Chapter 23: Do I Have To Carry These Noobs?
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[Name: Kawaii Valkjure]
[Level: 15/99]
{Status Effects: None]
[HP: 160/160]
[MP: 120/120]
[Strength: 50}
[Magic: 5]
[Defense: 20]
[Resilience: 20]
[Speed: 28]
[Stat Points: 20]
{Skills:]
[...]
[Unique Skill:]
[Streamer]
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[Unique Skill: Streamer]
[A unique skill bestowed upon the one who has dedicated herself to her dream of becoming a streamer to the highest degree. She pushed herself into as many corners as she could, with the success of her dreams as a streamer being the only way out. Her dedication is strong enough to not miss a single day of streaming for an entire century.]
[Effects:]
[Donation: Allows the user to receive donations of gold, the currency of Souls Unlimited Online]
[Ad-break: For one minute every hour, you recite an ad that you have prepared beforehand. It could be about anything, but it can not be incoherent. During this time, the user is completely invulnerable, all buffs and debuffs are cleared coupled with complete immunity to them, and the user cannot use any skills.]
[Stream Clips: Allows the user to record certain actions that they've taken while streaming in the game. The recorded 'clip' can be replayed, creating an indestructible clone of the user for 5 seconds that will do the exact same actions done by the user during the recording if able. Cooldown: 1 minute.]
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[Go!]
[The Gun Empress Descends!]
[Can't wait to see her fight!]
[Slaughter them all!]
[Step on their remains!]
[Step on me!]
[Kyyyaaaaaaaa!!]
[Kidding. Please don't ban. Step on me wholesomely?]
[Own it! I want all their feet! That Fira especially!]
I chuckled seeing everyone's reactions, expressing their enthusiasm for the fight to come. I also signaled to my mods to give a time-out to those who were getting a bit too excited.
But still, I can't blame them. I too am excited. To see Gothra fight of course! Not that weird shit.
The clip she'd gotten attention for was certainly wild and unruly, just a stupid clip of someone having fun with her friends perhaps. And she certainly was having fun with Fira, most definitely. But I've come to see that she actually just has that much energy on the regular, but she's not dumb and can be very insightful and bold at times.
Honestly, she'd make for a great streamer. I would love it if she did! She'd be a hit I'm sure, and I'll be there to support her all the way. Ah, it would be so fun to stream together... maybe we could do that on the regular.
I mean, it probably won't happen? But I would really really be happy if she does and we become streamer friends!
But. amidst these wonderful new dreams that sprouted up in my mind, there was this warrior spouting up a whole storm of nonsense. He definitely looked like a third-rate villain, although maybe you could say the same thing about Fira? He's still wearing villager clothing. I offered to buy him a better set, but he politely declined.
Well, his loss I guess. I was just trying to be nice. But it can be hard to accept such generous gifts, I understand. He could stand to be more flexible like Gothra over here though.
The situation was rapidly devolving into a battle. For appearance's sake, I briefly mentioned a peaceful option... and then promptly stated my disinterest in such an option. The chat wasn't for it either, boos and angry reactions all around. Which is fine, this is a game. Killing each other is just part of the fun.
That's why I play, for the combat, for the strategy. Not to do some boring negotiations. Though there are games like that, and they're not bad, but that's beside the point.
The enemy warrior suddenly broke out into a run, then out of reflex I followed. I was perhaps a little bit faster than him, mainly thanks to my way fancier garb.
The scenery blurs in my travel, and I take a moment to take stock of the overall picture. Gothra and Fira were still hanging back, meanwhile the dark shadow was trailing behind the warrior, likely looking for a good opportunity to strike me down. The mage was not wasting his time either, already forming a strange looking spell.
Uh-oh. Do they actually suck? Come on, it's just the second day of the game. I don't wanna be logged out for an entire day!
I looked over at Gothra, about to ask her to fight, when I saw the confident expression on her face, ready to face this wave of enemies.
She hasn't even done anything yet, but I already felt immensely reassured.
Heh, I shouldn't even have worried.
As if to answer my faith in her, Gothra summoned Bereo, her System avatar with a big rifle, among other things.
He pointed his weapons right at the coming skirmish, just before unleashing an unending volley of bullets!
Trtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrt!
Bereo shot at our enemies, spreading the range of his fire, spraying the bullets all over!
The damage honestly is barely noticeable, but our foes were clearly growing sluggish, and their mage is even getting delayed in the casting of his spell!
I smiled, pushing aside other thoughts and focusing on the great battle to come.
Now I can dive in without worries! Just one move from Gothra flips the tables!
Clash!
My charge finally came to a halt as my sword met with another, metal against metal!
I didn't wait for a second more and pulled back my sword for an immediate follow up!
Slash! Slash!
We struck at each other again, but our swords collided once more, intersecting, unable to get a hit into our flesh!
However, I was clearly winning out in strength and pushing back my opponent. I'll win a battle of attrition!
Clash! Slash! Clash! Slash!
A few more blows exchanged, some managing to connect on both sides.
Each of our attacks took out around 10% HP from each other, with me having the advantage.
I shifted my attention a little towards how the others were doing.
"Over here you limp dick mage!"
Fira suddenly shouted such a ridiculous thing, not failing to distract everyone just long enough!
How vulgar! I'm literally streaming right now!
But well, it got the mage's attention on him, and the mage actually ended up wasting his spell on Fira, which he dodged with ease.
Is it actually a genius move!?
