DD 301 Ch 16

I blocked Karnak’s axe, spinning around and coming at him from the other side, only to find the Orkai ready and waiting for me, a competent smirk resting on his lips.

“You’re going to have to do far better than that.” He told me.

I had half expected him to be more brutish in his fighting, especially given how loud Karnak was when he spoke. However, I quickly got the impression that he was a steady, methodical fighter as he peppered me with axe strikes, using his shield to occupy my blades and strike from a variety of angles, as he probed for an opening.

Perhaps the assumption on his fighting style was my own bias, given that he looked like a large green killing machine and walked around with substantial swagger.

I wanted to consider the concept longer, but I had no time. I threw the thought aside and focused on the fight in front of me.

When I swung low, Karkak chopped hard enough to make my sword rattle in my grip. When I sliced across, his shield met my hit at the perfect angle to make my blade glance off to the side. When I stabbed, he brushed my blade aside.

We quickly traded a dozen blows, small sparks of [Liminal Speed] dancing down my arms.

“Not bad. Not bad,” Karnak teased before he stopped, letting me probe him and instead went on the offensive, simply using his skill with the weapons rather than any abilities to push me back.

I had gained respect for his skill with the shield as he maneuvered it expertly, controlling the critical space between us. The shield was large enough to catch the full brunt of my blade, but small enough for him to move it swiftly.

Then again, all of the stat training and swelling muscles in his arms were probably more than capable of using a shield even larger just as nimbly.

I grew frustrated, activating [Triple Breach]. My weapon flashed three times, each strike slamming into his shield.

On the third, the ability sparked and nearly threw the shield from his grip.

I swept in close, going for his gut, knowing there was no way in hell he would let that hit land.

Karnak’s chest glowed bright, and my blade skipped off him as his shield came back around, its edge aiming for my head just as sharply as any axe.

I went to knock the attack aside, only to realize that his axe had swept back as well and he was coming at me in a massive, overexposed pincer. I didn’t dare accept the opening on his chest. So instead, I swung for his forearm and danced backwards.

Already halfway into his swing, Karnak’s arms glowed with an ability. His shield and axe crashed together in a resounding boom that shook my eardrums. He swept into me, trying to follow up on the moment of disorientation.

I cursed and activated [Dodge] to slip outside his range and come back in a moment later.

It was a quick, deadly dance between the two of us that broke away a second later as Karnak had a small trickle of blood going down the side of his arm. He reset the fight and squared up against me.

“Not bad. Not bad,” Karnak chuckled. “I will take a scratch. But I do really want to see you do more than that, Ken. After all, I am a tank. My goal is to survive and wear you out. If you can’t finish this faster, as far as I’m concerned, it’s your loss.”

“Oh, are we making up rules in the middle of this? I didn’t know.” I replied.

“Less making up rules and more establishing the reality,” Karnak said, smacking his axe into his shield. “Or don’t you want to find out what exactly you’re made of?”

I couldn’t help but narrow my eyes at the challenge. I rushed back in, letting him think it was his words motivating me. But really, I needed to keep up my [Liminal Speed] stacks. I attacked hard and fast, dumping, [Triple Breach] and [Shadow Claw], trying to get inside his guard again, only for me to make the opening wider using [Earth Stomp].

He tried another pincer move, attempting to pinch me between his shield and axe again. A grin spread across his face, even as I outmaneuvered him.

I moved in with a quick flurry of blows, [Liminal Speed] dancing on my arms and [Dark Blades] glittering on my swords. I carved into his chest, attempting to rip through whatever defensive ability he was using, as green lightning arced across his form.

Karnak’s shield disappeared and was replaced by another hand axe. He chopped both of them down towards my shoulders.

I used [Dodge] again, ducking and slipping underneath his left arm as my blades danced along his side and found his unguarded back briefly before he jumped into a spinning kick, wind whipping around him in a dangerous and powerful swirl.

“Almost,” Karnak shouted as I ducked under his leg and slashed.

“Almost nothing. You’re leaving yourself completely unguarded.” I replied, moving faster than him.

Karnak’s grin widened even more, sending off alarm bells through my head. The words of the old Orkai who was observing the fight echoed in my head as I watched the lightning that had been gathering on Karnak suddenly surge forward, gathering against his chest.

I activated [Liminal Space] just as lightning began to pour off his chest so fast that the tip brushed against me before I froze the space around our fight.

That brief touch sent me reeling backward, stumbling out of [Liminal Space] and deactivating the ability as the majority of the green lightning ripped off his form and surged through the air to my side.

There was a shout from the crowd, but the old Orkai who had been monitoring our fight appeared in a blink and brushed the ability away as if it had simply been a gnat.

I made a mental note to myself to always be nice to old Orkai. Living that long, that deep in the dungeon, meant they likely had significant power.

Karnak clicked his tongue and charged at me, using an ability to speed forward, his shield reequipped.

I caught his shield still on the back foot and decided to spin with his momentum, coming back around fast enough that my blade was aimed for the back of his neck.

Karnak ducked, just in time for me to take an inch off his hair, and he then kicked out like a pissed-off mule.

I took the kick on my crossed arms and let it carry me across the chamber.

“Close one, Karnak,” I taunted him. “Any more tricks you wanna show off?”

“It would be more impressive if you had abilities to back up your banter.” Karnak pushed towards me, though this time he was more guarded. It was clear that he had let me get so close on the prior exchange only to activate the green lightning, which I now recognized as the trial ability [Absolute Reflect].

