174 [Bonus chapter]The Strength (4)
Ava’s heart raced as she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps drawing closer behind her. She knew without looking that Leo was gaining on her, but she forced herself to remain calm. Her goal was not to outrun Leo, but to lead him away from the crowded streets, so he wouldn’t do anything that he might regret later.
As she ran, memories flooded back to her of the last time she had seen him like this – crazed and determined to catch her at all costs. It had been in the depths of hell, where he had destroyed everything in his path to get to her.
Finally, she saw an opportunity to lure Leo away from the main street and into a more secluded area. She darted into an alleyway, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and adrenaline. She knew that Leo was right behind her, but she had to keep going.
As she emerged on the other side of the alley, she glanced back and saw Leo disappearing down a different path. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that she had successfully led him away from the crowd. Now, all she had to do was wait and hope that Leo would calm down and return to his senses.
Crash...
Ava’s heart raced as she heard a sudden noise behind her, and before she could turn around, something broke with a loud crash. Her instincts kicked in, and she whirled around just in time to see Leo emerging from around the corner, his purple eyes blazing in the darkness.
Ava’s breath caught in her throat as she realized that Leo was really not himself, his eyes no longer housed any human emotions. Instead, he was radiating wild and bestial energy that could make one believe he was a monster and not a player.
“Leo?”
Ava’s heart was pounding as she called out to Leo, her wings slowly extending to their full length, ready for a quick escape if necessary. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of fear deep within her as she looked into his eyes – they were no longer the eyes of a human, but rather the cold, empty eyes of a monster.
.....
She knew, of course, that the players were not capable of harming each other, but something about Leo’s demeanor made her worry that he might be able to break the rules. Ava couldn’t shake the feeling that he was no longer the same person she had known, but instead was now a dangerous, unpredictable creature.
“???????????????????N???????????????o???????????????w???????????????? ?????????t???????????????h???????????????e???r?????????????????????e??????????’????s???????????????? ????????n????????????o???????????????? ??????????????????w???????????o??????l????????????????????f??????? ????????????????t????????????????????o?????????????????? ????????h??????????e??????????????l??????????????p????????????? ??????y??????????????o????????u?????????? ???????????????????w???????????o???????m????????????????a??????n?????????.???????????.??????????????.?????”??????????????
Ava heard guttural, incomprehensible noises emanating from Leo’s throat, and her brow furrowed in concern. Although she couldn’t understand the language he was speaking, she could sense that he was in a deep state of madness – a feeling that was all too familiar to her.
As she listened to Leo’s strange, otherworldly speech, Ava felt a chill run down her spine. It was like nothing she had ever heard before, yet somehow it was eerily similar to the sounds she had heard in the hell.
‘He doesn’t seem to have the same strength as he had in hell...’
Ava quickly assessed the situation, taking in the fact that Leo didn’t seem to possess the same strength he had when they were last in hell. If he had, she knew she would have had no chance to outrun him, let alone try to reason with him. But now, she sensed a vulnerability in him – a crack in his otherwise impenetrable exterior.
As she looked into his eyes, Ava’s own ocean blue eyes seemed to twinkle like two deep oceans. She couldn’t help but be drawn to the slits of his irises, which bore into her own with a fierce intensity. It was as though he were enjoying the moment, looking forward to taking his revenge for being humiliated in hell.
Despite her fear, Ava remained calm and composed. She knew that she needed to be strong for both herself and for Leo, who was clearly struggling with his inner demons.
Ava’s fingers crackled with the unmistakable blue energy of lightning as she summoned a spear made of pure electricity. The weapon crackled and sizzled with a fierce intensity, drawing Leo’s gaze to it. For a moment, he seemed intrigued, almost mesmerized by the power of the spear.
But then, to Ava’s surprise, he started to giggle, a strange and unsettling sound that sent shivers down her spine. It was clear that Leo was not okay, and that his grip on reality was tenuous at best.
“??????????Y????o????????????????????u???????? ???????????s??????????????h???????????????o?????????????u????????l????d????????’????????????v????????????????e?????????????? ??????t?????????r?????????i???????e???????????????d???????????? ?????????t??????????????????o????????? ??????????e????s????????????c????????a???????????????p??????e???????????.????.????????.???????? ????????????????????I?????????t??????????????? ??????????????????w????????????????o????????????????????u??????????l??????????d??????’??????v????????e????????? ????????b??????????????????e????????????????e????????????????n???????? ??????????????????m??????????o???????r???????????e????????? ???????????f???u???????????????????n???????????!?????????????”????????????
