Mordred rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't seeing things. Then it hit him.

"Holy fuck, that's why I leveled up so fast!"

"The mutant skeleton didn't go back to the summoning dimension?"

"Is that some kind of mutation perk? It can roam free and level me up offline?"

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

Mordred's mind was blown. His limited vocabulary failed him, leaving him with only one expletive to express his astonishment.

He stood there, effing and blinding, as Ares arrived.

Mordred squinted at the sudden golden glow.

When his eyes adjusted, he stared at Ares, circling him in open-mouthed amazement, muttering appreciatively.

"Look at you! My little mutant overachiever! Leveling up and evolving all by yourself!"

"You evolved all these shiny new bones, didn't you?"

"Nice craftsmanship! Probably worth a pretty penny!"

Mordred poked and prodded Ares, oblivious to the flames burning in his sockets.

The green flames were now almost entirely crimson, and Ares's hand, gripping the Gold Bone Sword, trembled as he raised it high.

The invisible force still held him back, but his 3437 [Strength] let him defy it, lifting his arm.

But he couldn't swing.

An invisible barrier, thick and yielding, stopped his sword just short of Mordred's head.

Ares seethed.

The crimson flames roared.

He used both hands, putting all his weight behind the sword, pushing down with savage force.

Mordred, blissfully unaware, trusted in the unwavering loyalty of his summons.

The thought of Ares attacking him never crossed his mind.

Suddenly, shouts echoed from the distance.

"There he is!"

"Get Mordred!"

Mordred's face paled. He spun around, fear in his eyes, instinctively stepping behind Ares.

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The invisible barrier vanished. Ares's full power, amplified 64 times, slammed down.

*BOOM*

Over 140,000 attack power ripped a chasm in the earth.

Dust and debris flew as the fissure snaked towards the approaching players.

The shouts died down as the players skidded to a halt, staring at the devastation. Mordred, cowering behind Ares, gaped, speechless.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck…"

Ares listened to the monotonous repetition, crimson flames burning in his sockets, disgust churning in his nonexistent gut.

After a stunned silence, the players erupted in a cacophony of shouts.

"Holy shit! What was that?"

"Why is that skeleton protecting Mordred?"

"Mordred's a Necromancer. Is that his summon?"

"No way! That loser couldn't summon a fly!"

Theories and counter-theories flew.

"He couldn't before, but remember what he stole?"

Silence fell, then all eyes locked onto the staff in Mordred's hand.

Their gazes were so intense that Mordred instinctively tried to hide the staff behind his back.

But the staff was four feet long. There was no hiding it. The ruby-eyed skull glowed ominously, drawing their attention.

Ares glanced at the staff.

Was there something special about the staff that had summoned him?

"That's Sophie's staff!"

"That thieving scumbag! Not only did he rape James's girlfriend, but he stole her staff too!"

"That's a super-rare, god-tier staff! It could probably summon a goddamn dragon. But in Mordred's hands, it summons a skeleton?"

"See? Give a loser a god-tier staff, and he still summons trash."

The players laughed, seemingly forgetting Ares's earth-shattering attack.

Ares's crimson flames flickered. He pieced together the story.

Mordred had assaulted a woman, James's girlfriend.

He'd stolen the staff from her?

The Necromancer who'd summoned him was a rapist and a thief?

But… a god-tier weapon dropping like that? Something didn't add up.

Ares's mind raced, then he heard the players mocking him.

Looking down on him?

He raised his arm, his Gold Bone Sword flashing.

A wave of golden energy shot towards the players.

They remembered the previous attack and scattered, scrambling to avoid it.

The slower ones were cut in half, their bodies hitting the ground in disbelief, flickering and vanishing, leaving behind a pile of loot.

Ares glanced at the items. Better quality than the previous drops.

He'd snag them later.

One-shot kills.

The terrifying display silenced the mockers.

Some even backed away, fear in their eyes.

Death wasn't permanent, but the pain was real. The fear of death, the feeling of suffocation, were all too vivid.

These sensations carried over to the real world, lingering until their HP regenerated or a priest resurrected them.

The pain lasted a maximum of 24 hours, but it was enough to scar them for life.

No one dared to loot the dropped items. Ares wasn't in a hurry.

Mordred, watching the scene unfold, felt a surge of pride and confidence. He stepped forward, boldly taunting the players.

"You're James's new lapdogs, aren't you? Coming after me without even knowing who I am? You've got guts, I'll give you that."

His arrogance stunned the players, breaking their fear-induced paralysis.

Mordred continued his tirade.

"That spineless coward James, hiding in the newbie village, sending his dogs to do his dirty work! He's nothing outside that safe zone!"

"He wants to break my legs? Let him come and try! Let's see who breaks whose legs!"

The players' faces reddened with rage. They raised their weapons, itching to attack, but hesitated, wary of Ares.

The crimson flames in Ares's sockets subsided, returning to their eerie green glow.

He twirled his Gold Bone Sword, sheathing it behind his back, then stepped aside.

He wasn't done. He gestured towards Mordred with a bony finger, making a "go ahead" motion.

Mordred: "???"

Players: "???"

Ares, seeing their confusion, clacked his jaw, then forced out three gravelly words.

"Please kill… him…"

He even gave Mordred a little shove, pushing his master towards the waiting players.