Chapter 31: The RNG Skill

Just like the previous opponents, the Super Trainees started as nearly unbeatable foes, but were soon reduced to mere training dummies. Even Alice herself was surprised at how easily she was defeating them.

Despite being outnumbered, it was as if she could read their steps and anticipate their next moves. Of course, she wasn't perfect and got hit several times—but just like in a game, she adapted quickly.

The fight was so long and exhausting that Alice was drenched in sweat. "Phew! Over halfway there! Still think I'm not worthy of the—" She turned around and didn't see Luck, who had left her alone for the first time. "Uh, old man? Luck? Hello?"

She looked around and realized it wasn't just Luck who was absent, but all the Trainees as well. Walking around, she jokingly asked to keep herself calm, "Is this some boss cutscene?" But the deafening silence crushed any attempt to cut through the tension.

...

Then something started to bother her eye—a small, blinding light emerging from her left. A chill ran through her body like a knife, every fraction of her brain screaming 'DANGER.' She rolled to the side, praying she could dodge in time.

Alice neither felt nor heard anything. When the tension passed, she scanned her surroundings again and found absolutely nothing. She sighed calmly, "I know you're here."

Suddenly, she heard metallic steps that were as light as a feather. On the other side of the platform stood something different from all the Trainees: he was tall and had a lean physique—even more so than the Super Trainees—unlike the others, he wore a crimson armor that covered him from head to toe, except for his arms and hands, which were protected by flexible metal. His head was completely hidden by a black helmet designed to mimic a Chinese hat.

They walked in circles, keeping the platform balanced, and staring into each other's eyes, just waiting for someone to make a move. "Of course, I would have to fight you, Luck," she pointed her sword at the silent knight, "But don't you think it's a bit early?"

He remained observant, twirling his long katana with his fingers as if it were a twig. "How long..." he swung the sword, creating a small dust tornado with the shockwave, "do you think it will take to beat me?"

"Huh?" Though confused, she was filled with excitement at the challenge and proudly said, "Five minutes!"

"That's your bet... Bold, I admit..." he struck the sword's scabbard on the ground, making a transparent crimson sphere grow and cover the entire platform. "I bet you will fall first."

[Manifestation Zone: Crimson Bet]

[Description: Manifestation Zone is known as the ultimate technique, where its user expands their mana to a specific area, which is transmuted into a dimension within their consciousness. This new horizon benefits only its user, creating a customized territory to enhance the efficiency of their abilities to the maximum.]

The terrain changed. Alice no longer saw herself inside a cave—still remaining on the platform—but in a sky horizon covered with stars shaped like golden three-leaf clovers.

"And unfortunately for you..." a golden coin appeared between his fingers, but it had Alice's face on one side and Luck's face on the other. He flipped it, and the coin landed on the ground with Luck's face up. "Luck is always on my side."

<+777% Luck!>

"I bet I'll hit you with my next strike." He leaped toward Alice, using [Flash Step] to reach her instantly. The player tried to dodge but tripped over an inconvenient stone.

On the ground, she felt her back being crushed by Luck's feet as if a boulder had fallen on her. As if that weren't enough, he stepped on Alice's head.

[HP: 178/195]

With his opponent immobile, another coin manifested in his palm, and once again, he flipped it. It landed with Luck's face up, causing him to exclaim in excitement, "It seems the stars have aligned for me! I bet you won't land a single hit in 10 seconds!"

<+777% Luck!>

[Alice's Speed: 5 (-10)]

Luck jumped away—wanting to give Alice at least a chance not to lose instantly—the player got up very disoriented, but upon hearing Luck counting down, she charged at him, albeit with drastically reduced speed.

"7. 6." He yawned while dodging Alice's slow and predictable attacks, "5. 4. 3. 2—"

Suddenly, her speed exploded with a quick and precise strike aimed at his neck. His overconfidence made him lower his guard temporarily, but not his reflexes, and at the same instant, he blocked with the sword's scabbard.

[Limit Extender: Speed]

"Aiming for the head? Did you learn nothing here?" Luck asked in a mocking and disappointed tone.

"Nine seconds."

His eyes widened in a mix of shock and pride. Even at a disadvantage, Alice found a loophole in his bet and immediately capitalized on it. Luck retreated to regain some distance, but the player anticipated this, launching a [Web Swing] at his armor.

[Mana: 40/50]

"Leaving so soon?" Alice said with a confident smile. However, something else caught her attention at that moment: a small golden glow manifesting in her hands, forming a golden coin. Recognizing the item used twice by her opponent, she tried to repeat the action, flipping the coin up. "I bet that... Ummmm... You—"

The coin landed with Luck's face up.

If not for the helmet, the player would see a huge smile dominating his face. He shouted, "I bet you will fall in 10 seconds."

<+777% Luck!>

With Luck's words, the platform suddenly began to shake like a boat in a storm. Alice lost her balance, and Luck took advantage of this to cut the web and ran towards her. "10... 9..."

She could barely stand; it was as if the ground were pushing her towards the edge. "Of course, it has to be RNG!" she exclaimed, frustrated.

[Flash Step]

Luck teleported to the player and kicked her off the arena. "6. 5. 4."

