Starting from Zero Chapter Book 4 - 27 – The Ace (Part 2)

Book 4, Chapter 27

The Ace (Part 2)

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"AH!!"

I was taken by surprise. The palm pushed into the sky with a strange but deadly force.

I crashed on the ground, coughing so blood. My whole body is filled with pain. I managed to stand up with so hard effort, but just as I balanced myself, sothing exploded on my back with a POOM, tearing up a big wound while causing my blood to flush out.

"*Cough* Ahh!..."

More blood ca out of my mouth. I stumbled forward and dropped to the ground, supporting myself with my hands.

"You...?"

Smokin' lost balance and knelt down as well.

"Heh ha ha--a-ark!"

He tried to laugh but that wound on his stomach grew bigger.

"What a powerful lance."

"Likewise. Your kung-fu is good!" I forced a smile. "Pity, you still lost."

"We don't know that yet." He seems pretty confident. "You took my [Mountain Breaker], so you won't be moving for a while. Just surrender."

"Oh really?"

I raised my right hand. A bolt stuck into his arm causing him to scream.

"I can kill you like this, slowly."

"My skill can do more than that." He gave a wicked grin.

Poom! My arm exploded too. The bolt I was preparing was shot towards the sky instead.

Damn it another one? His skill isn't over?

"Good job, I'll give you that." I still kept calm. "But you think I'll let you win? No! I will not lose! Never!"

Smokin smiled bigger, probably because he thinks I'm getting desperate. But my next move removed that smile.

I stood up while shaking.

Pong! My left arm exploded. I'm knocked to the right but I kept standing.

Pam! That's my left leg. Blood covered the ground yet I didn't lose my smile.

"So how many tis can you do this? Five? Six? Or--"

Bom! My right leg was torn up. I staggered, almost falling down again.

The audiences are silent. No one is applauding anymore. Everyone is trying to confirm if I'm a monster.

Poof! Boom! Pah! The ruptures are becoming faster. I feel like being pushed around by a lot of people. My HP has dropped to the bottom, but the Collar of Protection will still keep alive, by pouring the life force of my companions into my body.

However the skill stopped before I need to rely on the collar. Looks like the skill only tries to empty the target's own HP bar.

I'm now covered in red but still standing. I gave my neck bone a crack and spoke:

"Not bad. Pretty scary skill. Almost killed . " I raised two fingers and smiled again. "Pity, just a teeeeny tiny bit left. Sha."

Then I regained my posture. "Night Shade!"

Night Shade is already recovered. Thanks to Phiona's buff bonus, everyone heals faster than average.

I aid my left hand at the knight lance dropped by Smokin. The lance flew towards . I grasped the weapon and gave it a wave-around.

"You're the best opponent yet, for getting into this shape. I'm give you an honorable death!"

I ordered Night Shade to Charge.

"[Pole Pick], aerial execution!"

I pierced his body and leveraged Night Shade's speed to hurl the lance away.

The lance carried the helpless Smokin all the way onto the reviewing stand on the audience area. It stuck into the platform and quivered for a while due to the montum, but Smoking is no longer moving.

Even the best technique in the world won't win against absolute power. A good martial artist may defeat soone much stronger than himself, but he's never going to beat a war tank just using his skills or reflexes.

Still, my victory was not guaranteed. If I don't have this collar, if I don't have my lance, or if he used his best attack at the start of the battle...I'm not sure I would have won. Ti to learn so tricks I guess. I may have a lot of superior weapons and companions but I'll need more than these to beat soone like Smokin.

Smokin has already turned into a white flash and gone reviving. I remote-retracted my dragon lance and put it behind my back.

But I forgot players get revived where they die in the arena. Smokin appeared again in front of . Hm. This place is sure suitable for sparring with other people.

He looked at with a scary expression.

"What? I won. You will leave alone now."

He didn't say anything. He stared at for several more seconds before he suddenly jumped over and clamped onto my waist!

"Hero! I an, miss heroine! Take with you!! I'm following you from now on!"

I tried to run away but was dragged onto the ground instead.

"Help!" I crawled towards the exit. He won't let go of my legs. "Halp!! Get away you freaking gay! Damn it why isn't any beautiful girls doing this to ??"

"Oww!" He was poked by the spike on my leg guard and released his grip. I imdiately stood up and kept distance with him.

He tried to get close again. I summoned my wasps and asked them to form a barricade between us.

