Chapter 352: Silent Duel!! (8k)
Yellow-haired Yerow was completely unaware that his feet had narrowly escaped a disaster.
He wasn’t really so bad-tempered that he couldn’t accept a greeting, but he knew that if he followed the other party’s rhythm, Fernand with red hair might choose to yield.
However, they had indeed come for the second-floor floor boss today, and their purpose was simple: to hunt down the floor boss for core materials.
Fernand was preparing to refine a mana spirit card and still needed a high-quality bull horn, which could be obtained from the floor boss.
The academic pressure for third-year students was much higher than for first-year students. Some professors even issued “duel quotas,” requiring students to win a certain number of duels within a limited time.
If they failed to meet the “duel quota,” their final evaluation would be lower.
Although it was uncommon, Saint Maryann Academy did have a “retention” system.
If the final exam scores were too low, students would need to retake the exams.
If they failed the retakes, they would be retained.
Because of this system, even the most unruly students would try to maintain a minimum effort.
The trio of Red, Green, and Yellow were somewhat famous, but their grades were average.
Not all students in the Fool’s Academy could rise after accumulating knowledge.
They clearly belonged to the category of those who couldn’t.
With poor grades, they had to find ways to craft new mana cards to boost their strength to complete the “duel quota.”
To craft high-level mana cards, they needed high-quality core materials.
Core materials dropped by floor bosses were usually of much higher quality than those from similar monsters.
If they could find its location and successfully kill it, it would greatly help Red-haired Fernand’s strength.
Both sides had their own reasons.
It was hard to say who came first.
Previously, because Tudor and others were only first-years, Yellow-haired Yerow seemed very relaxed.
He knew that even if these people really entered the treasure vault, they might not succeed in defeating the floor boss.
Yerow even considered letting the first-years go in first, so when they encountered danger, he and his group could show their seniority and come to the rescue.
Unfortunately, Dark Demon arrived.
…
After recognizing this exceptional first-year student, Yellow-haired Yerow realized he had to quickly decide on this matter.
“Let’s duel.” He no longer beat around the bush and directly said.
…
Dark didn’t get angry at Yellow-haired Yerow’s deliberate provocation.
He turned to look at Tudor and Sarah.
Without knowing the details, Dark wouldn’t easily make decisions for others.
He only intervened as he and Tudor had a good relationship.
“A duel between third-years and first-years? How embarrassing!” The noble girl next to Tudor immediately sneered.
But she didn’t look at Yerow; instead, she stared at the red-haired Fernand, who seemed more sensitive.
Fernand indeed felt embarrassed.
But Green-haired Gren immediately said, “Duels don’t consider grades. Considering you’re only first-years and don’t understand the rules, I forgive your inappropriate words.”
The noble girl was speechless.
Being born as a noble lady, she had little experience in arguing.
“We need some time.”
Sarah Swati spoke for the first time after Dark arrived.
Red-haired Fernand, who had been holding back, immediately said, “No problem.”
For two companions to make the atmosphere so tense with just a few words, Fernand truly admired them.
He knew his personality was too soft and having two companions provided some balance.
…
First-year students took a step back, and the three groups gathered together.
Dark finally had the chance to fully understand the situation.
Originally, it was Sarah’s group that first discovered this treasure vault. Tudor was slightly slower, arriving just before the Red-Green-Yellow trio.
Sarah’s face still radiated confidence. Her brown eyes and dark skin gave her a unique charm.
“We first found this treasure vault. We judged that it should be a floor boss inside, but the floor boss’s strength far exceeds that of other monsters on the same floor, so we weren’t sure if we could handle it. Then Tudor and the others arrived, so we decided to cooperate.”
Sarah smiled.
Tudor complained, “What was supposed to be a good thing has turned sour. We thought we’d get some experience even if we lost, but now we have unexpected guests.”
“Hmm…”
Dark looked at Tudor’s expression, confirming he considered the “dungeon escape device” as a key tool for gaining experience, making him feel sorry for Professor Nina.
He wondered how many students still held similar views.
Probably not many.
After all, there weren’t many people like Tudor who were fearless.
“Alright, the other side isn’t unreasonable,” Sarah then said. “But I didn’t expect to use the knowledge from Professor Jones so quickly.”
Tudor said, “Silent duel? Does that mean we’ll definitely lose?”
