Rise of the Devourer

Chapter 30: Combat Evaluation

Noah noticed more than a few onlookers gathering, looking at the guild master and him. Adventurers that had been awake came near the entrance to look at him, and he felt a strange sensation pushing against his aura over and over. A moment later he realized it was from all the people using Identify on him.

I wonder what they see.

Dusting his clothes, Noah stood up on his feet, watching the grinning guild master, whose muscles were growing even larger somehow.

“Can I have a few moments to prepare?” Noah asked.

Raesar’s predatory grin fell a little at Noah’s words. “Getting cold feet?”

“No, I just need to check something in private,” Noah replied. “Can’t give my best if I’m not prepared, can I?”

Raesar nodded. “Indeed, indeed. That is true. Head in and use one of the free waiting chambers. I’ll wait for you at the training ground,” Raesar said, before the giant Drailith made his way back into the guild.

Noah made his way inside, looking around before he found the empty room Raesar had mentioned. Walking in, he quickly locked the door behind himself, and breathed out.

“Alright. Change of plans. Use tome now, and figure out how to not be left unconscious on the guild floor against that monster,” Noah said out loud, before he reached into his inventory.

Picking out the tome, he sent a pulse of mana into it, as the prompt appeared in front of him.

[Tome of Dimensional Pocket (Legendary)]: Unlocks the Dimensional Pocket ability upon use.

Would you like to use this item?

Yes/No?

Noah looked at the prompt for a moment, before selecting yes. The tome flashed with a bright flash of light, engulfing Noah for a moment. Astralwalker got selected automatically, as a powerful pulse of energy flowed into Noah.

[Astralwalker] has unlocked [Dimensional Pocket].

[Inventory] reacts with [Dimensional] pocket.

Ability evolution detected.

[Inventory] can be fused with [Dimensional Pocket].

Would you like to evolve [Dimensional Pocket]?

Yes/No?

Noah looked at the prompt in surprise. Merging his Perk with an ability? Would that mean he would lose the perk? Or would it simply upgrade the ability?

Before deciding further, Noah decided to test Dimensional Pocket. The ability felt intuitive and he reached out with his instincts.

Reality wavered in front of his, his fingers grasping on something as a cut in reality opened. Noah put his hand in, finding the insides similar to how his inventory, but as a space separate from it. From what he could feel of it, the space was smaller than his inventory, but he had more control over it. Noah reached out again, this time forming the dimensional pocket further from him. His mana strained slightly, but the pocket formed. Noah closed the pocket, before turning to a vase set on the table within the room. He reached out, forming a dimensional pocket under it. The vase shuddered, before falling into the pocket. Noah could feel the item, and he reached out to his dimensional pocket, and willed the item to appear in his hand.

“Holy shit,” Noah breathed, looking at the vase in his hand. He opened another dimensional pocket, finding his mana strain as he opened two entrances, and put the vase back in, before he willed it to appear back from the pocket on the table. The vase teleported back where it was, as the pocket at the table closed.

“I can teleport items now,” Noah said, whistling. He opened his abilities menu, pulling up the description of the ability.

“I’m waiting Noah!” A shout shook the guild as Noah heard Raesar’s voice. He heard the heavy steps coming closer, and realized his time was up.

Reaching out to the prompt, Noah quickly selected the yes option for the ability evolution.

[Inventory] has fused with [Dimensional Pocket]

[Dimensional Pocket] has evolved into [Dimensional Storage]!

[Dimensional Storage (Legendary, Basic) - level 1]

The astral energies reside in your soul, forming a pocket dimension that you have access to. Now merged with [Inventory] this space has grown in size, and flexibility. Allows you to store things inside your own dimensional storage.

The door to the chamber burst open, as Raesar stood outside. “Are you ready?”

“Yup,” Noah replied.

“AMAZING! Then come, show me Noah! Show me how you fight!” The Drailith shouted with his booming voice.

Noah winced at the shout, before he followed Raesar out through the guild pathways. They made their way towards the center of the guild, leading to an open chamber that extended all the way to the top of the building. Quite a few adventurers were slumped around the area, while others were seated with tired expressions. Many eyes turned towards Noah, as he entered, and he felt the same sensation of identify scanning his aura from before.

