章節 21: Kill Stealing Ghost
August made his escape by darting through the twisting tunnels of the cave. He could hear the curses and shouts of frustrated players behind him.
He was quickly earning a reputation as a kill-stealing ghost, a shadow that appeared out of nowhere to claim the final hit and vanish before anyone could catch him.
But the players were growing wise to his tactics. They began to form hunting parties, setting traps, and patrolling the areas where August had last been seen.
August had to stay on his toes, constantly moving, and changing his strategy to stay ahead of the hunt.
He tailed a group fighting a level 27 Shadowfang Drake. It was a serpentine creature with dark scales that shimmered like oil. It had a pair of leathery wings and a mouth filled with venomous fangs. Its attacks included <<Venom Spit >>, which coated the ground with toxic acid, and << Tail Whip >>, a sweeping attack that could knock multiple players off their feet.
August was biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment, but he noticed the other group members glancing around more frequently. They were on edge, aware that something was off.
Just as the level 27 Shadowfang Drake's health was about to reach the threshold, one of the players shouted, "There he is! I see him!"
A flash of bright light was cast on the surroundings which immediately exposed August's position.
<[ Dash Skill Activated ]>
August cursed under his breath and activated Dash, moving swiftly through the cave as arrows and spells whizzed past him.
He sprinted deeper into the cave, dodging traps that had been laid out, and used his Shadow Dance to create myriads of shadow clones so as to confuse the players.
As he reached a quieter area of the cave, August took a moment to catch his breath. His strategy had worked so far, but he knew he couldn't keep this up forever. The deeper he went into the cave, the stronger the beasts would become, and the more vigilant the groups would be.
But for now, the EXP gains were worth it. August smirked to himself, knowing that the deeper he went, the greater the rewards. He'd just have to be more careful.
With his eyes set on the next group of players, August continued his descent into the Cave of Shadows, ready to push the boundaries of what a solo player could accomplish.
...
...
While August continued his daring solo exploits in the Cave of Shadows, the real world was far from quiet.
In the dimly lit streets of his neighborhood, a lone figure stood atop a rooftop. Her alluring silhouette was framed eloquently by the moonlight.
She wore a black outfit that clung to her athletic frame, and her face was concealed behind a fox mask with intricate red and gold markings.
The mask's expression was almost mocking, the eyes narrowed and a sly grin spread across its lips. She scanned the quiet streets below, her posture tense and alert.
A soft buzzing broke the silence—a call coming through her earpiece. She tapped a finger to her ear, answering it.
"Report," a raunchy voice came from the other end.
The woman's gaze remained focused on the rows of houses below, her eyes lingering on August's neighborhood. "I'm at the location," she replied with a smooth voice that happened to be edged with frustration.
"I definitely picked up on the readings of another legendary item the last time we were here. It was brief, but there's no doubt about it."
A scoff came from the other end. "I told you it was a wild goose chase. You're wasting time on a false lead."
The woman's lips tightened beneath her mask. "No," she insisted. "I know what I saw. The energy signature spiked for just a moment. It was here. I'm certain of what I detected."
The voice on the other end sighed in irritation and skepticism. "Fox, you're clearly confused. Maybe you're picking up residual signals from the last item you stole."
She glanced over the edge of the roof, eyeing the spot where the first robbery had occurred over a week ago.
The house was still cordoned off by police tape, and a patrol car was parked nearby with its lights flashing in the distance.
"We barely had time to get away with the first item," she voiced with a tinge of regret. "If we weren't fleeing because of the incoming police after the heist, we could've gone after the second one. But it was real. I'm sure of it."
The person on the other end didn't seem convinced. "Listen, we've got bigger priorities. Stop wasting your time there and return. There's no point in sticking around for a phantom signal."
Fox remained silent for a moment, her gaze still fixed on the neighborhood. She didn't like being doubted, especially when she was so certain. "Fine," she replied finally, a hint of annoyance in her tone. "I'll pull out. But I'm keeping an eye out. If that signal reappears, I'll be ready."
"Do what you want," the voice muttered. "Just don't get caught. The Oni can't afford any more mistakes."
The line went dead, and she tapped her earpiece off. She took one last look at the neighborhood, her eyes narrowing behind her mask. "I'm not wrong," she murmured to herself. "I know I'm not."
In the next instant, she leaped off the rooftop, landing silently in the alleyway below. She pressed her hand against the wall, and a faint blue glow emanated from her fingertips. In an instant, she vanished from sight, using a supernatural ability to meld into the walls.
The only sign of her presence was the faint rustle of the wind as she disappeared into the night.
Fox may have been ordered to leave, but she wasn't the type to let a lead slip away. She would keep watching, waiting for the signal to reappear. She was certain another legendary item had been in this area, and if it resurfaced, she intended to claim it—no matter what it took.
...
...
