Chapter 156: The Chosen One Vs The Guardian [1]

The venue for the showdown was moved beyond the cleared area where the village was being constructed. Ka’z had no intention of allowing a fight between two Silver Core warriors anywhere near the unfinished settlement, especially when Earth Magic was involved. One wrong spell could destroy several days of work, collapse the freshly dug channels or injure one of the workers.

Instead, they traveled deeper into the southern forest until they found a natural clearing surrounded by enormous trees. The location was still close enough to the stream that the sound of rushing water could be heard clearly in the background, its steady flow providing an oddly peaceful contrast to the anticipation hanging over the clearing.

The ground was relatively flat, while the surrounding trees provided plenty of elevated branches where the spectators could sit safely beyond the range of most attacks.

Soon, nearly everyone who had been interested in the fight had gathered. Kobolds occupied the thick branches surrounding the clearing, some sitting with their legs dangling over the edge while others leaned against tree trunks to get a better view.

Even several of the Ashmork artisans had been brought along, though they remained somewhat separated from the kobolds. They were given roasted meat and cups of millet wine while Bigi and Bruk watched over them. Nobody wanted the workers missing from the construction site for too long, but the opportunity to witness the first duel between the two youngest Silver Core warriors in Vaal’kor was simply too tempting.

At the center of the clearing, Ka’z and Kurg stood several meters apart.

Neither spoke.

Their eyes remained fixed on each other as the atmosphere between them gradually became heavier. This was no longer a friendly conversation about training. Both understood that they were about to discover exactly how much stronger the other had become.

At one corner of the clearing, a wild boar lay motionless on the ground. Its throat had been cut cleanly, and a dark pool of blood continued spreading across the earth. The blood slowly crept through the soil until thin streams reached Ka’z’s feet before disappearing into his body.

Kora leaned closer to Za’r from her branch. "Who do you think is going to win?"

"Ka’z, of course," Za’r answered without hesitation. "Even if Kurg was trained by Kong’gong, he doesn’t have the combat experience Ka’z does."

Tu’ka, sitting nearby, frowned as he looked toward the stream. "But Ka’z has only one element now. Kurg is surrounded by both his Water and Earth elements. While Ka’z’s source is limited to one boar, Kurg has an entire environment that can support his magic. I believe Ka’z will win, but it will be very difficult."

Pa!

A hand struck the back of Tu’ka’s head. He immediately turned and found Ru’k sitting beside him.

"Are you crazy?" Ru’k demanded. "Haven’t you seen the crazy things Kurg can do? Even Kong’gong has said he may be the first to learn Tiered Magic amongst us. His spells are already close to that level even though he’s only a Silver Core Magus!"

Tu’ka rubbed the back of his head and glared at him. "I was only giving my opinion."

"Then give the correct one."

"That’s not how opinions work."

Ru’k opened his mouth to argue, but Kora quickly intervened before the two could start another pointless argument. "Just watch the fight."

Around them, the treetops continued buzzing with excitement as everyone gave their predictions. Some believed Ka’z’s combat experience would decide the outcome, while others argued that Kurg’s training under Kong’gong had given him an advantage that experience alone couldn’t overcome.

The older kobolds were especially interested because neither of the two young warriors had reached the Silver Core through ordinary means. Their achievements were already considered extraordinary, and now they were about to test themselves against someone of equal advancement.

Ka’z and Kurg ignored all of them. Their attention remained solely on each other.

Kurg finally lowered his body slightly, his feet spreading apart as his hand hovered near the ground. His expression became serious.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Ka’z didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he focused inward. His Blood Empowerment surged through his body.

The muscles beneath his scales expanded, but something about the transformation immediately felt different. His body wasn’t becoming significantly larger like it had during his previous battles.

Instead, his frame became thicker and denser, as though all the additional power was being compressed into his already compact body. His crimson scales darkened until they became a deep red, while the muscles beneath them hardened with increasing density.

The ground beneath his feet cracked.

Bang!

