Legends of Orlea

Chapter 8:

The roar stopped, and Zirem logged out. He didn't want to have to face Chaos again.

Weeks later, he still hadn't logged on again. Neither did he want to. But he was plagued by nightmares. What if what Chaos and his minions called the Outside was this world? What if they managed to get out? He'd be powerless then.

Zirem turned on the TV, and sighed as he heard of yet another problem. Unexplained disappearances had been happening all over the world. And Chaos definitely wasn't behind it. So what was?

Resigning himself to that fact that he would have to face his fears sooner or later, Zirem put on his VR headset and started up the game. 

There, he found his avatar where he'd left it, and started packing his items to get out of the city. However, he was stopped by three Specter Knights. "So annoying," he moaned as he readied his sword. But he didn't need to do anything. His Aflune shot out, extremely agitated and uncontrollable. It plunged three of its tails into their chests, seemingly sucking out their energy and life force. Soon, there were three corpses, and the Aflune was darker still.

Zirem didn't look back as he left the city. He just walked on and on, looking for spell-shrines.

Numerous times, he was blocked. Every time, he fought off his enemy, finishing him or her without mercy. Then he set off again, getting stronger every time. 

1 in-game year later... (approximatively seven weeks in real time)

Zirem was now one of the strongest players on the server. He'd understood why he'd gotten Order, and how to use it. Now all that was left was to find Chaos. "Specter 56, your Master requires your presence," said a Specter Knight, as if out of nowhere. This was perfect, though.

"Well bring me to him, if he wants me. I won't fight back, at least not until I see him," replied Zirem calmly. He'd obtained all the skills he'd had in LoO, except Illusion Wielding, and had gotten a fairly high skill level on each. He was ready. Or so he thought.

It was night when they reached Chaos. 

"..."

You will serve me! cried the demon.

"Nope. Don't want to. If you want, we can fight," he proposed.

Do you take me for a foolish weakling? I will crush you and your hopes! Then I will invade the Outside world!

"If the Outside world is what I think it is, you're in for it. We don't even need do anything, and you'll still lose. You wanna know why? Because of AI. We can make you a million times over. Do you think you can defeat a million yous? No."

...Lies!! I will conquer every universe there is, and destroy you! 

"Then let's go. You won't even defeat me," said Zirem, confident.

I'll give you the thrashing of your life, scum! cried Chaos as it appeared.

It was now more like a human, a ghost. But its face was a nightmare. A mouth with multiple rotating rows of teeth took up half the space, with two blood red eyes. Inside the mouth there seemed to be a fire burning. Instead of hair there was an intense reddish black flame that twisted around oddly.

Zirem drew both his swords, and smirked. He moved to the left, but went to the right. Chaos was completely fooled. Not even the final boss was good enough to tell if a move was or wasn't a feint if the skill was maxed out. For now, it would be seeing a copy of him, exactly the same, instead of the real him.

The demon lashed out with such speed Zirem couldn't perceive the blow. If I'm caught wi- his thought was interrupted as he was caught square in the chest by a writhing tentacle.