“Zoren, we can’t just gang up on those people of GAA,” Thamus said as he rolled his mustache. “Our guild will get in trouble if we do that.”
Thamus was a twenty-three-year-old Adventurer belonging to Thunderbird Guild—Gold level 100. He was considered one of their strongest in gold-rank with his double A-rank classes and A-rank Lightning Elemental Mastery.
“But there’s one way,” said Romez, the adventurer around the same age as Thamus. “We can challenge him to a duel if you want to see him beat up, but the condition is that he must accept.”
Zoren pulled a long face, “Why can’t we just beat him up?! I got fucked up badly, but I can’t do anything?”
“That’s the problem, kid,” Thamus grinned. “Why don’t you go and beat him yourself? If you do that, there won’t be much trouble, but we are seniors. If we beat him without any reason or rhythm because you said so, then you will get in trouble along with our guild.”
“Indeed,” Romez added. “If he had joined just some random guild, then it wouldn’t be a problem if we beat him up, but he is a member of GAA. Unless you bribe some higher-up in GAA to keep out the trouble, you can’t go around beating their people.”
“Fine, I’ll provoke him,” Zoren said with a nasty grin. “I have a good idea.”
…
[Sparkwing Scarab]—Side-boss.
-Rank: Gold.
-Level: 100
—Physical:
↳[Strength: 190|Health: 195|Stamina: 185]
—Mental:
↳[Mana: 205|Focus: 195|Perception: 180]
It was a giant beetle five meters long with menacing golden lightning-sparking wings flapping while its wing case opened up and pulsed with a glow as if charging up.
It released three arcs of lightning to make sure that at least one of them would hit Almond. But Almond simply took on one head-on with his Lightning-style Fortification—with lightning-resistance as a bonus, activated.
Lightning diffused into his body as he felt the Golden Haze Lightning’s power.
Almond stood leisurely with his hand on his chin, his expression thoughtful.
Sparkwing Scarab screeched and readied its claw as it charged up and extended with razor-sharp blades. It attacked Almond, wanting to tear him into pieces.
Almond’s feet crackled with arcs of lightning as he jumped and dodged, his movements sharp and precise. He floated upside-down, effortlessly suspended in the air, his body held aloft by electromagnetic pulses drawn from the crackling energy that surged through the tree. The lightning arced around him, conducting through the air to maintain his position, allowing him to defy gravity with a seamless balance of power and control.
‘I need a stronger and purer version of Golden Haze lightning… this beetle is not enough.’
His body flickered as he pulled himself towards the corner where the group had gathered and was watching him for the past few minutes.
They were sitting ducks watching a show while feeling a mix of disbelief and awe.
“You can go ahead and kill it. I’ve wasted a lot of its Mana, so it should be easy to kill it.”
The thunderbird party simply nodded and went to fight the beetle without saying anything. They had seen too many abnormalities on him that they were numb.
‘His mana is not exhausted yet, but that beetle might exhaust its Mana soon…’ Henry was speechless. ‘It’s not like he would have more Mana than the boss…what a strange young man.’
Only If he knew that Almond actually had more Mana than the boss, and his Mana recovery was possibly the highest one among all Adventurers thanks to his SS and Legendary rank classes along with his innate talent that doubled his Mana recovery…
“Are you going up ahead to fight the final boss?” Henry asked.
“Yeah, after a few minutes,” Almond nodded.
As he finished speaking, his eyes caught something ahead as he saw a lightning-crackling bird flying towards them from a distance. “Huh? Someone’s coming here.”
Henry, Nikki, and Anton turned around upon hearing him and were surprised.
“Did someone enter the dungeon? But the guards should have arrived shortly after we entered to secure it,” Henry frowned.
“Don’t tell me it’s a dungeon break-in?” Anton’s expression turned somber.
“Impossible,” Henry shook his head. “The mountain outside and the surrounding area is under our guild’s surveillance. Other people can’t break in.”
“So they must be from the Thunderbird guild,” Nikkin raised her eyebrows.
They arrived soon, and when they were some tens of meters away, Almond recognized the face on him while Henry’s expression changed drastically. ‘Why is he here?’
“Interesting development,” Almond muttered as a smile hung on his face.
The sparrow landed on the branch’s edge some meters away before the three people jumped off and walked towards them.
“What are you doing here?” Henry asked, his brows furrowed.
“Shut up,” Zoren spat. “Just stand silently and don’t say anything from now on.”
Henry clenched his fist, his anger bubbling, but he didn’t talk back. ‘If he is here to cause trouble, things will escalate way more…’
He sent Magic Whisper to Thamus and Romez, telling them that troubling the GAA members here would cost the guild dearly.
