CH.328 Fighting Tests
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ha, Ha, Ha.” The now healed up Rudevik wasughing. I question how he canugh in this situation, but maybe he is just crazy. “I really underestimate you. I didn’t realize that the magician put a barrier around you. He really is perfect.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, you are the one that asked for the force I’d use against SS-rank monsters. Quintet is definitely one of my strongest summons, so you better not underestimate him.” I told him.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“It really is no wonder you can take on monsters like that. Your summoning magic really is something. Ha, Ha, Ha.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you. You are quite impressive yourself. I think you could give some of my strongest Warriors a run for their money.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I shall fight them another time. And again, I apologize for attacking you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t worry about it. I understand that it was the optimal strategy for you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rudevik did actually exin his reasoning for going after me. It was just thating after me was the best he could do. He quickly realized that my Magician was too strong for him to take on directly, so instead he went after me, the summoner. If he could knock me out, my magician would have been unsummoned. Well, mine wouldn’t be because Card Summoner/Pack Opener doesn’t work like regr summoning magic, but if I was using regr summoning magic, knocking me out would have unsummoned my monster.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I knew your summons were strong, but I didn’t quite expect that.” The GM said to me. “I thought only the big monsters were that powerful.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, they are the most powerful, but some of the human sized ones I have are pretty impressive.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You call that ‘pretty impressive’? I’m almost afraid of knowing what you actually consider very impressive.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... try something that can fight a divine dragon.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’d rather not think about something like that. And in the first ce, I have no clue how powerful a divine dragon is. Do they even exist?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... at least one does. Well then again, I’m not sure divine dragon is themon term used to describe her. It is just the one I use.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I would ask how you know of such a being, but to be quite frank, I don’t want to know.” The GM admitted. “Either way. I think we have more than confirmed your power, so I think we can move onto the others. Rudevik, are you good for another round, or should I have Dale step in?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t be a fool. I can fight a few more. I’ll at least take on the dragon before I tap out.” Rudevik called back.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You still have a fight in you, huh?” Agunan taunted Rudevik a bit. “Good. I was wishing I’d get to punch you in the face for that stunt.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Agunan.” I said, in a not so friendly tone.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Do not worry. He won’t die.” The dragon said, but that didn’t reassure me at all.
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<span style="font-weight:400">With the next matchup decided, Agunan and Rudevik took their positions. This time there was minimal preparation, as no one summoned monsters. Well, I did notice Rudevik ‘eating’ something again. I still want to know what he is doing when he does that. Is that a skill or something? Agunan also didn’t revert to his dragon form, for obvious reasons, so this might actually be a close match. Maybe. I didn’t really get a good grasp on Rudevik’s power when he fought Quintet Magician.
<span style="font-weight:400">With the dragon man and the cookie monster standing opposite to each other, the match was about to start. And without a signal, it began, Agunan being the one to make the first move.
<span style="font-weight:400">Leaving mes where he had been standing, Agunan rushed at Rudevik. It wasn’t his top speed, as I’ve seen him move faster during our practice session with Lady Janina, but it was quite fast. Agunan then used all that speed to throw a punch at Rudevik, but the S-ranker was ready. He slightly sidestepped Agunan, while also using his arm to parry the punch. He then quickly attempted to throw a counter punch to Agunan’s exposed side, but that never connected, as with just a small p of his wings, Agunan retook all the distance they just had.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Not bad, human. I didn’t think you could keep up with that speed. I shall go faster now.” Agunan said to Rudevik.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Bring it, dragon.” Rudevik responded, before again seemingly munching on something.
<span style="font-weight:400">Again, Agunan moved first. Rushing towards Rudevik with mes trailing behind him. This time, unlike thest sh which was basically just a flyby, the two fighters came to fists with each other. Agunan would throw a punch, Rudevik would block it, take it or dodge it, then Rudevik threw a punch and so on. It was actually a bit difficult to follow, as both of their fists moved at speeds that were something I could just barely follow. Still, from my point of view, it looked like Agunan was the one that was actually receiving more hits. Maybe he struggles to fight someone of simr power in his human form?
<span style="font-weight:400">As the sh kept going, the heat kept rising. Literally. Agunan had set himself aze and the arena was starting to warm up. This move caused Rudevik to have to step back, where he chanted an Earth attribute defensive spell. He also covered his fists with big rock boulders, before once again engaging with the dragon.
<span style="font-weight:400">The two kept punching each other, Agunan with his ming fists and Rudevik with his rock fists. Their fight honestly no longer looked like a real fight, but just two guys taking turns punching each other, seeing which one canst longer before the other is knocked out.
