Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] Chapter 163: Book 3: Chapter 19: Demon Vs Goliath

Read chapter 163 of Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] by TTReynolds on NovelPedia.

Book 3: Chapter 19: Demon Vs Goliath Chapter 19: Demon Versus Goliath The circle around them stilled. Alex and Beithin moved at the same time, boots striking over hard-packed dirt, like two ocean currents colliding in the narrow space between. The first clash was restrained and yet direct, both fighters choosing not to prod or poke too hard from the beginning. Alex’s fist met Beithin’s forearm with a meaty crack, the sound echoing like wood splitting over the area. Shock rippled through the ring’s audience, a few mercenaries barking cheers, others wincing at the noise. Alex flowed with the motion, pivoting, and driving a knee into Beithin’s side. The man grunted, but stayed rooted on his feet, his body like a fortress refusing to budge. Alex kept the pressure up, fists moving out in quick jabs, shoulders loose and movements sharp. He was holding back his full strength on purpose. Not yet activating his martial style, no [Burning Strike], or other brutal skill meant for monsters. Just his body and his raw stats, though not his full stats, he held back even in that category. And even with those barriers in place, he could feel himself pressing Beithin backward, the edge tipping his way. He’s strong, but I’m stronger. The mercenaries saw it too. Some called out his name, others shouted Beithin’s, the sound of coin changing hands once more rattling through the crowd as new bets where placed. Then Beithin shifted the way he was fighting. His stance sank lower, shoulders locking like mechanical gears falling into place. A deep hum of aether thickened around him, bleeding into the dirt through his feet. With his [Aether Sight], Alex could see his skin darken as earthen hues bled outward, veins glowing faintly under the surface like molten lines in granite. “Style of the Deep Bastion,” Beithin whispered. Alex’s next strike, a clean right hook across the man’s jaw, thudded against flesh, yet the force bled away and was absorbed. The ground cracked beneath Beithin’s boots as though it had taken the blow instead. Alex eye's narrowed, withdrawing fast and circling around his foe, he had another punch already prepared. What the hell… he’s bleeding my strength out into the earth itself. He sent another jab, then another cross; each time they connected true, but the power sank away, swallowed by the soil at Beithin’s feet. Alex began to realize that Beithin’s martial style wasn’t one as simple as heightened endurance or defense, it was redirecting the full force of his attacks. His fists weren’t hammering stone, they were striking jello, each blow was absorbed and redirected, disappearing into the floor of the world. Obby whistled low in his head. “ Oooh, tasty. He’s turning you into a jackhammer with nowhere to drill. Careful, meatboy, you’re about to find out how long you can swing before your arms give out. ” Do you have any ideas? Or just snarky remarks? “You can try not fucking around, that might help. Otherwise, highlighting weak point for you won’t do anything here, they are all the same spots you’d already think.” Great, thanks. Alex drew back to get a moment of distance, chest heaving, eyes locked on the Cresselian’s skin which shown with glowing veins. His higher attribute advantage was gone, stripped from him with terrifying efficiency. It was a sobering reminder for Alex that with magic at play, higher stats could be neutralized in a myriad of ways. He flexed his fists, dark aura flickering faintly at his knuckles. He bgan wondering just how much strength he’d have to unleash to break through the wall in front of him, or if sheer strength could ever overcome it at all. Alex stopped testing and decided to get serious. His fists blurred into motion, strikes pouring out in a vicious cascade. He targeted various locations; jaw, temple, ribs, sternum, a hammering rain of blows, each one backed by the full weight of his physical stats. Every connection sounded like a gunshot, echoing through the gathered circle with a crack-crack-crack