The World's Strongest Faker

Confrontation

“That attack.” 

“Pardon?” 

“That attack? Can’t be achieved by a healer class. Which means you’re not a healer class. Who are you?” 

“Oh my, you’re quite astute. Where are my manners? My name is Christine, though you may not recognize me in this form so let me change.” 

Her figure was suddenly covered with dazzling light. Seconds later, it faded. Her white dress turned black and red, her left eye was covered by an additional eye patch. Her beauty remains the same however in her hand on what was supposed to be a wand turned into a black and red claymore.

Christine's aura and demeanor completely changed. It was cold and serious at the same time. Her new appearance made Ernest gulped as he sensed ominous power around her.

Is she a swordsman? Because in that case then it could explain her powerful throw earlier.

“You were beautiful earlier and that new dress of yours made it even more beautiful.”

“Thank you for the compliment.” Christine said, “Now, about the choices, I gave to you. Will you join us or face your death here?” 

“That’s kind of harsh if you were to ask me. I must say that the Mad Lions guild is one of the strongest guilds next to Red Dragon.” 

“You seem to have knowledge about guilds. Then will you join me?” 

Ernest shook his head, “You know you can take advantage of my stupidity since, I hate to admit it, I’ve taken a liking to you the first time we met. But since you’re being hostile I feel betrayed.  You hurt my beating heart.” 

“I will not be swayed by your sweet words.”

“Ah...I see, you’re one of those types huh? In that case, may I change something in your conditions? I feel like death is too much.”

“Oh? What is it?” 

“If I win this fight you will become my slave and if l lose I will join your guild. Sound’s good right? No killing. I have a sister to feed so I don’t feel like dying today.” 

Ernest stretched his hands as he declared his conditions. 

Meanwhile, Christine’s face turned grim. “You sound confident. Do you really think you can win against me? Even though you’re awakened, you're still unrefined.” 

Ernest scoffed, “I will not be declaring such conditions if I’m not confident to win it. It’s common sense. It’s simple right? I win, you become my loyal dog and if I lose I will join your guild.” 

“Hearing an unpleasant word makes me a little angry. Don’t expect me to go easy on you.” Christine points her two-handed claymore at Ernest. “This is your last chance, accept my offer and avert this charade.”

“I don’t think so.” Ernest replied calmly, holding his sword, “You were looking for a fight and I will give it to you. I am not an easy one. I will punish you severely when I win this.”

“Creepy p*****t!” 

“What are you imagining my lady? Did something cross your mind when I said that?” 

“I want to kill you so badly.” 

“Well then...LET’S GET STARTED! Come Lævateinn.”

And so, the fight between Ernest and Christine began.

“Haaaaa.”

The match started, and Christine instantly dashed towards Ernest, swinging down her claymore covered in what seems to be red flames. The swing might’ve to look crude to an outside perspective, but it was a precise and powerful strike.

Yet a wide swing was just a wide swing. Ernest saw through her movement and raised his swords to receive it—but he immediately aborted that action and took a sudden step back. An instant later, her claymore struck the ground violently and the entire space shook like an earthquake.

“Wise choice. If you received that blow, it wouldn’t have ended with just a few scratches.”

“What an outrageous and powerful attack. A magic enhancement?” 

Ernest recalled a glimpse of him fighting the undead in the instance dungeon.

“That’s right. In your terms, it’s called enhancement but to me, it’s the power of mine and the sword!”

Grinning broadly, Christine immediately took pursuit, and Ernest drew another step back to widen the distance. If he tried to stop such a swing head-on, his arm would be crushed. Christine’s weapon was a longsword, a heavy weapon, and it was a common sense when facing heavy weapons that he’d have an advantage in retreating speed.

But common sense couldn’t apply to a monstrous opponent like Christine.

“Slow. Too slow!”

“Wha—”

Whoosh! The wind roared, and Christine immediately caught up to him.

“Did you think you could beat me when it comes to speed? Too bad, but magic isn’t limited to offense alone. I can increase my mobility several times over by concentrating magic at the bottom of my feet and releasing it in a burst! And my aura capacity is forty times greater than a normal magician, so it won’t become spent keeping up with the likes of you. In other words, you can’t beat me in power or speed!”

“What the? Didn’t you just watch my fight earlier against Lamia? And why are you blabbering too much? Shouldn’t you just keep your secret to yourself? I don’t want to get lectured in the middle of our fight.” 

“Hmm...even I can kill them with ease. You are indeed fast but not fast enough!” 

With praise, Christine's figure suddenly vanished without a trace. Another magic? Ernest looked around with his heightened perception. And in a span of a microsecond, his sixth sense tingled.

“Behin—” 

His senses were right! Christine was behind him who was about to go for his head with her blazing sword.

Ernest bent his body 90 degrees, surpassing the limit of his flexibility ratio. 

Christine was indeed strong. Stronger than the Lamia. Every time she brandishes her blazing sword and swung it in an inescapable way, it has a power that could ultimately cleave the ground itself.

Not to mention, after defeating Lamia, he was in quite a bad shape. Especially his fatigue nearing fifty percent.  Making it hard for him to evade all of her incessant attacks.

Now that he knew that he couldn’t dodge her strikes anymore, Ernest finally responded with his weapon. The sword fight had begun, and clear sounds of clashing metal resounded like music in both of their ears.

In his thirteenth strike, Ernest responded with a forward cleave. It was blocked by Christine’s sword but the force of the collision was not expected, her hand turned numb for a second and she was sent flying into the ground.

‘He’s strong.’ Christine quickly stood up and waved his sword downward. 

“Flame Dragon!” 

