Making Himself at Home

"Li Aoz?"

Reno immediately gripped his staff with both hands and slammed it into the ground.

Summon Clay Golem

The soil was quickly rolled up and shaped into the form of five strong soldiers, forming a wall that tightly protected Reno from behind.

"He helped us reach the magical alien planet first."

Caramel Snail arrived in an instant, leaping off the wall and spinning in mid-air like a high-speed spinning top. It then fell wildly, its blade wreathed in purple flames instantly slicing through the bodies of the five puppets, cutting them in half at the waist.

'Using rotation to increase cutting force?! Isn't he afraid I'll turn him into a sieve?'

Reno was about to cast a spell when he immediately noticed the air around the other person was distorted.

'—So that's how it is. He distorted space. If he had used magic to attack just now, he would have been caught off guard and taken down in one fell swoop.'

Make a decisive decision!

Reno summoned a gust of wind, and Caramel Snail immediately activated its super armor. Braving the wind, it raised its hand to shatter the fireball, and then swung out a series of sword energies to rapidly clash with Reno's Arcane Missiles.

The literal depiction of Light Sword and exploding flames, along with the dazzling sound and light effects, immediately elicited cheers and screams from the audience.

"He's so handsome! He's practically a sword saint!"

"That Evil Spirit Samurai in the background is so powerful! What kind of Aoneng does it possess? I want one too!"

"Caramel Snail, hey, isn't he one of the people Li Aoz?"

With a flick of its wrist, Caramel Snail transformed into a cybernetic weapon. With one hand, it pulled the trigger, advancing to fire at close range, while the other hand danced wildly with its sword, occasionally using gravity to twist its waist and unleash dense sword energy, forcing Reno into a narrow alley.

However, Reno is an excellent player on the Agincourt server, and even when he was at a disadvantage due to the terrain, he still calmly demonstrated his professional skills.

The mage class has nothing special except a long mana bar and a lot of skills!

He began with a basic stealth trick, concealing two fire pots among the thrown rock fragments. As Caramel Snail swung his sword to parry, the blade instantly shattered the fire pots, causing them to burst into flames.

"Um?!"

The flames, flashes, and thick smoke startled him, blinding him. Reno immediately unleashed a barrage of spell missiles while simultaneously raising a Magic Guidebook.

Splash—

The Magic Guidebook was quickly opened, and the spells recorded on the pages, like a sentry machine gun, unleashed a dense barrage of spells at a rate of 6,000 rounds per minute, rapidly reducing the Caramel Snail's health.

Fortunately, he was a player specializing in [Destruction], and his high health allowed him to survive the blinding state without serious injury.

'We can't delay any longer... The mage's kiting ability is too strong. If it weren't for Aoneng, I probably wouldn't have even been able to touch him.'

The Caramel Snail quickly raised its hand, using gravity to propel itself and accelerate, its feet shifting rapidly. At the same time, an illusion split off from its body, causing it to leap high into the air.

"The enemy mage dares to get so close, is it to maximize their damage output? No, Yu Tianxiao told me that if a mage dares to get so close, it means they definitely have a trump card to deal with melee attacks."

He himself charged straight at Reno! [The Chariot Castling]

The illusion did not attract Reno's attention. He keenly sensed the killing intent of Caramel Snail's blade. Almost instinctively, he pulled out a Magic Scroll and aimed it at the Caramel Snail that was charging at him head-on.

[Blazing Sun Radiance]

This is his trump card, and it's perfect to use it now.

"Goodbye!"

Reno's heart immediately calmed down.

Although the opponent's reaction speed and operation were truly amazing, he didn't seem like a newcomer participating in the competition for the first time. His talent was one aspect, but he probably had a lot of experience fighting against high-level players.

However, while the skill is undoubtedly strong and the sword light is dazzling, those who have already fallen into the trap will have no chance to escape.

A burst of intense heat erupted, engulfing the entire street in flames. The Caramel Snail's health plummeted, almost reaching zero.

However, this is the moment that Caramel Snail has been waiting for.

[Casting] activated! After he withstood 0.24 seconds of damage, the illusion and the real body immediately swapped positions.

[Casting] can be activated regardless of the original player's condition!

This very effect gave Caramel Snail a chance to turn the tide! "—It's up there!"

Reno reacted quickly, not having time to destroy the illusion, and immediately changed the direction of the Magic Scroll in his hand. However, changing the direction of the Magic Scroll's attack was like a tank turning its turret, requiring a great deal of force and being very slow.

It was just a hair's breadth away; if it had just grazed the Caramel Snail's body, it would have won!

Whoosh! The Caramel Snail's body fell from the air, and it threw its weapon with its right hand.

[Crescent Moon] Activated! As Aoneng he had borrowed, it only allowed his body to briefly enter a two-dimensional space. Even so, this incredibly abstract Aoneng was extremely difficult to use, and it took him a long time to train and learn.

At this moment, it finally came in handy! Caramel Snail activated Castling once again in two-dimensional space.

Reno was in such a hurry to take him out with one shot that he immediately raised the scroll and waved it in the sky, which is why the illusion from before was not destroyed.

"You reacted too quickly, Reno."

Caramel Snail's body appeared in front of Reno like a ghost. He raised his hand, and a blood pressure gun barrel popped out from his palm, pressing it against Reno's forehead as he struggled to rotate the turret upwards.

