MM - Chapter 100 - THE SECOND SERVING

Mel’s complete lack of reaction to his taunting had Hammer analyzing her stance more seriously. It was a mixture of styles that he didn’t recognize which was impressive considering his extensive training. Seeing it made the massive man want to hesitate. But the little girl still had an aura of calm condescension about her, and Hammer was no coward. Muscles honed through a lifetime of training bulged, pulling him toward her one steady step at a time.

Hammer wasn’t in a hurry. This wasn’t his first best of five competition. He knew exactly how debilitating it was when an obvious execution was drawn out. Instilling both fear and rage in the upcoming opponents was a classic strategy, entirely because it worked so well.

Rolling his head, Hammer cracked his neck several times while the butt of his weapon dragged through the sand, “You sure are a pretty little thing. Hey, care to guess why they call me Hammer? I’ll give you a hint, it's not because of this.” He laughed raucously, smacking the butt of his weapon into the ground, “Maybe I’ll come meet you at the graveyard after we’re done and give you a taste of the real thing!”

Mel didn’t rise to the provocation in any noticeable way. Her eyes danced left and right, searching for the slightest hints of movement in her peripherals. Between Raine’s relentless training, and the constant monster ambushes, she had developed a deep seated need to pay close attention to her surroundings. If not for Raine’s confidence in her, she wouldn’t have been able to face her hulking opponent without breaking down.

Additionally, she refused to underestimate the man. Not only was he three levels higher than her, stronger, and better trained, she also had no idea what tricks his class might employ. Gaining access to the cleric skill shop made her realize just how many nasty abilities classes could receive. The only measurement she had to judge her opponent’s capabilities was Raine. He was also a melee fighter with a class, and she had seen what he could do.

Hammer’s steps brought him to within fifteen meters of Mel. In the stands, FierceFire was biting her nails, “Why isn’t she doing anything?! I know clerics have ranged abilities. If he gets into melee and she hasn’t dropped his health at all, it’ll be over in seconds! Not to mention the knife. Hammer’s right, shouldn’t a cleric use a wand or staff?”

Talerra and DoberMan couldn’t agree more. They both shot scathing glances at Raine but he wasn’t paying any attention to the blossoming fight at all. Instead, Raine happily tapped away at his virtual keyboard, adding another message to the raid chat, “Sure you don’t want to increase the wager?”

Damian responded right away, “You’re an idiot and a fool. I’ll be sure to take more from you in the next match.”

Hammer inhaled, his chest swelling before his deep voice carried, easily picked up by everyone present, “Hey, little girl. You’re only level fifteen, so you probably don’t know about the attribute thresholds. Let me tell you this before our fun begins. Each attribute above fifty is a doubling in effectiveness for that stat.” He paused dramatically. Taking another step, Hammer held out his arm and flexed his huge bicep, “Thanks to ZionLine appreciating these muscles of mine, I gained enough nascent attributes to clear a second threshold! You don’t stand a chance against me!”

Talerra’s allies gasped, while Damian’s side of the stands produced only cocky grins. DoberMan swallowed hard, no longer looking disappointed he hadn’t been chosen, “After breaking the threshold with Potency, I can crush boulders without trying. I can’t believe he has two already. Which attribute is it?”

Still, Mel didn’t react to his words. Hammer passed the ten meter mark and his smile widened further, “Oh, c’mon. Don’t be like that. It’s more fun if we spar verbally before… Ha!” With a powerful shout, he activated the Berserker Warrior's variation of the bread-and-butter skill: Furious Charge. Sand blasted backward as the skill dragged him bodily toward the girl who everyone knew must be paralyzed with terror.

The differences between the general skill Charge, and the many warrior variants were multifaceted. The original ignored terrain penalties and brought the caster to their target, delivering a force-boosted impact but no damage. The standard warrior version added that missing damage along with the force multiplier. Meanwhile, the more specialized berserker version had reduced force and no damage, but allowed the fighter to fully utilize their weapon during the activation of the skill.

Mid-flight, his polehammer smoothly changed to a two-handed grip. Thick arms raised high above his head to bring the weapon down in a crushing Slam. As Hammer’s weapon crashed into the ground, it released a very small AOE explosion of dirt and unaspected physical energy.

Sharp gasps sounded from the audience. Only Raine wasn’t surprised when Mel moved at the last second before impact. She Lunged straight up, clearing Hammer and tucking into a tight ball. Had she been hit, more than half of her health would have vanished on the spot. The emotional trauma of taking that kind of blow would certainly have shocked her stiff, and then FierceFire’s fears would have become a reality.

Mel rotated until she was upside down, then Lunged off thin air as Raine had taught her. She tore through the distance between her and the still-recovering Hammer. Landing behind him, a long gash appeared down his back, releasing a trickle of crimson. [-23]

“Fast!” One of the girls near Raine exclaimed. To him, it all looked like slow motion but that wasn’t a fair comparison and he knew it.

Mel wasn’t done, she rose halfway to a crouch, her blade snaking across Hammer’s side as the man turned. Proving his training wasn’t for show, he only half-turned and brought the spiked butt of his weapon behind him to spear her. Simultaneously, he leaned the other direction, bounding away from her to create space.

