Crunch.
Debris crumbled around me, and the overwhelming stench of burnt remains filled the air.
The walls, scorched by the heat, were melting. The oppressive cold that had filled the space earlier was gone, replaced by an indescribable heat radiating everywhere.
"Cough."
Amid the wreckage, I pushed myself up, forcing my body upright from under the debris.
"Ptoo."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
I spat out a mouthful of blood as I struggled to sit up.
Throb.
"Tsk..."
Pain shot through my torso, making me grimace.
My ribs were undoubtedly broken, and the searing pain in my abdomen hinted at more significant internal damage.
On top of that, the spot where the sword had impaled me, as well as the gash across my chest, werenât trivial injuries.
"Damn it."
Even worse, the cold had infiltrated my body, penetrating deeply.
I immediately began circulating my energy.
Sssss.
Heat spread through me, alleviating the frostbite somewhat.
Kicking aside debris, I began walking. The explosion had hurled me against the wall, leaving me momentarily unconscious.
At most, Iâd been out for a few seconds.
"Hah."
Regulating my breathing, I pressed on.
"That was close."
If I hadnât used my energy to brace for impact, my insides mightâve been completely ruptured.
After all the abuse my body had taken, I had learned to preserve itâwell, somewhat. At least enough to avoid worse injuries.
Brushing dust off my shoulders, I kept moving.
"Why is there so much damn smoke?"
I infused a small amount of energy into my hand and waved it.
Whoosh.
The air cleared, pushing away the thick smoke.
Finally, with my vision restored, I continued toward my target.
The wall ahead had a massive hole blasted through it, and the debris inside was sizzling, resembling molten lava.
And below thatâ
"...Ugh... cough, cough..."
Mang lay collapsed, a gaping hole in his abdomen.
I walked toward him, observing his mangled form.
The opponent had to acknowledge their defeat.
They had to verbalize it.