Banban and the black bear's clash kicked off first—a brutal beastly brawl. This fight was different from the start.
For one, only one of the two warriors blocked Zi Shu; the other charged at Yu Yu and Shu Tu. 78 had to reveal herself to intercept the warrior, losing track of the enemy rogue. The enemy ranger switched targets, locking onto 78 to take her out first.
Meanwhile, Shu Tu had to focus on supporting Zi Shu, leaving her at a disadvantage. Despite equal numbers, Yu Yu's side effectively let an enemy rogue run free. Yu Yu chanted calmly but clearly saw ripples on the water.
The rogue was coming.
As expected, she targeted Yu Yu, not Shu Tu atop the wall. Even a low-tier rogue, no matter how stealthy, couldn't float, so the water revealed her.
Five meters.
Four meters.
Three meters.
This was within the rogue's dagger-throw range. But if the enemy didn't move, neither did Yu Yu. Her chant had three seconds left.
Three.
A shadow surged upward. A familiar move—Yu Yu's heart tightened.
Two.
A cold glint flashed behind her; the rogue smirked coldly. Yu Yu took a big step forward.
Passive: Mobile Casting.
One.
[Summon Wolf]
Meant to ease Zi Shu's pressure, the spell now relieved Yu Yu's. The battlefield shifted constantly. Yu Yu didn't interrupt her chant—breaking it would waste all prior effort. She let the wolf temporarily stall the rogue and quickly began her next spell.
Thankfully, she'd chosen Mobile Casting. Without it, standing still for that attack would've ended her. Mobile Casting had a chant penalty, so Yu Yu moved only when necessary, but one wolf couldn't hold a rogue. Yu Yu dodged as best she could, mental strain risking spell interruption. Her chanting grew labored.
Got it—next passive, Focus.
[Grease]
Despite the danger, Yu Yu successfully cast the spell. Her speed surged, and she zipped away.
Rogue: "?"
What was with this spellcaster's spell tree?
A low-tier spellcaster cross-training in multiple schools?
Elemental, summoning, and now transmutation?
The rogue, baffled, hesitated, then switched targets. One glance, and she locked onto Shu Tu. Yu Yu slipped back, chanting again. 78's health was in the red. She stealthed toward the ranger, but the warrior stuck close, unrelenting.
Heavy-armor warriors were their toughest foes, no contest. High health, high defense, high damage—at least against leather and cloth. Shu Tu didn't react to the rogue's approach, continuing to nock arrows.
Double Shot, the second a poison arrow.
After earlier non-poisoned arrow harassment, the warrior fighting Zi Shu deflected the first arrow. Zi Shu followed the arrow with Heavy Slash. The warrior instantly chose to block Zi Shu's attack. Arrows? Whatever. They barely tickled, hardly breaking defense. The next moment, a poison arrow pierced the gap between his shoulder and chest armor.
Defense broken, -17.
The warrior's health dropped a chunk. It hurt. Worse, his health bar turned green. Zi Shu's sword was poisoned too, but face-to-face, she couldn't hit exposed skin. These NPCs' mastery of basic moves far surpassed hers. Without chugging health potions, she'd have been done.
Basic moves: strong attack stance, defensive stance—thrust, cleave, block, parry, arrow deflection…
The warrior shouted, "Watch the ranger—her arrows are poisoned!"
Shu Tu nocked another arrow, blue light gathering.
Ice Arrow.
The warrior chasing 78 had his legs frozen below the knees, Yu Yu's Wet Ground amplifying the Ice Arrow's effect. After two shots, Shu Tu stowed her bow and drew a dagger. As an agility class, rangers were versatile—bows were great, but daggers worked too.
Maybe not for winning, but for temporary parrying. Calm as ever, Shu Tu precisely parried the rogue's attack at the last second but, lacking strength, stepped back twice. They disengaged. Shu Tu leaped off the wall.
At that moment, Yu Yu's spell landed. As Shu Tu's feet left, Grease spread beneath the wall. The rogue landed, her steps sinking like in a swamp, movement speed plummeting. Shu Tu advanced a few steps, leisurely switching to her bow for a point-blank shot. Yu Yu was chanting her next spell.
