"Whew..."
Duanmu Huai tightened his fists, stared at the sandbag in front of him, then suddenly punched.
"Hrah!!"
His fist, the size of a cooking pot, smashed into the sandbag with a heavy thud. Duanmu Huai then unleashed a storm of blows like a raging tempest. The sandbag bent backward under the impact—until, with his final punch, it finally burst with a loud bang and flew off its hook.
"Whew...…"
Only then did Duanmu Huai exhale, lower his hands, and turn to Lorena.
"What do you think, Lorena?"
"So this is what you meant by a 'super move,' Sir Knight? It feels like you were just… punching very hard."
"Knew it—still missing something."
Shaking his head, Duanmu Huai spread his hands. As he'd told Lorena, what he was researching right now was his "super move."
After all, in fighting—super moves are essential. And even in real combat, they were incredibly important. Starsea OL might be a space game, but as mentioned before, because of the bizarre nature of the Warp, ranged weapons were often ineffective against Chaos creatures. Against Chaos Champions or Daemon Princes, the best method was still close combat.
And that was where super moves shined.
If only I had unlocked the arena through the Dream Crystal before fighting that Everchosen, Archaon,
I wouldn't have had to sacrifice my mount. I could have just rushed him down, chained a combo, and finished him with a super—problem solved.
Normally, players bought skill books using Duel Points to learn super moves. But Duanmu Huai wanted to see if he could invent one himself…
So far, no luck. He could chain combos easily, but it lacked that satisfying "super move impact."
And the damage wasn't enough.
A super move wasn't just a fancy combo.
Thinking this over, Duanmu Huai checked his system. After two days of battling, he'd gathered 3,560 Duel Points. Lorena had also been active, wandering around Duel City like a newbie player, challenging anyone who looked interesting.
He didn't stop her. Newbie fun only exists when you're actually a newbie.
"Alright, let's go."
"Where are we going today, Sir Knight?"
"First stop—the bookstore."
"Huh?"
He wasn't going there to relax—he was going to buy books. Specifically—
Skill books.
Yes—Duel City sold a vast variety of skills. Basic martial arts, throws, evasive moves—and naturally, super moves. Players could purchase skill books with Duel Points, use them, and the knowledge would embed itself directly into their minds. When they thought about the move, their body would execute it instinctively.
Of course, skills had proficiency levels. In the beginning, moves might fail or "desync," but with practice they became smooth, and even customizable.
Now, standing with Lorena in the bookstore, surrounded by towering stacks of skill books, Duanmu Huai started browsing.
"Hmmm… what should I pick…"
He ignored basic martial arts and mobility skills—he only cared about super moves. He needed something that synergized with his combos, couldn't be interrupted, and wasn't needlessly flashy.
Some supers existed purely to show off. That was fine in a fighting game—terrible on a battlefield. If you stunned an enemy, then stopped to pose mid-super, another enemy would stab you in the next second.
So he wanted something relentless, overwhelming, and with good damage.
"Hokuto Hundred Crack Fist… no, I don't know pressure point kung fu… Super Charge… yeah no, nobody wants that… Tornado Cyclone Kick… uhh…"
Imagining myself spinning, legs spread like 'didi da di do pipili'—yeah, no. Hard pass.
"Oh?"
He suddenly noticed a book half-buried in a corner.
[Skill Book — Star Platinum]
"Well now? Isn't this perfect?"
His eyes lit up. Many players used this skill—but not for combat. Mostly for recreating iconic battle scenes.
On many occasions, two players would stand in the arena screaming "Ora ora ora ora ora!!" and "Muda muda muda muda!!," fists clashing as spectators cheered. To perfectly recreate those scenes required extremely precise knowledge of the opponent's attack rhythm.
Otherwise, one side would get interrupted mid-ora, or both would get knocked across the arena—ruining the spectacle.
Duanmu Huai never chose this skill back then. Not because he disliked it, but because—
He had been playing a 1.4-meter-tall loli avatar.
A tiny loli screaming "ora ora ora" just didn't feel right.
But now?
Now, this is perfect.
This skill book didn't give you an actual Stand, of course. You only learned the attacks. But once mastered, you unlocked a special "Five-Second Time Stop" ability.
To Duanmu Huai, this was beyond ideal. He wasn't a tiny avatar right now—he was his true self. His full height, full weight, full punching power, plus ora-ora rushes?
Fighting would be a dream.
Without hesitation, he spent 2,300 Duel Points and purchased the skill. The moment he grasped the book, it dissolved in his hands, and a profound, familiar vision flashed through his mind. A system prompt appeared:
[User has learned skill: "Star Platinum" (Proficiency: 0)]
"Excellent."
He clenched his fists and gave them an eager test swing. He was already itching to go train.
"Lorena, how's your search going?"
Only after picking his own skill did he look to Lorena. She lifted her head and nodded.
"Sir Knight, I've chosen."
"Oh? Let me see."
He leaned over to see her choice and then…
"…Mm. Yes. Fits you well."
That was all he said.
As a side note—Lorena's skill was far more expensive than his.
Just when the two were ready to return to the training field, a shadow blocked their path.
"Hello, Mr. Duanmu! I came to see you again."
Honoka waved cheerfully.
"You want another match?"
Duanmu Huai blinked. Honoka nodded enthusiastically.
"Yep! And my friend is here too!"
She waved toward another direction. Duanmu Huai turned—and saw a petite girl entering from the side.
Long golden twin-tails tied neatly, petite figure, gothic black dress, bright blue eyes—she was adorable and doll-like. She curiously examined Duanmu Huai—then froze the moment she saw his face. Grabbing Honoka, she quickly backed away.
"W-wait, Honoka—are you planning to fight this monster?"
"…Hey? Little brat, who are you calling a monster?"
Duanmu Huai narrowed his eyes at her. Seeing his expression, the twin-tailed girl flinched again and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Of course you! I've never seen someone so scary! Honoka, pick someone else—this big guy looks dangerous. If you lost, who knows what he'd do to you!"
"I can't pretend I didn't hear that."
That crossed the line. He recognized her instantly—Honoka's friend, and the "Little Devil" famed among players, Maria Rose, top ten beauty in Duel City. Cute or not, she couldn't just spout nonsense.
"How could I possibly lose? There's no way Honoka could beat me."
"Who said that?!"
Maria Rose puffed up like a kicked kitten.
"You giant brute! You're just tall and intimidating! If you actually fight, you're definitely not Honoka's match!"
"You'll know once we fight."
Duanmu Huai waved a hand dismissively.
"Shoo, shoosh. Run along, little brat. Adults are talking."
"You—!!"
Stomping furiously, Maria Rose pushed Honoka behind her and stepped forward.
"Fine! Let me see what you can really do, you giant oaf!"
"Oh? You want to fight?"
Duanmu Huai narrowed his eyes.
"With those little stick arms and legs? Careful—I might kick you clear across the street."
"We'll see about that!"
Maria Rose raised her fists, dropping into fighting stance.
Clearly—this had escalated beyond the point of talking.
"Good."
Duanmu Huai rolled his shoulders and raised his fists.
"I just learned something new—was planning to try it out. Since you volunteered, don't blame me for being rough!"
(End of Chapter)