## Chapter 149: Battle
"Don't act cool, acting cool gets you struck by lightning. Didn't your grandma tell you that?"
Seeing the Assassin put on the airs of an Expert, I couldn't help but say with Sarcasm.
Qiuludun, who went by the name Quinton, didn't know what "acting cool" meant, but that didn't stop him from sensing the mockery within the words.
"You will regret saying that."
He finally extended his hands from inside his Cloak, adopting a fighting stance. The deadly Weapon that had just narrowly missed my neck also revealed its true form – two Bowl Blades shimmering with blue Glow!
"Heh heh... then let's give it a try."
Licking my dry lips, I felt the Blood in my Body completely boiling. It was the thrill and excitement that surpassed mere Battle, born from a life-or-death struggle.
" Light Snow , let's go..."
In my hand, I still held that Scepter. This was because the Resistance Aura could also boost Light Snow 's Defense, and the Holy Bolt it came with could replenish Life at any time, compensating for Light Snow 's inability to use Potions. As for the Shield, it was a blue Large Shield with 13 Defense and +9% Fire Resistance.
"Hah..."
Taking a deep breath, the two of us instantly burst forth with Speed, advancing in a serpentine Route, crisscrossing as we charged towards the Enemy. The recoil caused by our intense Speed left a trail of small pits in our Pace.
Qiuludun, being an Assassin, made no movement. As if testing us, he maintained his stance, waiting for our Attack. We didn't make him wait long. Within a few breaths, Light Snow and I had already charged In Front of him.
First to appear before his eyes was my Figure charging from the side. I raised my Shield to protect my chest and lifted my Scepter to meet him. It was a Standard Paladin charge pattern.
"Hmph..."
Qiuludun let out a disdainful snort from his nose. Although the opponent's momentum was pressing and their movements seemed flawless, the Gap in Level and Dexterity was obvious. The moment the Scepter fell, he had already calculated the trajectory of the Attack, and even considered Light Snow 's subsequent Attack that would follow closely.
"What...?"
Just as he planned to slightly evade this Attack trajectory, an unexpected event occurred in an instant, causing him to freeze slightly. The Scepter did not descend along the path he had anticipated. When it was still half a meter away from him, the opponent's wrist suddenly twisted. As if on purpose, the heavy, solid hammerhead of the Scepter brushed past his chest.
At the same time, following the descent of the Scepter, the opponent's Body also bent slightly. The next moment, a ferocious Werewolf face lunged out from there, as if trying to burst through his vision, suddenly appearing in a close-up shot less than half a meter from his face. He could even see the scarlet barbs on the tongue inside the opened fangs.
Hmph, petty tricks...
The momentary hesitation had left him no time to squat or leap away. Qiuludun gritted his teeth. With an acrobatic backward lean, in a fraction of a second, he narrowly dodged, almost brushing past Light Snow 's abdomen. Not only that, but the Bowl Blade in his hand also took the opportunity to slash Light Snow 's abdomen. However, the huge resistance transmitted when the Bowl Blade cut through skin and flesh made him frown deeply: What kind of Monster is this? Not only is its Speed fierce and its Attack sharp, but its Defense is also so high. It's practically flawless.
However, the Attack did not end. The moment Light Snow leaped over him, another Figure appeared in the side Space where his still-reclining Body was. It was me, who had folded back to Attack while Light Snow was attacking.
My seamless chain of Attacks with Light Snow was overwhelming even for Qiuludun. Seeing the Scepter smashing towards him, he snorted lightly again. Tapping his heel and twisting his waist, his entire Body was already horizontal in Mid-air, the two Bowl Blades crossed in Front of my Scepter.
"Clang..."
A piercing metallic collision sound vibrated between the three Weapons. Qiuludun also used the force of my Attack to leap far away, temporarily breaking free from my and Light Snow 's entanglement.
"Woof woof..."
Light Snow also returned to my side, growling low at the Assassin. A not-very-deep Bloodstain appeared on its abdomen, looking particularly conspicuous against its snow-white fur. I glanced at it with a little worry. Fortunately, its Life hadn't been significantly depleted. As an Elite, Light Snow 's Defense was already very high, and with the Buffs from Resistance Aura and Oak Sage, this minor injury was nothing.
Compared to that, although the Assassin also suffered some Damage when blocking my Attack, it was even slighter. This was the result of the Battle achieved through my and Light Snow 's close cooperation. Alas...
