"Don't be mad at Velin. He thinks he's protecting you, albeit in his retarded way." Hog interrupted the silence as he and Cenn walked toward the arena.

"I'm not a child anymore. I'm tired of his custody. This tournament is the most interesting thing that's happened in my life. And even I only got into it because old man Orist sent Aydor to participate, even though he's younger than me," Cenn replied irritably.

"Come on, stop whining. All you do is eat, sleep, and train all day long, you shouldn't complain," Replied Hog trying to calm the boy down.

"You're right, but I'm sick of this life. If I can join the Sect, everything will change."

"What's gonna change, dummy head? Do you think the Sect will be fun and adventure? Do you even know where they are?"

"Uh, what does that have to do with it?" Asked Cenn in confusion.

"Because the Iron Fist Sect and all its disciples live year-round on one of the highest peaks in Tall Ridge. I'm sure Mister Parive is in a hurry to finish the tournament today because of the weather problems. I heard that the sect's headquarters is inaccessible for most of the rain cycle and wind cycle. That's why he's in such a hurry to return."

"..." Cenn tried to digest the information he had received.

"So you'll be locked up in your cell for the next five months if you can defeat Krinnel of course," Added Hog.

"Are you trying to talk me out of this fight?" Asked Cenn.

"No, you need to understand why you agreed to this fight.

Revenge for Aydor is a crappy reason.

If you're tired of being locked up and want a change, the Iron Fist Sect isn't the right place for you.

Maybe you think you can help your family by winning the tournament. That's certainly true, but trust me, it's not worth risking your life for."

"I .." Thoughts swirled in Cenn's mind. He was thinking that the reasons Hog had listed were already enough to agree to the fight. But even if one forgot about them. There was a reason he couldn't say. "I want it for myself. And to fulfill one promise." Cenn said it was barely audible and looked away. Afraid to meet the fat man's gaze.

"Heh. Well if that's the case, I'm happy for you, kiddo." Said Hog and forcefully patted Cenn on the back.

The journey from Dr. Renol's office to the arena took them only a few minutes. They were making their way through the unusually crowded streets of Heartglen. Cenn could hear people discussing the past fight and speculating on who would come out victorious in the next one. After a couple of minutes, they reached the entrance to the arena.

"Well I guess you'd better wait inside," Hog said.

"Are you staying to watch my fight?" Asked Cenn.

"Sure, you think I'm the only one? I'm sure most of our people will be there to watch you kick that bastard's ass too."

"I hope I can do it," said Cenn with a smile.

"I'm sure you can do it."

Cenn nodded and headed towards the entrance.

"Hey Cenn!" Shouted Hog.

"What?"

"Watch your nuts, kid! Ahahahahaha!" Shouted Hog loudly.

Cenn blushed upon hearing this. Considering that there were quite a few people around the arena and they heard Hog's words perfectly well, Cenn couldn't understand why the fat man had said something so embarrassing to him. Until he remembered Aydor's last fight.

Shaking his head he went inside where he was led to one of the rooms to wait for the next fight.

…

Meanwhile, in Dr. Renol's office, the atmosphere was quite tense. Everyone was waiting for news from the doctor, but he still did not come out of his office.

Suddenly, the door leading outside opened and one of the Orist family's servants entered the interior courtyard.

"Mr. Velin, there's a two men from the Temple here. They say they have business with you."

"From the Temple? You idiots made him wait outside?" Velin asked, restraining himself from shouting at the servant.

Without waiting for an answer he went outside. Seeing the two deacons, he politely invited them inside.

"We're sorry to disturb you, Mr. Bael. But we have an urgent errand from the Senior Deacon," said one of the deacons upon entering the courtyard.

"Oh well. If I can be of any use to the Senior Deacon, I will gladly fulfill his errand," replied Velin, not understanding what was going on here.

Hearing this, the deacon who had spoken earlier pulled a small leather pouch from the depths of his cloak and held it out to Velin.

