"Did he... kill him?"
The surrounding players, who were first focused on recording Alex due to his status as the first-ranked player in the server, couldn't believe their eyes.
Some rubbed them a few times, yet the scene looked the same. Alex stood there as if he ruled the world, and his nickname Shadowborn, written in light red letters, caused shivers to anyone seeing him.
One of the many surrounding players approached Alex. He was a journalist in real life and wished to follow a similar path within the game, focusing more on the professions.
But he also wanted to make money, and an interview with Alex would grant him many views in the game's forum. He approached Alex and asked his friend who was with him, "Film everything, alright?"
Alex rolled his eyes, seeing that blond youth coming at him.
"I am here with the first-ranked player in Eternal Realms. Shadowborn, can you share some tips on how to level up as fast as you did? Players are claiming you're a hacker or exploiting some bugs."
Alex looked straight at the other person responsible for filming everything. That alone showed his experience when facing cameras.
"Are you referring to the casual player base? They think I am exploiting bugs?"
"Yes, correct. While the casual player base is complaining about you, the famous players from other games are still leveling up, trying to reach you."
Alex smirked at the camera, "Well, that explains why the others are famous players, and the ones complaining about bugs are trash. You," Alex said, pointing at the camera, "Stop complaining in the forums and get your ass to work."
That line that scene appeared all over the world on live streams. No one could believe Alex was so straight to the point without trying to look friendly on cameras.
Alex stared once again toward the cameraman and said, "Don't panic and record everything. The cameraman never dies."
No one understood what those words meant until Alex made his first move, aiming at the blond journalist beside him.
"Shadow Strike!"
Alex swang his Umbra Blade filled with dark energy, cutting toward the blond journalist who did not have a chance to dodge!
[CRIT]
[455 Damage dealt]
[You killed a player]
[PK level raised]
The players saw the massive number above the journalist's head and couldn't believe it!
"455 damage in one attack? What the fuck is this?"
That damage was relatively low when one considered Alex still had to level up his Umbra Blade. He killed the players to level up, and he wouldn't stop there!
Alex dashed through the crowd of players, using his Shadow Strike as many times as possible, and once his Shadow Essence ran out, he used regular attacks to kill them.
If the players had a way to trap Alex in place, they would have the means to overcome him with numbers and kill him, but that wasn't possible. The players were low-level, and no one had learned a Crowd Control skill.
It was impossible to face Alex... His name moved away from the light red, getting closer to a crimson red the more he killed the players. At one point, there was no one else for him to kill.
Some players tried to respawn and escape from him, yet it wasn't possible. Ultimately, they had to remain inside the village because that was the only safe place.
'Right. The guards will attack me if I go there because of my red name. Won't this make my life harder to enter the major city? Fuck, I completely forgot about that. At least my weapon is much more powerful!"
[Umbra Blade (Legendary Item)
[Damage: 122-125]
[Durability: Infinite]
[Weapon Level: 8]
[Weapon Unique Ability: Devour]
[Devour: The Umbra Blade is an ancient weapon, and only a handful still exist worldwide. It can evolve by eating rare items or rare drops from monsters. But the best way to evolve it is by killing players!]
[Essence needed to increase the weapon's rank: 300/15000]
Alex managed to reach level 8. He didn't know if the weapon level should be the same as his own to be optimal, but that was the most logical answer.
But the damage of that Umbra Blade was relatively high! Was it because of its legendary status? It should be the case.
He wished to get the weapon to level 10, but it was impossible anymore, considering all the players were stuck inside the city and did not look like they wanted to leave.
Without other options, Alex left the area and met up with Shade to learn more skills after increasing the level of his Umbra Blade. Despite being an NPC, the good part was that Shade did not attack Alex, even if he had a red name.
"You killed a lot of people, huh?" Shade said the moment Alex stepped inside his secret base.
"It was necessary. Why? Is something wrong?" Alex asked.
Shade shrugged, "No, not at all. But it will be difficult for you to enter the city."
Alex wanted to punch himself. That was a rookie mistake. His advantage was having the chance to reach the major city before anyone else, and now that wouldn't happen. He lost hope for a moment until Shade said something.
"The city's mayor and I have been good friends since long ago. I can accompany and speak a few words. I am sure he can make a blind eye for you."
Shade was the GOAT. Alex couldn't ask for a better mentor. He was even willing to use his contacts to save his ass. What a legend.
After taking that weight off Alex's shoulders, it was time to learn some new skills.
Only one was available, but that was a core skill for the class.
[Doppelganger (LVL 1): Create a clone of yourself that can mimic your actions for 10 seconds. The clone's damage will be 50% lesser than your typical damage. But each attack from the clone will recover 50% of your Shadow Essence.]
[Cost: 0]
[Cooldown: 40 seconds.]
'This is awesome!'
Alex activated the skill, and another Alex appeared right beside him. It was a strange feeling because it was like Alex had divided his mind into two and could control the clone's movement.
'Imagine if one day I can make this clone permanently? Could I level up in two places simultaneously and earn double the EXP? Ah, that will certainly be impossible.'
Before leaving the secret base with Shade, he daydreamed for a while, ready to enter the first major city before everyone else.
In the meantime, his fame had risen to a different level during the past hours, and the clip of him speaking to the camera and killing all the players afterward even broadcasted on the open TV...