Bruno's body collapsed with a heavy thud, the echo reverberating through the arena. Blood still dripped from his lips as his aura completely flickered out.

For a moment, the crowd was frozen. Then the announcer's trembling voice shattered the silence:

> "I—I can't believe this! Kael-X has defeated Bruno with just one attack! Unbelievable! He's just broken the Conqueror's record of nineteen consecutive wins!"

The arena erupted into chaos. Cheers, gasps, and frantic shouting merged into a storm of noise.

From the east gate, envoys of the Blazing Medites entered swiftly, cloaked in red and gold, carrying the unconscious Bruno away. As they passed Kael, their eyes lingered on him—sharp, suspicious, even hostile.

But Kael didn't care. He stretched his neck lazily, then raised a hand toward the announcer, signaling with casual confidence.

"I'm not done."

The announcer almost fell over.

> "W-what? Kael-X is still ready to fight?! This guy is a monster!"

The crowd exploded again. Some cheered wildly, others whispered in disbelief. He had just crushed one of the most dangerous rookies in history, yet he wanted more.

A randomized match was rolled. The gates opened again—only for a nervous rookie to walk halfway, glance at Kael's cold figure, and throw both hands up in surrender.

The arena fell into stunned silence.

"…Did… did he just surrender before the fight started?"

The rookie was booed out of the arena. Kael smirked, amused.

The system randomized again. This time, the opponent was sturdier.

The announcer's voice thundered:

> "And here comes Adel, an Elite Realm Assault Class, Level 98, wielding the metal attribute!"

A lean but well-built fighter stepped into the arena, clad in half-plate armor shimmering silver beneath the sunlight. His dark hair was tied back, and his eyes gleamed with the sharpness of blades.

The crowd murmured loudly.

"Bruno was stronger than this guy."

"Yeah, but don't underestimate a metal user. They can conjure endless weapons as long as their Qi holds out."

"And Kael's been on the defensive most of his fights. This might actually test him."

[Name: Adel]

[Attribute: Metal]

[Power Rank: Elite Realm]

[Level: 98]

[Class: Assault]

[Combat Power: 189,542]

Kael checked his stats. Not bad.

Note that arena rank is different from power ranks.

The power rankings on Earth is as follows:

Level 1-20: Initiate Realm

Level 21-50: Adept Realm

Level 51-150: Elite Realm

Level 151 - 350: Master Realm

Level 351 - 600: Ascendant Realm

Level 601- 800: Cataclysm Realm

Level 801- 1000: Transcendent Realm

Adel crossed his arms, glaring at Kael. His aura spread, metallic Qi condensing in the air. Swords, spears, and halberds shimmered faintly around him like phantoms waiting to be summoned.

"You beat Bruno with one attack," Adel said evenly, voice echoing in the arena. "But you won't be doing that with me. I'll make you fight for this victory."

Kael chuckled, brushing back the bangs that covered his eyes.

"Good. Don't disappoint me."

The announcer's voice boomed.

"BEGIN!"

---

Adel moved first. With a roar, he stomped the ground. Qi surged, and in an instant, the stone tiles beneath his feet transformed into sharp metal spikes that shot straight at Kael.

Kael slid sideways, avoiding the barrage effortlessly. Sparks danced as the spikes retracted back into Adel's hand, reshaping into twin axes.

"Cleave the Heavens!" Adel shouted, swinging both axes at Kael.

Clang! Clang!

Kael deflected the strikes with bursts of speed, his yellow lightning flashing faintly across his skin. He didn't retaliate. Instead, he danced around Adel's strikes, forcing the crowd to lean forward in anticipation.

"Why isn't Kael attacking?"

"He's… just defending? Is he mocking Adel?"

"No… look at his eyes. He's studying Adel's every move."

Adel snarled, Qi flaring even brighter. With a twist of his arms, the axes melted into liquid silver, reshaping mid-air into a massive warhammer.

BOOOOM!

The ground cracked as the warhammer smashed where Kael had just been standing. Dust exploded upward.

Adel spun, sweeping the weapon with shocking speed. Kael ducked, the hammer missing his head by inches. For the first time, Kael's smirk faded into mild interest.

He's good, Kael thought. Fast with his weapon shaping, and his Qi is stable. He's not like the usual amateurs.

Adel pressed his advantage, weapons shifting one after another—blades raining from above, spears thrusting from the ground, chains snapping toward Kael like vipers.

For minutes, the arena became a storm of steel. Kael kept dodging, parrying with minimal movement, letting Adel show the full range of his power. Sparks and lightning flashed against metal, ringing out like a symphony of war.

The crowd was on their feet, roaring.

"This is insane!"

"Adel is holding Kael down!"

