The static voice echoes in my head as the six black armored guards float in the air closer toward me.
"It looks like you've begun to clean up the Sector 2 Leader's mess for us. How thoughtful."
As they get closer, I'm positive this is the exact same guard that talked to me in the Arena. At that time, its speed and power far surpassed mine.
The mental image of it blipping in and out of existence faster than my eyes could see, and it telling me that the Wraith I defeated was the weakest of the 13 Dark Guards is a memory that has not left the forefront of my mind. It has been lingering in my subconscious throughout all of the training inside the Titan's Domain both times since I fought one of these monsters last.
Even while using my full strength and even the help of my Red Hydra's Buff, I left that match in a very weak state. However, I'm a far different fighter now than I was then. To them, it has barely been 2 days, but to me, I've been training and absorbing more Mana and Qi for almost a year.
I feel the telepathy link get severed between us, and the largest Guard motions a hand forward toward me.
One of the more human-sized sets of armor comes floating my way at over twice the speed of the others behind it in the rigid formation.
The eye slit in its armor begins to glow orange, and I see two orbs of familiar black energy forming in both of its hands. As it plummets down toward the town, I make the split decision to jump high into the sky using air-steps to put distance between everything below me.
Before I even get 20 meters into the sky, the black orbs that gave me so much trouble in the Arena come shooting my way.
I manage to get a full inspect and appraisal reading on only the approaching guard. Everyone else is too far away and their concealment items are too strong for me to get any kind of efficient data.
Everything on the approaching Corrupted Royal Guard says [??? Access Denied] other than its level rating at [Lv. 835] and a [Curse of The Lich King] mark in its buff section.
My eyes widen, and I immediately activate all my buffs that don't overly consume mana while imbuing my sword with Qi.
This is a higher level than the Wraith that was the so-called weakest Dark Guard... With the reappearance of the same kind of magic, as well as the identical Soul Energy Buff, I'm assuming this is at least the 12th in line.
Once I reach the height of about 100 meters above the city square, the Approaching Dark Guard's two orbs of energy curve downward and accelerate even more as its wielder already begins to form two more attacks in its hands following close behind.
I grip my blade and watch the orbs approach, but can't help but to smile beneath my flaming mask as the Orbs look like they're traveling in slow motion to me right now.
I want to laugh out loud while Easily Airstepping around the motion-tracking orbs, activating extreme speed and using my immense increase in mana control and wind magic upgrade to easily swerve and glide through the air to avoid the two attacks.
I still have my Qi barrier on, limiting my mana control to 50% of its full strength, and the ease at which I'm able to dodge and keep an eye on the approaching Black Armored Knight is quite surprising.
The last time I faced these orbs, using 100% of my mana control with my Red Hydra's buff activated, It was barely enough for me to slip away. Now, it's hardly a warmup.
It lets out two more orbs of dark energy my way, and finally gets close enough to me that I can see it hovering and watching me dodge without having to use my enemy detection perk to see it from afar.
Once four orbs are chasing me through the skies, I speed up my air-steps and make my dodges slowly drift in the direction of my enemy.
I'm well aware if one of these energy balls is pierced open the orange energy inside that leaks out is not pretty. I remember feeling it burn through my soul energy buff, armor, mana shielding, and skin with ease.
A repeat of that event is not what I'm aiming for here.
I lock my eyes onto the chestplate of the Dark Guard that is now beginning to conjure two more orbs and focus all my active perception skill's strength into my All-Seeing Eye.
A wave of energy pierces through the dense black material and I sense the presence of an orange beating heart.
Taking a deep breath, I aim my sword directly at it, then concentrate on channeling the majority of my available Qi to surround my blade rather than using it for defensive measures. I'm confident that I'm fast enough to dodge its orbs of energy, and I'm not getting any particularly strong barrier readings from its armor other than the appraisal blocking perks and a high B Grade Mana Shielding attribute.
So, I airstep forward and make my move.
Making full advantage of the crimson thread of my Swordsmanship skill, and activating surges of intimidation building stronger with every stride, the new orbs of black matter get larger in its hands that it holds above its head, but my perception of reality is far quicker than it has the ability to process.
In what feels like just the blink of an eye, I cut the distance between us down to less than an arm's length and swing my sword white hot with Qi directly through the creature's upper torso.
It doesn't even have a moment to react.
The blade slices through its armor like butter, and I feel trace amounts of my Qi being burned away as it sinks into the black veil of energy beneath that makes up its body. However, it's not near enough to stop the sharp edge of my sword crack its rib cage and puncture the orange beating heart.
The instance I feel the blade comes out the backside of its chestplate, I follow through with vigor and activate extreme speed to dash past to its back side cutting all the way through. I channel the majority of my Qi back to defense once my blade leaves its body and turn my head to watch all six orbs of energy twist out of control and explode without anyone to hold them.
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
I hit level 692, but let its armor and body fall to the city below as I have more important things to worry about right now.
My attention shifts back to the formation of approaching guards, and see that they're less than half a kilometer from me now. In the gaze of my enemy detection perk, I watch the leader give the same hand motion to attack as before, but this time all four of the remaining guards fly forward with energy orbs forming above their hands.
