Talahria slipped out of Lilith’s shadow, where she was hidden. This was the second time she’d done so this raid. The first had been to catch Lilith when she failed to deliver the killing blow and fell. Her mistress had been visibly surprised and understandably annoyed, as well as equally grateful for Talahria’s assistance in catching her midfall. Fortunately, she was too professional to start questioning Talahria’s on her presence while in the middle of a raid. The fact that she had collapsed moments later from overdrawing her mana may have also helped. Talahria left her mistress in the care of Karris, the diviner, to catch the enigmatic shadow cloaked warrior that had delivered the final blow in such a dramatic fashion.
She had noticed their arrival in the realm of shadows, being there one moment and then gone the next. It was hard to see in the shadow realm and harder yet to move, but this figure… this person? (It was hard to tell, wrapped as they were in shadows), but this person had looked her way, their gaze and intent drawing her own. Even more shocking was when she noticed that they jumped out of a shadow that was far away from their original position. She knew it was possible, but to her best knowledge and despite her best efforts, only The First Shadow of Elcifer had that skill. She herself was locked into the shadow she entered, though greatly protected and immune to most damage.
This figure cloaked in shadows and crowned in fire had caught her interest, as well as no doubt her mistress’. The power that they had displayed was also awe-inspiring. They had walked through dragonfire unscathed and single handedly locked the dragon to the ground. To top it off their javelin of fire had completely pierced through the dragon and embedded itself in the wall. They were no doubt a powerful mage and a tri-caster at that, capable of wielding the elements of earth, fire and shadows. She jumped upwards, catching the falling body draped in shadows. She smiled. Helping somebody at a moment like this was an easy way of getting into their good-
She dropped them and pulled back almost as soon as she touched them, her arms burning as shadows hungrily ate into her flesh. The figure fell heavily onto the ground, their fall barely somewhat slowed due to her aid. She didn’t notice due to the pain.
Talahria scratched at her arms, trying to get rid of the black wisps of shadow that clung to her and burned her unprotected arms. She didn’t notice the person’s crown flickering eerily between white and gold as it melted into the ground. She didn’t see the shadows that formed the cloak billowing inwards and outwards, as some seemingly melted into the person, while others sought their freedom and dispersed in wispy black streamers that faded into nothingness. All she noticed were the dark tendrils that clung to her arms and hands like tar, burning at her skin like acid. She didn’t even notice the falling sparks that drifted downwards, having trailed after the figure when they fell. She only noticed them when they landed on her arms. They stuck to the shadowy tendrils and sunk in, like burning stars on black tar. She screamed out loud as the pain redoubled.
The shouts of men echoed through the cavern, coming from the winding cave that led into the dragon’s lair.
In pain and in panic she dove into the nearest shadow.
***
Sophie passively watched as Justicar Orlando commanded forty Holy Nights to enter the dragon’s lair. They had reached the raid camp late afternoon, arriving both earlier and later than she had expected.
Since early morning they had been hearing the dragon’s roars and the occasional explosion of thunder. It echoed through the mountains, causing Orlando to spur on already weary knights. They marched faster, without complain, fuelled only by divine buffs and strong willpower forged through strict training. Despite this they arrived after their predicted time, having to fight off or avoid fleeing mountain goats, copper-scales, iron-scales, silver-scales and more.
When they reached the camp Orlando had wished to wipe out the heathens in the name of the Goddess – opportunistic merchants, and shocked, pale-faced players. Deserters, no doubt. She had barely managed to convince him that the dragon was of greater importance and that time was of the essence. Purity’s brand on Sam had been growing unbearably strong since yesterday, weakening somewhat in the morning and growing stronger since they’d resumed their journey. It added to the urgency she felt.
Fortunately, had passed through the camp without much trouble or opposition – save a reckless group of independent players who realised why they were there. No doubt every person in the camp had known why they were there, judging from their judgmental gazes. It was only the small group of fools, that had stood up, that made the mountain their grave. They had fled death, only to die here anyway. She hadn’t been able to meet their judging gazes as Orlando and two knights cleared their path forward. For them it was a game. For her it was a job. Nobody liked their job.
