Chương 88: One Slot

After Cassian left, the Sixth Arena suddenly became much quieter. The sound of spells colliding still echoed from the other arenas in the distance. Wind swept between the stone platforms. But with the third person gone, so was that constant tension—the sense that another attack might come cutting in from some unexpected angle at any moment. Rowan tightened his grip on his blade. Across from him— the firelight beside Julian still hadn't faded. More than ten meters apart, the two looked at each other again.

The black mist Cassian had left behind was still slowly thinning near the edge of the arena. The Seventh Abyssal Hive had only one standard slot. From the moment Rowan stepped onto the Sixth Arena— Cassian had never been the real problem. The next instant— water suddenly spread across the stone in both directions. Rowan stepped forward. Wellspring Step. Water burst beneath his feet. Almost the moment he changed direction, a mass of fire roared past his shoulder. He didn't stop. His second step had already landed.

The calm water ahead suddenly bulged upward. In an instant, the water formed into a row of spikes, stabbing diagonally upward and sealing off the exact spot where he had been about to step. He had to change direction. And on the other side— the second blast of flame was already waiting. Boom! Rowan brought his blade across. The exploding heat swept along his arm. He used the force to retreat several steps. The moment he opened some distance, a curtain of water rose between them.

Fire and water formed in rapid alternation, almost without pause. Julian was clearly well-practiced in the Mind-Splitting Art too. Water continued spreading outward from beneath his feet. Rowan changed position twice in succession. The third burst of flame came down almost exactly on his landing point. After several exchanges— Rowan gradually understood. The water wasn't really meant to hurt him. It was controlling his routes. Where he could move. Where he would be forced to change direction.

As long as he followed the openings deliberately left between those streams— fire would be waiting at the end. Another wave of water rose in front of him. Rowan lowered his center of gravity slightly. This time— he didn't take the opening at the side. Instead, his foot came straight down into the layer of water Julian had just spread. Water splashed outward. Wellspring Step activated. His direction changed sharply. Julian's expression shifted. Rowan was already in front of him. His blade swept across! Clang!

Patterns suddenly lit up beneath the inner layer of Julian's clothing, one after another. A brown barrier unfolded almost flush against his body. Rowan's blade struck Julian squarely in the chest. The entire barrier caved inward slightly. Ripples raced outward across its surface. Rowan's pupils narrowed. Firelight was already flaring between Julian's hands at point-blank range. He immediately pulled his blade back. Boom! Flames exploded across his chest. Both of them broke away at once.

The violently shaking barrier over Julian's chest quickly stabilized. Beneath his clothes, Rowan could faintly make out the outline of some kind of close-fitting armor plate. A defensive spell artifact. Rowan had finally broken into Julian's control range. Yet even that strike hadn't made it through the protection. Julian only glanced down at his chest. With a lift of his hand, another curtain of water spread out. His expression remained steady. The fight continued....

The second time Rowan broke through, he didn't aim for the chest again. A Water Blade grazed Julian's left arm. His sleeve tore open. Blood immediately ran down his arm. A burst of fire came in right after. Rowan had no choice but to pull away. Water once again sealed the routes between them. A dozen seconds later— Rowan stepped into Julian's water again. Water splashed around his boots. This time, he didn't take the same route as before.

Wellspring Step cut along the very edge of the water curtain and carried him to Julian's other side. His blade forced Julian to turn. The next Water Blade sliced across his shoulder from the flank. Another wound. Rowan didn't get greedy. He was already retreating before the firelight appeared. They separated again. Julian looked down at his arm. The first wound was still there. But the bleeding had already slowed dramatically. At his lower back, a glow so faint it was almost invisible had begun to shine.

He had been about to set up another curtain of water. His movement paused for half a beat. When he looked up again— some of that earlier ease had faded. His jaw tightened slightly.

"..."

"You're a hundred times more annoying than my damn brother." Rowan knew exactly who he meant. A few months ago— Victor had mentioned him. Julian's younger brother. The one with greater mental talent. The one steadily catching up to him, already beginning to threaten his position as first heir. Dong— The fourth bell suddenly rang. Its long note swept across the entire Windward Court. Another arena had ended. Before the echo had fully faded— flame crashed against steel again. Julian still had the upper hand.

The wounds on his left arm and shoulder had already mostly stopped bleeding. Rowan could now confirm that there was another recovery-type spell artifact at Julian's lower back. The one on his chest stopped the heavy hits. Whatever damage slipped through— the other artifact slowly brought it under control. Rowan cut in again. Blade and Water Blade struck the protection over Julian's chest in rapid succession. Stolen novel; please report. For the first time, the brown barrier visibly wavered.

