Chapter 133
Chapter 133
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: Original Doping
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Staron students' all-out doping-fueled self-destruction.
Thanks to that, the Staron students had more than fulfilled their share for nearly one extra person.
But their opponents were no strangers to irregular situations like this.
Spotting that the doping's effects wouldn't last long, they desperately bought time until the Staron students collapsed.
In the end, six Staron students were sacrificed, while the Empire faction—now somewhat accustomed—only lost four.
Krash's side was down to just Haring and Krash.
Meanwhile, Pandora's side still had Arsold and one more Empire member left.
Just as they wanted, the numerical disadvantage had tilted heavily toward Krash's side.
But Pandora's eyes weren't at ease.
This was originally a plan to crush Krash.
Even if they defeated him like this, the credit would likely all go to Arsold.
On top of that, Krash was at full strength.
Pandora knew better than anyone just how devastating his bursts of power could be.
'If Arsold falls here...'
Pandora knew full well he'd get thrashed by the other Empire factions.
Arsold might not care either way.
But Pandora had his sights set on rising to the central nobility factions.
"Libra."
So Pandora turned to an Empire member with his long hair tied back.
His outfit was distinctive, wrapped in a thick white scarf around his neck.
Among the peripheral noble factions, the Leitnis family hailed from the farthest edge of the Empire.
It was a vast, near-wilderness expanse of endless plains.
Libra Leitnis was a direct descendant of the Leitnis family, who lived a nomadic life there.
And he was the one Pandora trusted most among the peripheral nobles.
True to form, after letting out a long yawn, he rubbed his eyes and replied.
"Dunno."
The guy never gave straight answers.
But his skills never lied.
He sauntered lazily onto the arena.
Seeing him, Krash called out to Haring as she prepared to step up.
"That guy's pretty strong. Be careful."
"Got it. Leave him to me."
Haring stepped into the arena with her response.
Even as she did, Libra let out another long yawn.
Unlike his perpetually drowsy appearance, Haring drew her two daggers and stared him down intently.
"Begin!"
The moment the referee student called the start, Haring vanished with Invisible.
As Haring disappeared, Libra yawned once more.
"Libra, get serious!"
Pandora shouted, and Libra half-opened his eyes, glancing lazily around.
It was perfect Invisible, erasing both presence and form completely.
There was no way Libra could spot an Invisible that even Krash's Sixth Sense couldn't track.
The moment he scratched his head...
A sensation hit his side, and his body swayed.
"Whoa."
His body lurched, and his side tore open slightly, blood splattering.
It wasn't a deep wound.
Libra had pulled back first before she could dig in deeper.
In his eyes appeared Haring, releasing Invisible and thrusting her dagger.
By the time Libra swung his sword in response, Haring had already retreated and vanished into Invisible again.
Libra's eyes narrowed.
She was trickier than expected.
"Hmm."
Stroking his chin, he made a decision.
"This is a pain."
He rolled up his sleeve.
In that instant, the iron chain coiled around his arm unraveled with a clatter.
At the same time, he began lightly spinning the chain, which had a weight attached to the end.
"Gah! Libra's using that thing. Everyone, get back!"
The referee student nearby bolted without looking back, and the other students scrambled away in panic.
And then Libra's chain began to move.
Kwang! Kang! Kagagang!
The chain extended endlessly across the arena, whipping about wildly.
It rampaged in all directions, smashing the arena floor to pieces.
The chain's frenzy was so powerful that the impacts reverberated even outside the arena.
Kang!
Naturally, even Haring under Invisible couldn't dodge every strike.
She urgently released Invisible, channeled her aura, and deflected the chain with her dagger.
The numbness shooting up her arm let her feel just how immense the chain's power was.
"Found you."
The chain that clashed with her dagger bent sharply, wrapping around her arm in an instant.
Before the startled Haring could react, Libra's arm muscles bulged.
Aura gathered in his arm as he yanked the chain hard.
Haring's body lifted into the air with a whoosh and was pulled straight toward him.
But Haring was no pushover.
Mid-pull, she twisted her body and hurled a dagger at Libra.
Spotting the dagger flying precisely at his head, Libra immediately jerked his head aside.
But what arrived at the spot wasn't the dagger—it was Haring's leg.
Thwack!
The sharp sound echoed as Libra's head snapped back.
Haring kicked off his face, snatched the dagger she'd thrown as she flew backward, and landed in place.
She then slashed at the chain with her dagger.
The poison dripping from the blade hissed as it touched the chain.
Her plan was to melt it away.
Clang!
In that moment, the chain yanked back.
Haring looked up to see Libra wiping the streaming nosebleed from his kicked face with his sleeve.
"That hurt."
With that, he pulled his arm again.
Haring had no choice in raw strength; her arm whipped forward, dragging her body along.
Haring's brows furrowed slightly.
Because Libra looked far too unscathed.
"You're just waiting for the poison to kick in, right?"
Libra snorted out his nosebleed and spoke.
