The First Boss

A massive figure emerged from the gate, easily three times Raven's height. Its body was a patchwork of mismatched parts—the torso of a man, the legs of a bull, and the head of a snarling wolf. It wielded an enormous battleaxe that looked like it could cleave a man in two with a single swing.

The Chimera's presence was overwhelming. Its wolf head snapped and snarled, saliva dripping from yellowed fangs. The decay and raw meat stench wafted from its maw, making Raven gag. As it moved, muscles rippled beneath its mismatched skin, a testament to its incredible strength. The ground trembled with each step, and Raven could feel the vibrations in his bones.

[Boss encountered: Chimera, the Abomination]

Raven felt his newfound confidence waver. How could he possibly face such an atrocity? He looked to Havar, desperate for hope at defeating this monster.

Memories of his captivity flashed through his mind—the pain, the helplessness, the endless experiments. For a moment, he was back on that cold metal table, strapped down and vulnerable. But then he remembered where he was and the future of strength and freedom available through the system, if only he could grasp it. He wasn't that helpless victim anymore. He had power now, and he'd be damned if he'd let fear control him again.

His familiar's eyes were fixed on the approaching beast, and he had a look of grim determination on his face. "Master," Havar said, his voice low and urgent. "I cannot defeat this creature alone. You must use every trick at your disposal. Remember, death is not possible here. Use that to your advantage."

Raven nodded, gripping his retrieved blood-slicked rock tighter. As the Chimera let out a bone-shaking roar and charged towards them, Raven steeled himself for the first real fight of his life.

"Undead minions, attack!" Raven commanded, sending his small army of reanimated goblins charging towards the Chimera. They moved with jerky, uncoordinated steps, but their sheer numbers gave the massive beast pause.

Raven felt a strange sensation as he commanded his undead. It was as if invisible strings extended from his fingertips to each corpse, allowing him to feel their movements and purpose. They weren't soulless entities that could only follow commands. That knowledge and the sensation it brought him were both exhilarating and unsettling.

The Chimera swung its battleaxe in a wide arc, scattering goblin bodies like broken toys. But for every undead it destroyed, Raven felt his blood that occupied and ran through the body parts of his minions return to his full control.

It was as if by giving the corpses a new lease on life, they would obey him but he couldn't magically control them. Only after their death would his blood return to his total control. He focused on that feeling, channeling it into his blood manipulation ability.

He focused on controlling the blood, turning it into a familiar shape.

Tendrils of blood rose from the scattered goblin corpses, twisting and merging into a crimson spear. With a thought, Raven sent it hurtling toward the Chimera's wolf-like head.

Manipulating blood felt natural as if he were moving an extension of his body. He could feel the iron content, the thickness, and the life force within. As he formed the spear, he infused it with his will, his desire to survive and thrive.

[Skill Level Up: Blood Manipulation (Intermediate)]

The blood spear struck true, piercing the Chimera's eye. The beast roared in pain and fury, its movements becoming more frenzied.

"Now, Havar!" Raven shouted.

His familiar didn't need to be told twice. Havar leaped into action, his form blurring as he darted around the Chimera, striking its legs with his deadly claws.

Havar moved with inhuman grace and speed. His attacks were precise, targeting tendons and vital points. Each slash of his claws left deep gashes that oozed a sickly green ichor. The Chimera howled in pain and frustration, unable to land a blow on the nimble undead general.

The Chimera stumbled, off-balance from the combined assault. Raven saw his chance. He focused all his energy on his necromancy skill, willing the scattered goblin parts to reform using his skill rather than his blood.

[Skill Level Up: Necromancy (Intermediate)]

The battlefield became a morbid puppet show as dismembered goblin limbs crawled and began to reattach to eachother then the more or less formed corpses lauched themselfs at the Chimera, latching onto its body and impeding its movements.

'When I use the Necromancy skill, they seem to be completed soulless, no intelligence,, and more like zombies than humans. 

The arena had transformed into a nightmarish landscape. Blood-soaked earth squelched underfoot, and the air was thick with the metallic scent of blood and the putrid stench of decay. Discarded goblin weapons and shattered bones littered the ground, giving Raven a grim arsenal.

Raven felt a surge of dark triumph. He was holding his own against this monster. He was strong. He was powerful. He was—

The Chimera's battleaxe came crashing down, shattering the platform where Raven stood. He felt a moment of weightlessness before plummeting towards the rocky ground below.