"The Senior Deacon regrets that young Aydor was injured in today's battle. Part of the blame for this lies with him, and as an apology, he asks that you accept a small gift."

Velin carefully took the pouch from the deacon's hands.

"Inside is a vial of blood essence. I am sure this medicine will help your son recover."

"I, I don't know how to thank you. Tell the Elder Deacon that the Bael family will never forget his kindness." Replied Velin.

Suddenly, Old Man Orist got up from the pew he was sitting on and ran up to the deacons. Bowing low he muttered.

"And the Orist family, the Orist family as well. We are so grateful. Tell them that if we have to give our lives, we won't flinch for a second. We are so grateful. I have to tell him in person."

But Velin's hand immediately grabbed the old man's shoulder.

"Father-in-law, stop, please. We will thank our benefactor together later."

"We will pass on your words, don't worry." The deacons bowed and hurried outside.

And Velin immediately made his way to the doctor's office.

"Fabir! Fabir, open the door."

After a couple of seconds, the door swung open.

"I told you not to disturb me."

Holding out a pouch with a vial Velin explained to him what had happened and asked him to use the miraculous medicine immediately.

"Blood essence really can work wonders. With this amount, wounds will heal in a couple of days. But... Go inside." Dr. Renol turned to Velin.

As Velin entered the office and Renol was already closing the door, Mizra Orist tried to slip inside but found himself squeezed by the door.

"I need to know too!" The old man wheezed.

After a nod from Velin, Renol let the old man inside and closed the door.

In the office was a small desk, and several cabinets with medicines and tools. And most importantly in the center of the room stood a large wooden table on which Aydor was lying. Three huge stitches crossed his chest and stomach.

"My poor boy!" Seeing his mutilated grandson, Mizra could not hold back his tears. He cautiously approached Aydor and took his hand. "I will not be able to live my life in peace until that bastard is held accountable for what he has done.," he said quietly.

"Calm down, Mizra, we'll talk about this later. We are here to listen to the doctor," Velin answered him.

"The boy is in strong health, so he will survive without any doubt. And with the blood essence, his wounds will heal even faster. But that's where the good news ends.

I noticed something was wrong with him when I was stitching up his wounds. So I used my qi to check his dantian and meridians. The dantian is fine, but his abdomen, spleen, and liver meridians are badly affected," Renol said.

"So what does that mean? Is there anything we can do to fix it?" asked Mizra.

"His current cultivation level isn't affected, but I doubt he'll be able to continue cultivating. Every time he uses qi, he will experience severe pain in the damaged meridians. And in case he uses too much qi at once, the damaged meridians might not be able to withstand it and he would die. So it would be better if he continued to live like an ordinary mortal. But even then, he's unlikely to live to be 30 years old."

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Hearing Renol's words, Mizra fell into despair. Tearfully cursing Krinnel, the tournament, and everyone around him.

...

The arena's tribunes were filled. Of course, 600 seats were not enough for a city of almost 3,000 people. Every year, the tournament finals have drawn large crowds. But this year the excitement was much stronger than usual. In addition to the residents of the town itself, many people from the surrounding villages and farms came here today. So those who could not get to the arena flooded the narrow streets of the city, and the area around the arena waiting for the results of the fight.

Merchants and hawkers from all over the city gathered around the arena selling their wares, food, and drink, from small hand-hewn calves to those who never made it to the arena.

Among the crowds of idle citizens, suspicious-looking men scurried about, offering to place bets on the victory of one of the fighters. And if someone agreed to bet, the person accepting the bet would take the money and then make simple notations on a small rod. When all the betting information was written down, the twig would be split in two so that both parts had the betting marks. These splits were the only way to confirm your bet and receive your winnings.

Outside the arena, the judge's voice could not be heard, but by the deafening roar of the crowd that came from the arena, everyone present realized that the fight had begun.

…

“The fight begins!”

The doors leading to the arena opened and the contestants entered the arena.

As the doors opened, Cenn stepped forward with determination. Never before had he been so eager for a fight.

