An uncomfortable tension hung heavy in the air. Gary’s gaze drifted from Tyler’s necklace to his face, a slow, knowing smile spreading across his lips. "Wait a minute," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "I rember you now. You're that punk that ca with Grone the other ti, right? So you *were* a hunter this entire ti? And you're a D-Rank."
Steven nodded, a flicker of sothing akin to surprised recognition in his eyes. "Yeah, no wonder he was capable of overwhelming that much that other ti. There was no way he was an E-Rank."
Grone’s voice was tight with apprehension. "So what? You've co here to kill ?"
Gary chuckled, a chilling sound. "Well, of course. At first, I ca here to kill *this* brat," he gestured towards Tyler with the tip of his katana, "for ssing with my little brother. But when I saw you… I'm sorry, but I just can't resist." He took a step closer, the air crackling with nace.
Tyler’s curiosity was answered as system panels appeared above the three newcors, displaying their levels: Bernardo (Level 35), Steven (Level 41), and Gary (Level 74). Tyler's heart pounded. Gary was far stronger than anyone he'd ever encountered before. He spoke, his voice calm. "He's not wrong. I think I told you about soone who tried to attack right after I saved him. That's the guy standing beside him."
Gary shot a sharp glance at his brother, Steven. "Saved him? Wait, he saved you? From what?"
Steven t his brother’s gaze, his voice a stamring whisper. “Um, well, he—he saved from a sli, but it’s not what you think—”
The words died in his throat as Gary’s hand lashed out, a stinging slap that landed squarely on his cheek. Gary’s voice, when it ca, was a low growl, thick with contempt. “You got saved from a *sli*? Are you truly trying to bring our family sha?”
Bernardo, Grone, and Tyler stared, stunned by the sudden eruption of violence. Steven didn’t react, didn’t even flinch. He simply hung his head, the sha evident in the slump of his shoulders, the crimson flush creeping up his neck. His silence was more damning than any protest.
Gary’s gaze flickered, a cold calculation replacing the initial fury. “That’s not how you said it happened,” he stated, his voice flat, devoid of emotion. A cruel smile twisted his lips. “You know what? I have a bright idea. Why don’t you face him, huh? Why don’t you bring back our family’s honor?”
With a harsh shove to Steven’s back, Gary propelled his younger brother forward. This ti, the force of the blow sent Steven stumbling towards Tyler. Tyler and Grone, already in a fighting stance with their swords drawn, stood poised, ready for whatever might follow, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.
Steven stumbled, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and resentnt. “What? You want to face them alone?” he protested, his voice barely a squeak.
Gary’s smile was predatory. “Oh no, I just want you to face that D-Rank over there. You’re both D-Ranks, aren’t ya? Then why are you scared?”
Steven shook his head, his voice strained. “No, it’s just that… I don’t think the other guy is just going to stand there. If I fight him…”
Gary cut him off with a dismissive wave. “Don’t worry. I’m going to handle him.” His gaze shifted to Bernardo, who stood frozen, watching the unfolding drama with a mixture of apprehension and morbid curiosity. “Hey, you. You’re in this too, right? You’re going to have to face that D-Rank too.”
Bernardo’s eyes widened. “What? But I—”
Gary’s voice was a venomous hiss. “Man, you’re a coward. It’s two against one. Stop bitching and get on with it already.”
Grone’s lips curved into a subtle smile as he watched Bernardo and Steven approach Tyler, their expressions a mixture of bravado and apprehension. *They still think he’s a D-Rank,* he mused, *but they don’t know he’s a C-Rank, and not a normal one at that.*
Gary noticed the subtle shift in Grone’s expression, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. It grated on his nerves. “What’s so funny, old man?” he snapped, his voice sharp.
Grone’s smile vanished, replaced by a look of grim determination as he t Gary’s gaze. “That’s what pisses off the most,” Gary spat, his voice dripping with venom. “That smile of yours. Always getting the smallest quests, fewer rewards, and always smiling like an idiot. You really don’t deserve to be a hunter, you know that? I told you to quit, but you never listen. That just shows how stupid you are.”
Tyler’s voice cut through Gary’s tirade. “Shut up. Look around you. You’re the one that’s obviously retarded. Can’t you see all these hideless monsters we just killed?” He gestured to the corpses of the crimson wolves scattered around them, their flayed bodies a stark contrast to the green of the forest floor. “You still don’t think he deserves to be a hunter?”
Gary bristled. “You shut your trap, I wasn’t even talking to you.” He turned his attention back to his brother and Bernardo. “Why the hell are you still standing there? Kill that bastard already!”
Grone reacted instantly, his right hand a blur as he unleashed his slash attack. An invisible blade of wind, propelled by the force of his swing, shot towards Gary. Gary, however, grinned, easily sidestepping the invisible projectile with practiced ease, his eyes gleaming with predatory amusent as he continued his advance towards Grone. The distance between them remained significant; the attack, while swift, had been launched from several feet away.
