Chapter 318: Monster Who Only Looks Human

Darren POV

Darren didn’t know how he felt about this. His style might have revolved around using his opponent’s emotions to unbalance them, but he wasn’t sure if it was the best strategy at the moment.

From what he had seen from the other fights, Julius had been holding back. At least, that was the feeling that his gut told him. The younger boy never fought the same way. Using a variety of styles of techniques to win.

It almost seemed like he was playing around, which was crazy considering what was at stake was a slot in the top sixteen.

No matter what Darren said to the boy just moments ago, he didn’t really think the recent victories were just flukes. He had seen Julius fight and understood that he was someone who deserved some respect. He only said those things in order to rile him up and let his skill work a bit easier.

However, something was telling him that provoking the boy was a bad idea.

But Liam had also agreed that it would be better if Darren could oust more of the boy’s secrets. He did notice that Liam was more curious than normal. Usually, Liam didn’t care all that much about Darren’s fights, but this one he paid more attention to. Which was why Darren agreed to Liam’s unspoken request.

After all, of all the people still in the tournament, Darren was probably the most suited to elicit some type of reaction. Still, he didn’t think it would matter all that much. It wasn’t like he was expecting to lose.

Even if Julius had accomplished an already amazing result, Darren had no intention of letting the boy get any further. He would try and provoke some secrets from the boy before he ended the fight. That was the bare minimum he could do in order to satisfy his friend’s curiosity.

At least, that was what he had been planning in the beginning. Darren couldn’t help but feel that uneasy sensation grow deeper, the longer he fought the boy.

He had only felt this way in front of his stronger family members. Even then, it wasn’t anything quite like this.

The first sign he should have been worried about was how his taunting skill and aura were unable to affect the boy. Most people would have already been affected, but the boy had some type of focus skill that protected his mental state from being altered or manipulated, something that typically only mages had in their skillset. Not even his insults had any effect on him.

The second sign he missed was the first year’s ability to avoid his attacks. There was not an ounce of panic in his movements. Everything was calm and calculated. It didn’t matter what Darren did. Not when he used some of his active skills to try and catch him off guard, nor when he attempted to grab his opponent in order to immobilize him. None of it worked.

However, the real moment he should have known when he made a mistake was when the boy decided to completely open up his aura to Darren’s own aura and taunting skill. What was even more odd, was that it wasn’t by mistake either, it was totally voluntary.

What is he doing? Why all of a sudden let my skill go through? He must have a plan, he thought to himself confusedly.

The usual reddish hue surrounded the boy’s aura. This was the normal indicator that his taunting skill had worked. He had been expecting the boy to have some type of plan, but it would appear he was simply allowing Darren to use his skill on him without resistance.

His taunting caused the boy to finally stop dodging around, and with the heightened aggression his skill caused, Julius tried to meet the next blow of his axe head on.

Darren grinned at himself as he finally forced the boy to make a mistake, and with another burst of aura from his enhancement skill, he increased the strength behind the next blow, intending to end the fight then and there.

He internally apologized to Liam for not learning more about the boy’s skillset. Darren hadn’t even managed to get the boy to use the long-range attack that he had used to beat Bethany earlier. But he wasn’t going to take any chances. The opportunity to get in the top sixteenth was too enticing to risk.

So, with a brutal downward strike, he smashed his axe toward the first year.

However, instead of blowing through the boy’s defenses and activating the safeguard enchantments, it felt like he slammed into a wall of steel. A large shockwave rang out from their collision, and when the dust cleared, Darren was alarmed when he saw the boy holding the very edge of the sharp axe with a single hand covered in blue mana.

But what unnerved Darren even more was the psychotic grin on the boy’s face. This was worrying because his skill was supposed to induce rage and anger. But in this case, it seemed like he had induced excitement instead. If it wasn’t for the glowing red eyes, he might have believed his taunting skill failed.

He gulped harshly as he stared directly into a face that had a faint red glint in its eyes and a toothy smile. He was nervous because the boy grasped tightly onto the blade of the axe with just his hand.

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No matter how hard Darren tried to pull away, he wasn’t able to. It was like the axe was stuck to the boy’s hand.

Realizing that he had to do something, he slammed a front kick at Julius’s chest.

However, once again, the boy didn’t try and dodge it. Nope, he merely stood there as Darren’s foot crashed into the sternum of his chest with a loud boom. And yet, nothing happened. It was like kicking a mountain.

Darren swallowed anxiously once more as the boy continued to grin at him with that manic smile, and before he could step away, all he saw was a blur of motion. He didn’t even see the fist that buried into his chest with unfathomable powerful force.