Every era had its own theme, and in the age of mysteries before the gods shed their light, the theme was violence, plunder, and destruction. All creatures struggled for resources, betting their lives on survival and reproduction.
In this era of the gods, Igula believed the main theme was domination.
Domination of others, domination of organizations, domination of culture, domination of thought...
Large-scale wars had become rare. People no longer expanded territories, instead everyone competed over existing resources, class had solidified, systems had become supreme, and plunder had been replaced by more sophisticated exploitation. All actions had to follow the rules of the game set a thousand years ago.
Crude violence was no longer appropriate; only the romantic mind control could thrive in this world.
And when it came to domination, Spirit Mages were undoubtedly the best choice.
Although Igula was only a Two-winged Spirit Mage, in this class with fixed inherent paths, predetermined life trajectories at birth, and where most people never had the chance to enter the Void Realm's Kingdom of Blood Moon, he was like a beast at the top of the food chain.
The most dangerous knowledge was controlled by the Blood Saint Clan and the Moon Shadow Clan. Ordinary mages hadn't even heard of the Spirit Faction, let alone knew how to defend against it.
Even Igula's psychic knowledge was due to the awakening of the Meiwa bloodline in his body, allowing him to find the two crucial Technique Spirits, "Resonance" and "Fulfillment," in the Void Realm, transforming him into a Spirit Mage.
Additionally, he was a Contractor in the insurance industry, possessing the fundamental Technique Spirit "Contract," enabling him to create a miracle aimed specifically at intelligent beings, "Words Into Action"!
Whether it was jokes or falsehoods, once someone made an agreement with Igula, he could use "Resonance" to establish a connection and bind with a "Contract," then demand "Fulfillment" to make them stick to their words!
In a civilized society, this miracle was unstoppable. If he hadn't hit a roadblock, he would be enjoying wine in a seaside villa instead of fighting in this prison surrounded by lake water.
Yet, as long as there were rules, he would remain the master, and the prison was no exception.
Even if Technique Spirits were banned here, since they were manifestations of knowledge, Igula could still achieve his goal indirectly.
Technique Spirits were like a campfire for roasting meat, even if the fire was extinguished, with a little effort in fire-making, it could still be rekindled.
"Contract," "Resonance," and "Fulfillment" were closely related to speech, so with the power of language alone, Igula could bypass the chip's restrictions to invoke Technique Spirit resonance.
In his past 45 death matches, he forced opponents to agree to fight using the miracle "Words Into Action," and even if they lost, they would agree to a second, third, and fourth match, until Igula drained their contribution completely.
"He will attack my left cheek."
"Weak, weak, too weak!"
Igula easily dodged Ash's attack and mocked, "Your punch still smells of milk, who do you think you can hit!?"
"He will kick my left calf."
"He wants to hug me."
"He wants to use a right hook."
Intense thoughts flowed continuously from his opponent into Igula's consciousness. Igula looked at this man, like a trapped beast, with pity and a disdainful smile curled at the corner of his mouth—as soon as the chains were placed, livestock had already lost the ability to harm its master!
This was a small trick Igula invented after his imprisonment, not considered a miracle, only leveraging the "Contract" connection and enhanced by linguistic coaxing, enabling "Resonance" effects between Igula and his opponent to decipher their offensive intentions!
If he could leave Shattered Lake Prison, perhaps Igula could invent a miracle similar to "Foreseeing Enemy Moves" from this.
However, even an underdeveloped trick was enough for Igula to win 45 consecutive matches!
But the winning streak would soon add another 10 matches—Ash Heath seemed to Igula like a lamb ready for roasting, seasoned with cumin! This death match was just the starting point; next, Igula planned to win ten times in a row, completely taking away Ash's initial 50 contribution!
This was the essence of death matches, eliminating the weak, distinguishing the livestock!
Crawl at my feet, let me trample you, livestock!
"He will use a direct punch to hit my chest."
Igula dodged his punch, responding with a counterattack, laughing, "Come on, you almost got me—huh?"
Though his punch missed, Ash quickly ducked to evade Igula's attack and even moved closer, raising his elbow.
Naturally, Igula swiftly retreated, filled with suspicion—this was the first time Ash evaded his attack.
Though one instance was insignificant, it was not a good omen.
He couldn't play around anymore; it was time to knock Ash out directly.
Just as he thought this, Igula shook off the blood on his fist and lunged forward, focused entirely on capturing Ash's intentions and targeted Ash's vulnerabilities with his attack!
"Beautiful Beast, stop wasting time and hurry up to the end!"
