The Supreme Level Up System

That attack had been the best that Vangel could use. It worked well to leave the audience with their mouths hanging open. That felt refreshing. Now he could make all of his opponents take him seriously. Otherwise, they will suffer the same fate…

While Vangel was smiling confident, he saw a shadow standing amidst the curtain of dust in front of him. He couldn't believe that Aion would still be standing after such an attack, but he raised his guard just in case. He did it well because Aion suddenly charged, and he finally was using Inner Force.

Aion looked like a monster with his body covered in blood and wounds while emitting that much steam… Added to the blood, it looked like Aion was emitting a dark red evil Aura. Still, Vangel didn't let that intimidate him. Any attack that he might use will be useless against his enhanced sword.

Aion swung both axes at the same time, and Vangel blocked the strike. Still, he was pushed backward until his back hit one of the walls of the arena. That had been unexpected, what had been even more unexpected was the fact that the wall began to crack, and Vangel felt his bones cracking as well…

"While covered in blood… How can he muster so much strength?" Vangel thought.

The reason was Pain Resistance… Aion truly lost a considerable amount of health, but the class had a lot, and Pain Resistance decreased the effects of pain, thus making Aion fight like a berserker when he needed to.

Despite the situation, Vangel still managed to kick Aion's stomach and push him away. Soon after, he approached and swung his sword vertically while aiming at his stomach… However, Aion kicked his arm and then stopped the attack. He moved forward and attacked with his axes, but Vangel jumped to the side and dodged. On the spot he had been a few moments ago, he found a small crater, and he finally realized that they were fighting for their lives.

Vangel looked around and saw what his attacks caused, and then something clicked in his head. He knew that people might die in that tournament, his last few attacks could have killed Aion if he had hit, but he never thought that he himself could die.

The realization made him flinch. Suddenly, Aion also looked more fearsome. Once again, without thinking, he launched that combined attack, but he made the mistake of using it when Aion was too close… When the explosion happened, he was hit by it as well.

The attack pushed Vangel backward until his back collided against the walls behind him. Soon after, he spat a mouthful of blood. That hurt like hell, but at least he knew that Aion was finished… However, he found a shadow amidst the dust curtain raising and walking toward him.

The attack was supposed to have killed Aion, but he used his axes to block most of the damage. His armor and protective gear suffered some damage, but they helped to mitigate the power of the attack as well… Still, unless he is treated as soon as possible, Aion will fall unconscious due to the blood loss and then die.

At that point in time, Aion's body was too beaten up to keep Inner Aura active, but the skill still was there. Aion refused to let the after-effects of the skill be what would put him out of commission.

Aion found Vangel on the wall, and he looked pretty beaten too. Still, one hit would be enough for Aion to be defeated, so he couldn't mess up. Aion charged with all his might, and even though he raised his sword, Vangel jumped to the side to escape the attack. He had talent and training, but he didn't die once like Aion, so he feared that. Besides, their motivations were too far apart from each other…

Aion ended up kicking the wall and making a good part of it fall around him. Then he looked at the nervous Vangel and then kicked a block of stone toward him. He blocked the attack with his sword, but he ended up getting hit in the stomach by Chaotic Punch.

Vangel's body bet forward… Despite his fears, he sure was resilient, and he didn't let go of his Inner Force as well. Aion looked at the referee, and he didn't know what to do… Prevent the prince from getting more damage or throwing dirt at his honor by declaring his defeat.

In the end, Aion used Chaotic Punch while aiming at the solar plexus of the prince… which made his face turn blue as he lost all the air in his lungs. The powerful pain crossed his whole body, and then he fell unconscious since he was unable to control his Inner Force.

The referee finally woke up and then declared Aion the winner. The prince was unconscious on the ground, and all the healers moved to tend to his wounds. The whole arena was silent, and the atmosphere was a lot worse than before. Still, Aion knew that his wounds weren't fatal… he only had a few broken bones, after all.

"That was a good fight. After this, Vangel will probably realize that he needs more than talent to become a fighter," Lexus said when Aion returned to the waiting room.

"If he learned anything, it was only because he was too stubborn to fall," Aion said. "My intention from the very beginning was just to win. Regardless, for him to have some trump cards, I don't know if you are such an excellent teacher or if you have favorites, father."

Lexus didn't say anything, and Aion decided to go home. He could repair a bit of his armor, and he also needed to heal himself. Not in a place where people could heal him…

In the end, Aion only has enough time to clean himself and use heal before falling on his bed. Inner Force also took quite a toll on his body, and he suffered a lot of damage. Aion ended up sleeping until the morning of the next day, but at least most of his wounds had closed, and he just needed to fill his belly to feel as good as new again.