Chapter 47: The Dual Arena (Part 1)

Chapter 47: The Dual Arena (Part 1)

When Hilmeth heard Cang Cheng's invitation, his eyelashes flickered slightly.

The restless tail was firmly held in his hand, the veins on the back of his hand standing out more than usual from the strain.

Yet, his expression remained calm.

"How am I supposed to keep you company?"

"Hilmeth, can you sit here?"

Cang Cheng patted the space beside him.

Hilmeth walked over and leaned against the spot Cang Cheng indicated.

Feeling Hilmeth's presence, Cang Cheng's flustered heart gradually calmed down.

Hilmeth is so dependable...

Cang Cheng sighed once again.

Having someone as strong as Hilmeth by his side made Cang Cheng feel incredibly fortunate.

Surrounded by Hilmeth's presence, Cang Cheng felt sleepiness creeping over him.

Just as Cang Cheng was about to say goodnight, a large hand appeared in front of him.

Cang Cheng looked up, his pure black eyes filled with confusion.

Hilmeth said, "I’ll be your pillow if you get uncomfortable in the middle of the night, okay?"

Although Hilmeth didn't say it directly, Cang Cheng guessed that it was because of his reaction to the horror movie that afternoon, which Hilmeth had noticed, prompting him to offer his hand.

Hilmeth is so thoughtful, such a great guy...

Even though he didn’t really need the hand, Hilmeth was usually so aloof, and it was rare for him to be this proactive. If he declined now, it would seem a bit ungrateful.

With that thought, Cang Cheng didn't hesitate and placed his cheek in Hilmeth's palm.

As the soft skin brushed against his rough palm, Hilmeth’s tail, still clutched in his hand, suddenly bristled.

Luckily, the tail was still in his grip, and the dim lighting kept its reaction unnoticed.

Hilmeth had thought Cang Cheng would place his hand on his arm; he hadn’t expected Cang Cheng to rest his head on it instead?!

Hilmeth stiffened completely.

"What’s wrong, Hilmeth? Does it feel weird with my head on your hand?"

Sensing that Hilmeth's hand seemed to be applying pressure, Cang Cheng asked.

In the dim light, Hilmeth’s sharp eyes could clearly see Cang Cheng’s confused expression and slightly parted lips.

He looked innocent and... pure.

The moonlight draped a thin fog over him, hazy yet soft, stirring Hilmeth's emotions.

His heartbeat, breathing, and gaze were all out of sync.

His amber eyes suddenly narrowed.

Hilmeth looked away, then pressed his lips together.

"It's not uncomfortable, just a little unfamiliar."

"Hasn't anyone rested their head on your hand before?"

"No, you're the first."

Cang Cheng felt pleased by this answer.

He nuzzled his cheek against Hilmeth's palm, then closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

"Good night, Hilmeth."

"Good night, Cang Cheng."

Thanks to Hilmeth's comforting presence, Cang Cheng wasn't bothered by the horror movie anymore and drifted into a peaceful, sweet dream.

Hilmeth, on the other hand, watched over Cang Cheng throughout the night.

Feeling Cang Cheng's breath on his wrist, Hilmeth felt a strange kind of thirst.

It wasn't a physical thirst, but an emotional one.

Cang Cheng's happy and leisurely vacation came to an end with a message from Simon.

*

The message read:

"Sir, in the midst of your busy schedule, your most loyal subordinate Simon sends you the most sincere greetings.

(Omitted 3000 words of praise)

Simon takes the liberty to remind you, shouldn't the arena be arranged?"

Cang Cheng clutched his head with both hands and shook it in disbelief.

Simon actually came to remind him about work—how scary is that?

Cang Cheng sighed in frustration and reluctantly added 'arena' to his otherwise empty schedule.

Seeing this, Hilmeth's eyes carried a faint smile. "Don't want to promote the Spirit Runes?"

"It's not that I don't want to—I actually enjoy seeing people appreciate the elemental Spirit Runes."

Lying down, Cang Cheng answered, "It just feels different when I choose to do it myself versus being pressured by someone else. I'm okay with the first, but not the second."

Rarely showing such a childish side, Hilmeth looked at Cang Cheng a bit longer.

"Do you want me to help?"

Cang Cheng turned his head, then suddenly his eyes lit up. "Hilmeth, how about you join me for a duo match? Fighting in the arena alone is boring, but with two people, it's way more fun."

