Five people were walking along a path located in the southern direction of the Beloong city. They appeared to be tired as if they were just returning from finis.h.i.+ng a tough battle.

Miluwall, the man with a scar from a blade-cut on middle of his nose, said,

“Ugh, I feel this every time I come here, but the south gate is incredibly tough. Even if it is the south gate, why is it so different from others?”

“I know. We are all at mid 200 levels. It does not make sense that we are outmatched this much by the 300 level monsters.”

“Well, was anything here ever normal? Asgard’s monsters had always been stronger than their levels.”

“That’s true… still.”

Miluwall casually turned his head and looked at Uruo, the leader of Players Alliance.

“The boss hunts monsters with levels higher than him.”

“Hey, are we the same as the boss?”

“This runt is out of his mind. You can’t compare us to the boss.”

“I know. I know that. Still, I’m jealous. We are all players like him, but we have a hard time and sweat like pigs fighting monsters with same levels as us. Unlike us, the boss single handedly kills monsters with levels 20 – 30 higher than him.”

Miluwall was backing down in light of all the disagreements from his fellows raining down on him, but he still wasn’t going to let go of the topic.

The giant who was listening to his words in silence, Berkman, finally opened his mouth.

“If you are jealous, then shut your trap and at least go improve your masteries.”

“Ah, big bro, you already know what I think of that.”

“Since you have been ignoring that for several decades, you have no right to make such comments about the boss.”

As if Berkman was trying to show that he is not just all talk, his fists were constantly piercing through the air. He looked like he was marching forward and performing shadow boxing at the same time. Watching Berkamn, Miluwall said,

“No way, I have no talent for hard work, so it won’t work. Other people are mistaking it. Being able to keep on repeating something you don’t want to do, that counts as a talent. As for me, I don’t have that, so I don’t think it will work.”

“Then shut up and do our ch.o.r.es.”

“Yes, of course. I will be fully satisfied if I get a management position in the alliance.”

Miluwall was about to break in to a big laughter to express that he really is thinking that way. In that moment,

BOOM!

An energy ball that Uruo was controlling exploded near top of Miluwall’s head.

“……”

Miluwall gulped and turned his gaze toward Uruo.

He could see Uruo who had a very stern face as if he was wearing an iron mask.

“You still haven’t lost your lazy att.i.tude.”

“……”

“If you are the man that managed to become the most powerful being in your past dimension, at least behave like one becoming of such a status.”

Uruo’s eyes were showing suppressed but certain murderous intent.

At that moment, Miluwall came to a sudden realization that he made a mistake with his words.

‘d.a.m.n it. I totally knew laziness gets on the boss’s nerves……’

Lately, when it came to light banters, Uruo had not been keeping the minions in line. As of result, Miluwall spoke too freely. Miluwall could feel his lips burning in regrets.

If felt like something invisible took a hold on his heart.

‘Don’t try to make excuses. I should just say I am sorry and ask for forgiveness.’

Feeling the pressure, Miluwall opened his mouth to respond to Uruo’s comment.

“Yes, my apologi……”

CHIGIGIGIGIGIC!

“KUUAK!”

A lightning bolt came out of nowhere and struck Miluwall on the back.

“Miluwall! It’s… It’s an ambus.h.!.+”

Immediately, all four men turned their heads toward the direction of the lightning bolt’s origin. In the direction, there was,

THUMP… THUMP…

PAZIZIZIC!

There was a man approaching with a blade pouring out yellow sparks all over the place.

“That guy, it must be that runt.”

“It seems like it. His level is…… 190 is it?”

“Yes. But he appears to be far stronger than an ordinary level 190.”

“How did he know to come this way?”

“It looks like the minions failed on their operation to bring him in.”

“Those boneheaded idiots.”

While Berkman and Uruo carried on their conversation, the man surrounded in lighting bolts continued his approach towards them.

Before long, he was already within less than a hundred feet.

Uruo was just staring at the man of lightning for a while, and then he said,

“You. Identify yourself.”

“Me?”

The man of lighting, Vulcan, raised his chin and said,

“I’m the person that came here to get the payment from you for your insolence.”

