MMO: Pierce Heaven Til’ It Breaks

Author’s Note:

Damage-reversal Block: Limited to battle against players (pure PVP skill) and ineffective against monsters (not including players’ pets).

…

“Jiaojiao, I love you,” Li Yi sent a voice note to Jiaojiao with a heart.

“Hey perv, what are you trying to do?” Jiaojiao had just returned when she received his message. She had goosebumps all over.

“Nothing. In ancient times, when men go to war, isn’t it something they say to their wives? We fight for love and that’s what drives us to fight.”

“Do you need me to kiss you? I heard it’s a bigger driving force.”

“Yes, yes.”

Li Yi moved his face closer but Jiaojiao’s baring of white teeth had him quickly drawing back.

“Cough, there’s no point kissing while we’re in the game. Wait ’til I take down Amber Sword Heart, we can really get into that then.”

While the two were still in conversation, Amber Sword Heart made his appearance in the pathway.

To shake Alex and the rest off his tail, Amber Sword Heart had resorted to using Cyclone.

Li Yi stiffened his face as he walked over with Murloc Crossbow.

Hunter Goddess was still absorbing the Divine Jade so the orange bow was out of commission…

Li Yi has specifically chosen this wide passageway. An Archer was a ranged class after all. He would be at a disadvantage if he were to engage a melee class in a narrow pathway.

“Why aren’t you using your orange bow?” Amber Sword Heart coldly asked.

Li Yi only responded with a smile without uttering a word.

Amber Sword Heart’s face darkened as he took large strides ahead.

He already made up his mind that Li Yi was looking down on him. He must think he was not worthy of the orange bow and that thought made him annoyed.

Li Yi shot an arrow which was swiftly blocked with Amber Sword Heart’s shield. Amber Sword Heart’s body left behind an afterimage as he initiated Charge.

Amber Sword Heart’s strategy was different from Unending Unmatched. Unending Unmatched was more prone to inching step by step while he favored pressing on at any opportune moment, keeping his opponents on their toes.

The pathway chose by Li Yi is wide and free of obstructions. This was the reason why Amber Sword Heart opted to put Charge to use.

Li Yi chuckled and fired a blue whirlwind from the palm of his hand, fixing Amber Sword Heart who was in the midst of charging, on the spot.

“Retribution Windstorm!”

The last time he exchanged blows with Amber Sword Heart, Li Yi did not reveal Retribution Windstorm just so he could catch him off guard the second time they met.

True enough, Amber Sword Heart’s Charge slowed down. His prediction came true!

[Maylia’s Retribution Windstorm: Reduce target’s DEF by 50% and sinking target into a windstorm vortex to reduce 100% SPD for 12 seconds. Cool down period: 5 minutes.]

Li Yi shot a point-blank arrow and followed up with a Crippling Shot and Repelling Shot!

Amber Sword Heart blocked Li Yi’s point-blank shot but did not manage to evade his Crippling Shot to the head.

Pft!

With a direct hit from the Crippling Shot, Amber Sword Heart went into a 0.5-second Dizzy state. It was then Li Yi’s Repelling Shot made its way over.

Bp!

Amber Sword Heart was retreating step by step, in contrast to Li Yi who was moving forward step by step. He drew his bow back twice for Chain Arrow Skill before stretching his bow to the limit for a Powered-up Arrow.

Tch tch tch tch tst— Powered-up Arrow!

When Amber Sword Heart regained control over his body, then came Li Yi’s Powered-up Arrow, hitting him right on the shoulder so hard that he staggered over. Before he could recover, in came another Resounding Shot…

Bp bp bp bp bp bp bp!

There was a combo 7 appearing on top of Amber Sword Heart’s head and Li Yi was only warming up!

In King of Pantheon, any class could achieve combos, including pure healbot Priests and Sky Vagabonds. However, combos achieved by healbots was not targeted on the enemy but rather the healing target. One of the requirements of a qualified healbot was the ability to reach a combo with various heal skills that could increase the HP recovery with minimal mana consumption!

Out of all the classes, the Violent Warrior found it the hardest to achieve a combo 7 while the Wizard class had it easiest. The Archer class, on the other hand, found it impossible to combine their skills…

A combo was not about the sequential use of skills. There were various conditions to be fulfilled such as the length of recovery hit, the damage dealt, the interval of skill released, the distance between two parties, follow-up skills, etc. It was a study that many never grew tired of learning and many devoted their lives into that research.

Take Crippling Shot as an example, if it was the thigh that was shot, then the 0.5 Dizzy effect would not happen. Hence, it had to be a head shot. And if Chain Arrow Skill did not come with any additional effects, then it would just be a high damage skill. Therefore, driving the target back with a Repelling Shot and adding the Chain Arrow Skill in would then create a combo.

Reaction, timing, technique, hit recovery rate, etc needed to be kept in consideration. Of course, luck played a huge part as well.

When Li Yi reached combo 9, Amber Sword Heart’s face sunk. It was hard enough for an Archer to hit a combo. Not only did he have to familiarize with the characteristics of various skills, but he also has to be on the move. Amber Sword Heart took part in the Arena before and he never met an Archer like Li Yi who could achieve such a combo.