"Your family sends us tons of poison materials every time. We're pretty used to it."
The Leitnis family territory wasn't just plains—it included a massive forest region.
They were the ones supplying poison ingredients to the Lagren family from there.
So Libra, exposed to poison materials from childhood, had considerable resistance.
Haring grimaced as she realized this too late.
Bad matchup.
"Let's wrap this up quick. I wanna sleep."
The words had barely left his mouth.
Libra began swinging the chain binding Haring wildly.
Haring's body was flung along with it, smashed toward the ground like a weight on the chain's end.
Kwang! Bang! Kwang!
Sounds rang out everywhere as Haring was battered across the arena floor.
The onlookers couldn't bear to watch and squeezed their eyes shut.
"Nice one, Libra!"
Pandora cheered him on enthusiastically.
With Invisible and poison sealed off, it was Libra's overwhelming victory.
Gleeful, he turned to Krash.
Now it was three against one: Libra, himself, and Arsold.
Too much for Krash alone.
As he grinned smugly, his eyes met Krash's.
Despite Haring getting pummeled, Krash's expression hadn't changed.
The moment Pandora sensed something off...
"Guhk."
Libra abruptly vomited blood and staggered.
His eyes went wide.
His vision began to shake.
'This... poison?'
Was the poison from earlier only now spreading?
Doubt filled Libra's eyes.
He was immune to most poisons.
Poisons all shared similar properties in the end, so training-grade ones never worked on him.
"Di-did you use some instant-kill poison in a spar?"
As Libra thought it was overkill, Haring staggered to her feet from the battered floor, looking a mess.
The chain was still bound to her hand.
"Didn't use anything like that."
She spat the pooled blood from her chewed mouth onto the ground and her purple eyes gleamed.
"Just something new."
Lately, Haring had been researching poisons and curses alongside Darling and Dorma.
In the process, she'd acquired a new poison through Dorma.
Just as Krash was using poison and curses to create instant-enhancement elixirs, Haring had synthesized a new poison fused with curses.
Though still immature and limited to low-level curses, it vastly expanded her poison arsenal.
'I'll get stronger too.'
In Haring's eyes, Krash would keep growing stronger.
Whatever his goal, he'd saved her twice.
To repay that, she'd follow him.
She reached into her poison pouch.
Libra was weakened by the poison-curse, but still formidable.
The chain wasn't ordinary material; even her acid-laced dagger hadn't melted it.
So she switched tactics.
From the pouch, she drew a pure azure pill.
A pill that amplified muscle strength during poison circulation.
"No... you don't."
Even with his shaking vision, Libra yanked the chain to stop her mischief.
Already drained, Haring was hoisted straight into the air.
But by then, she'd already popped the pill into her mouth.
Crunch!
As she bit down, unprecedented vitality surged through her body.
With her instantly amplified strength, she seized the chain midair with both hands.
Then, from above, she hauled on it.
Clatter!
With absurd force, Libra—who should have been anchored to the ground—was instead yanked upward along the chain.
Before he could react, his eyes bulged wide as he shot up.
Libra tried to swing his sword, but Haring's dagger was already thrusting there.
Kang!
His sword clashed with her dagger, opening his guard.
And in that gap, Haring's leg shot out again.
"Ah."
Thud!
With Libra's short gasp, her foot slammed perfectly into his chin.
His head flipped back, and he rocketed to the ground.
Kwaaaaaang!
An explosion of sound erupted, dust billowing up.
Haring landed lightly amid the settling haze.
And as the dust slowly cleared...
Libra lay sprawled in a star shape, eyes closed.
He hadn't fainted, but moving seemed impossible.
"I surrender."
"Haring Lagren wins!"
Libra surrendered, and the distant referee shouted it immediately.
Hearing that, Haring whipped around to Krash.
It was a habit from childhood—looking to her brother for praise after accomplishing something.
As their eyes met, Haring belatedly realized her slip.
As a faint embarrassment colored her face, Krash nodded.
"Good job."
His praise lifted her spirits.
"You can come down now."
Krash said, and Haring turned.
"I can still go more."
Krash frowned slightly at her stubbornness but let out a sigh.
He knew she'd say that.
"Libra, you moron."
Just then, Pandora climbed into the spot Libra had vacated, fuming.
His plans were in utter ruins, and he was in a foul mood.
Especially grating were Glenn and Haring—Empire folk siding with the other team.
"Juniors, I never thought the Empire's favorites could be this dim."
As Haring caught her breath from his words...
The shock from Libra's attacks and the pill's aftereffects were setting in.
"Ready."
She shook her head to clear her fading mind.
She could still fight.
If she could just land one dagger and inject poison, it'd make things easier for Krash.
She gripped her dagger tightly.
"Begin!"
The call came, and as Haring activated Invisible...
Her vision went white.
Through the hazy blur, Pandora slowly adjusted his glasses.
"That's why you shouldn't rely on the same old tricks."
A storm of sword dust began swirling around Pandora.