“I’ll be taking a combat evaluation, make sure no one who’s unconscious is left in the arena, and stay outside the borders,” Raesar said.

The awake adventurers nodded, though none moved. Everyone had already left the arena, and carried all unconscious people outside.

Raesar nodded with a pleased expression, before turning to Noah. “Very well. Now, let me explain the rules for how this will go. I will fight you, and you will try to survive. For your own safety, do not hold back against me. If you do, you may die.”

Noah paused, feeling the weight of Raesar’s aura starting to press on his now. He nodded.

“Good. Second. Given the level difference, I will not use any Abilities, or Skills. I cannot turn off my Perks, so there’s no way around those. But everything else, I will not use. You are allowed to use everything you have. Fight to win. Is that clear?” Raesar asked.

“Clear,” Noah replied.

“Then lastly, the moment you land a single hit on me, you’ll pass.”

Noah paused. “Just… a single hit?” He asked, unsure if he’d heard the Drailith correctly.

“A single hit,” Raesar replied, his voice unwavering.

“That… seems easy?” Noah said.

Chuckles broke out from the watching adventurers, but Raesar paid them no mind.

“If you think so, then it shall be an easy test for you to pass. Now, take your stance,” Raesar said, before turning to the onlookers.

“Remi, can you stand?” Raesar asked.

“I… think so,” an adventurer woman replied. Noah glanced at her. The woman had bright orange hair, with even brighter light brown eyes. She wore leather armor padded with fur, her hair cut short and unevenly, making her have a rather grizzly look when mixed with her bulging muscles. Noah used identify.

[Bearclaw Champion - ??]

“Good. You will be the judge of this evaluation then,” Raesar said.

The adventurer, Remi, stood up, wobbling for a moment, before she reached the edge of the arena.

“Participants, take your position,” Remi announced.

Noah walked to one end of the arena, mimicking Raesar.

“Ready?” Remi asked, glancing at both sides, as she said her hand up in the air. Noah nodded. Raesar simply grinned.

“Begin!”

Noah rushed forward, kicking his feet as he launched ahead. The recent boost from his giant attribute jump showed now as he covered nearly fifty feet within a second. Reaching out with Dimensional Pocket, he manifested his two blades into his hands. Twisting his entire body, Noah jumped with the motion of a roundhouse kick, leading his arms sideways to slash at Raesar.

As his blades were about to connect, Noah used [Blink] to teleport behind Raesar.

There’s no way he can counter this no—

A fist slammed into Noah’s side, faster than he could see, as he flew across the area, crashing into the wall. The wall shuddered but did not budge, as Noah slowly slid down to the ground.

“Wha…” he mumbled, his head spinning as blood flowed into his mouth, filling it with a metallic taste.

“Whoa! A teleportation ability and… some kind of autonomous storage? You almost got me!” Raesar said, his voice like an excited child’s.

Noah coughed, clutching his chest, as he felt Lifeblood running wild to fix his broken ribs. He had not even seen the Drailith move. Was he… was he that much faster?

“Come on, show me more Noah! Surely you have more right?” Raesar said, standing with hands on his hips as his grin continued to widen.

Noah pushed himself to his feet, spitting the blood and broken shards of his teeth onto the ground.

“Oh, you’re already healed. A really powerful healing ability. Fascinating. So fascinating,” Raesar said.

Noah shouted, as he rushed ahead once again. Obliterate burned in a frenzy, as the void energies coated his dagger, extending the blade’s length. Noah teleported around the arena, as he threw one dagger and then immediately formed two dimensional pockets in the dagger’s path.

The dagger vanished, teleporting right in front of Raesar but Noah did not wait to watch. Using Blink, he moved right in front of Raesar attacking with his blades.

Raesar moved once more, catching the flying dagger Noah had thrown between his claws, while his other hand moved rapidly, grasping Noah’s wrist midair as he lifted him up.

“Ah, blood. That explains the healing. But void too. You already have three paths? What a specimen!” Raesar exclaimed.

Noah wrestled to free his hand, before he pushed Blink as hard as he could, freeing teleporting away.

Panting as he appeared on the other end of the arena, Noah watched Raesar inspecting his dagger.

