A few minutes later, Noah arrived at the designated eting point- a secluded, picturesque cliffside within the ga.
The sea stretched endlessly before them, its digital waves lapping against the distant shore under a sky painted with a golden sunset.
His teammates were already there, lounging on rocks, while Benjamin making a distinction from the others stood near the cliff’s edge as they were deep in discussion.
’Always doing crazy things’. Noah sighed at the sight of Benjamin.
Genevieve was the first to notice him. She offered a calm smile, but there was an undeniable excitent in her azure eyes.
Aria, arms crossed, smirked knowingly like she’d been waiting for this mont. Benjamin, always relaxed, had an unreadable expression while Caleb looked slightly irritated in his presence, though not in an unusual way.
Noah, as always got straight to the point. "So? What’s the big news? Hit ".
Genevieve wasted no ti. "The Warster Devs held an official interview today, which is officially 3 days after our dungeon run".
She looked at him. "The world now knows that four of the five SSS-Rank unique skills that were designed have been acquired".
Noah nodded, not surprised. That much was expected.
Afterall, Warstar wasn’t just a ga, it was a full-blown eSports empire. The introduction of SSS-Rank skills was bound to change everything.
Benjamin brushed back his long black hair. "You should’ve seen the reaction mate. Hehe," he chuckled mischievously. "The whole damn pro scene is losing their mind".
Caleb scoffed. "Of course they are. Four out of the five SSS-Rank unique skills are already taken, and yet no pro player or Avatar in England has 1 yet".
"Theoretically, no one knows if Lord Doom is from England yet".
"There’s just one SSS-Rank unique skill left. Every top player is going crazy trying to figure out how to unlock it".
Noah’s expression didn’t change, but internally, he processed the implications. Warstar had just shifted dramatically.
A year ago, no one even knew SSS-Rank unique skills existed. Now, the landscape had been flipped upside down.
"And ng Wu Ya?" Noah asked, because he already knew this was the real discussion.
The mont his na was ntioned, everyone’s expressions turned serious.
Genevieve’s voice was steady. "Your Versatile Avatar is the most valuable right? Well, ng Wu Ya acquired the second most valuable SSS-Rank unique skill".
Aria grinned, but there was a hint of tension in her eyes. "He got sothing absolutely insane, Chrono Domination".
"Dominion dummy!" Benjamin trolled.
Aria glared at him, but then a brief silence fell over the group. Even for Noah, that na alone carried weight.
After the effects of the unique skill was explained to him, Noah let out a short, quiet breath. "That’s insane".
Aria nodded, her expression a mix of awe and challenge. "The man can literally fight in a different flow of ti than anyone else. He already had godlike reflexes, and now?"
"If he lands a hit, he can stockpile energy and rewind damage?"
Noah looked at her. "He can do that too?"
"Well," Genevieve explained. "People like us tend to get more information than normal Warstar fans. Just like your Versatile Avatar, not all information about your SSS-Rank unique skill was released to the public".
"Afterall, a unique skill is supposed to be a unique Avatar secret, a trump card".
She looked at Noah. "But there have been rumors, rumors that there’s more to ng Wu Ya’s Chrono Dominion".
"Apparently, plus the ti control, every landed strike from his swords stores kinetic energy which can be released to reset cooldowns or reverse damage taken in the last 3 seconds".
Caleb scoffed, crossing his arms. "It’s the most broken duelist skill ever conceived. He was already a world champion before this, now, he’s practically untouchable in a fair fight".
"Not against though". Noah chuckled.
This ti, Benjamin had no coback to troll him, only glaring at him spitefully. "Showoff!"
Noah’s reaction to all this? A slow, predatory grin.
"Fair fight?"
Benjamin laughed. "Exactly".
This was the key difference. ng Wu Ya was a duelist, a god of one-on-one combat. His skill made him a nightmare in any direct engagent.
But Noah?
Noah didn’t play fair.
War wasn’t about who was faster or stronger, it was about who dictated the battlefield. Besides and most importantly, Warstar was not an individual ga.
It was a team ga.
"In a 1v1, my money is on ng Wu Ya winning though". Aria comnted idly, staring at Noah with a look that said ’yeah, I said it, what can you do?’
Noah chuckled. "Get ready to be left bankrupt then".
Genevieve watched him carefully. "You don’t seem concerned".
Noah shrugged. "Why should I be?"
Yes, ng Wu Ya was stronger than ever. Good. That just ant Noah would crush him at his absolute best.
At least, that was what he believed.
"And the 4th SSS-Rank unique skill?" He asked.
Caleb’s expression darkened slightly. "Team Japan’s captain acquired it. He’s a Combat Mage just like you, it’s called Tempest Regalia". He explained the power of the unique skill.
After Caleb’s explanation, Noah considered it. "So, he’s a walking natural disaster?"
Benjamin nodded. "Pretty much. He starts fights slow, but the longer the battle drags on, the more terrifying he becos. If he gains montum, basically, it’s over".
Aria smirked. "Japan’s already calling it their best chance at claiming the world championship".
Noah wasn’t impressed though.
The unique skill was powerful, no doubt. But it had a flaw, montum. Tempest Regalia needed ti to ramp up.
Noah didn’t give his enemies ti.
Aria leaned in, eyes flashing with anticipation. "And what about you, Lord Doom?"
Noah smirked. "What about ?"
Genevieve’s eyes narrowed slightly. "What have you been doing these past few days?"
Noah shrugged. "Nothing much".
Caleb scowled. "Be serious".
"Fine," he grinned. "I’ve been soloing dungeons, I wanted to test Aetherforge".
Silence.
Then, Benjamin burst into laughter. "Of course you did".
Noah continued. "It’s tricky as hell to master. The form switching is seamless, but optimizing it mid-combat? Different beast entirely".
Aria smirked. "So what now?"
Noah’s grin widened. "I take the experint to the Arena".
The reaction was imdiate.
Aria’s eyes glead with excitent. "Finally".
Benjamin raised an eyebrow. "You’re going to test Aetherforge against actual players?" He hesitated. "Is that not bullying?"
Genevieve sighed, but there was a trace of amusent in her voice. "I suppose we’ll watch over you, then".
Caleb adjusted his glasses, looking intrigued. "At the very least, it’ll be entertaining to watch you crush so fools".
But Aria’s smirk turned sharp. "Not just watch, I’m fighting you!"
Noah turned to face her; his grin predatory. "You think you’re ready for that?"
She drew her Blades of Aamon, their dark edges pulsing with violent energy. "Never been more ready".
The rest of the team exchanged glances before following after them.
Noah’s first true test with Aetherforge was about to begin.
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