Chapter 563: Rosefloth’s Sin and Punishment (4k)
The second round progressed extremely quickly.
Neither side had managed to utilize time to the second precision.
The battle in the arena had captured their full attention.
This was generally the problem for new duelists who couldn’t balance commanding and summoning simultaneously.
If one could reduce the cooldown of summoning spells to three seconds, it would significantly increase their margin for error.
Rose still had three cards in her hand; they weren’t useless but she hadn’t made a decision yet.
Robert, on the other hand, had four cards left in his hand.
But after Rose ordered the “Scale Worm” to release its “Soundproof Barrier,” he immediately began summoning a new Mana Spirit Card.
It wasn’t a Mana Spirit Card but rather an Equipment Card!
Equipment Cards were a type of Item Card.
Their usage was extensive in Mana Duels.
To craft this Equipment Card, Robert spent considerable time during the holidays learning about weapons and armor from experienced veterans.
After returning to the Mana Academy, he synthesized this knowledge and created two cards: one for a weapon and another for armor.
The armor had been used multiple times in the recruitment matches of the Dueling Club, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to defeat his opponents.
A week after the recruitment matches, he finally crafted the weapon card.
“By the name of Robert Broheim, Mana Summoning — ‘Rapid Fire Crossbow’!”
…
The “Steel Gun Ratman” suddenly opened its blood-stained mouth, revealing sharp triangular teeth, and stuffed its “Steel Gun” into its mouth, gnawing furiously.
This triggered the “Gold Eater” passive, restoring its mana while providing a temporary “Attack Boost” buff, increasing its attack by 100 points.
Although a 100-point attack boost wasn’t much, it was better than nothing.
And with the “Steel Gun” consumed, it freed up its hand.
The “Steel Gun Ratman” raised its hand, and a stream of light gathered in its palm, manifesting a finely crafted crossbow.
[Card Name: Rapid Fire Crossbow]
[Type: Item Card]
[Effect: Arrow attack +150, consumes 50 mana for a single shot, 150 mana for a double shot, 300 mana for a triple shot, cooldowns are 3/6/10 seconds.]
The “Steel Gun Ratman” grabbed the crossbow and dashed forward!
With the new weapon, it gained a new set of actions.
Weapons like crossbows weren’t naturally suited for any Mana Spirit to use freely.
However, the “Steel Gun Ratman” had a special skill called “Steel Gun,” giving it a general talent for precise shooting.
More importantly, Robert had never used this “Rapid Fire Crossbow” in front of outsiders.
No one would have guessed that this bow could fire three powerful mana-infused arrows at once!
These three arrows extended the “Steel Gun Ratman’s” attacks, each capable of dealing approximately 1550 damage.
If just one of these arrows hit and another grazed, the match would end.
Compared to the single-shot “Steel Gun,” the “Rapid Fire Crossbow” was more unexpected and hard to defend against.
Robert took a deep breath, his eyes sharp.
…
“Ding-dong!”
When the “Steel Gun Ratman” bypassed the “Soundproof Barrier” and charged into the red zone, the round switch sound rang out.
Both contestants drew new cards.
At this moment, Rose hadn’t noticed the danger approaching.
Her overwhelming victory in the recruitment matches had made her overly confident.
Once someone becomes too high and mighty, they tend to overlook what’s beneath them.
She noticed the “Steel Gun Ratman” had crossed half the field but didn’t think a three-star Mana Spirit could break through the “Winter Ice Man’s” defense.
Even though the “Winter Ice Armor” was used on the “Wandering Rabbit,” the “Winter Ice Man” still had a powerful ultimate skill called “Winter Guardian.”
So when she drew a card from her deck, she remained calm.
But as she looked down at the two newly acquired Mana Spirit Cards, Robert seized the opportunity and shouted, “Now, triple shot!”
His voice echoed across the arena through the amplifier.
Vit clenched his fist and pounded it down, his eyes gleaming.
As soon as the “Rapid Fire Crossbow” appeared, he guessed Robert’s strategy.
Though it was a one-time tactic, securing a win with it was significant.
No one wants to lose their debut match.
