'How unsettling... I let my guard down,' Kalsie thought as he controlled the racing beat of his heart and raised his sword toward his enemies. Unlike his calm and friendly nature, his gaze seemed cold and unyielding.
"Oh boy! That reflex was truly something!" Peter stood at a distance away, flanked by a group of 30 or so individuals—more than the last time he had chased after Job and his group.
"Oh! I am so sorry! You see, my friend Cary here was merely aiming at your legs to see if you'd cry or not after being hit. But who knew his failed aim would turn out this well! Haha~!"
Peter exclaimed with a casual smile, clapping on the nervous Cary's back. He then mockingly bowed and introduced himself, "Ah! Let me introduce myself properly. I am Peter 'Psycho' Camson, a freak individual from a very infamous family of freak individuals."
"I heard you were looking for me," Kalsie said, his gaze fixed solely on Peter. His instincts screamed that something was definitely off with the boy before him.
Of all the individuals Kalsie had encountered in this place, Peter was the one he deemed the most dangerous, he seemed powerful but what shocked him was hi bloodthirsty atmosphere hidden behind a facade.
This judgment was based not only on Peter's seemingly carefree and unstable demeanor but also on his body language, which conveyed a sense of latent power. The presence of the group of people standing behind him further attested to Peter's strength.
'This guy is dangerous,' Kalsie thought as he tensed his body, assuming a stance that showed he was no novice with a sword. He left no room for openings.
"Oh~! You're perceptive. You can sense how strong I am, can't you? It really makes me wonder how our battle would turn out~!"
"Shut up, you lunatic! Did you forget what you did to us last night!?" Fred retorted on behalf of Kalsie.
Peter smirked at Fred and replied, "Oh dear Fatty, I seem to have forgotten all about that! Did you enjoy it? Because certainly I had a blast crafting those spears~!"
"Yeah, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it so much that I want to give you a similar 'return gift,'" Fred ground out through gritted teeth, his aim fixed on Peter's head.
However, he knew that it was nearly impossible to act, as Peter's group had already aimed their weapons on him and Kalsie.
"Kalsie! Fred!"
Immediately, Wendy and the others rushed toward them, drawn by the commotion.
"You-!!" Their reaction upon seeing Peter mirrored Fred's, as they all glared at him with anger burning in their eyes.
"What, you all survived? Well, well, this just got more interesting. HAHAHA!" Peter's maniacal laughter echoed through the tense air.
"Believe me, you're the first person who's made me wanting to crack open someone's skull!" Wendy retorted, her irritation evident in her voice.
"I share the sentiment," Noah added coldly, drawing his arrow and aiming it at Peter.
Peter replied sarcastically, "Oh, I'm trembling in fear!"
He then turned his attention to Wendy and continued, "But dear Wendy, weren't you the one who wounded my feelings first?"
"SHUT UP!" Wendy shouted, her anger boiling over.
While the others didn't vocalize their emotions, their clenched weapons and determined stances made it clear that they were ready to take on Peter, regardless of their fatigue from their journey.
As the tension between the two groups escalated, it drew the attention of those in the vicinity.
"Hey, hey, hey! Looks like they're about to throw down!"
"Have they all lost their minds?"
"9 against 32? I don't know how strong those guys are, but they're seriously outnumbered."
"Shouldn't we help?"
"Are you crazy? Look at them! I don't know what kind of monsters they've faced, but they all look dangerous."
"Yeah, it's best to keep our distance."
"John..." Sylvie called her cousin's name.
"Don't do anything unnecessary," but John warned knowing her intention, his tone ice-cold. "There's something off about that red-haired guy."
"But shouldn't that be more reason to help Kalsie and his friends? They don't seem to be bad people," Sylvie argued.
"Why should we?" John countered. "Besides, I don't think they need our assistance."
"Why?"
"Even though their enemies are formidable, there are a few among them who surpass those opponents combined, particularly that guy. The instincts he just displayed and the way he deflected that arrow... such abilities cannot be acquired solely by killing those monsters," John remarked.
Sylvie nodded in agreement, though she couldn't shake her concern for Kalsie and his friends.
"Oh, I'm going to relish this so much!" Peter unsheathed his sword, his gaze fixed solely on Kalsie.
"Attack! But leave that guy to me!" Peter and his group charged toward Kalsie's group. The distance between them was a mere 15 meters, but something inexplicable occurred as they moved.
"Everyone, I'll take care of that maniac—" Kalsie began to command his group when something peculiar transpired.
[STOP.]
Suddenly, a male voice reverberated throughout the surroundings, and within an instant, everything appeared to come to a halt.
'What's happening now?' Kalsie wondered. He attempted to move his body, but it remained unresponsive, as though it were glued in place.
The same applied not only to his group but also to everyone present, as their bodies had suddenly ceased to respond. It was as if their ability to control their own movements had been stripped away, leaving them in a state of disconcerting paralysis.
Just as their tension was mounting, the same voice resonated again, filling the entire area.
["Ahem~, good evening, esteemed ladies and gentlemen~! So, here we are, gathered like stars in the night sky. Yes! I'm your test conductor, the grand orchestrator of your mysterious abduction on this island. I'm sure you're all itching to know why you've been thrown on this unique 'island', aren't you? Well, fear not, for I am here to enlighten you with my perfect explanation."]