Chapter 100: Michu Vs Zerze

Most players and NPCs began their battle by testing their opponents.

It was either due to their arrogance or just because they wanted to test out their enemies first.

In Zerze's case, it was hard to tell for outsiders, but he respected Michu as a friend and opponent. He had seen his battle with the black magician and reckless, but vivid battle style!

He also could enhance any staff, so his class should be more than just a warrior.

Therefore, Zerze focused on that staff and waved his Ice Spear from afar.

The Ice Shards materialized out a drawn trail, then barrelled into Michu!

Lil Monke's staff instantly trembled!

BANG! BANG! BANG!

At a speed that brought up a wide smile from Zerze, Michu destroyed all ice shards aiming at him before they reached his body!

Michu smiled widely and kicked off the ground!

Despite the vengeance slipping into Michu's heart due to Venomous' loss, Michu's smile never wore off and he just couldn't look menacing.

But if his body lacked that threatening aura, his staff surely carried intimidating might!

This staff and spear met many times already, each time sending down tremors across the island!

'I have to use more of my abilities... We have just a few of them...' Michu's Bonk became stronger with the recent evolution and the new effect that it brought. He wanted to evolve more as it was fun!

And what was more fun than that flexibility given by his mythic class?

"It's becoming heavier... Cold Time!' In close contact, other than Absolute Zero, Cold Time was the best ability to use!

The time flew slower, the opponent felt heavier and his moves began to look and be awkward.

But all Michu wanted was the combination of Monkey God's Staff Control and Monkey God's Bonk! All Michu wanted was to dance together with those abilities!

He wanted his staff to become what he said once in the past; to become the snake!

And with his feelings on the line and recent evolution, Michu did his utmost best to achieve that flexibility!

Therefore, his staff couldn't be slowed!

His staff became the surprise that struck Zerze's shoulder!

[Critical Strike! -1204 HP!]

But that was the beginning of another evolution!

In his yearning for flexibility and snake staff style, Michu focused on attacking with his staff as it extended and shrunk. He mixed it with his normal attacks, but the majority of his tries were mixed with bonk and staff control!

As for Zerze, this strike barely threw him out of control!

His spear and ice shards assaulted Michu like any other opponent.

No, in Michu's case, this weapon was colder and stronger.

This didn't mean that Lil Monke would stop or distance himself! Once in this Cold Time, retreating felt like one of the worst choices!

Michu followed that feeling, exhaled through his teeth and pushed forward!

[Your High Intelligence Skill has activated itself.]

[You can see the five gaps in Zerze's stance.]

Ding!

[Five Juncture Strike Skill has been created!]

The sudden golden eyes startled the crowd, but not Zerze.

He carried on as usual, ready to embrace any sudden attack that Michu would throw at him!

But he couldn't have expected the new skill whose one of the passives was 100% attack speed increase!

"AH!"

In a flash, Michu's whole speed entered another level and he immediately used Five Juncture Strike! This skill could be used close to the opponent and motioned Michu's body to strike the points spotted before!

No battle style was perfect!

Zerze had his flaws.

And Michu had spotted them all.

His staff turned snake, the fast snake that extended its jaw and struck at the five points in the blink of an eye. 

Those strikes threw Zerze out of control, his body floundering as if five cannonballs barreled into him! He let out the groan for the second time, "Ahhh!" The one which was longer and rougher!

He nearly dropped his spear, but Zerze got the hang of himself and roared in response, "One for-" He wanted to slash back at Michu, but to no avail!

The monke's staff went from below and hit his chin! It hurtled him up and sent him far away, allowing Michu's speed to return to its usual level!

Lil Monke panted, his eyes locked on the fallen monster!

"Go after him!" KongFu roared from behind, "Smash his face into the ground! No! Smash his balls!"

Venomous' hands were also clenched tightly and dug through her skin as she watched her beloved going against that monster! However, her head wasn't muddled, "Michu would've already thrown himself... if he could."

That one slap from below was the only thing Michu could deliver after his new skill! It toiled on his body and severely depleted his stamina! But that was the price for entering the new realm of speed his body wasn't aware of!

Michu needed a little time and he hoped to get it by sending Zerze away!

It was a choice made on the spur of the moment; an excellent choice!

Zerze looked at the sky, his cold eyes brimmed with shock and disbelief. He never expected to face the sky during the battle with anyone, to say nothing of Michu who he deemed the strongest.

But his opponent also didn't expect repercussions of his skill!

Zerze raised his body and looked at Michu whose sweaty and pale face had been panting non-stop ever since he used his newest skill!

Did enough time pass? Of course not...

Michu held his staff tightly and supported himself while hoping for the best!

But the best seemed to favor Zerze as he stood up and wiped off the blood from his lips. He ambled toward Michu, his ice spear digging and leaving an ice trail on the ground!

As he towered before Lil Monke, Zerze deeply looked into Michu's already brown eyes, "Well done. I withstood your skill... Will you withstand mine?" His Ice Spear rose like a dragon, then its tip dug through Michu's shoulder!

In the same way he'd done to Venomous, Zerze buried his spear within Michu's shoulder and applied the Freezing Effect.

His cold voice scratched Michu's face, "Absolute Zero." He went even further and instantly applied the strongest technique!

Ice crept onto Michu and thoroughly began to freeze his body! He couldn't move already, but this coldness brought natural shivers and widened his eyes in pain!

However, Michu's hand went up and he grasped the spear lodged inside his shoulder! Before the ice embraced him wholly, Michu would keep this spear within him and not let Zerze end his life as easily!

Was it a smart choice? Michu didn't know, but he went for it as it was what his heart was telling him to do.

