Return Of The Strongest Player

The battlefield was akin to a wasteland.

Corpses were piled in all directions, and the squalid scent of rotting flesh wandered aimlessly across the area. 

"Sir, the general area is practically abandoned," a polite yet hurried voice resounded across the bloodied battlefield, addressing a figure higher ranked than himself. "It seemed the Ganghan Guild didn't leave anything behind after their battle with the Fwelsh Clan."

"They certainly razed part of the 18th floor to the ground…" A figure encompassed in a dark, crimson light spoke in a monotonous tone, stroking his chin in the process.

Burning wood caused fatal fumes of smoke to rise. All greenery had been devoured, leaving nothing but infertile ground along with the remains of Warriors, civilians, and perhaps a few houses.

Aside from that, the entire floor was gone.

"The Tower Administration will take care of this later," muttered the man in dark, crimson light. He was Arthur Solace, the Lord of Sins and the leader of Heaven's Challengers. At that point in time, he was not yet the ruler of the 98th floor.

His gaze was firm, and his demeanor was as calm as a lake on a hot, summer day. Not a single ripple was visible. As the dark, crimson light dissipated, it revealed his nigh enchanting appearance, capable of swaying the hearts of both genders.

His dark hair parted in the middle, reaching the tip of his pale ears. His crimson eyes were enigmatic, and exuded a sense of danger if one glanced into them. They were akin to an eternal abyss, capable of swallowing anything using the absence of light present within them.

His cherry-red lips slightly curved downwards, forming a faint frown. 

His body was cloaked by majestic robes, but through the belt that tied around his waist, one could assume that his figure was toned. It was a warrior's body… No, it surpassed that level. It was a King's body.

"How is the 2nd division doing?" Arthur muttered to no one in particular, walking forward as he observed the destruction caused by two mid-rank guilds. The 18th floor had been rendered temporarily unclearable due to the mass destruction.

Even the Tower Administration would require a few days before they could revert the floor to its original state. Thankfully, most of the floor's population had evacuated before the battle took place, and had survived.

Otherwise, the Tower Administration would have waged war against the Ganghan Guild and Fwelsh Clan. As one progressed through floors, it became increasingly difficult to interfere with their systems.

That's why most floors that suffered destruction were on the lower end. 

Destroying a floor was an offense, and the two guilds would suffer heavily for committing such an act. 

"The 2nd division has found nothing… The Ganghan Guild looted everything," said a man dressed in a pristine, white suit. His hair was greasy and pushed back, while his eyes were a light shade of orange.

"The Ganghan Guild is fucked," commented Arthur, allowing a faint smile to blossom on his face. A mocking smile, to be precise. "Unless they have the protection of a high-rank clan, their destruction is imminent."

"That's true, my lord."

Arthur's footsteps caused a "crunch" sound to reverberate across the area. The noise echoed, striking Arthur's ears much louder than it had emerged from his feet. Suddenly, the crimson-eyed man sensed a presence.

"Come out," said Arthur, turning his head to face a certain pile of wooden planks in the distance. His words seemed to be effective, as a second later, a man emerged from behind the planks. His forehead was bleeding.

His clothes were tattered, and resentment was evident in his eyes.

"Name," said the crimson-eyed man, approaching the man who'd emerged from the planks. 

"Oscar… Oscar Rune."

Arthur didn't respond. His eyes shone a deeper shade of crimson, causing Oscar to shrink in fear. Each step Arthur took instilled more fear in Oscar's heart, but the latter wasn't able to move under the petrifying terror.

Who knew this was simply a trick?

Once Arthur reached within arm's length of Oscar, the latter revealed a smirk. He unsheathed his sword, swinging horizontally towards the crimson-eyed man's torso. However, his blade clashed with an invisible wall before reaching Arthur.

"Interesting…" Arthur muttered, gazing into Oscar's eyes. The latter remained indifferent, but a hint of amusement arose in his eyes. "You weren't petrified by my eyes…"

The invisible wall produced a certain kind of pressure, pushing Oscar to the ground. The man gritted his teeth and tried to attack once again. Unfortunately, a flick using Arthur's fingers caused him to fall several hundreds of meters away.

Then, Oscar was unwillingly forced back to Arthur's feet. The latter bent down before extending his arm. "Would you like to join the Heaven's Challengers?"

Suddenly, Oscar's expression changed. Instead of resentment, hope manifested within his eyes as he processed the words Arthur had uttered. "Will you… truly save me? From this hellhole… will you?"

Oscar's face underwent several changes.

"Yes," said Arthur, nodding solemnly. "I will rescue you."

Finally, Oscar let out a determined sigh. 

"Then, I will join you."

*

Several years passed, and the Heaven's Challengers experienced massive growth through the combined efforts of its members and the Lord of Sins, who eventually came to rule the 98th floor as the apex of the tower underneath the Demons and Angels.

However, not all stories… 

No, all stories have a point where things turn to shit.

The Heaven's Challengers… the Tale of the Lord of Sins wasn't an exception. Eventually, the jealous revolted, toppling the man who stood above all.

It was a dark moment in history, and the day before time crashed. It wasn't known whether that timeline faded away into the abyss, or still exists somewhere. However, within that timeline, Oscar was an opposing force towards the Lord of Sins.

As Arthur's torso was impaled by a massive lance, Oscar stood a few kilometers away.

Amusement was vivid in his eyes. He laughed as if there was no tomorrow.

He laughed as Arthur succumbed.