Getting Acquainted

"We're not going to make it," a stocky knight stated while raising his shield to block a powerful swipe from the beast's claws.

His username read Boris, and his voice was strained with exhaustion.

The third player, a slim mage with blue robes, frantically cast spells to try and keep the beast at bay. His username was Ezran. "I'm out of mana!" he gasped while his hands trembled as he tried to summon even the weakest of spells.

Seeing their dire situation, August decided not to just stand by. These players were about to be wiped out, and while he had no reason to interfere, something compelled him to act.

"Hey! Need a hand?" August called out as he dashed forward from the shadows with his daggers drawn and glowing with dark energy.

Lilo's eyes widened in surprise. "Who—?"

"No time for that! Keep hitting it with everything you've got!" August interrupted while moving swiftly to the beast's flank.

<[ Lightning Bolt Spell Activated ]>

He activated Lightning Bolt, sending a crackling arc of electricity into the beast. The spell stunned the Shadowmaw Brute momentarily, giving the group a brief respite.

[ -1900 HP ]

'A mage?'

Lilo fired more arrows into the beast's hide while Boris charged forward with his shield, bashing it against the beast's side to keep its attention away from the others.

Ezran managed to muster the strength for one last fireball spell, aiming for the creature's head.

The beast roared in fury and retaliated with its Venomous Breath, releasing a cloud of toxic fumes that began to drain the group's HP.

August rolled out of the way just in time, then used Dash to close the distance and deliver a swift Hidden Strike to the beast's exposed side.

<[ Hidden Strike Skill Activated ]>

[ -1000 HP ]

Seeing its health bar drop, the group went all in.

"Raining Stars!"

Lilo fired more empowered shots, causing glowing arrows to rain down on the beast.

[ -400HP ]

[ -350HP ]

[ - 420 HP ]

[ - 380 HP ]

Boris used a powerful << shield bash >> skill as well, cornering the beast.

[ - 1200 HP ]

Although their health bars were dangerously low and the beast's next attack would have wiped them out, August's appearance had changed everything.

August used Shadow Stealth to appear behind the beast and delivered another deadly << Hidden Strike >> to its neck.

[ - 1600 HP ]

'Tch... Just 1600 damage points?'

Hidden Strike multiplied the force of his attack four times so if this had been another creature, the damage would have been way worse.

However, August was unaware that the damage his attacks were dealing shocked the others who were level 23 - 25 players.

The HP bar displayed above the beast's head showed that it still had over four thousand HP left.

If it wasn't defeated now, this would be the end for the other players.

The Lightning Spell had gone into one-minute cooldown mode and around thirty seconds were left before he would be able to use it again.

The level 28 Shadowmaw Brute began to push back against Boris's shield in order to free itself.

August wasn't about to let this happen, he continuously slashed at the Beast with his toxic dagger to chip as much as possible from its HP before he could use the Lightning Spell again.

[ - 200 HP ]

[ - 150 HP ]

[ - 170 HP ]

[ - 210 HP ]

He realized that his regular attacks were barely causing any damage. Lilo had run out of energy points, the mage had run out of mana and Boris was being pushed back already.

There were still twenty seconds left on the clock and August had barely taken out a thousand out of the beast's HP.

With a mighty shove, Boris got sent flying with his shield while the Shadowmaw Brute's draconic like mouth opened wide.

It took in a large amount of breath, causing the surroundings to start quaking. August immediately knew that this was a bad sign.

He kept slashing and slashing at the beast but at this moment not even a single HP was being deducted from its health.

<< Shadowmaw Brute Is Activating Sonic Boom >>

<< Immune To All Damage Until Attack Is Completed >>

The notifications appeared in each player's line of sight.

"We're dead," the mage voiced with a look of defeat.

"Get behind me!" August appeared between them and the beast in a flash.

<[ Arcane Shield Activated ]>

A translucent shield suddenly appeared before them. Its edges curved to accommodate them as they nestled behind August.

