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Third Hundred and Fifty-eighth Chapter: Arena (Part 2)
Thousands of stunned gazes followed the Barbarian's body as it was thrown high, then slowly descended. What a Ku Te! Less than a meter from the Ground, he forcefully executed a Carp Flip, his figure in the Mid-air suddenly pausing, then his feet landed. He slid back four or five steps before stabilizing his figure, finally avoiding falling on his Buttocks.
Slowly raising his Head, Ku Te looked at his Opponent In Front with an Incredulous expression, his mouth wide open, stunned, not knowing what to say, too much surprise and confusion in his Heart. He looked quite disheveled now; his originally shiny Armor was blackened by smoke, his face was completely black, and even his originally flamboyant small braid had come undone, messily draped over his shoulders, making him look even more like a "Barbarian".
"You... who exactly are you?"
After a long murmur, Ku Te finally asked, a vague sentence encompassing too many Questions.
"I am Druid Wu Fan."
Retracting my finger, I quietly watched Ku Te, my upright figure standing against the Wind. I felt particularly awkward; it seems the Expert demeanor really doesn't suit me. I'd rather perform a Northeast duet performance with Ku Te on the stage than pretend to be a cool Expert like this. But there's no other Method. Just like the Status of the Special Action Squad during a Monster Attack, as the Representative, while Affinity is indispensable, a certain degree of Prestige must also be established. On this point, Akara and I share the same Idea—we must first awe this group of arrogant Adventurers.
"However, my Skills are Mutated, so please don't underestimate me because of my Level."
"..."
My words were like a huge bomb dropped into the entire Crowd. Thousands of Adventurers gasped in unison. Skill Mutation? This term only existed in Novels in their minds.
Legend has it that each Class has an Affinity. Generally speaking, Class Changers have an Affinity of over 80% with their own Class. Those with an Affinity between 30% and 80% are of Mercenary Rank, and those below 30% are of Soldier Rank.
From this, it can be seen that what is called Talent is largely judged by Affinity. The higher the Affinity, the higher the mastery and Comprehension of one's own Class Skills. When Affinity reaches 80%, one can master all the Skills of that Class (which is why Mercenaries can only master some Skills). Those with an Affinity above 90% can truly be called Geniuses without shame. Among Class Changers, there are quite a few with an Affinity above 90%, but it is difficult to rise further. Those with an Affinity of 95% are Elites among Geniuses, known as God's Favored Ones. It is not impossible for them to defeat the Strong with the Weak within the Same Tier/Rank. Ku Te initially thought his Opponent's Class Affinity was above 95%, which was why he dared to be so arrogant.
And in Legend, there is another possibility: an Affinity of 100% or even higher. This is a Genius among Geniuses, with maximum or even overflowing Affinity. It is said that some Class Skills of such people can undergo Mutation, and the Power of the Mutated Class Skills will greatly increase. However, the increase in Power is actually a trivial Matter. At most, it plays some role in the early stages. The true terror of such people lies in their Comprehension of their own Class and Skill Optimization.
Class Changers themselves are already very Rare, and those whose Affinity can reach 100% are one in ten thousand. Almost every Era will have at most one. In Legend, Tal Rasha was a Prodigy whose Affinity exceeded 100%.
Therefore, it is not difficult to understand the surprised Expressions of these Adventurers now. A Genius whose Affinity reaches 100%, or perhaps even exceeds 100%, stands In Front of them. Even though they are Arrogant Adventurers, at this Moment, they can't help but feel a sense of Awe, like looking up at a high mountain.
In Fact, according to Akara and their measurements, my Druid Affinity did not reach 100%, only a moderate level between 80% and 90%, and my Talent was just average, especially in Magic. This is why when the Mutated Ghost Wolf appeared In Front of them, they were so Incredulous.
I know the real reason for the Mutation. It must be related to my other Hidden Class, Redeemer. Regarding the Redeemer Class, I also looked up a lot of Data in Cain's place, even tracing back to the origin of Humans. The Result was still zero Data. This means that the Redeemer is likely unique.
However, thanks to reading so many Books, I learned about Affinity and Mutated Skills. Now I can use Mutated Skills to cover up my Bugged Small Charm and Soul Magic. But even for a Class with 100% Affinity, only two or three Mutated Skills will appear. I, on the other hand, have all three elemental Skill trees Mutated. Isn't that a bit too much? Forget it, I won't worry about it. At most, I'll just say my Affinity exceeds 100%. God knows how many Skills mutate when Affinity exceeds 100%. Perhaps tracing back thousands of years of History, only Tal Rasha, that Prodigy, would know...
