Chapter 3
That's the right call, I suppose. Casting haste takes a lot of MP, even for a well-built mage. And getting to the orbs earlier than your enemies won't be beneficial that much either since you can only capture the orbs after a certain point of time elapsed due to an electric field in the arena terrain. This prevents players from cheesing(a game slang used for tactics that borderline cheating) by using movement skills to capture the orb before the enemy gets there.
"And be very mindful of Chu, don't fight him solo."
"O-okay!"
"I'll dumpster that guy if I see him!"
They both said in unison.
Observing Romel and Beny as they swiftly moved towards the top orb, I could see why Elizabeth had paired them together. Beny, a time mage, provided valuable support by buffing Romel, who wielded a giant claymore. The speed buffs from Beny helped counteract the sluggishness of heavy weapon users like Romel, ensuring optimal mobility on the battlefield. Meanwhile, Romel's heavy-hitting attacks compensated for the time mage's lack of high DPS.
Elizabeth's battle plan demonstrated her careful preparation. She had identified Chu as the greatest threat on the enemy team and crafted a strategy to neutralize him effectively. She isn't too greedy, either. Instead of spreading the team too thin across all three orbs, she focused on acquiring two orbs, a wise decision that showed her understanding of resource allocation and control. Also, judging by her battle plan, even if we were the ones to encounter Chu in mid-lane, she seems confident we can take him on. And if Chu is on Bot Lane, then this match will go smoothly for us since we will have two orb advantages. Her experience in team matches shows with just those seemingly simple commands, which have lots of little nuances not easily determined by players unused to strategizing against their opponents.
Then, as if remembering something, she turned to me. "Are you fine with supporting me, Katherine?"
I nodded in affirmation.
A warm smile appeared on Elizabeth's face as she acknowledged my agreement. "Alright then, let's get going. Follow my lead."
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As we reached the location of the Middle Orb, the shimmering shielding field that encompassed the entire arena dissipated, meaning the orb is now available for capture. Positioned in the center was a remarkable sight—a bowling ball-sized orb. This structure stood prominently in an open space, encircled by the lush forest from which we had emerged from. The Middle Orb held immense significance in determining the outcome of the match, and capturing it would grant our team a crucial advantage.
As we stepped into the open space area, we were greeted by two players who had also just arrived. It was the same two flirting heedless of their surroundings back in the lobby, Dan<3Kay and Kay<3Dan. The man, Dan<3Kay seems to be a knight focused on using a heavy shield, a textbook defensive support, while the woman, Kay<3Dan was a DPS mage, an ice-oriented mage if I were to take a guess based on her staff.
That's it, I'm gonna massacre these guys.
As I walked towards them Elizabeth suddenly called out to me.
"Katherine, I'll take the lead. Stay behind and support me from a distance. I've got this," she instructed.
Oh yeah, I forgot that I was a support now. She has a point.
"Fine, but promise me you will give them the beating of their life!" I conceded begrudgingly.
"S-sure, I'll do my best!" Elizabeth replied, seemingly surprised by my sudden burst of enthusiasm.
Elizabeth made a beeline for the enemy mage, intentionally disregarding the knight. This is a common tactic since DPS characters tend to forgo survivability in exchange for more damage. She’s fast. She wears a set akin to a decorative royal knight without the helmet so her set didn't weigh her down too much. Her weapon of choice is a rapier. A good weapon for dishing out damage with fast thrusts. It also doesn't require you to overextend your attacks since it has a long reach, meaning you can just thrust and back away if it gets too dangerous. A good weapon both defensively and offensively.
"I won't let you harm her! I'll protect Kay even if it costs my life!" the knight in shining armor proclaimed.
BOOM*
Too late, Elizabeth suddenly delivered a strong thrust to the head of the mage, the part that gives the maximum damage multiplier if hit. Mages and other casters usually forgo adding HP in favor of int to increase their damage and MP. Compounded by the mage's notably low defense and Elizabeth's formidable red weapon, the blow proved fatal.