In the next instant, a guttural screech shot forward in circular droves, causing the walls of the cave of shadows to tremble vibrantly.

The Sonic boom of the Shadowmaw Brute struck the surroundings fiercely, causing many rocks to burst into pieces. Cracks appeared in the surroundings as it carried on for a good fifteen seconds.

-100MP

-100MP

-100MP

-140MP

August watched his MP go drain by the second due to the amount of damage reflected from the attack.

The arcane Shield would most likely disintegrate if he ran out of mana.

Fortunately, the Sonic Boom attack came to a finish before that.

August immediately deactivated the shield and noticed that the cooldown mode of his lightning spell had ended.

<[ Lightning Spell Activated ]>

[ - 500 MP ]

Aiming the lightning at the beast's head to achieve maximum damage, August fired with reckless abandon.

The bolt collided with the beast who was currently in a weakened state, chipping away a substantial amount of health points.

[ - 2700 HP ]

The beast still had around 700HP left so August activated Dash and with a single step appeared behind it before it could even attack.

<[ Hidden Strike Has Been Activated ]>

With a stab to the back, the beast instantly lost all of its HP.

[ - 1200 HP ]

[You have defeated Level 28 Shadowmaw Brute. +5000 EXP]

[Item Drop: Brute Fang, Venom Gland, Shadow Hide, Shadow Crystal Shard]

The beast collapsed with a heavy thud as its massive body dissipated into the darkness.

The four players breathed a collective sigh of relief, their avatars visibly relaxing as the tension melted away.

"Thanks for the help, man!" Lilo exclaimed, her face breaking into a bright grin. "We would have been toast if you hadn't jumped in!"

Ezran nodded, still catching his breath. "Yeah, seriously. I thought we were done for."

Boris grunted but managed a nod. "Not bad for a solo player."

August sheathed his daggers and shrugged. "You were doing most of the work. I just gave it a push."

They decided to share the loot equally, each taking something valuable. August took the Shadow Crystal Shard, while the others divided the remaining items. The atmosphere was much different than his previous encounters—there was no resentment or anger, only camaraderie born from a shared struggle.

As they rested for a moment to recover from the battle, Lilo, who seemed to be the most talkative of the group, started chatting excitedly. "So, are you in a guild?" she asked August as her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"No, I'm more of a solo player," August replied while scanning his surroundings. "But I'm not completely averse to joining one."

Lilo's excitement visibly grew. "You should totally check out the Phoenix Celestial Guild! They're one of the most influential guilds in Enders Light. I'm trying to join them too!"

"Phoenix Celestial?" August repeated with a look of intrigue. "What makes them so special?"

Lilo beamed with pride, eager to share. "They're one of the top guilds in the game, known for their coordinated raids and powerful players. And their leader, the Ice Queen, is a legend. She's said to rival the top five strongest players in the entire game!"

August raised an eyebrow. "Ice Queen, huh? Sounds impressive."

'Wasn't that one of the players from the Global announcement the other time?'

"Oh, she is! She's got this crazy powerful frost magic, and she's unbeatable in both PvP and PvE," Lilo continued. "She's like a celebrity among the players. Everyone wants to be in her guild."

Ezran chimed in, a bit more reserved. "Phoenix Celestial Guild isn't the only powerhouse, though. There's also Dragon's Fang, a guild known for its brutal tactics and elite fighters. I personally prefer them. They don't mess around."

Boris nodded. "And let's not forget about Stormbringers. They've got some of the best strategists in the game. Their leader, Tempest Lord, is rumored to be the best tactician in Enders Light."

August took in the information, mentally noting these key guilds. "Sounds good..."

"Definitely!" Lilo agreed. "There are also strong solo players like The Shadow Reaper, who is feared for his stealth kills, and Blade Dancer, who is famous for her unmatched swordplay."

"What level are they at?"