The Knight from the Shing Shing guild bit his lip. The outcome of the first duel was clear, and now, even winning wouldn't recover the loss. Everything—the attention, the situation—had been taken by the small girl. Her movements and expressions were dripping with arrogance, as if she looked down on everyone from above.
"I'll do it."
The next words escaped the Knight's mouth. There was no retreating now.
He was in a precarious position, akin to being on the back of a tiger—he couldn't dismount without risking everything. The only way out was to fight until either the girl was satisfied or she was defeated. If not for the watching crowd, he might have run away. But with everything exposed, retreating was not an option.
He drew his weapon.
A large shield paired with a short sword, the same gear as the Paladin who had been defeated earlier.
"You've got this, right?" JiMin's nervous gaze fell upon the Knight.
He nodded, even though his mind was clouded by the fog of doubt. Love often blinds people, not just their eyes but their judgment. He told himself he could win. He had to win. He had shown off his skills countless times before; this was no different. His eyes shifted toward the Paladin, still sitting in a daze, stripped of his gear, with no guildmates offering comfort.
"Let's begin."
A flag dropped from the sky. The duel's conditions were the same as before.
Yeon frowned. Her head was pounding, the burning sensation in her mind becoming stronger with each fight. The more she relied on her instincts, the more intense the feeling became. Her vision blurred for a moment, but she kept pushing forward. It was this very ability that had allowed her to perform the impossible, like launching herself into the air using Charge. She had simply felt it would work—and it did.
This instinctual feeling had always been part of her gaming experience. Every gamer has moments where they think, 'I can do this'. But Yeon's certainty was overwhelming, flowing through her like an undeniable force.
"You daydreaming?"
Suddenly, a white slash from the Knight's sword was upon her. Yeon moved instinctively, narrowly avoiding the strike as if she had anticipated it all along. Her body, guided by raw instincts, immediately countered, her sword striking upward in a swift motion.
Clang!
She deflected the Knight's sword, but his shield still posed a problem. Large shields were a nuisance, but this fight wasn't the same as the previous one.
Yeon channeled a divine light into her sword, activating [Holy Blessing].
Her weapon glowed, radiating the unique moonlight effect from her Ridge series gear, merging with the divine power to create a surreal sight. The buff strengthened her attacks, but it wouldn't have worked against a Paladin, whose passive skill [Unwavering Faith] reduced holy damage by 50%.
But her opponent wasn't a Paladin. He was a Knight, and Yeon's attacks weren't hindered by any skills.
Golden light erupted from her blade as she launched swift and precise attacks.
Her talent was undeniable—Yeon was a prodigy. Every strike was calculated, her distance perfectly maintained to ensure her opponent couldn't land a blow.
The Knight's face twisted in frustration. He hadn't felt this pressured since he fought against a tournament-ranked player.
Her relentless barrage left him with no room to breathe, just like the seasoned pros he had faced before.
He realized he needed to take the offensive. If he kept defending, his health would be whittled away until there was nothing left. He had to strike back.
Bang!
The Knight slammed his shield into the ground, activating [Shield Smash].
The shockwave triggered debuffs on Yeon, reducing her damage and increasing the damage she took.
But the golden flurry of her sword didn't stop.
The Knight activated his defensive buffs, [Iron Wall] and [Steel Skin]. His body was surrounded by shimmering effects that reduced the damage he took, making Yeon's strikes less effective.
He lowered his shield, ready to counterattack. With his defenses in place, it was time to go on the offensive. His sword swung toward Yeon, his body lunging forward.
This time, it was Yeon who was being pushed back.
The Knight slammed his shield into the ground activating [Shield Train] and sending another shockwave toward Yeon.
But instead of retreating, Yeon dashed forward.
The Knight's eyes gleamed. He thought she was trying to use the same tactic as before, jumping off his shield to gain the upper hand. He wasn't going to fall for it. He angled his shield to the side, denying her a foothold, even though it left him exposed. It didn't matter, she would be stunned by his shockwave.
But Yeon kept moving. Her goal wasn't to use the shield. She activated [Charge], her body engulfed in a brilliant blue aura as she powered through the shockwave.
Her health took a hit from the damage, but she wasn't stunned.
She was too close for [Charge] to reach its full potential, but that didn't matter.
Bam!
Yeon's shoulder collided with the Knight's torso. At such close range, the impact was more like a body slam. The Knight looked down at the small girl in shock, fear flickering in his eyes. Her golden eyes glowed as she met his gaze.
Crash!