"No… Kael isn't even fighting back yet. He's… letting this happen."

Samantha, from her booth, leaned forward nervously. Why isn't he attacking? He could've ended this already… but he's just letting Adel burn himself out. What is he planning?

Adel roared, sweat pouring down his face. His Qi burned at an alarming rate, weapons forming and breaking around him. He conjured a hundred blades mid-air, sending them all crashing toward Kael.

Kael stopped, raised a hand—and flicked his wrist.

Yellow lightning surged briefly, disintegrating half the blades instantly. He dodged the rest, smirking again.

"Not bad."

Adel's chest heaved. His arms trembled from the constant Qi output. But his eyes—sharp, defiant—still glared at Kael.

"I'm… not done yet!" Adel shouted, slamming his palms together.

The arena floor shuddered violently. From beneath, massive metallic golems began to rise, their bodies forged from Adel's Qi. They towered over Kael, eyes glowing with molten light.

The crowd erupted again.

"HE SUMMONED GOLEMS!"

"Adel is really going all out—he's turning the entire battlefield into his weapon!"

Kael looked up at the lumbering constructs, electricity sparking faintly around his hands. His expression was calm… but his eyes gleamed with a predator's amusement.

"Finally," Kael muttered. "Something interesting."

The arena trembled as the metal golems fully emerged from the ground. Their bodies, forged from Adel's condensed Qi, stood nearly three meters tall, each one wielding a colossal weapon—one a sword, another an axe, and the third a spiked flail that swung in wide arcs.

The crowd gasped in unison.

"GOLEMS?! From an Elite Realm?!"

"He must be burning through his reserves like crazy!"

"This guy's insane. He's actually gambling everything to bring Kael down."

Adel's face was pale, sweat dripping down his jaw, but his eyes blazed with determination. He pointed at Kael.

"Go."

The three golems roared like beasts and charged. The ground cracked under their steps, each one moving unnaturally fast for their size.

Kael didn't budge. His cloak fluttered in the gust of their charge, yellow sparks flickering faintly around his hands.

Interesting… he thought. He's shaping metal constructs at this level? This is beyond the average Elite Realm.

The sword golem struck first, swinging downward with enough force to split the arena floor. Kael sidestepped, his boots scraping the tiles as the blade crashed down. The impact sent a shockwave across the stage, dust billowing high.

The axe golem followed, spinning its massive weapon toward Kael's ribs. Kael ducked low, sliding beneath the swing, his cloak brushing the ground. The spiked flail came last, crashing forward like a meteor. Kael crossed his arms, catching the chain in a burst of lightning, sparks flying as he redirected it just enough to avoid a direct hit.

The crowd erupted again.

"He blocked it!"

"He's toying with them! Look at his movements—it's all defensive!"

"Kael's not trying to win—he's testing Adel!"

From the booth, Samantha's grip on the railing tightened. Her green eyes stayed locked on Kael, her chest rising with every breath.

He could destroy them all in an instant… but why is he letting himself get surrounded?

Adel's voice rang out, hoarse but proud:

"Don't think… I'll fall like Bruno. These aren't cheap tricks! My steel will pierce your lightning!"

He slammed his palms together again, and the golems' weapons reshaped instantly—the sword split into countless metal shards, swirling like a storm; the axe elongated into a massive halberd; the flail's chain expanded into a spiked net that dropped over Kael.

"Cage of Blades!" Adel shouted.

The entire arena seemed to close in on Kael, steel whirling and crashing from every direction. For a heartbeat, the crowd thought he'd finally be overwhelmed.

Then—snap.

A faint arc of yellow lightning crackled from Kael's fingertip, splitting the spiked net in half before it could touch him. He stepped forward lightly, weaving through the blade storm like a phantom. Every shard that came too close melted into slag from the heat of his aura.

Kael tilted his head, speaking almost lazily as a blade scraped past his cheek.

"You've got skill. But you're burning yourself out too fast."

Adel's teeth clenched. His chest heaved, every ounce of his Qi roaring into his constructs. His legs shook, but his spirit refused to bend.

"I don't… care! Even if I burn myself dry—I'll force you to show your true power!"

The crowd screamed as Adel gathered his strength for one last surge. The three golems merged into a single monstrous titan of steel, its body glowing with molten cracks, towering over Kael like a giant of war. Its hands shaped into massive blades, its chest cavity blazing like a furnace.

Kael's smirk widened beneath the shadow of his hood. He raised one hand, palm open, yellow lightning flickering faintly across his fingers.

"Finally," he muttered, voice calm despite the chaos. "Now we're getting somewhere."

The titan let out a metallic roar and brought both blades crashing down toward Kael with unstoppable force.

The entire arena shook as the crowd held their breath—

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To be continued in Chapter 29…

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