Return Of The Strongest Player

A world stripped of all darkness descended yet again, followed by the deafening roar of a collision.

The mixture of Hydrogen and Helium encompassed the surrounding area, burning everything in proximity to cinders, while simultaneously protecting those the wielder did not wish to harm. Then, suddenly, the eeriness of silence rang in the ears of everyone present.

The Sun could form shadows, but it could also destroy them.

The remnants of the zombies who'd attempted to obstruct Arthur's path fell to the ground. Mounds of flesh and blood remained, with no bone that hadn't been crushed to powder.

The death aura surrounding the battlefield thickened, which was a blessing and a curse to the crimson-eyed man. Although it proved the true death of his foes, the death aura also restricted the use of [Judgment Regeneration].

As the world of eternal light subsided, darkness returned.

The shadows became visible, detaching the world from the short period of peace.

Suddenly, Umbral's laughter resounded across the battlefield, causing Arthur's eyes to narrow in response. The shadows continued to swirl around his body like a thick layer of flames, but for a split second, their intensity dimmed.

The grotesque state of the child's body was revealed.

With open wounds, ripped flesh, crushed bones, and torn tendons, it was safe to say that Umbral had not emerged unscathed. Even with the protection from his shadows, resisting the assault of the Blessing of the Sun as a mere second-floor player was incredibly difficult.

However, what surprised Arthur was the child's casual reaction.

While allowing laughter to escape his lips, Umbral took long strides forward, as if unable to walk properly due to the intense pain continuously coursing across his body. He raised his trembling hand.

The thin, slimy tendril of a shadow faded, revealing his torn flesh.

"All of you. Attack at the same time."

As Umbral uttered those words, all zombies turned to face Arthur, causing the crimson-eyed man's face to pale. He could resist the advance of a few players… perhaps over a dozen, but he couldn't hold off more…

Whilst Arthur prepared to fight several dozens of zombies, Umbral revealed a toothy grin before collapsing on the ground. Assuming a meditative position in the center of the battlefield so as to irk the crimson-eyed man, he began healing his wounds.

Arthur glanced at the display, scoffing at Umbral's petty attempt at riling him up.

However, he had more important matters to be concerned with.

Suddenly, an arrow forged using azure flames approached Arthur, threatening to pierce his left eye, judging by its trajectory. Arthur unsheathed Skofnung, slicing the flame arrow with a single, swift swing before conjuring an Earth barrier.

The Earth barrier obstructed the advance of several low-tier spells, while also providing Arthur some leeway to think.

[Mana Sense] operated at its full potential, sensing all approaching attacks a few seconds before they were to collide. Since [Searing Gaze] would not disrupt entities with no intelligence, his trait was virtually useless during the battle.

Continuing to block attacks and land an occasional blow on his foes, Arthur kept a close eye on Umbral. Sensing the man's gaze, the latter sometimes opened his eyes, flashing a quick smile before returning to his healing process.

His wounds closed at a terrifying pace, something that shocked even Arthur.

Umbral's body was not weak, so healing it so quickly wouldn't have been possible. That could only mean the child's regeneration skill far surpassed [Judgment Regeneration]'s life aspect. Were those shadows truly so powerful?

'The most troublesome thing is their versatility,' thought the crimson-eyed man, gritting his teeth. Not only could the shadows fortify Umbral's defenses, but they could also act as separate beings, help possess other entities, and even act as healing agents.

'Can my Blessing do that?' Arthur thought, quickly nodding. Blessings were incredibly versatile, and a regular player could even reach the rank of a High Ranker solely by pursuing the Path of the Sun, or any other blessing.

However, for those who wished to surpass that rank, the blessing was only a means to an end.

Each time the slimy, slithery sperm-like creature slithered across an open wound, the injury would fade. After a few repetitions, the entire wound would close. At that pace, it wouldn't be long before Umbral regenerated completely.

Arthur was in a predicament.

With several zombies assaulting him from each side, and the rapidly approaching return of the Child Of Shadows to the battlefield, Arthur couldn't possibly hold them off, or even defeat them solely using his own prowess.

His gaze fell upon the peacefully slumbering figure of Eleanor.

'I have to wake her up,' thought the crimson-eyed man. He previously knocked her out due to her fluctuating emotions, which would've eventually resulted in an impulsive decision on her part, which would have further led to her untimely death.

However, now that he truly needed her power, Arthur was not hesitant to disturb her slumber.

Calculating the distance between him and the red-haired woman, Arthur realized he was too far away to approach her. In the time it took to run towards the princess, the zombies would've unleashed several fatal attacks, and the crimson-eyed man would be vulnerable to every single one of them.

'Barely a few minutes until Umbral finishes healing,' thought Arthur, biting his lip. As much as he hated to admit it, the child was equal to him when considering battle power. What gave Arthur the edge was his natural advantage.

Sunlight could destroy shadows.

That was the only advantage he had.

Otherwise, when taking into account Umbral's shadows and his techniques, he and Arthur were practically equal.

If he finished healing, Arthur would be forced to engage with both the zombies–whom he seemed to be having trouble with–and Umbral, whom he could not defeat without the use of his blessing.

'I didn't realize the fusion would play such a vital role in this battle,' thought Arthur.

If he hadn't gained access to his blessing before entering the second floor, he would have died long ago.

Now, it was only a matter of awakening Eleanor.

Without her, Arthur would be in a precarious situation before long.