Ex rank talent Awakening: 100% Dodge rate

Odin, dragging the bound Fang across the ground, had a wide grin on his face. "This skill cost a lot to purchase. I hope you like it," he said, activating Finger of God.

"Finger of God," he muttered.

> [Finger of God] – Release an attack through your finger or the tip of a sharp weapon, causing extremely high damage ranging from 10,000 - 50,000, depending on the area hit. Cooldown: 2 days.

As soon as the attack activated, an extremely red and condensed beam shot out of his index finger, aimed directly at Fang's head. The speed of the attack was incredibly fast.

"Shit," Fang cursed, using all his strength to break free from the chains.

"Arrrggghhhhh!" he roared, exerting every ounce of power he had left. His berserker mode still doubled his strength, and after several agonizing seconds, the chains finally shattered. He fell to one knee, gasping for air from the immense exertion.

His moment of relief was short-lived. Realizing why he had fought so hard to break free, he quickly tried to dodge.

Too late.

The high-condensed aura beam struck his forehead, piercing through it.

> [Hit]

[-15,000]

[Critical Hit]

[-15,000]

"Bull's-eye," Odin chuckled, watching as Fang's body disintegrated into pixels.

> [Winner: Odin of Argus Guild]

[Qualifies to the Next Round]

"Heh," Odin smirked, teleporting back to his seat beside Shadow.

"To struggle against such an opponent in the first round… how disappointing," Shadow remarked, looking at him with disdain.

"Give me some slack. I'm already in the quarterfinals," he replied, unwilling to engage in a war of words with her.

---

[Round Two]

[Scarlett, Guild Master of Rose Guild vs. Viper, Guild Master of Twin Snakes Guild]

> [Called players, be ready. Players will be teleported to the battleground in one minute.]

[Battleground is being chosen randomly...]

[Battleground picked: Graveyard of the Fallen]

[Good luck.]

The system announced before teleporting Viper and Scarlett to the battleground.

---

Viewer Reactions & Predictions

"Who do you think will triumph in the end?"

That was the most common question among viewers, stirring heated discussions. Experts also weighed in with their predictions.

"Not much has been seen about Scarlett and her abilities," said Blue Eyes, a renowned analyst. "The Big Six guild masters keep most of their skills hidden from the public. However, let's not forget that Scarlett, alongside Nemesis, is the only player in history to achieve two Impossible Achievements. That alone suggests she might be stronger than we expect."

He continued, "That said, Viper is no pushover. He was a top-ranked assassin in Heaven Clash, known for his inhuman control mechanics—skills that other assassins could never emulate. His performance in Apocalypse so far has proven he hasn't lost his edge. His dungeon runs alone speak volumes.

"In my opinion, the deciding factor in this match will be what each player has been hiding. However, Viper has a clear advantage thanks to the battleground. A Graveyard setting strongly favors an assassin like him over a mage like Scarlett."

A large portion of viewers agreed with his analysis. While some believed Scarlett had a chance, most put their faith in a tested and proven ranker over an unknown wildcard.

---

"Pleasure to meet you. I hope this will be fun," he said toward Scarlett, though she ignored him completely.

"Well, that was rude. Guess I don't need to hold back against a lady like you then," Viper said while smiling, but his eyes told a different story—extremely cold.

[Begin]

The system announcement signaled the beginning of the battle.

"Fire Storm," Scarlett said, releasing a large fire that felt like it would consume everything in its path.

[Fire Storm – Release a storm of fire capable of mass destruction, causing area-of-effect damage equal to 1.5x your Intelligence stat.]

Viper escaped the firestorm by teleporting a short distance, arriving behind Scarlett. Brandishing his dagger, he swung his hand toward Scarlett, aiming to stab her back.

"Shield," Scarlett said, blocking the dagger in a split second.

Viper's hand flew backward from the recoil, making him lose balance. Scarlett, not planning to waste the opportunity, conjured icicles and hurled them at the unbalanced Viper.

"Tsk," Viper expressed his displeasure, spinning to regain control. His backward-moving right hand took the lead, completing an almost 360-degree turn—just in time to block the first icicle, then the second, and the rest. His balance restored thanks to the spin, he moved backward to create space between him and Scarlett, breaking out of the fight.

Scarlett, of course, had no intention of giving Viper a chance to catch his breath and plan his next move.

"Wind Blades," she said, unleashing sharp winds toward Viper.

