Lucas’s relentless assault continued, his strikes coming faster and harder.
Each swing of his sword seemed to carry more weight, more power, as if he was drawing on some deep reservoir of strength.
I could see the determination in his eyes, the fierce resolve to win at any cost.
‘I need to find a way to turn this around.’
Blocking another powerful strike, I felt my arms tremble from the impact.
My stamina was depleting rapidly, and I knew I couldn’t keep this up for much longer.
I had to think, had to come up with a strategy that would give me the upper hand.
Tsk…
I was in a real pinch right now, so close to a really painful injury and even potential death… and yet why couldn’t I help but be happy about this situation right now?
Looking at Lucas’s serious face that seemed to be itching to land a strike on me, a small smile almost crept onto my face.
‘You really are the protagonist, Lucas….’
He wasn’t as strong as I had hoped he would be at this level in the scenarios-he was even stronger than expected.
‘At least level 70 and above. ‘
That was the level at which I could value his strength right now. Of course, it wasn’t at the level a hardcore gamer like me could have gotten him to, which was level 90 and above at this stage.
But even still, the fact that the scenarios had been hastened due to my interference and yet he was able to achieve this level of strength on his own was really impressive.
‘He’s grown so much…’
Lucas’s eyes never left mine, filled with determination and resolve. He was giving this fight everything he had, not holding back in the slightest.
Despite the danger and the intensity of the battle, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride for him.
He even learned and polished the skills he needed to earn the Lord of Light skill in the future -not that he knows that anyway.
Although he was wearing the same suit as me, his overall accessory equipment coincided with what he’s supposed to get, just like in the game.
The boots he was wearing were the Wind’s Guide, a unique-ranked item that could only be found in the Underground Dungeon of the Ant’s Cave, meaning he was successfully treading through his main scenarios without my influence.
His ring, the First Ring of the Dwarves, was a lost, unknown item that he could’ve only gotten in the SkyHigh Auction House.
His main scenarios were probably combined with the routes of both Janica and his occasional interactions with Snow.
‘He’s following he’s intended path perfectly,’
Going at this rate, if I just don’t mess up his upcoming main scenarios during the second act, he is bound to grow somewhere between level 85-90 and above.
Is this his destiny intertwining fate onto its proper course?
Even without the help of his intended scenarios to help him get stronger, he was as strong as he was now.
In order to beat Act 5, he truly was essential.
SLIIISHHHH!
SWOOOSH!!!
CLANGGG!!!
Our swords clashed once more. This time, I couldn’t hold it in, and a smile broke out across my face.
“You’ve gotten stronger, Lucas.”
His face exuded shock upon hearing my words as he gritted his teeth. There was a mixture of emotions etched across his features.
“You…” He muttered, unable to form any coherent words.
Did my words make him happy? Was he just surprised? Or did it make him even more angry and annoyed?
I did not know, nor did I want to know at this very moment, I was just really happy.
Knowing that I could take advantage of this guy in the years to come.
His strength and determination were truly remarkable.
Despite me doing my utmost best with counterstrikes of my own, he was holding his ground as if all of it was nothing, pushing me to my limits.
The arena around us seemed to blur as we continued our intense battle.
The crowd’s cheers were a distant roar in my ears, my focus solely on Lucas.
His golden eyes flared brightly with each attack, a visual representation of his unwavering willpower.
If this battle rages on, it was clear that I was going to lose, and I couldn’t even go all out and fight properly. So I’ll give it to him everything I have right now.
All my other skills are utterly useless in front of this man.
No matter how much I amplify myself, the gap between us is just that great. He’s a literal cheat code in and out of himself.
I have to end this quickly.
I took a deep breath, focusing on the immense power surging through me.
This was my last resort, a skill I had been hesitant to use due to its devastating effects.
But desperate times called for desperate measures.
[Skill: Raging Storms]
[Effects: Unleashes a chaotic storm over a targeted area, causing devastating damage to all
enemies caught within.]
[Note: Area of Effect: 10-meter radius]
[Note: Skill can only be used once per day!]
[Warning: Using disaster category skills may harm the user; extreme caution is advised.]
The air around us crackled with energy as I channeled the raw power of the skill.
The ground beneath me began to tremble, the very fabric of reality seeming to warp under the weight of the impending storm.
RUMBLE~! RUMBLE~!
The skies turned darker, clouds swirling ominously as golden lightning streaked across them.
The temperature dropped abruptly, and the air felt charged with an electric tension.
The audience fell silent, their collective breath held as they watched the spectacle unfold.
Questions are probably raging as to why I can suddenly summon such a large scale spell, but none of that mattered right now.
Not long after, the golden lightning rained down upon the battlefield, the bolts striking with a fierce, unrelenting energy.
The arena was illuminated by a series of blinding flashes, the ground erupting in a series of
explosive impacts.
Lucas’s eyes widened in shock as the storm descended upon him. His previously confident stance faltered, and he was momentarily overwhelmed by the sheer force of the attack. The golden bolts of lightning crackled and sizzled around him, their intensity palpable even
from a distance.
The sheer force of the storm was overwhelming, sending shockwaves through the arena and causing the audience to recoil in awe and fear.
The blinding flashes of light and the deafening roars of thunder painted a dramatic scene, adding to the electrifying atmosphere of the battle.
Despite the fury of the storm, Lucas remained relatively unfazed.
He stood resolute, his aura blazing brightly around him like a protective barrier against the relentless assault of lightning.
Each bolt that struck him was absorbed or deflected by his aura, dissipating harmlessly into
the surrounding air.
‘A natural born aura user….’
