Chapter 010: National Team Professional Player!

So what if he was being hunted? Morning Wind continued his slaughter as the Blood Dragon within Green Forest Valley, though not as recklessly as before. As a psychic assassin, he always ensured the environment was secure and calculated his odds before striking. Now, encircled by the top ten guilds, Morning Wind was all the more cautious.

His survival in Green Forest Valley was not merely due to the Blood Dragon’s brute strength or his own skill, but rather his keen reconnaissance and counter-surveillance abilities, honed as an assassin. He always knew when to strike, and when to retreat.

This time, with the Divine War Guild organizing a mass leveling event, Morning Wind wasn’t foolish enough to charge in. He was certain there was an ambush waiting; a direct assault would almost certainly mean his death.

He roamed the valley, cloaked in stealth, searching for a vulnerable target. Now he was at his most vigilant, knowing that a single misstep could mean the end.

A lone figure—an Arms Warrior?

Morning Wind spotted an eighteen-level human Arms Warrior wielding a two-handed sword, cutting down level-eighteen rhinos with impressive skill. His movements were precise, always positioning himself between two rhinos to minimize damage. His execution rate of skills rivaled Morning Wind’s own, nearly ninety percent.

This was a professional player, here intentionally to wait for Morning Wind—a clear provocation. Morning Wind felt no fear, but he circled the area twice to confirm there were no other enemies before canceling his stealth behind a large tree.

A spear suddenly flew, burying itself in the tree he’d been hiding behind. The Arms Warrior’s voice followed, “Your footsteps gave you away. Come out, Blood Dragon!”

Indeed, the Blood Dragon’s footsteps were slightly heavy. Morning Wind hadn’t expected his opponent to notice even this minor detail or pinpoint his location. Clearly, the man had a companion—a Hunter—nearby, skilled at tracking players.

“You know I’m here, yet you still call me out. Are you so eager to die?” Morning Wind’s raspy voice, distinctively Blood Dragon’s, reverberated with a chilling intensity.

“Not many dare speak to me that way,” the Arms Warrior replied, already charging forward. Morning Wind met his charge; they collided and then leapt apart.

In terms of reaction, Morning Wind was faster. He dashed in, executing a Bloodthirst strike. The Arms Warrior sidestepped left, dodging the blow, and brought his two-handed sword down.

–102

The angle was cunning. Morning Wind’s lunge left him off-balance, and his opponent spun around to strike before he could recover. At that angle, parrying with a heavy two-handed sword was difficult, even for Morning Wind.

Backstep!

Having landed a hit, the Arms Warrior pressed his advantage. Morning Wind leapt back, knowing it was unwise to counterattack in such a position. The Arms Warrior quickly closed in, unleashing a Whirlwind Slash.

–149

“You do have some skill—not the rumor-mongered equipment-dependent killer,” the Arms Warrior commented as Morning Wind retreated. He didn’t pursue, instead pausing, “As an offensive player, you should use axes, not swords. Axes have more impact, better suiting the Blood Dragon’s ferocity. Swords are better for defense.”

“You win one exchange and think you can lecture me? You’re not qualified.” Morning Wind was well aware of the difference, but swordplay was simply his old habit.

He lunged forward, leaping to bring both two-handed swords down on his opponent. The Arms Warrior had already switched to a shield and one-handed sword, raising the shield to block part of the blow, absorbing 203 damage.

He backstepped twice, diffusing Morning Wind’s assault, then switched back to a two-handed weapon and charged in with a Mortal Strike. Mortal Strike was exclusive to Arms Warriors, like Bloodthirst for Berserkers—dealing damage and generating rage.

Backstep Quickstep! This was a famed maneuver among professionals: retreat to avoid an assault, then rush in to counter. Many understood the concept, but few could execute it well; the footwork and timing required expert training.

Morning Wind sidestepped left, evading the attack, then swung his Blood Dragon Greatsword. This was the same move his opponent had just used to outmaneuver him. In-game, right hand is usually dominant; attacking from the left with a two-handed sword was harder to parry. That’s why Morning Wind had been struck earlier.

