Marvel: A Portal to the World of Swallowed Star

Chapter 328 328: A Chance at Victory

"Ha! Now that was satisfying!" Rong Jun laughed loudly, his voice echoing across the ruined arena. "This is the kind of fight I've been waiting for!"

Princess Aelia struggled to her feet, her body trembling, yet the fire in her eyes refused to fade. "It's not over yet."

Gritting her teeth, she raised her sword once more. But before she could fully steady herself, Rong Jun was already charging forward.

In his berserk state, his speed had nearly doubled. Aelia simply could not react in time.

"Damn it!"

His fist slammed into her abdomen. The impact was devastating, sending her flying dozens of meters before she crashed violently into the stone wall. Blood spilled from the corner of her lips.

A collective gasp swept through the audience.

"The Silver Moon Princess is badly injured!"

"Can she still fight?"

"Rong Jun is just too powerful!"

And yet, Aelia did not fall.

With sheer willpower, she forced herself upright again. Her body swayed, barely able to hold itself together, but her spirit remained unbroken.

"I can still fight!"

She lifted her cracked and battered sword, preparing for one final stand.

"Silver Moon Sword Codex, Forbidden Art... Blood Moon Ascendant!"

This was a forbidden technique of the Silverblue Empire's royal lineage. Its power was immense, but the cost was the user's life force.

Aelia burned her vitality without hesitation, exchanging it for one final, overwhelming strike.

A crimson sword light erupted skyward, far more terrifying than anything she had unleashed before. This was no longer about finesse or technique. It was pure, unrestrained destruction.

Rong Jun felt the threat immediately. His expression hardened as he drew in a deep breath, gathering every ounce of strength within him.

"If you're staking your life on this, then I won't lose either!"

"Barbarian Clan Forbidden Art, Fist of Annihilation!"

He too burned his life force, condensing his power, his will, and his very existence into a single punch.

The two forces collided midair.

The explosion that followed surpassed anything seen before.

The arena began to collapse. Cracks tore through the ground, and the violent shockwaves pushed even the protective barriers of the spectator stands to their limits.

Thunder roared without end.

When the dust finally settled, the once grand arena had been reduced to ruins.

Rong Jun and Aelia both lay amidst the wreckage, their bodies drenched in blood. Neither had the strength to stand.

A heavy silence fell over the entire audience.

"This... is what a battle between true elites looks like?"

"They fought with their lives on the line..."

"Who won?"

At last, the system's voice broke the silence.

"After evaluation, Rong Jun is declared the winner by a narrow margin."

Though both had fallen, Rong Jun's condition was slightly better, granting him victory.

The crowd erupted, their emotions mixed. Cheers for Rong Jun's triumph blended with admiration for Aelia's courage.

"That was incredible! The best match of the entire tournament!"

"They're both true warriors!"

"This kind of battle goes beyond victory or defeat!"

In the Earth team's section, the four stood in stunned silence.

"So... that's the opponent I'll be facing?" Hong's voice trembled slightly. "Even though Rong Jun won, his condition..."

"It's terrible," Rowan analyzed calmly. "He burned his life force. Even with advanced recovery systems, it will take time to return to peak condition."

"Even injured, he's still dangerous," Thor added. "The Barbarian Clan's recovery ability is no joke. And his willpower is terrifying."

"The key is strategy," Luo Feng said firmly. "Brother Hong cannot fight him head-on. He has to rely on technique and intelligence."

Hong took a deep breath. "I understand. This battle made one thing clear. If I want to defeat Rong Jun, I'll have to push myself further than ever before."

On the battlefield, medical teams had already rushed in to retrieve the two fighters. Though this was within the virtual universe, their injuries were real enough to require immediate treatment.

Back in their quarters, the four sat together in silence.

It was not just shock that filled the room, but a deeper realization.

Watching Rong Jun and Aelia fight to the brink of death made one truth painfully clear.

If Rowan had not deliberately lost before, the one lying in those ruins might have been him.

Thor was the first to speak. Watching the stretchers carry the two fighters away, he shook his head slowly. "Rowan... I finally understand your decision back then."

Hong sighed deeply. "If you had defeated the Silver Moon Princess, then the one ending up in a mutual destruction fight with Rong Jun would have been you. That would have been a devastating loss for our team."

Luo Feng stared at the shattered arena, deep in thought. "Rong Jun is even more terrifying than we imagined. That level of combat has already surpassed the limits of ordinary warlords. If you had faced him..."

"The consequences would have been unimaginable," Rowan finished quietly, a complicated emotion in his voice. "To be honest, after seeing that fight, I feel a bit of fear myself. If I had gone all out and won back then, I might have ended up dying alongside him."

They returned to their residence and continued their discussion late into the evening.

"This just proves how accurate your judgment was," Hong said seriously, looking at Rowan. "You didn't just predict Rong Jun's strength. You even anticipated the outcome of his fight with Aelia. That kind of strategic vision is rare."

Thor nodded. "And you considered the team as a whole. Even if you had barely won, the cost would have affected everything that followed."

