Determined Souls

Teams:

Determined Souls

Hallowed Week

Arena:

Shadows of Flickering Worries

Era examined the map. It was a swamp covered in darkness. The area was unfavorable, the area Determined Souls spawned in had thick mud under their feet. Slowly they began to sink under the ground, having to occasionally readjust to remain on top.

Hairn, an Assassin with a long silver dagger in their hand, spoke in glee, "Map is perfect for me. Shall I scout ahead?"

Quol tapped their staff and a small, almost unnoticeable, wave of mana extended outward. He adjusted a pair of glasses on his nose, "They're north-west, if you can take out their Priest go ahead."

Hairn snickered before turning invisible, his figure disappearing. Quol sighed and began giving orders, "Era and Nime, take the lead. We're following him and attacking them from the front. Once they are spotted I'll initiate combat with [Excessive Wind]. Immen follow the usual protocol."

Immen nodded and lifted a targe in their off-hand. The team steadily progressed ahead, skillfully traversing the unfavorable terrain.

Hairn leapt from tree to tree, the mud would give him away with his footprints. While the trees gave off sound when he landed and leapt off them, it wouldn't give away his exact position.

He spotted movement and immediately halted his progression.

"Ugh, I hate swamps."

"No use complaining. Stay in formation and move together. We can be ambushed at any point."

"I know, I know."

The enemy team walked through the mud, Hairn watched like an owl. Motionless and with a piercing gaze. Being hasty was a quick way to get himself killed, although he was confident he certainly wasn't arrogant. The enemy Priest had their foot stuck in some mud. It halted their movements for only a split moment, but it was more than enough time for him to strike.

Hairn whizzed forward and appeared behind the Priest. His silver dagger gleaming slightly in the swamp with little to no light. He immediately executed several Skills aimed towards killing someone in the quickest way possible!

[Backstab]

[Double Strike]

[Hemorrhage]

The [Backstab] Skill allowed him to deal twice the damage if he struck the opponent in the back! [Double Strike] would let him swiftly deal two strikes simultaneously! [Hemorrhage] would deal a significantly more dangerous status effect. [Hemorrhage] was essentially a more deadly form of bleeding. Moreover it would require a decent amount of time to be fully healed.

With his dagger aiming towards the Priest's heart, the damage would be even higher! However the moment his dagger was about to make contact with the Priest a magic barrier appeared, making his attack bounce off. Hairn stepped backwards to prevent himself from falling due to the rebound, but his foot stepped directly into a bear trap hidden in the mud!

Clang-!

Metal teeth bit into his leg, sealing his movements. Moreover due to it being a skill by the Variant Trapper Class he was stunned momentarily for two seconds!

"A little hasty aren't we?"

Hairn's face showed one of shock as he saw a large battle axe being swung towards him. The axe carved into his stomach, making his HP drop drastically. Hairn spat blood, what immense strength!

A giant burly man freed his axe, "Such swift strikes, had I not gotten a gut feeling our Priest would have died. Tsk tsk, such youthful energy."

He lifted the axe above his head, "May you rest well!"

Hairn calmed himself, watching as the axe descended. Slowly, tiny runes began to surround his iris. They didn't glow and blended in quite well, requiring a sharp eye to even see them. Time seemed to slow around him, the axe descent no longer being swift.

Time ticked, half a second before the stun ended!

A quarter second!

A tenth of a second!

The stun had ended and the burly man's axe was a mere three inches from Hairn's face!

[Carve of Three Swift Moons]!

His dagger shone in a brilliant light! His arm moved at an incredible speed!

Dang~!

The burly man's eyebrows lifted in surprise. They had actually managed to parry his strike at the last moment?

Hairn flipped his dagger into a reverse-grip and retreated quickly.

Woosh-!

A powerful gust of wind formed in the middle of the enemy team, blasting them in different directions. Quol lowered his staff, "They're separated! Go!"

~ ~ ~

"It seems that Determined Souls has split the enemy team!"

"Could their goal be to quickly finish them off one by one?"

