Go Gin's steps came to a complete halt.
The air fell into a heavy silence. His breathing grew rough, and the massive green figure slowly turned around. Cold white eyes locked onto Lyle.
"Are you deliberately trying to provoke me, human alchemist?"
Go Gin opened his mouth. His deep, gruff voice carried a tone that was difficult to define.
He didn't seem visibly agitated, and yet—
The sudden stop, the heavy breathing, and the fact that he responded at all made it clear: Go Gin was not calm.
Lyle's words were like a boulder thrown into a still lake, jolting Go Gin awake.
Suddenly, a thought struck him: Had he stayed in the Baharuth Empire for too long?
Originally, he came to train and grow stronger. That was how he'd encountered Osk, the arena master, and joined up with the Empire's fighting circuit.
And it was true—he had gained a lot here. His combat instincts sharpened, and he learned to wield human martial techniques more effectively. But now?
Was there any real point in staying?
Just to learn a few more moves?
A trace of confusion flashed through Go Gin's eyes, but it vanished quickly. He looked down at the small, frail Lyle.
"Don't overestimate yourself."
"I've met plenty of silver-tongued humans like you."
"Frankly, your wordplay isn't even that impressive. I'm not some dumb troll you can manipulate."
"You think a few words will sway me? That's insulting, human alchemist!"
"Careful—I will kill you."
By the end, Go Gin's voice carried a clear undercurrent of killing intent. His hulking body trembled slightly, and a bestial aura radiated from him, making the air feel thick and oppressive.
"Awoo..."
The little barghest beside Lyle instinctively shrank back a few steps, lowering its head in fear as it gazed at the towering figure.
"Pathetic," Lyle muttered, casting a glance at the creature and waving it off to the side.
"Then how about a fight?"
Lyle raised his head again, smiling calmly. From beneath the sleeve of his loose priest's robe, a magic short staff appeared in his palm.
A fight?
Go Gin froze, as if he'd just heard the punchline to a bad joke. "Are you serious?"
"I've already wasted enough time on you, ignorant alchemist."
In the entire Baharuth Empire, none of the so-called strong adventurers could match him. Yet this human, known only for his alchemy, dared to challenge him?
Go Gin felt a sudden sense of boredom and turned to leave again.
"Abelion Hills."
"You might have heard of it—it's a region teeming with subhuman races and aberrant creatures," Lyle said, his voice still unhurried.
"But what you probably don't know is that it's also home to the so-called 'Ten Greats'—the strongest among all demi-humans."
"To put it in human terms, each one of them has reached hero-class strength... or higher."
Boom!
Go Gin turned back instantly, his burning gaze locked on Lyle. "What kind of place is that?"
Lyle didn't answer. He simply raised his short staff.
"I'll spare your life."
Go Gin took a deep breath, his gaze turning sharp.
Buzz—
A pulse of energy burst from the short staff. An invisible ripple spread outward.
Go Gin didn't even flinch. He stood still, letting Lyle prepare his spell.
"It's a magic tool that suppresses sound within a certain radius," Lyle explained after activating it.
The staff was now completely inert—its stored charges had been used up. He didn't mind. It could be recharged later by a proper mage.
No point in wasting skill points learning a spell he could just pay for.
"Need anything else? Go ahead and finish prepping," Go Gin said flatly.
"Then I won't hold back," Lyle replied.
Go Gin, known as the "Warlord," was a proud warrior. He adhered to a warrior's code—he wouldn't strike down a foe who had already dropped their weapon, for instance.
To earn his respect, one had to demonstrate true strength.
And Lyle didn't mind revealing some of his cards.
After everything he said about the Abelion Hills, Go Gin would no longer remain in the Empire.
And that region... it was one of Lyle's strategic goals anyway.
Swish! Swish!
Twin flashes of white light lit up the air—two Flame Archangels materialized beside Lyle.
"So that's your trump card?"
Go Gin's eyes flashed with surprise, then narrowed in amusement. "Interesting."
"Then allow me to show you the gap between us."
Flow Acceleration!
Boom!
Go Gin slammed his feet into the ground. His enormous body launched forward with speed that belied his size, leaving afterimages in his wake.
In a blink—
He was already in front of the two Flame Archangels.
Before they could even attack, he grabbed each by the head with his massive hands—and smashed them together in the middle.
Boom!
A deep, bone-rattling impact echoed through the air. The resulting shockwave sent a blast of wind in all directions.
Crack! Crack!
The armored helmets of the Flame Archangels shattered. Their bodies burst into light and vanished.
Both angels, defeated in a single blow.
Go Gin looked down at Lyle, now within arm's reach—as if to say the fight was over.
"Pride is one of the seven deadly sins," Lyle said softly, unfazed by the towering shadow looming over him.
He reached to his waist and drew an iron sword.
A magic pouch hung at his belt—originally used by Leinas to hold five thousand gold coins. Lyle had transferred the coins into his inventory but kept the pouch visible.
It helped conceal his actions when retrieving items from his storage.
"Dark Wave."
The moment the words left his lips, a wave of pitch-black energy erupted from Lyle's body, rippling outward.
There was no dodging it—Go Gin was too close.
His entire body locked up, frozen on the spot.
"W-what...?"
Go Gin stood rigid, his eyes dazed.
The power of a class skill revealed itself in full. Even though Go Gin's level was higher than Lyle's, he couldn't resist the effect.
Just like instant-death spells in games—
You survive, or you don't. No amount of skill could save you.
Which was why players needed to build counters for them.
Quick Slash!
Lyle moved without hesitation. His eyes were calm as he brought the iron sword down in a heavy arc toward Go Gin's chest.
Squelch!
The blade sliced through tough flesh, sending a fountain of blood spraying into the air. But Go Gin's enormous body meant the sword only left a deep wound—it didn't kill him.
Crack.
The iron sword snapped.
Lyle jumped back, avoiding the spray of blood.
The pain broke Go Gin out of the stun. His expression shifted, and he retreated swiftly to gain distance.
"What kind of magic was that just now?!"
Go Gin stared at the bleeding gash across his chest in disbelief. His contempt had vanished—replaced by caution, and perhaps... a trace of respect.