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Chapter 217 Chapter 48.1 - Unmovable Mountain

Sitting in the middle of her room, Julia was fuming. Even her aura was shining while she was grabbing the handle of her bad.

"Just calm down."

Irina entered the room at that moment.

"How can I calm down? This bastard is clearly doing this on purpose."

Julia shot up from her chair, her eyes ablaze with frustration as she pointed at the holographic display projected above her desk. On the screen, her character in the "ChronoScape" game seemed to be in the midst of a perilous situation.

"Look at this! He just stole my quest item, and now he\'s flaunting it in front of me! I can\'t believe it!"

There, a guy without any ounce of clothing was dancing right in front of her. Let alone his non-existent clothing, the design of his character, and the stick he was holding alone made him recognizable.

Irina sighed, a mixture of amusement and exasperation playing on her features. She walked over to Julia and peered at the screen.

"Julia, it\'s just a game. Relax." She mumbled, but the smile on her face was clear. She knew what would trigger this girl the most.

"It\'s not just a game!" Julia huffed, crossing her arms. "It\'s a matter of principle. He\'s intentionally messing with me."

Irina chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Well, it seems like you\'ve found a rival in the game. Isn\'t that part of the fun?"

"No, it\'s not fun! This is personal now."

As the two friends bantered about the virtual world, Ethan, who had been quietly observing the scene, finally spoke up.

"Are you two always like this when playing games?"

Julia and Irina turned to him simultaneously, a shared expression of determination on their faces.

"Yes."

"Yes."

Though Irina\'s face was rather masking her true feelings, after all, this was the first time she was playing games with her friends in such a manner. Thanks to her mother…..

Ethan shrugged, deciding it might be best to leave them to their passionate gaming rivalry. He also didn\'t play many games since he didn\'t see them suited for a Hunter, a person with a responsibility to protect others.

After all, for him, such a responsibility was obliged to be taken more seriously.

Meanwhile, Lilia, who had been watching from a corner, interjected with a sarcastic tone, "And here I thought you were going to improve your spatial awareness and motor reflexes, Irina."

Irina shot her a playful glare. "I am. Dealing with Julia\'s competitive spirit is an excellent exercise for that."

"Yeah, I can see that," Lilia mumbled as she approached. "You dealt with it really \'well\'."

Lilia, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, continued her sarcastic banter.

"Honestly, Irina, I can\'t believe you\'re subjecting yourself to such a challenging game to improve your skills. I mean, with the way you handle those controls, I\'m surprised you haven\'t leveled down yet."

Irina\'s playful glare turned into a determined smirk. "Oh, you think so? Well, let\'s see how well you fare against me then. How about a little duel, Lilia?"

Lilia raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden challenge. "A duel? Are you sure about that? I don\'t want to make you cry when you realize how untalented you are in this game."

Irina laughed a competitive fire in her eyes. "We\'ll see about that. Prepare yourself, Lilia."

The two friends set up their characters for a one-on-one duel within the virtual world of "ChronoScape." As the holographic arena materialized, complete with a cheering virtual crowd, the anticipation in the room grew.

Ethan and Julia watched with amused expressions, putting their own virtual squabbles on hold to witness the showdown.

"Wanna bet?" Julia asked, holding her drink.

Ethan shook his head, his attention still focused on the unfolding virtual duel. "Nah, I\'m not much of a betting guy. I\'d rather just enjoy the show."

Julia, determined to stir things up, grinned mischievously. "Come on, Ethan, where\'s your sense of adventure? A little bet could make things more interesting."

Ethan hesitated but ultimately stuck to his decision. "I\'ll pass. I just want to see how this duel turns out."

Julia, never one to back down, decided to take matters into her own hands. With a swift motion, she reached behind Ethan, attempting to give him a playful jab. A tomboyish grin spread across her face.

"You need to man up, Ethan! Spice things up a bit."

Ethan, this time not getting caught off guard by Julia\'s sudden attack, managed to dodge just in time.

