The match began. I gripped the carbon dagger tightly in my hand, the Acceleration Shoes already activated. Mutt stood opposite, a contemptuous smile curling his lips, his eyes looking at me as if I were an ant crawling under his feet.
Battlefield Analysis: Circular clearing in the vast forest, dense bushes surrounding - perfect for stealth tactics. No range restrictions. If I could stall for 20 minutes, I'd receive 7 points instead of 5. Plan formed: flee, hide, buy time.
Action Plan: I charged straight at Mutt while he was taunting. He was surprised I'd initiated attack. Distance closed rapidly. At 3 meters away, I activated Instant Acceleration. Speed surged, leaving a 0.5-second afterimage behind. He flinched, unable to react in time.
Tactical Shift: Initially aiming for his waist, I realized it wouldn't be effective. Changed direction low, spinning left to right toward his thigh. The carbon dagger traced a sharp arc. Though Sheng Guang Yi had anticipated, Mutt was too arrogant. He managed a small fire punch but had no time to activate a shield.
Result: A deep wound opened on his thigh. He collapsed from pain. The fire projectile still flew toward me. I circled behind him, heading toward the forest. As the fire was about to hit, I activated Instant Acceleration again. The afterimage took the hit while I vanished into the bushes. Time remaining: 10 minutes.
Mutt's Reaction: He went berserk, face contorted with killing intent. He used recovery magic, the wound healing rapidly. Wild flames enveloped his fists. Flame armor formed around him. Mid-level Fire System power - equal to Sheng Guang Yi's elementary Light System.
Devastation: He launched massive fire projectiles from above, annihilating the forest. Trees burned to ash, earth and stone turned to charcoal. Though 5 minutes had passed, the vast forest still provided enough hiding space. He wasn't foolish - from the start, he'd created a surrounding fire barrier.
Trapped: I was cornered behind the only remaining tree trunk, exhausted from fleeing. He summoned a fire fist to shatter the trunk. I was exposed. Instantly, he lunged, driving his flaming right fist into my stomach.
Failure: I couldn't activate Instant Acceleration in time. Misjudged the moment. This skill to dodge and counter was like finding a needle in the ocean. My two previous escapes from magical beasts were merely luck. The burning punch knocked me unconscious, sending me flying into the fire barrier behind.
Brutal Torment: He summoned a giant flaming hand and hurled me back to the center. The barrier shrank like a clenched fist grasping an ant. Time remaining: 3 minutes. I tried to stand, but before I could:
First blow: Flaming fist to the face - teeth broken, mouth filled with blood
Second blow: Elbow thrust to the chest - ribs cracked, blood spraying like a fountain
Third blow: Hair grab, spinning in midair - world whirling violently
Fourth blow: Slammed hard to the ground - pelvis fractured, both arms broken
Fifth blow: Kick to the side - internal organs traumatized
Sixth blow: Stomp on the chest - air forced from lungs
Seventh blow: Chokehold - vision darkening
Eighth blow: Stomp on the face - teeth scattering like fallen leaves
Final 60 Seconds: He counted each second aloud, every second bringing another blow. When the clock hit 00:00, he stomped his left foot on my face like crushing a cigarette butt. The match ended.
Aftermath: I lay motionless, entire body charred black, blood pooling on the ground. The class stood horrified by the brutality of Mid-level Fire System power. The Plant and Water System teams arrived to heal. As they passed by, instead of fear, they saw in my eyes only emptiness, meaninglessness - a breathing corpse.
Sheng Guang Yi's Reaction: He stood there, entire body trembling as if struck by a psychological earthquake:
Eyes: Two deep pits of flame, blood-red, veins bulging like spider webs
Teeth: Ground together so hard the grating sound echoed like metal scraping
Neck: Veins coiled thickly, blood vessels like venomous snakes slithering under skin, pounding to a mad heartbeat
Breath: Heavy, growling like a beast before tearing apart prey
Voice: Deep, hoarse, as if rising from the abyss:
"Why... why isn't he afraid? Why would a worthless thing like him not fear me? Why?"
The haunting question echoed in the silence. While I - Wang Meng - lay motionless, the ideal of a normal life had turned to ashes, leaving only the emptiness of one who has lost everything.