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Book 2: Chapter 42
🕑 Added 2024-06-11 19:15:14 +0000 UTCThe lead up to the final fight was unlike any of the others, everyone was invited to witness the fight, all were welcome to attend. They were also informed that this fight would be recorded and shared throughout the multiverse for all to view at their leisure, which was apparently standard for new integrations so that information on the most powerful could be spread, it would also be announced, what clans had secured the fighters, if any had done so, to promote the alliance between a champion of their planet and a clan. After the fight there would be a ceremony where the winner would be crowned and rewards distributed to the highest ranking of the stage.
Shaun couldn’t wait for this entire thing to be over, he had been spending most of his time drafting up rituals that he could use in conjunction with the Life and Death treasures he had, but so far he had yet to come up with a successful design that truly utilised both treasures. He had also spent time coming up with his own plans for Earth, the first thing he wanted to do was explore and see the new world, find some dungeons that he could fight in and maybe, if he was lucky, find somewhere that he could settle down for a while and focus on ritualistic magics.
The time that he needed to be at the arena had come quickly and right in the middle of another one of his ritual designs his orbs indicated he needed to make his way to the battle. As he walked his way to the waiting area he noticed that no one else was in the colosseum, he didn’t see a single person until he got to the waiting room and found Viv sitting by herself.
“You going to set your pet dog on me like you did Li?” Viv questioned when he sat down. “Or are you planning on fighting me properly?”
“Does it matter, I am going to win either way.” This was the first time he had spoken to Viv in a while, not including when she had purchased the links in the store. “But don’t worry, I wont set Spike on you today.”
“I can’t believe you names hat monster Spike. You are seriously deranged.” Viv scowled at him, but he saw through it, she was trying not to smile at him, barely holding back a laugh.
“I will have you know, Spike is a Flame Hound and he isn’t a monster, he is a creature. They are two different things.” He corrected her. “Besides, Spike’s a good boy.”
Viv just shook her head at him and looked away. They ended up waiting longer than normal but eventually they were called into the arena. The crowd was cheering Viv’s name as soon as they came into view, clearly something had been said before they came out that had everyone already riled up and shouting for Viv to kill him.
“Today we will crown a champion!” Dijaun yelled at the audience. “Vivenne Grace is the most talented archer we have seen in the arena, her skill with the bow is impressive and her arrows are deadly! We are all hoping to see her bring down the rejector known as Shaun Clermont! But will he even give her a chance, will he cheat and use his summons again? Showing us all how much of a coward he is. Or will he man up and fight her with his sword? Vivenne has had multiple offers from several clans for her to join them, a decision on who she may join will be decided in the coming days, Shaun however, is an outcast, never to join a clan or power, forever alone.”
That was just rude. The commentary from Dijaun had turned nasty, clearly the reps were not happy with how the fights had gone, they had done everything they could do have him killed in the arena and this was their last chance to see it done before he was released back to Earth.
“Are our fighters ready?” Both Shaun and Viv nodded, neither taking their eyes off each other. “Then let the battle begin!”
Viv didn’t hesitate in making the first move, quicker than he had expected she had an arrow flying his way, one of the growth arrows that he had crafted for her. He had expected this though, and one of the downsides to archer archetypes when they were fighting him was that he controlled the air, because of that he was able to simply redirect it to fly past him. Surprisingly the arrow had resisted his attempts, and he ended up using more power than he had expected in succeeding in changing the course of the arrow. Viv didn’t let up though, she fired two more arrows at him in quick succession, he swatted the first one out the air with his gauntlet covered hand, although barely being quick enough to do so. The second he decided to dodge using his ring, appearing behind Viv in the arena.
Before she was able to fully turn he sent three fire balls headed straight at her, repaying her for the three arrows she had sent at him. She managed to move out of the way of the first two but the third was one more than she could successfully dodge and she ended up getting hit and sent flying across the arena. He had to admit though, she recovered quickly. She was back on her feet and sending more arrows his way, some were just normal arrows powered up by skills but one of them was the starling arrow that would hurt even him if he was hit. Rather than try and dodge them normally he instead shifted into the air and drifted out of the way, all of the arrows missing him but causing massive damage to the area he had been standing. She is not holding back.