Viper, extremely annoyed by the relentless attacks, used his short teleportation once more, appearing behind Scarlett. However, Scarlett had anticipated the move. She turned quickly, already casting a spell.

"Water Blast."

A high-speed jet of water surged toward the close-range Viper.

But the water bullet missed as Viper teleported behind her once more, this time using a spell of his own.

"Wind Cutter."

Scarlett, unprepared for the double teleportation, couldn't dodge the attack as it closed in on her unguarded form.

[Miss]

Viper stepped back, completely confused and shocked by his missed attack.

"I was sure I had you. Guess I underestimated you," he said, looking at Scarlett, clearly enjoying the battle.

Scarlett remained silent, causing Viper to frown slightly.

"Guess you're the silent type," he muttered as the battle resumed.

"Golem, arise," Scarlett commanded.

Six golems rose from the ground after she activated the spell. She willed them to attack Viper, who deftly dodged each one.

"Thousand Cut," Viper said, slicing a golem to pieces, shattering its core in the process.

Moving to the next, he activated another skill.

"Sever."

The golem's core split into two.

"Pierce."

Another skill cracked the next golem's core.

Like a true assassin, he destroyed the cores of each golem. But with his full concentration on them, he forgot about the real threat.

Realizing it too late, he was struck by Scarlett's fire spear.

[Hit]

[-3000]

The force of the attack knocked him down, but he smartly rolled over, dodging the foot slam of the last remaining golem. A frown etched onto his face.

He couldn't help but notice Scarlett's continuous use of high-level spells. At first, he had expected her mana reserve to run out quickly.

But after so many high-level spells, she remained completely unfazed—her mana untouched.

Well, ignorance was a steep price to pay.

Scarlett possessed a dragon's heart. Her mana reserve was so vast that she could unleash spell after spell for days against a single enemy.

And even if she somehow exhausted her mana, the Goddess of Wealth had plenty of high-quality mana regeneration potions to spare.

Viper climbed on top of the last golem and plunged his dagger into its core, breaking it before jumping down. He used the golem's body—just before its complete destruction—as a shield against the ice spear Scarlett hurled at him.

His stamina was running low.

He couldn't teleport much anymore—his reserves almost depleted.

Short Teleportation, his A-rank talent that allowed him to teleport short distances at the cost of stamina, had always been his greatest asset. It had won him countless victories.

But this time, victory was farther than he had ever imagined.

"So this is the prowess of the Big Six Guilds," he muttered, no longer smiling, mental fatigue setting in.

He had lost a third of his health, yet he hadn't managed to land a single hit on Scarlett.

"What spell is she using? I always miss, even when I think I've got her," Viper murmured, gripping his dagger tightly.

Still determined, he dashed toward Scarlett again, retrieving kunai from his inventory and throwing them at her.

Scarlett blocked the attack with her shield, momentarily obstructing her vision.

Viper seized the opportunity.

"Lethal Strike," he activated his skill, hoping to finally land a hit.

But once more—it happened.

His attack missed.

Not giving up, he followed up with a right swing of his dagger.

Again—it missed.

Frustrated, he disengaged, retreating to gain distance.

"Again… again… It keeps happening! What the hell is going on?!" Viper shouted, finally losing his cool.

---

"Poor kid," Gold Goblin chuckled, watching the battle.

"It must be extremely annoying—being unable to land a single hit on your opponent. I love this event. Finally, we won't be the only ones suffering from this."

The rest of them shared the same thought.

Some were angry and frustrated over the memory, while others enjoyed the flashback of their own flawless defeats every time they had fought Scarlett.

---

"Well, I guess it's time I put all my eggs in one basket," Viper said, his eyes turning ice-cold.

"Ultimate Skill—Eraser."

He disappeared completely from everyone's field of vision.

Scarlett included.

[Eraser – Erase your presence, smell, and aura from others, making yourself completely undetectable.]

Scarlett frowned, unable to find Viper. Viper watched the on guard Scarlett his presence still concealed. Teleporting to her he slashed at her over and over and over again.

[Miss]

[Miss]

[Miss]

[Miss]

[Miss]

[Miss]

[Miss]

[Miss]

Scarlett stared at the system notification trying hard to catch the attacking Viper but unable to. Viper on the other hand felt extremely wronged, he had attack countless time, but all his attacks had missed and it was beginning to drive him mad.

'Why can't I hit her?' was the only thought in Viper's head.