For the outsiders, it looked like the end.

Even Zerze stepped a few steps back and rested his eyes on the frozen Michu whose eyes remained closed!

A cold sweat entered Zerze's eyes and he closed those abruptly. But as he opened his eyes anew, Zerze noticed something odd, "A red cap... isn't frozen?" He narrowed those and bad premonition grasped his loud heart!

Zerze rushed forward to grasp the spear lodged within Michu and Ice Coffin, but the series of system messages had already flashed within Michu!

[Yakuzan's Red Cap has bestowed his skill onto you.]

[Ice Nourishment; to live and die with ice.]

[Ice Nourishment and Azure Liquid Control blend together.]

Michu's body was resilient due to his absurd amount of stats... This allowed Yakuzan's Red Cap to pass down the skill he had gotten from the Ice Tomb's Vault.

It was not a permanent skill, but a temporary one as it resided within the red cap!

[Ice Nourishment: A skill that sucks out energy from the ice to nourish the body with stamina and mana! The Ice has to be a foreign one or the one spread due to your techniques!]

The Ice Coffin lost its luster in less than a minute!

During this minute, Zerze desperately tried to add more damage onto Michu and increase his freezing, but to no avail!

That frozen hand didn't let go of his spear!

And the ice that lost all its luster... cracked.

Zerze's eyes dilated widely to their limits, his aghast face was the pleasure for viewers and Michu's family eyes.

At that time, Michu's eyes rose! "Your Absolute Zero... is not absolute for me! Hehe!" He laughed, then shook off ice around his arm. His hand went for Zerze's neck and he tightly choked him!

More and more broken ice fell off Michu as his other hand took out the Ice Spear and threw it as further as possible!

Without his weapon, Zerze toppled backward as Michu's regained strength overwhelmed him as well!

Sitting on him, Michu raised his bloody hand, clenched it tightly so that its sound reached Zerze, then his bloody fist landed on Zerze's face!

"This is for Venomous!" Michu howled, then let out another one, "And this is for me and our victory!" He pummeled down's Zerze's face, making it one bloody mess.

His nose shifted to the side and cheeks swelled, but Zerze's close combat was something Michu could underestimate!

With the howl of the ice dragon, "You have never fought in real life, have you, Michu?!" Zerze punched back and pushed Michu off him.

He struggled to stand up, but after he did, Michu already returned with another punch.

It was clear as the sky that this monke lacked proper experience, but no one faulted him. Rather, it was something given.

Real-life was that peaceful for most!

And the viewers appreciated Michu's actions more. He didn't go for his staff, but instantly stood up and threw himself to challenge Zerze in close combat!

For what he lacked, he could only fight and learn through challenges!

They also appreciated the show and its thrill given to them by taking down this ice monster a few times!

The Impossible Quest was just many of the hard quests! But Zerze's fame and actions made people believe that no one could challenge him!

Lil Monke had overwritten all those thoughts and made one hell show where their battle got reduced to nothing, but fists!

'I will lose...' Zerze's alarms screamed within him.

His cold eye lost its color and blood invaded it, halving his vision. But even if his second eye turned blind, Zerze believed he still would be able to see monke. Through the game's fantasy senses or whatever it would be, the sight of this young man deeply etched itself into Zerze's heart anyway.

That smile... was something else.

That smile had an effect that made even the cold monster smile! "Come... at me..." Zerze spoke with his lips curled up, liking that reckless and naive approach.

In his life, Zerze knew that there would be a point where his skills would turn meaningless. Everyone with special and unique classes had such thoughts. But even if his class turned meaningless, Zerze's will never would.

He would show his guild that he was worth funneling money into.

Now, he could just use his fists to show it and he felt damn good about it.

Alas, the stamina's loss was worse on Zerze's side.

Thud!

He fell onto his knees after punching a few times more with Michu, his eyes looking at Lil Monke's legs.

"It's... my win!" Lil Monke said.

His voice urged, then forced Zerze to look up.

And within those eyes, Michu couldn't spot hatred nor hate. There was an enjoyment, a rare enjoyment that Zerze lacked in his recent life.

He was about to lose and his top spot would get snatched by Michu. It was the top one, but for this man, it meant more.

But Michu couldn't see any negative emotions.

Zerze was just tired a little and he needed rest desperately, but his eyes held on and rested on Michu's face instead.

Countless thoughts clouded Michu's mind, but he shook his face and dispelled those immediately.

What mattered was that he won, that his family was happy about his win and that he became stronger with hefty rewards awaiting them!

He didn't dare any negative thoughts to replace that joy...

Michu wanted to defeat Zerze and turn around to see his girlfriend's smile!

Thus, he lowered his fist.

[You have killed Zerze.]

Zerze's upper body plummeted down! For a second, it felt like his head sunk into his neck, but Zerze laughed upon it after he woke up in the city! His body shattered into a thousand red particles, leaving Michu alone on the battlefield!

Michu turned around and froze, "I won..."

His eyes rested on Yumi's face that was reddened with tears tumbling down her cheeks. Her genuine happiness oozed out of her and she barely could restrain herself from rushing to her prince.

That was a sight that made thousands if not more people jealous.

As for Michu, he slowly brought himself closer to his girlfriend.

She didn't cry after her loss and made plans for the future.

They both had supported themselves, rather.

Michu hoped he had given her equal support, but he felt like his girlfriend was cheating!

"Next time... I will cry..." He mumbled to himself and landed in her tight embrace, his face within soft pillows that Michu had been getting used to recently.

"Sleep, my prince..." Yumi's voice flowed from above and the prince's eyes closed.

It was a very tight and warm sleep!