A golden pillar of light erupted from beneath Yeon, her sword cleaving upward, shattering the Knight's helmet and slicing through his skull.
The crack started at his chin, splitting his head apart as the duel ended.
The second victory was hers.
The duel system immediately stripped the Knight of his gear, leaving him sitting on the ground in white clothes, just like the Paladin before him.
Spectators hurried to capture the scene, cameras clicking and recording the moment.
The atmosphere grew tense as it became clear that the Shing Shing guild was losing badly.
"This... this can't be happening..." JiMin's lips trembled. The two people she had trusted the most had fallen. That girl was impossibly strong.
JiMin was a skilled player herself, and even through her jealousy, resentment, and anger, she could recognize Yeon's talent. But those emotions clouded her judgment, preventing her from acknowledging it fully.
"O... Oppa..." JiMin turned to the next guildmate, a mage dressed in a blue robe who stepped forward, ready for the next fight.
"It's my turn," the mage declared without shame.
It was a battle of endurance now. Every gamer knows the exhaustion that comes with long hours of intense play. The mage believed that the small girl had to be tired by now, that her sharp reflexes and precision would have dulled. Everyone thought the same. Victory was already in sight.
But Yeon's expression didn't change. A flag dropped from the sky, signaling the start of yet another duel. Her cold, composed eyes showed no sign of weakness.
She had complete faith in herself. No matter how exhausted she was, she believed she could win again.
That instinct, that ability—it pushed Yeon forward.
The mage immediately cast [Mana Barrier], enveloping himself in a protective shield. A moment later, he blinked away using [Blink], teleporting a short distance to create space.
For mages, maintaining distance was key in a fight against melee opponents.
A blue arrow shot toward Yeon. It was Ice Arrow, a spell that slowed the target's movement on hit.
Yeon recalled her past experiences, dodging to the side with smooth, graceful movements.
In this world, much had changed, one of the biggest changes being that all skills had become non-targeting. In the old days, as a mage, you could lock onto a target and spam your spells. Now, it was all about skill.
Had she been playing with a mouse and keyboard, Yeon would have been hit by the Ice Arrow for sure. But here, she could see the trajectory of every attack, and her body instinctively reacted, dodging each shot with ease.
The mage fired off five more Ice Arrows, spreading them in a wide arc to predict Yeon's movements.
Her mind burned white-hot, but her body moved as if by muscle memory. She jumped, twisting in midair with an acrobatic grace that defied logic, narrowly dodging every arrow.
No one could believe it. But not a single arrow hit her.
As soon as Yeon landed, her body was enveloped in a blue aura once again.
[Charge]
The unstoppable small figure shot forward at blinding speed.
In a split second, the mage glanced toward a distant spot on the battlefield. He blinked again, teleporting away at the last moment.
Yeon's [Charge] couldn't be stopped once activated, and now her back was exposed to the mage.
However, just as the mage raised his staff to cast another spell, his eyes widened in shock.
Despite blinking to safety, how was she still closing in?
Bam!
Yeon's shoulder shattered the mage's barrier, stunning him. He was completely defenseless.
The mage scanned the battlefield frantically and finally understood what had happened.
The ground around them was torn up. Yeon had used her sword to dig into the earth, altering her [Charge] trajectory mid-skill. It was an advanced move that only someone of her caliber could pull off.
The mage had skill and talent in controlling the battlefield, but Yeon was simply better.
A golden slash cut through the mage, ending the duel.
He was used to defeat, having been cut down in countless duels in the arena. But this was different. The overwhelming feeling of helplessness... he knew he couldn't beat her, no matter how many times they fought.
As the mage's body crumbled, the duel system took his items.
Yeon's inventory swelled with loot, her sword gleaming as she swung it through the air, scattering light in all directions.
"Next."
But no one stepped forward.
The remaining Shing Shing members had quietly slipped away.
JiMin was left standing alone.
She couldn't believe it. She looked around, realizing her guildmates had abandoned her.
"Are you alone?" Yeon asked, her voice cutting through the crowd.
JiMin's eyes darted around, panic setting in. The light drained from her eyes.
"Should I let you go?" Yeon offered, her voice almost mocking.
JiMin nodded, fear overpowering her pride. She wanted to run.
But then the flag dropped from the sky.
"No," Yeon said coldly.
The crowd watched in stunned silence. JiMin couldn't flee now, not with everyone watching. To save face, she had to accept the duel.
Reluctantly, she agreed.
Moments later, Yeon's sword swung again, and the Priestess's head was severed in a single strike.