"Mutated Skill..."
Ku Te murmured as if in a dream, then suddenly straightened his Expression. His tall Body stood like a Poplar, then he bowed straight to me.
"Brother Wu Fan, I want to apologize for my ignorance and rudeness just now."
"It's okay, I didn't make it clear at first." I chuckled lightly, feeling that Uncle Ku Te was indeed a rather interesting person, brave enough to admit his mistakes, and a little bit of a dreamer.
*Clap clap—*
After the surprise, thousands of Adventurers below the stage erupted in thunderous applause and cheers, for Ku Te's straightforwardness, and also implicitly for my apology. At this Moment, I could feel that those thousands of burning Gazes were no longer disdain and mockery, but enthusiasm, respect, and even Awe. And for the composed demeanor I showed from beginning to end, they were even more impressed.
All the changes stemmed from the change in my Strength/Power in their Eyes. This is the World of Adventurers; Strength/Power represents everything!
"So, does this Battle still need to continue?"
I gave the audience a gentle smile in response to their applause. Ahhh—I've had enough! Smiling, smiling, always having to maintain this awkward smile. I'd rather be an Entertainer. Speaking of which, when will this Arena end? I want to go Home and sleep!!
"Of course, hasn't it ended yet? Although I admit your Strength/Power, it's impossible for me, Ku Te, to just surrender like this. Ooh—"
The Barbarian Ku Te roared with full Presence. His eyes, wide like a bull's, seemed to be burning, filled with Battle Intent that radiated a scorching heat wherever his Gaze fell.
After the direct hit from my improved Volcano just now, the Barbarian Ku Te, who had extremely low Elemental Resistance, lost a quarter of his Health. He would have to obediently step down if he took another direct hit. But he didn't show the slightest worried Expression. He threw away the two Normal Short Swords he had been using to hold back and took out his Magic Grade Double Axe and Golden Two-Handed Sword again. His entire Presence immediately became sharper by several degrees.
Seeing that I was still standing with my hands on my Sword, showing no intention of actively Attacking, Ku Te was no longer angry, because now he knew the Opponent had the Capital for it. However, he wouldn't surrender easily either. His defeat in the previous move was certainly related to the Opponent's Power, but it was also because he had underestimated them. Therefore, he still had a little bit of confidence in winning.
A cunning smile flashed in his Eyes. Ku Te suddenly let out a Roar towards the sky. A yellow Light ring spread out from him as the center. It was Shout, one of the Barbarian's signature Tier 2 Skills, a super overpowered Skill that could increase the Defense of the user and Teammates by 100% at Level 1.
*Boom—* The Barbarian's Figure disappeared from the spot again. The powerful push was so strong that it even left a shallow pit in the bottom layer of the Flower Rain Stone, which had been Magic Reinforced. A barely visible Shadow repeatedly flashed In Front of me. If the Tier 2 Skill Shout could make Barbarians a sturdy fortress, then the Tier 2 Skill Leap gave them Speed comparable to Assassins. Coupled with the Fourth Tier Passive Skill Iron Shirt, and the Tier 5 Skill Battle Constitution that Ku Te hasn't been able to learn yet, it is these few Skills that make them the King of Melee, both unstoppable and unbreakable.
*Thump—Thump—*
The eerie moving sound and the tense swallowing sounds of the Adventurers below the stage were clearly audible. Except for Assassins and Amazons who could relatively clearly capture Ku Te's Figure, other Classes could only see a Shadow constantly moving. Every time he used Leap, a shallow pit would be left on the Ground. But if one thought they could easily grasp the Barbarian's trajectory by relying on these shallow pits, they would be greatly mistaken. Although their Speed was sufficient and their agility was lacking, they were simply too fast, almost like a Ghost. This unparalleled Speed compensated to a certain extent for their completely unagile linear movement. It was hard to imagine such a tall, large man could possess such terrifying Speed.
Ku Te did not choose to Attack directly but used Leap to move at high Speed around me. His purpose was obvious: first, to find a Weakness, and second, to judge whether the Opponent could fully capture his Movement. If there was even a slight delay, with his decades of Combat Experience, he could immediately seize that fleeting opportunity to launch a Fatal Blow/Critical Strike. With the Barbarian's Attack Strength combined with a fierce Barbarian Combination Skill Attack—Stun + Double Swing + Concentrate + Heavy Blow + War Cry + an additional Normal Attack—he was 100% certain he could end this Battle with one successful attack. And his current Health could no longer withstand another unpredictable improved "Mutated" Volcano from the Opponent. Therefore, the outcome would be decided within a few short seconds.
