Chapter 549: Champion Duel (Part II)

"One-on-one, or all five at once?"

"One-on-one! We take turns sending people out, how about that?"

"Suit yourself!"

The initiator of the Champion Duel, Grimgor Ironhide, was the first to confirm the Greenskin champions. Sinuoli was not worried about it making arrangements like the Tian Ji horse racing strategy—

A Demigod has basic dignity and is bound to appear as the final act. Besides, forcibly swapping to reduce a best-of-five to a best-of-three had no special meaning.

"Let the vengeance begin!"

"The Ancestor Gods protect the champions of the mountains!"

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Sinuoli sent Belegar Ironhammer to lead the charge; this young king was rich in combat experience and possessed the firmest will. Under the mountain-shaking cheers of the massive allied army, he carried the crest recording his Clan's honor and grudges on his back, striking the Shield of Resistance with his divine hammer as he strode toward the open space left between the two armies.

"I am Belegar Ironhammer, King of Karak Eight Peaks, Lord of the Angrund Clan! Who dares to challenge me!"

"Short-stack, I, Boge-Tiefei, will meet you! The grudge of the Ironjaw brothers will be settled with you all at once!"

Among the Dwarf generals, Belegar was the most familiar to the Greenskins, who knew the power of the divine hammer passed down through generations in his hands. Ironhide dispatched one of his adjutants, Boge-Tiefei, who had led the Black Orc legion in charging and breaking through the day before.

"This guy is an tireless locomotive, humph! Wanting to take down Belegar through attrition is like trying to drown a Dwarf with beer—absolutely impossible!"

King Luen stroked his incorporeal beard. After retaking Eight Peaks, he had gathered the scattered ancient clans, bringing in population and backbone, but none could shake his status—

The previous master of Eight Peaks was familiar with every secret tunnel and hidden mine; his peak mortal combat skills and experience were perfectly preserved through the combined effects of grudges and oaths.

If not for the fact that Ironhide had guys wrapped in evil Runes brought from the Dark Lands and Warpstone equipment supported by the rats, he could have fully displayed the mystery of a spirit body not being harmed by mortal iron.

"Tiefei was originally the boss of the Miner gang. There are several types of minerals in the Zhaer pingyuan that are extremely difficult to mine; you have to use highly corrosive agents for two rounds before you can dig them. The Black Orcs' frames couldn't handle it, and as soon as they became skilled hands, pneumoconiosis would come knocking. For this reason, the Chaos Dwarfs tried replacing their lungs with creations that were a cross between machinery and Daemons."

"You know quite a lot! Then doesn't this thing need a Demon Smith to maintain it?"

"Normally it would, so not many of these miners made it out of the Dark Lands. The rest are probably due to the I Reckon Power acting up."

Bruckner, stationed at Eight Peaks, explained to Sinuoli; commanding Human troops to assist Belegar in battle had made him very familiar with the Greenskins of Black Crag.

"Coward! Rat! If you have the balls, face me directly!"

As they were speaking, Belegar's high-spirited war cry and taunts stirred up responses from the watching warriors. Relying on his height and long legs, Tiefei circled the edge of the arena, knowing that with his short legs, he could never catch up, so the Dwarf King simply stood his ground and unleashed a verbal assault.

"Isn't Gork watching? Open your eyes wide! This is the champion sent by His divine selection! A pushover not even as good as a Squig! Still WAAAGH-ing? Go wuwu and beg for mercy!"

"Brother, stand tall, don't lose face!"

Sinuoli caught an unnatural tremor in Ironhide's body; the stimulation from the Great Green reminded it that this was not a simple duel.

"WAAAGH!"

Still circling, Tiefei understood its boss's meaning. With a roar, it swung its war-blade and lunged straight over. The eyes revealed beneath Belegar's visor flashed with cruel brilliance, and he bowed slightly, preparing to exert force.

"Dang!"

"Puff!"

He thrust out the Shield of Resistance in his left hand, parrying the guy whose blade surface was about the same size as his whole body, and the flickering Runes sent it recoiling. The massive reaction force caused Tiefei to stumble; in a duel between experts, this instant was enough to decide the outcome.

Parry and counter-attack was a combat technique Belegar Ironhammer had practiced countless times since childhood. After raising the shield, how to step forward and swing the hammer, and where to strike against what kind of enemy had long since formed muscle memory.

The hammer of the Angrund Clan—this treasure passed down from Kazad-Dum had drunk its fill of Greenskin blood for thousands of years, and this time it did not disappoint its master. Tiefei's left knee twisted inward at a bizarre angle, and given the drop in head height, Belegar jumped up and delivered a downward smash that sent it into a sweet slumber.

"Come on, second round! We're sending him, Gejier-Dingji!"

Ironhide called out a Savage Orc Great Shaman. After seeing the newcomer clearly, Sinuoli's brows relaxed slightly, but he was puzzled. While the tattoos and oil paint covering this guy's head and face were indeed ferocious, at this level, no one was easily scared.

Wurzag did not leave alone; as a native-born Green Prophet co-chosen by Gork and Mork, he took away many followers. Dingji was the number one spellcaster still remaining by Ironhide's side, but his strength had not yet reached the peak of mortals.

"Master Tiemei, your injuries..."

"Great Restorer, thanks to you and the Mother Goddess, there is no longer any major issue! Just watch how many Runes it takes for me to knock down that madman!"

"Hold on! Why do you get to send five people for a Champion Duel?"

The Rune Master of Tiefengbao had just stood firm on the Doom Anvil with the help of the Anvil Guard when Gejier scratched the topknot on his head and roared.

"That's just how Rune Smiths are. I can't exactly carry the Doom Anvil on my shoulder to fight you, can I? That would make me a bard!"

"I don't care about that! If you want to ride in a sedan, Dingji should have four guards too!"

Ironhide swung his great axe, thumping the ground again and again, and the Greenskins behind him began to clamor along. Thorek Ironbrow was about to continue arguing when Sinuoli gestured to him.

Carrying the Doom Anvil into battle required excellent tacit understanding; changing people at the last minute was not allowed. While Ironbrow's bearers were elite, it would definitely be a losing trade if the opponent sent four members of the Immortal Guard or the like.

"Forget it, what is there to fear in foot combat!"

The hot-tempered Rune Master leaped down, and after hanging a Power Rune on himself, he actually supported the anvil with his right hand, hoisted it onto his left shoulder, tucked his forging hammer under his arm, and moved step by step onto the arena.

"If this round is won, the decisive battle won't have to start early." Sinuoli thought to himself while loosening up his hands and feet, but in the blink of an eye, the Dwarfs' smiles froze on their faces.

"WAAAGH! I reckon I'm terrifyingly strong right now!"

"Boom!"

Ironbrow had entered combat position, and the Great Shaman began to dance awkwardly while waving his staff. Without any delay, a green, oily, massive energy Big Foot appeared out of thin air and stomped down.

"My will is as firm as steel!"

Striking the anvil to withstand this blow, before the Dwarf could make his next move, Dingji's eyes lit up immediately. A phantom of a strange face appeared behind him, and clusters of energy waves poured out as if they didn't cost any Winds of Magic.

"It's going to be tough if Mork himself takes the field!"

Sinuoli couldn't help but shake his head. Ironbrow's Rune-Hunjia was his own peak work, sufficient to withstand the clubs of Giants and the breath of wild Dragons. But compared to the top-tier items passed down from the Ancestor Gods since the Golden Age, it was still lacking.