Supreme Lord of Soulnight

Weak But Strong

Liwan smiled to himself. Valeria is one tough nut to c***k. It’s time to throw in the bait. I can help you break off from your build’s restriction, he typed and sent the message. Then he waited, giving her time to think about his proposition. Valeria’s reply were a set of coordinates. He deduced it’s her location so he sent the same coordinates to his friends.

True enough, they found the Sidhe at the spot she indicated. She stood immobile, watching them. Her partner the Pugulist came walking to her, leaving their spot.

“Who among you sent me a message?”

“It’s me,” Blade answered in game. “These are my friends, RagingInferno and Shadowstrikes.”

“Hah! A low-level Chevalier? How the hell did you know about my build?” Valeria asked with unmasked suspicion.

She slammed the butt of her staff at the approaching Swarm. Her partner B-Champ finished the monster off with one punch, sending the monster careening past the tall grass until finally landing on it’s back some considerable distance from where they’re standing. The Swarm died the moment it landed on the ground, it’s body disintegrating into the air until it was no more.

“I frequent the forums. I once saw your post, asking how to turn your build around.”

“So, do you have any idea how? Wait, don’t answer that yet. Most importantly, I don’t believe that’s the real reason why you seek me out.”

“Sharp. I like that,” Blade commented.

Valeria gave him nothing but a raised brow, waiting for him to explain himself.

“Actually, you and your partner is the one I was looking for.”

“Pray tell why?” B-Champ joined the conversation.

“You’re a Pugulist, someone I need for my core team. And Valeria is a Hybrid Sidhe, another member I am in need of.”

“My healing is not as effective. Why would you want me to be in your team?”

“I don’t need super healing, I have someone in mind for that. What I need from you is just that, a Hybrid Sidhe, who can pitch in damage and stay alive even when facing a boss.”

Valeria and B-Champ looked at each other. Liwan bid his time, letting the two player discuss in private. He couldn’t afford to f**k up. Valeria is important as well as B-Champ. Losing them would mean saying goodbye to his dreams of reaching the pinnacle of success in Soulnight. It’s unpleasant to say that he’d be using them for his own gains but they wouldn’t be left out as he climbs to the top. He’s not that kind of person. Anyone who has a hand in his success will naturally rise with him. He promised himself that he will be a better person than Melvin and that woman who shredded his self-esteem like a paper fed in a paper-shredder.

“What’s the catch?” B-Champ finally asked.

“None.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Valeria added.

“Believe me, there is no catch. I would only need your loyalty to me and my guild in the future. And you will never find it in yourself that you regretted joining me. Besides, I don’t see people taking you in, in hunts or even in experience grinding. I understand you’re a package deal that’s why I’m asking you two to join us. If you need time to think about it, go ahead.”

“No catch, all benefits, you say?”

“Yes, Valeria. It is.”

“How can we benefit from joining you? You’re all low levels. I already have a level two hundred character, which is my main. I can carry Valeria up until the maximum,” B-Champ said.

Blade nodded his head.

“True, you can do that. But how are you going to take on the quests required by the system? It is no secret that eventually the game developers would introduce advancements for basic characters to catch up with advance characters. To bridge the gap and avoid the advance class overpowering the basic class, it’s imperative. We still have the basic promotional quests at level one hundred fifty and at level two hundred twenty and of course the proficiency quest at level one hundred twenty.”

B-Champ has no response for that. He looked at Valeria.

“Okay. We’re in. What do we need to do?” Valeria finally gave in.

“Why don’t hunt for a boss? We’re a complete party with the additional of you two. It’s about time to build our equipments one by one.”

“What boss? We’re not strong enough,” B-Champ said.

“Before we do that, what are your current levels?”

“Fifty,” Blade answered.

“Same,” echoed RagingInferno and Shadowstrikes.

B-Champs booming laugh filled the air. He was bent to the waist, clutching his midsection, the default action for laughing out loud in the game.

“Are you serious? You’re going to take on some boss with that puny level of yours?”

Blade’s response was chuckle.

“Why don’t you try your strength against RagingInferno here?” he suggested.

“I assume he’s the strongest among the three of you, him being a Warrior,” Valeria blurted.

“Hmm…I’m not so sure about that,” RagingInferno refuted. He swished his sword in the air as if challenging B-Champ. Then he pointed the tip of his sword to B-Champ’s direction. “What do you say?”

“Game.”

“What’s your level by the way?” Shadowstrikes remembered to ask.

“Seventy three.”

Shadowstrikes chuckled and gave RagingInferno a fist bump. “Show him what a level fifty Warrior can do.”

RagingInferno just grinned. A system message flashed on the upper part of their screens in glowing orange texts.

A duel invitation has been issued and accepted. RagingInferno versus B-Champ in Room 1.

As soon as the system message came, RagingInferno and B-Champ disappeared from their spots. The system teleported the two players to the room where their duel is to take place. Blade, Shadowstrikes and Valeria each typed on their chat boxes /watch room 1. It is the command to enable them to spectate the duel. The system then brought them to the room right after they hit on enter on their keyboards.

The two combatants were in the center of the room while the spectators were seated on the side. Funny but there is nothing room-like in there. For all its intents and purposes, it is a literal arena. The place was designed in a circle, with brown bricks laid on the floor. A low wall in white reaching past the character’s waists divides the combat floor and the spectator’s seats. Doric columns holds the arena’s concaved ceiling, with red cloth hanging in between them.

The system counts down the seconds before the official duel starts. Gold text flashed on the center of the players’ screen, indicating the remaining seconds. Only then the duelists would be allowed to attack each other. By default, the count down is set to fifteen seconds once both combatants enters the room, an ample time to get them prepared. Down to the final second, the sound of a horn blasted in the players’ ears, both the combatants and the audience.

B-Champ attacked first with a barrage of punches. His fists were a blur as he delivered his skill Rapid Punch at RagingInferno’s form. RagingInferno was forced defend himself, crossing his arms to shield himself against B-Champ. RagingInferno stepped back a few paces to soften the blow he’s receiving from the enemy. RagingInferno’s hit points decreased in a steady pace until sixty percent was left. After four paces back, he uncrossed his arms just in time for B-Champ pulling back his fists.

Denver made his character drink health potions by repeatedly pushing on a key on his keyboard. His hit points climbed up to seventy percent before he made his own move. RagingInferno raised his arms, broad sword gripped tightly in both hands and shot upward. In two heartbeats, RagingInferno came down with a loud bang, bringing his broadsword slashing down on B-Champ. It was a clean jumping cleave, delivered to the enemy in a flash. B-Champ staggered, swaying left and right, his hit points rapidly decreasing.

But RagingInferno was not done yet. His broadsword glowed red, the red so vivid as if the sword was angry. Then he slammed the broadsword’s tip on the floor, the force creating multiple cracks on the bricks. And along the cracks, molten fire flowed from the broadsword, finding their way into the damaged surface. The effect of the weapon skill Fiery Blow is an AOE, encompassing a large area where B-Champ was standing. Thus, the damage went past through B-Champ’s range of self-defense, delivering a fatal blow.

B-Champ crumpled on the floor, hit points dropping to zero.

“H-How’s that possible?” Valeria murmured.

Blade and Shadowstrikes gave each other a fist bump.