Only the victor is remembered forever.
Vit’s debut match hadn’t gone well, so he wanted to see Robert succeed with his regret.
“This is the turning point!”
He stared intently at the field.
…
Nearby, Dark instantly sensed something bad, and Diana’s cheering abruptly stopped.
The audience seemed to realize that “something big” was coming, focusing their attention on the “Steel Gun Ratman” receiving orders!
The mechanical rat with only half its face remaining stood still and mounted the “Rapid Fire Crossbow” on its left arm. Its mechanical eye on the left side emitted a glaring red light, and a laser-like aiming beam shot out from its eye, passing through the center axis of the crossbow and hitting the red-side Mana Guidance Ball.
Its intention was clear!
But the moment the red light hit the red-side Mana Guidance Ball, the “Steel Gun Ratman’s” mana surged into the “Rapid Fire Crossbow” under the guidance of its ultimate skill.
A torrent of mana condensed into three arrows on the crossbow.
Then, almost without any delay, the three arrows fired in quick succession!
The arrows aligned almost perfectly with the aiming line, with less than the length of an arrow between the first two.
“Whoosh!”
The sound of the triple shot echoed.
Rose on the red side platform reacted only now, but the three arrows were already flying through the air.
In just a moment, the first arrow passed between the “Winter Ice Man” and the “Scale Worm,” barely two meters away from the red-side Mana Guidance Ball.
“Winter Guardian!”
Almost instinctively, Rose shouted out the other ultimate skill of the “Winter Ice Man.”
The “Winter Ice Man” reacted quickly.
It waved its hand, releasing a fog of ice from its palm.
The ice fog instantly rushed toward the red-side Mana Guidance Ball but failed to intercept the first arrow.
It formed an ice wall instantly, freezing the second arrow inside, leaving only the tip exposed.
It was just a hair away from piercing through the ice wall and hitting the red-side Mana Guidance Ball.
“BOOM!”
Two loud explosions followed.
The first explosion came from the impact of the first arrow with the red-side Mana Guidance Ball.
The Mana Guidance Ball’s Life Barrier was pierced instantly, stopping only when it reached the inner Mana Guidance Ball, which then ceased.
The Life Barrier’s mana value plummeted by 1500 points instantly!
With only 500 mana points left, the Life Barrier was covered in cracks, ready to shatter at any moment.
The second explosion came from the third arrow hitting the ice wall.
“Winter Guardian” finally blocked the third arrow.
Although the ice wall had cracks, it indeed stopped the powerful third arrow!
Suddenly, the ice wall controlled by the “Winter Ice Man” bent sharply and circled around the red-side Mana Guidance Ball, enveloping it completely.
Then, the ice wall extended to the other hand of the “Winter Ice Man.”
The “Winter Ice Man” clapped its hands together, and the ice wall twisted and stuck together in front of it, forming a perfect circle.
…
The sounds in the arena paused.
Whether attacking with the “Steel Gun Ratman” or defending with the “Winter Ice Man,” both stopped moving.
Their owners, Robert on the blue side platform and Rose on the red side platform, looked grim and tense.
Rose paid the price for her overconfidence and undervaluing Robert.
The red-side Mana Guidance Ball’s Life Barrier had only 500 mana points left.
Robert also failed to seize the turning point.
With 500 mana points remaining, it was still not enough!
Those unstoppable triple shots were somehow blocked by the “Winter Ice Man.”
Just a little more, and it would have been enough!
Robert took a deep breath.
That slight difference might determine whether he could achieve victory.
“No, the duel isn’t over yet!”
After a brief pause, he gritted his teeth and looked at the two newly acquired Mana Spirit Cards.
Under the stimulation of mana, these two Mana Spirit Cards emitted a faint red glow: “Blood Beast” and “Blood Mother Bat.”
It was dawn, and the secret rite card that could only be activated after nightfall — [“Dark Blood Sacrifice: Vampire Count”] — was ineffective.
Therefore, Robert simply added the “Blood Beast” and “Blood Mother Bat” Mana Spirit Cards to his deck.
Although he hadn’t used these Mana Spirit Cards in the recruitment matches, he couldn’t resist adding them after discovering his opponent was Rose.
