The Immortal Player

Chapter 31: Rank Match (Beatrice VS Pedro) Final Part

"The betting period is complete! Let the battle begin!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"Fight!"

Pedro was still contemplating the loud sound when Beatrice pulled her sword and held it with her two hands. The sword looked exactly like a royalty's sword. The handle and the cross-guard part of the sword were made of gold with a dazzling design. It perfectly matched the meticulous design on its golden scabbard. The blade part was silvery white in color with its edge having highlights of gold.

She quickly lifted it to prepare for a vertical strike. Her right knee and body were bent forward as she raised the sword slightly above her head. Small golden wisp-like balls started spiraling from his hand up to the blade and a reddish color started to appear on the swords' blade. She then strikes the sword down and like magic, a raging flame in the shape of a sword descend to Pedro. The red flame extends from Beatrice's sword to meters past where Pedro was standing.

'Eastern Continent, Magiya Kingdom's Summer Sword Flame Strike?' Pedro was somehow familiar with the skill of Beatrice and at the last second, he moved to dodge the attack by jumping sideways.

'This skill was the common skill used by all of the Tier-A professional players on the Guild, Fiery-Fire Blaze of Eastern Continent! Then, this might mean that they got that at the kingdom this lady belongs... If I'm right... that flame obsessed guild's kingdom was located in the north!' He was somehow well-informed about the skills and how they looked but information about where they were acquired or how was never told to the public.

Before Pedro could even react, the 'flame sword' that struck the ground suddenly exploded and burst sideways. It looked like a wave of fire going sideways. (Just like a wave in a sea)

Tok, Tok, Tok, Tok... "Summer Sword Flame Strike... Level 2!" (highlight animation just like those in animes or manga showing new or special skills, lol)

'It Burst? I don't remember it being that way! A different skill? Definitely not! It looked way too similar!' He jumped vertically to try to dodge the burst of fire that went sideways. At the same time, he took out the Faithpursuer Katana in his inventory.

Unfortunately, the after burst was way faster than how Pedro had reacted. It reached him and Immediately, He was fully covered with flame.

...

'It's no surprise that you dodged the sword flame... However, I have developed this skill, since father always dodged it so easily! So, I increased the power and flame output on the initial strike, this will make the impact explode and burst sideways like waves of fire! This match is over! The waves of fire's damage were of the same of the initial strike's halved damage!' Beatrice had a grin in her face.

Silence filled, not just the battle arena, but almost the whole ship! Since the ship has just departed and there was nothing much to do, the rank match caught their attention and watched to "burn" sometime or be entertained at the least. They watchers all looked seriously as they see Pedro be engulfed with the flames.

This was especially true to some of the crew who hoped that Pedro would at least put up some fight. but to what they had just watched, the battle had sort of ended already and Pedro would at the least have some major burn injuries.

...

While on Pedro's point of view...

'This was unexpected!' He claimed as he saw the damage text near his body and when a successive system notification suddenly rang.

...

-5000

[~Undying~ skill activated!]

HP: 1

[Player's HP is below 20%... Potion Injector Activated!]

+50

HP: 50

[Player's HP is back to 100%.. ~Undying~ skill has been reset!]

[~Might of Pain~ skill activated!]

Attack Damage: (2 +10 +8) +5000(damage will be lost in 5s, stackable)

Magic Damage: +5000(damage will be lost in 5s, stackable)

...

When the system finally stopped Pedro was astounded. 'That wave of flame was even stronger than the attack of the troll commander! If not for my undying cycle... I would have long been reduced into ashes! Back to the match... Knowing she made an attack with that damage, she would at least have thousands of HP... I must buy 2 seconds each time she attacks and receives as much damage as I can... I can bluff my way out to prolong 2 seconds in between each attack... but... there was no assurance that she would attack again within 5 seconds, the stacked damage would reset... the accumulated damage would be lost if I don't receive damage during that time!' Pedro thought as the fire starts to dissipate.

Luckily, the overcoat that was given to him by Madame Soledad had high burn resistance, although it can't stop the application of damage to Pedro, It somehow didn't burn into ashes, that may leave Pedro naked.

His head, however, was black as charcoal, same to his hands, and his shoes burned into ashes.

'My precious free newbie shoes! You're gonna pay!' Bloodlust ran through Pedro as one of his items was reduced into ashes.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Pedro holds the Faithpursuer Katana tightly with two hands. The fire finally dissipated, His bloodlust oozed scaringly, and he ran straight towards Beatrice like a madman!

'Hahaha... Let's see if she won't cast a follow-up spell now! Attack me with full force! I'll greatly accept your (damage) "offering"!' He grinned inwardly as he thought, who in the world targeted by a mad man full of bloodlust, would not attack in response as self-defense... right?

Imagine yourself holding a gun and a mad man or a serial killer targeting you was charging at you with a blade... won't you shot him right... at that point, you'd even empty the magazine, full of bullets, of the gun, right?

...

"Ho hooo!" all the watchers were astounded and some were impressed as if thinking...

'what was with this person? He survived that attack, then he attacks like this...'

Pedro looked like some barbarian who lost his control to his self and attacked in a frenzied manner.

...

"Soledad... This apprentice of yours is quite interesting... He had used 2 skills so far that is unknown to me... No wonder you took him as your apprentice" Alivia said in an impressed manner. The two skills Alivia noticed can only be noticed by those at the top skilled NPCs among the crew.

The main noticeable skill Alivia was referring to was his Undying skill. With the physical attributes of Pedro and the Magical energy within him, it was true that there was a 100% that Pedro could have not resisted that attack and should be in a fatal condition as of now, but contrary to that, he was even like a mad man full of energy to charge to his target. Hence, she deduced that Pedro has somewhat a nullifying skill or damage reduction of some sort.

