NOVEL NEXT Chapter 389: Found you
The shadows spit Damon out several districts deeper into the abyss-eaten city. The city itself was not originally this big, but with the Abyss Gate, new land had simply sprouted all over the place, increasing the total territory at least five to ten times the original size.
Damon arrived at what could be called the first focal point of the whole zone, the location where the first respawn point was present. Naturally, his third target was none other than his dear friends who should be in a state worse than death right about now.
He spotted the jagged, obsidian monolith jutting from a cracked road like a gravestone and looked around.
Damon did not have to look for long. Hiding under the broken-down remains of a previously famous inn was none other than the flashy fire mage Magicaa. Only his previous arrogance and vigor were no longer visible on his face.
His robes were shredded, his skin cracked with abyssal burns that leaked faint wisps of ichor. His health was dropping by the second. His hands shook violently as he tried and failed to conjure even a spark of flame.
The man had already been reduced to a mere level 30!
Magicaa's eyes listlessly rolled toward Damon, half-lucid, half-mad. "You… you…" His voice was raw and hoarse. "Blood God… help… please… it won't… stop…"
Damon crouched, studying him with a faint grin. "Can't log out, can't escape, huh?"
Magicaa clawed weakly at Damon's arm, ichor smearing his fingers. "Please… end it… I'll give you… everything… gold, scrolls, my guild…" His voice cracked, desperation spilling from him. "I will give you whatever you want. Just please… help me… this one."
Damon chuckled. "I will think about it while drinking some of your blood. Feeling a tad bit thirsty, you see."
Magicaa's eyes slightly widened, and before he could react, Damon had already nicked his neck as fresh blood essence freely flowed into his body. "Sorry, buddy. I did quite a bit of thinking, but unfortunately, I am not in a very forgiving mood today. You should have thought twice before touching my family."
Magicaa let out a strangled cry, his fingers twitching against Damon's arm as he dropped dead yet again.
[Ding! You have extracted +3 Intelligence.]
[Ding! You have extracted the skill Hellburst Nova]
[Ding! You have slain the player Magicaa]
[Ding! Notoriety +1]
The system prompts flickered across his vision, and Damon's grin only widened at the sight of the new skill. Hellburst Nova. He had never heard of this skill before. It must be a rare skill for a fire mage. A very good haul indeed.
He rose smoothly as Magicaa's body dissolved into motes of light. The jagged monolith at the respawn point pulsed once, which meant that the guy should respawn in a couple of minutes.
And he had some time to spare. It was a good chance to get some skills from the guy. Why waste it? His gaze darted around, and he found a couple of gold coins.
Damon raised a brow. "Only two gold coins drop from someone like Magicaa? Impossible." He rubbed his chin as he continued looking around. If he was not wrong, the guy's other possessions must be scattered around in this region.
Also, Magicaa shouldn't be the only one hanging around here. It was time for some hunting. All the guys who plotted around him should be hiding somewhere here, waiting for him to take them out one after the other.
The ruined inn was silent save for the hiss of ichor leaking from the cracks. Damon's gaze silently darted around until a faint groaning sound came from somewhere in the alley behind. Damon's grin widened. "Found you."
He blurred into the shadows, the egg not affecting his stealth state. He sent a silent thanks to the little leech for that and followed the sound until he found them, three figures huddled beneath a broken archway, their faces pale, their armor battered, their eyes bloodshot with exhaustion.
Damon did not exactly recognize the three, but if they were here, then they were fair game. He silently arrived near them, and this time he did not announce himself. He simply sent out blood needles, which paralyzed them on impact and sucked their blood essence dry before the three dropped dead.
[Ding! You have extracted +2 Strength.]
[Ding! You have extracted +1 Agility]
[Ding! You have extracted +1 Stamina]
[Ding! You have extracted the skill Fire Arrows]
Damon cleared the notifications and continued the search. He ran across another three or four groups and drained them dry, but they were nobodies. His main targets were still out there.
Damon stopped. He then had an idea. He might not have found his other targets, but he did find one of them, and that rat was bound to lead him right to the gang sooner or later.
Damon retraced his steps back to the spawn point in time for Magicaa to show up again. The jagged monolith pulsed again, and Magicaa's body reformed in front of it. His chest heaved as if he had been drowning for hours. The moment his feet touched the ground, he dropped to his knees, clutching at his temples.
Damon leaned casually against the broken inn's doorway, arms folded, crimson eyes gleaming in amusement. "Welcome back, sunshine. Sleep well?"
Magicaa flinched at the voice, his head jerking toward Damon. Terror flashed across his face. He scrambled backward like a wounded dog, but his body was too weak to run. His fingers sparked weakly with flame before fizzling out. "Y-you… why… why won't you leave me alone?"
Damon pushed off the wall, sauntering toward him. "Alright. You want me to leave you alone? That's it? Okay. I will do it. But I am here to take you out of this place. Actually, I am here to take you all out of this zone. TotallyNotAGod's orders for me. When the guy who gave me 2.5 billion gold coins asks me to do something, I have to do that. No other choice for me. So, shall we leave or what?"
***
Mass release sponsored by Syphatrol