Max stepped out of the Dwarven tomb, playing with his new shotgun, planning to leave the dungeon from the gate he came from.
As he emerged into the open, he blinked twice looking at the thirty adventurers standing in a neat formation. Three distinct groups each with a leader.
"huh?"
Max looked at the line up of pets and professionals with curiosity.
Surprisingly his passive only had a grip on one person, one of the leaders, a man cloaked in dark robes.
Everyone else was either righteous or self-righteous.
Lira was the first to approach, stepping forward with a confident stride, her voice carrying authority.
"Well, well, well," she began, scanning Max with a look of curiosity, "I must say, it's not every day we come across someone so… alone in a Legacy dungeon. You're clearly no amateur, but I can see you have no team." She gave a slight smile, but it was more patronizing than friendly. "How would you like to join mine? Just hand the things you got here and you would be part of the team. "
Max was stunned on the spot, at the absurdity of the offer.
Without speaking he took out a mirror and started checking himself while muttering, in front of the stunned group.
After checking his looks Max gave this crazy woman an odd look, no matter how he looked at himself he wasn't the type to be bullied, he even asked Lucy for confirmation and her answer was that he looked like the last boss in a video game, so the other conclusion was that there is something wrong with this woman's brain.
The three leaders didn't react to Max's strange actions, as people in power they had to deal with odd individuals regularly.
.
Max scanned the team with interest and curiosity, he was feeling slightly amused so he didn't act immediately.
"and what if I refuse."
Lira's eyes narrowed, but she didn't seem surprised. "You misunderstand," she said, taking a step closer. "This isn't just about power. It's about protection. If you join my team, I'll guarantee your safety. My group can take care of anything here, and I promise, they'll respect you. It's a win-win."
In her mind she was doing Max a favor, she even planned to beat him up a little so the other two leaders lose interest in him completely, that way Max get to keep his life and even work for her on top of it.
The edges of Max's mouth twitched upward. "You mean you want me to hand over what I've got, join your team, and then sit back and be coddled? Is that how it works?"
Lira's voice hardened, a little annoyed now. "It's about knowing where your strengths lie. You're alone here, aren't you? You've got no team to back you up."
Max's gaze flicked to her pet before returning to her face. "You are really funny you know, you think you can Take my things and expect me to follow you around like a loyal dog?"
Lira blinked, unperturbed. "I'm offering you a chance at survival. You're smart, I can see that, but you're outmatched here. Caden and Alaric may not have the same ideals as me, but with me, you'll be safe. I'm the one who's looking out for the group, for all of us. You join us, and the others won't kill you. Trust me, that's the best you can hope for."
Max's face twisted into an expression of disbelief. "Can you hear yourself, even I don't speak that much nonsense when I am bullying people."
Max went quiet suddenly in contemplation, wondering if he also spoke this much unreasonable nonsense.
Lair's expression faltered slightly, but her confidence quickly returned. "I'm not saying you have much of a choice, I'd beat it up in you anyway."
Max shook his head, judging that it didn't matter if he was unreasonable since it was him doing it, but for now he was done with talking as a creepy smile spread across his face, his wings spread open intimidatingly, and in a Swift motion he lifted the shotgun, aimed, and shot before anyone could react.
The deafening roar of Max's shotgun echoed across the floating city, reverberating through the ancient, abandoned structures.
Bang!
The bullet didn't leave the shotgun but directly appeared one inch away from its target, leaving no room for evasion. Lira Stormbreaker's confident smirk twisted into a scream of agony as her left arm was torn apart in an instant.
Blood sprayed from the wound as she staggered back, clutching at the mangled remains of her limb. Tempest, her pet bird, shrieked in fury, its crackling energy filling the air.
Max frowned at the fact that he missed, but he didn't give her or the others a moment to recover. With a powerful beat of his wings, he soared into the air, his movements swift and unpredictable, the mirror that he brought out earlier shattered with the impact of him propelling upwards, the fragments spread everywhere.
If someone was to look closely he would notice something abnormal about the distance those fragment traveled, but no one did as chaos erupted, below Max.
Caden Ironclaw roared, his voice carrying across the crumbling cityscape as he rallied the remaining adventurers. "Take him down! Don't let him escape!" His massive frame was a blur of motion as he charged forward, his footsteps cracking the ancient stones beneath him.
Alaric, who had been quiet up until now, finally spoke. "Don't intervene," he said addressing his team, his voice low and chilling. "Let them fight."
Max glanced back down, watching the rest of the adventurers below. Some of them, like Caden, and pet masters with flying pets, and those with some flying skills were already charging toward him.
Alaric stood back, a calculating look in his eyes as he watched the fight unfold, he had this inexplicable fear toward Max. His followers looked at him expectantly, but he simply made a gesture, signaling for them to remain silent. To everyone's surprise, he didn't intervene in the battle.
...
The adventurers scattered, each unleashing their own unique skills and attacks. Skills that released fire, lightning, and ice illuminated the abandoned city, their brilliance casting eerie shadows on the surrounding ruins. Archers notched arrows, some glowing with enchantments, while others sent forth tamed beasts or summoned creatures to join the fray.
But Max was untouchable.
He darted between the crumbling buildings like a shadow, his wings carrying him with unparalleled speed and agility.
A pet master below has his turtle pet fired a barrage of fireballs toward him, each glowing orb exploding in a fiery spectacle as it missed its target. Another adventurer launched a spear of ice, its jagged edges aimed directly at Max's heart. With a simple twist of his body, he evaded it, the projectile shattering against the wall of a nearby structure.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Max's shotgun barked again, its sound a thunderous declaration of defiance. The weapon wasn't even aimed at anyone in particular, it was pointed to the right.
