novelraw Chapter 259 - 258 - Round 3: Mazerunners
Chapter 259 - 258 - Round 3: Mazerunners
"Why is Lind's so hard?" Annabelle was petting Ethry as both stared at Lind suffering in a corridor of molten stone. He had started in pure fire, then slowly transitioned to molten stone all around him that was dripping from the ceiling and pooling in corners.
He was sweating profusely and had downed at least 3 elixirs to keep up with his Qi consumption. Compared to others they watched, Lind was truly being punished effectively and they could see the various corridors around him were of all elements and combinations.
Athena, for instance, seemed to have to overcome a heavily trapped maze. Most were lethal, or at least crippling, while Bastion faced aether beasts standing between him and his advancement.
Lind's opponent was a broad shouldered man who had his heavily muscled arms exposed as he used a 2 handed battle axe to smash apart living plants in his way. They looked a lot like plants that could be found in swamps or bogs that could trap beasts to death for their own consumption.
All living things could cultivate but animals and plants had the process of consumption for their path until the Sky Realm. Only when they awoke intelligence, would they have to branch out and learn techniques or Arts to improve their cultivation.
Despite the obvious advantage the axe gave him at first, it was clear the plants were taking a toll on it. The frown on his gruff visage with several days worth of beard showed concern for his weapon. Still, he had made far more progress than Lind, even after hitting a deadend!
"I suspect the realm spirit chose challenges that would push each competitor in their specialty. If there is one thing our husband excels at, it is comprehending and controlling his elements." Qing's words made them all nod, but each of them were holding at least one hand in a tight fist or grasping the hand of each other.
"He will overcome this, he cannot be stopped." Cyntilla's words were like an edict of undeniable truth. She never doubted him. He made a promise and never let it go until he fulfilled it. She would never doubt him.
The pace of all the competitors slowed as the difficulty increased. Those that were behind now had a chance to catch up which included Lind. Still, it was clear he was struggling as the pooling molten stone was filling his path forward.
"Come on, Lind, you can do it!" Shoti was shouting but she was far from the only one doing so. All were cheering on their contenders as the race slowed to a crawl. More than half a day passed before the first competitor was eliminated by the maze.
"She was teleported out!" A heavily wounded girl with pink hair passed out as her guardians and fellow disciples helped her to heal as fast as possible. Her maze had been full of floating weapons that she used her body to deflect as she was clearly a body tempering cultivator.
A few more fell as well, but then it was noticed something was odd. The competitors where members were disqualified or removed, still had to keep going. They did not automatically win!
"What is going on?! Why hasn't Cicily won?!" The rows of seats where Bastion came from were enraged as one of their number had their opponent fail but she still had to struggle through quicksand and horrific rockfalls.
She was not alone, all 5 other arenas had only a single person, but there was no declaration of victory. Why? What was the point of the round if the outcome was obvious?
"It is not straightforward. Why is the realm spirit still pushing them to complete the race?" Shoti was confused but Annabelle suddenly shouted.
"Their progress!" Her 2 words had many turn their heads and look harder at those mazes. She was right! Although the opponent had been teleported out, they were ahead of their foes at the time they left. If the remaining person failed before progressing farther, they would still lose!
It was clear to them all! This contest was far more brutal than they realized as cheering began again. All were hoping for their side to win and now Lind's wives worried that if his competitor fell, he would be defeated as he was far behind him.
"Come on, my love. Never give up!" Qing cheered him on and all 4 huddled with Ethry hugged between them.
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Lind was covered in sweat but he could not swap his robes as it was pointless. He would get rid of them, but the arrays in them helped conserve his Qi. There were also arrays made by Annabelle that were protecting him from the heat on top of his own efforts.
It was just incredibly constant and the current hallway seemed to be his doom.
The fire Qi had given way to a material set of halls of molten stone but they were melting! The longer he took, the less space he had to deal with! He had attempted to control the walls but the Qi felt like an eel or oiled pig. It just slipped through his fingers. His Touch barely had an effect as it was all around him.
If he stopped the ceiling from falling, the walls began to drop. If he tried to hold the ceiling and the walls, he quickly became exhausted. The floor also deformed so his steps became mired in it.
Water and darkness became the only way to survive but he was running out of elixirs.
"It is the wrong approach, it has to be." The other battles were not straightforward. The 1st round was about setting up an ideal set of conditions and then controlling the flow of battle against many opponents with the environment and skills.
The 2nd round was about mastery of the World Realm and using external Qi far more efficiently than ever before.
The 3rd round was a maze but it was clearly not about Qi. Lind felt it because no matter how he tried to control the corridors, they resisted him. His talents were not restricted but his Eyes only saw a storm of Qi all around him.
"A storm of Qi?" Lind froze. Why was it a storm? Why was he not just seeing earth and fire Qi blending to make the molten stone?
Lind studied the world with his Eyes and Touch. He kept the water and darkness going to protect himself but he looked around and realized something. The flow of Qi was familiar. Why was it familiar?
Where could he have encountered such a chaotic flow of Qi before this strange tournament?
Lind closed his eyes and pushed the world away. To any watching him, he looked mad as the way forward was disappearing quickly! If he did not move, he would be trapped forever in that corridor until it collapsed!
"Of course, that is what it is about." Emerald light flared around his body before his dark green eyes opened. "You are not a maze nor are you a challenge. You are me and I am you."
Pressure vanished as emerald light flared all around the corridor. The once impossible heat faded as Lind connected to himself completely. He held nothing back as all 6 elements flared and he exerted everything he had ever learned about the relationships between the elements at the Iron Tier.
