"It's about time…"
Rey leaned against the jagged rocks near the entrance, his sword resting casually on his shoulder.
The air had grown eerily silent after the last of the monsters fled.
He expected something more than just beasts guarding this place, and soon enough, his patience paid off. From the shadows emerged five figures, all clad in uniformed attire.
Their matching dark gray gear bore insignias Rey didn't recognize, but the way they moved—calculated and confident—told him they weren't amateurs.
'Are they the organized security units that the scientists of this place employed to do their bidding?'
That had two possible implications.
'They could either be simple mercenaries, or they could also be directly tied to the Dragon Emperor and serve him like fanatics—perhaps something in the middle.'
If it was the former, then he wouldn't expect much information from them. Mercenaries hardly had the avenue to ask questions, and their main task would be to simply work for their money, so they were probably useless to him.
They probably weren't aware of the atrocities taking place in—
'No… I can't think like that.' Rey told himself. 'They're guilty by association, and that's what matters to me.'
"State your name and affiliation," the leader demanded, stepping forward.
He was a tall man with sharp features, and his piercing eyes scanned Rey with suspicion.
Rey tilted his head, his expression one of boredom.
"And if I don't feel like it?"
The leader's jaw tightened, but he kept his composure. "You've already caused enough trouble. By the time we're done with you, you'll tell us everything we want to know."
At this, Rey couldn't suppress a grin. He took a step forward, his sword now at his side, its tip grazing the ground.
"I think you've got things backward," he said, his voice low but dripping with confidence. "When I'm done with you, you'll be begging to tell me everything I want to know."
The leader sneered. "Big talk from someone who doesn't know who he's dealing with. Get him!"
'Looks like they just gave me permission to do what I want with them…'
Rey's smile widened as soon as he recognized that the men had become fair game to him.
He wouldn't feel bad even if they ended up dead.
The clash began with the five of them charging at once, their movements synchronized like a well-rehearsed routine. Each one activated a distinct Special Ability, the air around them crackling with energy.
The first to reach Rey was a burly man whose arms began to morph into iron, creating massive fists that slammed toward Rey with earth-shattering force. Rey sidestepped the attack with ease, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to dance around the man's strikes.
"Too slow," Rey taunted, delivering a precise kick to the man's knee, forcing him to stagger backward.
The second enemy, a lithe woman with glowing blue tattoos, summoned tendrils of gooey liquid that shot toward Rey like whips. Rey spun his sword, slicing through the liquid constructs as he closed the distance between them.
"You'll have to try harder than that," he said, smirking as the woman's eyes widened in frustration.
Before he could strike, a sudden burst of wind knocked him off balance. Another enemy, a man with spiky hair and a smug grin, manipulated the air around him, creating powerful gusts that threatened to hurl Rey into the rocks.
Rey planted his feet firmly on the ground, activating [Battle Aura] to anchor himself. The crimson energy surged around him, counteracting the wind and allowing him to lunge forward.
The fourth attacker, a smaller man with glowing red eyes, unleashed a barrage of fireballs that filled the air with searing heat.
Rey dodged each one with incredible agility, weaving through the onslaught like a shadow.
"Annoying," Rey muttered, closing in on the man and landing a solid punch to his gut.
The final enemy, a woman with a staff, stood back, murmuring under her breath. A shimmering barrier formed around her teammates, and Rey could feel his attacks weakening as they struck the glowing field.
"A support specialist, huh?" Rey said, his eyes narrowing. "Guess I'll save you for last."
He shifted his focus back to the others, his movements becoming more fluid as he activated [Grand Combat Application].
His mind analyzed their patterns, predicting their next moves before they made them.
The metal-fisted man charged again, but Rey ducked under his swing and delivered an upward slash, the blade striking the gap between the man's armor plates.
"ARGHHHH!" The man roared in pain, stumbling backward.
The water manipulator tried to trap him with a sphere of water, but Rey shattered it with a burst of energy from his sword.
He darted toward her, his blade grazing her shoulder before she could retreat.
"Kyaaahh!"
The wind user attempted to create a vortex to trap him, but Rey dashed through it, his aura shielding him from the turbulent currents.
He reached the man in an instant, delivering a devastating blow to his side.
The fire user launched another volley of flames, but Rey countered with a swift strike, the force of his blade extinguishing the flames mid-air.
As the support specialist reinforced her barrier, Rey grinned.
He knew it was time to end this.
Raising his hand, he channeled the power of [Shadow Maelstrom], a Skill he had obtained from the Monster King he recently defeated. Dark energy began to swirl around him, forming a vortex of shadows that pulsed with ominous power.
The enemies hesitated, their confidence wavering as the oppressive force of the maelstrom grew.
"Get ready," Rey said, his voice calm but deadly. "Because I'm ending this now."
~VWUUUUUUSSSHHH!!!~
With a flick of his wrist, the maelstrom surged forward, engulfing the five enemies in a storm of darkness. They cried out in shock as the shadows tore through their defenses, shattering the barrier and leaving them dazed and disoriented.
When the maelstrom dissipated, the five of them were sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain. Rey stood over them, his sword resting on his shoulder once more.
"Now," he said, his smirk returning, "who wants to start talking?"