MMORPG: Rebirth of the Legendary Guardian

"Intruder! Intruder!" The guards around cried out!

Smaug summoned his strength and managed to free his right hand. He quickly grabbed the sword from Zhang Yang. Having given the sword away, Zhang Yang quickly turned around and pulled his axe out to prepare for combat.

"Burn that spectre now!" Aiden’s voice could be heard from afar.

Pak Pak Pak!

Three flaming torches ere thrown out of nowhere onto the pile of wooden plank. The fire spread out at an amazing speed and before he knew it, the entire stage was burning.

Zhang Yang was currently busy fighting all the guards. Even though he was probably the strongest player in China, he was completely overwhelmed by the number of elite monsters around that seemed to be spawning endlessly!

BOOM!

A large blast wave came by, knocking everyone back a few feet, while sending those closer to it flying.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The wooden planks on the stage were blasted away. Ignited with flames, the flaming pieces of wood flew across the plaza, hitting some of the spectators, making a complete chaos. Some people started screaming in terror while others were crying in fear.

Shiing!

A shadow, more crimson than black flashed, Smaug had freed himself from the ropes and stood in the center of the flaming stage. He took a stance that was so sure of itself that it was as if he was making a stand against the entire world, and stared into the plaza with his violent, flaming eyes.

Foom!

Smaug swung the sword in his hands outwardly and instantly caused all the guards around to turn into minced meat.

"From now, I shall erase Balin from the surface of this world!" Smaug bellowed loudly with intense killing intent and raised the Blood Shadow Blade up high in the air.

"HMM!?" Aiden was shocked. Blood was completely drained off his face. "Blood Shadow Blade?! Smaug’s Blood Shadow Blade?!" Aiden pointed his fat fingers to Smaug and screamed. "How could a spectre like you use the sword of Smaug! The godly sword of Blood Shadow Blade!"

"Because I.AM.SMAUG!" Smaug bellowed as loudly as he could. "I shed my blood for you! I gave my life to your cause! Yet...you forced my wife to be a whore! You killed her! I...I...I will have you all pay for your sins with your lives!"

Shing! Shing! Shing!

The blade in Smaug’s hand slashed continually as blood kept spilling all over the plaza. None were able to survive the sword, and the air was wet and red with blood.

Panic filled the air as citizens of Balin started to run amok.

Yet, Aiden laughed. "Smaug...When you were alive, you were worshipped as a God of War! But now you’re dead! Even as a spectre, how could you really draw out the true power of the Blood Shadow Blade?"

"It doesn’t matter! As long I can kill you! The world will be right again!" Smaug roared. Although there were no muscles attached to his legs, Smaug gathered his strength and dashed towards Aiden.

"You’re but a lowly skeletal solder! You’re not worthy of being my opponent!" Aiden stepped forwards and took put a huge battle hammer out from nowhere. He gripped the handle of the hammer with his flabby hands and swung it ferociously towards Smaug. "I will smash those brittle bones into powder! Haha! Just so you know, I really do miss your wife’s perfect *ss!"

"You bastard!" Smaug raged. He raised the sword in his hand and clashed with Aiden’s hammer.

Tiiing!

As the sword and the hammer clashed, countless sparks were sent flying everywhere. Aiden was a Level 65 Yellow-Gold boss, one who was far stronger than Smaug. The massive force of the hammer had sent Smaug flying off. He literally spun in the air for 10 or more revolutions before slamming hard against the floor.

"Smaug! You’re not the young, invincible man that you once were! You’re nothing but a rotting, brittle pile of bones! You’re so weak! I’ll help you smash whatever hope and will that you have left!’

Aiden took the chance, and flew across the field with the hammer upraised in his hands, ready to smash Smaug.

{Charge}!

Zhang Yang glided across the floor and knocked onto Aiden with everything he had. However, since a Yellow-Gold boss was immune to the {Charge} stunning effect, and had extremely high strength attributes. Zhang Yang felt like he was riding a small scooter that had met the path of a raging Mack truck! He was instantly knocked back!

Saaaahhh!

Zhang Yang stopped himself from being pushed back and immediately rushed back towards Aiden.

By then, Aiden was already right in front of Smaug. His hammer was already traveling downwards, coming at Smaug’s skull.

{Block}!

Zhang Yang rode the white bear and got between Aiden and Smaug. He raised his shield up high and managed to block the hit.

Bang!

Even though Zhang Yang had stopped the attack from hitting Smaug, the overwhelming strength of the boss had sent both Zhang Yang and the bear four to five meters back. The bear’s claws drew deep lines in the stone pavement to stopped itself from being pushed further.

Smaug took this chance and jumped forward.

Shing!

The blade was swung in a wide arc and along came a river of blood, spilling out of Aiden.

‘-207,842!’

The battle between the two NPCs was completely unlike what players would usually experience. Even though Smaug was just a normal tier monster, his attacks were so strong that he could be the same as a super-powerful boss!

To his surprise, Zhang Yang found after he had dealt over 200,000 damage to the boss, Smaug had gained levels! He was now Level 66!

Smaug has gained power! His single attack was raised to 200,000 to 300,000. Eventually, it had surpassed 400,000! As Smaug kept on slashing the boss, he kept on growing stronger and stronger and gained higher attack values! WTF!? His leveling speed is just off the charts!

Level 67! Level 68! Level 69! Level 70!?

In the end, Smaug level had even surpassed Zhang Yang to a limit where it did not display a numerical number! Instead, his level was only represented with three question marks!

It was not just his level, his tier was also being raised!

