Leo desperately tried to locate the Hidden Archer. However, unbeknownst to him, the opponent he faced today was a cautious man, who also happened to be a master.
Locating him was never going to be easy, as the man was an expert in camouflage and concealment.
The opponent that Leo faced today was none other than Arlen Dreadveil, a renowned demon slayer from the Northern War Front and one of Denver Willow's closest friends.
Known as "The Silent Arrow," Arlen's reputation was legendary, and it was well deserved.
Arlen's name was whispered with reverence across the Unity Empire as a man who thrived in chaos, holding the Northern Frontline against countless demonic invasions.
His skill with the bow was unmatched as every arrow he loosened found its mark without fail.
It was said that he once took down 6 High Demons with a single shot, earning him the nickname "Demonbane."
But to Arlen, his greatest achievements weren't in the number of demons he'd slain but in the bonds he'd forged over the years, with none being stronger than his friendship with Denver Willow.
Arlen and Denver had served side by side on the Northern Frontlines for years, their camaraderie forged in the crucible of relentless battle.
Denver called Arlen his "anchor in chaos," the one who always provided clarity and calm amidst the storm, which was why the news of Denver's death had shattered Arlen.
When Arlen learned that Denver's killer—a lone assassin named TheBoss—had infiltrated StrongHaven and slaughtered not only Denver but the Emperor as well, his rage knew no bounds.
Being only a few kilometres north of StrongHaven, in his birth village on a short vacation, Arlen was initially headed back to the North Wall once his vacation was over, however, he travelled south instead when he learned of his friend's death.
To him, nothing mattered more than avenging his fallen brother, as his own sense of justice demanded it.
For hours, Arlen had tracked Leo, methodically piecing together his movements.
Broken twigs, faint footprints, and the telltale trail of blood left by Leo slaying his pursuers along the way, gave Arlen the confidence that he was on the right path, until eventually, he caught up to Leo right near the edge of the Empire controlled zone.
Had it been anyone else, they would probably have confronted Leo that very second when they spotted him, however, Arlen did not.
Having near infinite patience and unmatched discipline, Arlen controlled his rage and searched for a vantage point before attacking Leo, ensuring that his camouflage was perfect before he did.
His first shot was supposed to blow his enemy's head out, however, to his absolute shock, the kid sensed the attack and dodged reflexively, taking only a minor hit to his ears.
'He's fast…' Arlen thought at that point, as knocking another arrow he prepared for his signature attack the [Silent Shot].
The silent shot was a move that was both invisible and impossible to perceive as it left no noise or disturbance in air currents as it moved.
It was the attack that earned him his nickname as 'The Silent Arrow' and he expected his shot to take the enemy out for sure when he released it.
He aimed his shot straight for the enemy's heart, however, a gust of wind at the very last second changed the shot's trajectory ever so slightly, making it hit the target's shoulder instead of his heart.
'Oh Snap!' Arlen thought, as he grit his teeth in anger.
He wasn't supposed to miss, however, through sheer dumb luck, his opponent survived once again.
To make matters even worse, Leo summoned a bunch of clones and began to run desperately for his life while being shielded by two clones, however, Arlen only focused on the trail of blood he left behind, to take out his protection first, before trying to take him out.
This time, his arrow found its mark precisely, piercing his targets head, however, much to his surprise yet again, his opponent seemed to figure out his location, as instead of continuing to run, the opponent stood frozen in one place, making Arlen question his intentions.
'What are you trying to achieve here assassin? Although I can't see you, I still know where you are' Arlen thought, as although he could not see Leo physically while he used [Vanish], he could still visualize him based on his blood trail.
However, being the cautious man that he was, Arlen did not shoot another arrow, as he felt worried that with his opponents fast reflexes, he would dodge the attack and also pinpoint his location, putting him at a severe disadvantage.
'You're bleeding profusely, I'm fine just the way I am…. And I have more patience than you….. you're not going to outsmart me' Arlen thought, as he steadied his breathing and took aim.
"Your move–" he muttered ever so slightly as he waited for Leo to make his move first before releasing the arrow that he had already notched.
For Leo, this was the worst situation possible, as with his opponent reacting to his movements after he made them, he was always going to be a step behind the enemy in the fight.
********
(60 seconds later, Leo's POV)
A full minute passed and no new shots came Leo's way, making him lose patience.
Unlike his opponent, Leo wasn't the most patient man and when the shots stopped coming, he slowly started to move back while still facing the side where he felt the threat was at.
At first his steps were slow but slowly he started to pick up pace as he backpedaled.
'I'm only a couple kilometers off the border, even if I die, I just need to cross the edge so that my gaming career doesn't end here…' Leo thought, as at this point, he gave up on the thought of taking his enemy down and instead decided to focus on somehow returning to the safe-zone first.
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/// A/N - Mass Release Counter is now at 1290/2500 ///