“That’s weird, what is this feeling?” It was not just Feng Luo and the pirate captain who felt the sensation.

After Phoenix’s talent, “Dark Personality,” was activated, her body suddenly emanated a type of powerful aura and the system used a notification similar to the appearance of a Boss on the nearby players.

As such, among the Nine-Star Guild players who were pushed back by the pirate captain commander yet again and were no longer able to hold their weapons firmly, two Light Armor Warriors could not help but turn around.

“Holy crap, this is…” As they turned around, what filled their vision caused the two Light Armor Warriors to widen their eyes.

…

“Whoosh!”

After feeling the aura, Hawkeye hesitated for a brief moment before he quickly lowered his head to try to pick up the suitcase carrying the core device using his left hand.

“Boom!”

Right at that moment, a red Flame Blade that looked like a longsword forced him to retract his extended arm.

“Chi!”

The Flame Longsword brushed past the pirate captain commander’s arm. As it struck the deck, a huge area exploded, leaving dark traces of charcoal all over the place. Even the alloy layer underneath the deck had visible traces of damage.

“So, this is a long-range attack?” After turning around, the two Light Armor Warriors that turned round looked completely confused.

They saw an attack similar to a mini version of the Level-40 ultimate manipulator skill “Sunset Sword” coming from a player wearing flame red female-style light armor and was holding a sword engulfed in golden-red flames that had doubled in size.

Besides, they were more than aware that this female player was a Light Armor Warrior. However, since when did a Light Armor Warrior have such a powerful long-range attack?

Even though the attack was somewhat different from the skill the pirate captain commander used to kill the three manipulators earlier, they seemed incredibly similar.

“Whoosh!”

Compared to the Nine-Star Guild players’ shock, Phoenix was under the control of her Dark Personality and did not waste any time.

She leaped into the air and, without the need to use the skill “Thunder Leap Slash,” she managed to cover a distance of over ten meters. She landed in front of the pirate captain commander that was forced to give up on trying to grab the suitcase and fight her.

Her hands gripped the hilt of the flame longsword that seemed as if it had doubled in size, and along with the searing flame, she slashed at the pirate captain commander’s head.

“You…” The pirate captain commander uttered his first word since the battle began.

With his bare upper body visible, his muscles bulged up as his veins popped into view as both of his hands gripped tightly onto the alloy sword engulfed in a layer of dark matter. He swung his sword to parry Phoenix’s fiery red sword, using his full strength in that strike.

“Clang!”

The sound of metal colliding into each other, the vibration and the sound it caused were so loud that the other players on the deck felt pain in their eardrums.

As for the two highly similar alloy swords, the flaming red sword and the sword so dark that it seemed like night, were stuck together after they clashed against each other. Neither was able to push the other back with that strike.

“She blocked it!” The Nine-Star Guild players looked shellshocked.

In their previous two pincer attacks, even the Heavy Armor Warriors, provided they did not use the skill, “Immovable Mountain,” were all pushed back a sizable distance by the pirate captain commander’s attack.

However, the only female player present on the battlefield had now exchanged blows with the pirate captain commander head-on, and she was not pushed back at all.

Since she was the one initiating the attack, hacking downward at her enemy, and was borrowing gravity and momentum, she was able to keep her footing during the exchange of blows. The previous situations also saw them as the attacking side. Faced against the pirate captain commander, they did not manage to last one round against him, wielding the sword with one hand, not to mention now when Hawkeye was holding his sword with both hands.

“That’s weird. This lady player was sent flying earlier. Why is she so strong suddenly. Besides, she has a long-range attack now. The Detection skill shows that her alloy sword is now covered with unidentifiable energy… Could it be…” More surprising was what was discovered after a Scout from the Nine-Star Guild used the Detection skill on Phoenix’s sword, “Exquisite.”

Combined with the odd pressure they felt earlier, those who were smart and quick-witted enough had already guessed the reason.

In comparison, Feng Luo understood the situation a lot more and seemed a lot calmer than the rest of the players.

The Flaming Longsword that Dark Phoenix used had a real name, “Flame Sword.” It was the Force skill attached to the Legendary-Grade weapon that Dark Phoenix was holding that was called “Exquisite.”

Activating that skill allowed the user to create a Force layer of Fire Energy Damage attached to it on the sword’s body. The Force layer could also be used to deal with long-range attacks.

The question remained, why could Phoenix suddenly use the Force Skill? It could not be because of the Force Potion because when they were fighting against the players from North City earlier, everyone had used their Force Potions, and no one could use them again within an hour.

That meant that Phoenix had officially awakened the Force just now.

