"What…?"
"Did he just..?"
The whispers rippled through the cave, growing louder as shock rolled from the crowd.
Even without turning, I could sense Tugnier grinning on his throne of bones behind me, clearly enjoying the chaos I'd kicked up.
But Quinn didn't flinch at all. Her face stayed perfectly neutral, as though being challenged by a guest was something that happened every day. It was obviously not, judging by how the crowd buzzed and gawked at her.
Calmly, she spoke up, her composure unbroken. "I would like to honor our guest's wish. But as you can see, I was tasked to referee the ritual. I hope the human understands."
[What? I don't remember Quinn ever being this nice.]
But Quinn's tone changed in an instant. Her eyes narrowed, a vein pulsing at her temple. "But…" she said clearly, her voice cold now. "I will remember you, and if you manage to win your round, I will personally make sure to grant your wish one day."
A chill crept down my spine.
[Yep! That's the Quinn I know.]
"S-sure," I managed to reply, voice cracking a little more than I would've liked.
Turning to the four orcs still lined up before me, I measured each of them quickly.
They all looked about equal in combat strength. Each one carried the novice's aura. If memory served, these were all warriors within the top ten ranks.
I chose the one standing closest. He bowed with unexpected grace, striking his palm with the opposite fist. "I am honored," he said.
Such manners! I'll make sure to leave him with only minor injuries.
I dipped my head and repeated the gesture. "Likewise.
Quest: Defeat Ron
Difficulty: 3.5 star
Rewards: 190 stat points
***********
Grig's PoV:
I stood before the thick human girl, noticing there wasn't even a trace of aura in her.
When she looked at her male companion, there was no mistaking it.. he was her mating partner. Good. Very good. That made things even more interesting.
If I offer her to Sir Drane, he'll take me with him when the SBV raids this place, just as he planned.
And besides.. A grin spread across my face, once the duel is over, I get to enjoy this human girl's tender breasts and soft lips.
Just as I was imagining what I'd do with her.. Thrudd. A sudden wall rose up in the center of the duel ground, cutting off the view between the human girl and the male human. They both glanced at each other briefly before the wall blocked their sight completely.
Must be Commander Tugnier's skill, Engineer(B+).
Commander Quinn walked into my half of the dueling ground and my stomach dropped.
Why was she here? Shouldn't she be overwatching the closer matches... the dangerous ones where both the participants posses aura? The human male's duel? Whatever. I didn't plan to do anything to the human girl right now. If I won, she'd be my prize.
I hefted my heavy sword and met her glare. She took a strange stance, exhaled slow, and her warm gaze when she looked at other human snapped cold as ice when she looked at me.
A shiver ran down my spine. This wasn't a lightweight.
Violet spikes of aura flared along my arms.
"Begin!" Commander Quinn's voice cut the air, and the next second a blade was already heading for my throat.
"Kuek!"
She closed the distance in a single, fluid step. I slammed my sword up to block, the steel taking the hit between her horizontal arc and my neck.
She used my blade as leverage and bounced backwards, sliding on the rough ground with a grace that made my teeth grind. Her sword came at me from angles I couldn't predict. Feints and real strikes braided together so tightly I couldn't tell which was which.
What kind of footwork was that?
Before I could sort it out I was on the defensive. "Fuck!" Her blade's tip flashed by my eye; I ducked on reflex and felt the cold kiss of steel against skin. Blood welled at my temple.
Was I.. hurt by a non-aura user? The thought tasted like ash, fear, then red-hot anger.
I charged, ignoring the sting of the cut. She slipped back, her breasts heaving from the sudden retreat and I swung upward, aiming to cleave her from hip to chin.
Skreeek
The dress tore with a sick, thin sound as my blade nicked fabric; for a second her breasts were exposed and she crouched, panting. My grin widened.
Without aura to pump her muscles, she'd burn through stamina like water through a sieve. She'd tire.
She didn't just rely on movement. Ice spears formed in the air around us, faint and glittering. I forced myself forward so she couldn't catch a breath.
She planted her feet, pointed her sword, and lunged. I barely slipped the trajectory and then —
"AAAHHHHH"
A white-hot pain exploded through me. Something dug into my side: a frost sphere had struck. I screamed. My aura-scarred hide held, stopping it from burrowing deeper, but the sting stabbed every nerve.
She was clever with distractions...
Her posture bent, palms pressed to her knees, back rising and falling with each labored breath. Her breasts lifted with every pant.
"Playtime is over," I said, my grin widening despite the pain throbbing in my side.
"Wha—" she started, but I didn't give her the time to finish.
"Mind Canivas(A)," I whispered.
"Huh.?"
A small, confused sound escaped her lips. She could already feel her body working against her, instincts no longer obeying her commands. I lunged forward and swung my heavy sword. She tried to skid back, but her legs shook and buckled, dropping her to her knees.
"What?" she gasped, struggling to rise.
I didn't let her. My foot crashed against her chest, slamming her backward. She hit the rough ground with a wet thud, "ahckk" coughing hard enough to spit blood.
No aura to reinforce defense means heavy damage.
Still, she dragged herself up, trembling, her breath ragged. "Frost Wind!" she shouted.
A chilling tornado spiraled into being before me. I swung, trying to cut through it with Anti Sense, but my strength wasn't enough. She was already on me in that split-second of distraction. Her sword came down, weak, no weight behind it. I blocked and drove my boot into her stomach. She folded over, clutching her midsection as she dropped to her knees.
"What kind of defense is that?" I barked. "How is a non-aura user moving after taking two direct aura enhanced strikes?"
She staggered upright, wiping blood from her mouth. "What is happening to me?" she asked, finally realizing her strength was failing her in the most critical moments.
I smiled. "Mind Canivas. It lets me project my bloodlust onto my target, amplified many times over. In other words, your muscles remember fear and betray you at just the right moment."
She clicked her tongue and pointed her sword at me again.
"Oh? You still want to fight?" I said, letting my gaze linger on her heaving chest, half-exposed from the torn fabric. Desire burned inside me.
She conjured frost spears once more, but her hand trembled. "Tsk, not again," I muttered. Then she winced, clutching her head.
Hah! she must've run out of mana. Good.
I lunged, slipping past the poorly-aimed spear. Her senses were betraying her.
I appeared before her, and though her eyes widened, she recovered quickly, swinging her sword to push me back. I caught her wrists, her hands powerless in mine, and forced them up.
"How arrogant of you to choose me." I said, licking my lips. "Thank you for the opportunity."
Her eyes glared at me like I was something filthy. "Those eyes…" I growled, driving my knee into her skirt. She let out a ragged cry, her body trembling as she fell to her knees, clutching her stomach.
I grabbed her by the hair and yanked her half-conscious head up. My fist curled, ready to smash her face —
"That's enough." Quinn's voice cut in.
"The match is ov—"
"AAHHH. AHH."
But before she finished, pain exploded in my leg. An ice spear pinned it to the ground.
I screamed as the bitch wrenched free from my grip, stumbling back to put distance between us.
"The match is not over," she rasped, panting, but her lips curved into a defiant smirk.
My eyes narrowed. "This bitch… did she pretend to be out of mana just to lower my guard?"
How was she still standing? Blood pounded against the wounds at my side and thigh. My composure was slipping.
She leveled her sword at me, eyes burning. "I am gifted with.. "hah" "hah" Guardian Knight. Don't think I'll fall.. "kuh" to a cheap thug like you."
Her smirk widened.
Am I… Am I going to lose?