Taznaar's wings of fire were like Ichor, the ethereal fluid said to be what runs through the veins of the gods, and it burned intensely. As he was flying over his opponents, on his face appeared a smile that showed a mixture of cruelty and arrogance. His hair was burning too, like flames, as clear as the sun at the top of the sky.
The <Phoenix> skill was not a skill like the others, because it was not just an increment to the player, it was like a transformation that made him much stronger, and Taznaar knew that, that's why he was so confident.
"Nothing can stop me now!" Taznaar spoke his thought aloud, because no restraints were holding him back.
On the other hand, Kaizen said nothing. His mind was a whirlwind of ideas.
Unlike Myth2, where it was possible to memorize the skills of all the champions in the game and thus predict what each player could do, consequently also knowing their play style, in Rise Online there was no way to predict this kind of thing, at least not without a good informant and without much experience. In other words, the <Phoenix> ability took Kaizen by surprise.
Looking at the Psyker eagerly, hoping to find out what his next move would be, Taznaar felt an odd sensation as he looked directly into Kaizen's eyes. Even through that mask it seemed that the black-haired man was not looking at him, but beyond him. And not for nothing, Kaizen was wearing <Analyzing Eye>.
[Player: Taznaar.
Level: 76 | Race: Human | Gender: Male | Class: Fire Elementalist
Profession: Guild Leader, Commander
HP: 900 | MP: 630
Attack: 102 | Defense: 41 | Speed: 94
Strength: 78 | Wisdom: 99 | Endurance: 55
Abilities:
<Phoenix>.
<Elemental Increment>.
<Explosive Charge>.
<Sheath of Flames>.
<Fire Ray>.
<Free Handling of Flames>.
<Commander's Enhancement>.
<Leadership Order>].
'As I thought, although he is stronger than Leohorn, his level is lower. This fits with my theory that he was not a beta tester, by him not trying to intimidate Bleeding Lily, nor intimidate Korgrak. But those high attack attributes of his will certainly be a problem.... Also, he has used only two skills from his vast array of skills so far. Does he consider the others weaker than the ones he has already used, or is he still underestimating me?'
Kaizen was coldly analyzing the situation and his mind was focused, even though the stadium was going wild with Taznaar's wings.
'Well, thinking about his build now won't do any good, because I can't run away from this fight. All that's left for me now is to decide which skill I'm going to copy from this guy, because I won't have time to get around to copying another skill after using <Apograph of Skills> once. Should I copy <Phoenix>? No, it seems too strong to me and I would love to have wings to look cool, but there is a more useful skill... Yes, I've made up my mind, I'll have this one.'
[Activating Class Skill <Approach of Skills>.]
[~Copy Condition~
Taznaar is an extremely smug person. Make him go through an embarrassment he has never gone through in his entire life].
'Put him to shame? You didn't even have to ask...' Kaizen thought and then shouted, "Ravastine, use <Dark Cut> on the pigeon in the sky."
"Pigeon?" She asked, confused, but immediately remembered Taznaar, so she smiled and prepared to use the skill. "You can leave it to me!"
"AAH! You're not going to use anything no!" Ricroar shouted, charging like a bull toward the princess.
Ravastine didn't even pay him any mind, because he trusted Psyker fully. All said and done, Ricroar's momentum was suddenly halted when he felt his entire body being held by a mysterious force. Without understanding, he looked around and realized that Kaizen was staring at him with a closed right hand.
"DAMN!"
Taznaar was too foolish to give a damn what Ravastine was doing while Kaizen, the man he hated the most, was standing before him, so he flew down, fast as a hawk.
Halfway to the ground, Taznaar was hit in the chest by a <Dark Cut> that threw him several feet to the side, causing him to fall hard to the ground. Despite this, when he got up, the wounds and scratches, evident on his skin, were healed quickly.
With his arms open and looking at the closing wounds, including from the cut caused by Ravastine, Taznaar shouted:
"In this form I am practically immortal! You have no chance against me!"
