Whether there was hope or not, he had to try!

Jiang Ye's main body didn’t hesitate at all.

Meanwhile, Replica No. 2 finally seemed to have made up his mind.

With an expression that was both resolved to buy a win streak and somewhat guilty about it, he suddenly turned to the Black-Robed Player and said:

"Before I entered the Duel Room, I noticed that the external screen of the duel machine automatically displays the players’ battles."

"So, doesn’t that mean our win-trading could be discovered by other players in the apartment?"

The Black-Robed Player chuckled. "You don’t have to worry about that."

"When this duel officially started, I disabled the spectating function."

"So not only will there be no audience accidentally entering this room, but your duel also won’t be shown on the external screen."

So that’s how it is...

Which meant—

Xiao Likun and Wang Qiang, who had watched Yang Wenchao’s fight, might not have actually seen his three-win streak?

Then, the scene Jiang Ye had witnessed of Yang Wenchao losing to a girl—was that his fourth-win streak failing?

Or was it after his fifth-win streak?

Did Yang Wenchao also buy his win streak...?

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Jiang Ye's main body in the apartment saw the latest messages in the chat group:

【Holy sh*t! In just this short amount of time, two more members have gone offline?!】

【Who is it this time? Someone from Yang Wenchao’s leveling team? I told you, we shouldn’t trust him just because he’s strong! That guy has killed before!】

【No! It’s not anyone from Yang Wenchao’s team! It’s Liu Shun, ranked ninth on the leaderboard, and He Weiwei from Class 2!】

【Wait, what?! He Weiwei’s death isn’t surprising, but how did a Level 1 player like Liu Shun die too?】

【Could he have been killed by a monster while leveling alone? Maybe we really should stick to teaming up for safety…】

But just as everyone assumed Liu Shun had died fighting monsters, a sudden message popped up from leaderboard powerhouse Ke Zhengfei!

He hadn’t spoken in the group before, but his first message carried an urgent tone:

【Liu Shun wasn’t killed by a monster—he was instantly killed by an unknown expert! It’s very likely one of the two new players!】

【Even I am being hunted by this person right now!】

However, the moment he sent that message—

It vanished into thin air!

Just like before, when a player died, their messages were automatically erased!

In an instant, the entire chat group realized—

Ke Zhengfei’s name had disappeared from the leaderboard!

And in the member list, his name had gone dark!

Which meant that this mysterious powerhouse, whom the classmates had revered in secret...

Had been instantly killed at the very moment he sent his message!!

For a brief moment, the chat group fell into eerie silence.

And an overwhelming sense of fear spread through the air, wordlessly creeping into everyone's hearts.

Meanwhile, Replica No. 2 suddenly turned to the Black-Robed Player again.

"Earlier, you mentioned there’s some kind of contract item that guarantees our transaction?"

Hearing this, the Black-Robed Player immediately understood—

Another deal secured!

He truly lived up to his reputation as the Gold-Medal Salesman of the "Duo’e" organization!

At the same time, he scoffed inwardly, looking down on Jiang Ye.

As a top salesman, his usual trick was to act like an untouchable powerhouse while simultaneously flattering his target with phrases like "You’ve got a good mindset and decent strength."

New players who managed to reach a three-win streak were usually just frogs in a well, overestimating themselves without knowing the true extent of the world.

They had no idea what the real power looked like.

And their inflated egos only made their desire for a three-win streak even stronger!

In the end, most of them would be willing to take out a loan just to secure the win streak!

At this moment, in the Black-Robed Player’s eyes, Jiang Ye was exactly that kind of overconfident frog in a well!

As he prepared to explain the contract process while mentally ridiculing Jiang Ye, the latter checked his data panel after using 【Replica Fusion】.

And what he saw instantly filled him with confidence!

【Jiang Ye】

【Level: 1】

【Stamina: 7.4】

【Energy: 8.6】

【Combat Power: 72】

【Survival Points: 0】

【Abilities: Hard Work Pays Off (S), Gold Element Affinity (C)】

【Skills: Absolute Focus (A), Combat Stance (A), Golden Light Technique (D)】

Yes, while there were currently three Jiang Yes in existence—

His main body didn’t count as a replica, so it couldn’t undergo 【Replica Fusion】.

