The Equipment Drop

"Yeah, this spot's pretty good. I'll wait here." After flying into the safe zone, Sett traveled another three thousand kilometers toward the center to make it easier to run later.

A thousand-meter cliff was riddled with caves, making them the perfect places to hide.

Sett picked a cave at random and waited for the safe zone to shrink.

It had only been two or three days since the start, so there was still plenty of time. Naturally, he needed to find somewhere hidden to lie low.

This feeling... my domain has improved again. Sett sensed his domain growing stronger.

It wasn't his Domain of Metal that had improved, but his Domain of Space had reached the fifth level, while his Domain of Metal was at the seventh.

He had not one, but two domains, and both were at a high level. For someone at Planetary Level, such profound domain comprehension was monstrous.

But for Sett, it felt easy. Like drinking water, he had simply improved.

It'd be great if I could comprehend the Space Law, Sett thought.

As an upper law, the Space Law governed the five laws of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The Law of Metal and the Space Law complemented each other, and mastering them could greatly increase his strength.

Of course, Sett was only dreaming. Comprehending a law at Planetary Level was far too difficult. He'd wait until he broke through before thinking about it again.

"This cliff ahead looks like a good spot. I'll rest there." Not far from Sett, a competing Giant Axe Warrior flew through the air, looking for a place to land.

He flew very fast, at over ten meters per second. While flying, he attached his mental power to his weapon and used it to propel himself, exceeding the speed limit for someone at Planetary Level.

He was a Controller, and he carried a second-tier Force Weapon. Normally, only someone at Star Level could control one, but despite being only at Planetary Level, he wielded it as naturally as his own arm.

"No way. Someone's coming here, too!" Sett saw the nearby enemy marker on his wristband and was surprised. He hadn't expected to run into an opponent even here.

The planet was enormous, yet he'd already encountered two people.

The safe zone was about to shrink for the second time, and it only covered a quarter of the planet. Even so, it was still a vast area.

He hadn't expected to find an opponent here.

"Whatever. We'll have to fight sooner or later. If I take out a few now, there'll be fewer to deal with later. Since he's here, I can't just let him go." Sett quickly set off toward the enemy marked on his wristband.

"Hm? Someone's nearby. Looks like I'm in luck—I found an opponent this early. I'll use him to break in this weapon. I paid a fortune for it, and it's a mental weapon that normally requires Star Level strength to use." The Arc Blade beneath his feet propelled him forward.

As a talented Controller, he could naturally wield a mental weapon beyond his level.

In an instant, the two met above the cliff. The man standing on the Arc Blade was of average height, but his eyes seemed to glow, and his gaze carried an intimidating force.

Anyone weak who met his eyes would be scared stiff.

But a mere look wouldn't frighten Sett. He was confident in his strength and rarely felt fear, especially not from someone who was only at Planetary Level.

"A Controller? Interesting. And he's got a bit of mental pressure, too." Sett carefully studied the man and thought to himself.

The Controller standing on the Arc Blade moved quickly, keeping a certain distance from Sett.

For a Controller, keeping other Martial Artists at a distance and fighting with mental power made it easy to suppress opponents of the same level.

Their close-combat skills were poor, so they naturally needed to maintain a safe distance and fight using their advantage.

"That guy seems to be The Boss. He made it into the Giant Axe Warriors with nothing but his fists. I'd better watch out for those fists."

There was no room for carelessness in a competition like this. It was essential to study opponents beforehand, especially the ones who stood out, and find their weaknesses.

"The Boss? I've heard your fists are powerful, but I wonder which is faster—your fists or my Arc Blade." The Controller stood on his Arc Blade, his cape fluttering in the wind, looking like a peerless master.

"You can call me Blade, because I control my blades at lightning speed. They're deadlier than the blades of ordinary Martial Artists."

As a Controller, Blade only needed to control his mental weapon during duels at the Giant Axe Arena, sever his opponent's head, and claim victory.

