Return Of The Strongest Player

A few hours passed in an instant. Arthur had amassed a total of 6 points after violently murdering five players in cold blood. With six flags and a crown on his body, he was a walking target that many would attempt to ambush.

Unfortunately for them, Arthur was as prepared as one could be for potential ambushes.

With [Mana Sense] running at all times, although Arthur consumed a chunk of his mana reserve, it still helped sense approaching or observing threats in the distance. It was a countermeasure to prevent being assassinated.

Arthur–as mentioned before–could not engage more than a certain number of players simultaneously. If the number exceeded five, the crimson-eyed man would be at their mercy in no time.

He was not invincible… At least, not yet.

Thankfully, however, he had information on the past/future. 'There's a hidden feature of this floor… Well, there's a hidden feature on almost every single floor, which many have missed in the past or did not have the capabilities to abuse.'

Arthur–on the other hand–had such capabilities.

All he needed to do was prevent anyone from following his movement. After confirming that no one was observing him, Arthur swiftly moved across the forest, heading towards the North border of the world.

The hidden feature was not necessarily hidden but simply placed in a location not many decided to explore. The North and South borders were usually empty, as the battle was usually between East and West.

The world was enormous, and most of it was unexplored.

Arthur traversed across the uneven ground, arriving at the North Border in only a few hours. The Sun had already begun setting, dying the sky in a vibrant, orange hue. The Sun nestled within the orange color, gradually fading away into the abyss.

As Arthur stepped into a certain stone building, his gaze shot towards an altar.

'That should be where the flute is hidden,' thought Arthur, approaching the stone altar before lifting the lid to a nearby box. The crimson-eyed man had expected smoke or dust to rise, but there was nothing.

His eyes widened slightly, and his heart sank.

The stone box was entirely empty, with only broken cobwebs and a few specs of dust kept within. Arthur narrowed his eyes, brushing his hand across the inside of the box. He spread a layer of mana across it, inspecting the box with great detail.

'It hasn't been opened very long ago,' thought the crimson-eyed man. 'The reason I delayed it was to prevent anyone from following me. Who knew someone would have already snatched it… But that means someone else has such information.'

'Usually, people who pass trials do not reveal too much information to their descendants or allies, so as to increase their ability through struggles. A few people who were carried knew such information, though…'

'Is it someone like Aryan?'

It was definitely possible.

'If the one at the North Border is taken, the South Border would have already been looted or is being looted right now. I don't have time to get any of the items this time…' Arthur muttered internally, clicking his tongue.

The items were flutes that were capable of manipulating one's emotions to a certain extent. Due to their sheer power, the flutes remained within the trial, and one could not bring them outside the challenge area.

'It would've been a pity if I had gotten my hands on it…' Arthur muttered internally. 'But it's good since I wasn't able to retrieve it. It means I won't have to worry about being struck with such an item outside Challenge Areas.'

Arthur let out a sigh, heading back. It seemed like his trip had been for naught since the hidden feature had already been discovered. Now, without a single advantage, it'd be difficult to compete with dozens of players without assistance.

'I already antagonized my teammates, so the chances of being betrayed are incredibly high,' thought the crimson-eyed man. He cursed at himself for not taking into account the possibility of failing to receive the flute.

While leaving the stone building, something caught his eye.

Turning around, Arthur immediately unsheathed Skofnung while increasing the distance [Mana Sense] encompassed.

"What the fuck…"

Before he could realize something was amiss, a netted trap was hurled in his general direction. Arthur. The crimson-eyed man was quick to react, generating a spell in his palm before unleashing it.

Flames engulfed the netted trap, disintegrating it in seconds. However, that wasn't the only attack Arthur faced, as a few seconds later, two arrows approached him from opposing directions.

The crimson-eyed man observed their trajectory, slicing them both using Skofnung.

After that, his surroundings turned silent.

Arthur expanded [Mana Sense] as far as he could, yet he couldn't sense anything, as if the random attacks had originated from nothingness. 'There has to be a source… Did they already escape?'

Arthur narrowed his eyes, cautiously heading back toward the area where most of the players were fighting. One thing was for certain… The other party was not simple, and there seemed to be someone commanding them.

Players could not organize themselves so well without a leader.

'But that leader also has to have immense control and charisma, or perhaps the ability to instill fear,' thought Arthur, stroking his chin. 'Forcing people into dangerous situations without their consent was not beneficial, as they would either join the other side or simply abandon the situation if their life was on the line.'

'That means the commanding person has total control over his troops, to the point where they won't question his orders, no matter what he says. Even if he/she commands them to jump off a cliff, they would do it.'

'Was the battle fixed beforehand?'

'But that shouldn't be possible… Wait, are some of my teammates also affiliated with that person? That should be the only option… the only possibility.'

'Without getting an entire batch on their side, it's very difficult to fix a match. One party has to be ready to die.'

'Was I playing an unwinnable game for the entire team?'