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The upgrade on the Dream Echo Battlefield didn't change it...at least that's what TJ thinks, as he really couldn't see any visible difference.
Maybe it's a little brighter than before? Or maybe he's just seeing things. Either way, it doesn't really matter since his purpose remains the same.
Standing before the arena, TJ saw rows of stone statues lined up at the far opposite side. Those were the inactive Dream Echoes.
There were more of them now that TJ reached the Apprentice Rank. The old ones remained, having been upgraded to the Apprentice Rank too.
TJ could still remember the changes that happened to the boon itself. The detection and shard absorption range had been increased greatly, and he could now fight two dream echoes at the same time.
While the idea excites him, TJ wasn't one to be careless. He hasn't been here since its upgrade. He took a break from coming here, focusing on resting every night instead.
Now that he had just returned and that even the old dream echoes have reached the Apprentice Rank, TJ didn't dare to underestimate them. He knows what happens when he does, and he didn't want to make the same mistake again; therefore, he's being careful.
One at a time, for now. Maybe in the future, when he's more comfortable and slightly stronger and more confident, he'd fight two at the same time. Right now, though? One will suffice.
TJ didn't bother with Warriors or Casters, especially unnamed ones. Now that he himself has transitioned into a Fusion Class template, he knows that he's way stronger than he thinks he is. This confidence came from knowledge and experience, and he knows he's right.
That's why he'd be fighting Fusion Class Dream Echoes instead, so as to not waste his time.
None of these inactive dream echoes would go anywhere anyway, so the choice was up to him.
Like before, the dream echoes are grouped based on the three main combat class archetypes: Warriors, Casters, and Fusion Class holders.
There were now a total of five unnamed fusion class holders available for him to choose from. Two of them had been old ones, and the other three were new.
All five, however, have gone through their first class transitions just like him. The three new ones came like this; as for the two old ones, they've been updated after the upgrade.
In reality, it's not so rare for combat pros to strive for a class transition before reaching the Apprentice Rank. Now transitioning to another class hinders their progress and potential; that's why many people wouldn't delay it if they could help it.
Of course, there will be exceptions. But most of them were because the requirements for their chosen class were too tricky; therefore, they could only postpone them.
The rarer and more unique their chosen class was, the stricter the requirement would be for them to transition to it. That's the general rule.
Some people, like TJ, wouldn't be able to wait that long. That's why almost everybody settles down with some common class so that they can transition early.
One step behind will always be behind. That's the idea.
"An Elven Archer, Desperado, Ruby Knight, Paladin, and Druid."
These were the classes of the five fusion class dream echoes he gathered so far.
Maybe one day, he'd have a chance to fight all five at once, but right now, he wanted to focus on just shedding some rust.
He picked the Elven Archer first.
The Elven Archer was a female; that much was obvious. But since it was a nameless Dream Echo, her facial features were blank, making her look weird. Still, TJ didn't dare to slight her threat because of this; he knew better than to underestimate his enemies.
At his pick, the rest of the dream echo statues disappeared like they were never there. And the Elven Archer statue suddenly began moving, turning into a real person without a face.
There's a considerable distance between TJ and the archer, which shouldn't be good since she's a ranged combatant, but TJ didn't close the gap to get some advantage. He stood still on the spot and waited until the fight started.
The countdown ticked, and when it dropped to zero, the Elven Archer immediately fired off arrows toward him.
These arrows weren't regular wooden arrows. They're Magic Arrows—one that has more penetrative power compared to Magic Missiles and could only be used by the Archer Class.
TJ stood still and conjured [barriers] to defend against the arrows.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
All three arrows that were fired hit his barriers, but they remained intact. TJ then watched as the lady drew more distance between them. Her legs are turning into a blur of motion with how fast she's running away.
But TJ's attention wasn't really on her. It was on the surprising change in the battlefield.
The cloudy arena was larger than he remembered. Moreover, there were also additional clouds above, serving as platforms to stand on; one is even being used by the enemy right now, giving her a higher vantage point to shoot him where he stood.
Five more arrows flew his way; all were tanked by his barrier, but it shook and started having cracks. That's when TJ dismissed it and began running himself.
His speed didn't lose out to the archer's speed. He might even be slightly faster.
TJ tuned out the alerts in his system telling him that his mastery points were increasing. Instead, he focused on the fight.
He ran fast to close the distance between him and the archer, and he's closing in.
TJ zig-zagged as he ran, deftly avoiding the deadly arrows of the archer. He knows that if he failed to defend against these arrows, he'd be grievously injured immediately, and that's not something he wanted to see.
He could shoot her, yes. He has a gun, after all. And to be honest, Hotshot isn't getting enough action since she's been passed to him. But TJ still refused to use her for now.
Her time will come. Right now, TJ wants to focus more on his actual abilities, preventing himself from relying too much on the gun.
Upon reaching a certain distance, TJ used the skill [Lunging Strike]. His figure suddenly accelerated greatly, instantly closing the remaining distance between him and the archer.
If this lady had a face, she'd probably look shocked and frightened right now with how fast TJ bridged the gap. Alas, despite looking like a real person, she's not.
She was saved by a well-timed barrier. One that TJ almost pierced with his new weapon, the [Accursed Needlesword].
The Elven Archer used this chance to gain some distance again so she could continue shooting him from afar with her magic arrows. But TJ stuck to her like glue.
[Lunging Strike] could be used twice in a row within 3 seconds, and if it kills the enemy, its cooldown will be refreshed thanks to its skill perk: [Reset].
As soon as the first lunge hit the barrier and almost cracked it, TJ didn't hesitate to use the skill again. It drove him even closer to the archer.
However, before the sharp tip of his needlesword pierced her body, she performed a backflip, her shoes accurately hitting the sword, causing it to swerve upwards.
As soon as she landed on her feet, she used a skill called [Impact Shot]. It's an arrow that contained enough force to be used to displace the target. And through clever use, it could also knock the enemies back so that the user can effectively disengage.
TJ used another barrier this time, but not the ordinary barrier. He used the [Black Aegis].
And so, when the shot hit the barrier, it exploded, releasing a pulse of negative energy, which inflicted [Slow] on the Elven Archer.
The effect was visible to the naked eye. The lady's movement turned sluggish. She moved at a snail's pace.
TJ would be a fool to not take advantage of this, so he dashed forward again.
But just as when it looked like he would stab her again, TJ surprised the enemy by suddenly leaping behind her and landing in a crouch. As soon as he landed, he used [Hamstringer] on her.
The Elven Archer stilled, looking as if time suddenly took a pause on her. She's been [Immobilized] at the first try.
That was lucky because triggering the immobilization only has a 10% chance at the skill's current level. Still, even if the immobilization wasn't triggered, it's not the end of the world since she'd be slowed again anyway.
[Harmstringer] could either [Immobilize] or [Slow] the target when it lands. Either way, they're both fatal for an enemy, especially one like her who relies on distance to gain an advantage.
As soon as TJ saw her being immobilized, TJ clicked her tongue and calmly stabbed her in the heart.
"You're very unlucky, huh?" He said as the enemy collapsed to the ground, dissipating into mist that was then scattered by the wind.
He won that easily. Not even five minutes had passed since the battle started.
As soon as the notice of his victory appeared, TJ felt a strong warm current coursing through his veins.