The two people and one wolf returned to a standoff. What just happened was merely a probing contact. Neither side had revealed their true Strength/Power. The Assassin clearly hadn't used a single Skill yet, and aside from Light Snow , my other Summons were just watching menacingly from the side, not yet making a move. Elemental Magic and Transformation Skills also hadn't been displayed.
This was a life-or-death Battle of wits and courage. I think that Assassin also understood that I held the Quantity Advantage of a Summon army, while he relied on his unmatched Skill and Speed. With each side's respective Advantages, relying on traditional Battle methods would be unable to determine the victor. Only winning by surprise was the only Method for Victory.
In this regard, I held a huge Advantage, because not only did I have the Skill Bonus from the Bugged Amulet, but I could also use other Class Skills. At a critical moment, I could definitely catch him off guard. The problem was seizing the right timing. There was only one chance. Once he knew I could use other Class Skills, I probably wouldn't find such a good opportunity again.
Both sides were constantly on guard, thinking, and searching for the key to Victory. Before they had a grasp, neither wanted to reveal their trump card beforehand. The situation became a stalemate for a time, and even the whistling Highland Wind couldn't disperse the Storm brewing at the center.
After an unknown period of stalemate, Light Snow and I suddenly moved simultaneously. Since we couldn't think of a Method to defeat the Enemy, we would find one in Battle. The Assassin opposite clearly thought the same. The moment Light Snow and I took the first Pace, he also moved at high Speed.
Firestorm...
When the Distance between the two sides was less than five meters, I waved my right hand. A scorching chaotic Fire Ball instantly formed in my hand, then, along the Ground, it rushed fiercely towards the opponent like a Blazing Flames serpent that had been doused in Oil.
"Whoosh..."
The high-Speed running Assassin suddenly made a strange horizontal shift, causing the Firestorm to miss. I never expected Firestorm to be effective; I only hoped to find a Weakness while the Assassin was dodging. I didn't expect his extremely agile Movement Technique to make my Effort wasted.
Melee broke out again. Light Snow and I split to the left and right, flanking him. The little tricks we just played were no longer applicable, so the person and the wolf cooperated with each other, making conventional Attacks. But with the Tacit Understanding between us, Light Snow 's sharp Claws and the Weapon in my hand constantly crisscrossed in Space, surrounding the opponent's location impenetrably.
However, the Assassin seemed very confident in his Movement Technique, and the Fact was that he was. Even in a pincer attack that almost no Fly could pass through, the Assassin relied on his strangely flexibility, his Body as supple and slippery as a loach. He dodged with movements that would astonish even the most skilled acrobat, and even found opportunities to counterattack frequently.
However, if this continued, the final Victory would still be on our side. No matter how agile the Assassin was, it was impossible for him to dodge all Attacks. And the Damage he inflicted on us, although much higher than ours, was shared by both me and Light Snow . Moreover, both my and Light Snow 's Life were incomparable to the Assassin's. Calculating by this ratio, we still held a great Advantage.
The Assassin also seemed to notice this Situation. The next moment, a layer of scorching red Glow attached itself to the Bowl Blades he had just used to Attack.
It was the Martial Skill Tier 2 Skill - Fists of Fire. I recognized it at a glance, having seen Mardon use it countless times.
Tier 2 Fists of Fire, a Charge Up Martial Skill. It can be Charged Up a maximum of three times. The first Charge Up adds Fire Damage. After the second and third Charge Ups, it can create a Fire Explosion, causing area Damage. In the early stages, it is a very overpowered Skill.
It seems he finally couldn't hold back and had to use a Skill.
However, using Fists of Fire at this moment really gave me a headache. As the opponent attacked, the scorching red Glow on the Bowl Blades became brighter and brighter, clearly indicating that he had fully Charged Up three times, but he was slow to release it. Facing the unknown burst, our Attacks couldn't help but become restrained.
When would he release it? Who was the Target? Just as I was thinking this, suddenly, the opponent's cold Gaze seemed to move slightly. As if by Intuition, I gave Light Snow a Command.
Dodge quickly...
"Boom..."
The next moment, centered on my Body, a huge ring of Flame exploded. The intense flame current completely burned the Grassland within a few meters into Ashes. And I, being in the center of the Blazing Flames, felt even worse, as if a layer of boiling chili juice flowed over my entire Body. My whole person was also blasted away.
