Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2882: Duel Challenge

After his defeat against Typhon, Emery did not immediately leave the Virtual Palace. Instead, he decided to take some time to examine the Cosmic Bridge challenger rankings.

Standing within the quiet interface hall, he opened the record for Stage 7 challengers, allowing the long list of names to scroll before his eyes.

There were a little over one thousand individuals had reached that stage, each one representing a formidable grand magus within the Magus Alliance. Many of them used aliases instead of their real names, which made it difficult to identify exactly who stood behind each title.

While Emery studied the ranking board, Typhon leaned closer and peeked at the interface with casual curiosity.

Suddenly the hybrid pointed toward one of the names.

”Oh... that’s me.”

His tone carried a faint hint of embarrassment.

Emery followed the direction of his finger and saw the alias written on the board.

Little Cloud.

Typhon rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before explaining himself.

”I tried to follow my grandfather’s footsteps,” he said. ”But considering my lack of strength... the name seemed appropriate.”

Emery remained silent.

For a brief moment he wondered whether the hybrid truly lacked social awareness... or if he was subtly mocking him.

Continuing through the ranking list, Emery’s gaze eventually paused when another name caught his attention.

The moment he saw it, his emotions stirred.

Sky Lord — Astiel.

The strongest figure of the Astiel faction was listed among the challengers at the same level.

That meant both of them now stood among the top one thousand martial experts within the Magus Alliance, a realization that reignited Emery’s competitive spirit.

Without hesitation, he closed the ranking board and turned toward the hall’s mechanical administrator.

”I would like to attempt the Cosmic Bridge challenge.”

The request was acknowledged instantly.

A calm synthetic voice echoed throughout the chamber.

[Level 5 Martial Path will begin in one minute. Prepare yourself.]

The world around him dissolved into radiant light.

Moments later, Emery found himself standing on the familiar floating battlefield of the Cosmic Bridge trial, facing the opponent he knew well.

His clone.

There was no hesitation.

Emery moved forward immediately, his sword flashing as the two figures clashed in the center of the arena.

Although Emery had yet to grasp the Law of Origin he sought, he now possessed something entirely different.

The inheritance of the Stellar Beast Emperor.

The battle escalated quickly.

Steel collided with steel while cosmic energy surged violently across the platform, the two combatants exchanging blows at blinding speed.

The moment an opening appeared, Emery activated his half-primal transformation, allowing the savage instincts of the beast lineage to surge through his body. His aura intensified dramatically as his movements became more brutal and direct.

Just as before, the clone mirrored the transformation.

Yet this time the difference between them was clear.

The clone could replicate the techniques and strength Emery displayed, but it lacked the same raw ferocity and instinct that now fueled Emery’s attacks.

With a roar, Emery pressed forward.

”ARGHHH!”

He unleashed the technique he had spent nearly two years refining.

[Star-Rending Cleaves]

Three devastating strikes descended like falling meteors.

The clone attempted to mimic the same technique in response.

The first cleave collided violently and was stopped.

The second cleave shattered the clone’s defense and forced it backward across the battlefield.

The third strike followed immediately afterward.

Space itself seemed to tear apart.

The clone was split cleanly in half.

Light erupted across the arena as the trial ended.

[You have completed Level 5]

[Reward: 2000 Palace Points]

Breathing heavily, Emery returned to the Cosmic Bridge Hall.

Only now did he notice that many grand magi had gathered nearby, watching him with varying expressions.

Some looked curious.

Others openly displayed hostility.

Whispers spread quietly throughout the hall.

”Who is Twilight Wolf?”

”He’s really only two cosmos?”

”Another genius?”

”From the name... he must be a halfblood.”

”Hmph... there are more and more of them appearing here.”

Emery ignored the murmurs and focused on his interface instead.

Suddenly, multiple notifications appeared.

[You have received new messages]

One after another began appearing.

[Cosmic Bridge Duel]

Ash Veil — Two Cosmos — Wager: 100 Palace Points

Silent Hollow — Three Cosmos — Wager: 100 Palace Points

Spear Current — Two Cosmos — Wager: 100 Palace Points

More invitations followed, the number continuing to increase every second.

Typhon glanced over the notifications and chuckled.

”That’s normal,” he explained casually. ”They’re all Stage-5 rankers, and one hundred points is the minimum wager.”

Leaning against the railing, he continued his explanation.

”Whenever a new challenger appears, people issue duels. Some are curious, some want to earn easy points, and others simply want practice.”

After a brief pause, he added with a grin,

”And some just want to pressure newcomers... especially halfbloods.”