Pain exploded through his body as he hit the ground. Hard. He tried to move, but his limbs wouldn't respond. Panic set in as he saw the Chimera looming over him, its remaining eye blazing with murderous intent.

Raven couldn't help but recall his first fight with the first goblin of the trial and the timely rescue by Havar. But he knew Havar was too far away.

As if on cue, Havar's voice sounded. 

"Master!" Havar's voice seemed distant, drowned out by the Chimera's earth-shaking roar.

Time seemed to slow as the Chimera raised its battleaxe for the killing blow. Raven's life flashed before his eyes—the years of torture, the brief moments of hope, the newfound power he'd just begun to taste. A surge of defiance welled up within him. He refused to die here, refused to let this be the end of his story.

Even though Raven had been told he wouldn't die inside this trial, he had been lied to his whole life.

By those he trusted, by those who swore to protect him.

No more. He would only rely on himself.

As the battleaxe descended towards him, Raven stared into the eyes of the Chimera. Even though he couldn't fight back, he wouldn't close his eyes like a coward. But as the battleaxe decended like a scythe of death, he felt a strange warmth spreading through his body. His eyes widened as he saw his blood rising to meet the Chimera's attack, forming a shield of crimson energy.

[Hidden Skill Unlocked: Blood Armor]

The battleaxe bounced off the blood shield, the impact sending shockwaves through the arena. Raven felt strength returning to his limbs, fueled by a power he didn't fully understand.

He rose to his feet, his body now encased in a swirling blood armor. The Chimera stumbled back, its bestial features contorted in what almost looked like fear.

"My turn," Raven growled, his voice resonating with newfound power.

The Blood Armor felt alive, pulsing in sync with Raven's heartbeat. It moved with him like a second skin, hardening to deflect attacks and flowing to enhance his movements. He could feel every drop of blood around him, calling out to be used, to be wielded as a weapon.

He charged forward, his blood armor propelling him with superhuman speed. He slammed into the Chimera with the force of a freight train, sending the massive beast staggering.

Havar appeared at his side, his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and pride. "Finish it, Master!"

Raven nodded, focusing all his power into one final attack. The blood armor flowed off his body, reshaping into a massive, razor-sharp blade.

[Hidden Class Unlocked: Blood Mage]

With a primal scream, Raven brought the blood blade down on the Chimera's neck. There was a moment of resistance; then, the blade cleaved through flesh and bone.

Time seemed to slow as the blade descended. Raven could feel every layer it passed through—skin, muscle, ligament, and finally bone. The Chimera's last roar gurgled in its throat as its head separated from its body. For a moment, everything was silent, suspended in disbelief.

The Chimera's head hit the ground with a sickening thud, its body following a moment later.

[Boss Defeated: Chimera, the Abomination] [Experience gained: 1000] [Level Up! Current level: 3 (50/10000)]

Raven stood over the fallen beast, his chest heaving with exertion. He felt drained but also incredibly alive. He had faced his first true challenge in this new world and emerged victorious.

As the adrenaline faded, Raven surveyed the battlefield. Goblin corpses littered the ground, some still twitching with residual necromantic energy. The Chimera's massive body was already beginning to dissolve, leaving behind a pool of viscous, multicolored blood.

Raven flexed his fingers, marveling at the power he now possessed. He could feel the undead's blood under his control calling to him, offering even more power. The temptation to absorb it all was nearly overwhelming.

He paused momentarily, then gave in to the temptation and willed for the blood to… return.

All the blood that came streaming toward him in thin lines contained at least a drop of his own.

No undead in which he had raised with [Necromancy (Intermediate)] seemed to interest his blood.

'Interesting, it seems my blood has a lot of possibilities. It looks like I'll have to rely on it to carve out a place in this new world.'

"Havar, will I be able to keep these undead?" Raven asked, glancing at the two dozen or so undead that acted like zombies.

Havar looked at the undead in compilation but shook his head sadly. "Although it would be good to take them, it is impossible since we are in the realm of the Cosmic Combat Trials. They aren't real beings. Although… you might have been able to take back the one's with souls."

Havar frowned, pondering the question while scratching his bald head.

Raven took one last glance at the battlefield and released his control over the corpses and stepped through the doorway that had appeared after the Cimera had fallen.

Havar, still scratching his bald head, jumped in alarm and scrambled to leap through the closing portal barely making it to the other side in time.