Chapter 73: A Calculated Win
Kyle had won without much effort, just as he had planned. He crossed his hands behind his back and gracefully walked out of the arena.
\'One down, two to go.\'
Kyle made his way back to his corner of the coliseum, observing the others that were still fighting.
The time between battles was short—his own beginning in 30 minutes.
It was just long enough for the contestants to recover slightly, but not long enough to fully regain their stamina or mana.
Like Dan said, this was was part of the challenge—a test of endurance.
He didn\'t allow himself to get complacent. The next opponent, Lila Vance, was another Beast Tamer, but with a water element.
He had seen her fight before, and she was by far stronger than many of the competition.
The board flashed his name again. It was time.
Lila was already waiting for him on the platform, her water serpent coiled around her feet.
"Begin!"
The moment the signal was given for the fight to commence, Lila wasted no time.
"Attack!"
She commanded, and the serpent shot forward, unleashing high-pressure streams of water.
The jets tore through the air with frightening speed, cutting towards Kyle in rapid succession.
Kyle\'s reaction was almost instant. Lightning crackled all over his body as he casted Lightning Dash.
His propelled forward from the lightning and he ran out of the spell\'s range just before it hit him, letting it crash into the ground where he had been standing.
"Water Blast!"
Lila called out, summoning another jet of Lightning to the spot where he was.
"Lightning Bolt!"
Kyle reacted instinctively, firing a bolt of pure lightning that met in the air, filling it with lightning arcs.
He didn\'t just stop there though, this was his moment to end the fight quickly and he directed his eyes to his first target.
\'You\'ll be going down.\'
Kyle activated a wind rune that boosted his movement speed, not as much as his Lightning Dash though.
\'This would be risky.\'
He dashed off to the serpent, straight at it and in a grabbing motion, he pulled it with him propelling it towards the small pool of water it have formed.
"Arrgh!"
Kyle screamed when the Snake\'s fangs bit into his arm... It was expected, he had asked for it by attempting to hurdle a snake.
[HP: 65/74]
He managed to reach the water pool, activating Lightning Dash to propell his way backwards.
"Water Blast!"
Lila called out to the spot Kyle was , helping out Kyle even more by adding more water on her companion.
Kyle activated an amplifying Rune and casted the spell of the occasion.
"Lightning Bolt!"
The bolt of lightning left wildly in blinding speed, hitting the snake directly.
It didn\'t just stop there though, as it was conducted easily by the water pool, spreading violently against the Serpent.
The snake hissed in pain as it was assaulted by an almost unending arc of lightning.
"I forfeit!"
Lila\'s voice echoed within the Arena as she screamed in fear. She was scared of what would happen to her companion if the match was to continue.
Luckily for her, the referee waved its hand around the serpent, prompting its anguish to be over. The lightning was gone.
Kyle smirked at his brilliant win, directing his gaze to the two companions that currently cuddled each other.
"Match over! Kyle wins by forfeit!"
Kyle smirked as he heard the announcement. The match had gone exactly as he planned, a brilliant victory without much effort.
He turned away from Lila and her serpent, who now coiled in defeat. There was no need to celebrate. He had one more fight left for the day.
As Kyle walked off the platform, he felt a sharp sting in his arm where the serpent had bitten him.
The wound wasn\'t deep, but it throbbed painfully. He flexed his fingers to shake off the discomfort, but he knew better than to ignore it.
He had more fights ahead, and any injury, no matter how small, could affect his performance.
Making his way toward the infirmary, Kyle passed by other fighters, some limping, others had bruises.
The coliseum\'s healing area was bustling with injured students from the day\'s battles, each waiting for their turn with the healers.
He entered the room, the air cooler and quieter than the chaotic arena outside.
The soft glow of Light magic filled the space as the staff worked diligently to tend to the injured fighters.
A few beds lined the walls, occupied by students resting after grueling matches.
A healer approached Kyle, a young woman with short blonde hair and a gentle smile. "Let me take care of that for you," she said, gesturing to his arm.
Kyle nodded, sitting on one of the empty beds. He watched as she placed her hands over his wound, her fingers glowing with a soft, golden light.
The warmth spread through his arm, soothing the pain instantly. It wasn\'t just the wound that was healed; the fatigue in his muscles seemed to lessen slightly as well, though it didn\'t replenish his stamina.
The staff wasn\'t permitted to restore energy—it was up to the contestants to manage that themselves.
The process was quick, efficient. In just a few moments, the bite mark was completely gone, leaving behind only smooth skin. Kyle flexed his arm, satisfied with the result.
[HP: 74/74]
"You\'re good to go," the healer said, giving him a nod. "Just take it easy."
Kyle offered a brief thanks before leaving the infirmary. He still had plenty of energy left, more than enough for the final match of the day.
As he walked back toward the arena, his mind was already racing through strategies for his next opponent.
Lila had been tough, but the serpent\'s water element had given him the advantage. He\'d need to approach this next fight with the same level of caution and precision.
The board flashed his name once again. It was time.
His opponent this time was Roland, a fellow Rune Maker with the air element. Kyle had seen him fight before—Roland was fast, using wind runes to enhance his movement and strikes.
Unlike most Rune Makers who relied heavily on magic, Roland incorporated physical combat into his style, making him a versatile and unpredictable fighter.
Kyle stepped onto the platform, his eyes meeting Roland\'s across the arena. The air around Roland shimmered as wind swirled at his feet, already boosting his speed. This would be a challenge.
"Begin!"
"Wind dash!"
The moment the match started, Roland summoned a spell, dashing forward, his body blurred as he moved with unnatural speed.
Kyle immediately activated Lightning Dash, his own body crackling with electricity as he dodged Roland\'s opening strike.
The two of them exchanged blows in rapid succession, neither gaining the upper hand.
Roland was fast—faster than Lila\'s serpent. His air-enhanced strikes came at Kyle from every angle, forcing him to stay on the defensive.
Kyle blocked and parried, his movements precise and calculated. He couldn\'t afford to waste mana too early in the fight.