"Aaaaahhhhh!" The spider screamed in pain. The blade that came from the dark ball was actually linked to the one on the Dark King's hand, cutting his legs.
If not for the fact that his legs were sturdier than normal monsters and his reaction speed was faster, all his left legs would have been cut. But this time, only two of them were cut.
Although it would decrease his speed and stability, he could still continue fighting the Dark King.
"…" The Dark King clicked his tongue. Despite using this ability, he still failed to kill a single monster. It was clear that his ability wouldn't work again unless he managed to push the enemies to the point they couldn't dodge this attack anymore.
'It seems that the fight wouldn't be that easy, so what kind of opportunity can I find in this situation?' The Dark King asked himself, believing Theo's words. He was still wondering what kind of thing could result in his breakthrough.
Unfortunately, the Dark King didn't have too much time. The chameleon had reappeared next to him, hitting him in the face.
The Dark King had felt his fluctuation of Magic Power, so he raised his hand, stopping this punch.
However, the humanoid rock clapped his hands as the ground started to shake. Suddenly, two giant blocks of stone emerged from the ground and joined each other, pinching the Dark King in between.
*Bam!*
The Dark King gritted his teeth as he pushed both rocks with his hands. Meanwhile, the fox had sent forth another crescent-shaped energy.
But unlike before, the crescent-shaped energy suddenly shone brighter and turned into multiple beams of light. These lights were moving in a random direction, but they still bounced back to head closer to the Dark King's position.
This way, the Dark King would be attacked from all directions.
Seeing it would be hard to escape from this attack, the Dark King suddenly let the two rocks crush him.
*Bam!*
As a result, the lights hit the rock and failed to penetrate it.
They thought they had managed to get him, but the stones suddenly turned black before crumbling into pieces, revealing the Dark King, who seemed to escape unscathed.
Though, they didn't know that the Dark King's hands actually felt numb. No matter what, it was an attack from a King Class Monster, so getting squeezed by it was still dangerous.
The Dark King furrowed his eyebrows while staring at these monsters. He couldn't help but remember the remaining two things that Theo had told him.
"When you fight them, you should see what kind of ability they have. After that, think about this… 'What makes you different from them?' This is the question you should ask continuously when fighting them."
The Dark King was confused. After all, the difference was clear. They were from different species, so it was clear that they were different. And there was no way they would have the same order as him. So, he didn't have any need to ask this question.
Last but not least, Theo said, "After receiving the answer, you should ask yourself this. 'I have my own principles and that will be how I live. Yet, will my principles affect those people?"
This was a more concrete question. But it was still connected to the first question, which confused him.
'Still, Theo never told me something useless. I managed to grow my strength by leaps and bounds after meeting him. The reason for that is his unique way of thinking… Wait a minute, unique?'
The Dark King suddenly realized something. His way of thinking was too general. That was why he had slow progress.
And with Theo asking this question, the Dark King had to ask himself again. What if the difference were something unique?
'Then, what is the difference between them and me? We both have an Order. Every order has five stages, and the strongest one is at the same level as mine.
'So, what is actually the difference between us?' The Dark King looked at the four monsters. He couldn't help but recall the previous two things Theo told him.
'Wait a minute. Theo has warned me that I might have to fight multiple of them. After all, we are at war right now. He has predicted that the enemies will attack us because their leader said so…
'Ah!' The Dark King widened his eyes in shock. 'Don't tell me… There is actually one big difference between us.
'Their saint, the slime, has forced them to submit. But if I take a look at Theo and even the Saint I serve… all of them are capable leaders, ones that won't submit to anyone.
'And I have been too unruly this whole time. I've fought all those saints, believing that I can surpass them. That's right. This is the difference between us.
'Those people fear their saint and submit to them. Meanwhile, I'm serving my saint because I'm honing my ability under him… And there is only one purpose for getting stronger; it's to surpass them.
'In other words, I am here to get stronger to surpass the Saints. The only way to do it is to become a Saint myself. That's right. It's not about waiting for my saint to hand the successor title to me. It's about me creating my own path, fearing no one. There won't be anyone to stop me from ascending!'
The Dark King's heart suddenly felt as if it was being flushed by warmth. However, he felt something was not completed yet.
And all that was left was Theo's last question.
'Will my principles or way of life affect those people?'
'As a leader, as a Saint, there is no way that my will won't affect them. But that will has to consider the people around me as well. I shall be a benevolent ruler that knows how to take care of my land, my people, and the order around me. Ah, so that's how it is…'
The Dark King looked at those four monsters. He realized that this was the last step he needed to become a Saint. And those four King Class Monsters were the last task to see how his power would affect them.
'It seems that I'll be using them to break through.' The Dark King smiled.