Sarah shook her head, “Not necessarily. The rules of silent duels reduce the advantage of high-star mana spirits to the limit. We have a chance.”
Tudor immediately looked at Dark, “Then we can only…”
Sarah added, “Since they proposed the duel after seeing Dark arrive, they might avoid a one-on-one with Dark and ask for a team duel.”
Tudor: “Even third-years wouldn’t do something so shameless, right?”
Sarah replied, “Tudor, stop thinking with your childish noble mindset. For most people, pride doesn’t fill their bellies.”
That’s true. After all, you aren’t from a traditional noble background and can be deceived by surface appearances. Even among nobles, not everyone cares about their reputation.
“I’m not a child,” Tudor said helplessly.
Sarah ignored him, “Back to the point. If they propose a three-person duel, we can refuse and continue negotiating, or agree and let our strength speak. By the way, I’m quite interested in silent duels.”
“What…” Tudor involuntarily looked at Dark again.
Dark calmly said, “Sarah is right. Our time is limited, and we still need to defeat the floor boss. It’s best to finish quickly.
Besides, using silent duels to resolve disputes in the dungeon is an academy rule. The problem is, if they insist on a three-person duel, we lack one person.”
“That’s…”
Tudor naturally said.
But he only got halfway through when two voices spoke simultaneously.
“I’ll do it.”
“I can!”
Tudor turned and saw the silent Emma and the excited Diana.
This made him hesitate.
After the novice tournament, he had a clearer understanding of his peers’ strength.
He knew Emma and Diana were indeed stronger than him.
To ensure victory in the duel, he had to yield at this moment.
He reluctantly closed his mouth.
When Emma noticed Diana speaking, she also hesitated.
“Let’s go with Diana. Emma’s ‘Golden Beast’ probably isn’t fully recovered yet,” Dark observed their expressions and decisively said.
A corner of Sarah’s lips curled up, “Alright. This will be our first duel in the dungeon, which is exciting.”
Her anticipation for this duel seemed higher than for the floor boss.
Dark even suspected she deliberately brought up the three-person duel to prevent him from getting a chance.
…
After the discussion, Dark naturally took the lead.
He stepped forward and said to the Red-Green-Yellow trio, “We agree to the duel, but according to the rules of the dungeon, it must be a silent duel. However, we don’t have a silence card.”
Red-haired Fernand said, “Don’t worry, I have one.”
Dark asked, “Are you going to release the silence card?”
Fernand replied, “Yes. According to the rules, once I release the silence card, we’ll count ten seconds in silence, and then start the duel.”
Dark smiled slightly, “I thought you were going to be the referee.”
Fernand returned the smile, “Of course not. By the way, I heard you talking about a three-person duel. Actually, we also have the same idea. Shall we start directly?”
Dark immediately agreed, “Looks like we’ve reached an agreement?”
Fernand: “Looks like it.”
…
Soon, both sides faced each other before the huge iron gate.
A multi-person duel generally had two methods.
One
The duel could be either one-on-one between multiple participants, or a cooperative battle involving teams.
Of course, Dark would never choose the team-based mode.
The red-green-yellow trio clearly had well-coordinated teamwork, and fighting a true three-on-three match with them would mean extremely low chances of winning.
So both sides compromised.
They agreed to send out three people each, and the other side didn’t insist on team cooperation either.
Thus, the current setup was that both sides sent out three people each, standing on either side of the iron gate’s midpoint.
Though they were dueling simultaneously, they did not interfere with each other, and the winner would be determined by the number of victors.
In other words, victory required two wins.
For the red-green-yellow trio, this was acceptable; they even considered the “Tian Ji racing horses” strategy but ultimately rejected it.
Their skill levels were too close to find a weak link.
For Dark and his group, this wasn’t much of a problem either.
Sarah’s thoughts clearly differed from Tudor’s; she didn’t want to rely solely on Dark for victory.
Therefore, she aimed to win this duel!
…
Before the duel began, the first-year students summoned their familiars, instructing them to spread out and patrol around as a precaution.
And the three-on-three confrontation began under everyone’s watchful eyes, starting with the activation of a “Silence Card.”
…
[Silent Duel!!]
…
The instant the sound vanished, the three first-year students and three third-year students immediately started counting down.
