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Chapter 38 Ithilix Of The Hive

"Liu Jie and Ithilix of The Hive!" said the judge.

Jie leaped up onto the stage, and her eyes went wide. Was there no end to how strange this world got? She'd seen some weird creatures so far, but this?

Ithilix stood opposite her, wearing fine silk, or the equivalent in this world. Its face looked human enough except the features were all sharp and angular. Like some of the weirder fantasy elves Jie had seen in artwork back on Earth. Its hair was in a bun atop its head, and its hands were human-ish. Except its fingers were hard and shiny, and no doubt so was the rest of its body beneath its robes.

Whether it was male or female, Jie had no idea. Its face was beautiful in a kind of creepy way but could easily have been an effeminate boy. Its chest seemed flat and its body had none of the curves Jie would associate with either sex. But this thing obviously wasn't human so... who knew?

Whatever it was, it radiated the aura of the first star of the Expert rank. A full two stars above Jie.

Ithilix gave a respectful bow, and Jie returned it. She was careful to show exactly as much respect. The crowd gasped and Jie frowned. Had she done something wrong again?

Ithilix smiled. "Their shock confuses you? This one appreciates your manners," it said.

Jie returned the smile. "I'll always return what is given me," she said.

Ithilix cocked its head as though considering that. Then, it gave a chittering sound. It sounded kind of like laughter. "This one likes that. This one likes that very much. You are an interesting... hmm?" it said. Its antennae quivered. Its smile grew then.

"This one is honored, Princess," it said, "Please allow this one to test your strength."

Jie frowned. What the hell? "Um... okay? I guess... I'll do the same?" she said.

Ithilix's smile grew until it was beaming.

Does everything I say make it happy? So weird.

"Let the fight... begin!" the judge said.

Ithilix didn't move, and though Jie cycled her lightning step technique, she didn't move either. Who knew what that thing could do? Its strength wasn't oppressive. Only a few stars above her own cultivation level, but it really creeped her out.

"You are below my cultivation, Princess. But, this one believes you can handle this one's true strength," Ithilix said.

It swapped between speaking fairly normally and speaking in super weird ways too. Was this not its normal language then? Jie wondered.

"I don't see why you shouldn't use your full strength," Jie said.

The crowd muttered and Jie's frown deepened. What the hell was she missing? Why did everything have to be so freaking weird? She was probably breaking more of their stupid customs. So freaking dumb. And why did it call her princess? Was that like a hive term for females or something? Ugh. If only Ming were here.

Ithilix inclined its head. "This one expected as much from one such as you. Please allow this one a moment," it said.

Jie expected the crowd to boo, or grow restless or something, but even the judge seemed enraptured by this scene. Jie wanted to hit one of them until they told her what the hell was going on.

Ithilix swept off its robes, revealing a hard, chitinous exoskeleton and far more revealing clothes beneath that better suited its strange body but left almost nothing to the imagination. Again, it looked feminine but Jie remained unsure.

It was slender, but Jie had no doubt it was incredibly strong. She felt a shiver run down her spine as Ithilix unfolded, rising a good two feet more. Its limbs had curved, serrated edges as though specially made to tear through flesh. A long tail with a sharp barb quivered behind it.

"This one is ready," Ithilix said, "please take care."

Jie let out a slow breath and allowed her strength to flow freely. Holding back too much against this thing could be lethal. She'd have to test it out first though. Just because it freaked her out, didn't mean it would be okay to accidentally kill it.

Ithilix vanished in a puff of green qi that seemed to corrupt and foul the air around it and Jie suddenly felt Ithilix's aura behind her. Jie whirled to find a pair of glowing, serrated insectoid arms slashing toward her.

Jie dropped down, Ithilix's green blade-like arms scything through the air above her head as Jie lashed out with a leg sweep that knocked Ithilix's legs out from under it.

Jie tried to follow up with a dragonfist but was forced to dodge as Ithilix spun in the air and struck with its barbed tail, the tip of which oozed poisonous qi. Jie rolled backward and the barbed tail stabbed down, puncturing the tiles beneath where Jie had just been. The white stone boiled and hissed where it came in contact with Ithilix's green qi.

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Jie sprang back up and dashed inside of Ithilix's guard. She slammed a dragonfist into the side of Ithilix's face. Ithilix whirled in the air from the force of the strike, appearing wide open to further attacks. But Jie held off on trying to close as she'd nearly been skewered by Ithilix's tail once already. Sure enough, Ithilix's tail lashed out, stabbing through the path Jie would've taken. Jie stepped back slightly and Ithilix's attack missed.

Ithilix landed with a roll and sprang back to its feet. It wiped at a trickle of green ichor on its lip with the back of its hand.

"You learn swiftly, Princess. This one thinks you are restraining your power. Why?" it asked.

"I'd hate to accidentally kill you," Jie said.

The crowd gasped.

"This one thanks you for your kindness," Ithilix said.

"Ready?" Jie asked.

"This one is overjoyed to continue," it said.

