Chapter 15: The 2HP Miracle

  The northern wind carried mist into the great hall. The game's sound and visuals were so realistic that they seemed to awaken the remaining senses, making him feel the cold of the night mist and the scent of blood mixed with burnt flesh.

  In his field of vision stood Emperor Drarkarr, clad in a deep red cloak, his entire body flickering with two auras of fire—one red, one black. The red flames represented the signature strength buff of the Emperor class, while the black flames signified the Esonaii Curse debuff after executing a finishing move. The price of summoning the god Esonaii was utter darkness; the character would lose 20% of all stats and suffer continuous burn damage during the effect’s duration.

  Even in this weakened state, Drarkarr was still overwhelmingly powerful compared to a newly created character.

  And yet, Kai did not even acknowledge his existence. He ignored Drarkarr the same way Ignis Flamma once ignored Henry, and judging from his reaction, Drarkarr seemed even more easily provoked than the young Paladin.

  "You wretch!!!"

  Drarkarr lunged forward, swinging the Haleos Draekar scythe in a sweeping arc. He was an emperor, standing high above all, and he would never allow a mere insect to act so arrogantly before him. What did it matter if he had Lafieii’s blessing? He was still just a level 1 character; a single touch from Drarkarr would be enough to erase him from existence.

  Even with a 20% reduction in attack speed, the scythe’s strike was still indescribably fast. It felt completely different from simulated training programs, Kai thought to himself—but at least those programs existed. Even though it was his first time logging in, he wasn’t completely clumsy.

  Ctrl—stumble.

  The scythe barely grazed him, but Kai had managed to evade it in time. However, a level 1 character had neither the stamina nor the skills to keep up. The Haleos Draekar scythe was 3.2 meters long, with a vast attack range, making it impossible for him to close the distance.

  "Hey, girl, I’m talking to you, Elenora!" he shouted while rolling on the ground.

  "H-huh?"

  "Why are you just standing there? Buff me! Buff me now! Valiant Oath! Quick!"

  "O-okay, got it!"

  Drarkarr had missed his strike, but his prey had no stamina left to escape further. With a sharp turn, he swung his scythe downward toward the crawling insect before him.

  At the same time, Elenora raised her cross-shaped sword.

  Valiant Oath!

  Clang!

  Kai had no means of dodging. He raised his spear, meeting the Divine-tier weapon head-on in a fierce clash.

  When two weapons collide, Valia calculates the outcome based on the following factors:

  Physical Calculation: Primarily determined by the Strength stat of the wielder and the weapon type. The type of weapon also directly interacts with Strength; higher-ranked weapons generally require higher Strength. The general ranking for weapon clash resolution is: Shield > Hammer/Mace > Axe > Spear/Greatsword > Scythe > Light Sword/Dagger/Staff > Bare Hands. Other factors such as weight and collision speed are also considered.

  Magical Calculation: Evaluates the magical effects present in the attack. Each attack can carry elemental properties, ranked as follows: Force > Holy > Earth > Fire > Lightning > Wood > Ice > Water > Dark > Poison > Non-elemental. The specific magical effects of a skill also come into play, making this calculation highly complex.

  Rank Calculation: First, the weapon’s rank is compared. Divine > Mystic > Legendary > Majestic > Epic > Rare > Uncommon > Common. If the rank is the same, enhancement level is considered (e.g., Epic +20 > Epic +10). If both are equal, weapon level is the final factor.

  The spear in Kai’s hands was blessed by the Holy Light God Lafieii, the highest deity in the Valia universe, granting it complete immunity to rank-based calculations. Even a Divine-tier weapon or a Divine-tier Summon like Esonaii could not overpower it.

  However, the spear itself was forged from black steel and bore no elemental affinity. Kai, at level 1, had no significant magic either. Even without considering the magical calculation, he was utterly outmatched in physical calculation—his opponent’s Strength stat was undoubtedly far superior.

