"Nikolai, don't stop pursuing Scar and Hidey," Ren instructed. "Roxy, don't stray too far from us. Let's kill their DPS first."
Though he said that, Ren was really aiming for Amarika.
Ren knew that Amarika was waiting for anyone with low HP in their team to kill, but that was also their chance to strike her for good.
"Copy!" Nikolai pursued Scar but was always stopped by Hidey's attacks.
At the same time, Gerald took a step back before he drew a straight line with his sword. A neat weapon slice flew from his blade, going into Leonel's midsection.
It was too late to evade, and Leonel raised his shield to defend, but the sword skill still did a number on his HP. What's more, Amarika was behind him within seconds, aiming for a critical attack from the back.
"Got you!" With knives in two hands, Amarika's swift strike landed against Leonel's back like a block of splitting wood. Her [Death Dive] connected true even at a low percentage since she aimed at her opponent's weak points.
Leonel's HP decreased at a rapid rate with the critical hit, and Amarika's eyes glint in anticipation. The kill was in the bag.
However, the glint in her eyes was replaced with shock when Leonel's HP steadied in the ten digits.
Leonel's passive [Last Stance Mode] activated, and he flashed a lazy grin in Amarika's way. "Sorry . . . I'm just the bait." He was always the bait.
Amarika's eyes rounded, and it was too late to evade when she heard a series of shots tearing through the air with a hissing shriek before she was incased in perpetual fire, burning her HP to zero.
Back Lion was shocked at the damage appearing over Amarika's head. No one expected that amount of damage.
No one.
They were confident that Amarika would survive even if a mage hit her because of her full HP.
What on earth happened? Why did four fireballs simultaneously shoot at Amarika? She didn't even have the chance to drink some [HP Potion] and her Health Bar melted like chocolate under those four fires.
Black Lion's eyes went to Ren, the camera zoomed on him, and all eyes focused on his face.
Ren tilted his head to the side and grinned. "That's one."
"A*shole!" Gerald went for Leonel. If they killed one of them, then it was only right that they would take one of them too.
Leonel's HP was only in the single digit, and just a thwack of his sword, and the guy would be a goner.
Gerald pursued Leonel's death with great vigor, using a cunning underhand swing. He was hoping to catch Leonel off guard but was stunned when he was flung back by a bright light coming from his shield.
Leonel wickedly grinned. "[Aegis Strike]. One of my newly acquired skills. It doesn't do much damage, but I can deflect anything with it. Too bad that it consumed too much MP and can only be used once a day."
"You . . ." Gerald greeted his teeth while Leonel quickly drank potions to recover his health. "You're dead!"
Gerald shot to his feet, and he was about to go after Leonel when Roxy leaped high, and using her momentum, she brought her axe down on Gerald with enough force to shred his HP.
Gerald raised his shield since it was too late to avoid the incoming attack. The force of Roxy's blow made him grunt while he received damage under his armor. He counterattacks with his sword with an agile swing, taking a small chunk of Roxy's HP in the process.
Both players jumped back and recovered their lost HP with their potions.
Gerald clicked his tongue. It was three against six now, and he didn't know how he would keep both Leonel and Roxy away while avoiding the mages' incoming spells. Especially the guy named Ren. His damage was incredible, even more so than Scar. What's more, he had a weird skill that lets him shoot four fires at the same time.
Come to think of it. No one knew what Ren could do. He was just standing in his previous fights, so no one knew what his spells were. He was shrewd enough to hide his skills until the right time.
Gerald was already in a bad mood. And the vessels in his eyes almost popped when a notification appeared on his screen.
[Your Health Potion was stolen!]
"Fuck!" Gerald barked, "Scar! Anytime now!"
"Give me a minute." Scar's eyes pierced Ren, and he had to admit that he indeed underestimated him. He didn't know what kind of skills and spells Ren had, but everyone in Roaring Tigers and Fighting Lambs would die once he unleashed his ace.
Gerald, on the other hand, was starting to sweat as he looked at Ren and the others. Now that Amarika had died, Ren and Sumeri didn't need anyone to guard them anymore. And based on the evil grins on their faces, he was next.