Ka’z’s weight pressed down so heavily that the soil beneath his feet sank slightly. His crimson eyes glowed with greater intensity.

Ka’z slowly clenched his fists.

’My original limit from Blood Empowerment has widened. I can become much stronger than I ever was. Probably strong enough to match Loki with his Mana Burst.’

The realization surprised him.

He had expected reaching the Silver Core Realm to primarily increase his mana capacity, but the change went considerably deeper. His body, mana circuits and even his magic seemed to have undergone a qualitative transformation. His Blood Magic felt more responsive than before, as though the distance between his thoughts and the magic itself had been reduced.

’So this is what Kurg was talking about.’

Ka’z’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t have time to contemplate it further.

Rumble!

The ground beneath him suddenly trembled and Ka’z’s attention snapped toward the earth.

A series of jagged spikes erupted from the ground and raced toward him, tearing through the clearing with terrifying speed. The earth split apart as the attack advanced, throwing dirt and stones into the air.

Ka’z snorted.

"Hmph."

His gaze immediately shifted toward the boar. The blood covering the ground suddenly moved.

Swoosh!

The crimson liquid surged across the clearing and rushed into Ka’z’s outstretched hand. Instead of remaining liquid, it rapidly condensed and hardened, forming the shape of a massive battle axe. Its design carried an unmistakable resemblance to Ashin Grim, though the entire weapon was made from hardened blood.

"Blood Magic: Blood Weaponry!"

Ka’z swung.

Swoosh!

The approaching earth spikes were effortlessly split apart by the axe. The force behind the strike continued forward, scattering chunks of broken earth across the clearing.

Several jaws dropped. Even Mi’ya and the rest of Ka’z’s squad stared in surprise.

They had already seen Ka’z fight at Ashmork, but that had been before his breakthrough. Seeing him now was completely different. The strength behind his movements was significantly greater, and his control over Blood Magic had become so precise that the blood weapon felt almost like a natural extension of his body.

Kurg’s eyes narrowed as Ka’z immediately disappeared from his position.

Bang!

He shot forward like a missile. The distance between the two warriors vanished within seconds as Ka’z raised the blood axe over his shoulder.

Kurg reacted instantly. The ground beneath him surged upward, forming a thick dome around his body.

"BREAK!"

BANG!

Ka’z’s axe slammed into the earth dome and the entire structure shattered under the impact. But Kurg had already prepared his counterattack.

The earth beneath the broken dome erupted upward, transforming into an enormous palm that shot toward Ka’z.

Ka’z’s eyes widened.

Bam!

The massive earth hand slammed into him.

Its fingers closed around his body, covering almost his entire frame and leaving only his head visible. Ka’z struggled against the immense pressure for an instant before the hand suddenly yanked him upward.

The earth arm dragged him several meters into the air.

"It’s over!" Kurg hissed.

His green eyes burned with determination.

The surrounding ground ripped apart as numerous earth spears began forming around him. One after another, they rose from the soil and hovered in the air, their sharpened tips aimed directly at Ka’z.

Gasps escaped the spectators.

From their branches, everyone watched the situation unfold with growing alarm. Kurg had caught Ka’z almost immediately after the first exchange, and the counterattack was so clean that several kobolds believed the battle might already be over.

Then Ka’z roared.

"BLOOD MAGIC: PORCUPINE!"

BAM!

Blood exploded from Ka’z’s body. Dozens of sharp crimson spikes erupted in every direction from within the earth hand, piercing through the fingers and joints holding him.

Crack!

The earth grip weakened and Ka’z twisted his body violently.

"HAAAAAAAAA!"

His entire body spun as the blood axe tore through the weakened earth fingers.

BANG!

The massive earth arm shattered. Chunks of stone fell from the sky as Ka’z emerged from the destruction, still airborne.

Tong’a stared at him in genuine shock.

"He’s like Grash..."

The words came quietly, but the comparison carried considerable weight.

