Shadow Mancer II

Sena's body darted through the air; her blade encased in a beautiful blue aura that danced around her like a raging flame. 

She closed in on the two harpies—barely a metre away—her blade flashed. The first slash carved a broad, lethal arc through the air, emphasised by a low, determined grunt from Sena.

Before the glow faded, she flicked her.

The blade reversed, sweeping upward in a diagonal slash.

The twin arcs merged, forming the shape of a soaring swallow. Her fiery blue aura trailed her strikes like fluttering wings, dealing 72 damage.

"Kra?"

"Krak!"

Sena's blade tore their wings, causing both harpies to screech as blood spurted from the wounds following the beautiful strike.

"Haa… Hap…"

Instantly, her blade twisted, and she pierced forward faster than usual. Her sword pierced the left harpy's chest for 14 damage.

—Mana Enhancement

—Quick Cast (Rank 1)

In the background, watching the fight as his magic pulsated, the shadow aura causing Julian's want to tremble with unstable energy. Shadows coiled tighter around the illuminated runes as his eyes flickered with a purple light.

"Shadow bolt!"

Julian flicked his wrist, a surge of Shadow energy crackling to life before shooting toward the harpy on the right, poised to counter Sena.

Bzzzt!

The bolt tore through the air, slamming into the harpy's face with a sickening crunch. Her nose caved inward as the impact exploded, dealing 210 damage.

The moment the spell left his hand, Julian's face twisted. Black and purple veins bulged from his neck and forehead, pulsing with unnatural strain.

He bit his lower lip, suppressing the gnawing sensation as his mana bled away to sustain both spells. Wisps of black steam curled from his back, dissipating into the air.

"Haa…"

A whisper brushed against his mind.

'Watch out, to the left…'

The second harpy's body trembled, her feathers tinged with a glowing green aura. With a shriek, she lunged—her claws flashing toward Sena just as she finished her second strike, dealing 14 damage.

The first harpy tumbled from the air, barely standing—one strike away from death.

『Eh? Julian's Voice… To my left? Ah!』

Sena's lovely voice echoed before her upper body twisted, using the pommel to strike the second harpy and stopping the 

Thump!

It dealt zero damage—merely staggered the monster, but enough to get her spell to fizzle.

'Step back, I will help.'

Julian's hand grasped the air.

『Okay!』

—Mana Enhancement (Rank 1)

"Grasp!"

Once again, he used the Shadow's Grasp to spell the immense draw of Mana in the space of seconds, causing his nose to trickle with blood.

A sensation that felt nothing like a normal game.

He couldn't help but shake his head after he snorted it back into his nose. 

Crunch!

The deathly hands barely vanished, and the floating and grounded harpy was once again grabbed through the shadow of the tree. 

However, this time, their grasp was brutal, crushing their bones and ending their lives with 58 Shadow damage. The claws' animation dragged the harpies into the shadows, leaving the small hovering items on the ground.

'Sena looks gorgeous in those clothes.'

Julian felt lightheaded as he watched Sena, who gazed back, her tied-up black hair fluttering slightly in the breeze as she dusted off her clothes.

He closed his eyes, trying to calm his racing heart from both her charm and the intense usage of mana.

'Though I only used a third of my total Mana, burning 70 Mana in a few seconds hurts.'

He breathed deeply.

'I need to train more, get stronger so that Sena can be safe.'

Sweat trickled down Julian's brow, the forest heat settling over him. As his Mana slowly recovered, Sena skipped towards him, holding two items with a brilliant smile.

"Hehe~ Julian, you thought I was pretty, I didn't know you were so affectionate before."

[◊ Gale Harpy has been Slain ◊]

• Killed 2 Gale Harpy (Lv.10)

• Gained 200 Experience Points 

• Gained Harpy Feather x 3 (Quest Item!)

• Gained 10 copper coins

—

"Phew, did you enjoy that Sena?"

"I did… hearing your thoughts and orders, somehow my body moved faster than normal."

"Don't you find it strange, or… disgusting?"

She gazed back, her eyes opening wider as she tilted her head and parted her soft lips.

"Why?"

A simple response and question that calmed Julian's inner worries, about if Sena thought he treated her like an object or an item.

He smiled warmly.

"It's just… that's one of my skills, but it's meant for commanding my minions."

"Minions? Why don't you summon them?"

'I would if I could.'

"Well…" Julian noticed her thoughts faded rapidly once combat ended, meaning she could only hear him while they were fighting. He had to actually say the words out loud now that combat was over, and Sena seemed to no longer feel the skill.

"I can't use them with other players, sadly."

"Eh? Really? I wanted to see it too…"

Her expression changed slightly, and she scrunched up a bit in frustration, but she soon returned to her beautiful, smiling self. As they continued through the forest, she placed the feathers into the small pouch by her side.

'It seems she set the motion of putting things into her pouch to put things in her inventory.'

As a small role-playing and realism option, people could record a set of movements, which players could add to actions like storing an item, changing clothes or armour, and many others.

"Come on Julian."

Julian enjoyed the sight of Sena holding her blade like a bloodthirsty bandit as she hummed a song to herself and rushed deeper into the forest, searching for more harpies.

They travelled further into the dense jungle until they came across their first camp of Gale Harpies.

"Kraaa Kraaaa Kraka kraa."

Dozens of tree houses formed a semicircle around a large nest in the centre of a clearing.

There must have been nearly a hundred harpies split into small groups. However, this would be more difficult because each one contained four of the evil creatures.

"Kraaaa Kraka kraaaaa."

Their chatter was alien to him as they squabbled or socialised with one another.

Some perched atop the tree houses, peering into the distance vigilantly.

"Sena, how are we going to fight them, since they can cast spells… I should attack first so they rush to attack me, then you rush in and slice them apart. Sound good?"

"Hmmm…"

He looked at Sena's thoughtful face, her eyes squinting.

"What's up?"

"Just thinking, maybe we can try to go after that group?"

She pointed at a group of six.

"Why those?"

She blinked.

"Oh, because I haven't tested my limits yet."

Flash!

The combative eyes of Sena shone.

She seemed to be addicted to the game, especially fighting monsters in virtual reality like this, but, when facing them in real life.

Most of those people who loved the game died or fled.

The realism of the game must have truly sucked her into the new world, plus her confidence in knowing if she died, she would respawn, something he needed to iron out of her at some point.

'Haa, well, I cannot deny that I don't want to test my powers…'

'I will have the chance to pick my Talent and specialisation at level 10.'

"Please Julian. I'll do anything if you let me."

"Anything…"

Those words lingered on his mind, as Sena winked back, with a flirtatious smile, before it distorted as she rushed towards the six harpies in a small group.

'Well, we won't get anywhere being mediocre.'

—Mana Enhancement (Rank 1)

—Quick Cast (Rank 1)

"Let me help you, darling. Shadow Bolt."