Blood Assimilation

Chapter 356: Shadows Versus Flames[I]

As Liena confronted Flame Claws, Brawler Randy had already reached Flame Legs' position. The atmosphere grew tense as two distinct battles were about to commence. Abruptly, the conflict erupted, all of them kicking off the ground to propel themselves forward, causing a booming sound to reverberate through the earth.

In the foreground, the hulking Flame Claws' arms began to glow, forming flame-like claws that exuded intense heat, enough to melt metal upon contact. He didn't take any chances with Liena, preparing his full strength to deal with her once and for all.

Despite his preparation, when the battle began, he struggled to keep up with the agile and ephemeral Liena, who danced around his attacks like a ghost.

Meanwhile, in the background, Brawler Randy, clad in his Shadow Beast Leather armor, traded blows with the calm and calculating Flame Legs, whose legs were wreathed in flickering flames. The two seemed locked in a stalemate, with neither gaining an advantage for the time being.

On Liena's side of the battlefield, Flame Claws consecutively swung his massive, flaming claws with brute force, each strike powerful enough to shatter boulders. But Liena was like an elusive phantom, effortlessly dodging his destructive attacks with fluid grace. Her expression was calm, almost bored, as she stepped lightly out of the way of each blow.

"Stand still, you wraith!" Flame Claws grunted in frustration, having repeatedly missed his target.

He lunged forward with all his might, his claws carving through the air with a fiery roar. Liena anticipated his movement, spinning gracefully on her heel as she sidestepped, her movements seeming to blend with the wind. She didn't even break a sweat executing such intricate maneuvers.

"Is that all you've got? Earlier, I was on the defense, but now that it's just us, I was looking forward to your flame claw attack. However, I'm disappointed — you can't even land a single strike with those claws of yours."

Liena mocked as she darted behind him, her speed and precision unmatched. Flame Claws roared in anger, his movements growing more erratic and wild.

Boom!

He slammed his claws into the ground with tremendous force, sending a shockwave of flames outward. Liena leaped into the air, flipping gracefully to avoid the fiery wave.

While still airborne, she smirked and commented disdainfully: "You're strong, I'll give you that."

She landed lightly on her feet, her eyes sharp and focused.

"When it comes to pure physical strength, I'm no match for you, but strength without control is nothing but recklessness in battle." She coldly stated, pointing her dagger at him.

Unconvinced, Flame Claws charged again, but Liena disappeared in a flash, reappearing behind him once more. She tapped him lightly on the shoulder with a little force, disrupting his balance and causing him to stumble forward. He managed to stabilize himself before angrily swinging in a wide arc behind him.

However, Liena skillfully dodged the crude and predictable attack by jumping backward to a safe distance.

With a disappointed expression, she said, "Is this really the best you can do? Lashing out in anger like a wild animal? I expected more from a leader of the so-called unparalleled Flame Werewolf tribe, known for their explosive combat prowess. Then again, you're pretty pathetic for a pack leader. That burning legs guy seems more suited to the role."

Meanwhile...

Brawler Randy and Flame Legs clashed with incredible speed, their movements a blur as they struck and countered multiple times within seconds. The air around them crackled with turbulent energy, the force of their blows creating small whirlwinds.

Brawler Randy dodged a kick from Flame Legs, the flames on his legs leaving scorch marks on the ground. Brawler Randy countered with a swift punch, his fist rippling with an ethereal light of vitality.

Void Rippling Punch!

Flame Legs barely managed to deflect it, but the impact still sent him skidding backward.

"Damn you...!" Flame Legs growled in frustration, gritting his teeth in an attempt to hold in the pain his body had suffered.

As the battle raged on, Flame Legs struggled to maintain his composure under Brawler Randy's relentless onslaught. He tried to regain his balance, but Brawler Randy's attacks were unyielding, not allowing him a moment's respite.

Flame Legs' fighting style resembled Liena's, as both relied heavily on speed to execute their attacks. However, when an opponent could match their speed in battle, the element of surprise in their strikes would be lost.

That was why Flame Legs struggled against the Transfigured Brawler Randy, who had assumed the Werewolf King of Wind's humanoid form, temporarily gaining access to the wind element and its inherent attributes of motion and speed.