Kay<3Dan
Hp: 0%
"Wha-! H-how did you dodge that!" the knight expressed his surprise and confusion.
Elizabeth remained silent.
What did he expect? That she will suddenly reveal all her cards just because he asked? I got an idea of what happened though but I'll confirm it from her later. Right now, we have a match to win.
"Tsk!" The knight, seemingly running out of options, made a desperate move and charged towards me in an attempt to level the playing field.
I'm unguarded so that is actually a good move. But unfortunately for him, I'm not as helpless as he thinks.
I have only defensive and healing skills though and my only cc is my weapon. At least it bought a bit of time because before he could get near me, Elizabeth thrusts at him from behind, halting his charge.
"Grahhh!" he shouted.
Dan<3Kay
Hp: 76%
He is pretty tanky but he has little to no damage in his build and no way for him to kill us both on his own. It's only a matter of time before we deplete his hp.
---------------------------
Romel's PoV
"Shit! Shit! Fuck! This should not be happening!" I yelled in frustration.
I was so frustrated, there was only one enemy and we couldn't even kill him! The only thing this piece of shit does is shoots arrows from afar and then hide in the forest. What a cowardly tactic.
"C-calm down!" My teammate Benny said.
"Calm down?! Aren't you frustrated by his cheap shots?" I rebuked.
"There is nothing we can do about it, let's just play defensively like Liz said. If we go after him and leave the top orb, we might get caught in an ambush in the forest or someone might steal the orb while we're gone!" Benny reasoned.
"Then just block his arrows while I capture the orb!" I suggested.
"Then think of something!" I exclaimed.
"Let's ask Liz for backup?"
"What do you mean to ask for backup!? It's 2v1 and you're a man. Have some fucking pride and don't just cry for help from girls!"
Just then, I felt a very minuscule pain in my back. I got hit by an arrow again shit! Good thing the VR nerve pain receptors only go so far or that would've hurt pretty bad in real life.
KingRomel
Hp: 72%
"This can't go on. We got to do something. He will just keep shooting at us and we don't have any healer. He'll chip our hp to zero if this keeps up!" I reasoned.
"What do you suggest?"
"Speed buff me so I can go after him while you protect the orb, he's probably shit in melee combat so he plays like a pussy!" I ordered.
"......But Liz said!"
"Hurry!" I shouted.
"A-alright already! Just get back if you think you cannot handle him," Beny conceded.
"You're kidin', right? I won't lose to him." I declared.
Beny finished his spell and cast it on me. I instantly rushed to the last place Chu's arrow came from into the forest.
I searched for him for a while but I couldn't find any trace of where he had gone to.
Just as discouragement began to settle in, a distress call from Benny came through the team voice chat.
("Help! Chu is here, need backup!")
Without hesitation, I swiftly turned around and raced back towards the orb.
What I saw when I came back was Benny dissolving into motes of blue light. Standing beside his defeated form was Chu, wielding a pair of butterfly swords in his hands and carrying his bow slung across his back. Chu looked towards the spot where my teammate had been just moments before, his expression unreadable.
Honestly what a useless teammate, he can't even last for more than a minute by himself!
He slowly turned towards me, acknowledging my presence for the very first time since the match started. He then very deliberately gave me a condescending look.
"Pretty dumb move leaving your support by himself," Chu tauntingly said.
"Seems like a good one to me. Now that you showed yourself, I won't let you escape and hide again," I say as I brandished my giant claymore.
"Don't need to. I can take you on easily," he said in an arrogant voice that made me want to smack his head a thousand times over.
He then dashed towards me.
---------------------------
Blue motes of light filled the air and eventually dissipated. That took longer than expected. He was a good shield user, and quite the team player too. After he realized he couldn't win against us, he turtled and played very defensively to buy time for his teammates by stalling us from getting the orb. A pretty good tactic if I might add. But the skill gap shows and eventually, Elizabeth beats him.
As the battle unfolded, I found myself with nothing to do. Since the opponent primarily focused on defensive maneuvers, Elizabeth's need for healing was non-existent.