"Okay," Hilmeth replied without a second's hesitation.

A couple of minutes later, the two gathered at the arena.

One wore white clothes and a white mask, while the other wore black clothes and a black mask, giving the black-and-white combo a striking 'matched' look at first glance.

In the Canglan World arena, duo ranking works differently from solo mode.

Once we formed a team, the system gave us a combat rating and ranking, and we could pick from three difficulty levels.

Normal – Opponents with comparable combat ratings.

Hard – Opponents with double the combat rating.

Nightmare – Opponents with more than triple the combat rating.

If the underdog wins, they swap ranks with their opponent, adding an extra layer of excitement.

After forming a team, Cang Cheng casually named their team ‘AM’, using the initials of ANKEN and Hilmeth, which was very time-saving.

"Team created, calculating combat rating...

Awakened ability value... 200

Arena ability value... 100

Popularity ability value... 5000 (MAX)

Total ability value 7100, overall ranking 248989th."

Wow... over 200,000th place? That's way back...

"Hilmeth, can we get into the top 50,000 today?"

"Sure, if you want to."

Hilmeth had never chosen this mode in the arena before and didn’t know what level of players participated in the duo ranking here.

But if Cang Cheng wanted to, he would fulfill Cang Cheng’s wish.

"Then for the first round, should we try the nightmare difficulty?"

"As you wish."

Cang Cheng didn’t hesitate to submit the request for the nightmare difficulty.

"We’ve been matched against a team with a combat rating of 35,000, ranked 119828th, team name ‘Streamer MIO Entertainment’.

The challenge will begin in 15 minutes, please head to the rest area to prepare."

Cang Cheng and Hilmeth headed to the duo rest area, which was larger than the solo rest area.

The room was about 40 square meters, furnished with a sofa, a coffee table, and a projector.

What really caught Cang Cheng off guard was... a bed in one corner of the room?!

Without a second thought, Cang Cheng plopped down on the soft bed. "The duo rest area is quite thoughtful, they even put a bed here, unlike the solo rest area, which is small and uncomfortable."

He rolled around on the bed and then began to craft the Spirit Runes needed for this challenge.

Hilmeth glanced at Cang Cheng, who was lounging on the bed, then quickly looked away.

The bed in the lounge... probably isn't just for resting, is it?

A thought crossed his mind, and Hilmeth felt a flush of heat.

He shook off the thought, sat down on the sofa, and opened his equipment vault.

But when he opened the vault, his expression darkened instantly.

He had forgotten that this wasn't his main account, so naturally, there were no commonly used weapons in the equipment vault.

Not only were there no weapons, but the vault was completely bare, not a single item in sight.

"Cang Cheng."

"What's up, Hilmeth?"

"This account of mine is new, and I haven't participated in the arena either."

"So what?"

Cang Cheng still didn't grasp how serious this was.

"I don't have any weapons."

"Ah?"

At that, Cang Cheng's hand slipped while drawing the Spirit Rune, ruining it.

Cang Cheng and Hilmeth looked at each other.

An uncomfortable silence settled between them.

Hilmeth felt a bit embarrassed under Cang Cheng's gaze. If he had a tail, it would probably be curled up in embarrassment.

This was one of the biggest blunders he'd ever made.

Going into the arena without preparing weapons...

When had he become so careless?

"I'm really sorry, Cang Cheng."

Hilmeth sincerely apologized.

Cang Cheng came to his senses.

"It's not a problem, I can handle it on my own."

Having Cang Cheng face two opponents alone?

No way.

He didn't want to just watch Cang Cheng from the sidelines.

After thinking for a moment, Hilmeth proposed, "What if I use Spirit Runes too?"

Cang Cheng blinked his pure black eyes again. "Huh?"

"I'll use Spirit Runes too."

Hilmeth explained, "My mental strength has always been strong. Although this account is restricted to Rank C, I can still use simple Spirit Runes.

I'll use Spirit Runes too."

In the Canglan Star Region, the distinction between Spirit Warriors and Spirit Rune Masters is merely based on their primary focus in combat. Awakened individuals can train in both if they work hard and have the aptitude.

However, Spirit Rune Masters have been seen as a support class for far too long, which is why no Spirit Warriors are willing to learn the Rune Master's knowledge.

But now... Cang Cheng's Spirit Runes will gradually change the position of Rune Masters.

