Chapter 588: Individual Tournament 12

Shani was barely able to dodge the spat-out water arrow with all her might, her expression grim. She gazed at the bus-sized blue snake that had golden-green eyes focused on her. 

She didn't know what to make of this as she didn't understand Lucifer Lineage techniques, and many in the crowd were confused too. They just settled down and assumed that it had to be an ability of her class, but Shani knew better. 

Still, she realized she had little time to ponder over this as a greenish mist began to spread from Loving Aunt's body, slowly encompassing the entire stage. 

｢Toxic Supremacy – Passive skill 

Effect: The User emits a toxic mist that takes away 1.5% HP per second of all enemies within 3 miles of them. All toxic skills and techniques are boosted by 40%.｣ 

Shani understood that if she allowed that mist to cover her, the three-minute duration for the match would instantly drop down to just over a minute and her demise would be fixed in stone. 

She was the underdog for this match, and although she didn't have high hopes for victory, she didn't plan on losing pathetically either, not when her country's hope rested on herself as well as Boyd's shoulders. 

Fortunately for her, she was an archer, and ranged fighting was her forte. Shani held up her crossbows and activated her Spray and Pray skill. This allowed her to fire a slew of powerful bolts all over the place for quite a large range, yet the accuracy of it was poor. 

It wasn't too surprising, since it had been included in the list of skills she had gained at Rank 1 after successfully attaining the Legendary Deadeye Class. Fortunately, its downside was offset by the passive skill she had gained at Rank 3, Stability. It made sure that her aim was impeccable at all times, even granting her a 5% chance to do instant fatal damage regardless of where her bolt struck. 

Still, the skill's animation worked in the sense that Shani fired a whole load of bolts from left to right, so about 60% of the bolts were not even pointed towards Loving Aunt or her Blue Water Adder. 

Nevertheless, the 40% that were aimed in their general direction all headed right towards them without fail. The Blue Water Adder sensed something and rushed to coil Loving Aunt within, tanking all the bolts head-on. 

It hissed in pain as each bolt dealt 120% damage, which was insane when one considered the number of them that had been fired out and struck the poor giant snake. However, the skill's main purpose was for crowd control and to clear a wealth of enemies, not focus on a single one. 

Some even triggered the 5% chance and dealt fatal damage, which was boosted with a 3x multiplier! By the time all the bolts had pierced the Blue Water Adder and the skill came to an end, it had lost a huge amount of HP. 

｢Name: Blue Water Adder (Loving Aunt) – Major Rank monster 

Level: 100 

HP: 223,800/1,980,000｣ 

Loving Aunt's face changed as the Blue Water Adder uncoiled itself to reveal the wounds and lesions on its scales. It hissed in pain with half-lidded eyes, trying to shake of its injuries. 

Loving Aunt herself displayed a solemn expression, and chastised herself for taking it too easy. She had known that there was a big gap between her power and Shani, which was why she had subconsciously treated the girl as a punching bag who she could go easy on. 

However, she hadn't accounted for the fact that even those with Legendary Classes had battled seriously against those with Epic Classes, and they were long-time gamers. 

Loving Aunt and Shani shared many similarities. 

Firstly, both women had little gaming experience before joining Boundless as they had lives to live. Secondly, they both were casual towards this game and got to where they were mostly thanks to their loved ones supporting them (Draco for Fyre and Boyd for Shani). 

Thirdly and most importantly, they both had Legendary Classes! 

This was not like matchups before where it was a Legendary Class against Epic Class, so the obvious difference was displayed despite both parties having similar skills. 

This match was the exact opposite, with both parties having relatively the same skill level and the same level of power in terms of class. There was no such thing as a weak Legendary Class, as all such classes were broken and just needlessly overpowered in one way or the other. 

Loving Aunt sighed internally, reminding herself that this AI would never make a mistake matching them up. Everything down to their situations, circumstances, and interactions must have been calculated before drawing up the fights, so it was her own mistake for not taking that into account. 

However… Loving Aunt's eyes glinted. 

There may be many similarities between herself and Shani, but there was also one huge difference and that was their bloodline! Shani was your normal everyday sub-human while Loving Aunt was a descendant of Lucifer and considered a partial-true human! 

Loving Aunt's eyes narrowed into serpentine slits as she activated the Advanced Transformation Technique on herself. This was the Serpent God Inheritance technique that allowed one to take up some aspects of their Serpentine Affinity, whether major or minor. 

Loving Aunt's affinity was with the Blue Water Adder major, and the Dark Swamp Serpent minor. The Blue Water Adder was a high-level serpent that roamed in all water bodies, able to camouflage its skin within them and breathe underwater as it could on land. 

It was extremely fast in water and could even prey on marine life like octopi and small sharks. In Loving Aunt's hands, it was able to control water and manipulate it to an extent, which was how she normally fought. 

Most importantly, the Blue Water Adder was one step down from the Flood Dragon, which was why it was so strong anyway. If we were to grade Serpentine Familiar by using the same measurements as items in Boundless World, one could say that the Blue Water Adder was Epic Rank and the Flood Dragon was Legendary Rank. 