–148

But this time, Morning Wind wasn’t letting his opponent off so easily. He activated Berserker’s Fury, gaining 10 rage and two Rage Strikes. Both swords came down, attacking from both sides, his hand speed suddenly increasing—catching the Arms Warrior off guard.

–493

–380

“You were hiding your hand speed?” The Arms Warrior realized the danger—he hadn’t expected Morning Wind to retaliate with his own move, nor that he’d been concealing his true speed all along. Normally, a Berserker wielding two-handed swords would attack slower than an Arms Warrior, but the Blood Dragon’s immense strength negated this disadvantage.

“There’s more you can’t imagine!” The Arms Warrior tried to create distance, aiming to recover and reengage, but Morning Wind’s movement speed suddenly spiked. He closed in with another Rage Strike, followed by Execution! Even switching to a shield couldn’t save the Arms Warrior.

The Blood Dragon had a 30% movement speed bonus, which Morning Wind had been hiding until now. In his opponent’s panic, he overwhelmed him.

After looting a necklace adorned with a red lion’s head, Morning Wind retreated immediately, vanishing into the forest with a twenty-meter stealth, then activating his stealth skill to fade from sight. A Hunter arrived moments later, but Morning Wind was already gone.

Bloodthirsty Lion’s Pendant
Dark Gold, Bound, Necklace
Requirement: None
+3% Critical Hit
+12% Damage
Special Effect: Lion’s Blood Fury
Special Effect: In Blood Dragon state, max HP +30%
Special Effect: In Blood Dragon state, lifesteal increased by 8%
Set Effect (2/2): Critical Chance +5%
Description: Offense is the best defense.

Lion’s Blood Fury: Lifesteal skill. Charge—offense is the best defense. Usable only in Blood Dragon state. Enter a berserk rage like a lion; next three attacks are guaranteed critical hits, with critical damage increased by 50%. Damage dealt restores your HP. Lasts 8 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes. Cost: None.

Seeing this necklace, Morning Wind understood why the professional player had drawn him out: to force him to drop his Blood Dragon Ring. Although both ring and necklace were bound, a set piece would drop if the opponent had another piece.

With this necklace, Morning Wind, at only level sixteen, now had 3,500 HP and 30% lifesteal, greatly enhancing his survivability. Obviously, the Blood Dragon Ring and Bloodthirsty Lion’s Pendant were meant to strengthen the Blood Dragon’s survivability and burst power. Morning Wind wondered what attributes the Bloodthirsty Werewolf and Vampire Batman sets would have.

Windchaser King? Morning Wind glanced at the system message: the player he’d just killed was named Windchaser King. Recently, he’d been catching up on professional teams’ information and knew that the Windchaser team had won two league championships—a formidable force. A quick web search confirmed that this guy was actually a national team pro.

“No wonder he’s a national team pro—his technique’s impressive!” Morning Wind realized that, had he not concealed his attack and movement speed, victory would have been difficult; Windchaser’s positioning and timing were superb, and he’d had a companion nearby. Clearly, he was overconfident and wanted a solo duel, either not wanting help or fearing Morning Wind would escape. The result was a bitter defeat.

In the luxurious training base of the national team, a man gloomily removed his VR helmet, unable to believe the Blood Dragon had hidden his speed so well and capitalized on a single moment’s relaxation. Among masters, a fight can indeed be decided in an instant, especially at lower levels.

A six-foot-tall man also took off his helmet—the elven Hunter who’d been hiding in the woods. They’d planned to ambush the Blood Dragon together, but knowing his counter-surveillance skills, decided the Arms Warrior should face him alone. The result: utter defeat.

“Don’t dwell on it, Asen. It was just strategy—he won’t beat you next time,” the Hunter consoled him. He’d have to stay offline for the rest of the day, but for national team players, time was expendable.

“If I meet him again, I’ll make him cough up every piece of his gear!” Since joining the national team, Li Sen had never been so humiliated, killed and logged out. In his view, the opponent had used tricks and had better gear; his own equipment was focused on damage.

What they didn’t know was that Morning Wind didn’t give them a second thought. After looting the equipment, he canceled Blood Dragon form and went to help his studio members with monster pulling. This time, things were different—they were heading into the level fifteen dungeon, the Treacherous Withered Treants!