Sanctuary of Judgment was one of the most powerful skills in Infinity Black. If the Inquisitor could close the distance, theoretically, they could force a one-on-one even against high-value targets like priestesses or shamans, effectively removing an opponent without any losses.
However, if it truly had only advantages, every team in the world would use an Inquisitor. In reality, very few players worldwide chose this class.
The Inquisitorâs Achilles' heel was its poor mobility. Unless used as a guard for a damage dealer, there was nearly a 0% chance of successfully trapping an assassin in Sanctuary of Judgment. Even within the sanctuary, its tracking limitations were severe.
Combat power itself wasnât extraordinary either. It had the bulk typical of knight classes, but nowhere near the dominance of a spear knight. In other words, it wasn't overwhelmingly strong in one-on-one battles.
The skills used in the sanctuary also had reset cooldowns, making it vulnerable to abilities like the warriorâs Absolute Momentum.@@novelbin@@
[Effect of White Moonâs Contract applied.]
[All martial arts skills enhanced. All action speedâ¦]
[Shadow-type skills disabled.]
The buff I received from the Mikoâs Rite: Spirit of the Martial God was still active. This was a build that had taken down even Cerberus. If the Inquisitor thought they could handle it, they were welcome to try.
âWhite Moon?â
I caught the flicker of surprise in the Inquisitorâs eyes.
When emotions waver, thoughts narrow. As my dagger aimed for his forehead, he hadnât anticipated it could be a feint.
I hadnât put much force into the attack. Changing direction mid-strike, I kicked upwards, pushing against his shield from below. The shield rose higher than he expected, leaving a noticeable gap below.
With a quick crouch, I stomped on his foot. I immediately drew my dagger and slashed his Achilles tendon as I withdrew.
[White Moonâs Contract enhances critical strikes.]
[Critical Strike: Achilles Tendon applied successfully.]
[Enemy movement speed reduced by 18%.]
[Bleed poison: Hemotoxin applied to target.]
With the Mikoâs buff, my attack power was more than sufficient. Given that, focusing on bleed and poison effects was the quickest way to finish him. Reducing his shield size was his critical mistake.
He must have been thinking Iâd be as slow as Reaper. But Reaperâs strength isnât speed.
One attack wasnât enough to stop me. With his lower guard reinforced, my next move aimed high. The reduced size of his shield meant I could now disrupt his shield control.
I deflected his blade sideways with my dagger. With my left hand, I pinned his lowered shield, jumping up to knee him in the helmeted face, and then slashed his carotid artery with my reverse-grip dagger.
[Critical Strike: Carotid Artery applied successfully.]
[Bleed damage on target increased by 24%.]
[Bleed poison: Hemotoxin applied to targetâ¦]
Blood sprayed, staining the Inquisitorâs armor a deep red. Pools of blood spread across the ground and his shield. Even with a knightâs durability, that level of blood loss likely slashed his health bar by half.
This would be the moment heâd use his ace. If I timed it right, Iâd exit this sanctuary in under 15 seconds.
âFaith is the act of believing despite knowing it isnât the truth.â
The Inquisitor invoked his skill Testimony with a brief incantation. A red aura enveloped his armor, and magic extended the reach of his blade, expanding his attack range. Abandoned weapons scattered across the sanctuary flew toward me.
I couldnât break through that armor if I approached now. But it wouldnât last long. At most, itâd persist for eight seconds, during which heâd have the upper hand, but that was all the Inquisitor had.
Even though his swordâs range had extended, his mobility remained sluggish. He couldnât close the distance with me in one go. I dodged his swings, parried projectiles, and kicked the iron maidenâs door aside to block another assault.
âThree, two, one. Now.â
I sprang off the wall, charging toward the Inquisitor. His magical aura faded before his blade could touch me.
One second of enforced groggy statusâmore than enough time to close the gap.
[Critical Strike: Hepatic Artery applied successfully.]
[Critical Strike: Subclavian Arteryâ¦]
[Critical Strike: Abdominal Aortaâ¦]
Before he could regain his stance, I targeted his arteriesâfirst the hepatic, then pushed aside his sword to strike his subclavian artery near his chest, and finally hurled my dagger into his lumbar artery.
