Rana was surrounded and her dance raged on with increased ferocity as more raiders began to crowd the floor. The raiders were trained and experienced. They knew exactly how to compliment their squad leader and engage in battle against an enemy marked one. However, like most formations, it all began and ended with their footwork. The strength of a group was only established by their unity and how well they matched their teammates. The moment one was too slow or too fast, the moment their timing was off, there would be an opening that could be exploited and they would become nothing but hindrances to each other.
She dashed towards the left, a group of three with shields approached her in unison. Then, one of the raiders screamed in pain as his foot was sliced, forcing him to kneel. His two allies were confused and looked to see what was the issue. They only saw that their ally was in pain and did not realize there was an opening into their formation until it was too late.
Rana leaped forward and kicked the grounded raider in the head. His allies were too slow to react and his head was snapped backward and hung behind his broken neck. She then pulled out her dagger and severed the heads from their bodies of the remaining two raiders. It all happened in an instant, but the more astute were quick to react. However, their opponent was even more aware.
One Raider managed to approach her. He raised his arms and prepared to bring down his hammer. He knew he could not kill her, but he also knew his attack would stun her momentarily and might even push her towards his allies, maybe even the marked one squad leader. However, blades of ash shot out of the dirt and sliced his ankle the moment his momentum of raising the hammer reached its peak. He could not control the swing without his footing and he stumbled backward. Before the raider fell onto his behind, Rana’s blade already punctured his gut and he fell into a pool of his own blood.
Rana continued the same approach and killed several more raiders. Her blades of ash would shoot out from the dirt and bring her enemies to the ground, allowing her an opportunity to finish them off without any resistance. She weaved around the chaotic melee, using her zombie senses to map out where her enemies were coming, adjusting her technique and form so that whatever attack and counter she made, it would always put her away from harm's reach and into where her enemies were the most vulnerable. She fully used the chaotic nature of the melee, the veil of the night, and the aftermath of heavy drinking to her advantage. Her lonesome self was an advantage, and the crowd of the raiders was a hindrance to their own.
Soon, the raiders would not approach her. They had no idea how she did it, but they knew the enemy was using a hidden Spell to cull their numbers. Their squad leaders did not know as well, which was to be expected. The blades of ash had mana within, but to sense them was difficult and it was even stranger that they did not see Rana cast anything. Soon enough, the raiders formed a wide circle and surrounded her instead of approaching. It was like an arena and the only enemy that stood before her were the marked ones. Good. Rana did not want to deal with the army of raiders, and the more attention she could garner the better. The mystery of the blades of ash was enough to scare the raiders off. It was an unknown that made them forget that they would eventually run her down through attrition. However, cowards were cowards, and none of them were willing to die for the purpose of killing her.
Rana stood and waited. There were three marked ones before her. They were the remaining squad leaders and one of the advisors. This meant that Jessica had to deal with potentially two enemy marked ones, one of which was no doubt extremely capable. It was unfortunate, but she still hoped the younger marked one would survive long enough for Rana to reach where they were. However, now was not the time to worry about others. She had a fight of her own.
The three raider marked ones were warrior-class marked ones. They were not ascended but she could tell their marks were not rookie ones, and their battle-hardened gazes told her they were experienced in actual combat as well. That was the result of war, of roaming the battlefield and taking lives. If the amount of quality experience was scarce, then simple quantity would do. The death of humans without the mark did not yield experience points inherently, but the act of killing them was somehow recognized by the System as something worth experience points. The amount they granted was not based on the number of humans killed, but it was rather determined by the quality of the combat that transpired. It was as if the System rewarded the marked one with their own agenda. That was why the raider marked ones leveled up, but not enough to push them near ascended levels.
The two squad leaders wielded pole-arms, a spear and an ax, and were typical riders favoring the culling of enemies while in motion. They most likely had Skills focused on area-of-effect and wide clearing to sweep away foes rather than those geared towards one-one-one combat. This meant that as long as Rana did not make a mistake in where she moved, she would be prepared. The third marked one was one with a shield and a hammer, a typical vanguard focused on guarding allies and holding the line. Judging by his beard and greyed hair, he was the oldest and most experienced.
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Their captain, or whoever decided where the raider reinforcement who go, knew what they were doing. The three marked ones before her were well suited to fight together. Their battle plan was most likely to have the hammer wielder charge forward and push her towards a position that the remaining two could unleash their area-of-effect. Skills with a large area-of-effect had longer cast times and less accuracy. The Skills could sweep away a horde of enemies, but if one broke through it could leave the caster vulnerable. That was why Rana not only had to defend against someone far more physically superior, but also be aware of where she would move. She could not just deal with the hammer-wielder, she also had to make sure she was not pushed to an unfavorable position.
