Ability: Debilitating Blow
You channel charge into your hammer. Your next attack deals 120% base damage and staggers the target. Target’s base attack power is reduced by 50% for the next 5 seconds.
Cost: 50 charge.
Cooldown: 1 minute.
Stagger... Kaiden thought on the keyword for a minute. He’d seen players staggered before, but never looked up the exact definition in the game. He did so now, digging through a few menus before finding the in-game mechanics guide, then reading the definition to himself.
‘Staggering an opponent can be achieved through dealing particularly powerful blows. A staggered character will be knocked a half-step backward and the next attack on them will ignore armor.’ Okay, so it’s like a mini-knockback paired with a mini-shield break. But Debilitating Blow tacks on the additional clause that the target’s attack power is reduced by half for five seconds. That’s pretty mean.
So, all in all, a fine ability. Worked out well for a power warden, actually. The more Kaiden thought about it, the more it made sense. The class excelled when up in their opponent’s face. Lowering an opponent’s attack power and mini-stunning them was a good advantage. Good enough that Kaiden shuddered at the thought of staring down a power warden in close quarters.
Thank goodness for Kickback and Matter Shift, he thought, calling to mind his best escape abilities.
Thorne’s last ability was called ‘Embolden.’ Kaiden pulled it up and gave it a once-over.
Ability: Embolden
An aura of rage surrounds you. For the next 5 seconds, you and all allies within 20 feet deal double damage on melee attacks, but take 50% more damage.
Cost: 80 charge.
Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Ooh, bit of a risky one here. Thorne and all of us near her would deal double damage but also take more damage. Fair, but dangerous. This’ll be useful if we don’t plan on getting hit, but not exactly something to break out when you’re in the thick of the fighting.
Probably there was a way to use Embolden to a greater effect that he was missing at the moment. Based on his exhaustion, that would make sense.
I’ll think more clearly after some sleep. It’s a long flight to Kyraxis anyway, and we’ll need to be ready once we get there. It’ll be time to put these new abilities to the test.
A smile crept on to his face at that thought, and Kaiden’s vision went black as he clicked the logout button.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Titus cracked his knuckles, but was otherwise silent as he led them across the bridge and back toward Maximus’ visitor entrance. Clouds billowed past them on all sides, but the building loomed ahead, its transparent dome a beacon of light in the shade-filled gloom.
“All right,” Kaiden said, shouting to Titus but also speaking to the rest of the group around him. “We need to be strategic about this. Each of us is going to be fighting alone, so we need to make sure our strategies account for that. Thorne, you’ll have to, well, attack. That’s usual, I suppose. But Zelda, you’re going to want to keep your distance. Don’t let your opponen—”
“We know how to play our classes, Kai,” Zelda said, cutting him off.
“I just think we should be prepared. We got a lot of new abilities very quickly and haven’t had as much chance as I’d like to practice with them. And what happens if we get paired against each other? We have to figure that out, too. I mean, one of us will have to beat the other. How do we decide who?”
“You’re getting ahead of yourself,” Thorne said. “Let’s get into the tournament first, then we can focus on crushing our opponents, winning fame and glory, and finally, convincing PlayaSlaya to hear us out.”
Fine, fine.
Titus entered the domed building and Kaiden broke into a jog to catch up.
“How’s it hanging, punks?” Titus was saying as Kaiden slid into the room. Halicar and Nassus were at the counter as they’d been last time and from the looks on their faces, they weren’t particularly happy to see Titus, or any of the group, back so soon.
“What have y’all been up to? Bit of grinding? Bit of PVP?” Titus asked, leaning an elbow on the counter. “Oh, but you’re still level fifty-five, just like the last time I saw you. Huh.” He paused at that, as if confused, then nodded. “That’s cool, that’s cool. You know, I’ve been doing some grinding myself. PVPed a few players. Earned a bit of EXP. Nothing major, just a bit here and there.”
“How did…?” Halicar looked utterly perplexed now. He’d noticed Titus’ new level, no doubt. He looked at Nassus beside him. “Have you ever seen someone level that fast?”
Her lack of response seemed answer enough.
“I’m a hard worker,” Titus said. He flattened one hand on the counter and leaned over it. “Now, about this tournament you run.” He gestured out through the dome, toward where the arena was, though it was currently hidden by clouds. “I want in.”
“Hits level fifty and all of a sudden he thinks he’s hot shit,” Nassus finally said, her voice more a growl than anything. Still, there was uneasiness in it. She’d been caught off guard.
“Tournament’s scheduled for later today. I’m going to fight in it. Sign me up,” Titus said.
“You qualify for the lower division,” Halicar said, working the controls of his console but looking none too happy about it. “Players level fifty to fifty-five. There’s a spot open.”
“Perfect.”
Halicar tapped the console’s screen a few more times, then looked up with a smirk. Quite a quick change of expression from how he’d looked prior.
“Done, big shot. You’re all signed up. Tournament starts in two hours. Be at the arena for your pairing.” Halicar’s smirk boiled into a smile.
