Ironblade stood rooted, stunned by the sheer speed with which Rex was now rapidly approaching him.
Rex had activated Rageborne, the skill that had guided him through Alderom. His right fist had taken on a deep tint of purple, the ultimate form of Rageborne that offered him a 300% damage amplification.
In his view, a skill UI had materialized, precisely tracking his current usage intensity; Rageborne was a skill that fluctuated with how deeply he channeled it.
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RAGEBORNE (Epic Grade)
Amplify damage dealt by [30-300%] (Currently: 300%)
COST: [-1 to -10% Stamina and Mana per min] (Currently: 10%)
COST: [-1 to -5% Health per min] (Currently: 5%)
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The cost for maximum use was intense, but he reasoned he only needed its assistance for a moment. His Overlord brandings had spread from his torso up to his forearms and knees, the visual cue signifying 100% amplification intensity from that particular class art.
He noticed the instant Ironblade was temporarily distracted by his approach—a state that ended as quickly as it began when Ironblade's sword cleaved forward, aiming for Rex's dash path. If Rex continued forward, he would throw himself directly onto the blade.
His martial arts foundation and the minor battle experience gained from tearing through Dark Skeletons came into play. He nimbly rolled forward at the last possible moment, avoiding Ironblade's cleave and tumbling past him. His feet took on a purple tint as he used the amplification effect of Rageborne to immediately arrest his roll and shoot upward, successfully landing a full-force strike on Ironblade's skull.
Ding!
"DUEL OVER! WINNER: REX AXEL!" A deep voice resounded across the courtyard arena, announcing the victor.
[FIVE SILVER COINS ADDED TO INVENTORY]
A tab pulsed in Rex's view as the announcement ended.
The next moment, Rex was back in a very spacious dojo hall—the default setting of the Duel Room. He was also back in his comfortable cotton outfit and dark plush slippers. Ironblade lay sprawled on the floor some distance away. He immediately spotted Elera and an unknown plump guy, at the outer region of the hall.
Not giving the new appearance any further thought, Rex immediately made his way out of the duel room. He wasn't looking forward to any more interaction with the recruiters and had a task to complete. He hurried out of the hall, heading for the Dome Cave.
"Hey! Hey! Hold on, Rex!" Elera chased after him.
Rex increased his pace, but she soon caught up as he left the hall. "You fought really well," she said, smiling. Rex's brow raised in curiosity.
"Isn't Ironblade your ally? How come you're congratulating my victory?"
"Don't mind that; it was nothing but a duel, and it was his own decision to challenge you," Elera replied smoothly.
"Give me your player ID so we can keep in touch. You can always reach out to me if you need anything." Rex was surprised by the development but exchanged IDs with her. It was good that she still wanted to maintain a relationship; it could serve him well if he ever changed his mind about joining a guild.
"Hey, little brother! You fight really well!" The plump guy he had noticed after the duel caught up with him and greeted him happily. "You were really amazing in there! How were you able to do that?" Rex took one glance at the overly excited guy and decided to just be on his way, but the fellow persistently followed.
"Come on, brother, don't be like that," Ron said, still trailing Rex. Rex didn't pay the chubby guy any attention initially, but as he continued to follow, Rex finally turned to see what he was about, beginning to doubt his initial conviction that this was another guild recruiter.
"Hahaha, little brother, you fought really well! I'm Ron, a Level 6 Marksman, who just happened to spectate your battle." Rex studied the fellow again. He always had a gut feeling about people, and the guy in front of him gave the impression of being as straightforward as his current eager demeanor suggested. He wasn't in the mood for socializing at the moment but still introduced himself courteously.
"I'm Rex, a Level 5 player. Nice to meet you, Ron." Rex had chosen to hold back his class. He'd just thrashed a Level 9 Rare Class player; common sense told him not to go around announcing his class yet, not until he was certain about the community in Cosmic Ascendance.
Ron didn't seem to notice or care about this omission as he continued to shower Rex with praises. "Hey, hope you don't mind me posting your duel on the Cosmic Hub?" Ron asked amidst his excited chatter.
"Cosmic Hub?" As Rex said the words, he realized he hadn't even taken the time to check out many of his interface features since the AI integration. He began to fumble with it, mentally navigating through the player UI in his POV as he strolled towards the cave.
"So, should I post it?" Ron repeated his question.
"Why are you asking me now, but you didn't do so when you recorded it?" Rex asked, his voice sharp with annoyance. He already had a good idea of Ron's intentions while recording; these sorts of bloggers, profiting off others' (often embarrassing) moments, were present in all games.
"Ahh, brother! You know how it is!" Ron replied without a shred of shame, rubbing his hands together. "I always had it in mind to handsomely reward you for featuring on my channel if it does well! These kinds of things have a way of working out, and I was just lucky this time to get such amazing footage!"
Rex took one look at Ron's unrepentant shamelessness and chose not to give him an immediate reply, continuing to explore his interface.
'I can help you prepare an overview of current tasks that need your attention and offer suggestions on how to tackle them, Rex," the AI's mental voice interjected smoothly.
'Alright, do that," Rex thought. The moment he sent the thought, a neat tab appeared in his POV.
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CURRENT OBJECTIVES & NOTES:
Arma (Epic Grade Skill): Weapon not yet bound. Action: Consider suitable weapon.
Overlord Combat Path (Activation 47%): Progress increases with combat. Note: Continue engaging in combat.
Aether Circuit (17% complete): Purpose and benefits unclear. Action: Ask Guardian Arthur X for details.
Overlord Outer Garment: In inventory. Action: Inspect item for stats and abilities.
Chaos Bear Drops: In inventory. Action: Check item value and potential uses.
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