Kael's opponent was [Imperator], the same man he had fought not long ago.
Imperator's race was [Fallen Elf], and his class was Priest.
Unlike a traditional priest, a Fallen Elf priest played closer to a shadow priest, with viciously aggressive abilities.
[Mind Control] could seize command of enemy units.
[Mana Disruption] gave enemy skills a chance to fail outright.
In their last fight, Kael's level had towered over Imperator's, so neither ability had amounted to much.
Now Kael was level 30, and Imperator was level 36. The level gap had completely flipped.
I can't let Imperator get close.
That was Kael's first thought.
But he knew it wouldn't be easy. Imperator had Lorelei at his side, and her Naga hymn covered seventy or eighty yards—well beyond Kael's attack range.
Kael racked his brain for a countermeasure.
The guild leaders around him, meanwhile, were itching for a fight. These were the top figures on the server, men and women used to standing above everyone else. The only reasons they held themselves in check were Kael standing beside them and the rules of [Fair Play] mode.
They were waiting on his orders.
His order caught them off guard.
"Spread out. As far apart as possible."
The guild leaders froze—then admiration filled their eyes.
"That's Dawnbreaker for you. He knows we guild leaders are strong individually but weak on teamwork, so he's pulling the enemy apart to break them one by one. He just turned a 20v20 into twenty separate 1v1s."
Kael smiled faintly and didn't correct them.
He only wanted them spread out so they wouldn't all get wiped at once. These guild leaders were his paying customers, after all. He still needed them running quests and feeding the World Tree's growth.
Imperator soon noticed the scattered formation across the field. He only smiled, unbothered. He wasn't foolish enough to split his own team and give chase.
In Imperator's eyes, his only real opponent was Kael. Once Kael fell, everything else would sort itself out.
And he had a trump card ready for Kael.
He turned to Lorelei.
"Lorelei, Dawnbreaker's attack range in the Fair Play Arena is 45 yards. You'll have more than enough safe distance to put him to sleep."
"Understood."
Then Imperator addressed another teammate.
"Vesper, Kael's skill is yours."
"Don't worry, Dear Imperator."
The speaker's voice was sweet, her golden hair strikingly beautiful.
Imperator continued over team voice.
"All right, everyone. We're within 100 yards of Dawnbreaker now. His clones are out."
"He's drawing his bow. Heh. Looks like he's nervous."
"He actually fired. From that far out? He must be terrified."
"Lorelei, get rea—"
"Damn it! How are you dead?"
Imperator had been a breath away from ordering Lorelei to use her skill when he saw her sprawled on the ground.
He roared at the players beside him.
"Quick! Revive her!"
Imperator had a resurrection skill of his own, but he had to keep command of the battle. He couldn't afford to split his attention.
Meanwhile, Kael and his clone squad were already charging in.
The arrow he'd fired was, of course, [Moon Goddess Arrow]. A divine lock-on skill with a 100-yard range.
Powerful as it was, the skill wasn't impossible to play around. All they had to do was keep the protected target in the back line, out of Kael's lock-on reach.
But Imperator had worried Kael might run, so he'd placed Lorelei in the front row as bait to hold his attention.
His clever plan had blown up in his face. Kael had killed Lorelei from extreme range with a single shot.
The moment Lorelei died, Kael's last concern evaporated. He led his clones straight in. He had to keep them from reviving her.
After firing [Moon Goddess Arrow], he closed the distance, stopped the instant he entered [Phantom Barrage] range, and cast it. Then he set his feet, drew, and fired.
What galled him was that he hadn't learned [Moving Shot] yet. Every attack forced him to plant himself, chopping his forward momentum to pieces.
The enemy knew exactly how dangerous Kael was, so no one dared force a resurrection on Lorelei. All they could do was scatter and retreat.
Kael trusted his clones' damage, so he sent all four hunting the fleeing enemies while his main body held position over Lorelei's corpse. Four other players he'd already killed lay beside her.
As far as Kael was concerned, with Lorelei dead, the match was decided. He pinged the guild leaders and told them to come out and mop up the stragglers.
But just as he thought he had everything in hand, something felt off.
He was juggling too much at once, though, and paid it little mind. He kept directing his clones as they ran down the enemy.
Then the team channel exploded.
"Dawnbreaker, why is your clone shooting me?"
"Holy crap! Your clone just killed me!"
"Run! Run!"
Kael froze.
A heartbeat later, he realized what was wrong.
One of his four clones was missing.
Could it be her?
A face from his previous life flashed through his mind.
She had been his teammate once. The two of them had partnered up to ambush Bloodshadow. Kael had recruited her specifically because she was known as the nemesis of summoners and the bane of clone builds. No one dared field pets or summons in front of her. With her on the field, even Bloodshadow hadn't dared call out his divine beast.
The ambush had failed in the end, but Kael remembered her vividly.
Of course he remembered her name.
[Emily].
Her class: [Queen of Charms].
She could seize control of enemy clones and summoned creatures.
The thought sent a chill down Kael's spine.
If the enemy really was the Queen of Charms, all four of his clones were as good as gone.
He immediately recalled his remaining clones and spoke to his teammates.
"Guild leaders, converge on my main body. Hold Lorelei's corpse. I'm going to deal with that enemy."
"Got it!"
"Ow! Dawnbreaker's clone just killed me too!"
"Dawnbreaker, how long do your clones last?"
Kael's heart bled.
"One hundred minutes."
"Holy crap!"
Right then, Kael desperately wished the clone duration would just run out.
No such luck.
Of the nineteen guild leaders, five were already dead. The remaining fourteen hurried toward Kael.
Once he saw them arrive, Kael's main body set off toward the spot where his clone had vanished.
Soon, several figures came into view in the distance.
Standing at the front was his own clone.
Beside it stood a woman, a leather whip in one hand, watching Kael with a bright, teasing smile.
[Charm Witch: Emily]
At the sight of Emily's title, Kael relaxed a fraction.
Good. She isn't a queen yet.