The Heavenly Demon Does Ten Good Deeds (2)
My goal has always been one thing: to humiliate Dekay. No matter what fancy words I wrap around it, the essence never changes. So I thought about it. How could I make him truly feel humiliated?
Me, the Heavenly Demon, defeating Dekay wouldn't be surprising to anyone. In a situation where everyone expects me to win overwhelmingly, even a crushing victory wouldn't wound his pride. At best, people would say he lost because he was outmatched, or that he fought well despite the loss. That's all I'd hear.
So what should I do? I need to give him hope. I have to make him feel like there's a chance. And the character that fits this scenario perfectly is the Whip Master. If you search for it online, all you get is criticism. The weakest class. A character that can't save anyone. If I crush Dekay with that, wouldn't everyone enjoy the show?
Look at them. The moment I picked the Whip Master, the kids in the chat went into full meltdown. Just how bad is this character's reputation to get that kind of reaction? For me, it was perfect. The bigger the disappointment, the greater the joy that follows, right?
After selecting the Whip Master, I gave the whip a light flick. The air cracked with a sharp snap. Why do the kids hate this character so much? When I'd played it before, I could never understand why it got such terrible reviews. The character's foundation was solid. The internal energy dwelling within it was pure, and the techniques it used as corrections carried quite respectable principles.
I suspect most people simply fail to grasp the true principles of the whip. That's probably it.
Soon the scenery changed. We stood in the middle of a bustling market street. Merchants shouting for people to look at the goods they'd hauled down from the mountains. Beggars clutching their stomachs and pleading for a single coin. Customers arguing with shopkeepers over defective products. It looked like an ordinary marketplace, but this too was one of the many battlegrounds provided by Apis.
I'd fought here several times before, and every single match had turned into complete chaos. Government troops would suddenly appear to suppress the fight. An opponent would stumble upon some treasure and gain a sudden power boost. A high-level expert from the Beggars' Sect would barge in and attack me. There were countless variables. It was exhausting just to list them all. On top of that, the alleys were a maze and the crowds were thick—perfect for running away.
I roughly understood Dekay's intention. He was avoiding a head-on fight.
It didn't take long for Dekay to appear before me. He'd chosen a character with a bow slung across his back. A male character with long pointed ears and striking blond hair. Tiny fairies floated around him, drifting lazily through the air.
Whip Master VS Spirit Archer
Game begins in 20 seconds.
“So you’re avoiding a direct confrontation.”
I didn’t know exactly what that character was, but choosing a bow as a weapon was practically a declaration that he wouldn’t fight me fairly. After all, a bow is a weapon for hunting, not for battle.
“How could I possibly defeat the Flame Dragon in a frontal fight?”
“Not a bad choice, but it does look rather cowardly.”
I tried a light provocation, but Dekay didn’t respond. He seemed to have steeled his resolve. Fine. If he wants to play the hunter, I’ll gladly play along. But remember one thing: those who set out to hunt tigers usually end up dying by the tiger’s fangs.
“Sylphid!”
The moment the match began, Dekay shouted the name of a spirit. A fierce gust of wind kicked up a cloud of dust, obscuring my vision. He was trying to create distance in the chaos. How unfortunate. For a martial artist, vision doesn’t only mean what the eyes can see.
I closed my eyes and expanded my Qi Sense. Even with my back turned, I could clearly perceive Dekay fleeing. Instead of moving my feet, I swung the whip. A Whip Master who has reached a high realm can wield the whip as naturally as their own limbs.
The whip shot forward according to my will and struck Dekay’s ankle, sending him tumbling across the ground. As I moved through the dust cloud, arrows came flying. But since I had already seen him nocking and releasing them, dodging was easy.
“Did you really think I’d let you escape so easily?”
“I know that! Ifrit!”
At Dekay’s shout, the surrounding shops burst into flames. Shouts rose from the crowd as panic spread. He planned to disappear into the increasingly chaotic throng of people. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a good decision. But there was one thing he hadn’t considered.
“Aaaargh!”
I had no hesitation about harming people. I struck down the civilian blocking my path and lashed my whip toward Dekay’s hand. A whip is a terrifying weapon. Even with minimal force, it can split the air, tear flesh, and rattle bones. Now imagine that same weapon wrapped in concentrated energy.
A whip used by a martial artist who has reached the pinnacle isn’t something that simply strikes the body—it tears it apart. Since this was a game, such gruesome scenes wouldn’t actually play out, but it would still interfere with his ability to draw his bow. Or so I thought.
The ground suddenly rose up, blocking my whip. Hmm. These spirits are rather annoying. I wonder if they die when hit by a whip. I’ve never encountered such beings before, so I can’t say for certain.
While I was thinking, Dekay vanished into the crowd. Since he was the one who chose this location, he must have prepared some kind of plan. He is a martial artist, after all. And someone who desperately craves victory. I doubt he came here with a light heart. So please—entertain me like you did last time when you summoned that Outer God.
