Vol 16 Chapter 5-1
The force from impact pushed Zheng back half a step but he knew he couldn't back anymore. Their ranged and special ability attacks were behind him. All the other close range combatants went with Xuan. The players behind him and the elves would die if he backed again.
"Ah!" Zheng roared and activated Explosion. He slashed horizontally and cut off the trees these three Ringwraiths were standing on. The Ringwraiths jumped. The anti-gravity attribute allowed them to descend by running on the falling leaves. Three dark swords hacked toward Zheng's head. Just then, a green arrow blasted one of the Ringwraith's shield. The shield exploded and the Ringwraith was sent flying backward.
Zheng skimmed the psyche scan image and saw it was the elves' leader using explosive shot. It was a surprise that the elves could use Heng's special technique. Zheng took the opportunity and jumped. Tiger's Soul crashed into the remaining two Ringwraiths' dark swords. Clank! The light blade shattered and so were the black mist covering the swords.
The Ringwraith that was sent flying abandoned Zheng and charged toward the elves. Zheng couldn't stop him due to the other two Ringwraiths clinging onto him. He entered the second unlocked stage and using Explosion to its full potential. He was giving his best aside from using Destruction. However, it wasn't only his team here. So if he exhausted himself from his most powerful technique and the other teams had ill intentions, the cause of death would be silly. He could only fight using what he had.
The Ringwraiths' strength was lower than Zheng's but their speed was at least on par with his. Their attacks came from the most inconceivable angles. They could stand on a leave or a branch. The fight was difficult for Zheng and several cuts appeared on his body before long.
The light blade couldn't cut through the dark swords but it cut trees and rocks like tofu. Since the Ringwraiths could stand on any object, Zheng began slashing everything he saw to clear the area. Once he finished, he would be able to take on these two Ringwraiths. The three of them were distancing themselves from the elves and the other players as they fought.
"These Ringwraiths are too f*cking powerful. How are we going to kill them like this? And this is only them at five Ringwraiths. If they grow even stronger, are they going to wipe us with just one Ringwraith?" Zheng thought to himself. He felt anxious when he thought of the other players having to fight three Ringwraiths.
The two Ringwraiths stopped in place. Their heads looked upward. This was obviously the action when a Ringwraith died. They were going to grow stronger.
"Let's just use Destruction!"
At the same time, many of the players and elves were killed. The players were better off as they were prepared for the fight. Kampa and WangXia dragged Heng to the back when the Ringwraiths charged at them. Zero and the others followed. They didn't have to the power to fight the Ringwraiths so protecting themselves became the priority.
The other two teams did the same thing. Hawfor and Gungnir crushed the energy stones in their hands. Everyone tried to protect themselves. The elves were fearless in contrast. Over half their archers charged at the Ringwraiths with their close range weapons. Their leader drew two more arrows for an explosive shot. They were a real army compared to the players.
A rain of arrows fell on the three Ringwraiths who didn't have shields anymore. They had to swing their swords to fight off the arrows. The elves leader fired an explosive shot at the nearest Ringwraith. The arrow penetrated the horse's head and into the Ringwraith's chest. It was so fast that the sword couldn't block the arrow in time. Pah! The arrow carried the Ringwraith off the skeleton horse and pinned him onto a tree.
"Chance!" The devil fruit users were overjoyed. The Ringwraith was still alive which meant finishing it off would grant points and ranked rewards. They both charged at the Ringwraith and crushed an energy stone. The power of their devil fruits buffed substantially. An ice and a lightning attack shot at the Ringwraith. The lightning attack traveled faster. It transformed into a spear and headed toward the Ringwraith's head. But the ice attack was more powerful. It turned into a hand and smashed downward.
The elves didn't expect such attacks from the humans. The elves leader shouted. "Don't kill it! They are going to grow…"
But the spear had already pierced the Ringwraith's head and almost instantly, the ice hand smashed the Ringwraith and tree on the ground. The whole area turned into ice and a stream of mist rose to the sky.
The elves leader closed his eyes and sighed. Then he yelled. "Gather all the forces of nature onto me. We can't kill these Ringwraiths. If they become one, no one can stop them!"
The elves ran behind the their leader. They chanted in the elves' language and strings of green light flew toward their leader.
The remaining two Ringwraiths didn't stop. One charged at the devil fruit users. The other leaped over the elves and headed into the forest behind. His shield slowly recovered and it emitted a black aura. This aura corroded any arrows that came near. Soon, the Ringwraith disappeared from sight.
Hawfor looked delightfully surprised but Gungnir was furious. Before they could do anything, the Ringwraith's sword slashed at them. His shield and armor had also recovered. The black aura enveloping the sword grew to three meters in length. It slashed down at Gungnir. Pah! The sword crushed through the ice and continued toward Gungnir's face.
Gungnir was shocked and immediately ran into the ice. He could move between ice at will in his current state. The sword kept going for five meters into the ice before it stopped. It would have split Gungnir in two if he ran just a little slower.
On the other side, the elves leader were gathering the green light from the elves.
The Ringwraith cut through the ice and lightning field. The devil fruit users were inept with close range combat. They had neither the strength nor speed to compete. The skeleton ran through like a shadow and Hawfor's head separated. Gungnir was crying in fear.
Right at this critical moment, the elves' leader drew his bow and released an arrow of green light at this Ringwraith. The light hit the shield then started to spread outward as if it had life. The shield turned green in an instant. The Ringwraith wailed in pain. He abandoned Gungnir and pulled the lead rope. The skeleton horse jumped back and soon they disappeared among the darkness.
"We can't simply kill the Ringwraiths. If they become one, no one will be able to stop them. He has to return to Mordor to dispel the life force so he can't continue to go after you." The elves' leader seemed like he had aged ten years. He was panting as he said this.
Gungnir fell on the ground seemingly terrified.