Chương 34: Tricks and Deceit

Both representatives vanished from the arena and teleported away, their bodies heavily injured. The moment Hakeem reappeared in the bubble, Joe was already beside him, pressing a healing pill into his mouth. Hakeem was conscious but covered in blood. [Fuck, almost had him.] - Hakeem. [You did good, man. He won't be fighting again anytime soon, so rest now.] - Joe. [Yes, rest friend. We will take over now.] - Song. A five-minute break was granted before the next fight.

Hakeem was stable and recovering, so Joe took the opportunity to check in with the Americans. He found Felicia sitting beside the Divine Sword, who was still healing.

"How's he doing?" Joe asked.

"He's better, thanks to your pills. They are amazing. His spine is set, and the muscles are healing now," Felicia replied, glancing at Malcolm with relief.

"That's good," Joe replied.

"Let me know if you need anything. I have some cooked food and water in my storage." Felicia didn't hesitate.

"Some water would be appreciated." Joe pulled out a canteen and handed it to her. She poured some into Malcolm's mouth before looking back at Joe with curiosity.

"Do you have some kind of spatial storage system?" Joe nodded.

"Yes, a ring. Here," he said, pulling out one of his spare rings and handing it to her.

"Keep it. I have a few." Felicia's eyes widened, but before she could say anything, Joe simply smiled and walked away. He found Esha standing near the edge of the bubble, watching the arena below.

"How's the American?" she asked, a rare note of concern in her voice.

"He'll make it. He'll probably be on bed rest for a week or so, though," Joe replied.

"That could have been any of us. He was very unlucky." Joe nodded. He pulled another storage ring from his pocket and handed it to her. He subtly nodded in the direction of Gao.

"For your friend," he said. Esha smiled and pocketed it.

"That reminds me, I have something for you from Drish." She pulled out a small envelope and placed it in his hand. Joe's brow furrowed slightly as he turned it over.

"Read once we are out of here, somewhere private," she added. Joe glanced at her, catching the faint glint of mischief in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Farmer, it's nothing bad," Esha assured him with a grin. Joe sighed in relief. The last thing he needed was bad news about another friend. He watched Esha approach Gao, handing her a new, polished storage ring. Joe, meanwhile, stared out through the bubble. Below, Song Weilong had just teleported into the arena. The next battle was about to begin. The next battle was a disaster. Song Weilong's opponent was an absolute mismatch for him.

The lizard warrior wielded a colossal shield, nearly three times its size, with an impenetrable defensive skill that made every attack useless. Song tried everything. Nothing worked. Joe winced as he watched Song expend more and more mana, trying to find an opening that simply wasn't there. The battle dragged on for over thirty minutes. Ultimately, the lizard warrior didn't need to attack directly. It unleashed Mana Blasts, Pummeling Song from behind its shield.

Eventually, exhaustion won, and when Song could no longer stand, the match was decided. Winner: World 49. Song reappeared in the bubble, looking disappointed and embarrassed. His fellow team members moved to cheer him up. Joe could see they weren't angry, only frustrated. It had been a bad matchup. The only one who didn't say anything was Gao YuanYuan. She was already preparing for her turn. There were a few minutes to go before the next fight. Joe's head swung around suddenly, his eyes widening.

Inexplicably, a sudden sense of foreboding assailed him. It was as if something had changed. As his eyes darted around the bubble, seeking an unseen threat, he was distracted by Gao's arrival at his shoulder.

"Thank you for the sword, Joe," she said with a slight nod.

"I will use it in your honour." Joe half smiled, mind still wandering.

"You're a much better fit for that sword than I could ever be." He returned the nod with a bow.

"Good luck in your fight." Gao nodded once more, then turned and walked toward the panel. She placed her hand on it and vanished. Joe turned, eyes locked on the arena. He had one last drifting thought that he had missed something. He shook his head. It was time to see what the highest-level person on World 43 was capable of. Joe watched as the battle between Gao and a hooded lizard man began.

The moment the fight started, the lizard warrior jumped back, pulling out a wand and using mana to carve patterns onto the arena floor. Instead of rushing in, Gao rose into the air, standing atop a cloud that formed beneath her feet. Then, she sat down. Her hands extended to either side, palms open. The lizard warrior kept drawing, the patterns glowing faintly as the whole arena began to tremble. Something big was about to happen. The hooded lizard looked up at Gao. And paused.

