Chương 21: Chapter 21 [Talent B-002 - Red Demon]
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"Yin-Xie" Abek had exhausted all his tricks, but it seemed none of them bothered "Red Demon" Goron in the least.
Su Lun also realized that if the battle continued like this, it was sure to be Abek, who flitted about the arena like a shadow, who would come out worse off.
The outcome of the match suddenly became elusive and unpredictable.
Clearly, this heavily criminal A-level wanted criminal had also become aware of this point.
Just then, he suddenly pulled away, distancing himself before swiftly drawing a six-pointed alchemy star on the ground with one leg, while at the same time, his hands flicked through the hand signs at a rapid pace, completing the transformation ceremony in an instant, and with a light shout, "Armament, release!"
The gamblers below the stage, watching Abek's actions, got excited once again.
"Look, Abek is getting serious!"
"That is his alchemical armament, the [Blue Steel Scorpion Tail], forged from one of the toughest known alloys, 'Mithril Blue Steel', supposedly indestructible..."
"Hey, this guy was actually forced to use his best trick, that big guy is in for trouble. I saw this fella effortlessly kill a whole division of the security police with that scorpion tail..."
"..."
Su Lun hadn't expected the guy to complete the Armament Release so quickly.
He remembered that back at Storm Manor, Bald Ivan seemed to take several seconds.
But Abek, only took 1.3 seconds.
The moment the alchemy Formation dissipated, Abek's clothes suddenly ripped apart, and he sprawled on the ground like a scorpion, a nearly three-meter-long metallic scorpion tail emerging behind him.
This armament scorpion tail was made up of segments of blue steel armor joined together, with graceful lines, yet the metal forging offered extraordinary flexibility. It twisted at strange angles, as if it were a living creature, and at the tip of the tail was a sharp triangular blade, appearing like an upright Spectacled King Snake.
Even from a distance, it exuded a thick aura of danger.
...
With the Armament Unsealed, Abek didn't give his opponent any chance to respond, opting to strike first still.
The [Blue Steel Scorpion Tail] came to life, emitting a strange, fine metal "click-click" sound.
This time, Abek abandoned his previous hit-and-run fighting style and charged head-on.
The metal scorpion tail, more like the head of a predatory snake, shot out unexpectedly!
"It can even extend?"
Su Lun, standing beside the arena, was surprised to see the scorpion tail suddenly stretch out like a spring.
To achieve this, the construction of the metal armament had to be hundreds of times more complex than he had anticipated. Not just mechanically complex, but also the myriad of intricate runic inscriptions.
It looked like a frontal attack, but it was still a surprise assault.
The suddenly shot-out scorpion tail pierced towards Goron's chest with the speed of lightning...
As expected, with the armament out, Abek's combat power surged several-fold. Goron could no longer stand still, and his short blade was simply inadequate to block the fierce momentum of the scorpion tail.
With a "clang", sparks flew in all directions.
The grating sound of metal friction announced that the two had already clashed in one exchange.
Goron, holding his short blade, retreated explosively and took a closer look to find a smooth cut on the chest of his white shirt. Although no blood was visible, the blow had been extremely dangerous.
And Abek's offensive was clearly far from over; having missed with the first strike, the [Blue Steel Scorpion Tail], which could freely extend and retract, lunged out again.
The sound of cutting through the air was incessant, creating multiple afterimages.
In an open space, Goron might have had enough room to dodge, but on the arena, especially one confined by a blast-proof shield, the space for teleportation was strictly limited.
"Clang", "clang", "clang"...
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The dagger and the scorpion's tail touched for several hundred rounds in an extremely short time, dazzling everyone watching.
No one expected that Goron, with his bear-like chest and tiger-like back, would have such agile movements.
Although this suited bodyguard seemed to be in a disheveled state, he had yet to show any signs of defeat.
"So strong!"
Su Lun was completely astonished.
The combat skills of these two totally exceeded his understanding. In his previous life, even the most skilled fighter couldn't perform such exaggerated moves and techniques.
In terms of physical strength, power, speed, and nerve reaction, both had reached a height that was almost inconceivable.
The moves on the arena, which seemed not to cause any casualties, were fatal to ordinary people and even to formal "professionals." Any slight mistake could lead to death on the spot.
This duel opened the door to a new world for Su Lun.
....
Surprisingly, facing such a sharp offensive from his opponent, Goron continued to block with his dagger. Even though his suit was shredded with traces of blood, there seemed to be no indication that he was about to "unleash a big move."
Logically, as a second-order professional, shouldn't this bodyguard have Mithril augmentation gear?
Or was there simply no time?
"Why hasn't this guy unlocked his augments? What is he waiting for..."
Su Lun's eyes flickered, and he vaguely guessed that things might not be so straightforward.
And at that moment, just as he had anticipated, it happened.
Perhaps tiring of the prolonged standstill in the arena battle, suddenly, from the mysterious private rooms on the second floor of the gladiatorial ring, a one-way glass slowly descended. A slightly obese, goateed middle-aged man with gold-framed monocular glasses and a sullen expression shouted down to the arena, "Kill that guy, and you're free!"
Goatee had bet heavily on this match.
It was supposed to be a sure win, and he couldn't afford to see a "draw," or worse, have that contemptible bodyguard intentionally lose, which would cost him a lot of money.
The voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to have a magical power.
All eyes turned to look.
Some recognized the goatee and whispered, "That's... the big boss of 'Bartalov Beverages,' Mendesai Bartalov!"
Old Lington lacked clean water sources and didn't have enough food for brewing, but the demand was high. Thus, the lucrative alcohol industry created several gold-guzzling giants, and this "Mendesai Bartalov" was one of the inner city's top tycoons.
....
