James looked at the crimson window in front of him and asked in a low voice,

"System, tell me the details of the skill."

Another window appeared before him:

[Skill: Blood Manipulation]

[Details: When activated, all the nearest enemies within a radius of two kilometers will be paralyzed, both physically and in their magical elements.]

[Effects: The user will feel weak for 10 seconds after using the skill.]

After reading the details, a crooked smile formed on James's face. He turned his gaze to Ben the Fat, who was approaching him slowly, like a predator savoring its prey.

James glanced behind him, assessing the distance between himself and his adversaries, as well as studying his surroundings for tactical use in the battle.

"Damn it , I know my chances of winning are close to zero, but I feel a strange energy coursing through my body. I think I'm not the weak child I was before," James thought to himself.

"So how do you want me to kill you? Do you want it quick or slow?" Ben the Fat asked mockingly, his face displaying a frighteningly amused expression.

"I think I want to live today. As for you, I want you cooked," James said, leaping from the wall and launching a barrage of fireballs at Ben.

Ben's eyes widened as he tried to protect himself with his hands, but he was too slow. The flaming fireballs hit him from above in a terrifying barrage, creating steam that obscured James's view.

"Did I really do it? His magic didn’t activate in time, so I must have hit him!" James smiled.

Amidst the smoke, a chilling laugh echoed, sending shivers down James's spine and causing his smile to fade.

The huge man emerged from the smoke, covered in a strange blue aura. It was his signature spell, "Dragon scale"

"You really surprised me, you bastard. I didn’t know you had magical abilities; you hid them very well. But today is not your lucky day."

Ben slammed his hand against the wall, breaking through it. "My defensive magic is always active."

These words echoed in James's ears like a sharp knife. He thought he had outsmarted his opponent, but he was gravely mistaken.

Ignoring negative thoughts, he put distance between himself and Ben, preparing to recharge.

One of Ben's servants approached from behind and said, "Master, let me kill him."

Ben looked at the servant in front of him and struck him with his right hand, sending him flying. "Don’t meddle with my prey. Don’t interfere in this fight. I want to kill him myself."

With a broken expression, the servant nodded his head and returned to his staggering companion.

Before Ben could refocus on James, he was met with another barrage of fireballs that struck his face.

"Tsk, tsk, it’s not respectful to attack someone while they’re speaking. Didn’t your mother teach you that?"

James was enraged by Ben's words. "Don’t mention her, you filthy bastard. I will kill you today."

With that, he unleashed his power and sent a fiery onslaught towards Ben, who remained stationary while his defensive magic repelled each attack as if it were child's play.

James fell on one leg, gasping for air. He had used most of his energy but hadn't even scratched Ben.

[Warning: Master's stamina is almost at 20 percent. Please take a rest.]

Ben the Fat laughed, his appearance reflecting his arrogance. "Is that all you’ve got? I thought you were stronger than this."

James struck the ground angrily in response to Ben's provocation but then got an idea.

He spoke in a taunting voice while meeting Ben’s gaze, "These words come from a man who used his strongest magic against a weak boy."

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Ben's smile disappeared as he looked at James and snapped his fingers. In an instant, the blue aura around him vanished.

"You bastard, I don’t need my magic to kill you. I just didn’t want to dirty my suit."

James’s heart raced and his hands trembled. Without thinking, he sent a single fireball towards Ben's eyes.

Ben raised his hand to block the attack, but he was surprised to find it lacking in power.

In front of him, James formed a fiery spear with all his remaining strength and aimed it at Ben. It was his final attack.

Ben’s instincts warned him that something was wrong as his eyes widened.

Before he could move his hands from his eyes, James launched the spear into Ben’s body, piercing and exploding it.

James fell to the ground, unable to rise, praying from the depths of his heart that the attack had succeeded.

A minute passed, and no one moved within the smoke. James wanted to rest, but he heard giant footsteps approaching him.

Ben the Fat emerged from the smoke, his entire body covered in torn official attire.

In anger Ben said, "See, you bastard, you tore my official suit and still couldn’t kill me. Do you now understand the difference between me and you, you insect?"

Ben grabbed James by the neck and lifted him into the air.