The Adventurers below the stage were also experienced veterans and quickly saw this critical situation. One by one, they craned their necks, not daring to breathe, afraid of missing the most exciting Moment.
Time seemed to slow down, but only three or four seconds had passed since Ku Te started moving. In this short Time, the seasoned Ku Te reached a conclusion that brought both joy and worry. The joy was that the Opponent In Front of him could not fully capture his Figure; otherwise, they would have launched a Volcano while he was moving to end the Battle. The worry was that although they couldn't fully capture him, those narrowed eyes, which occasionally flashed with a sharp glint, could barely keep up with his Speed. Once he launched an Attack, his Speed would definitely slow down by half a beat, and that would be the Moment for the Opponent to launch Volcano. The odds of victory were three to seven, with him at three and the Enemy at seven.
However, he couldn't wait any longer. Although Leap was useful, it consumed a lot of Vitality, and his pitifully small amount of Mana couldn't last much longer. If he continued to consume it, even if he successfully got close later, he wouldn't have enough Mana to use his Combo Attacks, and then he would truly lose.
Ahhh—!!!
Gritting his teeth, Ku Te roared in his Heart. He would gamble on his Luck and Combat Awareness! He, Ku Te, would not lose to anyone!!!
The next Moment, Ku Te's Ghost-like Figure suddenly paused on the spot. At this very Moment, my narrowed Eyes also suddenly widened. Without hesitation, I pointed a finger, and a violent Volcano erupted from under Ku Te's feet.
*Boom—*
The strong airflow from the erupting Volcano caused the Adventurers near the Arena to involuntarily squint their Eyes. The next Moment, a Shadow rushed out of the Dust, charging towards the Enemy with an excited roar.
Ku Te had gambled and won. He deliberately paused his Figure, triggering the Enemy's Volcano, and then relied on the Warrior's keen Intuition for Danger to barely flash away, finally dodging the direct Attack of the Volcano. He was grazed and sent flying sideways. The next Moment, he flipped over in the Mid-air, kicked off the Ground with his feet, and charged straight towards his Opponent. Without the threat of Volcano, the Battle would no longer have any suspense.
"Oh—"
Thousands of stunned gazes followed the Barbarian's body as it was thrown high, then slowly descended. What a Ku Te! Less than a meter from the Ground, he forcefully executed a Carp Flip, his figure in the Mid-air suddenly pausing, then his feet landed. He slid back four or five steps before stabilizing his figure, finally avoiding falling on his Buttocks.
Slowly raising his Head, Ku Te looked at his Opponent In Front with an Incredulous expression, his mouth wide open, stunned, not knowing what to say, too much surprise and confusion in his Heart. He looked quite disheveled now; his originally shiny Armor was blackened by smoke, his face was completely black, and even his originally flamboyant small braid had come undone, messily draped over his shoulders, making him look even more like a "Barbarian".
"You... who exactly are you?"
After a long murmur, Ku Te finally asked, a vague sentence encompassing too many Questions.
"I am Druid Wu Fan."
Retracting my finger, I quietly watched Ku Te, my upright figure standing against the Wind. I felt particularly awkward; it seems the Expert demeanor really doesn't suit me. I'd rather perform a Northeast duet performance with Ku Te on the stage than pretend to be a cool Expert like this. But there's no other Method. Just like the Status of the Special Action Squad during a Monster Attack, as the Representative, while Affinity is indispensable, a certain degree of Prestige must also be established. On this point, Akara and I share the same Idea—we must first awe this group of arrogant Adventurers.
"However, my Skills are Mutated, so please don't underestimate me because of my Level."
"..."
My words were like a huge bomb dropped into the entire Crowd. Thousands of Adventurers gasped in unison. Skill Mutation? This term only existed in Novels in their minds.
Legend has it that each Class has an Affinity. Generally speaking, Class Changers have an Affinity of over 80% with their own Class. Those with an Affinity between 30% and 80% are of Mercenary Rank, and those below 30% are of Soldier Rank.
From this, it can be seen that what is called Talent is largely judged by Affinity. The higher the Affinity, the higher the mastery and Comprehension of one's own Class Skills. When Affinity reaches 80%, one can master all the Skills of that Class (which is why Mercenaries can only master some Skills). Those with an Affinity above 90% can truly be called Geniuses without shame. Among Class Changers, there are quite a few with an Affinity above 90%, but it is difficult to rise further. Those with an Affinity of 95% are Elites among Geniuses, known as God's Favored Ones. It is not impossible for them to defeat the Strong with the Weak within the Same Tier/Rank. Ku Te initially thought his Opponent's Class Affinity was above 95%, which was why he dared to be so arrogant.
