Chapter 74: Core

Asher cracked his neck, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. The horde of dark creatures swarmed toward him, their feral cries reverberating through the coliseum like a chaotic symphony. He shifted his stance, gripping his scythe with one hand and his sword with the other.

"Come on, then," he muttered. "Let's see what you've got."

The first wave of creatures lunged at him, their claws gleaming like jagged obsidian. Asher's movements were fluid, a deadly dance of precision and power. His scythe arced through the air, severing limbs and torsos with each swing. The creatures fell like leaves in a storm, their ash-like remains scattering across the arena.

But they kept coming.

A hulking beast, twice the size of the others, charged forward, its fanged maw gaping wide. Asher sidestepped just in time, driving his sword upward into the creature's throat. Black ichor sprayed from the wound as the beast let out a guttural roar, collapsing in a heap.