Viviana, for once, was struggling. Not because of the monsters. Despite moving to terrarium two, to ‘powerlevel’ by taking difficult fights against tough monsters, she had yet to fight one. It was because of her new found popularity.

  Being the exiled heir to Adler-Stern already made her famous, but it didn’t make her approachable. Almost everyone on campus was associated with a guild, and the guilds had a very abject rule– do not talk to people outside your own.

  But now that she drove a centipede through an Ophidian Pact base? Now there was no one who didn’t know her face– and thought that she was an enemy of the Pact.

  All those people in competing guilds, like Vulx Arc Cooperative, like Ferric Meridian, felt the need to strike up conversation. All because she attacked their ‘enemies’, and that made them friends.

  So here she was, in terrarium two, fighting a ‘friendly’ duel that she didn’t want to fight, instead of fighting monsters that would kill her anyways.

  It wasn’t all bad. Fame and influence was what she needed the most right now. Although she couldn’t recruit these people, because they were already poached by the guilds, killing a couple of them would only make the Landsknecht seem more legitimate of a group.

  Maybe we should put up recruitment posters?

  Viviana studied the opponent in front of her. A young, arrogant looking man with swept back hair. He was ranked 30732. Viviana's ranked 40892. She lost some ranking due to others actively them while she was running Landsknecht to make money.

  This wasn’t anywhere close to a fair fight. The arrogant man was ranked ten thousand places ahead of her.

  He advanced, sword pointing forward. Viviana stepped back casually. The young man stepped again, placing his foot on a lightning sigil. Viviana activated it.

  Just for flair, Viviana activated [flash step], surging forward. He raised his sword to block on reflex, but of course, Viviana feinted her initial strike. Her signature move at this point.

  The entire fight didn't even last thirty seconds.

  [You have slain a level 4 soulbound.]

  [+2 exp]

  Viviana’s rank instantly jumped to 40873.

  “Ooh, me next! Your mana isn’t out yet, right?”

  Viviana sighed. In theory, she was gaining both influence (people were filming the fights) and levels at the same time. As someone obsessed with efficiency, this should have been optimal.

  Should have. These schmucks were simply too weak for the system to even acknowledge, regardless of whether they were higher level than her. They were too inexperienced in combat, making none of the fights a struggle. Only middling experience would be granted like this.

  Then someone parted the crowd. Black armor, and a smooth black helmet. Two cameras served as the eyes. Selenne?

  “Adler-Stern,” a voice said. It was Selenne. “Care for a spar?”

  Murmurs through the crowd. “She’s friendly with the Pact? Shit.”

  “Maybe the centipede thing was a part of their plan. They got a lot from the centipede’s loot, after all.”

  “I’m getting the fuck out of here. Pact creeps me out.”

  The crowd dissolved. Then, only the armored individual and Viviana remained. Viviana felt a flash of annoyance. Selenne showing up would only imply that the Landsknecht were friendly with the Pact. Landsknecht was trying to maintain a reputation of neutrality.

  “Well?” Selenne said, taking off her helmet. Long black hair spilled out, reaching down to the small of her back. Viviana found it distracting. Must be annoyingly long, she thought. I would know.

  Viviana nodded, raising her sword. I’ve been stopped time and time again when my goal for today was so simple– just grind some experience. Yet now that Selenne is here…

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  They didn’t need to exchange any words. The swords would do the talking. Viviana’s annoyance faded. She wanted to see where she measured up to Selenne. She had won during orientation, but Selenne was hamming it up for the audience. Now, a month later? Who was stronger between them?

  Viviana was instantly put on the backfoot as Selenne activated the magnetic sword accelerator on her armor, launching her sword out of her sheath abnormally fast. Viviana barely parried it.

  Selenne didn’t allow her to recover, pushing the tempo advantage as far as she could go. She was a flurry of swipes, accelerating and pushing harder. Viviana was the first to use a skill, activating [flash step] backwards to reset the fight. Selenne grinned, taking this as a sign to start using skills. Selenne disappeared, and then instantly reappeared to her right, sword already swinging.

