Chapter 14: A Big Announcement

[TheRipper: What is the Shadow Game?]

[TheRipper: It is formless. It is everywhere. It can easily manifest to the whims of a single Shadow Duelist.]

[TheRipper: Before we can explore further on this topic, let's go back first on our origins. The history of this world revolves around us, The Shadow Duelists, due to the actions our ancestors made thousands of years ago. You see...we were scholars, mages, summoners, warriors and assassins once. But because we studied the Shadow Arts, we are given a new and disreputable title as The Shadow Duelists. This did not deter our nature to explore new things. When we first came to this world, we the Shadow Duelists immediately left the First Islands and shared our knowledge and wisdom to the inhabitants of these lands. Up until this day, the portal we used was still open, thus the abnormality coming from the east. We were so much better than those Verdant Mages that refused to leave the islands.]

[TheRipper: And to commemorate our great lineage, we shall perform an ancient rite that our ancestors used to play. It is called, 'Challenge the god of Chaos!']

[TheRipper: I've already finished the condition of the First Phase which is called, 'Duel to the Death'. I had a little fun with it but I still regretted snuffing out the life of my fellow duelists. The Second Phase, which I require all the newly initiated Shadow Duelists to participate in. It's called 'The Convergence'! This phrase is used by our ancestors as a way to get together, whether they be on other worlds or planes.]

[TheRipper: Just like the way you're playing this new manifestation of the Shadow Game, you'll be sent to an alternate reality. The difference is that it will be your new reality. You can log in inside the game but when you logged out, you're still in that alternate reality. You can only come back in this world you are so attached with when the Second Phase ended. It is like a dream you can never wake up.]

[Hardnmoist: This is fuckin absurd!]

[Yuyo222: You're crazy]

[Ridell321: I don't believe this guy]

[Droogoon: This dude is just looking for attention]

[Ammycutie: Go to hell!]

-----

Almost half of the community of The Summoner's Roost exploded in rage when a new lobby was created and a few pairs of curious eyes shared its content. Reyn who had been inside the Shadow Game also received a new notification. He was baffled that he could access the Summoner's Roost even if he's inside the game.

'Alternate reality?' The words echoed in his mind as a sense of dread came to him. TheRipper wasn't specific on what kind of place is this alternate reality. Moreover, what was their purpose staying in that place?

'Fuck this! Since I can access this site, I might as well try to contact Luke.' Reyn browsed the lobbies and finally found the FlightlessBirds.

[Summoner444: Anyone here knows Luke?]

Reyn forgot to edit his profile and the system gave him a default username.

[Geese7: Why do you ask?]

[Rooster13: None here]

Reyn sighed as he carefully recalled the moment he took a glance at Luke's phone when they were on the rooftop. But no matter how hard he racked his brain, this was indeed the lobby that his friend was sending messages at that time. He was certain. Only if he could remember his username.

[blondespiker: Reyn is that you?]

[Geese7: whoa you know each other?]

[blondespiker: Yeah. He was the friend I was talking about the other day]

Reyn was about to search the other lobbies when Luke finally chatted.

[blondespiker: Have you two seen my messages earlier? We've been assaulted by a bald man calling himself a blood summoner. We managed to escape by entering the game]

[Geese7: a moment. Let me just reread. Some random guy dumped a load of stupid questions]

[Rooster13: Holyshit]

[Rooster13: I'm coming over. What's your current location?]

[blondespiker: we logged in somewhere in the East Street of District D]

[Geese7: So the rumors are true! Wait up, Russ. I'm coming too]

[Summoner444: I was about to say that we log out and make a run for it, but since you are coming, we'll have to stay put]

[Rooster13: Yeah. You stay there and don't do anything rash. I'm a bit accustomed now to the Void Cards. Wait for us]

[blondespiker: roger]

Rooster13 and Geese7 began coordinating themselves. After about five minutes, they logged out. Reyn heaved a sigh of relief as he contemplated the scenarios that's about to happen.

"Now... Unto the tower." He muttered to himself and browsed through his status. He had been searching for awhile now for a way to counter aerial units before he was prompted about the Summoner's Roost. It seemed that the swordsmen had no abilities suitable for targeting airborne.

"I will have to depend on Akira to takedown everything that flies." Reyn massaged his wrists. They stung after getting hit by the shockwave of a fireball.

'Fuck this!' He stood up and searched for the stairway leading to the seventh floor. The swordsmen followed. It only took a few seconds before the youth found a spiraling staircase. Without hesitation, he ascended with a quick pace.

When he reached the next floor, he found that it was a circular room. He was a bit surprised that the ones who occupied it are all elite guards, with heavy armor and shields. There were six of them, two holding a spear while the rest had swords. After seeing them, Reyn's eyes darted upward. He was expecting a floating figure. Sure enough, just ten meters above the elite guards, a silhouette holding a staff could be seen.

"Akira, take down that anomaly before I signal the others to charge." He immediately instructed.

Just like that, the assassin strode out and picked a handful of rubbles before swiftly flicking them one by one toward the figure in the air. The Lesser Spirit Mage detected this and raised a mana shield around itself. However, this was not enough to fend off the barrage of tiny rocks and it fell to the ground, crashing on top of one of the elite guards.

'Raaargh!!!' Six swordsmen instantly stampeded from the stairs, and collided with the elite guards. It only took a mere twenty seconds before the fight came to a final conclusion.

"Whoo! That was easy!" Reyn confidently stepped into the room, exhaling a lungful of fresh air.

[Seventh Floor Cleared!]

[Rewards!

14 Spirit Shards

9 Soul Essences

11 Shadow Quintessences]

Reyn absorbed the lights playing around the corpses.

[You have gained, 7 Soul Essences and 6 Shadow Quintessences!]

'No Spirit Shards?' Reyn was a bit concerned that the Elite Guards only dropped Soul Essences and Shadow Quintessences. 'If this keeps up, I must invest the Spirit Shards on the right places.' He thought.

While his mind was occupied, his eyes wandered around. He was expecting some items laying around or perhaps a dimensional pocket where a tormented spirit like Akira was imprisoned. However, there was nothing like the Third Floor. It was the best floor he had seen so far.

A disappointed sigh left him as he walked to the center of the room. He abruptly stopped as he stepped on a line that glowed. Sensing that something was coming, he hopped backwards, and observed. It wasn't actually just a line, it is a circle that enveloped the core of the room.

Miniature circles within, formed one by one, glowing in green hues. Reyn watched in anticipation as a green light coming from the ceiling showered down. The summoner and his spirits instinctively ran to the corners of the room and waited for the storm to pass.

'What's this?!' Reyn gritted his teeth. With his unlocked ability to sense the mystics, he felt that the intense light was some form of energy being drawn into a single place. When it dissipated, it left a large crystal at the center of the room.

The summoner had no idea what he was looking at when Akira accelerated to the center of the room and inspected the crystal. With a few tap of his knuckle, he turned to Reyn and laughed, "You afraid of this thing?"

With an embarrassed face, Reyn hissed and went directly to the object. It was about 10 feet tall, and light green in color. Its surface had no glow but something inside was pulsing.

[You have activated a seal that contained the husk of a Greater Spirit Shard!]

[Husk (Greater Spirit Shard)

0/20 Spirit Shards]

Reyn's eyes shuddered as he stared at the prompt. If he was right, the husk is like a piggy bank where he needed to slip some of his coins. The system had yet to inform him on what to do but he was too excited and took the initiative. Using his will to control the light greens around him, they flew toward the crystal.

[Husk (Greater Spirit Shard)

20/20 Spirit Shards]