บท 18: Natalia’s Impact
In the world of Three Realms Online, there are over 27 kingdoms spanning the vast expanse of the game world. Massive palaces dot the landscape, transporting players into a medieval era experience. The majority of these kingdoms are under human rule.
Several of these kingdoms boast hierarchies with ranks ranging from Knight to King. The knights, a longstanding presence in the world, have multiplied over the years, honing their skills to a point where they could rival even the most formidable player. Prior to the advent of heroes, or players, in the world, they didn't level up in the same manner as players; instead, their skills and experience grew naturally. However, since that fateful day, NPCs have noticed a gray level-up prompt materializing before them. The more stronger they were before the leveling system implementation, the quicker their ascent in levels, eventually plateauing at a level on par with their abilities.
Within the human NPC populace, skin color holds no sway in terms of racial superiority; merely being human was a favorable trait due to their numerical dominance. Elves and other non-human races do exist, albeit in smaller numbers, all harboring a deep-seated hate toward humans. Players selecting human character would find themselves welcomed in friendly regions but cautioned about potential hostility or even lethal encounters from non-human NPCs. Conversely, players choosing non-human characters, such as elves, would be accepted in any region, a privilege not extended to NPCs. NPCs born outside the human race, face discrimination from their human counterparts. Humans are depicted as the most racist and cruel beings in the world, surpassing even the war-hungry Orcs in their reputation for brutality. NPCs enjoy a considerable degree of freedom, with their personalities shaped by their experiences within the game world rather than being constructed so not every NPC share such racial discrimination.
"How old is Three Realms Online?" This question lingers in the minds of every player who has spoken with NPCs. If asked, NPCs can recall memories of their great-grandfathers, with elves having an even longer lifespan, claiming to remember as far back as their grandfathers. Just how many years have passed in this world? The history of TRO remains a mystery to many players, but they revel in it. The history has shaped the world to what it is today giving rise to racial problems and ongoing conflicts.
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The hooded woman and the orc, upon hearing the word "begin," sprang into action. Natalia, light on her feet, took off quickly and smoothly, while the orc, Genghis, moved forward slowly. Once the word was announced, their reaction times synchronized, but Natalia was now closer to Genghis.
Natalia's speed spooked Genghis slightly, but he didn't hesitate to shift his body toward her. She moved through the air like a lightning-quick bullet, zigzagging left to right in front of Genghis, trying to deceive the tank's eyes.
"She's fast," Genghis thought, struggling to keep up with her movements.
Her agility and light body build contributed to her speed, along with one of her skills, Swift Steps, which allowed her to move faster. This was evident to any spectators, especially the clan members.
Locking eyes with one of the orc's weak points directly above him, Natalia assessed the perfect time to strike. She jumped above him and twisted her body in the air, swinging her sword. The strike was sudden and unexpected for the orc.
Genghis lowered his head and slowly raised his shield to parry the wooden sword. Natalia struck with all her might, making contact with the shield. Not finished yet, she grabbed the shield with both hands, dropping her sword. With the aid of gravity and momentum, she skillfully swung her body downward, feet first, directly into the orc's face.
Genghis dropped his spear and fell backward, his nose bleeding.
"Did you see that?" a man screamed amid the other celebratory shouts that now filled the air.
"Well, I'll be damned. She baited him into raising his shield over his head, then cleverly grabbed on to swing right into his exposed face… interesting," Caspondis remarked with intrigue.
"Clean hit," the referee shouted.
The orc wiped his nose with his hand, careful not to take his eyes off the poised Natalia. She didn't smirk or make any sarcastic comments; instead, her expression was emotionless. Genghis, the orc, rarely found himself in a battle where he was hit within the first few seconds, in fact, he had never been embarrassed in such a manner before. He usually knew how to gauge if his enemy was stronger than him and would act accordingly. If the fight was unwinnable, he wouldn't even bother to embarrass himself. But this time, he had dropped his guard.
The worst kind of embarrassment for Genghis was being hit by a small, frail woman three times smaller than him. He gritted his teeth at this fact and cautiously walked forward to retrieve his spear, somehow believing she would allow him to do so. However, she denied him the ability to.
Natalia pounced forward with some speed.
"My skill only lasts for a limited amount of time. If he thinks I'll let him pick up his wooden spear, he's dead wrong," she thought.
Genghis halted his advancement and took a defensive stance, now left with no choice but to ditch his weapon.
