FIRST BATTLE

FIRST BATTLE

Mason stood surrounded, his back against the wall. There was no way out. Five adversaries had encircled him, each ready to strike. He exhaled sharply, knowing that escape was impossible. There was only one option left—fight.

Summoning his Knight Strength, his body radiated power as a shining sword materialized in his hand. The onlookers watched in suspense, wondering what his next move would be. And then—he vanished.

The group was stunned. "Where did he go?" one of them murmured.

Before they could process, Mason reappeared behind SJ13 and swung his sword. But just before the blade could make contact, a glowing shield emerged around SJ13, blocking the attack. Mason smirked. So, he has a virtual shield power… Interesting.

Without wasting a moment, he disappeared again, this time reappearing behind SJ14. But SJ14 was quick. Reading Mason's move, he activated his power, swapping Mason's position with SJ15. Mason landed a few feet away, now more aware. So, this guy can change positions... Good to know.

He kept blinking from one point to another, studying each of them carefully. Within minutes, he had analyzed their abilities:

SJ11 (Super Jump) – Can leap up to six meters high at max level.

SJ12 (Vampire Ear) – Enhanced hearing, capable of detecting sound within a 10km radius.

SJ13 (Virtual Shield) – Creates a protective barrier, strength depending on the player's level.

SJ14 (Position Changer) – Can swap the positions of players or objects, but only if their level is equal to or lower than his.

SJ15 (Blink Speed) – Just like Mason, he can run rapidly.

After assessing them, Mason came to a realization. None of them are attackers. They only have defensive and strategic powers. That means…

A smirk appeared on his face as he slowly walked towards them. With an air of confidence, he looked straight into SJ15's eyes—the leader of the group—and said,

"Now… it's my time."

Confusion spread across their faces. Before they could react, Mason launched an attack.

He targeted SJ12 first. With no offensive abilities, SJ12 was an easy target. A swift slash of his sword sent him sprawling to the ground. One down.

Next, he turned to SJ14, but SJ13 was quick to react, throwing up a shield to protect his teammate. Mason vanished again, only to reappear behind SJ15.

"Hellooo…" he whispered with a mischievous grin.

SJ15 flinched and moved backward, but Mason was already gone again. Realizing that Mason was using his teleportation to toy with them, SJ15 gathered his team and devised a strategy.

"We have no direct attack powers, but we can still trap him," SJ15 said. "I'll use my speed to distract him. SJ12, track his movements and alert SJ14. SJ14, as soon as you sense him, swap his position. SJ11, when he's in place, you jump on him. We'll use whatever we find—stones, branches—anything to weaken him. SJ13, you'll keep us protected with your shields."

Mason overheard their planning and smirked. "Oh, you made a plan?" he said in a devilish tone.

SJ15 met his gaze. "Yeah," he replied.

Without hesitation, SJ15 launched forward at an incredible speed, forcing Mason to stay on the move. Mason noticed his power bar dropping dangerously low. If it hit zero, his teleportation would be disabled. I need to end this fast…

He made a quick decision. They are not attackers. The most they can do is defend themselves. If I take down the leader—SJ15—maybe the rest will give up.

"Okay then… catch me."

SJ15 dashed toward him, his blink speed making him difficult to follow. Meanwhile, SJ11 positioned himself on a tall tree, out of sight.

Mason needs to be careful.

As he moved in to strike SJ15, SJ13's shield blocked his attack again. Before he could react, SJ14 switched his position with SJ12, catching Mason off-guard. In that moment of distraction, SJ11 leaped from above and tackled Mason to the ground.

The others quickly surrounded him, pinning him down. Mason struggled, trying to teleport away—but it was useless. His power bar had reached zero. His heart pounded. This is it. I'm defeated.

SJ15 smirked. "What happened, Superior? You thought you were invincible? That you could take us all down alone? This overconfidence is what's killing you now."

Mason looked up, his breath ragged, as SJ15 picked up a jagged stone. The sharp edge glinted in the dim light. Is this how it ends?

Just as SJ15 raised the stone to strike—something unexpected happened.

A sudden whoosh filled the air. For a brief three seconds, everything froze.

Then—an arrow shot out from the bushes, shattering the stone in SJ15's hand.

Before anyone could react, Mason's body lifted into the air, as if some invisible force had taken control of him.

The battle had taken a new turn.

To be continued…