The Dark Swamp Serpent was a toxic serpent that had blackish-purple scales and living in murky waters. It had eyes coated with thick film that allowed it to see even in the dirtiest liquid and could move through sludge like it was a bird in the air. 

Its poison could kill elephants with one bite and its danger level was far above even alligators that lived in those same swampy waters. The Dark Swamp Serpent was one tier below the Amphitere, which like the Flood Dragon, was a sub-Draconic species. 

Similar to before, the Dark Swamp Serpent would be an Epic Rank Serpentine Familiar while the Amphitere was one at the Legendary Rank. Since she had already summoned the Blue Water Adder using the Advanced Manifestation Technique, Loving Aunt decided to double it up by taking on its characteristics. 

She communicated with the weakened adder, which shook its head to suppress its pain and focus on the fight. The two then simultaneously opened their mouths and fired jets of water that lanced from one side of the stage to the other. 

Shani was shocked by this and could only take to the air to avoid getting cut in half. She then retaliated by using her Charged Shot skill, which concentrated Worldly Energy into her bolt to empower it. 

This increased its power by 500% compared to a normal bolt, and its size grew significantly as well. When she fired it out, it tore through the air with a low buzz of energy as it hurtled towards the Blue Water Adder. 

Yes, Shani realized that if she wanted a chance to win this, she needed to take out the summoned snake that could protect Loving Aunt's body and form a team with her. Not to mention her previous skill had drastically lowered its health, so now was a good time to finish it off! 

Loving Aunt saw this and ignored it. Rather, she used one of her precious active skills that she usually kept hidden due to their power. 

｢Poison Ivy – Active skill 

Effect: Summon a forest of vines to trap and lash out at every enemy within a 3-mile radius. The damage of the vines depends on the location of the cast. 

Cooldown: 1 day.｣ 

Immediately, vines grew out of the arena floor and rose to the sky, lashing about as they chased after Shani in order to bind her. Since she was already airborne and could not fly, she was inevitably caught and wrapped up like a mummy. 

The shot she fired crashed into the Blue Water Adder, making its shriek in pain as it turned into pixelated ash and was desummoned as it had died. Loving Aunt paled as she suffered a minor backlash, but her face remained determined. 

She breathed out a mist of toxins into Shani who was bound in the vines, tearing away at her HP in great amounts as the dark-skinned woman went green, then purple, then black from the potency of the poisons. 

Eventually, she died just like that, giving Loving Aunt the win. 

Shani reappeared at the side with a strange expression, but noticed she was whole again. She sighed with lament, but felt a warm pair of arms wrap around her from behind. 

Knowing these rough and burly arms belonged to the man she loved, she relaxed in his embrace as he comforted her gently. Hearing his soft-spoken words, Shani came to terms with her loss, convinced that even if she had failed, he wouldn't. 

And more importantly, he would win for her sake. That was enough to make her feel much better. 

Loving Aunt also came down and nodded to Shani with respect. She had gained a new view of the lass, who wasn't really a no-name person as everyone might have thought. It was just that as someone who peacefully wanted to be a wife, Shani had seen no need to stand out. 

Shani was overwhelmed by the favor she was shown by this senior member, and bowed in thanks. She was also moved by the cheering crowd, especially the Africans who were really just happy to be represented by someone competent on the international stage. 

Thirteenth Match winner: Loving Aunt! 

14th Match: Eye Patch (Boyd) vs Kicked Bucket! 

Boyd kissed Shani's temple gently before releasing her. He then smiled brazenly, his aura changing from a loving husband to a wild barbarian who would cut down all foes before him. 

Shani blushed as she liked this air around him. It reminded her of their teenage days when this fellow would go about his hooliganish ways and she was the only one who could tame his wild, berserk nature. 

Boyd jumped onto the stage on the left and held his dual poleaxes casually, flourishing them with surprisingly dexterous ease as he casually glanced at the one who would be his opponent. 

On the right, was a fellow who was just as tall and well-built as him. Kicked Bucket was an Asiatic fellow with creamy white skin, slanted, almond-shaped eyes, and soft black hair that was neatly combed. 

He stood at 6"1 and wore a set of heavy armor suitable for paladins, with a golden-white aspis shield in his left and a thick silver longsword in his right. His armor itself was quite colorful, which was the opposite of Uno who used dull colors for his everything. 

Boyd raised an eyebrow when he observed his foe. It seemed the AI had paired an all-offensive fighter like him against a defensive fighter like Kicked Bucket. A paladin would certainly be able to curb Boyd's crazy attacks and heavy damage-dealing abilities, but that was up in the air. 

Boyd did not shit-talk his opponent, mostly because he kinda liked Kicked Bucket. The fellow was part of Umbra's top tanks, being a sort of protege of Uno, so the two were more than just mere acquaintances. 

This became even moreso apparent by the fact that Kicked Bucket humbly greeted Boyd, to which the Maverick responded with a similar greeting. They then took up battle stances as they waited for Amber to call the match to begin. 

Once that signal was given, both sides rushed towards each other in a blur. As someone who looked up to Uno, Kicked Bucket had naturally taken the battle tank path, meaning that instead of hiding behind his shield to wait for an opening, his playstyle revolved more around meeting his foes head-on and outlasting them using his superior HP and stamina. 