For a while they played cat and mouse around the arena, Viv continued to send her attacks at him and he would dodge and then send his own attacks back, although his wee nowhere near his most powerful. He admired just how much Viv had grown in the last few weeks, and he fully understood during their fight just how she had gotten to be the one who was fighting him now. Her attacks were all precise and strong and she never just stood in one place, she was constantly moving around the arena, refusing to be pinned down by him.
When he had decided that he would end the fight he sent a bolt of lightning right at her, enough to do some damage but not enough to kill. Surprisingly she did something he did not expect. She took another of her devouring arrows and fired it right at his attack. The arrow was capable of absorbing power, but he had never expected it to do what it had done. Where the arrow met lightning his own attack was partially absorbed by the arrow, the rest of his attack being knocked off course and she was able to dodge it.
Shaun just looked on in shock, no one had ever been able to redirect on of his lightning attacks before and to see that Viv had done it had left him stumped for a moment, a moment that Viv took full advantage of. Before he even realised it another of the starling arrows was sent his way, hitting him before he even registered what was happening. The attack hit him full force, his armour taking a large portion of the damage but he was still blasted back. The arrow hadn’t managed to pierce his own Wyrm leather, but the actual magic behind it hit him at full power.
The attack was enough to take a decent chunk out of his health, but not enough to put him out of the fight, nowhere close. He stood up from the ground and made a show of brushing off the dirt from his armour, showing everyone watching that he could simply take the attack and stand back up afterwards as if it had no effect on him, when in reality, it had hurt like a bitch.
He had expected another follow up attack from Viv, she even had another arrow ready to go, but instead she was waiting to see what he did next. She had sent out one of her most powerful shots at him and he had treated it like it was nothing. Shaun had let her make a good showing of her ability, even getting complacent enough to get hit, but now he needed to end the fight.
Shaun sent out strike after strike from his sword, mixing the element used so that she would need to deal with fire, air and lightning, each one being different enough that blocking would be impossible and the resulting explosions all varied to the point that knowing where to run was near impossible. Viv did a good job of getting out of the way of the first few but the more he sent her way the less room she had to move. Eventually she was hit by one of the air strikes which put her in the way of a lightning one which left her a convulsing mess. His attacks were a little more powerful than usual but still he had toned back the power so that there was no real risk of dying.
Viv recovered from the attack but nowhere near as quickly as she could have at top health. She was slowing down and he decided to capitalise on that. Just as he looked like he was going to send out another attack he shifted into lightning and came down from the sky right beside her, the result sent Viv hurling away, the lingering effects of the electricity reducing her ability to fire her arrows further.
Before she had a chance to recover he teleported to stand over her and placed his sword to her throat, he didn’t attack further, simply gave her the chance to concede. “I hate you, you know that?” in that moment even Shaun could believe that what she was saying was true.
“Feeling is mutual, I can assure you.” As he spoke he saw her shift slightly, she had an arrow in her hand, the last of her devouring ones, and just as she was about to stab him with it he stepped down on her arm, trapping both her hand and the arrow to the ground. He also pressed the sword further towards her neck, drawing a bead of blood from a small cut.
“I concede.” The moment her last gambit was thwarted she gave up. If he didn’t have the stats that he did, he probably would have been stabbed by the arrow, but with his perception and dexterity it was a pointless endeavour.
*Stage 3 Champion declared as Shaun Clermont*
6,962,753 TE awarded to winner for beating opponent in two on one battle. You may now leave the arena.
The moment he got the message he stepped back from Viv who made her way to stand on shaky legs. The audience was not happy with the outcome and they were making their feelings well known. The reps had disappeared the moment the fight ended, not bothering to waste any further time now that the fighting was finished and Viv had lost.
“The champion has been decided, Shaun Clermont is crowned the winner of this tutorial. The ceremony will take place in an hour where all rewards will be provided by the system to the top 15.” Dijaun made an over exaggerated sigh. “This was not the outcome that any of us hoped for, in our hearts Vivenne is the real winner, she showed more strength and courage than any others. Sadly the rejector has won, but let us celebrate Vivenne and the others who did so well against him, a cheat, a liar and most of all, an outcast! May he die a horrible death!”
Shaun started leaving the moment that Dijaun started to speak, having no desire to listen to the crap he spouted. One day he may get the opportunity for some pay back, but that day was not today. He made his way back to his room, the moment he did he pulsed his healing nature element through his body to take the edge of the lingering pain from Viv’s attack. He then decided to immerse himself in his study, he had an hour and he planned to use that time to delve into his profession and forget about everything else for a while.
