Chapter 209: Between Two Choices
Splash!
Colton slapped the water angrily as he floated in the river.
"Arggh! Damn it! How did I lose to that brat? Guildmaster Gabriel will surely scold me and grab my neck later." His face began to turn pale as he recalled his past experiences with his guildmaster.
Gabriel is a passionate and aggressive leader. As long as his guild members deliver results, he treats them like friends. But once someone fails, he treats them like trash, maybe even worse. That is why all the members of Red Eyes try their best not to make any mistakes.
Above him, on the arena, the battle was still ongoing. Each of the fighters was doing their best to keep their footing within the arena. Some used raw strength to gain the upper hand, while others relied on tricks to make their opponents fall, just like Alan earlier. Anything was possible, as long as one was determined enough.
Maya and Evelyn were fighting together on one side of the arena. Both of them specialized in long-range combat, so they attacked using skills and spells to kite enemies from afar.
"Sis, finish him!" Evelyn shouted as she stunned one of the enemies with her skill, immobilizing him for a brief moment. But that was enough for Maya.
She swung her staff and pointed it at the enemy.
"Ring of Fire!"
Dozens of flame balls formed a ring around her before rushing forward and striking the enemy.
"Kiyaak!"
The member of Blue Sword stood no chance and was thrown into the river below.
"Nice, sis! We've got good momentum right now, don't stop yet," Evelyn said excitedly.
"Calm down, Eve. We need to check on the others first," Maya replied. Her eyes scanned the arena, searching for their teammates, especially Alan. She had heard from the commentator that he had defeated a strong opponent by himself and she was not really surprised.
'As expected from you. Did you really need us at all? ' A faint smile appeared on her face.
Suddenly, as they looked around, a figure appeared behind Evelyn. Maya noticed the sudden presence of an enemy and shouted.
"Eve! Behind you!"
"What?!" Evelyn was stunned. She was an archer, a class known for having one of the sharpest senses for nearby enemies. Yet somehow, one of them had slipped past her detection and gotten close to her unnoticed.
"Hehehe! Too late! I've already got you!"
Evelyn felt a touch on her back and immediately turned to retaliate.
"Reject!"
THUMP!
Evelyn was suddenly pushed away from the attacker, rolling across the ground and skidding several metres before coming to a stop. The sheer force of the impact showed just how powerful the blow was.
"Eve!" Maya immediately rushed toward Evelyn. She took a quick glance at the culprit, a strange-looking person standing there.
He was wearing a black-and-white outfit, patterned like a chessboard. On his face was a mask covering from his eyes down to his nose. A plus and minus symbol were marked over his right and left eyes.
'This is not good! That guy is bad news for ranged attackers like us. And Eve is already marked.' Maya clenched her teeth.
Evelyn tried to lift her body. The pain spreading throughout her limbs. Maya quickly reached her and helped her up.
"Are you alright, Eve?"
"I think so… That guy, is he - "
"Yes. That is Adu, a member of Moonlight. We've heard about him. The Master of Attractor and Rejector," Maya said, her eyes fixed sharply on Adu.
Both of them had learned about some of the famous competitors from other guilds during their meeting. And among them, Adu was the most troublesome.
"I've been marked, sis. What are we going to do?" Evelyn looked at Maya, her face filled with worry.
Maya was trying to think. During their meeting, they had come up with a way to handle Adu. And it was simple, don't get marked by him.
But in the middle of chaos, it was far from easy.
"Hehehe. Looks like you two have done your research on me. It seems I'm quite famous these days. However, knowing me doesn't mean you can defeat me."
"But before I eliminate both of you, I should thank your guild for taking out Colton. It saved us the trouble of figuring out how to deal with him. With him gone… there's no one left who can stand in my way now. Hehehe!"
"Attract!"
Soon after he finished speaking, he raised his hand and pulled Evelyn toward him.
"Sis!" Evelyn shouted as Maya grabbed her hand, trying to hold her back.
