Child of Destiny

Samael stood several meters away from Black Soul, carefully sizing up his opponent.

Both sides remained motionless for several seconds before Black Soul suddenly took the initiative.

Poof!

He hopped to the side and disappeared into stealth, using the rising dust as additional cover to conceal his movements and erase his tracks.

Samael didn’t immediately make a move.

Despite the anger still burning within him, he remained perfectly still and patiently watched his surroundings.

After several seconds, he suddenly lowered his head and began reciting a prayer. ”Oh, Light that illuminates the darkness of the world... reveal the hidden truth before me!”

’Paladin of the Sun and Moon Skill (Tier 2): Illuminating Zone’

Swoosh!

The ground surrounding Samael suddenly lit up as countless motes of light rose into the air.

At the same time, the radiant field rapidly expanded, covering an entire thirty-meter radius around him.

Whoosh!

Black Soul, who had been stealthily moving behind Samael, was immediately revealed the instant he entered the range of the Illuminating Zone.

However, he didn’t panic.

The moment he realized his position had been exposed, he immediately retreated.

After all, the Paladin class possessed a wide variety of abilities, and skills capable of detecting hidden targets were among the most common tools in their arsenal.

Black Soul had originally planned to use his extensive combat experience to bait the rookie into wasting every ability he possessed that could reveal stealth.

Unfortunately for him, Samael had already experienced far more terrifying forms of baiting during his training with the monsters of the Empyrean Talons.

Shin and Diablo, in particular, had repeatedly used similar tactics to deceive and manipulate him during their training sessions.

Samael had learned not to chase blindly. ”Oh, Light that guides the world... lead me to my enemies!”

Samael suddenly chanted as he turned toward Black Soul and pointed at him.

’Paladin of the Sun and Moon Skill (Tier 2): Glimmer Mark’

Swoosh!

A beam of light shot from Samael’s index finger and struck Black Soul before he could escape the range of the Illuminating Zone and re-enter stealth.

A glowing emblem immediately appeared above Black Soul. The mark continuously revealed his position, preventing him from disappearing into stealth again.

At the same time, Samael cast several blessings upon himself, further increasing his overall Stats.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

With his newly enhanced strength, Samael immediately kicked off the ground and charged toward Black Soul.

The sudden acceleration caught the assassin off guard. By the time he recovered, a blazing sword was already descending toward him.

Fortunately, Black Soul reacted in time. He raised both daggers before him and channeled as much mana as possible into their blades before using them to deflect the descending sword.

Clang!

Following the momentum of the clash, Black Soul twisted his body and spun through the air.

Shing!

He immediately launched a deadly backhanded stab toward Samael’s neck.

However, before the dagger could reach its target, a layer of golden mana suddenly enveloped Samael’s entire body, blocking the deadly counterattack.

Bang!

Recognizing that he had lost the exchange, Black Soul immediately retreated, putting as much distance between himself and Samael as possible.

A solemn expression appeared on his face, fully understanding that he had lost the opening exchange.

A rookie had actually forced him onto the back foot.

...

”A Paladin against an Assassin? That’s quite a favorable matchup for our little rookie,” Owen remarked with raised brows before turning toward Shin. ”Don’t tell me this was also part of your plan?”

”They only have a limited number of experts available for this competition.” Shin merely shrugged. ”Crimson Soul and Heartless Dream will naturally be wary of us, so they’ll most likely send either Black Soul or Fleeting Dream to test the waters, especially since they have no idea about Felix and Felicia’s true strength.”

”Unfortunately for them, they never expected us to send a rookie into the first match.”

”Coincidentally, Samael happens to be a Paladin. He’s durable enough to avoid being burst down by Black Soul, while also possessing several abilities that can track an opponent like him.”

”He can even deal with the restrictions Fleeting Dream could potentially place on him with his Holy Magic. A Xeromancer specializes in debuffs and restricting an opponent’s freedom, which happens to be something Samael’s blessings can counter.”

Shin paused as he looked toward the opposing side, a faint smile appearing beneath his mask. ”Regardless of which one they choose, they’ll be facing Samael.”

”Tsk! Tsk!” Owen couldn’t help but click his tongue after hearing this.

He felt as though Shin had already woven an inescapable net around the opposing side, leaving them with no other choice.

No matter which option they chose, they would not be able to escape this trap laid before them.

”You really are the Devil Strategist,” Owen muttered, his voice carrying a mixture of amazement and fear.