A conflagration of heat swelled around the dungeon stage. Hot enough to even vaporize the moisture in the soil, plants, and the water of the marsh wetland.

Ernest struck his head up, witnessing the towering flame spiraling endlessly—until it formed the head of a dragon. It was so intense and powerful. This girl in front of him is not an ordinary human. Is she perhaps one of the S-rank adventurers? He doesn’t know, he doesn’t have a clue. It’s not like he’s obligated to know each and every one of them. 

As far as he knows, there are fifteen S-rank adventurers in total.

The fiery dragon descended like a waterfall. It was so huge that it enveloped the boss stage. He couldn’t defend himself, it was impossible to block it with his current skill. It seems like he is going to turn to dust here.

Christine had used one of her powerful abilities. Though she promised to herself that she will only use it for those who are worthy, after witnessing Ernest’s power from defeating the boss alone and keeping up with him, she decided to use it against him.

She smiled at her victory, there’s no way a man like him who only has a firebolt and thunder strike can counter that skill.

Whoosh! 

“Wha—? Impossible!” 

Roaring flames erupted around Ernest. It formed similar to her Flame Dragon but it’s twice the size and it overpowered her descending Flame Dragon like it was eating its prey. There’s no way. 

“Impossible! How could you use that skill? There’s...no...way!!” 

“No, it’s real! You’re seeing it for yourself. Behold, one of my true skills! Hijack.”

“h****k?” As he declared the name of the skill responsible for her Flame Dragon disintegration, extinguishing all the fire, Ernest continued. “Since you taught me how magic works, I should tell you about my skill as well. I can steal or copy the ability used around me no matter how strong or weak it is and return it two times its original strength. In short, I just copied your skill called Flame Dragon and used it to counter your Flame Dragon.”

“h****k?!” Christine was dumbstruck at his words, h****k? There’s no way there’s a skill overpowered like that? It’s a literal cheat! There’s no way that this man can copy her skill which she spent two years practicing and mastering and release two times of its power.

But little did she know, Ernest was having his troubles. 

‘s**t! Did it cost me 260 mana? If I had known its mana cost, I wouldn’t have released it carelessly but I’m cornered and there’s no way for me to protect myself against that skill. I need to drink some mana.’

In his hand, a mana potion appeared. Ernest gulped it and was instantly refreshed. He used three of them, returning 45% of his mana. 

Christine, who had just seen an odd-looking bottle, was surprised again. Puzzled at the skill he had used. Spatial magic? No, there's no way that he has such high-level skill.

Most importantly, she has to be wary about his skill called h****k. There’s no telling if that’s the only skill he had stolen but most of her special skills cost a lot of magical energy, so she is feeling comfortable and confident that he won’t use it again.

It’s been five minutes since the start of the match. And Christine felt something painfully off about this situation. Her sword that dealt strikes that could produce earthquakes, could crush an enemy in one hit without fail. Overpowering an opponent without crushing him should be impossible because her attack couldn’t be blocked so casually. But what was happening in this match? Christine should be one-sidedly battering her opponent, but she was the one sweating? 

Of course, she considered his power as an awakened person, but it was not to be a problem.

‘This is bad, I didn’t know that he could copy my prized magic like that!’

“Are you done contemplating?” 

His swords pierced inside her mind, snapping her back to reality. She slowly turned her head to Ernest who was waiting for her patiently.

“It seems that I got your attention. I was waiting here for about ten seconds.” 

“You!..” Christine was insulted...no disrespect. How come a plebian like him talking to her like that? “It seems like you need to die here, Ernest. You insulted me and I will reward you with your death! See if you can copy this powerful magic of mine! Pierce the blue sky, blaze of purgatory!”

The moment Christine pointed her claymore up at the air, the flames covering the sword burned with more fury and heat— and soon the sword lost its form, taking the shape of a pillar of light that melted everything in the vicinity.

Ernest gaped at the pillar of flames before him. Not minding the intense heatwave. It was so astounding and amazing that it made him dumbfounded for a second.

The blade that easily extended a hundred meters upward was shining with the sun’s own brilliance, an unopposable scarlet conflagration. For this S-rank adventurer, it was her stronger Magic Art. Christine no longer intended to fight with a sword. She would no longer be overconfident. Ernest was an adept swordsman who can also copy a skill and deep down inside, she admits that he is strong. And now that she admits that, she chose to end this battle by destroying the arena with her mass of devastating power.

“It’s over! I will never be your slave and I will never be pathetically defeated here.”

“Catastrophe magnam Aestuo magna de terra”

The descending blade of light only knew ruination, burning the entire dungeon stage.

“It can’t be helped. Since you used your most powerful magic, I shall use mine as well...and by mine, I mean your power.” Ernest raised his sword and chanted: “Pierce the blue sky, blaze of purgatory! Catastrophe magnam Aestuo magna de terra!” 

Using her most powerful, Ernest countered it with his most powerful. Two blades of catastrophe collided with each other. 

“Impossible!! He can also copy my powerful attack?” 

“And it’s two times the power. So, you'll certainly become my slave.” 

Christine's powerful magic was negated. It broke into two pieces and erupted an enormous explosion powerful enough to level the entire earth in the dungeon.

In an instant. All sound was lost.

The blinding light erupted and filled their vision white. Both of them can’t hear anything as if they have become deaf. All they can feel is the heat burning their skin and the shaking of the ground. Many things go flying through the air. 

The blinding light only lasted for an instant. Both of them managed to survive the destruction.

“It’s my win,” Ernest said to the unconscious Christine, his breathing ragged. “I’ll punish you later.”