A colossal wave surged through the vast cave chamber, crashing toward the enemies and inflicting damage while slowing them down. Next, a rain of spears materialized above, repeatedly slamming into the ground. Finally, a massive explosion erupted as a giant Water Boar formed, striking Ulrich and the two guards dead-on.
Broken dashed forward to follow up with his attacks, but he noticed his movement speed was not as fast as usual. He suddenly remembered his Weight Capacity wasn’t sufficient to handle the combined load of his new armor and the Wavebreaker Spear.
[Weight: 5,319/4,770]
He quickly removed his Invincible Paragon Helmet and swapped it for the Warrior’s Call Helmet. Although this helmet boosted stamina and intelligence, it meant he couldn’t activate Berserker Rage for the time being. However, he could switch back if needed. freёwebnoѵel.com
[Weight: 4,906/4,770]
Damn, still overweight. He removed the Obsidian Shroud – Clothes, making his black armor with blue energy patterns glow even brighter in the cave.
[Weight: 4,786/4,770]
Just a bit more! He decided to remove The Unbreakable Heart Ring and The Ring of Fate, taking off all the rings he didn’t immediately need.
[Weight: 4,764/4,770]
Finally, he was within the limit! With his weight now manageable, Broken felt his agility return, ready to continue the fight.
Dendros darted toward Ulrich with astounding speed, delivering punch after punch with the Moonvine Knuckles. Despite being a summoned entity, Dendros moved with the fluidity and precision of a seasoned fighter. Each punch was precise and ferocious, and the thought briefly crossed Broken’s mind that with a few kicks added to the mix, Dendros could easily pass for a Muay Thai fighter.
A satisfied smile spread across Broken’s face. Seizing the moment, he spun his spear with graceful precision and charged at the first guard. This time, he took the offensive. The first guard managed to parry his initial strike, causing a clash of metal that forced Broken to step back slightly. However, he immediately renewed his assault, relentless and determined.
The second guard tried to flank him, raising his weapon to strike from behind. Just as Broken prepared to defend himself, wild vines erupted from a small portal near the second guard, ensnaring him. It was Dendros! The guardian was proving to be remarkably reliable.
Broken unleashed as many attacks as he could in that short window, slicing and thrusting his spear at the city guard. His opponent broke free from the vine roots and quickly put some distance between himself and Broken.
For the first time in this battle, Broken felt a clear-headed focus. With his attention divided between just two foes, he could fully engage in the fight. These city guards were a far cry from the monsters he was used to-they did not follow predictable patterns, nor did they fall easily to player attacks. Instead, their attacks were coordinated, their defenses robust, and they continually sought to exploit any blind spots in his movements. Their combat prowess was evident in every move they made.
Despite the challenge, Broken was exhilarated. This was what he lived for-combat that tested his limits and honed his skills. As he sidestepped to avoid an incoming attack, he spun his spear, executing a parry that sent the blows recoiling back onto his two attackers. His parry skill had triggered once more, dealing substantial damage to both adversaries.
Meanwhile, Dendros demonstrated exceptional prowess against Ulrich. Time and again, the guardian cast ‘Vines of Torment,’ binding one of the city guards in place while Broken unleashed powerful strikes on the other. The synergy between them was seamless; whenever one city guard found himself rooted by the vines, Broken capitalized on the opportunity to inflict significant damage.
Meanwhile, Polly dispersed in multiple directions, her clones constantly providing support to both Dendros and Broken whenever the opportunity arose. Her primary target, however, was to immobilize Tristan.
Tristan, seeing the increased threat level, finally unleashed his true combat prowess. He hovered in the air, his body shielded by layers of magical barriers that fended off Polly’s relentless attacks. Casting magic missiles repeatedly, he tried to strike her down, but Polly’s agility allowed her to dodge and strike from every conceivable angle.
Despite being subjected to physical attacks in close combat, Tristan proved formidable. As a mage, his defenses were robust, and he responded by conjuring a magic circle in the air, spinning wildly as if preparing a devastating skill. While his body floated effortlessly, he continued bombarding Polly’s clones with magic missiles.
Broken occasionally glanced at Tristan, realizing that this battle needed to end swiftly. Whatever magic Tristan was casting could cause catastrophic damage. He needed to cancel Tristan’s spell, but he was too occupied with the two guards. He tried his best to reduce their health as much as possible.
Running low on Mana, Broken retreated momentarily, picking up a discarded pickaxe and slamming it into the ground. A shockwave of energy radiated out, momentarily stunning the two city guards. Utilizing this brief interlude, he quickly downed a Mana potion, feeling the rejuvenating energy surge through him. Without missing a beat, he launched himself back into the fray just as the city guards started recovering from the stun.
The battle was reaching a critical point. Every moment counted, and Broken was determined to seize the advantage.
Massive black energy orbs coalesced in the air above Tristan’s head, spinning rapidly. This was the skill he had been preparing all along. As it hurtled towards Broken with deadly intent, Ulrich broke free from Dendros’ attacks and charged at Broken, intent on delivering a devastating blow.
Simultaneously, the two city guards closed in from either side, their spears poised for a synchronized strike.
Broken found himself in a perilous position, with no room to maneuver. His Invincible Shields skill was on cooldown; a direct hit would be fatal.
“Gaia?” he thought quickly, weighing his options. “No!”
Just as the barrage of magic balls sped towards him, accompanied by Ulrich’s impending attack and the guards’ spears, Broken activated his skill.
[Invincible Force Reflection (Active Skill)]
A layer of shimmering energy enveloped him instantly. For 2 precious seconds, it absorbed all incoming damage and prepared to reflect it back in a devastating counterattack. He braced himself as one of the city guards’ strikes glanced off his shield, but the barrage of magic orbs from Tristan struck with overwhelming force, each impact sending shockwaves through the air. Ulrich’s assault and the guards’ spears all collided simultaneously, each attempting to break through his fleeting protection.
The 2 seconds felt like an eternity as his vision was obscured by the blinding explosions, his body immobilized by the relentless onslaught.
Then, the 2 seconds elapsed, and the collected energy was unleashed.
Powerful explosions radiated outward, sending the absorbed attacks hurtling back in all directions. The resultant blast was immense-an earth-shaking BADABOOM!!!
The walls of the cavern trembled, and debris began to rain down from above. Even Broken was caught in the tumultuous aftermath, tossed about like a leaf in a storm.
When the dust finally began to settle, Broken staggered, trying to regain his footing amidst the chaos. He could barely see through the haze of smoke and rubble, but he knew one thing: the tide of the battle had drastically changed!