A chill ran down Jason's spine, his heart hammering with sheer terror. If he hadn't instinctively jerked his head back a fraction of a second ago, that longsword would have skewered his throat.
This blade could actually ignore a shield of pure energy.
Why?! This is unscientific! Was it some trick within that blue buff the suited man had cast? Regardless, these three were in a league of their own. He had planned to keep a trump card hidden from the Grandmaster, but at this rate, holding back was going to get him killed.
Fine! To hell with it! No more acting!
I'm laying my cards on the table!
Since he had two trump cards, he'd flip the first one now.
At that thought, the terrifying energy within Jason's body erupted.
BOOM!
A massive explosion of force rippled out. A circular shockwave surged from Jason as the epicenter, sweeping outward with destructive force. The two warriors standing closest to him were blasted backward instantly.
The ground shook; stone walls cracked and groaned. Spectators in the front rows were knocked unconscious by the pressure, while those in the back were nearly blown off their feet. The entire Arena was shrouded in a thick, choking cloud of dust.
The three warriors were slammed against the perimeter walls. The suited man managed to conjure a barrier to protect himself, his expression grim. "We've hit a brick wall! I didn't expect him to be hiding this much power."
The arrogant swordsman was now wide-eyed and reeling with regret. "Damn it! I was so close just now. This is going to be troublesome."
"Crush him! Crush him!" The rock monster, lacking in intellect but high on bloodlust, was only more eager to fight after seeing Jason's outburst.
As the tremors subsided and the dust cleared, Jason stood alone in the center of the ring. Pale blue energy continued to gush from his body, hissing as it impacted the air. This was Jason's ultimate combat state: Full Energy Mode.
The audience recovered from their shock, pointing at Jason with frantic excitement.
"So cool! What is that flowing off him?"
"I don't know, it looks like some kind of gas!"
"I have no idea what's happening, but they all look terrifyingly strong!"
In the palace, the Grandmaster was leaning forward, fascinated. "Hey! What's this? A special technique of your race?"
Valkyrie looked genuinely bewildered and shook her head. "No! It must be a secret move he developed on his own."
The Grandmaster was too enthralled to dig deeper. "It seems the three veterans gave him a real headache if he pulled out his final ace. This match just keeps getting better."
Back in the ring, Jason had abandoned his playful attitude. His face was a mask of cold slaughter, his eyes as sharp as daggers. He reached out and gave a slight come hither gesture with his index and middle fingers.
Bring it on.
The three Champion Warriors exchanged glances and then moved forward in a triangular formation. Despite witnessing Jason's power, the swordsman's instinct for posturing remained. "The wound on your neck was left by me. That will be the greatest honor of your life."
Jason's face was stone. "It is an honor indeed, but it's yours. There are few in the universe who can wound me. After you're dead, I'll carve that fact onto your tombstone."
"Arrogant bastard! If I hadn't been careless, you'd be a corpse!" The swordsman's body glowed with blue light as he entered a drawing-sword stance.
Jason said. "To kill me, you need all three of you working together. But to kill you... I can do it whenever I want!"
Swish!
In a flash, Jason crossed a hundred meters and appeared directly in front of the swordsman.
How is this possible... The distance vanished in a single step. The swordsman was paralyzed with shock.
Draw! Draw the sword! I have to take his head!
Time seemed to freeze. His brain screamed the command to draw, but his body wouldn't respond. It felt sluggish, heavy, and miles away. While he was fumbling, Jason moved.
A simple, unadorned straight punch hurtled toward his face.
Draw the sword! DRAW IT!
The swordsman was losing his mind with panic, but the damn blade wouldn't leave the scabbard. He could only watch as the fist grew larger and larger in his vision.
BOOM!
A world-shaking explosion. Jason's punch, fueled by fury, vaporized the swordsman instantly. The resulting shockwave tore through the arena's heavy stone barriers, leaving a ten-meter hole in the wall.
"ROAR!"
Before the crowd could even process the death, the rock monster lunged, leaping high into the air to bring both fists down.
"Your strength... I've already seen enough of it!"
Jason raised a single palm toward the stone giant. The monster was mid-air, unable to dodge.
POW!
An energy sphere shot out. Before the rock monster could land, he was hit by a basketball-sized orb of concentrated energy. He was blown backward into the sky and exploded. His massive, hardened body turned into a rain of fine gravel that hissed as it hit the sand.
Just as Jason lowered his arm, a crushing force slammed into him. The ground for dozens of meters around him groaned and shattered into a spiderweb of cracks. Jason buckled, his knees bending, nearly forced to the ground. He tried to move but found himself anchored by a hundred-ton weight pressing down on every inch of his body.
"This is... Gravity!" An intrigued look crossed his face. He had seen tech, magic, and superpowers, but a gravity-based ability was a first.
He turned his head toward the suited man standing outside the gravity well. "Buffing your allies and debuffing your enemies... is this your magic?"
The suited man looked stunned. Under a hundred tons of gravitational pressure, a normal enemy would have been turned into a meat pancake. Even a strong one would have their internal organs and blood vessels ruptured. But this man wasn't just standing—he was talking comfortably. Just how horrifying was he?
"It is magic, so what!" The man shouted. He flicked his finger, and the longsword left behind by the swordsman floated to his side. The blade was remarkable; even though its owner had been turned to dust, the sword remained. "A hundred tons of pressure couldn't kill you—I acknowledge your strength! But that had to be your limit."
Jason snorted. "You're a frog at the bottom of a well. When have I ever shown you my limit?"
