[Character Illustration: Ryan]
Vwoom...
The moment Owen and Ryan stepped through the dense, crimson energy curtain of the B-Rank dimensional gate, the atmosphere around them shifted entirely. as if they had been abruptly pulled across space and time into another world.
The previously fresh air was abruptly replaced by a suffocating, sticky humidity. The heavy stench of damp mud, decaying foliage, and the pungent scent of wild beasts fiercely assaulted their senses. The sight before them was a deeply oppressive and eerie 'Primeval Forest'.
The trees here were colossal. Their thick trunks were so incredibly massive that ten men linking arms couldn't encircle them, towering so high that their peaks vanished into the gloom. Giant branches and massive leaves sprawled outward, weaving together into a dense natural canopy that completely blotted out the sky and sunlight. The environment within the forest was consequently dim, damp, and blanketed by a thin, creeping mist that hovered just above the ground.
The very second his boots touched the dirt, Ryan Goldwin wasted absolutely no time in showing off his overwhelming superiority. The young man instantly activated his skill: [Blessing of the Wind].
Whoosh~
Swirling currents of wind coalesced around Ryan's resplendent armor before seamlessly lifting his entire body into the air, rendering him weightless. This skill granted him the ability to levitate and soar freely.
Ryan fully intended to shoot as high up as possible to trigger the buffs from his overpowered passive skill... [Sky Domain]. This ability boosted his speed, attack power, and accuracy anywhere from 30% to a staggering 200%, based entirely on his altitude. The closer he was to the sky, the more invincible he became. (Hovering slightly above ground: +30%, Building/Mountain peak level: +50-100%, Cloud level and above: +150-200%).
However... reality is often incredibly cruel. It bluntly reminded him that the world did not revolve around his convenience.
Thud! Crack!
Ryan had barely ascended eight to ten meters when his shoulder plates slammed hard into giant, sprawling vines and a dense net of interlocking thick branches, halting his ascent completely. This claustrophobic, enclosed forest was his absolute worst enemy. It wouldn't even permit him to touch the true canopy, severely restricting Ryan to his absolute minimum buff of 30%.
"Tch! These branches are so damn annoying..." The young man clicked his tongue in deep frustration. His handsome face twisted into a scowl when he realized he couldn't showcase his maximum, god-like power as he had envisioned.
Down on the ground, Owen stood with his hands casually shoved into his leather jacket pockets, watching the spectacle with deadpan, analytical eyes. He raised an eyebrow slightly, silently compiling data in his head.
'Flight capability like that is quite enviable... He might be an elemental magic type, a Wind manipulator. No wonder he's so wildly confident. The Wind element boasts high mobility and incredibly versatile attack power...'
'But with an S-Rank ability, there is absolutely no way his only trick is wind manipulation. I'll need to keep gathering data on his full repertoire while he clears this gate...'
Hovering above, Ryan looked down at Owen and flashed what he thought was his coolest, most arrogant smirk. "Try to keep up, Mr. Owen. Don't get distracted sightseeing."
With that, he shot forward like a bullet, while Owen silently and effortlessly jogged behind him.
After advancing merely a few hundred meters deep into the dim forest, the sharpened hunting instincts of both men simultaneously detected a surge of raw killing intent.
Thud! Thud! ROAR!
Heavy footsteps trampled the dense underbrush, accompanied by the appearance of the local apex predator. It was an "Orc Hunter" serving as a vanguard scout. Its hulking frame stood over two and a half meters tall, packed with bulging, grotesque muscles. Its dark green skin was rough and hardened like ancient tree bark. In its massive hand, it gripped a giant, crude battleaxe stained with dried blood. What made it dangerous enough to be classified as a B-Rank threat was its innate ability to coat its skin and weapon with mana for 'Reinforcement'.
According to standard Association protocols, taking down a single Orc Hunter required a well-coordinated party of at least three B-Rank Awakened.