At that exact moment, two massive tornadoes of water erupted from the ocean beyond the arena, the sound thunderous as waves churned. Joe stared as the tornadoes collapsed inward, swirling into two enormous orbs of water that hovered high above the arena. The orbs compressed, condensing smaller and smaller, their forms tightening until. Two massive water elementals took shape. They glowed a watery green, their liquid forms shimmering under the alien sun.

As if obeying an unseen command, the elementals landed inside the arena, positioning themselves beside Gao. The lizard waved its wand frantically, and the glowing patterns on the ground pulsed with mana. Too late. The water elementals surged forward, crashing into the glowing symbols, disrupting whatever skill had been forming. Joe watched in fascination. Realizing the danger, the hooded lizard tried to flee, but the elementals struck in a pincer attack, surrounding him.

Joe barely had time to blink before the system message flashed above the arena. Winner: World 43. Gao hadn't even moved. She still sat calmly on her cloud, her robes untouched, her expression unreadable. The soaking-wet body of the lizard vanished and teleported away. Damn. Then, it happened again. Four more times. Each battle was identical, an effortless victory. Every opponent fell before they could even mount an offence. By the time Gao finally returned to the bubble, her expression had changed.

She looked exhausted. Esha approached her, speaking briefly in their private chat before turning toward Joe.

"She needs to rest, so I'll be going out, Farmer," Esha said, rolling her shoulders in anticipation. Joe nodded, his gaze flicking toward the lizardmen's bubble. Four more remained. One of them was still missing an arm from Hakeem's fight. Things were going better than expected. He had no doubt Esha was strong, so now he wondered if he would even be needed for these last few battles. Esha stepped forward, placed her hand on the panel. And vanished into the arena.

Esha's first fight went exceptionally well despite her having to adjust to using two arms again. She fought as if nothing had changed. She relied primarily on her bow, unleashing a relentless barrage of arrows that pinned down her opponent. Each shot was ferocious, her aim pinpoint-accurate. Her movements were crisp, her footwork impeccable, better than anyone else from World 43 so far. Joe watched, impressed. This wasn't just raw power. This was technique. And it resulted in a clean, effortless victory.

Her opponent collapsed, unconscious, and was teleported out of the arena. Esha, however, remained. She stood waiting for her next opponent, but before another could enter, a system message flashed above the arena. Representative number three for World Ranked 49 has withdrawn due to injury. World Ranked 49, now has only two representatives left. There are five minutes before the next battle starts. [Only two left, we can do it!] - Max. Joe glanced at him.

He understood the excitement; things were going remarkably well. But there were still two fights left before they could move on. Joe turned his gaze back to the arena as the next lizard warrior teleported in. The moment he saw it, something felt off. The lizard stood still, its body rippling subtly as it flexed. A strange sense of Déjà vu washed over Joe. His instincts tensed. Something about this wasn't right. Joe squinted, trying to Identify the lizard, only for the bubble to block his skill once more.

His unease deepened. Stepping forward, he moved closer to the edge of the bubble, staring hard at the lizard warrior. As if it sensed his gaze, the lizard looked up. Even through his sunglasses, Joe felt their eyes meet. A slow, knowing smile spread across the lizard's face. It turned away as if unconcerned. Joe saw its mouth move, speaking softly, but to whom? A chill ran down his spine. [Esha, be careful; this one is different.] - Joe. Esha glanced up, her expression sharp, then nodded once.

She was focused and prepared. The moment the barrier dropped, the fight began. Yet despite the opening exchanges, Joe still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling crawling up his spine. __ Esha took a slow, steady breath, holding it for five heartbeats before exhaling. That was the first time the Farmer had told her to be careful. It made her reconsider everything. She had planned to blitz the moment the barrier fell, overwhelming it with speed and aggression to end the fight quickly. But now.

Now, she felt something, a faint, unshakable unease. Something about this lizard was wrong. Even through the barrier, it rippled with power as if coiling, waiting. This wasn't going to be an easy fight. Esha's stance shifted, her feet light, ready to move. The countdown hit zero. The barrier disappeared. The lizard exploded forward, flowing like liquid muscle, its movement precise, controlled. Esha reacted instantly, drifting into her footwork, gliding backwards, keeping just out of reach.