That doesn't mean I'm useless! I threw in some thorn bursts here and there. Every crowd control helps... even if he just easily shrugs it off. I tried to escape reality by convincing myself otherwise.
My God, this is what it feels like to be uselessly carried by a teammate like a piece of luggage. How depressing.
"They were quite good," Elizabeth mused.
"Yeah, the fight would've taken us a whole lot longer if it weren't for your well-timed 'Shadow Step'."
Shadow step is a skill of some legendary tier weapons. I fought a few users of those weapons in the past. It is the skill she used earlier when the 'Crystal Nova' almost hit her. It allows its user to instantly blink to a short distance below the 20-foot range. It is not a popular skill mainly because of its high cooldown(30sec) and its simplicity. Players like more flashy weapon skills but one cannot argue that a well-placed shadow step can change the tide of the match, a perfect example of what transpired earlier.
Elizabeth seemed surprised by my knowledge of the skill. "So, you're familiar with Shadow Step? I recently acquired it and wanted to put it to the test in this match. I didn't realize it was a well-known weapon skill," she inquired.
"I do my research," I replied smoothly, delivering a well-crafted lie.
Suddenly a message resounded through the team voice chat. It was from Beny.
("Help! Chu is here need backup!")
("Beny, are you guys alright there!") Elizabeth voiced the message to the team chat for all of us to hear.
We received no response. They are probably busy engaging the opponent.
"We better hurry!" Elizabeth exclaimed, her voice tinged with worry.
Just as she spoke, my attention was drawn to a figure approaching us from a distance. It became clear that he had come from the bottom orb, indicating a strategic play of 1-2-1. Chu had likely engaged Benny and Romel for the top orb, while the couple we had recently defeated focused on securing the middle orb. Lastly, June, aka GigaChad, was likely in possession of the bottom orb already.
He probably came here to back his teammate up and stall us from taking the mid-orb. That serves us better, though; if we can defeat him now, we can take 2 orbs, giving us the advantage of playing defensively. It seems Elizabeth noticed him, too, since she is looking in his general direction.
"Continue taking the orb while I stall for time," I declared.
In order to optimize time efficiency, it would be wise for Elizabeth to continue with her channeling. If she were to abruptly stop at this moment, it would result in a significant loss of valuable seconds. Time plays a crucial role in team matches, as even the slightest delay can lead to the unfortunate circumstance of a teammate being left vulnerable and potentially getting killed without the necessary backup. Given Benny's panicked state and the urgency implied, it is clear that they are in dire need of assistance. Therefore, ensuring a quick and coordinated response is essential.
"A-are you sure?" she asked in a doubtful tone... which kind of stings to be honest.
I'm not that useless, you know!
"Yeah, please trust me," I replied, my expression serious and determined.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Elizabeth finally conceded. "...Okay, be careful. I'll back you up as soon as I can. Just play safe and stall for time," she agreed.
With a sense of urgency, I swiftly dashed towards GigaChad, fully aware that every second mattered in the fast-paced PvP environment. The faster we secured the middle orb, the sooner we could come to the aid of our teammates. It was crucial not to allow June to distract us from our objective, and I knew that as a support without any protection, I made for the perfect bait.
As I closed the distance, I noticed GigaChad's attire resembled that of a street brawler. His muscular physique was accentuated by a simple black vest and pants. He wielded a pair of caestus, one in each hand, ready to engage in close-quarters combat.
When we reached a semi-ranged distance, GigaChad halted his running and began to walk towards me to conserve stamina.
I did the same.
"Oh? You're approaching me? Instead of running away, you're coming right to me?" GigaChad asked, seemingly surprised by my decision to engage him in one-on-one melee combat.
He must be wondering why a support like me is opting for 1v1 melee combat. It was part of my plan to bait him into staying to fight and not escaping with the orb he currently held.
"I can't beat the shit out of you without getting closer," I replied nonchalantly.
"Oh-ho! Then come as you like!" GigaChad exclaimed.
