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Chapter 61: This is PvP (Edited)
🕑 Added 2023-01-14 00:41:43 +0000 UTCDrake trudged forward at the temporarily stunned Stewart his Of the Apex and Aura forcing him into a momentary submission but Drake’s skills were not trained well enough yet as Stewart quickly shook off the stun and gave a sinister grin before pulling up his mask and whispering something under his breath, shimmering out of sight.
Drake stood stock still, his eyes turning to Theodore, fury welling up inside. He needed to get him away from the fight fast, or they would just keep using him as a hostage.
Drake could still track Stewart well enough with his mark placed on him, but it would only last 5 minutes.
Natto, how can I get Theodore inside the Mines?
“Now you wish to speak!? Fine. You just have to give him permission to enter, verbal or mental does not matter to the system, as long as it is voluntary and not coerced.” she replied irritated, “But you should go back to the Mines. I can not in good conscience say that you can help him in your condition! You need to stay alive to help someone and you are outnumbered! Please see reason and retreat for now!”
You really expect me to just leave him out here, after saying I would help him save those people. To just leave him to be tortured even more.. From what Stewart said, Theo never said a word about us. He’s already family. Drake thought, his emotion leaking across their mental communication.
Natto went silent.
Drake continued to keep track of Stewart as he crept up on the side of him, quickly eyeing his lingering debuff in his peripheral.
Divine Frailty [F Rank]
- Lasts 1 Minute 53 Seconds
Damn it, if I knew this was going to happen, I would have just made Bjorn sit his big ass down here till the debuff was gone! Drake cursed.
He felt Natto give a mental sigh and roll of her eyes in his head.
I don’t need a lecture about it.. I know it was my fault I’m just saying! Hindsight is 20/20..
Drake looked again at the two people holding Theodore, both suddenly shaken stiff by his gaze.
Taking his chance Drake lunged forward, but was impressively slower than before thanks to his diminished stats.
Fuck is this how it would be if I was really level 10? This is harsh! He screamed internally.
Drakes sprinted step forward was accompanied by him summoning a ball of wind like second nature now that he was focused through his anger, crushing it in his hand to shift his hair and tattoos to a light green, his speed turning more explosive halfway through the step.
The people holding Theodore were just as expectedly surprised by the sudden infusion of speed and change color Drake had, their eyes going wide as they scrambled to free themselves from the temporary.
With the help of his endowment Drake was able to reach them both before that happened though.
Drake roared as he threw a fist forward catching the person on the right with a straight to his face. The person’s mask fluttering off their face revealing a man in his 20s before they flew backwards from the force.
In the same motion Drake conjured a fireball in his hand aiming it at the person on the left, shooting it instantly when he made contact with the man on the right.
But the second person was quicker to recover than the other. They dodged down, and pulled a knife from their side, lunging forward at Drake in a counterattack.
Drake put more mana into his tattoos, aiming to deflect the blade, but it barely cut through leaving a streak of red as it passed by Drake’s face.
Shit! I put an extra 5% into that! He shouted internally, watching as the blade passed his face.
Drake grabbed the hand that passed as he conjured another fireball in his free hand, crushing it for his Fire endowment. His voice low as he whispered his skill.
“On blessed wings. Guardians Reprieve.” he recited, a glow of green shined around him.
Drake pulled the person's arm over his shoulder in the same breath, bringing them into an over shoulder throw down to the ground, his extra strength from his endowment showing its increased force as they produced a small crater with an audible crack as they were slammed to the ground.
Now I can see why Bjorn liked doing this!
Drake quickly changed to his water endowment, the last few seconds had drained his mana and he needed to get back what he could.
Looking down on the person, Drake made sure to keep track of the others around him. Still 9 figures in shadows moving in on him. Three being the closest, but Stewart was surprisingly the furthest back.
He didn’t have time to think about the moral repercussions right now, as Drake grit his teeth, snapping his fingers and summoning his element of conflux, lightning.
Bringing his finger to a makeshift gun he pointed it down at the masked person’s head.
“No one hurts my family.” he sneered, letting loose the spell, a bolt of lightning embedding itself into their forehead with a sizzle, a small bead of red and chard flesh the only indication the bolt struck.
