Chapter 261: Battle Between Champions

The Titanwraith Berserker was better than Emma, and even the desperate use of HP Potions was not enough to save her from defeat—but he could no longer count on his other two teammates to back him up.

There was only the Shadow Barrier left protecting the Shadowmancer. Upon hearing Qin Ruo’s voice, he could not help turning his head to look. Then he felt something hit his Barrier, and it burst apart like scattering ashes, dissipating into the surrounding air.

Shadow Razors!

It was something Qin Ruo noticed when using the skill in Killer Bee Valley during the day-time: upon being brought up to maximum level, the skill would also include a Laceration effect.

Although this was the first time Poochie had used its Shadow Razors against an Elementalist’s Barrier, it successfully destroyed the magical defense, just in time for Qin Ruo to make his own move.

“Freeze!”

The Shadowmancer’s movements arrested, Poochie leaped up onto his shoulder, and with a flash of blinding light, its tail whipped down onto his head.

This was very different from the gentle way it would usually stroke Qin Ruo with its tail. When its big, bushy tail crashed down upon the Shadowmancer’s head, it activated its Tier 3 skill, Shadowswipe. The tail as solid as steel, it struck the Shadowmancer so hard that he saw stars.

He staggered around for three circles before collapsing to the floor, and a column of white light rose up in mid-air!

Poochie: Target Hit: Enemy Faction player received 387 damage.

Target killed!

Received 1 Honor Point from Enemy Faction player.

Due to your current status as a Villain, your Infamy Points have been reduced by 1.

Normal Red Tag: 27 minutes remaining in Wanted status!

When Poochie slew the Bandit who had ambushed Emma, Qin Ruo was happy to also receive an Honor Point for the deed. He had now picked up three Honor Points since entering the Graveyard of the Gods, which was pretty good. Another twenty-seven minutes and he would be rid of his red tag, and then happy days would be ahead!

Qin Ruo’s heart leaped with joy, but he had not forgotten the Bowmaster, who was just now shaking off the Stunned condition.

Poochie coiled itself up, and then pounced at him.

Completely unconcerned, Qin Ruo picked up the equipment the fallen Shadowmancer had been stripped of. Brushing the dirt off, he soon received the System Notifications of Poochie having done away with the Bowmaster and Titanwraith Berserker as well.

It was just too bad that the other two had only been run-of-the-mill Tier 4 players. Not particular capable, and not worth any Honor Points themselves—otherwise Qin Ruo would have been able to clear away the red tag completely.

However, he was quite satisfied at the pace they were going. Even if they could not find any more Demon Faction players who were worth Honor Points to vanquish, he would only have to bear this red tag for another twenty-seven minutes at most, and then after that he would no longer have to scurry about in the Graveyard of the Gods. He would be free to delve its deeper mysteries, and aspire to its upper levels!

As for the Violet equipment that the other two Demon Faction players had dropped, Qin Ruo had no interest, so he let Emma have them all.

Going by appearances, Emma was not short of material means, either. However, even if she did not much care for two pieces of Violet equipment, if Qin Ruo was the one handing them over to her, she would not object. Even if he requested for her to head back and drag the corpse of a Darkfiend Wolf over here, she would not protest.

In her eyes, the Qin Ruo standing before her right now was a living legend!

‘How did Qin Ruo know that there was a group of Demon Faction players stalking them?

‘How did he escape from being boxed in between those three Frostramparts and that massive tree? How did he reappear right next to the Shadowmancer?

‘Teleportation? Stealth? Or some other, unique kind of spell?

‘And another thing… what level Boss is Poochie, exactly?’

It seemed that the further they went, the more questions Emma had about Qin Ruo. He was absolutely fascinating! His individual ability alone would have been more than enough reason to fear him, and the Pet that followed him around was a constant source of surprises.

Was it even a Tier 4 Elite Boss? Was there an Elite Boss this terrifying? Could it be, this little fellow was an Overlord? Or some unique kind of monster?

Yes, that had to be it!

As Emma thought about all these issues, she followed Qin Ruo’s instructions, collecting and inspecting the loot.

Taking a quick glance over her shoulder, she found that Qin Ruo and Poochie had disappeared again, as expected.

If not for her still being in a party with them, as well as what she had just witnessed, Emma might have thought that they had decided to toss her aside after all, and just make their own merry way through.

Hurrying along based on their earlier heading, after a minute or so, there was still no sign of Qin Ruo. Emma was beginning to worry.

Seeing how Emma had begun to stop and look around more often, Qin Ruo, following after her in Aquamorph form, realized that she was getting nervous. Quietly, he spoke through their Party Channel, “Remember, you’re pretending to be alone in the Graveyard of the Gods. You should act more like it.”

Hearing his voice, Emma’s eyes lit up once again. He hadn’t left her; he was still by her side. The Canadian girl felt better, knowing that.

“What was that skill you used, some form of teleportation? Or what? If you can’t tell me right now, just pretend I never asked.”