  The weapons clashed, resulting in a successful block, but Kai was sent flying backward like a broken kite, still suffering the remaining percentage of damage after the block.

  It didn’t matter what that percentage was—an attack from a level 200 boss against a level 1 character, no matter how mitigated, would still result in an instant kill.

  That was when the holy light of Valiant Oath enveloped Kai, pulling him back from the brink of death. A thin silver thread connected him to Elenora, linking their life forces together.

  Valiant Oath binds the life of the sworn ally, granting them 25% of the user’s defense stats and sharing 50% of incoming damage.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Kai’s level 1 character had only 1000 HP, with a pitiful 10 Defense and 10 Magic Defense, practically a feather in the wind. But thanks to Valiant Oath, he now shared 25% of the defensive stats of one of Valia’s two strongest players. And Elenora, as the Queen of Estapha, belonged to a nation known for its high defense playstyle. 25% of her defenses was no joke. The damage from Drarkarr’s attack, after being reduced by the block calculation, was further absorbed by her overwhelming defensive stats, then shared in half. In the end, the damage Kai actually took was precisely 998.

  With 1000 HP and taking 998 damage, he was left with exactly 2 HP!

  2 HP!

  The entire world erupted in shock. Multiple platforms even experienced lag due to the sudden surge in comments. The chat was flooded with three letters everyone could predict: 2HP, 2HP, 2HP!

  Whether it was sheer luck or careful calculation, the result of the first exchange between the mysterious rookie and the mighty Emperor was clear—Kai had survived!

  Even the fact that he had been knocked backward turned out to be a blessing. Drarkarr couldn’t immediately follow up with another strike, and in that brief moment, a healing spell from Elenora reached him.

  As the Queen of Estapha, she had no shortage of healing abilities, and healing a low-level character was a trivial matter.

  With just a basic Healing spell, Kai’s HP shot up from 2 straight to full capacity.

  3000 HP.

  A moment ago, it had been only 1000. His health bar had suddenly tripled.

  "Kai has leveled up at an unbelievable rate!", said Helen "Veteran players might have forgotten this mechanic, but Valia does not require you to land the killing blow to gain experience. Every successful hit on an opponent grants XP based on their level. And just now, Kai had clashed with a level 200 Drarkarr…"

  Helen swallowed hard. In Valia, how often do you get the chance to land a hit on a level 200 opponent? Never. It was unprecedented. A level 1 character accomplishing that was unheard of. The sheer XP gain from that exchange…

  Level 21!

  Unbelievable. A single weapon clash had rocketed him up 20 levels, making Kai the fastest-leveling rookie in history!

  ===

  "You little brat!!!"

  Drarkarr was, of course, not among those impressed by that miraculous escape. Instead, he seethed with rage, furious at being made into a mere background character. So what if that kid was only level 21? Even the level 80 elites before him were nothing more than ants. What was this insignificant brat, just lucky enough to escape, supposed to be?

  Crimson Requiem!

  Drarkarr sacrificed his own blood to Haleos Draekar. Each of Haleos’ attacks consumed 2% of his HP, slashing out massive crescent-shaped Blood Strikes that dealt AoE damage based on lost health and had a chance to trigger additional effects. For every enemy hit, Drarkarr recovered 0.5% HP.

  This was originally a blood-draining skill designed to enhance the AoE effect of his basic attacks, and the health recovery made up for the risks. Yet, Drarkarr had never once used it. To him, sacrificing his own blood to strike down mere insects was an insult.

  But the impudent fool before him stoked his fury enough to drown out his pride. His opponent was just a measly 3,000 HP rookie with no equipment. One hit, and he'd be erased. With Crimson Requiem, Drarkarr would flood the entire space with his blood crescents—let's see where that little rat could run now!

  "Swift Radiance!"