When we were near enough to each other at melee distance, I focused intently on the enemy in front of me. Time seemed to slow down as I took in every bit of information I could to predict his movements. I flawlessly entered what most people call the 'zone', a state of extreme focus, but to me, it's as natural as breathing.
He made his move.
His right foot left the ground while his left arm's muscles twitched ever so slightly. I saw his eyes lock on my head without hesitation. Based on his small movements, I predicted that he was going for a dash and launching a quick yet powerful straight punch at my head with a minuscule chance of it being a fake. I instinctually analyzed his motions based on my thousands of hours of experience in playing against players of far higher caliber than him.
He is underestimating me, opting for full forced aggressive strikes without any prompting jabs which leaves many openings to exploit. He probably thought that I had no means to inflict damage onto him this close because I'm a spellcaster.
I took advantage of his aggressiveness.
I calmly took a step forward.
He stomped his right foot on the ground in front of me and threw his long-reaching straight corkscrew punch at my head. As his attack was about to connect, I tilted my head ever so slightly while at the same time twisting my body in preparation for my counterattack. His punch barely flew past my face. My cheeks felt the air pressure of his punch, a testament to how strong and close it was to hit but it didn't quite connect just as he had hoped.
I launched the counterattack I had prepared almost at the same time I dodged his attack. I saw his eyes widen in shock at the realization as I twirled my staff for added momentum and whacked his unguarded head.
WHACK*
"Guhh!"
GigaChad
Hp: 81%
I expected more damage than that since I have plenty of dex stats even as a support. It was a critical strike to the head with my full force. The fact that I am not a DPS-oriented character shows. If I just had one of my old red weapons, a hit like that would've been near fatal.
"Wha- you!" GigaChad exclaimed, clearly agitated by my unexpected counterattack.
I saw his facial expression shift into irritation as he prepared for another attack. He is at point-blank range now since he had just taken a step closer to me in his last attack. He sent a quick 1-2 punch combo at my head. I tilted my head slightly to the right, evading his first jab, and then swiftly bobbed down to dodge his second forceful punch, taking the opportunity to deliver a well-placed elbow blow to his stomach. The strike caused him to flinch and take a step back, creating the perfect distance for me to swing my staff at his head once again, aiming for another critical hit.
WHACK*
"Argh!"
GigaChad
Hp: 57%
He took a distance from me and eyed me warily. It seems he's being cautious now. He's starting to see me as a threat that can kill him in melee combat and not just a healer that can be dealt with easily. I can't let that happen, though.
"Are you sure you should be wasting time? Elizabeth is almost finished securing the orb, and she will be here to support me shortly," I calmly reminded GigaChad of the dire situation he was in.
His initial plan was probably to eliminate me fast enough before Elizabeth backed me up and then have a 1v1 match with her.
"Tsskk!" GigaChad let out a frustrated sound, realizing that his original strategy would no longer be feasible once Elizabeth joined the fight.
He panicked because he realized he would not stand a chance in a 2v1 fight given my skills. Desperation and a lack of focus often lead to unwise decisions, and in his case, he resorted to utilizing his trump card—his weapon skill.
As his fists started to glow, I knew instantly what his weapon skill did. Having accumulated countless hours of experience in PvP matches, nothing could truly surprise me anymore. He lunged at me as his caestus glowed bright yellow and then threw a barrage of strong punches.
"Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora!" he shouted.
But it was still not fast enough, I've seen techniques that are harder to dodge far above his level of skill and utilization.
I dodged all of it.
"I-impossible!" he exclaimed, clearly taken aback by my ability to evade his attacks with such ease.
I saw his expression change into a mix of admiration and fear as I prepared for my attack.
The weakness of his weapon skill is that there is a second after the barrage that he will be in a fatigued state, a condition where he is unable to move. It might sound short, but a second in a deadly melee can be the difference between life and death.
Without wasting a single moment, I swiftly performed a 360-degree sweep with my staff, aiming at his feet. Caught off guard and fatigued, GigaChad lost his balance and fell flat on his back. Seizing the opportunity, I leaped as high as I could, utilizing the force of gravity along with the strength of my body and the staff. With all my might, I drove the pointed end of my staff toward his defenseless head resting on the ground.
