Without pause, Dan launched another barrage of punches, trying to break through Tharion’s strange calm. Each strike slammed into him, but the smile never faded, and his stance never wavered.
Dan kept punching, relentless and furious, aiming strike after strike at Tharion. But then, Tharion’s eyes narrowed. He had finally pinpointed Dan’s exact location, the secret behind his invincibility.
Dan jumped back, startled. "How could you have seen me? Have you seen through my invincibility? You must be kidding! Or maybe he’s just playing a trick on me. No way he can actually see me," Dan muttered, shaking his head as he prepared to strike again.
Tharion smiled wider, a spark of amusement in his eyes. "Ah, looks like I’ve finally figured out how it works, at least partially. Now, come here. Show me what you’re capable of."
Dan moved again, darting to his left, testing Tharion’s reaction. But Tharion’s gaze followed him perfectly. "Wait, he can see me?" Dan whispered, his confidence faltering. "How is this possible? Why won’t he just give up? Who is this guy?"
Tharion grinned. "I can’t see him fully, but I can follow the flow of his movement. Next strike, that’s when I’ll feel it coming. And when it does, he’ll regret it," he thought, tightening his grip.
Dan, unaware, continued to smile, rushing toward Tharion with full force.
"Yes, I can feel him coming," Tharion said calmly, raising his sword. "Why is he raising his sword? What is he planning?"
Dan’s confidence wavered. "No matter what, he can’t see me, can’t anticipate me," he told himself, charging forward.
But in a flash, Tharion moved. His speed was impossible to track. One hand, then both, touched the ground, propelling him forward. Dan tried to locate him, but all he saw were empty spaces until he glanced to his side.
Tharion smiled, looking at Dan. The two of them stared at each other for a moment. Then Dan looked down at his hands on the ground.
"You bastard! How did you... why are my hands on the ground? Is this a dream? No... this pain..." Dan thought, glancing back at Tharion.
Before he could react, Tharion punched him in the face at incredible speed. The punch wasn’t heavy, but the sheer velocity made it devastating. Dan flew across the arena, hitting the ground hard. He tried to get up, blood pouring from his hands and mouth.
"No, no, no! This doesn’t mean I lose everything. It’s not just the prize money I came for. I am a rank A adventurer! I am also a rank—" Dan shouted, forcing himself up with his head.
Tharion charged, kicking him, then began stomping repeatedly on Dan’s head. Blood spilled from his mouth as he finally lost consciousness. Tharion raised his sword, now stained with blood, and rested it on his shoulder.
"Winner: Tharion!" the emissary announced.
"That guy has the advantage," Alaric said, watching.
"Yeah, no wonder they call him Deadly Smile," the emissary added. "He smiles like he’s weak, but in reality, he’s incredibly strong."
Dalvin nodded in awe.
Two healers rushed forward, lifting Dan onto a stretcher. "Quick! We don’t have time. If we delay, we might not be able to save him," one said. They carried him away swiftly.
That was an astounding performance from Tharion. No one expected him to be this strong, which is why he truly deserved the nickname Deadly Smile. His skills and speed were beyond what anyone anticipated.
"Well, let’s get ready for the next participants in this tournament," the emissary announced as the crowd cheered.
"Wow, Tharion is something else," Nolan said. "He’s incredibly strong and insanely fast. But even so, in terms of raw speed, I might have a chance against him." The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the NoveI(F)ire.net
Just then, Tharion climbed up and walked toward Nolan. "Hey, how was my performance? Was it marvelous?" he asked, a confident smile on his face.
"You were strong," Nolan replied. "But now that I’ve seen you in action, I can truly say it. You’re strong—but still, you wouldn’t want to mess with me."
"Maybe we’ll get paired together in a fight," Tharion said.
"Yeah, perhaps," Nolan replied. "But those people you showed me yesterday... they weren’t on the same team as you, right?"
"Oh, you mistook them for my companions," Tharion said, smiling. "They’re my friends. We all came here together, but everyone is fighting separately. We might even end up facing each other in a match. It’s fine."
"Well, whatever," Nolan said, as they both turned to look toward the emissary making the announcements.
"Now, for our next contestant, we have Johnny," the emissary announced. "And the one who will be facing Johnny is from Team Nolan. Linda has already performed, so it will be either Nolan or one of the Demi-Humans who steps up. Choose wisely. And remember, Johnny is an extraordinary fighter."
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
"So, first... we were just talking about this. Now, who’s going to perform?" Tharion asked Nolan.
"Master, let me go," Celia said.
Nolan nodded and gently placed his hand on her head. "No, you won’t. This is a Rank S adventurer. It’s me who has to fight," he said with a confident smile as he stood.
"Well, don’t disappoint me if you’re weak," Tharion remarked.
Nolan smiled back and walked toward the back of the arena, as did Johnny.
The crowd waited in anticipation. Then the emissary stepped forward and announced, "From here, Nolan Throne himself—is going to fight. And wait... this is Rank E? He might amaze us, just like his teammate Linda, who was also Rank E, though she merely stood before. Now, it’s Rank E versus Rank S, Nolan versus Johnny! Are you all ready?"
The audience roared in response, shouting, "Yes!"
As the emissary announced, so he’s rank E. "I thought he was strong... so he’s that weak?" Tharion muttered.
"Don’t be a fool," Lyra said. "Don’t you think there’s a reason? Why would he still be Rank E?"
"The performance Linda, put up... was that something a Rank E could ever do?" Celia added.