Once more, Mel’s actions caused a stir of excitement. She followed Hammer, leaning to the side to dodge his thrust. Her dirk flashed forward again. Unfortunately for her, she wasn’t facing some beast with no experience in the ring. Hammer’s limbs and abs contorted and her swing missed the mark by mere millimeters. With both hands spread wide on the shaft of his weapon, he extended his arms in an attempt to smash the center of the pole into her face.

Still in the low stance, Mel easily dropped below the attack and managed to knick his calf. [-17] Roaring with annoyance more than anger, Hammer switched to a one handed grip. His freed hand snaked out to grab her hair which had trailed behind her when she ducked. A victorious grin split his face as he jerked Mel off her feet and his hand still holding his long weapon smashed into her face. [-59]

Mel’s head whipped back but was jerked short by his unyielding grip. A trickle of blood leaked from her nose. When Hammer’s extended fist drew back, his brows furrowed seeing the pure enjoyment spread across her face. Expecting her to be reeling from the blow, he was instead greeted to her dirk flaying the skin of his extended arm. [-19] [-21]

“Argh!” Honed instincts brought his boot up in a kick that crashed into her abdomen, throwing her away. [-37] The blow was positioned at the lower end of her stomach and its force sent her legs whipping behind and then up, causing her to flip upside down. Now facing away from him, she dug her fingers and dirk into the sand, sliding several meters before recovering. She dropped to the ground on all fours, head jerking up to pin Hammer with an exhilarated glare.

Facing an opponent who for all the world looked like a feral animal, Hammer shook his head and pointed, “Crazy bitch! What the hell is wrong with you? What kind of dumbass fighting style is that, huh?” Hammer changed to a shorthand grip that would give his swings more speed, then his feet pounded the sand as he raced toward her.

“She’s actually keeping up with him…” Talerra’s eyes were wide. It was clear from her tone that she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Raine snorted, drawing everyone’s attention, “Of course she is. Idiot went over the Physique and Potency thresholds without Finesse or Acuity. He’s lucky he can even move. His balance and muscle coordination are all over the place. I bet he’s dizzy as hell already. He’s so busy trying to control himself that he’s forgotten to use the rest of his skills. Worse, he isn’t utilizing Connection or Discipline to enhance his movements. The only reason he’s able to touch her is the huge difference in martial training.”

That wasn’t all. Hammer's movements were sluggish from more than having an awkward disparity with his breakthroughs. The real issue was a lack of proficiency with so much raw strength. There was no such thing as a person who could instantly adapt to rapidly rising attributes. Even Raine had to take a few moments each level, and that was with his muscle memory guiding him. For anyone else, they would need days to adjust. With how fast Hammer leveled, there was no way he had that. Mel wasn’t exempt, but Raine’s training methods were developed over tens of years to help the brain adjust to rapidly rising attributes.

Hammer slammed to a stop at the optimal distance from Mel. He swung with all his might, massive muscles swelling impressively. Like a phantom, she slid forward with a Discipline-empowered kick off the ground. In the time it took the head of his polehammer to move twenty degrees, she closed the distance and buried her knife in his guts. [Critical hit! -47]

She spun, ducking under his arm and using his own momentum to turn her stab into a deep gash across his stomach and side. [-25] Blood leaked down his hips as his knee shot to the side, crashing into her hip and sending her spinning. [-36]

FierceFire shook her head sadly, “It doesn’t matter. He’s keeping up with her in damage and he has more than double her health.”

Raine laughed out loud, “Are you really that dumb or are you pretending?” Sitting next to him, Celeste smirked, happy the other girl had beaten her similar question to the punch.

“You watch your mouth, peasant!” FierceFire snarled.

Talerra smacked her friend’s arm admonishingly. She wasn’t able to tear her eyes away from the unfolding match, but managed to ask the question on all their minds, “Care to explain?”

“Just watch. Your peanut gallery is exhausting.”

Like magic, their various expressions were replaced by tight-lipped scowls. Celeste snickered, though never took her attention from Mel. Celeste keenly recalled the few pointed pieces of advice Raine dolled out before sending them to acquire their classes. Watching those warnings unfold before her eyes was more than a little sobering.

Hammer and Mel traded blows like maniacs. Any semblance of coordination or artistic movement gone as their blood stained the sands. Kicking her away again, Hammer threw his head back and roared, this time with true rage consuming him. A telltale shimmer of ruby energy swept across his skin as he activated Berserker Fury—the only skill unique to his class. Furious Charge sent him hurtling forward again. With his attributes empowered by the berserk state, he raced toward her at nearly double his previous speed.

The onlookers leaned forward in their seats, sweaty palms gripping armrests as the butt of his hammer lashed out too quickly for her to dodge. She took the blow in the shoulder and flew away from him like a bullet. [-207] Her limp body flipped and rolled when she landed, sending a spray of sand into the air.

“What was that?!” DoberMan cried, arms trembling with excitement.

