The System Awakens: Rise of the Champion - Chapter 73

Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Damian Vs Silas – 2

Damian slowly rose from the rubble, his lips still curled into a wide grin despite the blood dripping from his nose and mouth.

He looked up at Silas, who now stood in his hybrid werewolf form, surrounded by a green aura.

Silas narrowed his eyes as he took in the state Damian was in.

He had used considerable power behind that punch, yet aside from a few drops of blood trickling from his mouth, Damian looked perfectly fine.

And that smile on his face… Silas didn’t like it one bit.

“Show me just how strong the so-called Alpha Werewolf is.”

Damian’s presence began to shift as a thick, blue aura surrounded him. His strength started increasing rapidly as he activated his techniques.

[Heavenly Shadow Step: Movement Technique Activated]

[Your movement speed will increase by 30%.]

[Heavenly Tyrant’s Body: Body Strengthening Technique Activated]

[Your physical strength and defense will increase by 30%.]

Damian’s Qi reserves flowed freely, coating his body like a thick layer of armor.

His physical strength and movement speed surged as a result.

In an instant, Damian vanished from sight, leaving behind multiple mirages as he dashed forward.

He reappeared before Silas, using his momentum to deliver a punch straight to Silas’s gut.

But to Damian’s surprise, his attack had no noticeable effect.

Before he could retreat, two massive fists came crashing down toward him from above.

Reacting quickly, Damian crossed his arms into an X-shape above his head to block the attack.

The impact was like a hammer striking a tree stump, sending powerful shockwaves outward.

Gritting his teeth, Damian felt the sheer force of Silas’s attack press down on him.

“What’s wrong? Can’t handle my power?” Silas grinned wider as he saw Damian struggling to withstand his blow.

Damian didn’t respond.

Instead, he used all his strength to push against the giant fists, trying to break free.

But no matter how hard he tried, Silas’s grip was unyielding.

“Struggling to break free? Here, let me help you.”

The werewolf grinned before raising his thick, fur-covered leg and delivering a devastating kick.

The force sent Damian tumbling across the ground like a ragdoll, crashing violently into the far wall.

Mere seconds after Damian hit the wall, Silas appeared again, moving with incredible speed.

He grabbed Damian by the neck with one massive, clawed hand and effortlessly lifted him off the ground.

Then, using his free hand, he slammed another powerful punch into Damian’s gut, sending him flying across the battlefield once more.

Before Damian could even hit the ground, another figure flashed into view and delivered a swift kick, launching him in the opposite direction.

Damian slammed into another wall with a thunderous crash, leaving behind a trail of destruction before collapsing onto the ground.

“He’s really strong…”

“He’s ranked second in the Power Rankings for a reason.”

“That ‘infinity’ guy is probably going to lose this match.”

The spectators murmured among themselves, already predicting the outcome.

However, Shiru paid no attention to their chatter.

To her, the battle wasn’t over yet.

In her eyes, Damian had already accomplished more than anyone ever had in the history of the First Tower Realm’s Power Rankings.

Just witnessing his strength made her feel proud of the contract she had formed with him.

Damian was undoubtedly strong, and there was no question about it.

And despite the overwhelming odds, Shiru still believed he could win.

She didn’t know where this confidence came from, but she felt it deep in her core.

Gritting his teeth, Damian forced himself to rise from the rubble.

His body was in a devastating state: countless bones shattered, one arm twisted unnaturally, blood streaming from every orifice, and deep claw marks covering his skin.

“I thought you were strong, but it looks like you can’t even take a few more hits from me.” Silas snorted, a cocky grin stretching across his face.

“I’ll admit, you have extreme stamina and a bit of strength to back it up… but in the end, you’re nothing special, are you?” His grin widened as he watched Damian slowly raise his head, blood dripping from his mouth.

Yet, despite his injuries, that same unnerving smile remained on Damian’s face.

“Have you gone mad from being beaten so badly?” Silas tilted his head, an idea forming in his mind. “Or has the thought of losing so miserably driven you insane?”

After a brief pause, Silas chuckled.

“You know… you’re not completely worthless. You’re strong, stronger than most. So why don’t you submit to me? Become my subordinate… Become a Beta of my pack.”

If an Alpha Werewolf bites a human, they turn into a Beta Werewolf, forever bound to the Alpha who turned them.

They are unable to defy their master’s influence, making them little more than slaves.

Of course, there were undeniable advantages to being a Beta Werewolf: increased strength, stamina, reflexes, rapid healing, extreme longevity, slow aging, night vision, werewolf transformation, and attunement to a rare energy known as [Lunar Essence].

But the price?

Losing one’s freedom?

It’s not something Damian would even consider.

The entirety of his thirst for power was to obtain freedom, the ability to do anything and everything, to live and lead his life as he pleased… to take complete control of his life.

There was no way he would submit to someone else, even if they offered him power.

A Beta Werewolf is nothing more than a servant, eternally bound to the will of their Alpha.

Seeing Damian not responding, Silas felt a vein pop up on his forehead.

“I take it your silence means you’re refusing my very generous offer…?” Silas narrowed his eyes when he saw that Damian still wasn’t responding.

