Chapter 120 - Preliminary Battles (1/2)
Balthazar looked around and noticed that he was at the transportation portal of the Blackrock town. He immediately channeled his hearthstone to get to the White Heart City and made his way to the colosseum.
He checked his dashboard and found a new gauge specifying stamina along with HP and MP. It was represented as SP and had a light green colored bar representing it value. He pinged Merlin informing him that he was at the colosseum and was waiting for him.
”Book an arena and send me the details. You might get a few players challenging you before Boris Blade. Just entertain yourself with them,” replied Merlin.
”Why the delay? Didn't you inform him?” asked Shadow.
”It is due to the mass quest. You need a few others to spectate the fight with Boris. The mass quest had them all busy. The guilds are all trying to pull their players above level 10 and even a number of them below level 10 to the Blackrock Town. By the way, all players below level 10 need to use the portal for your dungeon. You are going to have a windfall,” replied Merlin.
”They are all busy with that? I thought that the players in the group were all fighting maniacs. Why are they concerned about the mass quest so much?”
”We already have few of them asking to start right now. The thing is that Rex is delaying. Both Tristar and King Rex transported to the Blackrock Town and are trying to use this excuse to delay a bit. I heard that Boris is still at level 11 and is trying to raise his level and get better equipment before the fight. Tristar didn't want to leave anything to chance when he learned that you are at level 12,” said Merlin.
”Don't worry. Oceanis already told them to hurry up. They will rush to the fight as soon as he hits
level 12. Just book an arena of your choice in the colosseum and give the details. A number of players are criticizing you in the forums after you accepted the challenge. It is best, if we have a few good fights to shut them up,” he continued.
”Is it really necessary?” asked Shadow. Balthazar didn't want to fight other players. With his experience, he could be considered an expert and believed it might be conceived as bullying the other players.
”Of course. Even my reputation is on the line here. I recommended you. Moreover, a fight with a star player like Boris Blade is the main event. You need to have a few fights before that and do you not care that there are others challenging you in the forum,” said Merlin.
”Fine. I am booking an arena,” said Shadow as he booked one and sent Merlin the details. He wanted to win against Boris Blade strongly and establish a reputation as a good PvP player. So, he selected an arena called solitary ramshackles which was mostly plain ground with a few trees, rotten fences and a couple of broken-down houses. As an assassin, he should prefer an area with a lot of cover than something like this, but Shadow chose this to show them his skills.
A few seconds after he sent the password and ID of the arena, a couple of names appeared in the spectator list and more in the challengers list. He would get the combat points of the players that he had defeated. He realized that this was a good opportunity to get combat points.
”Some spectators have already entered the arena. Oceanis is the administrator and he is already inside with few more members of his guild, Poseidon's champions. Give them a good show ????,” came a message from Merlin.
”You make sure to put pressure on Boris,” replied Shadow as he selected to fight the first person that appeared in the challengers list. He disappeared and reappeared at a random place in the arena as his chat box and communications got grayed out and a notification appeared that it can't be used till the end of the fight. He was frozen and a small countdown from five appeared in front of him.
The spectators were put in a large hall with multiple screens depicting the players from various viewpoints and also the map and their respective locations. It allowed the spectators to clearly understand their movements and the fight.
Shadow found looked around him as soon as the countdown hit zero and entered stealth as he made his way towards one of the houses. The two opponents are always spawned at a distance from each other. He could see from his opponent information that it was a level 11 swordsman.
”Hmm. This is to be expected. They are being through in their preparations. That swordsman is a main member of Foedus Rex. Looks like he got out of the guild before he challenged. I have seen him many times in other games,” said Nix Maester who was beside Oceanis among the spectators.
”It is to be expected. Both Rex and Tristar have always been the type to take safeguards and don't blindly charge. Boris is the same, but he was foolish at the bandit camp because of the Sultan incident,” remarked Oceanis. Most people would disapprove a player sending out someone to investigate his opponents, but this was never the way that guilds operated. Especially super guilds were quite strict and considered winning to be important above anything else.
”Still, the guy Shadow Tyrant is a complete novice and at this stage of the game neither will have too many skills. Is that idiot Boris not even confident even in his technical skill?” asked Nix Maester who felt a bit disgusted. ”It is just a simple fight not a tournament or a competition fight. What are they so worried about.”
”We already know that this game is different from the previous virtual reality ones due to it being based on somnium technology. The fight mechanics are also quite different and close to those in reality. If Shadow Tyrant is an expert fighter in real life as the rumors suggest, he would have a strong advantage. Even I would have someone check him out beforehand,” said Oceanis.
”Is it really going to be an advantage. Does real-life experience make that much of a difference?” asked Nix in a worried tone. If that was true, even he would soon have a hard time in game industry.
By this time, Shadow had located his opponent, hid behind a tree and used cheap shot to stun him. He followed it up with a few more attacks and ran into one of the houses before the opponent got out of the stun. This one barrage had already cost the opponent half his health.
”He is already at an advantage and running openly into that house. It is a clear trap,” said Nix commenting on the game.
”Yes. Do you know why Star Lord is at the top of all the star players?”
”He is the best expert. Got great intuition and tactics. What is there about it?” questioned Nix throwing a few looks at the screens.
”Yes, he has good tactics, but his advantage is not that. He hardly ever wavers or doubts himself. That comes from his time as a mercenary. It is a mental fortitude that most lack. I won't deny that he has better tactics either,” said Oceanis. ”Moreover, this game is would be much more comfortable to them for obvious reasons.”
”He was a real-life expert too. I guess Celestial Warriors are going to remain to the top guild. The already had the best trainers whom now have a special advantage. Did you talk to him about the game?” asked Nix.
”Yes. After the upgrade notice we had a small meeting. He loves the game and is glad that he doesn't have to decide on the next guild leader because of somnium tech. He agrees with all the rumors and that he finds the game a lot easier but hates the new stamina gauge implemented in the upgrade. Says that he would now have to keep checking on it like mana bar and maintaining it is a hassle,” said Oceanis.
”Wait a minute? Did you say something about next leader for the Celestials?” asked Nix. If Star Lord stayed just due to the somnium tech, then the real lost a big chance to vie for supremacy among the gaming circles.
”Ya. He is at least 20 years older than me. He never allows anyone to speak of his age, even the officials, but we are sure of this. That is why we never cared and thought he would retire sooner or later,” said Oceanis. He and several other guild leaders were the ones most heartbroken about Star Lord not retiring.
”Wow. Learning a lot of new thing that I haven't heard of before,” said Nix.
”Why would they talk about these things when they worked so hard to leave it behind,” came a voice from behind them. ”How's my guy doing?” asked Merlin as he joined them.
”Damn! When did the second match start? What happened in the first?” asked Nix Maester looking at the screens.
”He beheaded the swordsman when you were chatting away,” said Jinx Mix. He was another warlock star player who was a part of Poseidon's champion's like Nix and Oceanis and was also a strong competitor for Merlin.