novelraw Chapter 70: Shadow Assassins!
Chapter 70: Shadow Assassins!
Daniel ascended the spiraling ramp of the Primary Control Center. The white energy lines on the walls pulsed slowly, casting long, strange shadow as he walked past them.
His [Energy Siphon] skill was working overtime. He could feel the cool, clean mana of the Keep flowing into his skin, topping off his reserves with every breath he took.
He was ready for a fight, but his [Omnivision] showed him nothing but empty space ahead. However, Daniel knew better than to trust the empty air.
He reached a section where the ramp widened.
Above him, the ceiling was lost in darkness. He didn’t have to wait long. A warning screamed through his [Omnivision]. There was no visual cue. Just a sudden, sharp spike of cold intent directly above his head.
He threw himself forward in a roll just as two dark shapes dropped from the ceiling.
WHOOSH!
Two blades sliced through the air where his neck had been a microsecond ago.
The weapons hit the metal floor with a spark, but there was no sound of impact. It was as if the blades were made of shadow itself.
Daniel scrambled to his feet and turned around immediately. He raised his Skyreaver Bow instantly.
He drew an arrow and channeled his kinetic energy into it. He didn’t aim at the enemies because he couldn’t see them clearly since they had activated a skill that made them blend perfectly into the darkness.
"Hide and seek is over," Daniel growled, and then he fired the arrow straight into the floor between the two shadows.
"[Forceburst]!"
BOOM!
The arrow exploded on impact, and a ring of kinetic force blasted outward, disrupting the air and shaking the ramp.
The shockwave tore through their camouflage, so the shadows flickered and vanished, revealing the attackers underneath.
They were constructs, but they were different from the bulky machines he had fought before. These were sleek and thin, shaped like human ninjas.
Their armor was matte black, absorbing all light, and their heads were smooth ovals with single, vertical slits for eyes. In addition, they held twin energy blades that hummed with a dangerous violet light.
Daniel raised his arm and scanned them quickly.
[Keep Umbral Guard - Level 4 Elite]
[Stats: High Agility, High Stealth, Moderate Strength.] [Abilities: [Shadow Blend], [Phase Jaunt], [Twin Blade Dance].]
[Threat Assessment: Assassin-class units. They rely on speed and surprise. Do not let them get behind you.]
"Level 4 Elites," Daniel noted. "Assassins." The Umbral Guards did not pause, and as soon as their stealth broke, they attacked.
They moved with blinding speed. One ran along the floor, while the other jumped onto the wall, running sideways to attack from above.
Daniel quickly activated [Shadowsteps]. His agility tripled, and he sprinted forward to meet them.
He put his bow away and drew his Twin Fang daggers. The Guard on the wall leaped off, spinning in the air like a saw blade.
Daniel slid underneath the attack, his knees scraping the black floor, and as he slid, he slashed upward with his right dagger, aiming for the robot’s leg.
CLANG!
His dagger sparked against the black armor, but it didn’t cut deep, but it threw the robot off balance.
The second Guard was already on him, and it thrust its twin blades at Daniel’s chest. Daniel rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike.
Then, he sprang to his feet and executed a spinning roundhouse kick to the robot’s chest, pushing it back.
The fight turned into a high-speed acrobatic duel.
Daniel ran up the side of the ramp to gain height, but the Guards followed, matching his movements.
They were relentless, and every time Daniel tried to land a hit, they would flicker and vanish, appearing a few feet away.
"[Phase Jaunt]," Daniel realized. "Short-range teleportation."
It was annoying because he couldn’t pin them down. He landed on the ramp and spun around, but the Guard that had been on the wall was gone.
His [Mental Echo] flared. "Behind!" The Guard had teleported directly into his blind spot, and it raised its blades for a backstab execution.
Daniel couldn’t turn in time, and he couldn’t dodge. "Shield!" he shouted in his mind. He activated his new B-Grade skill, [Energy Shield Manipulation].
He didn’t just create a static wall, instead, he willed the energy to form directly behind his back. A hexagon of blue light materialized instantly, hovering inches from his spine.
CRACK!
The twin energy blades slammed into the shield. The impact was heavy, and although the shield cracked and shattered into sparks, it did its job because it stopped the blades.
The force of the blow pushed Daniel forward, but he used that momentum to his advantage.
He didn’t turn around immediately, instead, he threw his body backward in a somersault kick.
BAAAMM!
His heel caught the surprised Guard right under its chin, and the robot’s head snapped back with a metallic crunch.
The Guard stumbled, and its teleportation ability was disrupted by the heavy blow. Daniel landed on his feet and turned around, but he didn’t use his daggers this time.
He raised his left hand.
"[Mana Bolt]!"
Three spheres of purple magic shot from his palm in rapid succession.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The bolts hit the Guard in the chest, knocking it backward toward the edge of the ramp, so it teetered on the brink.
The second Guard rushed in to save its partner, and it swung its blades at Daniel’s neck. Daniel ducked under the swing, but he didn’t strike back immediately.
He planted his feet and focused his energy while he waited for the Guard to recover from its swing. As the robot turned to face him, Daniel unleashed his kinetic power.
"[Forceburst]!"
A visible wave of distorted air blasted from Daniel’s hand, and it hit the second Guard square in the chest.
The construct flew backward, crashing into the wall, and it slumped to the floor, stunned for a brief second.
Daniel turned his attention back to the first Guard near the edge, which was trying to regain its balance.
He sprinted at it, and then he leaped into the air and drove both his knees into the robot’s chest.
They both went over the edge.
For a terrifying second, they fell into the darkness, but Daniel was ready. He grabbed the robot’s head with one hand and stabbed his dagger into its neck joint with the other.
SHINK!
He ripped the blade out, severing the connection to its head, and the light in the vertical eye slit went dark.
Daniel kicked off the falling corpse, using it as a stepping stone, and he activated the [Wall Adhesion] fragment in his boots.
He slammed into the side of the Keep, his boots gripping the smooth surface.
He hung there for a moment, watching the dead Guard tumble into the abyss below. A notification flashed in his vision.
[You have slain: Keep Umbral Guard (Level 4 Elite)]
[EXP Gained: 180 EXP]
[Level 4: 1470/1700 EXP]
Daniel climbed back up to the ramp, and then he pulled himself over the ledge and stood up.
The second Guard had recovered, and it stood between him and the path upward while its blades hummed angrily.
It knew it was alone, but it didn’t show fear, instead, it entered a defensive stance, waiting for Daniel to make a move.
Daniel looked at the machine, and he cracked his neck.
"One left," he said. He felt the power from [Energy Siphon] topping off his mana, and since his stamina was still high, he didn’t need tactics for this one.
He had overwhelming force.