Gary activated his sword skill, a short wave of energy that manifested as a slightly visible blade of wind heading towards Grone. Grone reacted swiftly, rolling to his right to avoid the attack, creating more distance between himself and Tyler.
anwhile, Steven arrived before Tyler, his sword a blur as he swung it with both hands in a wide, upward arc. The attack, surprisingly slow, allowed Tyler to easily bend backward, his shoulder tilting to avoid the blow. He stepped forward, his fist coiling with power. With a roar, Tyler unleashed a powerful punch that connected squarely with Steven’s forehead. A sharp *boom* echoed through the clearing. Steven's eyes widened; *Shit,* he thought, just before the fist connected, the impact sending him sprawling backward. His body tumbled, his back striking a tree trunk with a heavy thud.
Gary stopped, montarily surprised by the swiftness and power of Tyler’s strike. Seizing the opportunity, Bernardo charged, drawing his dagger. He roared, swinging the blade down in a vicious arc aid at Tyler’s chest.
Tyler, however, reacted with astonishing speed. He grabbed Bernardo’s wrist, his eyes locking with Bernardo’s. “You,” Tyler said, his voice low and dangerous, “I didn’t pay you back for those hits you gave that ti.”
Bernardo’s eyes widened in alarm as Tyler released his axe, the weapon vanishing into his inventory with a blue flash. Then, with a brutal uppercut, Tyler struck Bernardo in the gut, the force of the blow knocking the wind from his lungs. With a sharp twist, Tyler dislocated Bernardo’s wrist, forcing him to release his dagger. The weapon clattered to the ground.
Tyler released Bernardo’s wrist. Before Bernardo could react, a lightning-fast right hook slamd into his jaw, sending his head snapping to the side. The impact echoed through the clearing. Before he could recover, a brutal uppercut smashed into his solar plexus, doubling him over. Another punch, a straight right to the chest, followed, the force of it driving the air from his lungs. He staggered back, trying desperately to defend himself, but Tyler was relentless. A left hook to the ribs, then another straight right to the jaw, sent him reeling. He tasted blood. A final, bone-jarring blow to the sternum—a straight right delivered with the full force of Tyler's body weight—cracked sothing inside Bernardo's chest. He stumbled backward, collapsing onto the forest floor, a torrent of blood erupting from his mouth as he gasped for air, clutching his chest.
Gary stared, shocked. *What the hell’s going on? Is a D-Rank supposed to be that fast?* His thoughts were interrupted by Grone, who charged, his sword descending in a powerful downward slash. Gary t the attack with a swift upward parry, pushing Grone back.
“Your boy’s strong,” Gary said, a hint of grudging respect in his voice. “What level is he?”
“You think I’m just gonna tell you that?” Grone retorted, regaining his fighting stance.
Gary laughed, his eyes gleaming with amusent. “You know, seeing you take a stance like that makes wanna toy with you a little.” The katana in his hand began to float, seemingly of its own accord.
Tyler, witnessing this display of power, decided to equip his iron axe. The weapon materialized in his hand with a tallic clang.
Steven groaned, pushing himself up from the ground. A trickle of blood ran down his forehead, staining his cheek. A round shield materialized in his hand. Tyler paused, his gaze shifting to Steven, who now stood beside the groaning Bernardo.
“Is this guy really a D-Rank?” Bernardo gasped, clutching his chest. “He’s far stronger than both of us. I think he even compares to your brother.”
“Shut up! There’s no way he can compare to my brother!” Steven roared, a primal scream that ripped through the tense silence of the forest. He charged, a human battering ram, shield held high, a bulwark against the storm that was about to break. Tyler’s eyes, however, remained calm, his gaze fixed on Steven as a system panel shimred into existence before him: *Steven Brunch has activated skill: Quick Step.* The words burned into his mind, but a wry smile played on his lips. *Increased speed, yes, but he's still slow.*
Steven’s attack was a whirlwind of motion, a desperate, furious flurry of steel. His sword, a deadly extension of his rage, stabbed, slashed, and thrust, aiming for Tyler’s abdon, then his chest, then his side. Each strike was a testant to his newfound speed, a blur of motion that would have overwheld a lesser opponent. But Tyler was no ordinary opponent. He moved like a phantom, a whisper of motion in the heart of the storm. He sidestepped the initial thrust, the sword’s point passing agonizingly close to his abdon, the chill of steel a ghost against his skin. He danced, a deadly ballet of evasion, each movent precise, each dodge calculated, as he effortlessly evaded the relentless assault.
Then, a new threat erged. A system panel flashed before Tyler's eyes: *Bernardo has activated skill: Throw.* Before he could fully process the warning, a deadly projectile hurtled towards him—Bernardo's dagger, a silver streak of death launched with surprising force and accuracy. Even as he continued his deadly dance with Steven, his head snapped to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade. The dagger grazed his cheek, leaving a shallow cut.
