[ Name : Baddan ]
[ Tier : 14 ]
[ Level : 344 ]
[ Core : Purple ]
[ Class : Beckoned Sky Watcher ]
[ Race : Beckoned Sky Watcher ]
[ Inv. Status : Barely holding in murderous thoughts ]
...
This had been all Skullius had chosen to look at before listening to the rules that Baddan explained.
While the rules of the game were simple to understand, generally speaking, the fact that he was about to face a Tier 14 Cluster beast... which, judging by its class, and race, was also 'Beckoned', like the Retrievers...
Skullius almost lost the remnants of composure he had.
What was worse, he cursed the Cluster beast Baddan for pretending he was a sagely, composed, reasonable creature when he was itching to kill them!
This added to Skullius' anxiety on how everything was going to play out, and from the looks of Maxim's face, she too was quite unsure of what the outcome was going to be. She was more briskly giving in to the fact that they had to work together to get out of this, even if this was supposed to be an everyone-man-for-himself Royale.
Tallo seemed relaxed, but he was feeling a rush of emotion. Perhaps there wasn't much concern in this rush, but he had to be feeling apprehensive at the very least. Skullius hated that about him. If this guy just wanted a challenge, why didn't he just get out of Genhuis City, and hunt himself a purple Cluster instead of coming here?!
Thinking about this turned meaningless rather quickly though. It soon became time for Skullius to give his all into thinking about how best he could contribute in this... game.
As Baddan had said, the game was simple.
Apparently, in its traditional form, it started with a Sky Watcher like himself, going up against a hundred or so of his kin – the name of which became more confusing when he saw Baddan's status. The Sky Watcher was supposed to herd the participants away from the first circle, until they were outside the bounds of the third circle. Said participants were supposed to prevent that from happening through any means at their disposal. Any at all.
The Sky Watcher had handicaps which were lifted as he herded away the participants from circle to circle.
While in the innermost or first circle, he could only use his physical abilities, and his bonded weapons. When he herded the participants to the second circle, the Sky Watcher could use his racial, and class abilities in addition. In the outer ring, he could use everything else without holding back.
That said, he couldn't use the abilities he was allowed in any ring, unless he had driven participants into it – any number of them.
The game lasted for roughly 10 minutes – translating the unit of time became difficult during the explanation – and by the end of it, only those who were still standing in the innermost ring were deemed victorious.
All simple, generally speaking, but Skullius wasn't too hopeful.
He and the others managed to read in between the lines, as Baddan didn't specify everything for them.
First of all, they had a chance in the first, and maybe second circle, but in the outermost, Baddan would be able to use every other ability beside his weapons, and techniques.
That meant, he could use his Majestic Territory.
It was obvious that the Cluster beast had one.
Second, as Baddan had mentioned before, motion was indeed under his control. Any other movement that had nothing to do with playing the game, was met with the slowing effect, as per his will.
Lastly, the time limit on the game spoke for itself. Participants couldn't last long against the Sky Watcher.
"Hopefully we can trust that he will actually do as he promised, if we win," Skullius had whispered to Maxim.
"I'm prepared for disappointment..." she had replied.
Now, as they stood, facing the humanoid beast in his clean, greyish, baggy attire, in his hands two short spears – assegais – one in gleaming gold, the other in charcoal, lustreless black, Cruel Spear's words seemed to have a bit more depth.
"We can begin... at any time you wish..." Baddan the Cruel Spear said in a mellow voice, as if he couldn't care less about all this, but Skullius knew otherwise.
Tallo was about to say they could begin when Skullius dived at him and covered his mouth.
"Wait!" he hurriedly said before glaring at the Mage. "You're so eager to die?!"
"What's there to wait for?"
Skullius scowled.
"You realise we can work together right? Just this once."
"We don't need to. I just need to remain in the innermost circle. I could do that on my own, if I'm capable enough."
"Really? You want to fight, ALONE? Weren't you the one crying about wanting to see what our limits were, or if we could grow together?"
"I never said that."
"Semantics!" Skullius raged, somehow keeping his voice low. "What are you even after anyway?"
Tallo gave Skullius a strange look, a bit of a frown flourishing on his face.
