Return Of The Strongest Player

'I knew this wasn't a regular sword,' thought Arthur, inspecting the falchion with much interest. The blade seemed dull, yet could produce such precise and destructive strikes. Also, the sword sliced through the air pressure without mana consumption to quicken the process.

It was an amazing sword.

Also, as it was stained with blood, it suffered a slight change.

[Skofnung has tasted blood after several years.]

[Skofnung is undergoing a change in its nature.]

[Shifting nature from neutral to evil.]

[User's mana is being consumed rapidly to shift the nature of Skofnung. User can halt the process at any time.]

'No,' thought Arthur. 'I allow it.'

[Mana Consumption permitted.]

[Skofnung has evolved into a demonic blade.]

[Skofnung is a temperamental sword. Slight changes can alter its nature in its entirety. User is advised to be cautious.]

'Ascertain,' thought Arthur, gazing at Skofnung.

[Name: Skofnung]

[Grade: ??? (Demonic Blade)]

As Arthur viewed information about the blade on the blue screen that manifested before his eyes, his interest in Melzer's legacy grew. An Elite Ranker couldn't possess nectar, and that was a fact.

Was Melzer lying when he admitted to being an Elite Ranker before his retirement?

Perhaps… but why?

Skofnung was not an ordinary weapon. Arthur knew that the second he came into contact with the blade while bidding Melzer farewell. It had a few special traits, and one of them was bearing fruit right now.

A demonic blade exuded the properties of a demon… 

Usually, Arthur would not have associated with anything that bore the name "demon," but demonic blades were different. They weren't related to demons, and were simply named demonic because of their corrupted existence.

Skofnung hadn't changed in terms of appearance, though.

It was simply dripping blood.

"Anyone else?" Arthur inquired, stepping on the body of the man he had killed. Most newbies shrunk away, having witnessed the crimson-eyed man's power. They didn't wish to associate with him after the overwhelming display of strength and cruelty.

"Why don't we find a different way to solve this?" Harry asked, intervening. "Do we really have to kill each other to pass this trial? Since the mana test had a loophole, shouldn't there be one in this one, too?"

"Perhaps," said an unknown man with navy hair and a disinterested expression plastered over his face. He sat on the ground, uncaring of anything and everything that occurred around him. "But, should we waste more time, we will burn to death before we find anything. I'm sure mister red eyes won't retort, right?"

"I don't retort to things that make sense," replied Arthur calmly. "What the guy says is true."

"Dino."

"I didn't ask for an introduction, but thanks, anyway. Arthur Solace."

Dino nodded.

"But we can't just kill everyone, can we?" Harry protested, forming an expression of concern. Arthur, Dino, and a few others glanced at him with expressions of suppressed frustration. Then, Dino spoke up.

"And why is that? It's not like you owe them anything."

"You guys are insane," Harry let out a deep sigh, shaking his head as he considered the numerous possibilities. The temperature was rising by the second, and even the newbies with the toughest bodies were beginning to feel the heat.

"Just kill them," said Randy in a frustrated voice, impaling a woman with a voluptuous body with his greatsword. Her expression crumpled before blood spilled from the wound, marking the end of her life.

Harry watched it play out with disgust vivid on his face.

"I agree with the big guy," said Dino, approaching a scrawny man while holding a longsword in his hand. 

"Hey, we can talk about this–"

"No, we cannot," Dino cut the man's words short, piercing his sternum with the longsword. He dug before twisting the sword. Finally, after the man's eyes had lost their luster, he withdrew the longsword sharply, causing an enormous amount of blood to spill.

"I agree with Harry, here," said an unknown woman dressed in a casual top and jeans. It was unusual, considering she was aware she was entering the tower, yet decided to dress so crudely.

"And who are you?"

"Jenny Vieira," the woman in the unusual attire introduced, performing a slight bow. "We can't just kill everyone."

Dino, Arthur, and Randy glanced at each before scratching their heads simultaneously. ""Explain.""

"Explain what?"

"Why can't we kill everybody?" Dino asked, shooting towards Jenny with his longsword pointed forward. As he thrust the weapon forward, the latter's foot intercepted the strike, burying the former's weapon into the ground.

Then, Dino's face was assaulted by the sole of Jenny's foot. "Ow!"

"You guys are heartless!" Jenny voiced her thoughts with scrunched eyebrows. "And, Dino, you're pretty weak."

"Shut up, woman."

"Jenny… what kind of people did you expect to meet when you entered the tower?" Arthur asked with suppressed frustration. He didn't see anything wrong with murdering everyone, but he could understand Jenny's point of view.

"I don't know…"

"We have to figure things out…" Randy muttered. His body was turning crimson due to the heat, and so were the bodies of the other newbies. Randy was the most affected due to his inability to use mana to coat his body. "Hot…"

"Do you have any option, Harry and Jenny?" Arthur asked, raising Skofnung. "If you cannot answer in three seconds, Dino, Randy, and I will have to take matters into our own hands. I'm giving you the opportunity, but not for long."

Harry and Jenny bit their lips, racking their brains.

"Three…"

"Two…"

"One…"

As Arthur said the final word, he, Dino, and Randy shot towards the other newbies. Blood spilled as their weapons collided with the bodies of their victims. Flesh exploded in all directions, feuling their passion.

Harry and Jenny watched with discomfort, but couldn't retort.

It was truly getting hot. The two had burn marks on their skin at that point, and even if they managed to figure out a way to rescue everyone, they wouldn't be able to escape unscathed. The heat would burn them to a crisp.

After a few minutes, the number had dropped to ten.