The system interface appeared before him once more. It was as plain and lifeless as ever, to the point where Ieros had long since grown tired of looking at it. Yet despite that, a smile still found its way onto his lips when the familiar chime echoed inside his mind.
Ding!
The Host has completely learned the incomplete Sword Technique.
Acquire the remaining half to restore the technique to its original form.
Reward: Random Body Strengthening Technique.
The Host has been entered into a Gacha Draw.
Ieros blinked.
The final notification confused him slightly, but he understood enough to grasp its meaning. What truly bothered him was the strange sensation that accompanied the message. It felt as though the system itself was mocking him, silently smirking somewhere beyond his sight.
The thought sent an uncomfortable shiver down his spine.
Shaking his head, he dismissed the feeling and focused on something more important.
"A body strengthening technique?"
His brows furrowed.
He was already cultivating the Sacred Sect's body refinement method. It was a powerful technique, far superior to anything he had seen among ordinary players. Why would the system reward him with another one?
For nearly thirty minutes, he sat pondering the matter.
Eventually, curiosity won.
His luck had always been exceptional.
Well...
At least it had been before the last few miserable months.
Just as he opened his mouth to activate the reward, a loud explosion echoed through the forest.
BOOM!
The cave trembled slightly.
Ieros paused before rolling his eyes.
"It has to be those idiots again."
Over time, he had grown strangely accustomed to the monsters inhabiting the forest. Despite their terrifying appearances, he had begun viewing them as a collection of troublesome pets—dangerous, stupid, and constantly causing problems.
As a result, he ignored the sound completely.
Then another explosion rang out.
BOOOOM!
This one was much louder.
The smile vanished from his face.
His brows knitted together as he slowly rose from his makeshift bed.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Grabbing his sword, he strode toward the cave entrance. The moment he stepped outside, he noticed a thin column of smoke rising above the distant treeline.
His frown deepened.
Smoke?
That had never happened before.
Without hesitation, he burst forward.
His walk became a jog.
The jog became a sprint.
The forest blurred around him as he raced toward the source of the disturbance.
Moments later, he leapt onto a sturdy branch overlooking a clearing.
His eyes widened.
Corpses littered the ground.
Monster corpses.
Human corpses.
Blood soaked the earth beneath them.
Yet what truly caught his attention was the surviving group of humans standing proudly amidst the carnage.
The monsters opposite them were retreating.
Not charging.
Not fighting.
Retreating.
The humans wore familiar uniforms.
A uniform he recognized immediately.
The veins on his forehead bulged.
The branch beneath his feet creaked dangerously.
His eyes slowly reddened.
It was a squad under his uncle's command.
The very same faction responsible for turning his life into a nightmare.
Hatred surged through his chest like molten lava.
His grip tightened around his sword until his knuckles turned white.
For a brief moment, he wanted nothing more than to jump down and slaughter every single one of them.
But reason prevailed.
More than half the squad carried mana explosives strapped to their waists.
One mistake could cost him his life.
Slowly exhaling, he forced himself to calm down.
Then he noticed something else.
The monsters retreating from the clearing were mostly juveniles.
The stronger adults remained deeper within the forest.
The law of the forest prevented them from venturing too close to the entrance.
Fortunately, that restriction did not apply to him.
His territory happened to lie near the forest's edge.
A faint sigh escaped his lips.
With a single smooth motion, he unsheathed his sword.
SHING!
A brilliant sword aura flashed through the air.
The ground split apart.
A deep line carved itself between the retreating monsters and the advancing humans.
Silence fell instantly.
Every head turned toward him.
Humans and monsters alike.
Ieros stepped off the branch and descended gracefully.
His boots landed softly upon the wet ground.
The monsters froze.
The moment they recognized him, they released low growls before immediately turning around and fleeing deeper into the forest.
A small smirk appeared on his face.
At least the distractions were gone.
Now he could focus on the real problem.
The squad.
The captain stepped forward.
Since Ieros didn't recognize any of the faces present, he assumed they were newly recruited cadets.
That realization cooled his anger slightly.
These people hadn't personally wronged him.
They were merely following orders.
Unfortunately for them, they had arrived at the worst possible time.
"Who the hell are you?" the captain barked.
Before Ieros could answer, another question followed.
"Why are you interfering with our hunt?"
"And how did you get here?"
The interrogation continued without pause.
The veins on Ieros's neck began to throb.
His fingers tightened around his sword.
Then his aura erupted.
A crushing pressure descended upon the clearing.
The cadets' expressions changed instantly.
Fear.
Confusion.
Disbelief.
For the first time, Ieros truly understood something.
The system's leveling method had never limited his growth.
His physical abilities, combat experience, sword mastery, and aura had all continued to improve regardless of level.
Which meant...
He was far stronger than someone at his level had any right to be.
A low whistle escaped his lips.
Then he started walking forward.
One of the cadets suddenly charged.
The man wielded a massive saber and wore a crazed grin.
With a roar, he swung downward, aiming to split Ieros in half.
The blade descended.
Closer.
Closer.
Then stopped.
The cadet froze.
A thin red line appeared across his neck.
For a heartbeat, nobody moved.
Then his head slid from his shoulders and hit the ground with a dull thud.
Silence consumed the battlefield.
Blood sprayed from the headless corpse before it collapsed.
Ieros didn't even bother looking at the body.
Instead, he raised his gaze toward the remaining squad members.
A smile slowly stretched across his face.
It was the same smile they had worn while slaughtering the monsters moments earlier.
Cold.
Cruel.
Unhinged.
"Attack me."
His voice was calm.
Terrifyingly calm.
He took another step forward.
"Attack me with everything you've got."
The smile widened.
"Because your lives depend on it."