I woke up early, when the cold mist still hung in the air and the damp smell of earth hadn't yet been overtaken by my own stench.
Today… was the quarterfinal.
My steps were slow as I entered the arena.
The children hid at their observation points, camouflaged with stone and fog techniques.
I sent a subtle vibration to signal them—stay hidden, and don't intervene unless things go truly wrong.
**My opponent today: Sordeg.**
A tall, thin monster with a silhouette like a shadow wrapped in gray bandages. His eyes were empty, but his movements were fast.
He was known for using air-pressure magic and manipulating sound waves.
> "You… make no sound. But your stench is deafening," he whispered.
I didn't answer. No words were needed—Titan Stench would speak for me.
A massive black hand extended from my back.
This time, two hands at once, more solid, more alive.
They pulsed with a slow but deep frequency, as if ready to crush anything they touched.
The battle began with a blast of wind from Sordeg.
A shockwave hit me, launching my body backward.
But I rolled quickly, regained my balance, and retaliated by hurling a rock using Titan Stench.
Sordeg dodged and dashed toward me, his bandages extending like whips.
I deployed Titan Stench as a shield — a hardened clump of foul fog to absorb the blows.
But his sonic magic pierced through, making my shell vibrate violently.
> "You… are cracking," Sordeg whispered.
It was true. A small crack had started forming on my left side.
I focused Titan Stench's energy downward and outward, forming structures like extra bones.
Titan Stench was no longer just hands—
It became an external skeleton, a foul shadow armor.
I leapt forward — something that was once impossible.
**BAM!**
Titan Stench's hand slammed into Sordeg, but his body blurred.
He manipulated the surrounding space with pressure magic.
I was thrown again—
But I had learned: **Klou space, active!**
I forcibly absorbed some of the air pressure into my internal storage, reducing the impact.
Sordeg was shocked.
That was my chance.
I drove the **Burning Titan Stench Spear**—the one I forged yesterday—into his shoulder.
For the first time… he screamed.
> "You're… not just stench. You… are a threat."
I breathed slowly.
The spear wasn't meant to kill—only to show that I could no longer be underestimated.
---
Moments later, Sordeg collapsed unconscious.
His body was carried out of the arena by officials.
The crowd was silent at first, then a roar of cheers exploded across the air.
> "STENCH GOLEM WINS AGAIN!"
> "WHAT WAS THAT?! THAT SPEAR WAS INSANE!"
> "STENCH GOLEM IS IN THE TOP FOUR!!"
I tried to smile, though my body was growing weak.
Titan Stench started fading—dissolving like a shadow under the sun.
My energy was draining.
The children greeted me as I exited the arena.
Belang rushed to support me.
> "Dad… you're cracked again," he said quietly.
> "It's fine. This… is the price of growth," I replied.
I looked up at the sky and whispered:
> "The sky is cracking too. Not the real sky…
> but the world that believed stench was only shame."
---
**End of Chapter Note:**
This battle marks the beginning of the Top 8 (Quarterfinal) stage of the Govart City Tournament.
From hundreds of participants, only four remain to advance to the Semifinals.
And this rotten egg… is still standing.