A small, warm light blinked in my inventory. I opened the interface, selected the Easter Egg, and used the Hatcher.
I chuckled. "I hope I don't get a chicken," I said. "Please don't be a chicken."
The egg didn't crack; the air just shifted, and a woman was instantly hanging on my back, sleeping serenely as if she weighed nothing. Her skin was a warm, radiant bronze, softly glowing like captured sunlight, framed by thick, jet-black hair streaked with vibrant crimson waves. She was wrapped in soft, drifting clouds that defied gravity, lending her a regal and fierce presence. Despite her power, she smelled faintly of fresh, warm spring flowers.
A system window appeared in front of me:
[EASTER EGG HATCHED]:
[Name]: [Sekhmet]
[Familiar Rarity]: [Divine]
[LEVEL]: [0]
[SKILL/S]: [???]
[Status]: [Asleep]
"Now that's a jackpot right here," I said. "Real jackpot!"
The archer in gold appeared.
She moved with the calm assurance of someone who knew they were better than everyone else. Her long red cape fluttered behind her like a banner. Her eyes locked onto me and then to Sekhmet, who floated lazily behind my back.
Then she spoke.
"I was too late… But it doesn't matter. I challenge you to a duel. Stake your familiar."
"Duel, huh?" I said, clenching my right hand. "And if I win?"
"You get a key which I received from a quest," She replied. "It leads to a boss that drops a divine class item." She replied.
"Let's do it!" I said. "Make sure you don't go home crying, goldie."
A window blinked into existence in front of me:
[DUEL REQUEST RECEIVED]:
[Player]: [Kassandra Strauss] — (Level 40)
[Wager]: [Familiar] – [Sekhmet & CandyLand Key]
[Conditions]: [First HP bar to turn yellow loses]
Accept: [Y/N]
"What a pretty name," I thought. "It suits goldie's pretty face. She's such an asshole though."
I stared at her.
She was ten levels above me. Her gear screamed divine-tier. And that aura was pure pressure.
But my hand clicked 'Yes' anyway.
In a flash of golden particles, the world changed.
Then, all of a sudden, I was standing in the center of an immense and ancient colosseum.
Thousands of players filled the stands, spectral images of real people watching from different corners of the world.
Magical screens hovered mid-air, showing our health, class, and level.
Then, a floating NPC, dressed in ornate robes and holding a silver staff, floated between us.
"NOW ENTERING... THE CHALLENGERS!" came from a booming voice echoing across the stadium.
A spotlight hit me first.
[Player 111]: [Lu Ryo] — (Level 30)
[Class]: [Hidden]
"Why's it hidden?" I thought. "Huh…I thought I had no class…"
Then the light swept to the other side.
[Player 117]: [Kassandra Strauss] — (Level 40)
[Class]: [Royal Archer]
"Royal archer…" I thought. "Did she upgrade her class? She consumed two potions of exaltation?"
In Etherveil, you can upgrade your class if you find a potion of exaltation. The potion can only be found in some secret chests scattered around any haven, or a 1% drop from a dungeon or mini boss.
[Potion of Exaltation Class Upgrade Choices]:
[Warrior]:
(1 Potion consumed) -> [Knight] - [Berserker] - [Crusader]
(2 Potions consumed) -> [Vanguard] - [Juggernaut] - [Gladiator]
[Mage]:
(1 Potion consumed) -> [Summoner] - [Runecaster] - [Battlemage]
( 2 Potions consumed) -> [Archmage] - [Elementalist] - [Necromancer]
[Archer]:
(1 Potion consumed) -> [Ranger] - [Marksman] - [Scout]
(2 Potions consumed) -> [Royal Archer] - [Sniper] - [Pathfinder]
[Healer]:
(1 Potion consumed) -> [Acolyte] - [Sage] - [Guardian]
(2 Potions consumed) -> [Paladin] - [Shaman] - [Sentinel]
[Assassin]:
(1 Potion consumed) -> [Prowler] - [Jumper] - [Piercer]
(2 Potions consumed) -> [Wraith] - [Talon] - [Blademaster]
My heart pounded as the crowd roared.
"First HP bar to turn yellow loses. Begin!" The NPC announced, then vanished.
Then I instantly realized I had a problem. I stood on the dusty floor. She floated high above, like a hawk circling its prey.
"You're probably wondering why I'm above you," She said smugly, a glint of arrogance in her crimson eyes.
Then, an ornate, divine construct of gold and pearl materialized beneath her feet. It was of a shape of an ark with a bowstring stretched from one end to another, lifting her higher into the sky.
My eyes widened. "What the hell is that..." I said.
"This is the treasure I obtained from the sixth dungeon. Behold—" She paused, raising her hand. "The Bow of Noah." Golden orbs gathered at the bow, each humming with deadly energy.
In an instant, dozens of golden orbs rocketed toward me in a brilliant storm.
I squinted. "It must be a skill… knowing an archer's weapon can only fire a single projectile every attack…"
Just as I reached out to copy it, a system window appeared:
[ERROR]: Unique Weapon skill cannot be copied.
My heart skipped. "What?! A unique weapon?!" I said as my eyes widened at the projectiles that raced toward me. "Shit—!"
I activated my Spirit Dagger's ability. My body flickered out of phase. The golden projectiles passed through me like mist.
"Phew," I exhaled, sweat running cold down my neck. "That was close."
Up above, She frowned and said, "What just happened? Did I miss…? Or—" Her eyes narrowed and scoffed. "It doesn't matter. It was probably a skill. I know I never miss."
She raised her bow again and unleashed another volley.
The crowd roared in anticipation.
I didn't wait to test fate twice. I ran, zigzagging through the arena, dodging as golden bolts scorched the ground around me.
"Think, think, think…" I darted along the colosseum floor, dodging golden death, each orb detonating where I'd just been. "How do I get close?!"
And then it hit me. I didn't have to get near her. Something has to. And in a single motion, I threw my weapon like a dart, aimed dead-on as she was about to let loose another shot. And just before it left my hand, I activated its ability, making it vanish mid-air.
"What?!" She muttered and was baffled. "Where did his weapon—?"
She didn't have time to finish. She turned, just in time for the dagger to rematerialize right in front of her and bury itself in her chest, interrupting the shot and throwing her balance. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she fell from the sky in a flurry of gold and wind, landing hard on the colosseum floor.
Her HP bar flickered yellow.
A beat of silence.
The NPC reappeared, voice booming:
"Victory! Lu Ryo wins!"
The colosseum exploded in sound.
Cheers, laughter, disbelief.
I just stood there, panting, wondering what the hell had just happened. And before I could catch my breath, we were both teleported back to the Leviathan Hermit's corpse. Sekhmet floated beside me, lazily licking the air.
The Archer in Gold stood up slowly, brushing dust from her cloak. She didn't look defeated. Only irritated.
"You just used a cheap trick," She said, not meeting my eyes. "Don't think you've actually won."
She turned sharply, riding her bow, and vanished into the clouds, and a window popped in front of me:
[DUEL REWARD]:
[Item]: [CandyLand Key]
[Level Requirement]: [80]
[Difficulty]: [SS+]
Sekhmet's form suddenly flickered and faded.
"Yo?!" I said as she disappeared behind my back.
When I summoned her back again, she transformed back into an egg.
A system window appeared into visibility:
[Find the material needed to awake your familiar!]
"All that hard work for nothing, huh?" I said. "Great!"