Chapter 2310: Final Round
Chapter 2310: Final Round
The two opponents are very familiar with each other.
Their expertise is in inscriptions and both of them are from Sam region, so Sam guessed the duel will be fearsome. He hoped that it would be. Until now, he has spent a lot of energy in defeating his opponents.
That is one of the reasons the rest of them left him be.
They hoped he would lose energy in the higher levels and they could deal with him there. Now, that the tables are turned, he expected nothing less.
However, to his surprise, the remaining two decided to still work together to some extent.
The woman from the Vinayaka academy spoke.
"I don't know who wins between us. However, I believe whoever wins they should be in shape to deal with that guy. So, I propose that we choose an easier challenge that allows us to
conserve as much energy as possible."
The Viswa-student agreed readily.
So, after they are done with their formations, they agreed on a simple test. It should be less energy dependant, but still highlight their skill. After some discussion, they agreed on something.
"We will do a simple attack storing inscription. I have existing inscription tokens, they will throw out a fire ball up on using them. We will create inscriptions to capture those fire balls. Whoever captures and stores the fire ball with the lowest amount of energy loss, wins."
It is a weird competition. Because the attack capturing runes are basically a form of fusion inscriptions. Basically, the inscription is created to store an attack. Sam has done this many times, in fact that is one of his most frequently used skills after the hub is created.
That is how he stored most of the attacks created by the hub members.
But to use that as a test of skill that too for a fireball? If they are decent inscription masters, they should be able to clear it easily.
Both of them were done within fifteen minutes and just like Sam expected, they managed to get almost same output.
"Your is 0.1% better than mine."
The Viswa-student said and bowed down.
"I lost."
Sam is really surprised by the sight. This is kind of anti-climatic. He expected some sort of high level inscription duel. Both of them trying so hard to get to the top that they would risk everything they had.
But the competition itself is lame and the way the victor is decided is even lamer.
She walked past both him and Sam before walking upstairs.
Sam sighed and followed her, disappointment apparent on his face.
When they reached the fifteenth floor, the rules of the test are given. They are very straightforward.
"A battle between inscription masters. You can use and create any type of inscription that you can and attack your opponent. As long as you defeat them, then you are the victor."
That is it, very simple.
The opponent kicked the ground and moved farther away from Sam, maintaining a decent distance between them.
"You are way too cautious. Do you really think I will attack you by surprise?"
Sam muttered out loud as he walked to the side. Arriving at a middle part of the room. "Your reputation precedes you. Cannot blame from taking care of myself, when you are known to be devious. The display you put on in the previous rounds, doesn't help either?" "Really? Well, if it makes you feel safer. It wouldn't make much difference to me anyways." Sam spoke and ink started coming out of his storage. It spread all over the floor from where he stood.
Surprisingly, the opponent also took a similar approach. She took out several vials and threw them at different spots of the room.
"I hope you are not arrogant enough to believe that only you are capable of this."
As she spoke, she made the first move.
A patch of ink that is closest to Sam, turned into an inscription. The inscription gathered the surrounding air and conjured a wind bullet shooting at Sam.
An inscription shield appeared in the trajectory of the bullet, blocking it from reaching Sam.
Neither the inscription created by the opponent nor the shield disappear after the contact. Both of them stayed intact.
*SWOOOSH**SWOOSH*
More attacks were launched at Sam. But the shield moved to block any wind bullet from reaching there.
*BOOM*
A fire ball came from the rear, which once again was blocked by a different shield. From all the patches of the ink, various arrays were created, aiming the attacks at Sam. The attacks are of various elements and intensities, but all Sam did is create and move his shields
in response.
He didn't even get on offensive and only played defense.
Meanwhile, the opponent who also started leisurely, now showed the signs of anxiety and frustration. Even though she can also control the ink like Sam did, there is a clear distinction in the ease with which each of them controlled their respective inks.
And she believed she exposed her inferiority in this aspect to Sam already.
That's what she took from the way he acted at the moment. She knew that if this becomes a battle of endurance, then she will lose. Even though her higher cultivation should have given her the edge, Sam's energy reserves seemed to be same as hers if not higher.
So, she can only take him down with brute force.
*SWOOSH* The inscription ink moved all over the floor they all appeared in a pattern around Sam while she maintained the attacks.
"I will take you down. I will take you down in three moves." She yelled out loud. All the inscriptions gathered together, creating a much larger array. Most of them are fire and wind element inscriptions, they merged and complimented each other.
The wind and flames created a huge spinning bullet of raging fire.
Like a missile it was shot at Sam.
*SWOOSH*
His shield inscriptions flew from around him and created a larger shield in front of him.
*BOOM*
Even with the contact, that huge raging fire bullet didn't disappear. With the opponent's insistent control it tried to press down on the shield. Sam could see the translucent energy barriers stressing under that mountainous pressure.
The ink that is still unused on the floor started moving. It joined with the existing shield and increased its durability.
When he noticed that it is still not enough, he slightly bent to the side while inclining the
shield as well.
*SWOOSH**BOOM*
The raging fire crashed into the ground as it glided on the inclined shield. Sam was sent back with the shockwave, but he regained his balance pretty quickly.
Only, he realized that he is not quick enough.
While his feet just landed on the ground, he noticed something at him.
What seemed like a thousand wind blades appeared out of nowhere while they carried frost energy in their tail winds. Sam felt chills as these wind blades surrounded him. Sam guided his shields to fly towards him, trying to block these frost wind blades, but even when they exploded up on contact, they dissipated so much frost energy that seemed to try to seep into
his body.
The temperature of the whole dropped.
Sam felt like even his sweat wanted to freeze.
He raised his hands and drew them back down. All the inscription shields flew back to him, creating a vertical and cylindrical barrier around him.
*SWOOSH**SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
As the frost wind blades hit the barrier, the cold energy still seeped through.
At that moment, with a mere though, the inscription runes started moving around. Even though it created a small gap in the defense, it quickly recovered.
The previously neutral white colored runes, now turned golden. The transclucent barrier burned with golden flames as the coming frost energy was consumed by it.
*SWOOSH**SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
*SWOOSH**SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
*SWOOSH**SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
All the frost wind blades attacked Sam, but they were all negated with the raging flaming
shield around him.
After they are all gone, the barrier dismantled itself, creating a bunch of smaller burning
golden flame shields.
Sam panted slightly as he looked at the opponent.
She gritted her teeth and made her next move.
Wind ranged in the room. If not for the fact that he can see the energy is being channeled through th inscriptions, he would have thought she is attacking directly.
The attacks are not coming from a single direction like the first move, nor are they coming
from all sides circularly, this time, the range is spherical.
Some of her inscriptions stabilized at various spots creating a formation that channeled the attack of the rest of the inscriptions. The wind became so chaotic, Sam is floating in the
middle along with his shields.
He tried to control himself, but the wind currents became sharp. Before he could change his inscriptions to hit back, he is covered in a sphere of condensed wind.