The man slowly opened his mouth.
"Please..."
His voice was hoarse, slipping away like sand through fingers, eerie in desperation.
"Please... die for me."
Boom!
An explosion caught the three off guard.
A massive blast of blinding light erupted, filling the air with a deafening roar that illuminated the eerie, deathly landscape as if the sun had burst forth.
"Ah. What a shame," he sighed, disappointment evident in his tone.
"Old men truly are experts no matter which world,"
Chrove said this aloofly, his hand smeared with blood.
He lunged, aiming a sword at the elder's heart, taking advantage of the opening.
But the old man dodged at the last second, only piercing his stomach.
"You! So you were the one who caused all this!" the elder shouted, his face crumpled in fury.
"Heal me, now!"
He regained his composure, ordering the two women with fierce intensity. Despite being ambushed, he was, after all, an expert—an old monster at that.
Chrove, however, was a simple man with clear desires: freedom, excitement, and power.
Rather than feeling intimidated, the thrill of confrontation warped his features into a creepy smile.
"Allow this junior to take care of you, Old man."
Chrove sneered, his tone dripping with mockery; he wanted to test the old man's tolerance for such words.
Unexpectedly, the old man merely stared, calm as a river, his face unruffled by anger.
'As expected from an old monster... This is getting troublesome,' Chrove sighed inwardly.
"Old man senior, attack me with your strongest method—once, no, twice. I won't dodge whatsoever."
He understood the bottom line for these old monsters: they might keep their composure, but could they tolerate a 'junior' looking down on them?
This old man certainly could, but with the two women watching, how could an elder of the sect allow himself to be humiliated, especially in front of them?
"Such arrogance! Why don't you come to me instead under the same condition? You attack, and I defend."
The old man's tone was laced with mocking disdain and confidence.
He was aware of his capabilities, and seeing how cowardly Chrove schemed against him made him vigilant.
He sensed that the man in front of him was rather weak in one-on-one combat; nevertheless, he understood who held the initiative.
"That's interesting, but could you bear it, senior?"
The old man couldn't help but frown, feeling a sense of difficulty. 'What the hell is this man brewing now? Could it be he has another card up his sleeve? Whatever it is, I just have to destroy it.'
"Come at m—" The old man hadn't even finished his words when Chrove interrupted.
"Senior, are you hiding behind those women?"
At that moment, the old man's veins bulged, turning purple. His sword unsheathed at an unbelievable speed, leaving the two women speechless in astonishment.
Radiant light enveloped his sword, smeared with purplish hues as if a hurricane had manifested.
The falling leaves were cut to pieces, and his eyes were bloodshot, brimming with madness.
Boom!
A clamor reverberated through the air, followed by a thunderous explosion.
The earth cracked as surrounding trees fell, victims of the calamity.
"Hmmph! Little bastard dares anger me. Repent with your death," the old man growled as he quickly approached the two young women.
Just as they were about to leave, a hoarse voice echoed sending chills down their spine.
"What an intriguing old man."
As the voice echoed, misty fog and eeriness enveloped the battlefield.
The lights were tampered with by the abyssal darkness, and the gray fog was hardly visible as if they had fallen deep into the abyss itself.
His sword was unsheathed revealing a rusted edge.
The faces of the three figures quickly turned grim they all had the same thought: How the hell this he survive that!?
The old man is naturally strong—stronger than the current Chrove.
But how could he defeat Chrove when he's got all he needs from his pouch to defeat this monster?
Looking back, before the three figures even arrived, Chrove first ransacked the village's resources, earning some useful goods.
Although fragmented, his memories of the past proved useful; he made an important realization: although this world's realm is higher, the materials and resources are noticeably similar.
The quality, especially, was much better here.
And...
To think that I would be able to keep the pouch I had before dying in my previous world.
In his hand, he held a pouch whispering with blue lights.
It was the size of a rock, oddly stretchable; nevertheless, do not be deceived by its small size for it is capable of carrying 500 kg of items, weapons, and materials.
Inside the pouch, numerous talismans and books were occupying a small space, these are evidently from his previous world.
There were also a total of two swords within: one was rusted as though it was on the verge of breaking, while the other was like a treasure as it shone in silverish light.
In addition, there are herbs and various materials that can be used for healing, there was no food for it will be spoiled inside the pouch which will cause the herbs to drop in quality, even withering as a result.
One particular thing caught his attention, it was a formation in the form of a crystal ball. If he remembers vaguely, he spent a vast amount of fortune to attain this particular profound formation.
He had the necessary materials for this, being a former man of war, he's naturally prepared for such things.
Even with such expenditure, he was ready to spend as much, he is sure that locals in this world are powerful and not to be belittled, the most important thing is information.
He urgently needs information about this world and the surrounding area other than this vast mountain.
Back to the present, the three figures were sweating profusely, the two women were not experts at fighting, their expertise lay in their healing techniques.
The old man's expression was grim, he had used a vast amount of his energy reserve from that last attack, and he didn't have much spare to engage in a fight now.
"You! Are you not afraid of offending our sect!?"
"This formation separates the space from the outside world, leaving no trace for evidence."
'Indeed, there can be experts that are capable of detecting such, and seeing this Old man's arrogance, it seems the force backing him is likely a big one.'
' It's not wise to trouble myself with these guys but that doesn't mean I can't make use of these guys.'
A smile crept on his face, it was gentle like the spring.
"So... How would you like to die, senior?"