Now that she was more relaxed, Emma could not resist asking some of the many questions she had been holding back, but she regretted it the moment the words left her, and she hastily added that little disclaimer at the end, terrified that she might drive Qin Ruo away.

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“It’s sort of like the Stealth skill, but even more useful—Bowmasters can’t see through it, and it isn’t removed upon being attacked.”

These blatant lies didn’t bring so much as a blush to his cheeks, and of course Emma believed every word he spoke, without question. What she thought was that she’d already seen the truth of it all with her own eyes—there had been a Tier 4 Bowmaster among their enemies earlier, and sure enough no one had noticed Qin Ruo’s movements.

When Emma thought some more about what Qin Ruo said, it only awed her even more, and further convinced her that she absolutely needed to make good use of this opportunity, by venturing through the Graveyard of the Gods at his side!

An Aquamancer with a flawless invisibility technique, accompanied by a devastatingly powerful Pet. They would move like a storm through the Graveyard of the Gods. Emma could not wait to see it.

Emma didn’t notice a faint shadow slip back behind a great tree, about a hundred meters behind her.

A man with cold eyes and a fearsome scar across his face watched as his partner shook his head empathetically.

“I strongly suggest we leave those two alone!”

“Alright, then we’re changing course!” The scarred Berserker’s tone was decisive and sure.

The five people hiding behind the tree nodded as one. They had just happened to see the two Angel Faction players taking on those four opponents in battle, employing a cooperative player-and-Pet combination fighting style they’d never heard of before, not to mention the Aquamancer’s unusual ability to disappear and reappear suddenly.

The sight remained deeply ingrained in their memories. Although they had among their number a champion on par with a Field Commander, and several other players of considerable ability, they nevertheless hesitated to take on that pair.

Since everyone was in agreement, they quickly turned away and headed to the left instead. The Graveyard of the Gods was a big place—they would likely never meet again!

***

Thanks to some coaching from Qin Ruo, Emma was gradually becoming better at conveying the illusion of being all on her own. Much of the time, she genuinely looked like she was traveling alone. Picking her way across the open ground between the trees, she was careful not to pass too near by the trees, just cautiously making her way along.

With this atmosphere that Qin Ruo had deliberately created, in twenty minutes, Emma attracted the attention of Demon Faction players half-a-dozen times. Some marched right up to attack her; others hid in wait to ambush her.

The conclusion each time was never a surprise!

With Qin Ruo watching over her from the shadows, and the indomitable Poochie fighting by her side, the ones laying a trap for her ended up falling for Qin Ruo’s ploy instead, without exception.

***

“Look out!”

Perhaps ten minutes later, the sound of players in combat could be heard in the distance, through the trees. The flash of magic spells and the roar of battle cries suggested that something exciting was going on over there.

Seeing the commotion, Qin Ruo realized that this time they might have run into two large groups of players trading blows with each other. With an urgent notice to Emma, the two of them went on full alert, creeping in the direction of the battle.

The closer they got, the more serious Qin Ruo’s expression became. He had been right—there was a big fight going on between Angel and Demon Faction players, but the action was more fierce, and more chaotic than he had imagined!

He sucked in a breath. Champions!

These were the best of the best.

In fact, several of the combatants were top players from the greatest Leagues within the Angel and Demon Factions. Watching how they fought, it was clear to see that every one of them was an elite player—some might even be equal to Slayer’s Heart.

***

Between the two sides, there were five red tags against six other players. The Angel Faction’s extra member was a Radiant Priest, who was just now healing up a Shadowmancer who was falling low, with incredibly deft skill!

Beyond the arena of battle between these eleven players, there lay strewn about the bodies of over thirty players from either side.

“Haha! This is fun! I haven’t had a good battle like this in ages! So this is the Field Commander of the Death Cult! Haha!” Clad entirely in Dark Gold equipment, a Berserker wielding a Brilliant Staff was exchanging blows with his opponent. As they sent each other flying, he roared with laughter.

“Once more!” the Berserker shouted.

Crash!

His opponent, Field Commander of the Death Cult, was a Berserker whose equipment was not the least bit inferior to his, showed a cold smile. Downing a potion in mid-air, he reversed his grip on his broadsword and stabbed it right into the ground.

Boom!

With a great explosion, three great spikes erupted from the point where the broadsword struck the earth, entwining as they raced towards the other Berserker.

Suddenly, his life was now in peril!

But with a hearty laugh, the Berserker made an incredible sweep with his staff. There was a wave of force, and the earthern spikes crumbled apart into dust. The two clashed again.

Anyone could easily see Emma standing not sixty meters away from the battle, but none of the eleven players paid her any attention. The Angel Faction players didn’t call for her aid, while the outnumbered Demon Faction players had no time for her. She might as well not have been there.

Qin Ruo thought of something, and hollered through their Party Channel, “Get back!”

For the Demon Faction players to be so unconcerned about her presence, it could only mean that they had something in place to deal with her. Qin Ruo urgently called out in warning, but it was too late.

With no Water Veil and Elemental Perception to detect them, when the Bandit revealed himself, there was already a streamer of red flying from Emma’s breast!