A blinding crimson flare erupted in the dim pit.

Lothburk roared.

It wasn’t a scream of pain, but rather a shout of shock because something actually managed to penetrate his natural armoured skin.

His lower arm lost all its strength immediately as the magical brand disrupted his internal aura.

Kane refused to give the giant a single second to recover.

He was already moving.

Circling quickly to Lothburk’s weakened left side, he mentally triggered one of his most useful active skills to turn the tide.

’System, activate Allocation,’ Kane commanded silently.

’Dump everything I have into Agility for the next sixty seconds.’

[Skill Activated: Allocation]

[Temporary Stat Shift Initiated]

The speed difference became immediately visible.

Kane moved like a shadow, easily outpacing the mutant’s ability to track him with his weakened side.

He swung the axe in a rapid flurry.

Three precise strikes landed on the same spot along the beastman’s injured arm. The entire limb went completely dead, dropping uselessly to Lothburk’s side.

"Guh!"

The mutant was now fighting with only three arms.

It was still a terrifying prospect as the level difference remained a staggering sixty-seven to thirty-one.

Lothburk possessed decades of combat experience and raw physical power that dwarfed Kane’s early Warbrand status.

But the mathematical advantage just shifted in a very fundamental way.

The fight quickly devolved into a brutal and extended brawl.

Kane danced around the sweeping fists, taking hits that genuinely hurt to deliver his own punishing strikes.

Sweat stung his eyes, and his muscles burned from the intense exertion of keeping up with a higher-level opponent.

He used the flat of his blade to parry, redirecting the beastman’s momentum whenever possible.

Lothburk slowly lost his effectiveness as the magical brand spread its disruptive energy deeper through his aura network, turning his movements sluggish and uncoordinated over time.

Four long minutes of genuine violence stretched on.

His underlings and the rest of the audience watched in awe as they saw the undefeatable beast taking steps back.

A stray backhand finally slipped past Kane’s guard.

The giant fist slammed into his ribs, producing a crack that echoed in the quiet pit.

’Fuck.’

Two ribs snapped instantly, making every breath feel like inhaling broken glass.

"Hah... Hah..."

His Vitality kept him functional and on his feet, but the pain fueled a fresh wave of adrenaline through his system.

’Keep moving,’ Kane reminded himself, ignoring the agony blooming in his chest.

’He’s fading fast. Just a little more.’

Lothburk eventually took a knee when his second arm started losing coordination.

Bam.

The towering beastman gasped for air, staring up at the smiling warlord with those flat yellow eyes.

He looked bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

"You cheated," Lothburk growled, spitting a wad of blood onto the cracked stone.

"I prepared," Kane replied calmly, resting the axe on his shoulder.

"There’s a very big difference."

He raised Mjoldr high into the air, preparing for the final, finishing strike.

Seeing their boss in trouble, Lothburk’s remaining thugs outside the pit finally decided to move.

They drew their swords and rushed toward the edge of the stone circle, hoping to overwhelm the lone barbarian before he could secure the kill.

A sharp whistle cut through the night air.

Whoosh.

An arrow sprouted suddenly from the first thug’s shoulder, fired with deadly precision from twenty meters away.

Sira remained perfectly hidden on her rooftop perch, providing flawless overwatch.

Before the second guard could even react to his falling comrade, Brak and the Bloodfang vanguard materialised from the surrounding alleyways like ghosts.

The barbarians lowered their iron spears and handled the rest of the muscle in fifteen seconds.

They disarmed the thugs efficiently, pinning them firmly against the brick walls of the warehouse without making any unnecessary noise.

Seeing his entire crew neutralised in the blink of an eye, Lothburk let his head hang in defeat.

Kane lowered Mjoldr without striking the final blow.

He crouched down to meet the kneeling beastman at eye level, ignoring the pain radiating from his broken ribs.

"Here is what happens now," Kane said, his voice dropping to a low, conversational tone.

"You’re going to tell Prince Aelrindor the job is done. You will tell him you crippled me in this pit tonight, and you’re certain I will not make the tournament quarterfinals."

Lothburk stared at him in utter disbelief.

"You want me to lie to a royal heir?"

"I want you to buy me three days," Kane corrected him, spinning his axe lazily in his hand.

"After that time passes, you can tell him whatever you want. But you will be long gone from this city by then if you are smart."

A long, tense silence settled over the underground pit.

The only sounds were the distant city bells and the ragged breathing of the defeated thugs.

Lothburk looked down at his dead arm.

He looked back up at Kane’s confident smile, and then his gaze shifted to the terrifying crimson weapon responsible for his current state. He did the math in his head and realised fighting this crazy barbarian again would only end in a very messy death.

"Three days," Lothburk said finally, giving a slow nod of agreement.

Kane stood up slowly, offering a satisfied grin.

He turned his back on the broken beastman and walked out of the pit, leaving the mutant alive to deliver his false message to the royal court.

Kane paused his steps just before reaching the top edge of the stone circle. Turning his head, he looked back down at the defeated beastman still kneeling in the pit.

"Oh, also one other thing," Kane added casually.

Lothburk grunted, cradling his dead arm.

"What now?"

"When this empire finally moves to war, I want you and your fighters helping me take it down."

"Take down what?" Lothburk asked.

Genuine confusion broke through his gravelly voice, temporarily replacing his lingering fear.

"This empire," Kane clarified with a calm smile.

Lothburk widened his yellow eyes.

He stared at the red-haired warlord as if looking at a complete madman.

"You....re crazy. Do you really think you can break the five-hundred-year-old elven queen?"

"Yes," Kane answered simply.

The mutant shook his head in disbelief.

"If... even by some miracle you actually succeed, the entire hierarchy of this world will be destroyed."

"Not destroy. Changing the hierarchy."

[Title Acquired: Pit King]

[Effect: Underground reputation established. Black market contacts and underground fighters will treat you with respect rather than hostility]

[New Quest Branch Unlocked: The Underground Network]