Return Of The Strongest Player

Skofnung shook slightly, as if transmitting its excitement to Arthur. It was as if its jaws opened wide, expecting a delightful meal in exchange for its power. Although, the power did belong to its wielder.

'Ungrateful sword,' Arthur spoke internally, involuntarily allowing a chuckle to escape his lips. The sword seemed to possess a smidge of intelligence, but only reacted when triggered or provoked.

Or, when it voraciously begged for a meal. A meal consisting of the organs and tender skin of an ogre, to be precise.

Although no physical changes were observed, Skofnung did provide a sense of invigoration to Arthur's body and mind. It was like the crimson-eyed man's cortisol levels dropped instantly, refreshing his body and providing solace to his mind.

[The Demonic Blade 'Skofnung' is reacting to a necromantic beast's presence.]

[The Demonic Blade 'Skofnung' bares its fangs, preparing to indulge in the consumption of its prey.]

[The Demonic Blade 'Skofnung' urges its wielder to allow it to consume the blood of its prey as it pitifully begs for its worthless life.]

[The Demonic Blade 'Skofnung' is entirely unsympathetic to its prey's fate, and wishes nothing but suffering to befall it.]

Arthur shook his head, reading the system messages one by one. They all contained the disturbing thoughts of the intelligent blade as it gazed at the red ogre, ready to devour all flesh that covered his organ systems.

'Let's see if you're all talk,' Arthur said internally, rushing forward, thrusting Skofnung forward. There was no physical change, but as the ogre's club obstructed Skofnung's path, the latter dug into the former, creating a shallow hole.

Skofnung hadn't been able to damage the club prior to its awakening.

It was a sign of monumental growth. Arthur cracked a smile. He no longer had to retreat once the club obstructed Skofnung's trajectory. No… Now that Skofnung could harm the club, it no longer produced as much of a backlash.

The crimson-eyed man's feet no longer slipped backwards. There was minimal recoil.

Arthur's brute force was no longer limited by Skofnung's pitiful durability. Instead of retreating, Arthur swung Skofnung horizontally, creating a slash-shaped indent in the ogre's club. The ogre raised his club to strike Arthur, but the crimson-eyed man was a step ahead.

Sidestepping, he attacked the hilt of the ogre's club. The latter's fingers turned numb, and using that as an advantage, Arthur swiftly knocked the club out of its arms. 

A disarmed enemy was equivalent to a dead one.

The ogre's eyes turned bloodshot. Arthur's body weakened due to the death aura as he approached the ogre, but Skofnung's power nullified any side-effects. With a confident expression, Arthur swung his sword.

Slice!

A clean decapitation.

Skofnung absorbed a part of the blood that spilled, quickly reverting to its dormant state afterwards. 

Arthur was left with the corpse of the ogre, which quickly faded away as the necromantic aura dissipated. 

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief.

[New Message]

[Sender: Tower Administration.]

[Congratulations! You have completed the first tier of the second trial. Step into the portal that will soon manifest before you, and you will be teleported to the waiting area for the second tier alongside other newbies.]

[Receiver: Arthur Solace (Newbie)]

As Arthur read the system message, he nodded. Soon, a swirling mass of purple energy manifested before him, beckoning him to enter. Cleaning Skofnung and reinforcing the cloth on his wounds, he stepped into the portal.

His vision darkened, and the world spun.

*

As Arthur's vision returned, light flooded his eyes. Before him was a silver bench crafted using smooth metal. It was similar to a seat on the subway. It seemed he was in a room isolated from the outside world.

The room was massive, but had no windows.

The interior walls were forged using tough wood, while the floor was made using marble. There were hundreds upon hundreds of benches for the purpose of accommodating all newbies that managed to pass the first tier.

The mana density in the atmosphere was abnormally high. 'If I can meditate for a few hours, maybe I can fully heal my wounds…'

His thoughts seemed to have reached someone. His wounds vanished, and his ear regrew instantly. That was the magic, the laws that established the space of the room. The laws of the isolated space.

'There's two other people…' Arthur noticed, turning to face the newbies.

"You finally noticed us," said a girl. "I was wondering when you'd finally figure out that you weren't the only one here."

Her hair was blonde and loosely tied into a bun behind her head. A few bangs covered her cyan eyes, which seemed capable of piercing a hole in Arthur's chest. She wore an oversized hoodie, and seemed incredibly petite.

Beside her was a man in the same attire. His hair was black and swept to the side, with a few raised spikes. His eyes were droopy, and he seemed more interested in his fingernails than the world around him.

His legs reached his chest, and his feet were planted atop the bench he sat on. It reminded Arthur of a certain man named L.

Arthur found the situation weird.

He wasn't overconfident… he was simply aware that his power surpassed all else, at least in his batch of newbies. However, there were not one, but two people who surpassed his record time in defeating all the beasts?

Moreover, they seemed like introverts without any extraordinary traits. 

"I apologize for my tardiness," said Arthur, approaching the two in a diplomatic manner. "I'm Arthur Solace."

"Heather," replied the blonde-haired girl with a pleasant expression. The two shook hands before Arthur turned to face the man. However, Heather spoke for him. "He's Neon, my boyfriend. He's a bit shy."

"Hello, Neon," said Arthur, to which Neon nodded in response.

The crimson-eyed man sat on a bench a few meters away from Heather and Neon. Now, it was simply a matter of absorbing mana and awaiting the initiation of the second tier.

And, of course, conversing with Heather and Neon to establish allies.