NOVEL WEB Chapter 133: Duels (2)
It was fast—very fast. Leslie's match was against a young girl with black hair. The moment the supervisor gave the signal to start, Leslie's figure vanished in a flash of yellow light, and within seconds her opponent was thrown out of the ring...The poor girl didn't even stand a chance; she fainted on the spot. Leslie didn't even glance back at her, simply walking away slowly in another direction. As she stepped down from the ring, she left without saying a single word.
"Well… that was incredible, wasn't it?"Daniela smiled, apparently feeling a boost of confidence from watching her friend defeat her opponent so easily.
Evelyn nodded, shifting her gaze toward the door where Leslie had just exited. A bright smile spread across her face as she walked faster and came up to me, her eyes sparkling with expectation—it was clear what she wanted.
Smiling, I gently stroked her head. She beamed, closing her eyes with delight. Beside me, I noticed Evelyn pouting slightly, so I used my other hand to pat her head too. As for Daniela...
"..."
"I don't have more hands..." I thought to myself, offering her an embarrassed smile. She sighed and crossed her arms.
[Special Event!]
[Force Ariel Ironforge to use her Unique Skill: Dragon's Intent!]
[Reward: 50 Skill Points]
[Failure: Nothing]
Staring at the screen, I remained silent. It had been so long since I'd seen the system that I had almost forgotten about it... well, just a little. Frowning, I repeated the words to myself: "Dragon's Intent."
Unlike regular aura techniques, Dragon's Intent is a unique ability exclusive to dragons. The stronger the dragon, the more powerful the ability. In fact, this is the very skill that the Dragon Progenitor uses to command all dragons.
"50 skill points."That's a lot of points for a single reward, especially considering I only have:
[Corruption Level 1] [20/100]
This is actually the first time I've received a mission of this type. Usually, my level would just increase automatically, as if the system wanted me to be prepared for something... Glancing subtly at Leslie and Evelyn, both of them must already be Level 50, while I'm still stuck at Level 40.
It's worth mentioning that they level up passively. How? The answer is simple: their souls passively absorb the energy radiated by the Seraphim, using it to strengthen their bodies, mana, and minds. It's honestly a broken cheat—a stroke of luck that many would kill for, considering the risks involved.
"I wonder what will happen when I reach Level 50..."Thinking to myself... Now that I think about it:
Objectives:[Leslie Violet Rose (The Fourth Seraphim)] [Status: Sealed][Corruption Level: 10%] [Fourth Seraphim: Sealed (3%)]
[Evelyn Red Rose (Third Seraphim)] [Status: Sealed][Corruption Level: 10%]
[Daniela Von Benedetto (The Masochistic Saint!)][Corruption Level: 15%]
Looking at their corruption levels, I still don't really have a clear idea of how to fully use this ability..."I guess my mastery is still too low."So far, I've only had the chance to corrupt Daniela slightly. Shaking my head, I turned my gaze back to the screen.
Ten of us had already fought—six had won, and four had lost. Not a bad result. It had been two hours since Leslie's match. After her, the rest were all minor characters. Our group—Leslie, Evelyn, Daniela, Beatrice, Adrian, Elias, Olivia, and myself—hadn't fought yet. I guess Professor Emilia was saving us for the end, to make the finale more exciting.
*****
Adrian adjusted his glasses. Dashing forward at full speed, his body vanished in a soft glow...
He reappeared right behind a student, slashing his sword. The boy quickly turned around, trying to defend himself, but clumsily took the full hit, staggering back several steps. He clenched his teeth, gripping his sword tighter and glaring grimly at Adrian before charging toward him again.
Meanwhile, Olivia stepped backward, leaving small puddles of water wherever she passed. With a navy-blue wand in hand, she conjured balls of water and fired them repeatedly at her opponent.
The young girl, also a mage, muttered a few words before placing her hands on the ground. Earth sprang up, quickly compacting into a defensive wall.
Olivia's eyes sparkled. The scattered water puddles on the ground began to slither like snakes, crawling toward the earthen wall, which soon collapsed and turned into mud. Not missing the opportunity, Olivia raised her hands, and an enormous ball of water began to form in the air. She smiled as she saw the desperate look in her opponent's eyes.
On another ring, Beatrice tightly gripped the daggers in her hands. Her body glowed with a soft green light. Taking a step forward, she flung one of her daggers, following right behind it.
Just before the dagger clashed against her opponent's sword, it transformed into a green substance that coated the blade. Within seconds, the sword disintegrated like paper. The brown-haired boy let out a muffled curse and, looking down, met Beatrice's glowing green eyes as she exhaled a quiet sigh.
Adrian was already a tough opponent by nature. His unique ability, [Teleportation], allowed his body to jump from place to place in an instant. He could appear behind you one second, then right in front of you the next. It was complete chaos trying to predict where Adrian would show up.
Add to that his swordsmanship and sharp mind, and the odds weren't looking good for his opponent. The student was clearly frustrated, and the constant injuries and fatigue were starting to take their toll on him. It was only a matter of time before he collapsed or surrendered—one of the two was bound to happen.
As for Adrian, his mana reserves couldn't be too high by now... Looking closely...
"It's a battle of endurance, but the advantage is clearly Adrian's," Leslie said, watching the screen.
I agreed with her. On another screen, Olivia's ring was almost entirely covered by a thin layer of water. Small water spikes were constantly attacking the earthen dome her opponent was desperately using for protection. Olivia's control over her element was seriously impressive.
The dome finally exploded, sending chunks of earth flying into the air, which immediately reshaped into spears heading straight toward Olivia. But her eyes gleamed; the water on the ground lifted, and hundreds of droplets floated midair, as if it were raining—but frozen in place.
Lastly, Beatrice's fight had turned into a close-quarters brawl. Even though her opponent's sword had been dissolved by her venom, he was still trying to defend himself with a short blade he had at his side.
The fight was entirely in Beatrice's favor. Even though she was an assassin, she had plenty of experience with hand-to-hand combat. Plus, her daggers weren't ordinary—they were coated in layers of venom. I had no idea what kind of poison she was using, but judging by her opponent's labored breathing, it couldn't be anything good.