"What do you mean we're all alone?" Geoffrey demanded.
"Don't you think the place is a bit too quiet?" Amadeus replied, looking around. Geoffrey followed his gaze and noticed that the once bustling quarry floors were now empty.
Geoffrey turned back to Amadeus and said, "Good play. You used the chaos in the quarry to deal with the guards, archers, and mages."
Amadeus scratched his head and said, "Come on, it wasn't that impressive."
Unsheathing his sword, Geoffrey's voice grew annoyed. "Let's stop the small talk. Tell me who sent you. Is it the Rat Guild?"
Amadeus, confused, replied, "Who names their guild the Rat Guild?"
Geoffrey gave Amadeus's face a good look. "Just by looking at your confused expression, I can tell you're not part of their guild. By now, they should have sent their reinforcements to help you," said Geoffrey then he started laughing.
"Hey, what's so funny? Tell me so I can laugh too," Amadeus said.
Geoffrey's face turned serious, filled with killing intent. "I don't know if I should admire your bravery or laugh at your stupidity."
Amadeus lifted the sword he had taken from the guard he killed. "You're right. Let's cut the small talk and finish this."
Amadeus dashed towards Geoffrey. Their swords clashed for over a minute, neither landing a hit. A strong shockwave pushed Amadeus back. "Your speed is your greatest asset, but your strength is lacking. I could barely feel the impact of your attacks." said Geoffrey
Amadeus's speed matched Geoffrey's, but his strength was not on par. However, Amadeus had a plan.
As they started their second clash, Geoffrey dominated the battle, pushing Amadeus back with each strike. Finally, a powerful blow sent Amadeus flying and crashing to the ground.
Amadeus who lost his sword looked defeated. Geoffrey attempted a vertical attack, but Amadeus dodged at the last second, striking a vital point with the orc sword he had equipped. Geoffrey quickly tried to retaliate with a powerful piercing attack.
The attack was strong enough to destroy the stage and force Amadeus to create distance between them. "How did he dodge my vertical strike? where did that sword come from? And how did he hit me exactly where my armor is weakest?" Geoffrey wondered, examining his wound as blood spilled like a river.
"You have every right to be confused, but all I can say is that information is the most important thing in a battle," Amadeus said, recalling how he had used the slaves to cover for him at work and had followed Geoffrey for the past few days.
By observing Geoffrey, Amadeus had memorized his sword techniques and learned the weaknesses of his armor when it was left at the blacksmith for maintenance. Now, Geoffrey was an open book for Amadeus.
Amadeus and Geoffrey traded attacks, but this time, Amadeus dominated. He evaded every attack and countered, aiming at the weak points in Geoffrey's armor. "Impossible. Memorizing my techniques... Only a veteran warrior who has fought countless battles can do this," Geoffrey said.
"You know, Geoffrey, techniques are useful. They help cover your blind spots while attacking, but they also make you predictable," Amadeus said.
"Just who are you?" Geoffrey asked, his body covered in wounds and blood.
"Sorry, but we'd die of old age before I could finish telling you who I am," Amadeus replied. He dashed forward, ready to deliver the final strike. "I won't fall without using everything I have. I'm sure you haven't seen this before," Geoffrey said, preparing his ultimate move.
{Sonic Pierce} used by Geoffrey was a strong, high-speed, piercing attack. Amadeus smiled as he dodged the ultimate attack and struck the middle part of Geoffrey's chest plate, destroying his heart.
"Bwahh... How did you do this?" Geoffrey asked, blood pouring from his mouth.
Amadeus withdrew his sword from Geoffrey. "I knew you were hiding an ultimate attack, so I ensured I could dodge it when the time came by slowing you down with wounds. As for the armor, I weakened it by destroying the supports in your chest plate."
"I guess I was completely defeated... but your luck ends here... if this is all you have, you have no chance... against Thurstan or the Pig. You're done, slave... hahaha..." Before Geoffrey could finish, Amadeus cut off his head.
"You talk too much," Amadeus said, looting Geoffrey's body. A window appeared.
[New Items]
/ Armor - uncommon
Commander Geoffrey's Armor = Strong armor made especially for Commander Geoffrey. Adds 50 defense with no special effects.
Note: The armor is damaged, so its defense is decreased to 15.
/ Sword - uncommon
Commander Geoffrey's Sword = The sword that accompanied Commander Geoffrey through all his mercenary missions. Very durable after facing multiple battles. Adds 60 strength with no special effects.
Note: The user must have at least equal strength to the one the weapon offers to use it effectively.
"Great, I got two items I can't use. Anyway, I'll just use the armor since it's the best I have right now," Amadeus said, equipping Commander Geoffrey's armor. His appearance didn't change. "That's one of the functions of the system. The armor will be invisible, weightless, and won't get in your way during a fight. Only your normal clothing will be visible," the Crown explained.
"Great. I was worried I'd have to throw away good armor because it was heavy," Amadeus replied.
"Amadeus, look behind you," said the Crown.
Amadeus turned to see a whip coming at him with incredible speed. He dodged it just in time. The whip destroyed what was left of the stage and a bit of the ground, showing its strength.
"Finally. Do you know I was barely able to hold myself back from joining the battle?" said Commander Thurstan. "So he came back from his mission. I guess that means the Pig is also here," Amadeus thought to himself.
"So you came back sooner than I expected," Amadeus said, facing Thurstan.
"Seeing how you fought Geoffrey and finally shut that arrogant bastard up for good made me feel excitement I haven't felt in so long," Thurstan said. "As I expected, you don't care a bit about the others," Amadeus replied.
"Just to let you know before we start, what you did with Geoffrey won't work with me," Thurstan said with a demonic smile.
"Then let's begin," Amadeus said. The battle started, and Amadeus tried to get closer, but every time he approached, the whip nearly hit him. "He's using the whip as a defensive barrier by swinging it in circles, covering all his blind spots," Amadeus thought.
"Now I guess it's my turn to attack," Thurstan said, unleashing a rain of whip strikes in all directions, with Amadeus struggling to dodge them.
The whip strikes continued for a few minutes, stopping only when Amadeus managed to create some distance. A drop of blood fell to the ground. Amadeus realized it was coming from a cut on his face. "This is the first time I've bled while using my full power," he thought, wiping the blood away, and the wound was healed instantly. A window appeared.
[Warning]
/ The user has been poisoned.
- Therefore, your agility will be reduced to half.
"Crown, can my immortality skill heal me?" Amadeus asked. "Of course, it will heal you, but it will take at least a few minutes," the Crown replied.
"A few minutes? I can't wait that long," Amadeus said angrily.
"Well, if you'd listened to me and slowly gathered followers, you would've increased your godly rank before coming here, making the skill strong enough to heal the poison in a second. But you wanted to follow your amazing plan," the Crown retorted like a nagging mother.
"I don't have time to argue. I have to think fast," Amadeus said, calculating the situation.
"I'm poisoned now, and his attacks are unpredictable. He follows his instincts like an animal, using no techniques. The whip is a weapon that's hard to follow, making it perfect for someone like him," Amadeus thought.
Clenching his teeth, Amadeus asked himself, "Is there a way for me to win against him?"
"Are you done thinking? Because I'm getting bored and maybe I'll stop playing with you," Thurstan taunted.