Book 4: Chapter 39: Bloodbath I

Book 4: Chapter 39: Bloodbath I

Zeke shot forward like an arrow. He could not afford to let go of the slightest advantage if he wanted to last even a moment longer. Therefore, he tried to catch his opponents off guard with his sudden attack.

It worked somewhat.

The three mages were surprised, but that could only take him so far. As veterans of the Rings, they were used to fighting opponents physically superior to them. After their initial shock wore off, they immediately snapped into action, and he could already feel the Mana gathering around them.

With his depleted Core, Zeke had no delusions of being able to rely on his Magic in this fight. Even Akasha was silent. She was likely aware that using anything more than the minimum amount of Mana would do more harm than good. The only thing he could do right now was use his engraved spells to a limited degree. However, that was better than nothing.

His [Perfect Spatial Awareness] gave him a good idea of what he could expect from his opponents. Jaihar was a Fire Mage, and from the looks of it, he was casting an offensive spell. His two guards were Lightning and Water Mages, respectively. It was a deadly combination if used correctly. Fortunately for him, that didnt seem to be something he had to worry about.

The arena culture of Korrovan focused on individual combat instead of group fights, and it showed. Instead of using any coordination, each of the three seemed to prepare their own, independent attack.

The best strategy would have been for two Mages to restrict his movement while the third one attacked. However, all of them ended up casting purely offensive spells. The Lightning Mage was preparing a bolt, and the Water Mage a torrent. Instead of creating synergy, they got in each others way.Follow current novels at novelhall.com)

Nonetheless, three spells of that level werent something Zeke could survive with his body alone. A direct hit from any of them might even be enough to take him out of the fight. Fortunately, he had never intended to take the hits.

Pivoting on his foot, Zeke changed course the very moment he felt the spells form. He dove headfirst behind a boulder. This had been his plan from the start.

SHHHHH!

The angry sizzling and splashing from somewhere behind him let him know that the three spells had impacted the wall. However, the noise was quickly drowned out by the sounds of explosions from nearby. Zeke risked a short glance.

At the end of the hall, Vulcanos eyes were blazing like suns as he shot streams of lava toward his opponent. He was going all out from the get-go holding nothing back. His opponent could do nothing but scramble for safety in the face of this overwhelming offensive. The big guy was determined not to go down without a fight.

Gravitas was even more extreme. She was surrounded by what could only be described as a tornado of gravel. The rocky terrain gave her more than enough ammunition. She was peppering the entire landscape with a hailstorm of earthen projectiles while screaming like a banshee. It was such a brutal onslaught that the fight might have ended instantly if her opponent didnt have the ability to turn incorporeal.

Taking in the entire battlefield, Zeke understood what she had meant. The fighters Jaihar had brought were perfect counters to their abilities. Her opponent, in particular, seemed to have qualities similar to the shadow Elementals. It was clear that he could not rely on either of the two in the short term.

However, staying behind cover wasnt an option either. If Zeke decided to hide, his opponents would quickly join one of the other battles and that was something he could not allow. After all, his only real path to victory was to endure until either Gravitas or Vulcanos won their fight.

Without wasting any more time, Zeke emerged from his cover. He had chosen the very moment his three opponents were momentarily distracted. However, their reflexes werent those of ordinary humans either. The moment he emerged, a trio of spells shot out in his direction.

Zeke dipped back behind the boulder. After the spells passed overhead, he quickly dashed to the next cover. This kind of feint would probably not work for a second time, but he had managed to pressure them by closing the gap. They would not dare take their attention away from him.

Where is your smile now, coward? Jaihar taunted.

Jaihar glanced to the side, taking in the state of the battlefield. Zeke couldnt see what was happening, but from how the young man slightly paled, he could infer that the others were doing much better than him.

Be quick about it, he said. My father is going to kill me if I lose one of them.

The Lightning Mage grinned. Dont worry, young master. This is only going to take a moment. He then approached Zeke and whispered. A very long, painful moment.

Zeke could see the sparks of blueish-white light gathering at the mans fingertips, and his heartbeat sped up. Now, all thoughts of survival were gone, and his mind began to wander.

Would he be able to survive long enough to give either Gravitas or Vulcanos the satisfaction of victory?

How would his family react when they learned of his death? Would Maya be able to get over it with time? What would the empire do? Would they let them off? Zeke doubted it, but it was a comforting thought.

The finger kept closing in, and Zeke saw the first lightning sparks reaching his chest. However, he felt no pain. Neither did his body spasm. Should he try to fight back? Could he? Earlier, he had understood how durable the body of a Grand Mage was. He had thought that he could surely do some damage with his strength. However, he had been naive to think so.

Zeke felt nothing, even when the finger was pressed against his chest. Strange. Had his body been in such a poor state? He could only hear the deafening noise of a nearby drum.

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

He should have eaten something. He was ravenous. Now, he regretted spitting out that piece of flesh earlier. That would have made for a nice snack. Maybe, just maybe, he should take another bite.

Zeke glanced at the still-bleeding face of the Lightning Mage, who was touching his chest with a single finger. He didnt know why, but wasnt the expression on the mans face even more horrified than earlier? For some reason, Zeke enjoyed that immensely. Wasnt that how all those lowly fleshbags were supposed to look at him?

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

Seriously, where did this noise come from?

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

Zeke saw the Lightning Mage try to retract his hand, his face stricken with panic. Where did this worthless fleshbag think he was going? Did he think he could run away?

Before the man could create any distance, Zeke's one remaining arm shot out. He caught the mans wrist and effortlessly held him. Zeke slowly got up while holding on to the terrified Mage. A moment later, they stood face to face.

Zekes bloody grin was still in place, but it was far more terrifying now. His teeth seemed to have grown sharper, and his pupils had elongated. It was fair to say that this was not the smile of a human. Without a word, Zeke raised one of his legs to kick

Jaihar and the remaining guard were alerted by something sailing past. It only took them a moment to recognize it as the broken body of their former companion. Both spun, only to find Zeke standing upright. The color drained from their faces when they noticed what he was holding. He was chewing away at a severed arm, biting cleanly through flesh and bone.

Delicious.