MMORPG: Rebirth of the Shadow Mage

Chapter 126  The Fallen One (5)

Ava glared at the two wings made of completely dark feathers that lay in the dust of the defeated enemy. She didn't even care about the huge amount of EXP she received, which had caused her to level up twice.

[ ???????????? ???????????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ????????????????????????... ]

[ ???????? ???????????? ???????????????????????? ????????? ]

[ ???????????? / ???????? ]

Massaging her templates, Ava sighed, but the corners of her lips were curled up in a small smile.

"So that's what Leo meant when he said that the reward would be huge!"

Ava crouched and touched the soft feathers of the wings before lifting them. She knew that receiving a legacy was one of the rarest things that could happen in Fragmental. It could grant a player a hidden class, subclass, or even a new race.

Ava didn't know what The Legacy of the Fallen would give her, but she was certain it would be powerful. Without hesitation, she pressed the 'Yes' button.

Swish...

Suddenly, the wings came to life and began flapping, causing Ava to drop them in surprise. The two black objects flew behind her and attached themselves to her back.

A wave of pain washed over Ava and she collapsed to the ground. It felt as if her back was being stung by needles covered in acidic liquid. The pain was intense and agonizing. Tears streamed from Ava's eyes as she quietly trembled, but she kept her mouth tightly shut, not releasing a single sound.

[ ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????, ???????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????????????????? ???? ???????????????????????? ????????????????: ???????????????????????? ????????????????????! ]

[ ???????? ???? ???????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????, ???????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????? ???????? ????????????????????????????... ]

[ ???????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? ???????????????? ????????-???????????????? ????????????????! ]

As she read through the messages, Ava's face contorted and she immediately logged off the game, removing the headgear from her sweaty face.

Thud... Thud...

She made her way towards the bathroom, running through the house and freezing in place when she saw her reflection in the mirror.

...

She stood in silence, touching her face which was now even more delicate than before. Her hair, which was supposed to be completely white, was now slightly gray. Her icy blue eyes glistened in the light, and her lips were completely red, as if she had applied lipstick.

Absentmindedly moving towards her room, she buried herself in the blanket of the bed and grumbled.

'How can a game even change your appearance?'

She wondered if the changes in her appearance had something to do with the headgear, but quickly dismissed that thought. If that was the case, how had her hair turned gray?

She took out her phone from her pocket and looked at the list of people she had saved, sighing. There was only one person who could answer her questions.

Ring... Ring...

Unfortunately, Leo didn't pick up, maybe he was playing Fragmental?

Ava rolled around in her bed sheets, panicking as she thought about the trouble her new appearance would cause. If she had previously been considered beautiful, she was now the epitome of beauty. Her glistening eyes, plump lips, and new hair color made her look like a goddess.

'I wonder...'

Ava's thoughts shifted to the man who hadn't been affected by her previous appearance. Could he still keep his calm in front of her?

Ava's lips unknowingly curved up into a bewitching smile that would give a normal man a heart attack.

***

Leo felt a shiver run down his back and immediately glanced around. No one besides him and Fenrir was in the room, but it felt as if a huge monster was aiming to devour him.

'You never know...'

Leo exited the room and went around the temple, searching for any signs of unwanted guests. When he didn't find any, he decided to go hunt another demon.

Leo called for Fenrir and gave him some cooked pork before mounting him. Patting the wolf's giant head, he instructed him to just move around the desert, not going too far away from the temple.

As they moved through the red wasteland, Leo noticed some yellow scorpions walking through the sand and instructed Fenrir to avoid them. He was aware that one sting from such an insect could paralyze even a level 100 monster resistant to poison.

Screech...

Soon, they heard the cry of a powerful demon and a towering figure with two horns decorating its head emerged from the forest that was nearby the temple.

Leo glanced at the demon and sighed. It was an elite one. He had already figured out the safest way to lure these creatures to the altar and learned their attack patterns, but an elite monster's superior attributes were a bit too much for him to handle.

'Run!'

Gesturing Fenrir to use his movement skill 'Windy Steps' Leo felt the wind ruffling his hair. He knew that the elite demon was chasing after him, but didn't dare turn back.

Screech...

Absorbing Fenrir into his tattoo, Leo dashed through the narrow corridors of the abandoned temple. As he moved among the vines that had grown from the ceiling, he heard the demon's cry echo in the tunnel and felt a chill, despite the high temperature.

Leo barged into the hall with the altar, removing a vial full of his blood from his alcove and throwing it on the rusty chains.

Clank...

Leo hid behind one of the stone pillars and heard the metal snakes awaken from their slumber, searching for prey they could catch.

Screech...

Soon the Elite demon barged into the hall and froze in place upon seeing the altar. Unfortunately for the monster, it was already within range of the chains and soon found itself being strangled by the metal serpents.

Leo silently left the hall, tightly covering his ears so he wouldn't hear the screams of the creature being devoured.

'Maybe I should bring them in a group?'

Leo immediately thought about the small animals that lived inside hell and the first thing that came to his mind was insects. There were various bugs, but most of them were poisonous, and Leo didn't even consider catching them.

...

Leo's face curled up into a wide smile. He recalled a certain species of ants living inside Hell.

'Demonic Ants' was a species of ants that lived in hell, had red shells and were territorial insects. They lived underground and were herbivores, lacking sturdy shells and poison.

Leo wasn't sure if the altar would count a Demonic Ant as a soul, but he didn't mind trying.

The only problem was finding their hive.

"Should I ask Ava for help?"

Ava's Sense attribute was probably in the dozens, because of the blessings she received, so sensing such weak creatures shouldn't be a problem.

Leo scratched his neck and looked towards the tower.

"How should I greet her?"

***

Thud... Thud...

The sound of fists pounding against flesh echoed through the air as the human, clad in an orange robe, fought against the group of masked monsters. These creatures were formidable foes, with grey fur, burly bodies, and claws that glinted ominously in the dim light.

Despite being vastly outnumbered, the human didn't seem to fear the monsters. In fact, a slight smile played across his lips as he readied himself for battle.

"Bring it on!"

With a fierce battle cry, Eric charged at the monsters, his fists armed with knuckles. He moved with lightning speed, throwing punch after punch at the creatures. One by one, they fell to the ground, their masks shattered by the force of his blows.

The final beast fell with a mighty crack, as if its heart had been pierced by an invisible blade. Eric stood victorious, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of his enemies.

But his triumph was short-lived. As he fell to the ground, his butt hitting the icy earth with a thud, Eric realized that he was exhausted and injured. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small red potion, which he quickly consumed in the hopes that it would give him the strength he needed to continue.

As he lifted his head, Eric saw that it was snowing. Flurries of white flakes swirled around him, carried on the biting wind that blew through the mountains. He was high in the peaks, and he could see the huge ice palace that loomed atop the highest mountain in the distance.

For days, the monk had dreamed of reaching that palace. He had climbed tirelessly and fought countless battles to ascend the mountain and enter it, and he wasn't about to let a little thing like his exhaustion stand in his way.

With a renewed sense of determination, Eric pushed himself to his feet and set off once again, trudging through the deep snow as he made his way towards the palace. The going was tough, and the human had to use all of his strength and skill to navigate the treacherous slopes. More than once, he slipped and fell, but each time he picked himself back up and pressed on.

As he drew closer to the palace, the monk could see that it was even more magnificent than he had imagined. Jagged spires of ice reached towards the sky, and frozen arches and columns adorned its walls. It was a truly awe-inspiring sight, and Eric's heart pounded with excitement and anticipation.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Eric reached the gates of the palace.

'I wonder if Leo knows about this one?!'