Chapter 138

138 Insanity... (3)

Leo’s body shook with realization as he came to the bitter understanding of just how weak he truly was. His bone blades, which extended from his elbows, were unable to even pierce through the fake ones of his opponent, almost making him suffer immediate defeat.

Clenching his fists, which were covered in black gloves, Leo gritted his teeth in frustration. His previously uplifted mood was now destroyed, his face twisted with anger and disappointment.

With a look of disgust, Leo turned his gaze towards the imposing grey wall in the distance.

[?°? ?~?I?^?f?”? ?`?__?o?n?_l?^?^′?y? ?ˉ?t?~?h?”ˉ?~?i?`?_?s?~?′?~? ?~?_?b?~?_?o?d?y?^? ?w?~?a?”?s?`?ˉ?~?n?′?`?′?’?′ˉ?t?¨? ?ˉ?′?¨?t?°^?”¨?h?a?_?t?¨ˉ?`? ?°?ˉ?`?o?ˉ?ˉ~^?f? ?`?_?a?_? ?`?m?^?~?a?′?g?¨?ˉ?e?^^?ˉ?_. ?]?

A low growl escaped from beneath Leo’s mask as he charged towards the fake Leo, who was staring at him with a pair of eerie green eyes.

Clank...

The bone blades loudly collided, sending shockwaves rippling through the area. Leo’s purple eyes shone with a manic intensity as he engulfed his blades in white flames and swung them in a wide arc, aiming for the creature’s shoulder.

Pluck...

Leo’s strike was successful, but his blade encountered a bone protruding from the Phantom’s shoulder, causing his hand to recoil and leaving him vulnerable to a counterattack from the fake Leo.

.....

Swish...

The blunt tip of the Phantom’s bone blade struck Leo’s mask, causing his head to snap to the side before the Phantom delivered a powerful kick to his stomach, sending him hurtling through the air and crashing into the sand a dozen feet away.

The Phantom’s green eyes glinted dangerously as Leo was sent flying through the air, and despite his rough landing, he narrowly avoided impaling himself on his own extended bones.

Leo quickly retracted his huge bones back into his elbows, allowing him to land safely without receiving any wounds.

Swish...

The Phantom did not give Leo a chance to catch his breath, instead quickly closing in on him, as Leo’s blades were now temporarily sheathed inside his arms.

Leo quickly raised his hand, casting a spell of Shadow Protection in front of the incoming bone blade.

[?~? ?ˉ?¨?A?~?~?′?t? ?`?”?l?e?ˉ?¨?a?ˉ^?_s?ˉˉ?”?¨?t? ?~?~?ˉ?_?t?ˉ?h?i?s?`′? ?i?”?s?_? ?`?u?`?_s?e?′?__?f?u?~?ˉ?~?_?l?”ˉ¨?°?_.?ˉ? ?_?]?ˉ?

As the Phantom’s attack was deflected by the shield, Leo’s eyes shone with triumph as he once again extended his blades from his elbows and lunged towards the creature’s body.

Pluck...

Leo’s bone blades pierced through the abdomen of the monster, causing it to stumble.

“Ughh...”

Leo heard the sound of pain escape from the monster’s throat and a psychopathic glint of amusement and joy appeared in his eyes, as he took pleasure in the creature’s suffering.

The Phantom swung his hand, forcing Leo to retreat and withdraw his blade from the creature’s abdomen.

Tip... Tip...

Blue blood gushed from the creature’s wound, staining the red sand and turning it a light green color.

[? ?~?~°?M?ˉ?^?_?o?r?e?°?_.?ˉ`?__ ?~?B?l?”?e?ˉ°_?e?ˉ?¨?d?′ˉ? ?~?”ˉ_?M?¨°?^?o?r?e?′`′_.?ˉ?¨¨? ?~?]?_?

Leo’s eyes shone with madness as he charged towards the wounded Phantom, his body engulfed in white flames.

Whoosh...

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind knocked him off balance, forcing him to lower his body in order to withstand it.

[? ?_?F?¨?”?~¨?u?_c?k?”?¨°?_?i?”?ˉ?n?g?¨?~`?_? ?°?B?~?a?s?^?¨°”?_?t?a?r?d?°¨.? ?¨^?_?]?_

Leo’s purple eyes scanned the area, searching for the Phantom, but unfortunately the creature was nowhere to be found.

It was as if it disappeared into thin air...

Leo felt anger rising in his throat and he punched the ground in frustration, causing the earth around him to shake and a large amount of sand to be displaced.

His body was trembling from pure anger, his eyes closed as he scanned the area, trying to detect if the monster was still hiding nearby.

Tap... Tap... Tap...

He heard the distant sound of footsteps and his head snapped towards the massive grey wall.

Kikikiki...

***

David was walking through a forest, Within his grasp he held the Vampiric Sword. His cheek was stained with blood, but thankfully, it was not his own.

His eyes were constantly scanning the greenery around him, searching for any potential threats. His posture was lowered, ready to defend against an unexpected attack at any moment.

Swish...

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the bushes, extending its hand and launching an ice spike towards David.

-39 Magical Damage!

Even though David had been able to block the ice spike with his sword, some damage had still been transferred to his body. He felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and frowned.

“Just die, you thief!”

With lightning-fast reflexes, David closed the distance between himself and the mage with ease. As the mage began to cast his next spell, David quickly closed in, using his powerful leg muscles to propel himself forward.

