As the dust rose from Asura's fiery rampage, a sinister energy pierced through the air. Arvinn, concealed within the dust with agility born of desperation and fury, lunged forward. His spear, twined by a sinister black snake with glowing red eyes, sliced through the air towards Klade. But Klade, with an almost bored expression, simply lifted one finger. The tip collided with the spear's shaft, and the entire weapon shuddered, splintering from the forced stop. The impact echoed, but Klade did not even flinch nor turn around.
Arvinn approached Klade slowly. He had a tight black shirt on which was made out of snake skin, pants made out of raven feathers, and boots made from snakeskin also. He wore a gold mask with horns on it, and his eyes glowed red, and he had a golden halo over his head, and bushy white hair.
Klade invoked a powerful skill: "Visions of the Vale Oracle". Instantly, his eyes transformed, swirling with ancient runes that shimmered in an eerie light, unveiling hidden truths. The runes, now etched permanently into his iris, endowed him with the supernatural sight necessary to decipher the intricacies of his opponent's arsenal.]
[System Analysis: Target Acquired - Arvinn.]
Level 745
[Visual Assessment Initiated:
- Attire: Skin-Tight Black Shirt (Material: Prime Serpent Skin, Rank: S-Class, Perks: High Agility Boost, Poison Resistance)
- Pants: Raven Feathered (Material: Mystical Raven Feathers, Rank: A-Class, Perks: Silent Movement, Darkness Affinity)
- Boots: Serpent's Embrace (Material: Elder Serpent Skin, Rank: S-Class, Perks: Accelerated Motion, Grounded Stability)]
[Accessorial Survey:
- Mask: Horned Gold Visage (Material: Enchanted Gold, Rank: S-Class, Perks: Intimidation Aura, Identity Concealment)
- Halo: Aurelian Crown (Material: Divine Gold, Rank: SSS-Class, Perks: Authority Command over non-tamer S ranked beasts and creatures)
[Additional Details:
- Hair: Ancient Sage's White (Attribute: Wisdom of the Aged)
- Eyes: Ember Glow Red (Attribute: Foresight into the Veil)]
Arvinn said, "Like what you see?"
Klade sighed, "Are you a boss?"
"Nope. Me and the players behind me came to the conclusion the game would be more fun if we just got rid of you, at least for this starting area. And once you respawn, we'll just hunt you down and kill you over and over again. Me and my group are level 700+, even a level 999 player like you can't stop all of us."
"Hmmm. Where are they?" Klade adjusted his baseball cap hat.
Arvinn turned around, confused.
"Huh?! Did you bastards run?! You're all pussies! How dare they run?!"
Klade turned around ignoring Arvinn, saying, "Damn that sucks."
"Shut up! You're a hindrance to everyone's progress! They maybe ran because they're scared, but I'm not! I have the right skills to stop you if they land. You're just a no-life! You're not good at anything in real life, you're a loner! Are you that much of a shut-in?!"
Klade thought, 'Ignore it, Klade. This is the only place to escape from that shitty reality, away from that real loneliness.'
Klade chuckled, "You know how this will end, right? My class is the Dragonhound Blacksmith, a class that only one player can obtain through completing the story with 100% completion. It's seriously broken in my opinion. I can create any weapon I want that can do just about anything, with slight limits."
"Everyone will see me as a hero once I beat you. Maybe in the middle of our fight, some will join in. You're so tough to take down bosses, but you won't even fight a normal player? Are you scared of losing?"
Undeterred, Arvinn spun his spear, and channeled dark purple energy, forming jagged crystals that flew from dark purple crests towards Klade with deadly intent. Each shard aimed with precision, meant to pierce through flesh and bone. Klade turned, facing his opponent again, his eyes narrowing. With a casual side-step, he dodged the incoming barrage, the crystals shattering against the ground where he stood moments ago. With a flick of his wrist, Klade sent a devastating punch towards Arvinn, the force creating a sonic boom as it narrowly missed his face.
Klade smiled, "You wanted a fight?"
Arvinn began to sweat immediately, half of his health went down just from a missed punch.
'He didn't even touch me, and half of my health went down?! No wonder those idiots ran! But I'm too deep into it now, no one else has tried this before!'
Arvinn jumped back, pulling out a healing potion, and drinking it, his body flicked with red energy, his health going up to 80%.
All the Minotaurs were dead, and the players saw Klade and Arvinn fighting, and everyone made their way towards them.
"Is that Arvinn?!"
"Wasn't he a solo player too?"
"He's level 745, he's crazy strong too!"
"I overheard them, he's fighting to try and stop Klade from ruining the fun…?"
"Or maybe he's doing it so he can be popular and not Klade."
"It's vice versa either way."
"Should we help? Klade ruins the fun for us too."
Asura landed feet first in front of everyone, saying, "Jumping him isn't going to happen. Me and him will go to the next phase of the scenario alone and wipe this entire area out."