Black-Steel! Green-Copper! Gray-Silver!

Smaug’s tier rank was increasing rapidly, eventually stopping at Holy! The same tier was Princess Serena!

"Crack!"

The hammer in Aiden’s hands was blown to bits. Aiden frantically shrunk away as he staggered back. Panic and fear filled his eyes as he could only stare at the blood-soaked Smaug with his jaw wide open. "What power!? Such power! Not even Count Didier could have such strength! How is that possible?! How could it be possible!"

Smaug came up closer to Aiden and looked down at him with his flesh-less skull. Smaug then lifted his sword, ready to cleave Aiden in half.

"NO! NO! You cannot kill me! I am Count Didier’s nephew! If you kill me, the count will put a price on your head!" Aiden was screaming his lungs out.

"Kill you? No. Not just you. Today, everyone in this town must die!" Smaug murmured and swung the blade down as hard as he could. Even though Aiden was a Yellow-Gold boss, he was still just a large slab of meat in the face of the sword. A large head was sent flying across the plaza, spilling blood as it flew. The head rolled for a while and stopped, revealing Aiden’s last moments in his petrified face.

The worst part of it all was that, Aiden did not drop any loot at all!

Smaug shuffled slowly towards the center of the plaza and scream in agony. He then looked up into the sky and raised his sword up high. A destructive power grew and gathered around the sword’s tip. As it grew larger, a black ball of light appeared and expanded exponentially, growing from the size of a small egg to as large as a hot air balloon!

"This good for nothing, filthy town...I WILL DESTROY IT!" Smaug cried and swung the sword downwards. The black ball of light blasted off like a tactical nuke, obliterating the entire city with such force that everything in the town was torn apart!

Surface over surface of the ground was being peeled off, the inner layers peeling off even before the outer layers had left the surface. Even houses were smashed into smithereens like sandcastles being trampled by little kids. In this kind of apocalyptic destruction, no one could run. No one could hide. Everything and everyone was turned into dust.

This attack, was no weaker than Princess Serena’s Sword of Life and Death!

All shall perish under the stroke of the Shadow Blood Blade!

All that was left standing was Smaug himself, with Zhang Yang by his side. Smaug turned to Zhang Yang and said, "Liya...where...Where is her grave?"

"It’s in the town’s cemetery." Zhang Yang replied solemnly.

Smaug nodded silently and walked towards the cemetery. Zhang Yang pondered for a while before he followed Smaug. Even though the quest had ended, he wanted to see it to its end.

The two of them arrived at Liya’s tombstone.

The two of them stood there while Smaug looked down at the engraved name that says: "Liya – Tuskar". Smaug bend down and reached out his skeletal finger to caress the tombstone. As his fingers sunk into the engravement, Smaug whispered. "Liya, my love. My angel. I have come for you. My love for you shall never wither, not even after death and infernal existence have claimed me. My love for you will never deter even if I rot eternally as a spectre!"

Kuang!

Smaug took his blade and sliced the tomb in half. He reached his hands into the grave and pulled out a huge wooden casket from the earth. He then pried the casket open and threw the lid away. Inside, the rotten, disgusting remains of a woman lay.

Even so, Smaug was not fazed. He reached out and caressed the woman’s face gently. A green wave of energy seeped out of his hand and into Liya’s dead body. "Please...wake up for me...LIYA!"

SUUSH!

A bright green, emerald light coursed through the corpse and Liya opened her eyes.

"Urgh...Smaug...my love...Is that you?" Liya got up, albeit shakily.

Smaug held her face and his hands and said, "Liya, it is I, Smaug! Your one true love! Liya! I will never ever leave you again!"

The two of them rose out together in a warm, loving embrace.

What touching scene. A tragic love story. A couple who could only be together forever as spectres, united in a love that would never deter even after the sea dries up, even after the sky goes dark.

After a long hug, Smaug let Liya go and turned towards Zhang Yang. "Adventurer. You have my gratitude! I, Smaug, shall forever be your friend!"

‘Ding! You have two options to select: Option 1, reject Smaug’s friendship and report all that had happened today to Count Didier. Option 1 will reward you with Level +2, and a Yellow-Gold tier equipment! Option 2, accept Smaug’s friendship. All NPCs under Count Didier’s sovereign will deem you as a Spectre Sympathizer!’

A sudden ring echoed in Zhang Yang ears.

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "Smaug, you’re a respectable man, or rather, a respectable spectre. I will gladly be your friend!"

‘Ding! You have accepted Smaug’s friendship!’

‘Ding! You are now an attack target to all neutral NPCs in Didier Flatlands!’

Smaug laughed loudly. "You, my friend, are an interesting fellow!"

‘Ding! You have gained a good relationship with Smaug!’

Again! A Relationship?! Why couldn’t he give something more materialistic!

Zhang Yang sighed heavily and turned to Liya. "So...what happens now? What do you plan to do?"

Smaug held her hands and stared into the distance. "We will go to a faraway land where no one could reach us! I am not on the side of humans, nor am I on the side of spectres! From now on, I am me. I will be the one and only, forgotten one!"

Crack!

A bolt of lightning shot out from the sky. Smaug raised his sword to accept the lightning. The half-materialized crown turned fully solid. It settled on Smaug’s head, giving him a royal, dignified aura!

[Smaug, The King of the Forgotten Ones] (Celestial, Spectre)

Level: ???

HP: ???

Defense: ???

F*cking hell! It’s him!

Zhang Yang finally recalled his name. He had been having a sense of familiarity ever since he first met Smaug! So he was the King of the Forgotten Ones!