Chapter 68: How Are You So Strong?

Lukeas wasn't really planning on getting involved in the duel as Leonora have already informed him this its a legal duel. And interfering is a criminal offense.

But when he saw Arthur still beating Andrew despite him already winning was still too much for him. And with thinking he injected 30% of his mana into his leg and pretty much spartan kicked the scum off his befriend.

As he watched Arthur fly like a from his kick like a discarded tissue he felt a sense of ease that was so pleasant it was quite addicting.

And while he have his eyes closed as he savored this feeling dozens of guard have already surrounded him.

"Get on the ground! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!"

One of them yelled at him.. But he didn't listen and turned his head towards him and slowly opened his eyes with a sigh.

"Tell me.. What rule did i break?" Lukeas asked without an ounce of emotions.

"U-uh... Y-you interfere with a legal duel!!" The same guard replied.. Although he was feeling a tinged of fear as he could feel a faint killing intent coming from this man. And although it was only a small amount the pressure it exudes was no joke as he could feel cold sweat dripping on his back.

"No... I did not.. You can obviously see that the duel has long ended when Andrew have fallen... And that Arthur still attack him despite the match being over." Luke paused.

"So, as a good citizen i just saved my fellow from danger" he said with a faint smile then he turned to the princess. "Isn't that right? Princess?"

"y-yes.. He's right" she stutters as she did not expect him to address her. Aa for the king his eyes narrowed down. But then he relaxed as a faint interest latched into him.

"You might wanna look behind you, kid" the king mumbled.. But it was enough for Lukeas to hear it..

But unfortunately it was already too late as he felt something sharp and scorching hot slashed at his neck.

Making all the people watching him widened their eyes in surprised as they expect a bloody decapitation to unfold infront of them, some even looked away and covered their eyes.

But unexpectedly Lukeas was pushed to the side by a couple of step from the impact as if he was hit by something blunt and not by a literal sword made of flame.

Seeing this everyone have a dull look on their face as they were astonished beyond their beliefs.

And of course this doesn't mean Lukeas just stood there and act confuse.. He quickly responded by performing a beautiful roundhouse kick towards the person who attack him.

He doesn't even have to look to see who it was. As he could already tell out was Arthur base on his heartbeat, scent and his mana.

'Now that I think of it... How did he sneak up on me?' Lukeas thought as he expands his sense and got even more careful. And all of this happened while he was still in the process of kicking Arthur away.

And as for Arthur... Although he didn't expect Lukeas to tank that neck slash he quickly adjusted and even anticipated Lukeas' response. And used his fiery sword to blocked Lukeas kick.

And moments later, a loud bang rang out as Lukeas leg got in contact with the solid flame sword. He felt the heat and even felt a part of his leg melting and burning from the fire.

And while Lukeas was still in the process of pulling his leg from the clash, he already saw Arthur doing a grasping motion with his right hand.. While his left hand kept it's hold to his flame sword.

Lukeas know an attack is coming.. But he doesn't know what kind of will be. But he doesn't have to wait as a boulder came hurling towards him just a few moments later.

And to depend himself from this attack Lukeas twisted his body and perform a flexible body maneuver that would snap a normal persons spine. Resulting in him completely avoiding the boulder coming his way.

But he did not understand something.. 'Why is he smiling?' he asked himself.

And at this moment Arthur muttered something under his breath with a mocking smile. "Boom"

And thats when it hit him. 'The boulder! It's not the real attack!' he cursed as he put both of his hands forward and curled his body to protect himself.. Although he have a good defense is better to be safe right?

*BOOOM!!!*

And as expected.. A blinding light suddenly emerge within the boulder and soon a deafening explosion shook the ground as a huge explosion occurred only a dozen of meters away from the audience.

Fortunately a golden barrier like aura protected them from the blast and shockwave.

"Should we intervene, My Liege?" one of the guards near the king whispered.

The king chuckled, his eyes locked on the spectacle before him. "And miss this captivating battle? I think not. Besides, I'll ensure everyone stays alive and entertained," he added with a sly smile. "Not a bad outcome, if you ask me."

With that, the guard nodded in agreement, and they both watched in tense anticipation as Arthur continued to laugh maniacally, signaling that the battle was far from over.