Typhon shrugged.

”You can ignore them all. There’s no penalty.”

But before he finished speaking, Emery had already made his decision.

He tapped the interface.

”Accept all.”

Emery made the decision without the slightest hesitation, confirming a total of twenty-two duel challenges in a single motion.

For him, it was an opportunity to refine his abilities through real combat, to understand where he truly stood among the grand magus of the Alliance, and perhaps most importantly, to release the frustration that still lingered after his recent defeat.

Typhon glanced at the notifications appearing one after another and let out an amused chuckle.

”Haha... Grand Uncle, I like you even more now,” he said with a wide grin. ”Go beat them all.”

Before another word could be exchanged, the Virtual Palace system activated and the surrounding space dissolved into bright light. When the glow faded, Emery found himself standing within a vast arena that closely resembled the battlefield of the Cosmic Bridge trials, its endless platform suspended within a void of shifting energy.

A mechanical voice echoed calmly throughout the arena.

[Cosmic Duel will begin in one minute. Prepare yourself.]

As the countdown began, information regarding the duel rules flowed directly into Emery’s consciousness.

Unlike the Cosmic Bridge trial, this duel placed almost no restrictions on its participants; combatants were free to use any technique, transformation, or artifacts they possessed, and the fight would only conclude once one side was defeated or voluntarily surrendered.

Another detail soon followed: these duels could be viewed by anyone within the cosmic bridge hall.

Emery dismissed the thought of spectators and focused entirely on the figure standing across the bridge.

His first opponent.

Ash Veil.

Excalibur appeared firmly within Emery’s hand as twilight energy began gathering around his body, the familiar aura of his Twilight Transformation forming gradually like dark flames wrapping around his limbs.

Across the battlefield, Ash Veil mirrored his preparations with visible confidence. Two short blades appeared within the man’s hands, one in each palm, their sharp metallic glow revealing the unmistakable aura of high-grade artifacts. Even from a distance, Emery could sense that the weapons were no less formidable than his own sword.

The countdown reached its final moment.

[Duel Begin]

The barrier separating them vanished, yet Ash Veil did not immediately move. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and stared at Emery with open disdain.

”Your kind have no right to stand here,” he said coldly. ”Go back to your cages.”

A faint smile appeared on Emery’s face. Defeating this man would definitely relieve a portion of his irritation.

Without another word, Emery stepped forward and swung Excalibur in a powerful arc, sending a blade of condensed cosmic energy tearing across the battlefield. The attack moved with lethal precision, yet the moment it reached its target Ash Veil’s body dissolved into swirling smoke.

His battlefield domain had been activated.

Within seconds the entire arena was engulfed by rolling clouds of mist that spread outward like a living storm, turning the battlefield into a shifting ocean of grey shadows. Emery narrowed his eyes as faint movements stirred within the fog, and then the first attack emerged from the darkness.

Ash Veil’s twin blades flashed through the smoke like lightning.

The man moved with ghostlike speed, appearing and disappearing within the mist while striking from unpredictable angles. Several shallow cuts appeared across Emery’s arms and shoulders before he could fully track the movement, thin lines of blood forming along his skin as the blades slipped through the gaps in his defense.

Emery clicked his tongue in mild annoyance.

The swirling mist and intangible movements reminded him strongly of Typhon’s transformation ability, yet the difference between the two was obvious the moment he observed it carefully. Compared to Typhon’s fluid mastery of the technique, Ash Veil’s version felt crude and incomplete.

A faint glint appeared within Emery’s eyes. Khaos energy surged outward from his body.

Battlefield Domain.

The surrounding space compressed instantly as immense spatial pressure erupted across the arena like an invisible tidal wave. The mist that had filled the battlefield shattered almost immediately under the overwhelming force, collapsing inward as if crushed by an unseen hand.

Ash Veil’s figure was violently forced out of hiding.

The man dropped to one knee as the domain’s pressure weighed down on his body, his expression shifting from confidence to disbelief in an instant. He struggled to stand, his muscles trembling as he tried to resist the crushing force surrounding him.

But Emery had already closed the distance.

Excalibur rose in his hand.

The sword descended in a clean, decisive arc.

”NO—!”

The blade struck before the cry could finish.

Light exploded across the arena as Ash Veil’s body dissolved into particles, signaling the end of the duel.

The system voice echoed once again.

[Victory]

[Reward: 100 Palace Points]

Emery stood quietly as the battlefield reset around him.

Twenty-one challengers remained.

And the next duel would begin shortly.