067 Data Replica!

Metal Manipulation! Soul Split!

Dawn possessed two abilities, with metal manipulation being his greatest strength, while soul split served only as a support—helping him break free from illusions or assist his primary power. In truth, soul split offered little tangible help, and as a killer specializing in abilities, Dawn spent all his time honing the lethal art of metal manipulation, leaving no room to master a second power.

Yet after being reborn, Dawn could devote time to soul split. He’d already mastered metal manipulation; returning to his previous peak was merely a matter of time.

“Talents and abilities?” Dawn mused, realizing his Berserker Talent and Shield Talent mirrored his metal manipulation and soul split. He was exceptionally skilled at the Berserker Talent, just as he was with metal manipulation. The Shield Talent was new to him; he could operate it, but lacked proficiency. Soul split was similarly unfamiliar—he could sense it and use it as an auxiliary, but not with confidence.

Dawn wondered if the similarity between talents and abilities had altered his control over his powers. Regardless, he was now beginning to familiarize himself with the ability that once troubled him—a welcome development.

“I’ll report the battle data,” the Data Emperor announced, having just logged the statistics. “Dawn, you faced 128 attacks. You used your shield to block 60 times: 15 parries, 32 blocks, and dodged 11 attacks by repositioning—successfully evading 7. Your shield was used less than half the time, mostly for offense. Four attacks were interrupted by your offensive maneuvers, and you slowed their attacks 12 times. Overall, decent, but you’re still too aggressive.”

“War Maniac, you’re focused on the damage list—just a record of your output. What you should watch is the aggro list. Your threat level fluctuates between 110% and 125% of the tank’s. Remember, surpassing 120% means the boss attacks you, which disrupts the team.” The Data Emperor was exasperated with War Maniac’s attack rhythm. “Maximum output must remain within the tank’s threat control. Your Ashbringer’s damage is overwhelming. If Dawn didn’t have the Brotherhood Sword and multiple skills, he’d struggle to keep aggro. Much of Dawn’s fierce output is because your threat is so close to his.”

“As a damage dealer, I should go all-out—what’s wrong with that? Besides, we’ve always played this way and never had an OT issue!” War Maniac relished going full throttle, and hated holding back.

“You and Dawn are alike—pursuing extreme damage, ignoring the team. Your output is high, but others suffer for it, and wipes are common. Is your output really optimal? I don’t think so. Your rage management is lacking, your attack rhythm is erratic—sometimes you run out of rage, sometimes out of skills, and your sustain is poor.” The Data Emperor, constantly gathering information, knew theory as well as any seasoned professional.

“Glasses Guy, you’re so impressive—but your healing isn’t that great either! Your movement can’t keep up with Dawn’s pace…” Monk felt the Data Emperor was being too critical, so he preemptively lashed out.

The bespectacled man pushed up his glasses. “True, I’m not omnipotent; right now, I’m quite weak. But I’m constantly improving myself. Sharing this data isn’t to insult you, but to show how much room we have to grow. As teammates, I can’t provide experience or technical guidance, only theoretical advice.”

The four originally thought the Data Emperor would make excuses, but he admitted his flaws. Monk’s jab left him a bit embarrassed. He relied on his knowledge, observation, memory, and calculation to apply theory to himself. He saw each person’s strengths and envisioned their peak, but their performance never matched his ideal.

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“That’s fine, as long as you don’t act like a pro team captain and treat us like underlings!” Monk found the Data Emperor likable, at least he admitted his faults—something Monk couldn’t do. “Glasses Guy, tell me about my flaws!”

“Monk, you’re the best performer among us…”

Perhaps, having just been roasted, the Data Emperor hesitated to criticize Monk. Monk interrupted, patting his shoulder. “Data Emperor, you have no real traits—just honesty! I like that. No need to say more, I’m just that perfect!”

The Data Emperor was speechless. He’d meant to start with praise, but Monk’s narcissism took over. He shook his head. “The rest is average all around, but lacking burst. I think it’s due to your class; once you reach higher levels and gear up, your class will shine.”

Hidden said nothing; he knew his own situation. Unlike Dawn and War Maniac, he didn’t chase damage, and his class lacked brilliance for now—he could only follow the team. The only standout was the Fire Warrior he’d summoned; its Brotherhood Sword output was solid, but controlling it was hard. Like learning to drive, mastering it required constant practice.

“Let’s move on!” Glasses Guy felt there was nothing more to say. Now, the focus was on teamwork; blending five individuals into a team was difficult and required constant coordination.

