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Elton City, eastern outskirts.
Dozens of students in Elton Academy uniforms stand in a large circle.
Inside the circle were two groups of students.
One group was Davian and his friends.
The other group was Dylan Nedon with gray hair and his entourage.
Dylan Nedon's group consisted of about fifteen people from the 4th to 6th grade.
Latia asked.
"Who are those guys? Are they some kind of club?"
Bellum, who was carefully examining the opposite group, replied.
"Seeing that there are multiple grades gathered, I guess so? I heard you can join a club from the 2nd grade."
Liberté quietly came and stood next to Davian.
"Davian. I know you're always confident, but this isn't like you. To fall for such a provocation so easily. Besides, the opponent is a 4th grader. It's obvious you're going to lose. Even now..."
"Liberté."
"Huh?"
"You said there was a spy in the academy."
"Yeah. I did."
"That gray-haired guy knew my name. My full name, even. Did you hear when it was announced that the duel at 씨―부레 was confirmed?"
"...Huh? Come to think of it."
"He approached me knowing who I was from the start."
Liberté stared intently at Dylan Nedon, who was standing on the other side and stretching.
"But Davian. Isn't it too hasty to conclude that he's a spy just because he knew you and provoked you first?"
"What if that bastard is trying to kill me?"
Liberté, startled, turned to Davian.
"What?"
"Anyway, keep a close eye on him. It will help you gather information."
As Liberté said, it was unreasonable to label him as a spy just because he caused a scene in the restaurant, or to assume that he was trying to kill Davian.
But there was a reason why Davian thought this way.
A little while ago, when Dylan Nedon came to cause trouble in the restaurant, a notification window appeared to Davian.
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[Quest: Win a Duel Against 5-Star Knight Dylan Nedon]
Reward: 5,000 Mana Points (x2)
Failure: Death
=====
Judging from the duel rewards so far, he knew that dueling with a 5-star knight would come with a reward of 5,000 Mana Points.
'But for just a duel quest, the failure penalty is death. Does that mean I'll die if I lose the duel?'
The content of the notification window was the same as saying that Dylan Nedon would try to kill Davian.
The fact that he deliberately approached a new student he had never seen before, caused trouble, and tried to kill him under the pretext of a formal duel meant that he had some other purpose.
Davian stared intently at Dylan Nedon, who was standing opposite him.
'Is the organization already planning to eliminate me? Because I keep messing up their plans?'
Dylan Nedon was swinging a large sword around and stretching.
The blade of the sword, reflecting the sunlight, shone particularly sharply.
Davian's eyes, watching the scene, also became sharper.
'There were definitely several attempts like this in the 3rd playthrough.'
It didn't happen just two months after entering the academy, but there were definitely several attempts like this in the past playthroughs.
'It seems that as I progress through the story, I'll inevitably get involved with those guys. They'll constantly be planning to get rid of me. It's just that this time is a bit earlier, but nothing has changed.'
Davian thought that if he was going to get involved anyway, there was no need to try to avoid them.
Dylan Nedon shouted loudly.
"Well, both of you have agreed to the duel, and dozens of academy students are watching, so a formal Elton Academy duel is established."
A formal duel according to the Elton Academy's rules.
Both must agree to the duel, and at least 15 academy students in a neutral position must be able to observe the duel for a formal duel to be established.
If you only look at this, you might think it's just a duel where students compete in skills, but there are strict rules for formal duels.
This is because Elton Academy is not a school where you just enjoy your school life and graduate to work for a mercenary group.
This is the place to cultivate the best talents on the continent.
The rules of a formal duel are as follows.
First. If both agree, real weapons, not training tools, can be used.
Second. You cannot raise objections or demand compensation from the other party for any damage caused during a formal duel.
Even if that damage is death.
Third. The duel cannot end until the watching students declare the end of the match.
The duel participants cannot surrender or give up during the duel.
When it is judged that one side can no longer engage in combat and the outcome is completely decided, the watching students can extend their arms towards the winner to declare the end of the match.
The formal duel ends only when a majority of the students extend their arms towards the same side.
Fourth. No one can interfere in the battle until the duel between the two is over.
Of course, it is rare for someone to actually die or suffer injuries that leave them crippled during a formal duel.
But the rules are the rules.
Because of these strict duel rules, Elton Academy students do not engage in formal duels unless they have to.
The risk is too great to engage in a formal duel just to protect each other's pride.
"Come on, Davian Naone. Show me everything you've got. You arrogant freshman."
Dylan Nedon swung his large sword around and walked forward.
His entourage had already retreated and became spectators.
Davian also prepared for the duel by putting on the Ferarius gauntlets.
Nubes asked with a worried voice.
"Are you going to be okay? Davian? The opponent is a 4th grader. He looks like a 5-star knight."
"Nubes."
"Yeah?"
"No problem."
"Ah... Right. Davian. If it's you. But what about the sword? You didn't bring a sword. Should I lend you mine?"
"Nubes."
"Yeah?"
"I don't need it."
Finally, Nubes and the rest of Davian's group stepped back and became spectators.