Now, she was walking down the dark cave, holding up a mage light. As the only proper mage in the group she had been relegated the duty of torch bearer, though several others had their swords lit up with Purity’s divine light. The column moved in relative silence, save the clanking of armour and the occasional whispered prayer or wisecrack. There had been a roar moments ago and then silence. While the roar had been terrifying, the silence was foreboding. The ever-growing oppressive heat didn’t help either.
The smell of blood and burnt flesh came first, followed moment later by her mage light rising higher as the cavern opened up. The whispers stopped.
It was dark in the cavern, her light so seemingly insignificant in the vast darkness. She poured in more mana from her already diminishing pool, watching as it lit up the small part that they were in. She reeled back from the burnt corpses, glad that the minor benefits she gained from being a kitsune didn’t include enhanced sense of smell. Even the better trained knights took a step back. Some of them raised their swords in preparation. The corpses didn’t move.
A little further, in the light scattered by crystals and illuminated by pits of molten stone, lay the massive corpse of the dragon. It was large. Far larger than she had imagined. It was easily the size of a house. And despite the bleeding wounds and the massive pools of blood that flowed from its flanks, it was majestic.
She doubted that anything less than the full might of the Holy Empire would be able to defeat it. How two hundred rag-tags, a guild and a single Ranker had managed to take it down she had no clue. She was simply glad that they hadn’t had to fight it. Of the two hundred players, there were none left standing. If they had had to fight it, even wounded, she doubted she, Orlando and the forty holy knights with them would have been enough.
“Spread out. Squads of four.” Orlando commanded.
Despite technically serving under her, she let the man lead. It was far easier to deal with him when he felt he was in control. She just had to make sure they succeeded the mission.
“Tess, Oren, Fis, Ren, with me” she commanded, picking four knights.
Nine squads split off to search the cavern. She and Orlando and the four knights approached the dragon.
A cry to her left drew her attention. A squad had discovered something.
“Survivors! Three down. One hostile!”
“Eliminate Hostiles!” Orlando commanded.
“Capture! Do NOT kill!” Sophie overrode. She disliked killing and would be able to justify her action under the guise of prospective interrogation.
Orlando glared at her balefully, but didn’t say a word. Though he was arrogant, he was not a fool. He knew who was really in charge.
A second squad raced to reinforce the first, allowing her to once again restart her journey to the dragon corpse. She would deal with the captives after that. Purity guided her steps, compelling her forward. The compulsion was strong, driving her forward. Beside her Orlando walked with urgency in his own steps.
“And there it is” Orlando whispered, reverently, as he looked up at the bloodied body of the dragon “Finally.”
Sophie agreed with his sentiment, though her eyes weren’t looking at the severed head of the dragon, but at the human-shaped bundle of shadows that lay on the ground. A faded and melting crown of flames slowly sunk into obscurity, slipping off the figure’s head.
***
Azrael woke with a pounding headache and feeling woozy and light headed. His muscles were beyond sore, but surprisingly he didn’t notice any broken bones – as far as he could tell. Maybe his entire body was simply too sore to notice. His eyes were dry, as was his mouth. He tried to wet it with spittle, but his tongue felt like sandpaper. Meanwhile, while his entire skin prickled like he’d actually been pulled over sandpaper.
Groggily, he tried to open his eyes, but saw only more blackness. He knew it was dark in the cavern. But somehow, instinctively, he knew there was light. He could feel the shadows – as strange as that sounded.
On instinct he tried to raise a hand in front of his face, only to find it bound. Both of them were. So were his feet. Somewhere there were voices, but they were far away. Or not. It was hard to tell with his current state. They felt far away. He frowned. Maybe he was in a worse state than he felt.
On an almost delirious whim, he activated [Craftman’s Eye], the resulting blue screen seemingly far too bright in the darkness. The writing was somewhat blurry to his sight, but he managed to make it out.
Crude Blindfold
Made by ripping a strip of cloth off of a cloak, this blindfold hinders sight.
A blindfold then.
A blindfold, a mouth gag and bindings at both his wrists and ankles. Kidnapped. Not what he’d expected waking up to. Not that he’d actually expected to wake up. Surviving was slim possibility, far outweighed by being eaten, clawed, crushed or flattened to a pancake by the kinetic energy he accumulated as he fell.
