At this moment, time and space seemed to freeze.
"Weapon 001, progress 29%."
"Weapon 001, progress 30%..."
A cold, unrecognizable voice rang in his head. Orson's eyes suddenly glowed with a divine light, and the entire world around him seemed to change color.
To K.D. and the others, Orson's figure was surrounded by a strange, glowing cocoon, his descent slowing down as if time itself were stretching.
In the next moment, the ground shook violently, and the sky darkened. A dark red lightning bolt tore through the sky, not disappearing immediately but instead expanding into Orson's body!
"What... is this? Has the US immortal descended?" Mr. Roberts exclaimed, his face as pale as a ghost as he stared at the scene in disbelief.
"The strange creature's words seem to be true. Someone has inherited the ancient immortal's legacy," K.D murmured with a complicated expression. If he hadn't seen this with his own eyes, he would never have believed that an extraordinary life form could exist in this world.
"...These strange lines, could they be!?" Blank gasped, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
Around Orson, strange dark red virtual lines began to form. These eerie, mysterious lines stretched and intertwined, forming a chaotic fog in front of him.
A distant, indifferent voice suddenly echoed in everyone's ears: "The Wind God's... Sigh."
At that moment, a wild gale swept through the entire estate. The river water was lifted by the gale, slashing through the air like knives, causing the crumbling buildings to rattle.
Screams rang out as one of the security guards was struck by the rain of debris, blood pouring down his arm.
"Run!!" K.D shouted, urging everyone to retreat to the more fortified interior of the house. But even from inside, the sounds of debris crashing down could be heard, like a massive hailstorm, with the windows shattering under the impact.
The workers at the estate screamed in terror, and the young heirs of various families stood frozen, their faces filled with shock.
What was happening before their eyes was beyond their comprehension. The only person who seemed to understand was K.D, whose expression was a mix of fear and excitement.
"It doesn't feel right... This doesn't seem to be the Infinite Dimensions world," Orson whispered to himself. He could hear the screams, and this brought him back to a semblance of clarity.
His eyes opened wide, shining with divine light, and he floated lightly in the air, as if he had become one with the wind. The familiar sensation of controlling the elements surged through him, making him feel as if he had come home.
This was different from the feeling of entering Infinite Dimensions with a game helmet. The magic elements surrounding him felt more tangible, as if he could sense their anger, joy, or liveliness.
Orson reached out a hand, his fingers curling, and a nearly transparent staff began to materialize. From the outline, it was clearly his Heavenly Fire Staff, but in this state, it was more ethereal and intangible.
The wild gale persisted for a while before slowly dissipating. K.D and the others hurriedly returned, gathering by the riverbank, craning their necks to look at the "monster" in the water.
Orson turned to face them, his gaze calm but carrying the weight of life and death in it. Then, with the staff in front of him, he brought his hands together and softly uttered, "Earthquake."
Boom!
A terrifying stone dragon emerged from the mud with a loud crash. Orson stepped onto it, and the stone dragon quickly carried him toward the shore.
"There are immortals! My God, that's really an immortal descended from the heavens! Please, immortal, bless us!"
"Good grief... is this some kind of nightmare in broad daylight?"
A few curious workers gasped, some even began to kneel in worship.
K.D fought to keep his composure, signaling to the security team to take the workers away.
"You... What... are you?" Blank demanded, her eyes fixed on Orson, her voice tense.
What was he?
Orson smiled faintly, understanding that she wasn't insulting him but genuinely asking. After all, the impact of seeing game skills brought into the real world was too overwhelming for them.
Orson himself wasn't entirely sure what was going on. After obtaining the second Soul Seal, he had started to feel that he could unleash Chaos Magic Ball with just a wave of his hand. At first, he thought he was just getting too caught up in the game.
But now, after seeing the "weapon progress" in his mind, he realized that once the progress passed 30%, his body would undergo a form of "hardcore transformation."
However, it wasn't complete. The equipment he used in Infinite Dimensions still couldn't fully materialize in this world. When he tried to use Hurricane Spear on the distant mountains, there was no response, though some low-level magic still showed some feedback.
"You should have just said it more casually; maybe you'd sound cuter," Orson teased with a smile as he stepped off the stone dragon.
After a short while, the stone dragon disintegrated, vanishing into thin air. The group instinctively took a few steps back, with Blank glaring at Orson, clearly upset but unable to say anything.
Orson looked at the petrified James and asked, "Are we still going to fight? I won't bother you, just use your Bruce Family's best close combat tactics."
"Y-You..." James' emotions were all over the place. If Orson had really died earlier, he would have been in huge trouble. The US military would never let it slide if an Infinite Dimensions global top player died, and even the Bruce Family would hesitate before crossing the military.
But now, Orson was alive... and he had somehow turned into a monster that could use Infinite Dimensions skills.
James was confident in his own strength, but facing an Infinite Dimensions magic god, how could he fight? Should he just beg for a quick death?
"You all use ancient martial arts to reason, and I use magic to reason. We're all good citizens here," Orson said with a gentle smile, but the others looked utterly helpless.
"Come on, who wants to try a few moves with me? Watching you all fight so enthusiastically, I can't help but feel my hands itching," Orson added casually.
The others wanted to curse but stopped themselves, knowing they couldn't take it too far. Orson wasn't the type to be reckless. Facing someone like James, a martial arts expert, he summoned several Sun Shields in front of him, one after another, covering his chest, back, and face.
This wasn't Infinite Dimensions, nor was it a merged world, so he couldn't know how much damage 700 shield points could absorb. Would it be enough to block a 7.62 bullet? Or even withstand Mr. Roberts' violent punch?
Orson didn't know, and he could only wait to see for himself.
"Fighting and killing are such bad things. It seems like it's almost mealtime. I'd rather have a few drinks with you to commemorate the next level of our friendship!" Orson continued, a peaceful smile on his face.
Laura, ever quick-witted, immediately jumped in, clearly eager to win his favor. She didn't hesitate to link arms with him, adding, "You're not going to hit me, are you?"
A strange, alluring fragrance filled the air as her fingers brushed against Orson's arm, making him blush slightly, despite himself.
He couldn't help but admire how well she played the game, and her courage was just as impressive! She clearly wasn't afraid that he was a monster—she was more concerned that he might not be monstrous enough.
K.D, seeing this, quickly joined in, "Ah yes, yes, it's just a small matter, no need to take it to heart. I've prepared some good wine. Please, this way."
Orson was momentarily stunned. These old foxes really knew how to smooth things over. They didn't even give him a chance to fight back, just leading him to the dining room for drinks.
Dinner Table Scene
The atmosphere was far more relaxed, with glasses clinking and wine flowing. James, clearly conflicted, was about to speak when he was interrupted by Orson.
"We have a misunderstanding between us," James began, reluctantly standing up with a glass of wine.
"No, no misunderstanding," Orson waved a hand to cut him off, his tone calm. "You want to beat me up, and I want to beat you up. It's that simple."
With that, Orson turned to Mrs. Ziegler, engaging in a lively conversation, making her laugh with delight, which only made James feel more awkward. Blank, on the other hand, shot James an accusing look, visibly angry at the sight of Mrs. Ziegler's flirtatious behavior.
After a while, Blank stood up, heading towards the door. She looked back at Orson, her expression icy. "Come outside, I have something to say to you."