In addition to the speed boost, Brawler Randy inherited basic martial arts skills from his original body, Randy. He could execute movement and striking techniques with precision, delivering powerful blows without wasting unnecessary energy — especially when he tapped into the internal energy accumulated in his body.

Although Brawler Randy lacked an energy vessel after being incarnated by Randy, over time he realized that his internal, or bodily, energy — generated through the digestion and conversion of food and supplements — was abundant and easily accessible with just a thought.

While Brawler Randy could access this energy at will, particularly in his transfigured state, there was a drawback. Unlike those with an energy vessel who could recover their energy through meditation, he was unable to do so.

After experimenting with meditation a few times, he painfully concluded that he had to rely solely on external sources, such as energy-infused supplements or high-energy foods to achieve the same effect. As a result, he needed to consume significantly more food than others to generate enough energy to fuel his body and execute his martial arts techniques.

In addition to having attributes superior to most natives of Acruxia at his level, Brawler Randy's ability to harness his internal energy to enhance his body and execute martial arts techniques made him stronger than most fighters — even those above his level.

Using internal energy in his transfigured state, he could perform martial arts techniques that delivered devastating force by concentrating his strength into a single point of impact.

With such potent strength and combat prowess, Brawler Randy was, in essence, an armipotent with no equals in combat. This allowed him to confidently stand toe-to-toe with battle-oriented race like the Flame Werewolves, who matched him in raw speed and strength.

Stimulated by his advantage, Brawler Randy fervently exchanged blows with Flame Legs, landing several successful punches. However, Flame Legs remained unfazed, retaliating with strikes of his own, his kicks leaving behind trails of intense heat.

Still in his Werewolf King of Wind form, Brawler Randy instinctively used the Gale Riding skill from the Werewolf King of Wind's skill set, moving with the wind itself to strike from unexpected angles. This left Flame Legs barely able to react to Brawler Randy's tricky attacks.

A series of rapid punches and kicks rained down on Flame Legs, each one finding its mark. His once calm demeanor shattered, replaced by panic and fear.

As Brawler Randy unleashed a flurry of combination attacks on the distressed Flame Legs, he found a brief moment to comment between strikes.

"You're fast, but you lack discipline in your movement techniques. That's why you're losing to me despite your experience in manipulating your flames in such an intricate manner. Let me show you what true combat skills look like with your body. Only pain would make you learn faster. If you manage to survive today's ordeal, you should be able to become a warrior unmatched in combat like me! Hah!"

Boom!

Flame Legs ignored the taunts as he attempted to maintain his distance, using his explosive speed to his advantage. However, Brawler Randy chased after him like a persistent pest. Frustrated, Flame Legs swung his fist at Brawler Randy's face, but Brawler Randy tilted his head to avoid the blow.

Brawler Randy pressed on, matching Flame Legs blow for blow. His fundamental martial movements gave him the edge in dodging attacks and countering effectively. With each exchange, he forced Flame Legs back, his strikes growing more precise and deadly.

With a powerful roundhouse kick, Brawler Randy sent Flame Legs hurtling toward a nearby boulder. After spinning briefly in the air, Flame Legs collided with it, eliciting a booming sound, followed by a sickening creaking sound echoing in the air.

Before he could recover, Brawler Randy was already on him again. A swift knee strike to the jaw left him dazed for a moment.

Flame Legs' expression shifted multiple times, veins bulging on his slightly furry face. Feeling the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, he realized the painful truth. He had been outmaneuvered in both combat skill and speed, his specialty. Rather, he had been aware of this truth after a few exchanges with his opponent, but he refused to acknowledge it until now.

"Enough of this!"

Flame Legs suddenly growled in protest to the reality unfolding before him, anger bubbling over, attempting to take over his rationality. Despite his enraged state, Flame Legs still managed to subdue his clouded mind, regaining clarity. Afterward, he fiercely looked at Brawler Randy, who was preparing to assault him with another kick.

Boom!

Suddenly, Flame Legs's body began to undergo a transformation, his form becoming more beastly. His entire aura morphed into that of a primal predator, a wave of turbulent energy radiating from his body, forcing Brawler Randy to step back a few paces.

Despite assuming his ultimate form, Flame Legs didn't rush to attack. Instead, he leaped a considerable distance backward to catch his breath, his legs igniting with intense fiery heat.