"Why won't you kill yourself?"
Valkas said this not because victory was within his reach. On the contrary, it was his signal for admitting defeat.
One could commit suicide in the deathmatch arena.
Once they committed suicide, the deathmatch would end, and the chip restriction would activate again. Valkas would not be able to attack a corpse.
As long as Ash had a whole corpse, the medics would be able to communicate with the Illusory Realm through their spell spirits and pull his soul back into his body from the fog in the Illusory Realm.
The moment Ash avoided his first Mountain Shattering miracle, he had already lost. The subsequent attacks were just struggles in the hope of lucking out. Even if he could win this deathmatch, he would not be able to complete his mission and completely eliminate Ash Heath.
Compared to failing the mission, the scene before him was what made Valkas feel worse.
There was nothing more unbearable than watching the rise of a genius. If there was, it would be being the stepping stone for said genius.
Even though Valkas was already a middle-aged elf over a hundred years old, he was still aggrieved by what was happening. 'Are you kidding me? There are so many unlucky people in this world. Why do I have to be the one?'
To be honest, Valkas was already a bit on the verge of a breakdown. That was why he gave the answer for speed pass directly, hoping that Ash would quickly end this nightmare.
"Why would I kill myself? I haven't lost yet."
"You think you have a chance to defeat me?" Valkas was so angered that he laughed instead. "Oh yes. Centuries and millennia later, the bards will recite your glorious deeds on the streets. 'Ash Heath, who has never learned swordplay, fought against an ignorant elven swordsman in a battle and miraculously defeated the latter. This was the beginning of his glorious and undefeated life.'
"Ah, benevolent Mr. Ash, the lowly Valkas begs you to mention my name in your future autobiography, so that I can be a disgrace for all eternity, all right? Hmm?"
"So, Valkas, when are you going to publish your book?"
With great difficulty, Ash raised his left hand to wipe away the blood trickling down his forehead so that it wouldn't stick to his eyelashes and affect his vision. He was still smiling.
"I must beat you for a reason."
"What reason?"
"I want to ask you if Silin Dore sent you to kill me. Is there a conspiracy behind my imprisonment?"
Valkas flicked the blade gently, flicking away the bloodstained debris on it.
"What does this have to do with you beating me?"
"If I didn't win, would you answer?"
"Maybe, maybe not. Besides, even if I answer, can you tell if it's the truth?"
"I just asked someone else the same question." Ash let out a deep breath. "He asked me to unravel a doubt. I said, 'If I lie, can you tell?' He said he could really tell."
"So you can do it too?"
"No, I can't. But I thought that the answer I get after beating you up would be closer to the truth than the answer I get by just asking you, right?"
"I haven't heard such a straightforward reason in a long time since I left the foster home."
Valkas grinned. He had maintained an elegant posture since entering the room and in the battle. Now, for the first time, his expression was sinister. "But if you don't kill yourself, you really may die."
"Let's see if your sword is faster or mine."
"Kill you before you commit suicide? Interesting, I accept this challenge."
"Ah, that's not what I meant…"
Ash tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his muscles taut.
"After all, I have no intention of retiring here. If I can't even get past you as a stepping stone, who am I to leave this prison?"
"What arrogance!"
The ground, which had already been broken to pieces, cracked again. Gray dust formed a sinister silhouette for the invisible sword aura, like a giant sword stabbing at Ash from the ground!
Ash did not even blink. He tried his best to avoid the sword aura and the shattered flying rocks, delaying the battle so that his body could absorb as much swordplay experience as possible!
Sword Maiden's swordplay experience was truly impressive. At the very beginning, Ash had not even been able to see Valkas' sword clearly. Now, he was able to predict Valkas' sword path from looking at his shoulder. He might not really know how to use a sword, but at the very least, he had become proficient in dodging swords.
He wasn't just courting death. He truly had the confidence to defeat Valkas.
With the augmentation of Sword Maiden's swordplay experience, the Mountain Shattering miracle was no longer an indecipherable mystery. On the contrary, with Valkas unable to use his full strength, Mountain Shattering revealed a flaw that could be exploited!
Just like the last major problem of a college entrance examination in mathematics, Ash suddenly discovered a magical auxiliary line. He felt that he had a chance to conquer this challenging problem!
