Shinobi From Hell

*Crack*

[Durability: 0/3000]

[Death Worm's chest plate is destroyed!]

Klautz breastplate cracked apart in pieces. But unlike one might think, the breastplate was not destroyed by Steve's kick rather through subsequent use and damage it had taken while Klautz fought a horde of monsters. Steve's kick just gave the finishing blow.

"It was a decent defensive equipment but with low durability," Klautz whispered.

Klautz rubbed his abdomen to check whether he had sustained any injuries. Steve's punches had never directly connected with him but his kick did. But there was only a slight red mark where Steve had kicked!

"I had felt this before. indeed his kick lacked force."

Steve's kick was nothing compared to his punches. It would be right to say that he didn't know how to properly kick at all! Unlike his punches which was his martial form which he had practised day and night, his kick was amateurish. It couldn't do much damage.

It's not so easy to change your form even if you wanted to. Klautz who had tried this already knew better than anyone else.

[Time remaining: 00: 39]

Steve had no time to wait for Klautz to get up. He was in a race against time. Chivalry should always be thrown at the back of the mind and taken up only when needed.

He rushed towards Klautz to end the strife once and for all.

But…

In his charge, he felt his feet getting locked. Since his upper body still had the momentum from his charge he couldn't help but tumble over. His torso made an arc in the air as he fell on his face..

*Thud*

His face crashed into the dry soil. His nose started to bleed.

He looked up only to find Klautz's lips arching to a sinister smile. Wondering what had happened he glanced towards his legs.

"What the fuck!"

To his horror, a score of black hands had risen from his shadow and gripped onto his legs. They didn't have much strength in their arms, not anything compared to Steve's strength after going Berserk. But alas! Because he was running too fast their intervention caused him to tumble.

It was like how a single rock can cause a fast-moving train to be driven off its track. It's like how no matter how insignificant and little a banana is, it can still cause you to fall in case you step on it.

"Let me go," Steve pulled himself from those mysterious hands. He was quick to free himself and looked up towards Klautz. But he was gone!

*Slash*

Before he could figure anything out, Klautz slashed his sword at his neck. A stream of blood flowed out. The cut wasn't deep not deep enough to kill him even though Klautz hadn't held back. Thanks to Steve's high defence stat which was definitely higher than Klautz's. 

Both of them were using Satan's system, their biology couldn't be defined by usual logic! But to put it simply, since Klautz [Strength] stat was lower than Steve's [Defence] Klautz was unable to behead Steve even if he had attacked from a blind spot.

But even so, it was a major injury for Steve.

"A!," Steve screamed in pain.

When Steve was busy freeing himself from Klautz's [No-Name] Spirits, Klautz had taken the opportunity to sneak behind Steve's blind spot! That's how he was able to land such a decisive blow. If it was anyone else other than Steve with that ridiculous Defence stat he would have died already!

Holding his neck with his left hand, Steve turned around and punched Klautz with his right. Klautz, who was expecting this much, ducked to the side and dodged it with ease. That is when Klautz's eyes met with Steve's.

Steve's eyes were bloodshot crimson red enveloped in dark black flames. The Berserk Mode sure was reflected on his eyes as well.

"Tell me where did you get such strength?" Klautz asked. How could he have missed such important information? He could never. That means that it was a completely new discovery!

"Price for Information," Steve screamed as he spat blood.

Klautz indeed wanted to know. To the point that he even contemplated what the best price for it would be.

"I am willing to pay by sparing your life," Klautz smirked.

"Then better ask my dead body!" Steve cried. He had no more time to joke. The essence of time was probably the most important to him.

A series of clashes began once again as they again found themselves in a deadlock. Steve with the injury could no longer overpower Klautz. The pain was a hindrance to his punches. He was not like Klautz who could fight even when cut in half.

Klautz wasn't in any better situation either. With him losing the [Death Worm's Breastplate] he had lost that +10 Defense boost which he got from it.

Even if they were equally matched there was a fundamental difference. Klautz had cleared most of the beasts in both the waves while Steve had only focused on killing humans and surviving.

In a parallel universe, if Steve had not been greedy to be wanting to bag both the prizes. If Steve had been more meticulous with increasing his stats rather than increasing his kills then with the help of the 2x stats boost he would have probably killed Klautz by now.

But with his sound judgement and goal-driven attitude, Klautz has skipped over such fate even to the point of gaining an upper hand over Steve though not to the point of overpowering him. There was still a deadlock.

And it wasn't like Klautz had no other options if such nightmarish fate were to befall him. The escape portal was just in front of him. If it had turned out to be a losing battle for him he could have escaped. Though that would indeed be cowardly. But thankfully Klautz was able to turn the tables.

[Time remaining: 00: 19]

'Shit, I can't win this, I have to escape.' Steve thought.

And definitely escaping worked both ways.

***

Author: 

Creation is hard for authors. Cheer me up with your power stones!

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