“You know, it’s an honor to be offered to be turned by an Alpha Werewolf of an ancient werewolf lineage, and yet you have the audacity to refuse? You’re really arrogant, aren’t you?”

Silas’s aura grew wilder, influenced by his emotions.

His appearance began to take on a more beastly form as his animalistic features became even more prominent.

His entire body became completely covered in fur, his face fully transforming into the head of a wolf with fearsome fangs.

The claws on his hands and feet grew longer and sharper, his height increased by a few more inches, and his posture became slightly hunched.

Whatever humane features he had left, they completely disappeared.

He had completed his transformation into his [Bipedal Werewolf Form.]

[You have entered the Bipedal Werewolf Form (2nd Form) of the Alpha Werewolves.]

[All your physical abilities have increased by 60%.]

It wasn’t just his aura and appearance that had become completely monstrous; even his voice had turned deep, hoarse, and beastly.

“You’re lucky the system won’t allow me to kill you here, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to fuck you up,” a monstrous voice rumbled from the werewolf’s mouth.

“I’m going to tear you to pieces,” the werewolf muttered before his figure burst forward toward his opponent, leaving behind claw marks on the ground along with a burst of energy.

As soon as the werewolf appeared in front of Damian, he raised his claws with the intent of tearing him apart.

Suddenly, Damian’s aura exploded.

His once-blue aura turned into a brownish-green hue as the surrounding pressure completely changed.

—–

[Earth Avatar: Form Transformation Activated]

[Form: Earth Avatar]

[A subskill attainable only by those who possess the constitution “Unbreakable Terra Titan Physique.”]

[Effect:

-Upon activation, you transform into an earth spirit. Your entire body becomes the embodiment of earth, making your skin as tough as rock, along with an incredible increase in pure physical capabilities. The more earth essence you possess, the longer you can retain this form.

-In this form, you can generate earth elements from any part of your body.

-Your Strength increases by 100%.

-Your Physical stamina increases by 100%.

-Your Pain tolerance increases by 80%.

-Your Resistance to lightning increases by 80%.

-Your Resistance to fire increases by 80%.

-As a side effect, your speed will by reduced a small margin.

-Your Physical weight increases by 200%.]

The werewolf’s claws finally made contact with Damian’s chest.

However, instead of blood gushing out and Damian screaming in pain, the claws barely managed to pierce his skin.

Only the tips had broken through, and even that minor wound healed within seconds.

The bipedal werewolf instinctively took a step back, not because of pain, but because his beastly instincts were screaming at him to retreat.

He could feel an overwhelming pressure growing.

“What… What is going on?”

Before he could comprehend the situation, Damian’s figure blurred in motion.

In an instant, he was standing right in front of Silas, one hand raised behind him.

“Wh—?”

Before Silas could react, something solid slammed into his gut.

His vision blurred as if he had been thrown into a blender, and before he knew it, he was sent flying backward.

This time, it was the werewolf who was slammed into the wall.

“What just happened?”

“This madman… he had even more abilities he was hiding.”

Shiru felt an unprompted smile form on her face uncontrollably. “Just how many powers has he been hiding?”

No one knew exactly what Damian was doing, but they all knew one thing: he kept finding ways to power up.

At first, he didn’t use any external enhancements; he relied solely on his own strength, instantly defeating opponents the moment the battle began.

Even then, he was already overwhelmingly powerful.

But when the fights became a little tougher, he brought out higher-grade techniques, ones no one had ever seen before in the First Tower Realm.

As if that wasn’t enough, he then proceeded to wield ultimate-grade weapons.

Yet, even then, if he found himself in a difficult situation, he would resort to magic, something already absurd on top of his extreme swordsmanship, and spearmanship.

Magic itself was rare, but Damian also possessed an extraordinary level of stamina and healing abilities.

These granted him the endurance to fight 200 consecutive battles without stopping.

And now, he seemed to be unveiling yet another kind of power, one so overwhelming that he overpowered a fully transformed werewolf with a single punch.

Damian appeared in front of the fallen werewolf, his skin now completely dark brown and his eyes glowing bright bronze.

All the wounds on his body vanished, his twisted arm snapped back into place, and his broken bones healed instantly.

“You said you were going to tear me apart… Let’s see if you can.”

Damian’s smile widened as he grabbed the werewolf by the tail and hurled him into the air.

Then, leaping after him, he raised his fist like a hammer and slammed it into the werewolf’s gut, driving him straight into the ground.

Upon impact, the earth shattered beneath him as a mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth.

Damian wasn’t finished, not even a bit.

As soon as Silas hit the ground, Damian followed gracefully, his right fist becoming covered in thick, earth-brown energy as his [Earth Essence] condensed around his skin, making it harder and harder until it literally turned to rock.

Using the strength boosted by his [Earth Avatar] form, with earth essence covering his skin and the added momentum from his fall, he delivered a single, devastating punch straight into Silas’s gut.

“Argh…”

Werewolves were known for their incredibly strong bodies, but Damian’s attack had easily broken through Silas’s skin, even creating a gaping hole as blood spurted out like a fountain.