Ava felt a surge of fear and uncertainty, but she refused to show it. She stood her ground, her eyes fixed on Leo’s, and tried to remain calm and focused. She knew that this was a critical moment – one that could determine the outcome of their encounter.
Ava’s heart raced as Leo suddenly dashed towards her, his bone blades grazing the pavement as he rushed towards her with increasing speed. For a moment, she was frozen, unsure of what to do. But then, as he drew closer, she regained her composure and braced herself for impact.
The joy in Leo’s eyes grew as he approached, and Ava could see visible excitement in his every movement. It was clear that he was lost in some sort of twisted fantasy, and that he was relishing the chance to act out his delusions.
As he reached her, Ava leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding his bone blades as they sliced through the air where she had been standing. She landed with a roll, and sprang back to her feet, throwing the Lightning Spear that grazed Leo’s side, making him hiss.
-14 Magical Damage!
Ava’s eyes widened as she noticed a damage graph appear before her, indicating that the game no longer recognized Leo as a player. Her heart sank as she realized that something was seriously wrong. Leo was a monster!
‘I’ll just have to subdue him... Yeah, nothing serious!’
Ava took a deep breath and tried to reassure herself that she could subdue Leo without causing any serious harm. However, she knew that this was easier said than done. Leo was known as the strongest player in the game for a reason, and even with her impressive stats, Ava knew that she couldn’t afford to underestimate him.
She watched as Leo charged towards her, his eyes wild and frenzied. His bone blades glinted in the moonlight as he slashed at her with a ferocity that left her breathless. Ava dodged and weaved, using her agility and ‘Lightning Step’ to stay one step ahead of him.
As she danced around him, Ava tried to find an opening, some weakness that she could exploit to subdue him. But Leo was too quick, too strong, too unpredictable. Every time she thought she had an advantage, he would slip away, his movements fluid and graceful.
Despite being a mage, Leo fought with an unusual style, relying solely on his bone blades to attack Ava. His moves were quick and precise, making it difficult for Ava to land any hits on him. As she dodged and weaved, Ava couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. Leo was much better at close combat than she had anticipated.
Ava tried to use her spells to subdue Leo, but he was too quick, too agile, dodging her attacks with ease. The fight continued on, with neither of them gaining a clear advantage.
Crash...
Luckily, Leo stumbled over a small rock protruding from the pavement, giving Ava an opening. Without hesitation, Ava summoned a lightning spear and used her wings to propel herself towards Leo. With a fierce determination in her eyes, Ava thrust the spear forward, channeling mana into the attack.
The spear crackled with electricity as it hit Leo, sending shockwaves through his body. For a moment, he stood frozen, his purple eyes wide with shock. Then he fell to the ground, his body convulsing as the lightning coursed through him.
“????????????????A??????????????n??????????????????n???????????????o???????????????y???????????????i????????????n??????????g???????.?????????????.?????????????????.???????????”????????????
Ava heard Leo mutter something under his breath as he quickly jolted from the ground. She watched as his bone blades were suddenly coated in a sinister white flame.
Her heart raced as she realized that Leo wasn’t finished yet. She had hoped to put some distance between them, but he had caught up to her in no time at all. She barely had a moment to react before he swung both of his blades horizontally, aiming to cleave her in two.
Ava paled, realizing that she had no time to react. She knew she couldn’t cast her ‘Lightning Step’ in time or duck the attack. However, she saw an opening as Leo swung his blades towards her. In a split second decision, Ava folded her wings and threw herself forward into Leo’s hug, burying her head in his chest to evade the dangerous weapons.
Clank...
The collision of the blades echoed through the air as they clashed together, sparks flying in all directions. The impact knocked Leo off balance, and Ava took advantage of the moment to wrap her arms around him and bring him down to the pavement with her.
Leo grunted as he hit the ground, and Ava could feel his body tense beneath her.
‘Got him!’
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AN: Oh... A cliffhanger! What a shame!
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