The drow tried to advance against the Psyker after being released from the <Telekinesis>, but was stopped by Ravastine and Jayaa, who got in front of him. The princess was fast and strong enough to be able to protect the bard, and Jayaa made her stronger with her songs.
"You are not immortal, you are an annoying little shit harder to kill than the other cockroaches, just that, let's say you are a flying cockroach." Kaizen said with a serious countenance, standing still. Behind him, Ravastine and Jayaa were fighting Ricroar.
"Did you just call me a flying cockroach? I'll show you what a cockroach can do to an ant then!" exclaimed Taznaar, and with a swift thrust he left his seat, destroying the entire ground he had just been standing on.
A crash accompanied the phoenix-man's momentum, and a sword of fire appeared in his hand halfway to Kaizen, but even that was not enough to stop the Psyker.
Kaizen raised his left hand and waited for the right moment. He had everything calculated in his mind. Thanks to Taznaar's simple, thoughtless movements, this was not so difficult. When Taznaar was just inches away from Kaizen and confident that he would jam the fire sword into the masked man's chest, the Psyker took a simple step to the side and then a powerful slap to the Desert Lions Guild Leader's face, burying him in the ground.
*SLAP!*
*TRUMM*
The sound of Kaizen's palm colliding with Taznaar's face echoed throughout the Arena, leaving it silent. Soon after, everyone started smiling and laughing at Taznaar's face. If it was a punch instead of a slap, maybe being hit after showing so much confidence wouldn't be so humiliating for Taznaar
"HAHAHAHA! He was so confident and was easily subdued!"
"MANO! I'M GOING TO DIE LAUGHING! EHEHE!
"There! That slap hurt even me!"
"How humiliating, man! I wouldn't know what to do in that situation!"
"My stomach...! I can't stop laughing! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Buuuu! You got what you deserve!"
"Taznaar wimp, you deserved the slap!"
"Aspirational satisfaction!"
In the live webnet broadcast chats, the reaction was very similar to that of the audience in the Arena.
[MrDanielKK: AHSHAHSAHS
NofrP: OMEGALUL
rigby_rijuice: That slap hurt even me!
moesh: Ouch! If I were Taznaar, I would bury my head in the ground right now, like an ostrich! Then I wouldn't have to deal with this shame.
V1nay: Man, that was the most humiliating thing I have ever seen anyone go through...
CR7_owasu: OK. Taznaar has no chance of winning. His ego was too big for such a small brain.
Dr.Five: The masked man just retired Taznaar with a single slap! OMG!
Aknzer: You'd better quit the game after this embarrassment, Taznaar!
Gabeco: Kaizen is too fucked up, there's no way to face him without being humiliated! Taznaar is finding this out first hand!]
In Psyker's view, what he did to Taznaar was nothing more than necessary. There were more humiliating ways to shame him, but this was the most obvious one he thought of and the result was no different than what he longed for to get a new skill.
[You have achieved the conditions.]
[You have successfully copied the skill 'Free Manipulation of Flames (A)'.]
[Do you wish to save this skill? YES/NO.]
[The copied skill is saved in the Apograph deck.]
[Skill: Free Manipulation of Flames
A Fire Elementalist's main skill is the power to create flames, so you will be able to generate fire through the use of your mana. Large amounts of flames will require more mana, both to create them, and also to keep them alive.
When you create fire with your own hands, you can do whatever you want with it, manipulate it as you wish, but you cannot manipulate other sources of fire that are not created by you, nor will you become immune to fire other than your own.
(Note: if you use the fire manipulation power the wrong way, you may acquire a curse called <Ifrite's Hate>, so be cautious.)
Difficulty of Acquisition: A.]
...
Edited by: DrHitsuji
If you want to see original illustrations of Rise Online characters, consider helping me on pa treon: Pa treon.com/NandoFalske
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https://discord.gg/bpqq9u4gS8
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