Chapter 550: Duel of Champions (Part II)

"Waaagh! Mork! Mork! Mork is the greatest!"

Under the blessing of the cunning and brutal Mork, the Great Shaman's topknot transformed into a "spell machine gun," casting Big Waaagh spells like "Big Foot" and "Old Fist" with ease, suppressing Ironbrow until he could only hide behind the Doom Anvil.

"Witness the fury of Karak-Azgal!"

The Great Green energy was inexhaustible; blindly taking a beating was certainly not a solution. The Rune Master let out a thunderous roar, and powerful rune energy gathered on his Forging Hammer, crackling and rising incessantly, guiding a bolt of lightning as thick as a water vat to crash toward the Great Shaman.

"What a fine Armor-Splitting Rune Forging Hammer. To be passed down through generations in the isolated Tiefengbao, they still have some trump cards up their sleeves."

The power of the lightning shook the earth, transmitting all the way to Sinuoli's feet. Even the Demigod, who was adept at using thunder and storm, could not help but praise it inwardly. This strike had already exceeded the limits of a mortal peak, containing a trace of the power of Authority.

As the smoke and dust dissipated, the Dwarfs looked toward the arena with anticipation, only to see the topknot dancing about as if nothing had happened, with only a slight scorch mark on the top of its head and the green monster face behind it appearing slightly more illusory.

"Next round, we concede!"

"I haven't yet... Sigh!"

The energy accumulated in the forging hammer was only enough for this one strike; continuing to endure would only mean Ironbrow taking more beatings. Even though the Rune Master was unwilling, he could only return to the formation gloomily. The surging Waaagh energy allowed Mork to easily bestow divine power.

"Your Majesty Lufusen, this third round depends on you!"

"In your opinion, would it be better if I didn't bring the Shield Bearer into the arena?"

Looking at Alike-Lufusen behind him, a flash of ominous premonition suddenly crossed Sinuoli's mind. The young leader, who had grown up with the support of his mother and uncle, had his knuckles trembling slightly as he gripped his Battle Axe.

"That pair of twin brothers share a single mind and are both skilled, but it is not worth the loss to face two warriors."

Sinuoli nodded. Kurgaz, the ancestor of Haojiaobao, was slightly inferior in cultivation realm to Kazad-Dum, who developed the Eight Peaks, but he was the first to receive the nickname "Dwarf Giant."

He left behind two treasures: the Battle Axe and the Shield. The Punisher Axe was used by his descendants as a two-handed battle axe, and the Great Shield could only serve as a support platform; it could not unleash its full power, but at least it could receive some rune blessings.

"Alike-Lufusen, King of Haojiaobao, is here! Let the Ancestor Gods and the revivers of the Qunshan witness my glory!"

"Another one relying on gadgets! Tiepi, take him down for me!" Tiepi curled his large mouth, and a tall Black Orc behind him, whose left hand had been replaced by a ferocious iron claw, stepped out upon receiving the order.

"Trouble. This Iron Claw is the head of the Four Iron Guards under Grimgor! He is a repeat champion of the Tower of Zharr's gladiator tournament. King Belegar fought him once and only had a slight upper hand by relying on a sturdy shield and a heavy hammer."

"Four Iron Guards? How come I've never heard of them?"

"The nicknames the green mushrooms use to boost their morale wouldn't reach your ears. One Prophet; Two Shamans; Three Goblins; Four Iron Guards. This was the framework of Tiepi's rule over the Badlands, though it is old news now."

"I know the One Prophet, Wuerzhage-Lv Xianzhi, right? What about the rest?"

"You have already seen the Two Shamans, the one with the Wyvern and the one with the topknot. Their level is average; Tiepi just insists on raising their titles to balance the Green Prophet. Of the Three Goblins, one manages the cavalry—it should be the one who ambushed Tiefengbao; one is a remnant of the Evil Moon, in charge of beast taming; the last one is a master technician, responsible for war machines."

"Then among the Four Iron Guards, Iron Lung, Iron Claw..."

