The aura surrounding the commander turned dark. I could see steam seeping out his nose like an enraged bull ready to attack the matador. The other awakeners stopped with their training and watched us with wary mixed with excitement.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. Should I call this quits? I'm going to die if he ever uses his full power on me. Just a simple punch can already break the floor, my skull will explode if his punch lands on my face.
Kyle laughed sarcastically, "You called my punches weak yet you still dodge them. Why don't you let me land just one in your face, then?"
Is he nuts? He took that seriously…? Who in the world will believe my words when the proof is right in front of us?
"Don't dawdle and attack me, Sterne."
I glowered. Attacking with my bare fist is dangerous now that he is furious. I pulled my hair tie and my hair cascaded on my shoulders, then I gathered them again, fixing them in a bun. I should really cut them soon, lest they'll go in the way of fighting.
I opened the SUP window and checked on my stats.
[ System User Profile
User: Atlas Sterne Rank: S
Health: 75% Mana: 92%
>>>>Stats
>>>Strength: 45%
>>>Stamina: 45%
>>>Speed: 78%
>>>Skill: 58%
>>>Intellect: 85%
>>>Luck: 90% ]
Mana is constant. Until the R&D hasn't discovered how to use them, I doubt something will change with the percentage. My health has been lower since I got punched, but it's not to the point that I'm feeling weak.
And my 'skill' increased by four. What made it increase though? Is it because I acquired that sword ability and was able to use it? If I use it more often and proficiently, my 'skill' will rise, but what benefits it will give me?
[ >>>>Abilities
>>>Escape Route Lvl. 1
>>>Caster's Eyes Lvl. 1
>>>Blood Manipulation Lvl. 1 ]
Right now, the only ability I can use against the commander is the Blood Manipulation, but using that will garner unwanted attention.
Kyle smirked at me and said threateningly, "If you won't attack then I will. I'm not going to show you mercy, Sterne. Be prepared."
I grinned at his face and replied disdainfully, "Go ahead, Valdez. Give it your best."
The blood dripped from my hands. I endured the burning sensation of my slitted palm and focused on manipulating the blood on the floor. Kyle didn't yet notice the red liquid and lunged at me.
His punches are quicker and more solid and his footwork was smoother and agile. I kept dodging. We're like playing a whack-a-mole where Kyle was the whacker while I'm the pest. His punches wouldn't land, not until my balance went off.
Kyle said with gritted teeth, "You can't escape forever."
He directed his punches on the floor, breaking a wide area. The impact of his punches exploded and large pieces of tiles and cement protruded up the ground. I clenched my fist in annoyance. The bastard found a way to impede my speed.
"Dammit!"
The surface was a wreck, even with my speed faster than his, a single trip would break my stance. I jumped out from his domain, but Kyle followed and punched the ground again. And shoot, my right foot landed on a pit.
"Shit."
My balance went off. I stretched my hand to support my fall but the commander's foot was quicker. He kicked my side and sent me flying. I fell on the rough surface with a resounding noise, my body crushing on the protruding pieces of the floor.
"Urgh!"
I shouted profanities. The sharp edges of those broken floor tiles grazed my skin, but what hurt the most was my broken ribs. On top of that, my head throbbed. I touched my forehead only to find that it was bleeding.
An awakener shouted, "Hey! We should stop them! He's bleeding already!"
Another replied with a worried voice, "Can we even stop the commander?"
I saw Ryder dash to me, concern dripping from his eyes, but I mouthed to him, 'Don't.' He stopped in an instant, his face riddled with shock and confusion. I simply gestured that I was okay.
However, I felt dizzy for a second. My vision blurred, so I shook my head and rubbed my eyes. But what the hell, blood only smeared in my face because of what I did. Then, I remembered why my other palm was bleeding.
The drops of blood I scattered on the ruined floor weren't drying at all. That's the first, the blood of the manipulator won't dry so easily. The second is that I found I could stop the bleeding if I obtained injuries.
My forehead stopped bleeding. I should—
BAM!
"WHAT THE HELL?! Are you that inclined to end me, you f*cker?!"
"This is training!"
Veins popped into my head in anger. Sure, I was the one who suggested this kind of training, but attacking while the opponent is down is outright a dirty play!
Kyle scowled and added, "You can't dilly-dally in battle."
Whatever, shithead. If I hadn't rolled to the side, another foot would come crashing down on me. I would have died on the spot! I groaned painfully after my ribs ached from aggressive movement. Dear organs, be safe!
Then, a notification sound rang in my ears.
A red blinking screen showed up.
[Warning! The user's Health is depleting!]
[Health: 35%]
[Warning! The user's Health is depleting!]
[Health: 34%]
I could feel my muscles weakening as I watched the number go down. Kyle walked toward me again. His face doesn't show any willingness to stop. Rather, he looked like he was enjoying beating me to a pulp.
At last, the formation I created in my mind was finished. I sat myself with difficulty, looking over where the first drops of blood were. They already joined hands, squirming from behind Kyle.
Then, before the commander took another step closer, I lifted my bloodied palm. The ends of the string of blood behind him shoot to my palm, trapping the commander inside.
Kyle looked astonished. I heard gasps from the crowd but I ignored them. I closed my fist, and the thin thread made of blood wrapped around Kyle. His arms got squeezed on his chest after I pulled the thread tighter.
Kyle muttered calmly, "Is this your ability?"
I didn't answer. The calmness in his voice somehow made me anxious. Can he break it with his strength alone? Just like what I expected, Kyle tried to break free. The muscles on his arm and shoulders grew large, straining the thread of blood.
I shot another thread from my palm and it wrapped on both of his ankles, then I pulled them with all my remaining strength. The commander staggered. He gritted his teeth as he looked at me with an irritated face. The threads were like webs of spiders encasing him.
My head bobbed down. I'm losing consciousness.
[Warning! The user's Health is depleting!]
[Health: 11%]
Will I die if it goes down to zero? Commander Kyle was struggling and trying to get out from the net-like blood formation I created, however, before I could even see if he'd free himself or not, my eyes closed and I dropped to the floor with a thud.