Return Of The Strongest Player

The crowd exploded into words of anger and joy simultaneously. A few condemned him for passing on a heavenly opportunity, while others sighed in relief, realizing they still had a chance with their queen.

"Seriously?" The man inquired, cocking his head while forming an expression of hesitance. He motioned for the woman beside him to shut off the camera, which she promptly did. Arthur narrowed his eyes.

"Why'd you shut off the camera?"

"I'm not sure about you, but we prefer to die normally, rather than being crushed under King Bahamut's feet," said the man, bowing. He nodded in acknowledgment before taking his leave quickly.

The crowd–too–dispersed once those words escaped Arthur's mouth. Not a single person wished to offend the Celestial Peaks, especially during an already ongoing conflict between two high-ranking clans.

It was a dire time for many.

Even the members of the Ganghan Guild seemed hesitant to appear bold as if scared by the mere name of King Bahamut. They glanced at Arthur, many emotions flashing in their eyes. Fear was only one of them.

"Young Master Arthur, I think we should–"

"Shut up!" Arthur replied, his eyes radiating immense fury. He stomped over to the man and woman with the camera, snatching it while pointing it at himself. "I don't know if this is live, but fuck King Bahamut and his daughter. They're a bunch of dumbasses who think they're strong because they're dragons."

"Dragons are just humans but worse! They have nothing going for them except the ability to fly… Just use wind magic, you fucking pussies. And the thing about spewing all that fire from their mouths? Fire magic exists for a fucking reason."

"They think they're special solely because of their genetics."

"They aren't."

With those words, Arthur dropped the camera on the floor, watching as the lens shone. The crowd ran in all directions, desperately trying to escape the area. There was no telling if a spy from Celestial Peaks was on the sixth floor.

"Young Master Arthur, we should leave," the man with ice powers suggested, flashing a worried glance at the crimson-eyed man. How could he have expected their Young Master to be so incompetent… so stupid?

To be capable of offending the Celestial Peaks was a privilege granted only to high-ranking clans. The Ganghan Guild was close to becoming one but was not nearly at their level, yet. Offending the Celestial Peaks without sufficient power was akin to committing suicide.

Once the members of the Ganghan Guild–along with Arthur–had escaped public eye, the crimson-eyed man reverted to his regular behavior.

"You, send someone to get that camera and release the footage to the tower," said Arthur, eyeing a certain man who seemed to be trembling in fear. To have offended a world power was nerve-wracking, and the man wanted nothing but to crawl into a hole and never exit.

"Young Master Arthur… I respect you, but this is too much," the ice-man said, fed up with Arthur's behavior.

"Are you questioning me?" Arthur inquired, stepping forward. The man before him was an Elite Ranker, and defeating such a foe–especially on the lower floors, where penalties could be utilized to their full extent–was not difficult.

Moreover, he could simply use the Saint Sealing Devil to his advantage.

"Yes, Young Master Arthur. To put my comrades in danger is an offense I cannot tolerate, no matter what your identity may be. To threaten the existence of the Ganghan Guild is an offense the Saint Sealing Devil cannot tolerate, either."

"Do you think he can touch me?" Arthur asked, letting out a soft chuckle. He approached the ice man, caressing his cheek. "You are much too young to understand. You, do what I said pronto."

The trembling man nodded, rushing back towards the crowd while attempting to locate the man and woman with the camera. The ice-man–on the other hand–unsheathed his sword, maintaining an emotionless expression.

"Do you really wish to fight?" Arthur inquired, cocking his head yet again. It seemed he was more bold than the crimson-eyed man initially expected.

"Only if you continue making such reckless moves. Call that guy back."

"No."

Arthur and the ice-man, whose name was apparently Onyx, faced each other. Arthur unsheathed Skofnung, releasing its dark, malevolent aura that seemed to grasp Onyx's throat, threatening to strangle him.

However, on the other hand, Onyx's Sword Aura was equally powerful.

As an Elite Ranker, he'd learned several tricks only capable of being performed with a massive reserve of mana, which Arthur did not yet possess. If a fight did break out, it'd be difficult to discern the winner.

'Stand Down,' Onyx repeated those words internally, clenching his teeth. Engaging in battle with Arthur would be incredibly detrimental, as that would either be a declaration of war, which would shatter the alliance, or it would be an opportunity for Arthur to milk the Ganghan Guild.

'My end won't be pretty if either of those situations occur.'

So, to prevent such an outcome, he needed to maintain a tough persona while simultaneously avoiding a battle.

Suddenly, Arthur broke out into laughter. "You're bold."

The crimson-eyed man and Onyx locked eyes. Arthur suddenly activated [Searing Gaze], sensing what could only be described as "electric shocks" down Onyx's spine. The man widened his eyes, shocked by the fear that emerged from nothingness.

Onyx felt a sense of paranoia, as if any second, Arthur would slit his throat in cold blood. As sweat trickled down his face, Onyx glanced at the dark alley in which they stood, away from all eyes and witnesses.

Other members of the Ganghan Guild were present, but they wouldn't speak a word if Arthur ordered them.

"Do you dare keep your sword unsheathed, now?" Arthur asked, releasing a quick burst of Sun Energy that seemed to blind Onyx for a split second. That was enough of a sign that Onyx wouldn't be able to react if they fought.

"No, Young Master."

Onyx sheathed his sword, and his Sword Aura diminished rapidly, to the point where the alley reverted to a regular temperature.