Urban Knight - Return of Legends

The atmosphere in the room was tense, the torches along the walls flickering drearily as the chimera advanced. Everyone watched the beast with a mix of urgency and fear, their thoughts aligned into one: protect Lilithra. All except for Escarlata, who witnessed the scene with a cold stare, her intention to not intervene being made clear.

But just as she held her hand back, one other had once promised to do the exact opposite. Selorien felt time slowing down, recalling the day he had solemnly vowed to stand by Lilithra’s side. Her current helpless expression reminded him of that day.

It was a bleak, ordinary Tuesday for most people, but for him, it had been a life-changing moment. That afternoon, he had escaped from the L’adariels’ mansion, determined to find that ‘demon’, despite his Grandfather’s orders. But when he found her, Selorien couldn’t help but reconsider if that girl could really be a wicked creature.

He watched from afar for a while, hearing all kinds of insults, and witnessing cruel, one-sided violence. At some point, he couldn’t stand to watch anymore, and approached.

His presence had made a group of kids scatter. In their place remained a small Lilithra, standing still, her vacant, puffed eyes looking up at him. Her tears were all dried up, and her expression was nothing like the cheerful, kind girl she was in the present. Her face was swollen, and she had bruises all over.

How could such a small girl be forced to carry such a heavy burden? One unfairly dropped onto her by her parents. Selorien remembered vividly how he had clenched his fists, his usual uncaring attitude being broken through by the sight of Lilithra’s weak complexion.

She managed a small smile, as if trying to reassure him, bottling-up her own pain just to try and ease a stranger’s conflicted expression.

Amidst Selorien’s disdain and disinterest for the world, a spark of resolution was ignited. Was it pity? Perhaps, but it mattered not. It was the first time he had really wanted to do something, a sense of purpose surging from the deepest part of his very soul.

“Don’t worry.” Selorien began with a firm tone. The small Lilithra tilted her head, confused. “I’m Selorien.” He continued, smiling gently. The girl hesitated, but replied shyly.

“I-I’m Lil-Lilithra…” She muttered, shrinking slightly, as if she feared he would lash out for some reason. “Lil, huh?” Selorien replied, as she looked at him intently. “I’ll take you home, okay?” He said as gently as he managed, not used to caring for others, and extending a hand toward her.

She took a moment to process the situation, taken aback by his offer and probably wary of his intentions. Still, she looked so frail and defeated, she had no strength to even refuse—and her eyes had a spark of hope in them, a yearning for a friendly interaction.

Lilithra took his hand, and both set out, slowly. In his heart, he promised. That he would stand by her side—a vow he would repeat aloud to her, later on. As the memory faded Selorien remembered how he had to explain himself to Raphael, and the fear the man had instilled in him. It made him chuckle.

But it was no time for a laugh. Lilithra was a moment away from being crushed by the chimera’s fierce attack. But… something was weird. That had been a pretty long-winded memory, yet the beast was still mid-air, as if frozen in time.

Selorien was confused, but thought maybe he could take advantage of that strange event—perhaps he could even save Lilithra now! But soon, he realized he couldn’t move either. What was going on? He wondered as his attention gathered in one spot: a blue screen hovering right in front of his face.

Surprised that he hadn’t seen it until now, he peered at its contents with suspicion.

Congratulations, Selorien L’adariel.

Your perseverance and a desire to change have been heard.

Class promotion requirements have been unlocked!

A class promotion?! He felt a rush of excitement wash over him, and a sting of regret due to the situation, as this was no time to be happy about these things. Still, class promotions were incredibly rare. As he pondered about that, the screen started showing more information.

In order to conclude your class promotion, complete the following quest.

A quest? Why was the network giving him a task all of a sudden? The elf thought of the games he usually played on his phone, finding the whole ordeal amusing.

Deal the finishing blow to the boss monster of the Shaded Grove.

The what? The name meant nothing to him, though he assumed it was a dungeon of some sort. He felt scammed, knowing that even games gave more info than that! But the next screen replaced the welling irritation by a sense of elation.

Please read carefully the following content before accepting or denying the quest.

* Two skills from your advanced class will be unlocked to aid you in your task.

* Once accepted, the quest cannot be canceled.

* There is no time limit to complete the quest.

