MMORPG: Rebirth of the Shadow Mage

154 Slight Annoyance...

Theo stood motionless, his gaze fixed upon the blank expanse of the wall before him. His fists were tightly clenched around his phone, the plastic casing creaking under the pressure of his grip. The screen had already begun to crack, spider web-like lines spreading out from the center.

His face was a mottled shade of red, the anger and fury that boiled within him clearly visible. His breath came in short, ragged gasps as he struggled to contain the tempest of emotions that raged within him.

“What is this? Sparta? How can defeat be possible when our forces outnumber the enemy fourfold?”

The man’s voice was filled with disbelief and rage, his words cutting through the tense silence like a knife. His eyes were alight with fury, the veins in his neck and forehead bulging with anger.

Theo stood by the window, his gaze drawn out to the vast expanse of beach and sea that stretched out before him. The sun was shining, casting a golden glow over the sand and water. The waves crashed against the shore in a soothing rhythm, the sound of the sea a constant background noise.

He had already been absent from the university for an entire week, important business had called him across the sea, but even in this idyllic setting, he couldn’t escape from the financial loss brought by a certain man.

Theo had invested a significant amount of his capital into the ‘Vikings’ guild. He had believed in their potential, had seen the potential for them to rival even the most powerful guilds and take on the toughest of World Bosses.

But all his hopes and dreams had come crashing down around him, brought to their knees by a single player, an unknown entity in the gaming community, who had decimated the Vikings with ease. Theo couldn’t believe what he was seeing, his mind struggling to process the reality of the situation. The guild he had put so much faith in, had invested so much in, had been reduced to nothing by this mysterious player.

“You Bastard... 1 Million bounty wasn’t enough?!”

.....

The Phone let out its last breath, its screen going black as Theo strengthened his grip. The Device that had a lifespan, no longer than a month, had met its end and could finally rest in peace.

“Cheap shit!”

As Theo looked down at the unresponsive device, a string of curses escaped his lips as he violently tossed it into a nearby bin. With a sense of finality, he pulled out a cigar from his pocket, lighting it up and taking a deep drag. The familiar taste of tobacco filled his mouth, the smoke curling around his face as he let out a sigh of relief.

He knew that smoking was detrimental to his health, that it would slowly deteriorate his body in the long run, but in that moment, it was the only thing that brought him any sense of calm. It was his escape, a way for him to relax and forget about the constant stress and pressure that surrounded him.

The cigar glowed orange in the dim light, the smoke swirling around him as he leaned against the wall. He closed his eyes, letting out another puff of smoke and took a moment to clear his mind, letting go of the anger and frustration that had been building up inside him.

Theo leaned back against the wall, his mind racing as he thought about the situation with Leo. Even his own sister, Monica, seemed to be shielding this mysterious player, refusing to share any information about him. This was unlike Monica, who had always been content with sharing information for money, and it only added to Theo’s suspicions about the true identity of this Unknown player.

He thought about raising the player’s bounty higher and hiring professionals to investigate, but something held him back. He didn’t want to do anything impulsively that might get him in deeper trouble. He needed to play this smart, to gather all the information he could before making a move.

Could Leo be a bigshot?

The thought of this Unknown player possibly being someone he knew, someone who had gone to the same university as him, only added to his confusion.

Was it true or just another lie to conceal Leo’s true identity? Theo didn’t know, and that uncertainty only made him more determined to find out the truth and make the guy suffer for living inside his head 24/7.

Puff...

As Theo exhaled a plume of smoke from his cigar, his gaze was drawn to a pair of shiny black shoes that had appeared within his line of vision. As he looked up, he saw a man similar height to his own, standing before him, dressed in a tight-fitting brown shirt and stylish pants. The man was nervously rubbing his palms together, his eyes flitting about as if he were searching for the right words to say.

Theo raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the man’s sudden appearance. He took a long drag from his cigar, studying the man with a critical eye.

“How much time do you fucking need to deliver a message!?”

Theo could feel his anger rising once again, like a tide that threatened to engulf him. His fists clenched as he took another drag from his cigar, trying to calm himself. He couldn’t understand why he was constantly surrounded by incompetent losers, people who seemed unable to even speak!

He felt his frustration mounting as he thought about the recent defeat of his guild, the Vikings, by Leo.

Today was a shit day!

“Sir, your father has requested that you reconsider your involvement in this game and allow professional gamers to handle it. He believes that your talents and skills would be better utilized in the real world...”

Cough... Cough...

Theo let out a dry cough, trying to mask his surprise. So, the stranger was sent by his father. Rising to his feet, Theo dusted off his clothes and shifted his gaze towards the messenger.

“I think it’s best if you leave now...”

Theo growled, gesturing for the messenger to leave his sight. He also extinguished the cigar and left his room, deciding to take a walk on the beach.

Theo used to live near the shore and was used to finding solace in the rhythmic crashing of the waves and the salty sea air, but now it seemed like just another habit he couldn’t shake.

As he walked, Theo couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment and frustration at his father’s lack of understanding of the significance the game had on the real world. Despite his progress being slower than others, the money he invested would greatly enhance his power.

He believed that he was the most capable of achieving success in the game and did not want to relinquish that opportunity to so-called ‘professional gamers’. The thought of Leo, a backstabbing lowlife, being so strong and skilled only added fuel to the fire of his anger and frustration.

Theo began to kick the golden sand, making him look like a madman. Fortunately, the beach was owned by him, and there were no people present to witness his outburst. As he walked, the crashing of the waves against the shore and the salty sea air did little to calm his tumultuous emotions.

‘Just wait until I catch you...’

He felt his nails piercing into his palms, but no blood was drawn.

...

Theo kept walking across the beach for an entire hour, the salty sea breeze and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore providing some solace to his troubled mind. Eventually, he decided to end his walk and come back to his expensive mansion, which stood tall on a small cliff, just a few dozen meters away from the shore.

As he sat down at the large, round wooden table in the spacious room, Theo opened his laptop and quickly logged into his account to check the latest news about Fragmental. He glanced through the patch notes and player feedback, his eyes scanning over the new events and other things that had happened whilst he was away.

His hand holding the mouse suddenly froze upon seeing a forum post made by a player called ‘Kumala’. The thumbnail was a striking image of a hooded figure holding a white flame within his palm, which dimly lit the ground, scattered with the corpses of orcs and blood thickly covering the grass. Everything else in the image was shrouded in darkness or shadows, drawing the viewer’s gaze towards the center of the image.

Theo shook his head, trying to shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in his chest as he stared at the hooded figure in the thumbnail. But try as he might, he couldn’t shake the feeling of intimidation that had washed over him upon seeing the man’s bloody mask and piercing purple eyes staring directly at him through the screen.

“Why the hell am I feeling so intimidated by just a picture?”