Faced with the black blade slicing toward him, Dustin stood firm. He didn’t flinch or evade. Instead, he simply extended two fingers and clamped down on it.
As soon as the blade met his fingers, it stopped and emitted a faint hum as it glimmered ominously in the light.
“Huh?” Jeremiah’s eyes widened as he watched Dustin catch the blade between his fingers.
With that strike, he had unleashed at least 80% of his strength, and the modified blade was sharp enough to cut through steel effortlessly. It was a force capable of slicing through anything- even a tank.
But Dustin had stopped the attack, and he had done so with just two fingers. Was he also some kind of genetically enhanced beast?
Jeremiah’s shock quickly turned to resolve as he tried to withdraw his blade. But before he could muster the strength, Dustin’s fingers twisted slightly, and with a sharp crack, the blade shattered.
Jeremiah frowned. Though he was surprised, he didn’t hesitate as he swung another blade toward Dustin’s head.
“Again?” Dustin repeated the move and extended his fingers to catch the descending blade. With a sharp twist, he snapped it in half.
Jeremiah staggered back a few steps from the force. He glanced down and saw both blades on his arms shattered. The weapons that could slice through steel now felt like paper in front of Dustin. It was a harsh blow to his confidence.
“Do you have any other tricks?” Dustin asked coolly.
“Things are just heating up!” Jeremiah spread his arms wide and brought them down with force.
In an instant, the shattered blade in his arms began to regenerate and restore itself in the blink of an eye. The blade was an extension of him, and his body was infused with the genes of countless powerful creatures.
Among those abilities was the enhanced regeneration typical of vampires. Not only could he regrow a severed arm, but if his head were completely severed, he could quickly heal as long as it was reattached.
As one of the most formidable and successful genetically enhanced soldiers, this was merely one of Jeremiah’s many capabilities.
“Impressive.” Dustin narrowed his eyes and was surprised by how quickly Jeremiah regenerated the broken blades on his arms. It was faster than George’s.
“Bring it on!” Jeremiah charged forward fearlessly.
He raised his blades again, and his arms swung forward in unison. The sharp blades descended toward Dustin’s neck from either side like the jaws of a massive pair of scissors.
Dustin scoffed upon seeing that and charged ahead. Just before the blades could strike, he drove his fist into Jeremiah’s chest.
The impact shattered Jeremiah’s scales and created a bloodied, gaping wound the size of a fist. His body flew back over ten yards as if struck by a truck.
But before he could crash to the ground, he flipped midair. He landed firmly on his feet, and it left two deep impressions on the ring.
Jeremiah glanced down at his chest and frowned. His scales could withstand divine weapons and were impervious to ordinary attacks.
Yet, Dustin’s punch had broken through those defenses, creating a deep wound that exposed bone. His sheer power had far surpassed Jeremiah’s expectations.
He had believed Dustin’s strength would be on par with Fenley. While Dustin was a challenge, he hadn’t considered him a serious threat. But now, he realized Dustin was far more dangerous than Fenley, who was ranked fifth on the Legendary List.
Jeremiah couldn’t afford to hold back any longer. Though prolonged battles were his specialty, revealing more of his abilities would make the later rounds even more challenging. So, he needed to finish this match quickly.
With that thought in mind, he took a deep breath and activated his third form.
His body swelled, muscles and bones expanding as his black scales gradually turned red. His once-human face twisted into something beastly with a mouth full of sharp fangs that added to his menacing appearance.
The most unsettling aspect was the two red horns sprouting from his head and the lizard-like tail extending from his lower back. With horns on his head, a tail on his back, and a monstrous visage, he resembled a creature straight out of the Streuqua myths.
“Holy crap! What the hell is that? It’s terrifying!”
“A demon! That’s a damn demon!”
“This is bad. He looks incredibly strong. Is Dustin going to be okay?”
“Damn it! With a transformation like that, how’s anyone supposed to fight him?”
The sudden change sent a shiver down everyone’s spine.
Before, Jeremiah had appeared strange with his scaly skin and bladed arms, but he still resembled a man. Now, he was no longer human but a full-fledged beast.
Standing nearly ten feet tall, with red armor-like scales, razor-sharp claws, and menacing fangs, he had transformed into a demon. Just one look made people’s skin crawl and filled them with dread.
Faced with such a creature, they couldn’t help but wonder if Dustin could defeat Jeremiah.
