Selene stood gripping her black sword. Then she summoned a roughly chipped, spherical brown crystal that gleamed under the sunlight and pressed it against the sword's pommel.
The crystal merged into the blade, dissolving as the weapon transformed into a deep brown, its surface now shining with an earthy luster.
Draven felt a twinge in his heart at the sight. 'That must be the Hurler Gem. Sigh! What a loss. With my ability, I would have been… no need to cry over spilled milk.'
Turning to the distance, Draven focused on Jude as the mount trudged forward.
It came to a stop at the Haven's gate.
The trio stared at the gathering at the gate. Jude stood in front of a group of equipped teenagers and young adults.
Jude's eyes locked onto Draven first for a moment, then slid to Selene.
"Selene, you should know the rule. You can avoid this battle for three days at most. So you either fight me, or it will automatically be your loss in three days," Jude stated with a confident demeanor, his silver armor glowing under the sunlight. "So, what's it going to be? My default win?"
Selene replied nonchalantly, "Let's get it over with."
Then she dismissed the mount without warning.
Draven lurched, barely catching his balance. He stared at her side profile. 'Hell! She must have done that on purpose.'
"You don't take me seriously?" Jude questioned with squinted eyes.
Selene frowned briefly, then strode forward. The crowd parted in silence.
As she passed Jude without a glance, his scowl deepened. She didn't stop, walking straight into the Haven.
Draven studied her back, hand on his jaw. 'If I were her, I'd only accept this fight for two reasons: either I'm confident I can win even after the monkey drained me, or… I've already recovered. Unless she wants to test the gem with a Third Order Elite, not caring about victory. But Vera made the inner house sound crucial for ascension—'
"Let's go watch," Vera said, snapping him from his thoughts.
Jude led the crowd inside, Vera lingering at the rear. Draven quickened his pace to match hers as they followed. Instead of their usual path, they walked through another route until an imposing structure came into view—a wide, octagonal platform elevated two meters off the ground, its silver surface gleaming.
Selene climbed the steps with deliberate calm. At the top, she stood motionless, her sword angled downward.
Jude stared up at her, then leaped onto the platform, taking his place opposite her. A silver sword materialized in his grasp.
They stood apart, the air thick with anticipation as a hush enveloped the arena. The crowd swelled, pressing tightly around the stage, murmuring speculations about who would emerge victorious. In that moment, Draven caught the whispers and realized that Selene hadn't been a Third Order Transient for long—only two weeks had passed since her ascension.
After a moment, Draven couldn't hold it and whispered, "What are they waiting for?"
A hulking man clad in thick armor stepped forward, a massive axe slung over his shoulder. His voice boomed:
"I am the Council Association representative presiding over this match. You know the rules, but I will still say them to get rid of any excuses when you face the consequences: no use of dangerous class skills, except for gear enhancement. Even dangerous gear skills are forbidden unless they are for enhancement. In short, all insidious and dangerous skills are prohibited. Remember, if caught, you will be banned from entering all the Rank 1 Planes, and it might be the end of your ascension."
His gaze swept between the fighters. "Are you ready?"
Selene gave a slight nod while Jude raised his sword to a battle stance.
Draven quickly watched the stage.
The man yelled again, "Remember the rules: If you fall off the platform, you lose. If you surrender, you lose. Attacking after your opponent surrenders, and you will be disqualified and banned from the Plane. Understood?"
Both nodded, eyes locked.
"FIGHT!!!"
Jude lunged at the sound, his sword swinging at her.
Selene remained still, watching the sword drawing closer.
Just as it was about to connect, she flicked her wrist. Her sword blurred, crashing against Jude's with a force that sent him stumbling back.
Jude regained his footing after a short stagger. He eyed Selene warily, his gaze stealthily observing her sword.
'That speed…' Draven's pulse quickened. 'Hell! Third Orders really dwarf the Second Order Transient, but…' He lowered his eyes, regarding Vera. 'How did she keep up with a Third Order Transient? Is she already a Third Order? If she's my classmate, then she came at the same time as me. So how? Is it Selene's help? Also—'
The rapid metallic clangs tore his attention back.
The fight had erupted into a brutal frenzy.
Strike after strike, their swords clashed in a feverish blur, thunderous clangs echoing rapid as war drums.
Jude was flitting back and forth, darting left and right, slashing and thrusting at Selene. Selene countered all these attacks with a swift swing.
'This aggressiveness… do they want to kill each other? I can barely see them.'
Draven concentrated, straining to track Jude's movements. All he could perceive was a blur of rapid motion. But he refused to give up, watching the deadly battle. As his mind entered a state of hyper-focus, he surprisingly managed to lock onto Jude's figure, even though he couldn't see his movements clearly.
Draven watched with bated breath.
Jude feinted left, then spun to her flank, sword slicing toward her waist. She deflected with an upward flick of her blade, then countered with a lightning-fast stab. Jude ducked—her blade grazed his hair—but before he could recover, she reversed her grip and hacked downward.
A sickening clang echoed as Jude intercepted, his blade locked awkwardly above his back. Before he could recover, Selene's leg whipped out.
Jude twisted and swerved aside. A fraction later, her boot wheezed past where his head had been.
And in that split second of evasion, Jude exploded forward, lunging with a speed that surpassed anything he had shown before, his sword thrusting in a silver flash toward Selene's neck.
'Damn!' Draven cursed, his mind racing not with the battle, but with the thought of how powerful Jude would become if he gained the house.