Riders were basically divided into five combat classes: Knight, Warrior, Assassin, Black Mage, and White Mage. They had different roles and skills which supported those roles.
-Knight was basically a tank, who took damage and protected allies. They had defensive skills, which could be buffs or debuffs, and sometimes heal. They also pulled the aggro of the enemies.
-Warrior had a damage dealer role. They depended on their high attack to deal damage and they also had rather high defense.
-Assassin was also a damage dealer, but rather than relying on attack, they depended more on agility.
-Black Mage was also a damage dealer. They had a wide array of spells to deal ranged magic damage.
Damage dealer could either deal DPS or Burst Damage and had different types of skills that dealt AoE (Area of Effect: Damage that affected multiple enemies in a certain area), DoT (Damage over Time: Continuous damage over time), and CC (Crowd Control: skills that disabled or limited enemies' movement.)
-White Mage had spells to heal, buff allies and debuff enemies.
Team A:
-Nohan
-Bardo
-Lukas
-Vita
-Rara
Team B:
-Brordus
-Fajar
-Arma
-Bambang
-Lani
"Get ready. On your position."
"Three… Two… One… Fight…"
Nohan and Brordus activated their defensive skills at almost the same time.
"Knight's Code"
[Knight's Code
Description: Increases Defense by up to 50%. Link allies to the user. Allies will not receive damage from enemies' attack. The user will receive the damage. The damage cannot exceed 30% of the user's HP.]
"Defense Boost"
[Defense Boost
Description: Increases the user's defense by 30%. Allies within the skill radius receive a 20% defense boost.]
'Sh*t.. Knight's Code!?' Brordus felt that he was outranked. Inside he was jealous why his opponent had that skill.
"What? Knight's Code? That's a high tier skill."
"Is it for real?"
"Compared to Def Boost, KC is way better. It might affect the result of the battle."
Various comments from the spectators could be heard by Janu. Knight's Code was a rare skill and not many Knights had it. Seeing it first hand was a rare occasion.
Warriors were supposed to deal damage, but Bardo was on a defensive stance. He was standing right in front of Vita and Rara, the magic duo. Team A strategy was to be on the defense until Lukas made the opposite White Mage unable to continue.
Team B's Fajar and Arma moved together after Lani buffed them with Attack Boost and they closed the gap to Team A's Vita. It seemed they wanted to gang up and deal with her first. Team A's White Mage, Rara, didn't just stay idle. She cast Aura to increase Vita's all stats by 10%.
The Assassin, Arma, detoured from her track and attacked Rara. At that moment, Bardo had moved closer to Vita to intercept the two opponents. But, unexpectedly, Arma baited him to move away from Rara.
White Mages were vulnerable to attack without Knight's protection. Arma attacked her with a dagger and her passive skill was in effect. Hunter Mark left a mark on the opponent when attacked with normal attack. When the enemy got a mark, the next active skill would deal additional damage equal to 50% of attack.
"Mad Slaughter."
"You die!!"
Mad Slaughter was a skill that dealt 300%+ physical damage. When used on enemies with a Hunter Mark, the damage stacked by 50%, so in total the damage dealt was equal to 450%.
The skill hit Rara, but shockingly, she was fine. On the other hand, Nohan, who helped Lukas distract the enemy's rear, faltered. He took the damage that was supposed to hit Rara. Nohan got a boost in his defense by 50% and the damage he received couldn't exceed 30% of his HP, so he was technically fine. If Rara had taken the damage, she would be instantly defeated.
"D*mn." Arma was disappointed with the reality. She hadn't known the effect of Knight's Code so she expected to disable Rara with that attack.
Rara cast Regen on Nohan to recover his lost HP. She ignored Arma because she knew Bardo was on his way to her aid. Bardo couldn't intercept Arma in time because of the difference in agility. But now he had come to keep her occupied. Team A knew that they needed to cooperate to secure the chance of winning. They wanted to deal with the opponents one by one.
On the other side, Lukas was on rampage. He moved swiftly and before Bambang could finish casting Cold Storm, an AoE spell that could slow and even freeze multiple enemies, he used Hidden Weapon: Electric Shuriken, which electrocuted and immobilized him.
He didn't finish him directly because his actual target was Lani, the White Mage. He used Accelerate to quickly move towards her and was about to use his trump card. Brordus the Knight saw it coming and interfered with Void Cry, which taunted and made the opponent unable to use skills.
"Arrghhh… I hate this."
