Inside the dilapidated shack, a faint oil lamp flame flickered, casting long, dancing shadows against the peeling walls.
Elena pushed open the rickety wooden door and slipped inside. Zephyr, draped in his pitch-black robes, followed her like a silent ghost. He shut the door behind him, ensuring not a single crack remained open to the outside world.
Elena walked over to the scarred wooden table and took a seat.
She looked up at Zephyr. He was tall, sharp-featured, and handsome—a perfect vessel. He was her avatar, bound to her by blood and soul, their consciousnesses inextricably linked.
"Registration for The Centennial Gauntlet begins tomorrow," Elena said, her voice crisp in the cramped room. "Vincent, House Duskwood, and everyone at the Celestia Arcane Academy are waiting to see me fail. They think that because my Mana Core is destroyed, I’ve become nothing more than filth to be trampled into the mud."
Zephyr stood perfectly still, a cold light flashing in his dark eyes like a blade in the night.
Elena pulled paper and a pen from her Storage Space, spreading them across the table.
"We need a perfect plan."
She began to sketch rapidly, writing down the blueprint forming in her mind.
[System Notification]
[The Duality Gambit]
═════════════════════════════
Objective: Absolute Revenge + Obfuscation of True Trump Cards
Tier 1: The Centennial Gauntlet
- Main Body (Elena): Disguise as "Crippled." Clear Floors 30-40.
- Avatar (Zephyr): Unleash full power. Smash through everything. Clear Floor 100.
- Intended Effect: Create an insurmountable visual contrast between the two.
Tier 2: The Identity Enigma
- Zephyr: Position as a mysterious, peerless prodigy with an untraceable origin.
- Goal: Trigger city-wide speculation and paranoia.
- Effect: Force enemies like Vincent into a spiral of jealousy and frantic investigation.
Tier 3: The Climax
- Reveal the truth at the absolute moment of harvest.
- Or, maintain the mystery forever, forcing them to live in eternal fear of being dominated by the unknown.
Core Directives:
✅ Main body and Avatar must never show a weakness simultaneously in public.
✅ Acting must be flawless; the main body must perfectly portray the struggle of a cripple.
✅ Zephyr’s Persona: Cold, arrogant, mysterious, and invincible.
Elena stopped writing and looked up at Zephyr. "Do you understand?"
Zephyr’s spine was as straight as a sword. He gave a slight, respectful bow, his voice steady and deep. "I understand. I will play the part of the heartless swordsman."
He paused for a heartbeat, then added, "And you... will play the weakling."
A cold smile tugged at the corners of Elena’s lips. "Exactly."
"The more useless and pathetic I appear, the harder those high-and-mighty nobles will laugh." Elena packed away the paper, her eyes flashing with a sharp, predatory light. "And when your results are announced, the slap across their faces will be all the louder. It will be glorious."
"Now, let’s build your specific persona."
Elena stood up and walked around Zephyr, inspecting him closely.
He had long, raven-black hair and a chiseled profile. Standing at 185 centimeters with a powerful build, he was far too striking to simply walk the streets unnoticed.
"First, the physical disguise."
With a thought, Elena reached deep into her Storage Space and pulled out an exquisite black half-mask. It had a dull, obsidian sheen, its surface etched with ancient, abyssal patterns.
"Put this on," she said, handing it to him.
Zephyr took the mask and fitted it over his face. It covered everything from the bridge of his nose upward, leaving only his sharp jawline and thin, firm lips visible.
The moment the mask clicked into place, the raw, unrefined aura of a new avatar vanished. In its place stood an aura of suffocating mystery, danger, and biting cold.
[System Notification]
[Zephyr: Persona Configuration Confirmed]
═════════════════════════════
Physical Traits:
- Long black hair (loose over shoulders)
- Night-black half-mask (obscuring upper face)
- Height: 185 cm
- Black Battle Armor (Pending)
- Weapon: Umbral Longsword (Pending)
Personality Profile:
- Cold and Laconic (Extreme verbal economy)
- Enigmatic (Never reveal origins or background)
- Absolute Dominance (Crush opponents with sheer Strength)
- Aloof and Reclusive (Maintain total indifference toward others)
Linguistic Style:
- Terse and concise.
- Deep, resonant voice.
- Strict limit: Maximum 10 words per sentence.
Background:
- Untraceable.
- Suspected to be a hidden disciple of an ancient, secluded clan.
- First public appearance.
Elena circled him once more, nodding in satisfaction.
"Remember," she warned. "Aside from calling out skills during necessary combat, do not speak in public."
"The more mysterious you are, the more they will want to dig."