Therefore, Hilmeth feels that he can also use Spirit Runes in battle.

Seeing that Cang Cheng seemed to still be thinking, Hilmeth lowered his gaze, the shadows of his eyelashes casting over his lower eyelids, giving him an aura of melancholy.

"You don't doubt my ability, do you, Cang Cheng?"

Cang Cheng wasn't doubting Mo; he just hadn't realized that Mo could use Spirit Runes too and was caught off guard for a moment.

"No, no, I just didn't expect this method. I'm really happy that you're willing to help me, Mo."

Cang Cheng said sincerely, then handed over the Spirit Runes he had just drawn to Hilmeth. "These runes are for you.

These Spirit Runes are manual control, unlike the automated ones used by support runes. When using them, you need to control their location and speed with mental strength."

Cang Cheng explained the use of Spirit Runes carefully, while Hilmeth listened attentively with his eyes lowered.

"I will use them well."

This new field of combat, and fighting alongside Cang Cheng, filled Hilmeth with excitement.

Finally, he could fight alongside Cang Cheng.

"Countdown to the challenge beginning, 3, 2, 1..."

As soon as the time was up, Cang Cheng and Hilmeth were transported to the arena.

*

"Hello everyone in the live stream room, today we're going to play a fun duo arena match. For the first round, I'll play a couple of matches with the top player on the leaderboard."

Host MIO was an extremely popular Spirit Warrior. His Spirit Warrior rank was B, which wasn't particularly outstanding in the entire Star Region. However, he's good-looking, with charming canines and dimples that make him very likable. He's also a smooth talker, quickly gathering a large fanbase.

"As we all know, this duo arena is full of annoying couples. It's both cringeworthy and annoying to watch.

Today, I'm going to teach these couples a lesson on behalf of all of you, so they stop rubbing their lovey-dovey moments in our faces."

"Burn them! Burn the couples!"

"Yes, yes, what's with couples coming to the arena? Host, teach them a lesson."

"Can you take them down in 10 seconds? If not, how about a cross-dressing stream as punishment?"

...

"Recently, there haven't been any interesting challenges in the arena. When will ANKEN return for another challenge?"

"I miss ANKEN. The arena feels so dull without him."

"You all want to see ANKEN, how cliché. Not me, I just want to get my hands on ANKEN's Spirit Runes."

...

MIO was somewhat displeased when the barrage of comments was suddenly filled with the name ANKEN.

"ANKEN is just a somewhat creative Spirit Rune Master who managed to win against President Mark Xin by catching him off guard. Why are people so obsessed with him?

If anyone had those Spirit Runes, they could do the same!

Besides, ANKEN hasn't shown up in three weeks. Who knows if he's hiding because he's run out of steam.

"No need to bring up unrelated people in the stream."

MIO said with a frown, then started the double challenge: "The match has been set. Let’s check out the opposing team’s stats."

MIO clicked on the team information and instantly felt confident about the next round.

"Oh ho, this team named AM only has a combat value of just over 7000? Even a newbie could hit that combat value.

So they chose nightmare mode, which is why they matched with us. They’re really biting off more than they can chew.

I guess... the opponents must be a couple of lovebirds. Someone’s just puffing up their chest to take on nightmare mode.

Heh, just wait till I, MIO, show them what they’re really made of!"

"Looks like we’re starting with a total wipeout—feels great."

Barrage of comments:

"MIO, go bully the lovebirds!"

"Teach the lovebirds a lesson."

"Burn burn burn."

……

As the teleportation light flashed before his eyes, MIO was quickly transported to the arena, but when he saw his opponent, his entire expression turned to one of horror.

White clothing, a white mask, blue decorations, and a pair of eyes filled with amusement, with a beauty mark below the corner of the eye that made the face unforgettable.

This was none other than ANKEN.

The man who had stirred the entire Canglan World, the man who has every Awakened dreaming about him, had finally appeared!

The barrage of comments flew by at lightning speed:

"Ahhhhh!! ANKEN, my male god!!"

"ANKEN, I love you!"

"ANKEN, you've finally appeared!!"

……

MIO hadn't expected that just after mentioning ANKEN, he would run into the man himself.

It was only natural to feel nervous.

After all, ANKEN was the Spirit Rune Master who had single-handedly taken on exoskeleton armor.

But... the excitement was real too.

If he beats ANKEN in the livestream, his popularity will skyrocket.

