A Few Hours Later
A few hours later, Arion returned from the forest, his bags stuffed with firewood. As he approached the house, a strange, ominous feeling crawled over him. It wasn't danger sense—just a gut instinct screaming that something terrible had happened.
Arion entered the house quietly. He saw Leora sitting on the floor, her face red and eyes swollen from crying. Kalin was beside her, trying to wipe her tears.
"Leora! What happened?" Arion rushed to her, his heart clenching.
Leora lifted her head, her tear-filled eyes staring up at him. "Brother... there were... two guards... they said you didn't pay the tax... they threatened to kill you... and they took... the food!"
Rage flared in Arion's eyes. "What?!" he roared. "Those filthy bastards! Threatening my little sister?! Stealing her food?!" He punched the air with a clenched fist.
"Kalin! Did you see their faces? Who were they? Where did they go?" Arion demanded, his eyes burning with a fury like never before.
"They wore leather armor! They said they were going to the city center! I'll go hit them!" Kalin shouted, picking up a tiny stick from the floor, trying to look brave.
"No, brother! Don't fight them!" Leora pleaded, terror plain on her face. "They're strong... they'll kill you!"
Arion looked at Leora. Her words reminded him of his past weakness, of all the threats he'd faced. "Don't worry, Leora. Nothing will happen to me. I'll go see for myself."
Then he turned to Kalin, who was waving his tiny stick in the air. "Kalin, you're a hero! But this isn't the time for a fight. Calm down and look after your sister. I'll go fix this."
Arion calmed Leora and Kalin with difficulty. Then, with a heart boiling with rage, he headed for the city center. He didn't just plan to pay any tax—he planned to make those guards pay for terrifying his little sister.
"Time to use the Skill Crafter," Arion muttered, a wicked smile curling his lips. "You'll see, you filthy guards—you'll see what the 'Lord of Kingdoms' can do!"
---
The Confrontation at the Tax Office
Arion arrived at the tax office in the city center. It was an ordinary building, but full of people lining up to pay their dues. He spotted the two guards who had terrorized Leora standing at the entrance, chatting loudly and laughing. The food they'd stolen was dumped in a big basket next to them.
The first guard, taller and rougher, was named Rogan—level 6. The second, bulkier and less bright, was Brutus—level 5.
Rogan
Type: Human
Level: 6
HP: 450 / 450
Skills: Spear Thrust, Leather Shield
Brutus
Type: Human
Level: 5
HP: 350 / 350
Skills: Spear Thrust, Shoulder Slam
"Well, look who's here!" Rogan called when he spotted Arion. "The wretch who doesn't pay his taxes! Did you come to pay up, sir? Or are you gonna hide behind your little sister's skirt again?"
Brutus cackled mockingly. "We already took enough for today, man! And your food was delicious!"
Rage burned in Arion's eyes. "The food you stole was for my orphaned siblings, you dogs!" Arion growled. *"And you dare threaten a little girl?!"
"What are you gonna do, filthy servant?" Rogan sneered, pointing his spear at Arion. "Gonna whine to the city lord? We're following orders!"
Arion's lips curled into a cold smile. "I don't whine—I act."
He drew his new steel sword. "You scum! Watch this!"
Rogan and Brutus lunged at Arion, spears raised. Arion wasn't afraid. He knew this wasn't a fight to the death—this was a show of force.
Fshoooo!
Arion cast Weaken Bite on Rogan first.
[Skill Activated: Weaken Bite on Rogan!]
[10 Mana consumed.]
[Rogan's Strength reduced by 10%, Speed reduced by 10% for 30 seconds.]
Rogan shouted in surprise. "What?! What's happening? I feel... weaker!"
Before Brutus could react, Arion hit him with Weaken Bite too.
[Skill Activated: Weaken Bite on Brutus!]
[10 Mana consumed.]
[Brutus's Strength reduced by 10%, Speed reduced by 10% for 30 seconds.]
"Me too!" Brutus yelped, nearly dropping his spear. "My body... it's not obeying!"
Arion smirked. "This is just the beginning, fools!"
With the guards weakened and confused, Arion struck. He focused on Rogan first, exploiting the sudden drop in his strength.
Crash! Crash!
Arion slashed Rogan twice with his sword.
[Dealt 20 damage to Rogan!]
[HP: 430 / 450]
Rogan grunted in pain. "This servant... he's stronger all of a sudden!"
Brutus tried to stab Arion with his spear, but his movements were sluggish and clumsy due to Weaken Bite. Arion dodged easily and struck Rogan again.
Crash!
[Dealt 20 damage to Rogan!]
[HP: 410 / 450]
The guards realized they were in trouble. This "weak servant" they thought was easy prey had turned into a nightmare.
