MMORPG: Rebirth of the Shadow Mage

161 Ah shit...

The players watched in awe as the skeleton leader was subjected to a brutal onslaught. Despite his prowess with a sword, surpassing any other warrior on the battlefield, he was unable to get close enough to Leo to strike.

Leo, with his huge supply of mana, kept the skeleton leader at bay, unleashing a barrage of Lightning Bolts and Shadow Blasts with ease. The skeleton leader’s sword swings were lightning fast, unseen to the players. Yet, still, the monster couldn’t get in range to strike Leo.

The being’s red eyes burned with hatred as it gazed at Leo. The players could have sworn they heard a sound similar to a roar, as if the very bones of the skeleton were creaking in rage. The skeleton’s anger towards Leo was palpable, and the players could sense its unbridled fury.

Despite the overwhelming presence of the skeleton leader, Leo stood his ground, unmoved. His dark gloves glimmered as he summoned forth his mana, unleashing spell after spell without hesitation. The other players would have been intimidated by the skeleton’s rage, but Leo remained calm and collected, never once flinching in the face of the monster. As soon as each spell’s cooldown ended, he immediately cast another, not minding the skeleton, who was glaring towards him.

Rattle...

Finally, the skeleton leader could no longer withstand the barrage of spells that Leo had thrown its way. With a final swing of his sword, its bones crumbled to the ground and turned to dust, marking the end of the battle. Leo stood still, watching as the remains of the skeleton dissipated into nothingness. Satisfied with his victory, he slowly turned and took a step towards the city walls.

Despite the defeat of the skeleton leader, the battle was far from over. The city was still being swarmed with hundreds of skeletons, eager to destroy everything in their way. However, Leo paid them no mind. He knew that the rewards for being the second-wave’s highest contributor would not be worth the cost of his mana and shadow energy.

Leo made his way through the throngs of players who were still engaged in battle with the undead monsters. As he walked, he could feel the weight of hundreds of gazes upon him, but he remained unfazed. He approached the city walls with purpose and with a graceful leap, he activated his Shadow Protection spell, using it as a makeshift platform to propel himself higher into the air. With a powerful jump, he cleared the wall and landed nimbly on its edge.

As Leo raised his head, his gaze fell upon an elf. She stood with a dark longbow clutched tightly to her chest, as if she were shielding it from him. Leo’s eyes narrowed, as he studied the elf’s stance and demeanor. She was clearly wary of him, her grip on her weapon tight and her eyes flicking back and forth between him and the bow. Her expression was guarded, and Leo could sense the unease radiating from her. He wondered what could have caused this reaction, and why she was so protective of her weapon. He took a step closer, his gaze never leaving her, trying to gauge her intentions and determine if she was a threat. It was a tense moment, as the two stood facing each other, each sizing up the other. In the end, it was the elf who broke the silence.

.....

“Who are you?”

She asked, her voice low and wary.

??

Leo nearly stumbled on the wall as the elf’s words washed over him.

Was he truly so unknown that people didn’t recognize him?

Wasn’t his name the “unknown player”?

He felt a headache starting to pulse at his temples, and he brought a hand to his face, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to soothe the ache.

He didn’t know what to say to the elf, so he hesitated for a moment before finally answering.

“I’m a passerby”

He turned away from her, feeling a sudden urge to escape the situation. He called his Shadow Soldiers back from the battlefield, and as he felt their presence return to his shadow, he felt a small measure of calm wash over him.

Leo cast one final glance at the bow-wielding elf before turning away and walking towards Eli. As he walked, he saw that the elf had already drawn her bow and was once again focusing on the skeletal monsters that were still trying to break through the players’ lines. Leo saw as a group of players, who he assumed to be the elf’s friends, had gathered around her. One of them pointed in his direction, and Leo realized that they were probably discussing him. But he quickly pushed the thought from his mind as he caught sight of Eli waving frantically at him.

As Leo approached Eli, his attention was immediately drawn to Ava. She was standing just a few dozen meters away, her back turned towards him, but he knew that she was aware of his presence. The sight of her casting spells and throwing them towards the skeletons with deadly precision filled him with a mix of awe and... slight fear.

‘Did I do something to anger her?’

Leo couldn’t help but wonder what had caused Ava’s apparent anger, why was she ignoring him? He frantically tried to recall their last meeting, searching his memories for any indication of what might have caused her wrath. The last time they saw each other was right before they teleported, as they lay on the hard surface of the platform. But, try as he might, Leo couldn’t recall anything that would have caused Ava to hold a grudge against him.

As Eli caught sight of Leo’s approach, she nonchalantly placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow in his direction. The battle may have still been raging on around them, but she appeared unconcerned, as if she had already made the decision not to participate in this wave of combat.

“What brings a Legend to our humble and unexpected event?”

As Eli approached Leo, her eyes were drawn to the bone blades that had emerged from his elbows. With a hint of sarcasm, she spoke in a clear voice.

“Damn, they’re sharp!”

The statement was accompanied by a low whistle of appreciation, as if she was in awe of the lethal weapons.

Curious, Eli reached out to touch one of the blades, unable to resist testing its sharpness for herself. Before Leo could react, her thumb was in her mouth, her eyes widening as a trickle of blood flowed from the small cut on her finger.

“Ouch...”

She muttered, bringing her finger to her lips.

***

Ava was a sight to behold, standing on the edge of the wall, casting spell after spell with relentless determination. Her wings, dappled with lightning, beat gently, allowing her to maintain her balance and avoid falling off the structure.

Her enchanted senses were always on high alert, and she could feel a familiar presence within the battlefield. However, she chose to ignore it for the time being, focusing instead on the task at hand. The fight against the relentless skeletons was far from over, and she was not about to let up for even a moment.

It was then that a strange conversation she had with a fairy not too long ago came to mind.

...

“He’s acting so cold... Not even a single message...”

Ava sat at the small wooden table, cradling a steaming cup of tea in her hands. She was listening to Tia’s never-ending monologue, only half-paying attention to the words that were being spoken. At first, when Tia had started talking about Leo, Ava was intrigued.

But after listening to Tia’s complaints for the last half an hour, Ava was starting to lose interest. All she heard was Tia mumbling under her breath about how cold Leo was, and how she didn’t receive any bonuses for working overtime. Ava took a sip of her tea, trying to stifle a yawn. She was tired, and Tia’s complaints were not helping her stay awake.

She tried to tune out Tia’s voice, focusing instead on the soothing warmth of the tea. She closed her eyes, letting herself sink into a calm and peaceful state. However, Tia’s voice was persistent, and Ava couldn’t escape the never-ending stream of words.

Ava took another sip of her drink, still listening to Tia, her gaze momentarily shifting towards the woman. Tia was giggling in a teasing manner, her voice light and playful.

“Even though his attitude is that of a rock, it’s so easy to break... kiki...”

Tia said, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Ava raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“Really?”

She asked, her voice tinged with skepticism. She had heard many things about Leo before, but she had spent enough time with him and had never seen his character break down even once.

Tia nodded, a wicked smile playing on her lips. “Oh yes, he may seem like an ice cube and unyielding, but beneath that tough exterior, he’s still a human, a very shy one at that!”

Ava leaned forward, intrigued.

“What do you mean?”

Tia chuckled, a mischievous gleam in her eye.

“Do you know the demon’s biggest weakness?”