Fire Fountain City

Looking at the piece of paper on his hand with the number 13 on it, Genji smiled a little and went to sit down on a bench.

After arriving at Fire Fountain City, Genji looked for an inn and booked a room for the next five days since that's how long the tournament he joined is going to last.

With the perfect place to level up his skills in the safest way possible, there was no way Genji was going to pass up this chance.

There were a total of 50 people who had signed up for the tournament and just this first round was the fastest way to get most of the bad fighters out.

The judges had pitted the weaker looking people against the strong looking ones and hoped the weaker people would be kicked out. Especially those who said they are nonbenders.

"…"

Genji was one of those so-called nonbenders.

'My Firebending is at such a high level that using it against these level 1's and 2's is a waste of xp for my other skills,' thought Genji as he looked at the various participants.

After he had leveled up, the amount of skill xp he got from fighting people was getting less and less. Genji wished to see whether fighting people in the ring and having them quit would help him get skill xp but not any player xp.

He was just a single point of player xp of leveling up and that will just make things worse for his skill leveling that was already getting difficult after raising them to Adept.

"Contestant 13! VERSUS Contestant 31!"

Hearing his number being called out, Genji stood up and took his spirit staff with him up to the stage. The spectators looked at the staff in shock and began to raise up a fuss, asking why they were allowing weapons in the arena.

Even the referee didn't know what to do and was approaching Genji with the intent to take the staff away. Just as the referee was about to get a hold of it, the commentator came to Genji's rescue, or so Genji wished to believe.

"Contestant 13, Genji, is a non-bender! Therefore, he has been allowed to carry a non-lethal weapon into the ring!"

Everyone looked at Genji with scorn and chuckled disdainfully after hearing the commentator tell them that Genji was a non-bender.

Genji on the other hand just rolled his eyes and smiled as he looked at the notifications in front of him.

[+23]

[+24]

[+32]

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[<Acting> (Lvl. 19)]

Looking over at the bald Firebender in front of him, Genji looked at him unimpressed. This bald firebender had a small cut scar on his chin and he looked at Genji with a serious look in his eyes.

Noticing that Genji was looking over at him, the firebender smirked and raised his arms as he got into a stance.

Genji on the other hand, continued to look at the firebender with an uninterested look on his face as he looked at the number two on top of the firebender's head.

The referee looked at both Genji and 31 before raising his hand and swinging it down.

"Begin!"

With the magical words of the referee, 31 ran straight at Genji and quickly punched out a burst of fire from his fist.

Seeing the fire head his way with a calm loon on his face, Genji dodged skillfully and purposefully let a bit of the fire hit him.

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[<Fire Resistance> (Lvl. 7)]

Smiling, but not letting it show on his face, Genji looked over at 31 and quickly struck out his staff at the man when he saw the chance.

Bang!

The staff missed and the man grinned after dodging Genji's attack, thinking that Genji was nothing but a rookie in fighting.

[+12]

Genji frowned and continued to launch attack after attack in rapid succession, the bald man dodging everything with ease.

"You can't hit me with such weak attacks! You're going to have to try better than that," said the bald man in a condescending tone.

Scowling, Genji sped up his attacking speed but still continued missing as the bald man continued running around.

[+11]

[+32]

[+53]

[+43]

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[<Acting> (Lvl. 20)]

[Skill <Acting> has gained additional effects.]

[ - Able to fake even tiredness, ailments, tears, injuries, and even blood. Acting has gained a sub-effect, Silver Tongue. Convincing has become easier and tricking even easier.]

Genji was delighted at the new effects and continued to launch attacks after attacks at the bald man without stopping, raking in as much xp as he could.

He could hit the bald man, but Genji saw the opportunity to act like he was weaker and it worked out well as he leveled up his acting skill and even gained a new effect.

"Tsk!"

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Genji stopped attacking and was already using the new effects of his acting skill by producing sweat and looking tired already.

"Hehe, you wasted all your breath already," said the firebender with a grin before attacking Genji with fire. Striking out his fist, the bald man sent out a powerful blast of fire at Genji.

Pssh!

The fire burned the ground and approached Genji who barely dodged it and managed to burn himself just a little.

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[<Fire Resistance> (Lvl. 8)]

Wincing in pain, Genji continued to move and dodge, trying to evade the fire coming out of the bald man who constantly shot at Genji with his fire.

Psshh!

Fooshhh!

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[<Fire Resistance> (Lvl. 13)]

'Hahaha! Come on! Help me out more!'

Genji began to laugh inwardly as he saw his skill level rise up quickly. Nothing was more pleasurable than having sex and seeing your level go up.

As Genji was reveling in the feeling of his Fire Resistance going up, Genji failed to notice the fire stopping.

The bald man was stumbling and wobbling as he tried to focus his eyesight on Genji. His face was filled with sweat and his complexion was already a bit pale. Raising his arm, the bald man wanted to launch one more fire attack but soon collapsed on the floor instead.

"..."

Everyone went quiet after seeing the bald man fall to the ground and even the referee was a bit shocked.

Genji on the other hand had an expression of shock and disbelief after finally noticing the fire stop and the bald man on the ground.