The lizard warrior paused, smiling. It croaked something in its hoarse, alien tongue. Esha ignored it. She didn't need to understand its words. Only its movements. She drew her bow, bouncing back, putting space between them. The lizard closed in fast, never allowing her more than a few steps of distance. She fired. The first arrow missed, and the lizard dodged with effortless grace. She fired two more. Same result. She abruptly kicked off the ground, changing direction, shifting left while still retreating.

The lizard followed quickly, its eyes shining with restrained amusement. She gritted her teeth. The bow was useless. She slung it over her back smoothly and drew her twin shortswords, time to fight up close. She pushed forward, channelling every lesson Veda had drilled into her. As she landed on her back foot, she twisted, her body flipping briefly upside down, propelling her straight toward the lizard's head. It watched her approach, tracking her with inhuman precision. But did not react.

At the last moment, her left sword, held in her new arm, slashed at its head. And then. The lizard's body bent backwards, dodging at an impossible angle. Its leg shot up, targeting her right arm in mid-air. Esha adjusted, bringing her elbow down to intercept. Slam! Pain shot through her arm. What the hell? Its leg was like iron. The force threw her off balance, sending her into an uncontrolled spin. She barely had time to recover before the lizard's other leg shot out, aiming to crush her skull.

Her right sword flashed up, trying to block, but the lizard's foot twisted, kicking the blade aside. Esha's eyes widened. She was completely open. But she was already past it. I made it out. She forgot about the tail. Wham! The massive limb slammed into her side like a wrecking ball, sending her crashing to the ground. Pain ripped through her ribs, but she didn't allow herself to be stunned. Her months of training kicked in.

With gritted teeth, she leaned forward, rolling with the impact, turning her fall into momentum. She pushed off the ground to gain distance. Landing on her feet seconds later, forcing herself upright despite the sharp ache in her side. The lizard landed lightly across from her, watching her with calm, amused eyes. Esha exhaled. She glanced down at the light wound on her side, the faint trickle of blood a sharp reminder that she was already falling behind.

She stepped back, resetting her stance, swords raised and ready. The lizard closed in, its movements calculated, its eyes gleaming with predatory amusement. Esha met its charge head-on. She dashed forward, ducking under its clawed hands, narrowly avoiding its reach. Still no weapon? Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Spinning low, she slashed upward, her blades slicing for its arms.

A burst of unnatural speed sent the lizard's limbs snapping back, out of reach. It twisted, a kick flying toward her midsection. She raised a knee, blocking the attack. Pain shot up her leg from the impact. She gritted her teeth. Too strong. She needed to dodge more and rely on her speed instead of brute force. Rolling, she redirected her momentum, snapping her other leg toward the lizard's head. The lizard moved again, evading effortlessly as her foot skimmed past its face. It countered, claws flashing toward her.

She twisted mid-air, the attack sailing over her spinning body. Then, she sensed it, the tail. She tensed, catching sight of it whipping toward her from the corner of her vision. This time, she dodged, twisting her body out of the way with a graceful beauty. She landed on her feet, flowing seamlessly into her footwork, circling, looking for an opening. The lizard mirrored her, matching her step for step, unshaken. __ Gao Yuanyuan watched the battle unfold, her eyes glued to every movement.

She had already been awed by Esha's footwork, beyond anything she had ever seen. So this was the specialized footwork she spoke of… It made the basic technique Gao had learned look like a child's first steps. Even without landing a decisive hit, Esha moved like water, effortlessly weaving through the lizard's relentless attacks. But as Gao watched, something inside her twisted. Something's wrong. At first, she had been captivated, but now, a slow, creeping dread settled in her chest. Esha was losing.

It wasn't apparent at a glance, but Gao saw it clearly. The lizard wasn't just keeping up. It was toying with her. Its movements were flawless, its footwork equally advanced, if not superior. It was a true master of its own style, flowing with ease and confidence that was almost terrifying to behold. A chill ran down Gao's spine. She had no chance against something like that. For the first time since setting foot in this tournament, Gao felt real fear.

The true challenge of the Resource Grab was finally revealing itself. And she was not ready. __ Rivulets of sweat dripped down Joe's brow as he watched the battle take a dangerous turn. Esha had just suffered her first major hit. As they passed each other in another lightning-fast exchange, the lizard's tail lashed out. Crack! It struck her leg, sending her stumbling. She tried to correct her footing, but the damage was done. A slight limp now showed in her movements; blood visibly seeped from her wounds.