And in Legend, there is another possibility: an Affinity of 100% or even higher. This is a Genius among Geniuses, with maximum or even overflowing Affinity. It is said that some Class Skills of such people can undergo Mutation, and the Power of the Mutated Class Skills will greatly increase. However, the increase in Power is actually a trivial Matter. At most, it plays some role in the early stages. The true terror of such people lies in their Comprehension of their own Class and Skill Optimization.
Class Changers themselves are already very Rare, and those whose Affinity can reach 100% are one in ten thousand. Almost every Era will have at most one. In Legend, Tal Rasha was a Prodigy whose Affinity exceeded 100%.
Therefore, it is not difficult to understand the surprised Expressions of these Adventurers now. A Genius whose Affinity reaches 100%, or perhaps even exceeds 100%, stands In Front of them. Even though they are Arrogant Adventurers, at this Moment, they can't help but feel a sense of Awe, like looking up at a high mountain.
In Fact, according to Akara and their measurements, my Druid Affinity did not reach 100%, only a moderate level between 80% and 90%, and my Talent was just average, especially in Magic. This is why when the Mutated Ghost Wolf appeared In Front of them, they were so Incredulous.
I know the real reason for the Mutation. It must be related to my other Hidden Class, Redeemer. Regarding the Redeemer Class, I also looked up a lot of Data in Cain's place, even tracing back to the origin of Humans. The Result was still zero Data. This means that the Redeemer is likely unique.
However, thanks to reading so many Books, I learned about Affinity and Mutated Skills. Now I can use Mutated Skills to cover up my Bugged Small Charm and Soul Magic. But even for a Class with 100% Affinity, only two or three Mutated Skills will appear. I, on the other hand, have all three elemental Skill trees Mutated. Isn't that a bit too much? Forget it, I won't worry about it. At most, I'll just say my Affinity exceeds 100%. God knows how many Skills mutate when Affinity exceeds 100%. Perhaps tracing back thousands of years of History, only Tal Rasha, that Prodigy, would know...
"Mutated Skill..."
Ku Te murmured as if in a dream, then suddenly straightened his Expression. His tall Body stood like a Poplar, then he bowed straight to me.
"Brother Wu Fan, I want to apologize for my ignorance and rudeness just now."
"It's okay, I didn't make it clear at first." I chuckled lightly, feeling that Uncle Ku Te was indeed a rather interesting person, brave enough to admit his mistakes, and a little bit of a dreamer.
*Clap clap—*
After the surprise, thousands of Adventurers below the stage erupted in thunderous applause and cheers, for Ku Te's straightforwardness, and also implicitly for my apology. At this Moment, I could feel that those thousands of burning Gazes were no longer disdain and mockery, but enthusiasm, respect, and even Awe. And for the composed demeanor I showed from beginning to end, they were even more impressed.
All the changes stemmed from the change in my Strength/Power in their Eyes. This is the World of Adventurers; Strength/Power represents everything!
"So, does this Battle still need to continue?"
I gave the audience a gentle smile in response to their applause. Ahhh—I've had enough! Smiling, smiling, always having to maintain this awkward smile. I'd rather be an Entertainer. Speaking of which, when will this Arena end? I want to go Home and sleep!!
"Of course, hasn't it ended yet? Although I admit your Strength/Power, it's impossible for me, Ku Te, to just surrender like this. Ooh—"
The Barbarian Ku Te roared with full Presence. His eyes, wide like a bull's, seemed to be burning, filled with Battle Intent that radiated a scorching heat wherever his Gaze fell.
After the direct hit from my improved Volcano just now, the Barbarian Ku Te, who had extremely low Elemental Resistance, lost a quarter of his Health. He would have to obediently step down if he took another direct hit. But he didn't show the slightest worried Expression. He threw away the two Normal Short Swords he had been using to hold back and took out his Magic Grade Double Axe and Golden Two-Handed Sword again. His entire Presence immediately became sharper by several degrees.
Seeing that I was still standing with my hands on my Sword, showing no intention of actively Attacking, Ku Te was no longer angry, because now he knew the Opponent had the Capital for it. However, he wouldn't surrender easily either. His defeat in the previous move was certainly related to the Opponent's Power, but it was also because he had underestimated them. Therefore, he still had a little bit of confidence in winning.
