Snakespear roared. Losing two companions was hard to imagine — especially when they were friends who had trusted him till the end. As the party leader, he grew emotional, and in that moment, he became blinded by rage.
Dexter parried all of Snakespear's attacks with his dagger, his black cloak flapping wildly in the sandy wind. Somehow, he even dodged the arrows raining down on him, slipping through the gaps between their trajectories.
Multi-tasking was as easy as breathing for Dexter. Once a pro with uncanny gaming instincts, he now perceived everything around him in slow motion — especially when hyper-focused. He could see the Mage's spellcasting, track the Archer's aim, and deflect Snakespear's relentless strikes — all while devising a plan to eliminate them one by one.
Some might call it impossible. But for Dexter, it was effortless. So effortless that even the best pros had feared him in his prime.
"ALL OF SNAKESPEAR'S THRUSTS! ARROWS! SPELLS! EVERYTHING IS GETTING DODGED OR PARRIED BY DND! WHO CAN STOP THIS DEMON?!"
The announcer roared wildly, amplifying every detail and raw emotion from the fighters to the roaring crowd, who cheered louder with each of Dexter's flawless moves and tactics.
"FIGHT ME HEAD-ON, YOU FUCKER! STOP DODGING!" Snakespear screamed, veins bulging in fury.
Dexter's mocking reply cut through the chaos: "You think I'm an idiot? Did you ever believe this was fair from the start? No, right? Then why should I play by your rules?"
As Dexter laughed while effortlessly dodging projectiles and spear thrusts, he leaped back once more — activating his cloak's invisibility mid-motion.
This time, Snakespear reacted instantly, signaling the Archer and Mage. The Archer swapped his bow for a dagger while the Mage exchanged his staff for a wand, prioritizing speed over power.
Tense and alert, they braced for Dexter's inevitable ambush — whether by laser or dagger.
Then, impossibly, Dexter reappeared far beyond their reach... now wielding a bow and wearing just a loincloth, his laughter echoing across the arena.
"Wha — what did you do?" the Mage stammered.
Dexter merely shrugged.
Then the sunlight vanished.
Every player — even the announcer — cursed as they looked skyward.
A storm of arrows blotted out the sun, descending upon the three like judgment from the heavens.
…
Spectators watched in horror as the three players desperately tried to defend themselves from the arrow storm.
There was no hiding. No spear could block them. Their HP ticked steadily toward zero under the relentless barrage — until finally, they collapsed, their struggle rendered meaningless.
This was the true horror of the Obsidian League: only the living could claim victory. No surrender. Only survival. To join the League meant surrendering your very life.
Dexter strode slowly toward the arena's center, looting the corpses of their belongings — the ultimate proof that in this place, winner truly took all.
No cheers erupted from the crowd. Only stunned silence and gaping mouths remained, witnesses to a shocking performance — a flawless 1v5 victory achieved without even breaking a sweat.
"So, who's next?" Dexter taunted, his mocking tone making every present combatant gulp in fearful anticipation.
"D-DND! I LOVE YOU!" Stella's voice suddenly shattered the tension, her shout echoing across the silent arena.
All eyes turned to Stella as the spectators cursed inwardly. They'd nearly died because of her beauty — who could have guessed she'd have such a demon for a boyfriend?
"D-DND! DND! DND!"
The crowd's hesitant cheers gradually built into genuine, thunderous applause. Dexter simply laughed it off.
'Good... no more fools will come buzzing around us...' he thought.
"No more? I guess that settles it," he murmured aloud.
With effortless grace, Dexter scaled the arena wall and settled beside Stella. Immediately, the surrounding crowd gave them a wide berth, terrified of accidentally provoking the demon who could single-handedly slaughter entire teams.
"So, how was the fight? That's how I fight in Uncharted Zone... though I'm capable of much more..."
"It was amazing! I can't wait to start training with you!"
"Training with me won't be enough... In Uncharted Zone, going alone is suicide..."
Stella tilted her head, her hair cascading gracefully over her shoulder — so mesmerizing that Dexter found himself glancing away.
"Then why do you go there alone?" she asked.
"Because... I can."
"So you really don't want me fighting beside you?" She pouted, her lips forming such an adorable expression that Dexter couldn't help but gulp.
"I-it's not like that!" he stammered. "I just... want to keep you safe. I can't force you, of course, but I'll use everything I have to protect you. Who knows when you might wander into some PK zone out of boredom? I can't just lock you away in some castle we built, can I?"
Stella embraced him tightly, reigniting the jealousy of surrounding players — a potent reminder of what happened to the five who had dared offend the couple, now dead with nothing but regrets.
The Coliseum battles paused for lunch, sending most players scrambling for food. Yet Stella and Dexter remained, transforming the bloodstained arena into their private picnic ground.
"So what should I do in the next fight, Dex?" Stella asked between bites. "Just heal the whole time?"
"No." Dexter's voice turned serious. "First, Stella, this isn't a game. If you die here, you die for real. What if I couldn't resurrect you? You'd be gone. So fight for your life. Don't worry — I'll be watching to make sure you can enjoy the battle."
"B-but... I thought I was the healer?"
"You are. A tanky one at that. So try surviving while taking down at least two opponents, okay?"
Stella shivered. Killing wasn't her style — except when delivering justice, like that innocent-looking fox incident that nearly caused bandit genocide in the starting area.
"I-I don't think I can kill, Dex..."
"Nah, you've got this. They're just... let's say they're bandit-level bad. You might not see it now, but do you remember the woman who put you in those goblins that nearly killed you? that's their true nature. If you want to spare others your suffering, sometimes elimination is the only way."