"And the more curious they become, the more devastating the impact will be when the truth is revealed."
Zephyr gave a curt nod. He lowered his voice, letting it drop into a chilling, gravelly bass as he uttered two words:
"I understand."
Elena’s eyes crinkled with amusement. She patted his arm. "Perfect. That’s the feeling! Keep it up."
Night fell, and the Undercroft outside the Slums District began to buzz with life.
The Undercroft was an underground market located in the Outer Reaches, a place where the sun never shone. It was a chaotic, thriving den of refugees, rogue mercenaries, and black-market traders—the city’s busiest hub for illegal goods.
Elena pulled her hood low, leading the masked Zephyr through the dark, damp streets.
Greedy, malicious glares followed her, but the moment they landed on the masked man trailing behind her—radiating a lethal, freezing aura—they quickly looked away.
The two wove through the noisy crowd and stopped before a weapons shop with a sign hanging by a single rusted chain.
She pushed open the groaning iron door. The air inside was thick with the acrid smell of metal and cheap grease.
Behind the counter, a one-eyed brute was filing an iron axe. He looked up as they entered.
He looked Elena up and down with his remaining eye, letting out a rough, mocking laugh. "Well now, little girl. Brought a masked bodyguard with you? Looking to buy some scrap?"
Elena didn't waste time. "A sword. Epic grade or higher."
The brute stopped filing. He barked a laugh as if he’d just heard a hilarious joke. "Epic grade? You’ve got a big mouth, kid! Epic weapons start at thousands of gold coins. Can you even afford the dirt on the floor?"
Elena didn't say a word. She reached into her cloak and slammed a heavy, bulging bag of gold coins onto the counter.
THUD.
The sharp, metallic clinking of gold echoed through the cramped shop.
"3000 gold," Elena said coldly. "Is that enough to look at the stock?"
Most of this gold came from selling the cultivation resources the Mysterious Elder had secretly given her, combined with her meager savings from working at The Archives. It was every last bit of liquid currency she owned.
The brute’s eye bulged. A flash of greed crossed his face, and he scrambled to shove the bag under the counter. His mocking sneer instantly transformed into a sycophantic grin. "Enough! More than enough! Please, honored guest, just a moment!"
He scurried into the back room and returned moments later, carrying three long wooden boxes. He laid them out on the table with exaggerated care.
The boxes flipped open, revealing three longswords radiating intense magical fluctuations.
[System Notification]
[Equipment Detection]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
1. The Eclipsed Edge (Purple · Epic)
- Attack: +180
- Effect: Umbral Discipline damage +40%
- Price: 2800 Gold
2. Voidrend (Purple · Epic)
- Attack: +200
- Effect: Ignore 30% of target's Physical Armor
- Price: 3200 Gold
3. Duskfang (Orange · Legendary)
- Attack: +250
- Effect: Umbral Discipline damage +60%; Restore 10% HP on kill; Blade can reform itself using Shadowheart Essence (Shadowmend).
- Price: 5000 Gold (Significantly over budget)
Elena’s eyes were immediately locked onto the third sword.
It was pitch-black, like ink frozen in time. Living, flowing abyssal veins pulsed across the blade, radiating a terrifying, murderous intent.
A Legendary weapon! Duskfang!
The brute noticed her gaze and chuckled. "You’ve got a sharp eye! Duskfang is the crown jewel of this shop! A Legendary blade—there aren't more than ten of its kind in the whole city. Unfortunately... it’s 5000 gold. You’re quite a bit short."
Elena’s brow furrowed.
3000 gold was indeed not enough for a Legendary weapon.
But Zephyr was an SS-Rank Shadow Spellblade. Giving him an Epic weapon wouldn't maximize his potential. Only Duskfang was a fitting instrument for his slaughter.
She needed 2000 more gold...
Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit her.
She reached into her Storage Space and pulled out a deep-black crystal radiating a potent Umbral aura.
It was the loot she had risked her life to harvest from the Elite Beast, the Razorfang Alpha—the Shadow Core.
"This should cover the difference." Elena slammed the black crystal onto the counter. "Is it enough?"
The brute’s eye nearly popped out of his head. His breathing became ragged. "Is that... a Blue-quality Umbral Core from an Elite beast?! And it’s perfectly intact?!"
He picked it up with trembling hands, inspecting it for a long time. "This quality... it’s a premier ingredient for high-level potions and Arcane Devices! On its own, this is worth at least 4500 gold!"
The brute snapped his head up. "Deal! Duskfang is yours!"
Elena felt a surge of relief. She picked up Duskfang and handed it directly to Zephyr.
"Take it."
