Chapter 9

this is a fictional story by realTensai

 

Their eyes locked, the tension still high, yet without wasting any more time, Alvis began.

I’ll be the one who attacks first!

With the flick of his hand, he morphed the mighty mana within him into tiny yet still lethal orbs of fire. They flickered around, growing wilder by consuming oxygen, only waiting to be fired off. The assassin just stared at them before they flew straight at him.

“Useless.”

He shifted his body to the left, sidestepping to avoid the attack. The sharp destructive fireballs didn’t even graze him, as his movements looked as fluid as a graceful dance. Alvis couldn’t even click his tongue, his brain admiring his opponent’s agility.

However, after the batch of fireballs was over, the assassin was the one who attacked. With one mana-enforced step, which even created a small crater on the ground, the vampire rushed straight at Alvis.

Shit!

The sound of cutting wind reached Alvis just as fast as the assassin’s extended nails. He stood before him, death being just as close.

I have to dodge!

Alvis succumbed to the pressure weighing on him and eased the tension in his knees. He fell, ducking, barely avoiding the vampire’s attack that was aimed at his throat.

There’s an opening.

The vampire’s arm was still extended, his chin however wide open. Alvis clenched his fist, mana turning it into a deadly weapon. Yet before he could attack, he felt a brute pain in his stomach. In the next instant, he flew at the wall, coughing blood.

S-Shit!

Alvis glanced at his stomach, the assassin’s shoe print engraved on his clothes. Even though it had worked in the last run, he failed this time.

Guess he’s taking this seriously now.

His mind spun, and he could only shake his head. With gritted teeth, Alvis peeked at his health bar.

Health: 22/30

His face grew darker as he bit his tongue, realizing what that meant. Just one kick let him lose 8 health points. Even though his health stat had risen to 30, he still had to be careful.

My body is still weak.

However, he slammed his fist against his legs, forcing them to stop shaking. Breathing out, his heart calmed down. Alvis was on the verge of regaining his composure when he caught sight of the assassin brandishing a beam gun towards him.

Fuck!

Alvis’ brain shifted gears, creating heat as it worked even faster than it usually did. It was this heat in his head he gave life to. Pouring mana out of every part of him, it took on the form of wild flames. However, he didn’t stop there until he got what he wanted.

A cloud of smoke spread through the alley, making it impossible to see anything. Alvis just held his breath, not wanting to expose his position by coughing. He then rushed away as fast as possible from the place he had been. Several beam shots flew through the smoke, yet none of them hit him.

It was the right decision to create smoke.

However, the assassin wouldn’t lose his prey because of some smoke. Alvis heard him inhaling for several seconds. Yet before he could make sense of what he was doing, a brutal wind blew away the smoke. The smoke layer vanished, exposing both Alvis and the assassin. However, Alvis’ jaw just dropped, his brain still unsure if it understood what had just happened.

Vampires were famous for their incredible physical prowess, but blowing away the smoke? Come on, man, that’s not fair!

Still, this was a fight to death and with the smoke now not covering Alvis, the assassin saw him again. His yellow eyes were fixed on Alvis, and a frigid shiver rearranged the bones of his spine.

I don’t have time to complain!

Before the assassin could point his beam gun at Alvis, Alvis used his secret weapon. The UV flashlight! With the surprise effect on his side, Alvis immediately turned the flashlight on and pointed it at the vampire.

Because it was a UV flashlight, one didn’t see the light emitting from it. The human eye wasn’t capable of seeing UV light. However, what Alvis saw were the effects it had on the vampire!

Like paper exposed to fire, the skin of the vampire started crumbling, its layers peeling down one after the other. Alvis had aimed at his hand so the vampire couldn’t help but drop the beam gun. With a sour expression on his face, he jumped away.

However, he had left the beam gun behind.

Alvis didn’t waste a second and used this chance. He created a strong fireball and shot it at the beam gun. The moment the fireball reached the beam gun, it pulverized it.

Big!

He clenched his fist right next to his stomach, celebrating this small, yet vital, win. No matter how high his reflex stat had gotten, he couldn’t evade a beam shot. And it also would only take one shot hitting him, for him to die. Without a doubt, the beam gun was the most dangerous weapon the assassin had. With that out of the way, Alvis faced the vampire with even more confidence!

Alvis looked at the assassin, who groaned, gritting his teeth. He held his hand that looked more like burned bread than a hand and didn’t regenerate it.

No, he can’t regenerate it.

UV light was a vampire’s weakness.

