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That was exactly what Jake was trying to do… though it did turn out to be quite a bit harder without the Malefic Viper Legacy skill. However, that didn’t mean Jake wasn’t confident. As mentioned before, Jake’s control of arcane energy was monstrous for a G or F-grade, and the items he wanted to transmute were ultimately only level 0 equipment, so the energy he needed to transmute lacked in both quantity and quality.

However, he quickly hit a bit of a snag.

Jake had, at first, experimented with the free items the Quartermaster handed out, but they turned out to simply be too weak to handle the influx of arcane energy without crumbling to dust. That had been quite an annoyance, as Jake really didn’t wanna spend points on weapons that he knew he had a high chance of breaking… but then Jake got an idea he really should have gotten a lot earlier.

See, Jake found a bit of an, let’s just say, error in the way the Colosseum of Mortals operated. The rules dictated that any insured items could be replaced if they broke, but nothing said it had to break in combat, right? So what if Jake experimented with his epic rarity katars, and if he felt like he would fail, he totally accidentally went ham with infusing destructive arcane energy, breaking his weapon.

He had to admit he had been a bit apprehensive the first time. Not just because he was essentially committing insurance fraud but because he feared that the system had accounted for someone trying this and would refuse to give him replacements. That turned out to be an unfounded fear, and when he presented the cracked katar to the Quartermaster, the man had just shrugged and handed him a new one.

To make a long story short, that’s how Jake broke around a hundred and twenty epic rarity katars over the course of a few weeks, with more than fifty of those being in the week leading up to the fight against the Benevolent Monk as Jake refocused his efforts. He was confident in succeeding, and only two days before his fight against the monk, he was successful. The same day, he upgraded the second katar using the exact same method as the first, giving him two identical weapons.

[Arcane Aersteel Katar (Ancient)] – This katar is made of a metal called Aersteel, making it incredibly light yet equally durable. The design of the weapon is simple and, due to the material used, has exemplary mana conductivity. This conductivity is increased further if one channels arcane mana through it. All of the air affinity energy within has been consumed and replaced by powerful arcane energies, making it lose many of the usual properties of Aersteel in exchange for increased durability and empowering all arcane mana being channeled through it. Enchantments: Arcane Empowered.

Requirements: Soulbound.

His transmutation had led to quite a few changes. First of all, there was, of course, the rarity upgrade, though that far from fully encapsulated how meaningful this upgrade was. Equally as big was how much better the items suited Jake now. The Aersteel properties that led to the katar being lighter had remained, but the mana that helped things like air resistance was gone. What he got instead was a far more durable and sharper weapon.

It was a little sad to see the insurance was gone, even if he felt pretty certain breaking the new katars was borderline impossible. No, the problem was that he doubted he could get a refund now. Alas, sometimes sacrifices had to be made. The Requirements had changed, too, no longer requiring any specific rank, even if they were still Soulbound. It could be said that many of the unique aspects of the Colosseum had been stripped away for a weapon that was now truly his.

Jake also naturally tested his Improved weapons and found the result more than satisfying. The quality of the energy Jake had infused into them had transformed the epic rarity katars into peak-quality ancient weapons, with the mana conductivity for his arcane mana, not just flowing through the weapons freely but even getting empowered.

Before, something like extending the katar with an arcane edge was costly and difficult, but now it would be incredibly easy. With how much the katars suited him, Jake doubted even legendary katars would necessarily be better. While he considered buying ancient rarity weapons to try and transmute, based on brief experiments with his bow, Jake doubted he could pull it off within any reasonable timeframe. At least not without sacrificing all of the other things he wanted to practice, and even then, it was doubtful it would take less than half a year.

Besides upgraded katars, Jake prepared two more things to put in his Ring of Deft Hands. Both took some time to get just right, but when done, Jake was more than satisfied and could only grin when he imagined the monk’s reaction upon seeing them.

Overall, Jake’s preparations for the fight were extensive, and he even had Polly look into all she could find regarding the monk, though it quickly became obvious Jake already knew more than the information packages provided due to their prior encounter.

He also couldn’t help but consider what would happen when he was done in the Colosseum and returned to his C-grade form, as he had no doubt made many improvements that would matter even if he was 250 levels higher. But all things in good time. For now, all that mattered was defeating the Benevolent Monk.

“So, I assume you already know by now what you are in for. The monk is a damn monster, and with the referee there, I doubt the fight will end without any bloodshed, so be prepared for a real battle. It may even be one of life and death, and if that’s the case, not being the dead one tends to be the best option from my experience,” the Battlemaster said as Jake came and waited close to the gate to begin his fight. “Are you confident?”

Jake smiled. “As confident as can be.”

The Battlemaster nodded. “Good enough. Go get him then, and don’t get killed, yeah? I placed a bet on you winning, and I am a sore loser.”

