"I lost."
The Weapon Master admitted calmly, with a relieved smile on his face:
"I never expected that this day would come so soon."
Ron sheathed his sword and stood, bowing slightly: "I feel very honored to have defeated you."
"No need to be modest, young man."
Aksa stepped forward, a hint of satisfaction surprisingly in his fierce eyes:
"Your progress has far exceeded my expectations. Last time we fought, you were barely satisfactory, but now, you stand at the threshold of true strength."
A sense of indescribable achievement surged in Ron’s heart.
Once, Aksa was an existence in his eyes that could easily kill him in an instant, but now, he could defeat the other just with swordsmanship.
"Actually, there’s something I didn’t get to tell you last time," Aksa suddenly said, his tone growing heavy.
Ron scratched his arm, feeling a bit itchy as he’d stayed longer than last time, as if... he was about to grow scales.
It seemed the Simulation Battle Device tried its best to mimic the Deep Realm Curse effect brought by the Abyss 3rd Floor.
He endured the involuntary itching, turning to the Tiger-man Master, waiting for him to continue.
"I am not a real living being, just a remnant spirit sealed within this simulation device."
Aksa’s voice was low yet calm, a distant memory in his gaze.
Though he had anticipated it, hearing these words still shocked Ron: "You were once a real Weapon Master?"
The Tiger-man nodded:
"Once, I was the chief warrior of the Claw Tribe. In a war with a rival tribe, we were defeated and captured by the Wizards who had conquered this region."
The Tiger-man Master’s eyes seemed to gaze through time, looking into the distant past:
"Most of my tribe were used as experimental materials, but I was chosen to be sealed in this simulation device for my skill, to provide a real combat experience for the Wizards."
"That must have happened... many years ago, right?" Ron asked softly.
"A hundred and thirty-seven years and eight months."
Aksa answered precisely, a bitter smile on his face:
"For a remnant spirit that can only act within the Simulation Space, time is the easiest thing to calculate."
A wave of complex emotions surged in Ron’s heart.
Sympathy, admiration, and a renewed realization of the brutal reality of the Wizard World.
"But I don’t feel too bored," Aksa continued, his tone calm:
"As a Weapon Master, being able to continually spar with the strong and witness the growth of generations of geniuses is a unique significance."
The Tiger-man Master looked at Ron, appreciation flickering in his eyes:
"Especially someone like you, progressing so quickly and using pure martial arts to duel me, even in over a hundred years, I haven’t met many."
Ron bowed slightly: "Having your guidance is my great honor."
"Ha, now I should be the one bowing to a future strongman like you."
Aksa chuckled, waving his hand:
"By the way, other than verifying your progress, do you have any other purpose for coming this time?"
Ron pondered for a moment and decided to be honest:
"Besides sparring with you, I also want to learn more about the fighting styles of Abyss creatures, especially the Multi-armed Snake Demon."
From the information he acquired, there were many Abyss-corrupted mutants appearing at the Bloodline Altar.
Moreover, through the "Abyss Difficulty" represented by the Multi-armed Snake Demon simulation battle, there seemed to be special rewards...
"Multi-armed Snake Demon?"
Aksa raised his eyebrows: "That’s not an easy guy to handle, even as a hybrid, it possesses combat strength close to an Official Wizard."
"How much do you know about them?" Ron asked.
"Since you want to understand the Multi-armed Snake Demon," Aksa merely said: "Why not experience it directly in a simulation battle?"
"Then, thank you for your guidance this time, Master Aksa."
Ron said sincerely: "I hope that next time we meet, I can bring you more surprises."
Aksa’s lips curled into a satisfied smile: "I believe that day isn’t far off."
As soon as the words were spoken, the surrounding environment began to distort and blur.
The tall figure of the Tiger-man also gradually became blurred, finally vanishing in the distorted space.
When his vision became clear again, Ron found himself in an entirely different environment.
It was a massive cavern, the surrounding rock walls glimmering with eerie blue phosphorescence.
The air was filled with a humid sensation, with a faint smell of sulfur.
The ground was slippery and rough, like rocks long corroded by some corrosive liquid.
"The environment of the Abyss Fourth Layer..."
Ron felt a bit dizzy, as if everything he looked at was doubled.
He silently ran the Basic Meditation Technique, which slightly alleviated this state, then vigilantly surveyed his surroundings.
The duel with Aksa was more like a pure exchange of martial arts, but now, he could feel the danger and hostility permeating the air.
From deep within the cave came a faint scraping sound, like some creature slithering on rock.
Ron immediately went into combat mode, gripping his longsword, his spirit highly focused.
The scraping sound grew closer and clearer.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in the cave, cold and piercing, as unpleasant as the scraping of metal:
"I smell... warm blood... vibrant soul..."
Ron’s hair stood up instantly, a primal alertness enveloping his entire body.
This wasn’t the straightforward aura of a warrior like Aksa, but a pure, undisguised evil.
In the darkness, six eerie glowing eyes suddenly lit up, arranged in two rows, slowly moving toward him.