"Not again." He smiled triumphantly. After all the time he had been subjected to the act of \'friendship\' by Julia\'s terms, he was no longer caught off guard by such things.

"Wow, our little Ethan finally grew up," Julia smirked, but she held a little surprise as well. Even though Ethan\'s climb in ranks became the topic of the academy, she wasn\'t expecting such a rapid improvement.

Ethan chuckled, appreciating Julia\'s attempt to spice up the atmosphere. "Nice try, Julia. But I\'ve been through your \'friendship training\' enough times to see it coming."

Julia feigned disappointment. "Oh, come on! Where\'s the fun in that if you\'re always prepared?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow teasingly. "The fun is in not getting ambushed every time I turn around."

Julia, undeterred, leaned in with a challenging glint in her eyes. "Alright, Ethan, let\'s make this interesting. How about a little bet on the outcome of the duel?"

Ethan sighed, knowing Julia\'s competitive streak too well. "Julia, I already said I\'m not into betting."

But Julia persisted, her nagging reaching a new level. "Come on, Ethan, it\'s just a friendly wager. No harm in a little competition among friends. Besides, it\'ll make the duel even more exciting."

Ethan rolled his eyes, realizing that Julia wouldn\'t let it go easily. "Fine, fine. What\'s the bet then?"

Julia grinned triumphantly. "If Lilia wins, you owe me a weekend of being your sparring partner, no complaints. But if Irina wins, I\'ll take over your kitchen for a week and cook whatever you want."

Ethan hesitated for a moment, contemplating the consequences of the bet. Julia\'s sparring sessions were known for being intense. As one of those who had been subjected to that treatment for a long time, he himself knew that fact quite well.

But he was confident in Irina\'s abilities, and the price was too good to refuse. He imagined how Julia would look in an apron while serving him, which made him smile. This girl had been the one that teased him almost all the time, so now he could let this resentment go.

Who wouldn\'t be? After all, there was no way a newbie who had just started playing the game would be able to beat the person who had spent her whole weekend time playing.

Deal," Ethan agreed, a competitive glint now matching Julia\'s. "But let\'s be clear, no holding back. I want those meals to be worth it."

As the agreement settled, Julia and Ethan shook hands, sealing the deal for their friendly wager. The virtual duel between Irina and Lilia continued on the holographic display, the stakes now elevated by the impending consequences of the bet.

Julia couldn\'t help but revel in her victory, confident in Lilia\'s potential. "Get ready, Ethan. You\'re in for the sparring session of your life. Lilia might be a beginner, but she\'s got some serious talent."

Ethan, unfazed, chuckled. "We\'ll see about that. Don\'t say I didn\'t warn you, though."

The holographic arena was alive with the clash of swords, each swing and parry echoing through the room.

Irina, with her virtual assassin character, moved like a shadow, quick and elusive. Lilia, on the other hand, controlled a warrior, her movements powerful and deliberate.

"Why did you even choose assassin?" Lilia asked, looking at Irina. "You are a mage."

"Then, why did you choose warrior? You are a ranger." Irina retorted.

"I chose it because I know it is the best class for beginners."

"How do you know that?"

"….I researched a little."

"So you were researching? Didn\'t you say you disliked playing games?"

"It is not relevant."

"Heh…."

As the verbal exchange continued, the virtual clash intensified. Irina\'s assassin, relying on speed and stealth, attempted to exploit openings in Lilia\'s defense.

Lilia, however, anticipated some of the moves, countering with powerful strikes that echoed in the holographic arena.

But then, she still couldn\'t block everything and had already lost half of her HP from the start.

\'It is my win.\'

Irina thought as she saw how low Lilia\'s HP was.

\'Let me all in:\'

With a sudden burst of speed, Irina unleashed her character\'s ultimate skill, a flurry of devastating strikes that seemed almost impossible to evade.

Even the holographic crowd gasped as Lilia\'s warrior character struggled to fend off the relentless assault.

In the midst of the intense exchange, it seemed like Irina had the upper hand. Lilia\'s HP dropped to a critical condition, the virtual arena reflecting the imminent defeat.