Fortunately, the three first-year students had strong mental fortitude and did not become nervous on the spot.
Their auras were very stable.
Dark stood in the middle, with Sarah Swati near the iron gate on his left and Diana Gretbail on his right.
An hour had passed since their trip into the abyss of the hidden space.
Dark’s “Bliss III” and “Pride III” had cooled down.
The mana cards he couldn’t use yet included “Bliss III? Moon,” “Pride II? Old,” “Greed II,” and the mana spirit “Dream Imp,” which hadn’t recovered to its optimal state.
Additionally, Deoxys wasn’t stored in a mana card and thus wouldn’t participate in the duel.
As for the Imp Beast, it had been resealed in the “Curse Cage Card.”
“9, 8, 7… 3, 2, 1, 0!”
At the end of the countdown, Dark immediately began a regular summoning spell.
According to the rules of silent duels:
A magus must start with a one-star mana spirit to replace the mana guidance ball.
Sometimes, students might choose a one-star magical beast, which was a rare opportunity for them.
Dark could do the same, and he had two magical beasts.
But it was unnecessary.
Holding the [Curse Cage: Imp Beast] card, Dark’s lips curled slightly.
He personally preferred the multi-to-multi duel format.
But one had to give others a chance.
Whether here or there.
…
Just three seconds after the countdown ended, the familiar that had accompanied him since he enrolled—the Imp Beast—suddenly appeared in a burst of light.
Their默契 was no longer necessary to discuss.
The Imp Beast laughed silently after being summoned and then flew into the sky.
To avoid being unexpectedly killed during the summoning cooldown, it needed some time to maneuver.
Once this brief moment passed, everything would come to an end!
The Imp Beast always enjoyed immersing itself in self-directed comedy.
After flying into the air, it immediately looked towards the third-year student less than ten meters away—red-haired Fernando.
Fernando was the core of the red-green-yellow trio, but he became the core mainly because his personality bridged the gap between the other two.
His own strength was only slightly higher than theirs.
Fernando had experience with silent duels—he carried a “Silence Card.”
His opening move wasn’t a magical beast but another one-star mana spirit with special survival skills—”Red Imp.”
Fernando, Gren, and Yerow had been friends since before they enrolled.
They were all assigned to the Fool’s Academy and chose identical materials for their first lesson on basic mana spirit conjuring, though their results varied.
Almost simultaneously,
Three one-star mana spirits of different colors appeared before the red-green-yellow trio.
– [Red Imp]
– [Green Imp]
– [Yellow Imp]
These three fairy-type one-star mana spirits were of fire, grass, and ground attributes.
Their stats were evenly balanced, each at 250, far exceeding the standard 100 for magical beasts.
Each imp also had a highly practical ultimate skill.
…
During the summoning cooldown, Dark observed the entire scene.
Although Sarah and Diana summoned their mana spirits quickly among first-years, it was still slower due to the silent casting requirement.
The third-year trio, however, was almost at the three-second limit.
But this slight time difference was made up when summoning one-star mana spirits.
When the three imps moved, Sarah and Diana finally summoned their mana spirits.
Sarah summoned her [Magical Beast: Bennu Bird]…
The Bennu Bird with the ultimate skill “Soul牵引” had little combat power but could fly!
Flying was a significant advantage, allowing magical beasts to evade many attacks.
Diana summoned a [Magical Beast: Polar Bear]…
Despite looking impressive with 200 attack and defense, the polar bear was just a regular one.
Its ultimate skill, “Resist Ice Ring,” was somewhat useful.
Facing unfamiliar territory, both sides adopted a conservative defensive strategy initially, avoiding proactive attacks.
Meanwhile, the red-green-yellow imps had already begun their moves.
…
Red-haired Fernando’s Red Imp suddenly curled into a ball, flames bursting from its back, instantly enveloping its body and forming a massive fireball.
The fireball burned intensely, but the Red Imp’s body gradually disappeared within the flames.
Eventually, it vanished completely.
It was extremely eerie.
Seeing the successful execution of the ultimate skill, Fernando’s eyes showed a hint of confidence.
Originally pushed to deal with the toughest opponent, Dark Demon, he was in a sacrificial position due to his personality.
But as a third-year student, he wouldn’t submit easily.
If given the chance, he would strike hard without hesitation!
The summoning cooldowns were rapidly spinning.
