MMORPG: The Elementalist

To catch the bandits, one should catch the bandit leader!

Qin Ruo and his crew were the testaments of this old refined strategy.

Dinosaurcerer’s Explosive Venomspiders rained from the rooftop and crawled toward the streets, and exploded at the Dark Knights—hurting not only the knights but also their mounts. The streets were narrow. Therefore, when hundreds of Dark Knights were rocking around in confusion, they not only blocked off the reinforcement that was sent from behind but also sending their leader straight to their enemies, alone…

Facing off over two dozens Tier 5 Champions, about half of them possessing the abilities to slay Tier 5 Megaboss alone, the Tier 5 Dark Knight Megaboss’s situation was nothing but despair. However, being the Underworld being that fed on the fear of others, they had no fear. All they had was the will to fight. That was all they knew.

As Poochie, the Dark Vajra and the Pigasus collaborated and sent him deep into the streets, the Dark Knight’s fate was sealed.

Pzzt Pzzt!

Five violet lightning splintered from Homme Fatale’s hands and shot toward the knight.

In the next instant, the five lightning suddenly shifted their shapes in mid-air, like a monstrous beast widening its jaws at its prey. The violet lightning splintered outward and formed several ramparts of violet electric nets.

As he clenched his fists, the nets closed in and grabbed the Dark Knight.

Pzzt Pzzt Pzzt! Pzzt Pzzt Pzzt!

As the electric nets clenched inward, splinters of electricity circled and orbited the poor Dark Knight.

Roarrr!

As an enormous shock of electricity ran through its body, the Dark Knight felt an enormous surge of agony and roared in anguish! Then, a fifth electric net stretched out and blanketed the knight again. In an instant, another wave of paralyzing energy coursed up the Dark Knight’s body and sent him jittering fiercely with loud zapping noise sparking around him.

Everyone, except for Violet Orchid and Slayer’s Heart, could not help but raise their eyebrows as they saw what happened.

Paralyzing effect… nine seconds.

That’s insane!

Even Majestic Hero was shocked. He beamed in surprise as he watched Homme Fatale preparing his next attack and then turned to the five electric webs and pondered—about the incredible attribute damage that Homme Fatale delivered or perhaps this reminded him of Qin Ruo’s Poochie’s Clone Shadowstrike.

Regardless, the Dark Knight was toast.

It was impossible for it to withstand the punishment of over twenty Champions’ attacks. On top of that, there were also another twenty pets stacking their attacks on top of their masters’ too—Poochie, Big Hero, Mutated Violetfox, and countless others. There was a mix of everything in their attacks—physical, holy, fire, lightning… everything! The damage dealt on the Dark Knight was off the chart.

Nine seconds.

This was enough for them to rotate several rounds of such attacks and magic onto the knight.

Even though it had over five hundred thousands of HP, it could only succumb to its defeat as fierce and powerful strikes such as these ganged up on him continuously.

***

Qin Ruo was not a part of the crimson Dark Knight’s slaughterhouse—they had the help of Majestic Hero and Homme Fatale. He was assigned with a more pressing task, which was to aid Dinosaurcerer to fend off the Dark Knight hordes. Dinosaurcerer’s Explosive Venomspiders were indeed powerful but they could hold off the hordes for only so long. If they needed him to buy them more time, Qin Ruo would need to help Dinosaurcerer to maintain the confusion amongst the hordes.

Boom!

Frostburst!

Several Frostramparts burst in the air, sending a screen of frosted mist across the streets, distracting the Dark Knight hordes. This provided Dinosaurcerer some room to breathe and also an opportunity to send another wave of exploding spiders into the battlefield unnoticed.

Boom!

As explosions erupted beneath the Metallic Steeds, these monstrosities were sent into a rage. The Dark Knights were forced to stop and rock around to calm their mounts.

Then, as the frosted mist cleared away, countless Compressed Frost Bullets formed in the air.

“Go!”

As he pointed his Water Dragon’s Staff at the Dark Knights, three rows of Compressed Frost Bullets were sent flying toward their targets like missiles before exploding.

As the explosion of the Frost Bullets covered all of the narrow streets…

Freeze!

‘Phew, I’d bought them another three seconds.’

As Qin Ruo instantly formed the Frostramparts, he beamed pleasantly.

Suddenly!

“Watch out!”

As Fateless’s warning echoed in his ears, a deafening roar was heard from the back of the Dark Knight hordes. And then, a huge crimson silhouette forcefully rammed from the rear of the horde and toward the frontline. Several dozens of Dark Knights were shoved aside, together with their Metallic Steeds, as the crimson silhouette crushed through their troops. The frozen knights suffered worse—their frozen bodies were instantaneously crushed to pieces of ice shards as it forced its way through them.