“For someone who is here to get payment for my insolence, your level appears to be too low.”

Two men wielding giant two-handed swords stepped forward. Vulcan checked their levels.

[Second-Rate Swordsman Turan]

[255Lv]

[Second-Rate Swordsman Huran]

[251Lv]

“Are you two brothers?”

“Yeah. How did you know?”

“Your names.”

“Ah, of course. Anyway, you don’t seem to have what it takes to get the payment from us for our insolence?”

“Since you guys are keep saying that, it means you did something that I should ask you to pay for.”

“Uh, that’s……”

“Stop humoring him.”

Uruo said coldly.

“Just get him and drag him over here. We can have a conversation from there.”

“Yes, understood!”

Vulcan watched as the two brothers walked toward him step by step. Vulcan shouted,

“As for me, I rather have a conversation first then have a fight.”

“There won’t be any conversation for you.”

“You guys are the ones that picked fight with me first, yet you have no intentions to resolve any misunderstandings. Hey, aren’t you guys Players Alliance or whatever?”

“That’s right. You are picking a fight with us knowing that?”

“You are the ones that picked fight with me first. Are you stupid?”

“Oh you son of a b.i.t.c.h……”

Of the two, the baldhead on the left was getting agitated the most. Vulcan watched as he turned completely red to the top of his head from anger, and said,

“Calm down, Mr. Clean.”

“What! You little runt!”

“Hey you sons of b.i.t.c.hes! Did you not hear me! I said cut the chitchat! Just get him and bring him here!”

BOOM!

A crater formed on the ground that Uruo stomped on hard.

Turan and Huran’s eyes shook.

“If you don’t have the smarts for it, then get it done with your brawns. I’ll give you three minutes, so bring him to his knees by then.”

Hearing Uruo’s commands, the baldhead stopped thinking and started speaking the skill commands.

“Heavenly Slaying Energy Blade! Come forth!”

The baldhead surrounded by black tinted energy blades, Turan, charged toward Vulcan.

With each step Turan took, the ground fell apart and broken stones flew away everywhere, clearly showing the violent intensity of Turan’s technique.

‘But it is too simplistic.’

Vulcan had a little bit of expectations for Turan because he is a high level player, but witnessing his technique made Vulcan’s face turn cold and stiff out of disappointment. Vulcan lightly sidestepped and dodged Turan who was charging toward him.

However, that was not the end of Turan’s attack.

“Target Tracking!”

‘What!’

Vulcan was about to give a taste of his h.e.l.lfire to Turan who was just went past him. However, Turan suddenly changed direction in a way that completely defied the law of momentum, and Turan was coming at Vulcan. That made Vulcan gasped for air.

“Yeah! Sky Shattering Lone Sword!”

KUAAANG.

Of course, the attack was not a threat to Vulcan. He was caught off guard by the physics-defying stunt pulled by Turan. If Vulcan was the kind that got hit by all of these tacky-named attacks, he would have never survived Logweed’s training.

Vulcan retreated by taking back a few steps. Vulcan was just about to shoot lightning from his blade so Turan could not follow immediately, but then he felt the s.p.a.ce compression just behind him.

It was Huran, who was just watching the battle until this point.

“Blink.”

With a quiet whisper-like voice, Blink was initiated.

In an instant, Huran closed the gap of a hundred feet and attempted to stab Vulcan with his giant sword. Vulcan jumped high to get away from the attack range of the two brothers.

The brothers were expecting Vulcan to fall back down, so they were taking stances in preparation, but they realized Vulcan was staying in the mid air. The brothers complained,

“What’s this? He didn’t even use any skill so why is he still floating?”

“Probably some item. This runt, there is a reason why he is stronger than his level.”

“Be careful from now on too. He might have more up his sleeves.”

‘My strength isn’t due to my equipments.’

Vulcan complained inside as he glared at the two, thinking,

‘What a bunch of idiots.’

Still, there was one thing that Vulcan could learn from them.

‘There is an advantage to fighting like a player.’

