Return Of The Strongest Player

Arthur entered the dark locker rooms, lighting a candle as he plopped down on one of the benches and sighed. The room was warm and cozy but contained the squalid scent of body odor.

All other competitors had entered the stands to spectate the various battles. Arthur circulated mana across his body, inspecting the damage to his circuits in-depth after straining them so much.

However, it was necessary.

The more Cassius spent his vitality, the more power he amassed. Although the crimson-eyed man refrained from attacking initially, he was forced to do so once the power exceeded his ability to dominate.

His purpose was not only to defeat Cassius but also to instill a particular kind of fear in the hearts of the crowd, Elder Feyright. Moreover, to Elder Gabriel, Arthur displayed unwavering determination and dominating potential and power.

This allowed Elder Gabriel to feel a sense of superiority and control since he believed he had Arthur in the palm of his hand. Once Cassius was injured beyond belief and on the doorway to Hell, the intense emotions in the hearts of both Gabriel and Feyright burst.

The latter experienced a sense of danger, resulting in an urge to kill Arthur.

The former experienced a sense of elation, resulting in an urge to protect and further control Arthur.

Both were equally detrimental to Arthur's plans, but they allowed the crimson-eyed man to instigate a battle. As the crowd was swept into their scuffle, other members would step up to defend their honor.

Naivety was the best victim of manipulation. Those with immense pride, along with a narrow mind and naive beliefs were incredibly easy to manipulate, as one simply had to play with their emotions.

Arthur knew that Gabriel and Feyright would eventually realize his motive, as they weren't as naive as their descendants and clanmates. However, by then, it would be too late, as Arthur would have escaped.

There was no chance of receiving the inheritance of the Baron Of Death.

The trip was a failure.

But, before Arthur left, he planned to loot Gargo Village so as not to leave empty-handed after spending so much time. The crimson-eyed man couldn't–as his conscience wouldn't allow it–leave without exploiting the village that had treated him like expendable goods.

Suddenly, the sound of a twisting knob entered Arthur's ears. He immediately placed his hand on Skofnung, which had consumed its fair share of blood. Although, without the satisfaction of causing death, the Demonic Blade was not satisfied.

As the door to the locker room creaked open, a shadowed figure revealed its presence.

Suddenly, Arthur's eyes widened slightly. "Aunt Isabella?" 

Isabella–the shadowed figure–glanced at the crimson-eyed man's sword before letting out a little chuckle. "Were you going to slash me to bits, Arthur?"

"Of course not," the crimson-eyed man replied, leaning back in his seat. Isabella continued to smile gently, taking a seat beside Arthur. Her movements were slow, while her body was incredibly stiff.

She was unlike Gabriel, who retained 50% of his power from his prime.

Although neither of them continued their climb, the latter continued to train the residents of Gargo Village, in turn preserving half of his power. On the other hand, Isabella's situation was a bit complicated.

She completely abandoned her hopes and dreams but was still able to find happiness. After such a devastating life, one wouldn't be surprised to see a suicide note hung up on her house door.

However, she fought through the inconveniences, deciding to savor life.

Arthur–albeit unconsciously–had come to acknowledge and admire that way of thinking, although he was still disappointed that she didn't pursue her goal. Every player's goal was to climb as high as they could.

"Congratulations on winning," said Isabella, continuing to smile. 

She was a veteran in the tower and realized the necessity of brutality. Even if it was not required, one needed to instill fear in their enemy's heart, or they would simply crawl back and bite.

"Thanks."

Suddenly, Isabella let out a chuckle before breaking out into laughter. "But seriously… Avalon?"

Arthur felt wronged. Even he was a bit pissed about the name, although he hadn't gotten a chance to complain to the perpetrator, yet. And, if things go well, he will never receive the chance to meet Gabriel.

If the situation progressed perfectly, he would die in this battle.

Of course, not all things things progressed according to a planned scenario.

"Why did you come here?" Arthur inquired. As those words escaped his lips, the atmosphere dropped in temperature almost instantly. Each word spoken contained deep emotion and echoed across the room as if it were absolute.

Arthur's chest was tight, but he was mostly calm. "Disciple Of Death."

Isabella's face paled, and her eyes widened. Time stopped. 

Arthur and Isabella locked eyes. The former's eyes reflected a mix of confidence along with a single ounce of regret. The latter's eyes contained utter shock, rage, and what Arthur expected to see… 

Fear.

Death was a well-renowned aspect of power, but not on the earlier floors of the tower. As people entered Heaven's Spire, they retained their morality and expected others to act similarly. They shunned the unholy aspect.

However, as they climbed higher, they shed all connections to what people call "humanity." Eventually, they embraced the questionable and controversial aspects of power, thirsting for power.

Isabella was planning on, or had already inherited the legacy of the Baron Of Death. 

Faced with a possible opportunity to recover her original status, she delved deeper into the concept of death. As she experimented, the regret and agony morphed into a mere fleeting dream, freeing her of all the painful memories.

However, when contemplating whether to reveal her findings or hide them, she chose the latter in order to prevent being shunned away from society. For that very purpose, she also morphed into a kind soul, trying to cement her position in her community.

Humans were social animals, especially when weak. 

They needed to band together.

Isabella, although having discovered such an important inheritance, wasn't able to make the most of it due to her connections to society.

She wasted her life.