Return Of The Strongest Player

Elders usually spectated the battle through tiny VIP rooms. Their presence was important, and to avoid being swarmed by tourists, they reserved rooms. The person who addressed Arthur as "Mr. Solace" was one of Gabriel's disciples.

He had long, black hair and an innocent face. With an expression of respect, he addressed Arthur as someone above him, bowing while conveying Elder Gabriel's message with the utmost respect towards the receiver.

Arthur glanced at the battlefield, then at Isabella, who nodded. The crimson-eyed man stood up, and was led towards Elder Gabriel's room by the innocent disciple, who didn't dare to gaze the crimson-eyed man in the eye.

Gabriel's disciple wasn't aware of Arthur's status in the village, and simply assumed that the latter was an esteemed guest. Moreover, Isabella–one of the founders of Gargo Village–was treating Arthur with such kindness, that Gabriel's disciples couldn't help but convert that into respect.

After a few minutes of walking, the two arrived before a wooden door.

"Please, head in," said the disciple, bowing once more. Arthur nodded, not bothering to clear the misunderstanding, and instead, embracing it. 

He gently pushed the door open, noticing the darkness within. With a low creak, the wooden door slammed into another wall, regardless of how gently Arthur had pushed it. Even with the assistance of mana, Arthur still couldn't detect a single thing within the room.

However, one thing was for certain.

Elder Gabriel's room was massive. 

"Sit," an authoritative voice resounded in Arthur's ears. The crimson-eyed man wasn't certain whether it was supposed to be a command or a request, but he compiled, nonetheless. A chair manifested before him, and he promptly sat.

The atmosphere was dark, making it fairly obvious that Elder Gabriel wished for this to be a dark conversation. His voice–although difficult to discern–held back immense rage not directed towards Arthur.

It seemed he still hadn't gotten over the little spat with Feyright.

Arthur furrowed his brows. He didn't feel an oppressive aura from Gabriel's voice, but it certainly seemed oppressive. Was Gabriel injured? Why was his mana-laced voice so weak, despite his immense strength compared to the current Arthur?

"I'm sure you watched the last battle, and can tell we only have four competitors," said Gabriel in a regretful tone. Each word contained a deep emotion that intertwined with his sorrowful tone, striking Arthur's ears with precision.

He seemed fearful… Fearful of what would happen to Gargo Village if a few more of its elite fighters were killed. He knew Feyright, and was aware that he wouldn't allow Gargo Village to remain standing.

He would do everything in his power to eradicate it.

"I'm aware of Gargo Village's circumstance," replied the crimson-eyed man, nodding plainly. There was no emotion mixed with his nod, nor his gaze. His actions seemed empty, and so did his voice.

That was intentional.

"Arthur… I'm aware that you're not simple," said Elder Gabriel. "The person who conquered the First Floor with the highest score in history… That was you, correct? There isn't another Arthur Solace on the First Floor."

"Yes, that was me," replied Arthur stoically. He was aware that there was no way of hiding such a massive achievement. Everywhere he went, if others knew his name, they could trace him to the achievement.

'I need to think of a new name to use…'

However, why would Elder Gabriel mention that? 

"So, you're plenty strong, correct?" 

Arthur shook his head. "I'm actually quite weak."

Gabriel furrowed his eyebrows, his gaze piercing Arthur's soul. The latter's eyes had adjusted to the darkness, allowing him to peer at the former, albeit barely. His expression was sour, while his eyes were filled with indignation.

"It doesn't matter. You will participate in the next battle."

*

Xiao Fan released a sphere of condensed mana, hurling it towards Finn. The latter tossed a few black balls to the ground, jumping on them while coating his feet in mana. Immediately, an explosion rang in the crowd's ears.

The black balls detonated, releasing tremendous energy. Finn was propelled directly towards Xiao Fan, who had predicted such an outcome and was currently calculating the velocity of the former's approach.

Although young, the warriors were not clueless in the art of battle.

Each competitor had been trained since childhood, and was refined in the art of magic, martial arts, weaponmanship, and much more. They had honed their skills since youth, building upon them by using the records of their respective villages.

Although the villages were young, they were established by players.

Players were powerful. That was the norm amongst those who hadn't entered the tower, and were clueless to its difficulty. Many believed the tower to be a cheat code that allowed one to become powerful.

Only players could testify.

The future leader of each village would undoubtedly step into the tower, and would compete against others from various different planets. However, that would only occur once either one of the villages had been annihilated.

"You're weak, Finn!" Xiao Fan shouted in a thunderous tone, his eyes swirling with madness and a psychopathic glint. His hand exuded immense light. He pushed his palm forward, creating an invisible force.

"Three-Step Pure Heart Palm!" Xiao Fan let out a roar. His palm, although it hadn't clashed with any object–immediately caused devastation on the battlefield. The ground in front of him cracked instantly, and a wave of power rushed towards Finn. "First Step: Cleansing Palm!"

The sound of vibration resounded across the battlefield. Finn's eyes widened, and his irises narrowed at the sight. The technique Xiao Fan implemented was one that Elder Feyright had forged.

Yet, it was in the hands of a Gargo Clan Member?

It was blasphemy.

"Blue Wind Slash!" Finn roared with conviction, his voice shaking the hearts of those spectating. However, instead of being awed by the immense power of the attack, the crowd instead cringed at its dull-sounding name.

But, by no means was Finn's attack ordinary.

He swung his sword, emanating a calamity-level Blade Wave with blue-colored energy swirling within.

The funny part was that although the name of the attack sounded so generic, it was merely a degraded Blade Wave.