Deep within the winding corridors of the Cave of Shadows, August continued his journey alone, relying on stealth and cunning to navigate the labyrinthine tunnels and evade the hunting parties still seeking revenge for his kill-stealing tactics.
The cave was filled with dangers, and without a team, he knew he had to be careful. His shadowed footsteps echoed faintly in the dimly lit tunnel as he made his way deeper into the cave, where stronger beasts were said to roam.
As he turned a corner, he heard the sounds of battle—a fierce clash of metal against bone, followed by desperate shouts.
-"It's too strong!"
-"I don't think our HP can hold out!"
-"Damn it! We should have gone for a weaker beast!"
August crept closer, keeping to the shadows, and peered around a spiky rock formation.
In the open cavern ahead, three players were locked in a desperate struggle against a massive beast.
The creature was unlike anything August had seen before—a level 28 Shadowmaw Brute.
It was a monstrous hulking beast with obsidian-like scales covering its body. It stood on two legs like a gorilla but had the elongated snout of a dragon, dripping with venom.
Its eyes glowed a deep crimson, and its claws which were as sharp as daggers, tore through the cavern floor with every swipe.
The beast's maw was lined with razor-sharp teeth, capable of crushing armor with ease. Its abilities included Venomous Breath, which released a toxic cloud that constantly drained HP over time, and Sonic Boom which could knock back and stun multiple players making their movements sluggish.
The three players were clearly struggling. Their avatars were battered, their armor dented and cracked. Their HP bars hovered dangerously low, and August could see the worry etched on their faces.
They had run out of healing potions, and the level 28 Shadowmaw Brute still had a substantial amount of HP left—enough to kill all of them and cause them to drop a level.
"Hold on, just a bit longer!" one of them, a tall female ranger with short green hair, shouted as she fired a volley of arrows at the beast.
Her username, Lilo, hovered above her head in a soft pink hue.
創作者的想法 
Decrepit_bastard
Decrepit_bastard Thanks for the votes guys. Please keep them coming.
章節 22: Getting Acquainted
"We're not going to make it," a stocky knight stated while raising his shield to block a powerful swipe from the beast's claws.
His username read Boris, and his voice was strained with exhaustion.
The third player, a slim mage with blue robes, frantically cast spells to try and keep the beast at bay. His username was Ezran. "I'm out of mana!" he gasped while his hands trembled as he tried to summon even the weakest of spells.
Seeing their dire situation, August decided not to just stand by. These players were about to be wiped out, and while he had no reason to interfere, something compelled him to act.
"Hey! Need a hand?" August called out as he dashed forward from the shadows with his daggers drawn and glowing with dark energy.
Lilo's eyes widened in surprise. "Who—?"
"No time for that! Keep hitting it with everything you've got!" August interrupted while moving swiftly to the beast's flank.
<[ Lightning Bolt Spell Activated ]>
He activated Lightning Bolt, sending a crackling arc of electricity into the beast. The spell stunned the Shadowmaw Brute momentarily, giving the group a brief respite.
[ -1900 HP ]
'A mage?'
Lilo fired more arrows into the beast's hide while Boris charged forward with his shield, bashing it against the beast's side to keep its attention away from the others.
Ezran managed to muster the strength for one last fireball spell, aiming for the creature's head.
The beast roared in fury and retaliated with its Venomous Breath, releasing a cloud of toxic fumes that began to drain the group's HP.
August rolled out of the way just in time, then used Dash to close the distance and deliver a swift Hidden Strike to the beast's exposed side.
<[ Hidden Strike Skill Activated ]>
[ -1000 HP ]
Seeing its health bar drop, the group went all in.
"Raining Stars!"
Lilo fired more empowered shots, causing glowing arrows to rain down on the beast.
[ -400HP ]
[ -350HP ]
[ - 420 HP ]
[ - 380 HP ]
Boris used a powerful << shield bash >> skill as well, cornering the beast.
[ - 1200 HP ]
Although their health bars were dangerously low and the beast's next attack would have wiped them out, August's appearance had changed everything.
August used Shadow Stealth to appear behind the beast and delivered another deadly << Hidden Strike >> to its neck.
[ - 1600 HP ]
'Tch... Just 1600 damage points?'
Hidden Strike multiplied the force of his attack four times so if this had been another creature, the damage would have been way worse.
However, August was unaware that the damage his attacks were dealing shocked the others who were level 23 - 25 players.
The HP bar displayed above the beast's head showed that it still had over four thousand HP left.
If it wasn't defeated now, this would be the end for the other players.
The Lightning Spell had gone into one-minute cooldown mode and around thirty seconds were left before he would be able to use it again.
The level 28 Shadowmaw Brute began to push back against Boris's shield in order to free itself.
August wasn't about to let this happen, he continuously slashed at the Beast with his toxic dagger to chip as much as possible from its HP before he could use the Lightning Spell again.
