Chapter 129
Translator: uly
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Off to Steal Again Today
A massive, obsidian-colored claw swept through the frontline with a devastating force, sending the charging goblins flying into the far corners of the chamber before they even had a fleeting chance to attempt a dodge.
Shadow Talon
A colossal shadow in the shape of a predatory claw swings in a wide arc forward!
Knockback effect has been triggered!
Goblins within the area of effect have been forcibly pushed into the corners!
This was a brand-new job skill that Luke had obtained through a Night King's artifact only a short while ago, and it was already proving to be worth every bit of the effort he had expended to acquire it. Luke allowed a sharp grin to curl the corners of his mouth as he watched the monsters slam violently into the stone walls, noting that this was his very first effective close-range area-of-effect skill.
He had previously tested the capabilities of the Shadow Talon inside the Dimensional Fortress and found it to be completely effective against monstrous entities. The knockback effect was particularly impressive, for while the base damage was substantial enough to cull the weak, the ability to physically reposition enemies made it an invaluable tool for maintaining control over the battlefield during this intense defense scenario.
'I am certainly getting my money's worth from those auction house tours,' Luke mused, recalling the Night King items he had secured in the southern regions. He felt no lingering regrets about the gold he had invested, especially now that his sub-items like the Afterimage Torch and Drake's Ring were delivering performance that exceeded their price tags. These were essential tools for single-target classes in the late game, providing the necessary area-of-effect capabilities that characters like his typically lacked.
He snuck a quick glance across the field and noticed that the members of the Petra Team had momentarily paused their onslaught, staring in his direction with expressions of utter bewilderment. They appeared to be completely flustered by the unexpected manifestation of his unfamiliar skills and items. It was understandable, given that the Afterimage Torch and Drake's Ring were artifacts known primarily to veterans or those willing to pay a premium for high-level intelligence. Since neither of his opponents belonged to a major guild, they were likely seeing these high-tier effects for the very first time.
'But the true jackpot of this entire exam is this specific notification,' Luke thought, focusing on the system message flickering before him.
This was a specialized skill he had gained through his second awakening, and it allowed him to perceive the red silhouettes and lines that represented the movement paths, attack directions, and skill ranges of every entity on the battlefield. It granted him the ability to instantly analyze an opponent's patterns without the need to clash directly to accumulate data, which would drastically reduce the time he needed to adapt to powerhouses like Gu Hwi.
However, befitting such an overwhelming advantage, the drain on his magical energy was considerable. He realized that more than half of his mana gauge had already vanished after only a brief period of activation, prompting him to decide that he would only toggle the Dragon Eye intermittently during crucial moments to conserve his resources for the later phases of the exam.
He noted that Kenny was still relying on familiar skills like the poison puddle and Poison Rain, which Luke had already countered during the previous territory war. Luke resolved to use his Shadow Talon and sub-items to clear the current phase while keeping his ultimate trump card—the Night World—in reserve.
His current capacity for poison was full, meaning he could not absorb any more of the toxic substances being spread by Kenny without first discharging or utilizing what he already held. Fortunately, the battlefield was currently an infinite buffet of toxins, allowing Luke to enchant his Blood Kukri and throwing daggers to his heart's content.
As he worked, a soft chime echoed in his mind, signaling a breakthrough in his skill progression.
Luke felt a surge of genuine gratitude toward Kenny, realizing that the other player’s constant use of skills had provided the perfect environment for this growth. It felt as though he had discovered a hidden oasis in a parched wasteland, and he quickly reviewed the enhanced benefits of his upgraded skill.
The final part of the upgrade solved his recent struggles with poison shortages, prompting him to look at Kenny with eyes filled with a manic sort of joy. Kenny, sensing the intense stare, scowled and shouted a warning for Luke not to get overconfident, claiming that he hadn't even revealed his most powerful new techniques yet.
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After that moment, Luke continued to rampage across the field, utilizing the explosive procs of the Afterimage Torch and the searing waves of damage from the Drake's Ring to demonstrate that a thief could indeed overcome the limitations of a single-target class.
The scouts in the audience were already frantically overhauling their official evaluations of the Iron Mask Man, noting that his preparedness and ability to supplement his class weaknesses were exceptional. Most players would have fumbled with such a complex rotation of items and skills, but Luke handled them with a natural fluidity that suggested he had been using them for years. Gunsi, who had previously predicted Luke's failure, was forced to admit that he had significantly underestimated the masked player’s potential.
Despite Luke’s impressive showing, the scoreboard still favored the Petra Team, whose classes were naturally suited for large-scale defense.
The gap remained at nearly 1,800 points, and the situation only grew more dire as a resonant horn blast signaled the start of Phase 2. A massive horde of green-skinned orcs began to pour through the breaches in the walls, representing a much greater threat in terms of attack power, defense, and unpredictable behavior.
Suddenly, the sky darkened as a familiar rain began to fall. Kenny had cast his Poison Rain again, but the reaction of the monsters was unlike anything seen in Phase 1. Steam began to rise from the orcs’ bodies as their flesh started to melt away bit by bit under the liquid. The spectators realized that Kenny was finally revealing a new, acidic strain of poison.
"How do you like that, Iron Mask?" Kenny shouted with a confident smirk. "Feast your eyes on my newest creation!"
Luke, however, was in no position to offer a witty retort, for he was too busy processing the rush of system notifications flooding his mind.
He was effectively stealing Kenny's newest trump card and making it his own.