Return Of The Strongest Player

Slipping through the maze of unlit passages like a slippery snake, Arthur made his way toward the inheritance ground. He could hear the thuds of footsteps and the clangs of armor and weapons colliding with rock.

His eyes darted across the place, eventually landing on the sight of a pile of loose rocks. Arthur could vividly hear the tumultuous footsteps that approached his general directions at a speed he was incapable of coping with.

He would eventually be caught.

'This is fucking stupid,' thought the crimson-eyed man, his eyes locked on the loose pile of rocks. Not only would it cause injuries, but it would also consume a massive chunk of mana, essentially leaving him defenseless afterward.

However, he was left with no choice.

He quickly approached the pile of rocks, placing his hand atop one of them. The texture of the rock was rough, and it didn't seem too sturdy. He allowed a bit of his mana to enter the rock, causing a faint aura to escape it.

The mana soon shone, the strands coiling up before condensing around the pile of rocks. A crimson aura illuminated the unlit passage. Arthur continued to force more and more mana into the rocks but made sure not to make it too destructive towards himself.

Shards of rock flew in all directions, and a miniature hurricane formed solely due to the concentrated mana.

Blisters and calluses formed on Arthur's skin. As a few more seconds passed, they evolved into tiny cuts, and then fairly large cuts. The crimson-eyed man gritted his teeth, enduring the rising pain that coursed across his body.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was strained. His mana was consumed rapidly as the concentration of mana within the rocks increased. Eventually, the coils of mana had morphed into a layer.

'Three…'

The footsteps closed in, and silhouettes of humans began appearing one by one. Arthur's vision was blurring due to the pain, while the rapid decrease in his mana reserve was not helping in any shape or form.

Instead, it was only worsening the situation.

"There he is!" A green-haired man shouted, pointing at the crouching figure of the crimson-eyed man. The former's expression brightened, noticing the wounds on the latter's body. He motioned for his group to follow him through the narrow passage.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

'Two…'

Arthur's droopy eyes turned to face the pursuers with an expression of annoyance. He shot a cold glare at them, stopping them in their tracks for a split second. But that delay was all Arthur needed.

The layer of mana around the pile of rocks produced a sizzling sound, releasing gray smoke while shaking violently. Arthur quickly positioned himself on the opposite side of the rubble, gazing at the approaching men and women.

With an expression of indifference, he stopped releasing mana, cutting the connection.

'One…'

With barely a second remaining, Arthur unsheathed Skofnung. The pursuers were barely a few meters away from the crimson-eyed man, and a few had already prepared spells to engage in combat.

They believed it would be an easy battle.

But they couldn't be farther from the truth.

A cold smile blossomed on Arthur's face, replacing his emotionlessness. Shivers shot down the spines of the pursuers as they locked eyes with the crimson-eyed man, who was about to swing down.

The green-haired man was the first to notice Arthur's actions. His eyes widened, and with a sweep of his hand, he motioned for the pursuers to stop. With barely a few feet of distance remaining, the two parties simply stared at each other.

Swoosh!

Arthur swung Skofnung towards the rubble, utilizing the impact as a catalyst for what was about to occur. As soon as the blade collided with the pile of rocks, the concentrated layer of mana that was barely contained by Arthur's will sizzled.

"Bye-bye!" Arthur laughed, waving.

Immediately, the sight of falling boulders and smoke encompassed his vision. The world spun around him and excruciating pain coursed across his body. But he simply found happiness in the helpless screams of the pursuers.

The blood-curdling voices and the cries of pain…

Arthur was certain that half of them had died instantly. Thankfully, he covered his body in a layer of mana before the explosion, saving the essential parts of the body while allowing the rest to suffer severe injuries.

The flesh on his torso was utterly destroyed, with smoke and hot blood coming out.

"Fuck…" Arthur whispered, wiping away the blood from his face using his trembling, bony fingers. Despite the pain, a smile hung on his lips, accurately displaying his elation at having escaped danger.

Well, danger still existed.

But at least its potency had been decreased severalfold. Injuries could be healed, but fighting off such a massive group of players was utterly impossible. However, running away was definitely possible.

Arthur barely held himself up, limping over to the altar.

The moisture of the cave stuck to his skin, while his blood mixed with the water beneath, dying it a crimson shade. His breaths were strained, and he let out a sigh each time he inhaled and exhaled.

It was difficult to exist.

After a few seconds of walking, Arthur finally reached the altar. He retrieved the black stone, making sure it was the correct shape. Then, he placed it in the hole, stepping back as he spectated the show.

For a few seconds, nothing occurred, causing Arthur to furrow his eyebrows.

However, suddenly, the black stone melted into dark liquid, returning to the crimson-eyed man's hand. Since the process was involuntary, doubt arose in Arthur's mind as he observed the liquid.

Nothing seemed to have changed.

However, suddenly, a shrill scream echoed across the cave. Arthur–although initially startled–didn't fail to regain his composure almost instantly. Soon, many screams resounded across the cave.

They were the voices of death.

Once the voices subsided, the invisible barrier faded away solely for its inheritor to enter. Arthur dragged his body into the barrier. After entering the inheritance ground and walking a few steps, he collapsed on the ground.

He had barely 1% mana left, and without the mana stone's functions, it would take some time for his body to rejuvenate independently.

'I can't continue like this.'