"It's rare to have a newcomer, don't ruin the fun too soon!"
"Beautiful Beast, you have so many contributions, why not let me enjoy once?"
"Beautiful Beast, bring a knife next time; I want some meaty thigh meat! Lanna, don't fight me for it!"
The prisoners in the audience laughed and joked, but Lanna, who was outlining circles on his boyfriend's chest, suddenly said, "Even if I don't fight, you still won't get to eat it."
"Huh?"
The prisoners were slightly stunned. As they watched closely, many people's expressions changed, "This kid… is he a believer of the Gods of Four Pillars…"
Despite Ash's clumsy movements, his defensive efficiency visibly improved. Whereas Igula had landed every punch before, now landing one punch out of four was an achievement, and even that one might be blocked by Ash with his arm.
His physical prowess hadn't dramatically increased, instead, it seemed he developed fighting instincts.
Ash's movements didn't speed up; in fact, they slowed due to fatigue and pain, yet became more adept, as if mimicking Igula's steps. Whenever Igula gestured, Ash seemed to naturally follow.
Honestly, Igula wasn't considered strong in the Death Battle Society, not even in the second tier. His strength lay in thoroughly exploiting weak opponents, bypassing prison rules to drain their resources completely. But everyone had to admit Igula had a keen eye, always finding prey to bully, as evidenced by his record of 45 consecutive wins.
When Ash faced Igula in the ring, everyone thought Ash would lose all his contribution and become a frequent participant of Blood Moon Judgement. Ash hadn't demonstrated any combat ability and seemed more like a pretty face, causing many to suspect that the Gods of Four Pillars could very well be a rich women's dating club.
Yet, in just a few minutes of combat, Ash transformed from a delicate flower in a greenhouse into a poised and seasoned jungle predator, and seemed to take the upper hand subtly!
"Master Tiger, looks like someone similar to you," someone laughed, "Never expected Igula to be played like a fool."
"No."
Typically timid, the old, white-haired man known as Tiger had a serious expression, "He wasn't playing the fool before; he truly was a fool."
"Bodies don't lie." Lanna, sitting up straight on his boyfriend's lap, said, "His body hasn't undergone any combat training. He's clearly a pampered scholar. I watched him closely when I brought him in. All his physical responses lack combat conditioning, even inferior to children."
"Judging by his initial defensive stance, this might be one of the few close-quarter combats he's engaged in over recent years."
Someone muttered, "How could this be… does that mean…"
"Exactly." From the shadows, Lanna wistfully stated, "A man in the wrong place, awakening the wrong talent. Truly… a pity."
Smack!
Using both hands, Igula blocked Ash's punch—his first defense in this battle. Compared to the murmuring audience, Igula profoundly felt Ash's rapid improvement—transforming from a silent, slaughter-bound livestock into a… ferociously roaring livestock nonetheless.
"What adorable fists, softer than a baby's," Igula sneered, "Are you tired?"
Ash remained silent, pacing and facing Igula, looking for defensive gaps.
"I have to admit, I underestimated you," Igula acknowledged. "Your learning speed exceeds my expectations. Is it a gift from the Gods of Four Pillars? Or a talent you just uncovered? I concede you have the makings to rise above livestock, but your physical condition is utterly dismal, so bad that simply delaying will wear you down!"
"The 1 contribution you wagered can be your ransom for evolving from livestock to human. Rejoice, Ash Heath, as you're the only one breaking free of the chains, yet that's all you'll ever be. Once this death match is over, I'll have no dealings with you again, nor accept any challenges from you, and within the prison rules, you can't retaliate against me."
"Understanding rules, leveraging rules, mastering rules, that epitomizes true strength. Your battle potential merely raises you from livestock to a… beast!"
"When engulfed by power and struggling in the Blood Moon Judgement, I'll be somewhere safe, savoring red wine while watching your grotesque struggles. That's the difference between you and me. That is the distance between the dominated and the dominator!"
At that moment, Ash suddenly said, "Don't cover your face."
Igula sneered menacingly as if he'd heed that—
"You're quite good-looking, let me take a good look."
"You're quite good-looking, let me take a good look."
Ash's words and genuine thoughts arrived simultaneously, catching Igula off guard. For the first time, such praise buzzed in his ears upon the platform, and out of a need to flaunt, he instinctively lowered his hands—
Smack!
With immense strength, the pent-up punch crashed into Igula's face, causing him to black out.
Ding ding ding!
"The victor is decided: the winner is Ash Heath!"