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"HAHAHAHHAHA!! BET YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING DIDN'T YOU??!" I yelled towards the fiery explosion as I lose sight of the unsightly worm that have been challenging me since I got here.

A worthless NPC thinks he can be me??? A protagonist?? Just thinking about it makes me laughed! Even if he does have a good skills it's fucking useless infront of my cheat skill!!

Speaking of which let's check what we got from all this shit shall we?

System!

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[Envy of the Greedy Gambler] : Whenever you win, you copies a random blessing or skills of your opponent.. But beware.. You are betting yours as well..

Current Copies:

•Infernal Sword(Osara Hadar)

•Lightning Descent(Damien Lock)

•King of Earth(Earth spirit Hgavuyhan)

•Exploding charge(Daryll Hellesoro)

•NEW!! : Bone ver256.8.90(Lukeas Mercer)

•Healing Grace(Alfrey)

•Blood hymn(Alteah Jonhs Owm)

•NEW!! : Great with Money(Alexandrous Nielsen Darwin Rodney Ewen) [Not Active]

•NEW!! : Dragonic Eyes(Lukeas Mercer) [Not Active]

•Fire Works(Jonbei Hulan)

•Swordsmanship(Rudy Gallagher)

•Sixth Sense(Venalyn Joehiy)

•Assassination (Golhbin Ranger)

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Hehehe.. Just looking at this makes me feel bette- wait...

Lukeas have two blessing?... Actually.. Who cares? I beat him twice already! First the lightning and this baby! Hahaha Im liking this new Exploding Charge shit!

But wait a minute... I steal Blessings... Not body parts... This is the first time I got a body parts...

Anyway lets activate it.. Although he's fucking worthless he's actually got some good shit.. First the bones that saved me multiple times already now this?? Just by its name it sounds cool what does it do??

Lets find out shall we?

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In the midst of the blazing field emerging from the epicenter of the fiery explosion, Lukeas appeared as a gruesome and nightmarish figure. His clothing was in tatters, burnt and hanging from his body like charred rags. Severe burns marred his skin, painting a grotesque tableau of blistering, peeling flesh, and oozing wounds. His face was a visage of horror, with his eyebrows and hair singed away, leaving his skull exposed in some areas.

The audience gasped in shock and revulsion as they beheld the nightmarish sight before them. Lukeas's injuries were so horrendous that it seemed impossible for any person to survive such a brutal assault. His body was covered in a gruesome tapestry of burns, cuts, and bruises, with the skin torn and blackened.

Yet, despite the horrifying external damage, Lukeas displayed an eerie calmness, his expression devoid of pain or distress. He moved methodically, each step deliberate, as if he were completely unharmed. Much his entire torso was torched.

Turning towards the spectators specially the royals, who display different expression. The princess have her hands covering her mouth in shock and concern. The prince was looking at him with a serious expression that he rarely do.. And the king was observing him thoroughly.. As if the king wants to see all his cards.

Lukeas sighed inwardly.. 'good thing I suppressed my regeneration or they might have started questioning my existence'

"HAHAHAH!! YOU SMELL THAT? THE SAME SMELL YOU GOT WHEN I COOKED YOU WITH LIGHTNING!!" Arthur screamed mockingly eliciting a few laughs from the audience as they have already taken his side after seeing Lukeas not winning

Hearing this Lukeas slowly turned his burnt face to Arthur's direction and smiled.. Coupled with his burnt face this looked horrifying to everyone.

"Meh.. I've been through worse" Lukeas casually replied as he slowly walked forward.

"Have you been dissolved?" he asked.

"Have you been chopped up?"

"Crushed?.... Eaten?.... Empaled?... Decapitated?." He started asking a series of questions and taking a step with each.

His face getting more and more crazed as he drew closer.

"Have you ever seen your heart beating through the hole in your chest?" he tilts his head.

"Have you ever seen your own brain?" he smiled.. "I bet you haven't."

And at this point Arthur felt something.... Someone telling him to run away.. Is it fear?.. He doesn't know... But he do know that he took a few step back because of it.

