CHAPTER 24: SUPER SONIC BARRIER FIELD BUBBLE POP

Xenon descended the floors until he reached the last level, he walked forwards into the arena, passing by different slightly raised platforms which served as individual stages for each pair of contestants until he reached the one with a 17 carved upon it. He ascended unto the stage by climbing a set of small, short stairs –each stage was raised about a metre off the ground.

Approaching from the opposite side was a boy with brown hair, black eyes and a muscle toned body. He was donning a brown singlet and trousers, a smile plastered upon his face. He climbed unto the stage and stared intensely at Xenon, surveying every inch of his body.

Xenon gazed at the dust covered stage, then at his arms and remembered something.

’Shit! My weapon. I should have brought it out of my inventory before getting here, how did I forget something so important. What am I gonna do now?’ Xenon stomped at the ground in frustration. He looked up at his opponent and saw the slight smile on his face. Xenon looked up at the fifth floor where the professors and healer sat and sighed.

He cleared his throat loudly while waving his arms slowly to get their attention, which he did and spoke.

"Um... I was wondering if I could get a sword or any weapon, Professors?" He asked, dying of shame as everyone in the amphitheatre turned their gazes to him

"Sure, we used to provide weapons before but stopped when contestants weren’t satisfied with what we provided and came with what suited them best. Why didn’t you bring one yourself?" Professor Arkham replied.

’Of course I brought mine, but I can’t bring it out of my system’s inventory now!’ Xenon shouted inwards as his head dropped down, trying to contain his embarrassment.

"I have some swords with me here, but I will only release them if your opponent agrees." Professor Franz said to Xenon and his opponent.

"I have no objections, I wouldn’t mind one myself." Xenon’s opponent replied to the Professor who nodded

Franz brought out two, polished, black, stone swords with blunted edges -to prevent fatal strikes- and threw them at Xenon and his opponent

"With the way you requested for a weapon from the professors, it’s one of two things" Xenon’s opponent said while Professor Franz inspected the stone swords he brought out. "It’s either you have a weak or non elemental ability, or you have a combat or weapon based ability. Tell me, which one is it?"

Xenon ignored him and focused on Professor Franz who inspected the stone swords.

"Either way, it’s kinda bad news for me, but that doesn’t mean it’s good news for you either." The boy continued despite being ignored. "I am Jason by the way, Jason Rogers." He stated.

Xenon turned towards him when he heard his name and held his gaze.

°Ding

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QUEST: Survive

INFO: This is the first real opponent you will face since getting to this world and he his strength surpasses yours. Survive to prove all your training wasn’t in vain.

Rewards:

Survive 7 mins. Calculating...

Survive 10 mins. Calculating...

Survive 15 mins. Calculating...

Defeat Opponent. Calculating...

Failure:

Forfeit of admission into Askesis Academy.

Lose a level’s worth of EXP.

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"And I am the one who will destroy your chance at getting into the academy." Jason bowed slightly and caught the stone sword Professor Franz tossed at him while smiling.

"We’ll see about that." Xenon finally replied, catching the second sword and loosening the scarf he tied over his head. The crowd was drawn to him once again, his white hair that shined brilliantly elicited whispers all over the amphitheatre, even Jason raised his eyebrows in amusement.

"There was that red head with her crimson flames and menacing horn, the blue haired boy who performed that stunning copy ability without breaking a sweat. I wonder what amazing performance you’ll give me... I didn’t get your name." Jason said.

"You don’t need my name." Xenon replied calmly as Professor Franz’ usual chant announced the start of the 29th round battles.

"Okay then, whatever you say". Jason charged at Xenon who did the same. Their swords hit each other, the sound resonating throughout the arena, each opponent trying to dominate the other with pure skill and proficiency, none using their ability yet.

As the battle dragged on Xenon got tired of the even sword play, he moved his sword to and fro super fast to create various after images which distracted Jason as he ran behind him and swung his stone sword straight at his neck.

Jason spun around and caught the sword in his left hand. Xenon lost his balance a bit and leaned forward as the stone sword in his arms turned into a cool colourless liquid, water, the moment it touched Jason’s hand, earning him a knee to his jaw.

Xenon hopped backwards, holding his jaw in pain and anger. Jason wiped his wet hand on his trousers and flung his stone sword backwards, which landed just at the edge of their stage.

"As you can see, I can transform matter, from one type to another. It’s a bit complicated but that’s the easiest way to describe it." Jason explained to Xenon. "You won’t have a fair chance against me with your fist only, so it’s only fair I discard my weapon when you lost yours."

"You shouldn’t have." ’Sprint!’ Xenon said through gritted teeth as he activated his ability. He crossed the distance between them in the fraction of a second and delivered a punch to Jason’s belly. Xenon recoiled immediately as he felt his punch hit something sturdy instead of flesh.

"Is that a teleportation ability or is it accelerated speed or just and overly enhanced body?" Jason was both excited and curious as he asked Xenon, not even flinching from the punch.

"Can you turn your clothes into pieces of armour to?" Xenon ignored his question, aiming to satiate his curiosity instead.

"Oh that’s just my other ability. It not nice how you ignore my questions, I’ll stop answering if you don’t." Jason was clearly upset with how Xenon continuously left his questions unanswered.

"Whatever." Xenon said as he went in again, delivering a lot of punches in one second before pulling back again.

"Woah, it’s enhanced speed isn’t it? I feel those punches even if they don’t hurt, so I know you hit me a lot!"

"Can you stop being a damned pain in my ass and do something except standing there asking silly questions." Xenon was frustrated with Jason’s attitude and just wanted to get their battle over with.

