Vol.2 Chapter 67 Aria

"Why are you attacking us? Please leave us alone!" Lucy pleaded.

"No can do, Lass! You both are my 'prey'!" he declared, licking his lips for a more menacing effect.

From his demeanor and facial expression, it was evident that he derived pleasure from others' misfortunes. He was a PK player through and through.

"Save your breath, Lucy. You cannot reason with these types of red players," I cautioned.

"Oh! At least your friend gets it! Don't worry, this will be over soon," he taunted.

I'd faced cocky opponents before, but this guy, this arrogant prick, was on another level. Every smug expression and taunting gesture of his only fueled my frustration.

Having lost my patience, I lunged with a sword stab to probe his defense.

We both are max-leveled, but the difference in skills became obvious in our first exchange. He was faster and slicker, and he easily dodged my attack.

I tried to recoup and find my rhythm, but he countered my every move. With each blow, I felt my resolve weaken, replaced by a cold, hard dread as I kept getting pushed back.

His smirk as he kept outplaying me was infuriating, but it masked a cold, calculating intelligence befitting a veteran player of this game. As much as I loathe to admit it, this guy is incredibly good.

While I managed to parry his initial attacks, with each exchange, I felt a growing pressure, a sense that he was toying with me, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

His time came when he made a feint to the left, then a swift counter to the right. I was caught off guard. His blade bit into my forearm, and a sharp pain shot through me.

I wanted to lower the pain receptors since I'm not used to pain in VR games, but all the guides about this game told me not to because it helps with adrenaline—a crucial aspect for better performance in PVP or PvE.

I gritted my teeth, refusing to show weakness. But he was relentless. Every parry, every block with my sword, seemed to exacerbate his advantage in our exchange.

After a successful parry that made me lose my posture, he instantly countered with a blindingly fast sword stab, and I felt the sting of metal against my ribs. He followed his attack with a kick that made me stumble helplessly into the ground.

"Ack!" I exclaimed.

Ariadne

HP: 8%

"Aria!" Lucy shouted in worry.

Lucy was still unfamiliar with PvP in general and relatively inexperienced in this game. Relying on her was not a viable option at the moment, so the optimal strategy was to battle alone to avoid friendly fire and disrupting each other's rhythms... yet, it appeared that my individual strength was lacking.

As I crumpled to the ground, I saw his triumphant smirk. A bitter taste of defeat filled my mouth, and with it, a cold, hard realization: I had been utterly outclassed by this guy.

He could've finished us already, but he is toying with us, showcasing his superiority, telling us we are nothing more than ants beneath him. This made me upset in my own inadequacy.

Following his triumph, he spoke, clear as a bell echoing in the forest.

"Is that all you got? Pathetic!" he mocked, trampling on my dignity even further.

With my pride utterly demolished, I reached a breaking point. I could no longer tolerate the humiliation, and I desired to quit. Just as I was on the verge of logging out in disgrace, a voice with an enigmatic charm suddenly captured our attention.

"Why don't you fight someone close to your skill level instead of picking on players unused to PvP?" the voice asked mockingly.

Looking at the source, she was sitting on a tree branch. How long had she been watching us? I didn’t even notice her presence.

Leaping elegantly from the branch, she landed gracefully near us, captivating me with her presence.

She had long gray hair, a short, petite build, and calculating eyes that seemed to gaze through a person's soul. She stared at our opponent as if he were a piece of trash in the road. Her cold and mysterious demeanor through it all made me shiver.

I glanced at the newcomer's username.

Yuusha

HP: 100%

"Y-you're... the Paragon guild's ace, Yuusha!" our opponent said in disbelief.

Paragon? Is that a famous guild? I really don't know since the guild feature was just implemented recently, so the top guilds are still undetermined. However, judging from this individual's reaction, the girl in question seemed formidable.

"Why are you here?! This has nothing to do with you and your guild!" he exclaimed in annoyance.

"...It has, though. I'm on a hunt for red players to increase our guild's reputation points. I'm lucky to find a prey," she disclosed in a hushed tone.

It was evident that she used a voice changer, a detail I could discern. Although it's a bit unconventional to use one, it adds greatly to her mystique.

"Tsk! I'll show you who the real hunter around here is!" the PK player shouted in frustration.

Perhaps his pride was hurt by being called a 'prey,' but the man attacked. Whether she intended to provoke him deliberately or by chance, I cannot say for sure.