Shaking his head, Jake headed toward the arena that was now about to open up. He felt a mix of excitement and trepidation as he walked up the steps to the incoming battlefield and heard the echoing voice of the announcer in the distance.

“Countless wins, but only one loss. Today, the Benevolent Monk is not just here to fight another day but to reclaim his honor and his perfect winning streak. To make things even. But to do that, he will have to beat the only opponent who has ever defeated him: Doomfoot! Or at least that is the name I am certain the Benevolent Monk remembers him by…”

Jake listened but didn’t pay much attention. Instead, he focused on the monk at the other end of the arena, and even through the bars, he noticed something. New tattoos, far more visible than the normal ones, had appeared on his wrists and forearms.

He’s made preparations too, Jake smiled to himself. It was gonna be a good fight.

“But! Before we get the action started, we have a bit of a special announcement. This match will be overseen by a referee! We have already seen these two fight once before, so let’s mix things up!”

As the announcer said this, a side door in the wall of the arena opened up, and a man wearing a suit walked out.

Jake was ninety-nine percent sure that door hadn’t been in any of the other arenas.

This referee walked to the middle of the arena as he first looked at Jake and then the Benevolent Monk.

“Due to complaints after prior matches involving the Benevolent Monk, I shall be overseeing today’s promotion match. In this match, the winner will be decided when either party becomes unable to continue fighting, dies, or I stop the match and declare a victor. There will be no surrender but a true battle to the end. I will give both of you a choice now, though… do either of you wish to surrender before we begin? This will naturally result in a default win for the other party,” the referee asked.

Jake heard murmur all around from the stands, and in his sphere, he even saw Polly and Owen look nervous. Nevertheless, he didn’t say anything, as the monk also simply stayed silent.

“Very well. In that case…” the referee began, the announcer finishing for him:

“Lower the gates!”

With impressive speed, the referee ran back from the middle of the arena as both of the gates began lowering at once.

The idea of bringing his bow out from the get-go did appear, but Jake decided not to as he walked forward toward the Benevolent Monk. His opponent did the same as they met toward the middle of the arena.

“Here we stand again,” the bald man said with a smile as he bowed when he got around ten meters from Jake.

“Indeed we do,” Jake said as he also bowed slightly. “Though this match won’t be a friendly competition.”

“Alas, it shall not be a spar of learning but a true fight that will only result in a valuable experience for one of us,” the monk said, standing up straight as he smiled radiantly. “So let us fight to our heart’s content. Let us determine whose Path shall remain and who shall embrace samsara. There shall be no grudges, no animosity… just two souls trying to prove themselves.”

With those words, all air of benevolence disappeared as the monk took a stance. The runes on his arms lit up as Jake saw what appeared to be ethereal bracers covering both his forearms.

Jake nodded in acknowledgment before launching forward toward the monk. In prior fights, he had tried to focus primarily on countering, but in this one, he planned to go on the offensive from the get-go to try and get some momentum.

Katar met forearm as the arcane-empowered weapon failed to cut the spirit-like bracers. The monk countered, but Jake wasn’t a slouch either. Dozens of blows were exchanged within a few seconds before a palm and katar smashed into each other, sending both sliding back, only stopped by the sand after a few meters.

A slight smile marred Jake’s lips as a trail of blood trickled down the monk’s palm. He was strong… but he couldn’t fully block Jake’s weapons.

He seemed to realize this, too, as he went on the offensive. Jake was ready and engaged the monk as their duel continued. The monk’s attacks were downright savage, every one of them aiming for vital spots, but even so, one party had a clear advantage.

Jake messing up meant his already powerful soul took a small blow, losing him a few health points. Meanwhile, the monk slowly began to accumulate wounds all over his arms and upper body. Every single blow also left a tinge of destructive arcane mana, almost making it look like Jake’s attacks left electric burns.

It wasn’t an equal exchange of blows, either, as Jake landed far more minor attacks compared to his opponent. He and the Benevolent Monk had fought once before… but the version of Jake back then didn’t have his equipment. He didn’t have katars that switched up how he fought, and his stats were also lower as he hadn’t used proper gear. In addition, every single blow that meant to pierce his soul also had to go through a bit of armor first, lessening the impact slightly. It wasn’t by a lot, but it definitely played a part.

This ultimately resulted in Jake having a far better feeling for the Benevolent Monk and his fighting style than the monk did for his, giving Jake the initial advantage. After a few minutes, the monk did improve and make the exchanges more equal, but he had already paid the price.

The two of them utilized much of the arena as they switched between retreating and advancing, trying to get the better position or cornering their opponent. Jake once more had the advantage here. While the monk seemed to be able to sense Jake in an uncanny way – probably some kind of soul-sensing – that wasn’t the case for random pillars placed around the arena.

Not that Jake was entirely untroubled, either. The monk had several things he never had to show before, giving Jake quite a few injuries. Outwardly, it didn’t show much, but inside his body, his organs were suffering.

