ocean-life Vol.2 Chapter 67 Aria
Vol.2 Chapter 67 Aria
Vol.2 Chapter 67 Aria
"Why are you attacking us? Please leave us alone!" Lucy pleaded.
"No can do, Lass! You both are my 'prey'!" he declared, licking his lips for a more menacing effect.
From his demeanor and facial expression, it was evident that he derived pleasure from others' misfortunes. He was a PK player through and through.
"Save your breath, Lucy. You cannot reason with these types of red players," I cautioned.
"Oh! At least your friend gets it! Don't worry, this will be over soon," he taunted.
I'd faced cocky opponents before, but this guy, this arrogant prick, was on another level. Every smug expression and taunting gesture of his only fueled my frustration.
Having lost my patience, I lunged with a sword stab to probe his defense.
We both are max-leveled, but the difference in skills became obvious in our first exchange. He was faster and slicker, and he easily dodged my attack.
I tried to recoup and find my rhythm, but he countered my every move. With each blow, I felt my resolve weaken, replaced by a cold, hard dread as I kept getting pushed back.
His smirk as he kept outplaying me was infuriating, but it masked a cold, calculating intelligence befitting a veteran player of this game. As much as I loathe to admit it, this guy is incredibly good.
While I managed to parry his initial attacks, with each exchange, I felt a growing pressure, a sense that he was toying with me, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
His time came when he made a feint to the left, then a swift counter to the right. I was caught off guard. His blade bit into my forearm, and a sharp pain shot through me.
I wanted to lower the pain receptors since I'm not used to pain in VR games, but all the guides about this game told me not to because it helps with adrenaline—a crucial aspect for better performance in PVP or PvE.
I gritted my teeth, refusing to show weakness. But he was relentless. Every parry, every block with my sword, seemed to exacerbate his advantage in our exchange.
After a successful parry that made me lose my posture, he instantly countered with a blindingly fast sword stab, and I felt the sting of metal against my ribs. He followed his attack with a kick that made me stumble helplessly into the ground.
"Ack!" I exclaimed.
Ariadne
HP: 8%
"Aria!" Lucy shouted in worry.
Lucy was still unfamiliar with PvP in general and relatively inexperienced in this game. Relying on her was not a viable option at the moment, so the optimal strategy was to battle alone to avoid friendly fire and disrupting each other's rhythms... yet, it appeared that my individual strength was lacking.
As I crumpled to the ground, I saw his triumphant smirk. A bitter taste of defeat filled my mouth, and with it, a cold, hard realization: I had been utterly outclassed by this guy.
He could've finished us already, but he is toying with us, showcasing his superiority, telling us we are nothing more than ants beneath him. This made me upset in my own inadequacy.
Following his triumph, he spoke, clear as a bell echoing in the forest.
"Is that all you got? Pathetic!" he mocked, trampling on my dignity even further.
With my pride utterly demolished, I reached a breaking point. I could no longer tolerate the humiliation, and I desired to quit. Just as I was on the verge of logging out in disgrace, a voice with an enigmatic charm suddenly captured our attention.
"Why don't you fight someone close to your skill level instead of picking on players unused to PvP?" the voice asked mockingly.
Looking at the source, she was sitting on a tree branch. How long had she been watching us? I didn’t even notice her presence.
Leaping elegantly from the branch, she landed gracefully near us, captivating me with her presence.
She had long gray hair, a short, petite build, and calculating eyes that seemed to gaze through a person's soul. She stared at our opponent as if he were a piece of trash in the road. Her cold and mysterious demeanor through it all made me shiver.
I glanced at the newcomer's username.
Yuusha
HP: 100%
"Y-you're... the Paragon guild's ace, Yuusha!" our opponent said in disbelief.
Paragon? Is that a famous guild? I really don't know since the guild feature was just implemented recently, so the top guilds are still undetermined. However, judging from this individual's reaction, the girl in question seemed formidable.
"Why are you here?! This has nothing to do with you and your guild!" he exclaimed in annoyance.
"...It has, though. I'm on a hunt for red players to increase our guild's reputation points. I'm lucky to find a prey," she disclosed in a hushed tone.
It was evident that she used a voice changer, a detail I could discern. Although it's a bit unconventional to use one, it adds greatly to her mystique.
"Tsk! I'll show you who the real hunter around here is!" the PK player shouted in frustration.
Perhaps his pride was hurt by being called a 'prey,' but the man attacked. Whether she intended to provoke him deliberately or by chance, I cannot say for sure.
