"Right. Power my ass!"
It had been seven hours since the training began and I was no closer to unlocking anything. Honestly calling this training was a joke, it was more like a figure-it-out-yourself challenge.
All four of us shadow mages had been placed in the same chamber and ironically it was way too bright for Shadow Infusion to even work.
I closed my eyes and trying to summon something. I imagined smoke rising from the corners of the room, pooling around me, ready to obey my command.
"Arise," I said firmly.
Nothing happened.
"Ugh! Stupid shadow!"
With a groan, I flopped onto the floor in defeat.
Khe. Khe. Khe.
I sat up and looking around. Was I hallucinating? It sounded like someone laughing.
"Hey, young girl," a familiar voice called.
I turned toward the chamber door to see a rugged man leaning casually against the frame.
"Oh, it's Rootman Uncle," I cracking a tired smile.
He laughed, his deep voice echoing in the chamber. "Rootman Uncle? Call me Garis."
"Fine, Uncle Garis." I grinned back. "You can call me Kira."
"Well, Kira, looks like you're taking it easy now. Have you unlocked your skill yet?"
I rolled my eyes. "Not even close. Have you?"
He chuckled again and waving a hand dismissively. "No rush, kid. You've still got two more days."
It was clearly a comforting words from someone who had already succeeded.
Two more days. Sure. That'd be comforting if I wasn't completely failing while the other three shadow mages unlocked their skills in the first three hours.
When I asked how they did it, one of them casually reply, "You just need to become the shadow itself."
Absolute bullshit.
Garis must've noticed the sour look on my face because he clapped his hands together. "Tell you what! Let's take a walk. Might give you some inspiration."
It wasn't a bad idea. Sitting here wasn't getting me anywhere.
We strolled through the mage tower, the halls has been quiet now. An hour ago, a system message had announced that training for the day was optional and participants could head to their apartments. Most had already left.
I was curious about what my apartment would look like too but I couldn't bring myself to leave until I figured this shadow thing out. Right? Right?
As we wandered, we peeked into a few chambers. Most were empty but a handful mages inside. They weren't trying to unlock their skills anymore. Instead they looked like they were finally enjoying the LARP they signed up for.
One light mage caught my attention. He was spinning long thread-like beams of light around him almost like a dance. Each dazzling and glowing threads cutting through the air like a deadly ribbon.
What a beautiful sight.
In another chamber a water mage was bending a floating orb of water. With a flick of her wrist, the orb twisted and trapping an object inside it. Just imagine what would happen if that object were a person.
Meanwhile a fire mage was creating a ring of flaming orbs around him and launching them one by one at an imaginary target.
The terra and flora chambers, on the other hand were completely empty.
"Fascinating, isn't it?" Garis mused as he watching the mages at work.
"How about we check out the fighter training center? I heard it's open to spectators."
Fighter training? That actually sounded… interesting.
"Lead the way, Uncle Garis."
As we're taking the metro, I couldn't help but started thinking that living in this city didn't seem like such a bad idea after all. The futuristic glow of Arkanova's skyline made everything seem surreal.
But as I sank deeper into that thought, the memory of disqualified participants and the uncertainty of the next mission crashed back into my mind.
No! Living a dull life as an HR employee was infinitely better than this twisted world of life and death.
"Why do you think there are unqualified participants?" I asked Garis.
"Well, you know," he said while shrugging slightly.
"In the first LARP event a lot of them didn't even acquire their archetype yet but still made it to the central."
"Ah, it all makes sense now."
After that, we both fell silent. The quiet stretched between us until we finally arrived at the Fighter Training Center.
As we step closer to the entrance, the sound of roaring cheers erupted from the inside.
"What's happening in there?" I glancing at Garis, who only shrugged in response.
We stepped through the main gate where a guide scanned us silently. Without a word it pointed toward a lift that ascended to an upper viewing platform.
From above the scene unfolded in all its chaotic glory. A large rectangular field dominated the lower ground. The barricades where we stood full with other spectators shouting and cheering like they were at a championship match.
In the field the fighters were locked in fierce combat and engaging in what looked like PvP matches. It was a 3-vs-3, and the two teams moved with ferocity that left me awestruck.
Team One had two Bladeswingers and an Assassin. The Bladeswingers darted forward with twin swords glinting under the lights, their attacks a whirlwind of slashes and strikes that forced their opponents to stay on the defensive. The Assassin hung back momentarily before vanishing into the shadows and reappearing behind the enemy lines.
Team Two consisted of a Bladeswinger, a Shooter, and another Assassin. The Shooter anchored the team firing energy shots that cut through the chaos. Their Bladeswinger was a shield—holding the front line, deflecting blows, and creating openings for the Assassin who weaved through the chaos with knife-like agility.
The clash of weapons and the vibrant explosions of energy filled the air. Sparks flew with every deflection and the cheers of the crowd grew louder with every well-placed strike.
"They must be insane," I muttered.
Garis leaned closer, "Insane? Looks like they're having the time of their lives."
For a moment I believed him. The crowd was completely engross with excitement. As if they had already forgotten that they all had just died earlier this morning.
There are also some of the other mages had come to watch.
Later on I was equally immersed in watching the fight. For the first time since entering this strange world, I found myself enjoying it too.
***
"This is nice," I said aloud, lying on my apartment bed.
The apartment was super fancy. Everything looked sophisticated, minimalist, and modern. The decor leaned heavily into dark tones. Definitely not my style. But I guess I'm a shadow now? Maybe it fits.
Today was amazing. It had been the first time in forever that I'd had fun all thanks to Garis.
But the nagging thought that I still hadn't unlocked my skill wouldn't leave me.
We couldn't use our skills outside the training center so there was no way to practice tonight. I couldn't wait to go back tomorrow and try again. For now I needed to sleep. I closed my eyes.
The sooner the night passed, the sooner I could get back to it.
Khe. Khe. Khe
My eyes shot open and my body stiffening as I sat up.
What?
I glanced around the dark room, my heart racing.
I'm sure I just heard a laugh.
"Damn it," I muttered and trying to steady my breath.
I shook my head, forcing myself to lie back down. "Whatever."
I pulled the blanket up over me and closed my eyes.