Chapter 3 Deadly Game Part 1
He ran to the side and hid behind one of the sturdy pillars as the copy's sword slashed, leaving sharp claw marks on the wall. With a calm face and a blank look in his eyes, Lysander showed no fear. He kept moving, dodging the barrage of attacks from the two swords that continued to pursue him.
However, there was a change in his strategy. Lysander decided to stop dodging. With pinpoint accuracy, he ran straight at his counterpart. One of the swords almost cut his neck, but in a split second, Lysander bent his body back and puffed out his chest to avoid the deadly attack. The sword stopped just short of his face. At that moment, Lysander's hand moved as fast as lightning, grabbing a weapon from the air and firing directly at the crystal embedded in the forehead of his copy. The shot shattered the crystal, causing his copy to instantly disappear.
Suddenly, applause echoed through the room, a sound familiar to Lysander. It was Pieter's voice, who seemed to be enjoying the show more than giving a serious assessment.
"Congratulations, congratulations! I didn't expect you to be so clever. Without using magic, you can easily pass this first level," Pieter said in an exaggeratedly humorous tone, as if he was more teasing than complimenting. Lysander couldn't see Pieter, but the clown's voice echoed throughout the room, flooding every corner with its cheerful tone. Lysander's gaze, however, remained as bright and unreadable as ever. Not a single emotion was stirred by Pieter's words, leaving the clown's face behind the screen somewhere between enthusiasm and annoyance.
Lysander walked slowly across the glowing floor, each step feeling like part of a game he had never expected. The wall before him slowly opened to reveal the next challenge, level two of Pieter's deadly game. Lysander, a legendary mage who had lived for over ten thousand years, had survived many trials, but this challenge had a different feel, a blend of magic and technology he had never encountered in his previous era.
As he entered the new room, the atmosphere changed immediately. A swampy, watery habitat stretched out before him, with towering trees and plant roots submerged in the cold, murky water. The water reached up to his heels, creating a terrain that was difficult to navigate. Lysander could feel the damp, heavy air, accompanied by the foul smell of rotting vegetation. Above, the sky that seemed real was merely a projection, a perfect illusion, but empty, devoid of any real life.
In the midst of this oppressive atmosphere, Lysander heard the sound of flapping wings. The Black Eagle, a large and terrifying mechanical creature, was waiting for him. This magical beast, made of metal and steel, equipped with advanced technology and magic, was a threat he had never faced before. Its broad wings and black body glowed in the artificial light, shimmering with energy emanating from the magical crystals within.
Lysander raised his pistol, the weapon he had cunningly stolen earlier, and aimed it at the Black Eagle. But the beast moved too quickly, deftly dodging his shot and quickly moving back out of range. Lysander squinted, trying to find an opening in the creature's movement, but the Black Eagle gave him no room.
In the silence, Pieter's voice echoed through the room, like a child happy to see his toy working. "Come on, Lysander. How did you kill the Black Eagle?" His voice was crisp, full of sweet yet terrifying mockery. "I'm amazed, really. Without my knowledge, you stole a gun. Even though I forbade you to carry any weapons," Pieter continued, though his tone showed a hint of displeasure wrapped in cheerful laughter.
Lysander remained calm, unaffected by the provocation. "But you said I could use anything as a weapon or for self-defense. You said that before I came in. There's no harm in that at all," Lysander replied, his voice flat but confident.
Pieter's laughter filled the room, echoing through the trees and the still water. "I really like your cleverness. Come on, I can't wait for the next game. How will you deal with the Black Eagle? Will you have to use your magic this time?"
Lysander just smiled, a wide smile filled with confidence. "No need," he replied simply. Without thinking, he ran into the trees and hid behind the large trunks, trying to avoid the sight of the Black Eagle flying overhead. He knew the creature had incredible speed in the air, but in the forest, with its dense trees and narrow paths, Lysander was sure he had the advantage.
The black eagle swooped down and tried to attack him with metal bullets that came out of its beak. The bullets hit the branches, breaking twigs and making loud cracks, but Lysander kept moving, jumping from tree to tree, dodging each shot with incredible agility.
However, Lysander did not expect there to be two Black Eagles. Just as he thought he had dodged them, another Black Eagle appeared in front of him, surrounding him on both sides. The two Black Eagles swooped down on him with terrifying force, but Lysander swung his body upwards, hanging from a tree trunk, and dodged their attacks with smooth and quick movements. His hand still held the weapon, but he did not fire. He realized that the bodies of these creatures were too strong, made of thick and sturdy metal that would not be easily penetrated by ordinary bullets, or perhaps had a weakness. Lysander watched as the creatures changed their appearance, no longer in the form of eagles with wide-spreading wings, but with sturdy bodies and four legs that could tread on swamps and trees. This time, Lysander found their weak points easily. He saw a glow on the neck of one of the black tigers, a sign that there might be something important there, a circuit or a magic crystal that was the source of their power. Lysander jumped onto a tree trunk and ran past the Black Tigers, who now began to move more slowly in the middle of the watery swamp.
Although the creatures had adapted quickly, they still had difficulty moving in the difficult terrain. One of them lunged at Lysander, but he quickly dodged, ducked, and aimed for the black tiger's neck. With a shot right on target, the bullet hit the circuit on the creature's neck, destroying the magic crystal inside. The Black Tiger collapsed instantly and fell into the calm water with a heavy thud.
Only one Black Tiger remained. Lysander didn't wait long, he immediately ran towards the creature and kicked it in the neck with full force. The creature hovered in the air for a moment, and Lysander quickly shot where the magic crystal was. The shot sent the second Black Tiger into the water, creating a small ripple that splashed water onto his clothes and hair.
Lysander stood on a towering branch, his eyes staring into the distance. His heart tightened, not with fear, but with anticipation. He knew that Pieter was watching him from afar, enjoying every second of this deadly game.
"Do you still wish to continue?" Lysander asked, his voice calm but full of challenge. He knew Pieter could hear every word, though this time there was no immediate response. The silence that followed didn't bother him, he was used to these psychological games. But as the wall slowly opened in front of him, Lysander knew the next challenge was coming.