But Rowan's mana was dropping just as quickly. The moment his offensive pressure broke, Julian would reopen the distance. And the wounds Rowan had just created would begin recovering again. If this kept going— Rowan might be the one who ran out first. He raised his head. His mental sea trembled faintly. The second thread of Mental Power inside the auxiliary core changed direction. One Source Rune after another began assembling into a new Spell Model. Great Sun Heavy Bolt. First stage. He didn't need to stop yet.

Rowan went straight in again. Julian's gaze lingered on him for a moment. Then moved away. He couldn't tell exactly what Rowan was building. But he had clearly noticed the change in the surrounding fire-aspect mana. The next spread of water tightened noticeably. The flames came faster too. Rowan changed direction twice in quick succession. His blade swept past Julian's side. The protection flashed. Still intact. Firelight followed immediately. Rowan pulled away.

A moment later— he abruptly reversed direction through the water Julian himself had laid down, forcing Julian to turn and block. The brown barrier shuddered violently. The recovery artifact at his lower back was still glowing faintly. Julian watched Rowan retreat. Then glanced at his arm, where the bleeding had already stopped.

"See?"

"How many times have you hit me now?" Rowan didn't answer. Julian raised his eyes.

"And then what?" The protection over his chest was still intact. His arm had mostly stopped bleeding. The corner of his mouth pulled slightly. The irritation that had surfaced earlier seemed to settle back down.

"No family."

"No consortium."

"You can't even afford your own cultivation resources."

"How far do you think you can go?" Rowan held his blade. Water was still spreading across the ground.

"What about Tier 2?"

"And after that?"

"Potions. Mana. Spell artifacts. Mentors."

"Which one do you have?" Firelight gathered in Julian's palm again.

"There are only so many resources to go around."

"Of course they should go to the people who can go farther." Julian stared at him.

"When people like you take a slot—""that's one more share wasted." Flame came crashing in. Rowan slipped aside. His foot landed in the water. This time, he didn't activate Wellspring Step immediately.

"Then why are you angry?" Julian frowned. Rowan moved forward. One step.

"Your brother is more talented than you." Julian's expression changed instantly. Flames surged toward Rowan. He cut past them. Another step.

"Your family thinks he's worth more than you." The water around Julian's feet surged almost instantly. Rowan's blade collided with another burst of fire. Boom! Mana exploded between them. Rowan raised his eyes.

"By your own rules—" Julian glared at him.

"isn't that exactly how it should be?"

"I'm not the same as you!" Water and fire erupted almost simultaneously. Rowan changed direction twice. A blade of flame still grazed his waist. Julian was already pursuing.

"Who manages those companies?"

"Who meets those people?"

"When something goes wrong, who handles it?" The first two questions were still restrained. By the last— his voice had clearly risen.

"Me!" Fire exploded.

"Because I'm the first heir!" Rowan was forced back. But Julian hadn't lost control. His water still sealed Rowan's next landing point with precision. His fire still waited exactly where Rowan would be forced to turn. Only now— every strike was heavier than before. Faster. Mana he could have conserved was being poured straight into the attacks. Rowan caught one blow on his blade. The impact numbed his arm. Water exploded outward beneath his boots. Wellspring Step carried him along the edge of the wave.

Julian immediately turned and followed. Water. Fire. Steel. Several exchanges in rapid succession. A burn opened across Rowan's shoulder. The protection over Julian's chest was still rippling long after the last impact. They separated again. Julian's breathing had grown heavier. But those words clearly hadn't left him.

"I've been doing all of this for years." He stared at Rowan.

"And now?"

"His Mental Power grows faster."

"Yggdrasil noticed him." His chest heaved.

"So they just want to replace me?!"

"That position was mine to begin with." Dong— The fifth bell rang. This time— both of them heard it clearly. Another section of the battlefield fell silent. But the Sixth Arena didn't stop. The bell had barely faded when Julian pressed forward again. A wave of water swept across half the stone platform. Rowan was forced into the air. Flame surged up from below. He twisted hard in midair. The instant he landed, water burst outward beneath his feet. Wellspring Step. He didn't retreat.

Instead, he used Julian's own water to cut straight back in. One step. A second. Faster than during their first exchange. Julian's casting fingers tightened slightly. Again. At the beginning of the fight, Rowan had been forced to move wherever Julian's water allowed. Now he was using that same water to hunt Julian down. That irritating feeling only grew stronger. Rowan's blade struck the chest barrier again. Clang! Julian took it head-on.

For an instant, the two stared at each other through the trembling layer of light.

"Ever since that High School Entrance Exam." His voice suddenly dropped. Rowan didn't move.

"It was you then." They broke apart at the same time. Firelight flared again.

"Then there you were again." Julian stepped into his own water.

"And now—" His gaze swept over the Sixth Arena beneath them. Then returned to Rowan's face.