Zephyr wrapped his fingers around the black hilt.
BOOM!
In an instant, a dense, suffocating wave of Umbral mana erupted from Zephyr’s body, resonating violently with the patterns on the blade. The black sword glowed with a ghostly purple light, and a hum like a dragon’s roar vibrated through the room.
[System Notification]
[Equipment Bound Successfully]
Duskfang (Orange · Legendary) bound to: Zephyr
Weapon Affinity: 98% (Perfect Match)
Combat Power Increase: 2050 → 2400 (+350)
The brute was blown back three steps by the mana surge, his face pale with horror.
This masked kid... what kind of monster is he?
Elena ignored the shocked shopkeeper and gestured to the remaining gold and the trade-in value. "Give me a full set of high-grade Umbral armor."
Under the shopkeeper's frantic recommendations, Elena spent the rest of her gold and materials to fully kit out Zephyr.
- Voidplate Armor (Purple · Epic): 1500 Gold. High defense and Umbral resistance.
- Swiftstride Boots (Blue · Rare): High movement speed and Evasion Rate.
- Shadowgrip Gauntlets (Blue · Rare): Increased attack speed and Critical Damage.
As the gold was tallied, Elena’s savings were almost entirely drained. She kept exactly 100 gold—the final amount needed for her registration fee tomorrow. But looking at Zephyr now, he was completely transformed.
[System Notification]
[Zephyr: Equipment Loading Complete]
═════════════════════════════
Weapon: Duskfang (Orange · Legendary)
Armor: Voidplate Armor (Purple · Epic)
Footwear: Swiftstride Boots (Blue · Rare)
Gloves: Shadowgrip Gauntlets (Blue · Rare)
Total Attribute Bonuses:
- P-Def / M-Def: +280
- P-Atk / M-Atk: +250
- Movement Speed: +25%
Combat Power Calculation: 2400 → 2650 (+250)
The ink-black plate armor hugged Zephyr’s lean frame perfectly. Combined with the mask and the Legendary blade at his hip, he looked like a god of death emerged from the deepest abyss.
Combat Power: 2650!
Elena stared at him, her eyes burning with excitement.
With this strength, he could sweep through everything in The Centennial Gauntlet!
Back at the shack, Elena locked the door tight.
"Time is short. We have to synchronize our movements before the trials begin."
Elena grabbed Zephyr’s arm and willed the activation.
Hum—
The air rippled violently, and both figures vanished from the room, entering the mysterious Temporal Chamber.
In this special space, time flowed hundreds of times faster than the outside world. While only one hour would pass outside, they would have 360 hours—15 full days—inside.
The sky was a surreal purple, and the ground was a flat, infinite expanse of nothingness.
Elena took a deep breath and began manipulating Shadow Energy.
"This is the best training yard we could ask for," Elena shouted. "First drill: Avatar attacks, Main Body senses."
She waved her hand, using the laws of the Temporal Chamber to manifest three snarling Shadow Bear illusions.
"Go!"
Zephyr didn't hesitate. He became a streak of black lightning.
[Shadowstep]!
Swish!
He vanished, reappearing an instant later behind the leftmost bear.
The sword at his hip tore through the air with a piercing shriek.
[Shadowstrike]!
Pshhh!
The black blade pierced the bear’s chest. A massive 300% damage burst detonated, accompanied by a forced stun. The massive beast didn't even have time to whimper before it shattered into a cloud of black mist.
During this, Elena closed her eyes. Through the soul contract, everything Zephyr saw, every muscle contraction as he swung, and every thread of mana flow was fed back into her mind with perfect clarity.
"This feeling... is incredible!" Elena opened her eyes, breathless with wonder.
She didn't need to experience every death match herself; she could perfectly inherit all of her avatar’s combat experience.
"Second drill: Performance training." Elena’s lips curled into a sly grin.
She pulled the Blue-quality Shadowfang Dagger from her storage and suppressed her Strength to the lowest possible level.
She summoned a low-tier Shadow Wolf and met it head-on.
Swish!
She purposefully moved with clumsy, sluggish steps, her dagger stabbing awkwardly at the wolf’s claws.
The wolf swiped at her, and Elena threw herself into a desperate, messy roll, coming up covered in dust and panting heavily. She looked as though she had exhausted every ounce of her strength just to dodge.
Then, she gritted her teeth, "struggling" to inject Shadow Energy into her blade. It took her three full minutes of "desperate" fighting to finally grind the low-tier wolf down.
She had perfectly acted the part of a fallen genius with a broken core, barely clinging to life with her remaining physical attributes.
Standing to the side, Zephyr offered a rare comment:
"Good acting."
