Return Of The Strongest Player

That was a lie.

Arthur's mana reserve contained significant mana, as he absorbed supernatural energy during his recuperation period. After rescuing Dino, the crimson-eyed man would lose 15-20% of his current mana reserve.

The amount was still significant, but much lower than what he'd stated.

It was done simply to bait Randy into displaying his true colors. Now that he and the others were interacting more often, the crimson-eyed man couldn't risk letting down his guard for even a second in fear of betrayal.

'This is definitely paranoia…' Arthur concluded, but he couldn't allow himself to relax before confirming Randy's true nature. Only then could he come to trust him.

Even after that, he needed to maintain an attitude that was not overly familiar, as jealousy and envy were usually the crux of betrayal, and what sparked the massacre on the 98th floor down.

Taking one last glance at Randy, who seemed to have shifted his attention entirely towards Dino's condition, Arthur extended his arm, placing his palm on the lanky man's chest. He poked his sternum.

Immediately, Dino's head jerked forward. Using that opportunity, Arthur rolled Dino's body, releasing the spike digging into his skin and placing his face on the ground. Then, Arthur activated [Judgment Regeneration].

Crimson aura slowly crept across Arthur's arm, enveloping Dino's body in a shroud of devilish light. A faint hum emerged as the crimson light circulated across his skin, entering it gently.

Then, Arthur first reconnected Dino's ligaments and bones, the vital parts of the man's healing process. Beads of sweat rolled down Arthur's forehead, and his hand trembled. Healing was a tiring process, difficult to endure. A single mishap could cause death to the patient.

The muscle tears were almost negligible, as they would heal gradually. Dino could continuously circulate mana across his mana channels to recover. Arthur refused to waste a significant amount of mana for such a meager injury.

His main focus was on the organs, which seemed unscathed. The spike had avoided them, and there was no significant damage.

'What the fuck…' While surfing through Dino's body, Arthur came across a pool of condensed mana. However, it was not pure mana. The pool was a topaz hue and sparked and crackled when interacted with. It was something separated from his mana channels.

Arthur wasn't able to properly observe the pool, as in a few seconds, his sense was forcefully ejected from the area.

'My sense should be a bit more powerful than other newbies,' thought Arthur, scrunching his eyebrows. 'How does this mere pool of mana have the capability to resist my sense? The density is not enough to fog my sense, either.'

That's when reality struck Arthur.

'Perhaps it's not mana,' the crimson-eyed man suspiciously raised an eyebrow, meticulously trying to invade the pool of topaz substance again. However, it was to no avail, as there seemed to be a barrier restricting his sense.

The barrier was not visible, yet its strength surpassed what Arthur could freely pass through. The crimson aura connected to [Judgment Regeneration] was unable to reach the depths of Dino's body.

After a few more tries, Arthur relented.

He then spent a few minutes meticulously healing Dino's wounds, after which he quickly withdrew his mana. The beads of sweat on his forehead evaporated due to the sheer temperature of his skin.

Immediately, once Dino had escaped his predicament, Arthur assumed a meditative stance before initiating his recovery. He absorbed mana from the surroundings to recover what he'd lost.

After a few minutes, Dino's eyelids fluttered, and his body shook lightly. With a pained groan, his eyes shot open, and his head jerked up. He immediately clutched his temple, squeezing while allowing sharp breaths to escape his lips.

It seemed he was still in pain.

However, it was only minor injuries compared to the ones he was previously inflicted with. Muscle tears were the majority of his current injuries.

As his gaze swept across his surroundings, it quickly settled on the figure of the muscular man, who seemed relieved. Dino, after circulating mana across his body for a few seconds, leaned in towards Randy.

"You look as annoying as always," he said. "Is this the underworld? There's a clone of you above ground."

Randy's relief faded, and his eyebrows twitched at Dino's words. "Since you have the capability to talk shit, I'm assuming you've recovered well. Oh, right, don't forget to thank Arthur for healing you."

Dino turned his head to face the crimson-eyed man, who seemed deep in his absorption phase. However, in reality, he was as sharp as always. His sense encompassed a few meters around him and would alert him of any danger.

The three, after Arthur finished his recovery, exchanged a few greetings before heading out.

*

On their way towards Level 2, Dino explained how he'd ended up in such a predicament, describing vividly how Neon decimated him. The facts damaged his ego, but this wasn't the appropriate time to boast.

Once he finished his explanations, Arthur and Randy fell into thought.

'So, Neon was hostile towards us all along…' Arthur thought, stroking his chin. 'Dino is quite strong when compared to the other newbies, and considering he got absolutely destroyed by Neon, it's safe to assume that the latter is not an easy foe to defeat.'

'Neon is related to Heather, who hasn't been spotted by Dino, Randy, or I, so it's difficult to assume her standpoint in this conflict. However, judging by the fact that Neon is her boyfriend, it's safe to assume that she was at least aware of this.'

'There's a possibility that Neon did not inform Heather of this, but he seemed like a little puppy bound to Heather during the time I spent in the isolated space. I'm not an expert in behaviorology, but it's quite safe to assume that she was aware.'

'If that's taken into account, combined with Neon's power, he has the possibility to be the anomaly.'

"Neon muttered something about meeting Heather at the silver wall while he was looking for me in the ravine."