"Even this slot."

"You're fighting me for this one too." His face had gone taut. The irritation he had kept buried finally broke through.

"Why is it always you?!" Flames came crashing down. Rowan raised his blade. Boom! The explosion forced them apart again. Rowan slid several steps before regaining his footing. He didn't charge back immediately. For a few seconds, he simply looked at Julian.

"You think this has been easy for me?" Julian sneered.

"At least you have the talent."

"Talent?" Rowan suddenly drove forward. Water sprayed backward beneath his feet. Wellspring Step.

"That night with the Shadow Cat." His blade struck the barrier over Julian's chest.

"I cut the rotten flesh off myself." Boom! A fire spell hit him head-on. Rowan slid back several steps.

"If I'd been any slower—""I would've died." He steadied himself.

"When was the last time you genuinely thought you were going to die?" Julian scoffed.

"That just means you were born in the wrong place."

"People die in Sector 4 every year."

"If you can't survive—""then you never had enough resources to begin with." Rowan went silent for a moment. Then he nodded.

"That's why I'm climbing out." The coldness in Julian's expression deepened. Rowan pressed his thumb against the hilt.

"Before, you could come after me outside the arena."

"Today, there's no one else." His blade rose slightly.

"Do it yourself." Dong————! The sixth bell. This one rang especially long. Layer after layer of sound rolled toward them from the distance. By the time the last trace of the bell had faded— there were no more spell impacts from any other direction. Six arenas. All finished. Only this one remained. The entire Windward Court seemed to fall silent. Julian stopped talking. So did Rowan. Everything that needed to be said had already been said. What remained— was the result. Water. Fire. Steel. They collided again.

Once the bell faded, Julian's offensive tightened instead of loosening. Streams of water sealed Rowan's landing points. If he slowed even slightly, flame followed immediately. Twice— the Great Sun Heavy Bolt inside the auxiliary core failed to progress any further. Julian had noticed. He wasn't going to give Rowan a chance to stop. The wounds on Rowan's body were still accumulating. The barrier across from him still hadn't broken. If this dragged on— Rowan would lose first. His calf tightened sharply.

Mana poured into the water beneath his feet. One last Wellspring Step. The surface exploded outward. Rowan cut along the edge of the flames. Then— the water beneath his feet went still. Rowan stopped. Julian's pupils contracted. An opening. Firelight flared almost instantly. No probing attack. Julian committed immediately. The fire in his hand stretched rapidly outward— forming a razor-edged blade. Straight for Rowan's chest. Hum— The Three-Luminary Life-Warding Clasp activated on its own.

An arcing light shield unfolded across Rowan's chest. Boom! The flame blade struck head-on. The entire shield caved inward. Rowan felt the impact in his chest. His body rocked backward. And in that instant— Julian was already on top of him. A faint mechanical click came from the bracer on his right arm. Click. A narrow sleeve blade snapped out from beneath his forearm. Mana flooded into it. Points of blue light flickered to life along the silver-gray blade.

From the base— all the way forward— until they gathered entirely at the tip. There was only one target. The heart. Rowan no longer had time to fully evade. The sleeve blade struck the chest shield that had just absorbed the fire blade. A single crack appeared beneath the tip. The next instant— it raced across the entire curved shield. Crack! On the Three-Luminary Life-Warding Clasp— the dark crystal corresponding to Rowan's chest shattered outright. Tiny fragments burst from the clasp. The shield collapsed with it.

The sleeve blade kept going. But at the final instant before the protection disappeared completely— the remaining force pushed the blade tip slightly aside. Only slightly. It was enough. Thk. The sleeve blade missed his heart. And plunged straight between the ribs on Rowan's left side. Pain exploded through him. His vision went black for an instant. It felt as though something had ripped the breath straight out of his chest. Julian was already pulling back. Missed the heart. Pull it out.

Rowan moved forward instead. His left hand clamped around Julian's wrist. Julian's expression changed. The next second— Rowan took another half step forward, driving himself farther onto the blade. The metal sank deeper. Pain tore along his ribs. He clenched his teeth. He drove power through his hips and twisted hard. The blade twisted sideways with him— and jammed between two ribs. Julian's right arm locked. Rowan's left hand never released Julian's wrist. His other hand came down over Julian's elbow.

His shoulder drove in. The two were almost chest to chest.

"You—!" Julian jerked backward. His arm didn't come free. He pulled again. The sleeve blade shifted inside the wound. Blood surged out. Rowan's face went pale. His fingers only tightened. Julian tried to pull away again. But the entire arm holding the blade was locked in place. By this point in the fight— Julian's strength was no longer what it had been at the start. The sleeve blade buried inside Rowan's body— had become an anchor pinning the two of them together. Julian finally realized what was happening.