But Ryan was no ordinary B-Rank. His overall combat power was already bordering on A-Rank. He didn't wait for the Orc to find its footing, nor did he wait for Owen's input. The young man drew his massive 'Knight's Broadsword' from the scabbard on his back and instantly unleashed an attack skill!
"Die, you lowly monster!"
[Wind and Lightning: Converts mana into Wind or Lightning elements]
Crackle! BOOM!
The mana within Ryan's body transmuted violently. Brilliant, golden lightning coated the blade of his sword, making it look like a divine weapon forged by the gods themselves. The deafening crackle of high-voltage electricity echoed through the tranquil forest. Ryan dove through the air from his elevated position, moving at a speed completely surpassing the Orc's reaction time!
The Orc Hunter roared furiously. Sensing the lethal danger, it desperately channeled its mana to reinforce its giant axe and raised it to block the incoming strike with all its might. But the destructive, lightning-infused force behind Ryan's attack was overwhelmingly superior.
BOOOM!!! CLANG!
Sizzle~
The lightning blade cleaved right through the Orc's iron axe, shattering it into useless shrapnel, before seamlessly slicing the massive green body clean in half. Hundreds of thousands of volts of electricity instantly charred its corpse into a blackened husk. It died instantly from a single, devastating strike. Moments later, the carcass dissolved into glowing dust, leaving only a green "Mana Stone" to drop into the mud.
"Heh! How was that?" Ryan flicked his sword and sheathed it fluidly. He whipped around to look at Owen like a triumphant conqueror, fully expecting a shower of praise or at least a look of sheer, dumbfounded awe.
But what Ryan saw instead was the man in the leather jacket standing there, his brows furrowed, looking at him with an incredibly strange expression... It wasn't a gaze of admiration. It was the gaze one might use when looking at an 'idiot' who had just done something completely nonsensical.
Owen wasn't the least bit impressed by that display of raw power. From the perspective of a veteran who had danced on the razor's edge of life and death, someone who had to meticulously squeeze out every single drop of mana just to survive, Ryan's action was the absolute epitome of gross, wasteful 'Overkill'.
'Foolish...' Owen critiqued harshly in his mind. 'By simply using mana to reinforce his body, combined with his advantage in speed and downward momentum, he could have easily deflected the axe and decapitated it with a few clean, effortless swings...'
Owen's eyes drifted to the mana stone lying in the dirt. His eyebrow twitched again when he noticed a small 'scorch mark' on the stone—damage caused by an excessive, uncontrollable blast of lightning that had actually degraded the loot's overall quality.
'Sigh... This kid actually dumped a massive volume of lightning mana into his sword just to swat a low-level grunt? If I fought with such a moronic, wasteful method, my mana pool would run completely dry in half an hour...'
'Fortunately for him, this kid possesses an S-Rank mana capacity, allowing him to burn through it like a spoiled millionaire. What the hell is the Association doing, not teaching this kid basic 'Mana Efficiency'? Or did they try, and his massive ego just refused to listen?'
Of course, Ryan was completely oblivious to the harsh internal scolding he was currently receiving. The young man completely misinterpreted Owen's blank stare. He assumed Owen was 'stunned' and 'shocked' speechless by his destructive capability.
Ryan lifted his chin, puffed out his chest, and smirked with immense arrogance.
"Heh! No need to look so shocked. They're just dumb, green-skinned Orcs. They don't stand a chance against me... the wielder of the vastly overpowered, S-Rank ability: [Sky Sovereign Knight]."
The young man deliberately emphasized the name of his ability and its 'S-Rank' status, hoping to flex and mildly intimidate Owen. Naturally, he wasn't foolish enough to reveal the intricate details and hidden trump cards of his power.
"Keep up with me closely, Mr. Owen. I'm going to clear this B-Rank gate in the blink of an eye!" With that bold declaration, Ryan turned and haughtily flew deeper into the dense primeval forest.
He was completely unaware that... the ironclad rule of the Orc Hunter gate was: the deeper you go, the less likely they are to appear one by one. Along his flight path, Ryan relentlessly and maniacally hurled golden lightning strikes at every single enemy in his way, leaving blinding flashes and deafening explosions echoing endlessly throughout the dark forest.
