The duel was over, and silence reigned in the stands.
In the stands, the 400+ members of the Blood Spartan Tribe that were in attendance to witness this legendary duel were in a shock as they looked speechlessly at the last man that was left standing in the battle arena.
Since Generals did not have public duels among themselves, battle duels among Advanced mystic warriors were one of the most exciting events in the tribe.
Of all the duels that had been fought in this tribe since its inception, this was one that definitely ranked at the very top.
Not just due to the stakes that were up for grabs, but the identity of the 2 warriors, the energy that they put in, the incredible heights of intensity that the battle attained, and the contestant's ridiculous strength display.
Even when pitted against the strongest Advanced mystic warriors on earth, Zuko would still be a stand-out performer but here they were, standing witness to a duel where a weaker Advanced mystic warrior defeated him.
Despite being 5 whole tiers behind, Rex took this duel by the tip of the horns and flipped it over into the greatest upset victory in the history of the tribe.
Thinking about the final moments of the battle, every warrior of the Blood Spartan Tribe that was in attendance felt their blood boiling hotter.
Zuko's display was befitting of his status as the Clan Head's only son, he lost only because Rex's display was simply out of this world.
From the beginning to the end, the intensity of the battle was at a record-breaking level. Both mystic warriors got to exert themselves to their fullest, and reveal all their trump cards before a victor was determined.
This was exactly what the warriors of the Blood Spartan Tribe came for, this was what they came to see, this was what they respected, now, they were satisfied.
Rex's powerful burst at the ending was the cream on top the cherry.
General Katake who rescued Zuko had a calm look on his face as he looked on, Zuko who sat beside him was in a daze. At this moment, this powerful mystic warrior was drenched in blood as he stared at his opponent.
Even though his injuries were severe, there was no cause for alarm as he was a strong vampire, his injuries already started healing as he watched.
He didn't care about his injuries though, he just stared fixatedly at his opponent. This was not a stare of anger nor was it of vengeance, it was that stare of awe, respect, and acknowledgement.
Despite giving his all in this battle, Rex was able to overturn the situation around and win despite being the weaker mystic warrior.
This feat was able to win Zuko's respect and reverence. Without giving a damn about the current setting, Zuko kneeled and paid his respects to this freak.
Once Zuko kneeled, it was like his energy infected the hundreds of vampires of the Blood Spartan Tribe that spectated this duel as one after the other, all of them went on their knees to pay their respects before this freak of nature.
Over the years, like every living organism, on coming to Planet Tioron, the Blood Spartan Tribe had to adapt their ways to survive and they did that by grabbing the ideology of the ancient Spartans where strength was everything.
After Rex's incredible display, he was able to win the respect of everyone present. Not just the normal vampires, but the Generals, Army Commander, and even the Clan Head of the Blood Spartan Tribe himself.
The Generals and the other higher-ups simply cupped their fists in Rex's direction to express their respect. Now, there was no more doubts.
Without a doubt, this was the child of prophecy sent to liberate them.
Being the center of all this attention, Rex was surprised and overwhelmed as he simply stood and basked in all the glory that came with his victory.
As he basked in this glory, he felt his mind changing in mysterious ways that he did not understand. For some reason, he felt that he had a strange breakthrough and this was when his system finally lit up a notification.
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[Congratulations! By winning a duel against a 10th tier Advanced mystic warrior while being a 5th tier mystic warrior, you have achieved an insane feat!]
[You have been rewarded with 15,000 Skill Points, 1000 Constitution Points, 1000 Mystic energy limits, and a Special Dungeon Event Token.]
[You have unlocked a new Title: Natural Leader!]
[Natural Leader: Through your great battle achievements, you have successfully proved your strength and won over the loyalty of the Blood Spartan Tribe, a special tribe that puts emphasis on strength.]
[When you are recognized as the leader of an organization, tribe, brotherhood, or nation, +20% increase to all attributes of your allies when you are fighting alongside them in battle.]