“I’ll try soloing the next group!” The monsters ahead guarded a narrow bridge—others couldn’t cross. Dawn had to fly over and ambush from the side, so he planned to try soloing.

“Remember, no matter how strong you are, don’t forget your teammates!” The Data Emperor immediately objected. “I saw your clear video—it’s very crude! Now that we’re pioneering, passing this stage is much easier. I’ll activate invincibility and rush across; at 35 meters past the railing, you and War Maniac support me, then leap across with Heroic Jump. Monk can get there with two rolls.”

The warrior’s support skill let him reach a teammate if within 40 meters, then leap across. The monk’s rolling skill could be used twice within a 12-second cooldown, extending movement distance.

Hearing this, Dawn realized the method was far simpler. Previously, their team lacked a paladin and couldn’t rush through invincibly. Now, with the Data Emperor, invincibility made monster focus irrelevant.

Indeed, following Glasses Guy’s plan, Dawn and War Maniac rushed over, immediately unleashed Intimidating Shout, terrifying three Troll Spearmen, then killed two Troll Hunters. Once Monk arrived, clearing was much easier.

“Normally, don’t use fear skills!” Using fear in dungeons was risky. With four across, killing those spearmen and hunters was easier than before. Fear skills scramble aggro, making it hard for tanks to control mobs. Unless necessary, fear is avoided; it can make mobs run off and pull others, wiping the group.

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When they reached the first boss—Steelback Boarman and Troll Phantom Spearmen—Dawn expected difficulty. Without a hunter, Hidden had to cooperate, using his summoned Fire Warrior to kite the Steelback Boarman. As tank, Dawn switched to dual swords to deal with the Troll Phantom Spearmen, but wanted to try tanking with his shield. As he prepared, the Data Emperor spoke: “Monk, every 45 seconds roll behind Dawn, staying at least 60 meters away. The boss will leave a phantom behind him, casting throw skills; your job is to interrupt the attack, letting Dawn approach quickly. War Maniac, you must Heroic Leap over, Dawn will support you, then leap again—making it easier for Dawn to charge the boss.”

“When the boss summons aggro-free phantoms, I’ll control one, Dawn’s Shockwave will control another. War Maniac, burst damage as fast as possible—that’s the hardest part of this fight.” The Data Emperor had seen Dawn’s clear video; his plan was simpler, but the challenge lay in the aggro-free phantoms.

“Seems easier than my method…” Dawn pulled the boss, and everything went as the Data Emperor predicted. The fight was effortless, with only War Maniac under pressure—he had to quickly clear the phantoms. Dawn intercepted, burst, then charged back to tank the boss—no trouble at all.

“Glasses Guy, you should be raid leader from now on!” Monk felt comfortable in this big dungeon, with no danger at all. He’d seen Dawn’s clear video on the forum, thought the first boss was complex, with two phantom skills prone to wipes, but this run was stress-free.

The Data Emperor smiled; with the pioneering phase cleared, as long as the team was strong, the boss wasn’t difficult. With a team like Dawn’s, if even cleared bosses were hard, it would be a lousy group.

The Data Emperor was a pragmatic gamer; his conclusions came from data analysis. If he had information, things were simple; without it, he faltered. “If the dungeon has been cleared and there’s data, I can lead. But if it’s pioneering, or a one-shot clear is needed, don’t ask me to lead. I lack experience and am slow to react; if special circumstances require decisive judgment or saving the team, I can’t do it. My deductions come from information; without it, I’m worse than any of you.”

“If you want a one-shot clear, let Dawn lead. His reaction is several levels above mine; his emergency judgment is much faster. I can analyze boss fight data and offer suggestions, but I can’t make decisions.” The Data Emperor spoke honestly, knowing his limitations. Without his observation, memory, and analytical skills, he wouldn’t qualify to stand with Dawn’s team. In physical skills, Glasses Guy was weak—a bookworm, as Monk said—but he could anticipate actions and prepare ahead.

Everyone was surprised, but upon reflection, it made sense. The Data Emperor’s abilities were far behind the other four, but he compensated with data-driven strategies. In terms of reaction, Dawn was the strongest.

The Data Emperor’s dungeon runs relied on information; Dawn’s relied on skill—a fundamentally different approach. For one-shot clears, Dawn should lead. If Dawn failed and enough data accumulated, then the Data Emperor could take over.

In truth, the Data Emperor’s leadership built upon Dawn’s foundation; overall, Dawn was more impressive. Monk and the others preferred one-shot clears, for in the vast world map, everyone would compete for first kills!