Gurgle gurgle gurgle gurgle—! Fiery corrosive ammunition poured out, emptying a full 300 milliliters of pre-prepared poison blood. The Caramel Snail pierced and shattered the opponent's mage shield until its head was completely turned into a skull, finally depleting the opponent's health to zero.

Jean Reno Léopardon's health points have reached zero.

[Round 1 - Jiao Ziniu wins]

"Huff... Huff... Ah huff..."

Caramel Snail was panting heavily, his pupils contracted and dilated violently, and his adrenaline was surging, making him feel as if all the muscles in his body had gone numb.

"That was close... that was close."

He removed his character's helmet, revealing thick hair soaked with sweat and singed by magic. The bloodstains and burns on his face reminded him of how difficult the battle had been.

"I didn't expect... that even though they're both Gamma-rank, top-tier players are so much harder to beat than the NPCs on White Candle Star."

"Ziniu!"

Xia Yubing's voice came through the communication channel; she excitedly said:

Congratulations on your successful start!

"I... I played terribly... It was only my first opponent, and I felt like I was going to die... And my opponent was just a newbie."

Caramel Snail was overwhelmed by Reno's swift reaction and magical suppression, its brain working at high speed the whole time, feeling like it was about to crash.

"This is just a newcomer who's only joined the competition for the first time, and he's already beaten me so badly..."

"What newbie? Didn't you see his ID?" Xia Yubing said in surprise, "The other party is the fourth on the Star Abyss overall ranking, and the number one magician in the Agincourt District —Coissant!"

"...ah?"

"Jiao Ziniu, you're amazing! The forums are going crazy, everyone's talking about the first match. A complete esports newbie completely outplayed and defeated the Ready Player One who dominated the Agincourt District. That's a huge upset!"

"I..."

Caramel Snail raised its hand, in disbelief.

"I... I defeated the fourth strongest person in the world?"

Beep beep beep—

Caramel Snail looked up at the messages from her friends: [XXG] Cumin Powder: Hey, Niu Niu, you did well in the first round! You defeated Croissant Bro, who is ranked fourth in the world, in the first round. I'll give you a reward later.

[LGY] Garryton: Wow, it's only been half a year, and you've already made me feel like a stranger.

[Vault of Heaven] Yu Tianxiao: Congratulations! His barbecue set meal is quite grueling. Keep up the good work and try to get rid of the croissant in the first round.

[Endless Pioneers] Ye Zhangjian: Hmm (The other party is typing).

Snap! He clenched his fist, the doubt and confusion in his eyes vanished, leaving only determination.

"Yes, I'm no worse than anyone else!"

Caramel Snail calmed down, cheered herself up, and prepared for the second round:

"The preparations I've made in the past six months, in the context of the game, would be equivalent to five years. I'm no longer the naive kid I used to be!"

Five years...

These five years have transformed him from an ordinary Martial Artist was once chased and beaten by goblins into a skilled swordsman.

Not only that, he also accepted several missions issued by Li Aoz, which transformed him into an armored body, and he also obtained the sub-profession of [Mutant], officially mastering the arcane power of the [Soul-Inscribed Sword Saint] that Aoneng.

"Although I don't understand what you're so happy about, this is probably the happiest I've been since the guardian deity descended upon me..."

Saga Akira had just been summoned, suddenly said, "Now that we've come this far, let's give it our all and move forward together!"

Saga Akira usually not very talkative, and when he spoke to Caramel Snail, he was stunned for a moment before he realized what was going on.

"Yeah, I've received so much help from Li Aoz and my friends along the way... I should have gotten stronger a long time ago."

Caramel Snail nodded, and solemnly switched weapons as Reno, who had revived and adjusted himself, walked towards him again.

"Let me see just how far I can go when I give it my all!"

Clang—! The jet-black Tachi was drawn, Caramel Snail gripped the shadowy Tachi, facing Reno once more.

"That weapon..." Reno exclaimed in surprise, "It's a ' Timeless Masterpiece '?!"

"Hehe. It took me a lot of effort to get him replaced by Li Aoz."

Caramel Snail, carrying Tachi, scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly, "Her name is Tsu・Shadow Edge —well, she prefers me to call her Shadowy Edge."

"What is this... a sword maiden?"

Reno couldn't help but complain:

"I was just wondering who Li Aoz is. You keep mentioning it, even more often than your wife's name."

"Him?"

Caramel Snail chuckled:

"That guy Li Aoz has a lot of titles—[Dominator] System Mentor, Lord of White Candle Star, Mayor of Faithkeep City. You can come and visit our White Candle Star when you have time. The shipping route has just opened, and players from Valkyrie Fortress - Frontier Planet are also welcome to come and play. We welcome you anytime."

"I can tell he must be a very interesting person."

Reno nodded, smiled, and raised his staff, which shone with spiritual light:

"Before that, let's present a wonderful competitive performance for the audience!"

"Leiriaer, you're still the same as before, you love fire, you love explosions. It brings back memories of how we supported each other in the Garden of Arts &*^#——"

[Recognition Filter Has Been Covered]

The Caramel Snail smiled, and a green light gleamed in its eyes:

"Absolutely delighted!"