I approached the designated area marked by the purple icon, my senses sharpened, alert for any signs of danger. My eyes scanned the surroundings, taking note of the two figures seated on lawn chairs nearby. They seemed strangely at ease, lounging casually next to a mini cooler as if they were enjoying a leisurely afternoon. One of them stood up and began to approach me, a sense of foreboding washed over me. His blonde hair and the distinctive white cape marked him as a member of the Alliance—a fact confirmed by the symbol emblazoned on his attire. Everyone in this barrier is an enemy. There are no friendly civilians. His demeanor was anything but friendly as he brandished a menacing black baton, his words dripping with arrogance and disdain, "Hopefully the lackey I put in charge keeps my profit numbers."
"This will be over soon. I know Division thinks he's going to get past us and deliver his idea of an honorable battle, but he's dying here." his companion said, rising from his seat as well. Clad in a sharp business suit, his bald head gleamed in the sunlight, the complete opposite of the former's hair. He displayed a short sword with a golden hilt, twirling it with practiced skill and precision. They introduced themselves, "We are the last people you'll ever see, so I'll tell you our titles. I am the Representative of Avarice, and he is the Representative of Forgery." Avarice looks stronger, I'll use my skill on him. Let me take a gander at what he can do.
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Soul: 350 (-10)
Skills:
Lvl. 2 Peeking - Peek into other's stats and skills by squinting really hard. 10 soul to use, thirty minute cooldown. (Activated) The thirty minute cooldown has commenced.
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Name: Gabe Knight
Strength: 360 (+2)
Speed: 380 (+2)
Defense: 10%
Soul: 100
Skills:
Lvl. 3 Cohesion - Designate a 'teammate' to team up with. After you designate one, your teamwork becomes perfect and stats rise slowly without a limit. 50 soul to use, two day cooldown.
Lvl. 2 Profit Maker (Passive) - Profit making is like fighting to you. The higher your stats, the easier it is to make profit.
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Avarice charged toward me with lightning speed, his powerful roundhouse kick aimed squarely at my defenses, I braced myself for the impact. With a swift motion, I raised my arms to block, feeling the force of his blow honed to my arms. Despite his efforts, his shin pressed against me, but it didn't go through my guard. Meanwhile, Forgery wasted no time in exploiting the opening created by his partner's attack. With a speed that caught me off guard, he darted around me, his knife poised to strike. In a split second, he closed the distance between us, aiming for my vulnerable spine with deadly precision. His movements were fluid and precise, indicating a level of skill that I had underestimated.
As Avarice withdrew his leg, a new wave of pain surged through me as he twisted his foot into a deadly thrust kick aimed directly at the top of my shoulder. The force of the blow was overwhelming, causing me to lose my balance completely and stagger backward, my body unable to withstand the impact. With a sickening thud, I crashed to the ground. Before I could fully regain my footing, Forgery's blade found its mark, plunging deep into my shoulder.
Agony flared through my body as blood spurted from the wound, the muscles in my shoulder protesting against the intrusion. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I fought to remain upright, my hand instinctively reaching out to steady myself against the unforgiving ground. I unleashed a powerful hook kick into the air, channeling my energy into a fierce gust of wind that rippled outward, creating a temporary barrier between myself and those two. They jumped backward, landing side by side. I took a moment to catch my breath, the pain in my shoulder slowly releasing. Avarice's mocking words angered me. "Ha, how do you like that?" he jeered, a smirk playing on his lips. Beside him, Forgery adopted a more serious demeanor, crossing his arms as he regarded me with a calculating gaze. "He didn't like that at all. Let's finish this," Forgery remarked, his tone devoid of emotion as he prepared to press the advantage.
Despite the agony coursing through my body and the fatigue weighing heavily on my limbs, I refused to succumb to despair. I forced myself to straighten, steeling myself for the next attack. With a deep breath, I flexed my injured shoulder, willing the wound to close and the pain to subside.
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Health: 7000 (-1100)
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Avarice and Forgery surged forward, their movements synchronized in a deadly dance of precision and coordination. With each step they took, they formed an oval pattern, effectively cutting off any avenue of escape. Avarice charged at me from the left, his baton raised high as he unleashed a powerful swipe aimed directly at my forearm. Though I raised my arm in an attempt to block the blow, the impact reverberated through my entire body, the force of the strike feeling like a collision with solid steel. That baton hurt more than the knife! But my forearm held strong, the muscles absorbing much of the force and saving the bone from potential fracture.
Meanwhile, Forgery launched himself at me from the right, his movements fluid. In one seamless motion, he spun through the air, hurling his knife with deadly accuracy toward my throat. I leaned back just in the nick of time, narrowly evading Forgery's knife as it whizzed past my throat. As the blade sailed harmlessly through the air, Avarice seized the opportunity, deftly catching the weapon mid-flight with a fluid motion.
Before I could fully process what to do next, Avarice pivoted on his heel, unleashing a devastating backhand strike with the captured knife aimed directly at my chest. With my little speed advantage, I retreated backward, the blade narrowly missing its mark as it scraped across my chest, leaving a shallow gash in its wake.
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Soul: 330 (-20)
Skills:
Lvl. 1 Speed Booster - Increase your speed by 150% for three seconds. 20 soul to use, one minute cooldown. (Activated) The one minute cooldown has commenced.