He had fought a full thousand matches, usually defeating his opponent in a single move. His control over mental power was terrifying, more impressive than that of many Controllers at Star Level.

"Blade, huh? Then watch out for my fists. I hope you can keep acting so cocky in a moment," Sett replied.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As soon as he finished speaking, Blade sent the Arc Blade beneath his feet flying at Sett. It surged toward him with the force of a thunderbolt.

Blade had mastered the sixth level of the Lightning Domain and comprehended a trace of the Lightning Law, which made him a perfect match for the Arc Blade.

A trace of the Lightning Law infused the Arc Blade, greatly increasing its power. Combined with Blade's precise control and extraordinarily high Mental Power Amplitude, it brought the weapon's strength to its peak.

"What a powerful Arc Blade!" It streaked forward with lightning, moving at an astonishing speed. It crossed the two-kilometer distance in an instant.

Haymaker!

Sett infused a trace of the Law of Metal into his Innate Secret Technique, Haymaker, greatly increasing its power. He threw a punch at the Arc Blade, intending to intercept it.

"Hm? That move looks decent, but my Arc Blade is even stronger!" Blade continued to control the Arc Blade and sent it at the enormous golden fist.

Once the Arc Blade entered the golden fist, it seemed to sink into a swamp. Its lightning-fast speed slowed dramatically.

"Damn! What an incredible technique." Blade nearly lost control of the Arc Blade and hurriedly focused all his attention on it.

His face flushed red from straining to control the mental weapon.

Whoosh!

A dazzling streak of light shot out of the fist's shadow. It was the Arc Blade, thrusting forward with tremendous force as it continued its attack on Sett.

Boom! Boom!

Sett's fists, backed by Pummel, pounded the Arc Blade. Each collision burst into a dazzling flash.

"Oh? That Controller's weapon control is impressive. He's better at it than I was when I was at Planetary Level."

"Not at all, sir. You didn't spend long at Planetary Level. You broke through to Star Level in just two years."

In a spaceship among the spectators, the screen showed Blade and Sett fighting.

After just a few exchanges, many spectators had already clicked to watch their battle.

The person seated in the middle had an enigmatic symbol on his forehead. He was a Domain Lord acknowledged by the Origin Law.

Someone at his level was a powerful figure in his own right, and plenty of people were eager to flatter him.

The Domain Lord shook his head without replying and continued watching the fight.

Planetary Level was a distant memory to him; he'd almost forgotten what that realm was like. He had some free time, so he'd decided to watch these Golden Giant Axe Warriors compete.

Watching the young contestants fight for their lives made him feel younger. It was quite entertaining.

Even Giant Axe Warriors were insignificant in the eyes of a powerful figure like him. To him, they were like children playing house.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The aftershocks of their battle caused landslides all along the cliff. Each casual move contained tremendous power.

"This is so annoying. We've been fighting for ages, and I still haven't even touched him. I'm just fighting his weapon." Although the Arc Blade couldn't hit Sett, Sett couldn't hit Blade, either.

Blade controlled the Arc Blade while keeping his distance from Sett. That wasn't difficult for him.

This left Sett increasingly frustrated. He couldn't have a proper fight, and all Blade did was control his weapon from a distance. What kind of skill was that?

But this was how most Controllers fought: staying back and attacking from afar. That was why Controllers had a certain advantage over Martial Artists.

There was no helping it. Even in a straight-up race, Controllers were faster. They could attach their mental power to their weapons and armor, and fly on top of that, making them much faster than Martial Artists who relied on flight alone.

Most importantly, mental power was two levels higher than physical strength.

Although Blade's body was only at the ninth level of Planetary Level, his mental power had reached the second level of Star Level. That was why he could control a second-tier Force Weapon.

"This Boss has been fighting me for so long and still has so much fight in him. I'm almost out of mental power. This won't do—I need to get away." Blade realized his mental power was running low. If he kept this up, the Arc Blade would lose power.