  Viviana parried the attack, but Selenne’s onslaught continued. Her shoulder got hit. Then her arm. Viviana had to change something, or she’d be sliced to pieces. Her eyes scanned Selenne, looking for patterns in her swings, looking for weaknesses.

  Nothing obvious. Perfect forms, honed by years of experience.

  Viviana used [flash step] backwards, but Selenne was right on her tail. Their fight turned into a series of rapid movements, causing the two to dash dozens of meters across terrarium two.

  Viviana saw a chance. There.

  This time, she swung without reacting to Selenne’s disappearing act. Selenne found the blade coming right at her, forcing her to take an awkward parry. Viviana had the advantage now. She nicked Selenne’s non-dominant arm, causing her grip to loosen a little.

  Then the world went dark. It was Selene’s skill that nullified all sight in a twenty meter radius. But Selenne had told Viviana it’s weakness.

  She can’t see either.

  Viviana knew she would activate this eventually, and already came up with a counter strategy– a gamble. She activated [flash step] diagonally. She hoped that Selenne would predict she would [flash step] backwards and miss her attack.

  Then she felt a massive presence. Mana. She’s flaring out her mana in an attempt to sense me!

  Viviana quickly flared out her own mana in response, but it was too late. Selenne had somehow found her through mana emanation. She just knew it.

  Viviana's instincts screamed, sensing trying it's best to analyze the incoming attack. But nothing came.

  Then Selenne’s skill ended, and Viviana's sight returned. Selenne was nowhere to be found.

  Behind!

  She whirled around just in time to save her arm. She lost a couple fingers instead. She activated the skill that allows her to disappear as soon as her sight-stealing skill ended!

  Selenne descended like a hurricane. Arm, leg, torso, all targets for her blade. Viviana was bleeding from a dozen different cuts now, desperately parrying with her one good arm.

  Selenne’s blade suddenly glowed an eerie white. Every blow she landed sapped Viviana’s strength. My mana is being stolen!

  Still… even so… I cannot lose like this!

  Viviana instead stepped forward, sacrificing her arm to try and get in a counterblow. But Selenne predicted this, instantly phasing out of existence as her sword passed through nothing but air. Not just an invisible dash, but completely dissolving into thin air? I should have hit her!

  Viviana predicted where Selenne was going to attack next. This prediction just saved her head. With the last of her mana, almost completely drained from Selenne’s skill, she activated [flash step] forwards. She feinted the sword swing, but actually led with a fist from her injured hand.

  It smashed into Selenne’s gut, crumpling armor like it wasn’t even there. Viviana thanked the heavens that the armor wasn’t system recognized, or she would’ve destroyed her left arm for nothing.

  Selenne doubled back. Viviana tried to move forward, but had no mana to pursue her.

  They stood a couple metes apart, the fight reset for the second time. Viviana raised her sword in her one good arm, the other one completely mangled after the punch. Selenne raised her own blade. This was the last exchange.

  Then everything went quiet. Then Viviana lost all feeling in her fingers, in her skin, in her arm. Then she couldn’t feel mana anymore.

  Selenne's activating all her skills. Stealing my sense of touch, of mana sense.

  Viviana focused. All those things affected her, but she assumed Selenne was affected as well. This was just a strategy to throw her off.

  Selenne rushed forward with a simple thrust. Viviana side stepped, throwing a downward vertical sing at Selenne’s head. Selenne’s thrust morphed smoothly into a parry. Viviana predicted this. She didn't commit to her attack. Instead she stepped forward, bringing down her blade with a small delay. A hesitation step.

  She shouldn’t be fast enough. Her blade isn’t even pointed in the right direction.

  Viviana's eyes widened as Selenne stepped forward again, leading with the pommel instead of the blade.

  Selenne smashed the pommel of her sword into Viviana’s face. Viviana staggered back for a second, a laugh leaving her lips as blood spilled from her head, covering her vision in a red tint.

  That attack had split her skull. She was going to die.

  “You took me seriously this time,” Viviana said. She let out a weak laugh. “Finally win now that you’re not showboating?”

  Selenne laughed as well. “Good fight, Adler-Stern.”

  “Good fight.”

  We hit 50 followers! As promised, an extra chapter will be released today. 2 hours from now!