Chapter 656: Section 443: Savage Duel 1
Several minutes later, a loud burst of music from instruments suddenly filled the air.
Then, the Snow Elf who hosted the brutal duel sprinted energetically to the very center of the dueling field, shouting with a voice brimming with enthusiasm, “Ladies and gentlemen of noble bearing, welcome to this barbaric duel!”
“Let’s dispense with the pleasantries and proceed to the first fight immediately.”
“One is a Bronze Level Thief dominated by desire, the other a common man whose wife and children were dishonored and killed.”
“Heh, today’s appetizer seems rather interesting.”
“Commoner versus Transcendent!”
“Let’s see, will it be the common man’s grievances that are redressed, or will the Transcendent’s power prevail over all?”
“The next 30 seconds will be the betting time!”
As soon as the hosting Snow Elf finished speaking, a hurried bell began to sound incessantly.
After ringing for 30 seconds, the door of the Waiting Room facing the dueling field slid open to the side.
The common middle-aged man practically lunged out.
Holding a blood-stained axe, he charged into the center of the dueling field.
His adversary and enemy, that Bronze Level Thief, dragged a bleeding, injured leg as he emerged from another door across the way.
Clearly, to add to the duel’s barbaric appeal and “fairness,” the arena owner had provided a Transcendent in a weakened state.
The common middle-aged man roared and, with axe in hand, charged forward.
The Bronze Thief hopped on one leg, trying to put distance between himself and the middle-aged man.
“Damn, he’s faking it!” The Spring Boxer suddenly whispered under his breath.
There was an iron grille above the door of the Waiting Room, offering a narrow field of view but perfectly framing the back of the common man and the “fleeing” Thief.
Lan Zao’s gaze also penetrated the iron grille, captivated by the fight.
He couldn’t help but feel anxious for the middle-aged man.
As the common man pounced on the Bronze Thief, at the critical moment, the Thief revealed a cunning smirk of success, using Fighting Energy to suddenly become agile in movement.
The Thief evaded the axe’s chop and then aimed a vicious stab with his Dagger into the back of the common man.
Oblivious to the Dagger thrust at him, the middle-aged man bellowed and his hand swung open abruptly, grabbing the Thief’s injured leg and digging fingers cruelly into the bleeding, festering wound.
In the next moment, both men howled in agonizing pain.
Because of the severe pain, the Thief’s stabbing motion was distorted, and although the Dagger penetrated the common man’s back, it was not a fatal blow.
With his back swelling against the Dagger, the common man tore at the Thief’s wound, throwing him to the ground.
He then straddled the Thief, raising the iron axe high, and brought it down ferociously.
In the next instant, the Black Iron blade of the axe split the Thief’s head open, leaving only his mouth intact.
The terrified expression froze on the nearly bisected face of the Thief.
Yet, the middle-aged man’s revenge had only just begun.
He lifted the axe continuously and chopped down relentlessly.
The brain of the Bronze Thief was completely smashed, followed by his chest, abdomen, viscera, and thighs.
With every vigorous chop, the common man’s wound on his back kept bleeding.
Yet the middle-aged man seemed to feel nothing, eyes bloodshot, each chop exerting all his strength.
Eventually, he collapsed due to excessive blood loss and exhaustion.
However, this did not prevent him from being the ultimate victor.
“Nicely done!” The Spring Boxer grinned and laughed aloud.
Lan Zao glanced at him, suddenly realizing: although the Spring Boxer was a gang member, a criminal, he wasn’t the kind with low morals.
In the end, it was the common man who won the duel against the Transcendent.
The result was not surprising.
Many factors can decide the outcome of a fight. Bronze Level Fighting Energy could only bolster the insides; external protective manifestations were something that Black Iron Level could achieve.
In fact, even a Bronze Level fighter in peak condition could be killed by a common man, let alone this Bronze Thief who was already gravely injured.
It wasn’t until after the fight ended that Lan Zao noticed: the terrain of the dueling field had transformed. It was no longer the red stone pillar terrain he had privately tested before but a plain, open expanse with sparse green grass.
The unconscious middle-aged man was dragged away.
Black mist began to spread, eventually shrouding the entire dueling field, turning it into an abyss of night.
The twilight quickly dissipated.
The terrain of the dueling field underwent another change, becoming a swampy landform with firm stone slabs scattered amid the deep purple swamp mud.
The hosting Snow Elf came forward again, standing on the largest stone slab, his voice ringing out.
“Esteemed ladies and gentlemen, I wonder if the appetizer just now was to your liking? I am honored to present the second barbaric duel.”
“A Bronze Level elderly Mage who traded in counterfeit Alchemy Materials for a hefty profit.”
“A young Noble was deeply tricked by him. Our victim didn’t choose to report the matter; that would be too boring.”
“He utilized his family’s power, captured the Bronze Mage, and then escorted him here.”
