Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

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Whether or not Thrax survived Kieran's final attack loomed over the minds of many spectators. The way Kieran's strike passed through Thrax's body as if it met no resistance confounded many.

Could Thrax possibly survive this ridiculous attack?

Considering the attack didn't pierce his heart, sudden death was improbable. After becoming an Advanced Being, one's body was several times stronger than normal humans.

This resiliency was apparent by how Thrax's rattling eyes maintained a certain amount of light while gazing down at Kieran's arm.

The squelch of penetrated flesh spewing blood resounded as Kieran retracted his arm and shook it to dispel the blood that soaked it.

Despite the disappearance of the chaotic tendrils, Kieran's sclera remained black, and his eyes crimson, gazing upon Thrax apathetically. "This is the outcome of your actions. Blame no one but yourself. Whether you live or die is of no concern to me."

After he spoke, Kieran's appearance finally reverted to normal as he released his Aspect and momentarily faltered from a bout of physical, spiritual, and mental weakness.

His Aspect was a truly draining ability, far more draining than his Soul Trait. Not to mention, Kieran felt he activated more of his Aspect than when he created it, which also contributed to an absurd drawback.

A splitting pain assaulted Kieran's mind, followed by a droning noise that replaced his hearing. From there, the aftereffects became worse.

Blood trickled from Kieran's nose as his stomach wrenched and flattened like someone trying to extract the last bit of toothpaste from its virtually empty tube.

Meanwhile, High Commander Igris' pupils constricted to the size of needles as he looked at Thrax fall to his knees.

Momentarily overcome by extreme rage, High Commander Igris moved at speeds akin to teleportation and drove a massive amount of Mana to create a gigantic version of his hand.

Based on the trajectory and power of the incoming attack, it was clear High Commander Igris intended to squash Kieran.

However, as the giant hand fell close to Kieran's head, a tremendous tremor shook the entire coliseum, followed by a deafening explosion.

Many people curiously and fearfully turned toward the source of this spectacle.

They witnessed two immense blood claws ripping apart the formation's protective formations like paper and causing a sonic boom after dashing toward High Commander Igris.

"You feel confident enough to lay a hand on my inheritor, you damned fool? Touch a hair on my twerp's head, and we'll see how many arms you possess after you leave this place!"

Scar's howl was like the bellow of a demon. Numerous thick blood veins flowed through his arms and legs as they adopted a form similar to that of a wolf or another quadruped animal with menacing claws.

High Commander Igris scoffed and continued with his action, ignoring Scar's warning. Calling it a threat would be misusing the word, as Scar tended to realize all of his claims without fail.

Once High Commander Igris disregarded Scar's words, Scar took that as a cue to become excessively impetuous.

Without caring about the consequences, he immediately wreathed himself in a suit of majestic yet devilish blood armor that made the entire coliseum's atmosphere thick with fury.

After the armor appeared, Scar vanished and reappeared before High Commander Igris.

BOOM!

An alarming explosion occurred as High Commander Igris blocked an attack from Scar.

However, since he had spurned Scar's word, Scar decided he would serve as the perfect person to become a lesson.

"I believe you've let the promotion to a High Commander swell your ego. Challenge me? Disregard my word? You?! You're not worthy," Scar said scornfully.

His blood-colored hair swayed back and forth as he teleported before the airborne High Commander Igris and summoned the large serrated blade unleashed during his first meeting with Kieran.

Bang!

With a single swing of his sword, Scar created a humongous blood cross that drove High Commander Igris to the ground.

The aftermath effortlessly eclipsed how Kieran treated Bracca.

Mayhem ensued after the impact of High Commander Igris hitting the ground. After witnessing the coliseum's entire floor sink by three meters, the crowd's jaw dropped.

Changing the ground's level differed significantly from creating a deep hole. It meant even after the distribution of force, Scar's attack was powerful enough to alter the terrain on a grand scale.

Furthermore, the ground beneath the platform was reinforced and hardened by the dense ambient Mana, so saying it was harder than some ores and on par with Manatite  Steel wasn't incorrect.

All of a sudden, General Zieg appeared before Scar with a solemn expression and his hand held out. "Commander Scar, let's stop this before we reach a point of no return. I understand that High Commander Igris has overstepped, but you know there are rules in place."

"Rules? Fuck the rules. He dared to lay a hand on my twerp, so I dare to claim that hand of his. Who will stop me? You?" Scar said, completely ignoring the meaning of their current rank.

