Book 1: Chapter 93: Apologetic Eko and A Drum's Beat
'I 'beat' Clicker in the 64-set, Muradon forfeited in the 32-set, that burly woman did the same in the 16-set and I just wrapped up the 8-set,' Lone thought. 'Only a single fight to go before the crown prince and that pedo scumbag are added into the mix.'
Lone exhaled deeply as he considered his plan going forwards. 'Oh god, it's stupid. Sophie would scream and yell at me and tell me not to do it... but I have to. A man can only get pushed so far before he falls over. I hope Soph's sleeping so she doesn't see what'll happen soon. That screen upgrade to The Summoning Room is a bit annoying now that I think about it.'
He hadn't even really used the telepathic function of it and honestly, he'd rather not talk to Soph or Sophie right now. He was scared one of them might convince him to change his mind on what he was planning to do from here.
Lone's time meditating came and went. When he checked his status to confirm how much time had passed he'd gained 75 SP meaning the break this time was only 15-minutes long.
Regardless, he proceeded out of the waiting room and noticed that there were two moderately-sized stages in the centre of the arena.
'Makes sense. This is the 4-set so there'll only be two fights,' Lone commented internally.
His 'opponent' this time was a handsome young bald man who looked like a monk. He had no weapons on him but he was wearing a conflicted expression on his face.
Lone paid him no mind. The two shook hands and just as Lone was about to part ways the monk said, "I am sorry, Brother. I have no desire to partake in this farce but I am left without a choice. If you survive through this ordeal and wish to seek me out for justice, find me at the Eastern World Tree. That is my next destination on my journey of self-discovery."
Lone gave him a scrutinising look. "I can only blame myself for what's happening here. Just forfeit and put it out of your mind. I don't think you or the other contestants are at fault."
"... I see. I wish you luck on your path, Brother," the monk said before letting go of Lone's hand and returning to his side of the stage.
As soon as the fight started, as expected, the monk declared the battle his loss.
"Number 301, Lone Immortus the Ninetailed Golden Foxkin advances to the semifinals!" the announcer yelled.
At this point, the crowd's thoughts on Lone were mixed so they didn't react too strongly to this announcement especially after what he had yelled in his last match. Instead, they focused on the other fighters since the king must have had a good reason for seeding Lone into the tourney's semifinals in such a strange manner.
"Brother, my name is Eko. I hope we meet again and in a less... harmful environment," the monk said before he bowed his head and held his palms together in respect.
''Hmm... I wonder what they threatened him with? Maybe death if he didn't forfeit? I wouldn't put it past them. Not like it matters. They'll still get what's coming to them. At this point, even if he hadn't forfeited I would have fought him just for the chance to fight the prince or that loser of a summoned hero,' Lone thought in silence as he returned to his waiting room.
"Oi, you. You're fighting the prince now so put on a good show, yeah?" a man holding a clipboard said to Lone, awakening him from his meditative state.
"... The prince, is it? Okay. Lead the way," Lone said as he cracked his neck, grabbed his swordspear then stood up. '50 SP this time. So 10-minutes. Shame I got the prince first... Oh well, when life gives you turds it's best to make some fertiliser.'
Unsurprisingly, there was only a single stage now. It was a lot grander than the prior ones and clearly the mages responsible for making it had put the effort in to make it visually appealing as opposed to the rather plain stages from the earlier fights.
Lone got onto the platform and stood patiently on his allotted side. Not a minute later the effeminately handsome crown prince entered the arena as the crowd screeching in joy at his appearance.
'He looks like one of those actors that starred in a highschool-based movie but they're actually 30. I see he has a sword but does he know how to use it?' Lone wondered.
"Welcoming onto the stage His Royal Highness Crown Prince Auberon!" the announcer yelled. "He is one of the kingdom's most accomplished swordsman for his young age and he has even shown a strong talent for lightning magic!"
The crowd went wild as they always did when someone or something that interested them was being described.
'Lightning magic, huh?' Lone thought. 'I wonder if he's Duke Malik's apprentice or something... That cunt practises lightning magic if I recall correctly. Hmm...'
"Fighting his majesty today is the very special challenger Lone immortus, a one of a kind Golden Foxkin which were recently thought to be extinct! Not only that but as you can see he is a 9-traited beastkin and he wields a strange and unique weapon! Surely he will present fitting sport for his highness on this o' brightest of days!" the announcer practically screamed at the top of his lungs.
Lone frowned. 'That's the route they're going? I see. Make it appear that me getting pushed up here was just to give this royal brat the excuse to beat the shit out of me or maybe even kill me, the 'rare one of a kind Golden Foxkin with 9 tails!'... Cunts. I'm getting more and more pissed off the longer I stay here...'
"His Highness Crown Prince Auberon and semi-finalist, Lone Immortus the Ninetailed Golden Foxkin! You may now begin your fight after showing respect to one another with a handshake or a bow. Fatal injuries on either side will be punished severely!" the announcer said and Lone felt some powerful intent wash over him at the end of the announcer's words.
'This intent... It's coming from... up there?' Lone asked himself as he looked to the royal overhang. 'Don't want me to hurt your son, do you? Shame. Maybe if you hadn't abused your power to get revenge on me for your stupid hero's idiocy then I might have considered your request.'
He looked back to the prince. 'Well... To be fair, I've never met this guy before. For all I know he could be a beastkin rights activist or something but from his grin I doubt it. May as well confirm though.'
Lone stepped forwards and held out his hand.
"What? Do not approach us, beast. Touching you would be a disgrace to our family name," the crown prince claimed as disgust rolled across his face.
