As we exited one of the alley ways after training, a boy bumped into Hawk and fell on the floor. The boy was around 10 years old. More importantly, the green icon above his head indicated that he was a Player that had no Party.

“Sorry.” Hawk apologized and offered a hand to the boy.

The boy cried loudly. As I was about to approach the boy to comfort him, another young Player without a Party came running towards us.

“Luke, are you alright? Is this older guy bullying you?” said the kid.

The other boy that came was around 12 years old. Probably of American descent, he was slightly smaller than me. His body was very lightly built and seemed fragile. His face was like a doll; he would likely grow up to be a handsome man in the future. His neat blonde hair framed her crystal blue eyes and pointy nose. His skin was whiter than normal white Americans. Despite having the appearance of a doll, he wore a plain shirt and loose shorts.

The boy glared at Hawk and stated, “Do you feel no shame in bullying children? You should be punished!”

Hawk looked back at both children with what I called his ‘analyzing glare’. Hawk did this to every new person he talked to, whether Player or Character. Of course, the reactions of the people differed. Some got scared, some didn’t feel it, and some ignored it. It seemed that his analysis had become far more powerful here in Reality, since back then, the pressure sent by his analysis was incomparably weaker than it was now.

Hawk sneered as the boy operated something. Nothing happened until a force gently pushed me and the crying boy away from Hawk and the other boy. This meant a Duel would take place between the two. What did he see in the child for him to accept the Duel?

As the Duel began, the boy revealed her weapon of choice the Rod. The Rod was the standard weapon for more offensive mage-types due to its increases in Magic damage, while the Staff was the standard weapon for more defensive mage-types due to the supporting buffs it provided. The boy’s Rod indicated that he was an offensive mage-type Player.

As the timer counted down, Hawk drew his swords, including his newly acquired Icebrande. Being the first time I saw Icebrande unsheathed, I marveled at the beauty of the sword. Hawk wielded Icebrande on his right hand because it was his dominant hand.

Hawk wouldn’t lose, but his accepting the duel meant that the boy had some skill.

The moment the Duel started, Hawk rushed towards the boy immediately. Since the boy was a mage-type, closing the distance would be to Hawk’s advantage; however, the boy wasted no time as well and used his ability. A one-foot in diameter ball of lightning emerged from the boy’s staff. The ball moved at a decent speed towards Hawk. Hawk comfortably jumped above the ball and continued towards the boy, but the lightning ball reversed directions and chased after Hawk regardless. Was it a homing-type ability?

Seeing that he could barely outrun the ball, Hawk chose to ignore it and headed straight for the boy. Ever since the boy released the ability, he had been running to keep a distance from Hawk. The boy ran made quite a distance due to the delays of dodging the balls and it took Hawk a few seconds to catch-up. As the boy was in arm’s reach, the boy fired yet another ball of lightning. Hawk did not risk attacking the ball and instead rolled to the left side. Both balls of lightning still roamed the battlefield and chased after Hawk.

Hawk ran around the balls to manipulate them into being in a similar location, making them easier to dodge due to coming from the same direction. Seeing as the ability’s cooldown was around 12 seconds, Hawk knew another would be coming soon. Knowing this he moved such that the balls ended up in front of the boy as he casted the third lightning ball. This led to the three balls overlapping and being easier to avoid.

Wasting no time, Hawk immediately ran towards the boy to jump over the balls, the balls suddenly separated in multiple directions. The first ball went upward but failed to reach Hawk in time. The second would hit Hawk, forcing him to make a difficult midair dodge. Hawk predicted this would happen the moment the balls separated, so he barely managed the midair dodge; however, the third ball was ready and waiting at where he would land.

Left with no options, Hawk swung his sword at the lightning ball as he landed. The ball exploded in lightning and took 28% if Hawk’s Health. Hawk did not seem faltered at all as he continued rushing towards the boy. The boy managed to get off another ball replacing the one that exploded as Hawk landed his swords at him. The Basic Sword did 11% while Icebrande did 16%.

Hawk evaded the ball at close quarters and kicked the boy six meters away, taking away 6% of the boy’s Health. Hawk did not stop and chased the boy, managing to connect a combo with Skadi’s Caress. The boy made a desperate attempt to move the balls back, but it was too late. Hawk won the Duel before the balls arrived or another ball could be cast.