Chapter 678: Golden Light Meets Golden Light

The eight Soulfire elites who had accompanied Marcus to Jasper’s Tomb recognized the equipment immediately. That enormous shield was the very same one that had stunned the Black-Robed Corpse General, leaving an unforgettable impression on everyone who had witnessed the fight. And there was no mistaking that strange blue hoe either. Both items belonged to Stonehaven.

However, remembering SoulSync’s warning, the eight core members and elites wisely kept their mouths shut. They knew better than to expose Marcus’s equipment in front of so many people, especially when Inferno was watching their every move.

Still, recalling his incredible strength and performance inside Jasper’s Tomb, they couldn’t help feeling a surge of hope. Their guild was in a desperate situation, but with Stonehaven secretly lending a hand, things might not turn out as badly as they’d feared. Gratitude and excitement stirred in their hearts as they watched the duel unfold.

"Stone, thank you."

Lydia sent Marcus a private message. The worry that had clouded her expression moments earlier melted away, and that familiar, coy smile returned to her face, radiant as peach blossoms in spring. She was confident they would win now.

Marcus felt an unpleasant twinge in his chest. It was an uncomfortable mixture of jealousy and irritation, and he couldn’t quite convince himself to ignore it.

’Why are you thanking me? I’m not helping you.’

He wanted nothing more than to ignore the vixen completely, but the sour feeling refused to go away. Just how worried was she about Soulfire, anyway?

The way her expression had changed the instant SoulSync stepped forward, followed by the gratitude she was now showing him, made Marcus feel as though he’d somehow become an outsider in a matter that had nothing to do with him. He pushed the thought aside and turned his attention back to the duel. Whatever his personal feelings, the outcome was about to be decided, and he wasn’t going to let himself miss anything important.

SoulfireBlade was ready.

Across the field, InfernoRider001 had also begun moving as soon as the system announcement sounded. During the five-second Invincible Defense State, he strode toward SoulfireBlade with his massive hammer in hand, eager to close the distance and unleash his strength.

Both were melee classes, so neither could afford to fight from a distance. Unfortunately, the two guild masters had started more than a hundred meters apart. Even with both of them rushing forward during the five seconds of invincibility, they were still roughly eighty meters apart when the golden protection finally faded.

Neither slowed down.

Their guild members followed behind them, moving forward until the two groups were separated by only fifty or sixty meters. At that point, both sides stopped, leaving the two guild masters to face each other in the open space between their respective forces.

By then, InfernoRider001 and SoulfireBlade were less than twenty meters apart. The Golden Bow Skeleton Ghost standing beside SoulfireBlade had already drawn its bow, sending arrows infused with dark energy streaking toward its opponent. Each arrow struck InfernoRider001 for 500 damage, steadily chipping away at his health as he advanced.

Now that InfernoRider001 was within range, Marcus immediately activated his Insight skill to examine the man’s attributes.

—

InfernoRider001: Level 52, Class: Berserker. HP: 7,500. MP: 3,255. Attack: 5,510. Defense: 3,930. Health Recovery Speed: 350. Inferno Guild Master.

—

After checking his opponent, Marcus turned his attention to SoulfireBlade’s current attributes.

—

SoulfireBlade: Level 50, Class: Dark Knight. HP: 12,545. MP: 2,950. Attack: 4,560. Defense: 6,350. Health Recovery Speed: 20. Soulfire Guild Master.

—

These were their complete attributes, including the effects of the buffs applied before the duel. Their health recovery speeds were particularly important, since both sides had clearly prepared for a fight in which every second could determine the outcome.

SoulfireBlade had the more impressive overall numbers, especially when it came to health and defense. His current recovery speed, however, required a closer look. Marcus’s Red Locust Cloud Mist had temporarily increased it by 1,000, bringing SoulfireBlade’s effective recovery speed to 1,020.

That boost was powerful, but it wouldn’t last forever. The mist’s effect would expire after twenty seconds, leaving SoulfireBlade dependent on his Super Health Potions and Blood-Root Pills to maintain his recovery.

Even so, the difference in their attributes was encouraging.

SoulfireBlade had the advantage in health and defense, while InfernoRider001 possessed the higher attack power. On paper, the two weren’t evenly matched in every respect, but SoulfireBlade now had enough of an advantage to make this a genuine contest rather than the one-sided slaughter Inferno had expected.

Of course, attributes alone couldn’t decide a battle. Powerful attack skills, reaction speed, and combat experience could easily turn the tables, especially when both opponents had prepared their own trump cards.

Marcus watched without blinking, carefully observing every movement.

As expected, InfernoRider001 wasn’t about to let his opponent enjoy the advantage for long. He pulled out a special blood potion and swallowed it, immediately boosting his health recovery speed by another 400 to 750.

With the arrows from the Golden Bow Skeleton Ghost continuing to strike him, his health had been steadily decreasing, but the potion allowed him to recover rapidly. By the time he was only eight meters away from SoulfireBlade, his HP had returned to full.

Then the corner of his mouth curled into a sly grin.

"Sky-Rage Leap!"