Karnak and I circled each other.

His blows were more measured now, more careful. I could tell he’d gotten the excitement out of his system and shifted back into calculated assessment. That meant he thought he had seen what he needed to and was preparing to lock me down.

I didn’t plan to let that happen.

With a burst of speed, I darted to his left, then feigned and leapt right, spinning with a downward strike meant to rattle his balance.

Unfortunately his shield absorbed the force, his feet rooted to the ground like stone. He retaliated instantly, countering with a high slash that nearly took my head off.

I couldn’t let him set the pace and prepare for another [Absolute Reflect].

It was my first time experiencing the ability. The best I could tell, while the green lightning was active, any damage I did had built the lightning up to something more powerful for him to release in that final attack. The damage I did still went through, but as a tank he could take far more than me.

I could absolutely see how an ability like that would be a game changer for any tank, because essentially, in the dungeon, it would allow for the tank to turn the healer's efforts into damage.

Karnak charged me again, using his bulk to try and drive me back. “If you stick to defense, you’ll lose this because I will outlast you.”

“Don’t blame me. Your big green beam nearly got me. It’s only right that I play this a little more cautiously.” I traded blows with him, searching for another opening. Hopefully this time it would be one that wasn't bait for his own attack.

Yet the longer this went, the more I realized what he had predicted might come true. He was a tank, and he could exhaust me.

Only there was one major advantage, [Liminal Speed] had the ability to continue growing, getting to the point where my blades began to slip past his shield. They gouged along his arms and legs in small enough strikes that he wouldn't be able to get much from [Absolute Reflect], should he activate the ability again.

His teeth clenched and he pushed on me harder, trying to force me to make a move.

Only for a smirk to cross my face as I used Earth Stomp and swept in like I was going to finish the move.

He activated [Absolute Reflect], only for my blades to stop short. I jumped back as [Shadow Limb] stretched out between the two of us and wrapped onto his leg, activating [Mana Drain] and trying to jerk him off balance.

His first attempt was to shake off the ability, which ultimately failed as the ability simply stretched with him. Next he swept his axe down to cut the shadow limb, and I was there to strike his weapon, causing him to miss completely.

There was a flash of anger from him before we traded a series of attacks over a new objective, only for him to smirk in victory as he severed the [Shadow Limb].

I laughed as a second one stretched back out between the two of us, landing on him. I activated [Mana Burn] yet again.

Karnak growled at me and ignored the ability, instead trying to sweep my feet with sword and shield as I danced backward, laughing at the sudden game we had found ourselves playing.

“I am going to enjoy it when there’s a gurgle to your laugh,or perhaps a nasal whine when I break your nose. Get this damn thing off of me!”

I didn’t let up, as [Shadow Limb] slowly but surely ate through a large chunk of his mana. “Oh, come on. If it’s that bad, just cut it off,” I said, dancing back, which was apparently exactly what Karnak had wanted, as his shield glowed red-hot and he shot forward like a train at full steam.

The new tactic had pulled him entirely on the offensive. His shield tilted down just like the cowcatcher of a locomotive.

I decided to use it rather than dodge, kicking off of it like a springboard, even as Karnak swept his shield aside, trying to break my ankle. Rolling with the strike, I barely managed to save myself from hopping around for the rest of the fight, but Karnak wouldn’t relent, sticking to me like glue, using his shield and axe in a rapid staccato as he tried to catch me.

I barely managed to avoid several of them, but I couldn’t focus on dodging and instead took several strikes from his axe as I leaned into his attack, so I could keep my [Liminal Speed] stacks fresh and building.

The last thing I needed was for them to fall off, and for myself to suddenly slow down. I would become easy prey for Karnak then. This was too important for me to show what I could do. Losing those stacks would be the same as losing the fight.

Karnak seemed less concerned about his own performance and quickly pushed me to my limit.

Even with [Liminal Speed], I was struggling to stay in control of the fight.

Karnak was no pushover, and I was certain he was still holding something back. There was simply no way this was all that he had.

If I was to put on a good fight in front of the assessors, I needed not only to do well, but I needed to force Karnak to his utmost.

Which is why I activated [Metamorphosis] mid-swing, packing on muscles and becoming a larger, demonic representation of my incubus race, my new strength sending his axe and shield wide with nothing more than a backhanded strike that quickly turned into a knife fist as my claws stabbed for his chest.

He activated [Absolute Reflect], as I expected he would.

While I battered him in [Metamorphosis], the Orkai used multiple defenses to preserve himself amidst the barrage, this time I was ready and waiting, watching carefully as the green lightning danced across his form.

The second it began to gather, I activated [Liminal Space], slipping behind him, resuming my assault as his attack went wide, all the while [Shadow Limb] sneakily stretched between our ankles.

However, Karnak wasn’t done with simply the singular direction of lightning. Instead, it spread out from him like a spiderweb in every direction, staying active and bleeding away slowly.

I protected my face as the ability tore into my forearms and broke the sneaky little [Shadow Limb] that had been stretching from my ankle to his.

But the ability had done what it was supposed to, and I activated [Mana Implosion] with the giant grin that was only mirrored by Karnak.

The small blue bead of my execution ability grew in his chest before it tried to swallow him whole, only for his [Absolute Reflect] to continue to grow stretching out and filling the space with green lightning.

And in the same moment that it detonated in Karnak, he released a final flash of green lightning that threw me back, blinding me as I stumbled and brought my hands up, just in case Karnak had survived my ability.