MMORPG: The Elementalist

Tier 5 AoE offensive skill!

The biggest difference compared to Tier 3 and 4 AoE offensive skill, was its area of effect and environmental buff effect! Many players had searched for information regarding Tier 5 skills and spells on the official website and found that the Tier 5 Aoe offensive skill was the most complex. Comparatively, regular single target skills were not much different when upgraded from Tier 3 to Tier 4—increased AoE, longer active duration, as well as increased base and elemental damage.

That was general knowledge that all players knew.

However the Tier 5 AoE offensive skill came with a surprising effect!

A Tier 5 skill would not just have an increase in attack damage, but also an incredible increase in range.

The truth was the damage increase was not overpowered. However, the attack range and area of effect was so great that the true effect of the skill would extend further than the given AoE mark of the skill.

***

Just take this scene in Devil’s Swamp as an example!

When Gargantuan Demoncroc roared and summoned the Death Meteor, a ray of light that was exceptionally bright like the sun rose from the Deepest part of Devil’s Swamp!

Instantly, the darkness within a hundred meters was forcefully dispersed and even crushed by this extraordinarily strong light! Meanwhile, this strong light also “pierced” the eyes of every player there! Even Qin Ruo who was still in the state of Aquamorph, felt that he was in a state of panic. He felt that the flash of light had had him blinded for a brief moment. It was bad…

Beads of sweat started to drip down his forehead.

At that moment everyone reacted the same way as Qin Ruo, by shutting their eyes quickly!

Unfortunately, the Eight Gods Clan members who were within the range of the Death Meteor had no chance to as they were closest to the point of attack. The light blinded them as they yelp in terror! Some of them reacted that way because they thought they were about to die but the majority were responding to the figure above their heads—an enormous vortex that was like the starry sky at night!

In the center of the vortex, there was a downward pressure pulsating towards the ground. Heat was rising and concentrated in the eye of the storm. In the thirty-meter vicinity around the Gargantuan Demoncroc, everyone that was engulfed by the wind could feel an immense heavy pressure on their bodies.

Put it into perspective. Imagine having being blinded momentarily, and right after, an immense weight was applied out of the blue and finally, being submerged in boiling lava. The mind could only stay sane with so much stress and stimulants; one being that in that situation, with their body half-bent towards the ground, struggling to maintain their stance while tears rolling down their cheeks – not of sadness, but of fear. The kind of fear that was similar to that of an impending apocalypse.

Everyone who was in the eye of the storm had their eyes closed, trying to get over the situation.

*Boom!*

In the next second, it was as if the Devil’s Swamp shook because of the powerful shockwave—staggering everyone on the battlefield as if they were hit.

Even though no one was able to witness the destructive power of impending doom, all those in Devil’s Swamp were able to feel its power—figuratively and literally speaking.

Qin Ruo was one of them.

Although the aftershock did not deal any damage to anything outside the area of effect, Qin Ruo was still affected. A system message appeared, notifying Qin Ruo that his Aquamorph was forcefully dispelled—leaving him exposed on the field. It was most unfortunate for him since he was about to leave the battlefield. Luckily, the entire battlefield was just too messy and chaotic. All eyes were either focused on the monsters or each other. None of them had noticed a sudden appearance of a Tier 3 Aquamancer. If the battle was not too chaotic that no words could describe, the Eight Gods Clan would have spotted Qin Ruo.

Qin Ruo was not the only who was forced to show himself…

Gold Digger Babe and her friend who was another Bandit from Citadel also had their Stealth removed because of the shockwave.

Qin Ruo could not come up with a strategy in this situation as he had little knowledge regarding the characteristics of Tier 5 skills. He was not able to foresee Gargantuan Demoncroc using such a trump card at the last moment.

As the situation grew ever chaotic, a group of players was exposed. They were none other than players that were trying to take advantage of the situation to loot the dropped items.

***

As death toll had soared to over three hundred, the Eight Gods Clan, as a whole, was suffering.

However there was no any better way but to fight harder!

Since Gargantuan Demoncroc could only strike again after some time; it was impossible for it to keep using such a powerful AoE attack.

Various kinds of attack skills and magic were cast one after another, intensively hitting on the Gargantuan Demoncrocs. However, at the same time, “rookies” from all directions had begun to cause a huge setback for the players at the frontline.

