Chapter 48: Middle of the Dual Arena

Chapter 48: Middle of the Dual Arena

The Awakened forum in the Canglan Star Region has been buzzing lately.

Topic: Ah! When will the great ANKEN stop dominating the dual arena?

Content: "My girlfriends and I planned to go to the dual arena this weekend to earn some friendship points and get a friendship medal. Little did we know, we were matched against Spirit Rune Master ANKEN and his black-mask partner.

And then we were eliminated in 20 seconds.

I just felt the wind whistling and swooshing, and then my screen changed color.

I was so shocked, I screamed like a banshee!

When’s he going back to solo matches? Leave the dual arena for us peace-loving folks!"

1st Floor:

Can’t laugh about it, because I was instantly eliminated by ANKEN too.

2nd Floor:

Me as well……

3rd Floor:

I totally understand.

13th Floor:

ANKEN and his black-masked partner climbed from 270,000th to the top 10,000 in just three days. I bet if the system hadn’t locked the nightmare difficulty challenge, ANKEN could have made it to the top 5,000 in just a few more days.

25th Floor:

I had lost interest in ANKEN’s Spirit Runes because it’s always the same routine. But after watching a few of ANKEN’s challenges these past days, I suddenly have an unprecedented desire for Nature Spirit Runes.

So, does anyone know how to get ANKEN’s Spirit Runes?

26th Floor:

Those earth-shattering Spirit Runes of ANKEN are too powerful. Even if you fly, they’ll track you down and strike.

27th Floor:

So the question is, which is stronger—ANKEN’s Blade of Wind or his Earth’s Fury?

……

144th Floor:

By the way, is ANKEN’s black-masked partner a Spirit Rune Master or a Spirit Warrior?

145th Floor:

Spirit Rune Master

146th Floor:

Spirit Warrior

The debate over whether Black Mask is a Spirit Rune Master or a Spirit Warrior has been going on for several pages.

Post 266:

A Spirit Warrior who can also wield Spirit Runes.

Post 267:

Agreed with the previous post.

……

Meanwhile, numerous analysis threads have emerged, discussing various aspects of ANKEN's gameplay.

"A Brief Analysis of ANKEN's New Earth's Fury Spirit Rune."

"Why Did ANKEN Switch from Solo Queue to the Dual Challenge?"

"Just How Strong Is ANKEN?"

"How Strong Is ANKEN's Partner, Black Mask? Could anyone else replace him and still win easily?"

"ANKEN has already crafted Nature Spirit Runes for wind, water, and earth. I bet the next one will be fire!"

……

One post analyzed:

"The AM duo isn't as strong as people think. Despite being called a team, ANKEN and Black Mask lack any real strategy, relying entirely on their individual skills.

When they face a duo with solid tactics, the AM duo's weaknesses will become apparent.

In doubles matches, strategy is everything."

This post received a lot of agreement.

While ANKEN and Black Mask are indeed strong, it's also obvious that they lack tactics and coordination. They each fight their own battles, turning the doubles competition into a 1v1.

They can only maintain a ranking above 10,000. When they face true doubles specialists, ANKEN is likely to suffer a crushing defeat.

*

A few days later, as predicted by fans, Cang Cheng successfully converted the fire element into a set of Spirit Runes.

Original Basic Fire Magic – Fireball

Rune Grade: C

Description: Condenses fire elements to form a fireball, which explodes upon contact with the target, causing massive damage and inflicting a burning status.

Original Intermediate Fire Magic – Chain Fireballs

Rune Grade: B

Description: Condenses multiple fireballs to create chain damage, causing massive damage and inflicting a burning status.

Original Intermediate Fire Magic – Flame Domain

Rune Grade: B

Description: Activates fire elements in a designated area, halving the energy cost and doubling the speed of fire rune formation within that area.

Fire magic, one of the four major elemental magics, is primarily focused on dealing damage. Cang Cheng first created two offensive spells, showcasing the full destructive potential of fire magic.

Unlike water and earth magic, fire magic can't harness the natural environment for enhancements. So, Cang Cheng chose the Flame Domain spell to artificially create an environment favorable for fire magic.

By this point, Cang Cheng had already crafted a batch of Spirit Runes for all four elemental magics: water, fire, wind, and earth.

