Chapter 320 - Intermediate Disciple

The next match started soon under the announcer’s direction.

Han Wu, who had already secured five consecutive victories, stood alone in the ring. The crowd erupted with excitement, their cheers fueled by his winning streak.

“Fireball, burn that bastard! I’ve got 5,000 credits on you—don’t let me down!”

“I’ve bet 10,000 on you!”

“Fireball, you’re the coolest! You’re the best!”

Han Wu blocked out the noise and fixed his eyes on the man stepping into the ring. His instincts and experience told him this opponent carried a strength greater than the five he had already defeated.

Bai Quan entered without a word, his head lowered. He was nothing more than a slave the boss of the fighting ring had trained in secret, a dog who sank his teeth into anyone his master ordered. His only reward came in the form of a slightly better meal after each victory.

The announcer’s voice rose theatrically as he introduced the fighters. He praised Han Wu as a once-in-a-century genius, a champion of the underground circuit, all to lure the audience into placing heavier bets on him.

Han Wu ignored him. Instead, he stretched his arms wide, a gesture of dominance that matched the announcer’s performance. Several Assists landed on him, and he grew stronger. The underground fighting ring and Han Wu both sought only to wring out as much profit as possible, while the crowd remained the fools footing the bill.

The lights from the Assists faded, and the match officially commenced.

Bai Quan crouched low as his body started to twist and change. White fur rippled across his skin, and his limbs grew longer and leaner. His face stretched into a snout, sharp fangs jutting from his mouth. It was his first and most powerful Skill, the Level 29 White Dog Transformation.

A heavy pressure radiated from him, the raw aura of a predator. Without pause, he triggered his second Skill, the Level 12 Rabies. It allowed him to infect every strike with a virus that brought excruciating agony. Even nonlethal wounds carried a death sentence, as the virus finished what his claws could not. Together, the two Skills elevated his combat power to terrifying heights.

Han Wu studied every movement with sharp focus and mentally prepared himself on how to deal with Bai Quan’s attacks. His current body was weaker, but his battle-hardened instincts and experience far surpassed his opponent’s.

It didn’t take long for Han Wu to notice an opening. A faint but unhealed wound marred Bai Quan’s abdomen. Exploiting that weak point could inflict serious damage. With his decision made, Han Wu closed in for the attack.

Bai Quan slipped past his strike with ease and lashed back with clawed swipes that carved greenish trails through the air. Han Wu dodged just as smoothly.

They both drew heavy breaths after several furious exchanges, yet neither had managed to land a decisive blow.

Frustration spread through the crowd. They had come for carnage, not a stalemate!

Some of them started shouting for Bai Quan’s victory.

“Bai Quan, tear Fireball apart!”

“End this dull match already! I want blood on the floor!”

“Fireball, I put 1,000 credits on you! Don’t you dare lose—pay me back if you won’t fight!”

...

The crowd’s jeers did nothing to shake the contestants’ focus. They studied each other with sharp eyes, each waiting for the slightest opening.

However, the boss had already grown impatient. He ordered Bai Quan to kill Han Wu at once and bring the fight to an end.

The announcer relayed the order with a subtle hand sign directed at Bai Quan. The moment Bai Quan recognized it, his body trembled. He understood the signal all too well. If he failed to tear Han Wu apart soon, his own life would be forfeit.

With no room left for hesitation, Bai Quan unleashed his third Skill, the Level 3 Berserk. Although it was only at that level, it was still a powerful Skill he had gained after advancing to Superior Disciple.

He sacrificed a portion of his Life Energy, and a blood-red mist poured from his body, soaking into his snow-white fur until it glowed a violent crimson. His speed and attack accelerated rapidly, yet the wild nature of his attacks left his weak spot glaringly exposed.

Han Wu slipped past his claws and countered with a blazing Fireball aimed at Bai Quan’s abdomen. Flames scorched fur and flesh and filled the arena with the sharp scent of seared meat.