And in that moment, Su Lun also immediately understood what Goron was waiting for.
"Humph!"
As Goatee appeared, a cold snort sounded from the arena.
'Red Demon' Goron's demeanor suddenly changed, like a lion awakening from slumber; his eyes, formerly calm and numb, burst forth with a tangible killing intent for the first time.
The one who felt it most strongly was the man on the stage, Yabek.
This A-level wanted criminal, who had committed countless murders, sensed trouble when he saw Goron's surging aura. Those terrifying eyes seemed to prick like needles, truly piercing into his body.
Originally, he had thought to hide some techniques in reserve, looking for a chance to "break out of prison."
But now, he abandoned the idea of holding back his strength. Suddenly, he opened his mouth, and his jaw dislocated exaggeratedly, revealing a startlingly shiny metallic tube.
Before the spectators could discern what was happening, a strong purple poison gas erupted, instantly enveloping the entire gladiatorial ring.
The massive "blast shield" turned into the perfect barrier for the spread of poison gas; within just a few seconds, the entire arena was shrouded in blindness.
"What... what happened?"
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"It seems that Abercrombie guy sprayed poison gas..."
"This is bad, can't see anything, and the air is filled with poison gas; that big guy is probably in danger now."
"This arena gives too much advantage to assassins like Abercrombie. Huh... seems like I'm going to lose my bet on 'Red Demon'. I'd heard rumors that he was really powerful..."
"..."
The entire arena was shrouded in purple poison gas, and the spectators, unable to see the fight, started to complain.
But such a competition is brutal by nature, aimed ultimately at killing. Everyone accepts only the outcome, regardless of the process.
Su Lun watched with furrowed brows.
The poison gas that Abercrombie used as his trump card was definitely no simple matter.
The arena was sealed off, with no way to escape.
Thinking that even if Goron was really tough, the best outcome was likely both of them dying together.
"Looks like I'm going to lose a thousand..."
Su Lun muttered to himself, but didn't feel it was a pity to lose the money.
After all, to witness such an exciting fight between professionals was worth the price of admission.
At the same time, as he gazed at the poison fog, his face became somewhat strange, thinking: If that guy had done this during his previous fight in the arena, wouldn't all the people in this gambling den have to be buried with him?
The big shots in the private rooms on the second floor might be able to escape, but these ordinary bettors, probably not many would survive.
Tsk tsk... this world is dangerous.
Su Lun felt that without extraordinary strength, one could just drop dead at any moment from an accident.
....
Poison gas filled the air, making it impossible to see.
The betting hall fell into silence, with only the occasional whisper from bettors.
Is it over?
The spectators were mentally prepared, waiting to see the outcome of the match.
But just then, suddenly!
A strange noise drew everyone's attention.
A loud "thud",
as if something had slammed heavily against the blast shield.
Then...
Another brutal "thud", another disturbance from a different direction. A shadow was seen hitting the glass shield before disappearing instantly.
"Is it not over yet? What's happening inside?"
The entire gambling hall was dead silent.
All the bettors stared at the poison-gas shield, trying to discern what was going on.
At that moment, suddenly, a roar resounded.
"Roar!"
The sound was like an angry monster, making one's head spin even through the glass shield.
Then there was a sound of dense thuds... like hammers pounding on the ground, shaking the whole betting hall.
Shortly after, the noise stopped.
All was quiet again.
The view was still obscured by the poison gas blast shield.
The crowd of bettors looked confused.
Everyone exchanged glances, each revealing the same doubt in their eyes: What exactly happened?
....
"The match is over, the red side wins!"
Amidst the bewildered looks of the bettors, the organizers suddenly announced the result.
It seemed that those running the gambling den had a special method of confirming that the blue side's gladiator had died.
At that moment, the automatic air-exchange system beneath the arena activated, and the thick purple poison gas was sucked into the ground.
As the poison fog cleared, visibility gradually returned, and everyone could see what had happened.
On the platform stood a giant red-skinned monster, oozing murder.
"That is... Baron of Hell?"
Su Lun looked at the red-skinned muscle freak, his eyelid twitching.
But obviously, it wasn't, as this creature didn't have horns on its head.
On the ground lay a mass of bloody flesh that no longer resembled a human form. And that indestructible "Blue Steel Scorpion Tail" had shattered into metallic fragments...
The whole platform was in complete disarray.
Clearly, the body on the ground was 'Shadow Scorpion' Abercrombie.
Then... the red-skinned muscle monster must be 'Red Demon' Goron.
As if time had paused for a few seconds, someone finally exclaimed, "God... I thought it was just a nickname, but that guy's awakened talent really is 'B-class', known as one of the strongest close-combat talents, [B-002-Red Demon]!"
A legendary talent that is said to be even stronger than most A-class talents in combat!
....
By the side of the platform, looking at this imposing red-skinned "Baron of Hell," an unnerving emotion surged within him.
He had guessed that 'Red Demon' Goron was strong, but he had no idea he'd be this brutally powerful!
Once his special move was activated, it was a complete steamroll.
The gap between the two fighters was so large it was unbelievable.
Why is it that just any bodyguard from the Inner City is so strong?
Could it simply be a matter of talent?
Su Lun was filled with doubts.
Glancing again at the "gray fog" over the body on the ground, he was even more eager to know.
And at some point, Captain Kai had also made his way to the side of the platform.
Looking at the situation on the platform, this newly minted professional also had much to reflect on, muttering to himself, "The Inner City gathers over 90% of Old Lington's alchemy resources, takes in the most top-grade cursed objects, holds the most transformation sequences, alchemy blueprints, and also the rarest talent bearers... That's why so many powerful fighters are desperate to get into the Inner City."
PS. This isn't filler; he's a character with a story. Brothers, cast your votes~
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