THUMP*
GigaChad
Hp: 0%
"...What a monste-".
He didn't get to finish his last words as he was immediately replaced by blue particles, signaling his defeat. At the spot where his body was supposed to be, a glowing blue orb the size of a bowling ball appeared floating in the grave of its original owner. It was the orb located at the bottom part of the map that June took without any obstacle or threat. As I was about to take it, Elizabeth arrived with her expression of complete shock and disbelief.
"What... happened here..." she looked at the orb dumbfounded.
I remained silent as I didn't know how to reply.
"Don't... don't tell me you defeated him?" she asked, her tone filled with disbelief.
"I was lucky," I replied curtly.
"Lucky!? You managed to defeat him in less than a minute without sustaining any damage, all while playing as a support character!" she exclaimed.
Now that I think about it. If she put it that way, it would sound suspicious. I completely forgot that my initial tactic was just to stall for time. However, GigaChad's actions presented numerous openings that I found difficult to ignore. It was challenging to resist the temptation to take advantage of those weaknesses, even if it deviated from my original tactics. No one in their right mind would let those opportunities pass by, would they?!
To mask my inner turmoil, I simply shrugged, concealing the thoughts swirling within me.
Noticing my hesitance to answer, she finally conceded. "Fine, I won't pry if you don't want to tell me. Let's just focus on taking the orb first, and then we'll assist Romel. I believe he's facing some trouble."
"What about the other one?" Barry was it. I was never good with names.
"Beny? He's already taken out. Didn't you see the system notification?"
"Ohh, must've missed it earlier," I was too engrossed in the fight, paying my full attention to the enemy.
I took the orb so that Elizabeth wouldn’t be too bothered by the increase in stamina consumption of carrying two orbs, and we prepared to leave the area. It will take a while to get to the top lane if we are to conserve stamina, which is undoubtedly the correct way to go if we were to fight against a ranker. I just hope that we make it in time.
---------------------------
-Raynold's PoV-
"Did you see it? Did you see it, Raynold!?" Lenna exclaimed with excitement, clearly thrilled by Katherine's victory. "We are so close to winning!"
"Uh-huh..." I responded, still slightly dumbfounded by the turn of events.
"I never thought Katherine would actually be able to beat June," Lenna continued, unaware of what just exactly happened.
"...Defeat June? It's more than that! She didn't just 'beat him'. She completely demolished him! She outplayed him both mentally and mechanically! She utterly annihilated him!" I interjected passionately.
"Sheesh, calm down," Lenna replied, seemingly unimpressed by my enthusiasm.
"You don't seem to grasp the magnitude of that play," I fervently persisted. "The dodges she executed were flawless! It was done with no wasted movement and always chained perfectly to a counterattack. A counter that was aimed at the head, resulting in the highest damage she possibly could. Furthermore, by strategically exploiting her role as a healer, she baited June into an aggressive playstyle, forsaking defense. Most supports are naturally weak at melee since they're always at the backline and have low HP in exchange for MP. She took advantage of that common notion to punish his aggressive plays. The way she dodges, too. Most players, when they dodge, either leap away to distance themselves from the attack or dodge with exaggerated movements to reassure their dodge, which, in turn, makes it hard to do a counterattack. But she dodges at the last second, with as minimal movements as possible, baiting June into believing his attacks would hit so that he becomes complacent and unprepared for her counterattacks. You’ve got to have numerous battle experiences to move like that. She either has insanely godly reflexes, or she predicted all his moves, or maybe even both! She moves as well as some amateur pro players I watch, or even better!" I ranted.
"Okay! Okay! Stop, I get it! Sheesh, you're such a nerd sometimes," Lenna admonished.
Hmphh! Casuals. They cannot appreciate a great play even when it is right in front of them. All that matters for them is the kills or the insanely flashy but unpractical moves like Meteor Strike or Thunderstorm. It is slightly disappointing that there's no one else with me here to appreciate that kind of outplay.
