Guided by donations from enthusiastic viewers, Tyson found his way to the Kingdom of Sin step by step.
“Where’s that Han Wu guy?” Tyson asked, seemingly speaking to thin air.
Moments later, a donation notification arrived.
[Contestant Tyson, you’ve received a donation from viewer, “Three kilometers west, one kilometer north. Move fast, look cool. If you’re late he’ll be gone.” Total: 1 Divine Essence.]
Tyson nodded and followed the directions. Mounting his ultimate Iron Fury Rhinosprite, he charged forward at full speed.
Digital Sprites along the way locked onto him, but none dared pursue. When the Iron Fury Rhinosprite ran, it was pure destruction in motion, like a speeding train. Anything that tried to block its path would be smashed to pieces.
Han Wu spotted the charge from a distance. Trees toppled, and the terrain split. Everywhere the Iron Fury Rhinosprite passed, it carved a trench through the landscape.
That kind of raw power made Han Wu want to test something. Was the Iron Fury Rhinosprite’s charge stronger, or was the Iron Abyss Bug’s defense tougher?
“Iron Abyss Bug, block it!” Han Wu ordered.
The Iron Abyss Bug obeyed, planting its massive frame directly in the Iron Fury Rhinosprite’s path. Its six legs dug deep into the ground, and its steel carapace darkened as its defensive skill activated, turning into an immovable wall.
Under Tyson’s command, the Iron Fury Rhinosprite charged head-on.
The collision shook the ground.
Nearly every viewer watching Tyson’s and Han Wu’s feeds stood up for a closer look. Who would win this clash?
What they saw was the Iron Abyss Bug slowly sliding backward. Six trenches gouged the earth behind its legs, but it still couldn’t fully hold its ground.
Some viewers who had bet on Han Wu sighed, thinking he had lost. Those with sharper eyes, however, noticed that sparks flew from the point of impact where the Iron Abyss Bug’s carapace scraped against the Iron Fury Rhinosprite.
Despite the friction, it showed no signs of cracking. The Iron Abyss Bug had managed to block the charge. It simply lacked the raw strength to remain completely stationary.
The Iron Fury Rhinosprite hadn’t gained the upper hand either. It wanted to smash through the Iron Abyss Bug but couldn’t. Despite its superior strength, all it managed was a slow push without dealing any meaningful damage. As such, the clash was effectively a draw.
Riding atop the Iron Fury Rhinosprite, Tyson locked eyes with Han Wu. His bull-like eyes went wide as he bellowed, “So you’re the one called Han Wu?”
Han Wu studied Tyson in return. He was broad-shouldered, barrel-chested, and packed with bulging muscles that looked ready to burst. He seemed even more imposing than the Iron Fury Rhinosprite beneath him. If the hunting event hadn’t sealed all of their powers, Han Wu could easily picture Tyson swinging fists the size of sandbags at his face.
“The name’s Han Wu,” Han Wu replied evenly. “What do you want?”
Tyson sized Han Wu up and down, found nothing impressive, and spoke without a shred of respect. “Nothing much. My family told me to stay away from you. I don’t believe in that nonsense, so here I am.”
Han Wu smiled. “You’ve had your look. What’s the plan now?”
“Obviously, I will beat you to show my family what I’m made of,” Tyson said as he summoned the rest of his Digital Sprites.
His core race was the Giant Horned Rhino. With his family’s support and his own effort, he had developed three complete evolution paths. The first was the Iron Fury Rhinosprite, renowned for its incredible charging power. He also had a hammer-wielding Raging Rhinoman and a cannon-bearing War Rhino Soldier.
The Raging Rhinoman had reached the Microcosm rank, which explained how Tyson had charged all the way to the Kingdom of Sin on a single Iron Fury Rhinosprite.
Looking at Tyson’s forces, Han Wu raised an eyebrow. He had thought his own strength was impressive. He hadn’t expected to find someone equally capable.
Han Wu sighed inwardly. He had underestimated the Divine Civilization’s geniuses. Dominating Imperial College was one thing, but compared to the entire civilization, he still had a long way to go.
Tyson’s strength ignited Han Wu’s fighting spirit. When facing a powerful opponent, the only path forward was to fight head-on and push beyond his limits. That was the Duel Jurisdiction’s essence: as long as life endured, the battle continued.
Han Wu summoned his Digital Sprites. The Pseudo-Machinedrasprite stepped forward to face Tyson’s ultimate War Rhino Soldier. Yinglong took on the Raging Rhinoman. Stinger and Thunder Halberd turned their attention to the non-ultimate Digital Sprites.
Before they could act, the newly pledged Vampsprite charged in first. “Night Terror Raid!”
Countless bats swarmed Tyson’s rhino forces under the Vampsprite’s control, biting and draining blood to fuel its power.
The Vampsprite itself dove straight at Tyson, cracking a demon blood whip against his protection barrier. Each lash stripped over ten points of durability. Converted into Divine Essence, that amounted to more than ten units per hit.
Tyson’s heart ached at the sight. He desperately wanted to trade blows with the Vampsprite, but the event’s rules had sealed his powers. He had no choice but to pour every bit of Divine Essence he had received from donations into his barrier, hoping his three ultimate units could settle things quickly.
They couldn’t. The Pseudo-Machinedrasprite outclassed the War Rhino Soldier in both ranged and close combat. It was destroyed within moments before dissolving into data.
On the other side, the Iron Fury Rhinosprite, which had been locked against the Iron Abyss Bug, was now taking hits from Stinger and Thunder Halberd as well. Wounds covered its body, and its defeat was only a matter of time.
The Microcosm Raging Rhinoman sensed it was losing and erupted in fury. Rage fueled its strength, and it swung its iron hammer with such ferocity that even Yinglong avoided a direct clash. In terms of agility, though, Yinglong outclassed it. The Raging Rhinoman looked fearsome, but it held no real advantage.
All of this unfolded without Han Wu going all out. The Golden Scarab’s Forced Defecation alone would have crippled Tyson’s Digital Sprites before the fight even started. The outcome was just a matter of time.
Han Wu sat back and waited for victory. Then his avatars sent an urgent alert. Four powerful ultimate Digital Sprites had sensed something and were rapidly closing in on his position.