"Fall back, Brutus!" Rogan shouted. "This isn't normal!"
They tried to retreat, but Arion was faster. He fired off basic flame sparks at them, dealing light but constant damage.
Fshoo~ Fshoo~
[Dealt 5 damage to Rogan!]
[HP: 405 / 450]
[Dealt 5 damage to Brutus!]
[HP: 345 / 350]
With every slash and spark, Arion watched the fear grow in their eyes. They never expected anyone to stand up to them—let alone beat them so easily.
"You filthy scum! That's what you get for terrifying innocent children!" Arion roared, landing a final blow on Brutus, knocking him to the ground.
Boom!
[HP: 320 / 350]
Arion didn't kill the guards—he wanted to humiliate them. He saw Rogan trembling with fear.
"Now—my tax!" Arion barked, voice like steel. "I want my siblings' food back, twice what you stole, and an apology!"
---
The High Cost of Rage
But the guards didn't give in. As Arion demanded his terms, the Weaken Bite effect began to fade. Rogan and Brutus felt their strength flooding back.
"You bastard! You dare threaten city guards?!" Rogan snarled, eyes blazing with rage. "We'll kill you for this humiliation!"
"We'll bury you right here, you wretch!" Brutus bellowed. They lunged at Arion, spears gleaming in the sunlight. This was no longer about tax—it was personal. A crowd in the marketplace began to gather, whispering and backing away.
A deep rage flooded through Arion. Their insults, their threats to his sister—it all ignited the fury of the Lord of Kingdoms within him. "You filthy dogs!"
In a moment of blind fury, Arion swung his sword. Mana surged through him instinctively, fusing with the blade.
Fshooo!
The sword slammed into Rogan's face. It wasn't just an ordinary strike. The blade carried a spark of moderate fire, turning it devastating.
[Dealt 80 damage to Rogan!]
[Light Burn applied to Rogan!]
[HP: 325 / 450]
Rogan screamed, collapsing, part of his face charred and blood streaming down. Arion had struck his head—a critical weak point.
"Rogan!" Brutus screamed in horror. In that instant, he lunged, driving his spear straight into Arion's chest.
Crash!
[Dealt 100 damage to Arion!]
[HP: 80 / 200]
A searing pain shot through Arion. He'd lost half his HP in an instant. But the fury didn't leave him. He grabbed the spear impaled in his chest, gripping it tight.
"You fool!" Arion snarled. With a savage yank, he pulled the spear from his own flesh—and rammed it straight into Brutus's neck.
Stab!
It was a fatal blow. The spear punched through Brutus's throat, who gurgled, then fell limp.
Ding~
[Brutus defeated!]
[Gained 40 EXP!]
[Current Level: 2 (40 / 100)]
[HP: 80 / 200]
[Mana: 20 / 100]
Arion hadn't meant to kill anyone. But the fury swallowed him whole, and the fatal strike came without thought. A stunned hush fell over the crowd. They'd seen it clearly: a "weak servant" had killed a guard and crippled another.
---
The Fall and the Desperate Offer
"Guards! City guards!" someone shouted in the crowd.
Within moments, more city guards swarmed the scene. They wore better armor and carried deadlier weapons. They glanced at Brutus's corpse, Rogan's scorched face, then at Arion, bloodied and panting, his sword stained red.
"Seize him! He killed one of ours!" their captain barked.
Arion raised his hands, surrendering. There was no point fighting—he was exhausted, badly wounded, and they were too many.
"I surrender!" Arion rasped.
But the guards didn't listen. Their rage blinded them.
"Your surrender won't save you, murderer!" one of them shouted, rushing him.
They began beating Arion. Punches, kicks, blows from wooden batons. They didn't try to kill him outright—they just beat him until he was broken. Every strike hurt more than the last. His frail body, barely healed, absorbed blow after blow.
[HP: 70 / 200]
[HP: 50 / 200]
[HP: 30 / 200]
[HP: 10 / 200]
Arion was worse off than when he'd first arrived in this world. He was in agony, barely conscious, his vision blurring, darkness closing in.
Then, just as the last light of consciousness flickered, a transparent blue window appeared before his eyes.
Ding~
[Desperation Quest: Forgive Malakai]
Description: In your desperate state, the system offers you one last chance. Forgive Prince Malakai and abandon your grudge.
Reward: A Rank C Skill (randomly selected from rare skills).
Failure: Gain nothing—and face the consequences of your actions.
"Forgive Malakai?" Arion rasped, spitting blood on the ground. "That bastard… forgive him?!"
"Here!" Arion weakly raised his middle finger at the blue window—then the darkness swallowed him whole.