Chapter 94: Ambush in the Shadows
The moment Hot In The Middle dropped dead, Hotin Hell's HP hit zero as well, brought down by the lingering corrosion effect.
Malik bent to retrieve the loot—
Stab!
An Assassin materialized behind him like a phantom from the abyss, plunging a dagger deep into his back.
> [You've been stabbed by Player Bolt911, creating a stunning effect for 5 seconds.]
"Shit... how can I be so careless?" Malik cursed under his breath. "I won't be able to move for five whole seconds…"
Whirlwind Slash!
Bolt Fang!
Wind Strike!
Flame Slash!
Phantom Slash!
The lurking players who had hidden in the shadows now sprang into motion like hungry hyenas sensing wounded prey. With Malik unable to budge, attacks rained down like a torrential storm. Blow after blow smashed into his body, leaving no gap for breathing. When the effect finally wore off, Malik was encircled—dozens of Tier 2 players of every profession surrounding him like wolves cornering a lone lion.
"All those skills… and he only lost twenty percent of his HP?"
"The rumors weren't lies… this guy really is on demon time!"
"Everyone! Unleash everything! No mercy! No room for him to counter!" a Warrior barked, eyes bloodshot with frenzy as he activated Skill: Bash, his shield flaring with a blinding light.
The flash burst across Malik's vision like a solar flare.
> [You've been blinded. Sight disabled for 5 seconds.]
"He's blind!" the Warrior roared. "Rangers! Elementalists! What are you waiting for?! Let's earn that bounty!"
Blazing Arrow!
Glacial Spears!
Ice Spikes!
Long-range attacks shot out from every direction like fireworks at a death parade, all aimed at one man. Though Malik's vision had failed him, his enhanced senses remained on full alert. Unfortunately, those senses could only do so much when the sky itself seemed to fall.
So he vanished instead.
Stealth.
Just like that, he was gone—disappeared from the battlefield as if plucked from existence. Players froze mid-attack. Even the Assassins, trained to read traces, blinked in confusion.
"He can use stealth?" someone stammered.
"I thought he was some martial arts class. How is he using stealth?!"
"Or maybe… he's actually an Assassin in disguise?" one player muttered. But when he turned around, all he saw were two lonely items resting on the ground.
"Aarghhh!" The player screamed, voice trembling. "He's here! He's attacking us from the shadows!"
"He's here—!"
"I'm dying—!"
"I'm unwilling—!"
Screams of anguish rang through the clearing as Malik struck from the darkness. Tier 2 players fell like chopped timber, leaving behind only loot and panic.
"Everyone stay sharp! Stealth only lasts a minute! Don't scatter!" shouted Bolt911, the same Assassin who'd landed the first stab.
"MT! Behind you!" another voice cried.
The Warrior who had blinded Malik turned instinctively, raising his shield just in time to intercept Malik's twin daggers.
Infernal Dagger Slash!
A ripple of fire erupted from Malik's blades, wrapping around the Warrior in a deadly embrace. Within seconds, the man exploded like a furnace overcharged, leaving behind nothing but loot.
"We can't win—he's a monster!"
"Forget the bounty! We're just lining up to die!"
Panic brewed like a poison, weakening their will. Malik stood like a phantom king, shrouded in menace.
"I refuse to cower because of a Tier 1 player!" A massive player stepped forward, dragging a blade larger than some men's torsos. "I'll destroy him with my Greatsword!"
Malik turned his gaze to the speaker, his instincts flaring. He activated Eyes of Insight.
> [Bull44 the Great Berserker]
Tier: 2
Level: 84
HP: 600,000
Description: A man with the strength of a bull. The Great Berserker himself.
"Such a tyrannical description…" Malik muttered, eyes twitching.
Charge!
Bull44 roared as he rushed forward, closing the distance in under two seconds. His Greatsword descended like a divine hammer, aimed to cleave Malik in two.
Malik crossed his daggers to block, but the sheer force quaked the earth beneath him.
> [-300 HP]
"Stop blocking my blade, bastard!" Bull44 bellowed, swinging again with even more fury.
As Malik lifted his Bloodcleaver to parry, a sudden presence flared behind him. Instinct kicked in. Twisting his body mid-motion, Malik blocked the sneak attack with his off-hand dagger.
> [-2000 HP]
The corrosive dagger struck deep. And before he could pull away—
Backstab!
> [You've been backstabbed by Player499, creating a stunning effect for 5 seconds.]
"This is too good," Bull44 grinned wide, then activated his skill:
Battle Roar!
The ground shook as he let out a bestial roar, buffing nearby players with a 10% Strength increase and reducing Malik's defense by 20%.
Blinding Sight!
Wavering Slash!
Thunder Strike!
Lightning Surge!
Flame Expulsion!
Malik's HP nosedived, falling below the 50% mark. When the stun ended, the players started backing off, wary of a sudden stealth escape.
"Don't panic! Stealth's still on cooldown—attack with everything you've got!" Bolt911 yelled, vanishing again into stealth mode.
Malik sighed. "They're just too many. I've got to find a way out."
Deflecting a blow with his dagger, he thrust Bloodcleaver to the sky.
Rending Dagger Strike!
Ten crimson energy lines ripped through the air like blades of vengeance, crashing into players and stunning them for 4 seconds.
Infernal Corrosive Slash!
The follow-up was brutal—an execution. Players below level 70 had no chance; their bodies dropped like flies.
Out of the hundred Tier 2s that surrounded him, Malik had already halved their numbers. The rest were hesitating.
Bolt911 reappeared behind him for another sneak—
But Malik activated Iron Monkey Stance.
The sneak failed. In one swift counter, Malik's corrosive dagger flew.
Bolt911 reappeared meters away, a dagger lodged in his gut. Black energy gnawed at his insides, devouring him from within as his HP plummeted down at a visible rate.
"Senior…" Bolt911 whispered, falling to his knees before collapsing like a withered leaf.
An Assassin stepped forward, unsheathing a curvy dagger.
"You've made the Black Crescent Guild proud, Bolt911… This seat shall avenge you."