Chapter 299 Chapter298-Was Adam the Previous Number One?
The berserk effect, lasting a solid two minutes, eventually faded.
Iron Mountain's expression sank into one of exhaustion and vulnerability.
What astonished him was that John's condition remained remarkably intact.
After such an intense battle, not a single drop of sweat was visible.
This realization filled Iron Mountain with despair, a stark contrast to his previous confident demeanor.
Did he not even qualify to make Galewind exert full effort?
Gasping for breath, Iron Mountain stood on the side, his entire being exuding a profound state of weakness due to his excessive exertion.
This was the greatest peril of being a berserker player.
The passive effect of Bloodthirsty Rampage granted them superior combat capabilities after taking severe damage, but this surge was followed by a prolonged period of vulnerability.
A weakened berserker could even be finished off by a frail magus player wielding a wand, without putting up any resistance.
With a gentle flick of his hand, John's pale-blue energy sword dissipated into fragments.
"How about it? Do you want to continue?" he asked.
Iron Mountain stowed his massive axe into his equipment slot, a wry smile appearing on his rugged face.
"What's the point? I've come to see, you're a freak. No one can beat you... With you around, nobody else stands a chance at the top spot of the Arena Leaderboard. The rest can only vie for second place."
He looked at John, murmuring under his breath, "I really wonder how a game can produce such a freak like you... Why haven't I noticed someone like you in other games before?"
John gave a faint smile, unperturbed by Iron Mountain's grumbles.
He said softly, "If you're done, then just admit your defeat."
Wearing a sullen expression, Iron Mountain conceded.
[System Notification: Congratulations to player Galewind for defeating his opponent and advancing to the next round. Please be prepared, as you will soon enter a new battlefield.]
Iron Mountain's figure vanished amidst the virtual desert, where sands blanketed the horizon.
John accessed the Arena Leaderboard.
He had now made his way into the top ten rankings.
The pinnacle was just one step away.
According to the Arena PK rules, players within the top ten could directly challenge the leader.
Victory meant they could take their place.
Without hesitation, John chose to challenge.
Having fought his way up to this rank, it made no sense to falter at the final step.
Meanwhile, in the arena hall, a dense, silent crowd waited with bated breath.
After what seemed like forever, a whisper echoed, "Could Galewind... actually top the leaderboard in just a day?"
"That's insane!"
"Can someone tell me how many PK matches the big shot has played?"
"I think it's nearing sixty, all swift victories. Many opponents surrendered without a fight..."
"There isn't some kind of scandal, is there?"
The player voicing this suspicion was met with unanimous disdain from the crowd.
"How could there be a scandal in a virtual game? And who could possibly manipulate top-tier players in this gaming world to be a part of such a scheme?"
"I just want to know, isn't Galewind tired? Fighting incessantly like this, even with immense strength, there has to be some toll, right?"
"Who knows? But so far, Galewind looks perfectly fine."
"Who's currently the top of the leaderboard? Now that Galewind's in the top 10, he's likely going straight for the leader, right?"
"To be honest, I think there's a flaw in this competition system. Why not fight your way up step by step?"
"I get that. Classes have their strengths and weaknesses. The top players are closely matched in terms of power. What if Galewind's class has an advantage over the leader, but he's weaker against the second or third rank?"
"Then he won't be able to defend his top position. You think the system hasn't considered that?"
"The current leader is... the Genesis Guild leader... Adam!"
...
John stood in an ethereal space, allowing the endless Holy Light to cascade over him.
It felt warm and rather pleasant.
Before him, Adam's figure began to materialize, donned in sacred armor, wielding a silvery greatsword, and astride a majestic unicorn.
He indeed looked quite imposing.
John remained still, his eyes filled with mirth as they locked onto Adam.
The moment Adam spotted John, he froze in place. "Galewind?"
John chuckled lightly, "Unexpected, isn't it? After the update, we meet under such circumstances."
