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chapter 335




Kang Oh reserved a room at Viyoom Inn, a place he visited when he needed to meet people, and invited Bart there.
Once it was time, the door opened and Bart came inside.
The Genius Gamer and Crazy Highschooler, Bart! He was ranked 6th amongst the Numbers. Since he was a famous individual, he came in wearing sunglasses.
“It’s been a while.” Kang Oh extended his hand.
“Indeed.”
“Please sit over here.”
Bart sat down, and Kang Oh passed him some fruit juice he’d prepared beforehand.
“Please drink this.”
“Thank you.” Bart smiled slightly and drank the juice. “Kyaha, this is great!” He wiped his lips with the back of his hand and stared at Kang Oh. “So, what do you need?”
“I have a question for you,” Kang Oh said.
“What kind of question?”
“The Doppelganger on the 50th floor of the Tower of Trials.”
“Ah, that guy.”
“Do you know how to beat it?”
“Maybe.” Bart shrugged his shoulders.
Bart hadn’t been able to defeat the 50th floor Doppelganger. He was even televised at the time. However, Kang Oh believed that Bart defeated the Doppelganger after his TV appearance.
“It’s already been 3 months since you lost to the Doppelganger.”
“So?”
“Isn’t 3 months plenty of time to go back and kill the Doppelganger?”
Bart smirked.
‘As expected.’ Once he saw Bart’s smirk, he knew he was right; Bart had already defeated the Doppelganger.
“How do you beat it?”
“Why do I have to tell you? If you’re that curious, then find out yourself,” Bart said.
“I already fought the Doppelganger. I couldn’t beat it, so I retreated… I have a rough idea as to what I need to do.”
“And that is?”
“I have plenty of methods I could try. For example, strength in large numbers. Fight it with a team.”
The Doppelganger could copy a person’s abilities. When faced with two or more people, it would split itself and copy its enemies. Even so, the Doppelganger could be defeated using a combination of good teamwork, focus fire, and a sound plan.
“Hmm.” Bart’s expression clearly said, ‘That’s not a bad plan.’.
“What if you’re alone? If there’s any change in its target, then it reverts to its original form to match that change. You could use that opportunity to strike. There are several other methods out there.”
“Those sound fine. Why don’t you try them?” Bart said absentmindedly. ‘It doesn’t concern me. Do whatever you want.’
“I’m curious as to how you defeated it. And I want to know whether the Doppelganger has anything I should look out for or any unique characteristics.”
“For free?’
“What do you want in exchange?”
“Despia. I saw your footage. It looks like a fun place. It’s like an amusement park.” Bart grinned.
“You want way too much in exchange.”
‘He wants a ticket to Despia in exchange for information on the Doppelganger? No thanks!’
“There’s nothing else I really want. Do you have an item that might interest me?” Bart said.
“Let’s have a duel.”
Kang Oh and Bart had fought twice.
The first time they’d fought was as mercenaries in the western grasslands. The second time was when Kang Oh wanted Bart to join his Lich Eclipse raid team.
Kang Oh had ‘lost’ the first fight. To be more specific, it was clear that Kang Oh was bound to lose, but Bart left before finishing the fight.
The second time, Kang Oh fought him to get him on his raid team. Kang Oh won the second match by using Burkan’s secret move, Transcendent Blade. They were at one win, one loss.
“If I win, you’ll take me to Despia?” Bart asked.
“But if I win, you give me the information I want, and you owe me a favor. You’ll work for me without pay.”
“Fine!”
Both of them grinned. They were confident that they’d win.
* * *
There was a giant gymnasium underneath Eder’s mansion that wasn’t often used. A healer like Eder wouldn’t have a use for it! Thus, it’d been a while since anyone had last been there!
This place had two unexpected guests. It was none other than Bart and Kang Oh.
“Alright then, do as you wish.” Eder led them to the gymnasium, waved his hand, and then left.
The two stood a certain distance apart, and stared at each other.
Kang Oh drew Blood.
Bart pulled out a small dagger. There was a character inscribed on the dagger, which glowed with purple light.
[Bart has challenged you to a duel. Would you like to accept?]
[If you accept, the duel will begin immediately.]
[Whoever’s HP falls below 10% first will be the loser.]
“Accept,” Kang Oh said curtly.
[The duel has begun!]
Bart made the first move.
His class was called Creator! It was a hidden class that allowed him to use various skills/spells, and combine them into a more powerful form. Which meant that he had more ways of attacking from afar than a Demonic Swordsman like Kang Oh!
Whir.
His dagger glowed with yellow light.
Tempest Slash!
Bart softly swung his dagger, unleashing a sharp, horizontal blast of energy. It gradually came closer and closer, but Kang Oh didn’t back down. He took it head-on.
“Haahp!” Kang Oh cried out, and swung Blood upwards.
Swish!
Tempest Slash and his swing formed a cross. Then, the Tempest Slash glimmered like silver powder and disappeared.
Right after, a green ring appeared beneath Kang Oh’s feet. Danger! His feet felt cold, so he immediately kicked off the floor and leapt into the air.
Mother Nature’s Prison!
It was a basic Dryad spell!
Tough vines arose from the circle and attempted to bind him, but it didn’t work. Kang Oh was already in the air.
Bart pointed his dagger at him.
Light’s Judgment!
