(Meanwhile On The West Path)
Just like Cervantez, Luke too managed to defeat the second wave of the rankers.
Thanks to the lava terrain and the limited area of mobility for his opponents, he was able to get past the second wave taking no more than 40% damage, keeping him healthy enough to fight another wave.
However, although his HP had not dropped to a critically low level, his stamina had.
Having fought two waves of opponents, most of his major moves were on cooldown and his stamina bar had degraded significantly.
By the end of the second wave, he was left gasping and panting, as the moment the gates opened once again and the third wave of enemies arrived, the problem he faced was no longer taking damage from his enemies, but rather, gathering enough strength to fight against them.
The shield and sword in his arm felt like lead and the only move he felt confident of executing was the Suplex, however, the Suplex was a move best for one vs one battle and not a group fight, as it left him exposed to a myriad of counterattacks from other opponents during execution.
Hence, Luke struggled heavily against the third wave of opponents, fighting valiantly and showing heart, however, still taking much more damage than what he could dish out.
During moments like these, his three core skills.
[ Knight's Honor ]
[ Basic Weapons Reinforcement ]
[ Basic Body Reinforcement ]
Proved to be his trump cards, as while his more powerful semi legendary skills went on a cooldown, it were his basic skills that kept him in a fighting shape, giving him the edge he needed to hold on.
However, to viewers watching server wide it was clear that the Luke during the third wave was not the Luke during the start of the first round, as he was visibly slower and less dangerous than before.
In the end, he managed to take down 61 opponents of the third wave before losing his life, as he did notably better than Andheri and DarkEmperor in his guardian defense.
Unfortunately, he lost 50% of his levels gained after losing his life, however, he still managed to gain a total of 46 levels from the event, narrowing his gap versus Cervantez at the top to just under 2 levels now.
*********
(Meanwhile, on the East Path)
In stark contrast to Luke and Cervantez, who faltered at the third wave, PinkLotus demonstrated her unparalleled prowess, clearing the third wave with relative ease, having lost only 20% of her HP.
Her tenacity and skill were nothing short of astounding, however, what truly set her apart was her ability to not only overcome the third wave but to charge headfirst into the fourth and fifth waves, obliterating every opponent in her path.
Her remarkable performance could largely be attributed to her unique fighting style.
Unlike most rankers, who relied heavily on stamina or mana-draining techniques, PinkLotus's strength lay in her mastery of the blade.
With each precise slash, she showcased her extraordinary talent as a swordsman, a natural-born prodigy whose skills transcended mere game mechanics.
Rather than depending on complex combos or flashy gamer techniques, she wielded her sword with lethal precision, relying on her innate abilities and the sheer sharpness of her blade.
As waves of opponents fell before her, it became evident to everyone watching server wide that PinkLotus was simply a class above the other guardians and that she was undoubtedly in a league of her own when compared to the other rankers, solidifying her status as the 'Queen of Terra Nova.'
They watched in awe as she cut through wave after wave of rankers, their disbelief growing with every kill.
After every wave, the players watching believed that she could surely not defeat another, however she did, only faltering after wiping out the sixth wave, as only then did her HP drop below the 10% mark, putting her life in critical danger.
Despite that, she continued to fight valiantly, holding her ground against insurmountable odds until the seventh wave finally claimed her life. But by then, she had already achieved the impossible.
In total, PinkLotus single-handedly defeated 633 opponents, a kill count that surpassed the combined total of all the other three guardians. And she accomplished it without resorting to traps, trickery, or underhanded tactics — as every kill she claimed was earned through raw skill and relentless determination.
It left no doubt in the minds of the viewers that PinkLotus was one of the strongest players in Terra Nova Online, however, the only question they had in their mind was how she compared to TheBoss?
*********
(The global forums)
"It's done, even PinkLotus has lost her life now. This means all four pathways to the central chamber are now open!"
"I've counted it out, 'TheBoss' has already defeated 427 opponents, however, in total he has a total of 1800 opponents that he still has to face. It looks like the rankers will inevitably win against the guardians in the end, as no matter how strong 'TheBoss' is, surely he can't hold on alone against 1800 more opponents"
"Yes, even if we assume that 'TheBoss' is twice as strong as 'PinkLotus' which is in itself a ridiculous assumption, but even if it's true he can only defeat a total of 1200-1300 opponents at best. Short of the 2200+ he needs to take down. Mathematically it's impossible!"
"Man it's all down to 'TheBoss' now. I wonder which group will hit the jackpot and manage to ultimately defeat him. Hahaha. This is gonna be fun"
"Well, we will finally watch 'TheBoss' die, it will be a legendary moment"
At this point in the forums, nobody believed that 'TheBoss' could pull through to the end.
The odds simply seemed insurmountable as although PinkLotus did well, the other three guardians did not do as well, leaving 'TheBoss' to face a mountain of trouble alone.
However, what the players in the forums did not know was how Leo had claimed before the event began, that even if the other guardians did nothing and all 10,000 rankers came at him all at once, he still had confidence to beat them all alone, as that was the teaching of Ben Faulkner.