Chapter 519 The Emperor Is Among Us [Part 4]
Villain Ch 519. The Emperor Is Among Us [Part 4]
The guild members watched the announcement. A heavy silence fell over the room. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation and anxiety, and their hearts pounded in their chests. Everyone had been on edge, expecting something dramatic to transpire.
Speculations ran wild, with thoughts of the Emperor's imminent appearance and the fear of blind slaughter or the unleashing of a devastating area-of-effect skill that could potentially consume both members and the headquarters. The tension in the room was palpable as they braced themselves for the unknown.
However, nothing had occurred. There were no sudden attacks, no chaotic eruptions of abilities, and no cries of distress. The silence persisted, unbroken by the expected calamity.
The event had concluded without the anticipated catastrophe, and as they let the tension drain from their bodies, a sense of puzzlement prevailed. The members had been poised for a dramatic turn of events, but instead, they were met with an eerie and unsettling quiet that left them wondering what had transpired during the event's conclusion.
The guild chat buzzed with a mix of disbelief and a tinge of disappointment as the members collectively voiced their incredulity at the event's anticlimactic end.
Gil: Can you believe that? We were on edge for... nothing? No way!
Lord*Hunter: I guess it's really over, huh?
Arrow_master: Seriously! All that buildup for nada!
Soon, the guild chat, previously filled with members' incredulous comments, suddenly shifted to chaos and panic. The Emperor's eerie laughter echoed ominously, sending a shiver down everyone's spine. Shortly after, the place was flooded with screams of pain and the sounds of frantic battle, indicating an immediate threat.
The guild members tensed up, their focus honed on identifying the source of the distressing sounds. They scanned their surroundings, their faces etched with concern and urgency, trying to discern where the danger was coming from.
Amid the chaos, a new message illuminated the guild chat.
ChronoDusk: The Emperor is attacking us!
Mac: Where are you?
However, ChronoDusk remained silent, not providing any further information, leaving the members in the dark regarding the situation's specifics. The abrupt shift from the quiet conclusion of the event to the sudden onslaught of the Emperor's attack sent the guild into a state of alarm and high alert.
Noah and James stood in the corridor, their eyes fixed on the guild chat, tense with the sudden turn of events. But the sound of hurried footsteps disrupted their focus, causing them to whirl around to locate its origin. ChronoDusk, the player who had sent the recent panicked message in the guild chat, dashed towards them in frantic distress.
"Help! The Emperor killed Souri!" he shouted, his voice trembling with fear. The severity of the situation was evident in his panic-stricken tone.
Reacting swiftly, Noah and James prepared for action. They readied their bows, not with the intent to defeat the Emperor, a feat they knew was implausible, but to at least provide cover and a chance for ChronoDusk to escape from the immediate danger. The urgency of the situation spurred them into a defensive stance, ready to intervene and create a diversion, hoping to buy some time for their fellow guild member.
They had expected the Emperor to materialize behind ChronoDusk, ready to deliver a lethal blow with his sword or deploy a powerful skill, ultimately ending ChronoDusk's life. However, to their surprise and relief, nothing emerged from behind the panicked player.
The corridor remained eerily silent, devoid of any immediate threat. ChronoDusk stood before them, trembling, but there was no sign of the Emperor's imminent attack. The absence of the anticipated strike left a lingering tension in the air, as if the looming threat could materialize at any moment.
Noah and James exchanged a perplexed glance, their expressions mirroring their confusion and wariness. The silence that followed the chaotic uproar moments ago was unsettling.
They knew all too well that he wasn't the type to just give up on his target easily. But then, as if summoned by the dark side, ChronoDusk made his way toward them with an evil grin that would send shivers down anyone's spine.
The atmosphere grew tense, and then, in a wicked display of power, ChronoDusk's hand suddenly produced dozens of pitch-black orbs. They materialized out of thin air, swirling ominously around him. The orbs pulsed with dark energy, a reflection of the ruthless intentions behind their creation.
Without warning, the orbs were released from ChronoDusk's control, hurtling toward James like a swarm of malevolent bats. They moved with frightening speed, an inescapable barrage of darkness aimed squarely at him. James tried to react, but it was too late. Caught off guard, the orbs descended upon him like a rain of doom.