Right now, it seemed like Alvis had the upper hand. The beam gun was gone, and Alvis had something that could injure the assassin. Everything seemed to be in his favor. If it would go on like this, he would not even need him.

However, his heart wouldn’t stop clashing against his ribcage, the tension keeping him standing, not vanishing. Alvis wasn’t some immature idiot who would let his guard down. Wounded men were the most dangerous ones!

Just like Alvis had expected, the vampire attacked. With incredible speed, he rushed at Alvis. Even though the garlic stench was everywhere, the assassin was still that fast.

Alvis just pointed his flashlight at him, hoping to end his dash. But the assassin used his burned hand, to take on the light before he lifted it towards his head. Within a split second, he threw his cowboy-like hat at Alvis’ eyes, blocking his vision. It was just a second that Alvis didn’t see the assassin, but this second was enough for the assassin to get to Alvis.

Fuck!

A malicious smile formed on the assassin’s face, and Alvis knew he was done. Desperately, Alvis tried to aim his flashlight at him, but in vain. The assassin just smacked it out of Alvis’ hand and destroyed it by stomping on it when it fell to the ground.

“Now your little savior is out of the way!”

Before the assassin could attack again, Alvis used the wooden pole he had in his other hand and tried stabbing the assassin in his chest. He saw a little opening and used the chance.

But the vampire just sidestepped, avoiding Alvis’ attack. He then took the wooden pole and threw it away.

“Pathetic. Do you think you could impale me with the wooden pole? I already saw your attack coming years ago! You’re finished!”

Alvis saw the nails on the vampire’s hand extending and flashes of his earlier deaths appeared in his head. But Alvis still had a card up in his sleeve.

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”

Grabbing his back pocket, Alvis revealed another flashlight. The vampire’s eyes widened in horror as he realized he had run straight into Alvis’ trap. Alvis had him dancing in his palm for the whole time! It was all part of his plan.

Alvis aimed the flashlight straight at the assassin’s face and he couldn’t escape being so close. The UV light hit him!

“AHHHH!”

The vampire clutched his face, desperately trying to cover it, but everything that got hit with the light started crumbling down. It was like his body slowly turned into ash.

“I finally got you!“ Alvis said, exhaling. “Buying two flashlights was the right decision, after all.”

Back in the shop, Alvis decided to buy two flashlights instead of one. He didn’t know if he just was too paranoid again and overly careful, but in the end, he did it, anyway. And as it turned out, it was the right decision.

Alvis couldn’t see the assassin’s facial expression, half because he covered his face and half because a solid amount of his face was already gone. Yet Alvis knew he probably was fuming right now.

With that, the battle was decided. Alvis caught the vampire in his trap and the flashlight was burning him down. After losing to him three times, Alvis finally got him. His heart relaxed, his brain already releasing dopamine.

Yes!

However, small steps echoed throughout the alley, seizing not only Alvis’ attention. Yet as soon as Alvis set eyes on the person, all the alarm bells within him rang.

It’s not him!

It was an old woman who was bringing out the trash. The woman lived a few houses away from Alvis, so he knew her. She was famous for being a bit out of it and was the definition of lost. The old woman just stared at Alvis and the vampire, her eyes turning into question marks.

However, it was with her appearance that the tides of the battle changed.

Alvis’ heart raced and his body temperature skyrocketed as he saw her. He deliberately set his own house on fire for that not to happen!

“Run away!”

“What dear? I did not hear you.”

Shit! She is too lost!

The assassin smiled maliciously even though half of his face was gone! A jolt of cold shot down Alvis’ spine. He swung his flashlight at him, wanting to end him immediately, but the assassin used this chance.

With his last strength, he managed one incredible jump and was instantly next to the old woman. And from there, everything happened way too fast.

“Stop!” Alvis shouted, though it had no effect.

The half-dead vampire just pierced his canine-like teeth into the woman’s neck and sucked her blood. Like a predator, he tore down his prey. Alvis trembled as he saw how the life faded from the woman’s eyes and went over to the assassin. Just a few seconds were enough for the assassin to deplete the woman of all her blood.

Dead, she collapsed to the ground, her skin pale.

Once again, Alvis saw someone dying. His breathing became stocking as his brain tried to process what happened.

She died. The old woman from next door is dead!

Though no matter how harsh this may sound, this was the smallest thing he could worry about.

The vampire was back on his feet!

He rose with renewed vigor, the echo of his laughter slicing through the tension in the air. The metallic tang of blood lingered, and Alvis felt a chill crawling down his spine.

