Capítulo 34: The Rival Gambit
Seth's connection to the Elite Shade trembled with unease, and his mind whirred, racing to keep pace with the sudden shift in tone.
The rival dungeon master's voice, smooth yet carrying an undertone of menace, echoed through the chamber.
His goblin guards stood poised, their crude weapons at the ready, the air charged with the threat of violence.
Seth leaned back, fingers gripping the edge of his core pedestal.
He knew.
The rival dungeon master had sensed something, and worse, was now baiting Seth into revealing himself.
"Why don't we talk, dungeon master?" the rival's voice echoed again, calm but taunting.
"It would be a shame if things had to escalate."
Seth's heart pounded, but the shade didn't respond.
He had to think fast.
The Elite Shade had blended deep into the shadows, almost undetectable, but it was now a matter of time before something, anything, gave them away.
The rival dungeon master had already shown his cunning.
The fact that he hadn't attacked immediately spoke volumes.
Even though he couldn't see the shade, he could surely sense it, and if he could sense it, then there were surely attack methods.
This wasn't a normal encounter.
This was a game of patience, one Seth wasn't entirely sure he could win.
Yet...
"Don't worry," Seth whispered to himself, still feeling the tension through his Shade.
"He's playing a bluff. I can use this." He came to a conclusion
But how far was the rival willing to go? Seth took a slow breath, eyes narrowing in thought.
The rival had resources, connections to a faction, possibly the same group that had sent the priest against him earlier.
But Seth had come prepared.
He couldn't afford to lose his cool now.
"I know you can hear me, dungeon master. Why stay silent?" The rival's voice was still calm, but this time there was a sharp edge to it.
"You're not the only one with tricks up your sleeve."
His mind shifted to the Poison Goblin, It seemed to have now encountered the Slick monster that was on the ceiling when the Elite shade was scouting.
It stood still, not attacking first, but in exchange the Tier 2 goblins rushed in, even without crude weapons, they were dangerous in group at least to a D rank.
Now looking carefully through the poison Goblin perspective, the slick monster looked like a Lizard, its skin looked like it was covered with scales along with its tail that wagged ceaselessly.
Though it had no webbed feet nor hands, the slime seemed to come out of its mouth.
A defining reptilian face with eyes of intelligence.
That probably explained why the elite shade avoided its contact.
This was a predator on its own.
'Was this the Hidden card he talked of?' Seth pondered inwardly.
It gave only a glance at the lesser goblins and with a swipe of its tail, they flew in various directions, not all of them survived that though.
Seth began thinking if he should have brought in all his summons.
He assimilated fully to the Poison Goblin, and weirdly enough, it showed no fear or any emotion at all, even after seeing his kind die.
It stood resilient with calm dark eyes absent of the present situation.
It gave the feeling of a general at a battlefront.
Instead the poison goblin turned its head looking around.
Seth was puzzled as to the meaning of this, it seemed as though it saw the monster in front of it as inferior.
The slick monster became infuriated and with a scream that sounded like a screech, it drew the Goblin attention to itself.
That was when Seth felt something pulling at his consciousness, it was the Elite shade.
It was calling onto him?
Was that even possible?
That means they could also sense it's presence?
This metaphysical connection they had was beyond understanding and that kept getting proved more and more as time went on.
He immediately switched perspectives.
"I suggest you pick a side, I lack patience, you have 30 seconds" The rival dungeon master said
At least that was what Seth heard immediately he switched perspectives.
He couldn't tell what just happened.
"Fuck I feel like a fool, Alexa detect and point out any unfamiliar mana in my close proximity " The rival dungeon master said suddenly
'Huh? Who's Alexa?' Seth was in a shock
And as though jinxing him a beacon sudden appeared above the Elite shades head and a slight vibration was exhibited from the red core, in the next second, the figure of the Elite shade was highlighted.
"Times up" The rival dungeon master said and the goblin brutes with their crude weapons turned to the elite shade baring their fangs.
Seth felt a chill run up the Elite shades body as it swiftly used it's skill <Shadow Bind> on one of the goblins and Shadow blade on the next.
Effectively trapping and making the other goblin defend while it aimed to exit the core chamber.
"Leaving so soon?" The figure near the core turned fully toward the shadows, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
He raised one hand, and with a sudden surge of mana, a barrier of crackling red energy snapped into place around the core chamber.
"Did he just use Mana directly without a command?" Seth said while being stunned stupid.
The Elite Shade froze, trapped within.
His gaze flicked toward the goblin guards.
"Kill it."
The brutish goblins roared, breaking free from the restriction, rushing forward with their crude weapons raised high.
Seth felt the Shade's panic, its usual grace faltering under the pressure.
It darted left, then right, barely avoiding the sweeping blows of the goblins' clubs.
There were five of such Goblins.
But the barrier was closing in, limiting its movement.
"Think, think…" Seth's mind raced.
He couldn't afford to lose the Elite Shade here, not after how far they'd come.
The Elite shade swiftly Used shadow Bind on all five of them again, slowing them all down as they tried to cleave it in two with their crudely made great sword.
Presentes
-- Presente
recebido Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder