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Chapter 16: What Category of Problem are You?
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If there is one thing that this group was good at, then that's the fact that they have good evasive reflexes.
Especially the one named Garin.
This is a skill that those who fought strong monsters in the S-rank classification in a regular basis have.
Monsters move faster than you think. Especially those in the S-ranks of the order. As they are big, so is the speed of their reflexes. Contrary to the belief that a big monster is slower, in the real essence of the word "monster" itself, the bigger their size, the more vicious and dangerous they are.
Because as the law of the forest dictates, the bigger and stronger devours the weaker ones. Thus, they become kings and rulers of their habitat if they are bigger.
And with size comes the ability to cause fear.
When they attack at incredible speeds backed by their incredible strength, the players are required to use extra fast reflexive ability to dodge. That's why players are advised to slowly take their time climbing up the ranks of difficulty so they won't be shocked by the extreme requirements on hunting down stronger monsters.
Siva knew this and that's also one of the reasons why he was having a hard time finishing them off.
Especially this Garin. He was persistently able to dodge and defend himself at the last moment a finishing blow would about to land. It's been a long 15 minutes since their clash.
Siva was tired, injured, and in a lot of pain.
Perhaps that's enough excuse why his movements felt slow to him and that's perhaps also the reason why the player Garin could dodge his attacks and parry it.
He was buying enough time for his team to run. Maybe he was planning to sacrifice himself to let them get away. Or maybe he was just as his mouth was saying all this time.
"You can't defeat me."
Siva may have known that as well. 'May'. He is an inexperienced fighter, he knew that. He's still, a C-rank player, at least according to his own standards.
"You're injured, you're weak, and you're running on fumes. You can't lay an attack on me."
Maybe. Siva thought to himself. He put a glance at his open wounds and clicked his tongue.
It's painful. It was a pain that he had not felt for a very long time.
But this fight, there was something here that he finds detestable to the point that he wanted to glare at the face of this Garin all day. And just when he did, their eyes met and Garin felt spooked as he pushed him off.
His shoulder stiffened and he pressed Siva so hard he almost fell. But instead of following an attack with that opening, what he did was to gain more distance.
In time, then, that Cassiopeia went to Garin's side.
"You could have finished him!" He snarled at her but it seems that Cassiopeia's concern lay somewhere else.
"Let's go! We have to run! Bring us back home!"
Garin felt irritated when he heard her words but when he saw her crying and trembling, he found it abnormal that it was baffling. It's the first time he saw Cassiopeia frightened to his extent.
"What's the matter with you?! Get a hold of yourself!"
"I can't! I'm scared! Get me away —Waa.. He's here!"
With another blue spark, Siva appeared behind Garin and Garin used his fastest reflex to block the mighty punch The Destroyer aimed at his face. He felt the loud blunt bang in his weapon and it sounded as if his sword screamed with pain.
The metallic sound echoed in his ears, the rattling noise and vibrations creeping over his skin and bones. Again, he pushed the zombie off and kicked his chest that made him stumble on his feet again.
Garin turned to look for Cassiopeia but she was already 40 meters away. He clicked his tongue and checked the cool down period of his "Instant Transmission". There was just too many seconds away for it to be used again.
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For the second time, he hissed and clicked his tongue in irritation. It was supposed to be a simple ambush but it seems that they were the ones on the run instead.
The Destroyer? Fuck this. He's not a normal player.
How did he made the great Cassiopeia demoralized is a great chunk of the annoying thoughts running on his mind right now.
They had experienced plenty of situations where the monsters they fought outmatched them. Even though they failed and retreated, she never once showed a side where she was frightened nor scared like this. So how? Why? What made her cower like a rat from this man?
Is he really that great?
"Che."
Garin had already used an enormous amount of manna when he Teleported them to this place and also when he used «Red Flying Blade» junctioned Ability against him. Supposedly, he shouldn't be alive right now. So just how is this all possible?
Asking this question over and over, Garin saw a green light heal The Destroyer's wound on his left thigh.
"The healer?!"
He looked around and saw nothing but then he looked up and saw the healer also looking at him. He smiled and was about to jump when The Destroyer appeared in front of him again.
Their eyes met, and again, he felt his arms weaken for a moment that the only way to gain back that force is to gain a distance between him and The Destroyer.
Fuck, just what is it?
What ability is it that drains my strength?
For the third time, they clashed this way.
His opportunity to attack the healer hovering 40 meters over the trees is always impeded by his zombie foe.
Garin saw her crying and casting the spell.
Why?
Garin's nape hair rose, he heard the Mage who's been casting his spell hidden in the trees shout towards him.
