“So…uh…do you maybe want to talk this out?” Rex asked as the battle started. He tightly held his [Blessed Blade]. The wooden shield with metal reinforcements clung to his off-hand. Rex may have been equipped for battle, but he wasn’t ready for the war that was about to begin. His team received an ominous message from Genesis about James and the other heroes. They had been officially challenged by other participants of the Genesis Program. What that meant or the limitation it placed, no one from The Unnamed Team was sure of.

“No,” James said. He rushed forward and sliced through the air with his impressive sword. The arena’s sand floor blew away from the swing’s power. The blade gleamed in the sun’s light. Even without an appraisal skill, Rex could confirm the weapon’s strength. This, of course, goes without mentioning the muscular blue dragonborn. James was nothing to scoff at. He clearly invested everything into his strength attribute. Additionally, he benefited from various racial skills that came with being a descendant of dragons.

“Come on, we're both in the Genesis Program. Let’s just be cool.” Rex said. He was forced to continue the conversation between dodges. It seemed like James had no intention of stopping. Fortunately, Rex had gotten better at evaded attacks thanks to his training with Alpha. The shield he used was light enough to not hinder movement, and it gave his enemy the preconceived notion that Rex was a less dextrous fighter.

“NOTICE. SKILL [EVASION III] HAS BEEN ACQUIRED.”

“I already know you’ve killed three sins. That’s something even my team hasn’t done.” James said. His pride had been continuously wounded as of late. Prophecies had foretold his team destroying the sins, yet these weaklings were taking his prey. The Heroes of The Voice spent their days rigorously training and helping everyone they could on their journey. Meanwhile, The Unnamed Team defeated sin after sin and only looked out for themselves when the going got tough. At least, those were the rumors James had heard.

“Yeah, but-” Rex tried to say but was interrupted. An anger-fueled swing collided with his shield, instantly slicing off the top half. The impact of the blade was reduced thanks to his armor, but Rex was still sent flying despite his best defenses. He would have been cut clean through if not for his new equipment. Rex mumbled a quiet thanks to both Linn and Genesis who assisted in its creation. Dazed, Rex struggled to get up, but his opponent’s voice quickly snapped him back to reality.

“Shut up and fight!” James yelled. His opponent was either pretending to be weak or mocking him. Regardless of Rex’s true motives, James wanted to show who was on top. He took a step back to brace for the recoil of his next attack. Rex wasn’t within melee range, but that wasn't a problem for the dragonborn. James could have used his javelin, but he wanted to provide a good spectacle for the audience. He opened his mouth wide. Sparks of electricity began to generate before an eruption of lightning shot out.

This was one of the many benefits of being a dragonborn. Every member of the race was able to use their breath as a weapon. The element varied depending on the dragonborn’s heritage. For the most part, it was easy to tell. The color of their scales was a clear indicator of their chosen element. As a blue dragonborn, James was blessed with the power of lightning and had resistance against attacks from that damage type as well.

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Unfortunately, this was the first time Rex had ever encountered a dragon, let alone their weaker kin. He wasn’t prepared to dodge the breath attack. His only saving grace was that James’s aim was slightly off. The surge of electricity tore through the right side of Rex’s armor. He could feel his muscles spasming against his will, but Rex was thankful he wasn’t seriously injured. The worst of the attack was over…just in time for the follow-up.

James wasted no time in this fight. He needed to win. After experiencing back-to-back losses recently, a victory was the only thing that could satisfy him. James grabbed his enchanted javelin and threw it with all his might. Too much might. The weapon soared through the air and zipped past his target. The javelin lodged itself into the arena’s wall before erupting into a small lightning storm. Rex took note of the weapon’s area-of-effect enchantment and prepared himself.

There were two ways to win this fight: defeat the opponent or force them out of the arena. The former was what most preferred. It was almost impossible to push someone out. The arena’s walls stood tall and proud. They were approximately three times the height of a normal human and built to withstand many attacks. Rex tried to strategize, but that was far from his strong suit. He was pinned to the arena’s edge without any means of escape. Plus, James was rapidly approaching with a sword in hand.

Then, it all came together.

“Fine then! Don’t cry when I win!” Rex said. He swung with his sword, but each attack missed. Rex still wasn’t used to wielding an impressive weapon. The [Blessed Blade] was significantly longer than any rod he’d used before. Plus, Rex needed to utilize the blade’s edge and tip. A rod could be swung around wildly, much to the demand of [Irresponsible]. This new weapon required finesse which Rex lacked. His swings increased in speed, but they were obviously frantic. Every missed attack only prolonged the fight and reflected how well James trained his defense. Something must have happened next. Maybe through the sweat of his hand or a master plan, Rex released his grip around the weapon.

“What?” James said, gasping at the absurd sight before. He’d never seen someone lose their weapon like this. It was common knowledge to hold one’s weapon with a firm grip. This assisted in dealing powerful strikes and maintaining its position. Even novices should have known this fact, yet Rex, a slayer or sins, lost his only means of attack. His eyes followed the [Blessed Blade], completely missing what his opponent was doing.

Rex ran around James to get away from the wall behind him. He quickly turned at pulled out his latest update to his series of stick weapons. The [Steel Rod] was ready for battle, but Rex had no time to bash it against James. He couldn’t waste this moment. [Weapon Throw] was activated, and the rod flew through the air. It dashed by James’s head as intended. The rod struck the wall then bounced back, crashing into the dragonborn’s head. James wasn’t ready for this unorthodox attack and recoiled from the impact. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.

“[Unarmed Strike]!” Rex said as he rushed forward with an open palm. The skill wasn’t very powerful, but it didn’t have to be. All that was needed was the skill’s added effect. Its knockback.

James felt himself lift off of the ground. Rex struck at just the right angle to propel him into the air. This skill was strong enough to force Alpha, the Predator Slime, to take several steps back. After leveling it up during training, it was more than willing to send James above the wall. The audience panicked and made room for their arriving guest. During his fall, James was left to reflect on where things went awry.

For the first time in quite a while, he heard Genesis deliver a negative message.

“NOTICE. YOUR CHALLENGE AGAINST ANOTHER PARTICIPANT OF THE GENESIS PROGRAM HAS ENDED. THE VICTOR MAY NOW TAKE ONE OF THE LOSER’S SKILLS.”