Chapter 32 - Challenged
Luck led Elliot to the middle of the guildhouse where there was a large space. The atmosphere was tense and the guild members want to stop them.
Elliot couldn't help but gulp after seeing Luck's stats.
<< Luck Casino >>
Level 100
Class: Grand Ranger
Subclass: Bard
Occupation: Coal Miner
"Are you ready?" Luck asked with a smirk. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot continuously.
Elliot brandished his sword, pointing towards the larger man. "Yes."
"Let's fight."
"Supreme Malevolence!" Elliot yelled, dashing towards Luck. He raised his sword, leaped, and swung his sword, only to be blown away by an unknown force.
"What was that?" Elliot asked.
Luck whistled that made Elliot quirk his brow. Before he knew it, there were several spheres made of air hitting his body. It was like there were invisible giants punching him.
"Luck–"
"It's okay, Lance," Elliot cut his friend off and stood back up. Once again, he raised his sword and ran towards Luck. But this time, he kept his defenses up.
<< APRIL Max >>
HP: 31,000/40,000
It took quite a bit in my HP. Elliot thought.
Feeling the air, Elliot managed to dodge more of Luck's invisible punches. He maneuvered his way up to the man and leaped to reach Luck's towering height.
"Hasty–"
'Multicast locked.'
'Hasty Aspire unable to cast.'
"Oh, no."
Luck lifted his right foot, swinging it down and taking Elliot down with it. He whistled and the invisible attacks followed, thoroughly bruising the boy.
"He's hopeless," Luck said to Frederick who was at the side. The red-haired man sighed and shook his head.
"You're too much sometimes, Luck," Frederick said and walked away.
"Hey, what did I do?" Luck asked with his eyebrows meeting.
On the ground, Elliot's ear was connected to the floor. There was something that's surrounding Luck that he could feel. It was seething from the floor, the faint aura from it, and encircles Luck like a snake.
Sound.
He pretended to curl up but was actually feeling how the music moves. Luck wasn't just whistling.
Let's do this one more time. Elliot said.
He stood and saw that Supreme Malevolence's effects were gone. Meaning, he can cast Hasty Aspire.
Elliot leaped a good distance backward and felt the air around them. Now he knew that there were no invisible giants around them.
That was a fact.
"Hasty Aspire!"
He dashed behind Luck in a flash. Luck only looked halfway behind him and whistled.
This time, instead of seemingly invisible punches, Elliot's attack was blocked by an invisible shield. He closed his eyes and felt the flowing mana in the air. It didn't surround Luck. It was just a thick circular shield that's made of air.
Luck whistled again, and like last time, punches paraded throughout Elliot's body. Although he blocked some, he was still hurt.
<< APRIL Max >>
HP: 22,000/40,000
"He wasn't just whistling. He was casting a spell," Elliot whispered and grinned. "Now I know."
A smirk found its way to Lance's lips. "Bingo."
Connor looked at him, completely confused. "What do you mean?"
"Luck is known for not requiring to say words to cast a spell," Lance said. "Instead, he whistles to cast them."
"How does that work?" Connor asked.
"Luck's subclass is a Bard. Meaning, he works with music. He altered the words in his spells and replaced them with a tone of whistling," Lance said. "Observe his tone when Elliot attacks or Elliot gets attacked."
Elliot was flying a few meters back from the attack when he pierced his sword on the wooden floor to stop himself from flying even further. He wiped the blood from his lips and cast Hasty Aspire once more.
This time, instead of attacking from behind, he attacked Luck head-on. Luck was whistling, conjuring the spherical attacks made of air to push Elliot back but their aura was already registered in Elliot's mind. He can easily detect where a sphere was.
"Ha!" Elliot yelled and swung his sword. Luck whistled but his eyes widened when Elliot dropped himself to the floor and bent down. Piercing his sword to the floor, he stopped Luck's shield from going down and he swerved his leg, taking Luck down.
Elliot flipped himself to stand and pointed the tip of his sword on Luck's throat. "I guess, I won?"
Luck whistled that took Elliot by surprise. The tone of the whistle was different and the attack was different. Elliot was being lifted in the air, his sword had already fallen from his grasp because of the surprise.
"You thought you could win against me?" Luck asked. "You're 20 years younger kid."
He whistled and Elliot fell to the ground with a thud. Lance and Connor walked up to him and asked if he was okay.
"I'm okay," Elliot said. Luck turned and was about to walk away when Elliot called. "Hey, Luck!"
Luck stopped in his tracks but did not look back. "What?"
"Let's battle again after 20 days."
Elliot's words made everyone gasp. "After 20 days, if I could beat you, you will do my bidding."
"And if you lose?" Luck still didn't turn around.
Elliot snickered. "Not gonna happen. But if you do, I'll do yours. Deal?"
A chuckle accidentally escaped Luck's lips. He cleared his throat and waved his hand. "Whatever. Do what you want."
After Luck left, everyone was silent for a short time before they erupted with cheers. They got to Elliot and their eyes glimmered.
"I couldn't believe that just happened!"
"No one had ever gotten close to Luck like that!"
"Elliot, you're so cool!"
…
Elliot scratched his nape, embarrassed about all the compliments that flooded him.
"It was indeed amazing," Connor said. "I could say that you already won."
"Yeah," Lance said and ruffled Elliot's hair. "Congratulations, Elliot."
"I guess I deserve this?"
A man chuckled from behind them and they all saw Frederick shaking his head.
"Guild master, did you saw that?" one said. "Elliot managed to see through Luck!"
"I saw," Frederick said. "Congratulations, Elliot. And happy birthday,"
Elliot smiled and remembered how badly Frederick treated him before.
Meanwhile, at the back of the guildhouse, Luck fell to his knees. "M-My legs…"
A smack found its way behind his head. Luck turned to see who it was and Midnight was crossing his arms and puffing his cheeks.
"You almost ruined his birthday!" Midnight scolded.
"He almost ruined my legs!" Luck cried. "I can't believe one swipe from him and it almost broke my bones."
"And whose fault do you think that is?" Midnight scoffed.
"Whatever, Midnight," Luck protested and sat on his butt. "He did get quite stronger in such a short amount of time."
"Elliot is an amazing boy. Just like him," Midnight said. "I can't help but see him in the boy."
"Me too," Luck said. A tear escaped his eye that made Midnight snort.
"So, that's why you challenged him," Midnight gasped. "You always challenged him before, right?"
"Yeah…" Luck dragged on. "I hope they're both looking down on us."
"One would be looking up," Midnight said.
"Yeah.. I guess so."