Return Of The Strongest Player

'I can't face them head-on,' thought the crimson-eyed man, glancing over his shoulder. A few dozen men and women with determined, enraged eyes, clenched teeth, and a stance that displayed their hostility, pursued Arthur as if there was no tomorrow.

Their movements were almost as fast as Arthur's, forcing the crimson-eyed man to use almost all of his mana to maintain a decent lead.

At that point, not much of his mana reserve remained. Excessive use of the mana stone would only increase the pressure of his mana circuits, which was why Arthur was forced to sever the connection between the stone and his circuits.

Now, with barely 20% of his mana remaining, Arthur was in a difficult spot.

He had expected a few people to notice his escape, as a few of them were players. However, he hadn't expected to be pursued by such a massive group of people, all of whom were only a little weaker than him.

Arthur's only advantage was his above-average speed, which he maintained using [Ethereal Glide]. If he engaged in physical or magical combat, it would only be a matter of time before he succumbed.

'If only I can get to the inheritance ground before my mana reserve runs out…' Arthur gritted his teeth. He knew that even if he achieved that goal, he wouldn't be able to finish the first part of the inheritance.

It seemed like he had failed to plan everything.

Not all variables could be accounted for, and he was aware of that. In such a situation, he could only persist, refusing to give up.

Slowing down would result in death. Isabella's death was not a small matter, and the residents of Gargo Village would undoubtedly demand an eye for an eye. Death for death. 

'This will consume 6% of my peak mana,' thought Arthur as he cast a darkness-type spell. The property of darkness burst from his body, enveloping the surrounding forest in a shroud of blackness.

Since he was the caster, Arthur was able to retain his vision. 

"Where did he go?" 

"Alex, where are you!? We can't lose each other! That's exactly what he wants. Splitting up will be our downfall!"

"Oliver! What the fuck is this?"

The pursuers were naturally confused by the shroud of darkness, resulting in them losing their sturdy footing. They unintentionally strayed away from a large group, allowing the crimson-eyed man to strike.

A particular, lanky man opened his eyes wide, desperately trying to regain his vision, but to no avail. His eyes were a deep shade of amethyst, while his hair was stark black, tied into a bun behind his head.

He, too, was a player but was entirely dependent on his peers. His combat skills were sub-par and with below-average intelligence, he was useless in a situation without the assistance of his peers.

'The perfect first target,' thought Arthur, glancing at the amethyst-eyed man. Although his skills were below average, he was like the glue that held the group together. One could say that he existed solely to provide moral support.

Eliminating such a person would certainly cause division.

Arthur couldn't simply escape, as that would only buy him time. The pursuers would eventually escape the shroud and continue the chase, resulting in the 6% of his mana being wasted. With only 14% remaining, he was in a dangerous situation.

Using a part of it to eliminate future dangers was a more beneficial choice.

After locking his eyes on the amethyst-eyed man, Arthur rushed forward, awakening Skofnung. Thankfully, the awakening consumed little to no mana and was a perfect substitute to Mana Infusion.

Although Mana Infusion increased the sharpness and durability of the sword further, the awakening was enough to behead such a weak player.

As he reached within proximity, the amethyst-eyed man sensed his presence. Even while essentially being blind, Arthur's foe was able to maneuver almost immaculately, swinging his sword toward the crimson-eyed man's face.

With a swift motion, Arthur avoided the strike, swinging his elbow down on the flat part of his foe's sword.

Instead of producing a loud, clanging sound, the impact instead produced a low thud. The sword slipped from the amethyst-eyed man's hands, falling to the ground harmlessly. At that point, Arthur's foe was already considered dead.

Slash!

A clean decapitation.

The hot blood spilled on a few other players, alerting them. Arthur dug Skofnung into the amethyst-eyed man's face, allowing the sword to rejuvenate before quickly escaping the shroud of darkness.

Then, he took off running, allowing the chaos to ensue.

"Blood?"

"What the fuck? Who died!?"

"Alex! No, that bastard!"

"Alex is dead? How the hell did he manage to kill him without being detected? Are you sure we're dealing with a regular player?"

"With how he killed Cassius, I'm having second thoughts."

"But he killed Isabella…"

It didn't take long for the pursuers to regroup, but they were definitely less organized than usual. Even one person's loss was a massive blow, as the amethyst-eyed man existed for moral support.

However, their chase was still difficult for Arthur to endure.

A few minutes passed in silence, and the crimson-eyed man beheaded another man; this time without the need to envelop the area in a shroud of darkness. Solely using his speed, he could deliver fatal blows.

Although, it did consume a massive chunk of his total mana.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Arthur spotted the tiny opening that led to the inheritance ground. His dull expression brightened, and with a swift motion, he unsheathed Skofnung.

'Fuck this,' he thought, slitting his wrist to produce a massive amount of blood. He trapped the blood in cloth, allowing the scent to spread before tossing it far away. Since the scent of blood wasn't lingering on him anymore, it'd be difficult to locate him.

Mind you, it wasn't Arthur's blood that produced the scent.

It was the amethyst-eyed man's.

The blood definitely caused the group to divide, but it didn't halt the chase itself.

The pursuers followed Arthur into the cave.