Make a Move

The insectoid beast in the distance was enormous, its speed surpassing that of an ordinary person, completely outstripping the three individuals ahead.

At this rate, they would soon be caught, and the consequences went without saying.

With that thought, Arthur no longer hesitated and strode forward quickly.

To the astonished gazes of the three across from him, Arthur did not flee but instead walked toward them.

They instinctively wanted to shout for him to leave, but their bodies, strained from intense exertion, made it hard to speak; the earlier warning had already been a struggle.

Sweat drenched their bodies, heat rising from them in waves, as if they had been running for a long time and were on the verge of collapse.

A gust of wind swept past them, and Arthur's figure blurred as he darted behind them.

Clang!!!

A sharp metallic clash rang out abruptly.

At the critical moment, under their horrified stares, Arthur held his sword and precisely met the insectoid beast's swinging claw, blocking its attack.

Watching this, a flicker of lingering fear crossed their eyes.

If that blow hadn't been stopped, given the beast's strength, the three of them would have been torn apart.

Ahead, Arthur stood still, frowning slightly at the insectoid beast before him.

He knew well the force of his own strike. The longsword forged from Black Rui Steel had clashed with the beast's claw, yet instead of severing it, only minor damage had been inflicted.

Such toughness was almost unbelievable.

Yet his display seemed even more unbelievable to the three behind him.

"Who is this? To actually... to actually block a fully grown Kewa Insectoid Beast head-on!"

Among the three, a middle-aged man stared at Arthur, who stood before them, speaking with a mix of lingering fear and shock, hardly believing his eyes.

But what was even more unbelievable was yet to come.

Under their stunned gazes, Arthur charged forward again, his terrifying speed leaving them only able to glimpse a shadow.

Clang!!!

A crisp sound rang out once more as Arthur, sword in hand, unleashed an explosive burst of speed in an instant.

His speed had long surpassed the limits of the human body. Though he wasn't going all out, it was far beyond what ordinary people could track.

The massive beast before him barely managed to raise its claw before colliding violently with Arthur.

With this clash, Arthur applied a bit more force and directly severed the beast's entire claw.

A sudden, immense force surged forth. The moment its claw was cut off, the beast reacted, lunging at Arthur.

Arthur didn't dodge. His eyes sharp, he kicked forward.

Seeing this, the three behind him dared not watch any longer and shut their eyes, already imagining Arthur's gruesome fate.

The beast before them stood two meters tall and over three meters long, its terrifying form seemingly impossible for any normal person to contend with.

A loud crash echoed around them, but no scream followed.

Holding onto a sliver of hope, they opened their eyes—only to witness something they couldn't believe.

Arthur still stood firmly in place, his shortsword in hand, cutting an imposing figure in this area.

Before him, the massive insectoid beast was sent flying, letting out low, mournful cries.

"Strength around 3..."

Feeling the force from the impact, Arthur analyzed calmly.

This beast's speed was mediocre. From its earlier performance, it was only slightly faster than an ordinary person—nothing remarkable. But its strength was terrifying, nearly matching Arthur's before he had activated his Life Seed.

By now, the sky outside had grown even darker. Low cries sounded intermittently, creating a dangerous atmosphere.

Arthur vaguely sensed that lurking outside the surrounding buildings were dangerous things, hiding silently in the shadows, not yet approaching.

With that thought, his grip on the sword tightened. A faint green gleam flickered across the Black Rui Steel blade.

He charged forward, and before the beast could react, he swung his sword directly at its massive body.

Heavy Slash!

A faint trace of Life Energy flowed through the sword, forming a blade of light that struck the beast heavily.

Shiiing!!

A massive crack appeared on its carapace. Its sturdy defense shattered, spilling out dark, ichorous fluid.

Yet even so, it didn't die immediately. It lay silently on the ground, emitting low, rhythmic insectoid cries.

Arthur wanted to step forward and finish it off, to see if killing such a beast would grant him that unknown power boost.

But the sky grew darker, and the surrounding low sounds swelled, reaching a peak in that moment.

He vaguely sensed a massive lifeform approaching from afar, so he dared not linger any longer.

"It's the scent of the beast's fluids—it's attracted other things!!"

The moment the surrounding sounds erupted, the three ahead changed expressions drastically. Without even daring to look back, they bolted forward.

Watching their movements, Arthur didn't hesitate. He followed directly behind them, heading toward a certain place ahead.

To Arthur's surprise, the place the three of them were fleeing to was precisely the same building he had been in earlier.

They dashed quickly into that building, then finally let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Only then did they notice Arthur behind them.

The moment they saw Arthur, the three instinctively exchanged glances, all seeing the same shock in each other's eyes.

Earlier, because the sky outside had already darkened and they were far away, they hadn't gotten a clear look at Arthur's appearance and had assumed he was a tall, imposing, burly man.

The Arthur before them looked only about thirteen or fourteen, with a clean, gentle face. He wore an intact black robe, and his appearance was flawless, naturally inspiring goodwill.

Such a young child was completely at odds with the image of a stalwart warrior capable of battling insect beasts. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, who could have imagined he possessed such terrifying combat power? No wonder they were stunned.

Yet amid their shock, they also breathed a sigh of relief, shedding some of their earlier fear.

In this world, order had completely collapsed. At a time like this, human morality was hardly reliable. If such a terrifyingly powerful warrior wanted to do something to them, they would have no way to resist.

But Arthur's appearance and age made him seem like nothing more than a child. Just looking at him inspired goodwill, and he seemed utterly disconnected from that kind of person.