Elena brushed the dust off her clothes and laughed. "Of course. If it’s not convincing, those arrogant bastards like Vincent won't take the bait."
"Third drill: Absolute control over the trial timeline!"
Elena gathered Zephyr and drew a strict schedule on the ground.
[System Notification]
[Centennial Gauntlet: Precise Time Coordination Table]
═════════════════════════════
Tier 1 (Hour 1):
- Elena: Enters after registration. Slowly clears Floors 1-5 (showing extreme struggle).
- Zephyr: Enters while hidden in the crowd. Waits to start.
Tier 2 (Hour 2):
- Elena: Continues to struggle through Floors 6-10 (drawing all the mockery and attention).
- Zephyr: Enters the Proving Grounds. Explodes with absolute power. Sweeps Floors 1-20 (triggers the first wave of shock).
Tier 3 (Hours 3-5):
- Elena: Grits teeth to clear Floors 11-30 (pretending to reach her absolute limit).
- Zephyr: Charges forward, breaking all records. Clears Floors 21-80 (becomes a city-wide sensation).
Tier 4 (Hour 6):
- Elena: Stops at Floor 31-40. Exits in "shame" (finishing in the lower-middle tier, perfect disguise).
- Zephyr: Pushes for Floors 81-100. Challenges the historical record. Creates a myth!
Key Rule: The two must never be seen on public observation crystals at the same time in the same floor!
Elena pointed at the schedule, her eyes grim. "There are massive viewing crystals outside the gauntlet. The Dean and the noble spies will be watching like hawks."
"We must time our entries, clears, and rests down to the second."
"They must never connect the 'Mysterious Swordsman Zephyr' with the 'Useless Daughter Elena'."
Zephyr’s gaze was like iron. "Understood."
Inside the Temporal Chamber...
One day... three days... five days... ten days... fifteen days!
While only an hour passed outside, Elena and Zephyr underwent fifteen days of brutal, specialized training.
They rehearsed every possible variable hundreds of times. The flow of skills, the details of faking injuries, the masking of mana fluctuations—even the shift in their eyes became second nature.
Their synchronization was flawless.
Hum—
A faint ripple in space dispersed.
Elena and Zephyr reappeared in the dilapidated shack.
Elena looked out the window. Moonlight spilled across the windowsill; the night was still deep.
Only 12 hours remained until registration opened.
Elena took a deep breath. The cold air filled her lungs, sharpening her spirit and clearing her mind.
She turned to Zephyr, who stood in the shadows.
His black hair hung loose, his mask hid his expressions, and the Voidplate Armor gleamed coldly in the moonlight. Duskfang sat at his waist, radiating an aura of dread.
"Are you ready?" Elena whispered.
Zephyr bowed his head slightly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His voice was cold and unshakable.
"Always."
A bone-chilling curve formed on Elena’s lips.
The people who had trampled her dignity, the nobles who viewed her as trash, Vincent, House Duskwood, and the entire Celestia Arcane Academy...
Tomorrow.
When the curtain rose on The Centennial Gauntlet, she would give them a "gift" they would never forget.
"Then... tomorrow," Elena said, staring at the black sky, her eyes burning with the fire of vengeance. "We show them what a true genius looks like."
Elena climbed onto her bed and closed her eyes, quickly relaxing her nerves.
Zephyr remained like an eternal obsidian statue, standing silently in the shadows by the window. The moonlight reflected off his armor, casting a deep, dark glow.
[System Notification]
[Status Update - Character Panel]
[Elena Nocturne (Main Body)]
- Identity: Cast-off daughter of House Nocturne
- Class: Shadowdancer (S-Rank)
- Level: 1
- HP: 60 / 60
- Shadow Energy: 68 / 300
- Stats: STR 40, AGI 65, VIT 28
- Combat Power: 1350
- Skills: Shadow Breathing (58.6%)
- Official Skills: Locked (Mana Core destroyed)
- Equipment: Shadowfang Dagger (Blue)
- Title: The Fallen Genius (Forced)
- State: Ready to play the fool; Peak condition.
[Zephyr (Avatar)]
- Identity: Independent Entity Avatar
- Class: Shadow Spellblade (SS-Rank)
- Level: 3
- HP: 400 / 400 | MP: 550 / 550
- Combat Power: 2650
- Equipment: Duskfang (Legendary), Voidplate Armor (Epic), Swiftstride Boots (Rare), Shadowgrip Gauntlets (Rare)
- Skills: 3 Active (Epic/Legendary) + 3 Passive (Max/Unique)
- State: Fully equipped; Ready for deployment; Night watch active.