His head snapped up. Inside the auxiliary core— the spell that had been held back for so long finally began moving forward again. Rowan had stopped moving. And now— so had Julian. Great Sun Heavy Bolt. Second stage. A point of golden-red light appeared beside Rowan. At first, it was only the size of a fist. Then it brightened rapidly. Julian's face changed.

"Let go!" Rowan didn't respond. Julian forcibly drew on what mana he had left. Flames rose at point-blank range. The clothes over Rowan's chest blackened rapidly. Heat seared into his flesh. His grip still didn't loosen. Julian tried to wrench himself away again. The sleeve blade jerked inside Rowan's ribs. Cold sweat beaded across Rowan's forehead. The golden-red light continued to compress. Brighter. Brighter. Julian stared at it. Then at Rowan, only inches away. Every trace of his earlier composure was gone.

"I spent years doing this!" The words came almost through clenched teeth.

"Everything they told me to do—""I did it all!" Flames churned between them.

"And now they just decide to replace me!" Julian yanked his arm backward with everything he had.

"All of you just take whatever you want!" His eyes were completely bloodshot.

"Why?!" Rowan drew a breath. Every movement of his ribs felt like something was cutting inside him. But the golden-red light beside him was becoming denser by the second.

"I don't know." Julian stared at him. Rowan's voice was quiet.

"I only know this." The golden-red light compressed further toward its center.

"What I want—" His fingers tightened around Julian's wrist.

"I take for myself." Julian clenched his teeth.

"That was never yours!" Rowan looked at him.

"It is now." Great Sun Heavy Bolt. Complete. There was almost no distance left between them. The golden-red arrowhead was aimed directly at Julian's chest. Rowan didn't release it immediately.

"This one—" Julian's movement faltered slightly.

"is for that swipe from the Shadow Cat." The arrowhead was so bright its edges were almost impossible to see.

"And the coolant." Rowan stared at him.

"That debt gets settled too." Boom—! The golden-red heavy bolt slammed straight into the protection over Julian's chest. On impact— the entire barrier caved inward. Beneath his clothes— the defensive breastplate that had stopped Rowan again and again finally revealed its full outline. Every armament pattern across it lit at once. The glare was almost blinding. The recovery artifact at Julian's lower back was still working. Faint light continued flowing into his body. But this time— it didn't matter. Crack.

The first fracture appeared. Julian's breath caught. Crack. A second. Then a third. The entire barrier looked like glass pushed past its limit. Fractures spread across it in an instant. Boom! The barrier shattered completely. One armament pattern after another went dark across the breastplate. The Great Sun Heavy Bolt still had momentum left. Its golden-red point punched through the broken protection— and drove partway into Julian's chest. His clothes blackened instantly.

The flesh around the impact charred and curled. The enormous force lifted him bodily off the ground. His right arm was finally wrenched free as well. The sleeve blade ripped out from between Rowan's ribs. Blood splashed across the stone. Rowan swayed. The next instant— wind rose. The array patterns around the Sixth Arena all lit up together. An invisible force caught Julian as he lost his balance. Then carried him straight off the stone platform. Rowan didn't pursue. He didn't say anything either.

The golden-red heavy bolt hanging in the air hadn't completely disappeared. Its tip began to break apart first. Piece by piece. Then the crumbling spread backward. It didn't go out. It didn't explode again. It simply crumbled into countless flecks of dark-red light. Like a sheet of paper burned all the way through— leaving only ash. A gust of Returning Wind swept across the Sixth Arena. The glowing ash lifted into the air.

It passed through the space where Rowan and Julian had stood pressed together only moments before. Then scattered into the wind. The arena fell quiet again. Julian was gone. Only Rowan remained standing. [Julian.] [Exited the Sixth Arena.] Rowan looked down. Blood was still running from his ribs. At his chest— one crystal was missing from the Three-Luminary Life-Warding Clasp. Only a dim, empty socket remained where the chest crystal had been. He had dropped his blade while locking Julian in place.

It lay near his feet. Rowan bent down and picked it up. [Sixth Arena.] [Concluded.] Blood and scorch marks stained the blade. He glanced at it. Then slowly sheathed it. After a brief pause— the voice of the arcane custodian descended again. [Rowan.] [Entered the Core Sequence.] The Battle-Order Tablet in his hand lit up. A new wind pattern slowly extended inward from the edge. It crossed the original markings— and etched itself, little by little, into the very center.

Rowan looked down at it for several seconds. Then put the tablet away. The Seventh Abyssal Hive had only one standard slot. From the moment he stepped into this ruin— this was what he and Julian had been fighting over. Now— it was his. Rowan raised his head. He straightened on the Sixth Arena. Dong————————! The seventh bell rang.