NOVEL NEXT Chapter 164: The Duel Is Over And...!
The arena was a cauldron of tension, the air thick with the metallic scent of blood and the dusty tang of churned earth under the relentless sun. The jagged iron fence enclosed the space like a predator's jaw, barbs curling inward, rattling slightly in the wind that carried distant thunder rumbles. The ground was scarred from the fight—furrows from sword swings, dark patches of blood soaking into the dirt, gravel scattered like broken teeth. The crowd of goblins pressed against the bars, their green faces twisted in horror, breaths held in collective silence broken only by the occasional gasp or whisper. The four honor guards stood stoic at the corners, their bone helms casting long shadows, axes planted firmly in the ground.
Byung dangled in the Chieftess's grip, her fingers like iron clamps around his neck, squeezing with crushing force. His vision was slowly going as he was losing the last thing that kept him connected to this realm, the world fading to a hazy gray. His legs kicked weakly, boots scraping uselessly against the dirt, gravel crunching faintly under the futile struggle. Air was a distant memory—his lungs burned like fire, chest heaving in desperate, futile spasms. Blood trickled from his mouth, warm and coppery on his tongue, from the internal damage of her earlier blows. There was no way he was going to survive this. The system's power surged in his veins, but even it couldn't save him, there was no way he could adapt to this, and even if he could, it was too late—the grip tightened, vertebrae creaking under the pressure, his neck on the verge of snapping like dry twig. Everything blurred: the crowd's faces a green smear, the sun a blinding haze. This was final, Byung had shown the goblin the limit of their powers.
Byung grinned, this was a far more exciting life than the one he had lived in his past life. Even if he were to die now, he would thank whatever made this experience possible in the first place.
Maui gripped the fence bars so hard the iron bent under her fingers, the metal groaning in protest. Panic etched her face—green eyes wide, tusks bared in a snarl of desperation.
"Byung!" Maui shouted, voice cracking, ready to vault the fence and intervene. Her heart hammered, sweat beading on her green skin despite the chill wind.
Naruz stood beside her, equally tense, but Naz placed a calming hand on Maui's shoulder, her own eyes steady, the baby cradled in her other arm cooing softly, oblivious to the drama.
"Calm down," Naz said firmly, her voice a low rumble that cut through Maui's rising hysteria.
"Look closer. See without your feelings clouding it," Naz encouraged Maui as she would see something entirely different.
Maui whirled, tears welling in her eyes, but Naz's words pierced the panic. Naz saw the battle without the emotions Maui and Naruz carried—the deep bond, the fear of loss. She analyzed it logically: the Chieftess's strikes had been measured, testing limits rather than ending them outright.
"That last blow," Naz continued, nodding toward the cage, "was her full force. Byung wasn't meant to survive it. She wasn't expecting him to survive and even now, there is a part of her that doesn't want this to end or he would have been ripped in half already," Naz informed them.
Maui blinked, the realization dawning like the sun through clouds. The Chieftess had dominated, her hits dragging the fight to savor his struggle, but now... Byung hadn't broken from her killing intent. He had adapted, evolved mid-fight, turning the tide briefly.
Murkfang and Gribnox watched silently from the fence's edge, their faces etched with disbelief. Murkfang's clothes pulled tight as he leaned forward, eyes wide at Byung's resilience—the goblin who had risen from death, stronger each time. Gribnox' facial expression was one of awe replacing worry. This confirmed one thing for everyone: Byung was the king. The legends paled beside him.
Murkfang dropped to one knee first, the floor crunching under his weight, head bowed in submission. Gribnox followed, his massive frame sinking down with a thud, showing publicly for the first time that this man was their ruler. One by one, the other goblins followed suit—the motion rippling through the crowd like a wave, knees hitting the dirt with soft thumps, heads lowering in reverence. Whispers turned to a chant:
"King... king..." The air vibrated with it, the fence rattling as hands released to kneel.
Byung was on the verge of death, but he would die as their king. His vision faded, the chants a distant hum, his body going limp in her grip.
Then the Chieftess dropped him suddenly, her fingers releasing like uncoiling springs. Byung hit the ground hard, gravel biting into his back with sharp pricks, air rushing into his lungs in a whooping gasp that burned like fire. He coughed violently, blood flecking the dirt, the wave of oxygen shooting through him like lightning, reviving his fading senses. The world snapped back—colors vivid, sounds sharp. He rolled to his side, gasping, chest heaving as life flooded back. The Chieftess grunted—a low, guttural sound that echoed in the silence—time had elapsed. The duel was over.
Byung pushed up on shaking arms, blood dripping from his mouth in stringy threads. He noticed his skin had already begun to tear—fine lines cracking along his arms and chest where the pressure had nearly ripped him apart. This monster was truly about to tear him in half, her strength beyond anything he had faced.
He looked behind him, vision clearing, and saw the crowd—everyone bowing, heads to the ground in submission, the chants growing louder: "King! King!"
He had done it, he survived but something told him the Chieftess didn't finish him off because she wished to see how strong he could get but come to think of it, no one knew what her goals were and why she accepted this duel in the first place.
It certainly couldn't be because Maui asked nicely but this was trouble for another day, Byung had survived the duel.
And by doing so, just gained a new alliance.