Free Web NovelChapter 32: You Don’t Play With Your Food In Front Of A Desperate Enemy
The thunderous cheers for Clara’s victory were still echoing through the stone rafters of the colosseum when the trio stepped back into the shadows of the competitor ranks.
Despite the roaring crowd, a heavy, suffocating silence settled over them.
Hannah’s hands were visibly shaking, her fingers nervously clutching the fabric of her robes.
Her face was pale, her eyes wide as she stared at the blood-stained sand of the arena below.
’She was so ruthless,’ Hannah whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
’Clara didn’t hesitate for a single second. If I go out there against someone like that... if I mess up my timing...’
Santiago stepped closer, his posture tall.
’You are overthinking it, Hannah,’ he said, his voice smooth and steady.
’Clara fought her match, not yours. You have trained just as hard, and you have your own advantages. You don’t need to emulate her ruthlessness to win.
’You just need to execute your own strategy.’
Evan glanced at her, his dark eyes intense and grounded.
’There is no point in fearing the arena before you even step into it,’ he added calmly.
’You know your limits, and you know your strength. Trust the foundation you built, trust yourself. You don’t need to worry about what-ifs and all those things.’
Hearing their words, a small spark of warmth cut through the icy dread in Hannah’s chest. She took a deep, steadying breath, feeling her racing heart slow down just a fraction.
The crippling fear began to recede, replaced by a fragile but genuine sense of motivation.
They believed in her. She couldn’t let them down.
Right on cue, the commentator’s voice boomed across the entire stadium, cutting through the ambient chatter.
’Ladies and gentlemen, clear the sands! It is time for the third match! Representing the rising talents of the academy, step forward... Hannah! Facing off against the fierce and unpredictable... Kyle!’
The crowd erupted again, a wall of sound pressing down on the arena.
Hannah felt a jolt of adrenaline spike through her veins. She steeled her resolve, and began the long, lonely walk down the stone steps and out into the open, sun-drenched colosseum ring.
As she stepped onto the sand, her eyes instantly locked onto her opponent.
Kyle was already waiting in the opposite corner, a cocky, aggressive smirk plastered across his face.
He was bouncing on his heels, practically bursting with restless energy.
Hannah closed her eyes for a split second, taking a deep breath of the metallic, dust-laden air. She reminded herself of the stark reality of their cultivation.
Kyle was a middle-stage fledgling.
She, on the other hand, had already pushed her way to the very peak stage of the fledgling realm.
The sheer disparity in their Qi was undeniably in her favor, not only was she a peak stage fledgling but also she had a Qi Nourishing Blood Worm, awarded to her by the academy.
Realizing this, another surge of confidence washed over her, solidifying her motivation. She was stronger.
’ I can do this,’ she thought.
The referee stepped into the center of the ring, his hand raised high. He looked left, then right, ensuring both combatants were set. With a swift, downward sweep of his arm, his voice echoed.
’Let the match begin!’
The stadium erupted into a chaotic symphony of shouts, bets, and cheers, the spectators screaming for both sides.
Instantly, Kyle burst forward.
He sprinted across the sand with explosive speed, his eyes wild with the primal desire to tear her apart, to make a name for himself by taking down a peak-stage opponent.
He closed the distance like a starving beast.
On the other side, Hannah began her advance, but as Kyle drew closer, a flash of her natural hesitation crept back into her movements.
Her steps slowed slightly, her guard shifting defensively.
Seeing her hesitation, Kyle grinned. He leapt into the air, his body twisting as he activated his weapon.
Wind Pushing Blood Worm!
A blast of compressed air gathered around his form, aiming to slam her flat and dictate the momentum of the entire fight from the opening second.
But Hannah was somewhat ready.
Anticipating a frontal assault, she shifted her weight at the exact last microsecond, diving sharply to the left.
The wind whistled past her ear, violently churning up the sand right where she had been standing a moment prior.
Tumbling through the dirt, Hannah scrambled back to her feet. She rotated her face toward Kyle with startling speed. Before he could even land from his jump and recover his balance, she used her basic Blood Worm.
Blinding Light Blood Worm!
The unique nature of the Blinding Light Blood Worm was its utter unpredictability in execution.
Unlike most weapons that required a physical medium or a gesture, its blinding radiance could be channeled and emitted from absolutely any location on the user’s body.
A cultivator could unleash it from their hands, their elbows, their knees, or even their butt if they possessed the control.
Hannah chose her forehead.
A sudden, violently intense flash of pristine, white light exploded directly from the center of her brow.
The radiant beam struck Kyle right in the eyes mid-air.
He let out a sharp yelp of agony as the searing illumination completely whited out his vision, stripping away his balance and sending him crashing blindly into the sand.
As the light faded, Hannah felt a sharp pang of exhaustion in her aperture.
She could instantly feel that her Blinding Light Blood Worm had weakened significantly after that single, explosive burst.
It was a low-rank, three time use tool, and she had burned a massive amount of its latent energy.
With Kyle stumbling around blindly, his hands flailing, the match was completely hers for the taking.
She closed the distance, her fist cocked back.
But as she looked at his exposed, defenseless face, that deep-seated hesitation paralyzed her once more. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
She didn’t want to permanently disfigure him.
She didn’t want to be cruel.
Pulling her punch at the last second, she struck Kyle’s jaw with only a fraction of her strength. The blow connected, drawing blood, but it lacked the bone-shattering force she was truly capable of.
Desperate to keep him contained without causing severe trauma, she forced her energy back into her forehead, activating the weakened Blinding Light Blood Worm a second time.
Another dim flash flickered from her brow, keeping Kyle’s vision blurry. She followed up with a rapid succession of punches and kicks, but she deliberately held back, striking with barely half of her true strength.
A soft jab to the ribs, a restrained kick to his thigh, she was treating the life-and-death colosseum like a polite sparring match.
Up in the competitor stands, Evan watched the display, his expression darkening into a mask of pure disgust.
He leaned against the stone railing, his knuckles turning white.
’What is she doing?’ Evan thought, his teeth grinding in frustration.
’This is a arena, not a classroom. If she keeps showing too good of a heart, if she refuses to put him down when she has the chance, she is going to lose this entire match. You don’t play with your food in front of a desperate enemy.’
Down in the sand, Kyle was battered, bruised, and covered in superficial cuts.
The sheer volume of her restrained blows was taking a toll, his legs shaking as he teetered on the verge of fainting.
His vision was blurring, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.
But as he stared through the blurry, tear-filled haze of his eyes, he realized Hannah was holding back.
He realized she was pitying him.
A toxic wave of humiliation and pure, unadulterated rage flooded his system. Seeing that he had absolutely no other choice, and refusing to suffer a pathetic defeat, Kyle bared his bloody teeth in a twisted, maniacal grin.
’I do have an awakened blood worm, you bitch!’ he screamed.