Mentally, he opened his [Status], scanning through the multiple ignored notifications that had popped up since this morning. It was only when he found a specific one that he felt unknown tension drain out of his body.
Congratulations!
You have achieved a monumental feat by slaying a World Guardian, the Red Dragon of the West!
They’d done it. He’d done it. He’d kept his promise. The dragon was dead.
Relieved, he turned his attention to the long list of other notifications. Far too many. A moment later they condensed, as he gave a mental command. It was still a lot, but instead of reading each increase individually they’d all been tallied together. He shifted them around a bit, making them easier to read through, but taking them out of chronological order.
Congratulations!
Due to spending a continued amount of time in an extremely hot environment you have gained levels in [Heat Resistance]
[Heat Resistance] (Lv.13) advances to [Heat Resistance] (Lv.31)
Congratulations!
For withstanding flames you have gained levels in [Fire Resistance]
[Fire Resistance] (Lv.7) advances to [Fire Resistance] (Lv.12)
These two notifications were entirely expected. He would have been more surprised if he hadn’t gained any levels in these two resistances. What did surprise him though was the next message.
Congratulations!
For surviving dragonfire unscathed [Fire Resistance] has evolved into [Fire Immunity]
It was a pleasant surprise, but not wholly unexpected. The game did reward players for putting themselves out there and achieving things. Unfortunately, the description wasn’t exactly clear.
Fire Immunity
Some people learn to live with fire, yet few forget to fear it
You are immune to any fire damage, with heat scaling with the Skill’s level.
From what he understood the skill negated damage caused by fire, such as burns, up to a certain threshold. The higher level the skill the hotter the flames he could withstand. Idlily, he wondered what would happen if he decided to take a bath in lava.
The following few notifications were a little more clear cut.
Congratulations!
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
You have masterly fought against a vastly superior foe and have gained levels in [Dagger Arts]
[Dagger Arts] (Lv.32) advances to [Dagger Arts] (Lv.39)
Congratulations!
You have kept calm under extreme emotional duress and have gained levels in [Calm Mind]
[Calm Mind] (Lv.21) advances to [Calm Mind] (Lv.32)
Congratulations!
You have kept your center during extreme combat and have gained levels in [Meditation]
[Meditation] (Lv.34) advances to [Meditation] (Lv.41)
Congratulations!
You used the skill to great effects and have gained levels in [Reinforcement]
[Reinforcement] (Lv.24) advances to [Reinforcement] (Lv.27)
Congratulations!
You have learnt how to make the mana of the world your own and have gained levels in [Mana Mastery]
[Mana Mastery] (Lv.5) advances to [Mana Mastery] (Lv.9)
Azrael frowned. He realised that [Mana Mastery] was most likely a skill of extremely high tier, but he felt that compared to some of his other skill gains it was a little on the low side. To be fair, he hadn’t actually used much mana in the first half, save for creating and reinforcing his daggers, but [Meditation] had levelled up to 41! That was only nine levels away from the second advancement! [Reinforcement] had also passed level 25, crossing the first advancement. Compared to that [Mana Mastery] felt far to low level to be part of his usual skill set.
Next came a skill he’d expected to get far earlier.
Congratulations!
For enduring through pain greater than imaginable, you have gained the skill [Pain Resistance]
Congratulations!
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
You are able to endure and function properly through great pain
The quote made him smile. He wondered how often he’d heard that one. Though, considering the amount of growth he had witnessed during this fight, there seemed to be some truth to it.
Congratulations!
You have pushed through greater pain and have gained levels in [Pain Resistance]
[Pain Resistance] (Lv.1) advances to [Pain Resistance] (Lv.6)
The next two gains were somewhat surprising.
Congratulations!
You have woven something using previously unseen methods and have gained levels in [Weaving]
[Weaving] (Lv.2) advances to [Weaving] (Lv.16)
Congratulations!