That reckless, flashy display of power was now acting as a brilliant 'beacon', attracting the attention of entire "Orc Hunter packs"—groups of five to ten monsters—drawing them all to converge on his exact location!
While the 'Golden Boy' was busy acting as prime bait, Owen simply followed silently. A sly, predatory smirk crept onto his handsome face. He happily let the arrogant kid keep boasting and burning through his energy reserves... Waiting patiently for the inevitable moment the Knight's mana and stamina completely ran dry. Only then would the real lesson from an adult truly begin.
...
After violently carving a path through the vanguard of Orc Hunter scouts for quite some time, the primeval forest began to grow increasingly narrow and pitch-black. The thick, metallic stench of green blood and the charred marks from Ryan's lightning littered the entire trail.
Ryan, clad in his hundred-million-dollar armor, was flying low to dodge the massive branches. He began to decelerate, glancing back over his shoulder with eyes full of deep suspicion.
What he saw was Owen, dressed in his casual leather jacket, strolling along, acting as the designated 'looter', casually picking up mana stones from the Orc corpses. Yet, Owen was keeping pace with Ryan's flight with absolute, leisurely ease. In one hand, he held the Association-issued loot bag; with the other, he was tossing a mana stone into the air like a juggler. There wasn't a single drop of sweat on his forehead, nor any sign of fatigue. He looked exactly like a man taking a relaxing stroll in his backyard, not someone navigating an incredibly lethal dungeon.
"Listen here, Mr. Owen..." Ryan broke the silence, his tone shifting abruptly from arrogant boasting to serious, sharp scrutiny. "I'm going to ask you straight... What is your true motive?"
The young man floated down to ground level, confronting Owen face-to-face. "Sending me an email, insisting on meeting me, and acting like some sort of love guru ready to dispense advice... Someone of your status, a direct disciple of Nova, wouldn't do this for free. What do you really want from me? Money? Connections within the Association? Just say it straight, I won't mind..."
Owen stopped walking. He looked up at the hovering young man with completely placid eyes. There was no panic, no flustered reaction to being interrogated. He simply let out a soft sigh and replied in a perfectly calm, incredibly friendly tone, as if speaking to a younger brother next door.
"My reason is exactly what I stated in the email, Ryan..." Owen crossed his arms loosely. "This world still desperately needs countless 'heroes' to protect humanity from the dimensional gates. I've seen far too many strong individuals completely shatter and ruin their lives over trivial things... I don't want to see a young man with such a bright future, a crucial pillar of this world like you, lose your way, stagnate, or suffer a mental breakdown just because of a romantic disappointment."
Those handsome, righteous-sounding words made Ryan pause for a moment. But Owen didn't give him the time to overthink it. He seamlessly deployed the 'half-truth' technique to add massive weight and logic to his excuse.
"And most importantly... I'm not doing this just for you, Ryan. I'm doing it for 'myself', for 'Clara', and for everyone I care about." Owen met the young man's eyes directly. "So that ordinary people like them can live peacefully in this dangerous world, protected by frontline heroes like you serving as their shield. It's a highly worthwhile investment. Everyone wins. You get the girl you desire, and I get a peaceful, stable life. Don't you agree?"
"..." Ryan remained utterly silent.
"But then again..." Owen shrugged, playing his final psychological card to ensure he didn't seem overly desperate. "It's entirely up to you whether you want to accept my goodwill. If you think I'm lying, scheming, or you simply despise the sight of me... I can turn around and walk right out of this gate right now, Ryan. The choice is entirely yours."
Hearing this, Ryan finally touched down on the dirt. His eyes narrowed to slits, staring deeply into Owen's golden irises to catch any hint of deception. He scoured for lies, nervousness, or malicious intent, but found absolutely nothing... Owen's control over his body language, his breathing, and his heartbeat was flawlessly immaculate. There wasn't a single opening.