The second skill she noticed was something that only a few top skilled crews can notice. It was the moment Pedro took his Katana in the inventory interface. To them, the Katana magically appeared... and it was of a not that simple type of sword... it radiated an aura that had seemed suppressed...

It was not the sword though, that caught their attention. It was how Pedro was able to make the sword appear out of nothing... They initially taught that Pedro had used a stealth ability to hide and suppress the presence of the sword.

"Hahaha! Don't think of stealing him away from me! Oh! You too, Kentaro!" Madame Soledad shouted to the bearded man that looked like a Japanese middle-aged man who had "Comandante" written at the back of his overcoat.

...

Just as Pedro shouted and charged like a mad man, the cooldown of the intermediate portion was already finished and another "Undying" cycle was available.

'What's with this man?' Beatrice was terrified. Small golden wisp-like balls started spiraling from his hand up to the blade and a reddish color started to appear on the swords' blade again quickly. She twisted the sword sideways, then immediately struck the sword horizontally towards Pedro just like her first strike. A raging flame in the shape of a sword approached to Pedro.

'Good! Since you are being generous! I would gladly accept your offer!' Pedro suddenly had a visible grin in his face. Although his head looked like charcoal, his grin was still noticeable.

Boom!

Although he tried to block it with the Faithpursuer Katana, the flames struck Pedro. The impact tossed him to the corner of the battle arena. He then falls facing the ground... still grasping tightly to his sword.

A series of system notification rang.

...

-10,000

[~Undying~ skill activated!]

HP: 1

[Player's HP is below 20%... Potion Injector Activated!]

+50

HP: 50

[Player's HP is back to 100%.. ~Undying~ skill has been reset!]

[~Might of Pain~ skill activated!]

Attack Damage: (2 +10 +8) +[5,000 +10,000(damage will be lost in 5s, stackable)] = 15,020

Magic Damage: +15,000(damage will be lost in 5s, stackable)

...

'This is enough... Though, I can endure more and last longer... She looked like her magic energy was about to be exhausted! I have 4 seconds left before the damage expires... I won't be able to reach her from this distance in that amount of time! I almost lost the +5,000 damage earlier, If her attack had been a bit slower by a second!' He faced a problem as the distance between him and Beatrice was too far. And by the looks of it, Beatrice looked exhausted. The skills she used must have required a huge amount of magical energy.

...

"He's still alive?" Everyone in the ship grasped again in awe as they saw Pedro stood once more after receiving a direct hit from Beatrice's skill. But before they could utter a word... Pedro tossed his sword towards Beatrice.

'Huh?' Still trying to intake that Pedro withstood her second attack, Beatrice could only move her head, luckily he dodged Pedro's sword by hair's breadth! Her eyes followed the golden sword as it passed beside her... She then quickly returned her glance to Pedro, when suddenly a rock was heading straight to her forehead, It was too close for Beatrice to dodge.

Booom!

The whole ship shook as soon as the rock hit Beatrice's head. Because of a magical defense she had, the rock didn't penetrate her head. As the rock hit her forehead, It made her whole body spin a few times vertically before dropping down to the ground, unconscious, with her eyes wide open, and a shocked facial expression.

...

Initially, the ship was filled with silence, unable to digest the thing that had occurred, then after a few seconds, an uproar erupted.

"Such Strength! He is trully Vicealmirante's apprentice! No doubt!"

"As expected of the Vicealmirante, He is, of course, someone extraordinary!"

"Beatrice was trully strong... but the new recruit has the unfading, shear, f@@@ing will!"

Various ship crews of the ship exclaimed as the event unfolded before them.

...

There was silence in the bridge of the ship, they were bot awed by the strength showed by Pedro at the same time worried at Beatrice. She was still part of their crew.

'Brat was hiding his strength all this time!' Madame Soledad can't help but have a bitter laugh. He knew that Pedro had potential, but she never assumed that his strength was at the level to knock Beatrice down with a single rock.

...

on the viewers' area on the battle arena...

'Sh@T! I'm dead!' Carlos exclaimed inwardly and wore a worried look. Joshua just grinned a bit.

...

On Pedro's point of view earlier...

'Sorry brother... though you're a rare weapon! I'd be using you as a decoy!' Pedro apologizes to his 'Partner', the Faithpursuer Katana, as he threw it straight to Beatrice with his left hand. Simultaneously, he retrieved a rock in his inventory interface.

'Activate, ~Rock Throw~ skill!' He then threw the rock towards Beatrice. Thanks to the Faithpursuer Katana that got her attention, the rock he threw aimed straight to Beatrice's forehead. Since, the sword didn't hit anything yet when the rock hit Beatrice, the rock hit was considered as the 'attack that applied damage' hence it was where ~Might of Pain~ skill was applied. This skill (~Rock Throw~) was the one he selected in the Kagat Village as a "gift" from Madame Soledad. When the rock hit her forehead series of unbelievable system notification appeared on Pedro.

...

[True damage effect (~Might of Pain~ skill) Activated!]

Damage dealt would be raw damage!

[Headshot effect (~Rock Throw~ skill) Activated!]

Headshot: Deals (Attack damage x Crit) to the enemy and has a (Luck)% chance to inflict a stun mode for 3 seconds.

Total raw damage dealt: (15,020 x 20)

[Release Effect (~Might of Pain~ skill) Activated!]

Attack and Magic damage reset back to original state!

...

Pedro saw a red text above Beatrice that made his jaw drop, even at his charcoal state...

- 300,400!