Considering he had only been in the Canglan Star Region for less than three months, Cang Cheng had already crafted 7 C-grade Spirit Runes and 8 B-grade Spirit Runes. He must have been pretty busy, huh?

"Mo, the fire magic is complete."

With a smile, Cang Cheng placed several Spirit Rune plates into Hilmeth's hands.

"Magic?"

Hilmeth's fingers brushed over the newly crafted Spirit Runes as he casually asked.

In a good mood, Cang Cheng accidentally referred to the runes as magic instead of Spirit Runes. However, this wasn't the first time he had misspoken; last time, he had mistakenly called energy magic.

"It's just another way of saying it. No big deal."

Cang Cheng brushed it off again.

Hilmeth didn't intend to press further. He could see that Cang Cheng was hiding something, but wasn't he doing the same?

"By the way, your Spirit Runes seem inspired by nature."

"Ah... yes."

Cang Cheng explained the magic principles: "Why does water appear? Why does wind flow? Why does fire give off heat? Long before humans existed, nature was already here.

Nature is both powerful and boundless. So, learning to draw energy from nature, to manipulate and transform it—isn't that more efficient than creating energy from nothingness?"

"I want to learn from nature, create nature, and then achieve what nature cannot."

For the first time, Cang Cheng expressed his ambition in front of Hilmeth. This was the goal he would pursue for his entire life.

As a mage in search of truth, nothing brought him more joy than exploring the mysteries of nature.

His pure black eyes gleamed like obsidian reflecting starlight, captivating in their beauty.

Hilmeth had seen Cang Cheng confident before, but never so radiant and captivating. Hilmeth's entire world seemed to empty out, leaving only Cang Cheng standing there in the slanted light, waiting for him.

Hilmeth's heart beat fast.

He might have realized his own feelings.

He wanted to see Cang Cheng crowned with supreme honor, but also hoped that the Cang Cheng admired by thousands would focus only on him.

Noticing Hilmeth's gaze, intense like dawn breaking through an endless night, Cang Cheng tilted her head. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think what I said is naive?"

Hilmeth smiled and patted Cang Cheng's shoulder.

"You will succeed."

"Thank you for your support, Hilmeth."

Cang Cheng invited, "Want to duo queue? Today we'll use fire-based Spirit Runes. The red flames really suit you."

"Sure."

With that, the two of them simultaneously linked into the Canglan World via their neural links.

However, after their consciousness entered the virtual world, Hilmeth's body began to fade, becoming partially transparent.

A significant amount of time had passed.

*

Cang Cheng and Hilmeth's duo climbed from outside the top 200,000 to rank 6783 within a week.

If they moved up further in the rankings, they would start encountering A-rank Awakened.

Although both Cang Cheng and Hilmeth were confident in challenging higher-level opponents, their public profiles only listed them as B-rank Awakened, and others didn’t give them much of a chance.

When the matchmaking timer ended, the two were transported to the dual arena.

As they steadied themselves, deafening cheers erupted from all sides.

Clearly, Cang Cheng and Hilmeth's match had been randomly selected for live broadcast by the system.

"Ahhh... ANKEN!! The system actually chose ANKEN's match!"

"I can't believe I get to see ANKEN's match! ANKEN, you're amazing!"

"Black Mask, you're so handsome!"

...

"Whoa, ANKEN's opponent isn't someone simple either. Isn't that Stranger, ranked 257th in the solo queue?"

"What what? Really! ANKEN is duo queuing against an A-rank Stranger? Isn't ANKEN going to get crushed?"

"Haha, I've been waiting for this moment. I've been waiting to see ANKEN get beaten up."

...

An Awakened's rank represents their strength.

Clearly, in the eyes of all Awakened, ANKEN, a B-rank Awakened in Silver tier solo queue, had no chance of winning against Stranger, an A-rank Awakened on the solo queue leaderboard.

Cang Cheng didn’t know that the audience had started to doubt his chances. Staring at the familiar face across from him, it took him a moment to remember who the opponent was.

Across from him, a virtual figure with brown hair and the ID 'Stranger' looked at Cang Cheng with a surprised expression.

His secondary account was 'Don't Bully My Brother,' the brother of a certain chuunibyou 'Invincible Overlord.'

