Location: Eastern Combat Arena – Round Two
Time: Next Morning
Mood: Scheduled to Die By Noon
---
"So… I fight again?" I asked the tournament attendant.
She handed me a card that read: Opponent: Masked Disciple 47.
"Is that a code name or a bad username?" I muttered.
She shrugged. "He just joined. From the Northern Peaks."
Suspicious.
Very suspicious.
---
Yue Lan frowned as she read the name.
"That's not a regular disciple."
Lin Yumei cracked her knuckles. "I say we break his legs now and ask questions later."
Yura was excited for reasons that were not helpful. "Oooo~ Maybe he's cute under the mask!"
"…Please, no."
---
> [System Analysis:]
Opponent Profile: Unknown
Qi Signature: Obscured
Weapon: Modified short blade
Danger Rating: 7/10
Warning: Hidden killing intent detected.
Recommend: Run or stall until guards intervene.
"Oh great. So my plan is… survive long enough to tattle?"
> [System Response:]
Yes. 😎
---
THE MATCH BEGINS
I walked to the center of the arena, broom-turned-spear in hand, trying not to trip over my inner disciple robe. The crowd was excited. Someone threw a dumpling at me. I caught it.
My opponent approached slowly.
He wore a black mask, long sleeves, and no sect emblem.
His voice was low and cold.
"You're not supposed to be here."
"You too, huh?"
---
Then, without warning—he attacked.
Fast.
Sharp blade. Wind techniques. No hesitation.
He wasn't sparring. He was trying to kill me.
---
I blocked. Barely.
His next strike grazed my shoulder. Blood. Real pain.
> [System Emergency Trigger:]
Passive Activated: "Trash Footwork"
Effect: +30% dodge when panicking
Bonus Triggered: "Narrative Twist – The Underdog Strikes Back"
(Active for 30 seconds)
---
I leapt back, grabbed a loose floor tile (yes, again), and threw it like a frisbee.
It hit his mask.
He flinched.
I lunged forward and slammed my broom-spear into his chest.
He flew back—hard.
The crowd cheered.
The referee announced, "Victory for Arin!"
But I saw it.
His mask cracked… revealing a strange symbol glowing underneath.
---
> [System Alert:]
Mark Detected: Cult of Twilight Claw
This was not a sparring match.
You were the target.
---
Later, in the Sect Hall—
Elder Lianhua's eyes were narrowed.
"A kill attempt… in my sect?"
Elder Bai Hanyue spoke up, "I want that masked disciple captured. Now."
Elder Ruo Fei sighed. "He underestimated Arin. That's rare."
"Not the first," I muttered.
---
Meanwhile, Yue Lan tended my shoulder.
"You did well. You fought smart."
"Thank you."
"...You were still bleeding out the whole time."
Yura popped in with tea. "It's fine! I'll heal him with spicy noodles!"
"Yura, that's not how medicine—"
"Shhh."
---
That night, alone in my new room, the system buzzed again.
> [System Achievement Unlocked:]
"Accidental Cult Slayer"
Reward: Cult Surveillance Immunity for 2 Weeks
Bonus: Reputation with Yue Lan +2
Hidden Effect: ???
Real reward rerouted to "Shadow Trade System."
I stared at the screen.
"…Did my system just sell my reward again?"
---
Meanwhile, in a shadow realm...
A robed figure laughed while holding my stolen loot — a mid-tier cultivation pill.
"He's progressing… faster than expected. But unaware."
The cult is watching.
And now?
They're planning a real strike.