The aftermath of the soldiers'' attack left the air thick with tension. The destructive force of theirbined attacks hadnded squarely, but not on Jett. Instead, Johny sprawled on the ground, smoke rising from his scorched armor and blood dripping from several cuts.


    "What the…?" One soldier stammered, his eyes wide in disbelief.


    "Did we... just hit him?" another whispered, taking a shaky step back.


    John groaned in pain as he struggled to sit up. His face twisted in agony and confusion. "What...? How did I get here?" he screamed, clutching his injured side.


    The soldiers remained rooted in ce, their expressions a mix of horror and bewilderment.


    John''s breathing grew ragged as he nced around, his confusion quickly morphing into fury. "Where is she? I had her in my arms, damn it!" He bellowed, mming his fist into the ground.


    "Who?" one of the soldiers dared to ask hesitantly.


    John''s eyes snapped toward him, zing with rage. "The damn queen, you morons! I had her with me! I was this close to making the trade!" He gestured wildly as he tried to rise, only to falter from the pain.


    The soldiers exchanged uneasy nces, their gazes darting from John to the smoldering spot where their attack hadnded.


    "What about the task I gave you?" John barked, gritting his teeth as he red at them. "Is he dead?"


    A long, awkward silence stretched between them. The soldiers hesitated, each one silently urging the others to speak first. Finally, one of them cleared his throat nervously.


    "Umm... sir," he began, his voice trembling, "we were just about to, before you, uh, appeared."


    John''s eyes narrowed dangerously. "What are you trying to say?" His tone was eerily calm, the kind of calm that promised an explosion.


    The second soldier, braver, or perhaps more foolish than the first, stepped forward. "What he''s trying to say is..." he paused, swallowing hard before continuing, "we think he swapped ces with you."


    "That''s impossible!" John roared, his voice echoing through the chamber. "Do you know how much that kind of power would cost? That level of magic is absurd!"


    The soldiers flinched at his outburst, but the evidence was undeniable. Jett was nowhere to be seen, and John had taken the full brunt of their attack.


    *****


    Right before the soldiers'' stunned eyes, the figure holding the queen shifted in an instant. The armor and posture of John faded away, reced by Jett''s lean form, his smirk lighting up the chaos like a spark in dry grass. The air itself seemed to hum with disbelief.


    "What…? How did..." one of the soldiers stuttered before falling silent.


    The queen, now in Jett''s arms, let out a startled cry. Jett raised an eyebrow, his usual nonchnt demeanor barely interrupted. "Your Majesty? In mid-air? Sorry, we''re meeting again under these circumstances. And sorry for this too." he apologized, tightening his hold on her as he adjusted mid-fall.


    Below, the ground rushed toward them at an rming speed, but Jett showed no sign of panic. "I''m not totally sure what''s going on, but I get the gist of it," he said, his grin widening. "Guess I can try out some random skills I''ve been neglecting."


    As their descent elerated, Jett activated a series of abilities in quick session. [Comet Drop] increased their falling speed, and turned their fall into a zing streak of light and energy, while [Body Defense] formed a glowing, translucent shield around them.


    The addition of [Iron Slime] wrapped them in a gtinous, reflective substance that could absorb the impact of falling at that speed. To cap it off, [Thunder God Enhancement] sent arcs of crackling lightning surging around their form, illuminating the battlefield below with shes of electric blue.


    Together, thebination created a dazzling, chaotic spectacle as they plummeted like a divine meteor toward the earth.


    The duo appeared like a meteor plummeting from the heavens, a mix of glistening slime, sparking electricity, and fiery aura surrounding them. The trail they left in the sky was a brilliant, chaotic dance of light and energy.


    From various positions, Vond''s soldiers watched in growing dread.


    "They''re falling…" one whispered, their voice shaking.


    "Really fast!" another shouted, starting to backpedal.


    "Run!" a third screamed, and themand spread like wildfire.


    Soldiers scattered in every direction, some throwing down their weapons in blind panic. The growing roar of their descent drowned out all other noise, until finally…


    BOOM!


    The ground exploded in a shockwave of earth, light, and thunderous energy. Dust and debris flew into the air, and the impact was so powerful that even those stationed far from the battlefield could feel the vibrations beneath their feet. The battlefield stilled, a crater forming where they hadnded, with bodies flung like ragdolls within a 50-meter radius.


