And Lucas didn't keep them waiting for long.
"Instant Flash: Five Consecutive Strikes!" he called out, and then—
He vanished.
The field was silent as his figure disappeared in an instant. For a moment, there was only stillness. But in the next breath, the impossible happened.
Five images of Lucas appeared around the battlefield, each behind a different opponent.
Like shadows flickering through reality, each Lucas struck with a dagger at lightning speed. The movements were so fast and fluid, they looked almost supernatural. Before anyone could react, the five illusions disappeared again just as quickly as they had come.
"What the—?!"
"Was that...?"
"How did he even...?"
Before the five-man team could make sense of it, each of them staggered, their expressions frozen in shock. Their health bars dropped instantly to zero. One after another, they burst into white light, signaling their elimination from the Secret Realm.
Five skilled opponents—defeated in an instant.
"No way…"
"Was that a one-shot kill?"
"Did he just wipe out five people at once?!"
The crowd erupted. Even those who believed in Lucas's strength were stunned speechless. Qian Duoduo and Zach Darnell exchanged looks of disbelief, unsure of what they had just witnessed.
Even the spectators outside the arena—guild leaders, mentors, and students—sat frozen in shock. No one could understand what just happened.
Had Lucas used a teleport skill? A clone ability? Or was it some kind of forbidden Shadow Assassin technique?
None of them had seen or even heard of such a move.
Of course not.
Because the technique didn't exist anywhere else—it was something Lucas had invented himself.
It wasn't a skill granted by the system. It wasn't listed in any guide or known to any class.
It was a homemade combo, crafted from his experience fighting monsters and leveling alone. A strategy born from necessity and creativity.
He had memorized five sets of spatial coordinates beforehand, then chained together six teleportations, launching an attack each time he landed behind an enemy.
Each flash resulted in a swift strike—either a normal attack or a skill—delivered before the enemy could react. The result? Five instant kills.
It wasn't practical for long fights—the cooldown for his teleport skill was absurdly long, regaining only one energy point every ten minutes—but in PvP, it was deadly.
Because his damage output was so high, even a basic strike from him could tear through an opponent's defenses. And when delivered in rapid succession from behind, it was almost impossible to block.
To spectators, it looked like a multi-shadow clone attack—a perfect illusion of being everywhere at once.
"No, not simultaneous," Jade Walker said from the viewing platform.
She narrowed her eyes at the projection, analyzing Lucas's movements carefully. "It seemed like it happened at the same time, but it was actually a sequence—six teleports, five attacks."
Her voice was calm, but her eyes burned with admiration.
Even with her sharp senses, she barely caught it.
"His speed was unbelievable. And his control over movement… incredible."
She wasn't the only one amazed.
Emily Frost nodded beside her. "If you watch the white lights of the defeated players, you'll notice—they didn't vanish all at once. There was a clear order. It was sequential, just too fast for most people to notice."
"...Wow," she added quietly. "All that in under two seconds."
Jade smiled mischievously. "Hmm… that's a dangerous way to compliment someone's speed, Emily."
"Eh?!"
Emily froze, cheeks turning red as she realized the double meaning. "President, please be serious!"
"I'm just impressed with his attack speed! That's all!"
Jade grinned, clearly enjoying teasing her. "Why? I'm totally serious."
She leaned in closer, faking innocence. "Ah, I see! Emily, your mind is wandering. You're the one being impure!"
"President!" Emily huffed and puffed out her cheeks. "If you keep teasing me like this, I'm going to stop talking to you!"
Jade chuckled and pulled her into a side hug, rubbing her cheek affectionately.
But soon, her playful expression faded. She turned back to the projection, her gaze serious now.
"It looks like… he's not going to join our guild after all."
"Huh?" Emily blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone. "But why do you say that? You were so confident before. What changed?"
Jade folded her arms and sighed softly. "Because I misjudged him."
"I thought Lucas was a lone wolf. Someone who didn't join a team because he didn't want to. Maybe I assumed he was too proud, or maybe socially distant."
"But I was wrong."
She nodded toward the screen, where Lucas was surrounded by dozens of students, all cheering and celebrating his win.
"Didn't you see how many people were willing to step up for him earlier? They trusted him, defended him, and respected him. And when he was challenged, he didn't just fight—he dominated."
"He has what true leaders possess. Charisma. Judgment. Power. Calm under pressure. A sense of timing and empathy."
"He's the kind of person people want to follow."
Emily's expression shifted as she processed it.
"You're saying… he doesn't need a guild to protect him. He might start his own?"
Jade nodded.
"Exactly. He's not meant to be under someone else's command. I doubt he'd accept any offer to join another guild—especially ours."
"As the saying goes, 'If a man lives under heaven and earth, how can he spend his life bowing to others?'"
She smiled bitterly. "He's destined to rise above—not serve below."
Emily was quiet for a second, then added without thinking—
"Well, you could always get under him…"
"...???"
Jade slowly turned her head, blinking in confusion.
Did she just say what I think she said?
Emily's eyes widened in horror as she realized. "Ah! I didn't mean it that way!! I meant you could work with him, like, side by side! As equals!"
Too late.
Jade's playful grin returned. "Well, well, looks like someone's thoughts really are impure."
"President!!"
Emily's face turned beet red. "I'm never saying another word again!"
Jade laughed softly, brushing it off. "Fine, fine. I'll stop. But seriously, Emily—"
Her gaze returned to the screen, where Lucas stood confidently among his peers, calm and humble despite the cheers.
"That young man has something special. A presence that draws people to him."
"And one day soon… he won't just be a top student. He'll be leading something much bigger."
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