*Clang*
“Ugh..” Zyrus spat a mouthful of blood as his body skitted against the rough arena. The scorpion king didn’t fare any better as he too was thrown towards the terracotta warriors.
[Arcane Lance]
-300,-0,-450
Both of them Lunged at one another with their respective long-range attacks. Just like Zyrus’s arcane lance, the scorpion king had a similar skill where spectral auras shot out from his sword.
Zyrus groaned in pain as the blue swords hit him square in the chest. Even the unique armor was unable to completely block the ethereal damage dealt by the swords. Thankfully, his innate defense and Sylvarix scales managed to negate the leftover attack.
*BOOOM*
Fifty fireballs landed in the middle of the Colosseum as Jacob casted his signature magic. Though he looked harmless with his gray hoodie and deadpan face, his acts were anything but that.
The other players used their respective skills as well as they engaged in an all-out brawl against the terracotta warriors.
Even with all their skills and equipment, they weren’t the ones who held the advantage in the battle.
This wasn’t a fight against unintelligent monsters. This was a war, a war against the fraction of an army that once ruled continents on earth.
The terracotta warriors had the same type of weapons as them. But their way of using them was on a whole nother level.
When it came to the army formations and reaction time, it was like a fight between a child and an adult.
Shield warriors blocked each and every long-range attack whereas the swordsmen engaged in close combat. On the other hand, The spearman led the charge against the players while being covered by the archers.
Unlike the dagger users who stood at the back of the players, the opposing side was using them as assassins who reaped lives across the battlefield.
Last but not the least were the mages. Apart from Jacob, none of the mages managed to deal a passable amount of damage. Their spells were scattered, and the most they could do was to annoy the terracotta soldiers by disrupting their formations.
Instead of being a deadly threat, they were at most a nuisance to the other side.
On the other hand, the enemy mages had impeccable teamwork. Gale wind and fireball, aqua shot and freezing wind, earthen wall and thunderbolt, more than a dozen spell combinations were used against the poor Shi kun and his subordinates.
Although their effects were negligible individually, when they were cast in tandem, their effects were similar to a medium-rank spell like the prairie fire.
In the center of it all, Zyrus and the Scorpion king were duking it out with one another. Neither of them was using their magical skills as if they had made an agreement beforehand.
*Clang*
The spear and the sword clashed for the umpteenth time and both were pushed back once again. Unlike the first time though, they were only a couple of meters apart.
Did they use less strength compared to their first clash? Of course not. Those watching from the sidelines might think that their first attack was the most powerful, but they couldn’t be more wrong.
On their level, exchanging a couple of blows was enough to gauge the opponent's fighting style. They deflected the force of their enemy’s attacks with precise body movements.
‘What an annoying bastard,’ Zyrus cursed as he saw the single-digit damage they were dealing to one another. He knew that at this rate, neither side could defeat the other in a short while.
*Clang*
They attacked one another once more and the result remained the same. Zyrus wanted nothing more than to use his skills and go all-out, but he knew that it wasn’t the right thing to do. At least for the time being.
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Apart from him, none of the players knew how to fight a war. This was neither a blitz attack nor a boss raid.
The first and foremost thing they had to worry about in a war was their stamina and momentum.
From the very beginning, it was apparent that both sides were evenly matched. Thus, the ones who preserved the longest would win.
*Clang*
‘I wonder how long it’ll take them to figure this out,’ Zyrus thought as he observed the battlefield with a side-eye.
He could see the frowning Ria who commanded different units from the back, and Kyle who was decimating one terracotta warrior after another. Shi kun and Jacob were playing their role as the main defending and attacking forces. Lauren moved with the rats as they finished off the injured opponents.
In just half an hour, dozens of players and rats had died in the war. If not for the bears' tanking abilities and the goblin archer’s lethal attacks that held the terracotta warriors at bay, many more would have died.
*Flash*
“Getting impatient now are we?” Zyrus looked at the scorpion king with cold eyes. His sword was emitting a black aura akin to a moonless night. Not the one to be left behind, he also used the newly created Spear aura.
