Chapter 15: Shadows on the Leaderboard

The world around Alex dissolved into a swirling digital vortex as he entered the VR pod. Moments later, he materialized on the jagged peaks of a mountainous region. A gust of wind whipped past him, carrying the faint scent of danger. The rocky terrain stretched endlessly, with towering cliffs and dark caves hinting at hidden threats. Above, the crimson and gold sky set an ominous tone, making it clear this was no beginner's area.

Alex flexed his fingers, feeling the subtle energy of the Shadow Orb Tay coursing through his veins. He'd trained enough with his powers to know he had barely scratched the surface of its potential. The mountainous region was crawling with beasts far stronger than anything he'd faced before, but he wasn't afraid if anything, he felt a strange exhilaration. He wanted to test himself.

The first beast he encountered was a towering, four-armed monstrosity. Its body was covered in jagged, rock-like scales, and a glowing core pulsed ominously in its chest. The creature let out a guttural roar, its yellow eyes locking onto Alex as it charged. Alex smirked.

"Let's see what you've got," he muttered, his body tensing in anticipation.

As the beast swung one of its massive arms, Alex activated Shadow Flicker, disappearing in a blur of dark energy and reappearing behind the creature. With a swift movement, he unleashed Shadow Strike, his fist glowing with shadowy energy as it slammed into the beast's core. The creature let out a deafening roar before collapsing into a heap of dissolving particles.

Alex exhaled slowly, satisfied with his victory. Little did he know, his performance had triggered a massive ripple in the school's monitoring system.

Back in the control room, a group of instructors and tech specialists stared at the leaderboard in shock. A name that had been at the very bottom Epsilon Shadow had suddenly shot up to Rank 200 after a single match.

"Who is this?" one of the instructors asked, leaning closer to the screen.

"It's a student from the Epsilon Class," another replied. "But that doesn't make sense. Epsilon Class students aren't supposed to be able to handle monsters of this level."

"And look at this," a tech specialist added, pulling up additional data. "He's using shadow-based abilities. That's incredibly rare. How did someone from the lowest class bond with a Tay like that?"

The head instructor frowned, his eyes narrowing. "Trace his identity. I want to know who this is."

The tech team immediately began running checks, trying to connect the VR username to a real-life student. But every attempt was blocked by a strange encryption. "It's like someone has hidden his data deliberately," one of them muttered, frustrated.

"Could this be a hacker?"

"No. The system is closed; no one can log in externally. Whoever this is, they're playing fair at least within the rules of the VR system."

Unaware of the chaos his performance had caused, Alex continued exploring the mountainous terrain. He moved swiftly and silently, his shadow-enhanced senses allowing him to detect threats long before they appeared. As he crested a ridge, he paused, his breath catching.

Below him, in a rocky valley, was a massive, reptilian beast. Its blue, glowing scales shimmered in the fading light, and its spiked tail swayed menacingly. The creature was at least five times the size of the one he had just defeated, and its glowing yellow eyes suggested intelligence far beyond that of a typical beast.

"This... this is going to be a challenge," Alex muttered, crouching low. He activated Shadow Flicker, disappearing into the shadows as he moved closer to the beast.

The creature sniffed the air, sensing something amiss, but it couldn't pinpoint Alex's location. Using the shadows to his advantage, Alex circled the beast, looking for an opening. When he finally struck, it was with precision and force.

His Shadow Strike landed on the beast's side, creating a deep gash. The creature roared in pain, its spiked tail swinging wildly as it tried to defend itself. Alex darted in and out of the shadows, landing blow after blow while avoiding the beast's powerful counterattacks.

The battle was fierce, but Alex's speed and strategy gave him the upper hand. With one final, devastating Shadow Strike, he targeted the creature's glowing core. The beast let out a final, ear-splitting roar before collapsing, its massive body dissolving into particles.

A notification appeared on Alex's interface, informing him of his victory. He had earned a significant amount of points, enough to boost his rank to 150.

Back in the control room, the staff was in an uproar.

"He's climbing the ranks faster than anyone in the school's history," one of the instructors said, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Look at his power level!" another exclaimed. "It's comparable to that of an elite Tay user. But how is that possible for a student in Epsilon Class?"

The head instructor slammed his fist on the table. "I don't care how skilled he is. I want to know who he is. Keep tracing his data until you find something."

But no matter what they tried, every search led to a dead end. Whoever this mysterious student was, he was completely untraceable.

Meanwhile, Alex stood on a mountain peak, surveying the landscape. The battle had left him exhilarated but also curious. The power of his Tay the Shadow Orb was growing, and he could feel its energy surging within him. He clenched his fists, determination etched on his face.

"This... this is just the beginning," he whispered.

As he gazed out at the horizon, he noticed even larger, more fearsome beasts moving in the distance. A part of him wanted to stay and test his limits, but another part urged caution. He couldn't draw too much attention to himself not yet.

For now, he decided, he would continue training in the shadows, honing his skills until he was ready to reveal his true power.

What Alex didn't realize, however, was that his name was now on everyone's radar. From the instructors to the tech specialists, and even some of the school's top-ranked students, everyone was asking the same question. Who was Epsilon Shadow?