Even if it is something that is absolutely impossible for martial artists or mages, it was still possible with the power of a player’s skill. Players possessed abilities that could poke holes at the laws of physics or common sense in flow of offense and defense. Vulcan was very intrigued by this.

‘I trained for years in the traditional ways, and it looks like I became stiff in the way of my combat.’

Combat method of a player; it was worth investing some time and studying.

“Hey, are you chicken?”

“Hurry up and come down. We big bros are getting tired.”

The two threw energy blades at Vulcan a few times, but they gave up after watching Vulcan dodge them with ease. Instead, they started to annoy Vulcan with their words.

Vulcan felt he was dealing with two annoying flies.

‘I was thinking for a while…… Well, I can do it later at an easy pace.’

Vulcan slowly came down to the surface.

“Haha. What’s this? Were you trying to come up with a plan or something?”

“Now that you got a taste of it, it is tough to handle, isn’t it? If so, why don’t you just go float up in the air again? Once our boss steps in, that will be the end for you.”

“I was thinking for a while……”

“Uh?”

“I’m the kind that does not trust the words of others so easily. Even when someone badmouths about another, at first, I don’t trust what I hear. I make efforts to stay neutral until I see it myself.”

Turan roughly scratched his baldhead with his left hand and said,

“What kind of bull c.r.a.p are you talking about?”

Vulcan replied,

“Well, it’s nothing special. This is the conclusion I came to after experiencing it myself and carefully a.n.a.lyzing it.”

Vulcan raised up and opened his left hand toward the sky.

“You guys are indeed garbage.”

“…… this little runt.”

“Infinite Flame Sphere, Infinite Flame Sphere, Infinite Flame Sphere.”

Fist-sized chunks of flames poured out of Vulcan’s palm.

With initiation of each skill, five spheres popped out. Watching this made the brothers feel threatened. Turan quickly shouted the skill activation word,

“Charge!”

BAAM!

Turan charged at Vulcan like a cannon ball. Vulcan faced Turan with a smile. Vulcan controlled the Infinite Flame Spheres, aligning ten of them along the path between Turan’s trajectory toward himself. It was done at an incredible speed that Turan could never have responded to.

“What……!”

BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM!

A series of explosion occurred, and dark dust clouds bloomed from the explosions.

Turan suffered severe damage before getting close to Vulcan. Turan completely collapsed to the ground like a starfish with his arms and legs fully extended.

“You… You stupid little brother……”

“That stupid little brother of yours is more agile and more of a threat than you.”

“You son of a…… Blink!”

Huran was about to say something, but without any hesitation, he suddenly used Blink. Vulcan’s blade cut through Huran’s after image.

Vulcan whistled and placed his blade on his shoulder.

“Running away and providing support. You don’t know how to do anything else.”

“You little runt! Heavenly Horse……”

BOOM!

Before Huran could finish shouting the skill commands, an Infinite Flame Sphere attacked Huran’s head. Huran quickly raised his giant sword to defend himself, but he could not help the skill from being cut off before activation.

“Being able to shout the activation commands is the lifeline of the players. Yet you can’t even concentrate on it properly with this little bit of interference. This is why I am saying you are worse than your brother.”

“Shut your trap! Sky Shattering Lone……”

BOOM!

An Infinite Flame Sphere flew at him once again and interrupted his shouting of skill command. Huran, in a state of enrage, charged at Vulcan. On the other hand, in the way Vulcan was gazing on Huran, there was no sign of fear. In fact, Vulcan’s expression was incredibly peaceful and at ease.

“And this is the most important part……”

“You son of a b.i.t.c.h!”

The giant sword was raised high, ready to cut Vulcan in half.

Vulcan watched it with calm eyes, and in a speed of lightning he pierced into right in front of Huran’s stomach.

“……!”

“Lightning Fist.”

PUUUK.

Huran’s eyes widened for a moment, and then soon they lost focus as he lost consciousness. Huran was drooling as he was collapsing on to Vulcan’s shoulder. Vulcan pushed away Huran’s body and added one more thing.

“Other than your skills, your movements are really terrible.”