The brothers spent quite some time feeling emotional in the MP exchange store. However, they had to depart eventually since their hugging made other players look at them strangely, thinking it was suspicious.
As soon as the brothers exited the MP exchange store, having not even taken more than five steps, a sudden change overtook Leo.
His instincts, honed by countless hours of Ben's rigorous training, screamed a warning of impending danger. In a fluid, almost rehearsed motion, he drew a pair of gleaming daggers, one in each hand, his entire demeanor shifting to one of intense alertness.
"What's going on?" Luke's voice was tinged with confusion and concern. He hadn't sensed anything amiss, and the sight of his brother, suddenly armed and vigilant, took him by surprise.
*SHIING*
Without warning, a dagger cut through the air, aimed directly at Leo from an unseen assailant. It was a blind spot attack, meant to catch him off guard. But Leo, with the instincts of a warrior forged in battle, parried the blade with his dagger, an action as reflexive as it was graceful.
"What the..." Luke's initial surprise morphed into heightened awareness. Realizing the gravity of their situation, he quickly accessed his inventory, his fingers closing around the hilt of his own sword. With practiced ease, he drew it, standing back-to-back with Leo.
Luke tried to gaze into the darkness of the alleys surrounding them, attempting to spot their attackers. But unlike Leo, his skills in navigating the veil of night were lacking. The shadows around them held secrets his eyes couldn't unravel, giving him an unsettling realization that they were surrounded by unseen foes.
"We're not alone—they're specifically after me, I count at least 8 men" Leo's voice was calm, almost eerily so, given the circumstances. Luke's mind raced with questions, the foremost being who their assailants were and why were they targeting Leo. Yet, as he stood there, adrenaline coursing through his veins, he understood that pondering such questions amidst a brewing fight was futile.
Because of how the MP exchange store was designed, being a sort of glitch within the game, the moment Leo entered that building, Ben seemed to forget about him, feeling confused and lost as to where Leo went.
For a while he tried to locate him in the vicinity, however, when he could not do so, Ben began moving to other areas, searching for Leo at a frantic pace.
This gave the night guild members the opportunity to wait for Leo at his last known location, as the moment he walked out of the MP exchange store, they surrounded him and were ready to take him down.
Leo knew something was wrong the moment he emerged from the MP exchange store and noticed that there was absolutely no pedestrian traffic in the busy street.
Their surroundings were eerily calm to be normal and hence he began scanning the dark spots nearby where assassin's could blend in and hide.
1…2….5…7…8!
A quick scan revealed 8 assailants hiding from him, which was the reason behind his sudden vigilance as he prepared to fight, before they could mount their ambush.
"Jin Mu….. this is not a fight you can win, surrender now and come with me to the Assassin Alliance.
While the night guildmaster wants you dead, I see the worth in keeping you alive. With you as a barter chip, Ben Faulkner can be controlled as an obedient puppet-" said a voice from the shadows as both Luke and Leo frowned simultaneously at his choice of words.
Leo frowned because he would rather die than surrender since in this game dying was only penalized with a loss of levels and gear drop.
Luke frowned because of what they called his brother, as the name 'Jin Mu' did not sit well with him.
'Of all the gaming names available, Leo chose a Chinese style name? What are we from Chinatown or something?' Luke thought as he completely disapproved of Leo's character naming choice.
He had always wondered what Leo's gaming name was, he had asked his brother once or twice about it, but Leo always avoided the question and Luke now understood why he did so.
In a comedy of errors, he either picked a name already claimed by another player and, in a fit of keyboard-smashing fury, ended up with "Jin Mu," or he was just goofing off and accidentally hit confirm. Either way, he was now eternally stuck with a name that sounded less like a fearsome warrior and more like a disgruntled panda.
This was of course a big misunderstanding, however, it was a misunderstanding that Leo would kill to maintain since any name was better than his real name 'TheBoss', as for the sake of his facade he could even bear the name Jin Mu.
"We don't have all day here, what will be your response?" the man in the shadows said as Leo sighed and glanced at Luke who was standing behind him.
If not for his elder brother, he would have thrown a smoke bomb here and used 'Vanish' to escape, however, with Luke now involved in this mess he could no longer do so.
"Don't worry brother, I'll get us out of here, we just need to hold on for a few more seconds" Luke whispered into Leo's ear, as while Leo did not understand what Luke was playing at, he agreed and decided to stall for time.
"Fine, I'll surrender peacefully….. However, before I do, I need to know if Jin approves of this plan. Does she know you guys are here to get me?" Leo asked, obviously stalling for time.
"Those questions do not concern you- just be glad we are sparing your life and lower your weapon" The man replied as he did not fall for Leo's tricks.
Nonetheless, the plan of the assassin's was spoiled nonetheless as a loud screech filled the air.
*SCREEECH*
"Hold tight-" Luke said as Leo he gripped Leo from his waist, awaiting the arrival of his mount.