Warnings appeared from the System, alerting James that his stamina and health were below critical.

James tried to escape Ben's grip, but he couldn't, and remained dangling in the air.

"Before I kill you, I want to tell you something I usually don’t tell my enemies. But my magic is not mainly defensive , that was just its secondary feature."

Ben snapped his right hand fingers, and in an instant, James’s left leg turned to stone.

The boy screamed in pain as his vision became blurry.

Ben laughed and smiled as he watched James suffer.

"I can’t believe it. Damn it. All my magic couldn’t penetrate him, and I didn’t want to use blood control because I didn’t know if my fire element could penetrate his body even when he was without his magic . Damn it , damn it , why am I so weak"

James’s lower limbs became cold as a complex expression of surrender crossed his face.

In his final moments, he heard Ben speak, "What a pity. You make the same face your mother made that day before I killed her, even though I wanted her for myself."

With weak eyes, James glared at Ben in anger.

"Don’t... mention... her name," James whispered weakly as Ben increased his grip and choked him harder.

Ben’s smile grew malicious as he said, "I payed her a visist and saw her this morning , the tomb was on the way so i destroyed it and let me tell you, she’s still as beautiful as ever. She was just a little green."

He laughed hysterically as if he were having fun.

James looked at the bastard before him with hatred and loathing that made his body tremble.

"I’ll kill you," he shouted weakly.

"I want to see you try," Ben yelled back mockingly and angrily.

James’s vision started to fade to black and unclear. He knew his time was running out.

In a brief moment, time slowed before him as multiple memories began to surface.

When he was young, the first time he tried riding a bike, his fall, and his mother’s laughter as she helped him, the warm milk she prepared for him.

Tears began to fall from James's eyes as he thought about those memories.

In a strange moment, he remembered a visit to his mother’s shop where she taught him how to work with strong iron. He recalled how his mother would focus her flame on one finger, shaping it into a laser, and cut through iron as if it were butter.

James’s awareness returned, and he regained control over his body as he formulated his final plan.

He whispered in a hoarse voice, "System, add one point to stamina."

[One point added to stamina.]

James felt a weak power seep into his body, and although it was minimal, it was all he needed.

He formed two fireballs in his hands.

Ben was surprised by the fireballs, and in an instant, James launched himself over Ben from behind.

Ben, surrounded by his blue aura, said, "You’re still trying, weakling? You were close to damaging me, but you will never defeated me, even if you lived forever ! " Ben shouted in anger.

James rose on one leg while the other remained frozen and spat some blood from his mouth. His vision was blurry, and he couldn’t make out the faces, but he could still distinguish the bastard in front of him.

James raised his trembling right hand and pointed a single finger at Ben.

Ben frowned and shouted angrily, "You can’t kill me, scum. Accept your fate and die quietly. It would take centuries to kill me. I am the Black Dragon scales Ben , the right hand of zerak and the strongest here ! " he roared as he advanced towards James.

James's lips moved in a whisper, " I dont need centuries"

Then added in anger as he glared at Ben with hatred in his heart " I need two seconds, you bastard"

"System, activate Blood Manipulation."

[Activating Blood Manipulation.]

In front of James, Ben’s massive body stopped moving as his blue aura disappeared, and he felt a significant weakness engulf him.

"What’s happening?" Ben looked at his servants behind James and noticed they had also stopped moving. His eyes shifted to James’s finger, now surrounded by a terrible crimson aura.

A chilling shiver ran through Ben’s body as his primal instinct screamed, "Run!"

James raised his functioning right eye and looked at Ben with mockery and anger

"Go to hell , Bastard"

From his finger james released a thin red beam aimed at Ben's heart , piercing it as if it was made of wool

Ben fell into the ground , unable to move

A window appeared before James

[ Time is up ]

James couldn't feel the effects of the skill as he fell unconscious the moment the lazer left his finger , but he knew internally that he won

Out of no where , a figure in a black robe appeared , lifted James's body , and teleported away with incredible speed

[You killed a person +10 points]

[Achievement : you killed someone who is beyong your level +30 points]

[ Title aquired : Titan Slayer]