No one replied with a rebuttal.
Asura turned around to the fighting, saying to Klade, "You can do it!"
Arvinn, rattled but resilient, retaliated by conjuring several orbs of dark purple energy, hurling them towards Klade. Each orb pulsated with menacing power. Klade, however, dashed forward with glitch-like speed, dodging orbs with fluid, dance-like movements that blurred his form. As he closed the distance, Klade unleashed a series of rapid punches, each connecting with Arvinn's defenses, causing him to stagger backward with the force of each blow.
Arvinn slid back, eating more healing potions.
[Potions left: 4]
'Shit! I'm just wasting them! And he's barely trying!'
Arvinn, panting, used the spear to vault himself into the air, twisting to unleash a downward strike filled with dark energy. Klade looked up, a smirk playing on his lips, and spun on his heel, using the momentum to deliver an uppercut. His fist connected with the shaft of the spear, redirecting it harmlessly away while simultaneously striking Arvinn's chin. Blood spurted from Arvinn's mouth as he reeled from the impact.
Arvinn flew backwards because of the force, bashing through boulders over and over.
[Remaining health: 2%]
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Arvinn spam devoured 2 of his potions, bringing him to 62% health (30% health gained each use]
From mid-air, Arvinn summoned an array of jagged, dark purple crystal spikes from the ground aimed directly at Klade's landing spot. Klade, anticipating the move, performed a backflip, his boots skimming the tips of the spikes, showing off a triumphant grin. Mid-backflip, with his hands in his pocket, he delivered a powerful kick that shattered several spikes, sending fragments flying like deadly shrapnel.
"More! Keep throwing more!"
Landing with catlike grace, Klade rushed forward, his punches now glowing faintly with an eerie light. Arvinn thrust his spear forward in a desperate strike, the snake hissing furiously as it coiled tightly around the spear. Klade caught the spear between his palms and, with a ferocious yell, snapped it in two. Arvinn stumbled back, eyes wide in shock, only to be met with a flurry of bone-crushing punches from Klade.
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Remaining health: 2%
Arvinn yelled, "This is ridiculous! You're a no-life!"
Battered and bloodied, Arvinn struggled to maintain his footing. He gathered the last of his energy, creating a massive orb that vibrated with destructive power.
He laughed, "No one has ever dodged or blocked or evaded this skill! I stole it from the final boss of the main story!"
[Arvinn has used the skill of a demigod: All In One]
Klade still stood there with his hands in his pockets, with wind blasting around everyone, saying, "Mm. The all in one skill by Frell the Demigod. A snake humanoid thingy that was not hard to beat."
Everyone else watching said:
"That skill got me a hundred times in the final boss fight!"
"That skill is annoying! It's one of those skills you have to tank, so players have to put most of their shards in their vigor/health attribute.."
"Fuck this skill!"
"Arvinn made the skill stronger it looks, he's been upgrading it and leveling it for a while. Can someone like Klade even tank that?!"
The Eternal Guardians guild watched closely.
Locke said, "Let's sneak attack him. He was fooling around with us, making us think he was caring about our combat with the Minotaurs."
Orsik added, "No point. That damn Bloodhound Asura will come after us. And if we can't beat Klade, then we can't beat Asura."
Serpahina sighed, "He has a point."
Asura turned to them, winking while wagging his tail.
Orsik and Locke scoffed, "Tch! Mutt!"
Zenith said, "We won't fail yet! We'll recruit them after this scenario is over. We'll rise to the top easily. And win tons of money and I can move my mom into a mansion."
Arvinn thrust his weapon forward at Klade with all his might. Klade, still unmarked and calm, stepped forward. His hand moved in a blur, striking the orb with a devastating punch; the energy seemed to absorb into his fist, dimming the orb into oblivinity.
With the orb neutralized, Klade moved in close, his body a mere blur. He grabbed Arvinn by the collar, pulling him eye-to-eye. "Not today," he whispered, before his other hand delivered a final, catastrophic punch to Arvinn's face. The force was so immense that it sent Arvinn flying backward, crashing through the remnants of the battlefield, his body lifeless upon impact.
[System Notification: Battle Concluded. +15,000 XP. Notable Achievement Unlocked: Master of the Untouchable Path.]
Everyone's jaw dropped, some weren't even surprised.
Asura wagged his tail, and then hit the ground with it rapidly like a rabbit does.
"Yes!" He exclaimed.
Everyone was talking about what just happened, some had even placed bets with each other, so people were giving away shards left to right.
Klade stood still, and said, "This isn't good enough. I'm just not satisfied."
He walked towards Arvinn's fading body which rose into small pixels.
[ Weapon Acquired: Verdant Reaper. Skill: Decimate – Instant kill on direct hit. Explosive Charge – Area of effect damage on impact.]
[System Notification: New Weapon Acquired: Necrocide Dagger. Skill: Resurrect – Revives one player from death once per day.]