"Long time no see, ANKEN."

Yi Moshang greeted.

"Long time no see."

Cang Cheng replied politely.

"Is that your friend?"

While Cang Cheng was familiar with Yi Moshang, his attention shifted to Yi Moshang's partner.

The opponent's aura was concentrated, exuding a faint pressure. Seeing Cang Cheng looking over, he slightly raised his head and glanced at Cang Cheng with his peripheral vision.

His game ID was LEE111.

Yi Moshang introduced, "This is my instructor, surname Li."

An instructor? So he must be from the military, and likely in a high-ranking position.

Cang Cheng felt that he seemed to have some fate with people from the military. Mo was from the military, and Qin Yan he met before was also from the military. Now he encountered another military person.

Cang Cheng nodded to LEE, "Hello, please take care of us in the match later."

LEE glanced at Cang Cheng and then shifted his gaze, his tone somewhat arrogant and disdainful, "D-class physical stats? Someone like this is matched with us?"

Cang Cheng’s fists tightened.

LEE then glanced at Hilmeth, whose military presence was unmistakable, and quickly identified him.

He let out a dismissive snort, "Instead of using your free time to train, you're here doing a duo queue and bringing your boyfriend along. If you were my subordinate, I'd scold you until you quit the military."

When Hilmeth heard the word 'boyfriend,' his eyes flickered slightly, but then he became cold again.

LEE no longer paid attention to Cang Cheng and Hilmeth.

He had thought that being ranked around 6000, he might encounter some stronger opponents, but this? Just this?

Looks like another match where we’ll be stomping on weaker players.

"In this duo match, I’ll show you how to use interference Spirit Runes."

LEE turned around, signaling with his eyes for Yi Moshang to stop exchanging glances with the opponents.

Yi Moshang scratched his head awkwardly, mouthed an apology to Cang Cheng, and reluctantly listened to LEE’s strategy.

Since Yi Moshang's last loss to Cang Cheng, he fully realized his lack of practical experience and spent money and used connections to find an instructor from the military to teach him.

Instructor LEE was knowledgeable and taught Yi Moshang a lot.

However, LEE was probably born into a good family, was arrogant, disdained to associate with regular Awakened, and had a sharp tongue. If it weren't for Yi Moshang's good temper, he would never have endured LEE's teaching.

Yi Moshang had also mentioned ANKEN to LEE before, but when LEE heard that ANKEN was only a Grade B rune user, he told Yi Moshang not to waste his attention on someone weaker than him.

As a result, LEE didn’t even recognize ANKEN and had no interest in meeting a low-ranking B-grade Awakened.

"Mo, his attitude really grates on me…"

Cang Cheng chuckled lightly.

"How about I teach him a lesson?"

Cang Cheng’s eyes lifted slightly, "Eh? Can’t I do it myself?"

Hilmeth lowered his gaze, locking eyes with Cang Cheng.

"Do whatever you want, I'll follow your lead."

"If this were ancient times, someone like you would definitely be a tyrant."

"It's okay if I'm a tyrant, you just keep me in check."

The past few days of double-ranking had made Cang Cheng and Hilmeth even more in perfect sync, casually throwing out banter.

Neither of them saw any issue with it, but it left the AM CP fans at the scene needing oxygen from excitement.

Yes, CP fans.

No wonder the CP fans were over the moon! After all, the unpredictable ANKEN had finally found a permanent duo partner.

Ah, they're standing so close!!

ANKEN is smiling again, ANKEN is so captivating!

The masked guy looks so content!

Black mask guy, don't be cowardly, just kiss ANKEN!

Aww, being an AM CP fan is such a dream!

*

The preparation time ended, and the transparent barrier dissolved into particles, officially starting the duo challenge between Cang Cheng and Hilmeth versus Yi Moshang and Instructor LEE.

Yi Moshang and LEE simultaneously pulled out A-grade rapid-fire guns, aiming them at Cang Cheng and Hilmeth.

Two Spirit Runes on the guns lit up, indicating the successful use of the Spirit Runes.

"At the start, we use the Electromagnetic Distortion Rune and the Dizziness Rune to disrupt the enemy's thermal weapons and movement, gaining the first-hand advantage."

This was the opening offensive plan LEE had devised for Yi Moshang.

