The table was rectangular with stone legs below the 4 edges of a rectangle. A small wall was erect in the middle dividing the rectangle into two, its height reached half of Insania's body right at her waist level and lastly there was a small egg shaped jade ball on the table along with an object that strangely resembled a Table Tennis Racket.
Insania scrutinized her opponent and noticed it's utter stillness, she concluded that if it wanted to attack her it'd have done so earlier, so she scanned it.
*Ting
Lippo/Jade Golem
Rarity: Unique
Level: 50
Hitpoints: 10,000
Physical Armor: 100%
Skills:
[Ping-pong Mastery]
Lore: Lippo is a golem created by the GrandMaster Magician Liru an old eccentric magician that holed himself away for many centuries. Lippo is guarding a very sacred treasure left behind by Liru, its main purpose is to stop those who seek the treasure.
(Players cannot destroy Lippo only defeat him in his own challenge)
Losing to Lippo would mean instant death and all equipped items will drop.*
"For a level 50 monster, it sure does have a small LP, had I not taken [Weapon Imbue] I'd have no chances of killing this monster in a normal fight" Insania expressed her thoughts.
The humanoid Golem walked at the opposite end of the stone table and faced Insania, it held its right hand out; then its stone palm opened and closed, repeatedly as if telling Insania to give it her best shot.
Insania was astounded, putting behind her countless thoughts and questions about why she could see the golems Lore, she focused on the golems taunting action, her competitive spirit bursted forth and she couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.
She reached for the Racket on the table that was made of unknown material and swung it around, feeling it's weight then after a couple tests she bounced the ball a few times and struck the tiny ball with all her might all while staring at her opponent like a hawk.
"Challenge ACCEPTED!" She shouted with glee, Its been so long for her since she's played this Sport but she is extremely confident she'd win, this golem can't possibly hold a candle against the opponents she'd defeated back in highschool.
Fighting is already out of the question since if Insania hit Lippo right now her damage would be zero and only magic based attacks can damage Lippo and that amounts to 5 for her, but it's also written in it's Lore that it cannot be destroyed through conventional means.
To think that such a great sport is being used as a deterrence to kill trespassers. She knew she had this in the bag but she didn't let her guard down, she didn't know if only one point decides her fate and she didn't want to find out.
The jade like ball went to the other side of the table, Insania dripped cold sweat staring at his opponent with full concentration, Lippo hasn't even budged since she shot the ball and as if time slowed to a tick she watched the ball almost score her a point, but then Lippo moved.
Like a streak of lightning its body accelerated to inhuman levels, and slapped the ball.
BOOOM!
A shock wave occurred followed by the ball speeding towards Insania. She got careless even though she knew this isn't normal Ping-pong,
That shot was obviously aimed at her instead of making it bounce at the table its going straight towards her body! and 'HANDS? who the hell plays Ping-pong with HANDS?!' nsania internally screamed but she didn't despair, she was confused but she still parried the ball and pushed it back to the other side
BOOOM!!
With absurd speed Lippo smacked the ball again.
"Now that's what I'm talking ABOUT!" despite the situation Insania was ecstatic, she's never seen a smash that perfect before! It reminded her of the golden days of her life during the High School Regional Table-Tennis Championships, her elation is soaring through the roof and her reaction speed increased to superhuman levels as her heart thumped adrenaline all over her body.
During that time Onille was so close to losing and winning at the same time but he didn't get to see who won between their match. His opponent was assassinated by an unknown gunman and he won by default. To this day Onille both regretted and craved for that exhilarating feeling again.. And here it was! In the form of a Rock Golem. Its moves are insanely similar to that guy but less talkative.
Using all she had, Insania made a backhanded smash that made the ball rapidly spin. This is a technique Onille honed for so many years, making the ball spin would make its trajectory very hard to predict.
But his parlor tricks were nothing to Lippo as it gave her a reverse uno card by slapping it back to her face.
'Shit!' Insania parried the ball that went towards her face despite clearly heading straight to her left flank, afterwards she didn't use her technique anymore, fearing that it might lead to her untimely doom. Instead she challenged Lippo to a competition of Endurance! The ball went back and forth, but every time Lippo smashed the ball she felt that the force behind its hits kept dwindling.
Lippo was losing strength and Insania was losing buckets of stamina. She sweated profusely as she kept parrying the ball and stayed in the absolute defensive instead of making an offensive smash (Also known in table-tennis as a forehand smash.) else Lippo might pull the rug under her and go full counter.
Insania was at her zone, her concentration could reach the stratosphere, her breathing relaxed and paced... her body was only moving moderately not making any unnecessary bodily shifts. If she exerts herself beyond that she'd undoubtedly lose the back and forth.
SMACK!
Slightly step to the right and offhand parry.
SMACK!
Takes two steps back and overhand drive
SMACK
One step to the left and backhand shove
Although her actions were simple enough on paper but in a high speeds Ping-pong match her movements were so eloquently calculated, before returning the Ball to Lippo, she could already judge the trajectory of the ball before it gets smacked by Lippo's hand, since it uses the same arm motion to attack, Insania could react accordingly to where the ball is heading.
Unknown to her, with every second that passes Lippo lost 50 HP. So at exactly 3:20 minute mark after she made her first serve a loud HORN reverberated through the room and shattered Jade Golem Lippo.
[AN: is my math correct?]
"Great... game Lippo" Insania collapsed to the ground, trying her hardest to catch her breath, she had mad respect for that golem, despite it moving pretty monotonously at the start when it's hitpoints dropped below 1k, it went ballistic with it's smashes and Insania almost died from the swerving jade ball... but it only lasted for 20 seconds so it was manageable with Insania's reserved strength.
The taste of exhaustion will always be washed away by the sweet, sweet fruits of victory.
*Ting you have leveled up*
*Ting you have leveled up*
*Ting you have leveled up*
*Ting you have leveled up*.....
Fourteen level up notifications appeared in front of her screen, making her level 20 in just one day.
Indeed the taste of victory is extremely sweet. She took her precious time relaxing and admiring the ceiling.
After the rather long break, she shook herself and felt refreshed, off all the crazy things that could happen in this game it had to be Ping-pong, Lippo really unloaded some deep regrets inside Onille's heart.
Insania approached Lippo to loot it of any good drops, but alas she didn't find any.
Reluctant to leave she searched the entire room for any signs of treasure, but she had no luck, just when she was about to leave she heard a thunk and the stone table they were using split into two revealing a Golden Chest underneath it.
Insania was extremely surprised but it did say Lippo was guarding his creators treasure, she wondered what it might be. Opening the chest Insania found 1 grayish black and 4 golden grimmoires, with black scribbles.
How does she know they're grimmoires you ask ? Well books don't glow thats for sure and when she touched it a notification popped up. Insania didn't hesitate and learned all the grimmoires.
*Ting you have learned the skill [Zap]
*Ting you have learned the skill [Re-charge]*
*Ting you have learned the skill [Dis-Charge]*
*Ting you have learned the skill [Over-Charged]*
*Ting you have learned the skill [Conceal]*
In-game night was almost up and Insania does not want to get that disgusting [Sleep Deprive] debuff.
She had to log out inside a town or else something might happen to her avatar if she doesn't. Insania headed in a new entrance that opened when she defeated Lippo. As she went in deeper she looked at the new skills one by one.