“A rather boring weapon for a man as fascinating as you. You should get something that complements your fighting style. A sword, or even better, a spear to give your abilities more range. With your teleportation abilities, you will be able to move in close and far as you please, so having a spear will allow you the range you are missing, while also allowing you to intercept enemies and attack when at close range,” Raesar said, before tossing the dagger back towards Noah.

Looking down, Noah used dimensional pocket to teleport his weapon back into his hands, not willing to bend down and give Raesar a chance, though he doubted the man needed it.

“Do you have anything else?” Raesar asked, tilting his head.

Noah simply stared at the giant lizard.

“It seems not. Very well, my turn now. Defend yourself,” Raesar said.

Noah’s eyes widened in surprise, as Raesar vanished from in front of him. It was only his instincts that allowed him to blink away in time.

A loud crash sounded out where Noah had been, the ground cracked against Raesar’s fist. Noah gulped. Even Lifeblood may not have saved him had that connected.

“Good reflexes!” Raesar said, and Noah realized the man had not teleported, but simply moved faster than his eyes could see.

Just… what kind of monster is this.

Raesar rotated his shoulders, as cracks and pops sounded out. “Alright, enough warm up,” Raesar said, his smile slipping. Noah saw the vertical slits of his eyes start to widen as an expression to focus took over his face.

A primal part of his brain, one that he did not know existed began to scream at Noah. He needed to run.

Raesar moved once again, and the air erupted. Noah blinked but he could not move far away enough, putting his daggers out, Noah blocked the claw strike as sparks flared through the air. The Drailith’s claws cut through the blade, shrapnel of metal flying everywhere.

Noah flew, letting the moment of the strike carry him, as he blinked to orient himself so that he would land on his feet against the walls. Absorbing the momentum. Raesar continued, relentless in his pursuit as another slash came at him, faster than Noah could react and in a panic Noah raised his left hand, letting his claws appear as he blocked through the strike.

The slash cut through wrist, drawing deep red blood, as Raesar grabbed his midsection and pinned him to the ground.

“Oho! A grafted monstrous arm… or not quite. Void? What a fascinating thing. Did you kill a humanoid void beast and graft its arm onto yourself?” Raesar asked, the killing intent from before fading instantly.

“I…” Noah gasped, unable to breathe or reply. He pushed at Raesar’s hands, but the man did not even budge. Noah kicked, wrapping his legs around Raesar’s massive arms, but even with the weight of his own body fighting against the Drailith’s single limb, he could not make the lizard budge.

I need to do something. At this rate I’m going to pass out.

Noah channeled obliterate around his body, focusing them at his feet as he tried to kick Raesar, but the Drailith simply grabbed his leg, twisting them so that he could not move them at all.

Completely stuck and unable to breathe, Noah slowly felt himself asphyxiating, as the air began to leave his lungs. His claws grasped against Raesar, trying to free himself but nothing happened.

“Amateurish. Your body is working against you. But more so, my aura is restraining you. It has a weight, but you clearly cannot perceive it,” Raesar commented, but Noah could barely listen as his lungs began to burn for air.

In a blind attempt, Noah shifted his leg, touching Raesar’s thigh with his feet. A moment later, he pushed Dimensional Pocket.

1 x Leather pants obtained.

Raesar moved back, surprised as he stood buck naked. The momentum was enough to kill the pressure and Noah tore Raesar’s hand away partway, before using Blink to push himself away.

Coughing, he gasped for hair, before looking up and saw Raesar standing buck naked. Deep bellowing laughter echoed from the man. “Crafty. I like that. You’re fun Noah. Show me more!”

Without any hesitation, the naked Drailith rushed at Noah. Without any moment to think or act, Noah watched the giant lizard rushing at him at a rapid speed and opened a Dimensional Pocket around himself, blinking into the gap in reality.

The world vanished, as Noah sat in absolute darkness. Energy pulsed all around him, and he could feel his mana draining rapidly out of him. He looked around, and saw space itself twisting. Things did not feel 3-dimensional, with space twisting and turning in strange ways that made Noah’s head hurt.

