Step by Step, a figure pushed forwards through the blizzard unaware if he was going straight or not. Without his sight or senses of direction available, he blindly hoped not to run into others. The figure begins to shiver furiously as their sense of danger and fear grew. In a trembling voice they shoutout, “Who out there?”

When nothing replied, the figure calmed down and began walking again. Soon the sound of heavy breathing and footsteps came from behind. The figure slowly turned around only to see a pale man littered in cuts. The figure instantly fainted as the man fell to the ground dead.

“He didn’t last as long to have my fill of fun,” a eerie laugh was heard in the blizzard. “Well, it not all bad as he did discover a new toy.”

After the eerie voice vanished, the figure was quickly dismantled. Picking up the head, a man with a large mustache appeared. Wearing a worn out uniform, the man began to drink the blood of his latest victim.

“Ugh, The quality of blood here seriously went down,” he grumbled smashing the head. “If I don’t find decent blood soon, I might go insane.” The man walked away from the scene leaving behind the bodies without care.

Twenty minutes after leaving the scene, In his burnt clothes and depressed aura, Lefu stumbled across it. He took a quick look at the corpse before sighing, “This is at least the tenth headless corpses,” Lefu mumbled as he passed by. He quickly became numbed to the sight as the lizard man showed this isn’t a playground.

“I should be getting nearer the end,” Lefu grumbled as he walked one step at a time. “I wish this blizzard wasn’t here.” As if hearing his words the blizzard dispersed allowing, Lefu to see into the distant again.

“Four of the Five slots to ascended to the next floor has arrived,” A message has appeared. “The warden has grown bored and decided to changes things up. For the last slot it has been decided that a battle royale will take place. In order to win, you have to be the last one standing with either the other prisoners unconscious, surrendering, or dead. So best of luck the remaining two thousand contestants.”

Why can’t I be surprised at that, Lefu felt like screaming, but heard footsteps from behind. He quickly snapped around and saw a girl seeming fourteen. She had long red hair and sapphire eyes, with a sharp nose and red lips. The girl seemed to be crying as tear marks ran down her cheeks.

“Can you help me, Mister,” She asked in a fearful voice.

Lefu took few steps near her and ignored the danger alarm in his head. “What do you need help with?” He politely asked with a smile.

“I need you to die,” she said in a cheerful voice. The girl straight afterwards attempted to rip out Lefu heart, but instead her hand cracked. “Bastard, what is your body made of!” She screamed holding her limped hand.

It a good thing I learned to reinforce my chest when I was walking, Lefu grinned. But why is she so surprised, it just the basic reinforcement skill?

What Lefu didn’t know was his reinforcement was abnormal compared to the general public. The usual reforment is usually used to block against the elements or strengthen the body by small amount. When Lefu compacted his threads of Aether into stronger threads, his defense increase dramatically.

“It just basic reforment skill,” Lefu simply replied. “Now, since you have decided to attack, I will make my move.”

Lefu gripped the girl’s head and lifted her up. He listened to the girl scream in pain, as his fingers slow sank into her skull. What should I do now? Let just knock her out and leave. Lefu thought before chopping at her neck. “Kill her, she will become a threat,” a flood of violent thoughts assaulted him, as he felt someone attempted to control him.

“What a lousy attempt at trying to control me,” Lefu muttered as he flooded the small link between them with Aether. I hope you like the Aether, Lefu thought with a small laugh.

A loud screech from underneath him as a man climb out of the snow. The man was bleeding furiously all over his body as the Aether rampage through his body. He had a bald head and was wearing a black clothing with bones necklace. The appearance made Lefu think of witch doctors, but the he quickly dismissed the idea.

Bang!

An arrow made out of Aether shattered upon contact with Lefu back. The small itch made Lefu turn around and look at a woman. She had short white hair and blue eyes, but she didn’t have any clothes. Lefu held back the urge to vomit as the woman appeared over seventy.

Not even daring to look at the woman, Lefu simply threw the small girl in his hand at the granny. The sound of multiple bones breaking rang into the surrounding. This place of nightmares, corpses is one thing, but naked grannys are another thing.

Lefu looked up and saw an arrow pointing west appear with a number inside. Reading the number he assumed it the remaining contestants. “So less than thousand remain,” Lefu grumbed as he walked towards the west.