"Tch! Flame Bolt!" Maya fired a flame from her other hand. Adu raised his steel staff and swung it.
The flame bolt suddenly changed its trajectory and flew back toward Maya.
Boom!
An explosion erupted, and smoke filled that part of the arena. From within the dust, two figures were sent flying in opposite directions, Maya to one side, and Evelyn to the other, straight toward Adu.
"Maya! Eve!" Selene cried out, worried as she watched the battle. Beside her, Luna and Alia also looked anxious. The three of them, along with Maya and Evelyn, were the only female participants in the Dawnbloom squad.
Evelyn was pulled straight toward Adu, her neck caught in his grip as he lifted her into the air. She struggled to breathe.
"Errgh!" Evelyn tried to kick him, but she couldn't reach him as Adu's arm kept her just out of range.
"Hehehe! If this wasn't a competition, I would love to play with you a bit more. But I don't want to waste time on trash like you. There's another monster I need to deal with."
Adu raised his hand, holding Evelyn high above him at a steep angle.
"Reject!"
Evelyn was launched straight into the sky before slamming into the invisible magic barrier.
Thump!
The impact sent ripples across the barrier. The force knocked Evelyn unconscious before she began to free fall toward the river below.
"Eve!" Maya screamed.
---
"Huh!? That was Maya's voice. What's happening over there?" I muttered.
"Hey! Where are you looking at?" Varas, a member of Gold Fang threw poisonous knives toward me.
"Tch! You're so annoying!" I crouched. The knives flew past me. Right now, I was equipped with the [Blader] class, which I obtained from Lee. The class boosted my attack power and, at the same time, increased my agility.
For the past few weeks, Bob and I had tried many classes that we obtained from our guildmates. We trained to make our fighting styles more flexible. Like me, I was used to magic-based and long-range attacks, so I trained with melee classes like [Blader], [Duelist], and [Brawler]. Meanwhile, Bob trained in magic-based classes like [Mage]. Of course, his stats weren't suited for magic, so he got tired easily due to MP loss.
And using melee classes really broadened my fighting abilities, giving me more options in combat. And the best thing about the [Blader] class and the reason I use it the most, is this…
"Quick Step!"
My body vanished and reappeared instantly multiple times, as if I had teleported a short distance. In a blink, the gap between me and Varas closed completely. His eyes widened as I appeared right in front of him. He tried to counter, but I had already swung my sword, knocking his knives away before kicking him out of the arena.
(What a clean knockout from Alan! He has already eliminated five opponents on his own. He is unstoppable right now!)
The commentator shouted passionately at the top of his lungs. The sight of a G-rank dominating the arena excited both him and the crowd.
I, however, didn't stop to enjoy the moment. I immediately ran toward where I had heard Maya's voice.
When I arrived, I saw Maya standing at the edge of the arena, looking downward. I glanced around but couldn't see Evelyn. Has she already been eliminated?
Suddenly, a man dashed toward Maya, his hand reaching out to grab her. Maya didn't seem to notice him.
"Not so fast!"
I immediately used Quick Step and appeared right beside the suspicious man. He looked shocked as I suddenly materialized next to him. I launched a kick toward his body, but he managed to block it with his staff at the last moment. He jumped a few steps back to create distance.
Maya finally turned her head and noticed what was happening. She then looked at me.
"Maya. Where is Evelyn?" I asked, seeing the worry on her face.
"She fell unconscious and dropped into the river. But… she hasn't surfaced yet. I'm afraid she's still unconscious," Maya said. If she could, she would jump in right now. But that would disqualify her and jeopardize the team's chances.
"Damn it! Looks like I have no choice!" I prepared to jump into the river. Tournament or not, a life was far more precious than winning.
"Alan, what are you trying to do?" Maya blocked me.
"Save her, of course!"
"No! You can't. You are an important member. You are our only chance to win," Maya said firmly.
"But - " I was about to object when suddenly, a bubble rose from the river.