Lukas couldn't target Lani because he was affected by taunt. He could only attack Brordus, and to make it worse, he could only use normal attacks. To alleviate his stress, Lukas bombarded Brordus with normal attacks. He attacked rapidly, and in two and a half seconds he landed more than ten hits. If his target was Lani, she would suffer some damage. But Brordus was no Lani. He had high HP and Def. Even though he received multiple hits, as long as they were normal attacks and didn't ignore Def, he would still have nothing to worry about.
The battle was fierce. The two teams were on the same level and it became a battle of attrition. The team who could manage the timing of the skills and had good coordination would come out to be the winner.
Vita who was attacked by Fajar cast her spell. With the help of Knight's Code, she wasn't worried her spell casting would be interrupted by Fajar's skill.
"Contra Elemental."
"Plague Mist"
Contra Elemental was a rare AoE spell. Normally a Black Mage could cast one elemental spell at one time, be it a single target or multiple target spell. However, Contra Elemental was special. It hit multiple enemies with different types of elements depending on the enemies' elemental weaknesses. If the enemy's elemental weakness was ice, he would be hit by an Ice spell. If the enemy's magic resistance was high, he would be hit by a Non-Elemental spell.
Vita also used double casting, which was also a rare feat, with Plague Mist. When Contra Elemental hit, Plague Mist was in effect. Plague Mist caused Slow statue effect and DoT. The opponents suffered great damage, because they were hit by elemental spells they were weak against and they also received additional damage from DoT. The spell combo successfully turned the tide of the battle.
The Slow effect affected the battle greatly. Team A could interfere with Team B's skill activation easily and used their skills effectively.
"Ice…."
Before Bambang could finish his spell, Nohan used Shield Throw to cancel his casting.
"D*mn," Bambang cursed because he was annoyed.
Rara cast Haste on all of her teammates and they finished the opponents one by one. Lukas got double kills by using Vital Strike consecutively on Lani and Bambang. Bardo and Fajar each defeated Arma and Fajar. Nohan only used normal attacks to finish Brordus, whose HP was almost depleted because of the DoT.
Team A was able to come out as the winner and all members were still standing. On the other hand, Team B was totally wiped out. Both teams then left the stage and the next two teams entered.
"Congratulations to Team A."
"We will continue with the next match shortly. For Team C and Team D please prepare on your side."
That day, two more matches were held on the stage.
Other than Nohan and Vita, some cadets performed brilliantly. Among them were Jaka, an Assassin, Damar, a Warrior, and Prima, a White Mage.
When the matches finished, the cadets were leaving to take a rest at the living quarters and they had free time. As they were walking to leave, Janu came to Nohan.
"Congratulations. That was a good match," Janu congratulated Nohan on their way.
"Oh, you're here. Thanks, man. Let's hang out at the cafe."
"Sure."
"By the way, this is Jaka. This guy here is Janu," Nohan introduced Janu and Jaka to each other.
"Nice to meet you," the two exchanged greetings.
At the cafe.
"You're not a cadet, are you?" Jaka wondered about Janu.
"I'm not. But, I came here together with him. I have some family business here."
"I see. No wonder you were allowed to watch the match. It's a rare thing, you know. So, are you also a raider?"
"Sort of, I think."
"He was just awakened when we departed," Nohan helped to explain. He knew Janu didn't have anything to tell him.
"That's right," Janu confirmed.
"By the way, do you know about the auction? I heard they will be held in about two months from now."
'Isn't supposed to be a secret?'
"What auction?" Nohan pretended to have never heard about that before. He saw Janu was uncertain about how to answer, so he played ignorant.
"You know, an auction that sells raider's gear. There are plenty of good gears. But the price can be extremely high. It's a battle to get one item from there."
"Sounds interesting. Do you know how to get there?" Janu played along and tested him.
"Only certain people from the six powerhouses can participate. But I heard that you can pay a certain amount of money to get an invitation."
"So, how much is the invitation?"
".... Ten billion."
"You seem to know much about the auction. Do you know a way to get an invitation?" Janu pressed further.
'Why would he want to buy an invitation? Didn't he ask Mr. Joyo to get him one?' Nohan didn't know what Janu was thinking.
"If you can provide the required amount, maybe I can try asking my family," Jaka said while not believing Janu couldn't provide the money.
"Let's make a deal. No.. Let me make a deal with your family. I'll provide two Heroic grade weapons or gears to exchange with a ticket to the auction. How does that sound?" Janu proposed an exchange.
"Sounds tempting. But two common Heroic items won't be worth ten billion. The items must be outstanding."
"Let's leave the judgment to your family. Just arrange a meeting."
"Sure. My family will attend the closing ceremony. I'll inform them about the deal."
"Thanks."
"Don't mind it. If the deal is good, it might be me who will thank you."