You have brought into being items from folk lore and have gained levels in [Crafting]
[Crafting] (Lv.16) advances to [Crafting] (Lv.29)
[Weaving] and [Crafting] were his two oldest skills, both of them having been mostly unused. He hadn’t expected them to level up during a dragon fight, or that they would level up so much. It made sense when he thought about it. He had woven a cloak of shadows and crafted the crown of fire, but for two skills to gain 14 and 13 level respectively, was amazing. Admittedly, they were both relatively low levelled and the game no doubt considered mana and void energy to be ‘high’ tier crafting materials. He already knew that it was easier for Skills to gain levels at the beginning, before becoming increasingly harder, but it was still shocking.
He noted that the notification for [Crafting] actually referenced ‘folk lore’, no doubt referring to the rumours of the Guardian of the End Forest, who was described as king clad in shadows and crowned with a wreath of golden flames. The irony in that was that the folk lore referenced had originated from one of his earliest stunts in the game. He had finally become the legend. A flame-crowned, shadow-cloaked protector of the forest. One who had just slain a dragon.
If the mouth gag wasn’t bound so tightly across his mouth people would have seen a big grin spread across his face.
The next notification wasn’t as surprising,
Congratulations!
You have successfully enraptured an audience to great effect and have gained levels in [Dramatic Flair]
[Dramatic Flair] (Lv.11) advances to [Dramatic Flair] (Lv.15)
Not a large gain compared to some others, but the most he’d ever gotten for it in one go. He wondered whether it was due to the complexity of his crown and cloak, or due to a higher levelled audience. Possibly both.
He was starting to realise that rarity and strength, whether it was a target or a material greatly impacted a Skill’s gains. His next notification clearly expressed this.
Congratulations!
You have landed a blow against a stronger foe and dealt impossible damage and gained levels in [Spear Arts]
[Spear Arts] (Lv.20) advances to [Spear Arts] (Lv.26)
Azrael had thrown exactly one spear of void-touched flames at the dragon, unless the game was counting his final [Earth Spear] as well. One spell and he’d gained six levels, while also bringing the skill over the first advancement. Amelia, the assistant of the elven Ranker – Zen the Sylphian Acher – had mentioned that passing an advancement was a sign of mastery, requiring knowledge, dedication and a little luck. He felt that his luck was slightly overshadowing his knowledge and dedication for this skill. Still, he appreciated it and instead turned to the next section of his notification.
Congratulations!
For showing masterful skill in combat you have gained DEX +2.
Congratulations!
For pushing your speed to the limit you have gained AGI +2.
Congratulations!
For Enduring past your limits you have gained END +3.
Congratulations!
For Pushing yourself beyond your physical capabilities you have gained STR +1.
Congratulations!
For masterfully applying knowledge and Skills you have gained INT +5.
Congratulations!
For showing masterful insight you have gained WIS +2.
Growth. Blessed growth, after months. It had been relatively easy to increase his stats early on in the game, but repetition only got you so far. He’d realised that he’d have to push himself into new and dangerous situations to continue the growth that he’d had, but was still conflicted on the type of life he wanted to lead. He wanted to be strong enough to protect himself and the village, but he also wanted to simply enjoy the solitude of the forest.
Maybe, he decided, he would do a bit of work around the village once he got back. It had been strongly impacted by the dragon’s attack. And honestly, the thought of having to be around the villagers didn’t seem as bad as it used to. It wasn’t that he’d grown fond of them. They’d simply grown on him. It wasn’t his fault.
Congratulations!
For gaining an understanding of mana beyond the basic elements ‘Sorcerer’ has been upgraded to ‘Magus’. ‘Sorcerer’ levels will be carried over. You have gained a level in ‘Magus’ INT+2 WIS+3 END+1.
Azrael noticed with some delight that his third tier [Sorcerer] class had evolved into a fourth-tier class, giving him a point more in intelligence. The effects of higher tier classes were compounding, with higher tiers giving more stats with each level. Over time this difference would grow, creating a gap between classes. Of course, training, equipment and knowledge also played a part. Even at level 10 a first-tier class like [Villager] would lose against a fifth-tier class like [Lord], without fail. Of course, a higher tier class was also harder to level, though he seemed to have struck jackpot with this dragon raid.
Congratulations!
For freeing your people from the dragon’s shadow and fulfilling your promise to the people you have gained a level in ‘Lord’.