Natalia wasted no time ensuring he wouldn't get the opportunity to pick up his wooden spear. She moved with grace and speed, rushing once more into the tight defense of the orc. He began to get nervous, but he couldn't afford to show it in front of the entire crowd. If he did, he would surely be known as the fat player who lost to a woman.
She zigzagged left then right, trying to confuse Genghis as to which direction she would attack from. He tried his best to keep up with his eyes and shield, but he knew in the end he would need to rely on his instincts to parry her next attack.
"Left!" he shouted within his head. He put all his weight on his shield and braced for the impact. Not that her attacks were strong, but Genghis was under pressure. Just as he had predicted, Natalia swung with all her might at Genghis's left side.
Genghis made a grave mistake. Usually, in battle, one would have to keep track of their footwork, which he didn't do in this case. He merely moved his shield away from being tightly tucked close to his body to shield the blow, leaving his entire front exposed. Natalia knew this and moved faster than before, now standing in front of Genghis's body. She twirled once more.
Genghis turned his head as he saw Natalia vanish from his left side, his eyes widening in realization of his mistake, though too late to react. Despite her clear presence in front of him, his body moved too sluggishly to block or evade.
Natalia's twirling motion carried a swift and forceful blow from her wooden sword, striking the orc's face. Genghis attempted to activate Fortress, a skill reducing damage, particularly effective for tank-class fighters. However, it was too late for the skill to take effect; the blow had already landed. Genghis was sent flying several meters, his face meeting the pavement, rendering him unconscious.
"We have a winner, number 67!" the referee announced, raising his arms. The crowd erupted in excitement, some cheering as if witnessing a magnificent battle, though the evident gap in abilities was clear.
"Tremendous! Marvelous!" Caspondis remarked, genuinely entertained along with his clan members, who had forsaken their duties to watch the spectacle.
"I'm afraid she still has another battle before she can join fully," Caspondis stated, rubbing his chin in contemplation. "She would be a valuable addition!" Another clan member added.
Natalia replaced her hood and left the arena, trying to avoid attention but becoming its center nonetheless. People made way for her, unsure whether to be frightened or awestruck. She knew she couldn't remain inconspicuous with so many eyes on her. She had intended for this to be a brief battle, proving herself through victories rather than popularity.
"Hmm, although not the most impressive battle I've seen, it's attracting attention because she's a woman. Moving on..." Caspondis thought, shifting his gaze elsewhere.
"Now that the area is clear, let's begin the next bout. Numbers 4 and 89, please step forward," the referee announced.
The referees, dressed casually without armor, were lower-ranking clan members. While they had skill, it was not at the level of those on stage. Even if a referee was level 4, it didn't mean they were equal to another level 4; these referees were strong enough to ensure the battles didn't get out of hand.
Natalia could sense the multitude of eyes locked on her as she walked away. She didn't like the attention but knew stopping it would be impossible. She sighed and tried to lower her hood further, expecting the crowd to turn their heads to watch the next battle.
"Check it out, it's another woman," a voice remarked.
Natalia heard another voice reply, which she liked as it meant attention was shifting away from her.
"Wait, she's an NPC?!" someone screamed from far away, now a good distance from Natalia.
Word spread quickly, and every player in the area was confused, not because she was an NPC, but because she was a female NPC. This was incredibly rare in this region. Female players were present in small numbers, the number of male NPCs were even smaller but she was the only NPC female.
"That's incredible! I thought in this kingdom they didn't allow females to be knights!" one player exclaimed.
"You dummy, that's only for the kingdom's knights. This is a knight-clan; she could totally join... if she's anything like that hottie who kicked that fat orc's ass!"
"There's something about a woman warrior that just makes me fall in love!"
It was a buzz, and Natalia was intrigued. She pushed forward, attempting to get closer to the zone she had just left.
"There are so many heroes here... orcs, elves, everything... I had heard about these clans forming and needed to see it for myself, but all it is is a bunch of rowdy nutcases," the female NPC thought.
Natalia finally got a closer view and watched as both combatants assumed their stances. One was a young human woman with brown hair and a brown hooded cloak, and the other was a half-angel man with very bright golden hair, almost white, and two small angelic white wings. The half-angel branded the name "Julius Kong Level: 4" in the usual blue color prompt, dual-wielding wooden swords. The young woman held a wooden sword and branded the gray-prompt with no surname, "Karina Level: 9."
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