Round 21 – Time

Standing on his own blood, Blood Axe began quickly drawing a circular formation. Moriel recognized it as an ancient dwarf spell, a unique magical system of the old dwarves—strange and intricate.
Blood Axe started muttering nonsense, wildly gesturing with his hands and stomping hard on the stone floor. Moriel was afraid he might attract Jason.
Jason was busy dealing with the goddess’s envoy. Silver needles flew swiftly through the two divine servants, but since they were associated with gods, it wasn’t surprising they weren’t harmed by such things.
This wasn’t the real goal. Jason wanted to find Old Billy—the drunkard’s scent of alcohol could be smelled since he entered the hall. Clearly, he was looking for an opportunity to launch a sneaky attack from a despicable angle.
“You’re just prey destined to suffer at my hands.” The silver needles at Jason’s fingertips began to soften.
The divine envoy waved his massive fist at the boy dressed entirely in black—Darkness, a taboo since mythic times.
Jason skillfully dodged. Against the goddess’s strongest apostle, that was all he could do. If you can’t stop the raging flood, then make sure to strengthen the dam. Billy, you wretched ant on that dam.
Billy’s vision turned blood-red. Jason’s silver needles had indeed hurt him. The effects of illusions were limited; it was only a matter of time before they were exposed. His magic power was running low.
All his hopes now rested on Blood Axe and the others, seeking the protection of the God of Forging.
“Kill him!” Billy waved his staff, commanding the goddess’s envoy.
“I found you.” Jason’s mocking face appeared behind Billy’s aged body, the silver needles on his fingers scraping noisily.
But the stone statue’s black fist pierced both of them first.
“It’s you who’s caught.” Billy’s body lurched forward violently. Blood scattered like mist, an unstoppable force crushing it into an unbreakable mass.
Jason’s expression was filled with shock. He couldn’t believe someone like Billy would use himself as bait. He even thought Billy wasn’t worthy of such a heroic act—that drunk old fool? He was utterly stunned as the force from the penetration finally reached him.
As the massive envoy disappeared, Billy finally turned around, a mocking smile on his blood-stained face.
His smile stiffened. Jason’s pierced body didn’t bleed a drop. Silver light surrounded the wound. Where was his blood?
“Creak, surprised? The great power of Darkness.” Jason regained his scornful smile. “Then watch well.”
Jason’s body gradually healed, the silver liquid slowly filling the holes in his body. It looked like that disgusting liquid-metal man—what Forty-Seven would definitely say if he witnessed this.
Billy’s body eventually turned into a cloud of blood and dispersed.
The magic circle made of blood emitted a faint red glow. The scroll floated above the circle, moving with the spells spoken by Blood Axe. He still needed a few more spells before the circle was complete. Moriel couldn’t help but admit this dwarf had some talent.

“Tin Can, bring me the battle axe.” Blood Axe was already weak from heavy blood loss.
Si Qi Shi glanced at Moriel and, getting his approval, walked over to pick up the battle axe—it was even heavier than he had imagined.
“If I hadn’t arrived in time, I really would have wanted to see what gift the God of Forging would give you.” Jason’s pale face appeared in the darkness. Si Qi Shi was pinned to the stone floor by several especially thick silver needles, following in the footsteps of the werewolf.
“Hehe, just wait and see then.” Blood Axe tried to pick up the large battle axe that Si Qi Shi had dropped, but a silver needle immediately pierced his knee.
The blood-soaked dwarf warrior fell to the ground with no cry of pain. Jason shot another needle, this time into his left hand, connecting it to the axe handle.
With three silver needles, Blood Axe became a fat frog on an autopsy table.
Finally, shrill howls echoed through the cold temple.
“I can’t accept this… It was so close…”
“If you had used that scroll, you could have beaten him?” Si Qi Shi tried to loosen the silver needles.
“Stop talking nonsense. If there were any ‘ifs,’ I could have ripped off his skull.”
“Goodbye, disgusting dwarf.” A flash of silver light.
“Ding”—the silver needle aimed at Blood Axe changed direction off Si Qi Shi’s armor and flew straight into a nearby stone pillar, disappearing.
Si Qi Shi leaped like a frog in front of Jason and threw him away with a heavy punch. All the gears in his body screeched as he tried to shrug like Blood Axe.
“Go finish your magic circle.” Si Qi Shi stared at Jason’s face, which was gradually returning to normal.
“I’m already doing it!” Though at that moment, Blood Axe could only crawl forward dragging the axe.
“Construct, your appearance was beyond my calculations. Fortunately, you keep this place from being too dull.” Jason pretended to maintain composure. “I’m going to tear you apart.” Silver needles at his fingertips resembled sharp claws, slicing through the air with a shriek.
Si Qi Shi swung the chains at his arms; the saw-like palms at the ends pierced through Jason’s shadow and struck the wall, while Jason was already at the other end of the hall, his sharp claws hissing.
“You’re even slower than that old drunkard.” Jason sneered. With a wave of his hand, the iron armor on Si Qi Shi’s chest shattered like torn rags on a rat’s body.
The chains circled above his head. Si Qi Shi said nothing. Jason’s speed was beyond belief to him, so much so that his red-eyed gaze couldn’t track him. But it was too late to worry about that now.
The chains, spinning like propellers, gradually closed in on Jason, but Si Qi Shi suffered more wounds. Jason acted like a cat playing with its prey, moving at lightning speed through the gaps in the spinning chains to attack Si Qi Shi before returning to his original position. The chains never stopped, and Jason seemed to never move.
With his next move, Jason was confident he could chop off Si Qi Shi’s ugly iron-headed body—enough fun already.
But the shrieking magic missiles made it difficult for the confident Jason to dodge.

He almost forgot that there was another person at the scene who had been overlooked yet could never be ignored—the mage in red robes, Morriel. She had just drunk the entire bottle of concentrated magic still in the experimental stage, glaring angrily as waves of magic radiated from her body.
“Heh, trying to protect your construct and fulfill your role as a master? Morriel, you’ve only disrupted the order of death.” Five holes appeared at the hem of her red robe; Jason took action.
If it weren’t for Forty-Seven’s attack forcing Jason to turn around and break free from the obstructive chains, the holes wouldn’t have appeared just at the hem.
He looked at Morriel, not knowing why he did so—now he no longer even had the pretense of chains.
“What a touching scene—the sincere bond between master and servant. It truly enchants me.” Though he spoke thus, his expression grew increasingly fierce.
“Morriel, I actually like you quite a bit… Iron Man, it’s time to kiss your bride.” Five more silver needles appeared, one of them piercing into Forty-Seven’s head. The buzzing echo made him uncomfortable.
“Hold on for two minutes, just two minutes,” Morriel ordered Forty-Seven with firm eyes.