InfernoRider001 abruptly stopped in his tracks. He bent his knees, gathering power in his legs before launching himself into the air with explosive force. In less than a second, he was hurtling toward SoulfireBlade, his enormous frame and heavy weapon carrying tremendous momentum.

The skill was similar in principle to Marcus’s Temple Cavalry ability, which used the force of a leap to increase the power of an attack. Sky-Rage Leap provided a 20% increase in attack power, allowing InfernoRider001 to deliver an especially devastating blow when combined with his weapon’s strongest skill.

And he wasn’t holding back.

"Blaze Gold Mystic Slaughter!"

Still in midair, InfernoRider001 swung his two-handed hammer with all his strength, unleashing the ultimate skill of his Mythic weapon, the Flame Gold Mystic Hammer.

"Ah!"

They knew that attack all too well. InfernoRider001 had already used it to kill several Level 50 Blood Bull Knights in a single blow, despite their enormous health pools and exceptionally high defenses. Those knights had possessed more than 10,000 HP, yet none had survived the combination of Sky-Rage Leap and Blaze Gold Mystic Slaughter.

Now, InfernoRider001 was unleashing the same devastating combination against SoulfireBlade. He intended to finish the duel with a single strike, leaving no opportunity for his opponent to recover or counterattack.

The Flame Gold Mystic Hammer blazed with three black halos as an overwhelming burst of golden light erupted from its surface. Infused with powerful Metal-element physical attack, the strike swept across the three-meter area surrounding SoulfireBlade, threatening to engulf him completely.

"One-shot him!"

Behind InfernoRider001, two thousand Inferno members erupted into a deafening roar. Their voices thundered across the battlefield, their confidence rooted in the countless times they’d witnessed their guild master annihilate powerful opponents with this very attack.

Inferno’s vice master, InfernoFiend001, was already preparing for what would come next. He watched the descending hammer with fierce anticipation, waiting for SoulfireBlade to fall.

The moment their guild master secured the kill, all he would need to do was raise his hand. Two thousand Inferno members would surge forward like a breaking tide, overwhelming Soulfire Guild before its members had time to react. InfernoFiend001 had planned the entire sequence in advance, and as far as he was concerned, the outcome was already decided.

But just as InfernoRider001 launched himself into the air, SoulfireBlade finally made his move.

"Adamant Shield Wall!"

He activated the powerful skill belonging to his Divine Artifact, the Adamant Shield.

Golden light burst forth from the enormous shield, spreading outward in an instant. A massive golden shield pattern materialized around SoulfireBlade, forming a protective barrier that covered the two-meter area surrounding him.

The radiance was dazzling, and its intensity was in no way inferior to the golden light pouring from InfernoRider001’s hammer. Yet there was something different about it. While the hammer’s light carried the oppressive force of an incoming attack, the shield’s radiance felt solid and reassuring, radiating a sense of stability and unshakable confidence.

It was as though SoulfireBlade had planted himself behind an impregnable fortress wall.

"Stone, what skill is that?"

Lydia immediately sent Marcus another private message, her voice urgent. She couldn’t contain her curiosity, and before she realized what she was doing, she’d stepped closer to him. She was now close enough for him to catch the faint, intoxicating fragrance drifting from her.

Marcus noticed, but his mood hadn’t improved. Still feeling that unpleasant jealousy, he had no intention of answering her question. He kept his eyes fixed on the battlefield, pretending he hadn’t heard her.

"Stone?"

When he failed to respond, Lydia tried again. Marcus continued watching the duel without looking her way.

"Stone!"

This time, she called out to him through the private chat, her tone carrying a hint of frustration. Even then, Marcus remained silent.

"You..."

Her voice suddenly faltered. Something about the change in her tone made Marcus turn his head. The moment he looked at her, he found himself at a loss for words.

Her captivating eyes had grown moist, and her usually alluring face was now clouded with hurt. A tear shimmered at the corner of one eye before slowly slipping down her cheek.

’Damn it.’

That was his weakness. Marcus sighed inwardly. ’What was he supposed to do with a woman like this?’ He could ignore her teasing, her coy smiles, and even her deliberate attempts to get under his skin, but the moment she looked at him like that, his resolve began to crumble.

He finally gave in and answered. "Fine. It’s the Divine Artifact skill, Adamant Shield Wall."

Yet rather than looking satisfied, Lydia seemed even more aggrieved. Another tear spilled down her cheek, tracing a glistening path across her beautiful face.

Fortunately, everyone around them was focused on the duel, and no one seemed to notice what was happening between the two of them. Even so, Marcus felt thoroughly uncomfortable.

He was used to seeing Lydia wear that seductive smile, her expression as radiant as peach blossoms and her every movement carrying a hint of playful charm. Seeing her look genuinely hurt was an entirely different experience.

For a fleeting moment, he felt an almost irresistible urge to comfort her, to reach out and wipe away those crystalline tears with his own hand. He quickly turned back toward the battlefield before that impulse could get the better of him.

His heart was beating faster than it should have been.

’Who would have thought that a few tears could be so disarming?’ The vixen really was dangerous. Even when she wasn’t deliberately trying to seduce him, she could still leave him struggling to keep his composure.