In just mere seconds, the second wave of the Dark Knights, led by their crimson leader, was seen galloping toward Qin Ruo. The crimson Boss had its bloody yet cold eyes locked onto Qin Ruo.

Colossal Spear Swipe!

“Fuck!”

Qin Ruo, realizing the gravity of the situation, quickly leaped away as he waved a newly formed Frostrampart in front of him.

However, he was a little too late. Elementalists, after all, were known to be slow on their feet…

The Dark Knight’s Colossal Spear Swipe was an AoE attack that could shoot across the street at long-range, a dozen meters away from where it was.

Qin Ruo frowned as its attack landed on him and the Frostrampart in front of him. As three Frostramparts shattered before him, a system message glaringly warned him about his Darkfrost Shield’s impending collapse.

“Burst!”

Even though he had lost the protection of his Darkfrost Shield, Qin Ruo was able to pull himself together and ignite the rest of the Frostramparts that were still standing in the streets and burst them into frosted mist. As long as the Boss could not lock onto him, he could still survive its consecutive attacks without his Magic Shield.

If he managed to stay alive, it was not the end of the line yet…

***

“Judge!”

“On it!”

Judge acted fast—as soon as he saw the first attack by the second-wave crimson Dark Knights, he immediately dashed toward Qin Ruo and shielded him. Judge’s defense and damage resistance were outlandishly high. With him by his side and if the Dark Knights were still blinded by the frosted mist, Qin Ruo was safe for the moment.

Qin Ruo, with a sigh relief, started to reformed the Frostramparts.

It would take a few more minutes before the first crimson Dark Knight was slain. Therefore, it would be up to him and Judge to hold off the second wave of Dark Knights until then.

However, it would be much harder to hold off this second wave.

Qin Ruo had to assist Dinosaurcerer in his efforts to trap the horde with his exploding spiders. In other words, Judge would have to face off the crimson leader alone.

Of course, Judge was more than happy to comply.

If there were no other distractions, Judge did not mind facing off the Tier 5 Megaboss alone. Besides, he had gulped down a bottle of Giant Tree Sap, raising his HP by 3000. Therefore, as long as his potions were not depleted, he could hold off the Dark Knight.

As for Qin Ruo, if Judge could handle the crimson leader alone, he could then concentrate his efforts in aiding Dinosaurcerer.

Then, a short moment later, Majestic Hero and the others stepped forward, leaving the first crimson Dark Knight’s corpse behind and shared Judge’s burden.

***

The plan went surprisingly well!

In just a few more minutes, there were only three out of the twelve “crimson Dark Knights” left standing.

The other Dark Knights were also mostly decimated. Except for two more troops lingering around and another one sole troop that was trapped in the streets.

However, as they inched toward the center of the plaza, increasing pressure and anxiety weighed their minds.

Soon!

They would be facing the main dish—the “Dark Knight Commander”!

“Fateless!”

Qin Ruo yelled at his scout, “Has the Dark Knight Commander made any move?”

“Odd!”

Fateless, who was camping on one of the rooftops could not help but feel confused as he stared at the plaza. That “Rakoff” was still at the very spot he was from the start of the operation, carving his dagger at the weird “globe” that he held in his hand.

Fateless shook his head and continued, “Is he really the Dark Knight Commander?”

Nine out of twelve of his strongest knights were all but slain by the humans. His entire army was also about to be eliminated. Yet, “Rakoff” seemed unaffected at all—all he cared about was his carving.

This was too bizarre to watch!

As Fateless was stunned by what he saw, suddenly…

The tenth crimson Dark Knight roared.

A blinding black spectral silhouette exploded from the tenth crimson Dark Knight’s body as another glaring crimson light beamed out of his Metallic Steed. Then, the black and red lights, the souls of the Dark Knight and his mount, rose to the sky and shot down toward the center of the plaza… at Rakoff!

“…moved!”

“He moved!!”

As those two weird black and red souls flew toward the plaza, Rakoff finally stopped his carving. In a beam of light, Rakoff raised the globe in his hand and approached the incoming souls of the Dark Knight and his Metallic Steed with a cold smirk.

It was then that Fateless was able to see what the “globe” thing was in Rakoff’s hand—a skull!

It was a small skull the size of a fist!

As the skull was raised in the air, the two souls hastily dove into it and disappeared.

Then, the skull started to tremble and a blinding black light engulfed Rakoff.

In an instant, a nerve-wracking howl was heard as a powerful unsettling presence, as if it was a monstrosity from hell itself, rose from beneath the Buried City.