Clumsy Brawl
The warlord charged with his long sword.
Ayaan aimed both of his hands.
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
An Abyssal chakram and a water bullet. Both of them flew at the warlord. Unsurprisingly, the warlord smoothly dodged the water bullet, and for the chakram, it deflected with the sword.
It appeared so easy for it as it launched its attack.
A two-handed stab.
Ayaan sidestepped again and went for a punch on the shoulder. The warlord suddenly stopped, turned and pulled the sword back.
*BAM* *BAM*
While his punch landed on its chest, the butt of the sword hilt, hit Ayaan in the face. He felt a sharp pain invade his temple.
"Argh…"
Without even knowing, he let out a faint groan. The burning sensation on his face was nothing like a hit, and then he noticed that even his knuckles emitted a similar feeling.
*SWOOSH*
He didn't have the leisure to check it though.
The sword came swinging and Ayaan focused on dodging it. And as he did, a system notification came along with some answers.
[You are infected with the Reaver Warlord's Abyssal Smog. The Abyssal Smog is invading your system. Based on the level of invasion, your body will lose health at a steady rate.
Current effect: 1 HP for every three minutes.]
Ayaan's eyes widened. He looked at the warlord that was coming at him with all he's got. Unlike before, he wasn't aiming for vitals this time. He was trying to land small hits, minute even.
Ayaan didn't know if he should be impressed or afraid.
The warlord is using the same strategy as him. When Ayaan realized that the knife and blade were not working, he switched to direct hits. He didn't aim for vitals.
He only aimed to weaken its armor. The warlord not only caught it, it is dishing it back.
Ayaan activated both the forearm guards and went on the defensive. He used his agility and strength to keep his moves limited and ensured that neither the blade nor the body of the warlord would get in touch with him.
His body moved on autopilot, while his mind was focused on a strategy.
'Maybe…'
Just as he was formulating some thoughts he observed something. The forearm shields he opened are now covered in black lines. He could see faint cracks on it. As if they are getting corroded by the black smog.
His eyes widened and whatever strategy that he thought of… disappeared.
The longer the battle goes, the harsher it will be for him. So, he stopped thinking about battle efficiency or whatever else he usually followed.
The forearm shields disappeared. Ayaan lunged forward, blocked the sword with the guard, and let out the spike. He stopped thinking about everything else and only focused on one thing. The battle should be finished.
His eyes turned sharper and his aura turned colder.
Ayaan entered his zone.
'Block the sword. Kick to the shin'
The warlord stumbled, very slightly and already regained his control. He even swung his other arm, about to throw a punch.
'Duck. Leap. Punch'
The spike that came from the forearm guard, landed on the spot where the armor was cracked. The armor was still sturdy and the spike didn't go deep enough.
'Water Bullet'
The sword that was coming at him, halted. The water bullet exploded past the armor and the warlord felt the full brunt of it.
However, it didn't have the same level of impact that it had with the reavers and marauders.
[██████████████████░░░░] 88.0%
Its health dropped. But not by much. With all the damage that he already accumulated with his punches, it only lost about four percent.
At the same time, a faint burning sensation appeared on Ayaan's chest. The tattoo of the Water Serpent King glowed. His body got a bit taller and scales appeared all over.
Ayaan dodged the sword with an unnatural angle. Instead of just ducking or sidestepping, he bent so low that he was almost parallel to the floor.
He slipped past between the warlord's legs.
'Kick the knees'
He kicked both of the knees from the back, making the warlord kneel forward. He stood up, took out the combat knife, and stabbed it in the shoulder, in the armor gap.
'Water Bullet'
Even as the water bullet punctured the shoulder, the warlord turned around swiftly. The sword changed the arms as it came towards Ayaan's throat. He blocked the sword with the arm guard and threw a kick to the warlord's abdomen.
*CRACK* *CRACK*
The warlord fell to the side and so did Ayaan. That swing of the sword came at full force, leaving a crack on the arm guard. Both of them stood up at the same time. Ayaan sidestepped and caught the sword blade with his hand.
Gripping the blade by its face with his fingers.
He pushed his shoulder into the warlord's body. With the shoulder of one of its arms busted, Ayaan was safe from the punches.
He felt the Abyssal Smog invade his body. Every part of his exposed skin is burning and he could see faint corrosion on his armor.
He kicked both the legs from inside, used the spike of the arm guard ,and stabbed it in the elbow.
Before he could use the water bullet….
*CRUNCH*
The warlord, with its limbs all out of balance for a moment, used its wide maw and chomped on him, Ayaan moved to the side, avoiding his head. The fangs landed on his shoulder. The armor's defense did come with an advantage.
The bite didn't go all the way through. But the fangs did penetrate his flesh.
[HP -25]
Ayaan cursed at his own stupidity. As the battle went on, he just looked at the warlord as just another sentient opponent and he forgot the shark maw that it carried on its face and he paid dearly.
[Abyssal Smog's corrosion increased. The current rate of health drop: 1 HP for every 1 minute]
Ayaan tried to get out of its grip, but the warlord refused to do so.