I took a hit from his shield due to my ambition, but still, Iâd say it was a success.
The timing was flawless, with the Spirit of the Martial God buff active until the end. Seeing the Inquisitorâs helpless expression made me smirk.
âEnd.â
[Active: Massive Hemorrhage]
[Inflicts critical bleed damage based on the number of successful critical strikes.]
[Effect of White Moonâs Contract has ended.]
[âSigma Ga-wolâ has defeated âQ Prime Holy.â]
[With the casterâs death, you have exited the Sanctuary of Judgment.]
[Skill cooldown reset due to successful elimination of caster.]
âGa-wol has been pulled into Sanctuary of Judgment. Meanwhile, it seems Sparrow is also moving to locate his target.â
âLooks like theyâve set their sights on Hekate?â
âYes, The Place Where the Storm Sleeps is a particularly dark battleground. Assassins can find ample hiding spots, but snipers can also use this to their advantage.â
âRather than fixating on Outlaw, they seem intent on taking out Hekate to cripple Sigmaâs sustain.â
âIn a dim setting like this, a sniperâs aim can be challenging, too.â
The assassin lurked, peering out from between wrecks. Although the core damage dealer, the Beast Hunter, had lost significant health, he wasnât in immediate danger.
The grappler would be preoccupied with Luche. The assassin would go for the unguarded Miko, allowing the Beast Hunter time to finish off Luche. Even if Outlaw managed to take out one of their own, it would be a worthwhile sacrifice.
After all, a sniper alone couldnât turn the tide. Any remaining melee classes could hunt him down soon enough. Besides, without the assassinâs position revealed, the sniper couldnât fire the opening shot carelessly.
With the location exposed, heâd be killed instantly. Ideally, two to three of them would survive and finish off Ga-wol.
âLuche and Frek have locked onto each other. The grappler is closing in on Luche with enhanced muscle strength.â
âIâm curious about Sigmaâs approach here. Realistically, their composition doesnât need to face them head-on, does it?â
âGa-wol could have taken a reconnaissance role, while the sniper whittled down their health. Choosing direct confrontation shows a great deal of confidence.â
âThe teams collide!â
The grappler charged toward the paladin. Just as his bulky hands reached for the shield, Luche skillfully dropped the shield to the ground, widening the gap with a shockwave.
A sharp blade lunged for his wrist, but the grappler was no easy target. Luche couldnât advance further; as soon as he concealed himself behind the shield, shotgun rounds ricocheted off his guard.
Luche was more resilient than last season. Even while handling two opponents, he wasnât easily subdued. As the plan went awry from the outset, Sparrow started moving.
[Effect of Ashen Moonâs Blessing applied.]
[For up to 10 seconds, you blend into shadows within 10 meters of any playerâ¦]
[Caster: Q Prime Sparrow]
A blade hidden in shadow aimed at the Mikoâs neck. It was an ambush in the chaos of battle. Such an attack was hard to counter, even for first-tier players.
Yes, difficult to counter. But not impossible.
Muttering something under her breath, Hekate whipped her head around.
The crack of a Beast Hunterâs gunshot, the paladinâs shield impact, and the splashing of footsteps through rainâ¦
âI heard you.â
Her staff struck the ground, creating a barrier through magic talismans. Though the shield shattered against the shadowed spikes, it bought the Miko enough time.
An old demon proverb advises that, in an assassinâs ambush, itâs unnecessary to block perfectly. Just deflect the primary weapon and protect critical areas. Achieving even one of these goals gives you a moment to survive until backup arrives.
As she deflected the assassinâs arm with her staff, a sharp kick struck Hekateâs head.
Her vision blurred from the impact, with shadows piercing her body all over. Yet, a smirk played on Hekateâs lips.
Her staff came around again, blocking the dagger once more.
âYes, yes! I told you Iâm not that helpless! Itâs them thatâs weird!â
If it werenât a battle, sheâd probably be jumping up and down with excitement. However, a voice she didnât want to hear cut through.
âWhat exactly did I do?â
âAah!â
Before she knew it, a silver-haired assassin lunged at Sparrow.
The urgency of the situation kept her from fully processing it, but a kill log flickered in her peripheral vision. Hekate, though startled, activated her area buff instinctively.