"Iron Foot, who leads the War Pig Cavalry, and Iron Jaw—the one we schemed against earlier."

Theodore Bruckner introduced them meticulously. Sinuoli's emphasis on Tiepi had infected his subordinates; perhaps the Dwarfs' grasp of the state of the Badlands was even more detailed than Tiepi's own.

"Ho! His attack is so fast!"

While they were speaking, Alike and Iron Claw had already taken their stances in the center of the arena. Iron Claw's intact right hand held a one-handed sword with an enlarged handguard—appearing quite extraordinary among the Orc warriors who used heavy weapons.

"Alike should have brought a shield!"

"The Falcon Helmet has improved his reaction speed and insight, but if this continues, he will be at a great disadvantage!"

Iron Claw's attacks were like those of the duelists that Estalia was famous for, but paired with muscles as hard as iron and stone, they were much more lethal. Alike struggled greatly to parry while wielding his two-handed heavy axe, and in the blink of an eye, he was struck repeatedly by the sword's edge.

"Tell me more about his background!"

"Those degenerate cousins of yours would hold Slave Gladiator matches for fun when they had nothing to do. To promote motivation, the Dominator, one of the three giants of the Secret Society, promised that anyone who won three consecutive championships would gain their freedom—Iron Claw was the first in history to achieve this."

"No one was willing to lose such a powerhouse, so they broke their promise and secretly imprisoned Iron Claw. When Tiepi fought his way to the Tower of Zharr, the guards watching Iron Claw were greatly reduced. He forcibly severed his left wrist, which was bound by chains, and rushed out, rallying the gladiators to respond to Tiepi and dismantling the defense of the Tower of Zharr from the inside."

"So there is such a story of internal and external coordination. I was just saying, how could Zharr-Naggrund, managed for thousands of years, be breached head-on by mere flesh and blood..."

"It is truly a waste for the Eagle King's remains to fall into the hands of this brat! Haojiaobao, humph, each generation is worse than the last."

Before Sinuoli could finish expressing his emotions, Alike's decline was already apparent. Auleiliya Xingge parted her lips slightly; the Woodland Lord of Athel Loren did not have a shred of affection for Karak-Hern.

"He should counter-attack and trade injury for injury! He needs to utilize the advantages of his axe and armor!"

"It's not that easy. Although Iron Claw is large, his movements are even more agile than a Goblin's."

The subordinates' discussion pointed out Alike's predicament. The attack range of a two-handed battle axe was too limited, and under the huge gap in combat technique and experience, this became even more prominent. He couldn't even touch the hem of Iron Claw's clothes!

"I thought the experience of fighting the Wild Hunt King might be applicable, but it seems I thought too much."

As the King of Haojiaobao was kicked over and failed to get up for a long time, Sinuoli let out a long sigh and accepted the defeat. If Gotrek Gurnisson were here, the result would be very different, but there are no "ifs" when two armies engage.

"I'll send the Iron Foot brothers for the fourth round!"

"Hehe!"

"This... Your Majesty, why do you laugh?"

Hearing Tiepi roar out his decision, Sinuoli chuckled. He slapped Henlide-Tulongzhe on both shoulders, bestowing every available Buff Ritual upon him—Mork had already entered the arena himself, so what did his little bit matter?

"This King laughs because Tiepi is feeling timid! We have lost two rounds in a row; if he were to come up himself this round, I would have to follow, but why doesn't he do that? He doesn't have the confidence to defeat me!"

A Greenskin that is "waaagh" enough would not put "reason" before pleasure. Tiepi not actively seeking a duel is abnormal—if Iron Foot wins again, there won't be a fifth round.

"Is that four-legged beast also a champion of the Greenskins?"

As Iron Foot mounted his steed and was about to enter the arena, Sinuoli called out to stop him. Ironbrow and Alike couldn't use the Shield Bearer, so by what right could he ride a War Pig?

"My brother against one is one green and one pig; against thousands, it is still one green and one pig!"

"Is that so? Then Henlide formed a deep friendship with an Ancient Triangle Dragon in Tumobao!"