"But do you think they can win against that Chu guy?" Lenna asked
"Judging from how good they both are, I don't think they would lose to a single non-pro player 2v1."
"That's good to know!” Lenna said with a broad smile.
"You seem happy," I inquired.
"Of course, if they win, you know what that means, right?" Lenna remarked with a playful smile.
Returning her smile, I shared in her excitement as I contemplated the upcoming reward.
"Liz will treat us at the cafe!" Lenna exclaimed.
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-Chu's PoV-
"Hmph, you talk big, but you don't have the skills to back it up," I taunted.
ZiJi
HP: 84%
"It’s......it’s not over yet, so don't get too cocky!"
KingRomel
Hp: 8%
He's already low. One more hit would probably kill him. What a disappointment. I was hoping for more of a challenge. I’m not satisfied with an opponent as weak as this.
"It seems your teammates are not as weak as you thought since they managed to wipe out all of mine. They might back you up if you survive a bit longer."
The notifications of my teammate’s death happened about a while ago. The enemies are probably heading this way to help this guy. I’m sure that ranker girl will put up more of a challenge than this fool. The only reason I accepted June's offer is to have a bout with that famous ranker I keep hearing about who is said to be a regular here.
"I don't need their help! I’m going to kill you right before they arrive!" he exclaimed.
What a stubborn guy. He could've just retreated for now to regroup with his other teammates and push their advantage in numbers, but his stubborn pride won’t let him. I have to give him respect for that, though he is an honorable opponent.
"Last Stand!" he let out a battle cry.
His sword was then covered in a blood-red aura that let off a dreadful atmosphere.
"......." I silently watched him.
I was wondering what his Claymore weapon skill was. So it was a buff-type weapon, huh? The last stand basically increases your damage as your health goes lower. Having only 8% of his HP remaining will dramatically increase his attacks to double or even triple his firepower. So, this is where his confidence comes from. Coupled with the innate damage potential of his claymore plus his weapon skill, one direct hit from him might instantly kill me. This is getting interesting.
He rushed at me; his buff only lasted for 30 seconds, so he was on a timer. I can just kite him and stall for 30 seconds if I want a surefire way to win, but I also don't have that much time; his backup might arrive any second. And besides, where is the fun in that?
As he was in melee distance, he did an overhead swing. His weapon is too large, and his windup is too exaggeratedly long, so it was pretty easy to dodge. Sadly, his battle spell only increases his power, not his speed. I took a step back and dodged his swing completely.
BOOM*
"Huh!?"
ZiJi
Hp: 79%
Shit! His swing was so strong due to his buff that it sent shockwaves around the impact of his strike. That was unexpected. Had he planned that attack from the start?
"Got you now!" He declared.
As my balance was off from the shockwave, he didn't miss the opportunity and did a side swing in an attempt to bisect me in half.
"Reversal!"
My weapon suddenly glowed white on the edges.
*Ting*
I positioned my twin butterfly sword to block his swing and used my weapon skill, 'Reversal.' A normal parry would've surely sent me flying and probably fatally wound me, but using my skill reversal sends the power of the attack right back at the enemy. It can only be activated if you can do a perfect parry. It takes a lot of skill to use, but it is a skill of my red weapon that helped me climb the ranking leaderboard at 1v1. It sucks I have to use it, though, since its cooldown is pretty long. I was saving it for the later fight.
"Gah!" he cried.
He flew a few feet away from me as he was damaged greatly by the force of the impact of his own swing.
KingRomel
Hp: 0%
"Damn!" he exclaimed.
"Don’t feel too bad. It was a good last attempt."
As I was complimenting his last-ditch effort, he turned to blue motes of bright light and completely vanished from the playing field.
I've wasted enough time. I have to get the orb before his teammates arrive. I reminded myself.
I rushed to the barrier and channeled to remove the barrier of the orb while paying attention to my surroundings for any surprise attacks. About halfway through channeling, I heard a voice.
"Thorn burst!"