Lone pulled back his hand and sighed softly. "The worst part about being let down is that you always put yourself in the situation that allows you to get let down in the first place," he mumbled.
"What? Speak up if you have something to say, beast," the prince demanded.
Lone shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he said clearly then added, "I was just lamenting the fact that I tried."
He returned to his original spot then bowed his head. "Shall we start, Your Highness?"
"Yes, yes we think we shall. We have had quite enough of your disrespectful words and actions as it is," Crown Prince Auberon spat out as he drew his sword.
'When Sophie talks with the royal we it's kind of cute... Why is it infuriating me so much though when this assclown uses it?' Lone thought as he entered a fighting stance.
The prince cared not for Lone's thoughts. No, instead, he chose to unleash his rank's aura at full blast, showing the world his strength.
Lone honestly had no idea how powerful he was but one thing he did know was that the prince's aura was far, far, far weaker than both Duke Malik and Gilbert's. 'What an idiot. Wouldn't it have made more sense to save that and use it on me if I'm about to land a hit at a critical moment to throw me off balance or something? Arrogant prick.'
As far as Lone was aware someone had to be at least a C-ranker to start exuding their rank's aura with willpower alone. It was only B-rankers and above whose auras had an actual form, so as it was right now the prince was simply shrouded in a light layer of white energy.
'He's gotta be a C-ranker, right? Lovely. A C-ranker I can deal with. Not without trying my best but at least I don't need to lie down and get beat like some stray dog by a twisted kid. This'll be good practice for that pedo,' Lone thought.
He then immediately sprinted towards the prince, dual-ended swordspear in hand.
"Charging at me recklessly? You're more foolish than we had first thought," Crown Prince Auberon scorned as he tightened his grip on his sword's pommel.
While Lone was rapidly closing the gap runes lit up all over the prince's longsword and not a split-second later he had invoked a skill, "Amplified Current!"
A wave of blue lightning arched out of his palm and snaked its way up the longsword, filling each magical rune as it went along with the magical power.
As soon as the stream of lightning had reached the peak of the blade all of that stored energy rushed out of the runic symbols and then like a spring unleashed from its coiled form, it all rushed towards Lone faster than the common eye could see.
Lone tried to dodge but he could only move so fast and Evasion Mastery could only adjust his movements so much.
The thin but powerful current of lightning blasted right into Lone's right flank exactly where his kidney was.
The host has developed the active lightning magic skill: Amplified Current.
Congratulations! the host's passive skill [Lightning Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 2.
Congratulations! the host's passive skill [Lightning Magic Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Intermediate Level 3.
The magic had burnt a hole right through Lone's light clothing as if it were paper. That made sense to him, in all honestly. He didn't wear armour since his most-suited type was his bones and usually, he was eager to get hit to gain skills and let Basic Regeneration grow.
His skin was charred black and red blood flowed from a small crater that had formed in his lower torso where he'd been struck.
Lone now realised that perhaps he should have better prepared for the off chance of facing against a mage or two.
Regardless, he felt his muscles cramp up while he watched the prince's smirk widen as the man readied himself to attack Lone with the very sharp and very deadly weapon he was holding.
'Good. Underestimate me, you little shit. Unless you can apply your stats then I still have this under control,' Lone thought as he powered through the pain and numbness in his chest that was slowly spreading throughout his body. 'Truly a current, huh? What a nasty skill.'
"You're mine, beast!" Crown Prince Auberon yelled as he lunged forward and invoked another skill. "Lacerate!"
Lone didn't know what that skill was but the name alone gave enough context clues for him to know not to let himself just get cut up by it.
"Pierce!" he shouted back but his swordspear was, oddly enough, pointed nowhere near the prince.
"What a useless fool! Regret your actions in the Realm of the Primals!" the prince declared as his blade came within inches of Lone's head, ready to cut it in two from the top-down.
"Momentum Shift," Lone muttered.
A sharp stabbing sound could be heard as metal shredded through metal even over the screaming and hollering of the crowd before silence overcame the colosseum.
"You talk too much. We're fighting, not arguing," Lone said coldly as he slowly pulled his swordspear - now covering in blood - out of Crown Prince Auberon's gut and ruined chestplate.
The man's eyes shook wildly as he felt his grasp on his magical sword slip, resulting in the weapon clattering to the floor.
Lone slowly bent over and picked it up. "A nice blade. I've never seen a magical weapon before. I'll be claiming this," he said as he tossed it into what looked like an adventurer's pouch but he had actually put it in his Dimensional Storage.
"Now, to mete out justice," Lone whispered. "The arms with which you tried to kill me, they are now forfeit."
The prince shook with nothing but raw emotion. He was frozen solid despite his sporadic trembling. He'd never been injured like this before.
Sure, he'd been hit around a bit by his father and his instructors during training. That much was normal. But the pain of being stabbed so fiercely, and by a skill no less... To add insult to injury the one to deal the blow was a no-name slave beastkin.
All he could do was watch as the beastkin in front of him slowly brought his weapon down and cut both of his arms off as his mind was recoiling in shock.
It took a few seconds for the pain to catch up with his emotions and frazzled mind. "AHHHHHHH!" His scream filled the crowd with terror but more important a different sensation washed over them - anger.
A demihuman slave had just seriously injured their crown prince, crippled their crown prince, humiliated their crown prince. And now? And now the animal was looking at them like they were worth less than dirt.
Lone stared at the crowd with a truly harrowing gaze. "I am no freak show and I am no spectacle to be made a mockery of. If you wish for me to dance, then dance I shall, but only to the beat of my own drum!"
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