"As you wish." Jason replied and ran towards Xenon who vanished, blinking in and out around Jason in different places.

’Blink. Blink. Blink. Blink’ Xenon was using his skill repeatedly, appearing in different places randomly around Jason to confuse him. Once he was sure Jason was confused he blinked beside him, on air. Xenon spun swiftly on air delivering a precise kick to Jason’s head, the velocity he had accumulated by blinking several times powering his kick.

The kick landed on it’s mark, Jason’s face with considerable force that made a slightly loud boom and flung Jason backwards, making him land headfirst on the stage a few feet away.

’That should disorient him for a while.’ Xenon thought as he prepared for another strike. He ran forward, planning to kick Jason in the ribs.

Jason’s body whipped away from the floor in a kip-up that sent his body a metre in the air, he drew his head back mid air and delivered a headbutt to Xenon who was approaching him as he was landing.

Xenon was caught off guard by the Jason’s feat and staggered back from the headbutt, almost falling. He held his forehead and looked at Jason who was bleeding from his nose with a smirk on his face.

"Nice trick. But that’s not enough to take me down. Don’t get cocky." He said to Xenon, wiping the blood on his face away with his singlet.

"You still talk too much, but I like you better now." Xenon went in for a kick with his right leg which was blocked by Jason’s right leg.

Xenon hopped off the floor and spun very fast mid air delivering numerous kicks to the left side of Jason’s face. He stopped spinning and hit his legs against Jason’s shoulder to push himself back.

Jason reacted to his attempt to draw back immediately, catching Xenon’s left leg in his left arm and drawing it back before delivering a punch to Xenon, square in the face.

Xenon felt the punch hit and Jason’s grab on his leg loosen, but before he could think of anything else a strong force erupted from the fist on his face, doubling the pain from the punch and pushing him back violently. He fell and somersaulted backwards, rising to his feet immediately, even though he staggered from the impact.

°Ding

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-1 HP

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HP: 34/35

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The system announced to an irritated Xenon.

"How many abilities do you have?" Xenon asked in annoyance trying to get his balance.

"Just two. What about you, is that flimsy advantage in speed the only thing you have?" Jason drew in deep breaths while rubbing his left cheek.

"No, I have something more, its just not time to see it yet."

"I guess I have no choice but to force it out of you." Jason stood firmly and motioned with his right hand for Xenon to attack.

Xenon sprinted forward, becoming a blur to everyone watching. Jason was just within his reach and he brought up his right arm, aiming to hit him squarely in the chin, but he paused as the air between them trembled.

Jason’s skin shone green, the green spread out from his body, forming a round force field that pushed Xenon back.

Xenon’s eyes widened, he tried to retreat but the field was spreading quick and he was too close to Jason giving him little time to think. He moved backwards, the force field following, he could feel the force from the field, if he was hit he would be blown away no doubt.

’If I get blown away from the stage I’ll be disqualified, i can’t afford that. There’s only one option left.’ Xenon said to himself. He gritted his teeth and slid to the floor, pressing himself against the ground. The green field pressed over him, pushing him against the ground with so much force that his ribs threatened to crack.

Xenon’s whole body was in pain, he tried to scream but his voice was drowned by the sonic boom of the force field exploding. He went deaf, blind and numb for a few seconds before his vision returned and his ears rang. He tried to stand but couldn’t, he was sore all over and bleeding from his ears, nose and from his tongue which he inadvertently bit from the force from the explosion.

°Ding

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-7 HP

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HP: 27/35

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’That was so close, he almost got me! I’m so pathetic getting battered by someone who can’t even see me moving.’ Xenon said to himself, his body still screaming in pain.

"I expected you to have been blown away. You really are fast to be able to avoid getting thrown out of the stage, but still it was impossible for you to evade the impact of my Super Sonic Barrier Field Bubble Pop." Jason said the last few words with a smug look on his face.

"What the hell!?" Xenon, though still sore couldn’t help but perk up at what Jason said.

"Super Sonic Barrier Field Bubble Pop. That’s what I call that move." Jason replied with a proud grin.

"Forget about the move, even that name is enough to make my ears bleed!" Xenon retorted as he struggled to his feet.

"Either way, as long as you bleed I couldn’t be less concerned." Jason scoffed, slightly hurt by Xenon’s jest at his terrible skill at naming.

"Oh, you’ll be bleeding just as much as me in a few moments." Xenon spat blood onto the floor and locked eyes with Jason, preparing for another attack.

"Oh yeah? Let me disappoint you. You can’t hurt me as long as my spiritual energy doesn’t run out. The green field you just witnessed is a shield made purely from spiritual energy condensed around my body. I can manipulate it to be just on my skin or spread it out in a bubble, I can even make it pop, causing an explosion as you just witnessed. So you see? I’m invincible." Jason lectured proudly.

"We’ll see about that" Xenon muttered, his eyes showing fierce determination.

’Mirage it is then.’ Xenon said to the system and immediately his body moved from side to side around the arena very fast that he stared to create solid after images that one could mistake as clones.

At his level of proficiency he could only create 4 completely solid after images but right now he didn’t need them to be solid, but to obstruct Jason’s view of him, so he made 10 hazy after images around Jason, just enough to buy him time.

Jason, surrounded by flickering after images could only stand in one place preparing for an attack that could come at any moment.

’If he can create clones of himself things are bound to get bad, let hope these are just after images left because he’s moving too fast’ Jason was beginning to sweat for the first time in this match. Before he could study the after images more, he heard a crackle behind him, he turned immediately.