Selection Exam 3

"The next ones to duel are Splinter and Maldor!" the referee shouted.

Splinter was a Rogue awakener, and Maldor was a Ranger awakener. Both of them stepped into the mini arena without hesitation. A Mage quickly repaired the terrain, resetting it as though nothing had happened in the last match.

Renji watched from behind the barrier, surprised by the intense spectacle unfolding before him.

Inside the arena, the referee stood between the two duelists, preparing to give his speech. Splinter stretched his legs carefully, making sure he wouldn't sprain anything mid-fight. Maldor did the same, rotating his arms both clockwise and counter-clockwise.

Mike, standing at the edge of the arena, raised his voice.

"Alright! I know you two are the energetic types and want to go all out, but remember...don't seriously injure or kill your opponent. Use dull weapons only, okay?"

The two nodded and were each handed a pair of wooden daggers. Mike stepped back and signaled with a loud voice.

"On my mark... begin!"

Both reversed their grips and crouched, preparing to strike. Then, in a flash, they dashed toward each other.

Their speed exceeded that of the previous duelists. Compared to Snap and Arthras, their movements were cleaner, sharper, more controlled.

Swish!

They disappeared from the spectators' view, their footsteps vanishing into thin air. Only the sound of wooden weapons clashing echoed inside the arena.

Splinter aimed for Maldor's chest with a slash. Maldor parried, locking Splinter's left arm and attempting a stab to the waist. Splinter barely blocked the blow with the flat of his weapon, but the impact still pushed him back several steps. Maldor didn't let up, already preparing another strike.

There were no words between them. They communicated through the rhythm of their blades.

Splinter activated [Conjure Dagger], summoning six mana-formed daggers and launching them toward Maldor.

[Conjure Dagger] – Creates mana daggers that can be thrown or wielded.

Maldor responded with [Dual Wielder], spinning both daggers at high speed and deflecting the incoming projectiles with precision.

[Dual Wielder] – Enhances strength and speed when dual-wielding, increasing weapon proficiency.

Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak!

Four daggers were deflected, and the other two were dodged. Splinter couldn't help but be impressed by Maldor's maneuverability.

Next, Splinter cloaked himself in shadow, activating [Shadow Cloak], and vanished into a blur.

[Shadow Cloak] – Covers the user in shadows, providing a burst in movement speed and bonus damage on the next strike.

He dashed toward Maldor with killing intent. Maldor sensed the incoming attack and activated [Forest Blessing].

[Forest Blessing] – Boosts all stats while in or near a forest environment.

Splinter struck with his dagger, and Maldor caught the attack mid-swing. But Splinter slid his blade and managed a clean strike to Maldor's waist. Despite the hit, Maldor remained unfazed and countered with a quick spin, slashing with his other dagger.

Splinter blocked just in time and activated [After Image Illusion], vanishing from sight.

[After Image Illusion] – Leaves behind a clone that turns to smoke when attacked, while the user becomes invisible.

Maldor's next slash sliced straight through the clone, which erupted into smoke, distracting him.

From the shadows, Splinter struck again...this time conjuring daggers and hurling them while still invisible. Though Maldor couldn't see him, he spotted the flying daggers and used [Rapid Slash] to defend.

[Rapid Slash] – Greatly increases attack speed for a short burst.

Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak!

Each dagger was deflected in rapid succession.

Seizing the moment before his invisibility faded, Splinter dashed silently behind Maldor and used [Reverse Slash].

[Reverse Slash] – A precise strike aimed at critical points.

The dagger struck Maldor's back but only grazed the skin due to the weapon being dull. Maldor, reacting quickly, activated [Haste].

[Haste] – Temporarily boosts movement speed and agility.

He spun around with heightened reflexes and launched a counterattack. Splinter, now visible, parried with his dagger.

Tak!

The weapons collided.

Both fighters, drained of skills now on cooldown, returned to basic dagger combat. Maldor slashed rapidly with his twin blades while Splinter expertly deflected, switching grips between reverse and standard with graceful fluidity.

Their duel was now a test of mastery, both were highly trained in dagger combat. While Maldor occasionally wielded short swords, Splinter had dedicated his life to mastering daggers, whether curved or straight.

Maldor flicked his wrist in an attempt to disarm Splinter. Instead, Splinter let go of his dagger mid-air and caught it again as it fell, swiftly preparing a stab. But Maldor threw one of his own daggers at point-blank range, forcing Splinter to block his face instinctively.

In that brief moment, Maldor grabbed his opponent's arm and disarmed him. Splinter countered with his other weapon, but Maldor kept up with the speed and blocked the attack. Splinter responded by throwing his other dagger, which Maldor deflected at the last second.

With no weapons in hand, Splinter conjured new daggers between his fingers and threw them at close range. Maldor, left with only one blade, stepped back to repel them. His Rapid Motion still active, he evaded and swatted each away until the onslaught ended, and so did his buff.

The two closed the distance again, resorting to fists.

They traded punches and elbows, parrying and locking limbs. Splinter landed a punch to the waist; Maldor dodged the next and grappled his arm, striking while holding tight. Splinter twisted out and kicked Maldor to force him off.

Still panting, they exchanged more blows. Splinter tried conjuring daggers mid-fight, but Maldor kept disarming him. After the third failed attempt, Splinter gave up and focused on bare-handed attacks.

Both were exhausted.

"This stamina… I really feel like a beginner. I can't keep going forever," Splinter panted.

Maldor, sweating heavily, wiped his brow. "Yeah. Let's end this already. My breathing can't keep up either. I'm gonna collapse at this rate."

Without a word, they both sat on the ground.

The time was up.

Mike reviewed the scores and raised his voice.

"Winner...Maldor! Most damage inflicted!"

Cheers erupted as the crowd applauded the close match. The two combatants simply nodded at each other in mutual respect.

Soon after, both of them were selected. The two cheered for their selection.