Ex rank talent Awakening: 100\% Dodge rate-Chapter 36 - : SHADOW VS ABYSS

The second day of the event. The battle for the next round. The top eight guild masters had to compete once more. Excitement was bubbling, and people were veering toward entertainment.

[Welcome, competing players, to the next round of the event.]

[In this round and the rounds to come, surrenders will be accepted. Proving yourselves to be guild masters worthy of respect, players will be allowed to surrender if they believe they can no longer continue the battle.]

[Only one battleground will be used from now on—the Arena of Neutrality. An arena that will favor no player over the other.]

[Victory sees the player progressing to the next round.]

[Good luck to the challengers.]

The competing eight guild masters listened to the cold voice of the system. The eight competing guilds were:

The Dark Star Guild with Nemesis as guild master

The Rose Guild with Scarlett as guild master

The Hedj Guild with Gold Goblin as guild master

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The Nyxon Guild with Shadow as guild master

The Abyss Guild with Abyss as guild master

The Pirate Guild with Jacob as guild master

The Argus Guild with Odin as guild master

The Golden Lion Guild with Kyle as guild master

The eight guild masters watched as the system randomly determined the first battle of the round. Soon, the first match was decided.

[Abyss Guild vs. Nyxon Guild]

[Battleground: Arena of Neutrality]

Shadow and Abyss were teleported into the arena. Shadow stared at Abyss, on guard against the monstrous guild master.

"Alright, let's make this quick, shall we?" Abyss said. "Wake up from your slumber," he added once more, his armies rising, ready to confront his enemy.

Shadow stared at the large number of undead, unworried. She had fought several mental battles with each of the seven guild masters competing with her. For Nemesis and Scarlett, she had given up in each battle. For the rest, she had varying chances of winning depending on the tactics she utilized.

While mentally battling Abyss, the odds of her winning were extremely low. The chances were slim, but she was able to increase them by going directly after Abyss rather than his monsters—and that was exactly what she planned to do. Go for the summoner. An easy job for an assassin.

Hopping into a shadow, she disappeared from the arena and appeared from Abyss's shadow, planning to strike him. She brandished her dagger and went for the strike, but her attack was countered—an undead got in her way. Slightly irritated but still calm, she hopped into another shadow, appearing from the shadow of an undead close to Abyss and going for the hit again. The result was the same—her attack was stopped by an undead.

"You know," Abyss said with a cruel smile, "as odd as it may sound, the easiest people for me to deal with are killers and assassins."

Shadow continued hopping through the shadows, her attacks relentless. This time, she appeared behind an undead in Abyss's blind spot and went for the strike. However, Abyss was a step faster, already anticipating her move. Two of his undead were commanded to take action, succeeding in their purpose. The first one acted as a meat shield, preventing the attack, while the other launched a counterattack.

"Urgh," Abyss muttered, cut by Shadow's attack.

Abyss stared at Shadow, actually quite thrilled. "Impressive. I was fooled. It seems you are not someone to be taken lightly," he said, praising her without a care in the world.

The two undead had successfully countered and struck, except it was all a setup. The Shadow that attacked was a decoy, a substitute. The real Shadow had sneaked out of Abyss's shadow and landed the hit.

Shadow stared at Abyss, his praise doing nothing to move her. She continued her persistent attacks, aiming for no one but Abyss, leaving his many undead stranded without a target. Her hit-and-run tactics were almost impossible to deal with. With every passing minute, her attacks became more successful, the frequency of her successful strikes increasing.

Hopping into a shadow, Shadow was preparing for another attack. She sneaked out from the shadow of an undead in Abyss's blind spot, but this time, it didn't go as planned. Abyss, with a swift movement, took out his sword and slashed the unprepared and baffled Shadow, dealing a critical hit. Shadow immediately hopped into a shadow and created distance between herself and Abyss.

"Shocked?" Abyss asked, trying to guess her reaction. Since she wore a mask, he couldn't tell from her face.

"You see, just because I control undead doesn't mean I'm not strong myself. My undead don't need mana to wake, so there's no need to invest in intelligence points like many of you imagine. Taking down the summoner and making the undead disappear? A pretty good plan if you ask me. But tell me—can you really take me down?" Abyss asked, the grin on his face widening.

