Chapter 50: The Lunaris (12)
Drever listened to the bullshitting from Jex as his mind spiraled through multiple emotions in a short span.
First was the shock that came from the realization that he would be able to control time in the future, and the second was astonishment at the fact that Jex could tell his future powers and even mirror one. Such an ability was formidable.
He quickly realized why the Lunaris were so feared even by powerful hunters and guardians.
He gritted his teeth and glared at Jex, who stood in front of him with the same arrogant grin on his face.
He wanted to speak at this moment, but his body was still affected by time; only his vision was in his grasp at the moment, and his mouth wouldn’t move even if he tried to speak.
Jex seemed to be enjoying the torment he was going through as he circled around him with his hands behind his back.
He circled about three times before stopping in front of him and inching his face closer.
"Once your planet falls under our rules—which, at this rate, is definitely happening—I’ll make you one of my combat slaves," Jex said, superiority still dripping from his tone.
Drever had a lot to reply. He wanted to argue, to tell him that Arden would never be under the Lunaris, but once more, his inability to speak tortured him, and he could only watch and pray that the Lunaris brat would end the suffering quickly. He wondered just how much energy he possessed to maintain the skill for so long.
"Well... it was good speaking with you, my future combat slave," Jex said.
He walked behind Drever, grabbed his head, and deactivated the skill.
Instantly, time went back to its previous pace.
The saliva of the screaming young man finally landed on the floor, and the birds flying over the arena continued their motion. The place no longer looked like a still photograph.
Nonetheless, as time resumed—Jex, who was already holding Drever’s head, flexed his muscles and violently stomped his head on the ground, leaving quite a deep dent.
Gasps erupted from the spectators.
They had seen Drever arrive behind a violently tumbling Jex earlier, but now, not only was Jex standing perfectly unscathed behind him, he had even managed to subdue him.
"The ability to bend time..." Norian understood in an instant. He swallowed deeply, watching his son’s face smash into the rough ground with force.
Drever let out a small grunt of pain, but the Lunaris brat did not seem to mind.
"This is what you get for humiliating me earlier," Jex grinned, stomping his head on the ground once again.
He repeated this twice before tossing his body toward the group of Arden representatives, whose faces had twisted in disbelief upon the sudden turn of events.
Drever’s body flew midair at a terrifying speed.
Seeing this, Marlon swiftly moved and stood in the position where Drever was going to land. Using precision, strength, and speed, he caught Drever before he could hit the ground and suffer a serious injury.
Gigaman’s eyes were wide with disbelief.
Even though he was observing the fight directly from above, he could tell exactly what had just taken place.
He heaved a long sigh before calling the result of the third round. Once again, humanity had lost against the Lunaris, now 3-0—the situation looked hopeless.
"They are beyond monsters..." Drever coughed weakly, managing to use the last bit of consciousness to warn Marlon. "That Jex... he can mirror your powers..."
"Yeah, I saw that," Marlon said.
"N-no... he can also mirror your powers from the future..." Drever held Marlon’s hands and added, "And he said something a-about his people ruling us..."
He only managed to say that last part before he lost consciousness. Blood mixed with dirt slid down his face.
"Hmm..." Marlon hummed thoughtfully, whispering to himself. "Is that what this competition is really about? I knew they didn’t come here just for a mere contest."
"Allow me to use my healing powers on him before the medics arrive," Fiona said, placing a hand on Marlon’s shoulder.
"That would be helpful." Marlon nodded and gently placed Drever on the ground.
At that moment, silence hung over the arena, broken only by the soft drift of the morning wind.
"Who is going for the fourth round?" Marlon asked, turning to the remaining representatives.
Each of them exchanged anxious glances, none immediately stepping forward.
And he understood why—they had witnessed the devastating difference in power between themselves and the Lunaris. Even Drever Sterling had lost; that alone was enough to spike their anxiety.
"I would go..."
A young man with a bald head, dressed in a simple green robe and wearing a huge bead around his neck, stood up. His face appeared composed, but the rapid beating of his heart betrayed him.
Marlon turned to him politely. As Drever was no longer present, he assumed the role of temporary leader. "What is your name?"
"Frank Yuan," the young man replied.
"Alright, Frank. Do not exert yourself too much in this fight. If the enemy overpowers you even slightly, forfeit the competition."
The others looked at Marlon, puzzled. Forfeit? Had he lost his mind? Some silently questioned.
"You’ve already seen the results of the previous three matches; they all ended up in the infirmary. That alone boosts the ego of those purple-skinned, amphibian-looking aliens. If you, too, fall unconscious, it will be another ego boost for them," Marlon explained.
His words, however, seemed only to deepen their confusion.
"Giving up is not my style," Frank said flatly. Though anxious, his confidence remained intact.
"Fine then. Give ’em hell," Marlon said with a small smile.
Frank nodded calmly and stepped into the center of the arena, where his opponent was already waiting.
His opponent was the only female on the Lunaris side. Her gender was evident from her long black hair, which none of the others had, and the subtle feminine curves on her chest.
Aside from that, she was just as tall as the rest, and her battle presence was equally sharp.
"Thira," she said coldly.
"Frank Yuan," Frank replied.
As usual, after their introductions, Gigaman announced the beginning of the round.
Frank immediately attacked.
The large beads around his neck floated, forming a circle in front of him as they radiated a menacing white glow.
But remaining static as he activated his skill was a mistake.
Thira simply extended her hands forward, murmuring the name of her skill softly.
In an instant, the ground beneath Frank turned to mud, and just as quickly, he began to sink.
His skill activation faltered, and his beads—the very weapons he relied upon—lost their power and clattered to the ground.
He sank deeper, until only his head and hands, lifted above him, remained visible.
’What the heck...’ Frank cursed under his breath, losing his composure.
His eyes found Thira, who stood emotionless, staring straight at him, waiting for Gigaman to call her victory.
Gigaman paused for about five seconds to see if Frank could free himself.
When he couldn’t, Gigaman sighed and announced the result. "The winner... Thira of the Lunaris."
Silence took over the arena once again, that was the fourth loss.
No one clapped, no one spoke. It felt like the air itself had grown heavy. The people from Arden lowered their heads, some gripping their seats tightly as if they could hold onto their fading hope.
But in the VIP area, Crimson and Norian’s eyes suddenly flickered with interest. Their focus wasn’t on the Lunaris anymore. It was on one man — Marlon.
Down on the field, Marlon started to move. He jogged lightly on the spot, rolling his shoulders, his lips curling into a calm smirk as he prepared to go up against the lunaris.
Crimson and Norian turned to look at each other with one question on their mind — Would Marlon finally change the story?
Meanwhile, Marlon finished his preparation and walked unto the middle of the arena and pointed at two Lunaris younglings at once.
"You and you, come face me together."