From Trash to Lord of Thunder: The Rise of the Cursed Extra-Chapter 61: Differences

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The trial chamber, with its carved stone walls and polished slab floor, erupted into a whirlwind of activity after Grandmaster Kael’s words.

"Boys, prep the arena."

With that single command, several clan members sprang into action with an efficiency that surprised Charles.

Some kids in brown tunics, clearly earth-control experts, knelt in the room’s center.

Others, in gray tunics, manually removed ceramic tiles, stacking them neatly in a corner.

Then, the brown-tunic kids raised their hands, and the ground beneath began to tremble.

Rumbl!

With coordinated movements, they shaped a compact dirt platform, about ten meters wide, perfect for an impromptu fight.

Charles watched in silence.

’Wow,’ he thought, ’these guys don’t mess around. Are we really fighting here and now?’

The crowd, seated on stone benches, buzzed with excitement.

Some seemed thrilled for the show, while others, like Toren Vask, glared at Rian with contempt.

Lira, standing to the side, kept her face impassive, but Charles noticed her hands clenching tightly.

’Love you too,’ he thought, winking at her.

Grandmaster Torak, head of the clan’s military force, stepped forward, his stern expression leaving no doubt: he wanted to crush Rian’s confidence.

Torak pointed to a man waiting at the platform’s edge. freёwebnoѵel.com

"Rian Cole," Torak said, his voice booming through the chamber, "meet Zev Korran, a Master who, like you, earned his rank through a special ability. He’ll be your opponent."

Zev was tall, with long purple hair tied in a ponytail and matching purple eyes. He wore a black tunic with blue trim, like Charles’s, and moved with a calm that radiated confidence.

Zev stepped onto the platform with light, almost floating steps, and gave Charles a respectful bow.

"An honor to fight you, Rian," Zev said, his voice calm but firm. "Let’s make it a good match."

Charles returned the bow, forcing a smile.

"Likewise," he said. "No hard feelings, right?"

Lira was on the verge of a breakdown.

Of all the opponents Torak could’ve picked, Zev Korran was the worst possible match for Rian.

Not only had he been personally trained by Torak, but his special ability made him a master of close-quarters combat.

His martial arts were precise, fast, and devastating, and his special ability...

Lira wanted to yell at Rian to be careful, but she was too far, and any warning now would only distract him.

Charles, oblivious to Lira’s thoughts, turned to Torak.

"What’re the rules?" he asked, his carefree tone sparking murmurs of disapproval from the crowd.

"Seriously, he doesn’t know arena rules?" one complained.

"And he wants to fight weekly in the arena..." another whispered.

"Told you, he’s full of himself," a girl muttered to her friend.

Torak raised an eyebrow, clearly irked by Rian’s attitude.

"The fight ends when one surrenders or goes unconscious," he said dryly.

Charles nodded, shrugging.

"Got it," he said. Then, looking at Zev, he added, "Wanna make the first move?"

The remark triggered more murmurs from the spectators.

"Did you hear that?" a young fighter whispered. "He’s challenging a Master like it’s nothing!"

"He’s gonna regret it," another muttered, chuckling. "Zev’s gonna wreck him."

"I bet..."

Torak raised a hand, demanding silence.

"Enough! We’re not like the humans outside—observe quietly," he barked, his voice silencing everyone. "Begin the fight."

Zev didn’t hesitate. He closed in on Charles with measured steps, raising his guard in a flawless combat stance.

Charles, mimicking him, raised his own guard, bracing for an attack.

’Come on,’ he thought. ’Hit first, and I’ll hit back.’

But Zev didn’t strike.

Instead, he circled Charles, moving with a fluidity that reminded Charles of boxers from his world. The comparison made him chuckle.

"What, we dancing?" Charles said, lowering his guard for a split second.

Bam!

A punch slammed into Charles’s face, catching him off guard. The impact sent him reeling, and before he could recover, another hit landed on his cheek.

Bam!

Then another.

Bam!

And one more.

Charles tried to dodge, jerking his head to the side, but to his confusion, Zev’s next punch connected anyway.

Bam!

’What the hell?’ he thought, blinking as pain spread across his face. ’I swear I dodged that...’

Charles raised his guard again, gritting his teeth.

Zev switched tactics, landing a blow to Charles’s stomach.

Thud!

The air rushed out of Charles’s lungs, and before he could react, another hit struck the same spot.

Thud!

Zev unleashed a flurry of quick, precise strikes, and when Charles tried to throw a punch, Zev slipped back with agility, untouched.

’Shit!’ Charles thought, panting. ’This guy’s fast. Too fast.’

The crowd murmured, some chuckling, others visibly impressed by Zev’s skill.

Torak, from the platform, let out a mocking laugh.

"That’s it, Rian Cole?" he said, crossing his arms. "All that bravado for this? The outcome’s obvious."

Charles, still catching his breath, wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and forced a grin.

"Just warming up," he said, his defiant tone making the crowd’s murmurs swell.

Torak laughed again, clearly amused.

"Warming up?" he repeated, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Zev, finish him. We don’t have all day."

Zev gave a slight nod, raising his guard again. His purple eyes gleamed with an intensity that unnerved Charles.

’I don’t get it,’ Charles thought, stepping back. ’In my other fights, my body reacted on its own. I dodged without thinking. But now... why’s it not working?’

Charles tried to focus, searching for that familiar tingle in his hands, the electricity he’d felt in the tub and the dream.

But there was nothing.

Just the pain of Zev’s blows and the frustration of landing no hits.

Zev closed in again, moving with that same maddening fluidity.

Charles raised his guard, determined not to get hit again.

Lira, at the platform’s edge, clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles whitened.

’Idiot,’ she thought, staring at Charles. ’You don’t know who you’re up against, and he’s just toying with you...’

Lira wanted to scream for Charles to surrender—this fight was a trap to humiliate him.

But even if she defied Torak’s orders and shouted, she knew Rian wouldn’t listen.