Amaranthine Bushido thought he wasn't going to witness it – after all, the chances were slim to begin with. It pained him, as he didn't choose his name on a whim. They all came here to see it, and even Weaving Fate was extremely curious, despite being a soft person by nature.

The Skyborne Lions were very much dejected, but they also couldn't blame Carl. He was exhausted after a sleepless night, unprepared, and their boss put him on the spot like that. Carl's arguments were also valid – while he was a newbie in pvp, Radiant Bulwark had already vanquished countless opponents in the arena, thoroughly demolishing them, as the battle freak he was all his life. While Carl's physical attributes were abysmal, Radiant Bulwark's excelled. While Carl wore modest gear, Radiant Bulwark's equipment cost several hundred Gold Crowns, and his axe was a masterwork.

Normally, this would be rude, insulting and disrespectful, challenging Carl like that.

But they also saw the clip Fleeting Time posted. Radiant Bulwark could not go up against that beast solo. He wouldn't dare, for he had to adhere to the best interest of his guild, so he swarmed it together with Bushido and four of their top combatants. Not to mention, that this wasn't even what impressed them the most about the recording.

That challenge – was actually a show of great respect! They could only hope Carl realized that, as there was no point telling him now.

However, as they became disillusioned and disheartened – sparks flew, and then … ignition!

They shook, as Carl posed his question, then shuddered, as he commenced the fight. There was no fanfare, no embellished gestures, no distractions. Just pure intent.

It was no longer about the clash of skills, or metal, or bodies, or strategies, or even characters.

It was about the clash of spirits!

They, too, shared their vice guild leader's desires. They, too, wanted to feel it.

This intensity!

On one side – the heat turned up to eleven. An unleashed, raging inferno. On the other – that dreadful cold of facing death …

Carl held the Black Fang in his left in reverse grip arch out, and the karambit in his right in hammer grip arch in. The battle itself no longer mattered. If the other man came with a sincere request to see what Carl was about, then he would grant this wish. He would show Skyborne Lions how a real lion dies!

He walked casually to meet his executioner head on, but the spectators recognized how firm every step was. Carl's careless attitude wasn't a sign of neglect or contempt – on the contrary, it was an acceptance, fully understanding and fully aware.

The legendary zone!

Radiant Bulwark could not have reacted differently. Seizing Carl's appreciation, he entered a similar state, as if on cue. He went ahead as well.

The audience braced for the incoming calamity, as the two freight trains were about to collide …

Collapsing Strike!

Carl saw it from far away, as it was a wide, almost vertical sweep with a two-handed weapon, but he didn't have the agility to take advantage of the opening. He felt the billowing momentum, as the heavy axe traced a large arc in the air. This was a grade 1 skill, no doubt, and the masterwork weapon would elevate it another half a notch maybe. He perceived the target of this attack – his left shoulder, which was responsible for handling the more dangerous of his two weapons. His opponent held nothing back, and it was only right …

… but Carl wasn't going to, either.

He never wanted to attempt dodging or evading. He wanted to take it head on!

Jarring Fist!

Carl directed the Black Fang upward without thinking, all the while shifting his weight explosively forward. He knew he didn't stand a chance of stopping the terrifying blow, he just wanted to make the most of the situation. The metal shaft protector just below the axe blade connected with his hardened steel knuckles as he planted his left foot, bending the knee first as a result of natural motion, then under the immense pressure of the impact.

The sensations were as vivid as it gets, albeit brief. It all happened in a fraction of a second. First, Carl could clearly discern his fingers, knuckles and wrist shattering. Then, the forearm broke, though still held together inside the reinforced bracers. Subsequently, the humerus cracked, as the force traveled up his arm. Lastly, the chop reached the shoulder it was meant for. Carl's leather armor gave in with little resistance, and the broad blade sunk into flesh, cleaving his trapezius and bisecting the shoulder blade, before it ground to a halt.

Radiant Bulwark flinched, letting go of the axe with his left hand to grab Carl's right holding the karambit – which was already in his belly. The Vicious Hook launched the moment the shaft protector and the steel knuckles touched. Disregarding the brigandine's high quality and magical enchantments, the armor-busting empowered knife attack pierced the cloth and the oblong metal plates riveted to it, plunging itself all the way to the hilt.

Ripping Claw!

Applying the forces in a different way than intended, Carl leveraged the karambit against the brigandine, letting the tip move in an arc and wreak havoc to his opponent's innards. He saw the man wince, as if in slow motion.

“You're not dust yet – so go!”

Jarring Fist!

Taking advantage of this tiny window of opportunity, the crumbling left hand carried the deformed steel knuckles in a clumsy uppercut. Carl's mobility was severely compromised in every point of the wrecked arm. He couldn't rely on the shoulder any more, so he squeezed out all the strength that was left in the hand itself.

Radiant Bulwark tried pulling his head backwards to dodge, but this wouldn't work if he kept holding Carl's right tightly in his grasp – and in this key juncture, he lacked the wherewithal to let go of it. All he accomplished, was expose his throat as Black Fang's knuckles landed on his chin …

“Until you get pulverized!!”

Ripping Claw!