"Gahahahahaha!"
Gothra, at Fira's vulgar outburst, devolved into laughter. She had made a mad dash towards the shadow person before they could intrude on my honorable duel!
But then the shadow person created more shadow people. A few of their summons were as tall as people, but most were smaller than goblins. The tall ones were being used as shields against the rain of bullets and their slight knockback effect!
Gothra had already made it deep into enemy territory, and now this shadow army had gone to meet her. But then, contrary to their expectations and mine, she suddenly summoned a severed goblin head and hit it like a baseball towards the shadow person with her mace!
Her mace drew a wide arc, and she rode that momentum, turning on her heel, before charging in a completely different direction! The shadow people weren't chasing her as if they were afraid. It's fear!
Reading her intentions correctly this time, I upped the pressure against my opponent and gave him a particularly strong blow, forcing him to step back!
[Sword: Heavy Slash!]
This was immediately followed by Gothra jumping in from the side, raising her hammer high, and smashing it into the warrior's unsuspecting face!
BANG!
She was going so fast, that looked like it hurt, but he only lost a little over 10% of his health!
Eh? That can't be right-- doesn't she have a mace? Actually, why is she so fast!? Aren't maces supposed to be strength builds? Why is she using a mace in a speed build!?
Man, she's really insane!
But, regardless of the actual damage, the warrior ended up frazzled for a bit, and I took this opportunity to get a clean hit in!
[Sword: Destructive Slash!]
My super-enhanced attack that cost over a third of my MP caught the enemy straight on his neck, taking out a huge chunk of his HP!
He wasn't actually beheaded as living targets in this game cannot have entire limbs or heads sliced off unless they were dead. But attacks that would normally have ended up doing such severe or even lethal damage gets counted as critical strikes, increasing their overall damage by a great amount!
He was down to 20% HP, just about at death's door and I'm so ready to just push him over that edge, but then I noticed that his HP was healing noticeably fast!
A buff? A skill? But his MP is still full! What kind of OP skill would give that!?
Unless... Of course, a Unique Skill! He, like everyone else, has one! He's not just some mob character!
Without regard for his still critical state, the warrior once again slashed at me. I of course met it with an attack of my own!
Clash!
I ended up being blown back!
Actually, now that I think about it, in our initial skirmish, he ended up doing more and more damage to me as time went on-- as our HP bars depleted!
I see! So that's it! His Unique Skill is predicated on him losing HP, that's why he had shown nothing special at the beginning of the fight, but is now striking such an imposing presence!
However, I got my own bag of tricks too!
Seeing another slash coming at me, a wonderful straught slash from the heavens, I barrelled to the side and dodged it, circling around the warrior!
Seeing this, he immediately realized what I was up to and tried to block my path, but I merely pushed through, minimizing the damage by making sure his attacks were shallow, instead of foolishly trying to dodge them all completely.
"Gothra!" I called out to her in telepathy, and she immediately understood my intention, taking action!
At this point in time, the shadow summoner had already caught up to Gothra, forcing her to shift her attention away from the warrior, but Bereo was still going strong, spraying bullets everywhere!
Trtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrt!!
And now at my command, Gothra had Bereo turn all of that firepower on a single point, focusing on the enemy warrior!
This entire time, I've been fighting with my back to Bereo, and the warrior at my front. This meant that I was the one taking on Bereo's bullets!
Of course, I didn't take any damage, nor suffered from any sort of knockback, being that we were allies of the same party. But the bullets that did hit me still stopped in their tracks! I was effectively acting as a shield for him, and even when I noticed, our swordfight was at an already too intense high!
I needed to properly break the flow of battle, and I did just that! Now, with all the bullets being piled onto the warrior, his enhanced movements have gotten more sluggish!
His HP was back up to 35% already, but the speed of his regeneration had already started to dwindle! It's that type of skill, the one that's most useful when you're closest to death. But being close to death also means that you're about to die!
I grinned, taking up a stance once more against my quarry, as his back was now against Bereo, being weighed down and disrupted by the constant shower of lead.
We were just about to resumer our glorious battle, a victory ripe for my taking, when suddenly I heard my name shouted into the stars above.
"VALKJURE!"
Fira shouted a warning, forgetting that we had telepathy, but I understood what he meant!
"Got it," I answered briefly, realizing that an attack was coming from behind. I turned my attention to it just a little, feeling the spell being shot out.
[Stream Clip.]
An indestructible projection of myself appeared behind me and shielded me from the mage's grand spell, soaking it all up like it was nothing.
At the same time, I charged towards the warrior, swinging my sword at him.
Clash! Clash! Clash!
Our exchanged blows ended in my major disadvantage, my HP dropping below 30%.
He sent another overhead slash my way which I parried to the ground just as I jumped towards the side.
[Sword: Destructive Shockwave!]
It was not me who cast that skill. At least, not exactly.
It was my clone, my strem clip, my recording! She took a wide stance and slashed at whatever was in front of her, sending an ominous wave of red energy right on its way!
This was an attack that would have cost me all my mana, and it shows.
The warrior staggers, overwhelmed, but he isn't quite dead yet.
It was a good match, I'll admit. However, this is checkmate, Warrior. No, Fugitive BDSM 7000... Nevermind, let's stick to Warrior.
[Destructive Slash]
I appeared right beside him and went for his head once more, finally dropping his tenacious HP to zero. His head came off, no longer protected by the mysterious force of critical hits.
Game, set, match.
And the stream chat cheered.