"I hate coming to this dead land, the air reeks of corpses," grumbled the guard at the front of the carriage.
"Me too. If it weren't for the high pay, I wouldn't have come he..." started the guard beside him, but his words were abruptly cut off as he spotted something speeding towards them.
"Do you see that? Something in the distance," the first guard asked.
"It seems this place is starting to play tricks on you," replied another guard. He looked into the distance and added, "See, there's nothi..." His sentence was cut short as his head rolled to the ground.
Standing beside the fallen head was Amadeus, sword in hand. "What? Who are y..." began another guard, but he was sliced into two pieces before he could finish. Facing all the soldiers, Amadeus declared, "I don't have time to waste. Attack me all at once." Yet, none of the guards moved—not out of fear.
A towering man, at least seven feet tall, clad in heavy, battle-worn armor and wielding a giant, menacing axe, stepped forward. His presence was imposing, and the ground seemed to tremble with each step. "Nice, we have a little bandit trying to steal from us. Sorry, friend, but you have to get past me first," he said, his voice a deep, rumbling growl.
"Let's see why you're so confident," said Amadeus, activating {Divine Sight}. A window appeared.
[Power Score]
/ Target power score: 2500
"What now?" sighed Amadeus, weary of the ever-changing system. "Instead of showing you all their stats, I thought I'd calculate their power, taking into account their states and skills. I'm ready for your gratitude," the Crown said pridefully.
"And what's my power score?" Amadeus inquired, and another window appeared.
[Power Score]
/ User power score: 7500
"Good, this guy's nothing compared to me," Amadeus remarked, his eyes narrowing in assessment.
"Are you done talking to yourself?" the axe guard taunted. He swung his giant axe down with a tremendous force, the blade smashing into the ground and sending a shockwave through the earth.
"I'm sure he became part of the dirt of this place," the axe guard boasted, a cruel smile spreading across his face. He tried to retrieve his axe, but found it pinned down by Amadeus' foot, which rested firmly on the weapon.
"Done with your victory speech?" Amadeus asked, his voice cold and unyielding. In one swift motion, he swung his sword towards the guard's head.
Just as Amadeus' sword was about to make contact, a spear thrust out from the side, forcing him to dodge. The spear belonged to another guard, lean and agile, his movements quick and precise. His armor, though less heavy than the axe guard's, was equally protective, allowing for greater mobility.
"Are you okay, brother? I told you not to play too much," said the spear guard, his voice measured and confident. He retrieved his spear with a practiced ease, spinning it in his hands with a skill.
"So there are two of them—one with an axe and one with a spear. Great, more time to waste," sighed Amadeus. Activating {Divine Sight} again, another window appeared.
[Power Score]
/ Target power score: 3500
"This one's stronger. Must be his discipline," Amadeus muttered. He began fighting both guards, who attacked him in perfect unison. Their teamwork was impeccable, a deadly dance of synchronized strikes and parries that prevented Amadeus from landing a single hit. But they also couldn't touch him, his movements fluid and precise.
"They compensated for their lack of power with teamwork. Time to get serious," Amadeus decided, activating {More Strength}. A window appeared.
[Skill Activation]
/ User has 10 minutes before the skill runs out
With an extra 200 strength, their teamwork crumbled. When the axe guard tried to defend the spear guard, Amadeus unleashed a powerful kick, sending the axe guard flying. He slid across the ground, gasping for breath, the pain of the hit leaving him unable to move.
Now able to focus on the spear guard alone, Amadeus moved with blinding speed. The spear guard, though disciplined and skilled, found himself overwhelmed by Amadeus' sheer power. In a series of swift, calculated strikes, Amadeus disarmed the spear guard and delivered a fatal blow, leaving him crumpled on the ground.
"I'll kill you!" the axe guard roared, his eyes burning with rage. He charged at Amadeus, driven by a blinding fury.
"Without your brother, you're just a dumb animal," Amadeus said coldly. He activated {Splitting Strike}. With one decisive slash, he cleaved the axe guard and his weapon into two pieces, the ground around them stained with blood.