"Get the hell out of my face or I'll make it violent!"

"Lady master!! Take !"

"Are you a stray dog or sothing? You have guild and lot of followers, why ? You're famous here! And don't call lady I'm a man HOW MANY TI DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU!"

"Uh, alright! So you're male, bring along!"

"Urgh!" This is getting too complicated. "Here, how about we call each other brothers from now on?"

"Well," He paused. "Okay! Let's do this."

I dismissed my wasps, he ran to again.

"Stop!! No closer! I don't feel good with dudes near my face!"

"Alright then! Give a call if you ever need help and I'll always be there first!"

...I think I can believe that.

"I got it. Farewell!"

I dashed outside the arena as fast as I can, leaving a smoke trail behind . I almost bumped into rciless, who's waiting at the gate.

"Why are you...?"

"Oh, well, don't bla for not watching your fight. Those fans are crazy. I tried to cheer for you and they tosses over the wall!"

"I...see. I can totally understand that." I wiped a drop of sweat on my forehead. "Let's get out of here. I've had enough. And I need to find a cute girl to heal up my heart!"

We stopped to take a break when we're far enough from the arena. Then soone almost knocked over again.

"What kind of bastard--" I'm full of anger now. Can I even walk peacefully for once??

"Oof...So...Sorry...ugh!.... I...I didn't...an that..."

The man is swaying left and right. I'm surprised he's not falling down yet. He got really thick tongued and a red face. He's drunk, for sure.

There's no point in arguing with soone like this so I dragged rciless to leave. But the man sohow shifted in front of us.

"Oh hello beautiful sisters. Why...why are you...all look the sa? Tri-triplet?"

"Triple?"

I looked around. Nope, it's late and no one else is walking in these parts. Oh co on. He drunk too much and he's seeing double images.

"Hey friend. Can you stop being all wobbly? You're making dizzy."

His tongue is still not straight. "How...how did you know-know my na?"

"Your na? I don't know your na."

"But you just called ."

"Did I? What's your na?"

"I...I'm [Wobby]!"

"That's, well, a proper na for you." rciless comnted. "We'd better not disturb this brewmaster. Let's go."

I turned away. "So, enjoy your drink! We'll go now."

Man we'd better hurry. That alcohol sll is making it hard to breathe.

He followed us with that unstable step. And he actually followed us for so distance before we can lose him! We're already outside the city gate. The night has arrived but the visual is still good thanks the the moon. This is specifically configured for those night shifters. So people prefer to play at late night.

rciless pulled on my arm again. "Can you tell how to hatch eggs?"

"Oh shoot. Another one!"

"...What do you an?"

"So many people are totally clueless about how to use companion eggs. And you're yet another one."

"Huh. Is that a surprise? I don't see many people with companions around, I guess it's just normal. The slots are mostly useless, cause people can't catch any monsters at all. It doesn't matter if you have one or two or five companion quota."

"I see... I can understand that. You got an egg from the quest reward right? I can tell you now. Let's see it."

"Sure!"

He followed my instructions and hatched the egg. An adorable black kitten jumped out of it.

"...What's this? The quest is freaking impossible and they only give you a pet kitten?"

I can only admit that the look of this little creature can probably seize the heart of most human being. But...

"Seriously! A cat??" rciless is getting depressed. We were both expecting sothing way better out of the difficult quest.

"Well, easy for now. Check the status. Maybe it got so surprises." The cat doesn't look any special but who knows. "Companions all look small when they're hatched. Maybe it'll turn bigger."

As he read through the texts I see his expression getting brighter. He jumped in place in the end.

"It's not cat! It's called [Winged Leopard (Alpha)]. Ha! A leopard. And a pack leader!"

He looks like a kid who just found his new toy. Well, I can share that excitent sohow.

"Alright alright, stop it. Find sowhere private and dance however you like, don't do it in front of the city gate. You'll get a bad na."

He looked at all the people staring at him and went silent.

"Oops, sorry. I was...overjoyed."

"Be happy then. I'll log for now. I got schedule to level up with my friend tomorrow morning. I don't want to sleep in."

"Level up?" He gave so uncertain glances.

"Tell if you want sothing. There's no sissy here."

"Can I join you?"

"Any particular reason?"

"I kinda earned myself so enemies around here so soone's always trying to kill . And that's why I went on the quest alone. I don't have to worry about that if I can find a group to grind together."

"Co then."

I told him the ti and exited the ga.