Chapter 363: chapter 363 Having Fun?
The moment the spell activated, a thick pulse of dark mana surged forward and struck Uga square in the face. His charging momentum haltedânot because of pain, but confusion.
Michaelâs breathing was sharp now. He didnât waste a second. As Ugaâs head turned left, then right, Michael knew the curse had worked.
Uga was blind.
Temporarily.
But it was enough.
Or so he thought.
Michael didnât approach. He wasnât stupid. Ugaâs raw power was on a completely different level now.
Instead, he darted sideways, weaving around the edge of the arena.
And yetâ
Even blinded, Uga still fought like a beast.
He sniffed the air. Tilted his head.
Then turned straight toward Michaelâs position.
Michael cursed under his breath. âYouâve got to be kidding me.â
Ugaâs body tensed.
Then he charged.
Not recklesslyâinstinctively.
Michael ducked under the first punch, barely avoiding the wild swing that passed overhead. He rolled, planted his palm, and kicked upward, pushing himself away before Ugaâs foot slammed down where heâd just been.
Boom!
A crater exploded beneath the stomp.
The Blind Curse only lasted seconds, and those seconds were running out fast.
But Michael had already moved, weaving a glowing magic circle into the air again.
The next spell was ready the moment Ugaâs sight flickered back.
âMana Arrow!â
Unlike the last barrage, this one exploded on impactâMichael had pumped more mana, overcharging the arrows until they shimmered like condensed stars.
The first struck Ugaâs chest. Boom! A burst of force exploded, knocking him back slightly.
The second hit his leg. Boom!
The third, his shoulder. Boom!
Dust clouded the arena as shockwaves rippled outward, the sheer magical force enough to make the arena barrier create a screaming sound.
But Uga didnât fall.
He stood in the smoke, chest heaving, skin steaming, eyes blazing with excitement.
Then he laughed.
âMore! Use more!â he shouted. âMagic strong! Fun!â
Michaelâs eyes narrowed.
High humans greatest advantage was their affinity with mana, their mana pool and their magic.
Michael had leaned on that advantage.
But Ugaâ
He tanked magic.
Michaelâs breath came in quick bursts. Still, he stood tall, trying to calm the pounding of his heart.
Then⊠he stopped.
Just like thatâhis movement ceased.
His arms fell to his sides.
He straightened, head tilted.
And across the cracked arena floor, Uga noticed.
The wild brute blinked and froze in his steps.
He tilted his head like a confused animal, sensing something strange. Michael wasnât in a stance. He wasnât readying a spell or preparing a counter.
He was⊠relaxed?
Uga blinked again. âYou tired?â he asked, genuinely unsure.
Michael chuckled. âNot tired,â he said. âJust wonderingâŠâ
He took a step forward.
âAre you having fun?â
Uga blinked rapidlyâthen nodded vigorously. âYes! Much fun! Best fun!â
Michael smiled faintly. âGood. Then⊠Iâm sorry in advance.â
Uga furrowed his brows. âHuh?â
Michaelâs gaze sharpened.
âYou asked for it. But if I want to win thisâŠ.â He sighed, flexing his fingers. âThen I canât keep playing around.â
His voice wasnât cold.
But there was weight behind it.
His tone had changedâmore serious. There was no anger, no hatredâjust purpose.
Ugaâs smile faltered slightly, the confusion in his expression deepening. But he didnât move.
Michaelâs heart was heavy.
The turn of events had caught him off guard.
He wasnât arrogantâbut he knew the truth of his strength. In this kingdom, where Grand Tier was about the peak, there werenât many who could pose a threat to him.
And yetâŠ
He looked at Ugaâthe wild brute.
Uga was here.
Pushing him back.
Matching him blow for blow.
It reminded Michael that invincibility was a myth.
There was always someone stronger.
Or at least someone with the potential to be.
But instead of despair, he felt something else.
Excitement.
This wasnât discouraging.
It was thrilling.
However, nowânow he had to stop holding back.
Michael took a deep breath and extended his hand toward the ground.
A swirl of greenish-black energy spiraled beneath him. It pulsed, then spread, forming a dark, glowing magic circle inscribed with runes.
The air grew cold.
A low hum vibrated through the arena floor.
Ugaâs eyes widened as he sensed something unnatural.
And thenâ
A figure rose from the circle.
A tall, armored figure, a hood over their head, and a massive spear clutched in one hand.
The armour on its body was similar to the one Michael had on.
Spartan.
âLetâs turn this into a real fight,â Michael muttered.
Ugaâs eyes gleamed. âFriend?â
âSomething like that,â Michael replied.
The crowd had long since fallen into stunned silence.
From the very first blow exchanged between Uga and Michael, the arena had been erupting in gasps and shoutsâbut that was then. Now, all that remained was a deep, breathless awe.
Even the nobles seated in the high balconiesâthose proud, pampered heirs who usually scoffed at commonersâwere no longer sneering.
They leaned forward, gripping their seats, forgetting status, forgetting face.
Every time Uga swung and Michael dodged, someone flinched.
Every time Michael cast a spell, the crowd braced for the explosion.
It was chaosâcontrolled only by the sheer disbelief of what they were witnessing.
And then came Spartan.
When the undead warrior rose from the ground like a shadow given form, the coliseum erupted again.
But it wasnât a cheer.
It was shock.
âTh-ThatâŠâ someone cried. âDid he just⊠summon someone?â
âWhat sort of magic is this?â
Even the commentatorâusually so full of flairâwas left speechless.
At this moment, he was going through a lot.
The four strongest participantsâŠ
Why were they all this powerful?
Anyone with half a brain could see itâthese four had surpassed the Advanced stage by a wide margin. Their combat power wasnât something you expected from their age. No⊠not even close.
It wasnât just shock or awe that gripped the commentator now.
It was fear.
His gaze flicked to the arena barrier.
The blue-robed officials were no longer visible.
But the barrier⊠one that should have broken under the sheer force of the previous clash⊠was still intact.
That could only mean one thing.
Unparalleled Under The Heavens