Davian stared intently at the muscular Dylan.
'I couldn't avoid it anyway.'
The notification window that popped up with Dylan's provocation.
It wasn't an event where you could choose whether to accept it or not, but a quest that was unconditionally in progress.
And it was a quest with the penalty of death for failure.
It meant that if he couldn't clear the quest, he would die.
Pfft.
A bitter smile appeared on Davian's lips.
'The first guest who came to kill me directly in this playthrough is just a 5-star knight?'
The opponent is a 4th grade senior. A 5-star knight.
But there was something that everyone gathered here didn't even dream of knowing: Davian had already been attending Elton Academy for over 10 years.
'The quest is too easy.'
Davian briefly recalled the two months of the 4th playthrough.
He had acquired three skills and collected as many mana points in two months as he had collected in the first few years of the previous playthrough.
In addition, he also had the double experience acquisition ticket he had recently acquired.
Even Davian himself didn't know how much stronger he could become in the future.
One thing was certain: this 4th playthrough would be completely different from the previous playthroughs.
Davian slowly looked around at the gang behind Dylan one by one.
'It's unlikely that only the gray-haired guy is a spy. I can't be sure, but there's a high possibility that there's another spy in that group.'
The results of today's duel will be reported to those guys by someone among the students gathered here.
He didn't even think that he would lose this duel.
The only concern was how much of his true abilities he should show.
'If I want to live quietly for a while, it might not be a bad idea to show those guys my true skills.'
Now that he was already a target of those guys, he reasoned that hiding his skills would only cause more trouble.
'Point details.'
=====
[Mana Points: 47,840]
Magic Power: 318,086
Inner Strength: 18,042
Outer Strength: 6,550
=====
Davian's eyes lingered on the mana points. The trembling number 47,840.
First, he allocated points to inner strength.
'30,000.'
Next, outer strength.
'All the rest.'
=====
[Mana Points: 0]
Magic Power: 318,086
Inner Strength: 48,042
Outer Strength: 24,390
=====
He felt a hot energy flowing out from his dantian and spreading throughout his body.
The muscles all over his body also became tighter and stronger.
Davian, based solely on the size of his pure inner and outer strength, had now risen to a level comparable to that of a 4-star swordsman.
Just as he was about to finish allocating points, Dylan shouted loudly.
"Are you finally getting scared? Freshman. What are you doing standing there blankly?"
Crack, crack.
Davian tilted his neck from side to side and stretched.
"Scared? Of someone like you?"
"What? What kind of crazy freshman is this?"
Swish.
It looked as if a pillar of water was gushing out of Davian's right hand, but soon a hard and sharp ice sword was created.
"What's that? You're showing off some tricks."
Davian lightly swung the ice sword and replied.
"Judging by the fact that you're calling this sword a trick, I can tell what your level is. Gray hair. My training partner was surprised as soon as he saw this sword."
"What are you babbling about, you arrogant bastard? Die!"
Dylan raised his sword and quickly closed the distance.
Amazing speed.
It was definitely different from when he dueled with Fiona Armandria in 3rd grade.
In addition, Dylan's sword had a bluish aura on it.
'He's planning to kill me in one blow.'
Davian created a fireball with his left hand and launched it.
"Not a chance!"
Dylan swung down the sword he was holding up and easily cut through the fireball.
The fireball exploded with a bang, but Dylan was not harmed in any way.
But that was enough.
Swoosh.
Davian's sword pierced sharply into Dylan's gap.
Clang!
Dylan's sword, hastily raised, collided with Davian's sword.
Dylan's eyebrows twitched greatly.
'What, what is this? This guy.'
Dylan's sword, filled with inner strength, had an aura on it.
When the two swords collided, Davian should have dropped his sword, or if he somehow managed to hold on, his sword should have broken.
But neither happened.
Davian's ice sword neither bounced off nor broke.
At that moment.
Thwack!
Dylan felt a strong impact on his side.
"Cough!"
Dylan Nedon, without realizing it, took a few steps back.
When he looked down, he saw that his clothes were charred black on his side, as if a fireball had been lodged in it.
'H-how!'
But there was no time to be surprised by the fireball that had struck his side.
Whoosh.
This time, wind elemental magic sharply cut through the space.
"Ugh!"
Dylan quickly raised his sword and blocked the wind elemental magic.
In the meantime, Davian quickly closed the distance.
Whoosh.
A fiery red flame rose from Davian's left hand.
Dylan swung his sword to the left to preemptively block the fire elemental magic.
At that moment, Davian looked directly into Dylan's eyes and said.
"How boring."
Startled, Dylan checked to his right. Davian's ice sword was flying in quickly.
Dylan urgently turned his sword to block Davian's sword.
Crack!
Dylan's eyes widened. His pupils, fully dilated, reflected the sword blade shattering into pieces.
It was his own sword, which had been emitting an aura.
And between the shattered fragments of the sword blade, Davian's ice sword was seen shooting down.
It was already too late to dodge.
Slice!
The ice sword cut straight through Dylan's right shoulder.
'He shattered a sword with an aura?'
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