    As the dust settled, Jett stood in the center of the destruction, nonchntly surveying the aftermath. "Nice," he said, brushing some dirt off his shoulder. "Took out almost everyone within 50 meters." He tilted his head, thinking. "I think."


    Beside him, the queen looked far lessposed. Her face was pale, and she was visibly shaking. The slime around her slowly dissipated, leaving her covered in a thin sheen of its remnants. She groaned softly, her eyes unfocused.


    Jett sighed, scratching the back of his head as he looked her over. ''Crap, I think I broke the queen,'' he thought, his inner voiceced with exasperation while watching more soldiers attempt to approach them.


    As the soldiers charged toward him and the queen, Jett let out a small sigh. "Guess I need a little breathing room." He raised his hand, summoning dark, crackling mes around him.


    {Hell Fire}


    The ground erupted in an inferno, forming a barrier of hot mes that radiated intense heat. The soldiers skidded to a halt, their courage wavering at the sight of the deadly wall. Some attempted to approach but recoiled as the heat began to singe their armor.


    "It''s not enough…" Jett muttered as heyered another spell on top of the first.


    {Wind Wall}


    Experience more on empire


    A sudden gust of powerful wind howled outward, throwing back the more daring soldiers like ragdolls. They mmed into the ground, groaning in pain. The dualyered defense bought Jett the moment of peace he needed.


    He flicked his wrist, summoning his status screen into view.


    =====


    ss: Magic Swordsman


    Level: 102


    HP: 570


    MP: 270


    Strength: 370


    Agility: 283


    Intelligence: 270


    Perception: 269


    Undistributed Points: 1000


    =====


    "Alright," Jett muttered, a grin forming as he scanned his stats. "Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. These numbers would pass for anyone around level 200, maybe 135 if it''s the others, but I''m pretty sure Rey''s would be faster, so maybe 125." He paused, smirking to himself. "Still, why do I get the feeling this isn''t enough?"


    *****


    A booming voice interrupted Jett''s concentration. "You there, who might you be?" It was the King of Vond, his piercing gaze fixed on Jett.


    "Me?" Jett said casually, his trademark smirk in ce. "No one important. I just happened to show up here."


    The king''s lips curled in a condescending smile. "Thedy in your arms is my bride, and I would appreciate it if you brought her to me."


    Jett cocked his head slightly, the grin never leaving his face. "Oh really? And what if I refuse?" he asked, though the fatigue in his voice hinted at his dwindling MP. ''Damn, I should''ve thought twice about using all those skills in session,'' Jett thought. ''The [Swap] almost drained mepletely.''


    The queen, standing behind the zing wall of fire, watched the entire scene with wide eyes. She clutched her dress tightly, struggling toprehend the surreal sight. A single man, unarmed, smiling like this was a minor inconvenience, even though they were surrounded by enemies.


    Yet, amidst his calm demeanor, Jett felt a flicker of unease. ''Let''s see what we''re really dealing with here; I still don''t feelfortable with this situation,'' he muttered as his eyes gleamed.


    [Appraisal]


    He turned his attention to the King of Vond, whose calm confidence radiated across the battlefield. Jett''s smirk faded slightly as the stats began to load.


    =====


    ss: Warrior


    Level: 317


    HP: 1000


    MP: 200


    Strength: 1000


    Agility: 700


    Intelligence: 100


    Perception: 170


    =====


    "You''ve got to be kidding me, but is this why I''m having cold feet?" Jett whispered, his brows furrowing. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.


    The king caught Jett''s sharp gaze and smirked knowingly. "You''ve realized, haven''t you? There''s no way you can face my wrath. So hand over the queen to me," he said, his voice cutting through the roar of the battlefield.


    Jett snapped the status screen shut and forced a grin back onto his face. "I''m not so sure about that; I can''t let a pervert like you keep on building a harem," he taunted, masking his unease.


    The queen, still trying to process what was happening, felt a chill run down her spine as she noticed the subtle shift in Jett''s demeanor. "You''re enjoying this?" she asked, incredulous.


    "Not quite, Your Majesty," Jett replied, his smirk fading into a serious expression. "But I don''t n to lose either."


    *


    *


    *


    Such a gentleman.