Their speed is a bit more impressive than the guard that just attacked me, and once all four of them get within about 100 meters of me and release 8 orbs of explosive Soul Energy my way, I manage to get a reading on their levels.
Two come curving around on my left and right sides, clocking in at [Lv. 847] and [Lv. 871].
Then, one comes soaring through the air right toward me down the middle at [Lv. 901].
Lastly, a final attacker floats upward, preparing to make an attack on me from above while I'm busy with the other three. It's at [Lv. 944].
I smile even wider, using the same style of dodging and swerving to take on the barrage of explosive orbs while they get in formation.
The attacks from the two Guards that come at me from the left and right aren't hard to dodge, however, the middle and upper guards' orbs' speed is noticeably quicker and the energy output on them is much more intense than the ones before it.
I let out a bit more of my mana control, now using 2/3 of my true strength to use my extreme speed and buffing skills with greater ease.
As I twist my body, and the first round of orbs flies by, the Guards on my sides are now less than 10 meters away.
With my All-Seeing Eye on full blast, these Wraiths' skeletal structures and glowing hearts are all as clear as day to me.
The two closest guards release another round of orbs, while the higher levels ones wait to make their move while closing in.
I control my breathing and activate swordsmanship. A crimson thread forms from the tip of my blade in a wide crescent formation that aims straight through two of the monsters' glowing hearts.
Again, I shift my Qi Barrier's density to the striking portion of my blade and glide through the air full of confidence.
While dodging each orb that comes my way by a hair, my sword slices through the armor of both Dark Guards on my left and right side with little resistance, destroying their hearts and setting off a chain reaction of explosions in the air, detonating every single orb of energy including the ones sent by the two remaining Guards.
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
I gain 15 levels, hitting level 707.
However, the two remaining Dark Guards don't mourn their fallen partners one bit, and use the clouds of disappearing soul energy to their advantage.
The highest-level guard that hovers above me holding both hands above its head, charges up a single orb of dark energy. The moment I notice it, the creature lets it go and rockets down at me.
I can hear it buzz and crackle, sensing well over four times as much raw soul energy as any other orb I've seen today in a single attack. Swirls of hot yellow-orange light come out of small cracks as this orb was created as a finishing move designed to take me out in a single hit. I increase my speed and airstep quickly out of the way, hoping to dodge.
However, the only direction I think to move in is the direction of a cloud of fading soul energy where the other guard comes out holding two highly charged orbs of energy itself while it stares me down and increases its forward momentum toward me even more.
With a hot ball of mass curving downward from above, trying to hit me in the back and a hyper-focused Dark Guard at my front ready to take me out with any means necessary, a plan comes to mind.
I take down my entire Qi barrier that suppresses my mana and make sure to only channel this excess energy into my movement speed, increased soul energy senses, and the attack power imbued into my sword.
Then, take a moment to allow the orb of energy to get closer to my back, while lunging forward to make it seem as if I'm running away at full speed.
I burst into a flashy display of advanced Fire magic to ramp up a distraction, and airstep forward right at the Dark Guard that points its two hands with orbs of energy fully charged and ready to release at close range my way.
The closer I get, the more I slow down, but prepare to use 100% of my mana control and buffs at the last moment to make my move.
I can feel the heat of the orb on my back through my lowered defenses, and the sight of the guard in front of me is less than 5 meters away.
"4... 3... 2... 1..." I count down under my breath.
I activate stealth the moment I'm less than half a meter away, then duck down and use extreme speed to fully conceal myself and slice through the creature's armor, rupturing its heart myself to get the level gains. Then, focus on my swordsmanship while airstepping upward in the direction of the remaining guard with a magnificent explosion of supercharged Soul Energy below me.
I stab my sword straight through the last Dark Guard's heart and deactivate stealth right in front of it staring into the slit in its helmet while its glowing orange energy fades away.
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
My level reaches 737, and the guard's armor and bones fall to the city below.
I want to see if they've all dropped the same Essence that I got after destroying the heart of the wraith in the arena, but I know I'll have time for that once the danger is gone.
My head turns to the final Dark Guard as the remnants of soul energy fade, and the scratchy static telepathic voice hits my inner ear from less than 300 meters away.
"I'm impressed. All I asked them to do was to bring you to me, but it seems you were holding back quite a bit in the Arena, weren't you?"
There's a pause and a stillness in the air as the remaining Dark Guard floats my way, but doesn't increase its speed at all.
More than 10 seconds pass, and I try to use my inspect and appraisal skill on its armor, but nothing comes back. Even using my All-Seeing Eye at its full power, I still get glitched numbers and letters back that are on the verge of changing, but never show me their true value.
It speaks again.
"You may have bested the lower 6 Dark Guards, but I'm here to bring you back to the Dark One. You are still no match for the Upper 7. We have all Ranked-Up more than once; you cannot defeat me in your current form. Come with me now, or I will assume you have chosen death."
As the Black Suit of armor gets within 100 meters of me, it reaches for its helmet and begins to take it off.
A bright orange light shines out from underneath, and my inspect skill finally registers a number.
[Lv. 1082]
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Author's Note:
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