He even tried to use the sword and stab Ayaan again. But the latter still held the knuckle spike in its sword arm and kept it away. They were caught in a weird deadlock. Ayaan wanted to kick its legs, but it would lean more on him if it lost its footing.
The bite might just go through.
Both of his arms are locked. The warlord's as well.
[HP-1]
[HP-1]
[HP-1]
On top of the smog effect, Ayaan is losing his HP from the bleeding. He didn't expect that the battle of technique would suddenly turn so barbaric.
Monsters are monsters after all.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he made his move.
His legs bulged.
'Frog King's Stomp'
"Argh…"
The bite tightened and the warlord pressed further as both of them left the ground. They reached the ceiling and the warlord that almost covered Ayaan's body fully took the brunt.
'Water Bullet'
Ayaan shot through the knuckle spike that was in its arm.
The arm went limp along with the sword.
*CRACK*
The back side of the warlord's armor cracked. But its bit still persisted at the same time, the Abyssal smog around it intensified.
[HP-1]
[HP-1]
Ayaan gritted his teeth and forcefully turned around, placing the warlord's body underneath him as they started his descent.
Even as they were rapidly falling, he didn't rest. Black Iron sword appeared in his arm.
*CRACK*
He stabbed it on the side of its stomach.
The water conjured at its tip even as it was embedded in it. However, Ayaan decided to stretch it. His head hurt a bit as more MP was put in.
'Water Bullet' '5 MP'
*POP* *SPLASH*
The grip finally loosened, right before they could hit the ground.
*CRACK*
Its body cracked once again.
[███████████░░░░░░░░░░] 56.0%
Ayaan got away from it and stood there while holding his injured shoulder. He could feel it. The shoulder almost came off. He couldn't even move the arm well.
However, the warlord wasn't in any better shape. Most of its armor was cracked open. One of its arms was gone. It dropped its sword and most importantly, there was massive hole in its stomach, dripping blood.
Just like how Ayaan is losing his HP one point at a time, the Warlord also started losing it.
It lunged forward and went for the sword.
*SWOOSH*
Ayaan shot a Chakram, aimed at the sword. The warlord missed the sword, but caught something else.
Ayaan leaped over and threw a side kick aimed at its head.
*BAM* *CRACK*
The full brunt of the attack whipped the head of the warlord, but he was also prepared. He caught a hold of Ayaan's leg, before he could pull it back and hung him upside down.
'Water Bullet'
Ayaan aimed at the hole and he was dropped immediately. He landed agilely on his one good arm, used that to jump up, and threw an axe kick at the warlord.
The warlord moved forward, letting Ayaan landed behind it. He spun on his heel and threw a spinning back kick that was met by the block of the warlord, followed by a punch.
He sidestepped and kicked the arm up with his knee. Spun again and threw a kick.
The warlord tried to block it, assuming that it was a high kick, but it landed down on its knee, making it kneel.
Ayaan didn't waste the chance and threw another kick, this time at the bust open wound.
The warlord lunged forward and tackled him. Ayaan pressed on its back, trying to block the tackle. With his one leg already up and ready for the kick, he couldn't land a knee.
As he fell back along with the warlord, he took out a black iron sword and stabbed on its back.
'Water Bullet'
He didn't even bother conjuring with higher MP. He just shot one MP bullets one by one.
*STAB*
'Water Bullet'
*STAB*
'Water Bullet'
He managed to land three before they fell on the floor. The fourth time, he had to leave the sword in its body cause of the impact.
The warlord tried to bite into Ayaan again, but he punched it on the neck, pushing it to the side, took out another black iron sword and stabbed it.
Even without the shell covering its neck, the flesh and skin are so thick. Ayaan felt like he was stabbing into a thick slab of rubber.
Before he could shoot a water bullet, the warlord sensed the threat, it got up and mounted him. Ayaan could see its punch closing it.
The black iron sword is still struck in its neck, but he lost his grip of over. The Abyssal Smog is still creeping in. He couldn't dodge the punch. He just took out another black iron sword and stabbed it in its arm.
'Water Bullet'
A hole appeared spewing out crimson blood. He didn't let the chance go. He stabbed it in the wounder spot again.
'Water bullet'
The warlord opened its shark maw wide, as if it was trying to let out a guttural scream. But no voice came out of it. Ayaan kicked the ground and rolled over, taking over the mount position.
He pressed the arms of the warlord under his legs and stabbed it in the mouth.
'Water Bullet'
'Water Bullet'
'Water Bullet'
He didn't let it go and just kept on shooting in rapidfire.
[██████████░░░░░░░░░░░░] 50.0%
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[███████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 38.0%
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.
.
[██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 10.0%
[█░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 6.0%
[░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 0.0%
The battle that started as a display of technique and power, ended as such a clumsy and stupid brawl.
Ayaan collapsed as the body of the warlord disappeared.
[Exp+100000]
The exp notification was followed by the quest clear notification.