Chapter 146 The Power of the Demonic Flame (Part 2)
CelestialParagon's Ambuscade hit hard, ripping away a quarter of Eric's health in a single blow.
From a distance, Tonny was stunned. He couldn't understand how an Assassin suddenly appeared to attack Eric. Although he wanted to help, casting spells took time, and he had already used his crowd-control skills on the Steelhide Riverbeast. Now, he could only watch helplessly.
He began chanting, a Shadow Bolt forming at his fingertips.
"Impressive damage," Eric thought, surprised by the sudden drop in his health.
QuintessenceRat, the level 9 Berserker, had only managed to inflict a little over a hundred damage with each strike. CelestialParagon's Ambuscade, a single attack, had dealt over three hundred.
This Assassin was on another level.
They had extremely fast attack speeds. Each of their attacks usually dealt less damage than a Berserker's, but they made up for it with the number of attacks. If an Assassin's damage per hit is comparable to a Berserker's, their output would be at least two to three times higher. Moreover, CelestialParagon's damage per hit was much higher than QuintessenceRat's, making his output at least three to four times stronger.
CelestialParagon, however, was equally surprised.
His Ambuscade, a powerful opener, could usually wipe out two-thirds of a fully equipped, same-level tank's health. Yet, it had only taken out a quarter of Eric's.
Eric's defense and health were far beyond any tank he had encountered.
"Die!" CelestialParagon snarled, his wrist flicking, sending a silver blur towards Eric's throat. Simultaneously, his other dagger stabbed towards Eric's back.
Garrote!
Backstab!
An Assassin's burst wasn't just about the first hit; it was about the relentless chain of attacks that followed.
CelestialParagon had been tracking Eric ever since he had appeared in Tempest Canyon, stealing their Shadow Panther King kill. He had been waiting, biding his time, for the perfect opportunity. He knew Eric was strong, so he needed to strike when Eric was most vulnerable, preferably without access to his skills. But the right moment had never presented itself.
Until now.
Seeing Eric locked out of his skills, embroiled in a fight with the Steelhide Riverbeast, CelestialParagon had seized the opportunity. He had used the Necrotic Snares scroll, which was a costly purchase, but it was worth it for a chance like this.
Necrotic Snares, a debilitating spell, sealed all of the target's skills, rendering them useless, and immobilized them for 6 agonizing seconds.
Eric might have high defense and health, but 6 seconds was more than enough time to end him.
At this range, Eric could feel the daggers closing in. If CelestialParagon unleashed his full burst combo, it would be over.
In a split second, Eric initiated Phantom Slay, effecting a spatial displacement with his clone.
Necrotic Snares only affected skills learned by the player, not those granted by equipment.
The two silver daggers plunged into the clone, dealing 212 bleeding damage and 257 skill damage.
CelestialParagon, caught in the flow of his assault, didn't let up. His daggers danced, a blur of silver, ten strikes landing on the clone's vital points.
The combination of normal attacks, Assassinate, and poison from his daggers ripped through the clone's health, shattering it, the illusion dissipating into motes of light.
"A clone?" CelestialParagon's initial elation at seeing Eric fall evaporated. His eyes darted around, spotting Eric standing a short distance away. He spun around, charging towards him.
Necrotic Snares lasted for 6 seconds; there were still 4 seconds left. He wasn't going to let Eric escape the effects of the expensive scroll he had wasted on a fake.
But as he closed in, a Shadow Bolt slammed into him.
"Piss off! I don't have time for you," CelestialParagon snarled, ignoring Tonny's attack and thrusting his dagger towards Eric.
He didn't consider Tonny a threat. Once Eric was dealt with, the mage would be easy pickings.
The Shadow Bolt detonated.
-221. The number appeared above CelestialParagon's head, a quarter of his health gone.
"What the-?!" CelestialParagon was stunned. Where did that kind of damage come from?
He had underestimated Tonny. He hadn't realized the mage was equipped with a level 8 Mithril staff and several pieces of level 7 and 8 Dark Iron gear. On top of that, he was wearing the Dark Iron Adornments Pendant of the Loremaster, a gift from Eric, boosting his spell damage to incredible levels. If not for CelestialParagon's own top-tier gear, that Shadow Bolt could have taken out most of his health.
Despite the unexpected damage, CelestialParagon pressed his attack, his dagger aimed at Eric's heart.
Just as the dagger was about to connect, Eric vanished.
Silent Stride. He reappeared behind Tonny.
CelestialParagon experienced a sudden onset of frustration. Despite being unable to access his abilities, Eric maintained strategies to elude CelestialParagon's assaults.
They were now over 75 feet apart. If he chased after Eric, it would take precious seconds, and by then, the effects of Necrotic Snares would have worn off. Eric, at full strength, would be a nightmare to deal with.
"Nice one, Eric!" Tonny laughed. "That was too close!"
The encounter had been a whirlwind of adrenaline. One wrong move, one delayed reaction, and they would be dead. He had been worried sick, but now, with the distance between them, the Assassin was harmless.
"Don't let your guard down. That Assassin is dangerous," Eric said, a wry smile on his face. He couldn't believe Tonny was joking at a time like this.
"Don't worry, I've got this. My cooldowns are back up," Tonny said confidently.
He turned to face CelestialParagon but froze.
The Assassin was gone. The only thing left was the enraged Steelhide Riverbeast, roaring and searching for its missing attacker.
"He's gone, Eric. Guess he gave up," Tonny chuckled.
He turned back to Eric, his smile fading.
The Assassin was standing right behind Eric.
"You've forced me to use this. Consider it an honor," CelestialParagon sneered, pulling out a handful of shimmering dust and flinging it at Tonny.
"Sparkle Dust!"
Tonny screamed, blinded by the magical dust, his vision obscured, his combat abilities disabled.
With Tonny neutralized, CelestialParagon turned his attention back to Eric, his dagger flashing.
"Shadowstep!"
Eric cursed. He hadn't expected CelestialParagon to have mastered such a high-level skill.
Shadowstep allowed an Assassin to instantly teleport behind their target, their next attack dealing 15% more damage.
Eric was still immobilized, out of options, his skills locked. He gritted his teeth and activated the level 2 life shield of his Silver Moon Outfit. It would absorb 60% of the incoming damage, up to 500 points, buying him precious time.
CelestialParagon stared at the shimmering barrier surrounding Eric, speechless. How many life-saving tricks did this guy have?
But a life shield wouldn't save him. CelestialParagon unleashed a furious flurry of attacks, his dagger a blur, each strike aimed at a vital point. Cleaving Strike, Slaughter Pierce, Backstab – he poured everything he had into the assault.
The life shield shattered, dissipating into motes of light. Eric's health plummeted, dropping below 500.
"Die!"
CelestialParagon roared, his excitement reaching fever pitch. He poured all his remaining strength, all 5 of his accumulated skill points, into his ultimate attack: Bonecleave. This was it, his most powerful attack.
He twisted his dagger, aiming for Eric's exposed back.
Bonecleave!
Just then, a deep blue flame ignited in Eric's hand.
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