---

"Any lead on Cain?" Viper asked Mad Dog while watching Cain's match against Shadow. It was easy to recognize him. Without a mask, Cain was easily identifiable.

"No, boss," Mad Dog answered, shaking in his boots.

Viper turned from the TV and stared at Mad Dog. "Why?" he asked, his voice growing colder.

"Well, boss, getting information on Cain has proven very difficult. It seems he has fled the slums, and we don't know where exactly he went. We've spread our information gatherers everywhere, but we still haven't located him, boss," Mad Dog said, trying not to piss himself.

"Tell me, you play Apocalypse in your free time, don't you?" Viper asked, his stare boring a hole through the trembling Mad Dog.

"Yes, sir," Mad Dog answered, sweating buckets.

"And? Your talent? Level?" Viper asked once more.

"Sir, my talent is D-rank, and my level is 15," he replied.

"Is that strong enough to defeat the Cain we are watching now?" Viper asked, his voice still low and calm. But that was exactly what frightened Mad Dog.

"No, sir," he answered, fearing what Viper would do to him.

"You see, Cain right now is super strong—very, very strong. If he can carry that ability into the real world, what do you think will be the first thing he does?" Viper asked, his eyes locked onto Mad Dog like a predator staring at its prey.

Mad Dog couldn't help but shake violently. "Knowing him, boss, he will likely come for..."

"Revenge!" Viper said coldly, cutting Mad Dog off.

Viper looked vicious, his gaze sending chills down Mad Dog's spine.

"I will double the effort, boss," Mad Dog said, his head bowed.

Viper nodded, not in the mood to deal with his foolish subordinate.

"Boss, if I may ask...," Mad Dog hesitated, still shaking in his boots.

Viper raised an eyebrow, finding his vice's bravery commendable yet foolish.

"Go on, what is it you want to say?" Viper said, lighting a cigarette, taking a deep drag.

"Why are you so concerned about Cain's strength in the game, Apocalypse? I mean... you don't actually believe that Nemesis dude or whatever he calls himself, right, boss?" Mad Dog asked, unable to wrap his head around Viper's actions.

Viper looked at Mad Dog. "Guess all brawn and no brains is the worst," he muttered.

"I do believe him. The signs are there. This event is being broadcasted on every major station. Plus, I got intel from friends I trust—about the government's secret actions in the game, trying to build a powerful army the world doesn't yet know about. Not just our government, but most governments across the world.

"SO GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER AND FIND ME CAIN, YOU FUCKING IDIOT!!" Viper bellowed, startling Mad Dog, who scurried away, terrified of what Viper might do next.

---

Back in the battle between Shadow and Abyss, Abyss slowly gained the upper hand, putting Shadow in a tough spot. She tried her hit-and-run tactics several more times, but each time, she failed. Abyss wasn't playing around anymore, coordinating his undead more effectively—defending himself while counterattacking Shadow, leaving her little room to breathe.

"Urgh!" Shadow exclaimed as Abyss sent her flying across the arena.

She hit the ground hard, coughing violently before struggling to her feet.

The frown on her face deepened.

"You know, I enjoy fighting you Big Six guild masters. You guys are fun to battle—strong, skilled, and challenging. Too bad in this event, the people I kill don't turn into undead. I would have had quite the powerful army fighting for me," Abyss said, resting his sword on his shoulder.

"I think his attitude is beginning to rub off on me because I'm starting to get annoyed by your endless buzzing," Shadow replied.

Placing all her eggs in one basket, she went full power mode. The shadows surged toward her, altering her appearance to fit that of the Queen of Shadows.

"This move takes a lot of strength, so I refrain from using it… but I guess I'll have to show you—to shut you up and put you in your place," she muttered softly.

"Shadow Devour!"

The shadows enveloping her detached and merged into one massive, gaping maw of darkness. It surged forward, consuming everything in its path—Abyss's undead and Abyss himself.

The arena fell silent.

Shadow, now pale and sweating, collapsed to the ground, completely drained. She took heavy breaths, fatigue washing over her face. But then—her instincts screamed at her. Something was wrong.

Thinking fast, Shadow ran through the possibilities. Then it hit her.

There was no victory announcement.