Chapter 27：Battle to the death (1/2)

Mack walked to the small hill. When reaching the top he saw an immense field in front of the hill. One that the eye could not reach its end.

With his cape in his back fluttering in the air and his new warlock clothes, Mack looked like a warrior coming for a battle.

And indeed, a battle was waiting for him.

A battle to the death.

Because in this immense field, warlocks and mages were fighting. Mack could recognize the now familiar clothes of the warlocks. And the other side could only be the mages.

Mack was at the back of the battle on the warlock side. And in those few seconds while looking at the grand battle scene he already saw several spells and magic effects running amuck through the small skirmishes on the battlefield.

A ball of flame killing several warlocks. A warlock stabbing a mage with a small sword and another warlock raising his hand and turning in to a pulp of flesh and bones dozens of mages at same time. With no grand and flourish effects at all. The warlock pointed his hand at the mage's direction and they become a bloody mass of disfigured corpses.

Mack felt astonished by the later one. It looked like he killed those mages with no effort at all.

”So strong. Is this what a true warlock is capable of?”

[That and much more]

”Correct me if I'm wrong. Is this is a recreation of a battle when my ancestor planet was invaded?”

[Yes]

”As I expected, and my guess is this is not only a holographic projection like in the previous gate. The spells, they are really damaging the ground.”

[Correct. Those are similar to real spells and the damage dealt is almost the same too. This battle is being replayed by a very advanced magic circle, inscribed on the top of this room]

Mack looked up but could see nothing, only the sun shining behind the clouds.

”So this is a room”

[Correct. Just like the others gates before this]

”But what is the goal? I'm sure you don't expect me to win this battle with my meager strength.”

[...]

”You must be kidding with me. Do you saw that warlock there? If he can't win this battle what can I do?”

[The rules of this gate are as follow]

[All mages should be killed in less than a hundred days]

[If all the mages are not killed by the 100th day, the battle will restart from the beginning]

[This will happen until you achieve the goal or you are dead]

[These are the rules of the Gate of Pride]

Mack could not believe what he heard. How could he change this clearly losing battle? And in a hundred days kill all mages. He was not sure if he could kill even one. And there were several hundred thousand of them.

~sigh~

”And here was I, thinking on adventures. Maybe save a princess or kill a few dragons. Tsc.”

Mack completely lost his will to fight.

Fight a lost battle? Why? He could not understand. And even if he wanted to fight... What could he do? Sure, the sword was cool and all, but he would never have the chance to even get close to a mage before being burned alive, or worst.

”I bet no one passed this trial. Right?”