"Yes. Cele- our guild leader needs more members since we are still expanding. She has been bugging me to recruit members, telling me it's my duty as a founding member for quite a while now,” she explained.
A guild? I had no objections as long as I could learn from her. Hopefully, this could lead to me becoming her protégé and eventually attaining a level of strength and skill akin to hers.
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My eyes fluttered open to a world bathed in soft, golden light. A gentle warmth embraced me, and for a moment, I felt suspended in a cocoon of comfort. As consciousness seeped in, a wave of disorientation washed over me.
"A dream, huh?" I murmured.
The memory of our first meeting remained vivid in my mind. It was a pivotal moment that motivated me to pursue strength so that I could stand toe to toe with her someday.
As I became aware of my unfamiliar surroundings, I scanned the room I found myself in.
The room exuded understated luxury. Crisp white sheets piled generously on a king-sized bed, and a chandelier hung like a regal ornament above me, casting intricate shadows upon the pearl-gray walls.
The subtle and sweet scent of jasmine permeated the air. My gaze shifted to the floor-to-ceiling windows, where the distant hum of a city hinted at a world beyond these lavish confines.
That's right, I'm in the hotel designated for the tournament participants.
I grabbed my phone to check the time. It was still quite early—a couple of hours before the last day of the tournament officially started.
As part of my morning routine, I engaged in some stretching exercises to get my blood flowing, followed by a refreshing shower.
Feeling a bit famished and with nothing better to do, I made my way to the dining hall for breakfast.
While walking towards my destination, I reflected on the upcoming battles for the day. Given the caliber of the remaining participants in the tournament, it would undoubtedly be a challenging journey.
Our first match was against Hana's team, which had shown remarkable improvement throughout the tournament.
Seer believed their progress was attributed to a skilled tactician. Winning the initial match, which posed a significant challenge in itself, would lead us to face Lua, one of the toughest opponents I had encountered apart from the original Paragons.
The situation appeared rather bleak for us. The path to reaching her now seemed obstructed, with formidable obstacles barring our way to the grand finals.
Upon reaching the dining hall, I stepped inside and was greeted by the enticing aroma of breakfast foods.
Surveying the area, which was brimming with food, I found someone I didn’t expect to see this early. Noticing that she was by herself, I immediately approached her.
“You're quite early this time,” I said as I sat in the chair beside her.
"You're quite early this time," I remarked as I took a seat in the chair beside her.
Initially taken aback by the sudden presence, she eased her guard upon realizing it was me. For whatever reason, she was always wary of getting close to people, especially back then when she was still using her main account. Her sudden mood swings were also strange, sometimes friendly, other times extremely aloof. It's good that she is this comfortable now around me.
“I don't have to analyze the participants' plays or create counterplay anymore since I’m already done with those, so I slept quite a bit earlier than usual,” she explained.
She paused as if hesitating, then continued. “Besides, it's better to eat this early when there aren't many people around.”
So that was the real reason, huh? She is just shy around the crowd. Well, considering it’s her, I’m not too surprised, especially since she had become the talk of the participants with her shocking performance yesterday.
"It seems like you're signaling me to go away. Should I sit at a different table?" I said teasingly.
It feels like I've grown significantly closer to her over the past week, to the point where I can comfortably behave like this around her now.
After pausing to contemplate for a moment, she responded, "...No, your company would be much appreciated."
Her admission caused my heart to skip a beat. It also promptly resurrected the memory from yesterday. Her reassuring embrace. Her reliable presence. Her...
No! What am I thinking?! Bad Aria! Bad! I mentally scolded myself.
"A-aria, are you alright?" Katherine's concerned voice snapped me back to reality.
Oops, I almost forgot she is quite perspective in reading body language and subtle changes in movements. I must've acted quite weird in front of her.
"I-I'm fine, just nervous about the upcoming matches," I lied.
She flashed me a lovely smile.
"I didn’t think you were even capable of being nervous," she bantered. “Don't worry. If it's you, I'm sure you'll do great, no matter the outcome of your matches," she reassured me.
Her encouragement made my heart flutter. In response, I looked at her with all the gratitude I could muster.
"...Thanks," I muttered weakly.
I expressed my gratitude not only for this particular instance but for all the help she had given me since the moment we first met.
"Don't mind it," she said casually.
Following that, I got my own meal from the breakfast buffet. I made sure to make the most of it this time since this will be our last meal in this place for the foreseeable future. We then both ate in comfortable silence, appreciative of each other's company.