[You have killed Participant: Julia Kelly Level 13] [Rewarded 253,612 Experience, and 86,255 TP]
[You have gained Title: Murderer]
Drake clicked his tongue, but had no time to admonish himself, as he felt the three from before close in, also noticing the man he flung across the outpost was slowly getting up, shimmering into the shadows as well.
Drake repositioned, putting himself behind Theodore who was still on the ground. Standing to cover him like a lion protecting its cubs, his tattoos and hair switched to a deep orange red as he changed to his magma endowment.
His mana restored surprisingly to nearly 40% even with the debuff cutting his regeneration to half its normal amount.
Drake felt the invisible figures less than a meter to closing in on them.
Putting more mana into his arms he felt two blades collide with his tattoos, a third finding its home in his side.
The three figures shimmered into existence as their invisibility dropped off. Each one wearing black robes or clothing with some donning pieces of leather here and there. A particular one pulled his mask down and sneered, “Dumbass! You should've left the dead weight!”
Drake smiled back, his eyes flaring yellow, both his hands moving out as Ice quickly formed a small dome around them. Drake’s tattoos and hair cascading into the color of pristine white.
The three became confused at the dome that now contained them.
A female voice shouted behind Drake, her knife dripping in a suspicious purple liquid, “You idiot now you’re trapped in here with us!”
Drake glanced at the debuff.
Divine Frailty [F Rank]
- Lasts 7 Seconds.
6
5
“No, Mr Sanders,” Drake said, glancing over his shoulder.
4
3
2
“You are locked in here with me.”
1
Drake felt as if weights that had pushed him to the ground had been lifted. Power akin to absorbing stones filled his body.
In an instant Drake moved with untold speed a makeshift blade of fire in his hand, a cold breath escaping his lips in a puff of frozen smoke. Three headless bodies hitting the floor around him and Theodore.
[You have killed Participant: Abraham Renyolds Level 12] [Rewarded 268,242 Experience, and 101,055 TP]
[You have killed Participant: Kim Johnson Level 14] [Rewarded 300,612 Experience, and 100,555 TP]
[Congratulations, you have increased to Elemental Miller level 11] [40 Free Points have been awarded]
[You have killed Participant: Lee Hyuk Level 16] [Rewarded 325,272 Experience, and 127,855 TP]
Drake quickly squashed the fire and changed to his water endowment, a slight shiver running down his spine, but not from the cold.
He had killed three more people without hesitation. Something in his mind had changed. He felt remorse, but only logically. His body, his instinct only looked down on them as another monster. They had tried to kill him and his, so they died for it.
“Drake…” Natto voiced inside his head almost at a whisper.
“Not now, we’ll talk about it later… Right now I need to recover as much of my missing status as possible before they decide to break through the ice. And we need to somehow get Theodore into the Mines,” Drake said, looking at the poor man.
Theodores cloths and body showed the signs of the torture they put him through. Ripped at the seams were his coat and shirt, his dress pants were stained a thick red. The knife, still sticking out of his thigh.
Drake wasn't sure if he should risk removing the knife but quickly decided against it.
Cursing that he still hadn’t made a pouch for his potions, he tried to pull a potion from his inventory. But to no avail the potion refused to be removed from his stash.
Drake’s mind moved quickly to what he could do. His status was quickly filling thanks to his new endowment, regeneration skills, and the debuff finally falling off but he would still need a minute or more to be at full.
He was unsure of when they would decide to cave in his small ice shelter, and unfortunately he was unable to track the whereabouts of anyone other than Stewart from inside.
“Ok, I can’t get to the potions and we probably don’t have a lot of time,” Drake said, kneeling down to Theodore. Drake lightly shook him, trying to get him to respond, “Theo! Theo! You still there, you stupid larper? Look at me bud!”
Drake continued to try to coax Theodore into focus, eventually pouring some water over his head. Finally resulting in Theodore realizing he was with Drake with a small groan.
“...My liege…?” Theodore eeked out.
“Yeah it’s me. Can you stay with me for a few more seconds? I’m going to get you to the mines, and you're going to be fine ok?” Drake said, trying his best to reassure the man.
“N-no… P-please, you must liberate my dear Harley.. Sh-she is in the gobl-” Theodore slowly slumped forward again before finishing his thought.