"Hey... Wanna find out?" suddenly he felt creeping chills in his spine as he realized something.. Lukeas' face was inches away from him.

The burnt smell was overpowering his nose as Lukeas partially burned face looks directly at his being. And at this moment he didn't even think and just followed his sense and attack.

The sky darken as a blue bolt decent down to the earth. Aiming right at Lukeas but he didn't even looked at it and went and reached forward in surprising speed.

Making Lukeas produced a surprise "oh" because of it. And then he noticed something.. Arthur's eyes have changed. It resembles an eye of a dragon.. Just like Lukeas original eyes.

But this... It's different.. It's color was red rather than golden.

"Hohoho!! You've got this shit all this time?? Now I know why you got a B!" Arthur laughed.. His fears disappearing and replaced with blinded pride as he fought back.

And seeing that Lukeas didn't even look at the incoming lightning he just made sure that he wouldn't change his mind now and controlled the earth beneath his opponent to grab on Lukeas leg and keep him still.

And with a thunderous explosion the field was bathe in a blue light as the lightning decents directly to Lukeas in an instant.

Seeing this Arthur started smiling widely.. But it eas quickly broken as he noticed Lukeas wasn't even reacting to it.

"That shit doesn't work." Lukeas said before easily breaking off yhe restraint.

And then he circulates his manablood through his legs and made a jump and in the air he assumed a drop kick position as he hurls himself towards Arthur but Arthur smiled and instead jump in the air.

To others it seems like he went and caught Lukeas attacks but actually the "Lukeas" in air banished and the real one could be seen performing a sweeping kick on the ground.

'he saw through it?' Lukeas was surprised. But then he remember the change in Arthur's eye.. 'Maybe it's because of those..'

And the moment his attention shifted to Arthur's eye he couldn't help but have a feeling of familiarity with it.

'It's like an exact replica of my eyes' he thought as he too activated his own dragonic eyes.

He could see the mana flow through Arthur's eye and interact with the nerves in his sclera. The exact way his eyes function.

And while this Lukeas was observing Arthur's new abilities he did not even stopped attacking the scum in front of him.

Giving Arthur a bit of hard time to counter attack.

'This eyes are good.. And with the combinations of the Sixth Sense it's even better! It's like I could see 2 seconds ahead!'

And although it look like Arthur was struggling he was in fact having the best day of his life.

'Lets finish this!' he laughed inwardly and punch Lukeas after finding a small gap to his continues attacks.

At that moment Lukeas perform a side step and leaned to the left and avoided Arthur's punch before twisting his hips and winding up his left arm to do a Liver Shot.

Which of course Arthur see through. And with a mocking smile Arthur jumped and gave Lukeas a direct Flying Knee to his face.

Which in turn made him go flying.

But before Arthur could rejoice it he found the flying "Lukeas" banished mid air. And not even a second later he felt someone grabbing the back of his head.

"Wha-!

And before he could even wonder what happened his face was firmly slammed into the ground. It happened so fast most of the audience didn't even saw it. He was too focused on "Lukeas" he let his guard down.

It all started with Lukeas tanking the knee in the face and jumping ever so slightly backward and used his signature skill [Obscuring Form] to make Arthur think he actually got blown away by that attack.

But I'm reality he just leaned back and quickly weave around using his complex footwork and sneaked behind the scum in a quick and silent manner before reaching out and grabbing Arthur's head while the latter was still celebrating his assumed victory.

"Surprise Motherfucker!" and with a quick sweep of his leg he tripped Arthur and at the same time pushed his head down to the ground and used all his strength to slammed it on the floor.

Again... And again... And again.

"How does it feels huh? Getting your face planted over and over again like the earth's dildo?" Lukeas mocked. But then he paused and freeze.

He felt something bad is about to happen.

And meanwhile Arthur smiled his bloodied teeth showing his crazed expression.

"For your information... My explosion don't harm me~"

And before Lukeas could register this.. A blinding light engulf his vision and all his being.

"LUKEAS!!" Andrew who have regained his consciousness screamed and tried jumping unti the fray.. But Lady Leonora held him back.