Joe felt helpless. He hated just watching. Another close friend was struggling, injured, and all he could do was watch. A surge of rage built in his chest, but he forced himself to breathe deeply. This is her fight. Esha was strong. Probably stronger than him mentally. She wouldn't want him to intervene. Even now, losing ground, she showed no fear. No desperation. Only drive. Passion. Determination. The two warriors clashed again. Joe winced as Esha took a deep slash to her right arm. Her real arm.

Blood splattered onto the stone floor. She grimaced in pain but didn't fall back. Instead, she shifted, adjusting her stance, her breathing heavy. The lizard stepped back, flexing its clawed hands, watching her. Joe realized then. When was the last time either of them used a skill? He couldn't remember any mana flying or skills being activated. This was a contest of raw power and skill. It was like a silent agreement had been made between them.

Joe's gaze locked onto Esha's for a brief moment as she glanced up at the bubble. She smiled, a quiet, knowing smirk, before refocusing on her opponent. Then, the battle shifted once more. As if by some silent signal, Esha drew her bow. And both fighters unleashed their skills. Arrows rained down in a deadly hail, streaking toward the lizard. With fluid precision, the lizard pulled out a whip, the weapon flashing through the air like a living thing, intercepting every arrow before they could land.

Esha gritted her teeth, knowing she needed to change the tempo. She jumped back, charging a powerful attack as mana surged into her bow. The lizard moved in a blur, closing the distance faster than she expected. Esha fired. The lizard lashed out with its whip. The two attacks collided, the impact exploding in a shockwave that sent them both reeling. Esha slammed into the arena wall, blood spraying from her wounds. She gasped, feeling a deep ache in her ribs. The lizard wasn't unscathed, though.

It landed awkwardly, its foot skidding on the stone floor, falling to one knee. For the first time, blood oozed from its shoulder, its first wound. Esha's eyes flared with renewed determination. She sent another flurry of arrows, but the lizard had already recovered, dodging swiftly. They circled each other, more cautiously now, both feeling the strain. They clashed. The lizard emerged with fresh cuts. Joe's knuckles were white as he watched on. Come on, Esha! Keep at it!

He willed her to push forward, to break through. Another exchange. Esha staggered, falling briefly to her knees. The lizard was off balance, unable to capitalize, and by the time it recovered, Esha had already moved away. She took full advantage of the moment. More arrows flew, pinning the lizard in place. It roared in pain, for the first time, as projectiles pierced deeper than before. In desperation, it unleashed a pulse of mana, dispersing the next volley.

Its claws shone a dark blue, doubling in size, pulsing with raw mana. Joe watched as the lizard swiped at Esha from a distance. Somehow, its claws reached her. Esha's eyes widened as she twisted her body, dodging the attack from what should have been an impossible range. The lizard charged forward, looking to catch her before she recovered. But Esha was faster. She slipped back, keeping the distance between them, refusing to let it close in.

Her feet blurred with increased speed as more arrows flew towards their target. More impossibly long claw slashes lashed towards her, a brutal exchange of projectiles and mana strikes. Then, the lizard made its first critical mistake. It tried to predict her next move. Instead of rushing in, it moved sideways, trying to cut off her escape as they approached the arena wall. Joe felt it before he saw it. A tiny fluctuation in the air below. A trap. At some unknown moment, Esha had set the stage.

The ground beneath the lizard erupted. Wires snapped up from the stone, wrapping tightly around its limbs, torso, and neck. It struggled violently, the raw strength of its mana-infused body shredding some of the bindings. But it was too slow. Esha was already there. In a blink, she closed the gap, her body moving faster than sight. Her sword flashed upward from below, aiming straight for the lizard's exposed stomach.

With a sickening crunch, the blade sank deep, piercing flesh, a gush of blood spraying across the stone. The lizard screamed in agony, its tail thrashing wildly. But the system didn't freeze. The attack wasn't fatal. The lizard desperately leapt back, wrenching itself free. Leaving the sword embedded in its gut. Esha followed, attempting to finish it off, but. Boom! A wave of mana blasted outward, sending her hurtling back across the arena.

The lizard yanked the sword from its stomach, tossing it aside, and let out a furious roar. It charged, no longer bothering with defence, its clawed hands slashing wildly, its whip forgotten. Esha braced herself as she regained her footing before being forced onto the defensive. The lizard's attacks came relentlessly; each swipe a brutal, savage force that sent shockwaves through the air. She dodged, her footwork carrying her away from fatal blows, but she was weakening.