Tyler's eyes flared, a brief, intense blue light illuminating his gaze for a fraction of a second. It was a fleeting mont, but in that instant, his movents transcended human speed. He launched himself, a coiled spring unleashed, his body a blur of motion. His leg, a weapon of devastating power, connected with Steven's shield in a spinning kick that echoed through the trees. The impact was deafening, a thunderous CRASH that sent tremors through the ground. Steven, his body a ragdoll, was hurled into the air, a tortured groan escaping his lips. Bernardo looked up, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and awe, as Steven flew over him landing behind him. A deep, star-shaped dent was gouged into Steven's shield, a testant to the raw power of Tyler's strike.
Gary, witnessing this breathtaking display of skill and power, halted his advance. His blade, still floating nacingly in the air, remained motionless. He imdiately turned and ran towards Tyler. Grone, sensing the shift in the battle, attempted to intercept Gary, but Gary willed his floating katana to intercept Grone. The blade swerved, intercepting Grone's path. Grone parried the unexpected attack, sending the blade spinning, only to have it return, seemingly under Gary's control.
The katana, a blur of motion, whizzed past Grone's head, narrowly missing his neck as he dodged with a desperate lunge. Gary materialized before Tyler, his dagger flashing in the sunlight as he brought it down in a swift, brutal arc. Tyler reacted instantly, his iron axe materializing in his hands with a tallic clang. He raised the axe, bracing himself as Gary's dagger slamd into the axe's hilt. A sharp *ting!* resonated through the air, a sound that spoke of imnse force. The impact sent a jolt up Tyler's arms, forcing his left knee to buckle slightly under the pressure. His teeth clenched, his jaw muscles taut, as he strained against Gary's relentless attack.
Gary smirked, a cruel twist of his lips. "It seems you're stronger than the old man," he taunted, his voice laced with a chilling amusent. "Able to take down my brother in a few blows like that. But I'm different. I'm not my brother." He increased the pressure on his attack, forcing Tyler's left knee to the ground.
Grone, anwhile, was locked in a desperate struggle against Gary's erratically flying katana. He parried and dodged, his movents a whirlwind of defensive maneuvers, but the blade seed to anticipate his every move, its trajectory unpredictable, its attacks relentless. He found himself thinking, *How is he doing that? Fighting Tyler and controlling the blade at the sa ti. It's almost like the blade has a will of its own. It must have taken him months to master this skill to this extent.*
Bernardo, watching Tyler struggle, clutched his still-aching chest. Each breath sent a searing pain through his ribs; he felt a sickening crack with every inhale and exhale, a constant reminder of Tyler's brutal assault. *It hurt like hell when I used my skill,* he thought grimly, *and I thought that was going to finish him off, but it just made my situation worse. Why did I co here anyway? This is so stupid. I can't believe I also had a side thought that maybe if I killed so monsters, maybe I could beco a hunter too. Maybe I wouldn't have to steal from people. Ugh, what am I thinking? I have to focus on getting out of here alive. But it looks like that guy's brother's got the upper hand. Why did he make us fight them anyway? That freaking bastard.*
Tyler’s eyes flared, glowing an intense blue for a fleeting instant. With a guttural grunt, he channeled every ounce of his strength, pushing against Gary’s relentless pressure. Gary’s confident smirk faltered as he felt Tyler’s strength surge—a raw power that belied his outward appearance. He watched, surprised, as Tyler slowly but surely began to rise, pushing back against the force of his attack. A cold dread began to creep into Gary's heart. *What the hell? Shit, just like I thought. This supposed D-Rank is a fake. He’s definitely a C-Rank. What is he, an assassin?*
Tyler, with a final surge of power, pushed Gary off balance. Gary stumbled back, only two steps, but he recovered his footing with surprising agility. The unexpected display of strength surprised both Gary and the watching Bernardo. Gary’s grin returned, a predatory gleam in his eyes as he adopted a fighting stance. Tyler gasped, as if drawing in a deep breath to steady himself, and mirrored Gary’s stance, his axe held ready.
Bernardo’s thoughts raced, a whirlwind of fear and disbelief. *Damn it, what’s going on now? Could it be that this guy is actually stronger than Gary?* The thought sent a shiver down his spine. His eyes widened, his body trembling involuntarily. He took a step back, then another, and another, the instinct to flee overwhelming him. *If that’s the case, then we’re screwed. I have to get out of here.*
Gary, his gaze locked on Tyler, spoke, his voice a low, dangerous murmur. “What are you, an assassin? Even if you say you are, you’re a strange one, I can tell you that. That weapon you have—it just appeared out of nowhere. Seems like you might have a skill similar to my brother’s, but that’s not going to give you an advantage.”
As Gary spoke, a system panel appeared before Tyler: Gary Brunch has activated skill: Gap.
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