The humanoid beings in the lower stands came into view. He saw ordinary humans but they were not the majority. There was no majority, only a diverse range of beings. The most common change from a normal human was the hair and eye color.
The color was not unnatural nor basic blues and reds as if they were dyed. Instead looking into the eyes of some of the beings he felt like he was looking at gemstones. Ruby, sapphire, emerald, etc. their eyes and hair were all these intense perfect colors. That was the most basic change from that of humans.
The more drastic changes varied greatly. He saw pale-skinned beings with fangs, ashen-skinned beings with horns, giants with multiple arms, red-scaled reptilian-like beings, and more. There were so many variations and differences that he couldn’t properly take them all in. And this was only the bottom row that he could properly see.
Taking this all in was interesting but not necessarily the craziest thing he had seen. For now, he removed his eyes from the stands and prepared himself for his fight. This time both physically and mentally so that he didn’t repeat what happened last time. He had more awareness this time as a figure appeared on the opposite end of the arena 25 yards away from him. The sound in the stadium slowly disappeared.
He quickly glanced around, there were still people in the stands, and he could even see them shouting with excitement. Yet the sound did not reach him, the surroundings were so quiet that he could hear his own breathing.
A wolf with pitch-black spiky fur and burning red eyes had materialized. The wolf stared Alex down, Alex met his gaze studying his opponent. The wolf was thankfully not as large as a gray wolf would be but not as small as a coyote. His body may be enhanced but he couldn’t say he was confident in facing an animal that could easily break his bone with a bite.
Alex prepared to fight, ready to rush forward. He didn’t get the chance to act as a strange scene appeared. Shadows began stretching to each side of the wolf, one figure began turning into two.
Within moments two pitch black wolves stood 25 yards away from him. His thoughts churned looking at the two wolves and thinking back to his last fight. He did not feel the same push on his mind though, he was nearly certain both wolves were real. The two wolves were slightly smaller than the single wolf, each probably the size of a coyote now. He braced himself, this would be like the last fight only both shadows would be real this time.
Lacking patience the wolves charged forward. Having gone through this type of scenario in his Soul World he knew what he needed to do. At all times, he needed to make sure he was only fighting one enemy at a time, easier said than done.
The two wolves rushing forward naturally fell into position. The one on the right naturally fell back while the one on the left sprinted forward faster. The two wolves worked in perfect coordination, sharing one mind.
As Alex rushed forward he could feel his speed was faster. His movements were smoother and his mind clearer. The wolves were faster than the fox had been, yet he tracked them with greater ease. Having watched the lion in the image attack so many times his eyes caught on to the first wolf’s movements as it extended.
Only five meters away, he could see the wolf extend as though gathering momentum preparing to jump. He would never have noticed this detail before, but since he had he would use it to his advantage. Snaking to the left side of the wolf and quickening his speed, at the same moment the wolf jumped. Having caught the wolf's movements perfectly it had no time to react. With Alex’s sudden increase in speed the wolf was doubly caught off guard.
Alex called the dagger in his right hand and ripped the dagger up and backward into the exposed stomach of the wolf. He struck upward and back in hopes of sliding under the rib cage and into the heart. Ripping out the dagger with the same intensity he struck the dagger easily slipped out. The wolf's forward momentum made the dagger slip out with ease.
Having stayed a few yards back the second wolf had no problem changing direction. Instantly charging straight toward him and clawing at him. The connection between the two wolves allowed the second wolf to learn from the first and not go airborne.
Still in control, Alex stepped backward, the wolf’s claws missing him by inches. Lunging forward, his dagger pierced toward the wolf's eye like a serpent striking toward its prey. The wolf was overextended and caught off guard. The dagger found the eye of the wolf, piercing through the brain with ease and instantly killing the second wolf.
Alex faltered slightly, having flawlessly pierced the eye. The entire sequence of events had worked perfectly, nearly exactly as Alex had seen the fight going in his mind. That was the problem, the feeling was like walking down the stairs when you reach the end you expect another step but there isn’t one. Your body is jolted and your momentum is completely thrown off.
He had expected the wolf to be able to dodge. He would then sidestep the first wolf that would come attacking. This would continue allowing him to fight only one enemy at a time. When his attack met perfectly, his dagger piercing through the wolf’s eye and killing it instantly he was jolted, his momentum completely thrown off.
Even so, with one wolf down and the other injured, this fight would end easily. This fight had gone nearly exactly as planned, no better than planned. His mind was moving at incredible speeds, all these thoughts going through his head in an instant. Ready to rip out his dagger, his head turned only to see a shadow in his peripheral vision. Alex had miscalculated a second time, he felt his mind go cold as his entire world slowed down even further.
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He had been feeling good up to this point, maybe too good. His momentum was completely gone and the first wolf had recovered far faster than he thought. His dagger was still in the second wolf's eyes, the first wolf was already there latching onto his arm, its momentum carrying him down.
He had thought the injury would slow the first wolf down, even if slightly. He was wrong. Worse yet, the dead wolf turned into a shadow that rushed toward the first wolf that was latched on to him. The only wolf left began growing in seconds, the wound he had inflicted healed in an instant.
