Chapter 28 - Shadows

The night was troubled, the wind was chilly and the barracks were as usual. Nothing changed from the occupants as well as the mood. Always happy and not broody.

The guards were on their night duty and guarded the towers as usual. It was a normal night for them but without the recruits currently.

Guards armed and armored were on standby at their posts while others cooked their dinner. A vegetable soup made to be tasted slightly sour with the magic of radishes and meat for its tasty flavors.

Others chopped the meat and others the spices. They went to cook outside in a fire pit with a hung cook pot on a rod while the sound of boiling water was ready for the ingredients to be added.

Others enjoyed sitting by the fire as they felt the cold wind chill down their armors. As for the others who were on their posts, only the torches laid were what their heat source could be in the meantime.

Chuckles and jokes were cracked on the bottom that made the others scoff and laughed too. Only their best entertainers can make their normal day extra special on that unforgiving night.

Just on the top of one of the nearest buildings, stood a man perching on the tip of the roof. Salivating for more blood on his daggers.

He can only sip back the saliva in his mouth and then licked his daggers. His robes were black, different from Rangers who were brown and were fit and tall.

Crouching then hopped towards the edge of the building, he dropped towards the ground with a backflip, toes first.

[Shadows]

Multiple images of himself emerged from his shadows and then went dashing toward the darkness. With silent movements like a cat paw, they used their skill [Sneak] in navigating through the dark.

[Conjure daggers] and [Conjure chained daggers] were cast.

They used the said weapons as their main weapons. Climbing towards the towers, they didn't even break a sweat. Nimble in their climbing but silent in their attack.

Guards who were amused by their comrades slightly responded late. In just a split second, a dagger flew toward their forehead.

Others sneaked towards their backs and choked them with chains. Others slit their throats while covering their mouths.

All the guards stationed on all posts became silent. It was then, that they put off the fire on the torches and then went towards the others.

They sneaked first towards them but soon decided to take them down simultaneously. Conjuring throwing daggers, they all threw them at the same time. Dashing on a frontal assault, they drew their curved daggers out.

The daggers flew and the ones who didn't notice it went fatal immediately. Others who were struck on their heads went limp in a second.

Only a handful of the elites made it out. Just six of them remained alive in that series of events.

Drawing their swords and hammers, they went to cover their backs immediately. Shields on their chest level while in their best defensive positions. Shadows running in their radius were barely seen.

It was then, that flying projectiles were seen heading through their faces. Throwing daggers occasionally went towards their prey as they went careless for a second.

Luckily, their shields were thick enough for the daggers not to penetrate. Making clunking sound as it hits their round shields in the process.

They soon faced the enemy ready for combat. It was then, that the enemy didn't wait for them to attack first. From the shadows, one rotated and slashed with his chained dagger.

Sparks were sent on their shields. On the other side was someone who threw daggers relentlessly.

Further making them cover their faces with their shields. One of them felt annoyed by the behavior of their enemy.

"Let us retaliate now!" the captain shouted.

They soon stared at each other and then nodded. They broke their defense positions and then made their turn to attack. Dashing towards multiple enemies, they swung their weapons equipped with the damage of the elements.

One smashed his hammer towards one shadow and sparks emitted from the weapon.

Others swung their swords and the shadows were cleaved by the slash of swords of their said weapon. Another one used his sword to swing vertically and the enemy blocked it with his dagger.

The enemy then felt alarmed at how heavy his attack was. Making him sunken to the ground with the weapon slashed in half. All were chaotic in just several seconds. Turning the tide of the battle.

It was then when they were fighting, the original was just watching in the darkness. The shadows returned to his shadow, making him have slight headaches in the process with every death of his shadow.

Still, the others were fighting. Daggers were stabbed in the gaps in their armors but it was all for naught. The daggers just either sparked or bent in the process.

Others just stalled time for them to waste energy and just evaded their strikes. Enemies evaded and then dashed towards them with nimble maneuvers.

With a slash of the sword, the enemy was evading nimbly. The enemies were decimated and on their part, exhausted. Fighting while covering each other's backs and their defense formation was almost perfect.

Others panted and slammed their knees on the ground, sweaty inside their armors.

"We won! Hahaha!" shouted one Footman.

"No, not yet," said the Berserker.

It was then, that a shadow emerged from the darkness. Daggers were being nimbly played by his fingers by rotating them in between them.

"So your stamina is depleted now?" the entity asked.

It was his plan all along. The Guards were invincible when they were on their high horses. After their stamina was depleted, they were all vulnerable. If they were a job-classed elite then it would be a different situation.

[After image]

The enemy left a clone on himself and then turned invisible. Having also had a burst of speed and strength for a moment.

The guards were exhausted, their knee on the ground or their swords; others their shield thrust into the dirt below them. Exhausted breaths inside their helms and their vision blurry, they will pass out soon enough without taking a breather.

The Rogue walked towards them but with a flash of his hands, two daggers were thrown then headed towards their necks in high precision. The other two were stabbed in the chest carried by his momentum then let go of the dagger as it had sunk and stuck on the metal.

Conjuring another two, one guard tried to retaliate but his weapon was fended off and then was stabbed in the neck. Throwing the other one on the gap of his helm right on the forehead.

"You have done well with my shadows and I salute you for that. Now rest well," he said then patted his shoulders.

The two slammed to the ground and he stared at him in his eyes with disbelief. He didn't expect that it would be the death that he would face. Still, he wished to take a sip of the soup that they cooked.

Closing his eyes, he grabbed his sword and then tried to stab him in the chest. But the enemy was fast to respond and was cut on the left thigh.

The enemy winced and gritted his teeth while infuriated. Twisting the dagger on his chest and then drew it. They were immediately obliterated in just a few minutes of fighting.