Rana smiled. How easy. She did not need to defeat them. She simply needed to stall until the time of their death.
The three raiders began to move as if her smirk was an insult to their pride. The hammer wielder moved forward and Rana unleashed a barrage of blades of ash towards his feet. He allowed the blades to slice away at his health points and did not allow them to slow him down. It was good to know he was unaffected. The hammer slammed towards her from the side. It was swift and ferocious and her dagger was definitely not durable enough to block it. She stepped back and felt the force scrape where her guts were. The man was not finished. He took one step forward and pushed his enemy back before raising his hammer to bring it down.
Rana could dodge to the side, but she knew that one of the other two was waiting for her to do so. She raised her arm and matched the hammer with her forearm. She used Support Defend, increasing the durability of her limb to smack away the strike. She felt a chill explode into her arm and shattered her bone before her arm was torn away. She sacrificed an arm to ensure she was still in position. The enemy’s eyes widened at the foolishness, but his eyes widened even further as his enemy stepped forward, unhindered by his attack.
Zombies were immune to physical injures. Things such as shock did not exist for a body commanded by the mind, and the chilling sensation that weighed her down could be overcome by sheer willpower. Rana used her remaining arm and punched the dagger to the old man’s side and then kicked him away. It did not do much damage but she simply needed the distance. She then rushed towards the marked one in wait, not the one the old man was leading her to. She unleashed multiple blades of ash from the ground and aimed at his eyes. He was unprepared as he did not expect his vanguard to be eluded. He readied his ax, but it was too late. The weapon was heavier than the spear and took more time to wield. He managed to guard his vision but Rana managed to give him two cuts.
The ax-wielder panicked and unleashed Sweeping Crush, but an area-of-effect Skill with no forethought could not touch her and she slipped away before the Skill was even cast. The hammer and then the spear wielder rushed at her from behind.
They saw an opening that they could take advantage of. They were already in a hurry and were ready to deliver their killing blow. They were wrong. It was a feint and Rana was ready.
The first was Shield Charge followed by Bash Strike. Two low mana Skills with quick cast times. It was the basis of how shield users with blunt weapons attacked. If the enemy took it head-on, they would be stunned and would receive a follow-up attack. If they dodged to the side, the ally behind the vanguard would be ready. The second enemy Skill would most likely be Crushing Crash, a Skill in which the marked one jumps up and throws the weapon into the ground, unleashing a shockwave of mana. It was the only area-of-effect Skill that a marked one of his caliber had that did not injure the ally in front.
Rana unleashed a blade of ash towards the spear wielder in the back. It did not matter if there was damage as long as she managed to hit the enemy. The blades reached their mark and so too was the System notified. With the aid of Support Attack, she managed to bypass the enemy to the front and quickly step into the area behind him. She was not intangible and still took some damage, but she was not stunned. The spear wielder already began to cast his Skill, the long cast time made him need to preemptively cast it. He was expected the enemy to dodge to the side, so when the cast was finished her could unleash the Skill. Unfortunately, he was now in the middle of his cast form and it made him vulnerable. Rana pulled his leg and brought him to the ground. The mana rebound and made the fall a critical damage. It did not kill him but it did stun him for a moment.
She used the moment to run. She wanted to throw the man into the hammer wielder, but her [STR] was too low. She would able to pick up a large male despite her size, but it was different when a marked one was concerned. The weight of a marked one was based on their body, but the mark itself also had a weight. It could not be weighed but it did have its effect on reality. If a marked one has low [STR], they would not be able to lift another marked one with a better Status. The formula could be calculated, but it was mostly useless to do so. No one would know the exact Status of an enemy they were fighting without having intense research and planning. There were exceptions, but this was not one of those times.
Rana rushed to her staff buried into the ground. She held onto its body and closed her eyes. The conditions were met. She opened her eyes and saw the three enemy marked one rushing towards her. She smirked at their futile attempt. They could no longer stop her.
Rana shouted into the air.
“In the name of the Sapphire, unleash and be lit ablaze!”
The sky stood still and the raiders stood in silence. The only sound was the faint sound of breathing and an even fainter humming. Then, pillars of light shot into the sky, each carrying the symbol of a broken runic-pattern with them along their trail. The earth quaked and the sky lit up.
She was a Grand Inquisitor and she initiated a Rite of Absolution.