If the truth was not hidden, technically speaking, she should be the real second player in War to awaken the Force.

It was not odd this happened now because Phoenix’s Force Guidance Rate had reached 95% earlier. Her progress’ increase was directly related to the activation of her talent, “Dark Personality.”

However, compared to Feng Luo, who was unconscious throughout his awakening, Phoenix was able to immediately adapt to the awakening of the Force.

Of course, Phoenix herself was also unconscious. After all, her character was now controlled by her Dark Personality.

Since she was also a character controlled by the system, Dark Phoenix’s combat level was in no way inferior to the pirate captain commander, one could even say that she was stronger than him.

After the first exchange of blows with their weapons, “Exquisite,” in Dark Phoenix’s hands, continued to hack, slash, and thrust towards the pirate captain commander.

“Whoosh, whoosh!”

Afterimages and shadows of the flaming red sword could be seen under the sun.

Unlike Sword Ki Long River’s sword techniques that resembled the form of martial arts, Wushu, Phoenix’s sword skills were simple and practical and had no extra movements. Both of her hands gripped the sword tightly as she hacked away at the pirate captain commander consecutively. She was even pushing the initially domineering Hawkeye back now.

“Holy crap! Can somebody tell me if I’m hallucinating? Someone is pushing and completely dominating a Level-65 Commander-Grade monster?”

“Are you sure this is a female player? Why do I feel like she’s even stronger than our boss, Sword God?”

All of the Nine-Star Guild players who stayed to defend the ship were staring wide-eyed.

The Light Armor Warrior players that were sent flying all over the deck earlier were feeling their body temperatures rise to their cheeks in embarrassment.

Although the Nine-Star Guild players currently on the ship were not among the best, the eyesight and vision of these elites from a major guild were not weak.

At the moment, the strength that Phoenix was displaying had greatly exceeded their own. Most of them were feeling that the player that every member of the guild was confident of being the strongest, one of the top ten experts in War, Sword Ki Long River, was no match to the female player currently pressuring and dominating the Level-65 pirate captain commander.

After all, the pirate captain did one-hit-kill Sword Ki Long River. Even though it was an ambush, it still sort of showed that there was a gap of strength between the two.

Truthfully, Feng Luo was also quite baffled by the current situation.

Even though she had awakened the Force, apart from the bonus skill attached to the weapon, she did not have any other Force skills. In theory, she should not be a match for the pirate captain who was 15 levels higher than her.

However, the reality was that Phoenix had the advantage.

Could it be due to the Force stats?

However, it was not the time to think about such things.

Although Phoenix had temporarily dominated the pirate captain and gained the upper hand, she was still not dealing a lot of damage on Hawkeye.

While the pirate captain was at a disadvantageous position, he still managed to glance at the ocean. This proved that the NPC was looking for a retreat path.

How could they let him escape successfully? To kill a person among a super mega guild, show-off, and then run away?

This was not something a Commander-Grade monster should be able to do. Does it think that it is a Quasi-Boss monster?

In this situation, whether it was the Nine-Star Guild players or Feng Luo, they would not allow him to escape.

“Hurry! Block his path!” The warrior players flocked the pirate captain.

“Whoosh!”

As it happened, Hawkeye suddenly sent another Nine-Star Guild warrior player flying away from him before he felt a sharp pain in his legs. His eyes stared forward the spot in anguish as a silver scalpel dug into his thigh.

Under the disturbance of the Force, the scalpel cut less than one centimeter into his thigh.

However, on the silver scalpel was a coat of dark green liquid that closely resembled the cross-shaped darts used by the Rebel Army’s ninjas.

“Pa!”

The pirate captain Commander-Grade monster’s leg had suddenly become numb and lost mobility. Quickly after, he was struck in the back of the head by the “Shield Bash” skill.

Then, there was no need to say anymore.

…

You’ve killed Pirate Captain Hawkeye (Level-65 Commander). Kill Contribution: 11.8%. Obtained Experience: 3,350. Obtained Merits: Eight.

You’ve participated in the killing of the Federation’s Grade-A Wanted Criminal – Hawkeye. After the killer successfully reports the kill to the Federation Government, you will be able to receive monetary rewards equivalent to your Kill Contribution.

Abandoned Ruin Exploration Mission Complete. All remaining Storm City players will receive 50 Merits.

Along with the system notification beep, the dead pirate captain also dropped a bunch of items on the ground.

Energy crystals, a Commander-Grade pet biochip, the map of the Gray Waters… However, the most eye-catching item was laying beside Phoenix, who was pulling her longsword, “Exquisite,” from the chest of the pirate captain commander – the alloy sword that had returned to its grayish color and was emitting an orange glow.