\'Just a little more, and victory is mine.\'

Irina\'s confidence swelled as her character continued the relentless assault.

However, at that critical moment, Lilia, undeterred by the dire situation, unleashed her own ultimate skill.

"JUSTICE!"

The character shouted as the holographic arena erupted with a blinding display of power. Lilia\'s warrior character executed a dazzling attack that exploded the entire screen.

"Huh?"

Irina was surprised as she saw half of her character\'s HP disappearing from that one strike while her screen turned grey.

"How?"

She landed all her skills, used her ultimate, and made the perfect combo she had seen pro players using. But she was the one who was killed.

"THAT DOESN\'T MAKE SENSE, HOW DOES IT KILL ME?"

Irina\'s frustration echoed through the room as she couldn\'t comprehend the sudden turn of events. She stared at the grey screen in disbelief, her character lying defeated on the virtual battlefield.

Lilia, still caught in the excitement of her unexpected victory, grinned. "Looks like Justice prevailed in the end."

Irina, unwilling to accept defeat, pointed an accusatory finger at Lilia. "Your character is broken! There\'s no way it should have that much power. It\'s unbalanced!"

Lilia laughed, brushing off the complaints. "Oh, come on, Irina. It\'s just a game. Maybe you need to reconsider your strategy next time."

Irina, determined to salvage her pride, continued to voice her grievances. "No, it\'s not about strategy. Your character is clearly overpowered. I should have won that!"

Ethan interjected with a bemused but a little scared expression, "Irina, it\'s just a friendly match. No need to get worked up about it."

But Irina, fueled by her competitive spirit, wasn\'t ready to let it go. "No, this is unfair. I demand a rematch. Your character is just too broken. She clearly had chosen it to counter me."

"Then, you should have chosen a different class? It is not like assassins are the only class in the game."

"But they are cool."

"….You…."

Julia, overhearing the ongoing dispute, looked at Ethan with a mischievous grin. "Ethan, you might want to be prepared. Looks like I won\'t be going easy on you this week."

Ethan, with a cold sweat forming on his back, stammered, "Wait, what? Julia, we\'re just training, right?"

"Of course, we are just \'training.\' It is not like I won\'t get back at you for your delusions."

"Cough….What delusions are you talking about?"

"I didn\'t miss that gaze of yours when I talked about preparing a meal."

"….."

At that moment, Ethan realized his fate was sealed.

"Guys, did you hear about the new gathering this weekend?" Lilia interjected while leaning back on the couch.

"What gathering?"

"Well….Apparently, the Blackthorn family is calling for an upper circle gathering. This time, Victor will be the main representative."

Victor Blackthorn, heir to the prestigious Blackthorn family, was a well-known figure in the upper circles of society.

"Victor, huh? That guy is always in the spotlight," Julia remarked, feigning disinterest. After all, he had been the rank one student, getting all the attention. She wasn\'t jealous of him, but it always became annoying when the seat in front of her became noisy whenever he left.

There were countless fangirls of him in the school. Also, that guy was surely persistent.

"Yeah." Irina also mumbled subconsciously while still thinking about her defeat. She looks dead inside.

Lilia raised an eyebrow, sensing something was different with Irina. "It is Victor, you know?" She asked. After all, she knew whom Irina had feelings for.

"So what? It\'s just another gathering of the upper circles. Not like I care."

"..." Everyone except Julia looked at Irina with a surprised look.

"Hmm?" Irina slowly came to herself and realized what she had just said.

\'What?\'

For some reason, the enthusiasm she felt about Victor wasn\'t there.

\'That…\'

But someone else.

Irina felt an unexpected pang in her chest, a twinge of annoyance that caught her off guard. As the conversation about Victor Blackthorn continued, her thoughts involuntarily drifted to someone else – someone she hadn\'t expected to think about at a time like this.

\'Why am I even thinking about him?\' she scolded herself internally.

The image of a particular guy with unruly dark hair and a cold face flashed in her mind. It was a face that had occupied her thoughts more than she cared to admit.

"Humph."