Chapter 294 Chapter293-The Young Magus Seeking a Photo Op
John cocked his head slightly, his face a picture of relaxed contentment. "Take a guess," he said with a teasing lilt.
The warrior let out a furious roar, his already flushed face starting to show hints of purple.
Lifting his greatsword once more, he unleashed his most potent skill.
Energy surged, and flames rolled.
The blade shimmered with a crimson glow, ensnaring a fiery halo that charged towards John.
Yet, John remained unmoved, seemingly indifferent to the engulfing ring of fire.
As the warrior barrelled forward, spotting John's nonchalant stance, a glint of elation flickered in his eyes.
He hadn't expected John to truly take on his three attacks head-on.
The might of this fiery halo was a secret known only to the warrior.
Acquired from an accidental hidden quest, it was a high-level single-target attack skill.
Its power was immense, something beyond what he should have been able to wield at his current level.
Even though mastering just the rudiments of this skill had consumed many of the warrior's skill points, that bit of knowledge was already enough to elevate him far above his peers.
The warrior was no fool. John's reputation had preceded him, and the earlier provocations were merely strategies to lull John into a false sense of security.
Seeing the encroaching halo of fire inch closer to John, the warrior's joy grew manifold.
Breathing heavily, he exerted all his strength to strike John with his flame-enveloped blade.
The sheer execution of this simple skill nearly drained all his mana.
Finally, they made contact.
"Boom!"
A deep, resonating sound echoed throughout the simulated desert expanse.
The warrior's smirk had just begun to form when it froze upon the clearing of the smoke.
John stood undisturbed in his original spot, hands clasped behind him, his gaze shimmering with an unperturbed serenity.
While the warrior's blade had indeed struck John, the halo of flames on it had silently dissipated without a trace.
Floating above John's head were bright, crimson numbers.
"-1!"
The warrior, face etched with disbelief, looked up, his astonishment making his voice stutter.
"How... How are you... human or monster? My move was my trump card! Even bosses ten levels above me couldn't withstand it unscathed... How did you manage this?"
The warrior's shock stemmed from his realization that his prized lethal skill had failed to breach John's defenses.
Yes, John lost a single HP. But everyone knew that this loss was a system-enforced mechanic, merely to make PvP duels seem more realistic and intense...
John responded with a knowing smile, his face unchanged.
He was utterly nonchalant about the single HP deduction.
Given his vast health pool, even if the warrior could spam his single-target attack relentlessly for an entire day and night, he would only manage to scratch the surface of John's vast HP.
Stroking his chin thoughtfully, John remarked, "I must admit, the damage potential of your skill is indeed impressive. At your level, I doubt anyone else could withstand that strike."
"It isn't a skill unique to your class, is it? You learned it from a different skill book?"
The warrior, panting heavily, clutched his greatsword with both hands.
He stabbed it into the desert floor, using it to prop up his wobbly frame.
His gaze, still filled with disbelief, remained fixed on John.
Due to the massive energy expenditure, the warrior's stance wavered.
John shook his head sympathetically, "We did agree on three moves, but it seems you might not muster a third..."
"Be wary," he added gently, "It's my turn now."
The warrior, hearing John's casual remark, instantly became alert, looking up with heightened vigilance.
The warrior mustered the last of his energy, deploying every defensive skill at his disposal in an instant.
Radiant barriers, shimmering with luminescence, formed around his burly frame, appearing formidable.
He held no illusion that he could easily evade an attack from a formidable adversary like John.
In the game "Godslayer", the evasion attribute was only effective against foes of equal or lower levels.
If an opponent's speed attribute surpassed one's evasion, the attack would land without fail.
At this juncture, the warrior's sole option was to brace himself and withstand John's onslaught.
By now, the warrior harbored no illusions of victory.
His previous attempts had highlighted the vast chasm of power between John and him — an insurmountable gulf.
His sole focus was to weather just one of John's attacks, ensuring that even in defeat, he maintained his dignity.
Seeing the warrior's determined stance, John, with a gentle smile, casually raised his palm and flicked it.
A fleeting shadow of dark radiance shot forth.
This ray, seeming to traverse time and space, reached the warrior in a blink of an eye.