<span style="font-weight:400">The fight finally came to an end, when Agunan increased his firepower even more, beforending a good punch on Rudevik’s face. This finally knocked out therge man, ending the fight.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Ha, Ha, Ha. You really are something. I guess I should expect as much of a dragon.” Rudevikughed, after he had recovered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You are not bad yourself, human. … no. I should call you by your name, Rudevik.” Agunan responded.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. Agunan, was it? I do hope we get a chance to sh again.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“And if we do, we shall go all out from the start.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Next up from our roster was Ria. After a bit of questioning from the GM, Rudevik said he would test her out as well, but would leave the two magicians for someone else to test.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ria took her stance opposite to Rudevik, and with her blood iron gauntlets ready to go. And like Agunan before her, Ria was the one to make the first move against Rudevik. She rushed at the man in a manner not unlike the dragon before her, leaving mes trailing behind her. I guess all that practice she has had with Agunan has resulted in a simr fighting style.
<span style="font-weight:400">Like with Agunan before, Rudevik used a quick sidestep and parry to dodge Ria, beforeunching a counter attack at her side. But unlike with Agunan, the punch fully connected with Ria, sending her flying.
<span style="font-weight:400">She finallynded and her movement came to a stop some ways away. And while she was clearly breathing, she didn’t get up so just that one punch seemed to have dealt her in.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Stop. Stop. Stop!” The GM called out, not that anyone was thinking the match was continuing.
<span style="font-weight:400">The lot of us rushed to Ria’s side, Agunan being the first to reach her. Because he was, I decided to halt my run a bit, just so the healers would have easier ess to Ria.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Miss. Please forgive me. I didn’t realize to hold back, as I was still fired up from fighting Agunan. And with your fighting styles being simr, it felt like I was again fighting the dragon so I …” Rudevik was machine gunning out apologies and excuses to the now recovered Ria, even though no one was actually ming him for what happened. Well, the GM wasn’t exactly happy with him, as he barely even tested Ria, so she didn’t get an urate read on Ria’s power.
<span style="font-weight:400">As for the damages Ria suffered, well, other than being instantly knocked out, that punch also broke multiple of her ribs, which took Lua, the GM and the healer she had called here a while to heal. Or to put in in a way that fits this world better, that one punch did over 1100 damage to Ria. That in itself proves that S-rank adventurers are not just hot air. I mean, Ria is still LV.99, so her stats are quite good.
<span style="font-weight:400">Because Ria was still recovering, she couldn’t take part in a second match, so we moved onto Alice and Lua. Testing them was Dale, a 30 something year old A-rank adventurer, who seemed to be a magic swordsman of some kind.
<span style="font-weight:400">His first match was against Alice, who was using a prototype of her mithril swordstaff. I say prototype, because … well, it is one. My monsters, spearheaded by Dark Pdin and Dark Sage, have made a multitude of mithril swordstaves to the point where all the mithril I got from Yuva has been used up and some has even been reused. But despite all the ones they have made, they haven’t been happy with any of them. But Alice was also getting quite impatient with them, so she had taken one of the finished prototypes and began using it as her weapon.
<span style="font-weight:400">The swordstaff had a few effects, mainly ignoring 60% of the target''s defenses with shing attacks, reducing mana use of spells by 21% and increasing the power of spells by 14%, so in my books it was quite decent, but apparently that just isn’t enough. The standards of my monsters are just too high.
<span style="font-weight:400">Before their match began, Alice used her unique-racial skill to change into her magical girl outfit. I really wish that skill came with a full transformation sequence, but that isn’t something I can get. Well, maybe once the skill levels up more.
<span style="font-weight:400">Of course being in that outfit,pared to her regr gear, boosts her strength, defense and magic stats, at the cost of taking a bit of mana to be able to stay in it. I know I at one time thought it was a carbon copy of Lua’s skill, but it really isn’t. Alice’s is actually a bit better than Lua’s, though Lua’s doesn’t cost any mana.
<span style="font-weight:400">As their match began, Alice used Instant Chant to cast the Shade spell and covered the battleground in darkness. Because she did, I quickly got The Eye of Truth out of Collection and activated it, so I could see through the darkness caused by the spell.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Hawk Eyes!” I heard Dale cast a spell using Quick Chant as I was activating my own card. It was a spell to help see better, so maybe he can use it to see through Alice’s Shade spell.
<span style="font-weight:400">Alice didn’t seem too taken back by the spell, as she began casting weak spells using Quick Chant. A few Dark Bullets and Fire Bullets soon headed towards Dale, but the magic swordsman used his sword to cut the spells.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wind sh!” Dale then countered with a spell of his own. As he swung his sword, a de ofpressed air took off from it, flying towards Alice.