A girl with a staff, presumably their healer, tried to impede my movements with a spell. Are they here already?
I canceled my channeling to dodge the skill. Shit, how unlucky. I would've finished breaking the barrier if I only had a couple of seconds more of uncontested channeling.
Just then, I felt a foreboding feeling. I ducked instinctively.
*Whoosh*
"Tsk!" she exclaimed.
Another girl with the same face as the healer appeared, holding a rapier in her hand. She is probably the ranker based on the bits of info I heard about her. So, the first attack was just a distraction for the real carry to finish me off when I least expected it. They have a good synergy. Her suddenly appearing instantly at my blind spot means she has a displacement skill. A blink or shadow step is more likely. That's a surprise, though; I thought my teammates would've at least eliminated 1 of the 2, considering they have the numbers advantage. Either these two are good, or my teammates are just that useless.
I leaped a few times back to get some distance as I pondered my choices. Hiding in the forest while firing some arrows at them to chip their HP is not possible since they have a healer, and I will definitely run out of arrows before their healer runs out of mana.
Melee it is, then. I rushed to the healer.
"Katherine, be careful; he's going after you!"
How astute. She immediately put herself in front of me and her healer in an attempt to block my charge.
She thrust her rapier at me, but I dodged it at the last second, and I followed it up with a quick dual stab.
She dodged the 1st stab and parried the other with her rapier, but I was expecting it.
I delivered a straight kick. She managed to guard it with her free hand, but my blow overpowered her. She had a very nimble body type but was also lightweight, so my kick sent her flying.
"Khh!"
Lizbeth
Hp: 94%
Having achieved my purpose of separating the two, I instantly rushed at the unguarded healer in an attempt to eliminate her.
I can't waste this opportunity. I had to eliminate her quickly so I could have a bout with the ranker. I did the fastest combo of slashes I possibly could, close to depleting my stamina.
"Hyahh!" I exclaimed.
I did a quick 12-strike combo with my butterfly swords.
But what is this feeling... It feels like I’m trying to cut the air. Just as I thought that my slash was about to hit, she dodged it flawlessly. I have never fought anyone like this girl before.
None of my hits connected.
No, my last hit did connect, but it only managed to scrape her chest, making her distance herself a bit.
Beth
Hp: 92%
"Tsk! Useless bag of meat," she murmured.
In my shock, I failed to realize that her teammate was already right behind me. With a sudden quick stab, she hit me in the back.
KACHACK*
"Guhh!"
ZiJi
Hp: 42%
She prioritized my body instead of my head to make sure I didn't dodge this time. How laudable. My HP is going down, and I don't even have a healer to help me get back to full health. And to top it off, they're both extremely skilled players. This is bad. I need to do something.
Just as I was recovering from the damage the rapier user dealt, the healer suddenly rushed at me. That was a bad move by her, but I won’t let this opportunity pass. Now is my chance. My weapon skill just barely went on cooldown. If I can create an opportunity to eliminate her with a well-timed skill, it will become a 1v1 match wherein I have a higher chance of winning.
She wound up her weapon, preparing for an overhead swing. Perfect, I positioned my twin butterfly sword in the trajectory of her swing and activated my skill, making my twin weapon's edges glow white.
Just as her staff was about to hit my weapon, she suddenly stopped it mid-swing and transitioned her attack into a sidekick. A feint!
It caught me off guard and hit me in the sides. Did she know of my weapon skill? Did she predict I would use it at this exact moment or is it just a fluke?
Whatever the reason is, my posture was destroyed by that kick, which made me flinch.
"Now!" She yelled.
Just then, the rapier user appeared right beside me. Shit! Her 'Shadow Step' skill just went on cooldown, and the healer knows it, too, so she created an opening for her.
The stab went through the back of my neck, and I felt a very slight pain in that area.
"Guhh!"
ZiJi
Hp: 0%
"It was a Good Game," the ranker said in courtesy.
It was all I heard from my opponent before my vision went entirely black, and annoying red letters showed at the center of it all, reminding me of my own death.
