Chapter 1202 - Hidden Ability
When the duel timer came to an end, Brute Spear walked at a measured pace towards Shi Feng. It was as if he was strolling casually through a park right now. He did not take this duel seriously whatsoever.
As expected of a quest that could prompt the Demon God to emerge, it instantly promoted a High Demon to the Baron rank. Shi Feng unsheathed the Abyssal Blade and Killing Ray, his expression turning serious as he looked at the approaching Berserker.
Even after ten years had passed, Demon players that managed to reach the Baron rank had still been uncommon, with the majority stuck at the High Demon rank. If one wanted to get promoted further, they needed to get the acknowledgment of the Demon God or upper-class Demons and have them willingly share a portion of their power.
However, upper-class Demons and the Demon God were allowed to bestow their power on only a limited number of people. As a result, the number of Demon players that could become nobility was extremely low.
Currently, Brute Spear, who was Level 45, already possessed 240,000 HP. On the other hand, even after reaching Level 50, Shi Feng's HP was just slightly over 42,000. The disparity was nearly sixfold.
Moreover, Baron Demons possessed much higher Defense and Magic Resistance than High Demons. Even ordinary Tier 2 expert players would find it hard to kill the current Brute Spear, not to mention that there was not a single Tier 2 player in God's Domain yet.
When Brute Spear was only 12 yards away, Shi Feng abruptly stomped on the ground, leaving behind an afterimage in his original position as he dashed straight at the Berserker.
"So fast!"
The five Flower of Seven Sins members spectating from the side were astonished when they saw Shi Feng appearing before Brute Spear in the blink of an eye.
Shi Feng was definitely the fastest Swordsman they had ever seen. If it were them fighting against Shi Feng right now, they would be caught off guard if they were not careful.
Moreover, Shi Feng's movements and judgment were also considerably acute.
Unlike Berserkers that used greatswords or battle axes, Berserkers that used spears had a longer attack range. Their spears could reach roughly two yards farther than the other weapons. The optimum attack range for a spear-wielding Berserker was between four and eight yards. Meanwhile, a Swordsman that used a longsword had an optimum attack range between one and three yards. Although their sword auras could reach up to five yards, enemies that were standing within four to five yards could easily dodge such an attack by retreating one or two yards.
If a longsword-wielding Swordsman wanted to suppress a spear-wielding Berserker, the best way to do so was to close in and move within one to three yards of the latter. This way, the Berserker could not utilize the spear to its fullest potential.
Conversely, if Shi Feng allowed Brute Spear to gradually approach him, then before he even reached his attack range, Brute Spear would've already begun attacking—a considerably disadvantageous situation to Shi Feng.
Hence, taking the initiative to attack to launch a fast attack was an extremely wise decision.
"You have quick reactions; I'll give you that. Unfortunately, you met me!"
Brute Spear was indeed surprised by Shi Feng's speed and judgment. However, while others might have difficulty keeping up with Shi Feng's speed, he could see the Swordsman's movements perfectly. Moreover, due to his improved physique, he had a much clearer grasp of his surroundings. Right now, he could perceive everything within a 20-yard radius. In fact, the instant Shi Feng prepared to take action, he already knew what Shi Feng would do.
Whirlwind Slash!
Having long since anticipated Shi Feng's attack, Brute Spear swept the spear in his hands horizontally, his move capable of dealing a serious blow to all enemies within a 10-yard radius.
An explosion rang out in the air as he swung the crimson spear, the spear moving so fast that it became invisible to the naked eye. Meanwhile, Shi Feng was currently still six yards away from Brute Spear. By the time he could start attacking Brute Spear, the Berserker's spear would've long since landed on him.
Although the spear was weaker than the greatsword and battle axe when it came to raw power, it was superior in terms of speed.
Peng!
Spear and sword collided, the impact forcing Shi Feng to take a few steps back.
What a high Skill Completion Rate! Shi Feng was slightly astonished as he looked at Brute Spear, who remained unaffected by the impact.