"Remember, the first round of shots should aim at the ground near the enemy instead of directly at them, to prevent a counter-attack and break the rhythm."

The A-grade rapid-fire guns were incredibly fast, truly achieving a speed like thunderclaps.

Swish swish swish, a total of six bullets imbued with electromagnetic distortion and dizziness effects were rapidly fired.

The bullets struck the ground about 6 meters away from Cang Cheng and Hilmeth. Although the bullets didn't hit, the rune effects were triggered!

Cang Cheng and Hilmeth were within the range of the electromagnetic distortion and dizziness runes.

Leaving aside the electromagnetic distortion effect, the dizziness rune made Cang Cheng feel dizzy and unsteady, unable to stand properly.

As the name suggests, the dizziness rune causes dizziness in the opponent, with the effect depending on the opponent's physique.

With Cang Cheng's D-grade physique, the dizziness rune had a very noticeable effect on him.

Cang Cheng grumbled, "How can there be such an irritating rune?"

LEE wasn't surprised to see Cang Cheng stagger.

He had previously told Yi Moshang, 'Most people will pause for a few seconds after realizing they're in a debuffed area. That's when you can use the smoke bombs and capture nets, and throw them directly at the enemy.'

Following LEE's instructions, Yi Moshang took advantage of Cang Cheng's immobility and threw the smoke bombs and capture nets.

Suddenly, a cloud of white smoke filled the arena, obscuring Cang Cheng and Hilmeth's vision.

The appearance of the capture nets forced Cang Cheng to divert his attention to neutralize them.

——At this moment, using the I-formation, with the main attacker shooting from behind while the defense position in front used a large shield to block the enemy from predicting their moves.—

LEE fully deployed the large shield from his back.

The custom-made shield, originally about half the size of a person, unfolded into a massive hexagonal shield, 2.5 meters in diameter, completely concealing LEE and Yi Moshang behind it.

The shield was equipped with a thermal sensor, allowing them to track the enemy's heat signature without losing sight.

A small aperture in the shield provided a clear line of fire for the main attacker.

This was the strategy LEE planned to teach Yi Moshang: establish dominance early, keep the enemy off-balance with constant disruptions, and deliver a decisive blow under cover.

Unlike many Awakened who favored direct confrontations, LEE excelled in tactical warfare. He would plan a strategy beforehand, ensuring his opponent failed before they could fully engage.

Yi Moshang moved with precision, quickly positioning himself behind LEE to form a straight line.

He set up his sniper rifle and, through the scope, used the smoke from the smoke bomb to gauge Cang Cheng's movements.

Yi Moshang knew Cang Cheng was strong. Cang Cheng's Wind Blade rune had once shattered his confidence.

However, this time, Yi Moshang had a deep understanding of Cang Cheng's rune combinations and knew that as a Spirit Rune Master, Cang Cheng had inherent limitations in physical endurance and reaction time.

Therefore, Yi Moshang believed that under LEE's tactics, he might actually be able to defeat ANKEN.

He could kill the opponent before ANKEN even realized what was happening.

With a "whoosh," a silenced sniper bullet was fired.

The bullet smoothly passed through the small aperture of the hexagonal shield and, upon entering the range of the smoke bomb, split into six smaller projectiles!

ANKEN's Wind Wall rune could only block one attack; it couldn’t stop six.

This was a specially crafted bullet designed to deal with ANKEN, and it was perfectly utilized in this challenge.

From the initial use of the Dizziness Rune at the start to their transformation into the I-formation, Yi Moshang pulled the trigger within a total of 7 seconds.

In 7 seconds, a novice might have just managed to set up a sniper rifle, not even finding the prey's shadow.

However... Yi Moshang not only completed the preliminary disruption with LEE within 7 seconds but also, after facing an opponent who had once easily defeated him, maintained a steady mindset and shot with precision.

He wanted to win!

As the match began, the host's voice excitedly rose: "This is the first time the AM duo has encountered double A-rank enemies. Their opponents are not only top-tier players but include the tactical master known as LEE!"

*

LEE's win rate has reached 83%, and many players ranked in the top 200 have fallen to his tactics.

Will the ANKEN duo manage to pull off another win in this doubles match?