To be honest, Gerald didn't know what to do. He was confident that he could take on Leonel and Roxy at the same time, but the problem was Ren and Sumeri. His MDF wasn't that high to defend against multiple spells simultaneously.
With the flipped off his hand, the single-hand sword that weighed a hundred pounds felt like air as Gerald swung it towards Leonel's direction. A clean wide cut shot forward in Leonel's direction and the air rippled with its force and speed.
There was no running away from it since [Prism Cutter] occupied a wide range of area, so the only choice Leonel's had was to face it head-on. Raising his shield, the force clashed against his armor, and he flew meters away from the impact.
Leonel came crashing to the floor, and he trashed on the ground before he struck his shield against the stadium to stop his momentum. He suffered another HP reduction but not enough to take a [Health Potion].
Gerald smirked and licked his lips, eyes full of madness. The more he was cornered, the more he acted recklessly.
"YaArRgh!" Roxy wasn't just standing by while Leonel was trash to the ground.
A bone-jarring hit sent gratifying shockwave vibrating up Roxy's arm as her axe landed straight against Gerald's shield.
The three exchanged attacks and parries while Sumeri tried to finish Gerald off with her spell to no avail. The guy was as slippery as a fish. At the same time, she was also supporting Nikolai in his fight with Hidey.
Sumeri gave credit to Gerald for lasting this long against the three of them.
She then looked over at Ren. She felt that something wasn't right. Ren was just standing at the side while he left Gerald to the three of them. If he willed it, Ren could finish Gerald himself. But the guy seemed to be waiting for Scar to finish his spell.
And if she asked him if he was casting, he only said yes. But the interval of his spells seemed to be delayed.
On the other hand, Ren wasn't bothered if Sumeri noticed something off. The important thing was the others didn't. They were too occupied with their fights to concentrate on him.
Ren shot another haphazard [Multiattack] towards Scar, Gerald, and Hidey. The three were quick on their toes and avoided it like what he expected. The only way for his shots to land was for them to be caught off guard.
Even so . . . everything went according to plan.
"Gerald, stand back!" Scar said.
Gerald and Hidey's faces brightened. Finally!
"You're dead." Gerald laughed and expanded the distance between him and Leonel.
Leonel and Roxy were about to go after Gerald again, but the air suddenly turned suffocating, burning their lungs. A thick fog enveloped the area, and the crowd's eyes glowed in focus while everyone caught their breath when ghostly apparitions of Death's Reapers riding fiendish skeletal horses appeared out of nowhere.
[Death's Cavalry]
Thunders of hoof beats preceded Scar's spell, and horsemen streaked across the battlefield. The riders plunged a scythe deep into Ren and the others, and even the invincible Thief wasn't spared. They continued onward, not leaving any space unscathed before they dissolved in cloud of dark mists leaving behind an echoing gallop.
When the chaos was gone and the fog dissolved, the numbers of damage displayed over Roaring Tigers and Fighting Lambs smashed the earth with the crowds' sheers and gasped.
"Shit, what is this?" Leonel looked at his greyish skin.
[ You have suffered from Cursed
–5% HP every second ]
–15
But the Curse wasn't his problem. It was the damage displayed over his head.
–400
Leonel's MDF wasn't that high since he mostly increased his DEF. But even if he survived the attack, the Cursed Status would chip his HP away without a White Mage or item to remove it.
Still, the damage was unreal, and Leonel gaped over at Ren. His eyes widened when even Ren's HP went half and decreased at the Curse. Did that mean that Scar's INT was also high, or was it his equipment?
"R-Ren!" Even in the face of death, Leonel was worried about his best friend. How would Ren fight now if he wasn't there to tank for him?
Wait . . . was he casting?
Ren briefly shot Leonel a look, and the small smile on the former's lips somewhat made him accept his death.
Leonel sighed when he felt like he was being used. He could only shake his head and wryly smiled before he disappeared into particles.
A/N (Doesn't consume coins)
Another chapter later. After an hour 😆