*Bang*
The air itself exploded at the point of contact with the black and white auras. Although neither side had managed to gain the upper hand, both of them knew that Zyrus was the one who had won in this clash.
As he had said, momentum was important in the war. The one who became impatient and used their moves first will always have a lower hand when their attack is countered. Confidence and Rhythm were the most important aspects when both sides had the same level of power.
*Shimmer*
A red and white aura intertwined on the Bloodspine spear as Zyrus prepared for the next attack. The scorpion king also readied himself in a slashing stance.
*Whissh*
Almost simultaneously, both of them used their aoe attack. The scorpion king planted his feet on the ground and slashed his sword multiple times in just a second.
The bloodspine spear was also glowing as a vast amount of energy was poured into it. It trembled at a high frequency that created afterimages in front of Zyrus.
*Thrust*
It was the same move he had been using since he arrived in the first ring, but this time, five reddish-white aura blades flew towards the scorpion king.
*Boom*
‘Huff..Huff..’ Zyrus panted for breath with buckled knees. Both of their attacks were canceled out once again.
“This can’t go on Zyrus,” Ria’s voice sounded in his head as he steadied himself to parry the incoming sword.
At first, she didn’t want to disturb him during his crucial battle. But she no longer had a choice.
Almost 50 players had died along with dozens of rats and a couple of bears. The goblin riders were the only ones who had been unscathed on the battlefield so far.
They, along with Jacob had killed no less than 200 terracotta warriors. Despite that though, this was a very bad situation for players.
They were in no position to handle a Pyrrhic victory, not when the end of the crown hunt was drawing near with each passing hour.
*Clang*
“Tell Pouka and Shi kun to deal with the scorpion king.”
“Will they be able to handle him?”
“Not for long. At most, they’ll last five minutes.”
“Alright then,” Ria decisively cut the conversation and relayed Zyrus’s orders to Shi kun.
Both of them knew that this was a gamble. Only Zyrus and The scorpion king were able to hold off one another in this war.
The moment they were left alone to run amok on the battlefield, the conclusion of this bloody war would also arrive at that time.
Both leaders were holding one another in check which prevented the other from using a devastating attack.
As if he had sensed the subtle change in the players' formation, The scorpion king stopped his attack and looked at Zyrus in amusement.
“Yeah, there’s no way you wouldn’t notice,” Zyrus clicked his tongue and placed his trusted spear back into the inventory.
Shi kun and Pouka also arrived at that time. They stood in front of Zyrus while glaring at the scorpion king.
Despite that though, neither Zyrus nor the scorpion king moved. Whatever was happening on the battlefield didn’t matter to them.
They knew that there was only one existence that was able to harm them, and it was the opponent that stood in front of them.
[In the name of thy king, Heed my call]
A deep voice resounded across the Colosseum as the scorpion king raised his sword to the sky. A jet-black aura manifested around him which almost forced all of the players to kneel.
The terracotta warriors didn’t miss this opportunity and launched a barrage of attacks. However, this was the least of the players' worries.
“Don’t tell me..”
“Motherfu-”
[COME FORTH AT ONCE]
*CRAAACKLE*
The entire Colosseum trembled under the weight of the king’s authority. The broken and shattered pieces of terracotta warriors became whole once again.
That wasn’t the end.
The players who had died rose up again as terracotta warriors.
“What do we do-” Shi kun was forced to cut his words short as he looked behind him.
More than one emperor was fighting in this battle.
Zyrus was standing there with his arms spread wide. Dark blue sparks flashed out from his palms and clangs of metal resounded across the Colosseum.
He knew that he wouldn’t be able to win this war with the skills he had. From the subtle hints Aurora had given during their conversation, and from his enemy’s skills, he knew what she wanted to say.
She had said that the Eternals were busy, and that was enough for him.
He no longer had to hide his powers.
Even with the pitiful mana he possessed, he was still the void monarch who had conquered the sanctuary.
So, he’ll show them.
[SHACKLES OF NIHILITY]
He’ll show them the power that made the immortals tremble in fear.