The wolf’s bite strength had only been able to pierce his skin and his muscles. Now strengthened, he heard the sound of his bones cracking as his forearm began fracturing even as he fell face-first into the ground. The entire thing only took less than a second but felt like minutes to Alex.
Alex had been stretched outward his right arm and leg in front of him, the wolf had come from his right biting onto his arm and its momentum had easily taken him to the ground with his arm controlling the rest of his body. This made his position awkward, his stomach on the ground his back facing the enemy. This was the worst position Alex could have imagined himself.
Even still his mind had slowed the worlds around him. He had called his dagger back that was in his right hand. He had also turned his head so he could see the wolf his head was turned to the right, looking at the wolf latched onto his arm. The left side of his face was torn apart from hitting the arena floor which was like sandpaper. Sand filling his left eye and mouth he closed his left eye and stared at the wolf.
Alex watched the entire scene as though this was happening to someone else. As though the pain was not his own he ignored it. The wolf shook its head, making his arm go numb as more cracking noises sounded from his forearm. He didn’t hear a true snap so he should still be able to use his arm.
Seconds ago he had been confident, now he was in a vulnerable position seconds from death. He had gambled and he had lost. Still, his arm was not vital to him living as long as he won the jade drop would heal him.
A glint lashed across his eye, as the wolf let go, he rolled onto his back. The wolf had let go for one reason and one reason only to go for his neck. The wolf pounced as he found himself on his back. His right arm had barely any feeling but as he turned naturally fell to his own neck. His left arm crossed covering his neck on the other end as two daggers appeared in his hand.
He could hardly feel the dagger in his right hand, his mind squeezing the dagger as hard as he could. The dagger seemed to feel his need a shadowy tendril flowing into his hand. The pouncing wolf would only meet two daggers if it tried to bite his neck. The wolf changed its attack, its claws attacking his chest. Two deep cuts flashed across his chest, white pain shooting up into him.
The wolf’s momentum was moving forward, thankful in that moment his dad had forced him to take jiu-jitsu when he was younger he brought his two daggers up crisscrossed on each side of the neck of the wolf, while his hips moved up and rotated. Using the wolf’s momentum against it he was able to flip the wolf that was on top of him over. He was on top now.
Now on top of the wolf, his legs straddled the wolf’s stomach. Like any animal forced on their stomach, the wolf kicked and flipped, claws tearing across the back of his legs and his chest. He disregarded the life-ending wounds as he fought back with the same intensity.
Yells echoed out as his daggers struck down over and over again on the wolf’s neck. Dozens of strikes landed in only a few seconds. His own body was torn to shreds his blood flowing down his body and covering the black fur of the wolf in his own blood.
The wolf fought with the same abandon, both on the edge of death. No matter who won, without the jade drop they would die. The wolf managed to gain leverage, turning around and prepared to dart out from him. Alex could not let this happen, the wolf would live longer than him at this moment.
Alex squeezed his bloody thighs together as he was still straddling the wolf. Roaring loudly to keep his mind from being consumed by darkness he stabbed down with both his daggers into the neck of the wolf. Even still the wolf stood up, Alex’s daggers came out and back down again, making the wolf collapse.
The light in the world narrowed as darkness consumed his vision. With a final roar, one of his daggers disappeared, both his hands holding one dagger as he struck down at the back of the neck, piercing through the spine and finally ending the wolf’s life. He had no energy to pull the dagger out, using the last bit of his willpower to call the dagger back as he collapsed to the side of the wolf.
Blood pooled in the sand around him as his vision went completely black his mind cold. A booming voice echoed through the arena. Alex was completely unable to understand what it said.
“Alex Blackwell has defeated his second opponent!”
A drop shining with an emerald light appeared. His body naturally opened his mouth, the drop floating in and sending warm currents throughout his body. He lay there the jade drop slowly bringing light back to his world.
Cheers and stomping feet resounded all around him. A smile appeared on his face. He had fucked up, numerous times, he should be dead. But he wasn’t, the smile widened, he had won, and in this arena that was all that mattered.
He allowed himself to lay there enjoying the cheering and adrenaline coursing through his body. Letting the warm currents healing his body flood through him. As the nurturing stream reached his head the darkness covering his soul began receding bringing back the light. Since the jade dop only had to heal his body this time. There was still left over energy, streaming through his body unused.
With his clarity back, two new concepts appeared in his mind. Two new rules to add to the first two. Rule three, a fight isn’t for betting, if you can maim then maim, if you can kill then kill. If he had maimed the first wolf’s back leg instead of trying to pierce its heart, then none of this would have happened.
Rule four, the momentum of a battle can change in an instant, you are never in a position to relax. Overconfidence guarantees defeat, vigilance gives space for success. He had judged the wolves’ moves correctly twice and then was surprised when he hadn’t a third time. Every strike, every move he needed to be prepared for two possibilities: success or failure. Then a plan depending on what scenario happened.
He had promised to learn from failure and success. He would consider this fight a failure. But no matter what, he had still won and that was worth celebrating. Remembering his two rules to heart, he sat up. Now he would be rewarded, connecting with the token another smile flashed on his face seeing his rewards.