*BOOOOM!!! *

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The field was engulf in smoke and debris once again. Giving a tense atmospheres to those who wants to see who emerge victorious. All of them already have their own conclusions base on the situation.. But still.. They want to see what happened on their own two eyes.

And so they waited in bated breath.

In the midst of the chaotic aftermath, the king turned to his loyal guard, concern etched upon his regal countenance. He expressed, "Perhaps the fight did go too far... Go and check on the two combatants. Send the injured to the hospital. As for Arthur, it appears he has won twi-"

Before the king could finish his sentence, his voice was forcibly silenced as an astonishing sight befell him. A hearty and booming voice echoed through the air, as he hearty laughed. "HOHOH!! THE BRAT IS STILL ALIVE?"

In the battlefield, a grim tableau unfolded. Lukeas had his vice-like grip wrapped around Arthur's throat, and Arthur, once a formidable adversary, had succumbed to unconsciousness and is close to succumbing to death as well.

Witnessing this dire scenario, the king acted with lightning speed, appearing beside them in an instant, a mere blur of motion. He traversed a distance of 50 meters in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace or afterimage behind.

With a firm yet measured touch, the king reached out and tapped Lukeas's shoulder, expressing his wisdom. "I don't believe ending his life would be a wise choice, young one," he advised, but received no response.

Stepping aside, the king noticed that Lukeas had also fallen into unconsciousness, a testament to the immense toll of the battle.

With a sly grin, the king turned toward the jubilant audience, proclaiming, "LUKEAS IS VICTORIOUS!" The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, and shortly thereafter, the princess took the lead, delivering a stirring speech that guided the audience back into the grand hall, leaving the garden behind along with the battle's participants and the king's guard.

And by this point the king have already separated the two and laid them on the ground

Now, in solitude, the king focused his attention on Lukeas. His eyes shimmered with a haunting purple hue as he conducted a thorough examination of Lukeas's entire being. And at the same time signaling to his head guard to bring in a medic.

If Lukeas's condition after the first explosion was horrific, it had now escalated to an even more nightmarish state. The injuries inflicted upon him were a gruesome testament to the devastating effects of facing two explosive assaults. His body bore the marks of a relentless barrage, with burns that seared deeper, flesh that hung in tatters, and wounds that oozed with an unsettling mix of blood and viscera. Every inch of him appeared to be a canvas painted in pain, a living embodiment of the horrors of battle.

It was so severe the king started wondering how he was still alive. And that made him peer deeper into Lukeas being just to make sure he's ok. And doing so he found out that Lukeas bodily anatomy was completely different to a normal person, his bones was thousands times more denser and more solid all the while having a cellular structure similar to the molecular structure he usually see in a rubber. This revelation astounded the king, for it meant not only were Lukeas's bones as hard as steel, but they were also incredibly flexible.

Further inspection unveiled that Lukeas had sustained no fractures or injuries despite the brutal battle. Even more astonishing, Lukeas's muscle fibers possessed an inhuman density, granting him strength surpassing individuals who had trained their muscles from childhood by a factor of fifty.

With the knowledge that Lukeas was generally stable, albeit suffering from severe fourth-degree burns, the king turned his attention to Arthur. The handsome face that once held its perfection was now marred by a broken nose, blackened eyes, busted lips, and countless cuts, the result of being slammed into the ground repeatedly.

At least it was better than Lukeas hideous burn face that pretty much made him resembling Freddy Kruger but alas.. the king dont know who Freddy is..

After all that the king was about to stand up and get to work when his sense picked up a frequency of mana within Lukeas.. 'This young is a Martial? have he mastered internal mana channeling?' he thought before approaching Lukeas and then his glowing purple eyes just got even more intense as he went deeper in Lukeas and actually started searching for his mana core or even mana vertex.. but then he was surprised to find nothing. he couldn't see anything in his solar plexus, which is the most common place to solidify your mana vertex and so he kept searching but in the end he failed to find anything.

'Does this kid have no Core? how is that even possible?' not believing it was the king went searching once again. but this time he started tracing the traces of mana flow in Lukeas body.. but then he realized.

'Is it me or his mana travels the same circuits his blood travels on..?' And with an even more question he started following Lukeas veins. growing more and more tense as he started speculating..