“Okay, okay, don’t look at the fracture fabric of space. Think, what do I need to do?” Noah murmured. He was not sure if time was stopped inside for him in his own inventory, or something else but he did not have time. His mana was vanishing rapidly, and he had maybe a minute at max available to himself.

“How do you hit someone who’s faster, strong, has better reaction time, and more skills than you?” Noah murmured, before chuckling as his landed on the jar of sand he’d put in, and the many many pebbles in his inventory.

“Of course. Of course. You play dirty,” Noah said, picking the sand in his fist, and pebbles.

Taking a breath, Noah blinked out of his inventory slightly left to where he had been. A spray of sand and pebbles blasted out of the dimensional pocket he’d made, as Raesar launched himself right into it. The Drailtih roared a draconic roar as the sand entered his eyes.

Noah jumped in, not wasting a single breath as he struck with his claw, Obliterate running in a frenzy. Dimensional pockets opened everywhere and Noah launched sand and pebbles from all directions.

The Drailith moved even with his eyes closed, as the pebbles struck him from all directions. Noah used the dimensional pockets as anchors, teleporting from one to the other, not staying in a single place. He held his breath, not making a single sound as he continued to launch pebbles from all directions. Noah watched Raesar turn around blindly trying to determine where he was coming from.

Warning. Low Mana.

Not now… not now…

Noah continued to teleport. His mana kept falling, reaching the edge of his resources.

Just a little more.

Pebbles continued to strike Raesar as the Drailtih roared in anger.

Now!

Noah launched himself forward, using blink to appear right in front of Raesar as he struck with his left hand, obliterate humming on his claws as he struck.

“Not so quick!” Raesar roared, as he struck back. Claws struck claws, sparks clanging as Raesar roared and grabbed Noah, tackling him to the ground with a crash.

The lizard’s heavy breathing flowed over Noah as the Drailith put his entire weight into keeping Noah in place.

“It was a good attempt,” Raesar said.

Noah didn’t reply, breathing heavily. With a gulp, he looked at the Raesar who’d slowly opened one eye, and then grinned.

“Look behind you.”

Raesar turned, and saw a dagger coming out of nowhere, pressing against the scales rising on his spine.

Noah dropped the dagger, pulling his hand back out of the dimensional pocket as his mana drained completely. A pounding headache rose in his head, as Raesar rose up, letting him go.

“A good match,” Raesar said. A moment later, the Drailith offered a hand, pulling Noah up.

“Noah Brown has won the combat evaluation!” Remi exclaimed, raising her hand up in the air.

“Holy shit the newbie won!” a shout came, before cheers broke the arena.

“What’s his score? Where does he rank?”

Noah turned, and saw a few adventures going through a book, as they wrote down something.

“F-forty eight! He’s in the top fifty!”

More screams erupted from the adventurers, a lot more of whom seemed conscious now.

Noah stared at the scene uncertainly. “What’s happening?”

To his surprise, it was Remi who answered his question. “Today’s spar day, so we’ve all got time records for how long we lasted against the guild head. There were one hundred and seventy four fights today, before you, many of them with D rankers or higher. You’re the hundred and seventy fifth, and rank among the top fifty for today.”

Noah turned towards Raesar, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull. “You fought A hundred and seventy five times today?!”

“Indeed!” Raesar said with a wide grin, still standing entirely naked and his scaled body bulging in the sun. Somehow, Noah couldn’t help but feel infected by the man’s attitude, as he chuckled.

“You’re insane man,” Noah said.

“Merely passionate,” Raesar replied with a wink. “Either way, I congratulate you on passing the test Noah Brown. Welcome to my guild.”

“A pleasure to be here,” Noah said.

“Good, Nae will have the rest of the procedure for you to follow for entrance. All the tedious paperwork and what not, so go do that whenever you feel capable. If you need to rest, feel free to pass out anywhere.”

“Yeah, I may need to sit down,” Noah said, realizing his legs were shaking.

Moving back to the edge of the arena, Noah leaned against the walls, as he slowly slid down and sat on the floor. His body was aching with every inch, and his muscles felt like they were on fire.

As Noah breathed, trying to focus himself on meditation to refill his mana, his eyes caught the notification folder, and widened in surprise at what he saw.

Level notifications: 3

Abilitynotifications: 17

Sub-stat notification: 2

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