[ - 200 HP ]
[ - 150 HP ]
[ - 170 HP ]
[ - 210 HP ]
He realized that his regular attacks were barely causing any damage. Lilo had run out of energy points, the mage had run out of mana and Boris was being pushed back already.
There were still twenty seconds left on the clock and August had barely taken out a thousand out of the beast's HP.
With a mighty shove, Boris got sent flying with his shield while the Shadowmaw Brute's draconic like mouth opened wide.
It took in a large amount of breath, causing the surroundings to start quaking. August immediately knew that this was a bad sign.
He kept slashing and slashing at the beast but at this moment not even a single HP was being deducted from its health.
<< Shadowmaw Brute Is Activating Sonic Boom >>
<< Immune To All Damage Until Attack Is Completed >>
The notifications appeared in each player's line of sight.
"We're dead," the mage voiced with a look of defeat.
"Get behind me!" August appeared between them and the beast in a flash.
<[ Arcane Shield Activated ]>
A translucent shield suddenly appeared before them. Its edges curved to accommodate them as they nestled behind August.
In the next instant, a guttural screech shot forward in circular droves, causing the walls of the cave of shadows to tremble vibrantly.
The Sonic boom of the Shadowmaw Brute struck the surroundings fiercely, causing many rocks to burst into pieces. Cracks appeared in the surroundings as it carried on for a good fifteen seconds.
-100MP
-100MP
-100MP
-140MP
August watched his MP go drain by the second due to the amount of damage reflected from the attack.
The arcane Shield would most likely disintegrate if he ran out of mana.
Fortunately, the Sonic Boom attack came to a finish before that.
August immediately deactivated the shield and noticed that the cooldown mode of his lightning spell had ended.
<[ Lightning Spell Activated ]>
[ - 500 MP ]
Aiming the lightning at the beast's head to achieve maximum damage, August fired with reckless abandon.
The bolt collided with the beast who was currently in a weakened state, chipping away a substantial amount of health points.
[ - 2700 HP ]
The beast still had around 700HP left so August activated Dash and with a single step appeared behind it before it could even attack.
<[ Hidden Strike Has Been Activated ]>
With a stab to the back, the beast instantly lost all of its HP.
[ - 1200 HP ]
[You have defeated Level 28 Shadowmaw Brute. +5000 EXP]
[Item Drop: Brute Fang, Venom Gland, Shadow Hide, Shadow Crystal Shard]
The beast collapsed with a heavy thud as its massive body dissipated into the darkness.
The four players breathed a collective sigh of relief, their avatars visibly relaxing as the tension melted away.
"Thanks for the help, man!" Lilo exclaimed, her face breaking into a bright grin. "We would have been toast if you hadn't jumped in!"
Ezran nodded, still catching his breath. "Yeah, seriously. I thought we were done for."
Boris grunted but managed a nod. "Not bad for a solo player."
August sheathed his daggers and shrugged. "You were doing most of the work. I just gave it a push."
They decided to share the loot equally, each taking something valuable. August took the Shadow Crystal Shard, while the others divided the remaining items. The atmosphere was much different than his previous encounters—there was no resentment or anger, only camaraderie born from a shared struggle.
As they rested for a moment to recover from the battle, Lilo, who seemed to be the most talkative of the group, started chatting excitedly. "So, are you in a guild?" she asked August as her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"No, I'm more of a solo player," August replied while scanning his surroundings. "But I'm not completely averse to joining one."
Lilo's excitement visibly grew. "You should totally check out the Phoenix Celestial Guild! They're one of the most influential guilds in Enders Light. I'm trying to join them too!"
"Phoenix Celestial?" August repeated with a look of intrigue. "What makes them so special?"
Lilo beamed with pride, eager to share. "They're one of the top guilds in the game, known for their coordinated raids and powerful players. And their leader, the Ice Queen, is a legend. She's said to rival the top five strongest players in the entire game!"
August raised an eyebrow. "Ice Queen, huh? Sounds impressive."
'Wasn't that one of the players from the Global announcement the other time?'
"Oh, she is! She's got this crazy powerful frost magic, and she's unbeatable in both PvP and PvE," Lilo continued. "She's like a celebrity among the players. Everyone wants to be in her guild."
Ezran chimed in, a bit more reserved. "Phoenix Celestial Guild isn't the only powerhouse, though. There's also Dragon's Fang, a guild known for its brutal tactics and elite fighters. I personally prefer them. They don't mess around."
Boris nodded. "And let's not forget about Stormbringers. They've got some of the best strategists in the game. Their leader, Tempest Lord, is rumored to be the best tactician in Enders Light."
August took in the information, mentally noting these key guilds. "Sounds good..."
"Definitely!" Lilo agreed. "There are also strong solo players like The Shadow Reaper, who is feared for his stealth kills, and Blade Dancer, who is famous for her unmatched swordplay."
"What level are they at?"
創作者的想法
Decrepit_bastard
Decrepit_bastard
Please keep voting. Thank you all.
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