The relentless pressure was overpowering her. Her remaining sword flashed, striking whenever she could, but the lizard ignored the damage, its blood spilling freely, yet its fury drove it forward. They clashed again and again, their wounds growing, their breathing laboured. In a sudden turn, they broke away, panting, exhausted, standing apart. The lizard growled something, its voice rasping with pain and defiance. Esha grinned, spitting blood onto the arena floor, and shouted something back. Then, one final charge.

They collided, both pouring the last of their strength into the fight. Esha ducked low, slipping beneath the lizard's sweeping claws, and. She struck. Her sword slammed into the lizard's gut, sinking deep. But… The lizard grabbed her. Its arms locked around her, pinning her against its bloodied torso. A clawed hand rose high. And crashed down onto her upper body. Everything froze. Draw: Both contestants are unable to continue and are eliminated. They vanished, teleported back to their respective bubbles.

The fight was over. Joe was already moving. As soon as Esha appeared, he was beside her, cradling her head, a healing pill already pressed to her lips. The pill dissolved in her mouth, her pulse erratic beneath his fingers. Joe breathed out, watching her face as her pulse steadied, returning to normal. She looked up at him, her eyes hazy, and gave him a small, tired smile… then passed out. She was going to be okay.

He sat there, her head resting in his lap, his hand glowing faintly as his healing touch pulsed into her, accelerating her recovery. For a few minutes, he did nothing else, just focused on restoring her strength. Her injuries tore at him. Enough was enough; he was done watching people get hurt. He carefully laid her down, pulling out a random shirt from his storage and rolling it up as a makeshift pillow for her head. He turned, searching for Gao. But she was gone. Joe's stomach dropped.

He ran to the edge of the bubble and saw her standing in the arena below. Joe gritted his teeth.

"Shit." He wanted to go down next. He was done just watching. [Gao, come back, I will fight.] - Joe. Gao looked up at him and shook her head. She still bore unmistakable signs of fatigue, but Joe had seen that same look. It was similar to the look Esha wore before she fought. He had no chance of convincing her to return. Frustrated, he returned to Esha's side. She had regained consciousness and looked better, thanks to the pill and his healing touch. Her wounds were closed, and she no longer bled freely.

"Help me up, Farmer. I want to see Gao fight," she said. Joe picked her up in his arms and carried her to the edge of the bubble so she could watch. He set her down and sat beside her, eyes locked on the arena. The final lizard man flashed into the arena. Joe tensed. That feeling of unease was back, but stronger now. Something was wrong. His stomach twisted as he studied the lizard opposite Gao. The air rippled around it, the same strange effect as the last one. His instincts screamed at him.

He activated Mana Sight, but the bubble blocked his vision as expected. Damn it! Switching tactics, he used Identify on the bubble itself. Nothing. But he kept the skill active, sensing something clawing at the back of his mind. A whisper of something. An instinctual feeling he couldn't ignore. The mana within the bubble was moving. He could feel it shifting, flowing gently. He focused, trying to understand it. What am I feeling? What is it doing?

He pushed all distractions aside, locking onto the strange sensation. Slowly, he began to notice a difference, like there was more than one kind of mana inside the bubble. A light touch on his hand made him briefly aware of Esha beside him, but he didn't look away. Gao's fight was about to begin, but he was too deep in concentration to pay attention. One, two, three. Three distinct energies pulsed within the bubble. Three different types of mana particles swirled together, all flowing in a single direction.

He traced that current, following its path with his mind. What is that? Where was it coming from? Around him, voices rose as the battle below began. He ignored them. The mana, he needed to understand it. Then, he found something, an entry point. The mana inside the bubble was coming from outside. His mind painted the image clearly, a mana thread protruding from the bubble, leading somewhere unseen. A blinding light flashed. His vision exploded into white. His eyes burned, and everything went dark.

A second passed, and his sight returned, clearer, sharper than before. What…? Everything shimmered. The air rippled with layers of mana he had never seen before. His Mana sight had changed; it had upgraded. Now, he saw everything. Mana flowed freely inside the bubble, weaving through the air and wrapping around everyone. He could see the tri-coloured mana coating the space, hints of orange, green, and blue drifting like unseen currents.