"Keep talking!" The man spat. "I saw it myself—you can't move a single step, while I still have energy to spare—"
"Oh, you mean the 'can't move a step' thing? You mean this?"
Jason lifted his right foot and stepped effortlessly out of the gravity circle.
"No... impossible!" The suited man's composure shattered. His features twisted in disbelief. "You were pinned! How could you just walk out?!"
Jason stood outside the circle, cracking his neck. "Which of your eyes saw me pinned?"
"You..." The man was speechless.
The man was fuming—of all people, Jason was the least low-profile person in the room.
Jason looked up at the sky and murmured, "It's getting late. This match should end."
"Yes! It ends now!" The man's face went feral. He shoved both hands forward.
BOOM!
The hundred-ton gravity hit again. Simultaneously, the blue-glowing longsword shot forward like a bolt, aimed directly at Jason's heart. He knew Jason was fast enough to dodge a headshot, so he went for the larger target.
Jason frowned and sighed. "Using the same trick twice? You really are a one-trick pony." Compared to his fight with the Ancient One, this wasn't even in the same dimension.
"AAHHH!"
Jason roared, and the energy radiating from his body surged. He violently tore through the gravitational tether, sidestepped the lunging sword, and snatched the hilt out of the air.
SHUA!
He appeared in front of the suited man and brought the sword down with a crushing vertical strike. The man's eyes widened in shock as a thin red line appeared from his forehead down to his chest.
Squelch!
Blood sprayed. The man's body was split in two, and the blue glow on the sword and the gravity well vanished simultaneously.
The stadium fell into a dead silence. After a long pause, a roar of cheers erupted that seemed ready to crack the sky.
"My God! What did I just see?!"
"Unbelievable! It's a miracle!"
"I didn't think he could actually do it!"
"He took on ten Champions and won! Who the hell is this guy?!"
Jason, wearing a faint smile, gave a simple wave and headed for the exit.
"Sir, this way! The Grandmaster is waiting for you in the palace!" The lead warrior's attitude had done a total 180; he was practically groveling now. Jason nodded and followed him into the elevator.
Inside the palace, the Grandmaster strode toward him as soon as the doors opened. "Welcome back, my most valiant warrior!" He threw an arm around Jason's shoulder and led him to the throne to sit beside him, his excitement unrestrained. "Magnificent! I couldn't take my eyes off it! I won't be able to sleep tonight from the thrill!"
Jason remained poised. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Grandmaster."
"Enjoyed? I was electrified! I was..." He ran out of words. "Forget it! From now on, you are the Hero of Sakaar, the sole Champion of the Arena!"
The Grandmaster began his recruitment drive. "The rooms of those ten losers have been cleared. Take a look later—stay in whichever one you want, or rotate through all ten. Their gold, treasures, and women are all yours now. The spoils of the victor."
Jason smiled and thanked him. They chatted for hours, mainly about the fight and the light coming off Jason's body. Jason used a pre-prepared story to hand-wave it as a superpower. Eventually, Jason used the bleeding cut on his neck as an excuse to go rest, and the Grandmaster finally let him go.
"Congratulations."
Valkyrie was waiting outside. Jason was calm. "It was expected. No need for congratulations." He paused. "But thank you for the armor."
"It was the least I could do," She said softly.
"Go get some rest," Jason said. "From now on, whether the Grandmaster is watching or not, we are friends." Valkyrie beamed and nodded.
They parted at the elevator. Jason toured the ten rooms across three floors and settled on the suited man's room; it was the most to his taste. As he lay down to rest, the doorbell chimed.
A commander and a squad of soldiers entered, hauling dozens of large chests, followed by a group of women of various races. The room was suddenly packed.
"Sir, the Grandmaster sent the inheritance of the ten Champions. Here is the inventory list."
"No need, I trust the Grandmaster's handiwork," Jason said, gesturing for them to stack the chests in the corner. These were cosmic treasures—worth a thorough study later.
The commander pointed at the women and whispered, "These were the women of the former Champions. All beauties, and many are still untouched. You can fuck them tonight."
Jason looked over and immediately frowned. Among the timid women, there were red ones, blue ones, purple ones, some with horns, some with tails...
Jason had a sudden idea. He patted the commander on the shoulder. "It's too many for one man. How about this: I'll keep a few, and you and your men can split the rest."
The soldiers practically stood at attention, their eyes lighting up. "This... is that appropriate?" The commander asked, tempted.
"The Grandmaster gave them to me; I'm giving them to you. What's the problem? I'll tell him myself tomorrow," Jason reassured them.
"Well... if you insist, sir... heh heh." The soldiers grinned, choosing about twenty women after Jason picked out eight who looked the most human-standard.
The commander told him as he left: "Brother, you're too damn generous. If you ever need anything on Sakaar, you just come find me."
Jason had achieved his goal of making friends in the guard and shared some polite pleasantries as they left.
Later, Jason bathed, attended by the eight female slaves. Surrounded by beauties, he finally understood why ancient kings didn't want to attend morning court. As he sat in the dark later, he reflected.
Tonight was a gamble, but the payoff was good. He had the Grandmaster's trust and a foothold on Sakaar. That was step one. Step one: get settled. Step two: finish digesting the core energy of the Mind Stone.
He had no idea how many years that would take, or how long his people on Earth would wait. His heart grew restless. He closed his eyes to meditate, pushing the anxiety away.
Trust yourself, and trust them. No matter how long it takes or how far the distance, we will meet again!
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You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
pat reon.com/GreenBlue17
500 power stones.
Top 100. All time.