Alice managed to stab the sword into the edge before falling completely, but the furious movements of the platform threw her so high that she let go of the weapon. As she fell outside, the platform returned to normal.

In the air, she watched Luck waving at her—however, an idea shone in her mind. Then she launched another [Web Swing], this time at his leg, while simultaneously activating [Limit Extender: Strength] to have enough strength to throw him to the ground, dragging him out.

[Stamina: 135/190]

[Mana: 30/50]

"HUH?!" He was pulled but stabbed his sword into the ground. "No matter," he threw another golden coin, "I still won the bet!"

Unexpectedly, a wind slash hit the coin, knocking it away—without damaging it—and at the same time, Alice returned to the platform, dominated by a crimson flaming aura, stomping on the ground, and pulling the web at Luck's foot.

[Stamina: 115/190]

With the weight concentrated in just one region, the ground tilted. Luck continued holding onto the sword, keeping his eyes fixed on the coin—which hit the uneven ground and rolled towards him. The swordsman extended his palm to catch the coin, but to do so, he had to let go of his sword.

Then, with a yank, Luck fell—his sword also being pulled out—but without losing his composure for a second, he grabbed his weapon in the air and cut the web, descending towards Alice spinning like a metal saw. The player, due to the platform's inclination, stabbed her sword again for support, but this left her vulnerable to Luck's attack. Or so he thought…

She tried to time his arrival to block with her arm and activate [Perfect Block], but Luck had already anticipated this—using [Flash Step] to strike her instantly.

Alice was thrown out again—without serious injuries to her body, only partial cuts on her armor, as if her opponent had held back the strike—she shot another web at the edge by pure reflex, and with divine luck, she managed to hang on before failing the test.

[Mana: 20/50]

Still fueled by adrenaline, she sighed exhaustedly, "Holy…" until a metallic sound caught her attention…

Luck's steps echoed through the dimension, staring down at Alice—using the katana for support and demonstrating a hundred times greater balance. "Two minutes. Don't be sad; those who came before you weren't as courageous in their bets." He gave one last glance at his opponent, clinging to the web while her sword fell into the darkness of the Zone.

However, she responded in a tone that showed neither fear nor nervousness, but rather hidden excitement, "Not so courageous, huh?" She looked up, revealing the coin in her palm—facing Alice—and with a determined smile, she shouted her bet: "I bet you will fall in 3 SECONDS!"

<+777% Luck!>

[Alice's Luck: 1 → 9 (+777%)]

The platform began to shake violently to make Luck fall off, but clearly, he wouldn't be easily knocked down, so Alice also exclaimed: "LIMIT BREAKER: STRENGTH!"

She pulled the edge with the web with her elevated strength, creating a seesaw effect that launched Luck into the air, but not out. Anticipating this, Alice threw another [Web Swing]

at his face and pulled him down, technically throwing him out of the arena.

Ignoring him completely, she used the web to swing back to the platform and ran to the other edge of it. At the same time, another coin manifested in her hand. Without wasting time, she flipped it, and with her enhanced luck, it landed on her face up again.

[Alice's Luck: 9 → 17 (+777%)]

Note: It's +777% of the original luck status, in Alice's case, just 1.

"I bet you won't reach me in 15 seconds!" With her presence at the other edge, where Luck fell, it tilted upwards, making any attempt to return more difficult. But she didn't let the feeling of victory take over, maintaining a defensive stance while waiting for her opponent's return.

But her spine chilled upon hearing a whisper: "Playing safe has its risks."

[Zero Sword Technique: Eagle Stab]

Alice felt the pain of a knife piercing her back. She activated [Limit Extender: Speed] and leaped to the other end of the platform—having been surprised and feeling a sharp pain, she stumbled and fell in the process, accidentally deactivating [Limit Extender].

[HP: 155/195]

[Stamina: 110/190]

She remained crouched, trying to locate the wound with her hand—a small hole in the lower right corner of her back—and attempted to find a healing potion in her inventory, but to no avail.

Clack

Her sword was thrown near her, and Luck remained at the opposite end—balancing the platform—while whistling and passing the coin between his fingers. She noticed that his index and middle fingers were soaked in blood.

"I must admit, your adaptation skills are excellent," he threw the coin on the ground without making any bet, "many take weeks, even months, to get here, but you..." Luck raised his katana, pulling it slowly from its scabbard, "I called you the Blade Dancer, but do you know the real meaning of that?"

Without taking her eyes off him, Alice pulled her tunic from the inventory, tore the sleeve, and tied it around her waist to contain the bleeding.

"It's a story my father used to tell, about a swordsman who fought 10 different swords without even touching one. His movements were divine, like a beautiful poem, he literally danced on the battlefield." He removed the sword from its scabbard—its blade adorned with four-leaf clover images engraved in its metal—and looked at it like an old friend. "When I got older, my father told me it was just a tale to motivate soldiers to train harder, but what if it wasn't about the past, but the future?"

Wiping the blood from her mouth, she stood up using the sword for support. Breathing deeply, she took a defensive stance, while maintaining a confident smile. "Let me guess, you think I could become that legend?"

Imitating his opponent, Luck also assumed a combat stance, "Not exactly. It's just a bet."