Dekay ran desperately. The strategy he had decided on today was very simple. There was no way he could win in a direct fight. Even if the Flame Dragon hadn’t chosen the Heavenly Demon, the gap in basic skill was simply too wide. There was no chance of victory in a head-on clash.
That was why Dekay had deliberately chosen this map full of variables. The Murim Market map. A place so riddled with uncontrollable variables that even skilled pros hated it the most. Sometimes, no matter how hard you played, you’d still lose because of pure luck. That kind of map.
Usually, skilled pros avoided this map, while those considered relatively weak would pick it. Because the weak need variables to defeat the strong.
Right before retiring from being a pro, Dekay had practically lived on this map. His physical condition had already hit rock bottom, and to deal with the flood of insane rookies, the only option was to rely on variables. It was no wonder one of his nicknames had been “Market Owner.” Even if you combined every current and former pro coach, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who knew this map better than Dekay.
“The government troops should be mobilizing soon.”
The government troops were responsible for maintaining order in this market. If civilian casualties exceeded a certain threshold, they would appear to attack the player who had caused the damage. Dekay had triggered it by setting the market on fire, but during the chase the Flame Dragon had also attacked civilians, so the aggro was probably split. Whichever one they found first would get attacked.
That was why Dekay planned to lure the Flame Dragon toward the approaching government troops. So she would be the one to take their attacks. While she was busy fighting them, he could search for other variables.
The market had more than just one or two variables. Besides the well-known help from Beggars’ Sect experts or the extremely low-probability appearance of the Awakening Corps, there were many others. Stamina recovery. Mana recovery. Physical ability enhancement. Map-exclusive special techniques, weapon upgrades, and more. He had to gather as many as possible while running around the market. If he didn’t, he’d be slaughtered by the Flame Dragon’s hand.
“Behind you! Behind!”
At the urgent cry from the chat, Dekay turned his head. There she was—running across the cloth roofs of the stalls, chasing him. Why was that flimsy-looking tent holding up so well while she ran on it? Was that also some kind of martial art?
“Sylph! Blow her away!”
He used a blade of wind intending to send the entire tent flying, but the Flame Dragon swung her whip once and scattered all the wind blades. Of course she wouldn’t get hit so easily. Dekay had expected as much. That was why, while the spirit was using its technique, he had already drawn his bowstring.
The arrow flew. His target was her thigh. An arrow shot with the help of a spirit boasted speed comparable to a bullet. But the arrow never reached the Flame Dragon. It was cut in half by her whip before it could even get close.
“Crazy…”
It was so overwhelming that only admiration came out. How was that even possible?
Before he knew it, the Flame Dragon had overtaken him and landed in front. Even though she had been running like a madwoman just moments ago, there wasn’t the slightest disorder in her posture. She really was a monster. Did the class not even matter? Could basic skill completely cover for a character’s performance?!
“Is there anything left for you now?”
Dekay didn’t answer. He only stared at the hand holding the whip. If that thing came flying, he would dodge first and then use Undine to create a wave and steal her vision. If he could buy time—
“Halt!”
Yes. They had to appear at this exact timing on this route. Even though he hadn’t played in a while, his body still remembered it perfectly. Dekay clenched his fist as he watched the government troops emerge from behind the Flame Dragon.
Since they were characters inside Apis, the government troops weren’t an overwhelmingly dangerous enemy. But they weren’t opponents he could completely ignore either. If they became targets of attack, he would have no choice but to fight them. Both Dekay and the Flame Dragon had damaged the market, but the one currently closer to the troops was the Flame Dragon. In other words, she was the one who would be attacked.
“We will not overlook your crimes! Surrender quietly and accept your punishment!”
The Flame Dragon clicked her tongue briefly at the sight of the government troops and swung her whip. The tip of the whip struck one soldier’s head. His helmet shattered, and his body collapsed instantly. One strike. It was a single blow.
Haha. No matter how weak the government troops were, was it even fair to take them down like that?
“You wench!”
Watching the troops charge at the Flame Dragon, Dekay quickly turned and ran. They probably wouldn’t buy him much time. Even if they held out, it wouldn’t be more than thirty seconds. He had to gather items before then. Most important of all was the Beggars’ Sect Leader’s gourd. If he found it and handed it to the high-ranking Beggars’ Sect expert waiting at the center of the map, that expert would join him as an ally.
The Beggars’ Sect expert was a fairly strong NPC. There were plenty of posts from Silver and Gold users saying they had lost one-on-one against them. She probably couldn’t defeat the Flame Dragon, but she would definitely be helpful. Honestly, the best thing would be to find the Awakening Corps, but that was something that might appear only once in a blue moon.
Not long after he left the scene, an explosion rang out from behind him.