Standing on one leg at the edge of the arena, his gaze pierced Polter, who was recovering from the kick to his guts. In an immense act of sheer will, Dumm Ting ripped away the burning flesh without so much as a grunt, shocking the audience with the graphic display of self-control.
In a quick motion, he swallowed a pill from the pouch on his belt. A fine haze surrounded him, as the wounds started closing at a speed that it looked like his flesh had gained its own spirit and started molding itself back into shape.
Even his nearly severed leg also recovered at break-neck speed, dousing the last small flames that were still burning in the wound. there was some commotion from the audience, but Umi Kaldrops shook her head, giving commentary.
“You know the rules, there are no rules in the arena. the only restriction is that participants can't meddle with each other off-stage,” she reminded the people with a wink.
The dwarf was back on his feet, but he didn't recover in time to stop Dumm Ting's actions. Although the attack that catapulted him away seemed haphazard, it had dealt quite a bit of damage to his armor and left him momentarily stunned.
But Dumm Ting wasn't the only one who had some time and drugs on his hands. Since his opponent openly used doping, Polter saw no reason not to do it himself. He downed a jug of Ironheart Stout which improved his defense and all of his resistance and stamina.
Seeing the dwarf imitate Dumm Ting's actions, calmed whoever was still feeling a little peeved about the cultivator's shameless drug abuse.
He was almost done, when he saw his opponent charge at him. it didn't seem like he would be given the courtesy to finish his drink in peace, well, it didn't matter. With a practice swing, lacking any superfluous motion, the jug took flight aiming for Dumm Ting's face with utmost precision.
The ultimate insult among dwarfs, throwing a not empty jug into the other's face. Surprised the muscle mountain dodged the not-so-hidden projectile, only to find the peak of the poleaxe aiming for his face.
Polter left his defense to the shield, floating around him, while he concentrated on the offense. Mixing faints with actual attacks, he drove the giant back again. It wasn't just his proficiency, but also the vital points he was aiming for.
It was safe to say, that increasing his size was not to Dumm Ting's advantage, as he brought his ...family jewels to the perfect height for the poleaxe to aim for from time to time. After several minutes of back and forth evading the cowardly attacks, the cultivators seemed to have enough.
With several back flips he increased the distance between them, quick enough that Polter couldn't rush after him, not even with his charge skill. Dumm Ting made several hand seals before playing his palms together and releasing a deep breath.
Then he started talking, his voice becoming louder and louder, growing more hysterical.
“You know little man, if this was a real fight, I would have fled, as you are not worth risking my life. But did you know, given the nature of this tournament, there is no reason to hold back on forbidden techniques!” he ended in crazed laughter as his skin started turning a crimson red, and black markings surfaced all across his body.
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Dropping a “This is not even my final form!”, the battle entered the second stage.
...
There were murmurs in the crowd, it seemed like the cultivators among them knew what was going on. Sitting in Minas Mar's private booth, Master Mountain also scowled at the sight. he had returned the other day, just in time to see the Tournament. Xiong Peng and his disciples had also arrived with him, but they were given their own booth.
“Yu, what is going on?” Seth asked curiously. Dumm Ting had just started transforming in the arena and started looking like a devil.
“You heard what he said, it's a forbidden technique. It's what we call techniques that can rapidly raise the user's power, but they usually come at a great cost. Usually, the user would be burning away their lives for a temporary boost, but this is a form of bedevilment,” Yu said disgusted.
“What does that mean?” the blacksmith asked, surprised by the new term the cultivator had used.
In the arena, the fight jumped back into action, as Polter was not nice enough to wait for Dumm Ting to finish his transformation. However, it was clear, that the shield saint had lost the initiative. He was more and more often forced to parry or block attacks, relying heavily on his shield.
“I don't know what technique this man is using, but the visible signs of bedevilment show that he probably sacrificed a huge number of lives to gain power,” he explained, “ Since they can revive, it seems he is even burning his life force on top of everything. His power already doubled compared to before and is still rising, I'm afraid your friend won't be able to keep this up for much longer...”
In the arena, a circle of five shields of light appeared around Polter, when a barrage of fight rained down on him. The brilliant skill that illuminated the wet arena didn't stay for long, as the magical shields quickly broke under the force of the fists and kicks of the cultivator
“A power gained by sacrifices?” that really sounded like a demonic pact for once.
“It's not what you think. It has nothing to do with the demons you know. This is about rituals to absorb the flesh, blood, and energy of the pure and innocent,” Yu corrected Seth's line of thought.4
“The innocent and pure?” Fin asked concerned. This definition left only one group of people in her mind. Karina's expression had also hardened. Seeing her serious face, Yu hesitated for a moment to continue. But he did it anyway.
“It is as you think. These rituals are known to predominantly sacrifice children and youths for the purity of their bodies and Qi. Having amassed so much power, Dumm Ting must have sacrificed hundreds or even thousands...” Master Mountain said with a heavy voice.
...
His opponent had suddenly grown to become a monster, gaining over 50 levels, and was even recognized as a boss mob by the system. The tremendous rise in power became apparent in their fight.
Polter was struggling a lot, while his opponent kept growing stronger as time went on. Despite his attacks becoming easier to predict, it didn't help a lot, since Polter was not quick enough to really use his knowledge.
The strike kept coming faster and faster, although he tried utilizing the black flames, Dumm Ting simply resisted, as his fists kept crashing against the dwarf's shields and armor. Polter could feel it the moment before it happened.
His bulwark, the relic shield that had kept all attacks away from him, gave in! It was an inaudible crack, as all the accumulated damage connected and-
An unstoppable fist aimed for his life. He saw it as if it was in slow motion. Crashing through his shield, aura, and barrier, it formed into a claw and ripped away the armor and flesh on the left of his rib cage. He could feel his flesh and muscle tear with excruciating clarity.
But he didn't lose his cool, he wasn't dying yet. Raising his broken shield he activated
The poleaxe stretched forward, aiming for Dumm Ting's heart, Polter attempted a last valiant charge, yet- A monstrous hand slapped away the polearm with a force that ripped it from Polter's grip. The poleaxe clattered across the arena, quickly followed by its owner, who received a bone-crunching kick.
His right arm he used to block the kick was broken, but he landed close to the poleaxe. he started crawling toward it when he felt a terrible pain in his lower leg. Looking back, the red hulk stomped his leg. It was broken with his foot turned in an unnatural angle. Still, Polter just grunted.
“You are playing tough, huh? Don't worry, this is far from over. I will use my remaining time to give you a “hero's” death,” Dumm Ting whispered with wicked glee. The dwarf was a realist and he realised he was fighting a vastly superior sadist.
“I g-” he wanted to give up, not giving the cultivator a chance to further humiliate him, but a vicious bitch slap broke his jaw. The next minutes were filled with agonizing pain until his sight finally went dark.
The next thing he knew was that he woke up at the respawn point. He had lost terribly. He was actually eliminated in the first round...