Refining the Heavens (炼天)

Chapter 52: Duel for Honor

Since he was small, Jones loved the heroic tales that his father told. In his mind he had always thought it would be wonderful to see those stories act out before his own eyes. It wasn't long before that he started to behave like the heroes he admires.

"If the enemies attacked, that hero will win and still look cool for sure!"

Pushing aside his exhaustion and ignoring his wounds, he appeared almost completely fine; because, the heroes he admired would have shrugged it off, in his shoes.

The Orc Knight roared ferociously causing all to shrink back and the entire room to vibrate. It had underestimated this young human child and felt ashamed. A ridiculous amount of magic enveloped its stump, and a new arm began to form, more from pulsating mana than of flesh.

With its still forming hand, the Orc Knight snatched a large rock club from a lesser Orc, and savagely slammed the new weapon into the ground. The resulting shockwave caused everyone's faces to pale and forced Jones to leap backwards.

He tried to create a gap. Against a brute like the Orc Knight, he has an advantage at a distance with his Sword Ki. However, the Orc Knight caught up with a flicker, and casted a large shadow down upon him.

Those that looked from afar saw the unfathomable power that the Orc had. Just charging towards Jones created a visible drag, and the thousand years old Icerock floor broke into pieces by its force. Then, like a cannon breaking through a wall, its shoulders smashed into him who was still trapped in mid-jump.

Reacting quickly, Jones endured the pain and even before he got blown away he lifted a hand in the air. He slowly closed his fingers into a fist one by one. As each of his fingers moved, an entire sword made of Ki seemed to unsheathe itself from the air, spinning and hurling towards the Orc Knight.

Five powerful swords of pure Ki pierced into it, cutting through its magic barrier like a hot knife through butter, stabbing it through from different directions.

Yet the Knight did not seem to know that it is already dead. Even as Jones flew backwards from the impact of the shoulder charge, it attacked with unnatural speed, and smashed the boy down into the ground with a two-handed hammer fist.

A tremendous crash shook everyone to their core. Then, finally, its last breath leaves its body, the Orc Knight had died in its final act.

Below its great and terrible fists was a broken figure on the ground.

Seeing this, the only two other Orc Knights in the room stopped observing the honour duel and rushed towards Jones. They usually stood back as leaders and only meeting a blade when they felt the enemy is worth their attention, but at this moment they felt the boy's breath stirring. And they were afraid.

They took a step forward, then suddenly, he lets out a loud cry.

"HAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Along with his blood-curdling shout, the small figure lying on the ground was suddenly surrounding with shimmering blades of Ki, and they flickered with imperceptible speed.

The next moment, the Orcs nearest to him vanished, shredded into dust. The remaining Orc Knights were blown back, barely surviving his attack, with purple blood gushing out of wounds from head to toe.

Before their terrified eyes, they saw Jones slowly returning to his feet, any damage that he suffered did not seem to hinder him.

In his yearning to be like the heroes that he admired, this is what he has become good at, to look as if he is absolutely alright even in the toughest battles.