Reinard Blackridge appeared in the middle of the make-shift tornado. Standing tall and looking mighty amongst the fallen leaves and dirt, Reinard's butt chin brought relief. His mere presence had the opposite effect from before.
The floating purple screen appeared in front of Liel's eyes.
[1 new System user found.]
[Open a three-way PvP?]
'No!' Liel quickly denied. He needed an ally, not an enemy.
[Three-way PvP invitation cancelled.]
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Reinard looked around, noting the misty forest and three other presences beside him.
"Naomi?" Reinard turned a questioning eye at his summoner. "I thought I wouldn't see you again for the next few weeks?"
"We don't have much time, but please lend us your power," she hurried to say, looking pointedly at the thrashing dark mage pinned to the ground by Liel.
Reinard chuckled, "You demand something big. What would I get for it?"
Liel was suddenly being thrown into the air.
[You are currently airborne due to your inability to dodge, making you unable to move, attack, or use skills.]
'Fuck!'
[Not that you have any skills.]
[But at least you can fly.]
Melva had used the small window, the fleeting moment Liel felt relieved by the new arrival, to throw him into the air. She quickly rose to her feet and smiled broadly when Liel finally plummeted to the hard ground with a loud thud.
Liel grunted in pain, feeling like his backbone was broken.
[No major injury detected.]
[Stop fretting.]
Melva turned to the tall man with a butt chin. "Reinard Blackridge. This has nothing to do with you."
Naomi shot a look at her regular buyer. "You know her?"
Reinard took a moment to look down at the dark mage. "Melva Saunders. You acquired the Faithkeeper Staff, but only use it to curse a village. What a waste of such powerful weapon."
"Let's agree to disagree," Melva glared. "I have my own reason. You don't get to judge me."
"Well, that's true."
"Scram away, Blackridge. This is between Leinster and me." Melva felt Naomi's ire rising, making her giggle a little. "Oh, and the village girl, of course. Sorry honey, I didn't mean to forget you."
Naomi bristled, seeing red. However, Liel's hand was suddenly around her wrist. She just realized that she had picked up her small knife and took a stance to attack.
"Don't do something stupid," Liel muttered.
Reinard crossed his hands in front of his chest, contemplating things. "I don't usually seek out enemy, unless I really have to. You may know that already, Melva. We never cross path before this, don't we?"
"Then, what are you waiting for? Go away from here." Melva spat on the ground. It could be her hatred of men speaking.
"Yeah, I should do that." And Reinard turned his back to them, intending to walk away. "But, Naomi is my… acquaintance. She personally summoned me, the least I can do is asking her why."
Melva cursed. "I don't care."
"But, I do." Reinard interjected in a stern voice. Then, he pointed his right hand in Melva's direction. "Warp Manipulation – Fractured Edge."
In the next second, Liel saw the space around Melva become distorted and turn to look like shattered glass. She could move still, but the distorted space followed.
In retaliation, Melva raised her wooden staff. The red orb glinted under the sun as she said, "Dark Matter Manipulation – Possessing Wave."
A dark wave pulsated from Melva's red orb. It passed them in an instant. Strangely, it felt like a breeze.
"What's that?" Liel narrowed his eyes when he did not feel affected.
Melva cast again, "Dark Matter Manipulation – Flawless Serpent Raze!"
Snake-like dark energy emitted from the red orb on top of the staff. It blasted past the shattered space, zig-zagging on the air but the distortion from Reinard's warp manipulation. The snake's head hit the boulder right beside the tall, dark-haired man.
"How?!" Melva exclaimed in shock. "My Flawless Serpent Raze should always hit the target."
"What makes you so sure?" Reinard asked, tilting his head back until his butt chin looked more prominent.
"My Possessing Wave collect a sample of your hair, blood, or just a trace of your magic power. With that acquired information, Flawless Serpent Raze's attack should always hit its target. But–"
Reinard smiled, "Even with that third tier item, your level is still below me. Never forget that."
"You know about her level?" Liel couldn't see the bitchy witch's level, but it seemed that Reinard could.
[Reinard Blackridge's level is higher than yours.]
'Obviously.'
The tall, butt-chinned man ignored him. "Besides, once you're trapped inside my Fractured Edge, any magic attack's direction will be disrupted. Hence, why you couldn't hit me, even if your previous attack got me pin pointed. Good news, you'll be trap there in a while."
Melva cursed loudly. Upset at the turn of the event.
Then, Reinard approached Liel and Naomi. "Now, let's talk business. What would I get if I help you with this pityful PvP?"
"PvP?" Naomi furrowed her brows.
Liel waved her confusion away. Eying Melva, who was still swearing and tried to cast another attack – which didn't even reach them, now – he thought about it.
'What would I get if I win PvP?'
[All items in the enemy's possession and 20% of their stats.]
'What if she surrender?'
[If the enemy surrender, the rewards are the enemy's most powerful item and 10% of their stats.]
'Just 10%?'
[You greedy boy.]
'What happen if Reinard kill her instead?'
[The reward will be given to the PvP winner.]
'Can I transfer it?'
[Yes. but that would be stupid.]
Liel smirked, looking straight into Reinard's eyes. "I'll give you her staff."
The tall and long-haired man raised one well-groomed eyebrow. "You sure will give the Faithkeeper Staff to me?"
"I have no use for it now."
[Idiot.]
"Your lost then."
"It's a deal?"
Reinard smiled darkly and raised his hand. Once again, he pointed it to Melva's shattered appearance. "Warp Manipulation – Vanishing Release."
The ground under Melva's feet lit up in yellow. Lines crisscross, making a two-dimensional shape of circular and triangle design.
The ground opened a moment later, showing bubbling red magma under the lit lines.
"With a wave of my hand, your life will be no more. Who knows, this fight turns into a quickie. Lucky me. Any last words?"
"Wait!" Naomi suddenly yelled, stopping the tall and long-haired man. "I need to ask her one more thing!"
"Ask away."
Locking eyes with the bitchy witch, Naomi ordered. "Lift your curse from my village.