A flash of brutality appeared in Scar's eyes as he looked at General Zieg. It had been quite some time since he drew power from Argexes' Blood, but that was the exact nature of his current actions.

General Zieg gave a forced smile because he understood how unruly Scar became after being angered. Not even the High General would be given face in the event of his rage. Everyone would become insignificant in his eyes.

However, General Zieg had no intentions of fighting against Scar. Not only would it not end well for either of them, everyone would become part of the fallout as the coliseum would fail to contain their exchanges.

General Zieg could only sigh and step aside while leaving a final message. "Don't forget that your inheritor requires medical attention. Which is more important?"

To that question, Scar chuckled amusedly. "You misunderstand me, Zieg. I have no intentions of taking my time, and Igris cannot force a drawn-out fight. No, this won't be a fight."

Scar suddenly kicked the air and sped toward High Commander Igris, who stood up within the rubble. Before he could respond, Igris' eyes narrowed, and he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder.

"Next time you think of laying a hand on my twerp, it won't just be a hand I'm taking. Your life would no longer be yours. Is that understood, you damned scheming fool?" Scar scoffed, speaking in a minacious tone.

Scar had effortlessly ripped off High Commander Igris's arm and armor, revealing a genuinely monstrous level of power, considering Igris's armor was forged from Black Mithril, a Mythic-level metal.

However, Scar didn't simply tear off High Commander Igris's arm. He ripped it off and crushed it into a bloody pulp before burning it to ash with a crimson flame.

"If you want a new one, seek Astraea and beg her to heal you and reconfigure your missing arm. Oh, and if you want to save the life of your sad excuse of a pupil, I suggest you forgo the thought of retaliating."

After leaving his menacing message, Scar indifferently walked past Igris and General Zieg.

"Boy, you truly know how to hide things, but you did well—extremely well," Scar said after slowly lifting two fingers to Kieran's forehead.

Kieran's smile curved into a faint smile as he staggered back and forth with a distant gaze, unable to move his feet a single step. "Did I fulfill the bet now?"

Scar gave a tender smile filled with adoration. "You have. But, enough of that. For now, just sleep."

Scar first extended his arm to catch Kieran and then pressed two fingers against his forehead, making Kieran's world go black.

Once Kieran's body went limp, Scar flung him over his shoulder and left a message with General Zieg.

"We'll collect his rewards once he wakes up. As that foolish boy isn't dead, and this is the special round that follows unique circumstances, you understand that you must remain impartial, right? Besides, we both know who is responsible for tonight's transgressions."

"I understand," General Zieg said with a faint sigh. Thrax wouldn't have moved like that unless at the behest of his master. Unfortunately, listening to the foolish advice of his master left him in a situation where life and death were unknown.

Even the most unassuming of enemies could become the most lethal foe. Underestimation was an oversight that led to nothing but bitter results.

Whoosh!

Scar disappeared with a gust of crimson wind as General Zieg went on to ruefully announce the event's end.

Because Kieran was no longer awake to manage the stream, it simply ended.

…

Inside the Medical Facility…

Altair and Alice looked at each other in exasperation, followed by Nemean and Bastion falling to their butts.

What had they just watched?

Although the audio cut out at the best part, the view made up for it.

Kieran had the stream set to capture the most intoxicating angles that provided the best view, so everyone was thrown into an uproar during his battle against Ronan, Bracca, and Thrax.

"Will he be okay? That wound looked awful," Alice muttered with a pained expression. She clutched her hand to her chest while looking at Altair.

Altair briefly failed to answer the question because he was unsure.

Nevertheless, he understood that Alice required some consolation. "Kieran is a resilient dude. Even if he does suffer some discomfort from his wound's pain, I'm sure he'll ultimately overcome it.

After a brief pause, he added. "If you're truly curious, we can always go upstairs and check on him. But what help would we be? After all, he has an exclusive doctor."

"We won't be any help, but I'll ease our concerns," Bastion chimed in.

Nemean similarly sprang to his feet. "Yeah, we can't just leave the boss's safety to a what if. Let's go check and be certain. Afterward, we can hound him to teach us all those techniques he revealed!"

***

A/N: Please read the Creator's Thoughts for a link to the discord if you're interested! If not, here:(Link: https://discord.gg/en6DrVPQvN )