Chapter 224: A Simple Trick!
Lavender exhaled a puff of smoke, covering about one-tenth of the arena with a thick purple haze. The area engulfed by the smoke emitted a strong, pungent odor.
Greta was the first to bear the brunt of it. As soon as he inhaled the smell, he felt slightly dizzy, his vision blurring as if a glass pane had been smeared with water.
"Damn it! What on earth is this smell? It's so overpowering!"
Initially, Greta was hit by the intense, overwhelming scent, causing him to feel disoriented. Almost immediately, he realized something was wrong—his vision started to blur significantly. His eyes were not just blurry but seemed almost impossible to keep open. Could it be that the smoke was poisonous?
"Not good! This guy is using dirty tricks! It's obvious that this smoke is toxic; I've already lost my vision!"
Greta's face darkened. Despite his attempts to stay vigilant, he had never anticipated that his opponent would resort to such despicable tactics. It was one thing to release a smoke bomb, but to openly use poison was downright shameless!
Yet, despite his anger, he couldn't complain. He knew well that in this preview match, there weren't many strict rules. In fact, the lack of rules was the rule—victory could only be determined if one party surrendered or was rendered unable to fight. Even though he was poisoned, he had no choice but to endure it without any chance to protest.
As Greta realized something was wrong, everyone present noticed his abnormal state. Greta was tightly shutting his eyes, appearing to be in pain and relying solely on his hearing to discern the sounds around him. This behavior naturally raised suspicions among the spectators.
"That's odd. Why is he keeping his eyes closed? It seems like he's relying on his hearing to judge sounds. Could it be that he can't see?"
"Is it because of that smoke the weasel released earlier?"
"It seems likely. Ever since the purple smoke was released, he closed his eyes. That smoke must be toxic!"
"He's definitely been affected!"
The crowd was abuzz with discussions. They quickly realized the ruthless nature of participants from other universes. They would employ any means necessary to win, no matter how extreme. This realization made everyone more vigilant and serious. They understood that while the preview match was only to determine a winner or loser, the upcoming Power Tournament would have real consequences.
"Such despicable behavior! To think he would use poison, and such a potent one at that! Losing the ability to see would definitely put him at a disadvantage."
"What a vile tactic!"
The fighters from Universe 7 were furious, itching to rush in and beat Lavender up. Their hearts burned with anger. However, they were powerless at this moment and could only hope Greta could find a way to win. Otherwise, they would be left with a deep sense of frustration.
Seeing their distress, the Universe 7 fighters started cheering for Greta. Yet their encouragement quickly died down; they knew that Greta, now deprived of sight, was relying on his hearing to discern his opponent's movements. Making too much noise could interfere with his ability to fight effectively.
Their brief support was meant to give Greta a sense of assurance, at least to let him know he had backing. Greta heard their cheers, and a small, involuntary smile formed at the corner of his mouth.
"That's right, this sound... Even if I can't see, it doesn't mean I can't win!"
Greta thought to himself, carefully listening to the sounds around him and capturing every subtle noise indicating someone approaching.
Lavender sneered coldly. He believed that Greta's attempt to locate him by sound was underestimating his speed and strength. Originally, they might have been evenly matched, but now that Greta was at a disadvantage, Lavender saw his chance.
Lavender remained silent, not even taunting his opponent. He knew any sound he made could give away his position. However, he seemed to have overlooked something crucial.
While Greta was indeed poisoned, rendering his eyes useless, he wasn't just relying on his ears. Everyone from Universe 7 had already mastered the technique of sensing energy (Ki control). For them, detecting an opponent's energy was as clear as radar imaging, unless the opponent was a deity. Every living being's energy signature was apparent to them.
As Lavender approached cautiously, a confident smile crept across Greta's face. The closer Lavender got, the more Greta's grin widened. Suddenly, as Lavender closed in, Greta lunged forward, striking with a powerful elbow to Lavender's head before he could react.
In the next instant, Greta unleashed a massive energy blast without hesitation, striking Lavender square in the stomach. With a deafening boom, Lavender was sent crashing into the ground, looking utterly battered and in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock.
This unexpected turn of events stunned everyone present. They had assumed Greta could only rely on sound to fight, thinking that if Lavender stayed silent, he would have the upper hand. This narrow-minded thinking trapped them in their own flawed logic.
Greta burst into hearty laughter, sensing that his opponent had fallen unconscious, evidently having lost the ability to fight. It was a swift and decisive victory.
"Surprised, aren't you? Even though I'm poisoned and my vision is impaired, who said that without sight or hearing, one can't locate their opponent?"
"This is nothing special. We learned these techniques long before we fully matured. Unless you're a god, anyone's energy can be detected!"
"You foolishly assumed that by blinding me, I'd be helpless against you. Just how naive can you be?"