Even if he couldn't win, he could still run. That was a Controller's advantage. Luckily, there weren't many Controllers. Otherwise, Martial Artists would be completely crushed.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sett saw that Blade was about to flee and grew anxious. I can't let him get away again. If he fought someone twice and let them escape both times, it would be too frustrating. There'd be no satisfaction in that.

Blade's Arc Blade collided with Sett's fists, then suddenly flew back to Blade. He abandoned the fight.

Once Blade was back on the Arc Blade, he stopped rushing to escape. Instead, he retreated at the same speed as Sett.

The Arc Blade was powerful not only in combat but also in flight, giving him a considerable boost in speed. That was why Blade decided not to rush away.

Sett couldn't catch him anyway. Blade planned to lead him on for a while and see if he could find a chance to counterattack.

"So this guy's deliberately stringing me along, trying to make me so angry that I chase after him." After pursuing Blade for a while, Sett realized what he was up to.

I can't let myself get worked up. He's probably waiting for an opening to counterattack once I'm tired. Sett didn't stop chasing. He wasn't tired yet, so he decided to think of a solution while pursuing him.

Blade wasn't in a hurry. He could fly using the magnetic field in his sea of consciousness, use his mental weapon, or even use both at once.

He alternated between the two methods of flight to recover his mental power and Origin Force.

"Haha, The Boss is nothing special. He's all brawn and no brains. He can't even touch a hair on my head!" Blade taunted over his shoulder. He'd come up with this ploy to keep Sett chasing him.

"Now!" Sett's eyes lit up. He'd found an opening where there seemed to be none.

Haymaker!

Sett swung his fist at empty space, releasing a huge golden fist that glowed brilliantly.

The fist's shadow contained a trace of profound law insight. Its power was astonishing as it surged forward with tremendous force.

"Hm? The Boss can get so worked up by such a simple taunt that he misses with his technique?" The watching Domain Lord was astonished.

Someone with a temperament like that could easily go astray in their cultivation. No matter how talented they were, they would only get so far.

Yet a simple taunt had made him misfire his technique.

Forget whether he could hit Blade if he aimed at him; Sett's Haymaker was clearly not aimed at Blade at all. It was heading to Blade's right.

"That's all you've got? You can't even aim your technique properly." Blade taunted, pleased with himself. He hadn't expected a casual taunt to have such an effect.

If he could make Sett waste a few more moves, that would surely weaken him. It looked like he'd have a chance to counterattack soon.

The golden fist flew past Blade from a distance of a hundred meters. It eventually struck a nearby mountain.

The mountain stood like a gigantic stone pillar, reaching into the clouds.

The golden fist blasted a hole in the mountain. With a rumble, it broke apart at the damaged section, and the upper part came crashing down.

"Oh no! It's going to hit me!" Blade was flying fast, but the collapsing mountain was right beside him and was about to crush him.

He never imagined that Sett's attack had missed on purpose. Haymaker was fast, but Blade could still dodge it with ease.

Sett had used that opening to perfectly calculate when the mountain would fall and struck the pillar-like peak, making it look like he'd missed on purpose.

Even though Blade was now moving at ten kilometers per second, if he kept flying like that, the enormous mountain would smash into him.

Planetary Level warriors were powerful, but a mountain hundreds of meters across contained so much energy when it fell that no one at Planetary Level could withstand it.

"I can only slow down." Blade made his decision in an instant. Slowing down was the only way to escape.

Flying down meant hitting the ground; flying up meant running into the falling mountain. He was too close to change direction so suddenly, so slowing down was his only option.

Blade had been flying at ten kilometers per second. He decelerated rapidly and, in an instant, had slowed to only two kilometers per second.

But Sett behind him maintained his speed of ten kilometers per second. In the blink of an eye, he caught up with Blade.

"Pummel!"

