Desolate World

With his eyesight, it was easy for Ace to see what Hugo had done. But, he only smiled.

"As expected for our old friend. Cunningly as usual," He said. 

"What?" Peter, who wanted to step up to the defensive line, stopped and asked Ace.

"No! Nothing," Ace said while smiling.

Ace then added, "Don't look down on your enemy. Remember! This is a war. Not a duel."

Peter was stunned, but then he nodded. He said, "Don't worry. And thank you for the reminder."

It's Ace's time to become confused. He said that just for pleasantry, as he felt bad to accidentally attract Peter's attention with his murmur. However, Ace was too good to hide his thinking. So he just nodded. 

"It's time for work," Ace then said.

***

Meanwhile, Dallas was the first elite ghoul who confronted the golems. And he chose the five-meter golem. He slashed his sword toward the golem's knee. Leaving a trace of a slashing on its surface. But, it only took around 5% of the golem's HP.

However, it seemed he didn't think about it too much. After all, leaving a 5% damage to the stone base golem was already a feat. But, his indifferent face became stiff after seeing the golem's HP came back to be full.

-2500

-2760

He also had received damage from two healing spells. He then looked at the shadow priests with resentment. However, he could not do anything about it, as they were protected by the golems' defensive line. 

He then started to become serious. As a swordsman, his advantage was his balance stats. His strength, agility, and defense were proportional, so he didn't fear head-on confrontation. 

"Let's see! Who will be down first? You or me?" Dallas said confidently.

He then swung his board sword again to its knee. After leaving a slash mark, he tried to dodge as the golem tried to attack him with its big mace.

*Boom*

The mace hit the ground and made the ground quake. But Dallas could dodge it pretty easily. He then used the downed arms of the golem as a foothold to climb the tall golem's body. As his head was at the eye level of the golem, he tried to slash its neck. An evil smile was on his face.

But, he then felt something had restricted his body, as he couldn't move. His smile then turned to a panic expression. 

He then felt the golem's arms move. As he couldn't move his limbs, he then fell down from the golem's arms. His body then hit the ground. But, his misfortune didn't stop at that, as the golem then swung his mace downward once more.

Dallas, who couldn't move, could only see the big mace came to him with high momentum and then hit him.

-2500

'It's hurt,' He complained in his heart. Although he only lost around 6% of his HP, he couldn't take it too lightly.

However, he couldn't even curse as he then saw the mace was lifted again. As the golem wanted to attack him again, he felt his body wasn't restricted anymore. He then rolled to the side and….

*Boom* 

Although he felt the shockwave of the attack, he was lucky not to be hit again. He then stood up and looked around. He was sure, someone had done something to him, so he couldn't move his body just now.

Then he saw a figure who was standing behind the big golem. He wore a black full set armor. And he held a sword in his right hand and a kite shield in his left hand. Even though he couldn't see his expression as he wore a helmet, Dallas thought he was smiling.

He then tried to check his information. It shocked him. It's not that he saw such frightening information. But he couldn't see his information at all.

[???}

Race: ??? (???)

Level: ???

For a note. In that world's setting, there wasn't any restriction of someone to know the information of someone. So, if you checked someone's information, at least you would see his name, race, job (if he had a job), and level. So it was normal for Dallas to be surprised. As something like this shouldn't happen.

However, he didn't have the luxury to be stunned, as the golem tried to attack it once again. So Dallas didn't have any other choice but dodged backward.

*Boom*

Once again the golem's mace hit the ground. As Dallas had been out of its reach, the golem didn't pursue him, as his duty was to stop anyone who wanted to pass him. It then attacked a guardian that was fighting with an earthen golem at its left.

"Who are you?" Dallas then asked the man in armor.

However, he didn't get any answer. It made him a little irritated. 

he then asked again, "You are weird. I can't see your information at all. How can you do it?"

The man in armor didn't answer once again. It made Dallas angry. 

"Fu** you, coward. If you dare, fight me!" He shouted.

Then he heard a chuckle. 