Now, they became the key to deciding the outcome.
“Blood Beast” was a five-star Mana Spirit Card, but its strength was average among five-star cards.
On the contrary, the three-star “Blood Mother Bat” was excellent, possessing a powerful ultimate skill called “Blood Self-Detonation.”
Robert’s eyes flickered as he summoned the “Blood Mother Bat” from his hand!
…
Before him, Rose had already begun summoning after regaining her composure.
On the red-side summoning zone, a massive black sphere slowly emerged from a complex summoning array.
The black sphere emitted divine light, smooth and flawless.
This was Rose’s strongest three-star Mana Spirit — “Mobius Worm”!
“Beep—”
When the “Mobius Worm” was summoned, the “Scale Worm” visibly activated, flying immediately to hover above the “Mobius Worm.”
“Scale Tour!”
Rose decisively gave the order.
The flight trajectory of the “Scale Worm” instantly changed, its luminescent glands flashing frequently, emitting a melodious tune that captured the audience’s attention.
Above the “Mobius Worm,” the number “1” appeared.
Once this “energy scale” changes from “1” to “7,” the “Mobius Worm” can unleash an extremely powerful “ultrasonic wave”!
Given that the core ultimate skill of the “Mobius Worm,” “Mobius Ring,” had been figured out, almost no one would command a Mana Spirit to attack it.
Without taking hits, the “Mobius Worm” couldn’t accumulate energy, but the appearance of the “Scale Worm” solved this issue.
All that was needed now was to wait.
Every three seconds, the scale jumping was like a death sentence, tormenting the opponent’s nerves.
“By the name of Robert Broheim, Mana Summoning — ‘Blood Mother Bat’!”
Bright red light flashed from the card, and the “Blood Mother Bat” emerged with a screech.
“Attack the Mana Guidance Ball!”
Robert issued the command decisively.
The “Blood Mother Bat” had excellent aerial superiority, and the two ultimate skills of the “Winter Ice Man” had already been used. There was no protection over the red-side Mana Guidance Ball.
They must destroy the Mana Guidance Ball’s Life Barrier within the next eighteen seconds.
Meanwhile, the “Steel Gun Ratman” under his command reloaded the “Rapid Fire Crossbow.”
Even if it couldn’t break through the “Winter Guardian” ice wall, distracting the “Winter Ice Man” with the crossbow wasn’t difficult.
His commands were clear, and his targets were well-defined.
With just the “Winter Ice Man,” it was impossible to stop the “Blood Mother Bat’s” aerial assault.
In mere seconds, the “Blood Mother Bat” appeared above the red-side Mana Guidance Ball, spreading its wings and diving down menacingly.
The “Winter Ice Man,” earlier ordered to protect the Mana Guidance Ball, chose to withstand the arrows and shield the Mana Guidance Ball behind it.
On the red-side platform, Rose, who knew the “Blood Mother Bat’s” ultimate skill well, broke out in a sweat, her lips rapidly moving as one of her Mana Spirit Cards began to glow.
Robert’s voice rose: “Resist Blood Ring!”
“Screech—”
The “Blood Mother Bat” screeched as it neared the ground, bursting out with a blood-red aura from its body.
Though non-attacking, the aura’s force was strong, pushing back the “Winter Ice Man.”
Seeing the unprotected red-side Mana Guidance Ball, the “Blood Mother Bat” revealed its fangs.
“Mana Summoning — ‘Aurora Veil’!”
At the critical moment, Rose completed her final summon.
A seven-colored aurora instantly spread, blocking the charging “Blood Mother Bat.”
The “Aurora Veil” expanded dramatically, resonating with the “Aurora Links” on the three Mana Spirits, forming a massive curtain covering the red zone in an instant.
Robert tightly watched the number on top of the “Mobius Worm,” making the most calculated decision in this tense moment.
“Blood Mother Bat, Blood Self-Detonation!”
…
“Boom!”
The explosion shook the heavens.
The “Aurora Veil” was torn apart by the terrifying impact.
This intense duel spanning three rounds was nearing its conclusion.
