Chapter 14: First Match of the Semifinals

Chapter 14: First Match of the Semifinals

“Ha! It’s settled—settled once and for all! Can you believe it? The underdog, the Dark Emperor Scorpion, has emerged victorious!”

Phew, that was a close call. The doll’s fist that came at me in the end was still lodged in my mind. If it had been just a little off, I would have been crushed.

Ow, this hurts. My pincers were not only cracked but also bleeding. I was already starving, but now I was injured and bleeding too. At this rate, I might die regardless of my future matches’ outcome. I didn’t care if it was rotten, just give me a piece of meat to eat...

The cheering voices of the audience celebrating my victory were irritating. It would be much better if they gave me even a small piece of meat instead of praising me. Ignoring them deliberately, I returned to my designated spot, the cage.

“That was an amazing battle! You were so cool! Were you injured? Let me heal you!”

As I stood there, Woodsorrel, still invisible, approached me and used her spiritual powers while licking my wounds. Gradually, the pain began to subside. The flesh around the wound wriggled and swelled, sealing the wound, and the distortion in my exoskeleton also began to heal. At this rate, it seems like I will be in good condition to fight in the semifinals.

I couldn’t help but be impressed by Woodsorrel’s healing art. Her ability to use such powerful art while remaining invisible was a testament to her skill and expertise among the fox demon race. It was clear that compassion was not only reserved for others but also for oneself. Looking back, I knew that my decision to follow my conscience and help her had been the right one.

As Woodsorrel continued to heal me, I had time to reflect on the arena where I had just fought. In the aftermath of our battle, the slaves were busy cleaning up the remains of the doll that I had destroyed and knocked over.

I watched as a man and woman, who I assumed were the creators, worked on the motionless battle doll. They touched a certain part of the body, causing an area around the chest to open like a door. From inside, they extracted a flashing red gem and sighed with relief upon confirming its state.

Based on their reaction, it seemed that the most important part of the battle doll was that gemstone. The fact that it was even more valuable than the doll’s body, which was made from rare metal, suggested that the gemstone was the central component of the battle doll, and a product of considerable time, effort, and skill.

The light emanating from the gemstone was captivating, with a brilliance that rivaled the previous sudden surge in power of the battle doll. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was the true fighting style of the doll. Perhaps it was being controlled by someone for a specific purpose, although I might have been overthinking it.

“Finally, everything is ready! We will now commence the first match of the “Rookie’s Battle” semifinals! Please welcome our battle beasts to the arena!”

With the manager’s announcement, the first match of the “Rookie’s Battle” tournament semifinals was set to begin. As the rock dragon and the warrior crab faced off against each other, there was an unexpected sense of tranquility in the air. Despite their impending battle, there seemed to be no tension between the two beasts, creating an almost idyllic atmosphere.

The once violent rock dragon, who had made it through the quarterfinals, now appeared calm and even yawned, demonstrating its regained composure as a formidable fighter. Let’s hope that it will let its guard down as it did with the synthetic beast and get seriously injured this time.

The warrior crab, on the other hand, was devoid of emotion. Its round eyes only reflected light, sparkling brightly without giving any indication of its thoughts. Ah, perhaps my compound eyes were similar in that regard.

“The strongest of its kind, the rock dragon, who crushed its opponents to dust, and the cautious warrior crab, who claimed victory without any danger in its battles. Which will be smiled upon by the “god of war” and “the goddess of victory”? Now...let the battle begin!” announced the manager.

“Guoooh?!”

As soon as the signal was given, it was surprising to see that the warrior crab was the one launching the first attack. Its previous style had been to defend with its shield-like claw and then strike with its other spear-like pincer when it found an opening. This unexpected move caught me off guard.

However, it was futile. Though it seemed to increase the water pressure, it was merely a negligible oversight for the Rock Dragon. The creature casually closed the distance and grabbed the Warrior Crab with its forelegs, easily overpowering it.

The Rock Dragon didn’t stop there. It flipped the Warrior Crab over and stepped on its hind legs, stomping on it repeatedly. No matter how sturdy the Warrior Crab was, it couldn’t endure the full force of a dragon’s stomp. With every crunching sound heard underfoot, the Warrior Crab’s shell, which had reached its limit, shattered completely, scattering its contents.

The Warrior Crab’s legs were still twitching, but it was only due to convulsions. The creature, which should have been a formidable opponent that made it to the semi-finals of the “Rookie’s Battle” tournament was now nothing more than a pitiful corpse crushed under the feet of the Rock Dragon.

After letting out a victorious roar over the corpse of the Warrior Crab it had just slain, the Rock Dragon began greedily devouring its flesh and shell. Its actions were brutal, but it was simply nature’s way for the victor to consume the defeated. While the crowd cheered on, I watched in solemn silence.

If I were to be defeated, would I meet the same fate as the Warrior Crab? That was the last thing I wanted. I had to survive for at least another hundred years. I would fight with all my might and do whatever it takes to come out alive.

As I made this resolve, I heard footsteps approaching me. The distinct rhythm belonged to Georg. Even Woodsorrel noticed him and stopped licking my wounds, completely disappearing from sight.

Did he come to heal my wounds? As I thought about this, Georg entered my cage with a displeased expression on his face. Uh-oh, I had a bad feeling about this.

“How could you struggle against such a weak battle doll...and to be overshadowed by the Rock Dragon! You’ve ruined the young master’s mood!,” he grumbled.

Georg not only failed to treat me but also trampled on my head without even trying to hide his anger. That old man...! He thinks he can do whatever he wants just because I can’t resist him! Someday, I will definitely kill him with my own hands!

After that, Georg began to lecture me on how to fight. It was all about mentality, and in essence, he told me to be braver and crush my opponents head-on with brute force. Don’t tell me what I can’t do, you old bastard.

First of all, I’m fighting in a state where I can’t use my spiritual powers because of you. It’s only natural that I’m struggling. Don’t you understand that?

“Phew... phew...! Do you understand? Anyway, you have to crush them with your strength!”

Georg said what he wanted to say, gasping for breath, and then left. It seems he only came to preach to me. It would be nice if he could at least bring some food or treat my wounds. This is going to be tough...

“What’s up with that guy? Your master? He’s the worst!”

As I tried to conserve my energy by staying still, the hidden Woodsorrel came up to me again and started licking my wounds. Oh, she was really helping me by treating my wounds. She’s so different from Georg.

She was furiously hitting me with her tail while being angry. Her tail was so soft that it didn’t hurt in the slightest, instead it felt quite pleasant. Just like how that slave of the Furu race and that traveler of the Popi race were my source of comfort when I was in the mansion, she was now my only source of comfort in this arena.

“Get revenge in the next match! Don’t let the opponent do anything and beat them up! Got it!?”

For some reason, Woodsorrel was even angrier than me as she hit me with her tail, saying that. I couldn’t ignore her instructions as she was my source of comfort. I’ll do my best to beat them up.