Feng stood among the fallen lizardmen, his breath steady as he examined his twin daggers. He approached the two swords he'd left in the swamp's edge and knelt beside them. Just then, a notification adorned his vision:
[ASURA SYSTEM NOTICE]
TWIN POISON SNAKES (Shāmò Yǎnjìngshé) – UNLOCKED
Instantly, the left dagger shrank into a compact, deep-black blade emanating a green-black aura. The right dagger widened, its surface glowing with inky darkness.
The Iron Fall blacksmiths said these daggers would evolve with me, Feng recalled, slipping them into his sheath. Their heft was perfect.
With new weapons in hand, he turned toward the portal and ascended to Floor 21.
Arena Reactions & Rising Tension
Back in the arena, the crowd buzzed with excitement. Every screen feed focused on Feng Jian's progress.
Lisa, watching intently, murmured to herself: "So those are the twin daggers from Mark's reports… I'll have to learn more about them." She allowed herself a small, knowing smile.
A few rows behind her, Arthur studied Lisa's reaction. Does she know him? he wondered. Whether she does or not, anyone who stands in his way will learn their place.
Above the stands, Nimrodel leaned close to Miss Hareko, the senior instructor.
Nimrodel: "Those daggers must be at least S-Rank—possibly King-Rank."
Hareko (smirking): "Logic doesn't apply to an Arcane class. He's rewriting the rules."
Nimrodel: "Weren't you assigned to the non-combat trials?"
Hareko: "Finished. By the way, a vampire scion named Nick topped non-combat with 1,500 ADP—while twins Chloé and Iris of the Unicorn house scored 1,000 each."
Nimrodel: "Monsters in every department this year… and no family status matters."
The instructors fell silent as Feng Jian's icon pulsed on the big screen.
Leaderboard as of Floor 20RankCombat StudentADP Points1Feng Jian1,5072Maria's Team7583Corner7003Loreto700RankNon-Combat StudentADP Points1Nick (Vampire)1,5002Chloé (Unicorn)1,0003Iris (Unicorn)1,000
With the arena's lights dimming on Floor 20, anticipation reached a fever pitch. Feng Jian stepped into the clearing sunshine of Floor 21—a familiar forest, now sunlit and open.
Feng (thinking):Let's see what these daggers can really do...
End of Chapter 16