Chapter 165

No.1

He promptly entered ‘Spectator mode’ to watch the duel unfold.

The mechanics of Eternal Champions involved each player selecting a hero character to engage in combat, with the player whose health bar depleted first losing the match. The game offered a diverse array of character classes: Warrior, Mage, Knight, Healer, and many others.

Upon entering the game, Takashi Yamamoto immediately selected the Assassin class, causing spectators to frown with concern.

The Assassin class was notorious for its ability to eliminate opponents within ten steps; few could survive its lethal strikes. With exceptional agility and speed, a single move could completely drain an enemy’s health bar. It seemed dire for Isabella. How could she possibly win?

Lawrence leaned close behind Isabella's chair. "Pick the Warrior, Isabella. It's the strongest class!"

His voice grew urgent. "You have to choose it, or the Assassin will eliminate you instantly!"

Isabella remained completely calm. A faint smile touched her lips as she silently selected the Dancer.

The Dancer was a stunning sniper heroine who wielded an ornate crossbow.

Her choice sent a wave of confusion through everyone watching.

[Is the Boss joking? She picked the Dancer to fight an Assassin?]

No.2

[The Dancer is powerful, but far too fragile! The Assassin will cut her down in mere seconds!]

[Dancers need a full team for protection! Warriors and Nurses! How can she duel an Assassin alone with that class?]

[Boss, please change your character! For Westchester's honor! For your one hundred million! Switch now!]

Lawrence grabbed her arm, his grip tight with panic. "Isabella, have you lost your mind? Change it! Right now! The Dancer can't win a duel against an Assassin! They're support characters! Backline damage! There's no one to protect you here… You'll be slaughtered!"

"We'll see who does the slaughtering," Isabella replied, her smile unwavering.

The game began. The screen displayed a vast, wild martial arts arena. Character selection was now locked.

A helpless Lawrence sank into the chair behind her, running a hand over his face in dismay. Anxiety radiated from him.

Every observer stared at their screens, unblinking. They didn't dare miss a single moment of the impending clash.

Takashi Yamamoto: [I'll offer you one final chance. Change your mind. Call me 'Boss.' Alter your username to 'Takashi's Dog.' I might show you mercy.]

Isabella: [Hah! Perhaps you should be the one doing that?]

No.3

Takashi Yamamoto: [Arrogant fool. I will personally show you the meaning of despair before this match concludes!]

He immediately controlled his character, dashing toward Isabella's starting position to initiate his attack.

Isabella typed calmly, her fingers steady. [Wait. Did you overlook a small detail? My wager is one hundred million. You've put forth nothing. Are you frightened?]

His pride was stung. [Frightened? Of you? I'll wager one billion! One billion dollars!]

Takashi was consumed by the desire to crush this challenger. He'd completely forgotten the bet. She had chosen the weakest possible character… His victory was assured!

He quickly typed, officially placing a one-billion-dollar bet. He added, [If you lose, we meet in person. You will lick my boot.]

Lick his boot? On top of losing one hundred million?

The terms were utterly humiliating.

A thrill shot through Isabella. She loved high stakes. [Agreed. And if you lose, you change your name to 'Boss's Dog.' Whoever breaks their word is a pathetic coward!]

Their exchange was brutally arrogant and sharp.

No.4

If the number one ranked player, Takashi Yamamoto, changed his username, the entire gaming world would notice. He never imagined anyone would dare speak to him with such contempt. Even Lawrence, the leader of Westchester's Esports, treated him with deference.

Who did this nobody think she was?

It didn't matter. This challenger would soon be kneeling to lick his boot.

He responded: [Deal. Whoever reneges is the lowest form of coward! Let everyone here be our witness!]

The spectators were electrified by the brutal wager. The comment section exploded.

[Screenshot taken! This is historic!]

[An incredible gamble is on! Let's see who emerges victorious!]

[What is there to see? The Dancer has zero chance! Absolutely none!]

[You think so? I'm not so sure! I'll place a bet!]

[I'm in! 500 on Takashi Yamamoto!]

No.5

[I'll throw down 1 dollar for the Boss! A token of faith!]

Takashi Yamamoto: [Hahaha! This is absolutely ridiculous! Listen, rookie, why don't you just quit now? I'll even let you choose a different character. I'd hate to embarrass you too badly.]

Isabella Montgomery: (Enough with the nonsense. Let's begin.)

Takashi Yamamoto: [!!!]

Both players immediately entered Eternal Champions' duel mode.

The duel platform featured a rectangular design with crystal castles for each competitor. No character could cross into the opponent's castle territory - any attempt would result in instant elimination.

The game offered two victory conditions. The first method involved eliminating the opponent immediately upon their castle exit or before they could retreat back to safety. The second approach required destroying the enemy's castle from the outside.

Lawrence Chamberlain watched nervously as Takashi Yamamoto charged toward Isabella's castle. "Be careful, Isabella! Watch out! We cannot lose this match! A defeat is unacceptable!"

All of Westchester would face humiliation if she lost or refused to lick his foot.

"Relax," Isabella responded calmly, her Dancer character moving gracefully from the castle's protection.

No.6

Still, the Dancer remained vulnerable to quick elimination outside her defensive structure.

Every spectator focused intently on their screens, not daring to blink. Takashi Yamamoto glared fiercely at his monitor.

He controlled his Assassin character, rushing toward the Dancer with aggressive intent. The Assassin moved with incredible velocity, leaving behind shadow clones in his wake. Within moments, he positioned himself directly before the Dancer.

The sharp ring of metal echoed as the Assassin swung his longsword toward the Dancer.

This was the Assassin's ultimate technique - Final Move - capable of shredding opponents to pieces. While a Warrior might withstand such lethal force, physically weaker characters like the Dancer stood no chance against this devastating attack.

Spectators held their breath collectively. The Dancer would surely perish from this ultimate assault! Her defensive capabilities were too inadequate to survive.

Surprisingly, Isabella's fingers flew across her keyboard with astonishing speed. Just as the Assassin unsheathed his weapon, she activated the Dancer's Immunity skill.

This unique Dancer feature provided temporary protection. Though not offensively powerful, the Dancer possessed this special ability that lasted precisely 1.5 seconds when activated right before enemy attacks.

During this brief window, Immunity reduced incoming damage by fifty percent. However, the Dancer still sustained half the attack's force and could perish if unable to withstand the impact.

Viewers and gamers alike watched the live stream without blinking.

No.7

What good was Immunity? The brief duration still left the Dancer vulnerable to destruction!

Yet as Isabella activated Immunity, her fingers continued dancing across the keyboard. While protected, her Dancer launched a relentless arrow assault against the Assassin.

In that critical moment, the Dancer emerged virtually unscathed while the Assassin suffered significant damage from her counterattacks.

The arrows struck true, draining half of the Assassin's health bar immediately.