The Champion's Challenge
Ian let out a sigh that felt like it might have been her hundredth since arriving in Lundel.
The original plan had been simple: leave Lundel early in the morning and scout the surrounding area. Since she still had no idea what lay beyond the village, she had intended to spend a day mapping out the terrain.
Ian glanced around.
Far more people surrounded her now than had attended yesterday’s welcoming ceremony.
“Win, Hakon!”
“Show them the might of Lundel’s warriors!”
“Savior, you’re so pretty!”
“One, two, three! Ian, fighting!”
Everyone from the villagers of Lundel to Shaura’s group, whom she had met only yesterday, had gathered.
What are they all doing here?
She couldn’t really blame them. If the situation were reversed, she would have come to watch too.
Yes. The one responsible for this entire mess was the man who had introduced himself as the Great Warrior.
Ian glared at the culprit standing before her.
Hakon, Lundel’s champion and the man who had challenged her to this duel, lowered his head in apology.
“I’m sorry, Savior. I never meant to cause such a commotion. My thoughts were short-sighted.”
“It would have been stranger if no one showed up after you shouted like that.”
After all, the most entertaining spectacle in the world was a fight.
Especially in a place starved for dopamine, a duel was the ultimate form of entertainment. And when the participants were the Savior and the Great Warrior, the draw was even greater.
There was no option to back down now.
No choice, then.
Ian drew her sword.
The opponent was an NPC. As long as her clothes stayed intact, she just wanted to end this quickly and escape the embarrassing situation.
“Shall we begin?”
“Yes. I’m ready.”
Hakon lowered his stance and leveled his spear at her.
Once both had taken their positions, the village chief Halvar, acting as referee, raised his voice.
“O god of Valtor, today the Savior and the Great Warrior stand before you. We offer you the blood and sweat they shed. Bestow your blessing upon Lundel!”
Following Halvar’s words, the spectators offered their own prayers.
In the reverent silence, Halvar finally raised his hand high.
“Then… begin!”
The instant his hand dropped, Ian swung her sword low and kicked off the ground with force.
Basic Swordsmanship, Second Form. A charging strike.
“Sword Rush!”
She closed the distance to Hakon in an instant.
Her target was the shaft of his spear. Her blade surged upward toward it.
But—
“Swing.”
“What?!”
A red glow enveloped Hakon’s spear. With a low murmur, he swung it horizontally and knocked her sword aside.
Ian’s eyes widened.
Was that a skill just now?
She had never used a spear herself, so she didn’t know what skills it possessed, but the red trail Hakon had created was unmistakably a skill.
As if to prove it, he drew his spear back over his shoulder.
Basic Spearmanship, First Form. A piercing thrust.
“Spear!”
A crimson thrust shot toward her.
Panicked, Ian raised her sword to block, but the impact sent her flying backward.
“Kgh!”
Her wrist throbbed. Because she hadn’t countered properly, the full force had transferred through her blade.
Hakon looked at her with one corner of his mouth lifted.
“You’re weaker than I expected.”
“What?”
“I’m a little disappointed. I thought you’d be strong, given how confidently you carried yourself. At this level, you’re barely a novice warrior.”
A vein bulged on Ian’s forehead.
“I was going to go easy, but I guess that’s not happening.”
Any intention of holding back vanished. What remained in her chest was a burning competitive spirit.
She opened her status window.
SP: 3 points available
She had planned to observe the situation first before allocating her points, but now she dumped every remaining stat point into Agility.
My body feels lighter.
When their weapons had clashed earlier, Ian had realized it was impossible to overpower Hakon with raw strength.
If she wanted any chance of winning, she had to rely on her specialty: speed.
Feeling as though she had sprouted wings, she stepped forward.
Even without using a skill, she closed the distance to Hakon in an instant.
Before she could fully close in, his spear thrust toward her.
“Spear.”
“Too slow.”
Without slowing her run, Ian tilted her head and dodged the blade. As the spear tip brushed past her long hair, she drew her sword back to her waist.
The blade glowed blue.
“Slash!”
Her sword cut toward Hakon’s waist.
This was only a sparring match, so she had no intention of killing him, but she still wanted him to pay for insulting her.
Yet—
—Clang!
Hakon blocked the incoming strike with his spear shaft.
As expected of the so-called Great Warrior.
Though surprised, Ian didn’t engage in a bind. Instead, she slipped into his blind spot.
My speed is superior.
She couldn’t afford to give him any openings. Her blade rained down on him relentlessly.
From above, from the side, sometimes reversed, sometimes thrusting. The sword she had swung through life-and-death battles for a month carried weight even without skills.
Interspersed with sudden skill activations, her attacks made Hakon’s blood run cold.
Still, he calmly deflected every strike. Not only the spearhead, but the freely moving shaft prevented her blade from landing.
At close range, Hakon whispered.
“I take back what I said about you being a novice. You’re better than I thought.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m going easy on you.”
“I never said you were strong.”
Hakon swung his spear in a wide arc. Though she blocked with her sword, the impact felt like being struck by a club, forcing her to retreat.
In that moment, he lowered his stance like a coiled spring.
“Now I’ll face you seriously.”
There was no time to ask if he hadn’t been serious before.
His spear turned a vivid red, and his body shot toward her like a gale.
Basic Spearmanship, Third Form. A charging strike.
“Drive!”
A third skill?!
Caught off guard, Ian rolled across the ground. As far as she knew, no player had yet acquired a third skill. Raising proficiency in Arcadia was grueling work.
Yet here was a third skill. Cold sweat ran down her back.