'A mana heart? no that's impossible, introducing mana in the heart would cause a fatal cardiac arrest... the only person who managed to do it was the first king of Humanity it self.. Kratos Atreus... but this kid haven't been normal either right? his bones are different, his muscle too.. and who knows what else have evolved in his body.. is he a mutant? or is he just blessed by some god?'

As he follows the veins getting closer and closer to the heart his mind was starting to be filled with plans.. plans IF this is actually a mana heart.. or what's known more for being called Dragon's Heart actually existed inside this kid.. should he rip it out and hide it? keep him alive and study him? maybe he'll unlock the secret on cultivating one.. or mayb-

"Father.. why are you still here? your presence is needed at the opening of the Royal Ball" suddenly a soft voice interrupted his thought. making him snap back to his senses as he turn his head to his veiled daughter Cassadin.

He looked behind her and saw two Healers walking towards the injured. Then he hesitated. '....it should be fine.. they have to REALLY look into his body using high level mana sense just to find the traces of mana in his blood... and base on his condition he probably will be spending a few days unconscious... with that.. ill probably be able to visit him after my speech.'

And with that the king stand up and straighten his clothes before walking with his daughter back into the ballroom. Leaving the two physician to patched the two people up. One of them went for Lukeas in a hurry after seeing his condition while the other took his time and used a spell on Arthur, making the unconscious man start floating and then said Healer took him to a better place to treat him.. I mean.. they cant just keep an SSS grade Academy Magician laying on the ground can they?

And as for the healer that took care of Lukeas he quickly covered the latter's body in his mana before casting a healing magic. enveloping Lukeas in a green glow but then the healer released a surprised yelp as he witness Lukeas healing back to perfection in under a second finally releasing his regenerative power.

which he then quickly sat up to and directly spoke to the medic.

"Oh.. I have a blessing where whenever I receive a healing spell its effectiveness will be multiplied! Anyway thanks for healing me!" And with that Lukeas left in a rush leaving the Healer in confusion and shock.

"b-but your clothes shouldn't have healed together with you" the Healer mumbled.

That's right Lukeas recreated his suit with his own flesh as this have become something of a habit to him after being inside the demon slayer world for quite a while, as his clothes there keep getting damaged in that place.. and to get rid of this annoyance Lukeas started shifting his flesh using his [Blood Demon Art: Biokinesis] to create his very own "skin clothing" that has the same durability and regenerative power as him. Although he did wear a true suit earlier, after the battle it have been burnt to ashes but Lukeas have already made a copies of that clothes in his mind giving him easy time in recreating it.

But again.. he did not realized the flaw of his excuses as he was too preoccupied with what he experience just earlier..

'The king still found out the trace of Mana in my blood stream...After all the shit I've done to conceal it up he still found it! what kind of mana sense was he using anyway??!' He cursed.

I mean who wouldn't? He have pretended to be unconscious just to avoid getting question and he have been suppressing his regeneration. he even used his biokinesis just to hide and mask his heart beat and make it sound the same as someone who really have passed out. And for his mana blood he actually used all his cell to cover up every single mana particle he have in his body in hopes of hiding it from any detection he even went as far as controlling all his mana to spread out just to thin its presence in his body..

But even after all that it doesn't take a genius to realized the king found something as he tried searching for something.. Lukeas even felt the increased attention the king gave his vein. 'Fuck! what should I do? Leaving would only make him suspicious of me.. but staying here means I have to be careful with how I use my mana around him... And I certainly cant get in physical contact against him!'

As Lukeas walked in tense and quick manner he couldn't help but pause and sigh deeply.

'I'm regretting joining this shit' he thought as he turn his face besides him which coincidentally is a window which shows his yellowish eyes that hides away its true form.

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Meanwhile on a different room Arthur finally woke up his face was fully healed that not even a scar remains, while a healer could be seen drinking a bottle of high quality mana recovery potion just nearby the bed Arthur was laying onto.

But when the Healer and him got in contact the Healer spat his potion in shock.

"T-those e-eyes!! Th-the prophecy!!"

Hearing this, Arthur felt something wonderful is about to happen. And so he smiled.

"Yeah, they're mine.. What of it?"

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