Chapter 8 - Apace

They let out a joyous smile because of both of them isn't exactly a smart type — a fight is an ideal game for them. However, their smile doesn't last long and soon changes into serious expression — waiting for another holographic message that will explain the meaning or those words.

*Ding*

"Finally," both of them said together.

[Equivalent Fight: A fight where the challenger and the defender have the equal weapon, status, and skill]

The dungeon master frowns his eyebrow after reading that displayed on his retina. However, before he finished organize his thought, another notification appears on his eyes.

[Defender Advantage: Choosing the type of battle]

[1. The Defender's level decrease become Colorless — Amount of Defender's skill become zero]

[2. The Challenger's level increase become Red — Amount of Challenger's skill become eight]

In this gamble, the defender has one advantage — he has right to choose which is given by world-will. Even though he can't change the theme of the game, he has a chance to choose game detail — he'll choose whichever option that gives them the most advantage.

The option will lose its effect after he gets out of this white place — it isn't permanent. So, he doesn't need to worry about lowering his rank after this game. What he needs to do is choose wisely the most advantageous option for him to win.

The first option means his rank will forcefully decrease into the colorless-level which equal as the human. Besides his status, his skill amount also becomes equal to his opponent — zero. This choice is disadvantageous, he often relies on his skill while his opponent earlier already shown his ability in swordplay, which can match his movement — a red-level dungeon-master — for a short while.

His opponent has weapon-proficiency which transcend him in many levels.

This first option is a losing choice.

He's examining the second choice, this option means his opponent rank will forcefully increase into red-level, and then he'll have the same skill as him. Even though it appears the same, it's essentially different. Most people can quickly adapt when their rank go down, but that wasn't the same for the opposite case — it needs days to get used with a higher level. Besides that, he has more experience using his skill — although they have the same skills, he as the more experienced user will generate a better result.

If he chooses this option, his opponent will have difficulty to control his newfound power, and he can't even use the skill properly.

After organizing his thought, he let out a wide grin.

'After all, this option is a winning choice.'

"I choose the second option," he says with a confident tone.

***

Elias is observing the dungeon master who stands in front of him. A single translucent barrier is separating them, but he still can see his opponent expression. He notices the man in front of him still in deep thought. If his memories were right, this is where the dungeon master choose the game details — the defender's advantage.

Soon, he notices a slight change on his opponent face — a vigorous appearance.

Usually, this type of expression won't give a good outcome for him. However, he still silent thinking what possibly could happen while preparing the solution.

Soon, a sound of Ding come inside his mind following by series of holographic sentences.

*Ding*

[The Defender already choose Game type]

[Recover any Injuries and Regrow Your Lost Limbs]

[Your Rank change into Red level]

[Amount of Your Skill change into eight]

He notices that his injuries are recovering at a visible rate while his rank increase into red-level. His left hand regenerate and become a new hand — he can move it just fine, no sign of any deficiency.

After reading those sentences carefully and checking the list of his skills, his serious expression changing into a wide smirk — leaking his happy feelings from his mind.

Soon, the white scenery surrounding them changes into vast flat grassy grounds. They stand while facing each other, but with a barrier separating them, they don't move from their place — observing their opponent. They waiting for a sign of the beginning of their fight which shortly comes — the ding sound soon reverberates in this vast grassland, followed by the barrier disappearance.

Noticing this, the dungeon master soon use one of his skill which he didn't use earlier — a shadow clone. The dungeon master multiplies and rushes towards Elias with their bluish glowing spear. Their body and weapon covered by black poison — with a simple touch or scratch, their enemy will die immediately.

If only he uses all his skills from the start, there is no way Elias can bring him into this world.

"A shadow clone? I can't — believe it," although Elias says that, there is no surprise in his tone because he also got the same skill. However, this situation reminds him of a show he watches as a kid.

After saying his remarks, he immediately uses the same skill — shadow clone — proficiently, and then his clone charges towards the horde of dungeon masters while using the same skill as them. This time he doesn't have any disadvantage because he has the same weapon, skill, and status like his opponents.

Their weapon clashes and creates big sparks, their strength are equal, but Elias spear style is more polished than his opponent. This alone push those clones into the disadvantageous side. The real dungeon master is becoming restless after looking at this situation.

This situation isn't as the dungeon master expected. His opponent immediately adapts with his new strength and can use his skill even more proficient than himself — he needs to let out his trumps card.

With telepathy, he sends his command to his clones.

Soon, his clones change their attacking style, their attacks become more ferocious without caring for their defense. Amidst those barrage of attacks, some of those clones step back waiting for the next thing to happen.

*Boom* *Boom*

The clones which attacking ferociously earlier explode and kill all of Elias's clones.

"Now!" the dungeon master shouting.

Hearing his command, the remaining of his clones throw poisons towards Elias, but he can easily block it with a shield from his black liquid. After realizing it didn't work, they rushed towards him with their weapon covered by poison.

Attacking his opponents with numbers is a good idea, there is no way for an ordinary person to defend from this many people while looking out for poison covering their body. With one simple touch from one of his clone that human will immediately die.

In his eyes, this is already a checkmate.

However, unnoticed by the dungeon master and his clones, a black spear coming out from the ground, piercing his skull from behind — killing him instantly.

This spear secretly prepared by Elias on the ground before the fight begins, it made with same black poison skill as the dungeon master.

If there one thing Elias learns in his previous life, that is to make sure his opponents can't read his intent.

Same as this time, he moves it slowly behind the dungeon master while using himself as bait, and when his opponent's guard down — thinking that he's already won — he strikes back.

Soon, after the real one dead, those clones disappear because there is no mana supplying their existence.

"Huff, fortunately, this battle is on my favor," he sighs after the battle over and then lay down on the ground.

Their battle is over in less than a minute, but that how it'll occur when life at stake. Both parties will let out their best skill from the beginning — try to kill his opponents as fast as possible. There is no way they'll use low-level skills when wagering everything.

After all, the winner is someone who can kill his opponent swiftly without giving any chance to counter-attack.

At this game, he's the one who can kill the opponents swiftly — he's the winner.

Although his ability has huge roles in his victory, he also can't deny that luck is on his side. The game which was chosen by the world-will and the options which enemy took is all favor him.

If his opponents chose the first option, his victory won't be this easy. After all, he still tries to adjust with a new body right now. In a situation where he doesn't have any skill, he needs to rely on his mediocre spear-style.

Nevertheless, he understands the dungeon master's reason by choosing this options — even for geniuses, they need days for adapting a newfound strength and controlling new skills. However, this reason doesn't work for him — a person who already past red-level in his previous life. He also taught by many experts to use many skills in his previous life.

This victory is thanks to those people — he's standing in the shoulder of giants.

He can't afford to lose against a low-rank dungeon master.

While he's smiling in deep thought, a sound he waited ringing in his mind.

*Ding*

[You Won]

[You got a new title: Dungeon Master]