Returning to the viewing lounge, Eric pa.s.sed Mark, on the way to his own fight.

"Nice fight, glad you showed those guys that they're not all powerful," Mark said.

Eric nodded, "You'd better do the same. I don't want to see you lose to Barns."

"I'll do my best," Mark promised, giving Eric a fist b.u.mp as he departed.

"You think he'll win?" Eric asked, sitting down beside Jun.

"No clue," Jun replied honestly, an uncharacteristic look of concern etched upon his face.

"I didn't get to see too many of Barns' fights. Was he that good?" Eric asked in surprise.

"He plays like an a.s.sa.s.sin, using a pair of daggers and a ton of movement skills. I'm not sure if Mark can heal through his damage, and I also don't know if Mark's mace skills are enough to allow him to fight him off. Either way, there's no way either of them are making it to the finals," Jun promised darkly.

Turning to the projection, Eric focused as Halfthur began to introduce the two fighters.

"For our final match, it's a rematch between Riptide and NRG! Representing Riptide, Fogs Velsignelse will attempt to become the third Riptide member to advance, while preventing the advancement of a second member of NRG! It will be up to Barns Uccisore to ensure NRG's success. Fighters, are you ready?" Halfthur roared. Receiving terse nods from the two fighters, Halfthur smiled. "Begin!"

As the words left Halfthur's mouth, Barns leapt forward, charging headlong towards Mark. Taking a more measured approach, Mark advanced cautiously, weighing his mace in one hand as he stared at the oncoming a.s.sa.s.sin.

As Barns approached, Mark used his left hand to grab his rosary as he drew the runes for a healing spell. Gripping his mace in his right hand, he prepared to receive Barns' charge.

Arriving in front of Mark, Barns activated a skill, darting quickly to Mark's left and lashing out with his dagger held in a backhand grip. With a groan, Mark took the attack, striking at Barns with his mace in an attempt to trade blows.

With a playful smile, Barns dodged aside, slashing at Mark with his other dagger as Mark's mace flew wide. Activating his healing spell, Mark recovered some health, but Barns quickly responded with another strike, his dagger shaving off the health Mark had just gained.

Swinging his mace wide, Mark managed to catch Barns as he attempted to retreat, spinning the man slightly and erasing a chunk of his healthbar.

"And Fogs finally catches Barns with a strike of his own! The battle is nearly neck and neck right now, but Barns seems to have a slight lead. Can Fogs reverse the trend with a few more good hits?" Halfthur commentated.

"Fogs is having trouble landing solid hits on Barns. Barns is also managing to stay close to Fogs which is disrupting his attempts to heal himself. Fogs might be in trouble if this continues," Wavesun a.n.a.lyzed.

True to Wavesun's words, Barns was sticking close to Mark like a limpet, refusing to give Mark the room he needed to get a heal off even despite the threat Mark's mace provided. As Eric and Jun watched, both Mark and Barns' healthbars continued to drop. However, it was Mark's whose decreased faster, nearing the bottom as Barns' was still over a quarter full.

"And Barns uses yet another skill which allows him to land another blow on Fogs! Fogs is in desperate straits now. He needs to do something to reverse the tides of this match!" Halfthur shouted, his voice echoing through the arena as the audience members leaned forward to watch the conclusion of the match.

Whirling his mace, Mark parried a stab from Barns, opting to allow the slash from Barns' other dagger. With a low shout, Mark thrust his mace forward, catching Barns in the ribs and sending him staggering backwards.

Moving forward, Mark swung his mace like a baseball bat, slamming it into Barns who used both daggers to block, the momentum behind the attack lifting Barns up and sending him several metres back.

Opting not to chase, Mark instead began to cast healing spells as quickly as he could, doing his best to increase his health as Barns rolled to his feet.

As Barns surveyed the situation, he activated a movement skill, rushing forward to interrupt Mark's spellcasting. With a smile, Mark received the attack, cancelling his spellcast and swinging his mace at Barns who was unable to block the strike. Gritting his teeth, Barns took the strike head on, his daggers lashing out like the twin fangs of a viper, ripping into Mark as the two traded blows.

"Both fighters trade blows once more! Fogs is barely staying on his feet, but Barns isn't doing much better. One strike is all it will take to end this fight. Who's going to come out the victor? Even I can't tell!" Halfthur yelled, getting swept up in the excitement of the match.

Dancing around Mark, Barns searched for an opening as Mark turned warily, keeping Barns in his vision as he attempted to cast a healing spell.

As if this was the opening he'd sought, Barns rushed forward, his daggers approaching from separate angles as he launched what could be the final attack of the match.

With a smile, Mark cancelled the spellcast once more, swinging his mace heavily towards the approaching Barns. However, this time it was Barns' turn to smile. Activating a movement skill, he flickered lightly, ducking underneath Mark's swing.

Paling, Mark attempted to bring his mace back and defend, but it was too late. With an effortless stab, Barns erased the last of Mark's healthbar, causing him to collapse in defeat as the blue light whisked him away.

"And Barns is the winner! NRG has their second fighter through to the semi-finals, as Fogs is eliminated," Halfthur announced with a sad tinge to his voice.

On stage, Barns was celebrating, mimicking Hydrus in his fight against Astrid as boos filled the arena.

~

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Hey guys. With that, the semi-finals are set to begin. As I said before, the next few chapters should not be read alone, and so I shall be going on my first ever hiatus since I began writing for the next 2 or at most 3 weeks in order to finish volume 2. I shall also be releasing chapters as usual on Patreon. So anyone that wants to give input on the current arc as well as the next should sub if they have the means. Every bit helps, and I'm adding new bonus chapters even now ^.^

https://www.patreon.com/thegameslighthouse

When I get back there will be a ma.s.s release all the way up to near the end of vol2 so be ready!

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While I'm gone, there are two novels I would recommend for anyone who needs a reading fix while eFate is gone.

1. Cla.s.smancers- A MOBA Esport Story

Cla.s.smancers is a personal favorite of mine, and was actually the reason I began writing eFate. It's about a pair of kids who set off to become the strongest duo lane in a game that is recognized as an official sport across the world, with teams in schools and universities. The writing is amazing, the story is great, the characters are likable, and it's just a good read overall. The only downside is that Dark only releases one chapter a week (on Thursdays), but the chapters are long so it's not that bad. Kind of like a manga honestly.

I highly recommend giving Cla.s.smancers a try if you want that gaming novel fix while eFate is on hiatus.

https:///book/11086315406252105/Cla.s.smancers---MOBEsport-Story

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2. Fireheart

Fireheart is a newer story by a brand new WN author, Moiraine. This is a fantasy story involving magic wielding witches, warriors, and bloodsucking vampire fighters. It's well written, has a great update pace, and is just a great read overall. It's still new as a story, but it's another I recommend to anyone who wants a good fantasy novel to read while I finish Eric's current adventure.

https:///book/12522651406738905/Fireheart%3The-Warrior%2C-the-Witch%2C-and-the-Vampire

Now then, before I go. If we can make it to the top50 any time in the next 3 weeks, I shall do extra chapters, even if it means coming back from hiatus a little sooner. I hope that everyone is enjoying eFate so far, and I promise that the wait will be worth it ;)