He has to win, and win in style!

He wants to show the audience that ANKEN is not as formidable as they think.

*

The news of ANKEN appearing in the double arena spread quickly on the forums. MIO's livestream quickly reached tens of millions of views, becoming the most popular stream at that time.

"Here for ANKEN."

"Checking in! My ANKEN, I miss you so much!"

"Haven't seen you in three weeks, ANKEN, did you lose weight?"

"Wait, who's the black mask next to ANKEN?"

"No way, no way! Does ANKEN have a boyfriend?"

"The black mask looks pretty good, huh?"

"So, ANKEN spent the last three weeks on a date? Not focused on his career at all!"

"Come to think of it, the size difference between these two does look kind of matching though..."

……

Cang Cheng had no idea that his match was being livestreamed by his opponent, and at the moment, there weren't many people in the audience seats of the double arena.

But he didn't mind.

Cang Cheng glanced at his opponent and asked, "Mo, one each?"

The latter nodded. "Okay."

The transparent shield rose, and the first double challenge was about to begin.

Cang Cheng started with the Blade of Wind, testing the opponent's strength.

Sensing the wind's direction, MIO shouted, "Right rear!"

MIO and the top player quickly rolled forward to dodge the attack.

The wind passed over their heads, slicing off a few strands of their hair.

They both felt a chill run down their spines.

The Blade of Wind moved even faster than in the videos, making MIO's heart race as he tried to stay calm despite his nerves.

"We've studied ANKEN's moves inside and out. Sure, the Blade of Wind is fast, but if we're ready, dodging it shouldn't be too hard."

MIO cheered himself on internally, convincing himself to stay calm.

ANKEN is just a B-rank Awakened individual, on the same level as him. He didn't need to be afraid.

Seeing the Blade of Wind being dodged, Cang Cheng immediately took another Spirit Rune and input magic into it.

The patterns on the Spirit Rune lit up instantly.

MIO is thinking about what Spirit Runes ANKEN will use.

It’s unlikely to be Water Runes, since they require a buildup of energy.

Is it the Chain of Wind Blades?

Or the Wind Wall Darts?

ANKEN doesn’t have many tricks up his sleeve with his limited set of Spirit Runes.

If MIO stays calm, he can pull this off.

However, the next moment, the sudden tremor made MIO lose his focus for a split second.

The white arena floor split open, revealing a gaping chasm over 10 meters deep.

If MIO hadn’t reacted fast enough, he would have plummeted into the chasm.

But it didn’t stop there. Just as he steadied himself, earthen spikes shot out of the ground.

The sharp tips of the earthen spikes gleamed menacingly under the arena lights.

“Hey hey hey, what is this now…”

MIO’s forehead was beaded with sweat as he continuously rolled backward, dodging the steadily advancing earth spikes.

MIO tried to punch through them.

But even when MIO shattered the spikes with a single punch, they quickly reformed.

The spikes regenerated faster than MIO could destroy them, leaving him overwhelmed.

He tried multiple dodges, or even flying into the air.

However, the earth spikes relentlessly pursued him; the moment he flew, the spikes stacked higher.

MIO felt like a moth fluttering around the arena, being toyed with by ANKEN.

Only when facing ANKEN head-on did MIO realize how naive he had been to think he could prove himself by beating ANKEN.

Even if he knew ANKEN’s commonly used Spirit Runes, so what?

Even if he was prepared, so what?

As soon as ANKEN brought out something new, MIO was left helpless, at his mercy.

No… even if ANKEN didn’t use new Spirit Runes, MIO felt he would still most likely be overwhelmed.

The pressure ANKEN exerted was far greater than that of a well-known Spirit Warrior.

He had been too naive.

Live comments:

“Whoa, he’s here! ANKEN’s bringing out his new Spirit Runes!”

“ANKEN is my god!!”

“Tremble! Earth!”

"Is this even a holographic movie or what?"

"My jaw hit the floor!"

"When it comes to challenge streams, ANKEN's the one to watch."

"Check out what's going down with Black Mask—just as intense!"

……

The livestream viewers were drawn to Hilmeth's side.

Hilmeth sized up his opponent, saw nothing but a flashy weakling, and launched his attack without a second thought.

Dressed in black, he blurred forward, moving faster than the wind and quieter than a shadow.