Rowan gave a faint, wry smile. "But I won't lie. When I made that decision, part of me was unwilling. As a warrior, choosing to step back from a powerful opponent isn't an easy thing to accept."

"That's natural," Luo Feng said. "The instinct of a warrior is to challenge stronger opponents. But sometimes, reason has to override instinct."

"What matters is that your choice was right," Hong concluded. "Rong Jun may have won, but he's in terrible condition. That gives me a better chance, and gives our team more opportunities."

Just then, the communication system lit up.

A figure in a white coat appeared on the screen.

"Members of the Earth team, I am the head of the medical department. Princess Aelia has requested to see Mr. Rowan. She has something she wishes to discuss."

The four exchanged surprised glances.

In her condition, she still wanted to see Rowan?

"How is she?" Rowan asked.

"Severely injured, but no longer in danger," the doctor replied. "However, her mental state is somewhat unstable. She may need time to recover."

"I understand. I'll come immediately."

"I'll go with you," Hong offered.

Rowan shook his head. "No need. She asked to see me alone. You should rest. You have a match tomorrow."

He left on his own, heading toward the medical center.

The facility was located in a separate building within the Virtual Universe Company's headquarters, equipped with the most advanced technology and staffed by elite medical professionals. Though it existed in a simulated space, everything felt indistinguishably real.

"Mr. Rowan, Princess Aelia is in the VIP ward on the third floor," the receptionist informed him.

He made his way upstairs and knocked gently on the door.

"Come in," came Aelia's voice, weak but still graceful.

Inside, she lay propped against the bed. Her face was pale, her body wrapped in bandages, yet her blue eyes remained as clear as ever.

"You're here." She smiled faintly. "Sit. No need to be so formal."

Rowan took a seat beside her, carefully observing her condition.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm alive. That's enough." She let out a soft, self-deprecating laugh. "Though the cost was quite high. The doctor says it'll take at least a month to fully recover."

"That battle was brutal," Rowan said quietly. "Both you and Rong Jun showed what it truly means to be strong."

"Strong?" Aelia shook her head. "If I were truly strong, I wouldn't have lost."

"Victory and defeat aren't the only measure of strength," Rowan replied. "What you showed out there earned everyone's respect. Including mine."

She studied him in silence for a moment before speaking again.

"Do you know why I asked you to come?"

"No," Rowan answered honestly.

"Because I want to confirm something." Her gaze sharpened. "In our match... you lost on purpose, didn't you?"

Rowan's body tensed for just a fraction of a second before he relaxed again. "Why would you think that?"

"Because I've replayed every moment of our fight," she said calmly. "Your true strength is higher than what you showed. But at critical moments, you made... unreasonable mistakes."

Rowan fell silent, then smiled faintly. "I don't know what you mean."

"You don't have to deny it," Aelia said, waving her hand lightly. "I'm not accusing you. I just wanted to confirm my suspicion. And after today's battle, I'm even more certain."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because if you had defeated me, the one lying in ruins today would have been you," she said evenly. "With your personality, you would never back down from Rong Jun. You would have fought with everything you had. And you saw his strength. Even someone like me could only end in mutual destruction with him."

Rowan looked at her, genuinely impressed. Her strength was not only in combat, but in her clarity of thought.

"Even if you're right," he said carefully, "aren't you angry? What I did basically pushed you into that situation."

"Angry?" Aelia let out a soft laugh. "Why would I be?"

"Because if I had gone all out, you might not have been injured like this," Rowan admitted.

She shook her head.

"You're wrong. If you had gone all out, I might have avoided these injuries. But I would never have discovered my true limits."

She paused, then continued, her eyes shining faintly.

"This battle with Rong Jun... I lost. But I've never felt more fulfilled. I now understand my true strength, and how far I still have to go."

"And more importantly, this kind of fight... where you stake everything, where you stand on the edge of life and death... this is the true path of a warrior. Without your choice, I might never have had this chance."

Rowan felt the weight in his chest lighten.

"I should be thanking you," she said sincerely. "For giving me the opportunity to face Rong Jun, and for helping me discover who I truly am."

"You really mean that?" Rowan asked.

"Of course," she replied. "The path of a warrior is filled with danger. If you're afraid to face that, then how can you ever grow stronger?"

He let out a long breath.

"You're stronger than I thought. Not in power, but in spirit."

"Everyone makes their own choices," Aelia said. "You chose stability, sacrificing for your team. That's also strength. A different kind of strength."

"Still... sometimes I question if I made the right choice," Rowan admitted. "Watching your battle today... part of me wants to challenge someone like Rong Jun."

"That's natural," she said with a nod. "But sometimes, resisting that instinct takes just as much courage."

She paused, then added,

"By the way, Hong will be facing Rong Jun tomorrow. Do you have a plan?"

"We're still working on it," Rowan replied. "Even injured, he's dangerous. We need to analyze his condition carefully."

"Don't underestimate his recovery," Aelia warned. "And he adapts quickly. The same tactic won't work twice."

"We'll keep that in mind. Hong's experience and style are very different from yours. There might still be a chance."

"I hope he wins," Aelia said softly. "Not because I lost to Rong Jun... but because I've come to respect you Earth warriors."