17 Chapter17-Stunned Audience

In the arena, the sudden appearance of Breeze caught Chaser off-guard. 

He stared, taken aback at the colossal creature, feeling a profound threat emanating from it, causing him to involuntarily step back.

It was at this moment that Sebastian's incantation concluded. 

From the wooden wand, a blazing radiance emerged, swiftly morphing into a terrifying inferno that shot towards the sky, aiming straight for Chaser!

In a panic, Chaser dodged, sprinting to the side.

Boom—

Yet, as the blaze descended, it exploded suddenly, dispersing into countless crimson blades. 

Carrying scorching heat, they overwhelmed the atmosphere, descending en masse.

The most fearsome aspect of a Magus player was their immense damage and extensive area of effect attacks. 

Chaser hadn't anticipated the flame to be just a decoy, with the real deadly strike lying in the rain of blades.

Now cornered with nowhere to turn, he braced himself defensively.

Thud, thud, thud—

The fiery blades crashed down, akin to a torrential downpour, completely engulfing Chaser in a dazzling display.

-55

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...

Above Chaser, a succession of damage numbers sprang up. 

Archer players inherently had lower HP, and Chaser, at level 16, had just about 388 HP. 

After the barrage of attacks, his HP plummeted, losing over half.

His face paled in horror.

"How can his damage be so high?" He thought. 

After all, he was donning a light armor that could mitigate damage, and his opponent's novice equipment surely couldn't have significant strength augmentations.

Given the current average player level, the inflicted damage was usually moderate. 

No player had yet inflicted over 200 points of damage with a single skill. 

Unless, of course, that skill was of an S-level caliber. 

But that seemed impossible. 

At the current player levels, acquiring such a high-tier skill was unlikely.

Outside the arena, fellow Magus players watched, equally astounded.

They clearly saw that the skill he used was the D-level skill [Blazing Feathers], a newbie skill most Magus players would learn. 

Precisely because it's a beginner skill, its power typically isn't significant. 

As a result, Magus players tend to abandon this skill after reaching level 5.

Yet, there he was on the screen, using a novice's wand, yet dealing such immense damage with a mere newbie skill!

How high is this guy's strength attribute?

This question echoed in the minds of all the Magus players. 

Had they not witnessed it with their own eyes, they would never have believed it.

WindSovereign wasn't a Magus player, but through explanations from his comrades, he realized that the opponent's level must not be low, or else he couldn't deal such high damage.

With this thought, WindSovereign's face grew incredibly grim.

Initially, he thought the player had made it to the team solely because of his pet. 

Now, it seemed that his own power was already at the pinnacle.

But this was simply unbelievable…

With both the player and the pet being so formidable, just how did this guy level up?

WindSovereign began to doubt everything he thought he knew.

In the arena, as Chaser finally endured till the end of the skill, he barely took a breath.

But seemingly out of nowhere, Breeze appeared ghostlike in front of him, and without hesitation, its massive maw snapped at his head.

-9999

Fatal blow!

In an instant, without even time to react, Chaser was reduced to countless specks of light, vanishing on the spot.

[Player Chaser has been defeated. Congratulations to player ShepherdWind for winning this duel!]

A notification echoed in the void above the arena.

Everything happened so quickly that while everyone was still immersed in their shock, Chaser was already sent back to the respawn point.

WindSovereign stared at the screen in utter disbelief, unable to process what just transpired.

On the other hand, cheers immediately erupted from North Wind's side.

"ShepherdWind is awesome!"

"Truly the powerhouse of the team! From today, you're my idol!"

"If I were a girl, I'd totally fall for him."

…

It was evident that the members of North Wind were beyond ecstatic. 

Even Mia, who was typically reserved, revealed a hint of a smile. 

In stark contrast, the members of Rock Guild looked as though they'd been dealt a grievous blow, their faces as grim as could be.

"Hey, hey, hey, can't you guys hold up? Not even five minutes in and you're down?" Jason called out, taunting loudly.

WindSovereign's fury peaked upon hearing this. 

In a stern voice, he commanded, "MagicFingers, step forward."

"Guild leader, how are we supposed to combat this?" MagicFingers uttered with an awkward expression.

If Sebastian had been alone, even with his high level and explosive damage, they could easily exploit the time he takes to chant his skills. 

However, now with that imposing snow wolf standing in the arena, it served as a sturdy shield, compensating for the magus player's most critical vulnerability. 

Under these circumstances, a magus could deal damage without any pressure. 

With this setup, even the warriors, designated as tanks, would not withstand the onslaught. 

Challenging them would be akin to a death wish.

WindSovereign was not oblivious to this. 

But surrendering would mean that Rock Guild couldn't enter Death Valley. 

As he gazed at the image of the man and the wolf on the screen, a surge of rage welled up within him. 

If not for this sudden emergence of such a formidable foe, his meticulously laid plans would never have faltered.

"Damn it, damn it all!" An impotent rage echoed in WindSovereign's voice.

Seeing that no one from the opposing side stepped up, Mia's eyes narrowed. "It seems the Rock Guild has decided to withdraw from the competition for Death Valley," she remarked.

As time slowly ticked away, not a single member from Rock Guild dared to step up. 

They were all evidently intimidated by the imposing duo. 

WindSovereign's hands clenched, and even though he loathed admitting it, in one-on-one battles, his team was genuinely no match. 

This duel was a thorough defeat for him.

Once the allocated time elapsed and with no one rising to the challenge, the arena automatically vanished.

Sebastian rejoined his team.

WindSovereign's face was dark with frustration as he turned and departed. 

The group that was once swaggering with arrogance now exited with their tails between their legs. 

Watching this, the spirits of North Wind's members soared, their faces lighting up with glee.

"It always takes the big shot to step in," SubtleSorrow remarked.

The rest of the team members showered Sebastian with thanks for his intervention. 

Without him, they might have lost several members today. 

With a casual smile, Sebastian waved off their gratitude, implying it was all in a day's work.

Soon after, the team ventured into Spider Cave, embarking on their leveling up journey. 

The Spider Cave was a maze of interconnected passages. 

Mia had initially planned for the team to plow through together, aiming to foster better coordination among the members. 

However, Sebastian expressed his intent to operate solo. 

After all, with Breeze by his side, he had no concerns about being interrupted during skill chants.