The sounds of battles and cries became louder as Lefu continued going west. “Die!” a banshee scream came from behind. Lefu felt a small tickle across his back before realizing someone attempted to cut him in half. Attempting to mold his Aether into a sword again, Lefu used the same method he did with his reinforcement.

The sword formed into a long blue blade with thin black lines swirling through the blade. Slowly forming on the guard, a highly detailed vampire bat formed. Pleased with himself, Lefu was overjoyed as he managed to complete the sword this time.

“Why didn’t my blade cut you?” an angry voice came from behind. Lefu quickly turned and noticed a man angry pointing. The man held a blade covered in blood while he didn’t have a drop on him.

“Really? I barely felt a thing,” Lefu replied tilting his head. “This is the proper way to cut,” He said as he swung the Aether blade. The blade left a black mist which carried a corrosion effect as the mist began tearing through the man skin. Screaming in pain the man attempted to cut Lefu’s neck, but didn’t leave a mark.

“Demon,” the man said as the corrosion spread to his chest and melted his heart. He coughed up few mouthful of blood before he collapsed to the ground. Lefu looked at the man before walking away as he muttered “that man wanted to kill me first.”

Ten minutes quickly passed leaving less than twenty contestants remaining. Lefu just wondered in a direction without meeting another person for ten minutes. For the last ten minutes Lefu began to reinforce his mind to defend against invaders.

[Aether Reinforcement: Intermediate 1%]

[Aether Reinforcement began to feel like second nature. The energy drain is lessen by fifty percent.]

Was there a energy drain on the Aether reinforcement, Lefu thought as it was such small amount he had to fully focus to notice. Now it being cut in half Lefu couldn't notice it as his aether regenerated faster than it being used. Well it doesn’t really matter that much I suppose.

“Now down to the last twenty contestants, the arena will now begin to shrink,” a message appeared. “If the remaining twenty steps outside the arena they will be killed or sealed away for next hundred years.”

The message disappeared and a map appeared with a large circle outlined. Lefu looked at the map only to discover he is nearly in the center. Good or bad, I’m in the center, Lefu thought as heard footsteps nearby.

A man with a scar over his eye and long messy hair appeared. In his hands were a pair of bone swords and dripping in blood. The man’s eyes were bloodshot as he grinned at Lefu, but didn’t approach.

“Few already appeared here,” a deep familiar voice appeared as a another man appeared. He has short brown hair and covered in blood. Lefu instantly recognized it was the lizard man inside another person body.

“Not fair, I was supposed to be first,” a high pitched voice screeched out. Who appeared was the ugliest person Lefu ever scene. She was covered in warts, wrinkles, and five hundred pounds overweight. “How dare you arrive before this beautifulest woman in the galaxy.” She screeched out making everyone present wanting to kill the creature.

Before anyone could make a move to kill the ugly creature, hundreds of arrows rained down. Lefu simply stood there as he wanted to see his defensive power, but the arrows simple bounced off. He realized that a small amount of Aether was present in the arrow attempting to invade his own Aether. It must be that my Aether is greater than theirs, Lefu guessed as the Aether dispersed.

“Ahh, how dare you shoot this fairy,” the ugly creature shouted. She had nearly ten arrows scattered across her body. Three arrows were sticking out of her head while five near her heart. She must has incredible vitality to survive this long, Lefu thought as he watched the others.

The lizard man simply stepped between the arrows barely missing them by few centimeters. He looked as if he taking a stroll through a park. No quickness of breath or panic was present and when few arrows came he couldn’t dodge he pulled out a corpse. Using a corpse to take the arrows, but why does he have one in the first place? Lefu thought as more arrows bounced off.

Lefu eyes landed on the man that appeared first, but only saw him dead on the ground with hundreds of arrows. What a sad ending, but how long are these arrows going to go on for? He must have shot few thousand arrows by now.

After few minutes passed, the arrows didn’t show signs of slowing down. “Well this is getting annoying,” the lizard man complained as he began racing towards the source. Following his example the remaining two raced towards the source also.

“Shouldn’t everyone being killing each other?” Lefu asked standing in his spot confused.