If he was granted a little more time, he felt that he could even find the flaw in the attack range of Mountain Shattering, and counterattack Valkas!
If he was granted a little more time—
Boom!
With a muffled groan, the spell energy in his mind once again circulated with a cool aura, causing his rationality to forcefully suppress the intense feedback of pain from his thigh, barely avoiding this Mountain Shattering attack!
He glanced at his thigh out of the corner of his eye, and did not dare to look any farther down.
"Your rate of improvement is truly admirable. Unfortunately, you are tired."
Valkas could not contain his pity in his tone. "You've been losing blood since the beginning of the fight. After such a vigorous fight, you've already lost too much blood, so much so that your brain is starting to run out of oxygen and your stamina is dropping. So, you're slowing down.
"Even if you can suppress the pain and continue fighting, your body won't be able to fight anymore. Between the piece of flesh I gouged out from your thigh and the blood loss earlier, I'm already very surprised that you didn't go into shock immediately.
"Do you know why I'm talking so much to you? Because the more time passes, the more stamina you'll lose. Right now, it's impossible for your sword to be faster than mine. My sword will crush your corpse before you commit suicide.
"Thank you, Ash. I'm sorry, Ash."
With that, Valkas suddenly swung his sword, and the fierce sword aura once again broke through the ground, Mountain Shattering!
Is this the best I can do…
Ash sighed inwardly.
Before Igora had told him about the information on Valkas, Ash had already anticipated the dangers of this deathmatch. After all, why would someone challenge him, the fresh meat who had only fought one deathmatch, when there was no enmity between them?
If an unknown colleague made things difficult for you all of a sudden, it must be because there was a conflict of interest.
Then why did Ash accept the deathmatch?
Ash could have refused directly, even right before entering the arena. Others couldn't even swear and despise him. Ash had this freedom.
But Ash didn't want to retreat.
Firstly, he needed an opponent to digest the swordplay experience that Sword Maiden had shared with him. There was no place more suitable for taking a beating than the deathmatch arena, which was both dangerous and safe.
Secondly, even if he could hide for a while, he could not hide forever. Even if Ash refused this deathmatch, sooner or later, other troubles would come looking for him.
Most importantly, just as he had said, he was someone who wanted to break out of prison. If he couldn't even cross over a stepping stone like Valkas, then what would he break out of prison for? He might as well just roll over and retire!
However, there weren't that many miracles in life. Even if there were, it would be someone else's miracle…
Just as Ash was about to slash his throat and commit suicide, he heard a familiar voice from the audience stands.
It was Sword Maiden.
"If you feel pain, pretend you're someone else. That way, it won't hurt anymore."
At this moment, Ash felt as if an iceberg had melted in his mind. Spell energy circulated madly, but it was tightly bound by an invisible cage. The spell energy could not touch reality at all!
Spell energy could be locked, but knowledge could not. Even if their limbs were bound, they would still sprout wings and fly.
The Substitution Spell Spirit, which had been silent all this while, suddenly began to dance in Ash's consciousness.
With almost no hesitation, Ash did not dodge or retreat. Instead, he brandished his longsword and charged toward Valkas!
"It's over."
Valkas couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy as he watched "Ash" being engulfed by the Mountain Shattering sword aura. As a swordmaster, he had never seen a swordplay apprentice more talented than "Ash" in over a century of experience.
In another time, place, and identity, Valkas felt that even if he were to become a stepping stone… he might not have been unwilling…
Nothing was more unbearable than watching a genius rising, and nothing was more exciting than watching a genius rising up close.
Thud.
Upon hearing a sound like a bubble shattering, Valkas immediately felt that something was amiss. He focused his gaze and realized that the "Ash" had dissipated under the impact of the sword aura. Not even flesh was left behind—
It was a substitute!
"It's over."
Valkas turned his head slightly, only to discover that the ground in his blind spot was covered in large amounts of dust and gravel due to the Mountain Shattering slash, allowing it to conceal the charge of a grievously injured man!
As Valkas' sword fell to the ground, Ash's sword sank into the former's throat.
The unsheathed blade pierced through his throat!
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[Winner Determined. The Winner is Ash Heath!]