Reincarnated Avatar; I got 2 SSS-Rank Unique Skills
Chapter 40: Duel against yourself

Chapter 40: Duel against yourself

Noah swaggered into the final chamber of the temple, a vast, circular arena floating in a void of swirling arcane energy.

The walls, if they can even be called that, flickered between realities, showing glimpses of battlefields, ruins, and endless storms.

At the center of the arena, a mirror-like portal rippled and distorted before forming into a perfect reflection of him.

A game system notification appeared as soon as this happened.

{Trial 3: Duel against yourself!}

{Objective: Defeat the Arcane Reflection!}

Noah tilted his head, smirking, wanting to say ’oh, this is cute’ but then thinking of how many times he’s said cute today already, he coughed and looked at the reflection. "You think you can beat me by copying me?"

His reflection perfectly mirrored his smirk, slightly unnerving Noah.

Every detail was perfect; his stance, his confidence, even the way that his fingers twitched in anticipation, this reflection mirrored it all.

"Damn! The A.I controlling you must be really expensive". He chuckled.

This reflection looked no different from him but Noah knew better than anyone, perfection isn’t about copying.

Rather, it’s about knowing what the other guy doesn’t.

The battle began.

Whoosh!

Quickly lunging forward, Noah struck with his battle lance, it’s blade crackling with arcane energy but so does his reflection.

Their swords clashed at the exact same moment, sending shockwaves rippling through the arena.

{Fireball=}

Fireball is a low level Elementalist skill, a skill that launches a fiery projectile that explodes on impact, dealing AOE damage.

As low-level skills could be learned by any class so long you had enough skill points, Noah had this skill in his repertoire.

He unleashed a rapid spellcast, releasing a fireball while mixing it with a feint step but his reflection did the exact same move, canceling them out.

And then the reflection counterattacked.

Unperturbed, Noah dodged, pivoted on the spot and struck from an unpredictable angle. The whole sequence of attack was executed perfectly and insidiously but yet, blocked.

The reflection moved frame-perfect, predicting every step, every swing, and every spell that Noah casted.

The more Noah fought with this guy, the more impressed he felt at it. ’This A.I is really advanced’. He thought.

At this point, most players would panic but Noah just grinned wider.

And then, suddenly, he dropped his stance entirely, lowing his battle lance in the middle of combat.

"..."

The reflection hesitated for a split second.

That split second was all that Noah needed.

Bam!

In an explosive outburst, Noah lunged in with a completely illogical move; a reckless, unpredictable slice that no version of himself would ever consider using since it left him so open for a counterattack.

The reflection tried to react but it was a fraction of a second too late.

The lance’s blade carved through the reflection’s torso, ruthlessly piercing through as cracks spread across its body like shattered glass.

The reflection stumbled back, eyes widening, its perfect copy routine suddenly broken.

Noah clicked his tongue. "You lost the moment you tried to be me".

"I’m not predictable; I make the rules".

With a final burst of arcane energy, Noah disintegrated his reflection with a single decisive slash.

Crack!

The sound of something shattering reverberated as the arena pulsed, followed by another game system message.

{Trial 3 Completed: The Arcane Reflection Defeated!}

The floating arena where Noah just fought with his own reflection finally stabilized and, in the center, a glowing rune appeared, marking the completion of his class change.

He exhaled sharply, twirling his sword before keeping it in his inventory. "Took you long enough to lose," he mumbled. "I was getting bored".

And then the voice of Master Kaelith echoed through the chamber the next moment as the mysterious quest giver finally appeared.

According to the backstory of the Ruined Sky Temple, Master Kaelith is an ancient warrior-mage, a relic of a forgotten era where magic and steel were one, and true mastery meant wielding both in perfect harmony.

Unlike most Combat Masters though, Master Kaelith wields a sword.

He is neither fully a swordsman nor purely a mage, rather he is both, effortlessly.

He is the progenitor of all Combat Mages in Warstar.

Master Kaelith stood tall, his presence exuding a quiet but undeniable dominance. His silver hair, long and unkempt, flowed like an old warrior too seasoned to care for vanity.

His face bore deep scars, not from recklessness, but from surviving battles no ordinary man should.

His eyes? Glowing with arcane energy, constantly shifting between deep violet and searing blue as if the very elements themselves battle for control, he was the embodiment of dual power progression.

He wore a weathered combat robe, reinforced with spell-inscribed armor plates that shift subtly as he moved.

His blade, the Runebringer, one of the only S-ranked blades in the game that can be won through a quest at level 100 rested on his back. It was not just a weapon, but rather an extension of his will.

At a glance, it appeared simple but in the hands of a master, it can shatter spells, cut through space, and weave enchantments with a single stroke.

The old master looked down at the player. "You have proven yourself, Noah".

"You are now a Combat Mage, one who wields both blade and magic in perfect harmony".

Standing before this imposing NPC, Noah just shrugged. "Yeah, I know".

And then, it happened.

---<Warstar>---

{You have completed Class Change Quest: Trial of Balance!}

{You attained a completion rating of S!}

{You have unlocked the Main Class: Combat Mage}

{Your life force has evolved!}

{Your Skill Points has been reset!}

...

{You have been rewarded with an Ancient High Level Combat Mage Skill: Arcane Blade Surge!}

>Arcane Blade Surge: When activated, it empowers your sword with magic, dealing powerful hybrid damage<

...

{You have been rewarded with an Ancient A-Rank level 20 Combat Mage Weapon: Spellforged Battle Lance!}

[Equipment Name: Spellforged Battle Lance]

[Equipment Type: Weapon]

[Weapon Type: Battle Lance- Hybrid of Spear and Staff]

[Damage Type: Hybrid- Physical & Magical]

[Weapon Class: A]

[Special Trait: Adaptive Arcane Fusion]

Level: 20

Durability: 100/100

Physical Attack: +58

Magical Attack: +58

[Special Effect: Arcane Bladeform- Adaptive Weaponry]

*The lance’s blade-tip chances form depending on the magic infused into it, allowing the wielder to seamlessly switch between melee and spellcasting styles.

*Fire Magic: The blade becomes a flaming spear, exploding on impact.

*Lightning Magic: The blade extends into an energy whip, lashing enemies from a distance.

*Ice Magic: The blade freezes solid, shattering armor and slowing opponents.

*Pure Arcane: The lance becomes a beam of energy, piercing through defenses.

...

[Special Effect: Runeburst- Arcane Overload Counter]

*If an enemy blocks or deflects the lance, the runes automatically store kinetic energy from the clash.

*After enough energy builds up, the wielder can unleash Runeburst, an unavoidable shockwave blast that forces enemies backward, breaking defensive formations.

...

[Special Effect: Rift Lunge- Spatial Breakthrough]

*The lance can momentarily bend space, allowing the wielder to execute a "step-through" attack.

*The user lunges forward, phasing briefly through reality, bypassing obstacles and enemy defenses before delivering a devastating thrust.

*Can be used to break past shields, avoid counters, or create unpredictable attack angles.

...

>Description: A sword infused with latent arcane energy, enhancing both spellcasting and melee strikes<

...

[Lore: A weapon meant for a Legend]

Forged in an age when Combat Mages were gods of the battlefield, the Spellforged Battle Lance was a weapon for those who refused to choose between magic and steel.

It has no master, it only accepts those with absolute control over both arts.

---<Warstar>---