Akiol shook his head at the commentators, "If that was the case they wouldn't have confronted them directly."

Wrock scratched his chin, "That reaction speed by Hairn, it seemed a little off."

"Mhm."

Kan'na spoke, "Time slowed?"

"Ah?"

"It's as if time slowed for him. Bullet time? I saw something change in his eyes, but I couldn't quite see what they were exactly."

"So it could be some unique eye related Skill to slowing time?"

"Or making it seem like time slowed. It's probably not actually time that slowed, but rather their vision being accelerated. It's easier that way."

"How intriguing, watch out Yielya. You might be stabbed!"

Yielya snorted, "I have no plans on being a victim to that knife."

~ ~ ~

Era unsheathed her sword and charged forward. Immediately aiming for the burly man. He noticed someone charging towards him and swung his axe. Era jumped over the swing and angled her body to be parallel with the ground. Wind formed behind her foot and acted like a boost, increasing the speed of her kick. The burly man's face snapped to the side from the force of the kick, but that was the only reaction due to his superior strength.

Letting go of the axe with one of his hands he reached forward to grab Era as she fell back to the ground. Era lifted her own offhand in response, a bullet of water shooting out. The bullet of water hit the burly man's shoulder, making his grab miss. The moment she landed Era rolled back to escape any further attacks.

The burly man grunted and swung his axe towards the ground, a fissure forming from the strike. The fissure extended underneath Era and began glowing. The burly man shouted, "[Geyser Fissure]!

An eruption of water extended from the fissure, Era quickly rolled to dodge the eruption. However this was expected by the burly man!

He swung his axe towards Era's neck, aiming for a critical hit. In a position that limited her choices Era lifted her sword and blocked the attack. The power from the strike sent a jolt down her bones as she was sent rolling through the ground. Quickly recovering she looked up to see the same axe descending towards her head!

[Parry]!

The burly man was temporarily stunned from the effects of [Parry]! She quickly leapt forward, a stream of water following her sword.

[Ripple Slash]!

A gash formed across the burly man's chest, an illusion of water ripples extended out from it. Water droplets began to cling to the burly man's body. Era quickly shifted her feet and spun, lightning crackling down her blade.

[Chaotic Discharge]!

The burly man lifted his axe and blocked the blow, but the lightning still invaded his body! This was Era's way of using the Magic Swordsman class! By combining elements and spells to do additional effects! [Ripple Slash] would make the victim covered in water, a prime time to use any lightning element attacks!

Immen frowned as he inspected the battle field. There was five enemies, where was the sixth? His gaze sharpened as he turned around. Extending his targe over Uyu, their Priest, and executing a Skill.

[Counter]!

A dagger stuck into the shield, a Thief was their sixth member! He had remembered that from their meeting, he simply hadn't expected them to be in stealth after receiving Quol's [Excessive Wind].

In Immen's hand a trident made of ice formed, he raised it and stabbed towards the stunned Thief. Blood dying the tip of the trident red.

The Thief quickly freed himself from the deadly trident and rolled to the side of the Priest. Aiming his dagger towards Uyu's waist.

Clank-

The Thief was surprised, their dagger had been stopped by the Priest's staff! Uyu smiled, "I'm not helpless you know? [Heaven's Restriction]!"

A light of golden heavenly energy formed a cage around the Thief, preventing further movements. Without a pause Uyu pointed their staff at Hairn, healing the injured Assassin.

Quol cast a spell towards a stone golem, "Hairn, you're still tasked with taking down their Priest! We'll hold off the rest of them!"

"Orders received!"

Hairn dashed forward with newfound vigor. As he approached the Priest a beast with six legs stood in his way. Sharp horns in the shape of a boomerang pointed forward. A large spine extending upwards on their back. With a head similar to a snakes the beast roared at Hairn.

He spun his dagger, "Oho? Shouldn't a beast know when they are in danger?"

He raised the dagger to his eye, it giving off a faint gleam, "After all I'm better suited against monsters than humans."