In the Buried City, upon the slopes of Eternity Peak…

Two men faced each other apprehensively. One brought up his dual defenses, bracing himself against the howling mountain winds, and steadying his footing upon the cramped perch.

He otherwise showed no concern for the dizzying drop of hundreds of meters that awaited him below, and serenely regarded the Berserker with the Angelic Wings, and the blood-red aura which lent him superhuman strength.

Neither man took a step forward.

At last, Qin Ruo couldn’t stand it any longer and broke the silence.

“Surely you’re not planning to let me have the first move?” Qin Ruo shouted across the distance to Dark Annihilator. Looking around, he couldn’t spot any other perches nearby that he could use.

Dark Annihilator frowned. A Tier 4 player choosing to make a stand in a place like this, where he had have no way to avoid an attack from a Tier 5 opponent… and he was still mouthing off so cheekily.

Either he had absolute confidence in himself, or he was a complete fool. Whichever one was the case here, there was no holding back!

“As you wish!” Dark Annihilator swept his Angelic Wings mightily, soaring high into the air! As Qin Ruo lifted his gaze to follow him, he dove at maximum speed, becoming a crimson streak through the air.

In the instant before he came within thirty meters of his opponent, Dark Annihilator was enveloped by a suit of translucent crimson armor, resembling an Elementalist’s Barrier, which protected him as he dove into Qin Ruo’s reach. Like a bolt of lightning, he shot toward where Qin Ruo was perched upon the mountainside.

***

Normally, the speed of a Berserker’s Charge was already terrifying enough: from thirty meters away, a top-tier Berserker only needed a couple of seconds to close the distance. With the Angelic Wings propelling him, Dark Annihilator was moving even faster than that.

This was the moment when a close-combat warrior was most vulnerable when faced with an Elementalist. The faster he could close the distance, the better his odds!

The way he was pushing his speed to the limit, it was clear that Dark Annihilator was well aware of how crucial it was for him to get within reach of an Elementalist as quickly as possible.

He had decided that right from the start, he would unleash the full brunt of his abilities as a top-tier Field Commander, seize victory swiftly, and make Qin Ruo eat his words.

Dark Annihilator was a red streak across the sky, shooting like an arrow, a comet, through Qin Ruo’s reach. Now he was less than twenty meters away.

***

The instant Dark Annihilator came within range, Qin Ruo finally made his move. Raising the Water Dragon’s Staff, he whispered the final words of an incantation.

“Lycan Barrage!” Rather than the Compressed Frost Bullet, which was the most effective against warriors, Qin Ruo instead threw out a high-damage spell which applied no negative conditions whatsoever.

The reason was simple: in solo combat against Elementalists, a warrior normally placed priority on their Magical Resistance, trying to optimize it as much as possible so that the Elementalist could not place any negative conditions upon them.

They called him the ‘Winter Demon,’ and he was most notorious for Chilling effects. How could Dark Annihilator not have taken some precautions? If Qin Ruo had guessed right, that crimson armor around him was some kind of skill which raised Magical Resistance, making him virtually untouchable by negative conditions.

Therefore, spells which applied negative conditions would be all but useless!

However, Qin Ruo was not worried that the crimson armor’s protection would allow Dark Annihilator to get close. Finishing his spell, he flung out one hand, and sent a triple Lycan Barrage spiraling through the air.

Qin Ruo had a reason for such confidence. He was not just all talk!

His Lycan Barrage had already been trained up to Maximum Mastery Level, giving it a Magical Attack of 60, and the ability to strike thrice—producing three wolf heads with each casting.

Under Qin Ruo’s direction, the triple Lycan Barrage cascaded forth, vicious and fearsome. Their jaws drew open, revealing razor-sharp fangs, and they slammed into Dark Annihilator as he came hurtling in!

***

Although one was Tier 4, and the other Tier 5, the difference between them was only a single level. For a while yet, Tier-5 attack skills wouldn’t be equal in power to Tier 3 or Tier 4 skills. Until then, there was little real difference between them.

Furthermore, Qin Ruo was currently enjoying all the benefits of a high level!

Being at one of the ninth levels had given him a dramatic increase of 23 to his Intelligence, and the two Legendary items further raised his Magical Attack to truly terrifying heights!

Without the benefit of any potions or equipment to enhance magical power, a single hit from the Lycan Barrage could already deal up to 350 damage.

This fact was what allowed Qin Ruo to dare to challenge a newly promoted Tier 5 champion!

With a Magical Attack power of 350, not even Dark Dragon could ignore that much damage, what more a recently ascended Berserker relying entirely upon his equipment and Berserk Fury to raise his Magical Resistance?

Dark Annihilator was foolishly relying on a strategy of swift assault—something Qin Ruo could take advantage of, and counter with direct force. As long as all three strikes of the Lycan Barrage connected, even if Dark Annihilator had 1,500 HP, he would be the one to fall.

And yet, it was not for nothing that he was called a Field Commander!

Dark Annihilator’s speed and reflexes exceeded Qin Ruo’s expectations—he was lightning-fast, and he responded well. Even while moving at such a velocity, he was able to make the right moves.