Without hesitation, Fernando initiated a second regular summon.
He noticed that Dark’s summoning speed seemed faster than his.
Fortunately, the difference wasn’t significant.
As long as Dark’s first one-star mana spirit wasn’t a fast-attack type, he had enough time to summon his second mana spirit.
The real duel would begin then!
In the realm of three-star mana spirits, he was confident.
Once successfully summoned, his three-star mana spirit would immediately use a wide-range ultimate skill to devastate the opponent.
If at that moment, Dark’s second one-star mana spirit couldn’t protect the first one-star mana spirit, defeat was inevitable!
“The gap between third-year and first-year students lies in experience and knowledge.”
“Your professor surely didn’t tell you how foolish it is to make a one-star mana spirit stand too high as a substitute for the mana guidance ball.”
Fernando raised his “Three-star Mana Spirit Card” abruptly.
“Mana Summon!”
Instantly, light flashed!
The dark gold light blinded Fernando.
…
When Fernando’s three-star mana spirit leaped from the card, the opposite Imp Beast was already enveloped in the intense dark gold light.
Bathed in the “Pride” light, the Imp Beast laughed uncontrollably.
Suddenly, it realized there were benefits to this “Silence Card” coverage.
Normally, such laughter would result in punishment from its owner.
But under the “Silence Card,” no matter how much it laughed, it wouldn’t affect others.
Even if it cursed freely, it wouldn’t be noticed.
It was a perfect tool for stress relief!
The Imp Beast’s soul expanded along with its rapid physical growth.
As it grew tall and strong, it smoothly transitioned from a humble minor demon to
The transformation of the Mind Giant.
The demon beast with overwhelming aura spread its wings wide, opened its hands, and roared fiercely.
Dark power overflowed from its body, wrapping around it.
Fernando’s expression changed abruptly as he saw the red-haired boy.
“You cheated!”
In his rage, Fernando’s cheeks flushed, and he pointed at Dark with anger.
However, under the coverage of the Silence Card, his words couldn’t be heard.
Even if they reached Dark’s ears, he would only smile and ignore them, discarding these meaningless accusations.
From the moment he learned about the silent duel rules, Dark had realized that this duel format was tailor-made for him.
What was the best way to protect a one-star mana spirit?
Make it a four-star mana spirit, wasn’t it?
…
When Fernando confidently summoned a three-star mana spirit, Dark had already turned the one-star mana spirit he needed to protect into a four-star mana spirit.
Then, this four-star mana spirit instantly teleported in front of Fernando.
Fernando didn’t even have time to retract his outstretched finger before the demon beast’s towering body pressed against it.
Silently.
The demon beast bent down, gently gripping his finger with sharp claws and pushing it back.
Fernando stumbled, instinctively stepping back two steps.
But the demon beast’s shadow still covered him.
The three-star mana spirit Fernando summoned—a red-skinned male lion with mane like burning flames—turned sharply when it sensed its master was threatened, baring its fangs at the demon beast.
The demon beast smelled the sulfur scent emitted by the flaming lion and slightly turned, lifting its right arm which suddenly surged!
Its arm, adorned with large sharp claws, stretched out like a snake, grabbing the flaming lion’s neck!
The lion’s mane truly caught fire.
But the demon beast’s arm was wrapped in powerful dark power, easily blocking the flames, which were far from being a lethal attack.
The flaming lion struggled, but the demon beast’s claw tightened, lifting it into the air.
The mighty flaming lion now resembled an old dog, desperately struggling with its front paws against the demon beast’s arm.
Under such circumstances, it couldn’t exert any force.
The area-wide ultimate skill it was preparing also failed to be released.
With another exertion, the demon beast snapped its neck.
The mana spirit obviously wouldn’t die so easily, but the demon beast had lost interest.
It casually threw it away and strode towards the red imp transformed into a fireball.
The fireball seemed rooted to the ground, continuing to burn.
The demon beast walked over normally and stomped on the fireball.
Immediately after, the fireball extinguished.
The demon beast lifted its foot and stepped back.
At the spot where the flames had been, a red imp curled up gradually appeared.
It cautiously peeked out, and upon seeing the formidable demon beast, screamed loudly.
The demon beast’s sinister face terrified the timid red imp, causing it to tremble. It struggled to get up and escape.
