Temporal Pearls

This time the attack was more forceful, but 2 meters milky round shield appeared and defended against the staff. Seth felt a strong impact and a recoil.

Fratile then dashed to the side and ran to Seth. Changing the size of his staff was fast and easy, so Seth adjusted and attacked to stop him from getting closer. While also moving back but then, Fratile's speed boosted and Seth felt as if he had been slowed down.

Thankfully his staff movement was normal. Before Fratile came closer, Seth managed to point to the ground and the staff extended which pushed him backwards and upward. That sent him into the jungle and with low gravity, he didn't fall hard.

~Green Hooded Cloak!

Seth disappeared into the green trees with red leaves and flowers forest. Even though, the cloak is green, as long as the place was forest and had trees the effect of stealth will be valid.

"Nice weapon you have!" Fratile shouted. "Seth, just let me kill you. You will revive in the town with just a single level lost."

The man walked through the tall trees as he shouted. But even he made sure that he didn't go to some strange red flowers.

Seth on the other hand was looking for a place to stay and ambushed Fratile, sadly there weren't good places.

'Thank goodness this part of the forest does not have too many of those creepy flowers. Still, I will be an idiot if I stay close to any of these red-green trees!'

After searching, he came to a clearing that had some large rocks. He went among two large and sat down, he closed his eyes and calmed down.

His Stoneheart slowed down and he camouflaged as a rock. He then opened his eyes and planted his staff to sense Fratile's position.

~Elavated Perception!

Fratile Redone on the other hand was casually walking, somehow he was able to detect where Seth followed and came after him.

And when he reached the position Seth pass through, he will drum the Brass Sheet. How that helps him, Seth has no idea.

Eventually, Fratile reached the rocky area. He looked around and didn't see a thing, as usual, he hit his Brass Sheet two times and nothing happened.

He then turned around to leave, at the same time Seth was about to extend his staff when something pressed on him from the sky and from below him.

His Stone Heart camouflage disappeared and also his green hood stealth. Fratile turned with surprise and then hit his Brass Sheet again which pressed seth more

[Shifting Armour (D+)]

[This attribute hardened and increase the weight of the Attire for better protection. Durability: 1000. Duration 10 minutes, after that the durability will be consumed till it was exhausted and then it will enter cooldown: 3 days]

Activating this attribute stopped seth from feeling the pressure, he raised his head and came face to face with Fratile

"I go by Fratile Redone!" The way he said it made Seth feel weird in him.

[You are being Enthralled]

Seth quickly said, "I go by Sascile Redone!"

Dave Linus who was known as Fratile frowned! "Don't say that again!" And then smashed his Brass Sheet, and Seth felt the shield pressing on him bypass his physical armour.

"I'm Fratile Redone!"

[You are being Enthralled]

"I'm Sascile Redone!"

"I'm trying to protect you. You can't survive in this place alone!"

For the next ten minutes, Dave Linus repeatedly tried to enthral Seth but failed. Until he got tired. As for Seth, he was in pain and his wound has reached [Critical]. Whatever pressing him had already bypassed his shifting armour and his head turned it off.

But that wasn't his only problem, even though he didn't wasn't enthralled yet, Seth felt he was losing control of his body the more Fratile announced his name.

Fratile also was exhausted and upset. "Then die" he brought out a sword and was about to stab Seth.

~Mantle Of Slavery!

A rusty chain sprang from the ground and quickly wrapped around Fratile's neck very fast and he was pulled down to his four limbs.

[You have Enslave Dave Linus known as Fratile Redone in Red Valley]

"What the!" Dave was awfully surprised.

"Free me and throw away your weapon!"

With no question or resistance, Dave freed Seth from the shield and also threw away his Brass Sheet and Stick, far from him. Seth then shortened his staff and brought out his short sword then pointed it at him.

"If you kill me, you won't be able to go back to Red Valley town," Dave said.

Seth hesitated for a moment and that led to the chains breaking in just five seconds, Dave thought he was freed but then he remained in a kneeling position and can't even muster the strength to lift himself nor can he think of harming seth.

Confirming that there will be lingering effects of the slave collar on humans just like in Black Panther even after it was broken, seth make a decisive action and...

"Shoot!"

The short sword extended fast at Dave's head, however, before the sharp point of the sword touched Dave's head, everything around Seth and Dave slowed down until it stopped.

Seth and his extending sword paused unnaturally before Dave looked at Seth with bloodshed eyes. He smirked before his right hand made a circular motion, and as if things were rewinding, Mantle Of Slavery returned to Dave's neck before it reverted back to the ground in a reversal manners

His weapon that he threw away came back the way they threw them and he stood and focused on seth.

That was when the short sword immediately began to shorten until it returned to normal, so also it became the staff it was before. seth also moved the way he was before and got trapped in the milky shield.

'You fucking got to be kidding me? What the hell is this?' Seth screamed in his mind. He was terrified of what he just experienced.

Time is being reversed!

"Seth Enoch! You never face someone like me I presumed. Congratulations, only the chief of this town was able to force me to use this skill of mine. Ah, I forgot, the damned Valley made me too!"

Seth frowned deeply as he was able to deduce immediately that this was the power of the Temporal Warrior.

"Temporal Warrior!" Seth spat with annoyance.

"Oh, you met someone like me! Good! And you know we are basically invisible. Now die!" He dashed fast and stroke seth on the neck.

Seth closed his eyes waiting to be killed but nothing came. He then opened his eyes and met Dave's eyes closed to his.

"Did you really think I would kill the only player I met after countless days? Tsk!"

"What do you mean?" Seth asked in annoyance.

"I never meant to kill you. I'm just testing you! And you pass the test with flying colours!"

Seth was then freed and he slumped down panting, he checked his Exertion Point and found the remaining 9 Points. If the fight went on even without his body being bound he would lose when his body became weak.

Dave then sat beside him panting too, "Your Artifact is good. Very creative but the way I see it, you haven't fought people much with it."

"Why test me?" Seth asked.

"Why not? Red Valley is dangerous. The people, the Ghosts, and even the trees and Vines. A person with fragile Will be controlled fast!" Dave casually and that made seth remember something. He then quickly looked under his chest.

"Shit!"

His Pure Whits Stone Will was covered with red crack patterns, and it was still pulsing as if spreading but very slowly.

"What's wrong!" Dave asked.

"Can you guide me out of the Valley?". Seth asked quickly.

"No. Only Redop Irik can go out and come back. Don't worry, Red Valley can only tempt and weaken you to a certain degree. The people are the most dangerous because they can turn into monsters at any time and seek to devour you!"

"What are they exactly?" Seth asked. And that was when Dave began to tell him everything he knew and learned and it was nothing short of horrifying.

Just like Vulcan Town, where Abuhe brought a living Forest, there was another person that did the same in Red Valley. However, Unlike Living Roots, Red Valley already has people living inside, and also the people that were transported here and those already in red Valley share the same characteristics.

The players didn't think much of it, at first. But after the Asteroid things began to change, some NPC vanished and suddenly the Chief also was replaced. More than half of the players vanished one night and they never came.