Boyd's axe collided with his sword, creating sparks as both men glared at each other. As Boyd easily brought his other axe to bear, Kicked Bucket raised his shield and blocked it. 

The two began battling like this, axe strikes meeting either blade or shield as Kicked Bucket deftly met Boyd head-to-head in all clashes. 

Kicked Bucket possessed the Epic Paladin class variant, Battle Bearer. This was a class that focused on mixing offense with defense in lieu of support which typical Paladins offered. 

｢Battle Bearer - Epic Class (Rank 3) 

Skills: Paladin's Duty (Passive), Valiant Battle Style (Passive), Shield Wall (Active), Continuous Charge (Active), Holy Light Wave (Active). 

Starting Stats: Str 30, Dex 10, End 20, Int 20, Spr 20, Cha 10, Lck 10 

Exp gain rate: 100% 

Rank up difficulty: 85% 

Class weapons: Any Shield, Sword. 

Class skills: Any Shield, Sword, Paladin.｣ 

｢Paladin's Duty – Passive skill 

Effect: As a Paladin, you are the vanguard of the battle, leading your allies into the fight through example. Your defense is increased by 30% and so too is your various resistances. All Paladin-related skills are 15% more effective in combat.｣ 

｢Valiant Battle Style – Passive skill 

Effect: As a Battle Bearer, your duty is to battle the man before you to protect the man behind you. You gain access to a special set of battle techniques that allow you to mix offense and defense, as well as a 50% boost to your natural dexterity when in battle.｣

｢Shield Wall – Active Skill 

Effect: Call upon the power of the heavens to create a shield wall spanning 150-meters in front of you, protecting yourself and your allies from harm for the duration of its existence. 

Duration: 1 minute 

Cooldown: 5 minutes.｣

｢Continuous Charge – Active skill 

Effect: Place your shield before you and rush forward into the throng of enemies, swinging your sword about in order to take down those you can. You generate a shield of light around you during your charge that makes you invincible for the duration, but you cannot control your direction nor turn back. 

Duration: 15 seconds 

Cooldown: 5 minutes.｣ 

｢Holy Light Wave – Active Skill 

Effect: Concentrate a large amount of Light Energy into your sword, swinging it outward to create a sword wave that cuts through all enemies before you in grand fashion. This deals 150% sword damage over a range of 100 meters before the user. 

Cooldown: 10 minutes.｣ 

Boyd smiled despite being seemingly tied in combat with Kicked Bucket, then smashed both his axes together as he began to spin around in a circle with both axes stretched out to either side. 

｢Ultra Colossus – Active skill 

Effect: Spin your axe in a clockwise motion with almost impossible speed and precision, like a spinning top. This deals 40% axe damage per swing. 

Duration: 12 minutes 

Cooldown: 22 hours.｣ 

Kicked Bucket paled as he saw Boyd use this move, aware that it was one of Boyd's most powerful. After all, his damage was high and both his poleaxes were Legendary Items that had been made for him by Guildmaster Draco, tailored for his build and abilities. 

Kicked Bucket could only grit his teeth and use his Shield Wall skill. He raised his shield up into the sky, and a beam of holy light struck it. He then smashed the shield into the arena floor, which created a wall of shields that spread horizontally from Kicked Bucket's position from one end of the stage to another, acting like a divider. 

｢Name: Shield Wall (Kicked Bucket) – Epic Rank Skill 

Level: none 

HP: 3,000,000/3,000,000｣ 

Boyd collided with the shield as both his axes rapidly struck them. Each strike dealt 30,000 points of damage, which made Kicked Bucket pale as he saw the health of his shield rapidly falling with each second. 

Before 10 seconds had passed, the shield was destroyed, but Kicked Bucket did not give up. He had the idea of interrupting the skill, so he used his Holy Light Wave attack as well. 

This time, he raised his sword up to the sky, where a beam of holy light struck it from the tip and coated the entire blade. He then gazed at Boyd who was rapidly approaching after shattering the shield and swung his blade across, creating a giant sword wave that could bisect anything. 

Just as everyone held their breath, wondering what would happen next, Boyd simply jumped up while still spinning, moving diagonally due to his current status. 

However, with his timing, he had simply leapt over the incoming skill, which Kicked Bucket thought impossible due to how he was moving. He felt it was unfair that he could still move during a skill animation, but he had no time to lament with the Maverick now dangerously close. 

As such, he used his last card and activated Continuous Charge. He hoped that he could give Boyd some berth and then regroup to consider how to avoid this attack until the duration ended. 

He placed his shield before him as holy light struck his body this time, creating a shield around him with infinite HP. Kicked Bucket was initially going to run in a different direction from Boyd, but his eyes glinted with irritation and indignation that he was pushed this far. 

The Battle Bearer opted to charge right into Boyd, hoping his invulnerability would disrupt his skill. Even if the fellow jumped again, it was the same thing, but at least he would get to feel slightly better that Boyd was the one avoiding him, not the other way around. 

Alas, dreams were beautiful, whereas reality was brutal!