Chapter 16 – Arrogant Before, Respectful After! (1/2)
Chapter 16 – Arrogant Before, Respectful After!
Seeing Wei Kai draw near, Nie Yan gradually made his way around his opponent. He continued to slowly move until he was behind Wei Kai, and out of his range of vision. Then he began creeping towards his unsuspecting opponent’s back, taking long and unhurried steps as he did so.
Wei Kai turned his head, surveying the area in every direction. He was unable to find anything particularly odd. All he could see were endless fields of grass rolling about gently under the influence of the wind, like waves following the ocean breeze.
Where the hell could he be?
This was the first time Wei Kai had come across a Tempest Thief who was actually able to employ Stealth to such a perfect extent. It was reasonable to say that the thick grass beneath Wei Kai’s feet was an easy place for a Thief to expose themselves. Yet, Nie Yan seemed to have no issues hiding in the field with the assistance of Stealth.
Wei Kai carefully moved forward with his greatsword held close to his chest, keeping it at the ready. He believed that Nie Yan must’ve been moving at an extremely slow pace, in order to remain unexposed while stealthed. Hence, he came to the conclusion that Nie Yan was most likely some distance ahead of him.
However, he remained unaware of the fact that Nie Yan was already behind him, having circled around a long time ago.
Approximately three meters were between Nie Yan and Wei Kai’s back. Suddenly, a large gust of wind blew forth, turning the gentle breeze into a howling gale.
Just as the wind began to howl—as if he had been waiting for that exact moment—Nie Yan abruptly sprinted forwards. The dagger in his grasp resembled lightning as it struck out, speeding towards Wei Kai’s back.
The sound of rapid footsteps and howling wind blended together, creating a mess of sounds that was hard for a person to distinguish. The gust of wind also greatly reduced Wei Kai’s awareness.
Assassinate!
Nie Yan’s dagger pierced into his target’s back, dealing thirty-five points of damage.
Wei Kai never expected his opponent to suddenly appear behind him. He held up the greatsword and swept outwards in a wide slash.
Nie Yan dodged the strike and managed to reposition himself behind Wei Kai once again. He dashed forward, dagger in hand, and stabbed Wei Kai in the back for the second time—causing him to lose twenty-three health.
Out of the hundred and sixty health he had, only a little over a hundred points remained. Since the beginning of the fight, Wei Kai had been completely incapable of keeping up with Nie Yan’s speed.
A Berserker’s speed relied on their ability to quickly charge forward. A Thief’s speed, on the other hand, relied greatly on their ability to make agile and nimble movements. The type of movements the two professions specialized in clearly differed.
Nie Yan’s movements were fast and agile, as he stuck close to Wei Kai’s back. In this short period of time, he had already managed to attack Wei Kai two times in quick succession.
This bastard is as nimble as a monkey. Wei Kai suddenly roared in anger. An aura began radiating from his greatsword as he started spinning around in circles.
“Whirlwind Slash!”
Wei Kai resembled a top as he spun around with his greatsword.
The moment Wei Kai brandished his sword, Nie Yan judged from the movements that Wei Kai was about to execute Whirlwind Slash, so he quickly retreated back about two meters.
The greatsword unleashed a strong gust of wind as it streaked through the air. The slash barely grazed past Nie Yan, almost directly hitting him. −9 A damage value floated over his head.
Despite missing, the Whirlwind Slash still managed to cause some damage to Nie Yan.
Wei Kai’s attack finally ended after he had rotated three times. He gasped for breath as he thought, This bastard is so quick at dodging!
In the split second Wei Kai stopped spinning with his sword, Nie Yan dashed forward; the dagger in his hand aiming straight for Wei Kai’s throat—Vital Strike!
Tang Yao, Li Yang, and the others were watching the match from outside with dumbstruck expressions. Nie Yan’s movements were simply a perfection of art. From the moment he escaped Wei Kai’s Whirlwind Slash, to when he attacked with Vital Strike as it ended, the timing of his every action was at the peak of perfection.
After watching Nie Yan, they now understood what PvPing truly meant. It wasn’t two opposing sides simply slashing their swords at each other, but rather a battle of awareness and skill.
Within his mind, Tang Yao had a sudden flash of insight. He finally understood why Nie Yan said that his timing when casting spells was incorrect. Depending on whether or not a player took action at the right time, two entirely different outcomes could arise.
He never expected that Nie Yan, whom he had known and grown up with since they were in diapers, would possess this kind of skill. The amount of skill Nie Yan displayed really expanded Tang Yao’s horizons. There was a saying: “When a scholar disappears for three days, view them in a greater light.” These words were the most appropriate to describe what Tang Yao was feeling at the moment.
Nie Yan’s dagger slashed across Wei Kai’s throat!
−95
Vital Strike was still as powerful as ever. In just a few attacks, Wei Kai had already been reduced to a mere seven health. Meanwhile, Nie Yan’s health was still close to full. It was clear which side had established their superiority.
It was only then that Wei Kai realized the immense gap between the two of them.
“Flame Slash!”
Wei Kai was unwilling to be defeated in such a manner. Just as Nie Yan’s Vital Strike ended, he took advantage of the opening that was revealed and brandished his sword towards Nie Yan. The greatsword in his grasp was enveloped by a raging flame as it cleaved downwards in a blazing radiance
The raging heat assaulted his face as it drew closer.
The might of a Berserker’s Flame Slash was immense. Nie Yan deeply understood this as a result of firsthand experience. He decisively pulled back, in an attempt to avoid the sharp blade.
Despite this, Wei Kai still managed to catch up to Nie Yan after suddenly accelerating his pace, and the Flame Slash struck him right in the middle of his chest.
−56
A single damage value emerged, floating atop Nie Yan’s head.
Nie Yan took the brunt of Flame Slash. Just when he finally managed to regain his footing, Wei Kai activated his Charge skill. He approached with his sword raised, resembling a tank as he came crashing forward.
“Linear Slash!”
The sword aura formed a straight line as it came slashing down.
Nie Yan had only half of his health remaining, and the Charge skill had a brief stun duration. If he collided into Wei Kai, the Berserker’s explosive power would be more than enough to kill Nie Yan in a matter of seconds.
So, Nie Yan quickly decided to pull back and retreat again. At that moment, Wei Kai’s sword brushed past Nie Yan’s face barely by just a few inches. Nie Yan’s pupils violently contracted as he sidestepped in an attempt the avoid the attack. He then switched the dagger in his hand to a reverse grip and slashed at Wei Kai’s throat.
In the end, he was still sent flying back after being struck by Wei Kai’s charge.
As Nie Yan fell to the ground, his opponent’s health bar finally depleted. He staggered back up and stood firmly on both feet, then he gazed at his own health; only twenty-five points remained.