After a while Jaka left them.
"Why do you want another invitation?" Nohan wondered.
"I'm not sure. It was just based on impulse."
"What!? That's two Heroic grade items you're throwing." Nohan couldn't believe what he just heard.
"Don't worry, man. If you get selected to join the joint training, I will give you a present."
"Really? You're not kidding, right? Is it a Heroic item?"
"Who knows? Probably."
In his room, Janu contacted Joyo.
"Hello, Mr. Janu. Is there anything you need?"
"Hello, Mr. Joyo. About the auction..."
"Oh yeah. I already contacted them. They sent an envoy to collect your items. They're in the middle of verifying them. It may take some time, but I believe they will accept it. Your items are special."
"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Joyo. If it's possible, could you please ask them to put my name anonymously?"
"That's the way it is. You don't have to worry. They are reliable and they never share the clients' information."
"That's good to hear. If I may ask, is it possible to receive deposits before the auction?"
"I'll arrange it."
"I really appreciate it."
Next day, early in the morning Janu had finished his basic training; run 10 kilos, push ups 100x, sit ups 100x, and squats 100x. On that day, another three matches were held in the training center, but Janu didn't spectate them. The six teams that didn't have the chance to show off their prowess on the first day gave their all in those matches. There were some raiders who stood out and many people who watched the matches agreed that they would be chosen.
Janu continued his training with Jacklyn and Bimo. Against two famous S-Rank raiders was no easy feat, even though it was only a spar. He continued this kind of training for almost a week. When not training with the two S-Rank, he would hang out with Nohan and his friends or train using weapons.
During a weapon mastery training
"You're basically classless. So, what kind of weapon do you want to use?"
"I'm not sure, Uncle Ellyas. Do you have any recommendations?"
"Each kind of weapon has its advantages. Why don't you use a weapon you're most confident with? But, if you're uncertain, you can try a sword. It's popular and the easiest to use."
"Okay, then. I'll use a sword."
"Now get ready."
The two were in the Arena, the usual place where Janu had training with the couple, and also with Jacklyn and Bimo.
Janu held the sword in front of him and got ready. Ellyas was standing on the opposite side, wielding a spear.
"I'm a Warrior. I can use either axes or spears. I prefer the spear, though. People call it the King of Weapons. Don't worry. I'll just defend for now. Show me what you've got."
Ellyas was holding his spear straight upward using both hands, with the butt touching the floor. He used the northern style; the right hand on the waist and the left hand on the front. It looked simple and full of openings.
Janu struck with a slash from upper right to down left. Ellyas only tilted his spear a little and the sword attack was blocked.
"Again."
Janu tried another attack. He swung his sword towards Ellyas' head, and then stomach, arm, and leg. He repeated it several times. The stance that looked so full of openings was impenetrable.
"Ok, that's enough for now. You're like an experienced fighter."
"I'm nowhere near you, Uncle."
"Train your footwork. When attacking you also need to think about the next attack and the possibilities of the opponent's counter attack. Next time I will also be on the offense."
"Thank you for the advice, Uncle."
So far Janu learned about footwork which was mostly for defending. He didn't really learn it for attacking.
The following days Janu's training was added with weapon mastery training with Ellyas. He tried several types of weapons, including the spear. He even copied Ellyas' spear technique. The one week time finally came to an end.
"Today's the final day of our training. Let's finish this quickly and watch the final match."
Bimo was standing on one side of the Arena. He was holding a training mace. On the other side, Janu was holding a spear.
The two moved to the middle and stooped when they were within the attacking range. Bimo was calm while holding the mace which he put on his right shoulder. Janu, on the contrary, was serious. He held the spear with both of his hands. The spear was pointing towards Bimo, but not in a perfect horizontal line. The tip of the spear was a little lower than the edge. With his left leg on the front bent a little, Janu was ready at any time to thrust.
He began attacking with consecutive thrusts to the head, chest, and stomach. His attacks were easily dodged or parried. Even though his attacks weren't successful, Janu didn't lose focus and kept attacking. Another three thrusts followed by spinning moves on the left and right side of his body were executed with a high speed. He even did a jumping and ducking attack. His combo forced Bimo to use his mace more often.
"Not bad."
Just as he said that, a spinning thrust headed to his chest. It was quite surprising for Bimo. The speed of the thrust was beyond Janu's regular attack. Bimo didn't try to avoid or block that attack even though he could.
Dooonngg..
The tip of the spear hit Bimo's chest. The attack would pushed any opponents backward, at the least, and if it had been executed with a real spear, there would have been a hole on the opponent's chest.