His ability to endure the storm without visible distress was a testament to his mastery of aura
manipulation.
As an aura user, his mana refinement and control were vastly superior to mine. While my mana amplification allowed me to enhance my physical capabilities and skills,
Lucas’s aura manipulation provided him with a more sophisticated and resilient form of
defense.
The difference in our mana techniques was stark.
My approach focused on amplifying the power of my attacks and abilities, giving me short
bursts of enhanced strength and agility.
But it was inherently limited in terms of defensive capabilities.
On the other hand, Lucas’s aura refinement enabled him to create a dynamic and versatile
shield, capable of mitigating a wide range of attacks, including the high-intensity lightning storm I had unleashed.
Even as the storm continued to rage, Lucas’s aura shimmered with a golden hue, reflecting the lightning bolts as they struck his barrier.
The aura seemed to pulse and adapt, each bolt absorbed and redirected with an almost
effortless grace.
The golden aura around him was not just a static shield but a living, breathing extension of
his will and skill.
But….
Since he was a cheat character of his own, there’s nothing wrong with me cheating also right?
Redirecting one of the lightning bolts toward myself, I let the chaos of the storm work to my
advantage.
Time slowed down as my Time Dilation skill activated, allowing me to maneuver with
precision.
But instead of dodging, I deactivated the skill, intentionally letting the bolt of lightning veer
toward me.
This was a desperate gambit, a calculated risk designed to exploit the loophole in the system.
The bolt crackled through the air with malevolent intent.
My body suit, designed to protect against most lethal attacks, might be capable to block the brunt of the damage under normal circumstances.
However, a direct hit to the head or a critical area could still be fatal, or at the very least,
severely injurious.
This wasn’t just any ordinary lightning bolt.
It was an A-rank spell, a formidable burst of wild magic born from a literal beast-my
partner’s shared gift to me.
It was a power that could cause devastating damage, and I was using it to force the system’s
hand.
As the bolt neared, I braced myself for the impact.
The electricity was fierce, and I could already slightly feel the searing heat.
A loophole in the system that I should’ve had exploited long ago-a hidden trick that I had
neglected. The system’s alerts blared in my mind, a cacophony of warnings and critical notifications that seemed to echo through my very being.
The flashing red warnings and dire notes were a stark contrast to the intense battle unfolding
before me.
‘Hey system, you can’t have me dying before I fulfill my intended fate, right?’
Time stopped….
[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]
[Fate: A dragon’s sacrifice is shaking!]
[WARNING!]
[Note: USER’S MAIN SCENARIO AT STAKE!]
[MAIN SCENARIO IS BREAKING]
[WARNING!!!]
[Failure to fulfill the main scenario could lead to ???]
[Note: Emergency measures applying!]
[Note: Conditions have been met!]
[Skill: Monarch’s Will (Unique)] [Unlocked!] [Effects Applying] [Effects: Absolute Command] [Active]
[Effects: 90% Stat Reduction] [Active]
[Note: All enemies in the user’s presence will now have their stats reduced!]
[Note: All enemies in the user’s presence will now have their wills subjugated!]
[Note: Emergency measures applied!]
The loud cheers and the ambient noise of the crowd fell eerily silent.
The intensity of the moment seemed to draw the entire arena into a hush.
My senses sharpened, my perception of time slowed, and I felt a profound sense of power
welling up within me.
The rush of energy was overwhelming. I could feel the weight of the crowd’s anticipation and the silent tension that now enveloped the arena.
Strength surged through my veins, elevating me above everyone else in this moment.
It was as if the entire world had slowed down, with the incoming lightning bolt hanging in the
air like a frozen shard of time.
The bolt, which had been a fierce and deadly threat mere moments ago, now appeared to drift
in slow motion.
Its once fearsome energy seemed tame and manageable, as if it were no longer a peril but a
mere tool at my disposal.
With a single thought, I redirected the path of the lightning bolt.
It was a display of sheer willpower and mastery, an ability granted by the system’s emergency
measures.
The bolt, now under my command, changed direction and hurtled toward Lucas with
newfound intensity.
And it was close to instantaneous.
BOOM!
He didn’t have time to react.
The lightning bolt collided with Lucas’s golden aura, creating a blinding explosion that lit up
the arena.
The air was filled with crackling energy, and the force of the impact sent shockwaves through
the crowd. The world around me turned into a stark, monochrome canvas, with only the gleaming golden light from Lucas’s sword cutting through the darkness.
The contrast was almost surreal. Despite the immense power surging through me, a sense of unease gnawed at the edges of my consciousness.
There was an unsettling calm, devoid of the usual repulsion that accompanied me whenever i
used this skill.
‘Why does it feel different?’
[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]
[Note: 3 presences detected with higher wills than the user]
[Note: Effects of Monarch’s Will, will now be rendered null in front of the three presences]
[Effects: Absolute Command] [???] [Effects: 90% Stat Reduction] [???] [Note: User is advised to leave area immediately!]
The abruptness of the message caused a ripple of confusion.
My gaze snapped back to Lucas, where the golden aura around him was intensifying, shifting
in color and brilliance.
VOOM!!!!
The once simple golden glow now ignited into a blinding white light, with strands of rainbow-colored energy weaving through it like the tail of a comet.
A realization struck me like a jolt of electricity.
‘Fuck….’
Don’t tell me….
I had expected him to learn this skill much later in the story, if not at all.
The skill was known for its radiant intensity and the ability to pierce through even the
strongest defenses.
Lucas raised his sword high, and the golden light transformed into an even more formidable
blaze.
The air around him shimmered with the force of the skill.
“This bastard…’
He already knows [Sun Strike]???