Chapter 53: You’ll Find Out Soon

```

[ Leon Flanke vs Ruby Starviel ]

```

"It’s a perfect setup." Alice chuckled.

By showing off some of their moves here, Leon Flanke was leaving a trail for anyone headhunting him. Alice’s parents would make sure this trail never reached Logan Wolf.

Logan nodded, eyes focused. "I will win this time."

"Oho, you look confident." Alice grinned.

Logan grinned. "You’ll know why shortly."

Alice opened first, bow already drawn.

Starpiercer Volley!

Three arrows split the air toward him at once, and Logan didn’t try to dodge all three separately.

Reaper’s Stride!

Alice was surprised. ’A movement skill!’

He blinked ten meters closer on the swing that triggered it, cutting the angle down enough that only one arrow still had a real shot at him. It grazed his shoulder instead of his chest, his own Spirit Armor number ticking down by a small margin on the overhead display.

He closed the remaining distance in two more steps, blade already swinging in a clean arc meant to end things quickly.

Alice wasn’t there anymore.

Comet Step!

’Her movement skill is quite instantaneous.’

She reappeared ten meters clear, already nocking another arrow, delight breaking clean across her face. "Not bad."

She loosed again before he’d fully recovered his balance.

Meteor Nock!

The shot caught him across the ribs, sharp enough to actually hurt despite the Spirit Armor absorbing the real damage, his own number dropping further.

Logan gritted his teeth and answered with the one ranged option he actually had.

Overgrim Slash!

A dark arc of light tore free of his blade and crossed the arena in a blink. Alice’s eyes went wide, and she barely twisted clear of it in time, the edge of it still catching her side hard enough to make her stumble.

’So fast! He definitely got a new class! It’s powerful!’

```

[ Alice’s Spirit Armor: 42 ]

[ Logan’s Spirit Armor: 51 ]

```

The crowd’s noise climbed with every exchange, more people on their feet now than sitting, sensing they were watching something worth remembering.

Alice recovered fast, bow already redrawn, three more arrows nocked at once.

Starpiercer Volley!

Logan met this one differently. He didn’t try to dodge it or close the distance.

Blade Veil Counter!

’Got it!’ Logan’s pupils shrank in pin-point focus.

An arcane veil snapped up around him for exactly one second, and all three arrows shattered against it instead of finding flesh.

’What!’ Alice’s eyes widened.

```

[ Blade Veil Counter successful. +200% damage to equipped weapon for 3 seconds. ]

```

He closed the distance immediately, blade already carrying the buff’s weight behind it.

Grimlord’s Blade!

The strike caught Alice across the arm before she managed to fully clear the follow-up, serrated edge tearing a real line across her Spirit Armor’s surface.

```

[ Alice’s Spirit Armor: 18 ]

```

Alice’s grin didn’t waver despite the number. If anything, it sharpened.

"Guess I need to actually try now."

She drew back further than she had all fight, starlight gathering thick around the arrowhead, the same look on her face Logan remembered from watching her kill Shard.

Horizon’s Requiem!

Logan’s stomach dropped. There was no dodging this one, not at this range, not with how fast it was already closing.

’Can’t get clear in time. Can’t block it either, not with anything left standing between us.’

He didn’t try to save himself. He threw the sword instead, Reaper’s Stride triggering off the motion and hurling Grimlord’s Blade across the arena faster than a normal throw ever could have managed, a second attack racing the first arrow across the same stretch of air.

Both attacks landed in the same heartbeat. Horizon’s Requiem tore through what was left of Logan’s Spirit Armor completely, and Grimlord’s Blade found Alice’s chest at the exact same instant, punching through the last sliver of hers right along with it.

```

[ Logan’s Spirit Armor: 0 ]

[ Alice’s Spirit Armor: 0 ]

[ Double Knockout. Match declared a draw. ]

```

The arena went dead silent for a full second before the crowd absolutely lost it, noise crashing down from every level at once.

Alice stood there across from him, breathing hard, blade still stuck upright in the ground a few feet from where it had hit her, and started laughing.

"A draw." She shook her head, delighted. "I was expecting a win."

Logan let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, grinning despite the ache still radiating up through his shoulder.

"Guess we’re even now." Logan smiled as both of them left through the exit passage. "But I still had a trump card. I just didn’t use it."

Alice blinked. "What was it?"

"Level 10 skill selection."

Alice’s eyes sparkled. "Skill selection?! That’s a freaking perk of Mythic-rank class!"

Logan rubbed his nose proudly.

"Really?!"

"Yep."

"Holy shit. What’s the name?"

"Axiom Blade Grimlord."

"C-Cool sounding. But mine is cooler. Stardust Horizon Ranger, heh."

Logan rolled his eyes. "Let’s just say they are on equal level coolness."

"...alright. Fair."

They headed back not long after, the arena’s noise fading behind them as the aircraft lifted off toward the villa.

His parents and Vina were still deeply asleep, breathing slow and even in a way that looked like the deepest, most complete rest any of them had gotten in years.

Logan found Synthia still near the garden, runes drifting slow across her skin in the fading afternoon light, and handed over everything he’d bought at the Hub.

"Make whatever you think is best." He set the last of the materials down in front of her. "Your call. I trust your judgment on this."

Synthia turned the materials over once, already thinking, and nodded without a word.

Logan looked out at the garden, and walked towards Alice.

They had spent three hours at the hub, and it was still just a bit past 5 PM.

Alice was going to play another match pretty soon. In an hour.

And Logan didn’t want to send her empty handed after all that.

Most importantly, he felt that he should trust her and forge the bond better.

Alice was looking at the Tower Shop. She got Tier Points from her parents, but since she got them from her parents, they were marked with Tier-9 label. Tower Shop made proper distinctions since it scaled the price of items accordingly.

For these Tier-9 Tier Points Alice got, the units for Tier-1 shop were ultra expensive. A Normal-rank Tier-1 unit cost 100 T-9 Tier Points.

Uncommon-rank Tier-1 unit cost 1000 T-9 Tier points.

Rare-rank Tier-1 unit cost 2000 T-9 Tier Points.

Epic-rank Tier-1 unit cost 5000 T-9 Tier points.

Legendary-rank Tier-1 unit cost 10,000 T-9 Tier Points.

Mythic-rank Tier-1 unit cost 100,000 T-9 Tier Point.

Utterly expensive the higher the rank. Low-rank were less expensive, but they were easy to get even inside the game.

"Damn it. I am not buying anything." Alice clicked her tongue. "I can win on my own just fine."

Logan arrived right as she expressed her frustration, and she looked at him. "Yeah, I only lost because you were in that match. Otherwise I would have won."

Logan blinked, remembering Uorop. "There was one more player, quite talented. He had a Mythic-rank talent."

"I’m going to change my talent as well." Alice clenched her fist. "Mom and Dad both got their talent and class to Mythic-rank even though they started at Epic and Rare."

Logan was dumbfounded. "Really? That’s impressive.

"Exactly. Of course, they were lucky, but luck only comes to those who put in the effort to grasp it."

"Then I have an idea, Alice." Logan smiled.

Alice looked at him, her eyes gravitating towards his as she felt something different in them. "You...want to tell me?"

"..." Logan felt scared. "Why are you so perceptive?"

Alice arrogantly flung her hair back. "That’s me."

Logan laughed and answered her question. "Well, yes. I do. So, how about you go ahead and buy 100 Normal-rank Tier-1 units."

Alice blinked twice. "For real?"

Logan seriously nodded. "Absolutely."

Alice felt thrilled. "100 Normal-rank for one Mythic, is that it?"

"You’ll find out soon." Logan smiled.