Frostrampart, Earthrampart, Tornado, Darkmist, Stun Grenade, and more were randomly cast onto the battlefield. As long as it was an attribute magic that could create havoc, they were cast over each other. Their actions shook and annoyed those at the frontline.

***

The Eight Gods members were filled with immense regret. With all the new players or rookies in their ranks, they could never defeat the Gargantuan Demoncroc. If they had retreated earlier, they would have… However, regret or not, they would have to endure what they had gotten themselves into.

They would have to be extremely careful in dealing with the Gargantuan Demoncroc. Not to mention the tipping point of the Eight Gods Clan failing or surviving. They would have to deal with the players from the Citadel by sending out two more parties out of the main attack team to deal with them.

Due to the participation of additional hostile forces, the Eight Gods could not allow any of their members to be the first to initiate a PvP fight, that is, being the player to be marked red, or even being the first to kill the marked players.

There were a few times that the Eight Gods Clan was close to ordering the “massacre”. An order to kill anyone on sight, as they were mad with rage.

However, Citadel’s tactics were repetitive.

After the Eight Gods Clan’s members switched to a defensive formation, the situation improved.

Some of the players immediately retaliated when the Eight Gods members struck them first. The retaliation was an all-out attack of all the Elementalists. Players that possessed Greater Shields would block those Citadel’s player that messed around with them. All they ever used was elemental magic which would not kill them. Instead, it was just a simple battle.

If it was PvP, Citadel was obviously at a disadvantage.

It was impossible to begin Citadel’s second bout of interference instantly as resurrection was time-consuming, MP was being drained, and also the risk of losing one’s equipment…

While fighting the Devilcrocs, the Eight Gods had reported sightings of a few bastards who had sneaked onto the battlefield.

These infidels had completely ignored the ongoing fierce battle, they were putting equipment into their backpacks quickly, with no fear of dying at all!

“F*ck!”

Eight Gods cursed furiously.

“Stop them! Quickly collect the equipment of our fallen comrades!!” Many Eight Gods Clan members were sick to their stomachs witnessing dozens of players shamelessly looting equipment from the ground.

Even though the Gargantuan Demoncroc was the most important target, their comrades were all Tier 4—the majority being Clan elites. Hence, the equipment dropped had good attributes and were worth a fortune when combined!

Even if they defeated the Gargantuan Demoncroc, what was the point? Which Eight Gods Clan member would be truly happy losing their equipment?

***

Even though Qin Ruo was out of his Aquamorph state, he was still following the party and charging into the heart of the battlefield. He looted every single equipment within reach into his waist pouch. If he was killed, someone would resurrect him and only Tier 3 Equipment that was not worth much would drop—what was there to worry?

However, after looting only a few pieces of equipment, an unusual cold breeze came from the side…

A surprise attack!

Qin Ruo reflexively manipulated the water in the marsh at his feet and condensed a rather thick Aquashield in the direction of the attack.

*Pshh*

The attack pierced through the Aquashield and hit Qin Ruo’s Aquabarrier, which enabled him to learn the attacker’s identity at the same time.

Hostile attack by player “Devil Iceheart”. Activating Counter Stance…

When Qin Ruo had received the system notification, he also discovered that the attacker used a Tier 2 Frostburst spell.

The sly attacker was in actuality a player of the same Class—an Aquamancer!

Surprised, Qin Ruo quickly glanced at the direction of the attack.

Unexpectedly yet it happened; under normal state, how could he possibly locate the player precisely that attacked him from the crowded battlefield?

In an environment with the water element in abundance, an Aquamancer’s attack would be completely undetectable.

However, it was apparent that this player known as Devil Iceheart was highly capable and self-confident as he had only attacked him with a Tier 2 spell. Most importantly, the attack was not meant to kill Qin Ruo.

It was unfortunate for the enemy because as an Aquamancer himself, Qin Ruo swiftly cast Aquashield even with Aquabarrier activated, to deflect the Frost Bullet. Of course he could not let the attacker succeed.

Qin Ruo’s quick reaction surprised the attacker, as an astonished “huh” was heard from an Eight Gods Clan party.

“Got you!”

Before he knew it, fine strands of Spider Silk rapidly shot out from under Qin Ruo’s feet, with the help of the marsh that was everywhere. It was targeting the source of the voice—a Tier 4 Aquamancer whose level was unknown.