Return Of The Strongest Player

'Arthur's here,' thought Anna, shutting her eyes. A tear fell from her eyes, symbolizing her regret. The fear that her son, too, would be killed crept up. She suffocated as she had a panic attack.

Suddenly, two voices comforted her from both sides.

"It'll be okay, mommy."

"We'll get through this, Anna."

She took a deep breath before nodding. An expression of determination was plastered over her face, displaying her confidence. "Yes, we will. Arthur isn't helpless, and he isn't the weak boy I consider him to be."

"Yeah, big brother's strong."

"He is."

Reinforced by the two voices that continued to support her, Anna felt tears stream down her cheeks. Only, the tears were of joy and pride instead of hopelessness. A sense of hope ignited in her chest.

*

"Arnold, go check him out," ordered the handsome man, narrowing his eyes. The presence he felt wasn't ordinary. Had they picked a fight with someone they couldn't handle? No, he was simply a young man.

He couldn't be powerful.

Thankfully, they'd escaped the senses of the retired Elite Ranker presumed to reside in the village. Other than him, the handsome man, also named Jeremy, believed there wasn't a single entity capable of threatening his overwhelming power.

He hadn't unlocked mana yet, but he was on the cusp of achieving the feat.

"Why me?" asked the lanky man, also named Arnold. "Jeremy, you're the stronger one. You're more suited."

"I'll prepare to ambush him," replied Jeremy as a glint of murderous intent flashed across his apathetic eyes. The darkness diminished for a split second, revealing Jeremy's true colors. Arnold shuddered at the sight.

"Okay," said Arnold, clutching his thigh that had suddenly begun hurting. "But just this once, okay?"

"There won't be a second time," replied Jeremy. 'Because we're likely to die here,' he said inwardly but didn't dare speak out loud. It was a bad omen to announce one's potential death. And, he wasn't sure.

Once Arnold steeled his resolve, he exited the darkness to investigate the source of the unknown presence. Jeremy, on the other hand, unsheathed his two daggers. He planned on holding Arthur's parents hostage.

Although they'd already been kidnapped, Jeremy believed Arthur wouldn't move a muscle if the former threatened to slit their throats before the latter. He believed the crimson-eyed boy was too soft to endanger his family.

And he was correct.

However, soft and cautious were two words with vastly differing definitions.

'I hope Arnold doesn't fuck things up,' thought Jeremy, shaking his head in frustration. The lanky man was someone whom Jeremy expected to mess things up when entrusted with a job of responsibility. 'Hopefully, he doesn't get himself killed.'

Worst case, Arnold would be minced meat when Jeremy discovered his body. However, it never hurt to hope the man would survive.

*

"That fucking bastard!" exclaimed Arnold in a tone of indignance. The thought of Jeremy forcing him to investigate a potentially dangerous situation irked Arnold since the latter hired the former.

However, it wasn't possible to refute Jeremy's orders, either, since the handsome man could slash him to bits if angered. Arnold simply wished for ten silver coins, from which three would be given to Jeremy as commission.

It was revenge from Arthur for stealing the carcasses of the King Wolves.

'That bastard,' thought Arnold before spitting on the ground. 'Always flaunting his strength. He cut my fucking thigh, for god's sake. He wasn't even that strong.'

Suddenly, as Arnold traversed through the alleys of darkness, a chill shot down his spine. His teeth clattered subconsciously, and amidst an atmosphere unsuited for human vision, his eyes widened due to sudden fear.

Humans feared the unknown. They needed to investigate the unknown in order for the fear to fade. They wished for rule, for a monarchy, to lead. But they were always hesitant to approach something they weren't aware of.

Emotions, creatures, change... darkness.

Slash! Slash! Thud!

With a swift motion of a rough hand, Arnold's arms fell to the ground, and his expression crumpled to that of sheer horror. Regret, agony, sorrow, and, most of all... pain were registered simultaneously.

Screams of misfortune resounded across darkness yet were heard by no one but darkness.

Snot, tears, and blood streamed down Arnold's body, along with urine and feces. Several reactions were triggered simultaneously, and the lanky man fell into a catatonic state almost instantly.

"Did you think you could get away with it?" asked darkness itself. The voice echoed in the lanky man's head, but no significant reaction was visible. Suddenly, the gaze that emerged from the darkness intensified.

A hand approached Arnold. It collided with his torso.

[Sin Toll has been used.]

[The Sins and Virtues of the target are being examined.]

[Target has 73% Sin and 27% Virtue.]

[Drastic debuffs are being applied.]

A crimson aura burst from Arnold's body as [Sin Toll] affected his body and soul. The sudden change caused veins to bulge from his body while several organ systems flickered. Immeasurable pain assaulted Arnold's mind and body.

"You know, that was only for Mom," the voice hidden beneath the darkness spoke once again. It dripped with malice and murderous intent.

Arnold was jolted awake from his catatonic state, and he shuddered at the sight of the monster. Draped under darkness, it bared its fangs at the lanky man, threatening to gobble him. It was a horrific sensation.

"F–For Mom?" asked Arnold, raising his head slightly.

"Yeah," replied Arthur, appearing from behind the veil of darkness. "This is for Dad, on the other hand."

"F–For Dad?"

"Yeah," said Arthur as the sole of his foot came into Arnold's vision. Suddenly, the latter's eyes widened as the crimson-eyed man's foot shot downwards towards Arnold's crotch.

Crunch! Splash!

Arthur's foot landed in the mess caused by Arnold's crushed crotch and overflowing semen. Belatedly, Arnold's horrifying screams reverberated across the area. His pupils rolled back, and he lost consciousness for a second.

"Now, this is for Lily," said Arthur before extending his hand. It touched Arnold's abdomen, and the veins on his body bulged. Mana rushed from Arthur's body to Arnold's, which was unable to support the supernatural energy.

[Mana is being sucked from your body.]

[The person you are touching is being overloaded with mana.]

[The target's body cannot support mana.]

[Initiating mana overload.]

[99%... 100%.]

[Mana overload complete.]

Within seconds, Arnold's body disappeared in the rain of blood and flesh. His remains landed on Arthur's body and the crimson-eyed man chuckled at the sight.

"Now, the other guy."