Age of Asura [Progression, LitRPG, Apocalypse]

Flames from the kilns set the night sky ablaze, casting a long shadow of their opponent. Uruvi shot a glance at her health bar, which sat at a respectable 80 percent. “Rejuvenate,” she said, healing herself back to full health.

“He definitely got punched around a lot harder than he makes it look,” said Rambha.

‘Looks like he got more tricks up his sleeve. Arya, any helpful information?’

“Negative. To access the opponent’s details, unlock the skill - a closer look,” said Arya.

Uruvi was aware of this. But it was locked behind a full unlock of Third Eye. ‘I know..., but could I get a clue about the possible talents?’

A talent is a special attribute that a Contestant can have. It is unique to the Contestant, which is usually based on a real-life skill they possess. A person can have multiple talents. Uruvi had none.

“Negative. Access to such information is forbidden.”

‘Stupid system!’

Behram whipped his hand, sending a shimmering metal flying through the air. Rambha ducked just in time to miss the projectile that vanished into the darkness.

“Macha!” Vishwas exclaimed. He placed his hands before Rambha and said, “You really want to attack a beautiful lady?"

"Dude! Seriously?” Rambha said, fuming.

Behram let out a giggle before dashing towards them. “Rule of battle! Take out the supports first!”

Uruvi and Vishwas lunged at him, but he managed to slip through their defenses like a snake. He thrust his sword right at Rambha’s face, only to meet thin air.

Rambha had ducked beneath the attack. Her suitcase clicked open, and a long piece of cable shot out. “But this support knows how to fight!” She wrapped the cable around his neck, pulling him down to the ground as she leapt away.

“Barricade!” he shouted, putting up a shield.

Vishwas’s fist lit up as he smashed the shield, giving way for Uruvi and her axe. She slammed her feet into the ground and brought the axe down onto his neck with all her might. However, the blade seemed to hit solid stone, stopping short of slicing right through.

“What the hell?” She put her entire body weight on the axe, but it wouldn’t budge.

The cable snapped, nearly smacking into her face. It was followed by three explosives flying into the air, which forced her and Vishwas to leap back just before they went off.

Smoke and blinding light filled her vision. By the time it had cleared up, she saw that Behram was already onto Vishwas, and the two were engaged in a fist fight. She watched Vishwas get slammed in his head, and his eyes turned white.

“Uruvi! He is knocked out!” Rambha exclaimed.

His unconscious body fell to the ground as Behram lifted his sword up with a wide smile, ready to strike.

Suddenly, a golden rope shot through the air and wrapped around Behram’s wrist. It pulled him off Vishwas and sent him hurling towards the blazing kilns. His sword shrank into a dagger, which he slammed into the ground, coming to a stop just before the raging fire.

“Ashwin?” said Uruvi.

“Sorry, I am late,” said Ashwin as he walked up to Vishwas. The bandages on his chest were visible through the tear in the shirt. “Who is the new guy?”

“Ugh… We don’t know. His name is Vishwas,” said Rambha, as she felt his pulse. “He is alive and fine.”

“Take him somewhere safe. Uruvi and I will take care of him,” said Ashwin.

Rambha didn’t question any further. Two Meka Meka popped out of her suitcase, which used their short hands to lift Vishwas off the ground. She guided them deeper into the darkness, leaving Uruvi and Ashwin to face off their opponent.

“You sure about this? He is a maniac,” said Uruvi.

“It’s fine. We can handle him,” said Ashwin.

“You got some serious balls, asshole,” Behram seethed through his teeth.

“Aren’t you still level 15?” asked Uruvi.

“Found a few goons to beat up. So, made it to level 17,” said Ashwin.

“He is level 22!” Uruvi exclaimed.

“He isn’t really strong.” The comment seemed to have irked their opponent, whose face turned red with rage. “He has just got a bag of tricks.” Suddenly, Behram disappeared from their vision. Ashwin pivoted away, just as Behram flew past them. “And speed.”

“What the fuck? How did you dodge that?” asked Behram, as he turned around to face them.

“Keen eye. It is easier to dodge when you know what is coming,” Ashwin replied.

He let out a scoff before dashing towards them once again. Uruvi gripped her axe and prepared for the battle, but Ashwin appeared more relaxed. The dagger morphed into a sword as he swung it towards Uruvi. Just as she prepared to engage, a small round object appeared before her. She let out a grunt as she flicked it off her face.

“Your tricks are getting predictable!” said Uruvi.

Suddenly, the ball inflated into a massive brown box and plummeted towards the ground. She let out an audible gasp as she jumped out of its path. The box exploded on impact, sending splinters flying through the air.

“Barricade!” she said. By the time a shield came up, several pieces of wood struck her. They weren’t deadly, but they were very painful. ‘What the hell? How did he do that? Don’t tell me. He has a creation talent too?’

Ashwin charged in. He whipped his blade at Behram, his strikes aimed at the weak points. But his opponent parried them easily. The two swords clashed, sending sparks flying with each clash. Suddenly, Behram’s sword shrank, letting his sword pass right through. Ashwin leaned forward as Behram spun around. His dagger had grown into a short sword once again, which he swung back at Ashwin.

Uruvi dashed forward and parried Behram’s strike, causing him to stagger. ‘Now is my chance!’ She leapt at him, bringing her axe straight at his neck. It was then she saw. Blood oozed out of an open wound on his shoulder and solidified, creating a shield. Her blade slammed into the layer of red, which felt like hitting a solid wall.

Behram quickly rolled away, putting a good distance between them.

“Blood? He can manipulate his own blood?” said Uruvi.

“I see. That is how he was able to heal so quickly,” said Ashwin. “He must have been using the darkness of the night to hide it.”

Behram wore a deep frown on his face. “Think you have seen through all my tricks?”

“Hmm… You have equipped yourself with quite a few tricks already. Or rather, I should say talents. A creation talent that you have been using to create explosives on the fly. It looks like you can create more than just explosives. And now, you can manipulate your own blood,” Ashwin explained.

“I don’t even have one, and this guy gets two!” Uruvi growled.

“Let’s not forget your weapon. Perfectly tailored to fit your skills,” Ashwin added.

Behram began to clap. “Well done. You seemed to have figured me out. You think that will give you an advantage?”

“Half the battle is knowing your opponent, don’t you agree?” asked Ashwin.

Behram’s frown twisted into a sly grin. “Oh. You are a fun one.” His short sword transformed into a saber. “Let’s see how well you can put that to use.”