WIS+3, END+2, STR+2
And with that he’d gotten to the end of the main section. What remained was a bit of a mixed bag.
Congratulations!
You reached a pinnacle of humanity.
For gleaning wisdom beyond mortal ken, you have gained the title ‘Observer’
‘Observer’
Observation, not age, brings wisdom.
You are more likely to notice subtle details in the world around you
A ‘pinnacle of humanity’, Azrael smiled. The title itself didn’t seem that impressive, but it was no doubt more useful than it seemed. What was most interesting though was that the notification popped up, just after his Wisdom stat passed 50, due to the increase from gaining another level in [Lord]. It was his first and only stat to do so.
The next notification drew his attention before he could ponder it much further.
Congratulations!
You have achieved a feat spoken of only in legends!
For slaying a dragon you have gained the title ‘Dragon Slayer’
‘Dragon Slayer’
For gold and glory, immortalised in song
Dragons will instinctively fear you, while people will instinctively sense your greatness
Congratulations!
The people and the world acknowledge your existence.
You have received the right to the moniker ‘Shadow King’
Congratulations!
Due to your moniker you have gained the unique skill [Royal Regalia]
Royal Regalia
For I am cloaked in shadows and crowned in fire
You may summon your royal regalia instantly.
Congratulations!
Due to your Moniker your skill [Aura] aspect of Authority has grown to Majesty
Congratulations!
Due to your Moniker your skill [Aura] aspect of Intimidation has grown to Dominion
[Aura]
Some kings wear their power as a cloak.
Those around you will be affected by your aura. This effect increases the stronger you are.
Current Additional Aspects:
Defiance: You are more likely to resist negative status effects from stronger opponents
Dominion: You may exert pressure upon all those within the skill’s radius.
Majesty: Others are more likely to inherently obey you.
Congratulations!
For achieving a legendary feat and stepping into the realm of myths, you have gained the title ‘Fantasy Touched’
Fantasy Touched
Myths know their own
You are more likely to attract and be attracted to things of fantastical nature.
Azrael was speechless. What was there to even say? It was a lot to take in. Unfortunately, the final two messages dampened any joy he’d just found.
Warning!
You have been strongly affected by unstable energies from the Void!
A lump formed in his throat as he felt it slowly sink to his stomach.
Race: Human (58%)
There was a sharp kick in his side, which sent him tumbling over. At some point the voices had gotten closer.
“Wake up!” a male voice barked.
He only caught a glimpse of his [Status] before the blindfold was roughly yanked off.
Status
Name: Azrael
Class: Runist (Lv.5), Magus (Lv.7), Lord (Lv.6), Thief (Lv.1)
Race: Human (58%)
Moniker: ‘Shadow King’
HP: 470/470
MP: 97/470
STR: 31
END: 47
DEX: 34
AGI: 27
INT: 47
WIS: 52
Titles:
{Sinner}, {Heretic}, {Master of Status}, {Rune Master}, {God Watched}, {Lord of the End Forest}, {Teacher}, {Oath Maker}, {Void Touched}, {Trickster’s Blessing}, {Void Walker},
{Marked By Purity}, {Observer}, {Dragon Slayer}, {Fantasy Touched}
Unique skills:
[Status], [Elemental Mana], [Lord’s Insight], [Aura], [@#%& Self], [Shadow Step], [Footwork], [Royal Regalia].
Skills:
Weaving (Lv.16), Crafting (Lv.29), Spear Arts (Lv.26), Mana Sight (Lv.26), Mana Mastery (Lv.9), Soul Sense (Lv.15), Dramatic Flair (Lv. 15), Stealth (Lv. 24), Calm Mind (Lv. 32) Lord’s Domain (Lv. 2), Leadership (Lv.6), Void Shaping (Lv. n/a), Reinforcement (Lv.27), Dagger Arts (Lv.39), Meditation (Lv.41), Mana Transfer (Lv.5), Craftsman’s Eye (Lv.1), Intimidation (Lv.6), Search (Lv.24), Heat Resistance (Lv.31), Fire Immunity (Lv.12), Pain Resistance (Lv.6)