But the most alarming sight lay just beyond the bubble's boundary, two massive, pulsing threads of mana. One dark orange, the other light green. Both stretched from their bubble, tethering it like foreign anchors invading a shore. Something was very, very wrong. Raised voices echoed around him, alarmed and panicked. Something was happening in the arena below, but Joe refused to look away. Whatever was unfolding down there wasn't nearly as important as what he saw here.

These threads, this invading mana, he had to understand what was happening. He focused. The first thread, the dark orange one, pulsed with life, extending outward toward the still-clouded bubble of world 47. His eyes darted to the second thread, the light green one, just as he suspected; it connected straight into the bubble of World 49. Realization hit him like a hammer. The unease he had felt before wasn't just paranoia.

His instincts had been screaming at him because something was happening, something intensely, fundamentally wrong. His jaw clenched. He didn't understand what this was or why it was happening. But he knew one thing with absolute certainty. He had to stop it. Joe stood up, raising a hand to touch the bubble. Beside him, he felt Esha shift, sensing his urgency. He exhaled slowly, then let his mana flow outward, reaching for the foreign strands laced through the space around them.

It was alarmingly easy; there was no resistance, no forces stopping him from interacting with the intruding mana. With the lightest touch, his mana brushed against the dark orange strand. His entire body recoiled as an overwhelming wave of raw, unfiltered killing intent crashed into him. A suffocating malice, deep and boundless, flooded his mind. He staggered, shaking his head to clear the oppressive sensation. His heart pounded, but his resolve only hardened.

Whoever, whatever, was behind this, their intent was crystal clear. This was an attack. With no real plan, only instinct, Joe reacted. He pushed. A surge of mana poured from him, a furious, unrelenting flood of purple-tinged mana that clashed against the invading strands. He forced his presence into the bubble, driving his will against the foreign mana in an attempt to expel it. The reaction was immediate.

The dark orange and light blue threads shuddered as his mana struck them, and they dissipated like mist under a storm. Gone. Shouts erupted around him. Someone grabbed his arm, Esha, her grip firm, her muffled voice edged with panic. He felt the tug but couldn't respond, couldn't turn away. His focus was absolute, his mana still flowing, eradicating every last trace of the invading force. A notification slammed into his vision as he forced out the final mana remnants. Warning.

Resource Grab's no-kill safety measures have been disabled. Joe gasped, staggering back as exhaustion hit him like a hammer. He fumbled for a mana pill, shoving it into his mouth. The second it dissolved on his tongue, an uproar broke out inside the bubble. Shouts of confusion. A fist slammed into the barrier, sending a ripple through the bubble.

"Gao!" Someone screamed. A sharp pop snapped Joe's attention toward the last remaining bubble. It was gone. No more clouded veil, no more barrier. Instead, the full view of what lay inside was now horrifyingly clear. A single, massive figure stood there, looming like a titan. Muscles corded like steel cables, arms thick as tree trunks, legs as huge as Joe's entire body. And then, the face. An elephantine head with a long snout and curling tusks. Its mouth twisted into a grin of pure exaltation.

With a single, effortless motion, the giant leapt into the arena as the bubble reformed behind it. The moment it landed, the ground exploded, sending a violent gust of wind and dust in every direction. The shockwave nearly knocked Gao and her lizard opponent off their feet. Joe's heart stopped. Gao and the lizard man were covered in cuts and wounds, their battle reaching its breaking point, when suddenly, the massive figure grasped them both, one in each of its monstrous hands. And then, it laughed.

A deep, bellowing roar of amusement that shook the very air. Joe's vision burned red. His aura erupted outward, raw and untamed. Every single person within the bubble collapsed to their knees, gasping as the sheer pressure crushed the space around them. The metal beneath Joe's feet groaned. With a flick of his wrist, he struck the bubble. A burst of concentrated mana lashed out, shattering the bubble with a rasping pop of force so blinding that those beside him recoiled, momentarily blinded.

Joe launched forward, diving headfirst toward the arena below, the bubble reforming in his wake. As he fell, his eyes widened in horror. The lizard's body dropped limply to the ground, blood pooling beneath it. Its head crushed, a lifeless husk. The massive elephant man's hand was coated in blood. Slowly, its gaze lifted, locking eyes with Joe as its fingers curled tighter around Gao. And it squeezed.