BUILDING MY OWN EMPIRE - My Journey from Nothing to Overwhelming Power Chapter 118 - 117 – The Counter

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Two hours passed... during which three matches ended...

The first match was for that frail warrior... against the bull...

It was not a strong match... but it carried steps and ideas...

To be strong and intelligent is a great solution... that was what the bull had in facing an opponent with a powerful and incomprehensible fighting movent...

In the second match... it was a duel between two masters of second-rank strength...

It was a fast battle despite both masters being equal in strength...

But luck was an important factor as always...

To face poison while you have nothing to protect you from it...

Makes you a very easy prey... and that was the case for one of the two masters...

In the third match... it was the most beautiful battle so far...

A master of second-rank strength... was facing... a tree...

Yes... a tree...

The battle lasted for more than an hour...

Then...

The master fell with no accumulation...

The roots of the tree, which absorb their energy from the ground... were more resilient than the accumulation of a second-rank master...

Well... to speak honestly... that tree’s level was higher than a second-rank master... but...

That master... was also stupid hahaha

As for now...

My eyes turned toward a master using a physical combat style... facing a master with a long sword...

For several minutes now...

The hands of the physical-style master were completely covered in water...

Blocking strong and fast strikes...

Suddenly...

He got closer to the long-sword master...

The master directed his sword toward the physical-style master...

Swoooosh...

The sword struck and penetrated the water defense surrounding the other master’s hands...

Suddenly...

The movent of the long sword stopped...

It got stuck inside the water...

The master pulled it... it did not move...

It was stuck...

A loud laugh burst from the physical-style master...

Suddenly...

His feet filled with water, surrounding them like a wide flowing shield...

Then...

He raised his foot...

Swoosh...

He brought it down violently toward the head of the sword master...

At the mont before impact...

The water around his foot turned into solid ice...

BOOOOM...

The strike exploded violently on the master’s head...

In an instant...

The master fell unconscious... blood pouring like a fountain...

dical teams rushed in...

And from afar... with great speed... a third-rank master rushed in...

He was wearing a white vest like those worn by dics...

Suddenly he stood near the bleeding master...

He extended his hands, and a large green energy burst forth, surrounding the master...

Suddenly...

The bleeding stopped...

Then...

The master stepped back several ters...

His energy still surrounding the injured man...

"Sir," a voice sounded near ...

I turned... it was one of the assistants...

"It’s ti for your match... follow please," he said...

I stood... the old man stood with as well...

His grandchildren tried to stand... but the attendant stopped them... only the companion was allowed to go with the master...

In the waiting room...

The old man’s eyes were tense...

"Sir," he muttered...

"Yes," I said...

"Don’t be afraid... you are strong," he said...

Without thinking... a loud laugh escaped my lips...

That old man... despite his tension and anxiety...

Was trying to comfort ...

Well... I will make this match worth watching...

Everyone is looking for a show... and here I am to give them one...

It took a large amount of accumulation from ... and I must recover it...

In every match you win... you gain 20,000 accumulation points...

If you win five matches in a row... you gain 50,000 accumulation points as a reward... and also...

You advance in the match ladder to the second stage...

If you win four and lose one... you still have to start over to achieve a streak of five...

If you lose ten matches... you are automatically excluded and must pay again and start from the beginning...

In the past days... I was thinking of a suitable plan...

Today... all I thought of... is winning four matches and gaining 80,000 accumulation points...

Then...

Thinking about what to decide regarding the fifth match...

I need massive accumulation points... to pay them to the weapon furnace...

And there is no solution except using these thods to profit...

Deception... is the right path...

Stealth and hunting weaker fighters... will be inevitable...

Not moral?

Hahahaha...

Don’t make laugh... in this miserable world... there is nothing moral except advancent... in my path of revenge...

Everything... is justified... everything is executable...

If it requires to crush the dreams of the weak... I will do it...

In my previous world... it was clear before my eyes... I was a fool...

I did not clearly see the truth...

I moved... and still thought the path of righteousness was right...

