Return Of The Strongest Player

A short silence descended upon VIP room #379. Randy cocked his head, his expression laced with uncertainty. 

"Is that truly the only reason?" Randy asked, raising both eyebrows while lowering his head and stifling laughter. 100,000 Tokens was not a small amount, and the only reason Randy was so bold while bidding was due to his clan's backing.

He was truly valued within his clan. However, Arthur Solace–as far as Randy was aware–had not been recruited as of yet. With not a shred of backing, how could he be so casual when spending 100,000 Tokens?

It was absurd.

"Yeah," replied Arthur, shrugging his shoulders. He couldn't reveal the true reason, as the concept of fate was very mysterious. Kai's existence itself was complicated, and revealing such information to others could only bring disaster.

Even Arthur was not completely aware of what fate meant, other than the fact that the Demons and Angels had utilized it to their advantage when ambushing the crimson-eyed man. Fate was dangerous.

It was one of the main reasons for his fall.

"Well, you do you, I guess," muttered Randy, once again stifling a laugh. He couldn't believe he'd lost the auction to such a maniac. Ever since he first met Arthur, he was aware of the crimson-eyed man's crazy tendencies.

But this? This was on an entirely different level. He was spending what many Elite Rankers earned casually, without any support from clans. Was conquering floors so beneficial? Still, this was too much.

At that moment, Randy was both jealous and proud of Arthur for having achieved what he had. He–too–wished for such fame, money, and power, but he was aware of his disadvantages and setbacks.

On the other hand, Randy was proud to have known Arthur before his rise to fame.

Still, both of them were mere players. 

At most, Arthur and Randy were simply talented geniuses and rising stars. Neither of them had assumed the position of a true star.

Despite his disdvantage, Randy was also powerful and famous, in his own right. As the supposed "young master" of his clan, he–too–had succeeded in proving his sheer skill. But a star that shone brighter would also fade faster.

Suddenly, a man dressed in a black suit approached Arthur's room. Glancing at the corpse of Ijskoud, he simply sneered. "Young Master Randy, it's time to leave. We've secured our gains, and Viezo is preparing the carriage."

Randy glanced at Arthur, standing up. "It's been nice to reunite, Arthur. I hope we can do this often."

"Same here."

"Oh, right, have you seen any of the others? Ever since we entered the Outer District and embarked on our separate journeys, I've yet to meet anyone from our original group, except for you."

Arthur shook his head. "I haven't met anyone else. You're the first one."

"I see… Then, I'll take my leave."

Arthur nodded, and Randy took off. Glancing emotionelssly at the corpse of the young yeti sprawled on the floor, Arthur clicked his tongue. 'I could have used him, had Randy not said my name.'

Now, it was time to meet Kai.

*

Once the auction came to an end, Kai patiently awaited his master behind the stage, zoning out after a few minutes had passed. However, no matter how long he waited, his master did not appear.

But the tokens had already been paid. Why wasn't he here? 

After a significant amount of time had passed, Kai suddenly spotted the approach of a peculiar man. His eyes were a dangerous shade of blood, while his hair was stark black, which seemed to represent the abyss.

His body was hidden under a dark cloak.

Kai instantly knew that the man before him was his master. As soon as he lay his eyes upon him, the child felt shivers shoot down his spine. He suddenly faced the inexplicable urge to curl up.

Gazing into those eyes was too painful. The man in possession of those bloody eyes seemed to smile gently. Kai suddenly had trouble breathing. His heart raced, while his muscles tensed and relaxed repeatedly, involuntarily.

As the crimson-eyed man continued his approach, Kai grasped his own throat, the air unable to enter his nostrils or mouth.

The strings of fate around the crimson-eyed man… 

The strings were broken. 

"I'm Arthur," greeted Arthur, extending his arm while maintaining an emotionless expression. Kai didn't respond. As soon as those words escaped Arthur's mouth, the suffocation lessened, and the child relaxed.

However, a deep, undissolvable fear for Arthur remained in Kai's heart.

'With this, he should be too scared to reveal anything about me to anyone else. I didn't realize [Searing Gaze] worked so well on regular players. But it seemed it wasn't my trait that he was scared of…'

"...K-Kai," said the child in a meek tone, averting his eyes while pretending to ignore Arthur's extended arm.

Arthur nodded wordlessly, preparing his belongings before motioning for the child to follow. He had already buried Ijskoud's body in a place not even Rankers would be able to discover, while removing all connection.

The guard at the entrance? Paid off.

"Where… Where are we going?" Kai inquired, not a shred of emotion visible on his face. Only his voice could convey emotions, as if his face was unwavering, incapable of forming and expressing feelings.

Arthur revealed a faint smile. Kai's will was truly intact, as he dared to question his master's orders. That was only obvious…

Realizing his mistake through Arthur's smile, Kai quickly covered his mouth. Arthur didn't address his doings and simply continued walking. They traversed through the ninth floor before arriving at a certain shop.

'A restaurant?' Kai muttered internally.

Before them was a tiny hut with a sign displaying "Jeff's Resturant." Kai glanced around him, and his eyes widened.

Arthur chuckled internally, remarking about how stupid Kai looked, with his eyes widened and his gaze darting from place to place. Entering the restaurant, the two found a seat. Kai attempted to sit on the floor.

"On the chair, like I'm doing."

Kai nodded.