18 Chapter 4.2 - Nights are Dangerous

When you play RPG games, especially a type that has a vast world, what is the reason you start over with a new game-plus option?

There are vast amounts of reasons for that. But one thing would stand out.

The hidden elements you have missed while trying to get used to the game at the start.

You would want to obtain those hidden elements and make yourself strong.

And Legacy of Shadows: The Hunter's Destiny has done that very well, executing everything that a player would want from the game.

How did they do that? Pretty simple.

By adding hidden bosses who would also appear later in the game in the beginning. By adding the option for the veteran players to confront them while also making it hidden enough not to disturb the new players' experience.

And one of them was inside the academy.

Hidden deep within the academy grounds, there lurked a formidable primordial demon known only as the "Mistwraith." Though actually, no one in the academy knew about this demon's existence, let alone its identity.

Nobody would know about this beast since it would not appear by normal means until some special conditions were fulfilled. After all, the demon was normally sleeping in a dormant condition.

However, as the game progressed, we would stumble upon the recordings of this demon as we would the information about it.

The Mistwraith, an ancient and elusive demon, possessed the ability to blend seamlessly with its surroundings, making it virtually undetectable. Its appearance was shrouded in mystery, as it was said to be a massive, shadowy entity with piercing glowing eyes lurking within the dense fog that blanketed the area, always seeking to improve its strength by sucking the essence of strong.

However, it was long said that the demon of shadows had disappeared from the demon realm, as no one had ever heard about him before. But its legend never stopped. After all, they knew the demon would return back.

The normal time for this beast to appear was when the academy was attacked by intruders and when the forest was filled with the blood of humans since the blood of humans would be the condition to awaken the beast, and normally before that event, no blood would be spilled inside the forest.

At least by normal means.

But that was different for those who knew how this demon awakened since it was a task that only required some people to bait others.

One both needed to use mana on this place and also needed to drop some blood. More importantly, one needed to have at least three people in the vicinity.

Just like how it happened here.

"Heh..." As I chuckled, their steps faltered, and they turned back, confusion evident on their faces.

"What's so funny?"

"Man…. My switch is getting flipped…." At that moment, I could no longer contain the crimson thoughts overlapping inside me…. After all, I didn't need to since they had already set the stage for me.

/SWOOSH/ /GROWL/

As the mist thickened around the clearing, a low growl rumbled through the air.

/CRUMBLE/ /CRUMBLE/

The ground beneath their feet trembled, and a sinister presence enveloped the space. Dylan, Mason, and Sophia froze, their eyes widening in terror as the shadows danced and writhed around them.

Dylan stuttered, his voice trembling, "Wha-what is this? What's happening?"

Mason, panic evident in his voice, shouted, "We need to get out of here! It's not safe!"

Sophia, her confidence shattered, whimpered, "This wasn't supposed to happen. We were just having some fun."

Their voice stuttered as fear was evident in their eyes. In the end, regardless of their rank or behavior, they were both students and awakeners of the Arcadia Academy. So, they were able to sense the danger upcoming them.

'Ah…. That's right…. Show me more of your despair…. Give me more….' As my eyes captured the expression of despair and fear on their faces, I couldn't help but widen my smile.

The crimson thoughts had already overlapped my eyes as the world was dyed the color of blood.

And soon, the demon that I had been waiting for made its appearance.

The mist twisted and coalesced, forming the monstrous figure.

Standing at an imposing height, it was the creature of pure darkness and malevolence. Its form was a swirling mass of ethereal mist, shifting and undulating as if alive. Its eyes, glowing with an eerie luminescence, pierced through the darkness, revealing a hunger that could not be quenched.

His hunger was now directed to the three, as he instinctually knew which ones were the strongest out of the four here.

/SWOOSH/

With lightning speed, the Mistwraith lunged at its prey. Its elongated claws, sharp as daggers, tore through the air, leaving behind trails of mist in its wake. The bullies had no chance to react as the Mistwraith's relentless assault began.

/SPLURT/

"NO! DON'T COME CLOSER NO!" Dylan tried to widen the distance as he augmented his body with his mana.

'It is no use.'

But it was no use, as the demon was fast.

"NOOOOOOOO! IT HURTS! NOOOOOOO!"

Dylan's screams echoed through the forest as the Mistwraith's vice-like grip tightened around him. The creature's touch sapped his strength, draining him of life force with each passing moment. Mason and Sophia, paralyzed with fear, could only watch as their leader's life force was devoured.

/SWOOSH/ /SWISH/

Mason, paralyzed with terror, attempted to flee, but the Mistwraith's shadowy tendrils snaked around his limbs, constricting his movements. His screams mingled with Dylan's, forming a chorus of anguish.