But once again... I lose...

And the price was the death of everyone who trusted to protect them...

Today... there is no path but the path of evolution...

After a while...

"It’s ti," the organizer said...

I went out... alone... walking with light balanced steps...

All that mattered... was hiding my aura... and I had succeeded in that long ago...

The credit goes to years of training in the training dinsion...

It was difficult... but achieved... with unmatched effort...

Today... I only need a few concealnt tools to make everyone see as rely a second-rank fighter...

One step... then another...

The audience’s voices rose as I stepped...

At first... I was surprised that they were cheering for ...

In the next mont, that thought vanished completely...

The voices were rising for my opponent...

From the opposite side... my opponent’s steps began to appear... I did not look...

Instead, I moved my feet across the ground...

The battlefield floor was muddy and sandy at the sa ti...

"Co closer!" the referee shouted...

I raised my head... and moved slowly...

Before ... stood a man wearing full white armor... in his hand... two black scythes were raised...

"Are you ready?" said the referee...

"Yes," I said... and so did my long-haired opponent...

"End of accumulation, surrender, or death," said the referee... then added:

"These are the conditions for ending the battle... however... there is an exception...

If both opponents agree... the death condition can be ignored and the referees can decide the winner..."

"I have no problem with all three conditions without referee intervention," my opponent’s voice ca smooth and mocking...

I turned to the referee... "Neither do I," I said...

"Then... no one will interfere in your battle... return to your positions... and wait for the bell," said the referee... then withdrew...

I stepped back... several steps...

I looked at my opponent... his armor was shiny... and looked expensive... as for his weapon, its nature could not be determined before the fight...

Suddenly... the warrior began to move...

He did not attack... but protected his body...

I looked up...

There was a large bell on one side... no one was near it... yet the sound rang suddenly...

Dong... Dong... Dong... Dong...

Suddenly...

The warrior rushed toward ...

His steps were fast...

As if he was not wearing armor...

He extended his arms to the sides... raising his scythes...

He smiled cunningly... then reached ...

He struck with his right...

I moved aside... avoided the strike...

His left ca at ...

I moved again... step then turn...

I was behind him...

His reaction was fast... he turned toward ...

And struck in a turning stance...

I retreated further...

Then extended my hand toward my sword...

Before I could draw it... the warrior’s steps accelerated...

Then he struck—

Swoooosh...

His scythe ca down violently toward ...

"Haaa!" I shouted...

I moved quickly...

Barely avoided it...

My foot hit the ground...

I rolled several ters...

The warrior stopped... laughed hysterically...

Suddenly...

Laughter spread in the stands... then increased...

"This is better," I whispered internally...

Then—

"You bastard... how do you wear such armor and still be this fast?" I scoffed...

He walked toward ... calm steps... but arrogance filled his face... then stopped and said:

"I know you... you are the adventurer who has a weapon that cuts accumulation... let see how you will cut mine... co, attack ."

I stood... looked at him angrily...

"You bastard," I said...

Then moved...

My steps accelerated... I reached him...

I raised my sword... and struck...

My strike hit his armor—

BOOOOM...

The sound roared...

My lips parted in shock...

"How?" I said... "how does it not cut your accumulation?" I scoffed... then stepped back several ters...

Suddenly... the opponent rushed toward ...

He struck... I dodged...

He followed quickly...

Struck again... I raised my sword and blocked at the last mont...

The strikes kept coming one after another...

And suddenly... a new atmosphere appeared in the arena...

The balance was increasingly shifting in favor of the warrior...

"Not yet," I said internally...

So far... it was good training...

This opponent... aside from his arrogance... had good movent...

His strikes were strong and fast... his armor, as I expected, was high quality... which made it seem like he wore nothing...

On the other hand... even a sword like the accumulation cutter... could not cut it...

But... what about his weapon? So far, it seed to have no properties...

"You fast bastard with endless strikes!" I shouted... then dodged another strike...

Suddenly... the fighter shouted:

"Co on... attack , I’ll allow you one strike!"

