[CH200+ Continued] Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster's Power

Chapter 396

I start to step back, grab the handle of my sword, and activate all of my stat-boosting skills at once.

However, the other three guards blip over to me faster than I can even react.

Two place their hands on my arms, and another stands at my back, raising a dark black sword of its own, not letting me move anywhere but forward, closer to the 3.5-meter tall Royal Guard.

Its robotic, static tone vibrates through my head again.

"This is an order, from the Dark One."

Almost immediately, before I can react, the guard with his sword at my back speaks in a low static tone too.

"You'll be awarded the full 10% of betting transactions on this match. Consider it a gift for entertaining the King."

I think about activating my Red Hydra's buff and breaking out of this dome entirely for a moment, but stop myself before doing anything too rash.

The taller guard looks down at me and speaks again.

"Use all of your abilities. Stolen power or not, you'll need it."

Before I can blink or even try to respond, all 4 of the guards disappear in a flash of white light.

Using all of my scanner skills, their items and status came up with distorted [Access Denied] messages covered in weird letters and question marks. Our interaction only lasted a second at most, but I couldn't gauge their strength or capabilities at all...

The roaring crowd and the announcer's voice come back to my senses.

"Let's give it up one last time for The Flame Emperor! Now, I'm sure we all thoroughly enjoyed the show, but I have to ask; Will you be moving on to the 8th Stage?"

The arena goes silent, and some audience members in the crowd are already turning to leave in order to beat the lines and crowds that follow after an event like this.

However, people start to grow restless when I don't immediately decline.

"What's taking him so long?"

"Why isn't he moving? Is he that hurt from the fight before?"

"There's no way he's actually considering it... A monster over level 700? Is that even possible?"

"I don't know, man, I've never heard of anyone challenging the 8th Stage."

I take a deep breath in and out, assessing my situation. Ember, Monk, and Lith; all possibly stronger and wiser than myself, told me I'm surely not strong enough to fight the Dark One. Considering this... it would not be a good idea to get on its bad side right now.

If I'm still just this entity's evening entertainment, it's best I don't disappoint. On top of that, opportunity awaits. It's time to push my limits even further and put on one heck of a show.

Once I've made up my mind, I step forward and raise a thumb straight up in the air.

"Bring it on!"

The audience and the announcer both stay silent again.

Whispers and small talk in the crowd cease while their minds begin to register what's happening.

An eruption of cheers makes the stadium shake, and after a 10-second pause from the announcer that seems like a lifetime of waiting, he finally speaks again.

"Our First Challenger of the 8th Stage. The Flame Emperor, will be facing off against a level 779 Wraith. Let the betting begin!"

I can barely hear myself think with the crowd yelling around me and the announcer's voice echoing through the stands. He's continuously hyping up the next match and yelling out the live betting odds while I lean against my sword dug into the ground by my side.