The street leading back to the inn was dangerously quiet. The bustling noise of the Shattered Isles—the drunk pirates, the gambling dens, the shouting whores—had vanished.
A thick, unnatural fog rolled in from the alleys, smelling of wet dog fur and ozone.
"Boss," Bo whispered, clutching his bag of gold like a shield. "Why is it so quiet? Did everyone go to a party without us?"
"No," Kaelen stopped. He adjusted his white mask. "The guests have arrived. But they are not here to party."
Kaelen looked at Magnus. The giant was walking heavily, his chains dragging on the cobblestones. He was still weak from starvation, but his frame was like a mountain.
"Magnus," Kaelen said calmly. "Do you know how to fight wolves?"
Magnus lifted his head. His grey, rock-like skin seemed to darken.
"Wolves... bite," Magnus grunted. "I... crush."
Growl.
From the fog, six pairs of glowing red eyes appeared.
They emerged slowly. Shadow Hounds.
These were not ordinary beasts. They were Chimeric Creations of the Eclipse. Their bodies were covered in black liquid metal, their claws were diamond-sharp, and their spines were exposed, glowing with green tubes of combat stimulants.
They were biological weapons designed to hunt cultivators.
"Spirit Ocean Level 3 beasts," Kaelen analyzed. "Six of them. An elite pack."
Bo shrieked. "Six?! One is enough to eat me! Boss, use your sword!"
Kaelen didn't draw his sword. He stepped back.
"Bo, get behind Magnus," Kaelen ordered. "Magnus, hold the line. Do not let them pass."
"You aren't going to help him?" Bo cried, hiding behind the giant's massive leg. "He is starving! They will tear him apart!"
"Watch," Kaelen crossed his arms.
The Alpha Hound roared.
SCREECH!
It was a sound that paralyzed the nerves. The pack charged. They moved like black lightning, blurring through the air.
Three Hounds lunged at Magnus simultaneously. One aimed for the throat, one for the knee, and one for the stomach.
Magnus didn't dodge. He didn't even raise his guard. He just stood there, sad and immovable.
CHOMP. CRUNCH. CLANG.
The Hounds bit down.
But there was no spray of blood. There was a sound like metal biting into granite.
The Hound biting Magnus's throat whimpered. Its fangs shattered.
The Hound biting his knee yelped as its jaw dislocated from the impact.
Magnus looked down at the creatures attached to him. His skin had turned into a dark, metallic grey—the passive ability of the Titan Bloodline: Unbreakable Skin.
"Tickles," Magnus mumbled.
He reached out with his massive hands. He grabbed the Alpha Hound by the scruff of its neck and the Hound on his knee by its tail.
"Go... away."
Magnus slammed them together.
SPLAT.
It was brutal. The two beasts exploded into a mist of black fluid and machinery.
The remaining four Hounds froze. They had never encountered prey that broke their teeth.
"Target... Hardened," a mechanical voice spoke from the collar of one of the Hounds. "Initiate... Acid Protocol."
The Hounds opened their mouths. Green, pressurized acid sprayed toward Magnus.
"Acid!" Bo screamed. "Magnus, move!"
Magnus didn't move. He couldn't. He was too slow.
The acid hit his chest. It sizzled, burning away his rags, revealing the grey skin underneath. Smoke rose.
Magnus frowned. He looked at the burn mark. It was red, irritated. Like a mosquito bite.
"It... stings," Magnus said, his voice dropping an octave.
Now, he was angry.
He stomped his foot.
Titan Art: Earth Shock.
BOOM!
The cobblestone street shattered. A shockwave ripped through the ground, knocking the Hounds off balance.
Magnus charged. For a giant, his burst of speed was terrifying. He was like a runaway boulder.
He grabbed a Hound mid-air and ripped it in half.
RIIIP.
He punched another one into the ground, burying it up to its neck in the stone.
THUD.
The last two Hounds tried to run. They realized this was not prey; this was a wall that hit back.
"Leaving so soon?" Kaelen's voice cut through the fog.
Kaelen flickered.
Shing.
A single line of black sword light appeared in the air.
The two fleeing Hounds fell, their heads separated from their bodies.
Kaelen sheathed his sword and walked over to Magnus. The giant was breathing heavily, not from exhaustion, but from the rush of adrenaline. He was covered in black beast blood, but he didn't have a single scratch on him.
