The long-awaited showdown between Dexter and Gridlock had arrived. Surprisingly, Civilians from across the village gathered along the shore near Gridlock's hut to watch. Even the Players stuck inside the small village wondered why the NPCs weren't around, speculating that there might be an event happening… yet no announcement had ever been made.
Dexter stared at his opponent, smirking. While Gridlock simply stood there, looking bored.
"Don't die on me again, kid. I might not bother resurrecting you this time," Gridlock taunted.
"No, old man—you're the one who should worry. This Holy Staff's only Tier II... Who knows? It might just 'accidentally' fireball you instead of healing," Dexter shot back with a laugh.
Dexter and Gridlock circled the sandy beach, each leaving deep footprints in their wake.
Stella and the Villagers watched in suspense, their eyes locked on the duel.
Suddenly, Dexter materialized a crossbow and aimed it at Gridlock—but Gridlock didn't flinch.
Instead, he summoned a shimmering shield, deflecting any potential shot.
Yet Dexter never fired.
With a smirk, he swapped the crossbow for an Ice Staff and unleashed a blast of frost, freezing Gridlock's feet to the ground.
"You're learning how to bait, kid. That's good… but not enough."
Gridlock scoffed, then slammed his shield downward, shattering the ice around his feet.
In a flash, his boots transformed into sleek, silver shoes—enhanced with invisibility.
Dexter remained unfazed.
His hood morphed into a gleaming helm, its enchanted visor piercing through Gridlock's stealth.
Just in time—he spotted Gridlock charging, sword raised high for a downward slash.
Dexter barely deflected the strike with a dagger, but the blade shattered on impact.
The sword's momentum carried through, slicing into his shoulder.
"Ugh!"
Gritting his teeth, Dexter switched his shoes into enchanted sandals and cast Blink, teleporting backward to create distance.
As he reappeared, a Holy Staff materialized in his grip, its golden light already mending his wound.
"Hey! Why are you using Tier X gear? Mine's only Tier II—that's so fucking unfair!" Dexter spat, wiping blood from his shoulder.
Gridlock smirked, raising his sword again.
"Complain in Heaven, kid…"
'Fuck! I need to let him cast Invulnerability—otherwise, there's no way I can win this match.'
'Only a 'frontal' assault will make him drop his guard.'
Dexter stepped forward again, this time moving slowly, his sharp eyes analyzing Gridlock's seemingly nonchalant movements. But Gridlock was anything but lax. Despite his lazy posture, Dexter couldn't find a single opening in his defense.
With a sudden leap backward, Dexter created distance, leaving Gridlock momentarily puzzled. Then, in a flash, Dexter materialized a bow, nocked an arrow, and fired it straight into the sky.
'This crazy bastard… What the hell is he doing?' Gridlock thought, narrowing his eyes.
But then—shadows erupted across the ground, spreading like a swarm of ravenous birds blotting out the sun.
When Gridlock looked up, his blood ran cold.
"What kind of sick fuckery is this?! How did a single arrow multiply into thousands?!"
The civilians watching the match scrambled in panic, fleeing the venue in terror. Even Stella reacted instantly, throwing up a barrier to shield the civilians who couldn't escape the deadly rain of arrows.
Dexter threw his head back and laughed—a wild, unhinged sound.
"See that, old man?! That trick could wipe out millions!"
"You fucking kid! You'll kill civilians…!" Gridlock roared, bracing himself in front of the onlookers. His shield trembled under the onslaught, but he held firm—protecting them was non-negotiable.
"Nope… you're wrong," Dexter taunted, his voice dripping with amusement.
"I can't kill civilians in the tutorial zone… unless it's a duel. And guess what? You're the only one I'm dueling."
A smirk curled Dexter's lips as he recalled his first attempt to smash Gridlock with a hammer. The system's safeguards had stopped him then—killing civilians were impossible here, outside of sanctioned fights.
But Gridlock didn't know that. Or maybe he did, and his stubborn heroism wouldn't let him risk it.
Either way, Dexter had played him perfectly.
Gridlock gritted his teeth. Most of his skills were still on cooldown, leaving him no choice but to hunker behind his shield, weathering the relentless barrage of arrows. Each impact rattled his bones, but he couldn't—wouldn't—move. Not with a child trembling behind him.
"Go complain in heaven, old man!" Dexter cackled, loosing another volley.
Gridlock's arms burned. His shield groaned. Yet his grip didn't falter. He'd seen the hexagonal barriers popping out whenever an arrow strayed too close to a bystander—proof that Dexter was telling the truth. But pride was a hell of a motivator.
Then he saw it.
Dexter's grin widened as energy crackled around him, materializing into the menacing bulk of a cannon. The barrel hummed to life, its glow painting the beach in eerie light.
"GG EZ." Dexter said with delight.
Bzzt—
A searing laser slammed into Gridlock's shield, the force hurling him backward. The loose sand offered no resistance, carving a long, jagged trench in his wake as he skidded to a stop.
Gridlock was bleeding. The Tier II Energy Laser Gun wasn't just powerful—it had piercing properties, capable of bypassing defenses. If not for his Tier X Legendary Shield, that shot would have torn straight through him.
But Gridlock wasn't done.
With a snarl, his entire equipment set shifted, morphing into crimson armor—its material unreadable, flickering between leather, cloth, and iron as if refusing to settle. Even the staff he summoned was unnatural: its head held a floating, puzzle-like sphere, its segments rotating at random, defying logic.
Dexter's bravado cracked.
"H-hey… wait, old man…!" His voice wavered.
"We're just playing, right?!"
Silence.
Gridlock didn't speak. He didn't need to. Slowly, deliberately, he raised the staff, its eerie orb humming with unstable energy.
A single word, cold and final, slipped past his lips:
"Die."
...
[!!!]
[HP: 0/3420]
[MP: 3865/5830]
[SP: 757/1572]
[9 seconds before Death]
[8 seconds before Death]
Gridlock's eyes locked onto Dexter, burning with fury.
[7 seconds before Death]
[6 seconds before Death]
A sigh escaped him as he materialized his Holy Staff, its glow cutting through the tension.
"Resurrect…"
'This fucking idiot apprentice of mine makes me want to murder him.' Gridlock thought.
Dexter's body jerked back to life—only to immediately thrash in outrage.
"That's cheating! I'll never accept this! A freaking insta-kill staff? Bullshit!"
"Then why didn't you cast Invulnerability before taking the hit?" Gridlock's voice was ice.
"Master, my Invulnerability needs damage to trigger! How's it supposed to pop if I get killed instantly? That's fucking broken!"
'/inspect.'
[Tier X Cursed Staff of Rubik (Mythical) - Crafted by Gridlock]
[Forged from Crimson Tree heartwood, fused with Ludiversum's Obsidian Stone.]
[Bound: Cannot be traded or sold.]
'What the—?! Isn't that too OP?! Even his armor set is broken! Who the hell can kill this old man?!'