"Jump away!"
«God of Oblivion» was cast and Siva was right at the middle of the blasting zone.
"Dex!" The healer's voice echoed loudly.
Garin saw the girl and used the trees' giant branches to get to her. He was aiming to use his sword to kill the girl in one slash. He was fast because he used «Quick Step» to increase his movement speed.
The explosion of lava came below and he smiled again when he confirmed The Destroyer's location in the midst of the blast zone.
And yet the tingling sensation on his nape gave him a warning, his instincts kicked in as he lowered his head just in time to dodge a jet black sword.
"What the f...?!"
He reflexively kicked towards his left side and the impact on his feet did not betray his expectations. His opponent was thrown to the tree and rolled, using his hands to steady his position like a cat, then like a puma, he let his body lowered on his fours with the right eye behind the ruined mask glaring at him.
"Dex!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaa....!!" A cry of savagery bellowed.
Persistent bastard!
"Fuck you!"
Not only he acted like an animal, he also growled like one. Garin felt the pangs of irritation made his heart skip a beat and he gripped his sword tightly, meeting the black sword head on.
The sound of metal hitting metal echoed. Sparks flew, the forest burned, debris, mud, embers, and burnt wood fled all over the place.
With the explosion below, the «God of Oblivion» put this forest area in a state of devastation. Just how this man escape the Magic Ability was wonder, a question he knew wouldn't be answered in this clash.
Garin kicked and felt surprised when The Destroyer did the same action as him.
They both hit each other's faces and flew back. Him at the end of the giant tree's branch, the other implanted in the main trunk.
Right then, as if to complicate matters, a loud roar of a monster Garin was familiar with rang in the air. The one dubbed as an embodiment of horror, a green and blue scaled monster had come to notice the food.
A moment of frozen silence embraced the scene then he heard the Mage from below screaming.
"It's coming!"
Garin clicked his tongue. "Pick up the leader! Head to the edge of the forest and use T-Devices to get back to the city!"
No reply came, or in this case, he did not hear the reply as The Destroyer recovered his bearing and went on all fours to boost his run. But not only that, he also kicked the air. Condensed particles forming a round ring on his foot, expanding into a platform, and The Destroyer was propelled with maximum thrust!
A Sonic Boom?!
He went head on towards Garin, his left hand stretched up front with the «Spark».
This made Garin utterly surprised.
No cast delay. No preparation motion. It just appeared in his hands as if it was an item summoned by quick draw. He widened his eyes when he realized this. He now knew the secret behind his ability.
He wasn't really accidentally tossing around the spell like a fool. He was casting the «Spark» to himself as a means to activate that blue spark movement.
But realizing this is too late now.
In this situation, the one in the disadvantage is him. He wasn't being healed and kept on being injured unlike the other guy who had a backer hovering at a distance.
Garin had never once fought one on one in his entire career. All these time, he's been with Cassiopeia and her band of followers. She is a good support strategist and as well as a front line attacker. Their team climbed up the ladder of glory from sticking together.
This would be he first time he's alone without any back up. Still, if he could kill the healer, then taking down The Destroyer would be easy. Also, on the other hand, the other guy is already on his limit. A single properly placed strike could end this battle in one go.
But the problem lies with something else.
What worries him isn't the Killing Zone nor his ability to traverse distances that quickly. What worries him is that ability that drains his strength. It's as if he was afraid and still not know it.
—No!
He purged the thought as soon as it was processed.
—I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid of anything!
If used with good timing, that ability might hinder his escape move and kill him. And yet even then, he still could not properly discern just how far this strength go.
In just what category of problems are you?
Of all the things and history, including rumors and the information available inside the Illuminati circle, he had not heard of anyone that has these many variations of skills and equipment.
The way he switched from weapon to weapon between the hammer, the martial arts gear, and the jet black sword, combined with his all-or-nothing style of head on attack and defense, only one thought and deduction emerged in his calculative mindset.
It's as if he was used on fighting alone.
"...!"
—No, that's it!
—Fuck! Of all the people...
—This guy's the worst enemy for me.
As regret and irritation dawned on his mind, the ground filled with fire began to tremble and shake the tree.
Before his thoughts became actions that moved his feet to retreat, the roar of a large monster echoed again for the fifth time.
But it was close. And based on the keen screech, the weight of the steps that shook them, the pacing, and its ability to roar and snap its jaws while running at full speed, Garin's encyclopedia of monsters began to lock on to a certain nightmare of every nightmare.
"GOD DAMN IT!"
He cursed in annoyance as soon as he realized.
A Lapis is heading their way and it will not stop until all of them are inside its stomach.