The moment the system message appeared, everything became clear.
Not clearer.
Worse.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Final Evaluation Phase Initiated
Only one strategist may claim the reward
Adrián Veyra didn't slow down.
But his mind did something else entirely.
It split.
One part tracked the monster its speed, its trajectory, its evolving attack patterns. The other focused entirely on the man beside him.
Because now, finally…
The real game had begun.
The Level 8 monster lunged, faster than ever before. Its movement was no longer reactive it was predictive. It was anticipating both of them, adjusting mid-motion as if it could read their intentions.
Adrián shifted slightly to the right.
The stranger moved left.
Perfect spacing.
Perfect balance.
Still synchronized.
But no longer aligned.
Adrián could feel it.
The difference was subtle, but absolute.
Before, they were cooperating.
Now, they were competing.
The monster slammed into the ground, barely missing them. The impact sent shockwaves through the street, cracking the remaining structures nearby.
Dust filled the air again.
Noise. Chaos. Distortion.
A perfect battlefield for betrayal.
Adrián moved first.
Not toward the monster.
Toward position.
He angled his movement to control space, forcing both the monster and the other strategist into overlapping zones of conflict.
The stranger noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
"You're already positioning," he said.
"You're already reacting," Adrián replied.
A faint smile.
Acknowledged.
They both accelerated.
The monster roared again, charging with even more aggression. Its attacks were no longer wide and inefficient. They were precise. Targeted.
Dangerous.
Adrián ducked under a sweeping strike, rolling forward instead of backward. At the same time, the stranger vaulted over a piece of debris, using elevation to maintain distance.
Opposite approaches.
Same goal.
Control.
Adrián grabbed a piece of rebar mid-roll and flung it toward a cracked support column behind the monster.
Not enough to break it.
But enough to weaken it further.
The stranger saw it instantly.
"You're setting up the environment."
"You're already factoring it in."
The monster turned sharply, reacting to both of them at once.
Too fast.
Too aggressive.
Too focused.
Good.
Adrián adjusted his movement again, this time deliberately exposing a slight opening.
A mistake.
A small one.
But visible.
The monster took it immediately, lunging straight toward him.
And for a fraction of a second
So did the other strategist.
There it is.
Adrián's eyes sharpened.
He didn't dodge immediately.
He waited.
Half a second.
A dangerous amount of time.
Enough.
The monster committed fully to the attack.
The stranger adjusted his trajectory mid-movement slightly too fast.
Slightly too eager.
Adrián moved.
Not away.
Sideways.
At the exact angle needed to force both paths monster and strategist to intersect.
The result was instant.
The monster's claw tore through the space where Adrián had been
And collided directly with the other player's path.
The stranger twisted mid-air, barely avoiding a direct hit, but the forced adjustment broke his perfect rhythm.
Not a defeat.
But a disruption.
Exactly what Adrián wanted.
"Cheap," the man muttered, landing smoothly.
"Effective," Adrián replied.
The monster roared again, frustrated, its movements becoming sharper but less stable. It was adapting too quickly now, pushing its own limits.
Which meant…
It would make mistakes.
Adrián moved again, faster this time, pushing the pace beyond what the monster could comfortably track.
The stranger followed, matching speed.
Still close.
Still dangerous.
Still a threat.
Good.
Adrián redirected the monster once more, guiding it toward the weakened structure from before. The cracks had spread further now. One more impact would be enough.
The monster lunged.
Adrián sidestepped.
The stranger hesitated.
Just for a fraction of a second.
Not enough to fail.
But enough to notice.
Fatigue.
Mental, not physical.
He's starting to slow.
Adrián accelerated.
He closed the distance to the structure, striking the weakened point with precise force.
The column shattered.
The upper section collapsed
Straight onto the monster.
The impact was massive, the sound echoing through the entire street.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Massive Damage Dealt
XP Gained: 800
The monster roared, trapped again but this time, deeper. Its movements were slower now, its adaptations lagging behind.
Critical damage.
This was the moment.
Adrián stepped forward.
So did the stranger.
Both of them knew.
This was the end.
One move left.
One decision.
One winner.
They stopped.
Just a few meters apart.
The monster struggled behind them, its movements weakening.
Neither of them looked at it.
Only at each other.
"You planned that," the stranger said quietly.
"Partially."
"You forced me into that position."
"You let yourself be forced."
A pause.
Then
A small laugh.
"Fair."
Silence settled between them again.
Heavy.
Final.
"You know how this ends," the stranger said.
Adrián nodded slightly.
"Yeah."
No more words.
No more testing.
No more observation.
The next move would decide everything.
The stranger moved first.
Fast.
Direct.
No hesitation.
Adrián moved at the same time.
But not to attack.
To redirect.
He stepped slightly to the side, raising his arm just enough to alter the angle of engagement.
The stranger adjusted instantly
And that was the mistake.
Because Adrián had already predicted that adjustment.
He wasn't reacting anymore.
He was executing.
Their paths crossed.
For a fraction of a second
Everything aligned.
Then broke.
The stranger staggered back one step.
Just one.
But enough.
Enough to lose initiative.
Enough to lose control.
Enough.
Adrián didn't press the attack.
He didn't need to.
The system had already decided.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Evaluation Complete
The street went silent.
Even the monster stopped moving.
Time itself seemed to pause.
Then
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Dominant Strategist Confirmed
A brief delay.
And then
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Reward Granted: Skill Acquired
Adrián's eyes flickered slightly as the information began to load.
But before he could process it
A new message appeared.
Unexpected.
Unwanted.
[HIDDEN SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Secondary Condition Met
Adrián froze.
That… wasn't part of the evaluation.
Slowly, he lifted his gaze.
The stranger was still standing.
Still conscious.
Still smiling.
"You really thought that was it?" he said softly.
Adrián didn't answer.
Because for the first time
Something didn't add up.
The system… had made a mistake.
Or worse.
It had lied.