He was really interested in seeing how far she was willing to go for what she came for. His interest wasn't just to mock her.
His suspicion about her purpose became valid when more and more people that he had offended stood up and joined her.
They were just two guys. They flanked her and looked down on him.
One of them said, "He isn't mute. He is just crazy."
This caused all three of them to laugh. But strangely enough, the bystanders that had laughed earlier had become silent now.
They thought what she had said was a harmless jest or even a compliment, so they chuckled. But now they knew that there was something sinister going on, and they didn't want to be a part of it.
They remembered the first and most important rule of the army. They also understood that if this matter escalates, it might lead to the violation of that rule.
That isn't something they want to have a part in, so they became silent and watched the exchange with a critical eye.
But it was not an exchange. It was just three soldiers beating down on a fourth with words and laughing at each other's corny jokes.
True to form, the lady laughed and said, "So he can talk. His mind is just so cracked that he can't understand what I said and can't reply."
He watched then with an emotionless eye and flat face. Within, he thought about how easy it would be to kill the three of them.
He thought to himself, "We might all be soldiers, and they might be stronger than me, but who will die is clear."
Wrath raised her fist and said, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
What she said made him chuckle. He said to her, "You won't get what you want."
She pleaded with him, "But you won't be punished even if you kill them. Besides, they caused trouble first."
He shook his head. "They are not worth the time and effort since I won't get merit points or kills for it."
He had ignored them and was talking to an imaginary entity. It was insulting and disrespectful. But his behavior was also not encouraging.
The two guys shook their heads and left. One of the said as he left, "See what I said? He is crazy. He is not worth our time."
It didn't feel good to heckle someone who didn't care. So they gave up.
But she didn't give up. She didn't want to give up. What he had done had only made her more angry.
She clenched her two fists in anger as she glared at him. It was almost the same glare of anger that she gave him when he stole her kill on the battlefield. But this one was more venomous and full of hatred.
He had stolen a lot of kills from a lot of people. If the elves had been able to notice that the people around him were dying faster than normal, then surely the soldiers who had a more solid grasp on their kill count and merit points would have noticed what he was doing.
It is why he expected that many soldiers would have a problem with him and suspected that to be the reason she confronted him.
It is also why he doesn't want to fight her. After all, he has offended a lot of people who have a bone to pick with him. He doesn't want the hassle of fighting all of them.
Most importantly, they were not a threat to him. Even the ones who could kill him won't if they cherish their lives.
So she could only talk. She was all bark and no bite. He had better things to do than to entertain her barking and those of the tens of thousands of other soldiers he had offended.
Like he said to Wrath, it was a waste of time. If he could earn kills and merit points by killing them, then he would be up for it.
Unfortunately, the best his title of paragon can get him is a pass for killing his fellow soldier. The Yggdrasil civilization is not going to reward him for the crime.
He was faintly amused by her tactics. He asked Wrath, "I wonder if she thought this through. Like, what did she expect would happen if she came to me and shouted? Did she think her kills and lost merit points would suddenly return to her?"
Wrath's eyes were completely focused on the lady as she said, "She probably didn't think things through. She is angry, and anger clouds the judgment. She probably just came here to vent and gain some relief. But you have refused to give her the outlet she wants."
She said to the lady, "Come on, lady. Just do it. Do it for me, please."
The lady couldn't hear her, but Kelvin could. He shook his head and said, "I guess all she is going to get is to make silly jokes. It is a pity."
His goading worked and the soldier finally snapped. She lunged at him and swung her fist to punch his face.
Wrath yelled in triumph as the punch slammed into his face.
She was many times faster and stronger than him, so even though he expected the attack and sensed it before it happened, he wasn't able to dodge it. She had the advantage of power, and the distance between them was too short.
The best he could do was put up his diamond physique. He was also able to elongate his nose using his shape-shifting ability and turn it into a diamond spike.
The diamond spike pierced her head just as her fist slammed into his face.
He was sitting against a tree, so he was thrown backwards by the punch. His skull just rang a little bit because of the punch.
She, on the other hand, was completely fine. This is despite the fact that he made his nose grow barbs and roots after piercing her face.