This was a unique spell that priests of the God of Light, Garuda, used! Iridescent orbs of light fell from the sky.
Bam!
Kang Oh got hit by the spell and plummeted to the ground.
Thump!
Once he hit the floor, the gym’s accumulated dust rose into the air.
Bart raised his dagger into the air, and a giant flaming spear appeared at the tip.
Flaming Spear!
Whoosh!
The spear of fire flew right at Kang Oh. Then, Kang Oh suddenly stood up and rolled.
Roar!
Though flames surged from behind him, he didn’t let it concern him; he rushed forward, right at Bart!
Bart gave up on attacking him again. He realized that it was already too late to launch another ranged attack. Instead, he decided to fight him up close.
“Haahp!” Kang Oh, who’d closed the distance, swung Blood. Fast, strong, and precise! It came flying through the air, intent of slicing through Bart.
Bart turned his body to the side and avoided his attack. He immediately counterattacked right after.
Fatal Move!
It was an Assassin skill that tripled one’s damage if they attacked a vital area! Bart’s dagger aimed for Kang Oh’s neck.
Kang Oh bent backwards.
Swish!
Bart’s dagger flew through the air, and Kang Oh’s eyes gleamed. Bart had exposed his side. This was his weakness. After he used a skill or spell, he exposed himself until he readied his next ability!
Kang Oh quickly got back into position and aimed for Bart’s side.
Slash!
A white line followed his blade, seemingly cutting through space itself.
This attack would definitely work! He’d aimed for a weak point at the exact right time! That’s what Kang Oh thought, at least.
However, Bart dodged Kang Oh’s blow by moving as nimbly as a cat, and then backed off.
Absolute Evasion!
It was an Archer skill that Sephiro occasionally used.
“Where do you think you’re going!?” Kang Oh took a step forward and swung his sword diagonally.
Tempest Tiger!
A giant, imposing, golden tiger rushed at Bart!
Boom!
It resulted in a giant ‘boom’ and created a dust cloud.
‘Did it hit him?’
Whoosh.
Tempest Tiger’s auxiliary effect, the raging whirlwind, erased the dust cloud and revealed Bart’s form. He was unscathed. It appeared like a transparent veil was protecting him.
‘Sacred Shield, huh…’
Sacred Shield had protected him from both the tiger and the whirlwind.
Kang Oh and Bart. The two didn’t move and just stared each other down.
“This is fun.” Bart grinned.
Kang Oh followed suit.
And…
The two clashed once more!
* * *
“I’m going!”
Bart began to use his true strength.
The Creator class was capable of fusing different spells and/or skills together! ‘Fusion’ was the specialty of the Creator class.
Bart extended his off-hand and formed a fist. He combined Chi Torpedo, which released chi from one’s fist, with a Mage’s Chain Lightning!
Lightning Torpedo!
A sphere floated into the air, discharging lightning everywhere! The lightning swept through the gymnasium like a whip, leaving behind black, scorched marks on the ground.
However, Kang Oh ignored the lightning and charged.
Crackle!
The ferocious lightning hit him.
[The Draka set’s special ability has activated.]
[Lightning damage has been reduced by 90%.]
[HP -3%]
Bart furrowed his brow, seeing Kang Oh rush through the lightning like it was nothing. Then, he stomped on the floor. The ground shook, and the floor split.
Earthquake + Mother Nature’s Prison!
Split Earth’s Prison!
Kang Oh staggered, finding it difficult to maintain balance. Tough vines arose from the cracked earth, which wrapped around his body!
Bart prepared a heavy hitter.
Flaming Spear + Light’s Judgment!
Judgment of Fire!
A giant pillar of fire descended upon him.
“Ugh!” Kang Oh pulled on the vine, which was wrapped around his arm, and used Switch. Then, he swung Ubist with one hand and cleaved through the flame pillar.
[Ubist has absorbed Judgment of Fire.]
[You are currently in a duel, so satiation does not increase.]
One’s level and proficiency didn’t increase during a duel. Perhaps that was why Ubist’s satiation hadn’t increased either.
Anyhow, it didn’t matter whether his satiation went up or not; he could still absorb magic no problem! The flames were sucked into his jet-black blade like water flowing into a drain.
“Tch.” Bart clicked his tongue, and Kang Oh closed in, having cut through the vines.
“Die!” Kang Oh quickly swung downwards with Ubist, forming a black arc in the sky.
Bart retreated, knowing that he couldn’t defend himself against Kang Oh’s brutal blade. However, he’d reacted a bit too late. His chest was cleaved through.
Bart gritted his teeth and counterattacked.
Steel Slash + Quickness!
The Swordsman skill, Steel Slash, combined with the Archer movement skill, Quickness, created…
Swift Slash!
Bart swung his now silver dagger extremely quickly. It lacked neither speed nor power.
At that moment…
Kang Oh swung his sword again. Obviously, it was much slower than Bart’s attack. However, the world had slowed.
Transcendent Blade!
In many ways, Transcendent Blade was the upgraded version of Swift Slash. In terms of both speed and power!
A single flash of light streaked through the air!
Kang Oh assumed that Demon Sword Ubist would go right through Bart.
However…
Bart was the one smiling in the end. His dagger had pierced through his chest, right next to his heart.
Kang Oh couldn’t believe it.