Meanwhile, Owen's System interface displayed the [Relationship Meter]. Ryan's Affection towards him was completely frozen at [0 Points : Stranger]. It indicated that although the young man couldn't find any flaws, deep down, his guard was still raised.
Ryan nodded slowly, pretending to understand and accept the reasoning. However... the very second the name 'Clara' echoed in his brain, the walls of his arrogance and his flawless knightly facade crumbled into dust.
"Speaking of Ms. Clara..."
Ryan's voice instantly turned incredibly shaky and frantic. His ego was temporarily discarded, leaving only an 18-year-old boy agonizing over his unrequited first love. "Is... is she still angry with me? Do you... do you know what I should do... so she'll forgive me and go back to talking to me like before? I didn't mean to offend her, I just..."
The corner of Owen's mouth twitched into a deeply satisfied, hidden smirk. This was the exact opening he had been waiting for. This was the perfect moment to strike while the iron was red hot! Owen wasted no time. He instantly activated the [Choice System].
Ding!
The clear, resonant chime of the System echoed in his mind, accompanied by the localized distortion of time and space!
In Owen's perception, the entire world decelerated until it came to a near, absolute standstill. Ryan's face, filled with desperate hope and eagerness, was frozen in mid-air. A drop of dew falling from a leaf hung suspended, perfectly encased in frozen time.
A translucent blue window popped up before Owen, displaying a variety of options.
…
[ Please select a path to answer Ryan Goldwin ]
[ Option 1: The Dismissive Advice ]
Details: Tell him to let it go and let time heal all wounds.
Result: Ryan will feel your advice is useless and nonsensical (Affection +0).
[ Option 2: The Good Guy Path ]
Details: Advise him to sincerely apologize to Clara in person.
Result: Ryan will view you as a somewhat decent counselor (Affection +1).
[ Option 3: The Path of Deceit (Trap) ]
Details: Give him terrible, fake "secret techniques," causing him to act foolishly and demand Clara's attention.
Result: Ryan's instincts will warn him that you are lying, and it may cause Clara to hate him even more (Affection -10).
[ Option 4: The Matchmaker ]
Details: Volunteer as a mediator to smooth things over and promise to set up a date between him and Clara.
Result: Ryan will begin to idolize you and view you much more amicably (Affection +10).
(Risk Warning: There is a 40% chance that Ryan's infatuation with Clara will worsen into extreme "obsession," leading him to commit terrible acts just to possess her.)
[ Option 5: Special Option (Reality Distortion) ]
Details: Use your [Reality Warp] power (Consumes 1 usage) to forcefully manipulate Ryan's feelings towards you.
Result: Ryan will feel absolute trust, profound respect, and unwavering faith in you (Affection +50).
[ Option 6: Special Option (Reality Distortion) ]
Details: Use your [Reality Warp] power (Consumes 1 usage) to permanently alter the structure of Ryan's desires within his brain.
Result: Permanently erase all 'sexual attraction' and 'romantic desire' Ryan holds for Clara! He will only adore Clara as a 'pure, devoted fanboy' and will never again harbor thoughts of violating or possessing her for the rest of his life!
...
Owen's golden eyes narrowed, reflecting the cold blue light of the System window. He meticulously read through the results of each option.
Options 1 through 3 were instantly dismissed in a fraction of a second, as they were far too slow and practically useless. As for Option 4, while it offered a decent 10 Affection points, it came with a catastrophically severe risk... A 40% chance was not something to gamble with. Creating an obsessive, yandere stalker to threaten his Clara was not a move an intelligent man would make.
His gaze locked completely onto the two Special Options...
Both Special Options were incredibly overpowered, capable of solving the issue definitively like sheer magic. However, using them meant sacrificing his ultimate trump card—his remaining two charges of [Reality Warp]!
Amidst the frozen time within the primeval forest, Owen raised a hand to lightly stroke his chin. A sly, unfathomably deep smirk—like a Demon King scripting a grand tragedy—slowly spread across his handsome face.
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