‘Relax, Henry. We won’t be at fault if Zoren can provoke his enemy first.’
‘No, you don’t understa-.’
‘Henry, just watch.’
“Yo, do you remember me?” Zoren hatefully looked at Almond as he stopped two meters away from him.
“I don’t remember every trash I see on the road, ” Almond replied, his lips slanted as he made a face as if he was unsure.
Nikki and Anton were startled at the sudden aggression on Almond’s part.
‘Do you have some problem with this guy?’
‘Do you have a beef with this guy?’
Both of them, Magic Whispered to Almond, asking him similar questions.
‘Yeah. And I’ll deal with this. You two just watch.’
Meanwhile, Zoren almost blew his top upon hearing Almond, but he came here with a plan and composed himself.
“You may not remember me, but I remember you. How are those two bitches doing?” Zoren sneered.
Almond narrowed his eyes and didn’t respond. He just looked at Zoren dead in his eyes.
Thamus and Romez looked at Zoren, feeling awkward on his behalf.
“Humph, I can’t touch that black-haired bitch, but I swear I will teach that other bitch a hard lesson in the future,” Zoren licked his lips. “Just like the one I taught to a hoe in my guild a few days ago.”
“Are you done barking?” Almond smiled, albeit it was a frigid, cold smile. “Your plan is trash, just like you. But I’ll humor you out of my own desire to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget.”
In the next second, Almond suddenly moved and slapped Zoren.
*Pat!*
A couple of his teeth flew as he spit blood and fell on the ground like a ragdoll before he cried out, “BASTARD! Kill him! Kill him!”
“…”
Thamus and Romez looked at each other before looking at Almond, Nikki, and Anton.
‘This is bad. We are evenly matched at best,’ Thamus was speechless.
“Take him away, you two,” Henry said, his expression grave.
“No, no, not yet,” Almond said as he kicked Zoren in his stomach, this time provoking a reaction from Thamus and Romez as they moved.
Romez picked up Zoren while Thamus stood before Almond, a curved sword in his hand, “Chill, little brother. You’re going too far.”
However, he was surprised that Nikki and Anton didn’t move or do anything.
Seeing his gaze, Almond grinned as his eyes flickered with lightning, “You came here to fight, so fight is what you’ll get.”
In the next second, Thamus saw Almond’s body blurring. ‘Fast!’
He turned around and timely saw Almond kicking Zoren as he flew like a ragdoll.
“You…” Romez pointed his hand at Almond, conjuring two wind orbs as they struck Almond.
However, they snuffed out after simply touching his Fortification coating.
“Huh?” Romez was dumbfounded.
“…” Almond was speechless. “Thanks for the consideration, but treat me as if you are fighting a peak Gold-rank adventurer.”
After saying that, he disappeared and moved towards Zoren again before kicking him again.
He didn’t hit Zoren too strongly, but also not too lightly.
“Fuck!” Thamus cursed as he snapped out and seriously attacked Almond, his sword and body crackling with lightning as he used a skill to buff himself after using Physical Enchantments and Focus Field.
‘Use Focus Field. This guy is fast,’ Thamus said to Romez. ‘His stats are way higher than his rank and level indicates.’
“Arghhh!”
“Urughh…Blerrh!”
Zoren felt his world spinning. He only felt pain and nothing else.
“Stop!” Thamus slashed Almond, but only he saw sparks flying before his hand was deflected strongly, almost making him lose the sword.
‘What the fuck?!’
Romez took out his staff and used his class skill—Frost Mist, unleashing a mist toward Almond with the intention of freezing him.
Almond grinned as he released a burst of lightning by transmuting 100 Mana into lighting. The lightning traveled through the mist, destroying it and also electrifying Romez.
Simple elemental skills vs. elemental attacks from someone who had acquired an Elemental master had a big difference in potency. In an equal power clash, the former was no match for the latter.
Moreover, lightning interacted with mist and conducted with it, so even though Almond used his lightning crudely, it overpowered Zoren’s B-rank class skill, which was…well, merely B-rank in Almond’s eyes.
*Smash!*
Almond kicked Zoren again, making him fly in the air, this time right after he nullified Romez’s mist skill.
Thamus hissed as he went full focus and released his class skill as a cross-shaped red lightning slash shot toward Almond…who dodged it leisurely as he jumped and slapped Zoren’s face, smacking him down from the air.
“Damn it,” Romez attacked again.
“What the fuck…” Thamus fought while suppressing his disbelief and shock.
A brutal yet comical scene ensued.
Thamus and Romez solely focused on attacking Almond, but neither of them could hit him properly.
Meanwhile, Almond simply slapped and smacked Zoren around the spacious branch.