Chapter 626: Deep Winter: Matched Pair (1/2)

Nix and Pon circled Crater, going in opposite directions before meeting behind their target a few moments after the first contact.

”A bit slow, old man.” Nix pushed flames into his bone hilts and flashed toward his target. The temperature around Crater dropped steadily as Nix approached; just before his blade strike, the air itself seemed to condense with tiny ice crystals that stung like tiny bees.

[Sword Dance][Flash Blade][Parry][Hamstring]

Quadruple Combination Successful!

[Crippling Strike]

Nix's footwork has enabled him to strike a vital area.

Nix has landed a Significant Strike.

Crater has been stunned.

Nix has turned his opponent's movement against him [Bleeding Applied].

Nix has slowed Crater's movements by forty percent.

[Dual Chain][Balefire: Hex][Sudden Strike: Dread Flame]

Combination Successful!

Pon has followed up Nix's attack with a Significant Strike.

Crater has been stunned.

Pon has landed a Critical hit.

[Dual Chain][Void Strike][Backstab]

Combination Successful!

Semmi has followed up Pon's attack with a Significant strike.

Crater has been stunned.

Semmi has landed a Critical hit.

[Dual Chain][Void Strike][Demon Blade]

Wind has followed up Semmi's attack with a Significant strike.

Crater has been stunned.

Wind has landed a Critical strike.

Crater has been infected with Demon blood, causing his defensive abilities to decrease by ten percent.

[Dual Chain][Trueshot: Air Burst]

Ronnie has followed up Wind's attack with a Significant strike.

Crater has been stunned.

Ronnie has landed a Mortal strike.

[Dual Chain][Simultaneous Shot: Sniper's Strike]

Darsi, Moki, and Dalton have coordinated a Multi-Burst attack!

Crater has been grievously wounded.

A blast of frigid air escaped from the staggering creature. Inferno's chain attacks quickly overwhelmed its abilities to defend itself.

[Life Sacrifice][Sudden Egress]

Crater sacrificed all by one of his health points to use a skill.

Crater has entered a state of invulnerability and is attempting to escape.

”Running?” Nix jumped to one side when Crater reversed direction and charged toward him and Pon. He slashed at the creature as it ran by, but his blades passed harmlessly through the enormous body.

/Inferno: Nix: Shit... He's invulnerable?

/Inferno: Jun Li: Chase him; it can't last for more than a few seconds.

Crater took a dozen strides, his long legs crunching loudly on the ice as Inferno pursued him. Then, after only a few seconds, he stopped suddenly.

[Quest Updated]

Deep Winter War: Matched Pair

Description: After chasing Crater, it seems like your prey has evaded you.

Objective: Random pairs from your raid will team up in short instances. Survive at all costs! If either member of the paired group dies or is knocked off the platform, both of those players are eliminated. The last pair to survive this contest will battle the Goddess of Winter.

/Inferno: Nix: Shit... Bastard disappeared.

Crater's enormous form vanished, leaving Inferno alone on the icy battlefield. Then suddenly, Semmi and Pon disappeared, followed immediately by Nix and Darsi. Over the next few seconds, pairs of Inferno members blinked away.

The duo appeared on a large wooden platform. The room that contained them was octagonal in shape and formed from solid ice.

”So... Kill shit and don't fall off?” Nix snuck a peek at his partner, his face creasing in a large smile. ”Hey, Darsi!”

The pony-tailed blonde returned his smile while she quickly broke down her long-barreled sniper rifle into a shorter assault weapon. In a few seconds, she switched out the barrel, stock, and scope, clicking them in place like someone who had done it thousands of times. ”Trip-7... You'll have to front while I'll play backup.” Darsi clicked a vicious-looking bayonet onto the end of her adjusted weapon.

Nix nodded in reply and pushed emerald dread flames into his bone hilts. ”No worries.”

/Inferno: Pon: I'm with Sem!

/Inferno: Darsi: I got Trip-7.

/Inferno: Ronnie: My big Sis!

/Inferno: Jun Li: Sila.

/Inferno: Banz: Gid!

/Inferno: Pinky: Chael!

/Inferno: Tess: Gypsy! Shit... We're both healers.

/inferno: Donri: Nebs.