless assault, counterattacking where he could. The man ignored his strikes—until Clayton suddenly shouted, "Now!" His four remaining skeletons each unleashed a deadly spell—Abyssal Vortex, Pollution Scroll, Serpent Venom, and Pollen Dust—while Clayton himself cast Vibration Harmony Chant. The layered debuffs piled on, slowing the man until the maelstrom swallowed him whole. Slowly, his body was torn apart under the crushing force. The Sly man froze in surprise—then smiled meaningfully. "Enough..." he murmured, before detonating himself. BOOM! A massive crimson explosion expanded outward, shaking the entire arena before engulfing both Clayton and his skeletons.

Chapter 173

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