Chapter 55: Garion Gets Serious
Feron smirked, his curved sword dripping faint red light.
"Indeed, all four of us are Stabilization Stage Cultivators, which means we can already use our traits. And mine..."
He tapped his blade, pointing at the mana.
"Not only does it slow your healing, but it also makes the pain linger longer, making it harder for you to think."
Garion flexed his injured arm, and just like Feron said, he could still feel the pain, although it had been quite some time.
"No wonder it hasn’t healed after a long time, and it still burns like hell."
Suddenly, a shout appeared just right behind him.
"Rending Talon!"
Dario burst forward, claws flashing green.
Garion turned too late as the hooked gauntlets raked his back, tearing his flesh and making Garion stumble forward.
And instantly, his head grew heavy, vision shaking. A dull sickness began to spread from his wound and into his whole body.
Garion quickly tried to steady himself, his eyes narrowing.
"So yours... poison?"
Darion grinned wide, his crooked nose wrinkling.
"Whether you know or not doesn’t matter. Poison or venom, the end is the same. You die."
Before Garion could respond, Bria stepped in, her mana-coated blade thrusting sharp.
"Piercing Veil!"
Garion raised his forearm to block, but the blade still pierced his skin, stabbing through his flesh and muscle.
It quickly surprised Garion as his skin, this shouldn’t be possible, and Bria’s eyes glinted as she drew her blade back.
"Unlike others, my trait is quite simple. It strengthens my blade. No shield can stop me once I attack."
Then, suddenly, the ground rumbled as the fourth one attacked Garion.
"Mountain Breaker!"
Alonzo swung his massive axe down with both hands, splitting the earth.
Garion rolled aside just in time, but Alonzo was already moving again and punched Garion right in the face.
But Garion managed to catch it, but still the force pushed him back three full steps.
Then something caught his eye as his arm’s skin seemed to crack a bit, just like stone
Garion immediately knew that Alonzo’s trait make his body or attack as hard as a stone.
Alonzo then jumped back, took his axe again, and sneered.
"Now that you have seen all of our power, let me tell you that you won’t last long against the four of us."
Garion just stretched his body and suddenly laughed hard, before grinning, surprising all four of them.
"Damn. You’re more troublesome than I thought. Slower healing, poison, stronger steel, harder skin... a real collection."
He spat blood into the dirt, then stomped his foot to the ground, cracking it a bit.
"But you forgot one very important thing."
The four sect leaders tensed as Garion’s muscles bulged, mana pumping through every cell, strengthening his body.
"I was never serious when I fought you guys before. And even now, I haven’t even used my mana."
He raised both fists, flexing his arms and grinning wide.
"But now... It’s time for me to become serious. Let’s see if you can even survive. Show me how strong a Second Realm Cultivator really is."
Before the four could react or move, Garion vanished from his spot right in front of them.
Dario’s eyes widened.
"What the hell! How can you be so fast?!"
Garion appeared right in front of him, smirking.
"Because I am. Every cell in my body is working extra now, and this is my super state, though my hair didn’t grow."
Dario snarled, slashing both claws wildly.
"I don’t care what you call it, or what you’re saying. You’re stupid if you think you can take me head-on!"
His claws tore across Garion’s chest and shoulders, leaving deep scratches, letting poisonous mana seeped in.
But Garion didn’t flinch.
He just let him do it, but in return, he wrapped his arm around Dario’s neck and locked him into a chokehold.
Dario frowned, veins bulging in his forehead as he tried to release himself by clawing desperately at Garion’s arm.
"Damn it! How can you be this strong... and what about the poison in your body! How can you still move this easily?"
Garion laughed straight in his ear, tightening the hold.
"Poison? I don’t care. Even if the poison is breaking me, as long as I have the determination, I can still move."
He squeezed harder, and in an instant, Dario’s eyes rolled back and his legs stopped kicking as his neck was utterly broken. His body fell lifeless to the ground.
Garion wiped the blood on his forearm and turned to face the remaining three, grinning wide.
"The most troublesome is done, and now all three of you are next."
---
Bria’s brows furrowed, her sword trembling slightly in her grip.
"Impossible... he killed Dario in one move."
Feron’s lips curled into a thin smile. His eyes stayed fixed on Garion’s body, watching the faint sway in his stance.
"Don’t panic. Look closer. He’s already shaking. Dario’s poison is still there, eating him from the inside."
Garion tilted his head, spit laced with blood hitting the ground. But his grin never faded.
"Yeah... I feel it. My stomach’s burning, my head’s heavy... but I’m still standing. That’s more than enough to deal with you three."
Alonzo stomped forward, raising his axe high. He began to cover both his arms and his axe in his own mana.
His skin began to crack like stone, plates forming along his forearms and axe.
"Then let’s see if you can still take this. Mountain Crusher!"
The axe came down like a falling cliff, both hands driving it with all his weight.
Garion didn’t dodge. He just bent his body slightly before surging forward, shooting both arms up.
He caught the haft of the axe just inches before it reached his head.
The impact sent cracks rippling through the dirt, shaking his arms, but he still held it in place.
Alonzo snarled, pressing down harder.
"Just what kind of monster are you?"
Garion’s grin widened through his bloodstained teeth.
"Just your everyday Gym Rat!"