The Unlucky Big Man

The man peeked out from the bushes, carefully observed his surroundings, and then cautiously stepped out.

"What was that commotion just now? That kind of destructive power... Could it be the Demon King's Army attacking? But that shouldn't be possible... How could any Demons possibly want to attack [Äußerst]..."

The big man couldn't fathom what kind of battle could have produced such a commotion.

The grove where he was hiding was almost uprooted; this terrifying sight was the most horrifying scene he had ever witnessed in his life.

Little did he know that his position was right near the center of the battle between Rivale and Serie, and he was caught in the aftershocks of their collision.

The big man originally intended to ambush Galan and his group here, but after waiting for a long time without seeing them pass by, he couldn't help but feel puzzled.

To reach the location where they needed to complete their mission, this road was the only way. No matter what, Galan had to pass through here. But he had waited and waited, and the other party still hadn't appeared, making him begin to suspect that his whereabouts had been exposed...

"Maybe that woman from the association told that brat about it. Tsk! What a troublemaker! If she weren't part of the association, she would have been taught a lesson!"

He muttered angrily, brushing off the leaves and insects that had fallen on him, and walked out onto the main road, cursing under his breath.

There's really no need to wait any longer; if they haven't arrived by now, they're unlikely to come later.

However... it's also possible that they died in that commotion just now.

With such a commotion, it's possible it could affect them. Perhaps we could go closer and check it out to verify our suspicions?

He licked his lips, somewhat hesitant. After all, he didn't know what had just happened, and going over rashly might lead to trouble. Perhaps it was better not to get involved and return to the city as soon as possible; getting into trouble again would be difficult to handle.

And for some reason... he felt the air around him had gotten a bit colder, even though the sun hadn't set yet...

Just as he was thinking this and carefully making his way back, a tall man in a black overcoat appeared in front of him.

The man walked at a leisurely pace, like an old-fashioned gentleman strolling down the red carpet at a party.

His eyes were incredibly deep, like a bottomless pool, and his face was as pale as a blank sheet of paper. The blood-red cloak behind him swayed with his steps.

But what first caught the burly man's eye was not his unusually robust physique, but the Demons horn atop his head that symbolized his status.

"It's... it's Demons!?"

He was incredulous; his pupils contracted violently with fear.

How could my luck be so bad that I encountered Demons in the forest outside the city?

How could something so dangerous possibly exist in an area so close to [Äußerst]?

But no matter how hard he found it to believe, it was the truth.

Although the burly man had dealt with many demons before, this was the first time he had encountered Demons, and he had no relevant combat experience, so he panicked.

At that moment, the tall Demons seemed to have noticed him long ago, but he didn't look at him directly. Instead, he lowered his head, as if he was thinking about something, and walked straight over as if he didn't exist. Without a doubt, that Demons was Rivale.

As the distance between the two drew closer, the burly man could even clearly feel his own rapid breathing and the violent pounding of his heart.

My brain felt like it was drowning in a tank of water, completely losing its ability to think, and I felt only a suffocating despair.

He knew that he had encountered far more than just a Demons; this Demons's strength was unfathomable, and it was very likely that it was the culprit behind the explosion just now!

The other party simply walked towards him, without making any strange moves, yet he felt an immense sense of oppression. Could this be some legendary great Demons?

Why... why did this have to happen to me?!

The big man wanted to escape, but found that he had nowhere to hide within this area and couldn't move his feet at all. From the moment he arrived until now, he had just stood in place without making any move.

The scent of death drew ever closer, and with each thud of those black Military Boots on the ground, he felt his heart skip a beat.

"I sensed the presence of another human in this area before. So you've come here. It seems you're with Galan and the others."

Galan? All the way?

Wait... that sounds like that brat's name. How would this Demons know his name?

So the commotion just now came from over there? Judging from the looks of it, that kid probably died at the hands of that Demons too...

Based solely on Rivale's words, the Great Han had essentially sentenced Galan to death. After all, he couldn't believe Galan could survive such a terrifying wave of energy. Thinking of this, he even felt a sense of smug satisfaction. But he quickly realized something: Galan had already died at the hands of this Demons, so how could he possibly escape?

The big man looked terrified, because at that moment, Rivale was almost right in front of him.

And it was at this moment that Rivale, who had been deep in thought, finally looked directly at the burly man before him, his deep, cold eyes meeting the man's gaze.

Are you a warrior too? But compared to that Galan, you're far inferior...

The burly man didn't quite catch what he was saying, only knowing that within this area, he was likely to be killed. Should he fight back? If he struck first, could he withstand the attack?

That brat named Galan died at his hands, it must be because he was too weak.

Yes... that must be it!

If it were me, I might be able to hold my own against this Demons.

He gave a somewhat blank smile, as if he was constantly giving himself a mental pep talk.

But when he returned to reality from his imagination, he was once again overwhelmed by Rivale's powerful aura, and his expression became increasingly unpleasant.

"You... you can't just lay a hand on me like this! I... I'm an A-Rank Adventurer!"

Before he could finish speaking, Rivale's black Military Boots had already stepped past the big man.

And with the rhythmic footsteps landing on the ground, there was none other than the burly man's head.