The second match drew desert terrain.
Eckfried's mouth twisted bitterly.
Damn this desert!
Most of the area was bare, with nowhere to hide.
And his class was Dark Shadow Assassin!
What was he supposed to do on terrain that let an army of summoned creatures spread out and fight head-on?
There were a few tall cacti and weathered rocks that offered some cover, but Eckfried didn't dare hide among them.
It was simple: hiding meant waiting for an opening. Bai Xiaowen would never be foolish enough to walk into cover.
The longer this dragged on, the more Bai Xiaowen's skill cooldowns and depleted spirit power would recover. Dominic's sacrifice as the first challenger would go to waste.
That was the challenger's predicament. He had to attack.
Cresting a dune, Eckfried spotted Bai Xiaowen in the distance. At the same time, Bai Xiaowen "spotted" him.
Rageclaw bounded toward him.
Eckfried stood frozen in place for seven full seconds. Rageclaw closed to melee range and swiped at him.
The claw struck empty air. The next instant, Eckfried appeared before Bai Xiaowen.
Shadow Path! It sent a path of shadow forward, and for ten seconds Eckfried's real body could appear at any point along it.
The skill's advantage was that spirit-power detection couldn't expose it. Eckfried's real body had remained where he was, while the energy sent out by Shadow Path couldn't be detected that way.
He had closed the distance!
Eckfried thrust his sword out to test the waters. His agility was exceptionally high, and the strike was lightning-fast. With the sudden arrival from Shadow Path, Bai Xiaowen had no chance to react.
Rip!
The illusion dissolved, and a battered Straw Doll fell to the ground.
Bai Xiaowen's real body appeared several yards away. He raised a hand and dropped several summoned