/SPLURT/

'Ahh…. How beautiful…. How beautiful to feel your screams….' I felt my body pumping dopamine onto my body as well as adrenaline. My heart was beating fast from the excitement alone.

"HELP ME! PLEASE! ANYONE!" Mason's voice pleaded desperately, but there was no salvation to be found.

With a swift motion, the Mistwraith's elongated claws pierced through Mason's chest, extracting his essence in a macabre display of power. His agonized cries turned into a final, choked gasp before silence claimed him.

Sophia, tears streaming down her face, fell to her knees, her voice a desperate wail. "No! Please! Spare me!" But the Mistwraith paid no heed to her pleas. The once again looked beautiful girl who had a mocking appearance on her face was no longer to be seen.

The face that remained here was the ugly face of humans one would show on the verge of fear and death.

The demon's misty form intertwined with hers, suffocating her and draining her strength. The forest was filled with her harrowing screams, a symphony of terror that pierced the darkness.

"NO! NO! NOOOOOOOO!" Sophia's cries reached a crescendo before abruptly falling silent. Her lifeless body crumpled to the forest floor, her eyes wide with a terror that would haunt the dreams of those who witnessed it.

/THUD/

As the dead body was dropped to the ground, the demon turned its piercing gaze toward me. Its eyes held a strange mix of curiosity and recognition as if it sensed something within me.

And suddenly his gaze turned slightly different as the carnage erupted from his expression.

/ROAR/ /SWOOSH/

A deafening roar echoed in the forest as the Mistwraith disappeared from its place, reappearing with renewed vigor. Its misty form swirled and twisted, its eyes locked onto me with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Now we are all alone…"

But at this point, the smile on my face had already disappeared.

"I will erase your existence, just like I will eradicate your kin."

Because the existence before me was a demon….

The feeling of vengeance in my heart burned….The anger raised as her face came into my eyes.

/SWOOSH/ /SPLURT/

The demon immediately threw its claws into my chest, like he understood my words. A lingering emotion of mocking was in its dark eyes.

"Kurghk-" Blood poured from my mouth as its claws deeply entered my chest while his claws on his other hand slashed my skin.

It hurt…. It fucking hurt so much….But it didn't matter.

'Bingo.'

Because that was my aim from the start.

How do you think a beginner player could defeat such a hidden boss at the start with their stats being low?

It is by exploiting its weakness.

Holy Radiance Scroll was already in my hands the moment the demon had locked its eyes with mine. After all, I was not just watching silently all this time.

/SHINE/

As I dropped the scroll to the round, I infused some of my mana into it, invoking the power of holy light. Brilliant rays of radiance burst forth as the demon's eyes were filled with fear.

"RROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAR!" A heavy deafening sound of screams entered my ears as I felt my eardrums were about to explode.

'This is just the beginning.'

Just as the demon withdrew its claws to get rid of the light shining, I activated the second one-time usage item.

'The Thunderstrike Orb.'

/CRACKLE/

The moment the item was activated, a flash of lightning surged through the demon's body, electricity flowing through its veins.

"RRROOOOOOAAAAARRR!"

And following that, another painful scream entered my ears. At this point, my eardrums were bleeding from the inside, but I paid no heed.

After all, I achieved what I wanted.

The Mistwraith writhed in agony, paralyzed by the surge of thunder mana coursing through its body, while his access to the shadows was prevented by the holy light, making it vulnerable to my attacks.

/SWOOSH/

I seized the opportunity. I gripped my moon-imbued dagger tightly, channeling my mana into its blade. The holy light from the Radiance Scroll illuminated the clearing, casting a divine glow upon the demon's form. With a swift and precise movement, I lunged forward, my blade aimed for the creature's heart.

Even though the wound in my heart hurt, that only fueled the strength of the crimson-colored color on my dagger. The more pain and wounds I had, the stronger this crimson-colored moonlight mana became.

Time seemed to slow as my weapon sliced through the air, the crimson moonlight leaving a trail of ethereal beauty in its wake. The demon's eyes widened in terror, realizing its vulnerability in the face of my counterattack. I felt my strength suddenly arise, different from my strength while fighting with Dylan and others.

"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!"

/SLASH/

The blade found its mark, piercing through the Mistwraith's chest with a sickening sound.

"ROOOOOOAAAAR!"

A pained howl erupted from the demon's mouth as its essence began to dissipate, vanishing into the mist that surrounded us.

A wave of relief washed over me as blood dripped from my wounds, mixing with the mist below. I took a step back, panting heavily, the weight of the battle finally settling upon me.

As the adrenaline lost its effect, I could no longer hold my heavy eyelids, as I felt my strength dissipating.

Just like that, I lost consciousness, not feeling the changes that were happening around me at all….

-----------------------------A/N------------------------------

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