Sett caught up without slowing down. With Pummel's passive effect, his speed increased as he pursued his enemy.

Golden light gleamed from his fist as he struck Blade at full speed.

"No! Dodge!" Blade panicked. He knew that if Sett got close, he was as good as dead.

No matter how talented he was with mental power or how high his amplitude was, he stood no chance against Sett at close range.

But after being forced to slow down, Blade had no way to escape Sett's incredible speed.

Sett struck Blade with a punch while still flying.

The blow was empowered by a trace of the law, the support of two domains, a sixteenfold Force Application Technique, the doubled strength granted by Pummel, and the force of his high-speed flight.

One punch was enough to kill Blade.

His body exploded.

"You dared to show off in front of me? Then you had to be taught a lesson." After killing Blade, Sett felt a rush of satisfaction.

Blade could have gotten away if he'd chosen to run, but instead, he'd tried to lure Sett into a chase by matching his speed.

Sett loved nothing more than killing someone who acted so smug.

"So that was it. He used the terrain to force his enemy to slow down. This Martial Artist knows what he's doing. The Controller had plenty of ideas, but he still died. Impressive."

Even though it was a battle between people at Planetary Level, the Domain Lord was still impressed by the way Sett had improvised so quickly.

"Impressive chase." The spectators aboard the other ships rated the battle after it ended.

Breaking a mountain was effortless for powerful warriors, but Sett's quick thinking in the middle of a fight had been impressive.

"Hm, this Arc Blade should be worth something. I suppose I'll take it." Sett saw the Arc Blade falling through the air, no longer under anyone's control.

With his speed, it was easy for Sett to catch up with it.

With a rumble, the mountain crashed to the ground, shaking it like an earthquake.

After retrieving the Arc Blade, Sett took a look at it and tossed it into his Space Ring.

Ever since entering the universe, Sett had never had to worry about money.

For one thing, his weapon was his fists. He didn't need to waste money buying weapons.

As for treasures that could improve his strength, a single drink from Zhenyuan Venerable had taken Sett from Apprentice Level Three all the way to the ninth level of Planetary Level.

He couldn't imagine how much a drink with that much energy was worth.

Besides, Sett didn't need to spend money on treasures to improve his strength, so he had no reason to spend any.

And the hundred million Ganwu Coins King Zhenlian had given him were more than enough. After he became a Giant Axe Warrior, the Giant Axe Arena had rewarded him with another hundred million Ganwu Coins.

Two hundred million Ganwu Coins was more than enough for pocket money.

The spaceship King Zhenlian had given him was worth even more. He could easily buy an entire starfield with it.

In the past, there had been no looting after his duels in the Virtual Universe or at the Giant Axe Arena.

This was the first time Sett had picked up equipment. Whether it was valuable or not, he was going to take it. Even a little money was still money. He couldn't waste it.

"Damn, I've gone so far. At least I'm not far from the safe zone. It'll shrink in a day, so I need to hurry back." Sett was startled when he saw his location on his wristband.

The fight had been quick, but the pursuit had gone on for quite a while. He'd flown thousands of kilometers and almost ended up too far away.

Blade had initially been heading toward the safe zone, but Sett's pursuit had taken them off course.

"I need to be more careful when chasing people next time. The dangerous zone is huge. If I get caught in it, I'm done for." Sett thought as he flew toward the safe zone.

When he'd started chasing Blade, he hadn't paid attention to how far he'd flown. Thinking back on it now, he was a little shaken.

On the fourth day after entering Ao Planet, the danger zone expanded again, and three-quarters of Ao Planet appeared red on the map.

After the red circle finished shrinking, the safe zone narrowed again.

The third safe zone shown on the wristband had a diameter of five thousand kilometers. It would shift again in two days.

"Looks like I'm lucky. I'm still inside the safe zone." Sett saw his location on the map.

He was still within the safe zone. Sett hid in a cave and thought back over the battle, carefully reflecting on it.