Chapter 40: Alex Vs Joseph
Alex and Joseph stretched their bodies in preparation for the impending battle.
They were only eight meters apart, each in his world of thoughts, strategies, and tactics to defeat the other.
The surrounding spectators were eager to see what would happen next.
Although Alex looked much weaker than Joseph, Joseph himself had an aura of confidence that he could win.
With everyone focused on the movements and warm-ups of the two opponents, Nova proceeded to check their status.
"Status."
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User: Nova Leiden.
Level: 6 [52% experience].
Race: Human
Class: None
Items: Iron Sword, White Moon Earrings.
Abilities/Powers: [Copy] [Fireball] [Earth Wall] [Silence] [Mirror].
Stats:
Strength: 13
Speed: 12
Stamina: 13
Intelligence: 5-19 + 10
Mana: 30 + 30
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Looking at his condition, Nova couldn't help but smile proudly again.
I have made tremendous progress in just one day,' Nova thought as she once again observed her condition, her mood getting better and better with every glance.
But his gaze drifted to the specific block he had been waiting to open with excitement, but the other eyes wouldn't let him.
But now that most of the attention was focused on Alex and Joseph, Nova was able to click where he had been waiting for so long.
[Unique Ability ¿? Mirror: The user can create an exact copy of anyone the user touches or looks at, with the exception that they must be weaker than the user.
If the person the user is trying to copy is stronger than the user, the same skill will do more than the user and the mirror will be at the same level in both skills and stats. The skill costs 10 mana per minute and can evolve].
Reading the declaration a few more times, Nova couldn't help but feel a mixture of emotions. Happiness, pride, excitement, and... fear.
It was all too good to be true, he should see some trick he hadn't deciphered, something darker he couldn't see or understand, but he knew it was there.
But no matter how much he looked around or thought, everything was still the same, following its cycle and nature.
'Relax, now is not the time to get paranoid," Nova thought, trying to calm himself as his suspicions grew.
After regaining his composure and thinking a bit, he realized that he either had the blessing of the gods or a demonic curse.
He did not know if the gods were giving him things out of mercy and compassion.
He also couldn't tell if demons were cursing him because of some karma from his past lives or something else he didn't know, he couldn't guess if it was good luck or bad luck.
On the one hand, he would have a super powerful ability, but on the other hand, there is a very high risk that they are very close to him right now, watching him and controlling his every move.
'Best to leave it here,' he said to himself, pulling the system screen away from his face. 'Time to concentrate on the fight'.
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"This is going to be an intense fight, let's put on a good show," Alex encouraged, focusing his gaze directly on Joseph.
They had finished warming up and were now standing straight, their figures filled with the confidence of victory, seeming to add more pressure and excitement to the battle ahead.
At Alex's comment, Joseph was silent, not saying a word, his serious expression like the sharpest knife.
Alex chuckled at the reaction of the man in front of him.
The two masked men, sitting side by side, listened to the conversation without any emotion; the two seemed to be completely the same people now.
Looking at Alex and Joseph, they confirmed that all was well before declaring. "Let the duel begin!"
The two masked men shouted in unison as the two gladiators took up their fighting stances.
Alex was in a somewhat peculiar position, not a muscle was tense, on the contrary, he was completely relaxed and even his muscles seemed flaccid.
He dropped his arms down, his back slightly hunched, and his feet were on the same level, not one more forward than the other.
This posture earned him a raised eyebrow and frown, curious about this peculiar position.
Contrary to Alex's peculiar posture, Joseph's was a simpler, boxing-like stance, with his two hands clenched into fists, jumping slightly from side to side.
All his muscles were tense and well-prepared for whatever attack was to come.
The stark contrast made everyone more and more interested in the fight, which would soon unfold with the first move of an unexpected Alex taking the lead.
Alex accumulated Mana in his lower body, a bright blue aura surrounded him for a while until it turned a light brown.
He didn't wait long before running towards Joseph with such speed that any normal human would have only seen the blurry figure.
Alex, upon arriving a few meters away from Joseph, increased his speed by a thousandth of a second, just enough to reach Joseph and deliver a powerful right kick that made the wind itself move out of the way.
The powerful kick went towards Joseph's head with bestiality and speed that left more than one impressed.
*Shock*.
But against all odds, Joseph blocked the attack with his left arm, leaving a powerful shockwave that moved the hair of the spectators who watched the beginning of the battle with shining eyes.
Alex smiled as Joseph stared at him, Alex still suspended in midair, Joseph blocking his dangerous attack.
And so began the first great duel of the final challenge.
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