“Here are his exact words to the elder Bronze Mage—’Since you can produce Pain Tentacles that are indistinguishable from the real thing, you must be quite familiar with them. I’ll give you a chance. If you can cross the swamp hiding the Pain Tentacles and retrieve the token in the Treasure Box, then I will consider you successful. Your life will be spared!'”
“Ha ha, this fight is even more interesting than the previous one, my lords and ladies, don’t you think?”
“30-second countdown, it’s time to choose. Has the old mage defeated the Pain Tentacles and saved himself, or has the powerful noble’s revenge succeeded, teaching the old mage the harshest lesson?”
The announcer’s voice had barely faded when the sound of a bell rang out.
After ringing 30 times, the announcer shouted, “Now, please enjoy the journey of redemption of the Bronze Mage!”
The gate opened once again.
Lan Zao saw the elder sitting on the bench start to move.
He took a deep breath, leaned on his slender magic wand as if it were a walking stick, and slowly, heavily, stepped onto the dueling field.
The old mage stood at the edge of the field, the gate behind him quickly closing again.
His face grim with concern, he did not rashly step into the swamp but, after chanting for a moment, used a spell to launch a fireball straight ahead.
The fireball smashed onto the swampy ground, exploding.
The black mud splashed everywhere, the putrid smell surged and spread, and several suspicious skeletons were also blown out.
This moved Lan Zao somewhat, amazed at the dueling field’s ability to create such a realistic battlefield.
But the old mage didn’t have the composure of Lan Zao; having briefly tested for safety in front, he cautiously proceeded forward.
His goal, the Treasure Box, is likely hidden opposite him, amid a grove of wide-leaved trees.
Besides that, there was a clear view everywhere else.
The old mage’s approach to the forest became more cautious, and the frequency of using the fireball test sharply decreased.
His own mana was limited.
The old mage began to stop and meditate.
But the next moment, the surface of the swamp near him began to bulge up in succession, and then, one by one, purple-skinned swamp octopus people surged out.
They howled and rushed at the old mage.
The Bronze old mage trembled all over in fright; completely losing the will to fight, he started to run forward with all his might.
He hadn’t taken many steps before he sank into the swamp.
But the next moment, the old mage was floating out.
It must be said that mages had far more tricks up their sleeves than fighters, even at the Bronze Level they had the ability to fly.
However, the old mage’s flying distance was obviously not long enough, and soon he landed on an expanse of rocky ground.
The pursuing octopus people were closing in.
The old mage had no choice but to turn around, pulling out a Magic Scroll from his chest.
A series of Ice Spears flew out, killing a dozen plus octopus people.
None of these octopus people were Transcendent, but their number was vast. A quarter killed, the rest were only further enraged.
The old mage threw out another vial of Magic Potion.
The Magic Potion burst, forming a cloud of bright, glittering white dust.
The octopus people charged into the dust cloud, immediately falling down, writhing and spread-eagled on the ground, half of their number dead.
The remaining octopus people chose to avoid the white dust cloud.
The old mage bought time, once again setting off, flying towards the small grove at the end.
In the woods, he saw the Treasure Box.
But at the moment he opened the Treasure Box, countless Pain Tentacles burst through the ground, lashing him from all directions.
The protective shield of the old mage was quickly shattered by the strikes.
In the end, he was submerged by the frenzied lashes of the Pain Tentacles.
By the time the octopus people arrived and brought the Pain Tentacles under control, the old mage’s bones had been smashed to pieces, let alone his flesh.
His death was too horrifying to witness.
Seeing this outcome, Lan Zao gained a deeper understanding of barbaric duels.
As Shuang Tu had described to him, barbaric duels were filled with violence and bloodshed. If the opponent was not human, it was undoubtedly worse. Intelligent beings could have emotions like mercy, sympathy, and arrogance, and they might spare a losing combatant’s life. But things like Pain Tentacles, they wouldn’t stop until they pulverized the loser into dust and ash.
Black fog rose again, enshrouding the entire dueling field.
When it dissipated, the dueling field had turned into red rock pillars.
Seeing the familiar scene, Lan Zao’s heart skipped a beat, knowing that his turn was up next.
Sure enough, the announcer, a Snow Elf, returned to the stage: “The third barbaric duel is a lucky individual who has gone through Bloodline Awakening, having just been promoted to Black Iron Level.”
“Damn it, why doesn’t something that good ever happen to me!”
“Now this guy has volunteered to participate in a barbaric duel. Is there some hardship we don’t know about, or has a surge in strength made him want to try more novelties and thrills?”
“Let’s see who his opponent is?”
“Uh-oh!”
“He’s doomed. His opponent is a Black Iron Level Snow Sculpture!!”
“I love this, I can hardly wait to see his body torn into pieces beneath the Snow Sculpture’s talons.”
“Hurry up and place your bets, our newbie is empty-handed, yet facing off against a Magic Beast that can fly.”
“Do you believe in this lucky guy, or do you want to see him die a miserable death?”
The 30-second countdown bell immediately rang out.