Both the professors and Mark and his friends were confused.
Who was that person?
"The dragon I summoned was not up to the mark.... Well, I will have to punish my summoner. He assured me that he would be able to kill you. Easily, even."
The voice of the Mask resounded.
The professors stood in front of their students to protect them.
Even the naked eye could see the magical essence leaking from that figure: it was dangerous, and that was certain.
âWho are you?â asked the Rector, advancing.
The Mask looked up. "Mmm... let's see ... I won't tell you."
He smiled, then raised his hand as if to snap his fingers.
Professor Draker took advantage of the opening and teleported beside his enemy in a flash, laying the sharp blade of his sword directly on his opponent's neck. But too late.
With a sharp snap, a black hole of white color opened around Draker, who vanished instantly.
"Phew... That was a close call! Good thing he was slow," giggled the Mask, spreading his arms wide.
The other professors reacted immediately, but.
âLike I said: too slow.â
With another pop, all the professors were sucked into the white holes, disappearing into thin air.
"Well, now that I've eliminated those who weren't invited, let's get down to business."
The Mask turned to the boys. "You five have caused me a lot of trouble, you know."
Mark and his friends stood motionless, petrified with fear.
The magical essence emanating from that figure was even denser and more oppressive than that of the dragon.
"My job was just to observe you. But you know what? I don't give a damn. I just want to see-if you really are his heir."
He pointed his finger at Mark.
No one responded. The group remained motionless.
"Nothing? I was hoping for some anger. Or hatred. Tell you what: I challenge you."
The Mask landed not far away.
"You have five minutes. If you can even move me, I will let you go. And I will also release your professors. If you fail-you will die by my hand."
The five looked at each other. Then, with new determination, they prepared themselves.
"Oh, I see you accept. To make things easier for you, I will not use my most dangerous skill: Absolute Void."
They set up in formation. Nayra, Aaron and Mark in the front line; Leo and Vanessa in the back.
"What a nice little formation!" laughed the Mask, spreading her arms wide.
"Come on, attack me!"
Nayra was the first to arrive. She threw a deadly punch, but the Mask blocked it with one hand.
Aaron launched himself behind the enemy, ready to strike with a slash: the Mask stopped the blade with two fingers.
Mark, seeing the opening, ran determinedly with sword in fist, aiming for the heart.
The blade struck-and broke into a thousand pieces.
"Oops," sneered the Mask.
He lifted Nayra like a doll and threw her violently at Leo, who was about to activate a skill.
He snatched the sword from Aaron and hurled it at Mark. Then, with a kick, he sent them all against the rock wall.
A boulder collapsed and buried them.
"Pathetic," he said with disdain.
Leo and Vanessa reacted. Nayra was launched like a projectile toward the Mask, but was intercepted in flight and thrown to the ground with a punch. Her bones broke some blood came out of her mouth.
"NAYRA!" shouted Aaron, taking the boulders off her.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
"Ah, shut up," replied the Mask, launching a fireball that brought more debris crashing down on him.
Vanessa and Leo unleashed an inferno of skills: wind shear, tornadoes, sparks, tornadoes of flames.
Nothing worked.
"So you would be magicians? I'll show you what magic is."
The Mask raised his hands: fifty spheres of fire the size of wagons appeared and were thrown with force.
Vanessa reacted by creating a shield of air that broke on the first impact.
Leo stood in front of Vanessa to protect her.
When the storm ceased, Leo was still standing... but destroyed: burns everywhere, his right arm ripped off, his eyes melted. This was the power of a high-level skill.
"NOOOO!"
Vanessa fell to her knees, clutching Leo.
A faint breath.
"Oh, he's still breathing."
Vanessa activated her Oneness.
'Please help me!"
Silence.
'Where are you? I need you!
[NOTICE: Oneness stopped.]
"What?!"
"WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER ME!" she cried in tears.
'I'm sorry, my little one ... but I can't intervene.'
The tears stopped. She looked at the Mask.
'There! This is the face of defeat. That of those who understand that they cannot choose their fate!" she laughed.
Meanwhile, Aaron released Mark, still unconscious.
"Mark...hold on."
Aaron stood up and faced the Mask alone.
"We cannot win," Vanessa said.
"I know. But I'd rather die trying."
His sword glowed.
"I need support, Vanessa!"
Vanessa nodded.
"Shot of Air!"
Aaron darted like lightning, striking in rapid succession...but the Mask deflected everything with ease. Aaron's speed was increasing and with it his strength.
âTsk...you're such a pain in the ass!â said the Mask deflecting his blows.
âBut still too slow,â the mask grabbed Aaron's wrist, pulled him close to him, and landed a punch in his stomach.
Aaron fell to the ground with saliva on his mouth, his ribs had broken and his internal organs were damaged.
