Chapter 7: The Duel of Shadows
The morning sun barely pierced the academy towers.
Word of last night's shadow dungeon and Rift Beast incident had spread like wildfire.
Students whispered in the halls.
Eyes followed me wherever I went.
Not admiration. Fear. Curiosity. Danger.
[Fear Detected: 102 individuals]
+102 Sin Points
The system hummed in my mind, almost eager.
The academy announced an unscheduled duel trial.
It was meant to gauge the "top newcomers," though I was already being watched closely.
I arrived at the arena to see Darius Valecrest and the water affinity girl from yesterday, both chosen as participants.
Darius smirked.
"Shadow boy. You'll lose if you're not careful."
I allowed a faint smile.
"You're overconfident. That's your first mistake."
The barrier sealed.
[System Alert: Duel Commencing]
Darius lunged first. Fire streaked toward me.
I vanished using Abyss Step, reappearing behind him.
Instead of striking, I whispered softly:
"Patience is everything."
He stumbled slightly, unsure if he had been struck.
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
The water affinity girl stepped forward, calm and precise.
A wave of water formed around her, creating illusions of multiple attackers.
I smiled faintly.
[System Alert: Shadow Merge Applicable]
Shadows around me flowed like liquid.
I mirrored her illusions, turning them against her.
The crowd gasped.
She stumbled, confused by her own reflection.
Darius roared, flames bursting outward.
I melted into shadows again, this time merging with the darkness in the arena itself.
The fire passed harmlessly through me.
[System Alert: Shadow Manipulation Mastery Increased]
With a single step, I reappeared on the platform's edge.
Darius and the girl were cornered.
I didn't strike.
Instead, I raised a finger.
"Yield," I said calmly.
"Not because I am stronger. But because you cannot even see the battlefield properly."
The duel ended. Not with death. Not with humiliation.
With pure strategic dominance.
Across the arena, golden eyes glimmered.
Caelum Ardent.
He didn't step forward.
He didn't move.
But he was observing—calculating.
[Hero Analysis Updated: Shadow Strategy Detected]
Probability of direct future confrontation: 85%
I allowed the crowd to murmur.
Fear and curiosity were building.
The system purred in my mind.
+68 Sin Points
Later, in the quiet of the library, the shadows whispered.
"You are attracting attention."
I knew who it was.
Ancient Entity.
"Do you realize how fragile your path is?"
I smiled faintly, fingers tracing the Codex glyphs.
"Yes," I whispered.
"And yet… I will walk it anyway."
That night, as I returned to the dormitory, a note was slipped under my door.
"Meet me at the rooftop. Someone wants to speak to you… about the Academy's hidden factions."
I paused.
The first step into the politics of the academy.
The first real test beyond duels, beyond shadows.
And I welcomed it.