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As soon as the multiple tabs disappeared from his line of sight, Gary came crashing down with that same breakneck speed.
The crowd, oblivious to the situation, continued cheering loudly.
Gary flew toward Jesse at high speed, his fists glowing with energy and his eyes wild with rage. Jesse barely had time to react, sidestepping the attack and feeling the wind whip past him as Gary missed by inches. The impact of Gary's punch left a crack in the stage where Jesse had been standing.
Jesse needed to act fast. He couldn't rely solely on brute strength; Gary was faster, stronger, and fueled by the dangerous ceteorin coursing through his body.
Gary charged again, moving even faster now. His movements were erratic, and his control over his flight ability seemed to be enhanced. Jesse focused, recalling the system's warning—he needed to extract the ceteorin.
But how? He didn't have an extraction ability, at least not one he knew of, and he had no idea how to hold Gary down. His mind raced as Gary came at him once more, launching a barrage of punches. Jesse weaved between them, blocking where he could, though each hit that landed felt like being struck by a hammer.
Gary's next punch was faster, glowing with an eerie red hue. Jesse ducked under the strike and immediately grabbed Gary's wrist, twisting it to throw him off balance. Using all his strength, Jesse swung Gary around, slamming him into the ground with a heavy thud.
[Pure Ceteorin Search detected: 12% spread. Transformation imminent.]
"No time," Jesse muttered, clenching his fists. "System, show me a way to extract it!"
[Analyzing combat patterns… Processing solution...]
A new notification flashed before him.
[Suggested combat strategy: Utilize pressure points. Estimated success rate: 72%.]
"Pressure points?" Jesse thought. He had to trust the system. He knew nothing about pressure points, but he recalled how Alexander defeated him in every fight. Jesse quickly released one of Gary's arms and moved his hand to the side of Gary's neck, pressing down hard on a point just above the collarbone, where Alexander had once smacked to immobilize Jesse. The system highlighted the exact spot, and Jesse applied force.
Gary let out a scream, thrashing beneath Jesse, but the pressure seemed to have an effect. Dark, red veins pulsed around Gary's neck, glowing faintly as if the ceteorin was trying to resist.
Jesse couldn't let the students catch sight of this; hence, he pinned Gary down tightly, hiding him from the eyes of the cheering spectators.
Gary's thrashing grew more intense, but Jesse maintained his grip. He pressed on another pressure point just below Gary's ribs, and finally, Gary stopped moving. With a single jerk, he broke free from Jesse's hold, immediately taking flight. However, he soon fell back down as fast as he flew up. The crowd cheered as Gary laid limply on the stage.
Jesse, however, could see Gary heaving as he panted for air.
[Your opponent has lost his will.]
[Transformation is progressing rapidly.]
[Pure ceteorin has spread to 49% of your opponent, Gary Husef's body.]
[Time until transformation: 2 minutes and 15 seconds.]
Jesse watched in horror as Gary's body convulsed violently, his limbs shaking uncontrollably as if they were being forcibly realigned. The ominous sound of cracking bones echoed through the air, adding an eerie undertone to the cheers of the crowd, who remained oblivious to the true nature of the battle unfolding before them.
"What's happening to him?" Some of the spectators murmured.
Gary's eyes rolled back for a moment, and then, with a guttural groan, he forced himself to stand. The dullness in his eyes suggested that he was slipping further away from reality, becoming a mere vessel for the dark influence. Jesse's heart raced. He knew he had to act quickly before it was too late.
As Gary regained his footing, he turned to face Jesse, his movements jerky and unnatural. "How... dare you?" His eyes dulled further with every word he spoke. "A weakling like you."
Without warning, Gary lunged forward, launching himself at Jesse with unnatural speed. Jesse, this time, could not move away in time, and hence he was swept off by Gary, crashing into a row of empty seats.
Screams erupted as the students nearby fled for their safety.
"Jesse!" came a shout from the crowd, but he had no time to pay attention. Gary was on him again, fists swinging wildly. Jesse ducked and rolled. Though Gary was fighting mindlessly, each punch was fast and powerful.
With each punch and kick, the two of them moved like a whirlwind, the audience now on their feet, eyes wide in awe and fear. The duel hall shook as Gary flew into various seats and walls, trembling from the force of their blows. Dust and debris filled the air as the once-sturdy structure began to show signs of strain. The more the ceteorin spread, the stronger he grew.
Jesse danced around Gary's attacks, striking back with well-placed hits to Gary's pressure points. Gary, who seemed to have lost in the throes of transformation, his body wracked with spasms; however, not once did he move to avoid Jesse's hits.
Each time Gary regained his footing, Jesse would unleash a series of rapid-fire strikes, combining punches, kicks, and grappling maneuvers that tore through the air with deadly precision. And each time Jesse managed to hold him down, Gary would fly into pillars, unable to hold back his strength. The duel hall, which was poorly constructed, trembled with every pillar that was destroyed.
With a sudden burst of strength, Gary launched himself into the air again, his movements erratic and unpredictable. He threw a wild punch, and Jesse dodged just in time, countering with a spinning kick that connected with Gary's side, sending him crashing into the far wall. The impact created a massive dent, sending bricks and debris raining down.
As the dust settled, Jesse was already upon Gary, holding him down with both hands.
[Time until transformation: 13 seconds]
[Use a combination of Claw: Ability Reaver skill and Consume skill to extract pure ceteorin from your opponent Gary Husef's body]
[Time until transformation: 9 seconds]
"Claw," Jesse called and stabbed his hardened fingers into Gary's body as soon as his fingers elongated.
"Consume," he murmured in a calmer tone.
Gary shrieked and let out a shrill scream in response; however, Jesse only dug his fingers further. A cool but tenacious energy flowed into Jesse's body like a rush of cold water—flowing from his fingers to every part of his body.
[Time until transformation: 3 seconds]
[...]
[Semi-processed pure ceteorin has been completely extracted from your opponent Gary Husef's body]
[You have completed a Main Quest]
Relieved by the system's tab, Jesse smiled lightly and let out a sigh. He could hear his name in the distance, but his consciousness was slowly fading away.
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