Chapter 16: Kael Vs Rafe

The two of them headed to a designated area within the academy grounds where students could engage in supervised duels. Word of the impending showdown spread quickly, and a crowd of students gathered to watch, including Darius.

The surrounding students whispered excitedly, speculating on the outcome of the duel. Some cheered for Kael, hoping to see the bully taken down a notch, while others jeered, believing that Rafe would emerge the victor. Tension filled the air as the two opponents prepared to face off.

Kael wasn't confident in his abilities, but he couldn't let Rafe continue his bullying unchecked. As they faced each other, Rafe's smirk revealed his arrogance and self-assuredness. He is currently a Rank E student, with a natural affinity for Water magic. He arrogantly proclaimed, "You don't stand a chance, weakling." Kael knew that facing Rafe would be a daunting challenge, but he couldn't back down now.

Kael steeled his resolve, clenching his fists. "We'll see about that," he replied with determination.

Just as Kael was preparing to face Rafe, the Arcanum Interface chimed in, [New urgent mission: Defeat Rafe.] The sudden assignment of this quest only served to bolster Kael's determination to stand up to the bully and protect those who couldn't protect themselves.

The battle immediately intensified as Rafe continued to summon torrents of water, attempting to overwhelm Kael with powerful waves and high-pressure water blasts. Kael dodged and weaved through the onslaught, his muscles straining as he put his improved strength and agility to the test.

"Is that all you've got?" Kael taunted, his heart pounding in his chest as he narrowly avoided another water attack.

Rafe growled, his anger mounting. "You'll pay for your insolence!" With a malicious grin, he clapped his hands together and unleashed a massive whirlpool, drawing Kael into its swirling center. Kael struggled to keep his head above water, the vortex threatening to pull him under.

Kael's eyes widened as the water projectiles whizzed towards him. He quickly scanned the area, spotting a patch of shadow cast by a nearby pillar. With a determined grit of his teeth, he attempted to use Shadow Step. As he emerged from the shadow, however, he found himself disoriented and off-balance, barely managing to avoid the deadly water.

The crowd gasped, some cheering for Kael's narrow escape, while others mocked his inability to use the spell properly.

"You can't even use that spell properly!" Rafe mocked, sensing Kael's frustration.

Kael gritted his teeth and focused. He had to figure out what he was doing wrong. As Rafe launched his ultimate skill "Aqua Burst," Kael realized that he was not fully visualizing his destination before stepping into the shadows. With newfound clarity, he saw a perfect opportunity: Rafe's own shadow.

Time seemed to slow as the powerful "Aqua Burst" rushed towards Kael. He took a deep breath and focused on Rafe's shadow, which stretched out towards him. In that split second, as the torrent of water was just inches from his face, Kael activated Shadow Step and vanished into Rafe's shadow.

The crowd held their breath, their eyes wide with anticipation. Emerging flawlessly from Rafe's shadow, Kael caught his opponent off guard. Rafe's eyes widened in shock as he realized his ultimate attack had missed its mark, and his own shadow had been used against him.

"What the--?!" Rafe exclaimed, disoriented by Kael's sudden disappearance and reappearance.

Seizing the moment, Kael focused his energy and launched himself towards Rafe, his fist aimed directly at Rafe's neck. In a blink of an eye, Kael's fist connected with his target, delivering a powerful, decisive blow. Rafe crumpled to the ground, defeated, and Kael stood victorious, his mastery of Shadowstep demonstrated in a climactic finale.

After Kael's victory over Rafe, the Arcanum Interface chimed in, [Congratulations, Kael! You have successfully completed the urgent mission: Defeat Rafe. You have been awarded 200 experience points and 1 Gold EC.]

"Mission accomplished: Develop Your Magical Skills and use Shadow Step in battle. Reward: 50 experience points and 5 copper EC."

As the experience points were added to Kael's profile, he reached Level 3. [You have gained 5 attribute points for leveling up,] the system informed him.

[Congratulations, Kael, you have reached level 3. Would you like me to auto-distribute your attribute points?] the Arcanum Interface inquired.

"Yes, please," Kael replied, eager to see the changes to his profile.

[Understood, Kael,] the system replied. [Your 5 attribute points have been distributed accordingly to optimize your growth.]

As the crowd murmured in amazement at Kael's unexpected victory, Darius watched from the sidelines with a small, knowing smirk on his face. It seemed that Kael was proving to be more than just a simple newcomer after all.

"I suppose even a commoner can surprise us every now and then." he said, his voice dripping with arrogance as he turned around and left.

Kael stood victorious on the dueling grounds, catching his breath as the crowd began to disperse. The boy who had been bullied by Rafe earlier approached him hesitantly.

"Hi, my name is Liam," the boy said with gratitude in his eyes. "I just wanted to thank you for helping me. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't stepped in."

Kael smiled at the boy, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "No problem, Liam. I couldn't just stand by and watch."

At that moment, Rorik ran up to Kael, a wide grin on his face. "Kael, that was amazing! What was that spell you used for the finishing move? I've never seen anything like it before!"

Kael hesitated before answering, "It's called Shadow Step."

Rorik's eyes widened in excitement. "That's so cool, Kael! I can't wait to see what else you'll learn!"

After saying goodbye to Rorik and Liam, Kael returned to his room, his mind racing with thoughts of the day's events. He sat down on his bed and focused on his ancient tome, opening up his profile to review his progress.

Profile:

Name: Kael Voss

Rank: F

Level: 3

Race: Human

Attributes:

Strength: 8

Intelligence: 6

Agility: 6

Stamina: 5

Mana: 12

Abilities:

Basic Dark Spell (Lv. 1): Create a small, glowing orb using mana.

Shadow Step (Lv. 1): Teleport short distances by stepping into one shadow and emerging from another within line of sight.

Inventory:

Ancient Tome of Eternal Balance

Old Cloak

Current Quest:

Experience Points: 50/300 (Experience points required to reach next level)

Elyrian Crowns: 1 Gold, 5 Silver, 6 Copper

As Kael drifted off to sleep, a content smile graced his face. He couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of determination and purpose as he reviewed his updated profile. Today's events had ended on a positive note, and he found great satisfaction in standing up for someone who was being bullied - a situation that struck a personal chord with his own past experiences.

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