[Impact Arrow]
Head-on, at such close range, the rogue was slammed back like hit by a truck, health bar dropping half. Stuck in Grease, she couldn't even stealth.
[Swift Step]
Purple light flashed as the rogue sprang up, trying to burst out of the Grease's range. Sadly, Shadow Leap couldn't be used again so soon. Shu Tu nocked her second arrow.
Multi-Shot.
[Impact Arrow].
Poison arrow.
The rogue, nearly out of the Grease, was knocked back again. The second arrow aimed for her neck. Skills couldn't be blocked, but poison arrows could. The rogue, heeding the warrior's warning, leaned back to dodge the second. Unfortunately, Shu Tu was already on her third.
This damn Grease!
The rogue raged. By now, the wolf had caught up, teaming with Shu Tu to trap the rogue in the Grease's range. 78 was on the brink, cornered by the enemy warrior and ranger.
Banban and the bear fought fiercely, bloodied and savage.
Zi Shu was also teetering. If the ranged couldn't free up soon, they were done. Once the melee fell, the enemy warriors would overwhelm, and Yu Yu's side would die. They had to finish this rogue fast. Yu Yu surveyed the field, eyes icy.
[Daze Spell]
The rogue, pinned by the wolf, grew desperate but aimed to stall. She pulled out something Yu Yu's team knew well. Slow-healing potion. Under Shu Tu and the wolf's attacks, she had less than 10 health left.
If she drank that potion…
Shu Tu's eyes turned cold, swapping arrows at lightning speed, the arrowhead glowing with icy light.
Yu Yu was faster. [Daze Spell]
The next instant Shu Tu's arrow flew. The rogue's potion slipped from her hand, no chance to drink again.
Dazed.
-8, Ice Arrow.
The wolf howled, a claw swipe ending her last sliver of life. Yu Yu immediately turned to Zi Shu. [Acid Ray]
A sickly green beam hit the warrior, his armor glowing with a greasy green sheen. Zi Shu perked up, nearly crying. Support, finally! Any later, and she'd be dead. The wolf had just over two minutes left, now rushing to 78, using its body to block the warrior's steps.
78 rolled clumsily, moving sluggishly. She'd been hit by the ranger's slowing arrow. While the wolf stalled the warrior, she chugged a potion, guzzling it down. Spotting the ranger nock another arrow, she rolled to dodge, finishing the potion. She kept an eye on the ranger's moves while watching for the warrior's pursuit.
Through these shameless tactics, she'd clung to life with a sliver of health. The warrior, seeing her near death, hadn't used skills, likely to conserve energy. The rogue's death clearly enraged them. The ranger's arrow glowed again, some unknown skill.
The warrior's eyes turned cold. Heavy Slash.
The wolf's form flickered, nearly fading. Its health wasn't low, but after several rogue stabs, it could only take one more hit. The warrior roared, bloodlight bursting from him.
[Frenzy]
A slash, and the wolf shattered. At that moment, the ranger unleashed her skill.
[Scatter Shot]
Six phantom arrows fanned out, nearly blocking every direction. 78, with just a sliver of health, would die to one hit. Her potion hadn't even kicked in. Despair crossed her face.
Dying before victory, a hero's tears flow. She'd be the first sent back to town. Her death would likely doom Zi Shu and the others.
Yu Yu snapped, "Why don't you hide?"
[Shield Barrier]
The phantom arrows hit an invisible eggshell, which wobbled but held. Scatter Shot's damage was low.
78, overjoyed: "Yu, save me!"
Yu Yu: "Run!!!"
78 sprang up, scanning the battlefield. Shu Tu's Ice Arrow froze the frenzied warrior in place. He was livid.
This damn ranger!
This damn water!
Yu Yu assessed the situation, chanting again. Shu Tu locked onto the frenzied warrior, eyes like lightning. Ice Arrows landed back-to-back, pinning the warrior on the water, his frenzy nearing its end.
