NOVEL NEXT Chapter 56
[Infinity Arena Final – Match 2]
[Battlefield: Fairy Tree Great Forest]
[vs AT Kelberos (Amsalja)]
Finally, it feels like I’m face-to-face with my opponent.
The ace of the prestigious AT in Europe. The star of a dazzling career.
The Amsalja, renowned as the best in the world, stands before me.
After the promised first ambush,
a knight on a black horse galloped across the dense green forest.
It seems he was thinking of trampling me with his hooves!
I definitely have no interest in being crushed beneath that massive horse.
I rolled my body toward the side with the shield to evade.
Just by bringing the dagger close, the blood of the beast stained the field.
As the summon of the warhorse was lifted, Kelberos landed back on the ground.
“Swapped the axe for a sword, huh? Seems you’ve bent a bit.”
Among Kelberos’s two favored weapons, the sword was chosen.
It’s superior in destructive power, of course, but the choice of the sword indicates he’s not just planning to crush me with physical strength.
Our weapons collided for the first time.
The energy was different this time; it was clear he was coming at me with full force.
I thought I wouldn’t gain any valid data, but
Kelberos’s defense was far sturdier and more solid than I anticipated.
And each strike carried a heavy weight!
It’s true that knight classes have high strength by nature.
But this is a different realm entirely from mere stats.
If the perfect timing and line of attack aren’t present, such power won’t manifest.
The success rate of parrying is longer with higher defense and shorter with stronger incoming attacks.
With this level of power, overcoming the tricky timing would be essential.
The violet aura of the sword spread as if it were taking over the surroundings.
The blue foliage of the Great Forest shriveled and began to darken gradually.
The blooming flowers took on a grotesque appearance.
[You are affected by the effect of “Fierce Malice.”]
[Whenever you are hit by the Dark Knight’s attack, this effect stacks.]
[You will take amplified damage proportional to the number of stacks.]
The Dark Knight class was launched as the complete opposite of the Paladin.
No support abilities for allies. No self-healing.
Instead, it has a style that imposes debuffs on enemies and finishes them off with aggressive skills.
That violet aura and the ugly flowers were part of that debuff.
Just approaching brings me into the range of the curse, stacking up the malice.
Normally, it seemed like he favored defensive buffs, but now it’s clearly a slowdown.
If this keeps up for too long, my mobility will wane as well.
Under normal circumstances, I would lose a ton of magic.
But this battlefield happens to be the Fairy Tree Great Forest. I can replenish my magic anytime!
“Feels a bit stuffy.”
There seems to be absolutely no opening to exploit.
Perhaps due to reflecting on the previous match, the lower defenses have become quite sturdy, and the countermeasures in the back are flawless.
Even when I try to initiate an aggressive exchange with skills, he didn’t easily respond.
I’ve stabbed his wrist holding the sword multiple times, but…
[You are affected by the effect of “Fierce Malice.”]
[Stacked amounts…]
[You are affected by the effect of “Curse of Nact.” ]
[Your movement speed decreases by 3%, and the decrease is proportional to the stacked amount.]
As the debuffs piled up, it became an uneventful exchange.
I thought I’d blocked the attack, but the magic explosion went off a beat late, causing damage.
This is a trick the Ripper used to do well.
Though it doesn’t compare to the original, it’s one troublesome technique added to the mix.
Never used this trick even in pro matches before.
“Maybe I’m not the only one with hidden weapons?”
Kelberos thrust his sword into the ground.
An ominous wave spread from the blade, and my only escape was upward.
A shadow leapt up from the other side, drawing a semicircle at Kelberos.
I thought the sight wouldn’t come out well.
But from the ringing of the clear sound, it seems I successfully parried.
I used the Silver Magic set as a springboard, moving to the branches of the Fairy Tree.
After using the sky as a temporary hideout, I dove down toward the ground.
No way could even Kelberos guard against this hit!
[You are affected by the effect of “Whisper of the Black Moon.”]
[All attack power, movement speed, and counterattack judgments are beneficial…]
[Some skills are enhanced…]
Using an important buff, I shattered his left shoulder.
Following a strike from the longsword, I raised my shield like a fortress.
Natural reflexes had me grabbing the top of the shield as I jumped as high as I could.
In this upside-down world, I could see the top of Kelberos’s head.
A kind-hearted assassin shows her gratitude with poison and daggers in moments like this.
I hurled a dagger toward the chain mail covering his neck beside his black helmet.
I did crouch a bit, which distorted the hit point significantly, but one out of three daggers landed.
