Off Limit System

The fire from Ethan's shield spread out and trapped Percy in it. The wizard had no time to escape. Percy looked panicked as he was surrounded by flames. Ethan didn't waste the opportunity. He rushed forward and swung his shield at Percy.

But Percy dodged. There was a sardonic smile on the wizard's face. Unfortunately, it wasn't Percy's figure that Ethan was after, but the crystal ball. Ethan sensed that the crystal ball was the source of Percy's power.

Ethan shield direct attack to Percy's crystal ball.

The crystal ball fell to the ground and shattered. The situation that had been so dark before returned to normal. Ethan could see Chloe lying on the floor, Dane huddled in fear in the corner of the room, and Ulrich busy swinging a sword at empty air. They were all obviously under the wizard's spell.

"Dane! Chloe! Ulrich!" Ethan shouted.

With the snap of a finger, Ulrich stopped in his tracks, and Dane looked up instantly. Chloe actually seemed to have fainted. Ethan hoped she hadn't fallen for Percy's magic. They had to defeat the sorcerer or be trapped in the game forever.

Ulrich's attention immediately turned to Percy. "Damn, you!"

Ulrich's sword slashed, but Percy's figure disappeared. The wizard moved toward the stairs, apparently to escape.

"After him!" Ethan shouted.

Percy spun around, but suddenly Ulrich threw his sword with all his might.

The sword struck Percy in the back, sending his body hurtling backward. Percy's roar of pain could be heard loudly. Dane took aim at the wizard by shaking hands, and made two shots.

Percy's body collapsed to the ground. And this time, it did not seem like a trick. Blood flowed, flooding the pavement around Percy's body.

"Nice work, Dane!" Ethan said happily.

"Turns out bullets can destroy wizards. I'll tell Chloe she was wrong." Dane looked proud.

Remembering Chloe, Dane, and Ethan quickly woke the girl. Meanwhile, Ulrich stepped closer to the wizard's body and grabbed his own sword.

A portal opened from the dark wall. They had made it through the fourth level.

Ulrich nonchalantly stepped toward the portal.

"Whoa, Ulrich, where are you going?" asked Dane.

"To be a winner, of course," Ulrich shrugged.

"We have to wake up Chloe first. Have you forgotten her?" Dane growled.

Ulrich took a quick look at Ethan and Dane surrounding Chloe. "Losers," he muttered. Then he walked through the portal and disappeared.

"What did he say?" asked Dane, a rhetorical question to be sure.

"Never mind, ignore him," Ethan replied.

"That brain-dead bastard is out of line, leaving Chloe alone. Chloe has sacrificed so much for him," Dane complained.

A few minutes later, Chloe woke up. The girl looked relieved when she saw the figures of Dane and Ethan beside her. Without saying much, Ethan stood up and held his hand to Chloe.

"Did we win?" Chloe asked as she took Ethan's hand.

"We did it, Chloe. Time to go back," Ethan replied, showing his teeth.

"You guys did great." Chloe looked as if she really meant it. "Thank you."

The three were about to walk through the portal when, suddenly, a moan came from the direction of the stairs. They turned and drew their weapons. But instead of Percy's figure coming back to life, a man approached.

He was tall, like Ulrich, but his skin was dark, and he was undoubtedly over thirty. He wore a blue T-shirt stained with Orc blood and carried a spear.

"Who are you?" asked Chloe, her eyes wide and ready to fire an arrow.

"Wow! Is the mission this time to kill a player?" The man immediately dropped the spear and raised both hands.

"Who are you?" Chloe repeated.

"Alfred." He gasped in shock as he saw Percy's body on the ground. "Hey, he's the one who took me for a spin through the forest! A farm boy named Percy," Alfred pointed incredulously.

"Well, he's dead now," Dane retorted.

"You killed him?" Alfred stared in horror at the three figures in front of him.

"He's the wizard," Ethan said.

"Damn. No wonder I didn't make it to the castle," Alfred cursed.

Ethan motioned for the others to enter the portal immediately.

"Let's go back to the lobby," Ethan said.

...

After reaching the lobby, a status pop-up on Ethan's vision.

 

[Lobby: THE MEDIEVAL]

[Name: Ethan Mannon]

[Classification: Tank]

[Status: Novice +1]

[Gold: twenty-seven and four hundred]

[Armor: Shield Treachery's Iron Bulwark level 25]

[Item: Harpy's Wing, Wizard's Crystal]

[Power: +95]

[Buff: Harpy's Inferno, Wizard's Lumen]

[Skill: Eternal Shield +5]

 

Ethan felt relief and pleasure as he looked at the holographic screen before his eyes. He touched his temple, and the screen disappeared. The same appearance was shown by Dane and Chloe. A great victory, even if they could level up quite drastically.

"This is amazing," Chloe said, unable to hide her happiness.

"What's going on?" asked Alfred, confused.

"We leveled up a few levels," Dane replied.

"Really?" Alfred blinked in disbelief.

Ethan looked at Alfred in surprise. "You didn't?"

"Oh, just increased gold and other things, not my status," Alfred replied.

Their conversation was interrupted when another figure came running over. Of course, their attention was diverted because the approaching figure looked like Alfred. He looked so worried and hugged Alfred.

"Thank God!" the man said, sounding relieved.

"I'm fine, Buddy," Alfred replied.

Ethan, Dane, and Chloe just froze where they stood. They had not expected that there were players who actually knew each other, maybe even brothers, in the OFF LIMIT game. Ethan especially felt strange. Wasn't the game offered by a stranger? Not easy to buy just like that? Ethan thought.

"You're twins?" Chloe asked.

The man just smiled. "Yes, we are."

Alfred tapped the man on the shoulder and pointed to the three figures before him. "I did it because of them. I don't even know their names."

"Jeez, Alfred." Alfred's twin brother shook his head.

"Sorry," Alfred said.

"It's okay. I get that a lot." Dane shrugged.

Chloe scratched behind her ears, instantly feeling guilty of Dane.

"I'm Ethan; this is Dane and Chloe," Ethan introduced himself.

"Thanks for your help." The man offered his hand, and introduced himself, "I'm Alfons."

Ethan shook hands with Alfons while observing Alfred's twin brother. From his appearance, Alfons seemed far above his twin brother, Ethan, and others. At Alfons' waist were two curved swords in sheaths.

"We must go. My best wishes for your next missions," Alfons said.

"Thanks again, buddy!" Alfred said.

Then they left Ethan, Dane, and Chloe.

"I need a drink," Dane complained.

"We can try the bar; it looks like our level can get in there," Ethan said.

"Mind if I join you?" Chloe suddenly joked.

Dane gave Chloe a teasing look. "And what about Ulrich?"

"What about him?" This time, Chloe looked back at Dane.

"Aren't you two always together?" said Dane.

Chloe laughed half-mockingly. "Jeez, Dane. I have no interest in an ungrateful man. Besides, his level is below mine now," she replied lightly. 

"Wow, what a 'savage' thing to say," Dane said.

They walked towards the bar, chatting and talking about the level four mission. That alone made it difficult, not to mention the next level.

"I think we're going to have to look for many clues from the upper-level players," Chloe said.

"If they don't get cocky," Dane answered.

Ethan agreed. "Even as far as I know, the information we get from them is the exchange rate. If we can't afford to pay, we get nothing," he explained.

"Is that so?" Chloe looked shocked. "God, how selfish."

They reached their destination, where Ethan suddenly saw Miriam sitting against the bar wall. The girl looked covered in wounds all over her body. Ethan was shocked beyond belief.

"Miriam!!" Ethan exclaimed.