  Kai continued issuing commands to Elenora. Though she despised being ordered around by a stranger speaking with such an arrogant tone, she had no other choice. Letting out an exaggerated pouty emote, she still raised Lux Veritas and unleashed the skill.

  Swift Radiance was Elenora’s exclusive ability. Unlike Wing of Gale, which only created a speed-boosting portal, this buff applied directly to the chosen target, increasing their attack speed by 50% and movement speed by 20%, while also granting a Holy effect to their attacks.

  "Good girl."

  As soon as he received the buff, Kai dropped a remark that not only made Elenora furious, but also sent her entire simp fanbase into a meltdown, spamming obscene messages in the chat. Ignoring them all, he used the newfound buff to charge straight at the raging Emperor.

  Haleos slashed downward, unleashing a crimson arc of Blood Energy. Kai sidestepped it. The scythe swung again, its attack speed nearly unfair.

  Clang!

  Kai didn’t let the full swing complete to generate another Blood Wave. Using his enhanced attack speed, he thrust his spear directly at the scythe. The two weapons clashed.

  The strange black steel lance in his hands didn’t just surprise the viewers—it even left Kai himself speechless.

  Zerth’Kai.

  Level 1.

  Weapon Type: Unknown.

  Rank: Rare.

  Power +10, Attack Speed +10.

  Forged from On’karit black steel.

  New players were always given a Common weapon to help them familiarize themselves with the game and choose their playstyle. The standard starter weapons included swords, daggers, lances, bows, and rods.

  Getting a Rare weapon right off the bat sounded like a luxury, but this bizarre thing was permanently locked into his weapon slot, completely irremovable. Was the character he brought into Valia going to be stuck using a Rare weapon forever?

  That was a problem for later. Zerth’Kai clearly resembled a lance. Its sharp tip couldn’t properly parry a scythe’s blade, so Kai deliberately angled his thrust upward with a manual input. The precision of this maneuver was hard to notice since the clash happened in an instant, but the system processed the action.

  Naturally, a mere Rare weapon was no match for the divine Haleos.

  At that moment, before the eyes of billions of spectators, Kai canceled his attack, using the recoil from the clash to propel himself into the air, twisting mid-air as his right hand drew another lance from his sheath—thrusting it straight at Drarkarr’s face.

  Aetheral Piercer.

  A Might-branch Lancing skill where the character spins mid-air before striking at the cursor’s location, applying a -10% Defense debuff if it hits.

  Too arrogant to react in time, Drarkarr took the black lance directly to the face. Not only did the armor-shredding effect activate, but the system's impact resolution remained unbiased. No matter how weak the attacker’s level or how pitiful their weapon was, a hit was a hit.

  The victim had to be knocked back—Drarkarr included.

  Before the system’s judgment, all were equal.

  "De... Deter Cheat?" Helen’s disbelief grew with every passing second. "A complete nobody appears out of nowhere and after just a few exchanges, he’s already knocking Drarkarr around? Kai, he just used Deter Cheat, didn’t he? And his stats suddenly spiked. Did he level up his attributes and skills mid-battle?"

  "Deter Cheat? Again?"

  "Feels like déjà vu."

  "First Ignis wrecks Henry, now a newbie is wrecking Drarkarr?"

  "He’s fighting Drarkarr using insane mechanical skills, while Elenora just focuses on buffing him."

  "Kinda like..."

  "Like a lightning rod, huh?"

  "Kai… how does a newbie know so much about Valia?"

  ===

  "You… who the hell are you? How can you use that technique?"

  Drarkarr switched to first-person view to get a better look at the rookie he had dismissed as a mere brat, though his screen was already half-covered in blood.

  The Deter Cheat technique had been brought into Valia by Ignis Flamma himself. Even Drarkarr, who prided himself on his mechanical skills, had struggled to master it.

  And yet, through the red haze covering his screen, the black-cloaked rookie charged forward, dual-wielding his lances.

  "What’s so surprising? Deter Cheat? I’m the one who created it."