151 Massacre

Leo’s eyes were glued to the intense battle unfolding before him.

Robin was locked in a fierce combat against the leader of the Vikings guild.

The Orc swung his massive battle-axe with deadly accuracy, while Robin, agile and quick, darted in and out, delivering swift strikes with his lance. However, none of Robin’s attacks landed their mark.

As the fight raged on, Leo could feel his muscles tensing up, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. He knew that the battle was reaching its climax and that Robin was on the brink of defeat. The Orc had landed several devastating blows and Robin’s armor was dented and slightly bloodied. Leo’s emotionless eyes stared at the battlefield, waiting for the perfect time to engage.

Leo’s expression slightly hardened as he watched Robin knock the axe out of the Viking guild leader’s hand. For a moment, it seemed as though he wouldn’t get paid. But just as he was about to reveal his presence, the ‘Vikings’ guild leader let out a deafening roar and unleashed his berserker skill.

The Orc leading the guild transformed into a raging powerhouse, his muscles bulging and veins popping as he charged towards Robin with incredible speed and ferocity. Robin, caught off guard, tried to defend himself, but it was no use. The guild leader’s massive fist connected with Robin’s face, sending him crashing to the ground with a sickening thud.

Leo’s body tensed as he watched Robin lying motionless on the ground. He couldn’t believe that things had taken such a turn for the better. After knocking away the Orc’s weapon Leo was sure that Robin would come out on top, but it seemed that the ‘Vikings’ leader’s berserker skill had been too much to handle.

Leo descended from the tree, his eyes scanning the battlefield for any sign of danger. As he approached the scene, his heart slightly sank seeing Orc approaching Robin’s motionless body. The Orc had a look of triumph and madness on his face, as if he relished the thought of capturing Robin.

Leo knew that he had to act fast. He waited until the Orc had Robin within his grasp, and then he unleashed his Spell. He closed his eyes and focused, calling upon casting the Shadow Realm. Suddenly, the world around him shifted, and he found himself in a dark, like in an alternate dimension.

.....

Leo could feel the shadows wrapping around his body, as if they were old friends. He felt the familiar feeling of the shadow energy swirling in the air, but found himself unable to move, waiting for the shadows to calm down. But just as he thought that there’s something wrong with the spell, there was a sudden ‘click’ in his mind, and everything fell into place. Leo, suddenly, felt a surge of power coursing through his body, and he was filled with a sense of invincibility.

He dashed towards the Orc, who was still holding onto Robin, with a speed and agility he had not possessed before. With a powerful movement, Leo ripped Robin out of the Orc’s grasp and pulled him to safety.

The Orc let out a roar of frustration, but it was inaudible due to the Shadow Realm.

Leo threw Robin’s body towards his guild members, who were slowly but surely retreating from the battlefield. He watched as they caught Robin and quickly retreated to safety, leaving him alone to face the Orc leader of the Viking guild.

As Leo stood there, facing the Orc leader, he could see the fear and uncertainty etched on the Orc’s face. The once-confident and fierce leader was now slightly trembling under the weight of unknown.

Leo was aware that the Orc was scanning the area, searching for any enemies.

As the Orc’s gaze swept across the dark battlefield, their eyes met. Leo’s purple eyes locked onto the Orc’s red ones, and he could see the fear in the Orc’s expression. Leo noticed the orc swallowing hard, trying to compose himself in front of Leo’s steady gaze.

‘So much for being a fearless maniac...’

Leo, with a wave of his hand, summoned a dozen of his Shadow Soldiers, dark figures formed from the shadows themselves.

He gave the order for them to move forward and attack the members of the Vikings guild.

Leo could feel the itching of his bone blades, as if they were eagerly waiting for the upcoming fight. He observed as the Shadow Soldiers moved forward, and how the Vikings guild members’ faces twisted with fear and horror as their allies fell from unseen horror.

Leo watched as the Shadow Soldiers relentlessly attacked the Viking guild members, their sharp limbs piercing through armor and flesh with ease. The Vikings tried to fight back, but they couldn’t fight back due to having to sight of the enemy.

Leo, now sure that his Shadow Soldiers were enough to handle the members of the Vikings guild, turned his full attention to the Orc leader who was responsible for this entire raid. He took a step forward, his gaze never leaving the Orc’s face.

Approaching the player, he felt his bone blades extending from his elbows, their tips shining with a bright white light, even in the darkness of the battlefield.

Swish...

The guild leader was now slowly but surely retreating from the battlefield, but Leo summoned a Shadow Blast within his palm and with a flick of his wrist, he threw it towards the retreating coward.

As the Shadow Blast hurtled towards the Orc leader, it grew in size and intensity, until it was a massive ball of darkness and energy. The Orc leader, realizing the danger, tried to dodge the spell but it was too late.

Boom...

The Shadow Blast hit the Orc leader with devastating force, throwing him across the battlefield. Leo could see the Orc’s body tumbling through the air, his armor shattered. The Orc finally came to a stop several feet away, lying motionless on the ground.

Leo felt a sense of satisfaction wash over him as he looked at the defeated Orc leader, knowing that he had repeated the scene of the previous fight between this Orc and Robin.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned a Lightning Blast, a powerful spell that would deliver a fatal strike to the Orc leader. The lightning crackled and danced around his hand, growing in intensity with each passing moment.

The Orc leader, still unconscious, was unable to defend himself from the spell. Leo released the spell, and it struck the Orc leader with deadly force, engulfing him in a fiery explosion.

***

Alfred gazed at the enormous dark dome that seemed to enclose the entire lake and a portion of the forest surrounding it. Despite his efforts to sense something within, the dome appeared to be blocking out all external sensations. He turned his attention to Robin, who had regained consciousness and was now drinking a health potion.

“You shouldn’t have engaged in a fight, instead, you should have allowed them to attack first. That way, Leo could have helped us without you being wounded.”

Alfred let out a sigh as he shook his head, his grey hair rustling in the breeze. The old monk couldn’t quite understand the thought process of Robin and how he could be so reckless in battle. He knew that Robin had potential to be a great leader, but sometimes he acted without considering the consequences of his actions. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see any regret or shame in Robin’s eyes.

“If it means that none of our guild members die, I’d repeat it again!”

Robin spoke, and Alfred could only massage his temples, feeling more exhausted than before the fight against the Vikings guild. Robin’s words made him realize how young the man truly was.

“You are the leader, you know... The first one in command... Your death is... you know, more harmful to the guild?”

As Robin and Alfred continued to argue, they suddenly noticed a woman with green hair and pointy ears materialize before them. She surveyed the scene before her, before speaking in a slightly lower voice, avoiding direct eye contact.

“Is it over?”

Both Robin and Alfred looked at each other, before shaking their heads. Alfred spoke.

“Leo is currently engaged with the entire Viking guild. Prepare to defend, because even he shouldn’t be able to win against the whole guild...”

The woman’s expression grew a little bit more serious as she realized the gravity of the situation. She knew that after lying about her class, her position as one of the guild elders was temporarily restricted and she wouldn’t be getting any more information.

Biting her nails, she looked towards the dome, trying to see something within it, but to no avail. Even her elven ears, known for their sharpness, couldn’t pick up any sound. It was as if there was no sound within the dark dome.

She couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease as she gazed at the dome. She sensed something inherently wrong about it, as if it defied the laws of nature.

‘Weird’