The girl brandished her weapon, twin daggers, in preparation for the upcoming fight.

That made me a bit worried about her safety.

Daggers possess notably limited reach despite their low weight cost, making them a subpar weapon choice. In this scenario, she is clearly at a disadvantage compared to a sword wielder.

As I deliberated on whether to assist her in confronting the formidable adversary before us, she uttered an unfamiliar phrase.

"Ionic Shift," she muttered.

A low hum filled the air as her daggers glowed like a precursor to the chaos that was about to unfold.

Her form started to shimmer as she invoked the name of her weapon skill. It is as if her body was refracting light in an imperceptible spectrum.

Then, abruptly, a dazzling flash burst from her core, and in that moment, she appeared to unleash lightning.

Little sparks of electricity danced across her skin like a thousand fireflies, painting intricate patterns of light. Her hair, once sleek, stood on end, each strand a conduit for the raw power coursing through her due to her weapon buff skill.

Her opponent hesitated for a bit upon seeing the spectacle but continued his charge nonetheless, as it was too late to cancel his attack.

As her opponent was about to engage, she moved with a speed that defied belief, almost like a blur of lightning, too fast for my eyes to even follow. It is as if she disappeared from plain sight.

Then, as abruptly as she disappeared, she reappeared, and her position shifted dramatically. Twin daggers glimmered in her hands; their edges bathed in an eerie blue glow. Failing to respond to her movements, her opponent was clearly caught off guard.

With the speed almost comparable to lightning, she struck. Her daggers cut through the air with lethal precision and thrust so insanely fast that I couldn't follow her movements. The inhuman speed displayed by the girl left her opponent little time to react, rendering him essentially a target dummy.

A silent scream of disbelief and awe echoed in the man's eyes before his body slumped into a kneeling position on the ground, comparable to a puppet whose strings were cut.

Hassan

HP: 0%

"The rumors about you were right. Y-you really are a monster," he said in awe, failing to hide the reverence in his tone.

I shared the same sentiment after witnessing that brief encounter. It was incredible! I couldn't follow her moves!

In a heartbeat, the battle concluded, almost as if it had never occurred.

Did she use a self-haste weapon skill?!

I didn't know something like that existed! Even when I researched all the available weapons on the CoA site, that weapon was nonexistent.

That can only mean...

Is it a unique weapon, perhaps? In that case, she must possess exceptional skill to obtain such a rare item! Moreover, effectively utilizing the weapon skill adds another layer to her prowess.

I heard from the forums that movement-increasing moves are the hardest to master in this game. If she has that kind of mastery, it serves as proof of how good she really is.

"A bit of advice. You won't become strong if you only prey on the weak," she said as her opponent vanished into blue motes of light.

"How cool..." Lucy murmured.

I shared her sentiment but was too self-conscious to say it out loud. This girl is extremely strong. She can back up her words with her strength, thus adding to her 'coolness.'

Sensing that the ghost was clear, she promptly approached the enigmatic girl.

"T-thank you for your assistance!" Lucy expressed earnestly, unable to conceal the admiration in her voice.

I can't blame her. I’m in awe of her presence, too. This girl is on a whole different level from us, almost like a deity—a goddess of lightning.

"...Don't mind it," she said nonchalantly, which adds to her charm.

I'd never idolized someone before in my whole life, but I knew instantly that I wanted to be as skilled as her. Cool, mysterious, and strong.

Then it hit me: a feature I've only read once in the forum, something that, with her guidance, can help me reach my goal much more easily.

"Uhm... Can you be my mentor, please!" I impulsively expressed my selfish desire.

I was aware that it was a bold request, but having her as a mentor would be a dream come true—if she agreed.

"M-mentor?! Y-you’re quite straightforward, huh?" she said bashfully.

She seemed flustered, the first notable emotion I got from her so far. Did I say something weird? I read in the guide that you can have a mentor at this game, so I don't think I made a mistake in asking her to be mine. Does she already have a protégé?

Just as I was about to apologize, she finally responded.

"I'll think about it. But only if you two join our guild," she suggested.

"Guild?" Lucy asked to confirm what she heard.

"Yes. Cele- our guild leader needs more members since we are still expanding. She has been bugging me to recruit members, telling me it's my duty as a founding member for quite a while now,” she explained.