After taking a couple steps he saw Krinnel on the other side of the arena. He looked the same as before, except someone had stitched up his ear and treated a cut on his cheek. But otherwise, he was still the same as he had been an hour ago, and that pissed Cenn off.

The image of Aydor lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood reappeared in Cenn’s mind. Taking a couple of deep breaths, Cenn managed to suppress the rage bubbling up in his heart.

[Remember what Velin said. Anger will dull? dope? blur? Shit. Just don't get angry, you idiot! Victory is for purpose, not revenge. Yes, for a purpose. I have a purpose.]

Cenn repeated to himself, trying to set himself up for the fight. And slowly approached his opponent.

As in the previous fight, Krinnel moved leisurely forward with his saber out of its sheath, his whole appearance radiating confidence in victory.

Cenn was certain that Krinnel would not use his sigils unnecessarily. Based on past fights, Krinnel had only used Shield Sigil and Tiger Sigil. And it was completely unclear what else he had in his arsenal. It was only a matter of finding out in battle.

[Let's start with our strength level.]

"Bull Sigil!"

Strengthens the wearer's body, increasing Strength by 2 points and Speed by 10%.

The wielder's attacks additionally receive an onslaught effect, allowing him to deal minor damage to the enemy even if the attack is blocked.

Shouted Cenn as he activated the Sigil and felt the energy overflowing his body.

Strength Dexterity Constitution Intelligence Charisma 7 +2 9 7 4 4

"Grasshopper Sigil!"

Grasshopper Sigil Amplification.

Strengthens the wearer's body, giving him the ability to move quickly in any direction and jump high.

The range and speed of dashes and jumps depend on the owner's rank.

Immediately, he used the second sigil. To gain an advantage in speed.

[Our strengths are about equal, but I'm much faster, so the advantage is on my side.]

When there was just over 10 feet between him and Krinnel, Cenn adopted an attack stance and took a couple of steps forward.

Thrust

When the distance was down to 5 feet, Cenn threw a quick stab to the stomach.

Krinnel swung his saber to the side and easily dodged the spearhead.

Sweep

Thrust

Dash

Cenn dashed to the side and struck from a better position, taking advantage of the speed.

Chop

Not wanting to give his opponent time to attack, Cenn moved quickly around him, throwing strikes to find weaknesses in Krinnel's defense. But all the blows were easily blocked.

[Damn it. His swordsmanship is much better than I thought.]

Cenn was surprised at how easily Krinnel reflected all of his attacks. Compared to the other opponents, his defense was flawless. And how good his enemy's attacks were, Cenn would rather not check.

Thrust

Another stabbing blow. This time to his left thigh, which seemed to be defenseless against the attack.

But suddenly Krinnel moved to the right, and his leg barely got out of the way of the blow. The tip of the spear slid down his pants, tearing the woolen fabric.

As Cenn tried to pull the spear back, Krinnel grabbed the shaft with his left hand, preventing Cenn from breaking the distance. Immediately he struck with his saber, aiming for Cenn's left arm.

Realizing that the saber was about to cut off his arm, Cenn released the spear from his left hand and took a step backward, avoiding the blow.

As Krinnel's saber came down without finding its target, Cenn pulled the spear towards himself with his right hand and with his left hand grabbed Krinnel's hand where he was holding the saber and pulled his arm towards him with force.

"AAAAARRRGGH!" Letting out a furious shout, he headbutted his opponent in the face with all his might.

Nodding back and another sharp blow to his head.

Blood streamed from Krinnel's nose, realizing he had to respond he let go of the spear, stepped forward, and pulled his right arm towards him, closing the distance between them. Immediately with his left hand he grabbed Cenn by the throat and began to choke as hard as he could.

Feeling his throat being squeezed by his enemy's heavy hand, Cenn couldn't figure out what to do. His left hand was blocking Krinnel's saber. His right hand was holding his spear, which was unfortunately useless at a distance of half a foot.

