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It had appeared for only an instant, and from Starry’s perspective, there was no way to spot the enemy since they had emerged directly behind her. However, Zane, who was watching from below the stage, saw everything clearly.

Although it lasted only a split second, he managed to make out the enemy’s general appearance. The figure wore a blue-black military uniform, with what looked like a gas mask covering their face. A short dagger was gripped in their right hand.

A trace of astonishment flickered through those pitch-black eyes before the figure slipped back into Stealth in less than a second.

The moment Blade Dance connected, Starry spun around, raised her sword, and aimed Frenzied Blade at the spot where the enemy had vanished. A violent wave of sword energy burst from the blade, streaking forward until it dissipated at its maximum attack range.

Not even a single Miss appeared. They had already changed positions that quickly!?

“Who was that guy? I don’t remember seeing him before,” people below the stage whispered among themselves.
“No idea. Never seen him…”
“Wait… that outfit… could it be… the Pitchfall Army…”

The people nearby immediately turned pale. “Don’t tell me they’re taking part in the tournament too!? Then wouldn’t that mean the rest of us have no chance at all?”

“No, no… why would they be interested in something like this? They’re not unaffiliated outsiders.” Quinn climbed back to his feet, dusted himself off, and shook his head.

“That’s true, but those clothes were definitely…”

The Pitchfall Army? Yet another unfamiliar term. Zane silently made a mental note of it. The discussion below the stage grew increasingly animated, the noisy chatter completely drowning out the footsteps on the arena.

Suddenly, an inexplicable chill ran down Starry’s spine. A blue-black figure flashed past behind her. A razor-sharp dagger carved a thin crimson line across her body as the afterimage shot straight into her field of vision.

**Slash!**

A horrifying damage number floated above Starry’s head. A single strike had nearly reduced her to critical health!?

The assassin frowned slightly. After giving Starry a thoughtful glance, they slowly retreated several steps before disappearing once more.

Starry glanced at the combat log.

‘This doesn’t look good.’ Starry’s physical defense exceeded 800, yet before this opponent it might as well have been made of paper. Whether it was because of level suppression or the skill’s built-in Armor Break effect, one thing was certain: if the assassin landed another hit, she was dead.

Without hesitation, she activated all three sources of healing in an emergency; Heart of Renewal + two potions!

Her HP looked much healthier now. Even so, she had no idea what the cooldown of that devastating skill was. If it came again, she would die without question.

Moreover, that was certainly not the assassin’s only skill. If Stealth counted as well, they still had at least one or two unrevealed abilities. How was she supposed to deal with this? She had almost no experience fighting enemies like this, especially in such a deafening environment. The noise only made her more anxious.

‘Should I call Starry…?’ Zane wondered. ‘But she’s looked exhausted these past two days and is still only lightly asleep. It seems to be because some woman keeps pestering her?’ The thought crossed his mind without the slightest hint of self-awareness.

While he was lost in that brief moment of thought— “Move left, now!” Windblossom’s urgent voice rang out over the party channel.

Before her mind could react, her body had already moved. The instant Starry stepped left, a flash of silver swept past behind her. The dagger narrowly missed her right arm by a hair’s breadth.

Seeing the attack fail, the assassin slowed down, intending to melt back into the air once again. This time, Starry didn’t let the opportunity slip away and activated Charge! She shot forward in a blur.

The assassin was knocked back a small step, though the stun effect failed to trigger. Starry immediately followed up with a 3-hit combo of Basic Attack + Icy Moon Slash + Basic Attack!

Her sword rose and fell in rapid succession, landing three consecutive strikes on the enemy before they could recover. Taking advantage of the brief gap between attacks, she used Inspect Attribute.

Their stats were similar to Red Rabbit Xinya’s, though the Assassin was clearly a bit weaker. However, this one was far more mysterious, with even the description hidden from view. Was it because of their class?

Starry didn’t dwell on it. She immediately pressed the attack.

**Clang!**

Most of the damage was blocked.

“Hmph.” The Assassin let out an almost inaudible snort. With a flick of their left hand, a cloud of white powder scattered through the air.

‘Blinded? Not on my watch!’ Starry instantly broke free from the status effect with Unchained Will, but the enemy had already disappeared once again. Of course, Zane knew exactly where the Assassin had gone. He had been watching the entire time.

‘To the right!’

Starry raised the Autumn Moon Sword horizontally, preparing to slash toward the right.

“That’s wrong!” Windblossom suddenly shouted. “He’s on your left!”

‘What?’

In the next instant, the Assassin’s faint silhouette materialized behind her left shoulder.

“Die.” The Assassin seemed unwilling to waste words, speaking only a single syllable each time.

For classes like theirs, striking an enemy from behind granted a substantial damage bonus. Just like that earlier Vital Strike. But Starry no longer had time to turn around. Iceflow Shield had already been baited out by the Deceased One’s trump card. What lifesaving skill did she have left now!?

Was she really going to bet on the one-in-three chance from Relentless Triumph?

Three attacks erupted in an instant. It resembled a combo skill like Triple Shot, yet each strike packed even greater power. However, the last two Misses left Starry completely dumbfounded. She wasn’t the only one. The Assassin stood frozen in disbelief as well. What just happened?

Looking closer, a cluster of ghostly green flames floated around the Assassin’s body. That was… the passive effect of the Wraithfire Boots! It reduced the target’s accuracy by 30%.

Combined with the evasion bonuses from the Military Dress Cap and the Autumn Moon Sword, she had actually dodged two attacks in a row!

With over 2,600 HP remaining, Zane naturally wouldn’t miss such a perfect opportunity to recover health. Starry immediately drew her sword back and unleashed Triple Frenzy Slash!

Each slash struck harder than the last. Under the relentless offensive pressure, the Assassin had no chance to fight back. The final strike even triggered both a critical hit and Autumn Strike, instantly restoring over 2,000 HP.

The moment the skill ended, the Assassin immediately disengaged and retreated at full speed. After all, there was no way they could win in a head-on fight. Starry completely suppressed them, making it difficult to even use their own skills.

After taking another slash, the Assassin finally managed to widen the distance before gradually slipping back into Stealth. Most of Starry’s skills were still on cooldown, and she didn’t dare use Whirling Blade recklessly. If she wasted it, she might only hasten her own death.

“Front-right! He’s over there!” Windblossom called out again over the party channel.

Having verified her calls twice already, Starry didn’t hesitate. She immediately launched a basic attack.

By sheer coincidence, the blade struck the Assassin squarely in the abdomen. Zane’s pupils contracted. ‘That accurate!?’

Seeing the Assassin trying to flee again, Starry immediately activated Thousand Flash Steps and relentlessly chased after them with a barrage of sword strikes. The pursuit lasted a full seven seconds. The continuous attacks steadily drained health from the Assassin while restoring her own until her HP was completely full.

Meanwhile, the Assassin’s HP had fallen to just 72%. Only after Thousand Flash Steps expired did the Assassin finally slip back into Stealth once more.

“He’s right in front of you. He hasn’t moved. Just attack, don’t hesitate!” Windblossom declared confidently.

“…”

‘Isn’t using the party chat like this basically cheating?’