Maxim interjected before he could answer.
"Leave him. I don't want to waste anymore time. The two of us can find our way just as well," she said while popping something into her mouth.
Skullius sighed. Tallo looked to have been about to answer his question when Maxim butted in, but that look of vulnerability was gone now.
He reluctantly left the man's side, and was about to let him start the game when he remembered something crucial.
"Dammit! Wait! Wait! Wait!" he said, and zipped his way towards the corpse of the short Swordsman.
He took the sceptre sword which had fallen to the side – though its peach-coloured blade had retracted into the irregular cube.
As he held it, the odachi blade of energy streaked out, and Skullius found a warm sensation invading him.
This Legendary item counted as a blade, and he could feel its emotions, and its humming.
When Skullius had clutched it earlier, during his fight with the short man, he had finally taken advantage of [Unmatched Sword Sense]'s impressive ability to make swords become like open books to him.
Manipulating them, and turning them against their lesser users became possible after his epiphany. Also, since his sword didn't have as powerful a sense of consciousness as the Bashful Abomination, swaying its loyalty was incredibly easy. One with an inferior Sword Sense wouldn't even begin to understand what Skullius had done.
Skullius looked a distance away to where he imagined Demion's Dance was, still in the form of a serpent. He wasn't sure if he could venture that far away to look for it while Baddan was so eager to get the game started.
'We are definitely going to be pushed that far. I'll look for it then,' Skullius thought.
Shortly after, the game began.
Baddan was aware that Skullius was the one holding back the commencement, and thus, when Skullius held the sceptre sword, he urged them to begin.
Skullius used [Destined Warp Steps] to rush over to Maxim.
Baddan didn't attack immediately.
He still wore the convincing facade on his face, and looked steadily at the trio.
In the next moment, he hunched over, as if readying for a sprint.
The trio cautiously prepared counters.
Was it charge, or a dash that was coming?
Skullius remembered Hobbu Bobbu's outrageous speed and gulped. To raise his own morale, he reminded himself that he was still not yet done dissecting the epiphany he had had earlier. There was still plenty of room to grow, especially in this battle.
...
Maxim who was by his side seemed to have said something that Skullius missed because of the tension. He partly turned to her, and asked that she said it again, but the response that came was a blaring scream.
Or it sounded like it.
It took a sizable chunk of a second for Skullius to realise in horror that... what he heard wasn't a scream.
The first thing he had heard, assuming it to be something Maxim had said, was the nigh imperceptible groan of Maxim who had been carried away by one of the spears Baddan had just thrown!
Neither Skullius nor Tallo had perceived when Baddan had done this – in their perspective, he was hunched over, preparing for what seemed like a charge in front of them!
The scream Skullius had heard afterward, was the sound lagging behind Maxim's impaling, and she was already a quarter of the way into the second circle by the time Skullius turned to her figure.
What the heck kind of logic was that?!
Was that just raw speed?
How could a short spear carry anyone like that?!
The moment Skullius made the move to go and help her, he found, with Crude Vision, that Baddan was already with Maxim, his foot stamping on her chest as soon as she landed.
The gold spear was sticking from her lower chest, surprisingly, and she wheezed, trying to catch her breath.
'Shit!' Skullius thought as he darted faster.
What was more terrifying about Maxim's position right now, was that she was in the second circle!
Baddan could use any racial, and Class techniques he had in this area!
The still face of Baddan rose to meet Skullius' and the Hybrid Luman caught what the Sky Watcher intended.
This was a display to thoroughly stamp their resolve!
Was this creature really looking to appear considerate before the millions watching this or was that a lie?!
Baddan made a series of hand gestures, and uttered four chilling words as soon as he was done, a stream of high quality mana bustling from his purple core!
"Descend, Storm Tainted Kiiyataka!"
...!
Above, the clouds became incredibly restless, and furiously dove down. A cascade of booming noises raged within their blue tinged masses, as if to unite with the howling winds below, as well as the music.
A great shadow moved within the clouds briskly, and not a moment later, where the clouds had dipped, something massive dove down, its form ethereal, glazing, and gorgeous!
Skullius remembered hearing a desperate scream, before even he had to shut his ears, planting himself down because of what followed...
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