Win All or Lose all!

The arrow zoomed through the air as both Kai and Deimos hung suspended in midair. The angle was too awkward for her sword to reach the arrow again, but she heard the arrow whistling toward her and had already realized her mistake. She tried shifting her head, but the trajectory Kai had aimed at was too sharp — a few adjustments wouldn't be enough to avoid it.

Kai smirked. He could finally win.

But the moment he was waiting for never came. Without any warning, vines of wood shot out from the ring on her right hand, snaking around her arm and head like a slime creature devouring its prey. The arrow buried itself into the hardened wooden shell, dealing not even a single point of damage. Her vision was cut off entirely. Blinded, she crashed into the Barkspawn behind her, with no judgment to guide her fall.

'That damned ring!'

Kai tumbled in the opposite direction, narrowly avoiding a Barkspawn on his side. He scrambled to regain his footing, raising his bow to aim at her exposed body — but she was just as fast. Both of them rose from the ground at the exact same second. The Barkspawn loomed behind her, but she didn't even spare it a glance. Gripping her sword with both hands, she stabbed it backward in one fluid motion, perfectly piercing its core. The monster's wooden body scattered into twigs around her.

"Good job forcing my hand, insect.. but you're too greedy. You have to let others win some rewards once in a while." A smirk played on her lips.

"Give me your ring and I'll leave you alone," Kai shot back. "I'll even add some cores generously.."

"Hmph."

Deimos snorted and answered with a slash from her dark green-coated sword. A light green arc whistled through the air, cutting straight toward Kai's chest. He took no chances, pulling his bowstring with everything he had and firing an arrow high into the sky. The arrow soared — thirty, forty, even fifty meters up — before gravity finally caught it. Just as it began to fall, Kai used Godstep, exchanging himself with the arrow at the very last second.

It was pure luck — the 30-second cooldown had ended mere moments before her slash came near him. Her earlier taunt had played against her. Because even as he had dodged, the green arc curved unnaturally in midair, bending toward him like a homing blade.

'What the hell? How shameless!'

It was an extension of her earlier green breath technique — she could control it freely. He had to learn that shit!

Hovering high above the forest, Kai's eyes swept over the entire hillside, with the village houses nestled along its slopes. Deimos knew about his ability now. No matter how many arrows he shot, she would be wary of them. Should he abandon this, consider it another failure? How badly did he want to win?

There was one thing he could try — but the risk was way too high for some measly rewards.. Unless he could get that ring.

"Fuck.. I really am too greedy."

Falling feet-first, Kai nocked another arrow and fired it toward Deimos below. Then he shot a second arrow deeper into the forest, behind it, right after, he threw his bow with full force in the same direction, judging the trajectory of his arrow.

Now, he just had to fall.

Deimos saw the arrow aimed at her and instantly ran out of its path, expecting him to Godstep into it. The arrow was barely fifteen meters from the ground — but Kai didn't swap places.

He kept falling, adjusting his trajectory ever so slightly.

A wicked grin stretched across his face.

Deimos's eyes widened. She activated her ring again, wrapping herself in wood armor while raising her sword high. The blade shimmered dark green, ready to unleash another light arc.

At ten meters, she released the arc — this time aiming straight for him, dead center. Dodging would be nearly impossible.

Kai didn't even flinch.

He took the attack head-on — a devastating -62 damage flashing above his head. Deimos barely had time to process the insane grin plastered across his face and leaving lifetime of trauma behind before he crashed into her like a human meteor. Gravity did all the work for him — his leather boot smashed into the wooden shell covering her face, shattering it to splinters.

Her pretty face twisted in shock — then both of them burst into red pixels.

Seconds before his health zeroed out, a -90 appeared above Deimos's head.

They both died at the same time.

When Kai's eyes opened, he was back at the picturesque lake covered in red glow. The respawn countdown started at 30 seconds — the first penalty. After that, it would climb to one minute, three minutes, five.. and higher every time.

He clenched his fists, praying those bastards watching the duel wouldn't be able to steal everything before he returned. Thirty seconds was too short for them to wipe the loot clean.. they must be fighting each other over it already.

When the countdown hit zero, Kai respawned buck naked at the forest entrance. His skills were all grayed out — five more seconds before they refreshed.

It was so annoying, he had done something so risky. His patience running out with each second. Hopefully he could get his stuff back and more!

Four...

Three...

Kai was already prepared to use Godstep the moment it hit zero.

Two...

A second before it refreshed, a naked Deimos materialized next to him, her body censored in all the right places. Her eyes locked onto him, blazing with fury.

Without hesitation, she lunged at him, fists raised high.

Kai ignored her. He just watched the countdown.

One...

The instant it reached zero, he vanished — swapping places with the arrow he'd shot from high above Deimos.

It worked.

As expected, the monster clearing had erupted into a full-scale brawl. Players swarmed the loot pile like vultures — but none of them were as close as him.

Except...

THWACK!

Somehow, punches were still raining down on his face.

A small -3 damage floated above his head with every hit.

'What the fuck?! Why is she tagged along with me while using MY skill?! It's my fucking skill!'