Yet the bullet slammed into an adventurer on the left who had been preparing a skill. The guy body crumpled to the ground, his skill fizzling out into harmless sparks.
The sight of their comrade's sudden demise sent a wave of unease through the adventurers.
"Don't let him intimidate you!" Caden bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Another Summoner was finally done summoning as a massive dire wolf with obsidian-black fur, leaped into the fray, its glowing red eyes locked onto Max. The wolf launched itself skyward, jaws snapping as it tried to catch Max mid-flight.
Max spun in the air, his wings angling sharply to avoid the beast's lunge. As he ascended higher, he fired another shot this time while using Mystic eye through a mark he left while flying.
The bullet struck the wolf squarely in the back of the neck, sending the creature plummeting back to the ground with a dying hawl.
Max used another Mark that he left earlier to switch the view of Mystic eye to the back of the team, As He dived, his wings folding close to his body to increase his speed.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three shots marked the death of three people at the back of the team, they were people with buffing skills that kept helping others with different buffs, there were 5 of them but Max missed two shots.
Max quickly stopped using Mystic eye as it was dangerous, he barely used it for a few seconds and he could hear the warnings from his pets that he almost got hit twice.
Still his laugh echoed through the battlefield, a sound of mockery and unshakable confidence. "Is this the best you've got?" he called, his voice cutting through the din of combat.
Tempest swooped toward him, the bird's body crackling with lightning as it closed the distance. Max turned to face it, his shotgun glowing ominously. With a calm squeeze of the trigger, he fired. The bullet didn't strike Tempest directly. Instead, it hit him squarely in the left ear and sent the creature spiraling out of control heavily injured. Tempest managed to steady itself, but it was no longer in a position to pursue, it's barely survived because Max wasn't too used to this shotgun and missed slightly.
Below, Lira, clutching the bloody stump where her arm had been, screamed orders at her team. Her face was twisted with a mix of pain and fury. Her lightning-infused bird's faltering performance only added to her humiliation.
"Stop him, you idiots!" she shrieked, her voice cracking.
She couldn't believe her naivety, when she wanted to help this person and have him join her.
Five adventurers broke off from the main group, determined to cut Max down.
Caden Ironclaw with an enchanted blade leapt onto a nearby rooftop, closing the distance between himself and Max.
Lira used her blue-grade wind control skill and combined it with the blue-grade fire control skill of her teammate, creating a swirling vortex of wind and flame that surged upward, aiming to trap Max in its fiery grasp.
Still the skill shouldn't be past the initiation proficiency as Max twisted his body mid-flight, diving toward the ground at an alarming speed.
The vortex missed him entirely, its fiery edges licking at the air as it dissipated harmlessly above the ruined city. He landed on a rooftop, the crumbling tiles shifting under his boots.
Caden Ironclaw charged, his blade gleaming with an unnatural light. Max sidestepped the first swing effortlessly, his wings flaring as he launched himself backward.
Caden didn't pause, his strikes precise and relentless.
Max waited for the perfect moment. As Caden lunged forward.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Max fired not even bothering to aim the shotgun.
The blast was deafening, the bullets striking Caden's chest, neck, and head, with brutal force.
Caden was thrown backward, his body skidding across the rooftop before coming to a stop, but he just stood up not injured, thanks to his tough body, defensive skill, and the Buffs from his teammates.
The remaining four adventurers hesitated, their confidence visibly shaken.
Max smirked, his wings unfurling once more. "You're out of your league," he muttered, his voice barely audible over the chaos.
Arrows, skills, and summoned creatures pursued him relentlessly as he darted through the ruins. The floating city's ancient structures provided brief moments of cover, but the onslaught was unyielding.
Max spotted a crumbling house near the edge of the city, its roof partially caved in and its walls marked with age, he recognized the place from his earlier exploration, and dived toward it, his wings folding against his back as he slipped through a broken window.
"it was fun, but time to end it." Shouted Max.
The interior was dim, the only light coming from the cracks in the walls and ceiling. Dust hung heavy in the air.
Outside, the adventurers regrouped, their voices echoing as they coordinated their next attack.
"He's inside!" one shouted.
"Block all the exits!" Lira barked, her voice hoarse from pain and rage.
Inside the house, Max's gaze swept across the room. His eyes landed on an old, dusty mirror leaning against the far wall. Its surface was clouded and cracked.
An invisible pulsewave spread with Max as the center, as he used [World of mirrors].
Without hesitation, Max ignored the headache and stepped through the mirror and disappeared, leaving the chaos of the floating city behind.
The adventurers burst into the house moments later, their weapons drawn and their spells ready. But the room was empty, save for the dusty furniture and the cracked mirror.
Lira's scream of frustration echoed through the ruined city, a sound of utter defeat.
.....
Inside the mirror world, Max looked at the different floating mirrors showing different angles of the city, and look down at his new shotgun smirking.
"needs some getting used to while fighting, but it should be easier to snipe them down from here."
Max has found it difficult to use the shot gun because [Point Blank] cannot be turned off, and he has to focus his gaze unmoving.
Earlier when he shot at Lira he went for the head obviously but his gaze folttered for a little.
It just needed some practice and Max pushed the idea away for now as he looked through the different mirrors, the city had a few number of mirrors although not much, but he had a good view because of the mirror he shattered earlier since he secretly used telekinesis to push the fragment far away, to land in different parts of the city.
Author note :
Hello everyone.
The shotgun in below in the comments, I forgot to add it last time.
Wish you all the best.