Chapter 31 - Lu Hong vs Lock Fan

“This guy’s pretty formidable,” Lu Hong couldn’t help but remark as he watched Lock Fan block the entirety of the Storm Call’s onslaught.

If he were to be fair, he couldn’t have taken that skill head-on.

“Old man, you better prepare to find a chance to cripple him tonight, I think that’s more reliable,” Lu Hong earnestly suggested, reintroducing the proposal to the old man.

“Aiya, Master, stop joking around, better think about how to deal with him instead,” the old man hurriedly replied with a forced smile.

How could they do something like that?

If word got out, he’d lose all face, not to mention the campus was crawling with tough guys right now.

Who knows, someone might pay Lock Fan a night visit tonight.

“Well, alright, looks like I’ve got a tough fight tomorrow,” Lu Hong sighed.

After watching Lock Fan’s match, he naturally didn’t stick around and went back to practice his skills.

After all, sharpening the axe won’t hinder the cutting, even if it’s right before battle.

“Is it Tour Kulu?” Just then, Lock Fan spotted Lu Hong, who was about to leave, and called out, “After watching my match, do you feel confident about fighting me tomorrow?”

“Are you speaking to me?” Lu Hong turned around, looking at Lock Fan’s mocking smile with a touch of displeasure.

“Yeah, everyone’s been talking about how this tournament has a dark horse, you certainly had your moment in the spotlight.”

“You were more in the spotlight today,” Lu Hong replied politely.

“Really?” Lock Fan smiled, “Then I think I’ll continue to shine from here on out, and you?

You’re merely a stepping stone for me.”

Is this guy for real?

Trying to provoke me?

That’s like a line straight from a classic villain!

Normally, a person who could deliver such a classic villainous line would eventually get their comeuppance, so Lu Hong smiled at Lock Fan and said, “Good luck to you.”

“My luck is always great!” Lock Fan laughed heartily while looking at Lu Hong’s retreating back.

As he exited the arena, Nono, worried, grabbed Lu Hong’s arm.

“Can you really beat him?” By now, after watching Lock Fan’s valiant performance, Nono had completely lost confidence in Lu Hong.

“You doubt my strength?” Lu Hong said somewhat angrily, thinking back to earlier when she had praised him.

Oh, how women change their minds!

“I know you’re strong, but the skills you used in the previous matches just don’t have the same flash and awe as the Magic Fighter’s!

Just looking at his skills, it’s obvious you can’t block them,” Nono seriously responded.

She makes a good point, and I’m left speechless?

“No, no, no, his skills are just a bit more flashy, that’s all.

Is there something wrong with my warrior skills being straightforward?”

“Yes, there is!

Because they’re too simple, I feel like the power of your skills just won’t cut it.”

“Fine, fine, fine!” Lu Hong pointed at Nono and repeated emphatically, the dignity of a warrior’s profession was not to be insulted!

“Wait ’til tomorrow, I’ll show you how I’ll crush that guy!” With that said, Lu Hong stormed off without looking back.

“Hey, Tour Kulu, why are you walking away so fast?” As Nono said this, she was about to follow but was held back by the old man, “Nono, my young master has a sensitive spot, never insult the warrior profession.”

“I didn’t say anything,” she retorted.

“Saying warrior skills aren’t as glamorous or seemingly powerful as others isn’t insulting?” The old man waved his hand and continued, “Don’t seek out the young master today, let him prepare on his own.

If he wins tomorrow, then you can make your apologies; if he loses, well then, you’ll really be in trouble.”

“I should apologize to him?

I am a princess, after all!” Nono replied, slightly upset, “I’m just worried about his safety, what if he gets hurt?

What if he lacks defensive skills and gets burned by flames, frozen by ice, or struck by lightning?”

“Okay, okay, I’m off,” the old man clearly didn’t want to hear Nono’s incessant chatter and promptly took his leave.

“Uncle Xius, remember to plead for me!” Nono shouted after the receding figure of the old man.

The afternoon competition was supposed to feature matches between warriors and priests, but considering the previous event where Lu Hong brutally beat up Nora, the priest girls did not even think about preparing for the match.

They conceded in advance, afraid that if Lu Hong got upset, they’d end up like Nora, pummeled into the ground.

And Lock Fan’s conversation with Lu Hong, after an afternoon of fermenting, had everyone highly anticipating their upcoming match, eager to see who would ultimately be the winner of the tournament.

The next day’s match arrived as scheduled, and as soon as Lu Hong and Lock Fan stepped onto the stage, they captured everyone’s attention.

“The competition begins!” At the referee’s command, both competitors drew their weapons, eyeing each other.

“What’s the matter?

Didn’t bring that new Pug of yours?” Lock Fan was somewhat surprised, since after signing a contract under Nakatame Kukiku, bringing a beast companion to the match wasn’t against the rules.

“No, I brought it.

I’m afraid I would bully you.”

“Actually, it doesn’t matter.

I had already taken your Pug’s combat power into account.

Now that you don’t even bring the Pug, there’s no doubt you’ll lose this fight.” Lock Fan’s confidence soared even more, seeing that the only thing he worried about was the threat of Lu Hong’s dog.

Who would have thought this warrior would be so arrogant as to come without his beast companion?

Looking for a beating!