With that, it felt like a pleasant exchange.
I hid my body back under the Fairy Tree and set down my Silver Magic again.
Setting down early makes it easier to use as a springboard later!
“I wasn’t designed to be used this way, but…”
The advantage I have in this match is my ability to utilize the air.
The opponent is the slow-footed Dark Knight. There’s only one reason to transport my Silver Magic, and that’s as springboards.
That guy’s not going to get tangled in Silver Magic, so it’s better to hang it up top from the start and use it myself.
While distracting with ninjutsu, shadows rose behind Kelberos.
The black spikes pierced through his shoulder.
The clone attacking from the opposing side was crushed by a violet claw.
In that moment, I wounded his side and leaped.
Using the established Silver Magic, I made a turn.
As soon as I jumped to the other side, a black strike shot toward where I was.
My precious Silver Magic broke off, sagging helplessly.
What a waste, but I targeted Kelberos’s head once more.
“Annoying, aren’t you?”
“The assassin is usually like that, right?”
Though I said that, my frustration didn’t ease.
Kelberos’s guard isn’t invincible.
I’m the one who pierced through the Spear Knight’s shield. There’s no one in this world who can achieve a perfect defense against me.
But with every time I breach that sturdy wall, my own blood loss becomes a significant issue.
[The effect of “Fierce Malice”…]
Damnable affliction just keeps piling up!
The opponent’s attacks grow stronger, but that armored knight shows no signs of crumbling.
Simple calculations reveal the health lead I have isn’t enough to overcome this.
The empowered strike divided into several branches.
Blocking it isn’t too hard. If I block with both daggers simultaneously, I’ll definitely land a parry.
I don’t want that to happen!
I slid back using shadows just as the pitch-black rain started to pour.
I’m being read. No, I’m precisely being led here.
Assuming we’re both putting forth our best plays, I really had no choice but to wind up here.
‘This can’t keep going.’
For an instant, it looks like I have the advantage in battle.
In this acrobatic fight, I took the lead.
However, the springboards I could rely on are disappearing little by little.
The branches of the Fairy Tree began to be severed.
The Silver Magic pieces I kept using aren’t unlimited.
No matter how good I am, I can’t maneuver in the air without any springboards.
Little by little… my footing is being bound.
‘I need to take a gamble. Before it’s too late!’
The moment I used the last of my Silver Magic, my magic exploded out!
Just as I plan to take cover behind the Fairy Tree leaves, a massive chain rain down from the sky.
To kill the opponent, I must risk my safety.
I plunged into the skill range alongside my clone, and the summoned chain passed perilously close beside me.
While Kelberos’s shield intercepted the chain, I darted in from behind in one swift move.
I did it. I broke through the guard—
“You’re impressively quick on the draw.”
The instant I thought I’d broken through his guard,
what I saw were swirling masses of magic on top of Kelberos’s armor.
Had he been hiding that behind his shield all this time?
I know what it is.
It’s a skill originally designed to control territory.
Rather than being used to impress someone, it’s a wide-area skill that forces someone to back off in a certain area.
Having that close to his body means one thing.
Self-detonation. That fool trusts his defense and plans to blow me up right in front of him!
Kelberos tossed away his sword and grabbed my arm.
“You crazy son of a…!”
Just looking at the countdown made it seem like there wasn’t much time left.
And honestly, it could be sped up with just a little magic put in.
There’s no time! I have to exploit this small opening.
I executed the best attack I could muster.
I ripped his shoulder, shoved a dagger into the weak neck area of the armor.
Just as I was about to slice his neck with the blade—
A huge explosion blasted my body away.
The guard gauge didn’t withstand a moment; it was completely incinerated.
My body lost control and stopped only after crashing against a wooden pillar.
When my briefly blank vision recovered, the surroundings appeared only as a blur.
The match isn’t over.
It seems I managed to survive somehow, but my body is a living corpse.
Only about 3% of my health remains. I can’t move an inch due to all the injuries and fractures.
But even before that, it hurt too much.
I gritted my teeth to hold back a scream that would be too embarrassing to let out.
Soon, Kelberos, having recovered a bit, strode toward me confidently.
In his hand was the broken sword.
The dagger in my neck was my gift, having barely snagged near the spine.
Kelberos spoke, looking shocked.
“I never imagined you’d push me this far in that short time. You truly are a monster.”
My heart soon began to hurt but then… it stopped hurting.
[You have been killed by AT Kelberos.]
[You will not receive a death penalty for the reason of ‘Infinity Arena.’]
[You will respawn in the ‘Player Waiting Room.’]