During all this, the referee simply stood back, observing silently. He never showed the slightest inclination to end the fight, even as both of their wounds worsened. Not that this was bad for Jake, because the more time passed, the bigger his advantage would become.

If nothing changed, the monk would run out of energy or simply fall due to blood loss, especially after he tried a risky exchange where he ended up with a shallow stab in the stomach. The Benevolent Monk had tried to use that insane combo he had killed the Earthborn Faithful with and won their first fight, but Jake had been quick and done the only logical thing:

Minimized the damage.

Jake had blocked it as best as he could while also countering as the monk had been left open, allowing Jake to land his stab, truly putting the monk on a timer. In return, Jake did get a nasty palm to the chest that broke a few ribs, but before the monk could combo, he had managed to get some distance.

Jake was happy he had survived the devastating attack that had left him half-dead the last time he took it, but he knew the monk had to at least have one more trump card as he felt some build-up within the monk. Something he had also felt during their first fight. It almost reminded him of Hunting Momentum… and Jake would be ready.

As their fight passed the twenty-minute mark, the sand had been covered in blood all around them. Jake breathed heavily as the monk also looked nearly wholly spent. The spirit-like bracers were pretty much entirely destroyed by now, while Jake’s katars didn’t have a single mark on them besides blood. The same couldn’t be said for the rest of his equipment. Definitely had to file an insurance claim on all of it.

Both fighters looked at each other after another bloody exchange. Jake smirked as the monk also smiled despite his bloody body.

At once, they charged against each other as the monk released the attack he had been building up to all this time. Both went for an attack at the same time as a spiritual projection of the monk superimposed on his own body, words echoing out despite the Benevolent Monk’s mouth not moving.

“Soul-Reversing Fist!”

Energy stored in the monk’s soul was unleashed at once as he punched toward Jake’s chest. It was a strike that seemed based on all the damage Jake had done to the monk during their fight, and it would no doubt prove lethal if it landed. Jake reacted as he used Fear Gaze and raised his left hand to block as he punched with his right, willing to trade blows in a mirror of what had happened in their first duel.

But with a far different result.

Jake’s katar penetrated into the shoulder of the Benevolent Monk as the monk’s blow also landed. Jake twisted his wrist to turn the katar as an explosion of arcane energy sent an arm flying into the air at the very next moment. The monk stumbled back from the explosion with wide eyes when he realized… his attack had done nothing.

His eyes lowered and saw the two plate-sized aegis’ of stable arcane energy summoned into Jake’s left hand that had been pressed against his chest from the monk’s punch. The monk smiled upon seeing a fist-sized cracked indent on the first of the plates. “I see… a fault in my Path…”

Soul attacks had one crucial weakness: they only worked on souls. It was pretty obvious just from the name, but compared to most other forms of attacks, those on the soul were especially primed to be countered by making them hit a target that wasn’t a soul. Soul attacks still worked against many traditional means, such as armor, but proved incredibly weak against certain other methods.

Such as making the monk hit a two-layered shield of stable arcana mana instead of Jake’s body, turning the blow absolutely harmless outside of cracking the aegis. The two layers had especially sealed the deal, as that meant even the semi-ranged wave of soul-destroying energy released had to try and pierce a second layer… something it had failed to do.

The Benevolent Monk had stumbled back several steps before stabilizing himself. He didn’t even look at the arm now lying on the sand or seemed to care that he had lost an arm, nor the blood actively spewing out of the massive open wound. Perhaps because he knew the fight was over… that his Path was over.

He sighed with melancholy as he stared toward the sky for a few moments before he looked back down at Jake.

His… eyes changed, Jake thought as he frowned.

“Samsara awaits… I would say. Alas, such shall never be my fate,” the monk said in a different tone than he had ever used before. In fact, Jake wasn’t even certain he was talking to the same person. “I acknowledge your Path, even if you didn’t show me all you were capable of. However, even with what you have shown, you are more than capable, and your arcane affinity is certainly something to further nurture. I also see that you do not yet fully grasp the true concepts behind it, and while I doubt you will be able to see through its true nature any time soon, continue reflecting on it. Continue seeking answers. Also, do know that while my true self will never be aware of this encounter, that does not mean the true lord will not, for he sees your Path, and it is for he that I speak.”

Jake frowned. “Who are you?"

“I am Just an old monk asked to pass some sage advice, and I hope to truly meet you one day, Harbinger. So does the lord, who you will come to know, of that there is no doubt. But for now… farewell.”

With those words, his eyes turned blank as the monk’s soul ceased to exist.

“What happened there?” the Viper asked the Wyrmgod and Minaga. The screen had gone black the second the fight had ended, and the monk looked toward the sky, ready to surrender, only for it to turn back on again with the monk already lying dead on the sand.

“Yeah, that was weird… hey, partner, why did you cut off the feed like that? Did the monk have any cool last words?

The Wyrmgod remained silent for several seconds before he muttered: “It wasn’t me…”