Kaito's feet pounded the ground as he charged towards the Spider King, his heart a frantic drumbeat in his chest. Every muscle in his body screamed in agony, every fiber of his being urging him to stop. But there was no time for weakness, no room for hesitation. He swung his fist, putting every ounce of strength into it—but the Spider King didn't even flinch.
The massive creature, its countless eyes gleaming with cruel amusement, simply stood there, unbothered by the attack.
Damn, I'm too weak!
Frustration and helplessness surged through Kaito's chest. He was being crushed under the weight of his own limitations. His strength, no matter how hard he tried, couldn't even faze the beast.
"How... how can I possibly beat this thing?" Kaito thought, his mind a jumbled mess as panic threatened to drown him.
Just as despair began to claim him, his master's voice broke through the chaos—a calm beacon in the storm.
"Focus, kid. Technique is your answer."
Kaito's frustration bubbled to the surface. "Technique? You never taught me any technique!" he snapped, his voice hoarse.
His master's tone was unwavering. "You don't need it yet. Focus on the fight, and after you take down that spider, we'll talk technique."
Kaito's heart pounded in his ears, but somehow, his master's words anchored him. His resolve hardened like steel.
"Alright, fine. But you'd better keep your promise," he muttered to himself, clenching his fists, eyes fixed on the beast that stood before him.
The Spider King towered over him, every limb brimming with lethal intent.
With a deep breath, Kaito locked eyes with the monster. There was no turning back. The time for fear was over.
"Hey, Spidy! Come at me!" Kaito bellowed, his voice filled with a fury he hadn't known he had.
He drew on his mana, feeling the surge of power flow through him, spiraling through his veins like liquid fire. He gathered it in his arm until it was a glowing, violent storm of energy. The blue aura of his fist burned brighter than ever before as he unleashed the punch, aiming straight for the Spider King's massive claw.
194 hearts flashed above the Spider King's head as his blow landed. But the creature remained unmoved, its eyes narrowing with amusement.
Not enough.
Before Kaito could even react, the Spider King lunged forward. Its colossal claw came down with terrifying speed, and—
CRASH!
Kaito's body was slammed into the ground, his cheek splitting open as blood gushed from the wound. The world spun violently, and a searing pain coursed through him, blurring his vision.
"No... not like this."
He struggled to rise, tasting iron in his mouth, his limbs trembling. The weight of his exhaustion threatened to crush him, but something inside him snapped.
"My turn."
He tapped into his mana once more, pushing past the pain, letting the energy flood his body. This time, the power was different—it was darker, stronger, more refined. The air around him seemed to crackle as his mana twisted and morphed, taking on a violet hue. His punch lashed out like lightning, striking the Spider King's abdomen with a force that shook the very air.
[System: Magic Fighting Style Activated]
The impact was like thunder, and 1,000damage blinked above the Spider King's head.
Kaito's lips curled into a wicked grin as exhilaration surged through him. That's better.
But the Spider King was not one to back down easily. With a blood-curdling hiss, it retaliated with ferocity. It lunged forward again, claws flashing with deadly precision. Left, right, left—its attacks came faster than Kaito could react. Each strike sent him hurtling through the air, crashing into the ground with bone-shattering force. His body felt like it was made of paper—fragile and weak.
Yet, somehow, he pushed himself to his feet, every movement a battle against the screaming agony in his limbs. His head spun, his vision blurred, but his resolve was unshakable.
"I can't lose here."
With a roar, he stood tall, his chest heaving with the effort. Sweat dripped down his brow, but his eyes burned with determination.
"I'm not done yet," he whispered, his voice hoarse but resolute.
A deep, primal hunger for power surged through him, raw and untamed. He tapped into his deepest reserves, summoning the power of Steal Body—the skill he had used in the forest. It was his final card, his only chance.
He closed his eyes for a moment, centering himself. The surge of energy hit him like a tidal wave—his body tensed and hardened with newfound strength. His skin glimmered with a metallic sheen, and his movements became impossibly fast.
For the first time in this fight, Kaito felt no pain. His body had become an unstoppable machine. He was now a force of nature, impervious to the Spider King's brutal claws.
The Spider King lunged once more, its fangs gleaming in the dim light, but Kaito was ready. The world around him seemed to slow as he dodged each attack effortlessly. He struck back with a speed that seemed almost inhuman. His fists hit the Spider King's hide with bone-crushing power, each strike stronger than the last.
3,000 damage flashed above the beast's head with every blow.
The Spider King screeched, a sound that rattled Kaito's bones, but it was no match for the onslaught of Kaito's enhanced power. Its eyes widened in horror as Kaito's strength grew exponentially, each punch sending shockwaves through the battlefield.
But as Kaito was about to deliver the finishing blow, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble.
Rumble.
A deep, ominous growl echoed from the shadows, and the Spider King let out a bone-chilling scream that seemed to rattle the very earth itself.
Kaito froze, his confidence faltering for the first time. His eyes narrowed as his senses sharpened.
"No..."
The ground cracked open, sending shockwaves of dust and debris into the air. From the darkness, something far more terrifying than the Spider King itself began to stir. Kaito's heart skipped a beat.
The battle wasn't over. It was only just beginning.