* Denying the quest will reset the requirements for class promotion. Note: it might never happen again.

Do you accept the quest?

Confirm / Deny

Was that some kind of joke? Who in their right mind would deny, especially after being told it might never happen again? Selorien didn’t hesitate, and confirmed in his mind.

You have accepted the quest.

The two skills have been added.

Good luck!

And with these written words, the screen flickered, being replaced by two new, shiny skills for him to appraise. In complete admiration of the newfound power, Selorien felt as if the world breathed again—it was his que to act.

While Selorien felt a brief moment of leisure, the scene unfolded as normal for the rest, their desperation growing as the chimera’s threat loomed closer. Time had not stopped for them, clearly, and every second counted as they rushed to protect Lilithra.

Ascalon knew he was a second too late, the creature’s claw a mere breath away from the girl. His heart sank, knowing he was going to fail, and wishing his companions could do something in his stead.

Lyra, though doing her very best, was feeling the exhaustion of manipulating her energy continuously for so long, and the water she meant to use as a protective wall was not even close to reaching Lilithra’s position.

To add to that, Escarlata had remained in place, unwilling to assist—something Ascalon couldn’t ignore. The situation was growing dire, but suddenly, hope shone through in an unexpected turn of events.

As Ascalon reached Lilithra and shielded her with his body, confusion spread across his face. Wasn’t there supposed to be a chimera there? In its place stood Selorien, a huge smile adorning his confident expression as he looked around, seemingly ecstatic.

“Huh?!” Lyra abruptly exclaimed in astonishment, eyes wide and all. Even Escarlata twitched in surprise at what had just happened. From Lilithra’s perspective, the colossal, looming creature had turned black very briefly, before vanishing.

Suddenly, a new black figure appeared, quickly taking the form of Selorien instead. Lilithra was at a loss of words, while Ascalon side-eyed the beast, now a good distance away from them. It was clearly as shocked as them, its lion head moving in all directions as it searched for its prey.

Amidst his elation, Selorien noticed the understandable confusion, and raised his voice with a smug tone. “You’re all hopeless!” He declared in a joking manner, the tension slightly easing up around the group as he fiddled with his network interface.

Ascalon sighed as he held Lilithra close, utterly relieved that she was safe. The girl, in his arms, was still completely taken aback, her eyes darting from Selorien to the beast, trying to come up with an explanation in her head. It was then that a screen appeared before everyone—a window that Selorien had shared with them.

Phantom Swap.

—Skill info—

Unique -advanced class- skill.

Rank: A - Level 81.

Potential: S.

Attribute: Darkness.

Effects:

The user can swap positions with an enemy or ally within sight, as long as both are standing in or near a shadow.

Additional effects:

* When swapping with an enemy, the target experiences brief confusion.

* The swap has a chance to fail depending on the enemy’s level.

* If used while in stealth, the user gains a 10% damage bonus to their next attack.

* If used while in stealth and swapping with an ally, the ally gains momentary stealth.

* Both the user and the target gain invincibility while swapping.

* Can only be used once per target per day until it fully reaches its potential.

Everyone, Escarlata included, gazed with awe at Selorien’s skill. Ascalon marveled at its description, thinking it was an incredible ability, especially since the ‘within sight’ part felt really strong for an elf, who could see things at very long distances. Lilithra, on the other hand, behaved as usual.

“O.M.G! Advanced class?!” She exclaimed, her fists clenched hard and her eyes sparkling with unbridled excitement. “Selly!” Lilithra added, her face painted with glee, feeling proud of her friend. Selorien chuckled, slightly embarrassed, while in the distance Lyra spoke up.

“Amazing!” The cat girl joined with enthusiasm, a single word of admiration escaping her lips. She was feeling as excited as Lilithra at the prospect of an advanced class, something she had only heard about in rumors.

The remaining one, Escarlata, let out a thoughtful ‘hmmm’ as she pondered something to say about the matter. But she decided against it, as her red eyes caught a glimpse of the beast moving. Although the battle had proved beneficial for the young master, she felt it had gone long enough.

“Let us get rid of it.” The maid suggested, causing everyone’s attention to shift, her cold but courteous tone directed at Ascalon alone. The knight didn’t even look at her, as he mulled over her actions. As much as he wanted to reproach her unwillingness to help Lilithra, he decided to put it aside for the moment.