Audience discussions:

"Oh my god, that's really the tactical master?"

"With two A-rank opponents, ANKEN is in for a tough fight."

"Heh, usually ANKEN finishes his opponents in just 10 seconds. Could the tables be turned this time?"

The host’s rapid commentary was a blur of words, as if his lips could barely keep up.

"Yi Moshang and LEE are perfectly in sync, starting with a Dizziness Rune and smoke bombs!"

"The Molu combination has changed formation; they’re trying to take down ANKEN right from the start!"

"ANKEN’s Spirit Runes are powerful, but his physical endurance is lacking."

"No way, a B-rank fighter has no chance against an A-rank, even if it’s ANKEN."

……

The extraordinary opening strategy convinced everyone watching the match that ANKEN's chances of winning were slim.

While they felt it was a pity, since a talented Spirit Rune Master had finally appeared in the arena, the gap in strength was insurmountable.

However, if ANKEN lost, would the price of his Spirit Runes drop?

The host’s voice rose dramatically, "Will Yi Moshang land the first kill on ANKEN?"

As everyone waited for the outcome, the sound of metal clashing rang out, followed by six split bullets gently falling to the ground.

Yi Moshang’s opening sniper shots were all deflected!

There was no wind, no water, and no seismic activity—ANKEN didn’t use any Spirit Runes.

There was no flash from firearms, so he likely didn’t use any thermal weapons.

With the Electromagnetic Distortion Rune active, electromagnetic weapons were also useless.

So... how did ANKEN block the bullets?

Everyone was very curious and stretched their necks to see.

As the smoke gradually cleared, Cang Cheng and Hilmeth stood intact where they had been.

Hilmeth, dressed in black, held his black longsword, its blade reflecting sharp cold light.

Hilmeth flicked his wrist and sheathed the sword.

The crowd gasped in shock.

Cold steel?

Who would have thought such an old-fashioned weapon would appear in the arena?

Behind Hilmeth, Cang Cheng stood calmly, his light pink lips curling into a faint smile beneath his porcelain-white mask.

"The combination of Dizziness Rune and smoke bombs in the opening was quite clever."

This was the first time Cang Cheng had seen such a tactic since arriving in the Canglan Star Region.

A Spirit Rune in his hand shattered, releasing fluorescent blue light particles that flickered and dissipated around him.

LEE solemnly said, "You're not dizzy?"

He had just seen ANKEN's body sway, clearly affected by the Dizziness Rune, just like how ANKEN's performance declined during the match against Mark Xin when he was hit by a gravity rune.

But right now, ANKEN didn't look like he was being affected by the Dizziness Rune at all.

"Oh, you mean that?"

Cang Cheng grinned with half-lidded eyes, "I was just faking it."

LEE noticed the brief irregular energy flow around Cang Cheng and immediately figured out what was going on.

"You used a Spirit Rune to interfere with the energy."

"Right. But no prize for you."

When Cang Cheng saw the opponent attacking, he decided to stay put rather than fly up.

After all, flying around would be exhausting...

So Cang Cheng used a Sealing Rune to neutralize the opponent's Dizziness Rune and Electromagnetic Distortion Rune.

Hilmeth used a cold weapon because the Sealing Rune blocks all energy flows, including thermal weapons and Spirit Runes, without distinguishing between friend or foe.

To avoid any mishaps in the upcoming battle, Hilmeth had learned to use cold weapons.

LEE hadn’t expected ANKEN to wield Spirit Runes as quickly as an A-rank Awakened, but he still didn’t think ANKEN could stand up to him.

"Heh, just wait and see what I’ve got planned!" LEE smirked confidently.

LEE, who calls himself a tactical master, has prepared over a hundred strategies to counter his opponents.

No worries if we didn’t win at the start; we can still turn things around and win.

With his hands behind his back, LEE gave tactical orders to Yi Moshang.

From this angle, Cang Cheng couldn’t see his movements. However, Cang Cheng didn’t need to see what was happening.

"While I’m curious about your tactics, I’d rather log off and get some rest," Cang Cheng said.

With that, Cang Cheng pulled out a Spirit Runes.

"No tactic stands a chance against overwhelming power. You feeling the heat yet?"

As the Spirit Runes activated, the seal field vanished, and the Flame Domain emerged.