Chapter 221 Victory or Defeat?
Sharp daggers wove a fine silver net within the grey fog. The crisp clash of metal was jarring in the dead silence, and splashing sparks flickered like fireflies, illuminating two equally pale faces. Li Wen’s breathing grew heavy; she could clearly feel that every block and every thrust from her opponent was a precise prediction of her every move, like a futile struggle against her reflection in a mirror.
The Emerald Star Cloak rustled in the rapid movements. Li Wen suddenly bent low to evade a horizontal slash, seizing the opportunity to thrust her dagger towards the opponent’s ribs. However, the other “Li Wen” seemed to have anticipated this, spinning around as her cloak billowed to obscure vision, her boot precisely striking Li Wen’s wrist. The Raven Feather Dagger flew from her grasp.
“Too slow.”
The moment her dagger left her hand, Li Wen instinctively leaned back. The cold glint from the grey fog narrowly grazed her throat. She staggered back, her heel crushing the ashes congealed on the ground. Blood dripped from her throat, leaving dark marks on the Emerald Star Cloak. The “herself” opposite did not pursue but instead flipped the seized dagger between her fingertips, her dark pupils reflecting a silent indifference.
“Is this all you’ve got?” the “Li Wen” in the grey fog tilted her head, even the arc of her falling hair identical to Li Wen’s. “It looks like you’re lacking in every aspect, be it strength or speed.”
Familiar radiance attached itself to the daggers, arcs of light tracing cold trajectories in the grey fog. Li Wen dodged, almost brushing against the arcs, but in the next moment, another Spell-less Arc Light flew towards her. This time, she was not so lucky; the scorching, sharp arc grazed her shoulder, leaving a gaping wound that exposed bone.
The same weapons, the same techniques, the same fighting style – this should have been an evenly matched battle. However, the subtle difference in stamina was vividly evident at this moment, a difference that was enough to dictate the outcome of the battle within just a few rounds.
This wouldn’t work at all. She had to find a way to get her weapon back. Li Wen’s eyes tightened as she charged forward.
Prayer!
As if sharing the same thought, both completed their prayers simultaneously. Shallow golden shields bloomed before them. The moment the two shields collided, fine cracks erupted in the grey fog. Li Wen suddenly withdrew her defense, allowing fragments of the opponent’s shield to slash across her cheek. Her left hand reached to her waist, retrieving half a Saint’s Candle.
“A sacrifice for light and fire!”
The moment the candlelight licked her fingertips, a pillar of fire erupted upwards. The frenzied power born from burning her life surged through her veins, and Li Wen’s already lagging physical strength rapidly improved. She nimbly dodged the opponent’s slash, and with a raised fist, shattered the shield into dust. She followed up with a kick to the opponent’s abdomen, her boot striking with significant force. The sensation of cracking bones traveled up her ankle.
This combo was executed almost simultaneously, so much so that the opponent was sent flying before she could even react.
“This is why I only use one weapon,” Li Wen stated indifferently, bending down to pick up the dropped Raven Feather Dagger. She didn’t know if it was her original dagger, but it was usable for now.
The “Li Wen” opposite quickly got up, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes, however, became sharper.
“You know this move too?” she muttered, also taking out a candle and igniting it herself. “Then I suppose it’s fair.”
The candlelight flickered in the grey fog. Two burning figures crossed paths in the dense mist, flames licking their skin, their lives turning into frenzied power through sacrifice.
Li Wen could feel her blood boiling, every inch of her muscles tensed to the limit, and the “herself” opposite was no different. They knew each other too well; every move was like a rehearsed performance played out countless times. The sparks from colliding blades were particularly striking in the gloom.
“You cannot win,” the opponent said coldly, her dagger slicing out an arc, forcing Li Wen to stagger back. “Even with the same moves and the same style, my stamina is always superior to yours, thus securing the victory.”
Li Wen didn’t reply, her gaze fixed on the opponent’s movements. She knew she had to find a flaw, any tiny flaw. Suddenly, she noticed that when the opponent moved quickly, her left eye’s vision lagged by half a beat. It was an extremely subtle difference; if it weren’t her, who else would notice? This was the flaw left by the Boon she had exchanged for her left eye at the start of the Game. Although the eyeball was still in its socket, it had long since lost its ability to see.
“So that’s how it is…” Li Wen’s heart stirred. Her attack changed drastically. She no longer pursued direct suppression but began to deliberately dictate the rhythm of the battle, forcing the opponent to constantly adjust her stance. With every dodge, Li Wen deliberately moved to the left, creating a brief hesitation using the blind spot of the opponent’s left eye.
The “Li Wen” opposite was not slow to react and quickly sensed something was wrong, but it was too late. Li Wen suddenly faked a move, her dagger feigning an attack, but her body pressed low and lunged from the left. The opponent instinctively dodged to the right, falling right into the trap. Li Wen had already predicted her move. The dagger, like a venomous snake, shot out, precisely piercing the opponent’s throat.
Blood sprayed out. The “Li Wen” in the grey fog widened her eyes, seemingly unable to believe she had lost in such a way. Her lips moved a few times, as if to say something, but in the end, she simply collapsed to the ground in defeat.
The victorious Li Wen panted, gazing at the “herself” lying on the ground. It was a pity that until the battle ended, she hadn’t figured out what that being was – was it herself from another timeline, or simply a fake created by the grey fog?
However, before she could even catch her breath, an unexpected change occurred. The opponent’s corpse was suddenly enveloped in light, then dissipated like bubbles, a familiar disappearing effect that made Li Wen’s pupils contract. That was the dissipation effect that only occurred when a Player died.
“How is this possible?” Li Wen froze on the spot, her dagger slipping from her fingers and hitting the ground with a crisp sound. She looked down at her palm, where warm blood still lingered, but the dead “Li Wen” had vanished as if she had never existed. She subconsciously touched her left eye. It indeed had no ability to see… but was it truly so? In the previous battle, the opponent’s performance perfectly matched this condition.
“If this person was the Player, was the real Li Wen… then who am I?” she murmured, her voice sounding hollow in the grey fog. A replica? A memory? A lingering shadow? There was only one way to verify. Li Wen looked at the blood-stained dagger at her feet, resolutely gritted her teeth, grabbed the dagger, and ruthlessly plunged it into her own neck.
Blood splattered, dyeing the grey fog red. Li Wen, suffering a fatal injury, collapsed powerlessly onto the ground. Her vision blurred, and the sound of dripping blood echoed in her ears. She could clearly feel her life draining away through the wound in her neck, the grey fog blurring into chaotic patches on her retina.
But the rebirth she expected never came. Only the grey fog swept over her, gently covering her slowly cooling body, beginning to devour the blood flowing on the ground like a hungry living being. So that’s how it is… In the final moments of her life, a sudden clarity flashed in her clouded pupils, and then they completely dimmed.