"Hahaha. Fine. Come to me!" The man in armor then said. 

He stepped up and exited the formation of the golems. But he didn't move too far. Just four meters in front of the golem. He then took a fighting stance. He lifted his shield just a little higher but didn't obstruct his sights and he raised his sword at his ear level, pointing its tip to Dallas's direction, as if he would stab the ghoul if he dared to come.

Dallas was relieved the man in armor didn't refuse his challenge. Then he also raised his board sword and took a stance. 

They were standing like that for some seconds. Then Dallas suddenly dashed towards the man in armor. As he was just a meter from the man in armor, he took a side step to the left and swung his sword diagonally.

The man in armor didn't dodge, but he moved his shield to the right side, blocking Dallas's sword, and then thrust his sword toward his opponent's neck. 

Dallas dodged the attack to the left while pulling his sword. He took one more step and then with a low stance, swinging his board sword towards the man in armor's right foot.

He was sure his opponent couldn't dodge or block it. But to his surprise, the man in armor didn't even try to dodge it. On the contrary, he swung his sword towards Dallas's neck. He knew that it was too late for himself to dodge, so he could only exchange damage with his opponent.

-1,200

-4,460 (critical)

'It's hurt, damn it! I'm such a fool,' Dallas complained in his heart.

It was his mistake. He was too enthusiastic about dealing damage to the man in armor, he unconsciously gave the man a good chance to deal critical damage.

After that, Dallas used his higher agility to fight the man. But his opponent was just like a turtle, he never gave him a cheap chance to deal damage. At best, he could just exchange damage with him. 

After a few minutes of exchanging blows, he just realized that because he was to focus on his fight, he forgot about the overall situation. As he wanted to retreat to look at the situation around him, he heard the man's voice once again.

"Just realized? Don't worry, we are at a stalemate. Nothing has changed too much," He said in a ridiculing tone.

Dallas was flushed red. He was ashamed and angry at himself at the same time. As an elite, he should look at the overall situation, not just be tied by his opponent. 

He then realized that the man in front of him's HP only reduced around 15%. As for his own HP, it was reduced by around 25%. He was sure he had hit him pretty frequently. He couldn't believe he had just realized that.

"Are you an elite?" Dallas asked with a trembling voice.

It seemed his question shocked the man as he looked at the ghoul strangely. He then asked, "You just realized that? Damn, you are more stupid than what I thought."

Dallas was very angry. Something in his head seemed to be snapped. As he then lost his reasoning and then rushed to the man in armor crazily.

"DON'T CALL ME STUPID!!!" The elite ghoul shouted while attacking the man in armor.

He didn't remember why. But, he really hated to be called 'stupid'. Without him realizing he entered berserk mode. He then lost a glimpse of rationality in himself. He just attacked the man in front of him with his instinct.

His attack speed had increased tremendously. He succeeded in pushing the man in armor a few steps, and without him realizing it, he had entered the attack range of the big golem. 

"Everyone! He is already mad. I don't know how long he would be in this state. So we must finish him immediately," The man in armor said as he tried to block or parry every attack of Dallas.

Then, layers of healing spells engulfed Dallas and the man in armor. While the man's HP was increasing at a noticeable pace, Dallas's HP on the contrary was decreasing.

-2300

-2520

-2600

-2250

-2780

-5600

The massive damages woke Dallas up from his berserk state. However, it was too late, as the golem's big mace had already a few centimeters above his head.

*Boom*

-6300 (critical)

It made him knocked down. And as his head had been hit, he became dizzy. Then more damages came to him. His HP then was decreasing at a worrying pace.

60%

57%

52%

43%

As he was freed from dazed status, he wanted to get up. But, once again he couldn't move his body.

"Damn you!" He could only curse the man in the armor.

And then for the next 10 seconds, he had to see his HP was decreasing at a rapid pace.

'Am I going to die?' He asked in his heart. 

However, as his HP hit 25%, he finally could move his body. He immediately got up and wanted to run.

But, a card then hit him.

"Huh?" Dallas was stunned.

***