Chapter 137 - National Competition - Assassin 2
After the second throat slice, an idea flashed through Vantico's heart, but it soon dissipated.
As for Odin, he stopped immediately and walked away. He didn't seem to want to fight.
This time, not just the commentators, but even the audience could see a hint of what was happening, and they commented on the public screen, "Is Odin doing it on purpose? Why is it that every time he gets the upper hand, he just slices his throat and leaves?"
"So far, in the previous two exchanges, Odin had had the advantage, and he could've continued..."
"Just slicing the throat without a combo doesn't deal enough damage. Take a look at the health values."
At this time, it had been 11 seconds since the start of the game.
Vantico's remaining health: 67%.
Odin's remaining health: 98%.
The advantage couldn't be considered that big. For assassins--especially those whose attributes were balanced for actual combat, a single set of combo attacks was enough to completely take away 50% of their health.
Vantico took a deep breath and calmed down. He said to himself: It's still unknown who will win. Psychologically, anyone who looks down on the enemy will have already lost!
After the two men came down from the door post, Vantico used the 'Bow Line' technique and once again retreated over 20 meters away.
At this distance, anyone could tell that Odin did not intend to pursue.
Vantico quickly hid behind a stone pillar. The experienced commentators could tell that he was planning to do something, so the cameras followed him the whole way.
As expected, Vantico took out his claws and tossed them directly towards the place where the fight had taken place just now!
The speed of the hook claws wasn't fast, but in the moment that they had been launched up into the air, Vantico had opened up his stealth skill and disappeared along with the hook claw.
This was the prelude to his technique: 'Snake Walk'!
The name, 'Snake Walk', was taken from the saying, 'The grass snake's grey line hints at an ambush a long distance away'. It alluded to a snake-like, long-distance ambush, sneak attack, and movement technique. The long-distance movement of this technique relied on the force provided by the hook claw.
'Bow Walk' was good for advancing and retreating in the battlefield; 'Lotus Walk' was good for moving around in close quarters, and 'Snake Walk' was a super long-distance penetration technique. These three displacement techniques combined together formed a perfect set of movement techniques for the 'Mysterious Hand', Vantico, just like how the combination of 'Flash' and 'Shadow Dance' came together for Lord Four.
At this moment, the 'Snake Walk' technique, which had the highest start-up requirements, appeared. The commentators were struck with excitement and said, "He's playing with timing once again!"
Just now, Vantico had deliberately used 'Bow Walk' to create the illusion that he was withdrawing from the direct confrontation, but in fact, he had been paving the way for 'Snake Walk'. He wanted to take advantage of this unexpected timing to catch Odin by surprise.
The hook claw flew for a total of 26 meters, and Vantico used Snake Walk three times. It added up to only two seconds in total, and this movement speed could be considered as fast as lightning as he suddenly burst into the front lines of the fight!
At this moment, there seemed to be killing intent lurking in the dark, startling the waiting beauty.
In the next moment, a figure suddenly rushed out of the fog. It was Odin.
The commentator forcibly swallowed the lines he'd prepared, because he could see that Odin had actively used Flash to take a step back. Moreover, he'd Flashed directly onto the wall behind him, standing on it steadily despite the huge impact.
Then, Odin crossed his blades together and Flashed back onto the battlefield!
Before the dust dispersed, they could see the shadow of a sword cut through the haze, and then, two people's figures rushed out from within.
This time, due to the strong impact from Odin's Flash, Vantico had to fight as he retreated!
The two men moved at high speeds, clashing dozens of times within a few seconds, even as they fought throughout the temple.
Suddenly, Vantico used 'Bow Walk' to retreat, directly interrupting Odin's combo.
In the blink of an eye, Vantico's ankle twisted, and he turned, using 'Bow Walk' again. This time, he'd found the best way to influence his opponent's invincible blade-fighting rhythm.
At the same time, however, Odin made the same move!
The two figures intersected at the same instant. Vantico's double daggers were resisted twice by the same short sword!
The dagger in Odin's left hand stabbed into the stone wall, providing the stability for an extreme turn. He swept out his legs and tripped Vantico directly.
After losing his center of gravity, Vantico's brain was practically blank--
Odin had cracked his Bow Walk! Not only had he cracked it, but he'd also imitated it before dealing with it!
If a movement technique that was good for penetration could be cracked during the process and could even reach the deadly effect of causing the user to 'lose their balance', then its use in the battlefield was already negative!
Vantico simply couldn't believe this fact.
As for Odin, he'd already attacked again with his sword, aiming at Vantico's heart. He took away another 15% of the other's health.
At this time, Vantico had half of his health left.
Odin's shadow seemed to still be beneath the wall. In the time when he had turned, he'd already used a Flash to depart again.
"Three." Odin gestured.
When Odin turned to leave, there was a faint hint of a smile in the corners of his eyes.
For a second, Vantico's mind was filled with a roaring, confused sound.
Incredible astonishment and successive setbacks were really testing his psychological state.