Before the warrior could react, his protective barriers melted away, as if ice exposed to the blazing sun.
He gazed down, witnessing a growing wound on his chest...
The warrior opened his mouth to speak, but before any words escaped, his HP was entirely depleted.
His form crumbled like sand, dissipating into the virtual desert landscape.
A one-hit kill.
Inside the resplendent hall of the arena, the throngs of spectators were rendered utterly silent.
After what felt like an eternity, a faint, breathless voice finally broke the silence.
"If I'm not mistaken, did Galewind's strike just deal true damage?"
That single utterance sent ripples through the crowd, like a boulder crashing into a tranquil pond, prompting a fervent whirlwind of discussion among the audience.
"Damn, is the gap really that massive?"
"I think I recognize that broadsword-wielding warrior. He's a formidable solo player. To think he couldn't withstand even a single blow from Galewind..."
"What's so surprising? Isn't Galewind known to one-shot leaders of the world's top ten guilds?"
"Just how powerful is Galewind? Facing him, we seem like nothing more than mere mortals..."
"Regardless, had that strike landed on me, even as a heavily-armored warrior, I wouldn't have withstood it!"
...
The onlooking players, agog, collectively marveled at John's prowess.
What seemed like a casual strike from him bore the force of a thousand thunderbolts; its terrifying might surpassed all their imaginations.
Speculation and debate abounded among the players, many surmising that John's level was exceptionally high.
Some even speculated he had broken past the game's set limits.
[System Notification: Winner of this PK match: Galewind...]
The mechanical and impassive system voice echoed throughout the virtual desert.
[Would the player like to continue?]
John, seemingly unenthused, glanced up and without hesitation opted to continue the PK battle.
He had casually browsed the competitive rankings earlier.
Even after clinching a PK victory, his rank was still well past the hundred-thousand mark, due to the system's assessment that his overwhelming performance had greatly exceeded his level.
Internally, John reflected on how, with the arena feature only having been open for about a day, so many players had already engaged.
Starting from a six-digit rank and working his way up meant that John had at least dozens of PK matches ahead.
For someone as battle-thirsty as John, how could he pass up such a prime opportunity?
With John's affirmation, the system began searching for the next opponent.
In the vast expanse of this virtual desert, where golden sands stretch endlessly, the scene remains unchanged.
Rapidly materializing before John is an ethereal figure.
The figure solidifies, revealing a youthful face characterized by boyish charm—a stark contrast to the barren landscape.
John calmly takes in the sight before him, evidently his second opponent in the arena.
The boy, garbed in a cerulean mage robe, clutches a faintly glowing wand and cautiously lifts his gaze.
Before even registering John's features, he swiftly retreats, increasing the distance between them.
John nods in approval. A prudent player indeed, understanding the vulnerabilities of a magus class—needing distance to keep adversaries at bay.
Finally, the boy gets a clear view of John, his demeanor momentarily stunned.
The prominent "Galewind" inscribed above John evidently takes the young magus's breath away.
"You're... Galewind, the legend?"
John's eyes, gleaming with amusement, watch the transition of emotions on the boy's face—from bewilderment to excitement, and finally to sheer fanaticism.
"Oh my god, I've matched with Galewind! This is unreal! Galewind, you're the idol of everyone in my dorm!"
"Does the arena have a photo feature? Can I get a picture with you? If my classmates find out I matched with you in the arena, they'd die of envy!"
The boy's words, spilling out in an excited, incoherent barrage, leave John momentarily at a loss for words.
Could this guy actually be a kid in real life?
Lines of exasperation creased John's forehead as he looked at the young magus before him, who seemed to be acting like an excited fanboy.
The youngster's fervent gaze was quite overwhelming.
"Stop!" John interjected, raising a hand to halt the boy's incessant ramblings. "Kid, this is an arena. We're opponents here. Whatever requests you have, shouldn't they wait until after the battle?"
The youthful magus's face lit up with excitement, "The honor of crossing wands with Galewind, the legend? It's beyond words! But the picture has to be now! Once I lose, I'll be forcibly ejected from this virtual space."
John could only respond with silence.
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