Too seductive. Too tempting. A genuine vixen.

At that very moment, InfernoRider001’s Blaze Gold Mystic Slaughter came crashing down, and the tremendous collision of the two golden skills finally dragged Marcus’s attention completely back to the battle.

Golden light met golden light.

Every member of Inferno and Soulfire watched as the radiance pouring from the Flame Gold Mystic Hammer slammed into the golden barrier generated by the Adamant Shield. For an instant, the two forces seemed evenly matched, their brilliance illuminating the battlefield in a blinding flash.

Then came the explosion.

BOOM!

A thunderous impact shook the air as the two skills collided. Golden light burst outward in every direction, scattering across the battlefield in dazzling streaks. The resulting flashes were so brilliant that several spectators instinctively narrowed their eyes, struggling to see what had happened at the point of impact.

"One-shot!"

Inferno’s two thousand members roared again, their voices brimming with confidence.

In their minds, there was no possible outcome other than SoulfireBlade’s death. No one had ever survived InfernoRider001’s strongest attack, and the sight of that enormous hammer crashing into its target only reinforced their certainty.

InfernoFiend001 was already preparing to give the order to charge.

But then the golden light began to fade, revealing a sight that left the entire Inferno Guild momentarily speechless.

SoulfireBlade was still standing.

Protected by the golden barrier of the Adamant Shield Wall, he had survived the devastating strike. A damage figure of just 2,500 floated above his head, a far cry from the overwhelming damage that should have killed him outright.

Before the spectators could even process what they were seeing, SoulfireBlade seized the opportunity to counterattack.

InfernoRider001 had just completed Blaze Gold Mystic Slaughter and landed beside him. For a brief moment, the Berserker was still recovering from the motion of his powerful attack, leaving him vulnerable at close range.

SoulfireBlade wasn’t about to waste that opening.

"Dark Fury Strike!"

The Dark Knight’s blue hoe swept forward, trailing dark energy and the distinctive blue glow of its water-element power. The strange weapon struck InfernoRider001 with a heavy thud, its impact far more forceful than its ridiculous appearance suggested.

-1,500!

The damage figure appeared above InfernoRider001’s head, accompanied by a status effect that reduced both his attack speed and movement speed by 20%.

The crowd hadn’t even finished reacting when SoulfireBlade launched another Dark Fury Strike.

InfernoRider001 wielded a two-handed Mythic hammer with tremendous attack power, but such a heavy weapon was never going to be particularly fast. Now that his attack speed had been reduced, he struggled to respond before SoulfireBlade’s next strike landed.

Meanwhile, the Golden Bow Skeleton Ghost continued firing arrows infused with dark energy, each shot adding to the damage InfernoRider001 was already taking.

In the span of a single second, the combined attacks from SoulfireBlade and his pet had stripped away roughly 3,500 HP, nearly half of InfernoRider001’s health, despite the Berserker’s recovery speed of 750 HP per second.

The result was nothing short of astonishing.

’What the hell had just happened?’

Inferno’s members stared at the battlefield in disbelief. Their guild master’s supposedly unstoppable attack had failed to kill SoulfireBlade, and now InfernoRider001 was the one suffering a devastating counterattack.

Of all the people present, InfernoFiend001 was perhaps the most stunned.

They hadn’t merely failed to kill SoulfireBlade in one strike. They had barely managed to damage him at all.

That was almost impossible to believe.

InfernoRider001’s combination of Sky-Rage Leap and Blaze Gold Mystic Slaughter had been tested countless times. It could deal more than 10,000 damage to Level 50 knights with exceptionally high health and defense, and Inferno had relied on that destructive power in battle after battle.

Not once had it failed to produce the results they expected.

That was precisely why they had been so confident from the beginning. They had believed SoulfireBlade would be no different from the other opponents who had fallen to the same attack.

Yet the reality unfolding before their eyes had completely overturned their expectations.

InfernoFiend001 felt a surge of panic, but he couldn’t simply give the order to attack. Their guild master had personally agreed to a Life-and-Death Duel, and interfering now would destroy Inferno’s reputation. With more than a hundred players recording the confrontation, the consequences would be even worse.

If Inferno charged in the moment their leader encountered difficulty, every guild in the region would know they couldn’t even honor the rules of a duel. Worse still, InfernoFiend001 knew InfernoRider001’s temperament. Their guild master was fiercely proud, and interfering in his fight would be an insult he wouldn’t tolerate.

Even if the situation looked unfavorable, they absolutely couldn’t make a move without his permission. Besides, the battle wasn’t over yet.

InfernoRider001 still had his Mythic cloak, a powerful piece of equipment whose abilities he hadn’t revealed. More importantly, both Sky-Rage Leap and Blaze Gold Mystic Slaughter could be used three times per day. He hadn’t exhausted either skill, and there was still room for another devastating combination.

InfernoFiend001 clenched his fists, forcing himself to remain calm as he watched the duel.

There was still a chance.

Their guild master hadn’t shown everything he had, and InfernoRider001 was not the kind of man who would accept defeat after a single setback. As long as he could recover and find another opening, he might yet turn the battle around.