*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!*

The powerful explosion resounded in the entire forest. Even the participants far away could detect it.

Their faces changed completely. As level-three, they could feel the power behind that explosion, and none of them could be sure they could endure something like that.

‘To think that there is someone so strong inside this game.’ They thought.

Most of the participants instantly moved away from the place of the explosion. None of them wanted to face the one responsible for the attack.

Only a pair of people remained around. As for their intentions, nobody could know them.

Everything in a twenty-meters radius was burned down by the explosion. Many ghosts were unable to scream before being turned into ashes, and nothing remained from the blue-skinned man's corpse.

But the enemies were not the only ones affected by the explosion.

Unfortunately for Aleen, when the explosion happened, he was inside the most dangerous area.

Though he shielded his body with a layer of mana, the explosion of lightning was terrifying. If not because Aleen received a temporary boost in his mana due to the failed breakthrough, he would have been unable to endure the attack.

Claire, on the other hand, was in a much better situation. She was pretty far from the epicenter of the explosion when it happened, and although she was impacted by the shockwaves, a layer of flames appeared automatically on her skin and resisted most of the impact.

When the dust finally cleared, Claire immediately searched for Aleen.

“Brother! Brother!”

Claire did not realize that she reverted at her former way of calling Aleen, but she would not care about it even if she realized. After all, she was too worried about Aleen’s wellbeing to mind it.

Fortunately, she heard a groan of pain coming from a few meters away one second later.

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“Urgh!”

“Brother!” She called happily. Claire instantly ran towards the source of the sound and helped Aleen up. She stared at Aleen with a concerned expression and noticed the numerous injuries on his skin.

“Cough cough!” Aleen coughed intensely and vomited a mouthful of blood. He then groaned in pain once more and tried to circulate his mana to alleviate his injuries.

His body was filled with burns everywhere. Aleen could hardly breathe without feeling a bout of pain due to them.

Miraculously, though, his limbs were complete.

Aleen thought that he would lose at least an arm or leg after that explosion, but besides a few dangerous looking burns, he was mostly alright.

It happened because his body was still filled with energy when the explosion happened and said energy protected him from the plasma and lightning. But Aleen did not know it. He just thought he was very lucky.

“Are you alright, Aleen?” Claire asked looking worried at Aleen. Her way of calling him returned to Aleen instead of brother.

Aleen nodded silently and forced a smile on his face. He then sat cross-legged and proceeded to treat his injuries.

After one minute, he finished the basic treatment. Aleen would have liked to spend a bit more time treating his injuries, but he knew they were not out of danger yet.

Aleen opened his eyes and gazed and the place destroyed by the lightning. He could not believe that it was caused by him. Aleen then gazed at Claire and put on a serious expression.

“He is dead, but I think it’s better if we get away from here.”

Claire nodded. “Hmm. If someone came here following the explosion, then we’ll be in danger again. It’s better if we did not take more risks.”

Aleen agreed with her. “Is your body better now?” He asked noticing that her expression was glossier.

Claire smiled softly. “Yeah. I’m feeling a bit better now, but my body is still a bit weak.”

“It’s good.” Aleen sighed in relief.

Afterward, Aleen looked around for his sword. He found it quickly.

The sword had been deformed by the strength and heat of the explosion, but it had not been destroyed completely. Aleen sighed in admiration and guarded it in his ring. Although it was a bit damaged, Aleen could not afford another weapon currently, and it was better than nothing.

But when they were about to leave the place, they were forced to stop in their tracks.

Because their worst fears became true.

Without they realizing, a man had appeared on the crater of the explosion.

He was crouching in the ground, holding one of the blue-skinned man’s blades with his back against Aleen and Claire.

But despite his back being full of openings, Aleen and Claire did not dare to move.

The man examined the blade quietly, and then looked at the surroundings with a curious expression. Finally, he turned his gaze towards Aleen and Claire.

“I can't believe you managed to kill Smildor. How did you do it?”

Aleen and Claire did not reply. They put on serious expressions as though they were facing their greatest enemy and grabbed their weapons. The deformed Dark Night returned to Aleen’s hand, and another bird of fire took shape in front of Claire. They were ready to fight to the death.

But their enemy only gave them a casual glance and frowned irritated.

“How useless. To think that he would die while facing two level-two trashes. I’m ashamed of being his partner for this mission. Well, it doesn’t matter. I’ll correct his mistake now.”

Instantly, a powerful killing intent attacked Aleen and Claire.

Aleen’s face could not help but turn ugly.