Dragona's Awakening: MMORPG System

Nathan watched the previous fight with a smug look, his confidence fully intact. "There's no way they win against us" he thought. "Not with my father's buff on me."

The qualification rounds had left only 50 teams standing. Nathan's team placed 13th, while Ryuichi and MorTyous had secured an impressive 6th place. The atmosphere was heavy as the battles had to continue, where only the best would advance. The jungle had set as the environment for this turn, humid and dense. The seriousness of the competition was undeniable.

As the semi-final round approached, a massive dome descended over the battleground—a shimmering barrier that began to shrink slowly with a 3-minute timer. The stakes were high: anyone touching the edge of the dome would suffer 100 damage per second. There was no room for error. The zone was tightening, and the fights were becoming even more dangerous.

During the break before the semifinals, Ryuichi received a message that caught him off guard. "Hey, my sweet little thief, make sure you win for me now. I'm so hot for you seeing you fight like that", read the message from Niyane. It came with a teasing image of her laying in bed, dressed in pajamas, sending him a kiss while moving playfully, showing just enough to keep him yearning for what could happen tonight.

"I've got to win this", Ryuichi thought, "If I really want to hit it off with her tonight."

The spirit's voice suddenly echoed in his mind. "You're doing pretty good, but don't get cocky. These people aren't pushovers. Be smart."

"I will," Ryuichi responded confidently. "We've got this. We're ranked 6th in wins so far."

As they prepared for their next battle, MorTyous glanced around. "This place is soaked. Perfect for my lightning," he said with a grin.

"The next team we will face consist of two priests—a Judicator Priest and a Holy Priest." Ryuichi said.

"This is an Eternal Wrath Duo," MorTyous muttered grimly, looking at the fight grid.

"What's that?" Ryuichi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a pain in the ass, that's what. They curse you, shield themselves, and keep stacking the curses while healing. One specializes in healing and dispelling with light wrath curses, and the other is focused on divine wrath with just enough healing to make sure we don't have it easy, more they can share mana with a special spell called Divine Church. It's going to be a tough one."

As the dome shimmered over the island, the tension mounted. Ryuichi and MorTyous eyed the Eternal Wrath Duo across the jungle battlefield. The Judicator Priest stood with a stern expression, a glowing hammer of divine wrath in hand, while the Holy Priest seemed calm, channeling constant waves of healing light.

"This isn't going to be easy", Ryuichi thought.

"Alright," MorTyous muttered, "Stick to the plan. Hit them hard and fast, before they can get those shields up."

Ryuichi nodded, and as the countdown hit zero, they sprang into action.

Ryuichi darted forward, his agility allowing him to close the distance almost instantly. He went for the Judicator Priest first, landing a vicious strike with his poisoned dagger. But as soon as the blade made contact, the priest's body was encased in a glowing golden shield, deflecting the blow and nullifying the poison. "Damn it!" Ryuichi thought.

Meanwhile, MorTyous unleashed a surge of lightning from his hands, arcing through the humid air toward the Holy Priest. The lightning struck hard, but just as quickly as it hit, the Holy Priest conjured a shimmering barrier of light, healing the damage in a flash. The barrier even reflected part of the lightning back toward MorTyous, forcing him to dodge.

"These guys are playing defense like it's their full-time job!" Ryuichi shouted, frustration creeping into his voice.

The Judicator Priest raised his hammer, and a pulse of divine energy shot through the air, hitting Ryuichi square in the chest. His health bar dropped instantly by 20%, and to his horror, a creeping curse appeared on his status screen—Wrath of the Judicator. It would deal steady damage over time, and he knew it would only get worse.

"They're just playing with us!" MorTyous growled. He summoned a Fire Totem to spread flames through the battlefield, hoping to break their concentration. But the Holy Priest, ever the nuisance, stood back and kept healing, restoring every bit of damage the fire caused.

Ryuichi's frustration boiled over. He vanished into Spectral Walk, trying to flank them, but the Judicator Priest was ready. A pulse of holy light revealed Ryuichi's position, nullifying his stealth. "How are they countering everything?!" he said.

"Enough of this," Ryuichi muttered. His mind worked fast, trying to figure out a weakness. "We need to focus on the Judicator Priest first. He's casting their shields—without him, the Holy Priest won't stand a chance."

"Right," MorTyous nodded, eyes flashing with determination.

The Judicator swung his hammer again, sending more divine energy spiraling toward them. MorTyous braced himself, but Ryuichi darted behind the Judicator, casting Shadow Stitch at just the right moment. Dark tendrils lashed out and immobilized the priest, holding him in place.

"Now!" Ryuichi shouted.

MorTyous didn't hesitate. He unleashed a devastating Lightning Storm, the dark clouds gathering overhead in the thick, humid air. Thunder rumbled, and jagged bolts of lightning rained down, slamming into the Judicator Priest's shield. The divine barrier flickered, cracks forming as the storm bore down on it.

With a final surge, the shield shattered, leaving the Judicator exposed.

Ryuichi moved in, his blades flashing with deadly precision. He struck with a series of fast, calculated blows, each one infused with poison. The Judicator staggered, his health bar plunging as the poison seeped into his system.

The Holy Priest scrambled to heal, throwing waves of light toward his companion, but without the Judicator's shields, his efforts were barely enough to keep the fight going.

"Don't let up!" MorTyous shouted, sending another bolt of lightning toward the Holy Priest. The priest managed to deflect some of the damage, but it was clear the tide had turned.

Ryuichi dealt the final blow to the Judicator, his dagger cutting deep. The priest collapsed, his health drained to zero. The Holy Priest was now alone, panicked and desperate. He summoned a last-ditch barrier of light, but his mana was nearly spent.

MorTyous grinned, planting a Water Totem that sent ripples of elemental magic through the air. "Time to end this." he said.

A massive bolt of lightning shot from the sky, tearing through the Holy Priest's barrier and sending sparks flying. His armor crackled with energy, and with a sharp snap, the enchanted cloth disintegrated, fragments flying and dematerializing in a burst of divine light. The priest's health plummeted to zero as the final lightning bolt struck him dead center.

With a groan, the Holy Priest collapsed, defeated.

Ryuichi stood over the fallen priest, catching his breath. The crowd roared in approval, their cheers echoing through the battlefield.