"Aaron hang on!" Said Vanessa trying to get closer to him.
Aaron stopped her with a gesture, stuck the blade in and used it to lift himself up.
"Vanessa run! I don't know how much longer I can hold out."
Meanwhile, Mark woke up. His body was devastated. He could not move.
[NOTICE: The body is in serious condition.]
[NOTICE: Movement not recommended.]
"Tsk..."
"You don't decide whether I can get up or not, my friends need me!."
Mark screamed from exertion, and the air trembled.
[NOTICE: Uniqueness âArdorâ activated.]
Mark's body rose again, swollen with strength.
The Mask was ready to deal the final blow to Aaron when Mark with monstrous speed appeared beside the Mask, striking it in the temple with a kick: the entire ground exploded.
âAaron secure Vanessa, Leo and Nayra!â
Shouted Mark, positioning himself in front of the Mask to give Aaron time to act.
Aaron responded with a nod and moved to get the others to safety.
"OH! That's your real power! Well... Let's change the deal, if you can hurt me even once, you win."
[START: Mission - Defeat the Mask. Reward: +5 to all stats.]
"Now here we go," whispered Mark.
[NOTICE: All skills have been activated.]
The combat began.
Punches and dodges
Two trails-one white, one red-were moving so fast as to be almost imperceptible.
[NOTICE: Limit of uniqueness reached.]
[NOTICE: Physical failure detected.]
Blood began to ooze from every part of Mark's body.
He was collapsing.
Slowly Mark was cracking under the blows of the Mask.
He fell to the ground.
He picked up the necklace given to him by his mother and clutched it tightly, sad and disappointed.
âI'm sorry mom and dad.â
Then, a hand rested on his shoulder.
âMark.â
It was Aaron.
âWhy didn't you run away!â
âBecause a friend doesn't give up.â
Aaron clenched his jaw. "I will fight with you. A Protector does not run away in the face of fear."
Those words were like embers thrown on a spark.
[NOTICE: Perseverance aberration activated.]
[NOTICE: The limits of the System have been exceeded.]
Mark stood up.
A dense, almost solid aura exploded around him, bending the air.
[NOTICE: All skills increased by 10 levels.]
[NOTICE: Stats temporarily at level 200.]
[NOTICE: The limits of Uniqueness âArdorâ have been temporarily unlocked. It is possible to share benefits with an ally.]
[Time remaining: 60 seconds.]
Their wounds closed, their muscles returned full of vigor.
Their eyes blazed. Literally.
âWhat ...?!â hissed the Mask, for the first time ... bewildered.
Another message appeared before Aaron:
[NOTICE: Your Oneness activated independently.]
A voice echoed in his mind.
âBoy...I give you my strength.â
âWho are you?â
"No time. Consider me an old friend of an ancestor of your comrade. Your Oneness allows me to pass on to you my technique -- and some of my power."
Aaron's blade became covered with energy.
A glowing aura surrounded it, pulsing like a living heart.
Mark and Aaron exchanged a glance.
Then, they snapped.
Mark appeared before the Mask in the blink of an eye, unleashing a punch that hurled him at Aaron.
The blade waited for him mid-trajectory, slicing through the air-and through his armor.
They began to strike him in rhythm, perfectly synchronized. Their movements merged as one dance of light and fury. Every second they became ten times faster, ten times stronger.
Then:
[NOTICE: 1 second remaining.]
Mark and Aaron lined up.
They charged all at once.
They unloaded it against the Mask.
A deep wound opened on his arm.
[NOTICE: Time expired.]
[NOTICE: Mission completed, +5 to all trait points.]
[NOTICE: Skill increased by one level.]
Aaron collapsed to the ground.
His sword crumbled....
Mark remained standing-just for an instant.
Then he lost consciousness.
The Mask looked at the blood on his skin.
âHe ... you ... wounded me.â
A gap opened in the sky.
The professors leapt out, ready to attack.
But it was already too late.
The Mask vanished into thin air.
Leaving behind only a whisper, which floated in the still air:
âSee you, Mark.â
[System:
Name Mark lv 16 Apprentice
Life: 15/475 hp
mana: 5
Fatigue: 5
Uniqueness:
- Aberration of Perseverance
- Basic Ardor lv 3
Skill
- Nimble Sword Technique lv 6
- Consciousness Base lv 9
- Thick Skin Intermediate lv 3
- Perfect balance Intermediate lv 1
- Ultra focus Intermediate lv 4
- Berserker Base lv 4
- Longevity Base lv 7
- Somatic Change Base lv 7
- Physical Perception lv 2
- Magic Perception lv 2
Character Points: 10
- Strength: 34
- Dexterity: 30
- Senses: 27
- Stamina: 35
- Intelligence: 23