--- Catastrophe

"Kyaaah!"

"Isn't that...?"

"So handsome...!"

"Move, move! Out of the way!"

"Tsk!"

Hundreds of meters away from the cave entrance, a handsome man with light green hair, followed by his elite members, was walking towards it with arrogance, as if they owned the place.

It's Mark Alguem, a.k.a. Ardent Blaze, and his Heaven's Legion guild. His right-hand man, named Tony, woke him up again a few hours earlier instead of the afternoon, as their target's location has already been found and they don't even have to pay an exorbitant price just to find him.

When he heard what Tony said, he suddenly lost all of his sleepiness and directly logged in to the game, moving the schedule ahead. He doesn't want anyone getting their hands on "his" god item.

The area around the cave entrance wasn't as populated before. Instead, the cluster of players was replaced by large tents colored white to blue on the edges and houses colored yellow to purple on the edges, indicating their rarity. The players were inside. The rarer it is, the more players it can house.

These shelters are enchanted with space magic and can house multiple players inside to avoid overcrowding. It's mostly used for siege and safehouse when exploring the wilds. Most useful if you've reached a very far place and you can't find a save point, as you can just build it in the wilds and monsters will avoid it except bosses, but they are rare.

They have high defense and HP as well, so there is no need to worry about being attacked, as they can really take a beating. Players regenerate HP and MP inside faster as well, and have some built-in facilities for lifestyle players.

Although you can teleport to it, you can't teleport from it using the save point. And if it were to be destroyed while you were inside, there is a 25% chance of dying instantly. If you survive, you have a 50% chance of being stunned for 5 to 10 minutes.

Arriving a few meters near the formation where the entrance should be, he was greeted by some guild leaders.

"If it isn't, Sir Ardent! Fancy meeting you here.'

"Hmmm? guild leader of Sunset Cove. Well, I can't not be here, can I? My godly item is waiting for me after all..."

The guild leaders who heard what he said had darkened faces and started murmuring. They didn't like what they heard from him at all.

"Hoh? Your god item?" said a burly man named Anthony from before. Veins were popping on his forehead at this point, as he had been getting pissed for a while now.

"You have a problem with it, big guy? People from smaller guilds have no right to ask or talk to me like that. It's already been decided by me, and it will be safer in my hands anyway." Ardent said while looking at the burly man. He does not put these guilds in his eyes after all; his guild is the largest and the "strongest".

"You! Just because your guild is huge doesn't mean you have to act arrogantly here!"

"That's right! That's right!"

"Don't be too arrogant, you gigolo!"

"If we unite, do you believe we can erase you here and now?"

The leaders from low- to middle-tier guilds banded together and started to curse at him. They didn't like his arrogance at all.

Those from the top tiers just scoffed at him and didn't even greet him at all. They won't bow to some ignorant youngster. His guild might be huge, but it's mostly just weaklings who barely have any ability to fight.

"You fucks are going agains-"

"Please wait a moment! Please calm down everyone. We can just negotiate later after we get the item, no?" Just before Ardent spoke, he was cut short by Tony, who was just beside him. Unlike Mark, he is a very reasonable guy.

'Damn it, Mark, your arrogance will end us all! Tony cursed it in his mind.

"Tony, you-"

"Mark, please don't be unreasonable." Said Tony in a whisper. He didn't call him "My Lord" anymore. This time, he's serious.

"..."

"There are not only low- to middle-level guilds here. Look there, see those old foxes? Keep your arrogance with you, or we might pay a huge price..." Continued Tony while pointing his finger at the top guilds powers.

"Tsk! Once I get my hands on that item, I'll make these old dogs bow to me." Murmured Mark and only Tony heard it.

After all of that commotion, everyone calmed down again. They are being broadcast live and can't make themselves look bad after all.

The female players and reporters fawn over Mark. He answered their question with a smile and occasionally flirted with them, much to the displeasure of the male players, who just cursed at him in their minds.

*******

Meanwhile, Chris was already on the surface, checking out his surroundings, especially the people encircling the formation.

'Hmmm... what are these people doing? Are they dispersing the formation? It seems that they can't see me...

[VeganSlayer Lvl.82 Alchemist] [IamAndrew Lvl.77 Scribe] [Sontiiin! Lvl. 84 Alchemist] [YouAin'tMe33 Lvl.75 Blacksmith] [dOOOb! Lvl.88 Priest].....

'Lifestyle players? I wonder if I can attack them from here...'

He had an evil grin on his face when he thought of attacking these lifestyle players, but he's bound to be disappointed.

*Tink!*

"Ooof! Too bad... guess I have no choice but to go out, huh?"

*Shhhhh...* *Pop!*

Without hesitation, he dispelled the formation, showing himself not just to the players waiting for him but to the whole world.

"W-what happened?"

"That guy is..."

"It's him!"

Of course it was Chris. He was currently wearing an ordinary white fox mask on his face, as he doesn't want to show his face yet, not until he reaches level 50. Right now, he can't level up because it's locked. His level-up mechanic became part of his upgrade system.

He's garbed in a leather armor set composed of a hooded shirt, pants, boots, armguards, and gloves that he obtained from the house of the mad king. It was a legendary set, and he used the Combine function to make it. After all, he wanted to look awesome on this occasion. a damn showoff.