His once impossible passage became cold stone as he smirked and waved his hand.
The snaking path straightened out to his command. Afterall, it was his dantian all around him. The only difference was he fought it like it was alien or the normal world.
"This tournament is not what I expected. Battle is important, but understanding opportunity is just as difficult. One must understand each aspect of their cultivation in order to have a chance of grasping the Inheritance." Lind felt it all come together.
"Arena #83 has a winner: Lind Frey" The realm spirit spoke suddenly and Lind realized he had moved himself to the center area which was now lit up in emerald light and made of emerald iron. He had mastered the maze of his dantian.
He felt the teleportation and found himself alone on the steps. He was first?
"Would it be possible to observe from the viewing seats?" Lind felt he had nothing to lose asking and was immediately moved as he wished. The teleportation light had barely faded when he felt scales crash into him once more.
Ethry was squeezing the life out of him!
"Let him breathe, Ethry!" Annabelle was running behind her and Lind waved his thanks as he petted the distraught dragon. It could not have been easy to see him struggle. He looked up at the display and was shocked at how nearly every contestant was becoming stuck like he had.
His eyes narrowed as he noted some only had 1 person in them but when he turned to his wives, they relayed what they believed. It made sense, but he doubted they were right.
"It is not about the maze. It is about how well you understand your cultivation." His words made all the people that were nearby turn to him. "The way I won was by recognizing what was being tested. It was a reflection of my dantian but because I treated it as external Qi, nothing I tried to control it normally worked."
His words made all feel enlightened and a roar came from far across the seats.
"How did you beat me to the center of the maze?!" The bare armed man stormed over. Lind had a deep impression of a barbarian or maybe the famous actor from Terminator movies. Still, the axe in his hand was heavily damaged.
Lind frowned as he waited for the nearly 2.5 meter tall man to loom over him. Before the angry man could lash out, Lind snatched his axe from him. His Eyes saw the inscriptions had fractured and the core was basically dust. The weapon was dead.
"GIVE THAT BACK!" Lind looked up and noticed his wives were holding back the man but Lind studied him since he had the time and then waved them back.
"Demonstrate how you use this axe, sir." His words made the man stumble but the man then grinned maniacally as he took back the battle axe. Lind looked sharply at his wives to restrain Ethry as the barbarian seemed to laugh as the blade came down at him.
"I am analyzing his moves for my own purpose, there is no danger." Lind spoke the words and thus all were stunned when there was no reaction from the realm spirit. How was Lind Frey doing that?!
The whirl of the axe looked impressive but the barbarian quickly stopped as he frowned grimly at his once powerful partner.
"Dead, I killed it." Lind dropped from the barbarian's concerns but then pale hands compared to his deeply tanned skin appeared.
"Let me have that, it is not dead yet." Lind saw the inscriptions were still responding and he saw how the Qi tried to flow to answer the man's wishes, but it could not. Even so, it was not yet useless in his Eyes.
Lind summoned his smelting pot along with some ore. He would need some to repair it and improve it. All froze as they realized what was about to happen. The pressure around Lind skyrocketed and few could follow what he was doing.
Forging was not like refining that could be observed and even comprehended by most cultivators. It was an instinctual and profound skill that exceeded all but the handful that had the same skill.
Of all the audience, there were none there that had that skill.
The barbarian suddenly looked excited as the cracked and unresponsive axe began to shine with even more power than before as all 6 elements fused with it. Emerald light flared and then the smelting pot cooled as the battle axe changed in front of their eyes.
It had been simple steel to most eyes, but now it glowed with earth and darkness Qi while the handle seemed to become a darker shade of wood.
"What is its name?" Lind felt there was one final step and looked at the barbarian. The man looked around and leaned forward.
"Emily's Heart" Lind almost stumbled but barely restrained himself. He had expected a variety of names but he had to admit that was not on his list. Even so, he thought of the name and the battle axe blazed in completion as the Forged traits settled.
"It is done." The barbarian took back the axe and swung it around away from them all. It was a night and day difference but the beaming smile of the swarthy faced barbarian was clear to all. He began to bellow in laughter as Qi attacks were launched into the air.
All paled as they realized the grade. Peak grade 3! Lind Frey could Forge at peak grade 3!
Any malicious thoughts vanished from many heads right then. Only a damned fool would mess with a peak grade 3 Forger. They would technically be able to get almost grade 4 power while still in Iron Tier!
"Amazing! I apologize for my brash words, Master Frey." The barbarian slapped him on the back and despite his strong body, Lind felt all his bones get jarred. How strong was this guy? "I am called Atlas. I have no other name. Tell me, how did you win?"
Lind smiled and began to talk as the round continued. If he was right, this would be the longest round by far so he spoke with his new friend and showed him all he had done to revitalize the axe. Lind never dreamed of asking about the name, but when he inspected it, there had been a strand of hair refined into the handle.
He did not touch it or change it, merely incorporated it into the rest. The elders and guardians watching on itched to talk to Lind Frey as the barbarian was, but it was taboo to do so. Lind Frey was going on to the quarter finals.
All were curious how the 125 remaining contestants would be moving on in the next round but for now, the revelations of Lind Frey's limits made those that might face him have a dark thought.
If Lind Frey can Forge at peak grade 3, what weapons or armor did he make for himself? He was already showing incredible skill and power without it, what would he become with a weapon or armor to enhance that strength?