Chapter 407: Battle mode

"So you actually talked to your husband, huh?" Luke asked, standing beside Agatha.

When Jorma first told him that the Dragon King had arrived with his army, Luke had assumed Agatha either changed her mind or simply never got the chance to reach the King before he set out. Considering Astaroth’s temperament back then, however, it was clear that someone had managed to influence him, someone whose words he could not simply dismiss.

"Though I failed to completely stop this war," Agatha admitted. "Astaroth would have faced a rebellion if he suggested forfeiting. His brother, Astfall, is a General in the army, and many of the soldiers are fiercely loyal to him. A coup would have been the only obvious outcome."

Luke nodded, understanding the situation. "Well, he lost a child, so I can understand his desperation. But how did Astaroth convince them to stop and speak with the elders?"

Agatha shrugged. "He simply told them that they might be able to avoid breaking the ritual if they spoke with the elders. From there, I heard that you somehow changed the course of this war."

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied him.

"And yet there is still a very good chance humanity will face annihilation."

Luke chuckled. "You don’t trust my strength even after seeing me fight?"

"Luke, that soldier you fought was young, and I specifically instructed him not to transform. The one you will be fighting today will not hold back. He is a battle-hardened commander with more than four hundred years of experience."

Luke let out a quiet sigh. "Well, I understand the difference in their strength. But I believe a person has already lost before the battle even starts if they don’t trust their own chances of victory."

Agatha stared at him for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she muttered, "You truly have a warrior’s blood in you. I admire that."

Luke gave her a small nod of thanks before asking, "So? Is there anything you can tell me that I could exploit in this battle?"

Agatha hummed thoughtfully. "Well, we are rather short-tempered and impatient people. Perhaps you could use that?"

Luke sighed.

Not exactly the most useful advice, but it was something.

"I understand. Thanks for the talk. It actually helped." He started walking away, heading toward the destination when suddenly he heard her say,

"Don’t die, human."

Luke chuckled. As if he had any intention of doing that.

...

The short walk to the arena gave Luke enough time to check his stats.

[Level: 3]

[Strength: 45 → 60 → 120]

[Speed: 44 → 58 → 130]

[Defense: 45 → 64 → 150]

[Intelligence: 35 → 48 → 130]

[Gamma: Surging...]

Luke hummed as he studied the numbers. He wasn’t particularly surprised by his physical stats. He already knew how much stronger he became under the moon’s influence, and the figures only confirmed what he had experienced firsthand.

What caught his attention was his Gamma. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

There was no numerical value beside it. Instead, the word Surging remained there, as though his magic was continuously climbing without settling at a fixed amount.

’System, what does this mean? Am I not going to run out of magic or something?’

[More or less, yes, host. However, because the host lacks sufficient experience and the Gamma Pod has yet to evolve, mana fatigue may eventually occur. If that happens, it could hinder the host’s ability to think and make clear decisions.]

Luke’s expression grew slightly serious.

That sounded problematic.

Once again, his Gamma Pod had become a limitation. His body might possess enough power to fight his opponent, but that meant little if his mind became clouded in the middle of the battle.

He absolutely did not want to become dizzy or disoriented during a fight of this importance.

For now, he would have to treat his magic as a limited resource and use it carefully.

"What the fuck..."

Luke’s mutter escaped him the moment he stepped into the arena.

Thousands of people had already filled the enormous stands surrounding the battlefield. Dragons were scattered throughout the crowd, but they weren’t alone. Beastmen of all kinds had come to witness the battle as well, their voices blending into a deafening wave of cheers, roars, and excited shouts that rolled through the arena.

The sheer noise made the ground beneath his feet seem to tremble.

Luke slowly looked around, taking in the sea of faces staring down at him.

’This is like we’re fighting for freedom.’

He had seen scenes like this in movies, where gladiators and slaves were forced into enormous arenas and made to fight while thousands of spectators watched from above.

Only this time, the spectacle was real.

And he was the one stepping into the arena.

"Come here."

Jorma suddenly appeared beside him, seized his arm, and teleported them away.

Luke had more than enough time to dodge, but he simply allowed it. There was no point resisting when Jorma clearly had something to show him.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself still inside the colosseum, though they had moved to a quieter section away from the stands and the deafening roar of the crowd.

"What is this place?" Luke asked, glancing around.

Unlike the main arena, this room was lined with weapons and armor. Swords, spears, axes, shields, and various pieces of armor had been arranged neatly along both sides, each one looking as though it had been prepared specifically for the combatants.

"You can take whatever you wish," Jorma said. "The King has allowed you to use anything you believe could put on the best show for them."

"...."

The Dragon King was one hell of a person.

Luke couldn’t help but think that Astaroth was far too excited about the battle. He didn’t seem particularly concerned about what might happen afterward if either side emerged victorious. Perhaps to him, the battle itself was enough to justify everything.

Shaking his head, Luke looked over the weapons and armor.

"These are good, but they aren’t my taste."

He had never liked fighting with unnecessary weight on his body. Armor might offer protection, but it also restricted movement, and Luke had no intention of sacrificing his speed when he could avoid it.

"Then you’re going out without any armor?"

Luke raised a hand.

"Wait. Give me a moment."

He summoned his inventory and immediately retrieved the earrings Thea had provided him, slipping them into place to protect his mind from any attacks aimed at it.

Only then did he open the store.

If the Dragon King wanted him to put on a good show, there was no reason he couldn’t bring a few surprises of his own.

He had a considerable number of Gamma Points saved up, and the system was even offering him discounted prices on several pieces of equipment. There was also an option to rent the armor instead of purchasing it outright.

Luke decided to rent one first. If he liked it, he could always buy it afterward.

’Hmm, this one looks fun.’

[Absolute Counter: A suit that stores the force of physical impacts and converts the accumulated kinetic energy into a single release, capable of producing a massive shockwave upon contact.]

[Price: 5000 → 2500]

[Rent: 100 per hour]

Luke’s eyebrows rose.

That sounded interesting.

It reminded him of the kind of armor he had seen characters wearing in movies, where every blow they received was somehow turned into an even more devastating attack.

’Truly the King.’

Still, Luke wasn’t going to spend his points without looking through his options first. He browsed the store, examining several different armors and comparing their abilities.

Most of them, however, were built primarily for defense. They could increase his durability, absorb attacks, or protect specific parts of his body, but none of them particularly suited the way he preferred to fight.

In the end, he returned to the Absolute Counter.

’This one will do.’

He selected the rental option.

’Woah...’

A thin layer of silver material suddenly formed around his body. It covered him from head to toe, including his face, yet somehow carried no weight at all. Before Luke could even properly examine it, the strange armor vanished from sight, leaving no trace that it had ever been there.

"What was that?"

Jorma’s gaze sharpened.

His experienced eyes had evidently caught the brief glimpse of the armor before it disappeared.

Luke shook his head before summoning the vial of green potion from his inventory. The liquid was contained in an ornate little bottle, its surface catching the faint light as he removed the stopper.

He raised it to his lips and gulped the potion down slowly. A warm sensation immediately spread through his body, beginning in his stomach before flowing outward until every muscle seemed to hum with renewed strength.

The moment he finished, a notification appeared before his eyes.

[Defense: 150 → 180]

The combination of the armor and the potion had raised his defensive capabilities considerably.

Luke smirked.

At the very least, he could now afford to take a few blows head-on and survive them.

Dum.

Dum.

Dum.

A deep, thunderous drumming suddenly echoed from outside, reverberating through the walls of the chamber.

Both of them instinctively turned toward the sound.

Jorma drew a slow breath before looking at Luke.

"It’s time."