Adam let out a bitter smile, "Indeed, it is unexpected, but not entirely surprising. With you around, nobody else could hope to claim the top spot."
"I was surprised not to see you in the Arena PK," John remarked, his eyes glinting. "I assume you were busy dealing with the Soul-Devouring Devil Ghana during that time?"
John responded with a subtle nod.
Adam, with a hint of resignation, sheathed his silver sword and laughed heartily, "Now that you've joined the Arena mode, the top spot is rightfully yours... Maybe I should just earnestly compete for the other rankings..."
Raising an eyebrow, John said with a playful grin, "Oh? You're not thinking of challenging me?"
Adam rolled his eyes, replying in a half-joking tone, "Please, who can defeat you? I've witnessed your true power. I'm not about to embarrass myself."
John's smile took on a mischievous curve, "Actually, I've suppressed my level to match yours. Our strengths should be nearly equal now."
Adam's interest was piqued instantly. "You can do that? Why play this way, Galewind?"
John explained at a leisurely pace, "Without doing so, no one would stand a chance against me. Now that our strengths are similar, don't you desire to best me?"
Adam fell silent, his gaze fixed on John with a mix of amusement and intrigue.
Suppressing one's game level seemed like a wild notion, but with John, anything seemed possible.
The urge to challenge John had ignited within Adam.
After all, catching up to John's level in the usual way seemed like a distant dream.
Only now did Adam feel qualified to battle against John.
Laughing boisterously, Adam said, "If you put it that way and I still shy away, wouldn't that make me a joke in your eyes? Let's dance!"
With a respectful gesture, the Holy Light energy around him surged once again.
John nodded with satisfaction.
That's more like it. As the guild leader of Genesis Guild, how could Adam be the type to shy away from battle?
Adam raised his silvery greatsword, whispering a prayer under his breath.
Holy Light energy enveloped him, forming a shield of radiant light that encased his entire being.
John watched intently, and with a swift step, appeared instantly before Adam like a phantom, his hand radiating brilliant energy.
His rapid strike collided with Adam's shield, producing a crisp sound of impact.
Adam discerned that the power John now exhibited was indeed different from before.
At least his Holy Light shield wasn't shattered with a single blow, confirming that John was true to his word, having suppressed his own level and strength.
A hint of excitement flashed across Adam's face, and without hesitation, he swung his massive sword down.
John nimbly dodged the blow and retaliated with a swift side kick.
As a Paladin, Adam possessed formidable defensive abilities.
Although John's kick landed, it merely caused Adam to sway slightly atop his unicorn without causing significant harm.
"Not bad," John remarked, "couldn't even knock you off your steed."
With a swift motion, John increased the distance between them and, with a light chuckle, summoned a brilliantly gleaming longsword into his hand.
It was the Divine Equipment, the Divine Palace.
Adam's eyes widened in surprise, a wry smile forming, "Really, Galewind? Bringing out the Divine Palace seems a bit much, doesn't it? With such a powerful equipment boost, how am I supposed to compete?"
John pondered for a moment, "You do have a point."
He stowed the Divine Palace back into his equipment slot and once again conjured the Divine Blade.
Only then did Adam let out a quiet sigh of relief.
The pressure of facing the Divine Palace was immense, and he certainly didn't want his cherished equipment destroyed by that divine sword.
The battle raged on, Adam's blows were powerful and steady, each swing of his sword bathed in sacred luminescence.
The unicorn's continuous neighs granted Adam ongoing buff statuses.
In contrast, John moved with the grace and speed of the wind, his sword creating a cascade of afterimages, his strikes swift and precise.
The ethereal blue energy of John's blade clashed intermittently with the silvery gleam of Adam's greatsword, sparking bursts of radiant energy that illuminated the vast expanse around them.
The audience held their breath, eyes fixed on the intense showdown.
Suddenly, with a roaring shout, Adam raised his greatsword high, unleashing a potent surge of Holy Light energy.
The greatsword, now enchanted with the power of Holy Light, descended heavily toward John!
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