“Fuck! Natto, we’re making a break for the Mines!”
“Drake please just a few more seconds! You need time-” Natto pleaded.
“Theodore doesn't have that time! His ass is bleeding out and it’s because I wasn’t there to help him. We are going to those mines even if I have to go through that fucking worthless scumbag to get there. This is not a debate!” he shouted.
Drake didn’t wait for an answer as he hoisted Theodore onto his shoulders and pulled him into a piggy back, chanting his skill, “I am the wall on which my enemies billow. Unbreakable,” the glow of green quickly coming to life and just as quickly winking out of sight.
Then tracking his Mark, Drake looked at where Stewart was from inside the ice dome. Summoning two balls of lightning one in each hand, he let one hover to his side as he condensed the other, dropping a few more percent into the spell.
Drake pushed the ball to the edge of the ice dome right in the direction of Stewart and condensed it further as it crackled and snapped with power. Extending one arm out his thumb folded in his fist as if he was about to pop a weasel he aimed down his arm lining up the small mote of lightning with Stewart.
“Railgun!” Drake roared, letting his thumb fly out connecting with the ball of energy.
It instantly flashed with brilliance as it shot forward, cracking and shattering the dome. The bright line of lighting flooding forward as licks of the electricity connected with the ground and burned the grass below the line of white hot lightning.
Drake moved with urgency as soon as the spell let loose, endowing himself with lightning while flying forward with his full speed, tacking Stewart, and with his aura allowing him to reach out again to find the other invisible figures within his sphere.
Dodging each one as he shot forward only steps away from the Mines. Then Drake’s Mark moved. And Stewart was right in front of Drake, Stewarts blade coming down with a black glow around it.
Drake didn’t have time to gasp as he turned his shoulder putting power into his right tattoo to block the incoming blade he could now see thanks to the effect of his lightning endowment, his body barely keeping up.
Drake raised his arm to block the blow, his other poised, pointing at the man. Drake attempted to cast his fear, “Fear is-” but Stewart’s blade moved with sinister determination as he mumbled under his breath.
“Butcher.”
The blade moved so quickly Drake couldn’t catch it.
[Gained Reprieve Charge]
Drake saw his arm before he felt the pain. It flew in front of him, tattoo still flared as Drake tracked it with his eyes, it passing by between the two. Drake saw the smile on Stewart’s face as droplets of blood splashed against it.
Anger erupted in Drake again in that split second, as he roared like a wild animal in fury.
Swinging around In a 360 degree turn Drake grabbed his dismembered arm by the elbow and used the force to bring it right into the side of Stewart’s head. Putting a red glow of power from Martial Strike around his dismembered arm, driving it down and pinning Stewart to the ground with a disgusting crunch.
[You have killed Participant: Kohoo - Stewart James Level 19] [Rewarded 826,922 Experience, and 235,455 TP]
[You have been awarded Title: Serial Killer]
Drake pulled his arm from Stewart’s dead corpse in one motion and dove for the Mines, saving his teleport for anything else unexpected as he crashed through the door the next moment uninterrupted, in a tumble with Theodore to the ground.
Immediately when he came to a stop Natto popped out, hysteria painting her face.
“Drake! What?! Potion! A Potion! Hurry!” she shouted.
Drake tried to pull the potions from his inventory but nothing appeared, each second that passed Drake saw the sides of his vision darken.
“Fuck not again…” he mumbled, releasing his endowment to trade it out for his Ice, locking up his wind and water elements.
The active regeneration helped somewhat but he was still losing blood too fast.
Drake winced but produced a flame in his hand after placing his severed arm into his inventory. Bracing himself he screamed as the fire touched the base of his shoulder, the smell of burning flesh filling the mine.
Gasping for air through his teeth and saliva dripping down the sides of his clenched mouth, Drake tried again for the potions.
This time thankfully they popped into his hands. He placed one in Natto’s shaking hands, “Hurry get it to Theodore. I’ll be fine, I stopped the bleeding so I just have to wait for the weakened debuff to drop off and my status to recover,” he huffed out in between breaths, pulling the cork of the potion with his mouth and downing it in one go.
Soon his breathing evened and he let the cool ground of the mines take him into its embrace. As he fell asleep.
