The boy had a sickening smile on his face that echoed insanity as we both locked eyes. It wasn't normal, this boy. No something was very wrong with him but it was at this moment Rick knew that this boy would be his enemy in this battle.
After the names had been called out an eerie silence filled the air before a clap of what seemed to be lightning echoed throughout the area. It filled everyone with a sense of overwhelming anticipation as a single voice echoed throughout the room once more.
"Well it seems like the duels are set in stone. The arenas have been created and you have been teleported to your specific arena, have fun and remember. Don't Kill Anyone!"
"The duels begin..... NOW!"
Once more a feeling of dread filled everyone as a clap of lightning started a gigantic clock that had appeared in the sky. They all felt a wave of disorientation about them as they realized that they had been teleported to a new place.
The arenas they found themselves in were gigantic floating stones in the sky surrounded with what seemed to be a barrier made out of pure lightning. Though they couldn't see it, they could still hear the roar of an audience from the other side of the barriers.
'It's happening so quick could you at least give us a warning' Were the last words that flew through Ricks mind as the surrounding area got significantly brighter.
It was almost as if all the shadows had been removed from the surrounding area, like they just vanished. The boy who had sent shivers down his spine mere seconds earlier seemed to be newly donned in a crown made of the stuff. Just pure darkness surrounded him in a wreath of shadows.
A feeling of doom overcame Rick and after a few seconds he felt immense danger coming from behind.
He quickly dodged to the side before turning his head to realize that his own shadow was attacking him with a dagger that seemed to have came out of no where.
It stood up from the ground after a moment and started materialize into a physical form instead of a 2 dimensional one. It struck out again as a dull mono tone sound filled ricks ear drums.
"What the Hell is going on?!" He shouted in confusion as the surrounding shadows returned but this time all started to stand up as copies of himself.
"You will never manage to defeat me! I will be the greatest thief!" A childish voice echoed out.
Rick turned his focus away for a moment and found a sickening stab as he received an attack from behind once more.
After the strike Rick turned around as quickly as possible. He noticed that the shadow had started to dissolve after the first strike. It seems like these things were incredibly weak with stamina but great with attack.
'Looks like I have to dodge until I find an opening.'
'Activate sprint!'
He felt his limbs get naturally lighter and gravity seemed to stop it's hold on him periodically or at least lower the load on him. He felt a tingling sensation come from behind him once more before he dodged to the side as quick as possible, quickly stepping away in the crucial time for a shadow dagger to gently plunge directly where he stood not even a second before.
"I need to be faster!"
'System spend my remaining skill point on sprint to level it to level two.'
'Yes! hurry up!'
He instantly felt the divine grace of the system improve his speed once more as he quickly dodged two more simultaneous strikes.
Another strike appeared to his left which he dodged this time by counter throwing the shadow, destroying it into pieces.
Another strike and another foe defeated. With the improved movement speed he felt his enemies melting into nothingness. Dodging them was easy but after a minute a wave of exhaustion overwhelmed him as a system prompt appeared once more.
'Yes. Set it to auto spend!'
'That's nice. Since I regain 1 stamina a minute It only costs one a minute now.'
The shadows seemed to be growing faster with him though and after a moment he turned his focus to the boy to realized as he chanted the strange language that he was chanting they would increase in speed.
Mages are so tedious!