He let go of Lilithra, who looked at him with a smile, grateful for his protection—but her kind expression stung at him, as he was too late to protect her. It had been a miracle that Selorien managed to awaken a new skill, perhaps even divine intervention!

As he thought that, he felt the emblem in his pocket stirring. There it was, once again, acting as if it were alive… but there was no time to dwell on the mysterious trinket, as the chimera roared once more, its eyes focused on them.

Casting a side glance at Escarlata, Ascalon nodded, and the maid rushed forward in response. Her figure blurred as she crossed the distance in the blink of an eye, leaving the rest of the group marveling at her astonishing speed.

The chimera reacted as quickly, raising its right paw to the side before sweeping it down with thunderous force, aiming at where the maid would arrive. Surprised by the beast’s reaction time, Escarlata came to an abrupt halt just before the razor-sharp claw could strike her.

Both monsters sized each other up, and the sophisticated maid swayed slightly in place, her form warping the air around her. In an instant, Escarlata’s figure seemed to split in all directions, a multitude of her now dashing around the creature as it roared fearlessly.

The group was awestruck by her movements, watching Escarlata showcase one of her most powerful skills. Lilithra wondered just how strong one would have to be to unlock that kind of potential within them, while a curious feeling welled up inside of her.

It was like jealousy, but not quite… it was more like a fierce resolve! She longed once more to achieve that level of might, to stand side by side by her amazing companions, and to never feel like a burden to them.

A fiery determination ignited inside of her. She picked up her banner, gripping it tightly and nodding to herself in a sign of self-reassurance. In the next moment, she burst in a dash toward the beast, surprising everyone with her actions.

“I don’t want to just sit and watch!” She declared with confidence, her conviction shining through like a beacon amidst the battle, fueling both Lyra and Selorien with inspiration. The elf promptly moved, his figure disappearing into the shadows as he followed his friend.

Ascalon smiled, a mix of gentleness and pride showing on his face as he watched the girl charging ahead with all her might. “Oh, Lilithra…” He whispered to himself, his chest overflowing with warmth and admiration at her perseverance and optimism.

While Lilithra advanced, Escarlata and her other selves attacked the beast relentlessly, slashing and stabbing at every chance. Despite her skillful assault, the monstrosity rampaged around and endured, clawing at the afterimages without hesitation or concern, its resilience a sign of its prowess.

It was more than clear that the chimera was a high-level monster, intelligent and prideful, and that it felt there was still a chance at victory. Its serpentine head seemed to have recovered enough to hiss and move, although its eyes were still clogged with dried blood.

Lyra, who had regained her focus, now felt even more motivated thanks to Lilithra. She reached the beast with her spell and used the binding skill once more, sending water coiling around its legs. The chimera fought against the growing pressure, its attention now divided—it was the perfect time to strike.

Upon arriving at the perfect distance, she stomped on the ground and launched herself forward, the momentum of her advance allowing for a swift lunge. Her weapon pierced the lion’s neck without much resistance, the spear sinking deep into its flesh.

At the same time, Selorien emerged from stealth just above the creature, having jumped beforehand in order to attack its back. His daggers gleamed as he prepared his skill.

Phantom Stab.

In the deep shadows a blade glimmers, striking true at the heart of evil!

—Skill info—

Selorien L'adariel unique skill.

Rank: E - Level 39.

Potential: S.

Attribute: Darkness.

Effects: A precise and powerful strike that makes use of both the user’s strength and agility.

Additional effects:

* Has a 32% damage increase when used while in a state of invisibility.

* Has a 6% chance of dealing double the damage while in a state of invisibility.

* Has a 6% damage increase when properly timing consecutive uses.

* Penalty: Has 39% reduced damage when not properly timing consecutive uses.

The combined force of his powerful stabs and the momentum of his descent made both daggers pierce through the stone-like fur of the beast. Both Lilithra and his attack had hit at the same time, causing a great deal of pain to the monstrosity.

The chimera wailed, its massive body hunching in pain. Without missing her chance, Escarlata increased the speed and power of her attacks, a whirlwind of blades tearing into the beast’s body.

But Ascalon, from a distance, noticed the spark of defiance in the creature’s eyes. It was not over yet!