The first statue lunged at me, a massive stone sword arcing toward my head with enough force to cleave a tank in half.
I didn't dodge.
I didn't activate Infinity.
I just stood there, grinning like a madman as I caught the blade between my bare hands.
"Too slow," I taunted before shattering the sword with a casual squeeze.
The statue stumbled back, seemingly confused—if a hunk of animated rock could feel confusion.
Before it could recover, I drove my fist straight through its chest, pulverizing its stone heart.
It crumbled, a pile of rubble at my feet.
One down. Hundreds to go.
Two more charged from my left flank, one wielding a massive hammer, the other a spear that crackled with elemental energy. I spun, ducking under the spear and grabbing the hammer mid-swing.
With a casual flick of my wrist, I redirected the hammer into its owner's face, watching stone fragments explode in all directions. The spear-wielder jabbed again, but I caught the weapon's shaft, yanked it forward, and headbutted the statue hard enough to decapitate it.
"Come on," I called out, tossing the spear away. "Is this really the best you've got?"
A dozen more converged on me from all sides. I didn't bother with fancy moves or grand techniques. This wasn't about strategy—it was about raw, unbridled physical dominance.
I had deliberately turned off Infinity. No barriers, no supernatural space manipulation, no mana-based abilities at all. Just my body, just my physical strength.
Why? Because where's the fun otherwise?
How often would I get the chance to test myself against hundreds of opponents simultaneously? This was a playground built for me, and I intended to enjoy every second of it.
I ripped an arm off one statue and used it as a club to smash through three more. Stone fragments rained down around me, and dust filled the air. It was beautiful chaos.
'These things are insanely strong,' I thought as I dodged a massive axe that would have bisected a lesser being.
'Each one could wipe out dozens of S-rank hunters without breaking a sweat.'
Something wasn't adding up. These statues were far more powerful than anything described in the manhwa I remembered. Without any resistance, just one of these monsters could devastate an entire city, maybe even a country.
The Architect had seriously upgraded his arsenal.
I punched through another stone warrior, then grabbed two more and smashed their heads together. The sickening crunch of stone pulverizing stone echoed through the chamber.
"Ninety-seven," I counted aloud, keeping track of my kills. "Ninety-eight, ninety-nine..."
A massive axe crashed into my shoulder from behind. The stone blade shattered on impact, not even scratching my skin.
"That's one hundred!" I announced cheerfully, spinning around to grab the attacker by its throat.
I jumped on its neck till it broke, watching it disintegrate.
The battle flowed around me like water around a rock.
I didn't need to think; I just moved.
Each motion was pure instinct, each strike devastating.
Five statues rushed me at once, combining their attacks into a synchronized assault that would have overwhelmed any S-rank hunter in existence.
I laughed, jumping into the middle of them.
My fists became a blur, punching through stone like it was wet tissue paper. I moved faster than they could track, appearing behind one, beside another, always where they least expected.
"One-fifty-six, one-fifty-seven..."
This was what it meant to be truly strong. Not just mana, not just techniques, but raw physical power that defied the natural laws of this universe. My body, my fists, my strength—they were supreme.
A spear grazed my cheek, not drawing blood but reminding me that I wasn't being careful.
'Good,' I thought. 'Keep me on my toes.'
I grabbed the spear and the statue wielding it, then spun around, using both as a makeshift flail to clear a circle around me. Stone warriors shattered on impact, my impromptu weapon decimating a dozen in one swing.
"One-sixty-nine, one-seventy... oh, that was a nice one—one-seventy-one!"
My body was humming with energy, but not from mana or cosmic forces—just the pure adrenaline of battle. This was my first real fight with this many opponents of this caliber. It was exhilarating.
As I fought, I started to truly feel my actual strength. The limitations I'd previously imagined simply didn't exist.
Each punch felt stronger than the last, each movement faster and more precise.
I tore through another wave of attackers, stone limbs and weapons flying in all directions.
"Two hundred and six," I announced, slamming my fist into the ground.
The floor cracked beneath the impact, a shockwave rippling outward that toppled a dozen more statues. I charged through the opening, a whirlwind of destruction, grabbing, crushing, and demolishing everything in my path.
"Two-twenty, two-twenty-one..."
I was unstoppable, invincible—
WHAM!
Something crashed into my back with the force of a meteor impact. The blow should have shattered my spine, pulverized my internal organs, and sent me flying across the chamber.
I didn't budge an inch.
It felt like little more than a firm pat on the back.
Slowly, I turned, a feral grin spreading across my face as I came face to face with my attacker.
The Architect himself stood there, his colossal stone fist still pressed against my back, his glowing blue eyes wide with disbelief.
"My turn," I said, my smile promising nothing but pain.