“Where are you looking?”
While she struggled to regain her balance, Hakon had already closed the distance. His spear was already in motion.
Basic Spearmanship, Fourth Form. Double thrust.
“Twins Spear!”
From above and below, it felt as though two spears struck simultaneously.
“Kyaa!”
By throwing herself backward, she barely avoided defeat, but his spear still struck her chest.
Ian’s face twisted in pain.
It hurts like hell.
Thankfully, her armor had absorbed the blow. If she had been wearing her usual tunic, the wound would have been severe.
Hakon looked at her with confidence.
“It seems the match is decided. What do you think?”
“I can still keep going.”
“Is that so?”
Though she bluffed, Ian gripped her sword tighter.
She had to admit it. Dismissing him as “just an NPC” was impossible when he was clearly stronger than her.
She couldn’t even guess how many skills he possessed—five, six, or more. For a moment, the thought that victory might be impossible flashed through her mind.
But—
Even if I lose, I’m landing at least one hit on that smug face.
From here on, it was a matter of pride. Recalling the pain in her chest, Ian widened her eyes.
She couldn’t afford to give him any openings. Her sword clashed against his spear.
—Kagagak!
The same pattern as before. Deflecting his spear with the flat of her blade, she slipped inside his guard and swung.
Faster than ever. Using every angle—front, back, left, right—her sword danced.
Under her relentless assault, Hakon lost momentum. Forced onto the defensive, he let out a grunt.
This couldn’t continue. He needed to seize the initiative again.
“Hah!”
With a shout, he swung his spear wide to drive her back.
A powerful gust accompanied the impact. Unable to withstand the force, Ian’s body was lifted over his head.
But in midair, she spun. Adding rotational force and gravity to her swing, she struck his spear.
Though the shaft didn’t break, the impact sent Hakon stumbling backward.
Even so, he immediately thrust his spear at her again. Two strikes aimed at her chest and stomach—Twins Spear. Her body leapt into the air once more.
Blue light gathered on her blade.
“Slash!”
Red light gathered on his spear.
Basic Spearmanship, Second Form. A horizontal slash.
“Swing!”
The two glowing trails collided. Once again, Ian was the one pushed back.
In that instant, she released her sword. Instead of being flung away, she dove straight into Hakon’s embrace.
His expression froze in shock and confusion—he hadn’t expected her to let go of her weapon. And facing that expression, Ian smiled in triumph.
A second sword had already appeared in her hand.
“It’s over.”
Her blade moved toward his waist.
But—
“What?!”
Before her sword could reach him, Hakon’s empty hand glowed purple and struck her stomach.
Basic Martial Arts, First Form. A striking blow.
“Punch.”
“Kugh!”
Caught completely off guard, Ian took the blow full force to the abdomen and was sent tumbling across the ground.
Everyone watched the moment in breathless silence.
And they knew.
Who the victor of this duel was.
Halvar raised his hand toward Hakon.
“The winner, Great Warrior Hakon!”
A roar of cheers erupted.
Ian’s first sword, which fell a moment later, confirmed her defeat.
“No way—how can you suddenly use your fists?!”
“But Savior, you also used a second sword, did you not?”
“I—I still used a sword! You’re supposed to only use a spear!”
“I never said I would only use a spear.”
“A-Anyway, it’s invalid! This duel is canceled!”
After the match ended, Ian returned to her lodging and shouted, her face flushed bright red.
The memory of rolling across the ground so disgracefully still made her cheeks burn.
Augh… My stomach still hurts.
She knew it wasn’t very manly of her. But the lingering sharp pain in her abdomen and the loss of her male symbol naturally made her act petty.
Watching her grimace repeatedly, Hakon bowed his head.
“I apologize. I was surprised at the time and couldn’t control my strength.”
“…As long as you know.”
Though she grumbled, Ian had no choice but to accept her defeat.
If that had been a real fight instead of a duel, I probably would have died.
She had been terrified when her health dropped below half.
Especially the technique Hakon had shown at the very end—it refused to leave her mind.
How did he do that?
In Arcadia, players could only register one weapon in their weapon slot. Dual-wielding was possible, but it restricted skill usage.
Yet Hakon had used both spear and martial arts simultaneously.
Is it an NPC privilege?
A situation beyond her understanding. Embarrassment aside, she wanted to know the secret behind the technique he had displayed.
“How did you do that last move?”
“You mean the punch?”
“Yes. You were holding a spear at the time.”
Ian’s gaze shifted to Hakon’s hands. She had thought they were simple gloves, but upon closer inspection, they were gauntlets. She stared at them intently.
Feeling her gaze, Hakon’s lips curved upward. His reply made her face flush red once more.
“If you admit defeat, I’ll teach you.”
“What?”
“You already know. Our bet.”
Of course she did. She had agreed that if she lost, she would accept Hakon into her party.
Ian clutched her head. Abandoning her beliefs and pride for the sake of curiosity was incredibly difficult.
But—
“…I lost.”
“Could you repeat that?”
“I said I lost! Are you happy now?!”
Ian exhaled sharply.
Choosing to accept Hakon in exchange for the sweet bait of knowledge, she stood up and shouted at the man wearing that irritating smile.
“It’s decided, so hurry up and come out.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to rest a little longer?”
“I’m fine, so just come out!”
“If that is the Savior’s wish, then I have no choice.”
Ian stepped outside first and let out a sigh as she gazed at the unusually clear blue sky.
“I miss Kate and Lian.”
Today, the rural village felt especially nostalgic.