'If you were going to save me anyway then why did you bring my corpse here in the first place?'
Despite being a scholar in his past life, Fang Fang couldn't help but mock inwardly. Little did he know, ants possessed an innate programming to utilize their fallen comrades like humans felt an oceanic urge to jerk off to curvaceous booties.
Anticipation brimmed within Fang Fang as he awaited the imminent and intense battle, eager to witness the unfolding combat system.
The two giant rat-human bodyguards, named Luca and Remo, twisted their necks in opposite directions making snapping sounds. Their eyes locked on to Marquis and Daniel.
A glow emanated from Luca's left forearm, matching the luminescence beneath Remo's right forearm. And as if a mirage turned into solid reality, a baseball bat materialized beneath each man's hand.
Remo's bat bore a gentle hue of light brown wood, a contrast to the more menacing appearance of Luca's bat which gleamed in a metallic black shade. The two men stood poised, each holding a baseball bat in the opposite hand, creating a mirror-like symmetry. They raised their weapons in unison, resting them on their shoulders.
Their stance unveiled the glowing baseball-bat shaped tattoos adorning their forearms.
The tattoos were the Embernits, also known as the soul spirits of entities existing beneath the heavens. Most cultivators at Level 1 had one core Embernit, which was the foundation of their cultivation.
"Mammamia, don't raise your weapons till-a you know who you are fighting." Marcello said in an amused tone. "Ants-a always have-a twisted beliefs, but-a this one can't-achieve his desires by bein' a Level 1 Guru with-a Earth Embernit. While this-a piece of windy trash, is only at Level 1 Maven stage."
The bodyguards nodded in silent comprehension of their assigned duties. Luca, the man wielding the metal baseball bat, locked his gaze onto Marquis, while Remo's attention shifted on Daniel. In this arrangement, their power was equal, or so it seemed in terms of their cultivation levels.
Marquis narrowed his gaze, examining the adversary's Embernit. The metallic baseball-shaped tattoo was about 60% inked in black.
The ink symbolized Embernit's stamina.
On the other hand, Remo's wooden bat tattoo appeared only 30% full of ink. Marquis harbored a nervous inclination to lift his own shirt, to check his Embernit's stamina. He couldn't tell Luca and Remo's cultivation levels, but if he had to trust Marcello's words then Remo was at the third step of Level 1 whereas Luca, the stronger fellow was at the fourth and final step of Level 1.
Yet before he could lift his shirt, Luca surged towards him with a massive stride. The muscular left arm, holding the black metal baseball bat swung down in a horizontal arc.
Marquis was quick to jump sideways to dodge, but the bat changed its trajectory and slammed into his body. On impact, a sharp clang reverberated through the air. It was the sound of metal hitting rocks.
Due to the impact, Marquis's body slammed into the sand but he quickly rolled to gain distance from Luca.
Rising to his feet, grains of sand slid from his t-shirt sleeves. His lips curled into a smile as he grasped the shirt at his waist, pulling it to release it from its tuck, making further sand to roll down from underneath the fabric.
A gentle brown luminescence was emanating from the region encircling his heart. Just as the baseball bat landed, he had formed a sand armor around his torso to absorb the impact.
Now came his turn to strike. He launched into a brisk sprint, closing in on Luca. With each stride, dusky sand streamed from his t-shirt sleeve, crawling over his arm.
His sand-covered fist molded into a solid stone glove, hurtling toward Luca, who swung the metal bat.
The impact of his punch met the metal with a resounding clash, the stone and sand dusted away to unveil his brown fingers beneath. Luca's brawny physique clearly held the upper hand. Yet, more sand cascaded down his arm, wrapping about his fingertips, fortifying the glove-like structure. With renewed determination, he delivered another forceful blow.
Then another!
Luca's metal black baseball-bat bent a little with each collision with the stone fist. Yet, as Luca readied for another swing, the dents on the bat began to mend themselves. This cycle of damage and repair led to a gradual decrease of his Embernit's coloring.
At the beginning, the baseball-bat Embernit was 60% inked but after receiving tens of punches it had decreased to 40%.
Marquis's own Embernit was gradually depleting in stamina, though the precise extent remained unknown to a Level 1 Guru like him.
Beads of sweat cascaded down his face, melding with every pore of his skin.
Luca, too, was perspiring heavily, his once-white shirt now clung to his body, revealing the vest and skin beneath. He impatiently unbuttoned a few to combat the stifling heat, a response to Marquis's slowing down.
Yet, an unexpected and soothing rush of cool wind beckoned his gaze elsewhere.
In the midst of roaring sand sprinkles, Daniel displayed remarkable agility, effortlessly evading each of Remo's bat swings by a substantial margin. His t-shirt billowed like a flag caught in a desert breeze, and grains of sand swirled around him as he adeptly sidestepped the baseball bat's trajectory. A smile beamed on his face.
"We will save your brother. Yes, sir." Daniel said without a shutter.
. . .
Fang Fang was carefully observing from the sidelines, his eyeballs moved rapidly to capture every movement. He resembled a starving man feasting with both hands, though in his case, he was devouring the visual spectacle before him.
The battle fueled by radiant Embernits resembled an intricate display of fireworks. Every sound of the baseball bat's swing, every collision of Marquis's stone fist, was followed by sand splattering in the air and shining like gold dust in the desert sun.
Fang Fang was looking carefully, when Luca tore open his shirt buttons. At that moment, he saw something small manifesting in the giant's hand.
The move was smooth like a magician, Luca diverted Marquis' attention from him to Daniel. His right hand moved to his chest, held the shirt and ripped it with a jerk, pushing his hand further to the side. At first glance it seemed like a necessary move to tear his shirt with swag, but his arm extended in a straight line towards Daniel.
Fang Fang screamed, but it was too late.
"LOOK OUT!"
A light emerged from Luca's palm. He had concealed this Embernit very well.
There wasn't a single moment when his second Embernit was in either of his opponent's line of sight. By showing his baseball-bat tattoo, he had made everyone believe that he only had one.
Suddenly, a gun popped out and his fingers pulled the trigger before Fang Fang's words were complete.
BANG!
Luca's giant hand violently jerked back from the recoil.