Slide! Crack!
A couple of pebbles slid down the cliff, colliding with the ground beneath. The cliff was at least a few hundred meters above ground. As they neared Level 2, the natural landmarks rose in quantity.
Now, there were several hills and valleys in sight.
'How did it end up like this?' Dino thought, utterly terrified. Neon's demeanor was still casual, as if attacking strangers out of the blue was a natural occurrence. He stared into Dino's eyes, deadpan.
From observing the shyness of the man to being threatened by his blade. It was truly shocking.
As Dino gazed at the bottom of the cliff, his heart shook. The adrenaline rush had worn off, and he finally experienced the severity of potential death. A single wrong move and it was over for him.
A gentle push.
That was all it would take.
Neon's sword rested on his neck, but he didn't feel fear. Dino, instead of fearing his death, loathed the possibility. There was a thin line between fear and loathing, but the same was true for any negative emotion.
It wasn't enough to classify them together, as they represented different sides of a single term.
"Goodbye," said Neon, preparing to push Dino off the cliff.
But the latter did not feel fear. Instead, a sense of invigoration arose in his chest, and the memories of his past surfaced. His rapidly beating heart slowed to a regular pace, and his muscles tensed.
The strong, the weak…
They were all of the same species, yet why was the difference between them so vast? It was like comparing an ant to a tiger. But the difference was that ants and tigers were not of the same species.
Humans were…
So why was there such a difference?
Dino racked his brain, but was unable to find an answer. He let out a bitter chuckle internally, but then, suddenly, an actual chuckle escaped his lips. His eyes rose to meet those of Neon, and his face contorted.
He sneered.
"Do you know the difference between thunder and lightning?" Dino asked as his body suffered a gentle impact, forcing his foot off the cliff. But he did not panic. Neon stared expressionlessly at the falling man.
"I do not."
"It's not the roaring thunder that kills someone. It's the silent lightning."
Topaz sparks crackled around Dino's body as he fell into the abyss, a smile plastered over his face. Neon's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected lightning, but a dead man could not retaliate.
No matter the strength, a dead man was a dead man.
*
'That makes one gemstone,' said Arthur internally, stuffing the purple stone into his pocket. He needed to collect nine more and reach Level 3 to become a player. However, the average wasn't enough for the crimson-eyed man.
Average, even among the few who became players, was insufficient.
The word 'average' usually applied to the stronger Rankers or the lower High Rankers. That was what average implied. While the stronger High Rankers were prodigies and the Divine Rankers were living legends, those below average were simply fodder.
One could not survive if they didn't exceed… if they didn't surpass their limits.
Average was fodder. They were considered unimportant in the grand scheme of things. They were ignored.
To even stand out, one had to be a prodigy. Only then could they pursue their dreams. The weak had no right to choose. They could simply hang on to the coat tails of the strong, given that the strong are in a good mood.
The weak had no choice. If the strong offered them charity, it was because of a good mood, not obligation.
The strong weren't obligated to help the weak.
Although some people preached the opposing concept, it was widely regarded in the tower as a meaningless concept. Although many weaker people believed in the concept, they eventually came to loathe it as they became stronger.
The weak and strong had differing opinions, and as one transitioned, their ideologies underwent a transformation.
There was a fine line between the weak, the average, and the strong.
In layman's terms, and to summarize, to achieve greatness, one needed to consider that fine line and surpass the term 'average'. The term was like a curse that stuck with one for eternity if they were unable to escape it.
As Arthur walked aimlessly towards Level 2, he suddenly locked eyes with a figure in the distance.
He let out a chuckle as he noticed who it was.
"Arthur," said the figure, whose name was Oscar. Oscar Rune, a well-renowned, former member of the Heaven's Challengers. It was truly comical and ironic that the crimson-eyed man and he had crossed paths so early.
However, it only equated to a more fulfilling revenge.
Dangerousness flashed across Arthur's eyes as he unsheathed Skofnung without a single exchange. Oscar, stunned by the crimson-eyed man's display of open hostility, couldn't help but reciprocate.
He couldn't be defenseless in such a situation.
Remembering their previous battle, Oscar couldn't help but develop a sense of hostility towards Arthur. The latter clearly had enmity with the former, otherwise he wouldn't have committed such brutality.
"What is your grudge with me?" Oscar asked, narrowing his eyes as he and Arthur locked eyes. He had a longsword in his arms, gloves that covered his hands, and an overflowing amount of mana on standby.
Oscar had improved drastically.
But so had Arthur. During the training, he continuously pushed his body to the edge, causing hundreds of bruises that left scars. Arthur's constitution was on the verge of upgrading, while his sword techniques had improved massively.
Now, he was confident in being able to hold his own against someone like Henry Noxickle or Mr. Mason, his mana arts teacher.
Although he was still starting his journey, such progress was outstanding when compared to his previous life.
But Arthur's goal far surpassed what it had been during the tutorial in his previous life. During that time, he strived only for survival.
But now, he strived for excellence.
