ke waspletely taken aback, unable to believe that he was facing the same person he had once treated like a mere toy.


    ''W-What happened to him?'' ke''s thoughts raced as he tried to make sense of the situation. He had believed that both he and that girl had perished inside the forest, yet here stood Aether, fearless and unyielding.


    "Come on... Where''s that haughty attitude now?... heh," Aether chuckled wickedly, his demeanour reminiscent of a viin relishing the chaos.


    ''This bastard!!'' ke''s frustration and anger surged, evident in the veins that popped on his forehead.


    "I will end you with my own two hands!!!" ke''s voice reverberated with determination as he lunged at Aether once more, intent on cutting him down. However, his attack was swiftly intercepted.


    ''Thud''


    ''Shhh''


    Aether deftly caught ke''s forearm that held the weapon, effortlessly disarming him with a single strike. Before ke could react, Aether delivered a devastating gut punch, sending ke crashing to the ground.


    "BAM!!"


    "Cough, Cough"


    ke coughed up blood, his body wracked with pain as he struggled to regain his footing and retrieve his weapon. Yet, Aether was relentless.


    "BOOM!"


    Aether''s fist connected with ke''s head.. "Heheh...", each strike was apanied by a chilling chuckle from Aether.


    "BOOM!"


    "Heh.."


    "BOOM!"


    "Heh.."


    "BOOM!"


    "Heh.."


    "BOOM!"


    ...


    ....


    ke''s party, witnessing the brutal scene unfold, couldn''t contain their outrage.


    "YOU BASTARD!! STOP!!"


    "YOU JERK!!!"


    "I WILL KILL YOU!!"


    Hearing their enraged shouts, Aether momentarily paused his assault, a sinister grin crossing his face.


    "I dare you to step in and fight for your friend, otherwise...." Aether''s threat hung in the air, ominous and foreboding.


    "BOOM!!"


    "Hehe..." Aether''sughter echoed through the arena, sending chills down everyone''s spine.


    "C-Come on, guys, we need to intervene or we''ll lose our leader at this rate!!" One of ke''s party members shouted, prompting them to jump into the battle arena.


    However, their impulsive action was swiftly halted by the Announcer,


    "Who gave you permission to enter the battle?" The Announcer''s voice cut through the chaos, her tone devoid of emotion... it was none other than Empress''s Maid.


    ke''spanions flinched, realizing their oversight in the heat of the moment. They scrambled to plead for forgiveness, but before they could utter a word,


    "Empress." Aether stood up, his gaze fixated on Empress, "I want to face them all at once," his voice brimming with anticipation, his mind consumed by thoughts of defeating ke and his allies.... Forgetting his seduction process!!


    "Ether, what the hell are you talk--" Velc attempted to intervene, but Empress interrupted with, "Go ahead, but... I''m not yet impressed."


    ''Impressed... what is she talking about?'' Aether wondered briefly, but his focus returned to the group as they tended to ke, administering healing potions to his battered form.


    ''Four men and two women...'' Aether nodded to himself, sizing up his opponents as he stretched his muscles in preparation.


    "Damn that bastard!!"


    "Is he really the same person we nearly killed before?"


    "How is he even alive?"


    "Perhaps that girl sacrificed herself for him, and now he''s seeking revenge."


    ke''s team murmured amongst themselves, wearing grim expressions as they contemted Aether''s actions.


    "Whatever it is, we need to eliminate him," ke dered as he stood up, his face healed but still bearing signs of the brutal beating.


    Hispanions nodded in agreement, their determination evident as they summed their Arcane cards and readied their weapons.


    "You''ve made a grave mistake... allowing us to group together. Now you have no chance of survival," ke spoke with malice in his words, his eyes fixed on Aether.


    "Hmm..." Aether nodded calmly, showing little reaction. He then casually inserted his hand into his pocket and spoke with a haughty smile, "I''ll give you one minute. If yound a single attack on my body, I''ll be on total defence..... You can do whatever you want, and I won''t fight back."


    ".... Seems like you''re pushing your luck," ke retorted, his gaze unwavering as he asked, "What if our attacks don''t reach you?"


    ".... Well, you''ll find out soon enough," Aether replied with a shake of his head, a hint of pity in his eyes.


    "Tsk, KILL HIM!!" kemanded his teammates, who quickly formed an attack formation. Three men took the front lines with their axes and swords, while two women positioned themselves as support behind them, and ke positioned himself in the centre, ready to strike.


    "Heeee..." Aether''s smile took on a wicked edge as he observed the approaching attackers. His hands remained in his pockets as he braced for their assault.


    The scene reminded Aether of past encounters, facing off against groups of thugs armed with various weapons... a baseball bat, an iron rod, sharp knuckles, and chains. It always thrilled him in a peculiar way, yethe never acknowledged that feeling.