As Arvinn's body lay motionless amidst the ruins, Klade nonchalantly reached into the system screen which shimmered to his right, his hand grabbing hold of a dark pink dagger with intricate designs – the Necrocide Dagger. With a swift motion, he plunged the dagger into Arvinn's chest. A pulse of dark pink energy enveloped Arvinn; his eyes fluttered open, filled with confused terror.
Klade, sporting a sinister grin, pulled from the system window another weapon, the Verdant Reaper, a colossal battle ax glowing with an eerie light green hue. Its handle was adorned with markings that seemed to pulse with power. With a flourish, he swung the ax, striking Arvinn who was just regaining his bearings. The axe connected, and with a deafening explosion, Arvinn was obliterated and killed, only to be revived once again by the dagger's dark energy.
Klade grinned, "This will send a message to all other players. I only fight bosses. And the boss of the players here isn't you, it should be the strongest, which is me right? Are you telling me I have to kill myself?" He tilted his head.
Arvin exclaimed, "Crazy bastard!"
Klade stood poised, his eyes alight with fierce anticipation. As Arvinn resurrected once more, he leaped into action, spinning the Verdant Reaper with unmatched skill. The ax sliced through the air, its blade leaving a trail of light green sparks. Arvinn attempted to dodge, but Klade adjusted mid-swing, the ax's edge finding its mark. As Arvinn's figure exploded once again, Klade plunged the Necrocide Dagger into the remains, reviving him amidst the chaos.
"Again!" Klade laughed.
Klade tossed the Verdant Reaper high into the air, catching it as it descended. He then launched himself at Arvinn, who was just taking his first staggered steps. Spinning horizontally, Klade wielded the ax with both hands. The blade met Arvinn mid-spin, creating a shockwave that shattered nearby ruined structures. Without hesitation, the dark pink dagger was thrust into Arvinn once more, its revival glow a cruel promise of never-ending battle.
Arvinn screamed, "Stop! Fucking stop!"
With a roar, Klade slammed the Verdant Reaper's blade into the ground. The impact sent a seismic shockwave radiating outward, ripping the earth apart. Arvinn, thrown into the air by the force, had no chance to react as Klade teleported above him, driving the ax down directly through his adversary, splitting him in two. As the ground swallowed up the explosive destructive remains, the Necrocide Dagger's dark energy once again reassembled Arvinn, much to his despair.
Arvin yelled, "Stop!"
Klade kept thinking about his time in high school, the embarrassing day that determined his entire future for the school. He saw Arvinn as one of those bullies. Here in this world, Klade has all the power. Power that he wished he had in school. But here, this was the perfect escape.
Klade, appearing to thrive on the devastation, spun like a tornado, the Verdant Reaper an extension of his will. Arvinn, newly revived, barely managed a scream before the spinning ax dismembered him. Body parts flew in all directions as Klade, almost casually, used the Necrocide Dagger to initiate another gruesome resurrection.
This time, Klade used the Verdant Reaper to toy with Arvinn, striking non-lethal blows that battered and bruised, each hit accompanied by mocking taunts. Once he deemed enough pain had been inflicted, a swift, clean strike from the ax decapitated Arvinn. The Necrocide Dagger's work was immediate, forcing Arvinn to face his executioner once more.
With a look of dark determination, Klade planted the Verdant Reaper into the ground. He charged energy into the ax until it glowed intensely. With a mighty heave, he released this energy in a devastating beam, vaporizing Arvinn instantly. As the dust settled, the Necrocide Dagger was already at work, resurrecting Arvinn for the last time.
[System Notification: Necrocide Dagger cooldown activated. No Further Revives Available. Weapon Analytics Saved. Next available use: 2 hours]
Klade, retrieving both his weapons, glanced at the broken figure of Arvinn one final time before turning away. The battlefield bore the scars of their conflict, a stark testament to the power unleashed and the merciless skill demonstrated by Klade. As he walked away, the display of armaments and the revival from death remained a brutal spectacle etched in the annals of the system's memory.
Asura was small now, hopping on Klade's shoulder, saying, "I can feel your emotions, you know that right?"
Klade replied, "Oh yeah I know. I got carried away maybe."
'Smile now.'
Klade smiled, and said to everyone, "Now do you see why I only fight bosses?! It isn't fair to you! I don't just come up attacking players, I only want bosses! Okay!"
Second later, everyone waited for the next phase, and a lot of noobs were surrounding Klade, trying to talk to him, most of them begging:
"Can I join you and Asura?!"
"Let me join! I've never played an action game before."
Klade replied, "I'm solo for a reason. And that'll never change."
He turned around, and saw Arvinn's body still laid there, dead. He was for sure at 0% health, but his body laid there, lifeless. His eyes open.
'Is that a new feature? Realistic death animations? Those developers went all out this time. I wonder what's next.'