Bai Quan howled in agony. Han Wu stepped back to widen the distance, but Bai Quan refused to surrender. With his life hanging by a thread, he forced his battered body forward, determined to fight on.

The more his injuries mounted, the easier a target he became for Han Wu’s attacks. After enduring five more Fireballs, Bai Quan finally crashed to the ground. He lay motionless, his abdomen burned through, the flesh and organs around the wound charred black.

The crowd, unaware of the boss’s interference, grew impatient and shouted at the announcer to end the fight.

“Hey, hurry up and announce Fireball as the winner!”

The announcer lingered at the edge of the ring, uncertain whether he should step forward. If he declared the result now, the boss would be forced to pay out to the audience members who had bet on Han Wu’s victory.

Would the boss allow him to, though?

Han Wu noticed the announcer’s hesitation and instantly understood the situation. He had lived through countless foreign civilizations. By now, if he added up the years, he would be a venerable old man of several hundred. He could not afford to admit defeat now because he needed money. He would force the announcer to declare him the victor.

Han Wu condensed another Fireball in his arm and aimed at Bai Quan.

Bai Quan teetered on the edge of death. One more hit would finish him, yet his eyes showed no fear. Instead, they glimmered with relief. He would rather die than live like a dog.

“Go in peace. I pray you will reincarnate into a world of stability and live a peaceful life.” Han Wu released the Fireball, and flames engulfed Bai Quan’s body.

As Bai Quan burned, he seemed to trust Han Wu’s words and even smiled. Then something unexpected happened. Han Wu watched Bai Quan’s soul detach from his body and merge with his own.

Confusion flashed through Han Wu, but clarity came quickly. He possessed the Divine Power: Reincarnation. Even inactive in the Assist Civilization, it still functioned. He could absorb useful souls and reincarnate them once he returned to his divine realm.

Not bad

, he thought.

This ability allowed him to claim souls he found valuable from other civilizations and reincarnate them in his divine realm. Given enough time, he could amass a legion of powerful individuals there.

The announcer stared until Bai Quan was reduced to ash, then forced himself to speak. “Victory goes to Fireball!”

The crowd erupted, not because of Han Wu’s triumph, but because most had bet on him and were now reaping the rewards. Nearly everyone in the audience had backed Han Wu and won a hefty sum from his victory.

Han Wu earned more than 600 Assists from this single match, far surpassing the combined Assists from his previous five fights. His Level 7 Fireball surged to Level 10 in an instant, and three enhancement options appeared for him to choose from:

[Option 1: Explosion – Fireball detonates on contact.]

[Option 2: Blood Fuel – Burns the enemy’s blood as fuel.]

[Option 3: High Heat – Fireball burns hotter and inflicts greater damage.]

After weighing the options, Han Wu selected the second one. Besides getting a second effect for his Fireball, he also obtained a new Skill thanks to his rank advancement.

The Skill emerged from his high Defense potential and Life Aspect. It was called Life Shield.

[Life Shield: Converts Life Energy into an invisible shield that blocks damage. Effect: Resilient (Increases shield strength by 10%.)]

Han Wu’s interface also reflected his new growth.

[Name: Han Wu

Rank: Intermediate Disciple

Potential: Power 3, Agility 4, Defense 24, Water 3, Fire 6, Earth 4, Wind 3

Skills:

1. Level 10 Fireball (Assist Points: Fire 14/1,000)

Effects: Magnify (100%), Fireball Size (100%), Blood Furnace (10%)

2. Level 1 Life Shield (Assist Points: Defense 0/100, Water 0/100, Fire 0/100, Earth 0/100, Wind 0/100)

Effects: Resilience (10%)

Daily Assist Limit: 2/5]

“Life Shield requires five attributes? That’s unusual.”

Indeed, upgrading a Skill demanding Assist Points from five different attributes proved extraordinarily difficult, yet it also signaled that its power would be immense.