As though realizing the danger of the incoming Lycan Barrage, there was the flash of a blade, and two of the wolf heads were instantly shattered by a tendril of scarlet energy that lashed forth from his weapon.

Crack!

The last strike of the Lycan Barrage slammed into Dark Annihilator’s magical crimson armor, which burst apart like a shower of leaves.

Target hit: Hostile attack against Dark Annihilator dealt 762 damage!

Although the armor hadn’t served much purpose, Dark Annihilator was now within reach of his target.

Even as his magical crimson armor fell apart, Dark Annihilator’s smug expression loomed before Qin Ruo.

And yet, Dark Annihilator couldn’t find any trace of the shock that ought to be in Qin Ruo’s own eyes. If anything, there was a hint of a smile there.

“Burst!” The sound was just on the edge of hearing.

And then, even as the Dark Golden broadsword descended toward his Frostbarrier, the staircase of ice beneath Qin Ruo’s feet exploded into a flurry of splinters that engulfed them both.

Without the protection of his magical armor, Dark Annihilator had only his Berserk Fury to bolster him against the biting chill. However, a Frostburst of this sort didn’t impose much chance of Chilling a target, so it had no effect on a champion of his caliber.

But the Frostburst had only been a distraction!

As the snow filled their vision, a golden shadow shot forth.

There was the satisfying sound of a collision within the sudden snowstorm, and the winged form of Dark Annihilator was sent flying away like a runaway kite.

Target hit: Dark Annihilator dealt 219 damage!

Poochie hit target, dealing 36 damage to Dark Annihilator!

Stun failed.

***

Dark Annihilator tumbled through the air, dropping nearly a hundred meters before he managed to arrest his fall with a furious effort of his Angelic Wings, catching himself before he hit the ground. Twisting around and thrashing with his wings to regain his balance, he eventually managed to stabilize himself.

As he rose back up, Dark Annihilator went over what had just happened, and he broke into a cold sweat.

The horror! With a flick of his hand, he’d thrown a spell that had nearly finished him straight off the bat. A single strike had dealt over seven hundred damage to him—if not for his instincts warning him to cut down that attack, all three strikes would have landed, and it would have been game over for him!

Such powerful magic!

Worse, even as he was frantically breaking those wolf heads, Qin Ruo had already completed a second spell. He’d unleashed it with perfect timing—just as Dark Annihilator had been stripped of his magical protection—so that he suffered its full effect! Just as he had gotten close enough to perform a fatal combo, he had been interrupted by that.

It was unbelievable, how Qin Ruo had been capable of split-second elemental control with such precision.

“This guy…”

Either he had improved greatly in the past few days, or he had never really shown the full extent of his abilities up until now. Whichever the case, he proved that he was entitled to some conceit!

Dark Annihilator took a deep breath, but he was unable to calm himself fully as he returned to within thirty meters of Qin Ruo. Pausing, he regarded Qin Ruo severely, and asked, “Why did you spare me?”

Having fought through countless battles, Dark Annihilator was no stranger to combat, and could easily tell that after their first exchange, Qin Ruo could very well have given chase, pressed his advantage, and even finished him off. Yet strangely, he had not, and that put Dark Annihilator ill at ease.

Qin Ruo held out his hand to receive Poochie as it returned to him. Turning to regard Dark Annihilator, he explained the truth of the matter: he hesitated to strike down the man from the Devil’s Swamp, the Field Commander whose might and vigor had been such an inspiration to him.

(Translator’s Note: In the original, the following declaration was indicated to be a ‘reply’, supposedly by Dark Annihilator. Probably a mistake, because right afterward it explains Qin Ruo’s reasoning, as though he was the one who’d spoken.)

“I prove nothing by defeating a man who made the mistake of underestimating his opponent. I shall give you another chance. If you wish to continue our fight, then hold nothing back, and bring out your Pet as well—by yourself, you’re no match for me.”

Qin Ruo was curious to know the full strength of a Tier 5 Titanwraith Berserker. Besides that, what sort of Pet would someone like Dark Annihilator choose? Had it been helpful to him, during his Tier 5 Advancement Quest?

In a different situation, Dark Annihilator would have dismissed Qin Ruo’s bluster as usual.

The airborne opponent downed a HP Potion (L) to bring his health back up to full. He swung one arm about, throwing off waves of broiling energy!

A Phoenix, its flame-wreathed wingspan more than three meters across, appeared at his side.

A Flying-type Pet? Qin Ruo fought to rein in his surprise.

No longer daring to swagger, he hurriedly brought up two new Frostramparts before himself, and then began casting another Lycan Barrage.

“Watch yourself!” Dark Annihilator called out in friendly warning, once again summoning the magical crimson armor. Rising up into the air, he repeated his aerial charge from earlier, arcing through the air with breathtaking speed!

Qin Ruo had no time to admire this graceful display. His full attention was locked onto that Phoenix, still hovering in the air thirty meters away.

Sure enough, just as Dark Annihilator came within his reach, the creature emitted a cry, clear and sharp!

The temperature rose steeply! In the space of a moment, the whole area was bathed in dancing flames, a veritable sea of fire, consuming everything within sight.

And Dark Annihilator was lost from view!