The top-ranked player was decked out in A-grade battle gear and packing an A-grade heat weapon, looking like a total powerhouse.

But since he couldn't pinpoint Hilmeth, he was left blasting away in every direction, hoping to hit something.

"Come on, kid! You can run, but can you handle a hit from your daddy?"

The area around the top-ranked player was filled with smoke and constant artillery fire.

Yet despite the chaos, he couldn't even touch the hem of Hilmeth's clothes.

Whoosh! A sudden gust of wind brushed past the top-ranked player's ear.

That must be the Wind Blade runes—he's coming from this direction!

"Gotcha!"

The top-ranked player attacked in the direction of the wind sound.

But once again, he hit only a mass of air.

Wait, where was he?

Just as he was wondering where Hilmeth was, a hand snatched the muzzle of his gun from the side.

Then the opponent disarmed him, elbowed his stomach, and chopped the back of his neck.

A swift three-move combo.

The speed of the moves was so fast that it left no time to react.

The top-ranked player was instantly dazed and then thud! He fell to the ground.

As he lost consciousness, he mumbled one last thing.

"You're... amazing... I'll... pay you..."

Comments:

"Such swift moves!"

"He didn't even use a weapon the whole time, he's so strong!"

"ANKEN's partner is definitely a master too."

"He has a military demeanor, this black-masked person is from the military, right?"

"Come to think of it, this black-masked guy just used the Blade of Wind, right? Is he a Spirit Rune Master?"

"With skills like that, he must be a Spirit Warrior."

"I'll bet an ANKEN that he's a Spirit Rune Master."

"I'll bet two ANKENs that he's a Spirit Warrior."

"Spirit Rune Master!"

"Spirit Warrior!"

……

The live stream comments were still in heated debate when suddenly, *crack,* the screen went dark.

Wait, what? We were all hyped up, and now the stream's gone?

Where's the live stream? We want to see ANKEN and the black-masked guy!

A comment floated by:

"The streamer lost and got sent out of the arena, that's why the screen went black."

……

"Streamer, can you handle this? It's not even been 1 minute! Is this all you're capable of?"

"Can you even do this, streamer?"

"Come on, streamer, are you even trying?"

"Man, I don't know when I'll get to see ANKEN again."

……

Cang Cheng finished off his opponent MIO almost at the same time as Hilmeth. He had anticipated MIO's escape route and used an earth spike to knock the opponent out of the game.

*

"Victory goes to Team AM!

Rank swap, Team AM's rank has risen to 119,828.

Team hidden combat power (33,000)"

Holographic confetti floated in the air as Cang Cheng smiled and lightly patted Hilmeth's broad shoulder with his fist.

"With the two of us working together, it's a breeze."

Hilmeth smiled too. He reached out and gently rubbed Cang Cheng's hair.

The latter looked up slightly at Hilmeth without any protest.

Even though it was just a victory over a low-tier team, Hilmeth was in a good mood.

Because this was the first time he and Cang Cheng had won a duo ranked match, and it was a moment worth remembering.

Cang Cheng: "Did you just use the Wind Blade runes to feint?"

"Yes. I wanted to try the Wind Blade runes."

Given his skills, Hilmeth could have taken down that guy easily without even using his hands.

But in order to test the capabilities of the Wind Blade runes, he chose to use them to mislead the opponent before attacking.

Cang Cheng's eyes gleamed with excitement. "So how was the experiment? Are my Spirit Runes impressive?"

"They work great, but since I’m already pretty fast, they don’t add much for me," Hilmeth explained.

Cang Cheng pouted, looking a bit miffed. "Just wait, I'll make sure you're satisfied in the future."

Noticing he might have said the wrong thing, Hilmeth quickly stood behind Cang Cheng and began to gently massage his shoulders.

Cang Cheng’s shoulders were slender, and Hilmeth’s hands fit around them perfectly.

Hilmeth was careful not to press too hard, knowing how slight Cang Cheng’s frame was.

So he only massaged lightly.

Cang Cheng sighed contentedly, letting himself relax completely under Hilmeth’s touch.

His amber eyes flickered.

Hilmeth asked, "You still up for more challenges?"

Cang Cheng nodded, honestly saying, "Absolutely. It’s way easier when we team up, and it’s fun having someone to talk to."

Hilmeth nodded. "Alright, then we'll team up from now on."

Looks like the duo challenge arena is about to be ruled by the Black and White Mask team!