When paired with his mask, he looked like a frigging assassin. The longbow was on his back; the polearm, which was in saber form, was on his left waist; and the retractable mini buckler was strapped to his arm. All had an orange gleam on them.

His most noticeable items are his ring with ghost-like patterns that has a light greenish blue glow on his left hand finger and his black colored quiver with white color on the edges that has rainbow shimmer. A truly beautiful quiver.

Overall, his equipment is legendary or above. Even those so-called "whales" will look poor if they stand beside him.

The lifestyle players, who were supposed to disperse the formation, slowly backed away while the guild leaders walked towards him. They are calm on the outside, but in their minds, they're already thinking about who will get what, as if Chris's equipment were already theirs.

All the players present and the rest who were watching the broadcast were looking at Chris with envy and greed. How can a meager Lv. 25 player be chuck full of the above epic equipment? It's so unfair! is what's on their minds.

'''Wait, 25!?'''

It suddenly dawned on them, and they were shocked afterwards. This guy just entered the mainland, not even a day ago. How come he's already level 25? One has to know that reaching Level 25 from Level 10 will take at least 2 weeks, even if you have all the support you can get.

Even the fastest was 10 days. And yet, here he is, at Level 25 within a day. a terrifying growth rate! not just strong and lucky but with super-fast leveling speed as well. It's so unfair. If Chris were to know this, he would just sneer at them. He knew the unfairness of life and suffered a lot from it, but he endured.

The guild leaders and representatives had already arrived in front of him. The one who spoke first was a light-green-haired man, much to the annoyance of the rest.

"Despair... we finally met."

"Hmmm?"

"Oh! You can call me Ardent Blaze."

[Name: Mark Alguem (Ardent Blaze) Lvl.120 Class: Swordsman(D), SwordMaster(B) 2/2

HP: 1,337,000 PAtk: 295,200

Rest Omitted]

"..."

'Heeeh... So this is the so called "Highest Level", huh?'

"I'll be direct: join my guild and hand over your equipment. After all, me and some of my elites are more worthy of wielding them than you, a meager level 25, and I'll make sure that you are protected and well fed. So what do you think?"

Even though he asked, Chris felt like it was a command. This bastard was looking down at him. The surrounding leaders, who are listening, frowned at what he said and their lips twitched alot upon hearing the "well fed" part. Dude, look at his gears. Do you think he has no money to buy food? is what on their minds.

They even cursed him for being shameless and greedy. The live viewers also had the same reaction.

"..."

'The hell? Does this idiot have some mental problem? And do I look like a beggar to you?

"Pfffft! Hahahahahaha! Ahahahaha!"

Chris laughed so hard that the players around and the people watching the broadcast were dumbfounded. Did he lose it?

"Huh? What's so funny?"

"Holy crap, man, you're a good clown. You made me laugh so hard. Hahahaha!"

"You-"

Before Ardent could say something, Chris cut him short.

"What the fuck makes you think that you are more worthy than me, you insect?" Chris asked in a very deep voice. He was not laughing anymore.

When everyone heard his question with a mocking tone attached to it, they were dumbfounded once again. But they prepare themselves, as things will definitely go south soon.

"A nobody... a nobody has... I see... it seems that you're bolder than what I was hearing from the others... Very good!"

Ardent couldn't believe that someone called him an insect. With a darkened face, his hand was already on his sword. The other leaders, who realized it earlier, started to rush while the others started chanting spells.

"You can die now! Let's see whos the insec- Huh?"

[Camouflage]!

"""???"""

When Ardent and the rest are about to attack, Chris suddenly vanishes out of thin air.

"PRIESTS! DETECTION!"

"""O-on it!"""

[Detection]! x9,999

On Ardent's loud orders, all the priests in the surrounding area frantically used their detection skills. Some of the players who were inside the tents and houses came out one by one as well. They were tasked with making a human barrier.

"Bastard, don't even think of escaping! Let's see if your arrogance can save your sorry ass!"

Ardent shouted at Chris, who was currently invisible and smirking.

'Heh! It won't work unless your detection is legendary rank or above.'

"M-my lord, he's not here!"

"Detection ain't working..."

"W-what!?"

"Impossible..."

"D-don't tell me... it's above epic rank?"

"""!!!"""

"Idiots! If it does not work, then attack the empty spaces. It will be dispelled if he gets hit!"

The rest frowned at Ardent after being called an idiot, but they still followed his idea. But just before they attacked the open spaces randomly, Chris appeared; he looked as if he punched the ground.

[Catastrophe]!

"What's he doing?"

*Gururururu...*

"Huh?"

The ground shook, and a bad feeling arose in their hearts. But before they realized what he had done, it was already too late.

"Barrie-"

"Oh fuc-"

"""!!!"""

*BOOOOOM!* -900,000 -900,000 -900,000 -900,000 -900,000 -900,000 -900,000

[You killed...]

[You killed...]

[You killed...]

.....

Multiple players within 3 kilometers died instantly, turning into moats of light. Some managed to survive, but not for long. The catastrophe has just begun.