But the demon beast stomped again.
The red imp turned into mana sparks beneath its foot.
Only then did flames rain down from above.
He extended his hand, catching a burning pebble like it was snow, bit it, and spat it out.
…
Dark was amazed by the demon beast’s strange actions, covering his eyes involuntarily.
He felt that the imp beast had become even more irrational after evolving.
Was putting someone else’s ultimate skill in his mouth really something a person could do?
According to the pre-planned strategy, the imp beast should have instantly teleported after evolving, crushing the red imp with both feet, winning cleanly.
But in reality, it performed too many unnecessary actions.
What gave it the courage?
Was it the Level III “Pride” that messed up its brain?
Or was it the special environment under the Silence Card that allowed it to act recklessly?
Didn’t it understand the concept of “settling scores later”?
…
Dark was speechless and turned to watch the other duels.
As the dust settled in the ongoing duel, Diana and Sarah’s duel was nearing its end.
Diana’s opponent was Green-haired Gren.
After Gren summoned his green imp, he planted a seed on his head.
As the green seed sprouted, his body vanished from sight at a visible rate.
It was some kind of invisibility ultimate skill!
The invisible green imp didn’t hide but instead approached Diana’s polar bear stealthily.
Magical beasts had a unique aura, recognizable by those familiar with them.
Gren clearly recognized it.
Using gestures, he adjusted his strategy in time, directing the green imp.
Magical beasts were usually very weak, theoretically no match for the green imp.
Meanwhile, he summoned his second mana spirit.
A three-star insect-type—”Green Wind Mantis”!
Upon appearing, the Green Wind Mantis waved its arms, and with a gentle breeze, it became invisible just like the green imp!
Following closely behind, the Green Wind Mantis stealthily attacked!
In the soundless environment, their invisible movements were silent and perfect.
Diana was extremely surprised.
She had never encountered an invisible opponent before, and her deck lacked revealing powders.
Normally, she could distinguish directions through sound.
But under the Silence Card’s influence, her keen hearing was useless.
Her sense of smell wasn’t that acute either.
Worse, she hadn’t anticipated such a situation and hadn’t communicated with her mana spirit beforehand.
If she relied on her mana spirit to act alone…
Diana tensed up instantly.
Her fingers brushed past the mana spirits in her deck, and she was forced to summon the three-star mana spirit—”Bear Spirit”!
But as soon as the “Bear Spirit” was summoned, the “Magical Beast: Polar Bear” stood up, its thick paw striking its chest.
Instantly, frost spread.
A ring of ice formed around it, radiating outward.
The green imp hiding half a meter from the Bear Spirit was stopped in its tracks by the “Repelling Ice Ring”.
Then, a burst of force pushed it away!
The green bud on the imp’s head withered quickly, and its form was revealed.
But the invisible Green Wind Mantis had already launched a sneak attack, its long, sharp blade arm slashing at the Bear Spirit.
A gust of wind sliced through, and the polar bear’s skin was cut.
The Bear Spirit, falling from the sky, forced the Green Wind Mantis to change direction urgently.
The polar bear escaped unscathed, but its mana was depleted, making it fragile like paper.
The Green Wind Mantis remained invisible.
Its blade hadn’t actually struck, otherwise, the concealment would have been broken.
Diana chose to summon “Bear Spirit” in front of the polar bear, narrowly avoiding disaster.
But facing an unseen opponent, she still found it difficult to turn the tide.
Her defeat seemed inevitable.
…
Dark turned to Sarah’s side.
Sarah Swati’s opponent was Yellow-haired Yerrow.
Yellow-haired Yerrow’s yellow imp possessed a rare ultimate skill—”Digging.”
“Digging” was a ground attribute skill that could split soil and burrow underground.
The only drawback was high mana consumption.
The more mana, the faster and deeper it could dig.
Conversely, if less mana was used, a mound would appear on the surface.
The yellow imp immediately used “Digging” to hide.
Then, Yellow-haired Yerrow summoned a large earth-colored snake, shooting clumps of dirt at the Bennu Bird in the sky, attempting to knock it down.
But the Bennu Bird seemed to have some kind of awareness, always dodging the dirt shots.
This gave Sarah a chance to counterattack.
Under everyone’s watch, she summoned a mana spirit that Dark had never seen before!
…