Then suddenly...

The armor covering his chest disappeared... leaving him unprotected...

"You will regret it," I said... then rushed at him...

I reached him...

He still extended his arms... not attempting to defend...

I raised my sword... and swung—

Swoooosh...

Suddenly—

BOOOOM...

A fast movent... faster than any he showed before...

He placed his scythes before my sword... before it could land...

He blocked it...

Suddenly—

{ 10% of your accumulation has been cut }

The notification sounded violently...

"Haaaa!" I shouted... stepping back several steps...

"Is this his weapon’s ability?" I whispered...

"The Counter," the warrior said aloud... "it reflects the opponent’s property back at them... when you were cutting my accumulation... it turned on you."

"The Counter..." I whispered internally...

What a terrifying ability...

But—

"If I don’t attack... I won’t lose accumulation... simple," I said...

The opponent rushed toward ...

"Do you consider not attacking sothing simple?" he mocked...

He approached... raised his scythes and struck—

I tracked the movent quickly...

Raised my sword... blocked—

Then—

{ 10% of your accumulation has been cut }

"Haaa?!" I shouted in shock...

"How?!"

Before I understood—

Another strike—

Blocked—

Another 10% gone...

I stepped back...

He followed quickly...

Another strike... then another...

I dodged repeatedly...

But his attacks accelerated... more and more... without slowing...

Once... twice... three tis...

I was hit...

In monts...

I lost more than 60% of my accumulation...

I slamd the ground hard...

Retreated far...

He did not follow...

I stood... breathing heavily...

He was tired too... but adapted quickly...

After all... he wasn’t the one who lost half his accumulation...

"What a dilemma..." I whispered...

"If I attack... I lose... if I defend... I lose... the only solution is to run..."

"With his increasing speed... he can trap and land small hits... whether I get hit or block... I take damage..."

After a few monts... he prepared to attack again...

He moved... then lunged—

Behind ... only the wall...

No escape—

Swoosh—

A decisive strike—

My eyes saw it descending toward my head... slowly... like a cinematic scene...

Half a motion—

I tilted—

Half a step—

Turn—

Then I was at his side—

I drew the accumulation cutter—

Then—

Swoooosh—

The black blade passed between the armor gaps near the armpit—

Suddenly—

The warrior stepped back several steps...

Looked worried—

{ 10% of opponent’s accumulation has been cut }

The system notification sounded...

"The analysis is complete," I said... exhaled... smiled... then added:

"You have a weapon that reflects properties... but it requires receiving a direct hit first... after that... even a block becos a property..."

I raised my sword... looked at him...

"That’s why your attacks always target my weapon... to create contact... as for your armor..." I whispered, then laughed lightly...

"It is not linked to you... if it were... you would have lost accumulation at the start... because my sword treats linked armor as the body itself..."

"And since it’s not linked... it becos normal armor... not covering the whole body... no matter how high quality..."

"So..."

I moved... step by step toward him...

His eyes shone with disbelief...

I rushed him... faster than before...

"So all I have to do..."

I reached him... raised my sword—

He moved to block—

My blade neared his scythes... then deviated—

"Is not to hit your weapon," I said...

He saw my smile—

Swoooosh—

Another cut—

He turned and struck—

I dodged narrowly—

Swoosh—

Another cut—

He retreated—

"No escape," I said...

"You damn you!" he shouted—

Another cut landed—

He struck—

I dodged—

Struck—

Cut—

Fear filled his heart—

He retreated—

I didn’t stop—

The chase continued...

Minutes passed—

Then—

Half turn—

Raised blade—

Full swing—

Swoooosh—

The last of his accumulation was cut—

He fell—

Unable to move—

"You have three seconds to surrender," I said... standing over him...

"1"

"2"

"I surrender..." he said hoarsely...

Silence fell over the arena...

I looked at the stands...

Turned—

A full glance—

Then—

A smile—

"What a feeling..." I whispered...

"Defeating the crowd’s favorite... truly a wonderful feeling."