I Got A Title: Lord Of The Time!-Chapter 58: Lin vs Aran

When the two looked at each other, an awkward silence fell over them.

Aran laughed.

"Ha-ha-ha! No Distorted Chest dropped from it, but a Low Soul Shard... Now, the question is — who will take it? You, who made minor cuts, or me, who actually killed it?" he grinned brightly and looked straight into Lin’s eyes.

Lin smirked and, with a sharp movement of his hand, brought his katana to Aran’s throat and said:

"Ha. If not for my "minor hits", you wouldn’t have killed it so easily. I think I’m well within my right to claim that Low Soul Shard. Besides, you’re from the powerful Mort family — do you really need this crystal?" ƒrēenovelkiss.com

Aran smiled and pressed his dagger to Lin’s stomach, replying with a grin:

"I agree you played an important role — just not important enough to claim the main prize. As for the family..." he widened his eyes and smirked. "Is one more Low Soul Shard ever too much?"

Lin fell silent, because technically, Aran was right. Although he dealt considerable damage to the black beetle, even using his ability, he likely couldn’t have killed it alone. After all, he didn’t possess strong Distorted items, and he still hadn’t made Contact with the katana.

But he didn’t want to give up — he wanted that Low Soul Shard.

He sighed and offered:

"I propose a duel. The winner gets the crystal," he looked at Aran, waiting for an answer.

Aran laughed and slowly moved the dagger away from Lin’s stomach. He smirked and nodded.

"I agree. I was waiting for you to say that."

Lin nodded and sheathed his katana.

"Rules of the duel?"

"Everything’s allowed, except skills. The winner is determined when the loser says: "I lost". If no one says it, the fight continues — same pace, same brutality," Aran quickly replied.

Lin smiled and took ten steps back from Aran. When both were ready, they simultaneously said:

"Fight begins!"

Both disappeared from their places and appeared five meters closer, clashing their weapons and creating the sharp sound of impact!

Clang!

Lin held his katana with his right hand, while Aran clashed with him using his dagger!

Lin then lifted his right leg to strike Aran’s leg, but Aran just smiled and easily deflected Lin’s blade to the side!

He ducked and slashed with his dagger toward Lin’s left side!

Whoosh!

Aran left a shallow cut on the left side of Lin’s abdomen and was about to retreat to a safer distance, when Lin used his left knee and struck Aran in the chest!

"Argh..." Aran exhaled as if all the air had left his lungs. He grinned slightly and quickly vanished, reappearing several meters away from Lin.

"You know, that was-" he didn’t get to finish before Lin suddenly appeared next to him and slashed his katana, aiming to decapitate Aran!

"How rude..." Aran quickly dodged Lin’s strike and smiled.

"If you enjoy such fights... so be it," Aran vanished from his place and reappeared next to Lin, making several slashes with his daggers!

Lin, using his agile body, deflected all the attacks and was ready to strike with his katana when Aran leaped up slightly, and upon landing, twisted his body and lifted his leg, kicking Lin in the chest!

Whoosh!

Bam!

"Damn! Where did he get that strength?!" Lin couldn’t react fast enough — Aran’s kick was so powerful it sent him crashing into trees!

"That was just a warm-up... Are you ready for a real fight?" Aran grinned broadly and tucked his dagger back into his clothes.

"Ha-ha. Didn’t think you specialized in martial arts too," Lin jumped up and stood, slowly sheathing his katana and stretching.

Aran smiled and took an unusual fighting stance, saying:

"I don’t particularly like weapons, but my hands — I love them. Ha-ha-ha!"

Two battle maniacs smiled and vanished from their places!

Bam!

Two legs collided mid-air, causing a gust of wind to ripple out!

Lin and Aran vanished again!

Bam!

Lin raised his palm and attempted to strike Aran in the abdomen, but Aran reacted swiftly, caught it, and lifted it upward!

At that moment, he raised his right knee and struck Lin!

Bam!

"Argh..." Lin faked a groan of pain, then suddenly turned and kicked Aran in the head!

"As always," Aran smiled and vanished from the spot, reappearing behind Lin. Spreading all five fingers wide, he began to strike like an animal with claws!

First strike...

Whoosh!

Second strike...

Whoosh!

Third strike...

Whoosh!

Aran delivered about a dozen such claw-like strikes, so fast that afterimages began to form in the air!

"M? Lin, are you really that bad?" Aran smiled and continued to unleash strikes from all directions.

Lin coldly snorted.

He closed his eyes and focused. Recalling all of Aran’s forms and attacks, replaying them countless times, he suddenly opened his eyes, turned around, and punched!

Bam!

Right where Lin struck, Aran appeared — and took the full brunt of the punch, which launched him 5-6 meters away and left him struggling to get up.

"Ha. That was interesting... and painful..." Aran managed to stand quickly and looked at Lin’s silhouette, which now appeared entirely different than before.

Aran frowned.

"He’s dangerous..."

Lin almost instantly vanished from his place and appeared next to Aran — but not on the ground, in the air!

Bam!

With great force, Lin dropped both feet onto Aran, but Aran dodged just in time, causing Lin to create a small spiderweb of cracks on the ground!

Aran smiled, placed both hands near his head, legs bent toward his chest — as if preparing to leap!

But instead of standing up, Aran swiftly and forcefully raised both legs and kicked Lin in the head!

Bam!

Lin barely managed to dodge Aran’s legs, but Aran didn’t stop — as soon as his feet landed, he twisted his entire body left and struck Lin in the stomach with his right leg!

Bam!

Lin couldn’t dodge this attack and took significant damage.

Aran quickly stood and delivered several more blows to Lin, but unfortunately for him, Lin blocked them all, forcing Aran to retreat a bit to catch his breath.

"Ha-ha-ha! I never imagined you’d be this good at close combat... Lin," Aran laughed and took a stance.

"This is just the beginning," Lin smiled and charged at Aran!

...

A few hours later, what had once been a beautiful and pleasant place turned into a battlefield: small craters littered the land, blood was everywhere, trees were either broken or badly damaged — and amidst it all lay two battered figures.

On the ground lay a completely beaten Aran: blood flowed from many parts of his body, his clothes were torn in several places, yet he simply smiled — and then laughed.

"I lost..." he said in a quiet voice and slowly closed his eyes to rest for a bit.

With a bloodied fist, Lin slowly stood over Aran’s body — he didn’t look much better than the loser. His entire body was covered in cuts and bruises, the brown robe he took from Shot’s corpse was in poor shape. Fortunately, inside the robe were books that somewhat reduced damage, though not entirely.

"That was a good fight," Lin walked over to the beetle’s remains.

When he reached them, he slowly pulled out the purple crystal they had fought over to near-death...

"It was worth it," Lin smiled.

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