78, after a quick judgment, rushed the ranger. Her health was too low to do much, but she could disrupt the ranger. Killing was unlikely—one more arrow would kill her—but she could throw off the ranger's focus. Yu Yu freed up a hand. [Daze Spell]
Zi Shu exhaled heavily, and tears filled her eyes. With her opponent dazed, she chomped a health potion, chugging while charging Heavy Slash.
Warriors had high strength and constitution but often low mental and willpower. This warrior was no exception. He was dazed for a full 10 seconds. By the time he woke, his health was in the red. Zi Shu's charged Heavy Slash followed by five rapid strikes.
While controlling the frenzied warrior, Shu Tu slipped in two poison arrows. His health, under poison and attacks, slid to a dangerous threshold. Awake, but not fully.
He fumbled for a potion to drink. Shu Tu's Ice Arrow froze the crazed warrior charging her, ignoring his manic red eyes, and fired. The arrow precisely shattered the potion bottle, splashing the warrior's hand.
The warrior was stunned.
That worked?
Zi Shu, shocked: "Shu Tu's insane!"
Was this the caliber of a Gold Rank?
Seize the moment—Zi Shu's Heavy Slash.
The warrior's shock left him open, the slash aimed at his neck. No armor there. Zi Shu's eyes were fierce. Blood sprayed, splattering Zi Shu's face. She instinctively wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
Warrior: -1
Enemy down two.
Shu Tu whispered, "I've got one arrow left."
She meant Ice Arrow. She'd started with seven, each shot one less.
Yu Yu: "Use it."
She prepped Daze Spell.
Shu Tu nodded. "Mm."
Frenzy fading, the warrior's rage burned through the post-frenzy weakness. He was furious. Teamfights could be lost, but the ranger had to die.
[Ice Arrow]
Frozen again.
Now, Shu Tu could focus on him. While he was stuck, [Multi-Shot]. Two poison arrows.
The warrior, upper body mobile, blocked one. Since learning warriors could deflect arrows, Shu Tu's shots grew trickier. His health bar greened. Yu Yu's Daze Spell was ready.
Shu Tu feigned another Ice Arrow. The warrior, just mobile, ducked. His dodge aimed straight for Yu Yu. He'd figured out Shu Tu's arrow wasn't Ice—after so many shots, he knew the blue prelude.
Too bad…
He froze, dazed. Yu Yu twirled her staff, scoffing. "Idiot, Daze Spell doesn't need to aim at your head."
Think she was Shu Tu, headshot enthusiast?
Shu Tu's normal arrow missed, but she didn't care, nocking again.
[Curse Arrow]
Warrior's constitution -2, health dipping slightly. Yu Yu slung Freezing Ray. The warrior's armor took on a pale blue sheen, frozen status. He wore iron armor, standing in water. Zi Shu, health half-recovered, stamina restored, launched [Charge]. The warrior, just out of daze, was knocked down.
Freezing Ray's damage was low, -1, but its status was fun—attack speed dropped, limbs stiffened, chilled. Yu Yu found a new toy, spamming Freezing Ray.
Three versus one.
Very pleasant.
Truth be told, rogues on both sides were the first to fall. Last fight, 78 was the most at-risk, and they took out the rogue first.
Same here.
Rangers were deadly at range, but alone against a rogue, they floundered. 78 even paused to chug two potions, nearly full health. The ranger was in the red. No hope left.
She whistled for her bear, which abandoned Banban to protect her. Banban chased relentlessly. The ranger chugged a potion, her health creeping back.
78, furious: "You dare drink my loot?!"
[Dagger Throw]
Caught off-guard, the ranger was hit, her restored health dropping again. 78 closed in. She'd die if the monster drank their loot. Surrounded, the warrior was doomed, especially with frenzy aftereffects. Yu Yu's Freezing Ray took his last health.
She noticed, spamming Freezing Ray, her cast speed outpaced Shu Tu. The warrior died, frustrated. Only the ranger remained. She was running. Zi Shu strode forward, charging. The ranger whistled, her bear turning to block them.
They were at the ravine's end, a cave mouth nearby. The ranger fled inside, 78 hot on her heels. Yu Yu halted, deciding to kill the bear first.