A cunning smile flashed in his Eyes. Ku Te suddenly let out a Roar towards the sky. A yellow Light ring spread out from him as the center. It was Shout, one of the Barbarian's signature Tier 2 Skills, a super overpowered Skill that could increase the Defense of the user and Teammates by 100% at Level 1.
*Boom—* The Barbarian's Figure disappeared from the spot again. The powerful push was so strong that it even left a shallow pit in the bottom layer of the Flower Rain Stone, which had been Magic Reinforced. A barely visible Shadow repeatedly flashed In Front of me. If the Tier 2 Skill Shout could make Barbarians a sturdy fortress, then the Tier 2 Skill Leap gave them Speed comparable to Assassins. Coupled with the Fourth Tier Passive Skill Iron Shirt, and the Tier 5 Skill Battle Constitution that Ku Te hasn't been able to learn yet, it is these few Skills that make them the King of Melee, both unstoppable and unbreakable.
*Thump—Thump—*
The eerie moving sound and the tense swallowing sounds of the Adventurers below the stage were clearly audible. Except for Assassins and Amazons who could relatively clearly capture Ku Te's Figure, other Classes could only see a Shadow constantly moving. Every time he used Leap, a shallow pit would be left on the Ground. But if one thought they could easily grasp the Barbarian's trajectory by relying on these shallow pits, they would be greatly mistaken. Although their Speed was sufficient and their agility was lacking, they were simply too fast, almost like a Ghost. This unparalleled Speed compensated to a certain extent for their completely unagile linear movement. It was hard to imagine such a tall, large man could possess such terrifying Speed.
Ku Te did not choose to Attack directly but used Leap to move at high Speed around me. His purpose was obvious: first, to find a Weakness, and second, to judge whether the Opponent could fully capture his Movement. If there was even a slight delay, with his decades of Combat Experience, he could immediately seize that fleeting opportunity to launch a Fatal Blow/Critical Strike. With the Barbarian's Attack Strength combined with a fierce Barbarian Combination Skill Attack—Stun + Double Swing + Concentrate + Heavy Blow + War Cry + an additional Normal Attack—he was 100% certain he could end this Battle with one successful attack. And his current Health could no longer withstand another unpredictable improved "Mutated" Volcano from the Opponent. Therefore, the outcome would be decided within a few short seconds.
The Adventurers below the stage were also experienced veterans and quickly saw this critical situation. One by one, they craned their necks, not daring to breathe, afraid of missing the most exciting Moment.
Time seemed to slow down, but only three or four seconds had passed since Ku Te started moving. In this short Time, the seasoned Ku Te reached a conclusion that brought both joy and worry. The joy was that the Opponent In Front of him could not fully capture his Figure; otherwise, they would have launched a Volcano while he was moving to end the Battle. The worry was that although they couldn't fully capture him, those narrowed eyes, which occasionally flashed with a sharp glint, could barely keep up with his Speed. Once he launched an Attack, his Speed would definitely slow down by half a beat, and that would be the Moment for the Opponent to launch Volcano. The odds of victory were three to seven, with him at three and the Enemy at seven.
However, he couldn't wait any longer. Although Leap was useful, it consumed a lot of Vitality, and his pitifully small amount of Mana couldn't last much longer. If he continued to consume it, even if he successfully got close later, he wouldn't have enough Mana to use his Combo Attacks, and then he would truly lose.
Ahhh—!!!
Gritting his teeth, Ku Te roared in his Heart. He would gamble on his Luck and Combat Awareness! He, Ku Te, would not lose to anyone!!!
The next Moment, Ku Te's Ghost-like Figure suddenly paused on the spot. At this very Moment, my narrowed Eyes also suddenly widened. Without hesitation, I pointed a finger, and a violent Volcano erupted from under Ku Te's feet.
*Boom—*
The strong airflow from the erupting Volcano caused the Adventurers near the Arena to involuntarily squint their Eyes. The next Moment, a Shadow rushed out of the Dust, charging towards the Enemy with an excited roar.
Ku Te had gambled and won. He deliberately paused his Figure, triggering the Enemy's Volcano, and then relied on the Warrior's keen Intuition for Danger to barely flash away, finally dodging the direct Attack of the Volcano. He was grazed and sent flying sideways. The next Moment, he flipped over in the Mid-air, kicked off the Ground with his feet, and charged straight towards his Opponent. Without the threat of Volcano, the Battle would no longer have any suspense.
"Oh—"
