Chapter 280 (2/2)

But there was a joy too, as Randidly twisted, and tried to reset his stance to address the attack from this new direction. As he turned, however, he found his right arm wouldn’t move. There was a huge gash in his shoulder, revealing the bone. Blood, belatedly, realized that the skin was broken and began to bubble forwards.

Even as his will stretched out to cover the wound, corralling the blood back into his body, the training spear that Randidly had brought into the arena cracked in the middle, broken into two pieces. The front piece fell from the numb fingers of Randidly’s right hand.

Drak had finished his turn and his attack was already halfway towards Randidly’s exposed chest.

Fuck.

Randidly used the Phantom Half Step several times in quick succession, and that gave Drak a brief pause, but then he just came forward, determined.

Although it was slightly crazy, Randidly was smiling. He wasn’t sure if it was the pain, or the absolutely flawless execution… but Randidly felt something joyful and raw in his chest facing this opponent.

“Come.” Randidly whispered, almost without realizing what he was doing.

Drak narrowed his eyes, a dark emotion taking over, and continued to oblige. Still, the wave of Anguish that smashed outwards in an intangible flood set him back somewhat. For Randidly, the pain sharpened things, but he also had a high Willpower and Resistance, with a skill level that granted him some immunity to the brunt of the pain.

Randidly also had several skills which dulled it somewhat. He had been used to Azriel stilling briefly, then continuing to rush forward, so Randidly hadn’t necessarily had high hopes for its use. But Drak stumbled.

When he first realized what was happening, Randidly hesitated, so shocked that it had worked well that he suspected a trap. But then long hours of duels kicked in, his instincts warning him he couldn’t afford to miss this chance. Hundreds of streams of Spearing Roots ripped upwards, aiming for Drak’s body.

Advancing, Randidly conjured the strangely marked spear into his left hand, which was still working, while his passives worked away at recovering mobility in the right. Moving quickly like this wasn’t ideal, but at least the throbbing headache Randidly was earning kept blood from spilling everywhere.

Even though it had taken him by surprise, by the time Randidly’s attack arrived, Drak was ready. Without even blinking, his spear whipped out, shearing through most of the attacking roots in place to do any real damage to him.

Still, Randidly didn’t give a shit, smashing forward with the rest, and thrusting forward with the spear in his left hand. At the same time, Randidly produced a Wall of Roots directly beneath Drak, aiming to throw him off balance, and used Summon Pestilence to shoot handfuls of bugs to block the eyes of his enemy.

Drak’s senses were better than Randidly could believe, because even through the bugs and the roots and the thorns, Drak’s off hand rose from the shaft of his spear and shot out, catching the spearhead of Randidly’s spear.

Randidly blinked. A thin trickle of blood fell from Drak’s hand, but the spear was stopped dead. Roots slammed into Drak, but only left shallow scratches. What in the fuck was his body made out of? And how high was his Resistance?

Drak thrust forward, Randidly’s life probably saved only because of the lift provided by the Wall of Thorns, keeping Drak off balance. As it was, he could only twist to the side.

“Circle of-”

But Randidly was hit in the side of the head with the shaft of the spear as Drak grunted and swiped at him, just using his superior physicality to interrupt the spell. Randidly scowled. Saying the name wasn’t necessary, just a habit. If he wanted to play that way…

Fire smashed outward from Randidly, burning away the roots and sending Drak stumbling backwards, protecting his face.

But Randidly’s grin fell away as Drak lowered his hands, and seemed supremely unhurt. From the fire, and from-

Drak, to his own surprise, fell to one knee, his body trembling, shutting down on himself.

Randidly continued to grin as he looked at his competitor, somewhat pleased. Gotcha.