This time, nobody verbalized an answer, though Celeste heard Raine’s thoughts loud and clear.

He actually used Berserker Fury. Well, this match is over.

Through her peripherals, Celeste watched him lean back in his seat and idly pick at his ugly nose. [What does that mean? Why are even your thoughts cryptic?! Wait… Why do I care so much?] Celeste’s heart raced as Mel pulled herself to her feet, arm coated in blood. Upon seeing the suffering of the pink-haired girl below her, heat rose to the surface of Celeste’s skin and her vision swam.

Down to a fifth of her health, Mel swayed on her feet. She lost her dirk mid-flight and its hilt stuck out of the sand directly between them. Hammer wasn’t about to give her the chance to retrieve it. 

“What are you doing way over there?! That's not the way to the kitchen either!” He launched himself after her, moving much quicker under the attribute-enhancing effects of Berserk.

Everyone knew she had given up when she didn’t try to go after the lost weapon. Mel simply stood there, cradling her injured arm and waiting for his arrival. Five meters away, she Lunged again. 

The move was unexpected but Hammer was a bonafide class four martial. He couldn’t bring his weapon around in time, but his boot intercepted her easily enough. She folded over the limb, releasing a guttural grunt as a spray of blood was blasted from her mouth. His arms were already raised above his head, the spiked butt of his polehammer poised for the finishing blow. Then, he paused as a green flash of light crept up from his extended leg to cover the rest of his body.

The largest damage number seen since the fight began flashed above his head. [-218] He released an ear-shattering, shrill scream that Raine felt in his gut. He nodded, knowing well the pain of Life Drain; as though a thousand fishhooks had burrowed into the flesh and were ripped out at once. Before the fight, he’d made sure she upgraded the skill; its effectiveness couldn’t be denied.

[Life Drain: (Beginner) Lay arms or hands upon a target to absorb health equal to 250% CP (Cost: 15 Celestial Power) (Cooldown: 6 seconds)]

After the green sheen swept across his body, it coalesced, returning to the delicate fingers grasping his meaty thigh. [+218] Mel’s open wounds closed at a visual pace as she unwrapped herself from his boot. She spun past him while her dislocated shoulder snapped itself back into place with a sickening pop.

A dive brought her to her dagger and she came back to her feet in a roll just as Hammer turned to face her. The health bars above their heads were equal at two-thirds full. They charged, exchanging another fierce set of blows that had Mel crashing across the sands again. She stood and shook herself off, one of her legs twisted unnaturally.

Talerra's back bowed as she slumped, defeated, “It's no use. Sure, that skill she used is strong, but it must cost a ton of CP and have a long cooldown. In his berserk state, she'll be dead in a few more seconds.”

Raine rolled his eyes at her, disappointed, “You've really got to stop underestimating the basic classes. The only thing crap about them is their descriptions.”

Mel hopped toward Hammer, her useless leg dragging behind. He responded with a barreling charge. She again managed to dodge the head of his weapon as it swept toward her. His shoulder slammed into her at a high angle, knocking her to the ground but in that brief moment, another green sheen spread over his body and he screamed again. [-209]

“S-so soon?!” Talerra blurted, not understanding how she’d used the ability twice in only a handful of seconds.

Raine wore a pleased smile as Mel’s health bar maxed out and Hammer's fell to less than half. Bounding to both feet, she took full advantage of his momentary bout of pain to drive her dagger up and into his throat. [Critical hit! -43] Far worse than the meager damage, a brown sheen swept over Hammer’s skin. He stumbled to the side, only managing to stay on his feet by using his weapon as a crutch.

“No!” Damian roared from the other side of the arena, “Don’t you dare lose! I’ll have your family strung up by their guts if you even think about giving up!”

Blazing fire returned to Hammer’s eyes. For the first time, he went fully on the defensive. His polehammer blurred as it spun in a circle. He dodged and weaved, easily defending himself long enough to throw back a golden-colored potion. A shimmering radiance suffused his skin and his health rapidly began to rise. Additionally, his speed almost returned to how it was at the start of their duel.

Unfortunately, the downside of all Berserk skills was the massive attribute penalty that came after their short use window. A single life-saving potion, no matter how good, couldn't make up the deficit alone. Hammer was relegated to desperate defenses while Mel grew more confident and accurate with each attack.

In a breathtaking display, Mel proved she was no less of a combat genius than any of Damian's core disciples. She Lunged and flipped above Hammer, bounding off thin air to come at him again and again from angles he couldn’t keep up with. When she performed the maneuver six times in less than three seconds, FierceFire shook her head in disbelief, “How does a skill that broken not have a cooldown?!”

Celeste’s chest puffed out, her voice brimming with satisfaction, “Because it’s not a skill.”

Talerra’s face twisted in disbelief, “That’s not a skill?!”

Before she could gloat further, another green sheen passed over Hammer and he fell to the sands with a heavy thud. The first match came to a close as Damian’s shrill scream filled the air.

“Sucker,” Raine’s interface was already open and a giddy giggle escaped his lips when the system remorselessly transferred five thousand gold into his account.