If speaking purely in terms of the Strength Attribute, he should surpass Brute Spear even after the latter transformed. After all, there was a five-level gap between them. Moreover, the quality of his weapons and equipment was also far superior to that of Brute Spear's. Nonetheless, he still got repulsed in the end.
The only explanation for such a situation occurring was Brute Spear's Skill Completion Rate. When a player's Skill Completion Rate reached a certain percentage, the Skills they used would generate some additional effects.
For example, when the Berserker class's Whirlwind Slash achieved a Completion Rate of 99% or above, aside from having greater destructive power, the Skill would also come with a knockback effect.
A Skill Completion Rate of 99%!
This was a Completion Rate that Shi Feng could only occasionally achieve when both his body and mind were in an excellent state.
Despite that, the Berserker before him was able to achieve this feat casually.
Is this a hidden ability of a Demon noble?
Shi Feng did not believe that Brute Spear himself was capable of achieving such a high Completion Rate. After all, the Berserker had just been promoted to a Baron Demon. After transforming, the bonus Attributes he received should be much higher than when he was just a High Demon. He should have great difficulty properly controlling this newfound strength immediately. He would need some time to adapt. Hence, the only explanation was that this high Completion Rate was a hidden ability of a Demon noble.
In the past, Shi Feng had never gotten the opportunity to fight against a Demon noble. Or to put it in another way, he had not possessed the qualifications to do so. As a result, he had only a little information on Demon players. As for the hidden abilities of Demon nobles, there hadn't been any fools that revealed such a secret.
"No wonder Chen Xu said that you're powerful. Your Strength Attribute is actually so high." Looking at his still-trembling spear, Brute Spear could not help but turn to look at Shi Feng. After this brief exchange, he grew even more fond of the bracers on Shi Feng's arms.
Even after transforming into a Demon, he was still weaker than Shi Feng in terms of Strength. If he were fighting against any other Swordsman right now, such a situation would have been impossible. The only explanation for this was Shi Feng's weapons and equipment.
After saying so, Brute Spear directly used Charge at Shi Feng, the spear in his hands stabbing at Shi Feng's heart.
When Brute Spear used Charge, he became like a shooting star. He was not only extremely fast but also exerted powerful pressure on Shi Feng.
However, this pressure didn't come from Brute Spear himself. Instead, it was a deterrent effect that appeared when Charge's Completion Rate reached 99% or above. This hidden effect reduced his opponent's reaction speed by 20% and Movement Speed and Attack Speed by 40% for one second.
When Brute Spear got to within six yards of Shi Feng, the crimson spear in his hands suddenly transformed into a streak of red light.
"Boss Brute is finally using his trademark move," an Assassin familiar with Brute Spear said, chuckling.
This was a combination technique Brute Spear used to gain fame for himself in the Flower of Seven Sins, merging a combat technique with a system Skill to exert even more power.
Lightning Speed!
Originally, Charge had already allowed Brute Spear's crimson spear to move at a frighteningly fast speed. Then, during the time he was using Charge, he would transfer the power of his entire body to his spear, applying additional acceleration the instant it was about to reach its target. This speed made the attack practically impossible to dodge or block.
Peng!
At the critical moment, Shi Feng activated Parry.
When the crimson spear came into contact with his swords, Shi Feng instantly felt both his arms go numb. His entire person also was forced to retreat six steps before he managed to stabilize himself.
He blocked it? Brute Spear was astounded right now. Just how high is his Agility?
The Lightning Speed he executed this time was the most perfect one so far. Logically, after including the suppression effect of his Charge, Shi Feng should not have been capable of executing Parry at all.
"Since it is so, let's see if your reaction speed or my Attack Speed is faster!"
Saying so, Brute Spear flapped the wings on his back and began hovering in midair. His body then split into three, and all three attacked Shi Feng simultaneously from different directions.
The Skill he had used was called Demon Flash, something he had learned after becoming a Baron Demon. It allowed him to attack his opponent from three directions, and each clone mirrored his original body perfectly. There was also no need for him to control his mirror images as they would carry out the same actions as he did. During the attack, he and his clones would also gain an enormous Movement Speed boost. Overall, it was a Skill many times more powerful than Charge.