"Now to deal with the rest of you," Amadeus said, his gaze shifting to the thirty guards who trembled in fear. They rushed him in a desperate attempt to overwhelm him, but Amadeus moved like a storm, his sword cutting through the air with lethal precision. After eighteen guards fell, the remaining ones turned to flee, but Amadeus swiftly cut them down before they could take two steps."I guess that's all of them, but I'd better check," Amadeus said, inspecting the carriage.
In the best-looking carriage was a fat, rich merchant in charge of the convoy. "Just what is happening outside? I have to see. No matter how bad the situation, she can handle it," the merchant muttered.
The merchant stepped out, shocked to see Amadeus approaching, covered in blood. "An extra one was hiding," Amadeus noted.
Frozen in fear, the merchant's chubby face went pale, "A-are you a bandit? You've k-killed all my guards."His eyes searching for any sign of escape, but finding none. The once-confident merchant now trembled like a leaf in the wind. Desperation laced his voice as he continued, "How about taking this bag of money and the carriages, and letting me leave? Do we have a deal?".
He extended his hand, the bag of coins jingling slightly, His fat fingers, adorned with opulent rings, shook uncontrollably. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his breath came in short, panicked gasps.
Amadeus, his eyes cold and unfeeling, looked down at the merchant. "Sorry, I don't take bribes from the living. I take loot from corpses," he replied.
With a swift, merciless stroke, Amadeus' sword flashed through the air, severing the merchant's outstretched hand. The severed hand, still clutching the bag of coins, fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Blood spurted from the stump, staining the merchant's lavish robes.
"Ahhh... you vulgar barbarian!" the merchant screamed in agony, clutching his bleeding wrist. His eyes widened with a mix of pain and terror, and he stumbled backward, his mind struggling to process the brutal reality. "I'll make you die slowly," he spat through gritted teeth, his voice a mixture of hatred and fear.
The merchant turned and ran, his plump form wobbling as he dashed towards the last carriage. His breath came in ragged gasps, and he cursed under his breath,. Amadeus watched him for a moment, then calmly bent down to pick up the bag of money. A window appeared before him.
[New Item]
/ 10th Realm Coins: 500 golden coins added to inventory
"So this is the currency of this realm. Maybe I can buy better gear in a city," Amadeus said, following the merchant. "I need a sensor skill soon. I can't keep searching everywhere or following idiotic merchants," he grumbled.
The merchant banged on the carriage door, screaming, but no one answered. "Ember, you lowly woman, get out here and protect me!" he shouted. The door opened, and he said, "Finally. Now deal with this idiot. What are you waiting for? I order you to obey."
"Fireball," a voice inside the carriage said with a chilling calmness. A searing fireball erupted from the carriage, engulfing the merchant in flames. His screams of agony filled the air as the fire consumed him, reducing him to a charred skeleton in mere moments.
A woman stepped out of the carriage, her presence commanding and fierce. She wore a long, flowing cloak, and her eyes glowed with an intense, fiery light. With her heel , she crushed the merchant's remains into dust, shaking off the ashes as if they were nothing more than dirt.
"Who do you think you are to order me, you fat pig?" she said . "If I didn't need the money, I wouldn't be here." She paused, her gaze shifting to Amadeus, who stood watching with curiosity. "Anyway, you're the one he was running from. Nice to meet you, I'm Ember," she said, her tone shifting to a mocking politeness as she cleaned her shoes with deliberate care.
"You know the trouble you've put me in," Ember continued, her eyes narrowing with anger. "But don't worry, as long as I bring back the mana crystals, there won't be a problem." She took a step closer, her fiery aura intensifying. "As for you, I'll kill you slowly. Your actions made a disgusting creature call me a lowly woman. Get ready to feel the heat of hell before you die," Ember warned
The air around her seemed to shimmer with heat, and the ground beneath her feet scorched with each step she took. Ember's presence was both mesmerizing and terrifying.