    "Hehe..."


    ''Shhh''


    ''Shhh''


    ''BAM!''


    "What the...." The three men in the front were taken aback as Aether effortlessly evaded their attacks, moving with the grace and agility of a snake.


    Undeterred, they continued their assault, swinging their weapons fiercely, but Aether continued to evade every strike without taking a single hit.


    "The clock is ticking~" Aether''s voice carried a gentle tone as he deftly avoided their attacks.


    But then,


    "BAM!!"


    "Shh... that was close," Aether muttered, assessing the damage caused by a fireball that narrowly missed him. He then turned his attention to the two women who wereunching magical spells at him.


    With a smirk, "Increase charm"


    [+1 Charm]


    [Charm: 11↑]


    The sudden increase in charm made the two women flinch, their faces flushing as they were momentarily entranced by Aether''s gentle smile.


    "What are you doing?!" ke''s shout snapped them out of their daze, and they refocused onunching their magical assaults at Aether.


    ''Tsk, Well, I suppose I''ll use it if things get dire...'' Aether thought, swiftly evading their spells and physical attacks with remarkable ease and grace, almost like a dancer on the battlefield.


    "Sshhh"


    "Don''t move, idiot!!"


    "Sshhh"


    "Bam!"


    "Come on, stand in one ce!!"


    "BOOM!"


    .....


    ...


    Aether, with his hands still leisurely tucked in his pockets, effortlessly dodged every attack, making it look like child''s y despite the intensity of the battle raging around him.


    "F-Father, I-Is he truly the same person?" Kai asked with disbelief, his eyes wide as he watched the seasoned warriors of their group struggle to eveny a finger on Aether.


    "..." Velc''s face turned pale as he observed Aether''s prowess, a sense of unease settling in as he realized the gravity of the situation. He nced at Delphine, seeking some exnation, "Did you teach him these skills?"


    "Who knows?" Delphine shrugged casually and with a gentle smile shemented, "While his movements may seem rough, there are no unnecessary or wasted motions in his body. It''s a natural talent.... Good talent!"


    Empress, watching the battle unfold with a keen eye, nodded in agreement. "Indeed, his fighting style mayck refinement, but he is exceptionally skilled in his own way."


    In the midst of the chaotic skirmish in the battle arena,


    "That''s all? Just ten seconds more, you know!! Time is crucial," Aether remarked with a hint of impatience, his keen eyes scanning the panting and fatigued opponents before him, a predator sensing its prey''s weakness.


    All eyes turned expectantly to ke, who stepped forward with renewed determination, a flicker of doubt hidden behind his confident facade, "Looks like I''ll have to teach you a lesson right here," he taunted, holding a massive fireball conjured with intense concentration.


    "Hehe... That''s what I''m talk---"


    "BOOMMMMMMMM!!!!"


    Before Aether could finish his sentence or react, ke unleashed the fiery projectile with surprising speed and force, aiming to end the battle decisively.


    "!!!" Selene''s eyes widened in horror, her heart pounding in her chest.... not only her but also Velc who abruptly looked at his son for any difort but to his surprise,


    "Kai, are you alright?" Velc''s voice was tinged with concern as he hurriedly checked his son for any signs of injury.


    "H-Huh?" Kai blinked in confusion, his expression mirroring his father''s concern as he checked his outer body, "I-I don''t feel anything," he reassured them, relief flooding his voice.


    "He''s really ying with fire... quite literally," the Archpriestess remarked, her gaze fixed on the inferno fire


    "Hehe..." Empress chuckled softly, a hint of amusement in her tone as she watched the unfolding spectacle with keen interest.


    "Did we kill him?" a woman from ke''s party asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty as she scanned the battlefield for any sign of Aether, Hoping everything ends here...


    However, before her eyes, A man walked out from the yellow mes without a single burn on his body or rather on his dress.


    !~Ding~!


    [Survival rate: 5.55%?↑]


    Aether nced triumphantly at ke, his grin widening into a mischievous smirk as he revelled in the thrill of the battle. "Time''s up! I won! Yay!!!" he eximed joyously, briefly adopting a childlike demeanour before his expression shifted back to one of terrorizing faces. "Hehe... Let''s y Hide and.....


    Seeeekkkk!!!" he added, his tone taking on a slightly menacing edge that sent a chill down the spines of those around him.


    [+1 Agility]


    [Agility: 13↑]


    Before the woman could evenprehend what was happening, she found herself mmed into the ground by Aether''s swift and precise strike.


    "Boom!"


    "One down~" Aether dered with a hint of amusement, showcasing his dominance in the battle arena with both skill and cunning.