[Opponent: GoldenLineage]
[Rank: Challenger (Rank 1)]
[W/R Ratio: 321–1 (99%)]
Looking at its win rate, I knew this wouldn't be easy like the other duels I had taken part in. However, there was one thing I was curious about… who had GoldenLineage lost to?
"Still, that was the last appearance I expected."
GoldenLineage had the Angel preset. In fact, she practically seemed like Ala's clone. But I knew you could change your appearance to whatever you wanted in here, which meant GoldenLineage could be a man or a woman.
"Are you really a woman?" I asked bluntly. "How come you accepted my friend request?"
She just smiled at me.
"What type of map do you want?"
"You're letting me choose?"
The type of map was a very big advantage depending on your affinities. But if she felt this confident, there had to be a reason.
"I'll take the underground type."
"Alright."
[Map Selection Completed]
[Map Type: Underground]
[Teleportation in 3...2...1...]
"Good luck."
In the very next moment, I found myself in a similar cave as before. However, it wouldn't be as easy as before. I waited for the five-second cooldown to pass and immediately dashed forward, taking as much space as possible.
I had no idea what GoldenLineage was capable of. But as long as I took her by surprise, then I'd have the advantage.
[Shadow Manipulation]
[Shadow Manipulation]
[Shadow Manipulation]
I kept teleporting ahead without any rest, making use of my unlimited mana reserves.
Usually, using [Shadow Manipulation] only once would deplete most of the mana reserves of a B-Rank Mana Core. But that wasn't a limitation for me.
"Where is she?" I thought to myself as I was getting closer and closer to her spawn point.
But that's when I saw her, standing still right at her spawn. She had not moved since the duel began.
"Is she underestimating me because of my rank?"
I shrugged and used [Shadow Manipulation] once more, appearing right behind her. But just before I activated it, I decided against it. She was looking at me, dead in the eyes.
"She's capable of following my movements through the shadows? Is her strength also the Darkness Affinity?"
I doubted it. However, there was a slight possibility for it to be the case. Based on her win-rate ratio, her affinities' ranks had to be very high, probably A or S-Rank, which was already much higher than mine.
"Why didn't you use [Shadow Manipulation]?" she suddenly asked, tilting her head.
I stayed quiet, shocked. "How did she know that I could use it?"
GoldenLineage had no information about me whatsoever except that I have the Darkness Affinity. But for her to look so convinced of herself, I could tell there was something else here.
The more I looked at her, the more she felt impossible to defeat. No matter the scenarios I would create in my head, none of them seemed to work. It was like she could read my mind.
"Are you not going to attack me?" she asked, still grinning as she opened her arms wide, leaving herself wide open.
"How can she be so confident?"
I shook my head and decided to go through with it.
I tightened my hold on my dagger and propelled myself forward with the help of the cave wall. But then, just as I was about to be at arm's length, I used [Shadow Manipulation], teleporting right behind her.
I swung my dagger as fast as I could toward her nape. However, just like I had expected, even such a feint wasn't enough.
Without even looking in my direction, she grabbed my wrist tightly and forced the dagger out of my hand.
"Nice try. You almost had me there."
I sighed.
She was taunting me. I was nowhere close to beating her. She had completely overwhelmed me, and the worst part was the fact that she had not taken a single step forward since the beginning of our fight.
"How did you know I'd make a feint? If you had guessed incorrectly, I would have won."
She shrugged. "It seemed obvious from the look in your eyes. You're not as good at sneaking up on people as you might have thought."
Hearing her critique my abilities, I couldn't help but frown.
"Who are you?"
"Who do you think?"
I closed my eyes, trying to deduce who this individual could be. I also knew that GoldenLineage could be a man, even if her appearance was that of a woman.
"Are you a noble?"
She tilted her head. "Maybe."
"An important one?"
If only she had used her affinities, it would have given me an idea. But she had beaten me without even needing to—that was how far I was from her.
"How about this. Let's have a duel once every month inside this game. When you finally beat me, I will tell you who I am."
"Really?"
She didn't reply, but her silence was enough for me to understand that she was serious.
Then, just as she was about to give the final blow so this duel would end, she whispered in my ear, "And please take care of my daughter inside the Royal Academy..."
Before I could even attempt to ask a question, my vision turned black and I was back inside the endless white space with the usual messages.
[You have lost your first match. However, due to the difference in rank, it won't affect it.]
[W/R Ratio: 5–1 (83%)]
I dismissed the messages as soon as they appeared, my mind solely focused on her last sentence.
I had so many questions but so few answers.
"Does she know who I am? How does she know I'm part of the Royal Academy? Why does she think I know her daughter? Is that why she approached me?"
My mind began heading in all kinds of directions. However, no matter how hard I tried to contact GoldenLineage, I didn't get any response. I even tried asking Ala, but she was as clueless as I was.
"I don't even know what her real appearance is..."