As the humerus finally snapped, it delivered its last hurrah, allowing the knife to generate the momentum that it needed for a mere split second …

… and then it bent unnaturally.

Radiant Bulwark ultimately relinquished Carl's right to press on his lethally wounded neck, falling to the sand with his axe, and being relieved of the blade in his abdomen in the process. He was still alive, and Carl could see he activated Slow Bleeding, as he stared at his vanquisher with a mix of dread and awe.

Carl still had mana left, but he didn't even consider jumping on the man to finish him off. This fight was never about win or lose. Broken, mutilated, holding on to his two bloodied daggers, and still being wholly covered in the sticky liquid, he just stood there looking back at the defeated warrior below.

It felt like eternity, but in reality it was only a few seconds. Unsurprisingly, the first to be engulfed in subtly sparkling lights was Radiant Bulwark, with a token sprinkle over Carl connected by luminous threads to the axeman, reclaiming all his lost blood. Despite mediocre vitality and his own trauma being more critical, Carl's magic ability and mana recovery were far superior. His Arrest Bleeding outlasted his opponent easily.

Since players wouldn't die in the tutorial arena, they – or their avatars, rather – could remain conscious throughout the process of restoration, so long as they didn't faint. Radiant Bulwark scrambled back to his feet, dumbfounded. Never losing eye contact …

… he was now facing Carl once more, this time at striking range.

“Go on.”

“Brother Lionheart!” The seasoned veteran was flustered and hesitant. “You've won the fight! You can ask the system … to restore you now,” he stammered with great difficulty.

“Go on,” Carl repeated calmly. But in this calmness, an irrevocable demand could be heard.

Radiant Bulwark dithered for a few short breaths, but watching Carl's unwavering countenance, he resolved himself to comply. Void of mana, he lifted his axe to execute a normal attack, aiming for the other shoulder. It was soon powering through the air with flawless technique, threatening to split Carl into two.

And yet – Carl did nothing.

The shocked assailant realized it too late. Only his mind reeled back in time, but the axe head landed accurately and with full force. It cleaved the trapezius, the shoulder blade, the collar bone, and it kept going, disappearing in the chest, and eventually pulling Carl down with it, until he knelt heavily …

… but he never flinched, nor winced, nor even blinked, and his eyes never stopped burning a hole in Radiant Bulwark's soul. The man snapped back, and again looked at Carl, aghast. Simultaneously, Carl's mana run out, and the wounds became wellsprings of blood.

“Why is he still alive?!”

One of the Skyborne Lions' members broke the deathly silence. They've watched the spectacle with absolute focus, enchanted and captivated at first. Then, it turned into consternation. Now, it was pure horror.

“System bug! Heal him, quick!” someone shouted.

“We can't! It's a duel!”

They knew Carl was playing on full realism, they could sense it in his attitude and in his every action, despite him showing no obvious signs of suffering. But that wouldn't change the fact that he was now in agony.

“Brother Lionheart, tell the system to stop the fight!” another voice fearfully advised.

While the audience panicked, Radiant Heart was likewise at a complete loss – because he had insight into those eyes. He knew Carl could end it if he wanted to – but he didn't. The stalwart axeman, who still held onto his weapon, unsure of what to do, suddenly goggled, as a thought flashed before him.

“Is he … using this fortuitous opportunity … to pursue Pain Freak?!”

And he was right, except – there was more!

Carl was indeed observing his exposure counter zoom at lightning speed and his willpower attribute rise slowly with as much delight as he could muster, desperately combating the mind-numbing, vertigo-inducing, soul-wringing torment. He wanted to laugh at himself for not thinking about it sooner, though that just wasn't possible under these circumstances.

“Why isn't he fainting yet?! He should only have Pain Fanatic, no?”

Radiant Bulwark faltered, but he didn't know Carl was at the end of his line already, his vision blurring, his ears ringing, and the lights of his consciousness – both the one of his avatar, and the one of his real body – dimming.

“Regrettably, there will be no system protection in the full version,” Carl barely remembered in the chaos of his thoughts, somehow aware that he could have saved a lot of points on proficiencies and willpower by electing the much cheaper Pain Enthusiast. “No matter. Might as well … give it my all!!!”

This time, everyone gaped and goggled. Shaking and convulsing, Carl was … standing up!!!

“Nooo!”

“That's impossible!”

“Is that a skill?!”

“One health! He still has one health!”

In the hysterical ruckus, Radiant Bulwark panicked for good. What in the world was going on?! Were they still fighting? Was this some elaborate prank? Overreacting, he ripped the axe out of Carl's torso as soon as the monstrous entity rose to its feet.

His gaze going blank, Carl swayed dangerously, visibly on the verge of losing it, but he was stabilized by the sparkling lights of restoration. Closing his eyes, he took a few deliberately deep breaths, soothing his worn out psyche.

He didn't plan for this. He just wanted to show everyone how he dies, to encourage them and lead them by example. But as the situation developed, he simply went with the flow, triggered by a system prompt he received the first time his health hit 1 …

“You have attained the honor of Unyielding Will!”

“You should visit the Temple of Immortals at your nearest convenience.”