“Yesterday, I was provoked by someone.” As he spoke, Lu Hong glanced at Nono beneath the stage, who looked guilty and too embarrassed to meet his gaze.

Lu Hong shifted his attention back and continued, “I believe everyone here must think I’m no match for you, but I will show you through my actions that the warrior is the strongest profession!”

“Still the strongest?” Lock Fan laughed, then immediately began to gather Magic Power, “You will ultimately be just a stepping stone on my path to glory!”

“Then bring it on!” Lu Hong bellowed, unleashing a fierce Intimidating Shout.

“How could…,!” Lock Fan felt dizzy and disoriented for a moment, but being half a warrior himself, he had much stronger resistance to such attacks than a Mage.

In less than a second, he had recovered, and his Magic Power started circulating normally again.

The Intimidating Shout could even disrupt me?

Lock Fan rolled to dodge Lu Hong’s attack, feeling somewhat scared afterward.

It was fortunate that the disruption didn’t last long.

To think that the Intimidating Shout Skill wasn’t only a nuisance to Mages but could also disrupt him.

“The effect is so-so, but it’s enough to deal with you.” Lu Hong knew that the Intimidating Shout Skill would be discounted against non-Mage professions, but how much it would affect the opponent depended on their resistance.

Everyone’s physique was different, and whether they learned Skills or not could influence to varying degrees.

The main point of Intimidating Shout was to obstruct Magic Power; it was practically useless against Knights and other professions that didn’t rely on Magic Power.

“Flame Slash!” Dodging Lu Hong’s attack, Lock Fan ran his right hand along his sword blade, and flames immediately rose.

“Die!” Lock Fan wielded his long sword like a rampaging fire snake.

Lu Hong dodged repeatedly, looking for an opportunity, and launched an impressive War Challenge into the air.

This War Challenge was particularly powerful, its yellow Fighting Spirit nearly forming a half-moon that shot skyward.

“Barrier of Earth!” Seeing his opponent’s Fighting Spirit-filled strike, Lock Fan ran his hand along his sword again, invoking an earth attribute.

As he swung his long sword in front of him, he summoned dozens of earth walls to block the advance of the opponent’s Fighting Spirit.

Although Lu Hong’s War Challenge was powerful, it had lost its energy support after leaving his body and finally posed no threat after crashing against seventeen earth walls.

“A single Skill that consumes a third of your Fighting Spirit, let’s see how you fight me now.” Lock Fan estimated the power of that strike and equated it to the Fighting Spirit that Lu Hong had used.

“You’re quite the genius.” Lu Hong knew Lock Fan’s calculations.

His Barrier of Earth used less energy than Lu Hong’s, and in a war of attrition, Lock Fan believed his opponent couldn’t win against him.

However, Lu Hong was different; after Dragon Blood Body Refinement, his Fighting Spirit was twice that of ordinary people.

Although this was Lu Hong’s edge, he wasn’t planning on a war of attrition.

He intended to frankly defeat him with warrior Skills and show Nono just how strong warrior Skills could be!

“If you won’t come, then I’ll attack!” Seeing that Lu Hong didn’t execute any Skills, Lock Fan took the initiative, again switching to the thundering force that enveloped his sword and chopping at Lu Hong.

Amidst a series of clashing blades, the two exchanged countless blows in a brief period.

“Look, that warrior’s resistance is so high, he hasn’t been paralyzed by Lock Fan’s thundering force.

Strange, isn’t it?” At that moment, a VIP in the stands voiced their puzzlement.

Lock Fan, enveloped by the thundering force, was basically a nemesis to close-range combatants.

Every time Lu Hong engaged in close combat with his opponent, lightning kept striking him from all sides, but even though it left scorch marks on Lu Hong’s clothes, it did no actual damage to his body.

“Indeed, that warrior’s physical body is comparable to a Level 3 Demon Beast.

Didn’t he come out of the Fireball rain with hardly any severe injuries last time?

Could it be this warrior has a skill like Fighting Spirit protection?

It shouldn’t be, though.” The VIPs all spoke out, with none having a clear understanding.

“Why, why are you unhurt after being struck by lightning so many times?!” Lock Fan, forced back several steps and wounded in his right arm, cried out in shock and anger.

Originally, Lock Fan thought that with the thundering force, he would undoubtedly be invincible in close combat, as its paralysis effect on an unprotected warrior like Lu Hong was nearly one hundred percent effective.

“Have you ever heard of the warrior’s Level 12 Skill?” Lu Hong parried Lock Fan’s long sword once more and kicked him directly in the stomach, making him kneel over in pain.

“Level 12 Skill?” Not just the crowd below, but even the VIPs on the stands were baffled.

Did warriors have a Level 12 Skill?

Wasn’t the Jump Slash, the last Skill of the First Transition at Level 11, the final one for warriors?

Was the book I saw before wrong?

Lu Hong’s kick wasn’t light.

Seeing Lock Fan clutch his stomach in silence, he continued, “The warrior has a protective Skill called ‘Armor of Fighting Spirit’ at Level 12.”

Indeed, Lu Hong had revealed another piece of knowledge, prompting the studious VIPs to take out their notebooks and start taking notes, while the old men listened in amazement.

If they could learn this Skill, wouldn’t their win rate double?

In the past, they couldn’t withstand blows when exchanging Skills, but now, with such a Skill, even taking hits would be easier!