He couldn't activate the sigil because Krinnel's hand was clutching his throat.

Releasing the spear was equivalent to admitting defeat. Letting go of the saber and immediately getting hit wasn't an option either.

[Legs!]

*Kick*

Cenn took a knee to the stomach. But Krinnel was ready for it and took a step back. So the blow went into the void.

[Then let's try another way.]

Cenn intercepted the spear with his hand close to the center of gravity. And turned it upright and struck Krinnel's foot with the back of the spear.

Strike

"Aah!" A cry of pain came from Krinnel's lips. The simple leather boots did nothing to soften the impact of the heavy spear.

Strike

Another strike, but this time Krinnel managed to get his left leg out of the way.

Strike

Strike

Strike

Cenn continued to kick where Krinnel's foot should have been. The hand on his neck continued to clench and he could feel the thoughts begin to muddle through his head. He didn't have much time left to break free of that grip.

Throwing a glance down, Cenn saw Krinnel saving his leg from the attacks lift it into the air and bring it back up.

[That's it.]

With all his weight, he piled on top of the enemy, causing Krinnel to fall on his back.

Despite his rival's best efforts to stay on his feet, a moment later, they were on the ground.

Cenn pressed himself down on Krinnel. With his left hand, he pinned his saber arm to the ground. Raising his body slightly, Cenn brought his right fist, in which he was clutching his spear, and struck a blow to his opponent's face.

Punch

Punch

From the last of his strength, Cenn delivered blow after blow.

Punch

"Ant!" Shouted Krinnel under the hail of blows.

Ant Sigil Amplification.

Increases the owner's Strength by 5, but decreases their Dexterity and Constitution by 1.

Krinell Strength Dexterity Constitution Intelligence Charisma ? + 5 ? - 1 ? - 1 ? ?

Punch

"Aargh!" Gaining a substantial increase in strength Krinnel threw Cenn off of him. And rose to his feet. His face was in a terrible state. His nose was broken and his left eye was so swollen that he couldn't open it.

Cenn quickly got to his feet as well. Clinging to his spear he held his throat, trying to catch his breath.

But Krinnel didn't give him a second, immediately launching his attack. Coming within striking distance, he swung his saber over his head and delivered a powerful blow to Cenn.

Cenn's breath was knocked out so much that he was unable to dash. So he decided to take the blow. Putting his spear in front of him, he blocked the attack. But the blow was so strong that he could barely contain it.

The extra 5 units of Strength turned Krinnel into a monster. The saber's blow hurt every muscle in Cenn's body. It was foolish to take a blow to the forehead. But there was no time to regret, the first attack was immediately followed by more.

Chop

Chop

Chop

Krinnel was throwing strikes from top to bottom as if he were trying to pummel Cenn into the ground.

Concentrating on the opponent's saber, Cenn didn't notice the kick to his stomach.

Cenn was nearly turned inside out by the blow, he took two steps back and raised his spear to block another saber strike. But then he missed another kick to the groin.

Hog's words flashed through his mind, but it was too late. A piercing pain wracked his body, but he was still on his feet.

At this time Krinnel took a few steps back and turned to the judge.

"I've won! One more punch and he's dead. I don't want you to blame me for his death," Krinell said.

The judge looked meaningfully at the defiant young man, then at his opponent.

"Young Bael, do you admit defeat," asked the judge.

"Not a chance! I'd rather die than lose!" shouted Cenn in response.

"Then stop talking," proclaimed the judge.

"You'll regret this!" said Krinnel with hatred and rushed to attack.

With a series of swift blows, he pinned Cenn against the wall. Seeing that his enemy was unable to dodge, Krinnel smiled viciously.

Seeing that smile, Cenn immediately realized what Krinnel was up to. But there were not many options to get out of the trap, so the only thing left was to attack back.

Quickly intercepting his spear, Cenn swung.

"Claw!" Shouted Krinnel.

"Wind!" Cenn's voice sounded.