Chapter 837: Having the Upper Hand


    Trantor: Nomyummi Editor: Nomyummi


    Was it close enough?


    Team Evesting’s Warlock yer was more nervous than anyone right now, because ording to their research, One Inch Ash was a very cunning person. He had sessfully managed to close in on his opponent’s side, but could it be trap?


    Leopold didn’t continue to close in or start to cast. Team Evesting’s Warlock wanted to observe a little more, but Red Flower Pavilion didn’t give much cover. One Inch Ash turned suddenly and Leopold had nowhere to hide, bing fully exposed in the other’ range of vision.


    The spectating members of Team Evesting all let out sighs of regret. They could clearly see, from their omniscient view, that One Inch Ash hadn’t beenying a trap and Leopold had really stumbled on a great opportunity to take the upper hand. However, he was overly cautious, so he missed it.


    Upon turning his body, One Inch Ash immediately noticed Leopold was at his nk and hurriedly started to move away. Directly charging at a ranged character wasn’t a good idea, especially ones like Warlocks that had powerful control skills.


    His chance was gone. Seeing One Inch Ash’s hurried retreat, Evesting’s Warlock knew he had missed his chance at grabbing the initiative and was very frustrated. But, he had to be cautious! He then recalled the important points that were repeated brought up on the tactical notes for One Inch Ash. So, he started to wonder again, was this retreat the next step in some scheme?


    So, not only did Team Evesting’s Warlock not pursue him immediately, he even changed direction and took a longer route to close in on One Inch Ash.


    The spectating members of Evesting exchanged looks. They could tell that Leopold was being a little too cautious this round. With this attitude, he would be overly suspicious of his opponent’s actions.


    After a while of cautious movement from both sides, their paths crossed once more.


    Under the dancing petals of the Red Flower Pavilion, the two characters, both in control of the powers of darkness, noticed that they had somehowe into such proximity with a single turn of the head.


    Thispetition had already been going on for eight whole minutes....


    The audience was exhausted to the point where they didn’t even have the energy to cheer any longer. Team Evesting’s Warlock was being extremely cautious, but Qiao Yifan was the same. However, Qiao Yifan’s caution was reasonable. It was better to be close when against a dangerous ss like the Warlock. It could be seen from the delight Wei Chen had towards Death’s Hand, which had a cast range bonus of +4, that the increase in this range meant a lot to a Warlock.


    Under this background, it wasn’t as if they hadn’te across each other before. It was just that they both didn’t think it was a good opportunity and retreated.


    So, they had traversed the terrain through their own paths for a whole eight minutes. This meeting was coincidental. For the audience, it was even kind of funny, like two people backing up to look for each other, only to back into each other.


    Of course, what actually happened wasn’t so absurd. But they were surprised to notice the other, and at such a close distance too.


    A chance!


    A trap!


    That was what each of the yers immediately thought.


    At such proximity, Qiao Yifan definitely had the advantage.


    His cautious movements were simply to find a chance to close in on the other. Now that it had happened out of coincidence, why would he wait instead of taking this chance?


    As for Team Evesting’s Warlock, he had no idea that Qiao Yifan was just as surprised as he was. As soon as he saw that the situation gave the other the upper hand, he immediately believed he had fallen for the other’s trap.


    Was his eight minutes of careful circling useless?


    The Warlock couldn’t help but freak out a little. He didn’t even know when he had started singing the other’s tune.


    One Inch Ash was already charging over.


    Moonlight sh!


    A graceful arc of light sped out in a 216 degrees curve. The dark Phantom Power was already heading straight at Leopold.


    Although Team Evesting’s Warlock was anxious, his hands didn’t slow, hurriedly sidestepping the attack. A Full Moonlight sh after the Moonlight sh was abination both Sword Demons and Phantom Demons were familiar with using. The current One Inch Ash was no exception, apart from how the 360 degrees attack came out at an angle instead of parallel to the ground like with normal yers.


    This was using one’s mechanics to change the angle of the attack. This execution had its own fan-given name, "nted Moonlight sh."


    The name was just a nickname made up by yers. The damage and other effects of the skill had no change. However, with this nt, the angle of attack would be changed. Leopold may have dodged Moonlight sh, but he was struck full by the Full Moonlight sh.


    Full Moonlight sh also had a blow away effect. Leopold was sted back as the attacknded. On the other side, One Inch Ash raised his sword towards the sky and a purple light shed. The sky above the sword tip seemed to rip open, and continuous thudding sounds rang out. Several tombstones of varying lengths and heights had fallen from the heavens in this Ghostde skill: Death’s Tombstone.


