Chapter 287: Chapter 287 - Aqua Rebound
Atlas’s body froze for a moment as Brigid’s greatsword pierced cleanly through his chest, cutting straight through his armor. Brigid’s expression was fierce and unyielding, her eyes burning with focus and strength.
At that same instant, the sky above darkened, casting shadows over the entire war zone. Thunder roared violently, echoing again and again, while streaks of lightning struck the ground around them in rapid succession.
Brigid instinctively leapt back, pulling her sword free. Only to see Atlas’s body dissolve into a surge of water that scattered in all directions.
[You have successfully triggered: Aqua Rebound.]
[Skill unlocked: Rare – Aqua Rebound (Conditional Passive Skill).]
[When the user takes damage, a Water Clone is formed at the point of impact. The clone automatically counterattacks by mimicking the user’s offensive battle pattern before dispersing.]
[Unique – Stormcall Domain (Active) activated.]
Atlas had already reappeared on the opposite side of the battlefield by the time his clone burst apart. At the same moment, he had activated another ability. His surroundings now roared with storm energy.
Brigid dashed across the field as lightning rained down around her, each strike landing dangerously close. Yet she moved with incredible precision, weaving through the chaos with calculated grace. It was no surprise, her system allowed her to reallocate her stat points instantly during combat, though with a slight delay each time.
That meant, at this very moment, Brigid was going all out on Agility, pushing her speed to its absolute limit so she could evade every single lightning strike aimed her way.
Atlas, with his high affinity for the Water Element, had practiced this skill countless times against the Sentinel Training Mannequin. Yet he had learned that the skill would only fully manifest when he was under true pressure. No matter how hard he trained, it had only ever appeared faintly. Until now, when he finally managed to trigger it for real.
In a battle against Brigid, however, managing both Mana and Stamina efficiently was crucial. Using a massive-area skill like Stormcall Domain was risky. It drained too much stamina and had a low chance of hitting a fast-moving target like Brigid, whose agility was exceptional.
But Atlas had another reason for activating the skill, and soon, it became clear.
[Storm Conductor (Passive Skill) triggered.]
[In storm conditions or inside Stormcall Domain: +10% attack speed. Every 5th attack releases a lightning pulse. Lightning damage taken is partially converted into healing.]
[Stormforged Vitality (Passive) triggered.]
[Natural Health and Stamina regeneration greatly accelerated after taking critical damage. Regeneration persists even while moving or fighting.
[Epic - Tidecaller’s Flow (Passive Skill) Lv. 6 activated.]
[Water and lightning abilities flow naturally, improving stamina recovery and movement speed when fighting in stormy or wet conditions.]
Within the storm, Atlas could now recover his stamina far more efficiently. Combined with his other passive abilities, his endurance skyrocketed. Even in a prolonged, body-grinding fight of attrition, Atlas would not lose to Brigid.
[Epic – Storm Chain: Judgment Spear (Conditional Active Skill) activated.]
Atlas surged forward in a flash of light. The lightning that had been striking around Brigid suddenly shifted direction, converging upon his spear. Bolts of energy from the sky linked to his weapon like glowing ropes, crackling with power.
Brigid steadied herself, shifting into a defensive stance. Her greatsword flared to life, blazing with massive waves of fire.
The two warriors charged.
KA-KA-BOOOOOM!!! BA-BA-BRAAAM!!!
A colossal explosion tore through the battlefield, shaking the very earth beneath them. Fire and lightning collided in a blinding storm of destruction, sending shockwaves that ripped through the ground like thunder made solid. The air itself screamed as bursts of energy spiraled outward, turning stone and soil into molten fragments.
Both were thrown backward from the sheer force. Atlas twisted midair, landing hard but managing to regain his footing, lightning still raining from above. Brigid, too, stood tall at the opposite end of the field, her stance unbroken.
Damn... she actually withstood the Judgment Spear?
His grip tightening on the weapon. That’s... incredible.
Atlas grinned, lightning flashing in his eyes as he dashed toward Brigid once more. His power had surged beyond what it was before the storm began. The skill would only last ten seconds, and three had already passed. He needed to make every heartbeat count.
Bolts of lightning continued to rain down across the battlefield, striking the ground around them like furious whips of light. But now, Atlas was keeping up with Brigid’s speed, their movements almost mirroring each other.
He swung downward in a fierce overhead strike, then spun his spear and unleashed a rapid flurry of thrusts. Brigid dodged and blocked each blow with flawless precision, her body weaving between arcs of lightning that exploded dangerously close.
A faint smile tugged at her lips. She was clearly enjoying this fight.
Brigid countered in a flash, her greatsword slashing forward with deadly force. Atlas twisted his spear just in time and met her strike perfectly.
CLANG!
[Epic – Crimson Tempest Guard (Conditional Passive Skill) Lv. 1 triggered.]
[On a successful parry, releases a crimson shockwave dealing 120% AoE damage within 3 meters. Shockwave drains 5% Stamina from enemies and restores a small portion of Health to the user.]
Their weapons clashed, and a burst of red lightning exploded between them, sending Brigid skidding back a few steps. Every perfect parry Atlas made now resulted with damage and restored his strength. If Brigid couldn’t land a clean hit soon, the momentum of the fight would start turning against her.
She dashed around him in a fiery blur, her body blazing like a comet as she spun and slashed her greatsword across his torso. Atlas’s body split cleanly in two. Only to dissolve into a wave of water.
In the next instant, he reappeared behind her, lightning crawling up the shaft of his spear.
[Elite – Flurry of Spears (Active) Lv. 9 activated.]
[Delivers a rapid series of spear strikes at a single enemy.]
Atlas unleashed a storm of thrusts, each one faster than the last, a blur of flashing steel and thunder. But Brigid turned with incredible agility, dodging left and right, slipping past every strike with precise movements before darting backward again.
Atlas lunged forward to chase her, but Brigid’s voice cut through the storm.
"As long as it’s not a guaranteed-hit skill," she said, "I can dodge it."
"Well, thanks for the insight, Brigid," Atlas said with a sharp grin. "Coming from someone unbeaten in battle, that sounds about right."
But now, Brigid found herself in a tightening corner, forced to choose between constantly evading Atlas’s strikes or risking a counterattack that could be parried and drain her stamina even further.
She darted backward, her feet barely touching the ground as she avoided another lightning-charged thrust. Then, with a swift motion of her left hand, a massive orb of fire formed in her palm, swirling and pulsing with heat.
A moment later, it burst apart into several flaming spheres that began orbiting around her like fiery sentinels.
"Oh, so you’re switching to Magic Mode now?" Atlas said.
Brigid stopped retreating, a faint smile curving her lips as Atlas charged toward her at full speed.
She raised her greatsword and swung in a wide arc to meet him head-on. At the same time, the blazing spheres shot outward in a sudden burst, streaking through the air toward Atlas like a rain of molten comets.