<span style="font-weight:400">Alice seemingly didn’t want to try cutting the spell and instead she used her Mana Flight skill to take off into the sky. That seemed to surprise Dale, at least based on his reaction, and he began chanting a spell of his own. I didn’t hear most of the chant, but the activation word I heard clear. “Flight.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Like Alice before him, Dale took off into the Shaded air. Flying towards Alice, Dale took a better hold of his sword, while also Quick Casting a few Air Bullets.
<span style="font-weight:400">Alice for her part Insta Casted both Dark Armor and Dark Shield to protect herself, while also seemingly filling her swordstaff with some mana, as its de began to glow a bit.
<span style="font-weight:400">The duo’s swords shed in the air, letting out a ringing sound. But this wasn’t a swordfight, but a sword and magic fight, so those two won’t de lock each other or anything. Because where Dale stood, soon a small inferno appeared. It was actually Fire Wall cast by Alice, not an inferno, but it will still burn you if you aren’t careful, so Dale had to quickly back off. Alice then burst straight through her own wall of mes so she could attempt to strike at the retreating Dale.
<span style="font-weight:400">While that attack did seem to take Dale off guard, he was still capable of parrying Alice’s strike with his sword, while also Quick Casting Wind Blow. The spell sent a lot of air to Alice’s way, pushing her away from Dale again.
<span style="font-weight:400">With a bit of distance between the two again, both of them Quick Casted some bullet spells, Alice both Dark and Fire Bullets, while Dale just used Wind Bullets. But out of the two, Alice came out the better, as she was able to use Instant Cast to cast another Dark Armor spell to defend herself, while Dale took her bullets head on. Dale took some damage from the spells, but he was still hanging in there, and the match continued.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wind, Rage to your heart''s desire, Wind Storm!” Dale casted a powerful spell with a full chant. Well, it might have been shortened, as it was … well, short.
<span style="font-weight:400">Powerful winds began to whirl around the arena, to the point where they even blew away Alice’s Shade. And with the winds as his ally, Dave Quick Casted Flight again, and flew towards Alice with his sword ready.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Dark re!” In response, Alice Quick Casted a spell I haven’t seen her use before. Because of it, a raging dark me appeared before her. The me then quickly moved to attack Dale, almost like it was a snake, covered in dark mes.
<span style="font-weight:400">With his sword shining with mana, Dale prepared to intercept the ming snake. It might have only taken him three shes to do so, but that was enough time for Alice, as her next spell was ready to go.
<span style="font-weight:400">“False me!”
<span style="font-weight:400">This was actually a spell I knew. It was Alice’s anti-personnel fire spell. It looked like Fire magic, but it was actually a mix of fire and dark. And the best part about it, it wouldn’t inflict any HP damage to the opponent, it just hurt like heck. Alice designed it as a tool to subdue people that she didn’t want to really hurt. At least hurt their HP. Because as someone who did act as a test target for that spell, I can say, it hurts a ton.
<span style="font-weight:400">The False me hit Dale head on, just as he had finished the Dark re snake me thing. He let out a loud scream as the fire ‘burned’ him. I know physically he would be fine, but I still cannot understate the mental damage that spell causes. Maybe I should ask Alice to not use that spell again, as I feel like she is bing more sadistic with each spell. I don’t want her to end up like Marik, who burns people with false divine mes. I don’t think this world will have a Joey who can stand up to the pain of those kinds of mes.
<span style="font-weight:400">Perhaps because of the pain caused by Alice’s mes, or maybe some other reason, Dale’s Flight spell seemed to have been interrupted, and the A-rank adventurer fell from the sky. He was still conscious, and was able tond on his feet.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... Good move. … but you lose.” He said to Alice.
<span style="font-weight:400">“..?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Alice didn’t seem to realize what was going on, but I did. Well, for us it was a lot easier to see.
<span style="font-weight:400">The Wind Storm spell had broken a piece of earth off and lifted it above Alice. And now, because of the False me Alice cast, all of Dave’s spells seemed to have run out. Including the Wind Storm keeping said piece of earth in the air. And perhaps as a showcase of Dale’s skill, or maybe just dumb luck, as that b of earth fell, it hit Alice, taking her down with it.
<span style="font-weight:400">As both Alice and the b of earth hit the ground, the b broke apart, showing the force of the impact. But the pile of rocks didn’t stay still. There was clearly some movement under it. And eventually, Alice dug herself out of there.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... HOW?” Dale yelled, as he took a good grip of his sword.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... no.” Alice said quietly. “You win.” As she admitted that, her clothes shined a bit, and her magical girl outfit turned back into her regr clothes, before Alice seemingly passed out and began falling towards the ground.
<span style="font-weight:400">I quickly took a hold of her falling body with Telekinesis as I rushed to her side.
<span style="font-weight:400">Match over. Winner Dale. Opponent ran out of mana and passed out.