Each orb struck with unrelenting force, shrouding James in an eerie shadow. His character convulsed and contorted, struggling to withstand the assault. But it was a hopeless battle. The orbs left nothing to chance, delivering a series of deadly blows that overwhelmed him in an instant.
Noah's eyes widened in shock, an audible gasp escaping his lips. In an instant, it hit him like a lightning bolt – the revelation that ChronoDusk was none other than the emperor incognito.
Reacting swiftly, Noah's instincts kicked in, and he pulled out his trusty bow, aiming it straight at the treacherous figure. But before he could even release an arrow, ChronoDusk lunged forward with a ferocity that was bone-chilling.
In a flash, ChronoDusk summoned a black sword that gleamed with an ominous aura. With an expert flick of his wrist, he effortlessly deflected Noah's bow, sending it flying out of his grasp. The distance between them closed rapidly as ChronoDusk closed in on Noah with a malevolent determination.
Noah tried to react, but it was as if fate had already been sealed. ChronoDusk's hand covered Noah's mouth, muffling any attempt to shout or resist. His eyes bore into Noah's, gleaming with an unsettling resolve. In a swift, decisive movement, the dark sword was driven deep into Noah's chest, a sickening, fatal blow.
A jolt of agony surged through Noah as the sword pierced his avatar's heart. His HP plummeted in a dreadful instant, dropping to zero.
Noah's character crumpled to the ground, a pool of virtual blood staining the floor. It was a grim scene. ChronoDusk cast a chilling glance at the fallen bodies of both Noah and James. His demeanor exuded a sickening confidence, a kind of cold-hearted malice that made their skin crawl.
With a low, mocking chuckle, he taunted, "Now, I'll borrow your face." His words sent shivers down their spines, a threatening declaration that made their situation all the more terrifying. Before their disbelieving eyes, ChronoDusk's figure underwent a dark metamorphosis, taking on the appearance of Noah.
James watched in horror as the enemy assumed his fallen friend's likeness, a macabre mimicry that sent a shiver down his spine. The character now wore Noah's form as though it were a sick trophy.
"I'll keep this game of chaos going," the emperor sneered, his voice laced with a sadistic glee. With a twisted grin, he added, "I'll kill some more and have fun then." His words dripped with a kind of menace that made James' blood run cold.
At the entrance, things were getting pretty tense. A bunch of guild members, including Elio, were trying to pry the door open, but no luck. It was like the game was playing hard to get or something.
[You have failed to open the door!]
[Time remaining to open the door: 12:20]
Elio turned to the group, looking a bit defeated but trying to keep it together. "Guys, it's not opening up. We're stuck here for a while. There's a time lock or something before it'll let us out," he explained.
"Wait, so you're telling me we're legit trapped in here?" one of the group members asked, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Yeah, for a bit," Elio confirmed, his tone somewhat resigned.
The screams echoed through the halls, and if there was one thing that could make their skin crawl, it was the emperor's twisted laughter that followed. That laughter meant trouble, big time. They all spun around, eyes wide and hearts pounding. What was once their safe sanctuary, now felt more like a haunted cage, trapping them in a real-life nightmare.
"What do we do now?" one of the group members turned to Elio, desperately seeking some kind of plan.
Sophia, always trying to be the group's peacemaker, chimed in, taking a cue from Elio's usual stance. "I say we stick together, face this head-on," she suggested, trying to rally the troops.
But Elio, well, he had his own playbook. "Nah, that's not gonna cut it. We can't stick together. We need to split up, hide, and trust no one. The emperor can be anyone in here," he stated with a tone that brooked no argument. "Once time's up, we make a run for it," he suggested, laying out his strategy.
Sophia wasn't having it. "But isn't that a bit too self-serving? Some of our team members aren't as familiar with this place as we are," she pointed out. "And, well, let's face it, you're the only reliable one among us," she added, trying to play both sides, praising Elio's strength while throwing shade at his decision-making skills.
Elio shot her a look. "We're all in the same leaky boat. Running and waiting it out is our best shot," he asserted firmly, shutting down any further debate.
"Alright, scatter, people!" Elio commanded.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l