As he reached the mage, he expertly executed a swift and precise kick to the elf’s legs, causing him to lose his balance and stumble backwards.

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, David raised his sword, and with all the strength he could muster, thrusted it forward, plunging it deep into the mage’s abdomen. The elf’s eyes widened in shock and pain as he crumpled to the ground, his life force quickly draining away.

David allowed his sword to drink as much blood as it possibly could before the elf’s body turned into light particles.

“I didn’t even steal it...”

He muttered to himself in a low voice, his mind racing with thoughts and emotions. He quickly picked up his pace, trying to avoid the people searching for him.

...

Unfortunately, as if it was meant to be, he encountered another enemy shortly after.

The man was tall and muscular, his tight clothing showcasing his impressive physique. A scabbard hung at his side, a clear indication that he was also a swordsman or at least wielded a weapon similar to a sword.

“Just give the sword and we’ll allow you to leave...”

As he spoke, he smoothly unsheathed a gleaming, transparent katana from its sheath. The weapon seemed to be made of glass, and it looked as if it would slip through his fingers at any moment. But as he held it with a confident grip, it was clear that he possessed a mastery over the sword that made it feel weightless in his hands. The blade glinted in the sunlight, sending a brilliant glare into David’s eyes.

“It was mine from the beginning, you bastard!”

David cursed under his breath, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and frustration. He clutched his Vampiric Sword tightly, the weapon slick with the blood of his enemies. The blood flowed down the blade, creating a gruesome, macabre image that made him look like a ruthless killer. The red liquid dripped from the tip of the sword, splattering onto the ground with a sickening sound.

Well... He had already killed at least 4 people.

But he still had a conscience and had not taken any items from his victims.

“A liar and a killer at the same time, huh!”

The swordsman sneered, his lips curling into a cruel smirk. He held his katana with expert precision, the blade glinting in the sunlight as he charged towards David with lightning speed.

Clank...

As the swordsman lunged forward, David expertly parried the attack with his Vampiric Sword. The clash of metal echoed through the air as their weapons locked together, both fighters straining against each other with all their might. But in a sudden and unexpected move, David used his opponent’s momentum against him, neutralizing the attack and launching a counterstrike of his own.

It was clear from the exchange that David was a stronger player, his skill and strength evident in every movement. However, his opponent’s reinforcements were on the way, and David knew that he was pressed for time. With each passing moment, the chances of him coming out victorious were diminishing. He would have to defeat his opponent quickly or risk being overwhelmed by the incoming forces.

‘I guess I have to use it...’

Upon reaching level 15, David had acquired an item ability that only he, the wielder of the Vampiric Sword, could use.

With a swift movement, he swung his sword and a blood-red arc of energy shot forth from the weapon, hurtling towards the swordsman wielding the transparent katana.

The swordsman frantically tried to deflect the projectile with his own sword, but it passed through the blade as if it were not tangible, leaving a deep, bloody gash on his chest. The man stumbled back in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief.

– 472 Magical Damage!

The swordsman fell to the ground with a thud, his body disintegrating into a shower of light particles. Amongst the dissipating light, some items dropped on the ground, including the transparent Katana he had wielded.

David didn’t want to take the weapon, knowing that it would only add to his guilt, but his eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to the weapon lying there in the mud. The sword’s transparent blade seemed to reflect the sunlight, its colors changing with each angle it was viewed from, creating a mesmerizing effect.

“I shouldn’t...”

David said to himself, shaking his head in an attempt to break the spell the Katana seemed to have on him. But the temptation to possess such a beautiful weapon was too great, and he knew that he couldn’t resist for much longer.

‘...’

David reached down and picked up the Katana, the weapon disappearing into his inventory. He quickly turned and began to make his escape, his mind consumed with thoughts of his guilt.

Though the man had come after him, David couldn’t shake off the feeling that he had wronged him by taking his possessions.

“There...Items...!”

“Are...Vice-capt...”

David heard distant voices and knew that he needed to quicken his steps if he wanted to avoid being caught. He pushed his legs to move faster, his breaths coming in short gasps as he ran.

David found himself in this predicament because he had attempted to raid a dungeon with a guild. Being a skilled and powerful solo player, he had quickly drawn the attention of the guild leader. The leader had demanded that David sell him his Vampiric Sword, but David had respectfully declined the offer and left the cave on his own accord.

.....

Unfortunately, the guild leader was not one to take rejection lightly and had decided to take the sword by force. This led to David being hunted down by an entire guild, who were determined to capture him and take the sword by any means necessary.

David had masterfully avoided larger groups of the guild members, using his knowledge of the forest to his advantage. He had strategically engaged in battles with only one enemy at a time, using his superior skills and the power of his Vampiric Sword to defeat them.

David was relieved to have leveled up as his friend Leo had told him, as he now had the power to take down even the elite members of the guild who were financially supported by the entire organization.

Even though he had been forced to use his sword abilities, which required him to sacrifice some of his own health points, David felt more powerful than ever before. He even entertained the thought that he could possibly match Leo in strength, though he wasn’t entirely sure since he had not seen Leo in a while.

David couldn’t help but feel a competitive spirit burning within him, despite the fact that Leo and he were considered friends. Leo had even invited him to his house before, but David still felt a slight sense of inferiority looming in his heart.

“He wouldn’t be my boss if he wasn’t strong!”