Adam was pissed. How could he not be? His only niece had technically beco undead and it may bleed over into reality.
Yet there was nothing he could do. The die had already been cast. Grumbling to himself, his gaze shifted to the person next to Penny.
His frown turned into a scowl as he snarled
"And who are you?"
Greg had a bemused expression on his face as he looked down at the handso man in front of him.
He could detect the faint bloodlust simring beneath Adam’s composed exterior, like a coiled snake waiting to strike. Still, he kept his posture relaxed, even casual, hands tucked into his coat pockets.
"Titan," he said simply, the na hanging in the air with quiet weight. "Friend of Rose".
Adam’s jaw twitched. He didn’t like the sound of that.
"Rose?" he repeated, voice low and dangerous.
Penny groaned and rubbed her forehead. "I’m right here, you know."
Greg chuckled softly. "You’ve got a protective uncle," he said, glancing at her. Then, without turning back to Adam, he added, "I like that."
"Don’t get comfortable," Adam snapped, stepping closer. "You might have helped her, but I don’t know you. And until I do, you’re a threat."
Greg’s amusent didn’t fade. If anything, it deepened into sothing more curious. "Noted."
There was a long silence between the two n, tension thick enough to cut with a knife.
Finally, Penny stepped between them.
"Okay, testosterone contest over. Can we focus on sothing else please?"
"Sure thing. Let’s focus on how I am going to be taking so kneecaps if a certain giant doesn’t fuck off sowhere?
Greg chuckled but didn’t take his eyes off Adam.
"You’ve got a protective streak. That’s cute."
Adam stepped forward, voice low.
"I don’t care who you are or what you’ve done. You’re too close to her and I don’t like the way you look at her."
Greg’s smile thinned. He shifted his weight forward.
"Then do sothing about it."
The air between them went still. Penny could feel it. The shift.
"You’re serious," Adam said.
You’ve got sothing to say," Greg replied, his voice calm, "I’m happy to hear it with fists."
Adam’s scowl turned into a smile as he pulled out his dagger.
"I’ll do you one better asshole. How bout you let your actions spesk for you!"
It was then that a notification appeared in front of Greg.
-Player Ouroboros has challenged Player Titan to a Duel.
Greg looked at it, then at Adam. His hands slid from his pockets and he cracked his knuckles slowly.
"No weapons. No holding back," he said.
Adam raised an eyebrow. "Barehanded against ? You are either brave or stupid."
Greg stepped forward, his voice quiet and sure.
"That’s for to know and for you to find out."
Penny’s eyes widened. "Oh my god. You idiots are actually going through with it."
Neither of them flinched.
A pulse of light shot outward from the space between them. The ground shimred as a duel zone activated.
The air around them distorted for a mont before everyone within a ten-ter radius was forcefully cleared.
A digital countdown appeared between them.
3
2
1
Begin!
As soon as the countdown hit zero, Adam struck first. He closed the distance in a blink, dagger aid low, then swept it upward toward Greg’s ribs.
Greg stepped in to et it. His right arm shimred as the skin hardened, tal crawling up from wrist to elbow just in ti. The dagger scraped against it with a harsh screech, sparks flying.
Adam’s eyes narrowed slightly. The blade didn’t even leave a mark.
Partial talization. Controlled. Focused. That’s actually cool.
He didn’t say it. He twisted around Greg’s block and spat onto the ground. The spit shimred, deep violet and faintly glowing.
Greg barely had ti to notice before Adam slashed his own palm. Blood arced through the air in a clean flick. It hit the stone with a soft patter, then sizzled, burning small holes where it landed.
Greg’s eyes widened.
Poison. Acidic. Weaponized blood. That’s cool too.
He didn’t say that either.
Adam darted in again. Greg moved fast, blocking another strike with his tal arm. His free hand lashed out, catching Adam in the side with a brutal hook. Adam grunted, sliding back from the force of the blow.
[-72]
Greg pressed forward, trying to stay in his guard. Adam ducked the next swing and drove the tip of his dagger into Greg’s side. It didn’t go deep, but it drew blood.
[-32]
[Poisoned]
[-2]
Despite being poisoned Greg was able to keep going as if nothing had happened. That was until he saw sothing that made him slow for a second.
The gash in Adam’s palm was already gone. Skin sealed. No scar. No blood leaking anymore.
Regeneration. Fast. Real fast.
Greg’s jaw tensed. His own wound stung, but he ignored it. He rotated his shoulder and stepped back into stance.
Adam flicked more violet blood toward him. Greg weaved around it, but the sll of burning stone lingered in the air.
They circled, feet light, eyes locked. Adam’s dagger twirled once between his fingers before he flicked a few more droplets of violet blood toward the ground.
They sizzled in a neat line across the stone.
"You slowing down already?" Adam said, tone light but sharp. "Or is the poison doing the thinking for you?"
Greg didn’t answer.
Adam tilted his head, mock-curious.
"So co on, big guy. You got any more tricks up your sleeve, or is the tal arm all you’ve got?"
Greg’s smirk returned, slow and confident. His hand curled into a loose fist, then opened with a cracking pop.
Yeah," he said. "I do."
Adam watched closely, but even he wasn’t ready for the sudden pulse of power that rolled off Greg’s body like a wave.
The ground beneath his feet shifted. Greg’s muscles expanded visibly. His clothes stretched tight over his fra as his bones groaned and popped with the growth.
Adam took a step back on instinct as Greg began to rise.
Six foot five beca seven. Then eight. Then nine.
He finally stopped growing at ten feet tall.
Greg stood over him, body towering, castinglong shadow across the dueling zone. His eyes glowed faintly with heat and force. His right arm, still tal up to the elbow, looked like it could tear through a wall.
"Better? Little man~" Greg asked, voice deeper but still calm.
Adam blinked once, then gave a crooked grin.
"Now that," he said, "is actually cool."
Greg cracked his neck.
"Still want to dance?"
Adam’s grin widened.
"Hell yes."
Just as the two were about to clash again, a harsh voice shook the air.
"Horo! What’s taking so long to get your niece to co along with us?! Wait are you dueling soone?"
Both n slowly turned their head to see a petite girl standing just over 10 tres away, holding a massive axe.
""Luna?"" Both of them said in perfect unison.
Luna squinted at the scene. The scorched stone, the sizzling blood, the massive glowing do still fizzling out around them... and Greg, towering at ten feet tall like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"You have got to be kidding ," she muttered.
"Greg?!"
Adam slowly turned his head back to facd the giant man.
It seed like he was more than just an acquaintance of his niece.
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