Vaugn was too powerful. Zarek could tell just by a gaze at these three that their stats weren't the end-all, be-all. They might read C Class, but whether it was their equipment, their Growth Potentials, their Talents, their Skills, or even their Godsfall Intents, it was all on another level.
The only way Lyn could control those trees on such a wide scale was if her Wood Godsfall Intent was at least B Class as well. Zarek hadn't surpassed them—he had just barely managed to nip at their heels with a little luck on his side.
But that was enough.
This was all to say that meeting Vaugn head-on was idiotic. So he didn't.
Using the lance, Zarek tilted its angle, directing the wind so that his momentum received the best tailwinds while Vaugn met with a staunch headwind. It wasn't difficult, especially when the two were heading in completely opposite directions.
However, the trouble with this was that Zarek was still accelerating full bore into Vaugn's swinging glaive. What measure he managed to slow the latter down was the exact measure he sped up. So the impact would be just as devastating.
Or so it seemed.
While theoretically that was true, in practice, it threw the timing off by a fraction of a second—a fraction Zarek used to reach Vaugn before his glaive could finish swinging.
**PUCHI.**
The lance tore through Vaugn's chest and inner armor, the sharpness of an A Class Treasure weapon making what defenses the young man and his muscles could provide worthless.
All things considered, Vaugn was a sturdy youth. His skin was a fierce red, his body pulsed with muscle and vascularity, a steaming heat coming not from Fire Godsfall Intent, but rather the sheer fiery will in his pumping blood.
He probably had a rare Godsfall Intent that translated purely to bodily strength and constitution from what Zarek could see.
But that made his Dexterity weaker and his reaction time just the smallest bit slower.
In battle, even the tiniest of changes—the slightest of miscalculations—could cost you your life. Zarek was already speeding toward him at speeds that went beyond what most B Classes could manage thanks to his Lurker's Godsfall Intent and Lyn's gracious help.
It had taken all of Vaugn's focus to time his swing perfectly.
Unfortunately, he wasn't ready for that calculation to change.
Not only did he die, he also became a convenient springboard for Zarek to slow his momentum.
Zarek's feet landed on Vaugn's body as his lance ran right through the man.
**BANG!**
The two crashed to the ground, but Zarek hardly took a moment to rest, ripping Vaugn's glaive out of his hand with a fluid movement.
Everything was happening so fast, but Lyn had still managed to stand to her feet again, swinging her daggers at the soles of her feet.
'Foolish. And you were doing so good.'
Taking your eyes off your enemy in the heat of battle was a deadly choice.
**SHUUU! BANG!**
The speed barrier shattered. Zarek had been about to throw the glaive, but it was too heavy, and it wouldn't reach her in time before she recovered. Plus, it wasn't nearly as aerodynamic. To make it go as fast as he wanted it to, he would need to gear up his Lurker's Godsfall like a whip.
But the lance?
It would gather speed from the wind all on its own.
Lyn only had time to look up from the ground in a panic. She had just cut herself free from Zarek's Lurker's Godsfall but didn't even have the time to raise her hands before she was impaled.
Zarek didn't even look at her again after throwing the lance. The very plan he had had with the glaive was already active, a roar coming from his lips as a line of elastic black attached to it and launched it forward.
---
Name: [Orienn Bellaghum]
Role: [XXX]
Profession: [XXX]
Core Stats:
> [Strength: C]
> [Dexterity: C]
> [Intelligence: C]
> [Endurance: CC]
> [Charisma: C]
Talents:
> [XXX]
---
Orienn was the slowest of them all, but he had seen everything from start to finish even through the trees. When he saw Zarek swinging the mighty glaive, its blade shearing the trees around him to lumber, before launching it at him at speeds that felt like mach infinity, he felt his heart drop to his ass.
The panic on his face was palpable.
Zarek had just killed two elites in ways he couldn't even quite comprehend.
"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit."
Orienn came to a heavy stop, his feet stomping the ground so forcefully it buried him up to his ankles. His meaty palms slapped together, a wave of forceful winds spreading out in all directions as a dense bronze energy radiated from him.
His upper robes shattered, revealing the fact that he was actually the one and only of the three that hadn't actually had inner armor at all.
He never felt like he needed it.
Matrices danced into existence across his skin, his bronzed, almost gold flesh gaining crimson warrior paint.
"HA!" he roared, all the fat on his body becoming as tough as steel as he slapped out a palm.
In the distance, Zarek only paused for a moment.
'He'll block it.'
He turned away from Orienn, launching himself back toward the Hub with another line of Lurker's Godsfall while the latter was distracted.
Taking advantage of the moment, Zarek moved to slam down a palm, only for a sharp intent to lock onto him.
'You really are useless, Thalion.' Zarek inwardly shook his head as an arrow pierced toward him again.
But he had already known that there was no way the boy-man would leap into a battle for him. Zarek had used him for bait, so the moment the archer was no longer focused on him, Thalion would have used it as an excuse to make distance.
He probably wouldn't be very far, but he was certainly out of this battle now.
Zarek seemed to react as though he had already been expecting the arrow, though.
His body curled back, his foot slamming on the Hub instead as it passed over him.
A stream of rainbow light shot into the skies.
Zarek's gaze flashed. 'Jackpot!'