"Good," Kaelen nodded approvingly. "You are sturdier than I thought."
Magnus looked at the dead Hounds. He knelt down beside one of the corpses. He touched the metal collar.
His face twisted in pain. Not physical pain, but memory.
"I... know... him," Magnus whispered.
"You know the beast?" Kaelen asked, stepping closer.
"Not beast," Magnus pointed to a serial number tattooed on the Hound's shaved skin: Subject 89. "He was... man. In the cage... next to me."
Magnus's hand trembled.
"Doctor... made him... dog. Doctor... made me... stone."
Kaelen's eyes grew cold. The Eclipse again. They were taking failed experiments and recycling them into weapons. These weren't just monsters; they were former humans.
"I am sorry, Magnus," Kaelen said softly. "You gave them mercy."
Magnus stood up. A single tear rolled down his rocky cheek. He wiped it away, crushing a stone in his hand to dust.
"I will... break... Doctor," Magnus vowed.
"We will," Kaelen corrected.
Suddenly, a slow clapping sound echoed from the rooftops.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Kaelen looked up.
Perched on a chimney, silhouetted against the moon, was a man. He wore a purple suit, a top hat, and held a cane. He looked like a magician.
"Bravo!" the man laughed. His voice was light, musical, and utterly psychotic. "The Titan and the Asura. What a freakshow! Seraphina really found some interesting toys."
"Who are you?" Kaelen asked, his hand resting on his sword.
"Me?" The man jumped down, floating like a feather to the ground. He bowed theatrically. "I am Jester. I work for Prince Vane. He was very... upset... about the auction today."
Jester twirled his cane.
"He sent the Hounds to test you. But since you broke them so easily... I suppose I have to deliver the invitation myself."
He threw a black card at Kaelen.
Kaelen caught it. It was a death warrant.
"To the Masked Rat: If you enter the Tournament, you will not leave. My assassins are already inside. - Vane."
"Tell your master," Kaelen burned the card with his Qi, "that I don't accept mail from dead men."
Jester giggled. His eyes glowed neon purple.
"Oh, I like you! You have spirit! I can't wait to turn you into a puppet!"
Jester vanished in a puff of purple smoke.
"Boss," Bo whimpered, coming out from behind Magnus. "That was a Spirit Ocean Level 7 cultivator. A Illusionist! We are fighting Princes, Assassins, and Psychos! Can we go back to selling herbs?"
"No," Kaelen looked at the looming Pirate Castle.
"Magnus," Kaelen said. "Are you afraid?"
Magnus cracked his neck. The sound was like a gunshot.
"I am... hungry," Magnus grunted.
"Good," Kaelen smiled behind his mask. "Because tomorrow, the feast begins."
...
The Next Morning. Skull Island.
The Pirate King's Tournament had officially begun.
The arena was different this time. It wasn't a pit. It was the entire island.
Fifty teams stood on the beach. Pirates, mercenaries, cultivators.
In the center of the ocean, a massive floating platform held the Pirate King's throne. The Pirate King Drakon sat there, coughing blood into a handkerchief, watching his children fight for his legacy.
"Rules!" The announcer's voice boomed across the island.
"1. There are three Golden Flags hidden on the island."
"2. The team that holds a flag for 24 hours advances to the finals."
"3. Killing is allowed. Stealing is encouraged. Betrayal is expected."
"BEGIN!"
A cannon fired.
Fifty teams charged into the jungle.
Kaelen, Magnus, and Bo stood still on the beach.
"Boss, why aren't we running?" Bo asked nervously as arrows flew past them. "Everyone is getting the good spots!"
"Let them run," Kaelen said, watching the chaos. "The jungle is full of traps. The first wave always dies."
He looked at Magnus.
"Magnus, pick up that boulder."
Magnus walked to a massive rock, easily weighing two tons. He lifted it over his head.
"Throw it," Kaelen pointed to a dense patch of trees where three teams were hiding. "Strike."
Magnus grunted and hurled the boulder. It flew through the air like a meteor.
CRASH!
Trees splintered. Screams echoed. The hidden teams were crushed before they could even ambush anyone.
"We don't hunt for flags," Kaelen said, walking into the jungle as teams fled from them in terror. "We hunt the hunters. We take their flags."
The Tournament of Death had started. And Team Asura was not playing by the rules.