[Current affected factions: Blood Spartan Tribe; Berserk Gang; ??? Brotherhood.]
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"A new title?" Rex was surprised, even more ecstatic after going through it.
Having not received a mission when the duel was scheduled, he originally thought that he would have to fight without expecting any rewards from his system but clearly, he was wrong.
Not only did he receive skill points, mystic energy limits, and constitution points from his system, he also received the strange Dungeon event token.
Though he didn't know what use the token had at the moment, experience told him that everything that came from his system had a tendency of being useful and could benefit him in the future so he was satisfied.
Of all these rewards though, the most unexpected was the new title. Unlike his previous 2 titles of Thief and Gigantic Beast Slayer, the Natural Leader title was different since it affected his allies instead of affecting himself.
With this title, he would become a formidable commander in any battlefield since his mere presence would increase the overall strength of his allies' countless times over, this was an incredible title for large-scale battles.
Rex finally understood the strange feeling of breakthrough that he got from basking in the glory that the vampires gave him, it was a mental breakthrough which was heavily related to his leadership qualities.
As Rex basked in the glory, Clan Head Goku no longer wasted any time as he descended from the stands alongside the Army Commander and his 5 Generals.
"You won!" The Clan Head's loud voice boomed like thunder.
"Yes, it was all due to your grace, Clan Head".
Clan Head Goku laughed. "No need to call me Clan Head anymore, from today, you are the official leader of the Blood Spartan Tribe!"
"All that remains is for you to undergo the blood ritual".
Clearly, though his system already recognized that he was the leader of the Blood Spartan Tribe, to the vampires, he needed to undergo this ritual first before they could officially recognize him as their leader.
As he was escorted back underground by the hundreds of vampires, Rex felt a surreal feeling engulf his heart.
He remembered coming here as a prisoner, someone who needed his identity to be checked by the Clan Head of the Blood Spartan Tribe. Now, in just 2 days, he was able to overcome all odds and overturn his situation.
Now, he was about to be inaugurated as the leader of the Blood Spartan Tribe. Rex was speechless, fascinated, and amazed all at the same time.
"Life is really so unpredictable man".
After a great march down the coven, Rex and the hundreds of vampires that were escorting him soon arrived before a river of blood that was hidden underground the coven hidden from the eyes of all outsiders.
The incredible fact about this was that despite the incredible amount of blood that was gathered here, they were able to suppress the smell of blood through mysterious means and was why Rex did not detect it before now.
On getting to such close proximities with this blood lake, Rex was enchanted as he took in a deep breath. As a vampire, this was paradise to him.
He felt vibes that were similar to when he just became a vampire. It was like he went back to the past; it was like he was repeating the same sequence all over again to become a vampire and he was right.
The only difference was that unlike the previous time, he was no longer alone, Clan Head Goku took him in and was the one who preceded over the ritual.
The Clan Head followed him in as Rex was dipped inside the blood lake.
As an Advanced mystic warrior, Rex's constitution already far exceeded those of a normal human's, he could stay underwater without breathing for hours but this time, just 5 seconds after he was in, he started drowning.
Rex tried to struggle but a hand patted his back.
"Let it in…"
"Let the blood in, let it cleanse your veins, purify your body and soul, and strengthen your bones…"
"Let it remold you…"
Rex soon lost consciousness.
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Congratulations! You have undergone the Blood Ritual!
You have gained 5000 Health Points!
You have gained 500 Vitality!
----
Everything happened so fast, when he opened his eyes again, he was already awake and he was back standing beside the blood lake.
Standing before him was Clan Head Goku, the Army Commander, the 5 Generals, and the hundreds of vampires of the Blood Spartan Tribe who were privileged and lucky enough to spectate the whole ritual.
Once he opened his eyes and stood before them, in unison, they all kneeled on the ground and paid their respects to their new leader.
"Leader!"
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