I wondered if Light Snow had dodged the range of the Explosion. At the critical moment, the Taking Hits Effort I had trained with Kashya finally paid off. Flipping over with the airflow of the Explosion, I retreated several steps in a rather disheveled state, finally regaining my footing.
However, it was not a time to be smug. In the Dust raised by the Flame, a huge Blade with strong rotational force "whooshed" through the smoke and dust, charging straight out. Just as I regained my footing, it shot towards me. Unavoidable, it sliced across my shoulder.
Damn it, it's Blade Sentinel. I had seen an Assassin use it once on the Arena. I immediately recognized this as the Assassin Traps Tier 2 Skill - Blade Sentinel.
Therefore, after regaining my footing, I immediately made a horizontal leap without hesitation. As expected, the moment I leaped away, the spinning giant Blade that had just sliced across my shoulder swept back to where I had just stood, like a Boomerang.
Just as I was secretly feeling lucky about dodging the Blade Sentinel's dirty trick, another Figure unexpectedly charged straight out from the flying dust, two sharp Weapons in his hands stabbing fiercely towards me.
Not good, I've been calculated. My heart sank, but my Body was still in Mid-air, and when dodging the Blade Sentinel, I had jumped up in a hurry. My Body in Mid-air had no Balance to speak of. It seemed I was about to face a Storm of Attacks. I strained to block in Front of me with my Shield, watching helplessly as the opponent's malicious grin gradually closed in on me.
At the critical moment, another large Figure also charged out from the dust cloud, lunging straight towards the Assassin's back.
It was Light Snow . It seemed my warning had allowed it to successfully avoid the range of the Explosion, which was why it could react so quickly.
"Tch..."
Qiuludun spat fiercely. If he insisted on attacking me, he would inevitably be attacked by that white strange wolf behind him. Weighing the pros and cons, he still gave up this opportunity. He retracted his two Bowl Blades, performed a 180-degree flip in the air, switching head and tail, and kicked my Body fiercely with both feet. Then, using this Strength, he turned to face Light Snow behind him. As for me, I was naturally kicked out of the Battlefield in a very undignified manner.
The figures of one person and one wolf were locked in a melee. Without my assistance on the side, Light Snow was struggling a bit, while Qiuludun took this opportunity to intensify his Attack.
"Too slow..."
A sarcastic Voice that sent a chill down his spine suddenly sounded from behind his head. Along with the Voice came a strong wind that felt as if it could tear the very Air.
Impossible, how could he be so fast!!
Qiuludun's eyes widened, thinking Incredulous. Alert as he was, he hadn't forgotten the Druid he had kicked away just moments ago. But why? According to his Speed, it should have been impossible for him to return so quickly...
With Light Snow 's chilling giant Claws in Front and the biting strong wind directly hitting the back of his head from behind, the sudden unexpected event left him no time to dodge. However, Qiuludun was indeed a battle-hardened Expert. In an instant, he had made the most sensible judgment. His Figure suddenly charged forward, as if delivering himself, automatically meeting Light Snow 's Claws.
"Tear..."
Light Snow 's sharp foreclaws mercilessly slashed a cross on his chest, leaving six intersecting Bloodstains. The next moment, his Body was sent flying high as if struck by some powerful force, drawing a magnificent arc in the air.
In reality, he was using Light Snow 's Attack to leap up. Not only could he use the momentum to dodge the Attack from behind, but he could also turn the tables and launch an Attack from behind that Druid.
As he lightly leaped over the head of the Druid who had launched a Sneak attack from behind him with an agile posture, out of the corner of his eye, he finally discovered that the attacker from behind was not the Druid from moments ago, but a tall Werewolf.
So, he had Shapeshifted while being kicked away. However, the Speed increase was too exaggerated. Could it be that he was a Druid specializing in Werewolf Transformation? Qiuludun thought, puzzled, while his hands didn't stop. As he crossed paths above the Werewolf's head, his Bowl Blades stabbed fiercely towards its neck.
As the old saying goes, copper head, iron tail... uh... tofu waist. Therefore, never underestimate a wolf's head and tail. If you think it can only Attack with its Claws and mouth, you are greatly mistaken.
Qiuludun quickly experienced this Fact, because just as he was smugly watching his Bowl Blade pierce into the opponent's neck, something that felt furry but was as hard as an iron rod swept fiercely across his Body.
With a "bang," Qiuludun in Mid-air spat out a mouthful of Blood and was sent flying high like a home run, his Body drawing a beautiful arc in the air.
"It's definitely more spectacular than the scene when I was kicked away just now."