Alvis thought he had defeated him. It was only a matter of time before he would’ve died. But now he was in top shape again. No, he seemed even stronger. Because he could drink her blood, he could recover from his half-dead state and regenerate all of his wounds!

“Kihahahaha! Luck is not on your side!“ the assassin said, laughing. “You almost got me, but now it’s over!”

Alvis couldn’t even try to aim his flashlight at him. Within a second, the assassin stood before him and punched him in the stomach, sending him flying straight into the wall. The impact was so strong Alvis almost lost consciousness. Bricks and dust covered him as he vomited blood and his view became blurry.

He didn’t even have to look at his health bar to know that he was about to die. Though the blinking of it was so annoying, he did it anyway.

Critical condition! Health: 4/30

Ah, shit.

The assassin walked straight to him, still smiling like a psychopath. Alvis tried to stand up, but his legs betrayed him. He had no other choice but to watch the assassin kill him.

Now the assassin stood before him again. Alvis rummaged within him, trying to work up fireballs, but it didn’t work. No matter where he looked, his mighty mana was nowhere to be found. Even though his mana was at 71 stat points, it wasn’t limitless.

“This is your end!”

The assassin just raised his hand, his nails extending. Alvis already closed his eyes, preparing for his death.

In the next run, I’ve to make sure that the old woman won’t leave her house.

However, the stabbing pain and the ‘You died’ animation never came.

Confused, Alvis opened his eyes again, just to see the vampire being impaled by the wooden pole.

An exhausted smile formed on Alvis’ face as he realized what had happened.

“Sorry, I’m late.”

“It took you long enough, Dane!”

Dane finally arrived! The person Alvis had contacted was no other than his half-giant best friend Dane.

The assassin, after being impaled by a wooden pole, fell to the ground. His narrowed eyes shot a fiery glare, the intensity of his gaze revealing a deep-seated hatred. A muscle twitched in his clenched jaw as he fought to contain the frustration building within him. Never would he have thought that he would lose this battle in the end. Now there was no way for him to survive. Impaling a vampire with a wooden pole was a sure way to kill them.

“Y-You bastard. Was this also a part of your plan?”

“Yeah. I already contacted Dane beforehand and explained everything that would happen. I told him that by the time he entered the alley, there would most likely be a wooden pole lying on the ground and I would be close to dying. He then has to use the wooden pole and impale you. But it was luck that he came with the perfect timing. And the old woman wasn’t a variable I considered.”

Dane just laughed.

“Ha, you’re a beast. You outsmarted a fucking vampire assassin! That’s crazy!”

Dane was the only person who could react this way without even asking further questions. He didn’t even find it odd that a vampire assassin wanted to kill Alvis.

But for Alvis, this was a blessing. He didn’t have time to explain everything. The assassin would die soon, and Alvis still had to find out who sent him.

“Now tell me, who was the one who sent you? Which organization do you work for and why do they want me dead?”

A shrieking giggle tormented Alvis’ eardrums.

“K-Kihahaha! Don’t think it is over just because you defeated me! They will come for you! People even stronger than me! I’m just a pawn. A dispensable tool! You made the wrong decision by opposing the organization! Go make a pact with the Devil, or else you won’t survive!”

Alvis sighed. Yeah, he has lost it.

He evaluated that he wouldn’t get useful information out of him. Now it was time to dispose of the assassin.

“For a pawn, you sure talk a lot. If you won’t spit out something useful, I don’t have any use for you anymore. This is for everything you have done to me!”

Alvis shone his flashlight on his head and brought forth the inescapable. In a matter of seconds, the vampire died.

It was over. Finally.

NOTIFICATION

You have defeated the assassin!

Experience is awarded for defeating the enemy!

LEVEL 1: A mysterious attacker has been completed!

Abundant experience is awarded for completing a level!

Level up!

New skill unlocked!

Class unlocked!

Alvis had way too much to take in. The notifications kept coming in and Alvis’ brain couldn’t keep up. However, with the assassin dead, he also completed the level, which let him rest easy for the first time since this cursed time loop had begun. Exhaustion immediately kicked in as soon as the adrenaline faded away. Alvis knew he would lose consciousness in a few seconds. But before he would faint, he wanted to check out his class. He had the feeling that this would be crucial to his future. Besides, in the video games, the class always was something that had him excited.

Congratulations, you are now a Mage!

This was the last thing he saw before he finally lost consciousness.