Ithilix leaped at Jie with a jumping kick, its foot and leg glowing with green qi. Jie dodged to the side and tried to come in at an angle to strike Ithilix while it was in the air and unable to evade. But it turned its kick into a spin, slashing at Jie with the glowing, serrated section of its leg.

Jie blocked the strike with a backhanded dragonfist. Crackling blue dragon lightning qi exploded against sickening poisonous green qi and sent Ithilix twirling away once again.

Ithilix used a new martial technique and a green swirling cloud of poisonous qi engulfed them both. The cloud obscured Jie's vision and burned her eyes and skin as Ithilix's aura vanished only to reappear forty feet away.

Jie coughed and tried not to breathe as the insidious poison qi tried to worm its way into her lungs. She felt Ithilix cycle some new martial skill and tried to evade to the left as she raised her arms in front of her head just in case. But, it was difficult to judge how to dodge without being able to see, and hot, burning pain flared in Jie's right forearm and thigh as green glowing darts showered the area around her.

Thankfully, Jie had evaded most of them, but two had found their mark and Jie felt the insidious qi trying to worm its way deeper into her body through the wounds. Jie gripped the darts in quick succession and ripped them out, gnashing her teeth against the pain as she leaped up toward Ithilix with all her strength and speed.

Jie's superhuman leap took her above the level of the swirling cloud of qi and she blinked away burning tears as she caught sight of Ithilix once again.

Ithilix threw glowing green qi darts at Jie once again, aiming not where Jie was but where she would be.

Jie somersaulted, created a lightning step platform above her, and boosted off of it, changing her trajectory entirely as she hurtled toward Ithilix, and Ithilix's qi darts whipped through empty air.

Jie reached Ithilix in the blink of an eye but not even that seemed to faze the insectoid creature, which immediately struck out at her with a glowing hand and serrated forearm. Jie batted the attack away with a dragonfist and continued her lunge driving her other fist hard into Ithilix's stomach with a thunderous boom.

Ithilix tumbled backward and lashed out with its tail again, forcing Jie back as Ithilix regained its footing.

It coughed wetly then spat out more green ichor and smiled, though its teeth were coated in the green liquid. Wait... was that its blood? Jie thought.

"Are you okay?" Jie said.

"This one is unworthy of your care and attention. This one is quite well, but this one sees why you held back. Your power is too much for this one, Princess. Allow this one the pleasure of sparring further though?" it said.

Jie shrugged. "Sure. Why not?" she said.

Almost as soon as the words left Jie's lips, Ithilix sent out another barrage of poison qi darts. Each one streaming a deadly green trail behind it, like venomous comets.

Without the smoke obscuring her vision, Jie dodged the darts with ease as she raced toward the insectoid creature. An instant before Jie reached Ithilix, it used its strange poisonous smoke bomb, obscuring it from view and creating a green fog of poisonous qi.

Yet, as Jie had no form of ranged attack, she pushed forward into the cloud. Poisonous qi stung and burned her eyes and skin as Jie focused on her spirit sense to detect Ithilix. Even with it, Jie was all but blind.

Ithilix appeared at Jie's side and lashed out with a serrated roundhouse kick. Jie blocked with a dragonfist and stepped in closer. Jie grabbed Ithilix's kicking leg near its hip and drove another dragonfist into Ithilix's stomach. Though she kept its power restrained as she did so. Even so, Ithilix grunted from the blow and Jie held its leg firm as she readied another punch to Ithilix's gut.

Just before Jie's strike landed, the leg in her grip evaporated into noxious fumes as did the rest of Ithilix. Jie felt its aura reappear some distance away and immediately raced toward it.

Jie broke free of the poisonous cloud and blinked away burning tears, clearing her blurry vision as best she could.

Ithilix was on the ground, struggling to its feet with trembling limbs and obvious pain in its eyes. Jie hesitated as it rose to its feet and took a fighting stance yet again... only for it to stagger and fall back down to one knee.

"Who knew this Liu Jie was so strong? To stand against a hive warrior? And one at a higher cultivation base no less!" said someone in the crowd. This prompted a round of mutters.

Jie refrained from rolling her eyes. The people of this world gossiped more than the nurses back on Earth.

Ithilix regained its footing on shaking legs then took one slow step forward, then another.

Jie frowned. "I think you're not in good condition for a fight. We can always spar again later," Jie said.

Ithilix cocked its head. "Truly? You would gift this one such an opportunity?" it asked.

"Yeah," Jie said, "I could use the practice."

Ithilix gave that same chittering sound. "You are too kind, Princess," it said, "This one thanks you... in truth... this one would not be able to give you much of a workout now. Your power is far too great. This one thanks you for holding back so much. Judge? This one forfeits."

The judge said nothing for a long moment and blinked. "Uh... yes. Liu Jie is the winner!" he said. His words echoed through the arena, but they were quieter than usual and the crowd was... stunned.

Jie shook her head. Ugh. These people. She followed Ithilix off the stage.

"Um... why are you following this one, Princess?" Ithilix asked.

"I figured I'd go with you to the Arena Clinic. I want to ask you some stuff. Is that okay?" Jie asked.

Ithilix seemed stunned but smiled. "To use your own words, this one sees no reason why not," it said.