A guild? I had no objections as long as I could learn from her. Hopefully, this could lead to me becoming her protégé and eventually attaining a level of strength and skill akin to hers.

------------------------

My eyes fluttered open to a world bathed in soft, golden light. A gentle warmth embraced me, and for a moment, I felt suspended in a cocoon of comfort. As consciousness seeped in, a wave of disorientation washed over me.

"A dream, huh?" I murmured.

The memory of our first meeting remained vivid in my mind. It was a pivotal moment that motivated me to pursue strength so that I could stand toe to toe with her someday.

As I became aware of my unfamiliar surroundings, I scanned the room I found myself in.

The room exuded understated luxury. Crisp white sheets piled generously on a king-sized bed, and a chandelier hung like a regal ornament above me, casting intricate shadows upon the pearl-gray walls.

The subtle and sweet scent of jasmine permeated the air. My gaze shifted to the floor-to-ceiling windows, where the distant hum of a city hinted at a world beyond these lavish confines.

That's right, I'm in the hotel designated for the tournament participants.

I grabbed my phone to check the time. It was still quite early—a couple of hours before the last day of the tournament officially started.

As part of my morning routine, I engaged in some stretching exercises to get my blood flowing, followed by a refreshing shower.

Feeling a bit famished and with nothing better to do, I made my way to the dining hall for breakfast.

While walking towards my destination, I reflected on the upcoming battles for the day. Given the caliber of the remaining participants in the tournament, it would undoubtedly be a challenging journey.

Our first match was against Hana's team, which had shown remarkable improvement throughout the tournament.

Seer believed their progress was attributed to a skilled tactician. Winning the initial match, which posed a significant challenge in itself, would lead us to face Lua, one of the toughest opponents I had encountered apart from the original Paragons.

The situation appeared rather bleak for us. The path to reaching her now seemed obstructed, with formidable obstacles barring our way to the grand finals.

Upon reaching the dining hall, I stepped inside and was greeted by the enticing aroma of breakfast foods.

Surveying the area, which was brimming with food, I found someone I didn’t expect to see this early. Noticing that she was by herself, I immediately approached her.

“You're quite early this time,” I said as I sat in the chair beside her.

"You're quite early this time," I remarked as I took a seat in the chair beside her.

Initially taken aback by the sudden presence, she eased her guard upon realizing it was me. For whatever reason, she was always wary of getting close to people, especially back then when she was still using her main account. Her sudden mood swings were also strange, sometimes friendly, other times extremely aloof. It's good that she is this comfortable now around me.

“I don't have to analyze the participants' plays or create counterplay anymore since I’m already done with those, so I slept quite a bit earlier than usual,” she explained.

She paused as if hesitating, then continued. “Besides, it's better to eat this early when there aren't many people around.”

So that was the real reason, huh? She is just shy around the crowd. Well, considering it’s her, I’m not too surprised, especially since she had become the talk of the participants with her shocking performance yesterday.

"It seems like you're signaling me to go away. Should I sit at a different table?" I said teasingly.

It feels like I've grown significantly closer to her over the past week, to the point where I can comfortably behave like this around her now.

After pausing to contemplate for a moment, she responded, "...No, your company would be much appreciated."

Her admission caused my heart to skip a beat. It also promptly resurrected the memory from yesterday. Her reassuring embrace. Her reliable presence. Her...

No! What am I thinking?! Bad Aria! Bad! I mentally scolded myself.

"A-aria, are you alright?" Katherine's concerned voice snapped me back to reality.

Oops, I almost forgot she is quite perspective in reading body language and subtle changes in movements. I must've acted quite weird in front of her.

"I-I'm fine, just nervous about the upcoming matches," I lied.

She flashed me a lovely smile.

"I didn’t think you were even capable of being nervous," she bantered. “Don't worry. If it's you, I'm sure you'll do great, no matter the outcome of your matches," she reassured me.

Her encouragement made my heart flutter. In response, I looked at her with all the gratitude I could muster.

"...Thanks," I muttered weakly.

I expressed my gratitude not only for this particular instance but for all the help she had given me since the moment we first met.

"Don't mind it," she said casually.

Following that, I got my own meal from the breakfast buffet. I made sure to make the most of it this time since this will be our last meal in this place for the foreseeable future. We then both ate in comfortable silence, appreciative of each other's company.