Chapter 20: Shadows Outside the Safe Zone
Chapter 20: Shadows Outside the Safe Zone
POV: Unknown Player
It's already been a week since I arrived in Enigma Online PH.
Time really flies when you're having fun—or when you're too immersed in a game this good. Compared to the previous VRMMORPG I played, Apocalypse Creed Online, this one feels like a whole new world—more alive, more reactive, and far more dangerous. I came from a top guild in ACO, and transferring to EOPH was never in my plans... until they announced the conversion program.
That changed everything.
The opportunity to convert our accounts over to EOPH was a miracle. I'd always wanted to try this game, but I was hesitant to abandon the years of effort I poured into ACO. That account was my life. But with the conversion system, I could keep my progress, skills, and even visual design—just adapted to the EOPH world.
So when I got here, I made my choice: Angel race.
And for my class? Fallen Angel—inspired by one of EOPH's most famous player. It suited my old melee build from ACO, and it let me retain my preferred combat style. My avatar remained the same too: ponytailed black hair, mismatched eyes—one blue, one red—and a height of 5'3".
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My Current Status
IGN: DeathXKairin
Level: 200
HP: 39,473
MP: 4,539
SP: 3,832
DEF: 11,236
STR: 30 + 600
DEX: 25 + 200
INT: 20 + 90
VIT: 20 + 100
Attack: 16,873
Evasion: 30 + 2,250
Movement Speed: 100 + 675
Magic Resistances:
Fire, Electric, Water, Ice, Earth, Wind, Poison: 30 + 550 (each)
Weapon: Drifter Blade +8 (Electric)
ATK: 5,560 ~ 7,089
25% chance to stun
20% chance to deal critical damage
+1,500 HP
+900 SP
Armor: Solaris Fire Armor +8 (Unique)
Retained from ACO, adapted into EOPH mechanics
I haven't equipped any accessories yet—no rings, armlets, or amulets. I'm still deciding. My build leans heavily into STR, DEX, and VIT—pure physical melee DPS with high mobility and decent survivability.
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I mostly play solo. Grinding alone lets me keep all the loot and gold drops. I've gathered over 200 million game gold so far—roughly ₱200,000 in real-world money if I choose to cash it out. With tax, it'll come down to ₱180,000, but that's still more than enough to pay for one semester at SPC... with ₱80,000 to spare for me and my siblings' needs.
Yeah. That's why I play.
I'm 23. I've been raising my three younger siblings—ages 13, 11, and 9—ever since our parents passed away in a tragic accident two years ago. I inherited their small aerial and hovercraft hardware shop and have been running it since. It's not much. Just five employees. Our monthly income? Around ₱150,000 to ₱230,000. After payroll and other costs? Not a lot left.
That's why I joined EOPH. For the extra income. For them.
Maybe that's dramatic. But hey, it's the truth.
Anyway, back to the game...
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It's currently 10 PM—summer break—so I have all the time I need. Right now, I'm stationed just outside the north gate of Hell Village, near the edge of the safe zone. I don't wander too deep, not without a party. The mobs here—Tormented Souls, level 170—are aggressive and tanky.
I can kill about three of them every five to ten minutes. Each one drops 200k gold and rare to epic-tier items. Unfortunately, a roaming party passed by earlier and cleared out most of the spawns. Now I'm waiting for the mobs to respawn—probably 15 minutes or so.
"Tornado Strike!"
I cast the finishing move, taking down two mobs I had lured. Their bodies dropped, fading into golden particles. I scanned the surroundings—no mobs left.
"That was the last two Tormented Souls, mama," said Aeolus, my animus.
Aeolus is a fairy-type anima I obtained after killing a rare boss at Cyther Outpost on the first map. Lucky find. It's a Legendary-type anima.
"Then we wait," I replied, still scanning. "I'm not going deeper. AI mobs inside might have broken stats again."
"Got it."
---
Seven minutes passed.
Then—I felt it. A shift in the air. A subtle tremor. Someone was watching us.
"Mama, someone's nearby," Aeolus said sharply.
"Get ready for possible PK."
"Understood!"
I crouched low, eyes scanning the shadows. No visual. No movement. They were probably using stealth.
"Aeolus, use True Sight!"
His wings lit up faintly, casting a ripple of radiant magic.
Four seconds later...
"Heaven's Light!"
Aeolus unleashed her S-rank skill. A beam of celestial energy blasted toward a section of the terrain about 250 meters east of us. The explosion was loud. Dust surged. A hit. They were there.
Then—a gunshot.
A projectile flew toward me. Fast. Trained players would fall for it. Not me.
"Swift Slash!"
I intercepted it mid-air with my blade skill, sending it veering off-course.
"Show your—!"
Before I could finish, a bladed fan cut through the air toward me. I bent backward just in time, narrowly dodging it.
I jumped up, ready to counter.
"Ground Spark!"
I slashed the ground—three crackling electric lines surged forward.
They leapt back to dodge. I used that moment to backpedal toward the safe zone.
"Mama, behind you!" Aeolus warned.
Too late.
A female player clad in violet armor, face half-covered, struck me with bladed fans. Fifteen consecutive hits landed on my body in a blink. My health dropped by 35% instantly. I cried out in pain but forced myself to stay standing.
Aeolus quickly healed me and cast Agility Boost.
"Lightspeed Attack!"
I slashed forward sixteen times in rapid succession. With Aeolus' buff, I landed the full combo and launched her into the distance—her silhouette vanished into the smoke.
I was about to cast another skill—
Bang!
A shot from a gunner hit me. Then, a male player wielding a giant axe emerged from the smoke and attacked in under half a second.
I dodged, leaping onto the axe's hilt and attempted to strike back—but a kunai intercepted my blade.
An assassin-type player appeared beside him.
Four enemies. Great.
Before I could regroup, the axe-user punched me in the stomach, lifting me off the ground.
Their coordination was insane. Clean, practiced, ruthless.
"Crystal Dome!"
Aeolus cast her defensive ultimate, trapping three of them in an invulnerable cage. It would hold for one minute.
Using the chance, I retreated into the safe zone.
I couldn't win this. 4v1 was suicide. Especially against well-synced opponents with optimized builds.
I didn't get a good look at their IGNs—too much dust and too fast. But I noticed this: they were all Angel race. A fighter, a warrior, a gunner, and an assassin. All masked. All precise. All lethal.
Damn it.
I barely survived. I only had 25% HP left. And judging by how easily they shredded my defenses, their weapons might have ignorance effects—bypassing DEF stats.
They were overpowered. No way I'm underestimating anyone from now on.
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End of Chapter.
To be continued...