Return Of The Strongest Player

The existence of the Child Of Shadows was unknown to Arthur. The name hadn't appeared during his former life. Or had it? Arthur couldn't recall the existence of such an enigma, but he also felt as if his thoughts were clouded when he searched his memories for his existence. As if something was obstructing his thoughts.

But, as far as he remembered, there was no such person.

'Did he fall early on?' Arthur wondered, narrowing his eyes. But it wasn't possible. Even Lucas and Aditya would have a difficult time defeating the child, especially with his forces that seemed to be forged using the power of shadows.

If none of his peers could compete with him, one of the high-ranking clans would have certainly approached him. Had he refused them? No logical person would refuse such an offer, especially if they had no backing.

'Did he not want to be suppressed in the future? Did they kill him?'

Arthur wasn't certain, and he had no way to discover information about his past life. Perhaps he could research the field of shadow manipulation, but that was all the information he could possibly muster.

'Anyway, I can't think of such things right now. The only thing that matters is preventing Eleanor's death and defeating this guy.'

'It's a pity that such a talented kid will die today.'

Arthur was confident in his victory, no matter how powerful his opponent was. His battle power far surpassed someone on the second floor, since with the Blessing of the Sun, it had been boosted by almost half.

Arthur rushed forward but was immediately obstructed by the assault of several zombies. Arthur clicked his tongue, realizing [Judgment Regeneration] would have little effect on them due to the immense death aura.

'But they aren't completely dead, since their flags haven't been transferred to Umbral. They have a sliver of life aura left, so there should be some effect.'

Arthur immediately inflicted his signature skill upon several zombies, reducing their power by a bit. Then, he awakened Skofnung, decapitating them and bashing their heads before snatching their flags.

During this time, Umbral simply stood still, smiling.

Once he'd killed over a dozen zombies, Umbral extended his arm, allowing three shadows to shoot toward Arthur. Smirking, the crimson-eyed man released a burst of Sun Energy, burning the shadows to bits in an instant.

Umbral didn't react, simply observing. "The Blessing of some type of light element. Light or Sun, I assume?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow, nodding. Suddenly, he shot towards Umbral, utilizing [Ethereal Glide] to its full potential. The mana plates beneath his feet were firm, traversing smoothly through the uneven ground.

As the plates faded, Arthur swung Skofnung horizontally, encasing the blade in a thick layer of his Sword Spirit.

Umbral's eyes shone a gray hue, causing chills to shoot down Arthur's spine. However, the latter didn't hesitate, continuing the strike without a hitch. As the Demonic Blade reached within a few inches of the child's body, Umbral raised his hand.

Four shadows wrapped around his forearm like energized snakes.

Clang!

Skofnung collided with Umbral's forearm, unable to continue. The shadows hissed, climbing atop the Demonic Blade while approaching Arthur's hand. The crimson-eyed man clenched his teeth and released a quick burst of Sun Energy.

The shadows disintegrated, but the ones swirling around Umbral's forearm only suffered a small backlash.

"A Demonic Blade… Do you even know how to use that?"

Arthur furrowed his eyebrows, recalling Feyright's words. He, too, mentioned Arthur's inability to use the Demonic Blade properly. They were both aware of its usage, yet the crimson-eyed man was unaware.

Was it solely due to his disinterest in fields other than magic?

Solely because of that?

"How do you use a Demonic Blade properly?" Arthur inquired, glancing at Umbral, who seemed to be smiling casually.

"Is the legendary conqueror of the first floor truly not aware?"

"Cut the shit. How do you use it?"

"You have access to libraries," replied Umbral. "Also, I don't think you'll receive the chance to use it after I'm done with you."

The two exchanged blows, and each time, Umbral utilized the toughness of his skin to tank the strikes. The shadows seemed to boost his physical prowess since a regular player would've been sliced to shreds by now.

However, Umbral stood, unscathed.

Umbral's mysteriousness only rose, causing Arthur to wonder about the complexities of paths other than magic and swordsmanship. The shadow manipulation was similar to magic, but not entirely.

It was akin to an entirely new path of power. Completely detached from anything else.

Instead of using mana to manipulate shadows, Umbral seemed to be able to control shadows as if moving his own body parts. His affinity to the element was like an unbreakable and unwavering bond.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

The two continued to exchange blows for a few minutes before Arthur suddenly backed away, dodging several shadows that crept up to him. Spreading Sun Energy across his body, Arthur prepared for a spell.

Not a magic spell, but a spell using the Blessing of the Sun.

Arthur extended his arm, and as power condensed within his palm, his hood fluttered, removing the veil from his face. Umbral raised an eyebrow, observing the crimson-eyed man's facial features with much interest.

Then, he observed the Sun Energy.

Umbral was aware of his natural disadvantage, but he was not perturbed. He calmly wrapped his entire body in flame-shaped shadows. The shadows swirled as if they possessed human-like intelligence.

Several zombies rushed towards the crimson-eyed man at that moment, attempting to obstruct his attack and reduce its power as much as possible.

Blinding light swirled within Arthur's palm, while his eyes shone with the intensity that the Sun radiated. His body shone, assuming the appearance of the ball of flames high up in the sky as it spilled flame-like energy.

It was merely hydrogen and helium, yet it was incredibly potent.

The intensity seemed to set it on fire, but much hotter.

Finally, Arthur released the attack, and a deafening roar descended upon the battlefield.