He reluctantly took a deep breath and stood back up, trying to suppress all his thoughts. He was still in the arena!
He retracted his claws and found a hidden spot on the upper level of the temple. This time, he didn't attempt any unexpected tactics.
--Odin's numbers left him with a strong sense of uneasiness and familiarity. That sense of familiarity told him that this wasn't something he should be encountering in the field of e-sports, but it lingered and was full of oppression regardless.
He didn't have time to think about it though, because in an instant, a dagger shot up from beneath him, rushing over as though it would break through the skies--
This was Odin's first active sneak attack!
Vantico hurriedly raised his weapon up to block in a hurry. After metal clashed, Odin landed a kick!
Vantico adjusted his stance after flying out one meter in the air, just in time to land on a stone statue and face the oncoming Flash from Odin!
At this moment, Vantico subconsciously used 'Lotus Walk', because he was occupying the dominant terrain on the stone statue.
Unexpectedly, Odin's Flash passed straight through him, making use of the stone statue to completely cut off his line of sight.
It was at this second that a huge force suddenly came up from beneath Vantico's feet.
Odin had wound a wire around his feet as he had passed by!
In that very brief moment, Vantico's fighting instincts clearly told him that he wouldn't be able to fully maintain his center of gravity in mid-air. At this time, the only way to save himself was to repel Odin's attacks.
"Wind Pressure!" The commentators exclaimed, "Vantico wisely used Wind Pressure to push back!"
Just at the moment when 'Wind Pressure' appeared, the dagger, Deep Silence, stabbed up!
Odin's dagger was rarely ever used alone, especially when blocking, but there was no doubting that his left hand was more powerful. Therefore, when faced with the powerful attack technique, 'Wind Pressure', it was obvious that the dagger was more suited for frontal blocking--
This truth crossed the minds of the commentators and Vantico in a flash, but the rest of the audience was clearly unable to extrapolate anything from this in such a short time.
At this time, Vantico had been fully prepared for a collision, and he had every reason to believe that Odin had underestimated the increase in strength caused by the 'Wind Pressure' technique!
Yet as a result, what had happened afterwards broke through all his plans at the speed of light.
This was because the dagger, Deep Silence, had been a trick. Odin had been acting!
Odin had attracted Vantico's attention with the fang, Deep Silence, that everyone was deeply afraid of, and then, he attacked Vantico from the side with his short sword, Song of Triumph. In that instant, a sharp wind was forced out, hitting the side of Vantico's dagger.
At this moment, Vantico's 'Wind Pressure' had only been two inches away from Odin's body, yet it had been forced to an abrupt stop.
The strong wind pressure came from a narrow track. Song of Triumph's quick successive attacks were accurate and perfectly effective, breaking this river channel and releasing a large amount of force--
'Wind Pressure' had completely been broken apart.
It finally reached the dagger, Deep Silence, and the fang that had been waiting for a long time followed its natural trajectory. The two blades neared each other, then crossed.
The spillover from Vantico's attack took away 5% of Odin's health.
Odin's dagger stabbed him from the front and took away another 20%.
However, what had really attacked Vantico's heart was the small smile lurking in Odin's eyes when he had looked at him. It made him instantly as pale as a sheet.
"Four," said Odin.
He hadn't been in a hurry to finish off Vantico's health from start to finish. Instead, he had a good time breaking through via Vantico's fatal spots again and again.
He would only deal damage once, hitting him accurately before retreating.
Then, he would take a few steps back from the front line of the battle as though giving his opponent time to adjust his breathing and mentality.
Four waves of attacks, four fatal injuries. This rhythm was too coincidental, too perfect.
Vantico finally realized that this wasn't a coincidence.
Odin was using the style of a senior assassin teaching the younger generation!
When a young assassin joined the organization, if they could obtain the instruction of their master or a senior, then this was undoubtedly one of the methods that would be used--when the two sides fought, the elder generation would generally behave like this:
The elder would counterattack and break apart the younger generation's attacks, so as to remind the younger generation of the shortcomings of these techniques;
Elders usually wouldn't take the initiative to attack unless they were giving guidance on defensive or blocking skills, or they were finding fatal weaknesses that must be pointed out;
Also, every time they found a chance to kill the younger generation, the elder would use the back of a knife to scratch them, leave a mark, and then keep count--
Odin had already counted to 'four'.
This number only had one meaning: If this had been a real fight, then he could have already been killed four times.
Vantico clenched his teeth and retreated. He faced Odin once again, and when he looked at Odin's gesture, it seemed both obvious and familiar.
It was exactly the same as his teacher's. It meant: Come and fight, boy. Let me see how many more weaknesses you have.
At this moment, all of the outsiders were unable to understand what the turbulent undercurrent between the two assassins meant.
However, tens of thousands of spectators at the National Championships were all at a loss when they saw Vantico's eyes. Suddenly, this young and rebellious top assassin's eyes had become red like a cub who'd been forced into a corner and was now glaring desperately at the other party.