Ascension from Dual Professions

Chapter 283: Chapter 265: Kiting? I’m Not Buying It

Jon tore through the narrow alleyways on his Mechanical Warhorse, which was encased in a brilliant gold. His ice-blue eyes remained locked on the lizard abomination.

Its massive body flickered in and out of the shadows cast by the staggered buildings. Despite clearly being stronger in a direct confrontation, it never engaged him head-on. Instead, it relied on its superior speed to weave through the cluster of buildings, periodically using the evil eyes on its back for ranged harassment.

”WHOOSH! WHOOSH WHOOSH—!”

Another wave of bone-chilling, dark red beams shot out. Their angles were cunning; three of them blocked off his escape routes while one aimed straight for his face.

However, Jon had no intention of dodging.

He raised his left arm, and a Dharma Seal bloomed with light. The dark red beams slid off and scattered around his body, dissipating into a cloud of foul-smelling Energy residue.

But by using this attack, the lizard monster had once again put some distance between them.

This made Jon let out a low, cold laugh.

’Heh, this bastard is trying to kite his own grandpa...’

The monster ahead was clearly using the ”kiting” tactic that Rangers and Scouts were masters of!

It used its advantages in range and mobility to constantly maintain distance, slowly whittling away its enemy’s health and patience, luring them deeper into dangerous territory or away from their formation.

If it were an ordinary Knight being harassed like this in such complex terrain, without any teammates to help, they would be utterly helpless.

Unfortunately for it, it had picked the wrong opponent!

As a main tank who had dealt with countless agility-type bosses on virtual battlefields, Jon was thoroughly familiar with this ”retreat when the enemy advances, harass when they’re tired” routine.

In his mind, countless maps rapidly overlapped and spun—the end of this alley was a dead end, and fifteen paces to the right was a half-collapsed low wall. Behind that wall was a warehouse district with even more complex terrain!

The creature’s intention was blatantly obvious: it wanted to lure him into that area with more complex terrain, a place more suitable for using some underhanded tactics!

For all he knew, there might be some Evil Magic ritual waiting for him over there!

’You want to play? I’ll play along!’

Jon sneered inwardly, but his actions were the complete opposite!

Just as the Mechanical Warhorse was about to charge past the half-collapsed wall, he suddenly twisted his body!

Amidst the hum of its overclocking engine, the warhorse’s rock-crystal-armored hooves screeched against the slick ground, carving a deep, sparking trench as the massive, brilliant gold body slid sideways and veered sharply under immense inertia!

There was no hesitation, not the slightest delay!

”See ya!”

Along with Jon’s mocking cry, he and his horse crashed into another building.

”BOOM—CRASH—!”

Amidst the billowing dust and smoke, he had shockingly taken a different path!

Meanwhile, the evil-eyed lizard, which had been maintaining a careful distance, seemed to have had its rhythm completely thrown off by Jon’s sudden departure!

Its massive figure screeched to a halt at the corner of a half-collapsed stone building. The dense cluster of dark red eyeballs on its back swiveled in unison toward the direction Jon had disappeared. The malicious glow burning deep within its pupils contracted sharply, revealing a hint of human-like bewilderment.

But that was immediately followed by the Frenzy of being fooled!

”HSSS... SKREEE—!!!”

An enraged shriek tore through the air, causing the already crumbling window frames nearby to rattle and shake.

The evil-eyed lizard’s stout hind legs viciously crushed the bricks underfoot as it violently smashed through several already fragile, ruined walls, attempting to cut off the ”cunning prey” by taking a faster, more direct route!

However, just as it followed the scent and smashed through the last of the rubble, the brilliant gold figure was not fleeing ahead as it had expected.

Jon stood silently in a relatively open, rubble-strewn clearing where the narrow passage met the main road. His Mechanical Warhorse was in a low stance, its four hooves planted firmly on the ground.

The heavy rock crystal covering his entire body glinted with a cold, hard metallic sheen under the dim daylight. The enormous, pillar-like blade of [Broken Abyss] was raised, its body wreathed in dark golden Energy ripples that were condensed but not yet released, heavy as a mountain.

He raised his head slightly, his ice-blue eyes peering through the slit of his visor, coldly locking onto the massive abomination that had just burst into view and was now slightly off-balance from its abrupt halt.

’An idiot is an idiot, after all—’

The Golden Rock Crystal-covered hooves of his warhorse shattered the ground. In the instant that rubble and dust exploded outward, a pair of enormous, jagged Crystal Rock Dragon Wings—formed entirely from condensed Earth Element—unfurled violently behind Jon and then, with a mighty flap, beat down!

[Dragonman Swordsmanship: Dragon Wing Sprint]!

”VMMMM—BOOM!!!”

The air was compressed and torn apart by the ferocious Power, letting out an explosive crack as if it couldn’t bear the strain!

Immense thrust, mingled with the roar of the earth’s ley lines, propelled the man-and-horse war machine into a sudden Acceleration. Like a meteor shot from an invisible giant bow, he slammed viciously into the evil-eyed lizard, which had just entered the clearing and was momentarily stunned from having its pounce miss!

The dozens, even hundreds, of dark red eyeballs on the monster’s back suddenly contracted to pinpricks. ’Flee? Dodge?’ Space and time would allow for neither!

”HSSS—SKREEE!!!”

With the attack upon it, this abomination, whose power was comparable to a High-tier Knight, let out an unprecedented, bloodcurdling shriek!

The muscles in its stout hind legs bulged like boulders as its massive body reared up on two feet. The dark Scale Armor covering its body flared out, scale by scale, like the quills of an angry porcupine, and a cold, sulfuric stench gushed from the gaps!

At the same time, all the glowing eyes on its back—dozens, hundreds of them—swiveled in unison toward Jon’s charging figure!

VMMMM—!

A blinding, dark red light, like boiling blood plasma, gathered frantically in the depths of every single eyeball!

The next moment, a suffocatingly dense storm of light beams ripped through the air, pouring down on the brilliant gold figure charging toward it!