Not one. The strongest Archer he met only managed combo 5…

“Shield Wall!” Amber Sword Heart’s body was covered with intertwined golden rays. He intended to break Li Yi’s combo!

In King of Pantheon, every class could achieve combo but each class too possessed a skill to put a stop to combos. A Warrior’s Shield Wall, a Paladin’s Holy Shield Spell, a Summoner’s Phantom Footprint and an Archer’s Pseudocide could halt their opponent’s combo but timing was paramount. They would be at a disadvantage when facing classes proficient in Invincibility.

“Piercing Arrow!”

Amber Sword Heart’s Shield Wall had just built up when Li Yi’s Piercing Arrow entered the scene, breaking his Shield Wall effect. The combo on his head now jumped to 10.

Li Yi has sharp prejudgment ability! There was a huge interval time for the arrow to land and truth be told, Li Yi’s Piercing Arrow was unleashed the same time as Amber Sword Heart’s Shield Wall. And only by doing so could he continue the combo!

Bp bp bp bp bp!

Amber Sword Heart was out of tricks. He was now a punching bag, taking hits from Li Yi left and right as Li Yi was on the go. The combo on his head was rising fast!

Jiaojiao was watching beside with widened eyes.

She could not wrap her head around the lack of resistance from this seemingly awesome-looking Amber Sword Heart.

The higher the combo, the longer the character’s hit recovery. It was not that Amber Sword Heart did not counterattack, he just did not have the chance to!

Bp bp bp bp bp!

Tst—

Li Yi activated Rocket Propellant beneath his feet and scuttled to the back of Amber Sword Heart to continue his combo…

“Eliminate!”

Combo 21!

“Tch tch tch tch—”

Lightning Leopard in Stealth mode revealed itself to unleash Finishing Blow, clawing and gnawing at Amber Sword Heart.

Bp!

A direct hit with Elimination Arrow!

Critical Hit!

[-39557]

Giant golden numbers emerged on top of Amber Sword Heart’s head. His legs gave way as he collapsed with a face of disbelief.

A swift kill!

Success!

Li Yi triumphantly clenched his fist.

This series of consecutive skills was never seen before in the past nor the present life. He himself never witnessed it. This was the first time it has happened…

In the past life, orange bow Archer God, Shoot ‘Til Morning Light achieved at most, a combo 16. When he succeeded, was huge news. It prompted the Archer class to imitate him but no matter how hard they tried, nobody could ever recreate a combo 16.

It was just rotation of the same few skills yet only Shoot ‘Til Morning Light was able to make the combo. He could pull it off but that did not mean anyone could do the same.

It was all about competence!

Equipment, technique, luck, as well as… the target played a role. Just as Li Yi’s battle against Unending Unmatched in the past life, he managed to push to his full potential and knocked Unending Unmatched out of the park with a beautiful combo set but chances of this happening again is zero.

So, luck too was important!

Li Yi thought long and hard about this set of combo and failed despite multiple experiments. Today was the only time he succeeded.

He improved Shoot ‘Til Morning Light’s combo 16 and factored in his equipment’s’ characteristics. Additionally, he has this god-send special skill, Retribution Windstorm to begin this combo.

Without a combo, he would not have been able to penetrate Amber Sword Heart’s DEF from shooting one arrow at a time. A combo and a Critical Hit was needed to pile up the damage to break through Amber Sword Heart’s DEF once and for all.

“Insane…” Jiaojiao’s jaw dropped. She could not find the proper words…

Amber Sword Heart was in luck as he did not drop anything from this death. It did leave Li Yi feeling a twinge of regret.

“Roar—”

Giant Frost Tiger came running into the pathway, firing Frost Arrow Storm at Li Yi from 30-yards away.

Alex and the yellow-robed Priest, Ah Ye has arrived.

Li Yi managed to defeat Amber Sword Heart in less than a minute…

Li Yi dispersed Lightning Leopard and called upon Violent Bear King instead.

Although Violent Bear King’s HP was far inferior to a summoned beast, it would be enough as long as Giant Frost Tiger could be restrained.

No matter how strong a pet was, they would be deemed useless the moment the Summoner was killed.

Violent Bear King howled as it charged towards Giant Frost Tiger, stopping it in its tracks. Li Yi too, howled as he transformed into Violent Bear King through Beast Soul’s Possession and slammed onto the yellow-robed Priest, Ah Ye behind Giant Frost Tiger with Berserk Charge.

“Bang!”

The yellow-robed Priest was hit abruptly and immediately fell into a Dizzy state!

Li Yi transformed back to his player body and raised his crossbow to fire.

Crippling Shot! Repelling Shot! Chain Arrow Skill! Powered-up Skill!

Bp bp bp bp bp bp bp bp bp…

This time, Li Yi achieved combo 7, releasing his skills early and disrupting the combo.

A [-15,765] damage appeared on top of the yellow-robed Priest as he breathed his last…

He was not Amber Sword Heart. His DEF was far weaker!

Another swift kill!

…