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With yellow lightning crackling around me, I advanced toward Avarice, my muscles coiling with pent-up energy as I prepared to unleash a counter attack. Focusing my power on my upper chest, I gathered my strength like a tightly wound spring, ready to release it. As Avarice braced himself, I unleashed a powerful front kick aimed squarely at his midsection. With the predictability of my attack, Avarice reacted with impressive speed, raising his baton to guard against the blow just in time. The impact of my kick sent him hurtling backward, crashing through the lawn chairs.
He struggled to regain his footing, but Avarice's greed remained unshaken. Though blood trickled from his mouth and his breath came in ragged gasps, he refused to yield to the pain, his fierceness not dissolved yet. Turning his attention to Forgery, Avarice shouted a command, "Damn, I guarded with that baton and I'm reeling. Get him!" With immediate response, Forgery dashed toward me, his knife glinting menacingly in the sunlight as he closed the distance between us. Anticipating his movements, I acted quickly, swiping at his forearm with a precise strike that sent the knife flying from his grasp. With his weapon now out of reach, Forgery found himself momentarily vulnerable, his focus diverted. Seizing the opportunity, I charged forward, unleashing a powerful left hook aimed at his liver with pinpoint accuracy. Despite his attempt to evade the blow by bending to the side, my fist connected with devastating force, sending shockwaves of pain coursing through his body.
I unleashed a barrage of blows upon Forgery, each strike landing perfectly. Blood spattered through the air, mingling with the shards of shattered teeth as my relentless assault continued unabated. Just as I seemed to gain the upper hand, Avarice intervened, tearing Forgery away from my onslaught with a fierce grip on his collar. Avarice swiftly spun, using Forgery's momentum to his advantage as he launched a devastating counterattack. Forgery's eyes, previously glazed with pain, suddenly ignited with renewed determination, as if possessed by a force beyond his own. With a ferocious right hook, he unleashed a powerful blow that sent me reeling, my body rolling to the side from the sheer force of the impact.
As I struggled to regain my footing, my gaze flickered upward just in time to see the gleaming baton hurtling toward me. Avarice seized the weapon in a reverse grip, unleashing a vicious uppercut that connected with brutal force. The blow landed, the impact felt to my skull as a red-hot surge of pain shot through my face.
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Health: 5700 (-1300)
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Avarice descended from the sky with frightening speed, his foot poised to deliver a devastating blow to my defenseless face. Reacting with lightning-fast reflexes, I flipped backward just in the nick of time, narrowly evading the crushing force of his attack. I forced myself to rise, my eyes fixed on the ominous figures of Avarice and Forgery as they loomed menacingly before me. As they stood side by side, a a stare down occurred, signaling our hatred towards each other. Both sides had taken significant damage, and it was clear that the end of this grueling battle was drawing near.
Forgery, seemingly on the brink of unconsciousness, suddenly stirred, his eyes regaining their color as he returned to full awareness. With a sense of slight anger, he questioned Avarice,, "I was out there, and I wasn't standing here. Is that part of it, Avarice?" Avarice's smiled as he confirmed Forgery's suspicions, "Yeah, it is. This guy's been too lucky so far." Forgery and Avarice sprinted forward, their fists intertwined in a deadly embrace as they aimed to deliver a devastating finishing straight. The ground trembled beneath their relentless advance, the thunderous rhythm of their footsteps beautiful as they closed in on me. I stood with arms spread wide, I focused my will, drawing upon the depths of my virtue to defy the overwhelming odds stacked against me. In that moment, nothing else mattered except their defeat.
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Soul: 310 (-20)
Skills:
Lvl. 1 Strength Booster - Increase your speed by 150% for three seconds. 20 soul to use, one minute cooldown. (Activated) The one minute cooldown has commenced.
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Step by step, I advanced to meet Forgery and Avarice head-on, my right arm poised for victory. As our punches collided in a thunderous explosion of force, I was worried. Their power surpasses mine! Their combined strength was unstoppable, pushing me back with a force that I had never before encountered. My legs strained against the it, digging into the ground as I fought to maintain my footing against the relentless assault.
I couldn't rely on evasion alone – their speed matched my own, leaving me with no choice but to confront them head-on. With a desperate prayer from my lips, I retreated my fist for a fleeting moment before unleashing it once more, driving my knuckles against theirs in a bold display of defiance.
In that critical instant, luck was on my side.
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Soul: 310 (-0)
Skills:
Lvl. 1 Critical Hit (Passive) - Every hit you land on an opponent has a 0.003% chance of increasing the potency of the attack by an insane amount. 0 soul to use, one hour cooldown after proc. PROC'D!
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Their defenses were inferior to my offense in every way. Like paper in a hurricane, it was over. My knuckles found the sweet spot, driving deep into their bodies with a force that should have shattered bone and sinew. But to my astonishment, their chest and arms simply vanished into thin air, leaving behind no trace of blood, gore, or pain. It was as if they had never been there at all, only their legs remaining.
I couldn't handle the recoil, however, the force of it nearly knocking me off my feet. I staggered backward, my knees buckling beneath me as I struggled to regain my balance in the aftermath of the intense battle. As I sank to the ground, my body trembling with exhaustion and exertion, the only voice I didn't want congratulating me did so, "Well done, Oren-san. You have successfully cleared Stage One."
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Quest 12: Honor Game - Stage One (COMPLETED)
Keep moving.
Rewards:
5000 points
+10 Strength
+20 Speed
Tips:
Do not stop, Aroha is waiting.
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