Still a bit awkward, Sam stepped forward, standing in front of Emanuel. He cleared his throat in an attempt to break the tension.

"What's your business with me? I recall I didn't cause you any more trouble after you sent me a 'little' surprise."

Emanuel’s eyes narrowed, a chuckle escaping his lips that failed to mask his rising anger. "Little surprise, huh?"

He turned, clasping his hands behind his back as he walked toward the wooden desk. Slowly, he caressed its surface with his right hand, his tone low and menacing.

"That 'little surprise' I sent to you was an elite team I personally nurtured."

"So?" Sam retorted, his impatience evident.

"What's that got to do with me? Dude, just get to the—"

Before Sam could finish, Emanuel interrupted, his voice simmering with fury.

"Getting a little impatient, are we? Well, I suppose I can speed it up a bit." He turned to face Sam and his group, his eyes filled with a deadly seriousness.

"You see, I'm a vengeful person, and I especially hate it when someone touches something that belongs to me." His hand stopped its movement, and he faced Sam fully, his bloodlust palpable.

"Persona, Meat Dealer, or whatever your name is, I want you to pay for your actions."

Sam froze momentarily, bewildered rather than afraid. He snapped out of his daze, his voice tinged with anger.

"Oh, so you can send a bunch of killers my way, but when I kill them, it's my fault? Do you know how ridiculous you sound? You shouldn't have sent them to kill me in the first place."

Emanuel stepped forward, standing mere inches from Sam. "So, what are you going to do about it? Compared to you, I'm the fucking king in this damn forest. I can do whatever the hell I want!" His voice was dripping with arrogance.

He spread his arms wide. "I'm the strongest here! But you..."

He dropped his arms, pointing a finger at Sam. "You're not even strong. A mere level 18 dares to tell me what I can and can't do. What makes you so bold, huh? Is it because of that woman, Kaya, that you dare act so boldly?"

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Sam yawned, his nonchalance infuriating Emanuel further.

"Just get to the point, man. Even if what you said about me being bold because of her is true, so what? You jealous?"

Emanuel covered his face with his right hand, laughing maniacally. "Still not taking me seriously, huh? Alright then."

Suddenly, Emanuel released a powerful pressure from his body, making the air feel heavy for everyone except him. "This is the difference between me and you, insect. Now choose: if you surrender right now, I will only torture you as painful as possible and I might let your friends and girlfriend go, or I will torture all of them in front of you if you choose to retaliate."

Amidst the intense atmosphere, Kaya's body began to crackle with lightning. She opened her mouth, her voice irritated. "Did he just say I'm his girlfrien—"

Sam unknowingly cut her off. "So you basically gave me a choice between a rock and a hard place, huh?" His voice was still nonchalant.

"Say, Emanuel, would you like to see a magic trick?"

Emanuel's frown deepened, his fury barely contained. "What kind of bull—"

"Power punch!!!" Sam suddenly yelled.

Emanuel braced himself for a punch but was caught off guard when Sam delivered a powerful kick instead. Emanuel flew backward, crashing into the desk and shattering it.

Sam yelled again, "Gabby!"

Gabby, understanding immediately, activated her teleportation skill. In an instant, the four of them vanished from the room.

The two women ran towards Emanuel, but before they could reach him, he stood up, brushing the dust off his shirt.

"I'm alright. He didn't inflict much damage," he growled, his voice filled with anger.

He then turned to the women, shouting, "Don't just stand there like a fucking idiots! Chase him! Deploy every team available to find them. And if you fail, I will bury you and your sister six feet under and feed you to the monsters!"

The two women nodded fearfully and quickly left the room.

Meanwhile, in a secluded area of the forest near the settlement, four people appeared out of thin air.

Sam, feeling a bit nauseous, struggled to stand upright. "I told you we needed a plan to escape."

Everyone turned to him. Kaya, her voice sharp, said, "Sam, you have a lot of explaining to—"

Before she could finish, she saw a figure rushing towards Sam from behind, sword ready to strike. "SAM, WATCH OUT!" she yelled.

Still dizzy, Sam had no time to react. Suddenly, the sound of metal clashing rang through the air as Jason blocked the strike with his shield, he then used his skill 'Rebound' to knock the attacker back.

Jason, eyes locked on the assailant, said, "I don't think we can leave easily, guys."

Gabby clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Right when I'm almost out of damn mana. Just fucking great."

Kaya stretched, cracking her neck, and took her spear from her back. "It's alright. I need someone to vent my 'delicate' feelings on anyway."

Sam glanced at the group. "Can't we just run away while fighting? I don't think it's the best idea to—"

Jason interrupted, his voice serious. "We can't, Sam. Not anymore. They've already surrounded us."

As if on cue, numerous figures emerged from the trees, encircling them.

Sam, exasperated, took his rifle from his back. "Oh for fuck sake, give me a break!"