...

Just as Owen had realized the trap, Crimson Soul and Heartless Dream naturally began to understand what was happening as well.

”We’ve fallen into a trap!” Heartless Dream growled after calming down.

Crimson Soul, on the other hand, shook his head. ”Not necessarily. We simply failed to consider the possibility that they would send their rookie as their first combatant.”

He narrowed his eyes as he analyzed the situation. ”Our greatest mistake was overlooking that possibility because we were too focused on the fact that the Paladin is still a rookie, while also worrying about the two unknown god-level experts standing beside him.”

Crimson Soul then turned his attention toward Shin before continuing. ”It seems the result of this first match isn’t particularly important to them.”

”They’re simply using our expert as a whetstone for their rookie.” He sighed softly. ”They must be confident enough in their strength to sacrifice the first match for the sake of training him and still secure the next two victories.”

”Hmph!” Heartless Dream snorted while glaring at the opposing side. ”Then let’s see what happens next.”

...

The battle between Samael and Black Soul continued, with the two clashing through one exchange after another.

Because the Glimmer Mark constantly tracked his movements, Black Soul could no longer rely on his stealth to control the pace of the battle. He was forced into a series of direct melee exchanges with Samael, which was clearly unfavorable for him.

Even though Black Soul possessed a top-class set of equipment, the quality of Samael’s equipment was no less than his own.

Combined with the Paladin’s natural advantage in physical strength, Black Soul found himself constantly being pushed onto the defensive during their exchanges.

Fortunately, he was able to compensate for the difference in strength with his superior Agility and combat techniques, skillfully dodging attacks he couldn’t afford to take head-on.

Regardless, he couldn’t help but feel bitter about the situation.

He was a rising star of the Green Marbly Kingdom and one of the region’s well-known Maverick Gods.

Yet he was now struggling against a rookie Paladin who was supposed to be both weaker and less experienced than him.

What made the situation even more humiliating was the fact that everyone from their allied guilds was watching the battle—including his own Captain.

He was supposed to be the Desert Spider!

The notorious assassin of the Sandspine Waste!

”You’re getting cocky, brat!” Black Soul growled before suddenly unleashing his Berserk Skill.

”If you think assassination is the only reason I’ve made a name for myself around here, then you’re completely mistaken!” His eyes suddenly turned bloodshot as a dense black aura erupted from his body.

Samael immediately sensed the danger and attempted to retreat.

”Isn’t it a little too late for that?” Black Soul sneered when he saw Samael trying to create distance.

Whoosh!

He suddenly accelerated forward, his arms blurring as his daggers transformed into countless flashes of black light that dominated the space before him.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

The barrage swarmed toward Samael from every direction, leaving him with almost no room to evade.

’Desert Killing Art: Black Shadow Hundred Strike’

Shing! Shing! Shing!

Realizing that dodging was no longer an option, Samael immediately focused on defense.

He gripped his sword with both hands, holding the blade diagonally with its tip pointing toward the ground. ”Oh, Light that shines through day and night... protect me, your Justiciar!”

Swoosh!

A thick layer of golden light suddenly enveloped his entire body.

’Eclipse Justiciar Skill (Tier 3): Bulwark of the Light’

Whoosh!

The radiant armor provided Samael with an additional layer of defense while simultaneously increasing his overall strength and defensive capabilities.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The countless black flashes unleashed by Black Soul repeatedly slammed into the protective layer surrounding Samael.

Although the attacks failed to penetrate his defenses, the tremendous force behind them was still terrifying, especially when each successive strike carried greater power than the one before it.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After enduring several attacks, Samael was gradually forced backward, his feet repeatedly sliding across the ground as Black Soul’s overwhelming offensive momentum began to suppress him.

”His strength is clearly much greater than before,” Samael muttered, realizing that Black Soul’s raw power might now be slightly higher than his own despite all his buffs.

”What a terrifying Berserk Skill... and those dagger techniques.” He tightened his grip on his sword before suddenly raising it.

Shing! Shing! Shing!

Rather than continuing to defend, Samael took the initiative and stepped into the storm of attacks.

He relied on his superior defensive capabilities to withstand Black Soul’s relentless assault while simultaneously launching a series of counterattacks of his own.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The two immediately became locked in an intense melee.

One relied on speed, precision, and rapid attacks while the other relied on overwhelming defenses, powerful strength, and relentless counterattacks.

It became a direct clash between two completely different combat styles.

......