    This skill was purely a damage dealing skill, but if you were hit by these tombstones, you would be briefly stunned. This was something all attacks did.


    The current Leopold was still soaring through the air. How could he possibly dodge the falling tombstones? He was quickly smashed to the ground by a falling tombstone. In the current situation, Death’s Tombstones’ situation control was greater than its damage. After the tombstone that knocked Leopold to the ground, more were still falling. This skill would continue for a while. The knocked down Leopold couldn’t dodge out of range.


    Then came a performance of setting Boundaries. He kept chanting, so by the time Death’s Tombstones had ended, One Inch Ash had sent out two Ghost Boundaries already.


    Ice Boundary, which did the best in limiting movement, was obviously set. The other boundary was a gue Boundary, which reduced the defense of the victims inside it.


    Leopold was first slowed by the shards of ice that clung to him from the Ice Boundary. Then, the gue Boundary reduced his defense. Characters that were affected by gue Boundary took on a hunched over and frail look, struggling to move out of the boundary. It was then that the third Ghost Boundary fell.


    Sword Boundary!


    Something that enhanced the strength and intelligence of characters on one’s own side.


    Strength and Intelligence were two stats that directly influenced damage output. With his opponent slowed and their defense weakened, while his own character had a boost in Strength and Intelligence, it was the perfect time to strike for a Ghostde.


    Without hesitation, One Inch Ash’s de fell towards Leopold.


    Leopold had no chance of fighting back with the Ghost Boundaries. Even if they weren’t there, the level 55 One Inch Ash had once made things very difficult for the level 70 Windward Formation. Warlocks really weren’t good at closebat.


    The power of the Phantom Ghost swirled around the de that continuously shed and hacked away at Leopold’s life. The three Boundaries disappeared one after the other, but new Boundaries were already there to take their ce. When the Ice Boundary disappeared, a me Boundary was set. When the gue Boundary vanished, an Ash Boundary appeared.


    The Ash Boundary was a very interesting Ghost Boundary. A character under the effects of an Ash Boundary would have the weight of all the objects on them increased in proportion to the level of the Ash Boundary. A full levelled Ash Boundary could double the weight on a character.


    As the weight a character had to carry increased, the direct effects included reducing a character’s jumping power and movement speed. The effects on attack speed wasn’t very important to normal yers, but at a pro level, not paying attention to these changes and effects could result in losing the match.


    Team Evesting’s Warlock didn’t have the time to calcte this. Having been closed in on by One Inch Ash, he was struggling with or without the Ghost Boundaries. In the first eight minutes, both had been cautiously moving about. They would even part after seeing each other. Yet, this wave of attacks had brought Leopold’s health down, all the way to half in a minute. As for One Inch Ash? Leopold didn’t have the chance to counter. He had just won a wless victory against Soft Mist, yet now it seemed he was going to be wlessly beaten by One Inch Ash.


    Team Evesting’s Warlock was definitely displeased. They had managed to make it 3 versus 2, but having the opponent so easily close this gap wasn’t something they could ept. Thinking of this, he suddenly realized something.


    That’s right! This was a group arena. Though it was a one on one match, there was an element of teamwork to it, too. He could lose this match, but he had to try his best to create an advantage for his teammates first.


    Victory didn’t require the first match to be won, but definitely required the first yer to do their best.


    Maybe he should’ve been a little more brave in the beginning?


    Team Evesting’s Warlock was a little frustrated. With a three versus two advantage, there had been no need for him to y it so safe! If he had taken the initiative, then maybe the situation would be different.


    There might still be a chance, if he tried his best now.


    Team Evesting’s Warlock suddenly calmed, while Qiao Yifan’s performance was, naturally, not to the point where he could mount an offensepletely without openings. Soon, Team Evesting’s Warlock managed to grasp the moment between two attacks. He rolled to dodge the strike and immediately began to cast.


    Before, he probably would’ve thought his proximity was too risky, but now his attitude had changed. He had to deal as much damage as possible to give his remaining teammates the best advantage.


    Soul Slice!


    After that instant cast skill, Curse Arrows were fired without any charging.


    Soul Strike, Decaying Curse, Control Curse...


    Offensive and control skills were cast by Leopold indiscriminately. Team Evesting’s Warlock immediately found that feeling he had in thest match, getting better and smoother as he attacked. Having taken that small opening, he instantly counterattacked.