The damage mechanism in Pale Dawn is close to reality. When a 'critical kill' attack judgment occurs, there is a high probability of depleting 90% of the opponent's health with a single blow. Therefore, when players engage in intense combat in the game, focusing on combat skills and striving for a one-hit kill will be more effective than a drawn-out struggle. Those scenes of standing still, outputting damage, and mindlessly spamming bosses are not to be seen in Pale Dawn.
After the puppet's laughter stopped, Caleb was able to maximize the amplification of his hearing. Every breath his opponent took, every slight arm swing, even the friction caused by shifting his weight-bearing foot on the ground, all escaped his ears. Relying on these subtle movements, he could conjure up the silhouette of his opponent in the darkness, along with every action that silhouette was making. Whether his eyes could see or not had no impact on Caleb at this moment. In fact, what he 'heard' now might be even more than what he 'saw'.
His opponent did not possess Caleb's abnormal hearing. In the completely dark environment, he immediately fell into a passive situation.
He 'saw' the silhouette in front of him begin to crouch down, turning his head left and right, as if trying to pinpoint Caleb's position. From time to time, he would also swing his right hand in front of him—that hand clearly held a vicious weapon. The battle situation had completely reversed; now it was Caleb's turn to Ambush his opponent.
Caleb approached his opponent step by step, holding his breath, slowing his pace, and moving cautiously. In the process, his foot hit something hard. He unhesitatingly kicked the hard object towards his opponent's vicinity.
Clang!
A crisp collision sound rang out. The silhouette in front of him immediately pounced alertly towards the direction of the sound. But he pounced at nothing.
Then, a pair of arms, like a ghost, locked around his neck from behind.
His opponent reacted quite quickly, immediately using the weapon in his right hand to stab backward after being choked. But Caleb was already prepared, having already bent his knee to press against the opponent's lower back. The waist is the main part of the human body for regulating strength, very important; with the waist restricted, it becomes very difficult for the limbs to exert force.
The opponent's backward stab immediately failed; he let out a beast-like roar from his throat and retreated backward in a frantic manner, trying to slam Caleb against the wall to break free from the restraint. But Caleb didn't give him a chance, tightening his arms around the opponent's neck while also hooking his foot between the opponent's legs, successfully disrupting the opponent's center of gravity.
After losing his balance, the opponent immediately fell backward to the ground, and Caleb took the opportunity to pull his feet up, intertwining them around the opponent's waist. With a thud, he was heavily slammed to the ground by his opponent's backward fall, letting out a muffled groan.
— You were attacked by a Disciple, health -30%.
He felt a sweetness in his throat, and it seemed as if blood was being squeezed upwards in his chest, his health bar sharply decreasing. But this collision did not dislodge Caleb's restraint. After he regained his senses, he became frantic, exerting all his strength to tighten his arms, locking the opponent's head firmly.
Then, his feet, intertwined around the opponent's waist, seized the opportunity to change position, using his left foot to pass through the arch of his right foot, forming a unique T-shaped lock. At the same time, he arched his waist, using his shoulders and back to press the opponent's head downwards. His opponent seemed to want to shout something, but all that came out was a series gurgling sounds.
— You attacked the Disciple, target health -10%.
— Strength judgment in progress...
— Strength judgment successful, Disciple cannot break free.
He struggled desperately, but Caleb was behind him, and his ability to exert force with his hands and feet was restricted; those struggles, though seemingly fierce, had no effective impact.
— You attacked the Disciple, target health -10%.
— You attacked the Disciple, target health -10%.
— You attacked the Disciple, target health -10%...
Thus, after Caleb maintained this 'guillotine' position for about ten seconds, his opponent's struggles noticeably weakened. Caleb still didn't dare to let go, gritting his teeth and continuing to maintain the strength in his arms.
About twenty seconds later, he felt that the opponent in his arms was no longer moving, and his body also began to soften, only then did he slowly release his arms.
— Your action increased Active Stance proficiency by +200.
— Your Active Stance has risen to Level 2.
[Active Stance LV2: Base damage 15% - 20% (Critical damage 60-90% for each hit), Movement Speed +20%, Strength +20%, Resistance to Real Fear +15%. While in this stance, you cannot discover any clues or items.]
Ha-ah, ha-ah... Caleb fell backward onto the ground, panting heavily.
'It's over.' This was his first time fighting in such a dark environment. Fortunately, although the Disciple Andrew was physically strong and quite skilled, he wasn't so strong as to be beyond human limits.
Caleb rested briefly in the darkness, then suddenly heard footsteps approaching from a distance.
'Someone's coming?' He immediately became alert. 'Is it the person who left the escape clues?' The person who tucked small notes into the 'Sprayer's Sayings', replaced the bottom frame of the wooden box, and drew heart-shaped patterns on the escape door must have been someone else. This person was in the same organization as Andrew and helped Andrew set up all the death traps. However... the footsteps now approaching were quite chaotic, clearly indicating that many people were rushing this way.
'Staying here might trigger more plot content.' But Caleb's current condition was very poor, and if he fell into their hands, he would probably be at their mercy.
'Know when to quit.' He didn't hesitate much before giving up the idea of staying longer. Switching to Concentration Stance, he reached out and fumbled around the Disciple Andrew's body.
— Discovering items...
— You obtained the [Disciple's Pig Head Mask].
— You obtained the [Disciple's Sleeve Blade].
His luck was good this time. An item prompt appeared before him:
[Disciple's Pig Head Mask]
[Type: Rare Ornament]
[Effect: Set (requires all parts to be collected first)]
[Weight: 20]
[Can be taken out of the scene: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a symbolic ornament of a mysterious organization, and there seems to be some hidden metaphor behind it...]
[Usage Condition: Only a Disciple can use this mask.]
The other item was the weapon Andrew used.
[Disciple's Sleeve Blade]
[Type: Rare Weapon]
[Effect: Set (requires all parts to be collected first)]
[Weight: 10]
[Can be taken out of the scene: Yes]
[Remarks: This weapon is favored by many for its portability and concealment, such as the famous assassin in a certain brotherhood...]
[Usage Condition: Only a Disciple can use this weapon.]
Set items? Moreover, before obtaining the 'Disciple' identity, these two items didn't even show their basic effects. But judging by their quality, they should be excellent items, right?
...
After touching the items, Caleb got up from the ground. He fumbled his way to the escape iron door and turned the wheel. After the bolt on the door was disengaged, Caleb pulled open the iron door. Blinding light streamed in from outside, dispelling the darkness around Caleb. He looked back at Andrew on the ground, then stepped out of the door.
— You survived this scene, main quest [GAME OVER!] completed, rewards: Points +10, Reward Points +200.
Immediately after, the settlement interface popped up again:
[This game has ended]
[Heart Rate Detection: 60-100, your next game's matchmaking interval is 10 minutes.]
[Plot Decryption: 80%]
[Unlocked Mailbox: None.]
[Clearance Evaluation: Fearless.]
[Clearance Rewards: Overlord's reward, Jaw Ripper.]