However, Bimo was still standing on his spot and it seemed nothing had happened. The tip of the spear was still touching his chest but that was it. He didn't even hurt, not to mention being pushed back. Janu was confident that his attack would at least force Bimo to take a step back. But, he felt like he was hitting an iron wall.
"Steel Constitution!"
"Not bad. Your attack was powerful. You just need to raise your stats by leveling up. I'll arrange a raid so that you can join and go into a dungeon. With your techniques and strength, even a C-Rank dungeon won't be a problem."
"You don't have to, Uncle. I'm happy with just the training."
"No, you must. It's barely a month and you're this strong. You have great potential. Don't just waste it."
"Yes, Uncle. I'm worried that people will misunderstand."
"Okay, then. I'll find a way. Now let's watch the final match."
The last match was about to begin when Janu entered the training center. He didn't come together with Bimo as they separated outside. Bimo took the executive entrance and sat on the VIP seat.
Before the final, each cadet had two battles. From those two battles, they were judged and selected. The ten cadets who took part in the final today were technically selected for the joint training. The final was for ranking purpose and they would be given rewards based on their ranks.
"Now it's time for the final."
"On the left side, Team Alpha:
- Nohan, a Knight. He showed great performances with his skills, especially the Knight's Code.
- Dimas, a Warrior. His Tiger Soul is an assurance to his past victory.
- Jaka, an Assassin. His combo of Swift Steps and Vital Strike is very effective to disable opponents.
- Vita, a Black Mage. Double casting is her forte. Attacking and CC-ing multiple opponents are no problem.
- Luna, a White Mage. Her Mass Auto-Regen helps a lot in battles of attrition.
On the right side, Team Delta:
- Reni, the only female Knight in this selection. She is very sturdy. Her Iron Fortress is impenetrable.
- Damar, a Warrior. His Blood Debt is unique. If an ally receives a critical hit, his stats rise by 15%.
- Tirza, an Assassin. She has Void Space which increases her and allies' evasion chance.
- Rangga, a Black Mage. His Glacier Field can Slow and deal DoT.
- Prima, a White Mage. Her Reflect Barrier protects allies and reflects a portion of the damage they receive to the attacker."
"Which team do you think will win?"
"It's definitely Team Alpha."
"No way. It's Team Delta for sure."
"Team A's lineup is more balanced."
"Team Delta has Rangga. Once he casts Glacier Field, the battle will be easy."
"Only if he can cast it in time. Do you think Team Alpha doesn't have a countermeasure against that?"
"Just watch the game."
The other cadets who were not on stage gave their comments. They were just like game commentators. Some supported Team Alpha, some others supported Team Delta, and the rest didn't concern themselves with the result.
"Now get ready on your position."
"Three… Two… One… Fight."
"Knight's Code"
On Team Alpha, Nohan activated Knight's Code to secure his allies. Luna's Mass Auto Regen would normally be cast at the beginning because it was a life saver for a prolonged battle. But because of the effect of Knight's Code, she saved it for later. For now she just needed to focus on healing Nohan when he took over the damage or cast a protective spell when Knight's Code wore off.
With Nohan's skill on, Team Alpha could focus on the offensive.
"Plague Mist."
"Counter Strike."
When Jaka and Dimas were on the move, Vita had already started casting Plague Mist and Counter Strike. Plague Mist dealt DoT and slowed the opponents. Slow status affected the movement speed and attack or casting speed. It was very effective in most battles. Counter Strike worked similarly to Reflect Barrier, but in many situations the latter was better. When an opponent dealt damage to allies with Counter Strike, he would also receive the portion of the damage. But with Reflect Barrier, allies would receive reduced damage and at the same time dealt damage to the attacker. However, combined with Knight's Code, Counter Strike was technically a cheat. The allies would not receive any damage, except the caster, but the attacker would still receive damage.
On the other side.
"All Haste"
Prima cast Haste to all allies to raise their agility. Higher agility meant faster movement, attack and casting.
'"Iron Fortress"
Reni activated a defensive skill. Iron Fortress could make the opponents lose fighting spirit as it nullified opponents critical damage. Allies would not receive any damage from a critical hit, so basically only normal attacks worked against it. It was a standard strategy for most battles to cast defensive skills at the beginning to raise the survival rate.
"Void Space."
On many occasions, Assassins were damage dealers, but it didn't mean they had no defensive skills. With this skill, allies within its range gained increased evasion rate and it made the opponents' attack ineffective. Tirza knew that survival was the key to victory.
"What a thorough strategy!"
"Right. Now it's getting difficult to guess the winner."
"Come on… Defeat them.."
The cadets were fired up just from the battle preparations.