Grash had been one of the most frightening warriors the kobolds had ever witnessed. He had possessed tremendous physical strength and an instinctive understanding of combat that allowed him to fight without relying excessively on complicated magic. Ka’z was beginning to resemble that same kind of warrior.

Except Ka’z was taking it even further. He wasn’t abandoning magic.

His Blood Magic strengthened his physical abilities, created weapons and defensive structures, manipulated the battlefield and provided him with options that allowed him to fight at close range without sacrificing magical versatility.

Lan’ka stared at Ka’z with his mouth slightly open.

"I found it hard to believe he was responsible for the death of eighty percent of the goblins killed during the Ashmork war," he admitted. "But now I can see how that’s possible."

He watched Ka’z twist in midair before preparing for the next attack.

"Watching him fight like this..." Lan’ka’s voice softened. "I think I’m no longer needed to defend this colony."

The thought stirred something inside him.

Whether it was Ka’z or Kurg, both young warriors were displaying a level of strength that had once seemed impossibly distant. Lan’ka’s eyes began to water despite his best efforts.

Lady Zira, seated beside him on the same branch, noticed and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"They grew much faster than we did, didn’t they?" she asked with a warm smile.

O’nil, standing on the next branch, overheard her and chuckled. "Of course. You guys only reached the Silver Core at the age of six. These two achieved it in half that time. Instead of crying, you should be proud."

"I’m proud, that’s why I’m crying, damnit!" Lan’ka protested as he covered his eyes.

Meanwhile, Ka’z remained suspended in the air as the last pieces of the shattered earth arm fell away. He was now completely exposed to Kurg’s next attack.

Ten earth spears hovered around Kurg.

"I said..." Kurg growled as his eyes locked onto Ka’z. "It’s over!"

The spears shot forward.

They accelerated toward Ka’z from different angles, designed to prevent him from escaping by simply moving sideways.

Ka’z sneered.

"You must be delusional if you think I would die to something this simple!"

Blood suddenly burst from the gaps between his scales.

The crimson substance rapidly spread across his body, forming a thick shell around him.

"BLOOD MAGIC: BLOOD COCOON!"

Bam!

One earth spear struck the cocoon.

Bam!

Another slammed into it from the opposite side.

Bam! Bam!

More followed in rapid succession.

The Blood Cocoon was knocked through the air under the constant bombardment, each impact producing cracks across its surface. Yet none of the spears managed to penetrate it. Every crack that appeared was immediately filled by fresh blood, the damaged sections regenerating almost as quickly as they were destroyed.

Kurg’s eyes narrowed but he continued the assault. The cocoon was eventually driven into the ground with tremendous force.

Dust erupted around it and for a moment, everything became still.

Then the cocoon liquefied.

The hardened blood flowed back toward Ka’z, sliding across his scales before disappearing into his body. Any excess blood that remained on the ground immediately gathered and rose into the air, forming another battle axe in his left hand.

Huff!

His chest rose and fell as he breathed heavily. Across from him, Kurg stood equally tense.

For the first time since the fight began, both warriors simply stared at each other. Their chests heaved as they recovered from the intense exchanges, neither willing to make the next move recklessly.

The first two exchanges had been brutal. Yet neither had managed to gain a decisive advantage.

Ka’z slowly smiled.

"You... You have really changed."

Kurg’s expression softened slightly.

"Likewise. Teacher Kong’gong was right when he said you would return a different man. I can see that now."

Around them, the spectators erupted.

Cheers and applause filled the forest as the kobolds shouted from the branches. Even the Ashmork artisans, who had initially watched the fight with apprehension, were now staring at the two combatants with genuine shock.

They had assumed Ka’z was the only monster among these people. They had seen what he had done at Ashmork and believed his strength was simply an extraordinary anomaly.

But now they were watching Kurg, they realized they were wrong.

Tor slowly lowered the piece of roasted meat in his hand. His eyes remained fixed on Ka’z and Kurg as the realization finally settled over him.

"If everyone in his group is this strong..." Tor muttered shakily, "then imagine the older ones."

He swallowed hard.

"I can see how they were able to kill Grash."