"Con… Contestant 31… is down due to exhaustion! By the official rules, Contestant 13 is allowed to pass on to the next round."

Finally, after the voice of the commentator, all the spectators finally reacted.

"Booo!"

"Give me a refund! This fight was shit!"

"Damn! Die #13! I bet all my money on 31!"

Genji smirked and was just about to walk off stage until the referee stopped him.

"Hold on contestan #13, you will continue onto the next round," said the referee before turning away and looking towards the other contestants.

Some contestants looked away from the referee and were wary of fighting with Genji.

After seeing his fight, the contestants knew that Genji is more skilled than he lets on. They are wary of someone who has hidden moves.

The referee pointed at a young man and said, "Conversant #5, you're up against contestant #13."

The young man smiled and walked onto the stage and looked over at Genji with sharp eyes.

Genji looked at the young man and remained calm. Just like most of the other fighters, this young man is a Firebender. And one at level three.

'He must be experienced with Firebending,' thought Genji as he looked at the young man with a calm look.

After receiving the Calm Mind Skill, Genji had really felt like he had changed a lot from before he obtained the skill.

It was such an odd contrast. It was like he could think things through better than before.

"Ready… fight!"

At the words of the referee, the battle commenced but both Genji and the young man remained in their spots and looked at each other.

One wore a confident smile and the other white a calm, but bored, look on his face.

Approaching the young man calmly, Genji held on tightly to his staff and began to calmly smile.

'I should start trying out what I've been meditating on…'

With that thought, Genji held on to his staff with both hands and attacked first.

The instant Genji made a move, the young man moved rapidly and every time he would rapidly move it was followed by a small explosion of fire at his feet.

'Propulsion? Not a bad idea…' thought Genji as he stopped attacking and just looked at the young man run around with a smile on his face.

Bang!

A blast of fire hit Genji's body and his clothes burned a little before Genji quickly patted away at the fire.

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[<Fire Resistance> (Lvl. 15)]

[<Iron Body> (Lvl. 11)]

'Oo damn,' thought Genji as he felt a tinge of pain from the Fire blast.

Despite the pain he felt, Genji continued to calmly smile and decided to trust his senses as he closed his eyes.

'If it worked for other fictional characters in their fictional worlds, why wouldn't it work here?'

Closing his eyes, Genji maintained his calm despite how his body was being attacked by fire blasts.

Just like how characters develop an extra sense or their 6th sense, or the typical technique's to sense other people; Ki Sense, Spirit Sense, or Aura Detection.

It was the most typical, but one hell of a needed technique that saves the lives of many characters at many moments.

Not just that, but it's a great skill that can be used to figure out who is tailing them.

With the hopes of learning this technique's where he even puts his body in danger, Genji decided to risk it and try to learn the skill at this moment.

Bang!

Fire hit Genji on his back for the 9th time and his skills leveled up even more.

[<Fire Resistance> (Lvl. 16)]

[<Iron Body> (Lvl. 13)]

His Fire Resistance was reaching the level of his Iron Body and his entire upper body was already red from the Fire. On the other hand, his upper body clothes was already burnt away by the fire blasts.

"Wow! Just how is he not burning alive?!"

"He's amazing!"

"This non-bender is pretty amazing!"

"Bah! Nothing but parlour tricks…"

Everyone was amazed by Genji resisting the fire blasts from the young man like they were nothing. They watched on with amazement as Genji tanked on the Fire blasts.

Genji ignored the yells and screams from the spectators and focused his all into trying to hear and sense the young man attacking him.

'There!'

Sensing the heat approaching him from in front and hearing the young man's footsteps, Genji quickly stabbed forward his staff in front of him.

The young man smirked and watched as Genji thrusted his staff forward into the fire and smirked.

'Ha! That staff will soon burn into nothing but ash,' thought the young man as his eyes turned into crescent moons as he looked on with joy.

Poof!

Suddenly, the young man felt his body shake as he looked on in shock as the Fire quickly dispersed the instant the staff stabbed through it. Watching as the staff was about to hit him with shock, the young man quickly pulled off his personal technique and jumped out of the way.

Bang!

The young man's widened as he watched the staff spin through the air and quickly figured out what had happened. His eyes widened and he looked at Genji who was still closing his eyes with shock.

"You dispersed the Fire Blast by spinning the staff?! That's crazy!"

Hearing the young man yelling in shock, Genji smirked and moved his stabbed out staff expertly.

Suddenly, as if the staff became a snake, the staff moved and stuck out towards the young man that was stand right next to it.

Pa!

"Ah!"

The staff hit the young man on the shoulder before it was pulled out by Genji who was smiling.

[Ding! Learned new skill!]

[<Heightened Senses > (Lvl. 1)]

[ - Hearing, Smell. Sight, Taste, and Touch are enhanced.]

[Ding! Learned new skill!]

[<Hyper Sense> (Lvl. 1)]

[ - Sense the presence, strength, and emotions of others in a limited range. Range will increase with level and who knows, you might gain some precognitive abilities.]

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[Ding! Skill level up!]

...

[<Adept Poleman> (Lvl. 25)]

[<Indomitable Will> (Lvl. 4)]

[System remark: Continue to grow host! Try new things and try to personally grow!]