MMORPG: Rebirth of the Shadow Mage

"Finally!"

Eli tried to take deep breaths and focus on the task at hand. She clutched onto the branches tightly, her knuckles turning white with the effort.

Finally, they reached the top. The platform was made out of black wood, smooth and shiny in the morning sun. Ava and Eli collapsed onto it, panting and sweating from the exertion of the climb.

Eli was still shaking, her fear of heights causing her heart to race. Ava put her arm on her shoulder and whispered.

"We've reached it!"

Eli smiled at her friend, feeling proud of herself for overcoming her fear. She looked out at the view from the top of the tree, the brunt forest stretching out before her in every direction.

"Damn! That fire was strong! How much time did we spend climbing?"

The two girls sat on the platform for a while, enjoying the view and each other's company. Eventually, they packed up their things and began to look around, searching for any clues for what to do next.

Rummaging through the area Eli and Ava had spent an hour and a half searching for clues on top of the huge platform made out of black wood.

As they rummaged through the leaves and branches that covered the platform, Ava couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. She had always loved puzzles and mysteries, and this was the perfect opportunity for her to put her skills to the test.

Eli, on the other hand, was feeling a little anxious and annoyed. She wasn't as comfortable with heights as Ava, and the thought of being so high up in the tree made her a little dizzy. But she knew that the reward for completing the quest would be major, so she pushed her fears aside and focused on the task at hand.

As they searched, the girls noticed weird, purple color leaves seemed to be leading them in a specific direction. It was as if they were following a trail of breadcrumbs, each one bringing them closer to their goal.

Following the weird leaves, they reached the end of the trail. There, hidden behind a pile of branches, was a small wooden box.

Ava's eyes lit up with excitement and suspicion as she reached for the box. She carefully lifted the lid, revealing a small, intricately carved key inside.

"It's a key..."

She exclaimed, holding the key up for her friend to see.

"We don't know where to use it though?"

Eli massaged her templates while glaring at the silver key held within her friend's fingers.

Eli and Ava were confused, due to not knowing what to do next and decided to inspect the other platform they came across along the way.

Roar...

They turned around to see a huge aquatic turtle flying through the sky, positioning itself so that it could land on the platform right before them. The turtle let out another mighty roar and began to attack, its powerful wings flapping as it charged towards them.

Eli and Ava felt that the creature was of a higher caliber and paled. Ava tried to damage the being with her Lightning Spears, but the turtle was too strong. It almost knocked them off their feet, Ava would've fallen off the platform if not for Eli's help.

As the girls clutched onto each other tightly, trying to withstand the impact of the aquatic creature's landing.

Boom...

The turtle groaned, sending its stinky breath towards Ava and Eli. While Eli covered her nose Ava frowned.

"We have to get out of here! We can't fight this thing on our own."

Ava said, struggling to stand on her wobbly feet. Eli nodded, her face pale with fear.

"Where do we even go?"

Ava looked around, trying to come up with a plan. They were surrounded by the leaves and branches, with no sign of cover in sight. They were high in the sky and the only way was done, but would they be able to reach the stairs before the monster caught up to them.

The turtle moved its study body closer, its sharp beak glinting in the sunlight, Ava knew they had to do something. She grabbed Eli's hand and pulled her friend towards the edge, determined to escape from the aquatic beast.

"We'll have to use our brains... We can't outmuscle this thing or even scratch him with our spells, but maybe we can outsmart it."

Ava said, her voice slightly shaking. Even though she was known for being cold-minded, she was also a human and had limits.

Eli nodded, her eyes scanning the platform for any signs of it cracking or being broken by the weight of the turtle. She spotted a nearby branch, and without hesitation, she picked it up and threw it at the turtle.

Grrr....

The branch hit the turtle's shell with a loud crack, breaking into splinters. The turtle wasn't even damaged, but a low growl left its throat indicating that it was irritated. It swung its head back and forth, its beak snapping at the girls as it tried to tear them in half.

"Jump!"

Ava screamed, while dragging Eli behind herself. They were lucky to dodge the turtle's beak, but now were falling off a massive tree.

"WHYYYY DIDN'T YOU WARN ME!"

Eli was screaming out of fear while Ava could only tightly hold her hand hoping that she wouldn't push her away.

Narrowing her eyes Ava noticed that they were nearing the platform they came across some time ago. Taking in a deep breath she started guiding her Mana throughout her body and soon the surface of her skin started sparkling with lightning particles.

Whoosh...

Just when they were about to reach the clouds, Eli and Ava suddenly disappeared, appearing on the platform.

"Huff... Huff..."

Ava could hear her friend's quiet sobs and deep breaths and relaxed. They were still alive.

"Warn me next... time!"

She heard Eli whisper angrily and nodded her head while standing up. Looking above she noticed a huge silhouette of a turtle quickly approaching them and frowned.

"We have to move... Quickly!"

The girls stood up and were about to use the stairs to descend when suddenly a group of stingrays emerged from the sea of clouds.

At the front of the group was a mottled stingray, its wings flapping fiercely as it charged towards the turtle. This particular stingray was larger and more powerful than the others, and Ava and Eli could see the scars and wounds on its body, evidence of its previous battles.

The mottled stingray had defeated another stingray just some time ago, earning its place as the leader of the group. It was known for its size and massive strength.

Ava and Eli had seen the stingray's power and knew that it'd easily kill them if it wanted, but luckily this time its target was the massive turtle chasing after them.

As the group of stingrays closed in on the turtle, they launched a coordinated attack, their sharp stingers glinting in the sunlight. The turtle roared and thrashed, trying to fend off the smaller creatures. Even though its agility was inferior, its massive size was more than enough to send some of the stingrays flying.

Roar...

The mottled stingray flew towards the turtle's head, its wings a blur as it darted in and out, dodging the turtle's attempts to bite or swat it away. With a powerful strike, the mottled stingray delivered a direct hit to the turtle's eye, causing it to roar in pain and tuck its head inside the shell.

Despite their best efforts, the group of stingrays were unable to break through the turtle's thick shell. The turtle continued to thrash and roar, causing the stingrays to scatter and retreat.

Despite the setback, the mottled stingray was not ready to give up. It flew back towards the turtle, its wings beating fiercely as it searched for a weakness in the turtle's armor.

As the turtle swung its limbs back and forth, the mottled stingray noticed a small crack in one of its back plates. Without hesitation, it flew towards the crack and delivered a powerful strike with its stinger.

The turtle let out a mighty roar as the stinger broke through the crack and punctured its flesh. It thrashed and writhed, trying to shake off the mottled stingray, but it was too late. The mottled stingray had already inflicted a mortal wound, and the turtle's strength began to fade.

With one final, desperate thrash, the turtle collapsed, falling through the soft clouds, its mighty wings stilling as it drew its last breath. Ava and Eli watched in shock as the group of stingrays flew away, chasing after the fallen turtle.

Few minutes passed, Ava and Eli knew that they had witnessed something truly incredible. They had survived an encounter with a powerful aquatic turtle thanks to the fortunate encounter with the mottled stingray and its group.

"I hate this tomb!"

Eli commented and Ava nodded her head. They've had way too much close to death experiences during their adventure within the tomb.