In the end, he only fused Replica No. 1 and Replica No. 2.

Their attributes directly stacked.

Their abilities and skills also stacked.

But combat power... wasn’t just a simple sum.

Replica No. 1 had a combat power of 5.5, and Replica No. 2 had 54.

Logically, the sum should be under 60.

Yet after the fusion—his combat power soared to 72!

It was the perfect example of 1+1 being greater than 2!

Jiang Ye admitted that the Black-Robed Player was strong.

However!

Based on the matchmaking system, his combat power should be around 54, the same as Jiang Ye’s Replica No. 2!

Even if there were fluctuations, it wouldn’t be by much.

And now, Jiang Ye’s fused combat power was nearly 20 points higher!

Of course, an experienced veteran with powerful items could make up for that 20-point gap.

But...

Jiang Ye wasn’t planning to play fair!

As the Black-Robed Player started explaining the contract process, Jiang Ye pretended to listen intently, looking like he had made up his mind to spend money on the win streak.

However—

Just as the Black-Robed Player was fully focused on his explanation...

A streak of golden light suddenly flashed before his eyes!

Almost simultaneously, a chilling metallic sensation sliced across his throat!

In an instant, fresh blood gushed from his neck!

The Black-Robed Player had extensive combat experience.

The moment he felt the attack, he instinctively dodged backward at full speed!

One hand clutched his throat while his eyes locked onto Jiang Ye in utter disbelief!

Jiang Ye himself was just as shocked!

He had once instantly killed Ding Deng with a single Golden Light Technique, despite using the weak combat power of Replica No. 1.

With Replica No. 2, he had also slit Li Ran’s throat in a single strike.

But now!

Even though the Black-Robed Player had a mask blocking part of the attack, Jiang Ye had seen with his own eyes—

The Golden Light Technique had pierced directly into his forehead!

And the Poison Blade Blood Dagger had sliced open his throat!

Blood was already flowing, and yet—

This guy could still move so fast?!

Jiang Ye only had three minutes of fusion time.

There was no room for hesitation!

With Absolute Focus and Combat Stance enhancing his reactions, he launched another killing strike at the Black-Robed Player!

However—

By all logic, with their equal combat power, the Black-Robed Player's stats should be lower than Jiang Ye’s.

Yet, his speed was clearly superior!

It’s his gear!

Jiang Ye suddenly realized—

The Black-Robed Player’s entire outfit might be a complete set!

A pair of black pointed-toe shoes with a sharp curve at the tips.

A long black robe with an incredibly refined texture.

A pair of sleek black gloves covering his hands.

And on his face—a pure black mask!

A coordinated uniform like this was likely a full set of gear!

Anyone who had played games before knew—a full set’s power is far superior to individual pieces!

No wonder—even with higher combat power, even after a double sneak attack with Golden Light Technique and Poison Blade Blood Dagger—

The Black-Robed Player was still alive!

He didn’t even seem seriously injured!

As he rapidly retreated, he wiped his throat with a gloved hand.

The moment his black-gloved fingers left the wound—

The gash that had been gushing blood instantly healed!

However—

The external wound might have healed,

But the poison from the Poison Blade Blood Dagger was still in his system!

And the Golden Light had still pierced his forehead.

The Black-Robed Player was far from okay.

His mind felt foggy, his body slightly stiff—

He was nowhere near his peak condition.

Yet, even while retreating, his gaze remained locked onto Jiang Ye with a fierce glare.

His throat injury had damaged his vocal cords, making his voice sound hoarse and broken, like a scratched, malfunctioning tape:

"Kid… do you have any idea… what this outfit represents?"

"It doesn’t just represent me… It represents the entire powerful organization behind me!"

"Even if you manage to win by sneak attack today—"

"From now on, every single one of your key win streaks will be targeted!"

"You will never have another win streak again!"

"I really misjudged you."

"I thought you had some talent… but you’re the dumbest newbie I’ve ever met!"