Chapter 31 : V.S. Selfish King

"Hello?" Someone answered the call.

"Yes.., How are things going?"

"He's there..."

"Are you sure?" He coughed,

"Yes, and" the other line stopped for a moment, "smoking again?"

"Just this last time"

"Okay, I'll call you back"

---

"Hmm? Wh-who are you? Hu-human language's hard to sp-speak"

'Was he referring to me?'

"Why is he stuttering?"

"I-it seems I... had long f-forgotten my mission, w-why I'm still here!"

Skill activation, Black Smoke, a paralyzing skill. King Artorius cast his spell to Tom and Evan.

Leo tried to fend off the skill but it just went through him.

"What!? Tom, Evan!" And so the black smoke eventually hits the two of them.

"I'm... feeling... d-dizzy" they fell on the floor and lost consciousness.

"Haa, I should've speak to you like this earlier"

'Telepathy!?'

"How long I've waited for 'you', but are you worthy?"

From his throne, King Artorius leaped to where Leo is in an instant.

'So fast!'

King Artorius gonna strike him down, Leo couldn't follow his moved but had sensed it and were barely able to dodged. After he avoided the attack, King Artorius immediately followed Leo.

"What!?"

Leo saw him with his fist clenched, and threw it in his left flanker. Leo flew into the throne as he grunts in pain.

Leo stood and tighten his grip at his dagger.

"Damn! He's faster than me, I can't follow! I need to get faster than him if I want to win!"

King Artorius stood where the two were lying unconscious.

"That's not all you've got. Show it to me! His power!"

King Artorius leaped in front of him whilst holding his sword with both hands, he thrust it forward. Leo slightly dodged to his side and parried the attack with his dagger, sliding his dagger to King Artorius's neck. The daggers gonna hit.., the dagger reached his neck, Leo felt it. But King Artorius suddenly vanished, Leo search his surroundings. He then felt shivers ran down his spine, he felt the killing intent that would strike him from behind, so he swiftly leaped off.

"That was good, you're keeping up. Here I go!"

Skill activation, Excalibur, his sword was shrouded in black aura. A skill that when inflicted with, will be paralyzed and poisoned and will cause an instant death to enemies with low tolerance.

'I'm feeling it again!'

King Artorius rush and threw sword attacks to Leo, whose barely able to dodge his attack, couldn't fight back. King Artorius leave no opening for Leo to attack. Leo would parry and dodge his attacks, he's cautious of King Artorius's attack and not letting him hit him. King Artorius stopped attacking and was gonna grab Leo's hand but he whacked his hands off. Leo jerked his arm and threw a powerful punch.., but King Artorius caught the attack with his hands and threw Leo on the ground.

Leo groaned, "You have to do better than that if you want to beat me! Stand up!"

Leo rose from the ground and stood firm. 'He caught my punch without even budging, how strong! Or maybe it's me who's weak'

"There goes a quote way back in my country saying that, 'No man shall fear death but relish' don't be afraid to die, just let your instinct go wild and put everything on the line! Isn't that what you want the most!?"

Leo smiled when he heard King Artorius said that line. "I guess you're right... I'm afraid to die but that's because someone will be sad without me! That's why... I can't die... just yet" Leo wiped his eyes before it sheds tears. "So in order to beat you I need to put my life on the line!? Is that what you're trying to say!?"

King Artorius chuckled, "Putting everything on the line isn't enough, you should also have this" pointing at his head, "And this" and then at his heart.

"Will all alone can't do anything when you don't really have it what it takes"

"Spouting nonsense, you don't know me!"

King Artorius grinned and then he chuckled once again, "I know about you.., we know about you!"

King Artorius cut the talking and dashed forward, but not to Leo it was where Tom and Evan was lying, skill activation Sword of Avarice, Delicate Desire, a skill that robbed off someone of their soul when killed and stack it into the sword and has a cross pattern lethal attack.

"That bastard!" Leo went full throttle to go and save the two before King Artorius' attack could reach both of them. That used up a lot o his stamina, if stamina can be bought on the store Leo would be buying a lot.

"Huff, huff! Playing dirty! You bastard!"

King Artorius motioned him to stop so he did, "As expected, one more weakness. 'The strongest man is a man with nothing to lose' have no one who will hold you back"

"You..! They doesn't hold me back at the very least!" Leo puts them down slowly, "You said 'Beware a man with nothing to lose? I think it's 'Beware a man with something to protect!' bastard!"

Leo clenched his fist as tight as he can, he then vanished from King Artorius' sight. He looked around and didn't saw him even from behind. He can't detect where Leo is then he heard someone talked.

"Where do you think you're looking at!!!" Leo from above, jerked his right arm and clenched his fist once more. King Artorius looked up and Leo threw his overwhelming strength.

[Critical damage given due to the skill 'Cloak']

Although he landed an attack, King Artorius had barely blocked the attack with his arms. His arms has contusions and soft tissues injuries due to the critical damage. He even bulge downward because of the pressure given.

"I'm not done yet!" Leo slightly backed down and leaped forward to King Artorius used his dagger to damage him.

He seem to have deteriorated, his swordskill got slower, and his movements became dull. Leo's dagger could reach King Artorius, but he still has energy to fight back and dodged his attacks.

Leo's gonna finish it now, when he felt a sudden outburst of powerful aura and killing intent. Leo quickly leaped back and canceled his attack.

"Haha... hahaha! Hahahaha! You really thought you could defeat me!? I'm mistaken, you're not 'him', our greatest asset in the upco- Argh! My head!" King Artorius' holding his head in pain.

'Huh!? Did his head got damage by my punch? But, isn't this an opening'

Leo from where he stood, leaped and threw a punch. King Artorius couldn't block it and flew back to his throne. He grumbled as his back hit the hard rock throne, Leo quickly leaped and reaped him.

King Artorius had recovered from headache and saw Leo in front of him so he tried to stood up and swing his sword. Leo parried his attack using his dagger and kicked King Artorius on his chest. He bounced back, Leo then clenched his fist and with a heavy left hook directly on his head, King Artorius almost lost consciousness as his head hits the rock hard throne.

"This should end!"

Leo decapitated the selfish King who only loves his treasure and nothing else.

[A-rank enemy defeated...]

[Plus 3 levels...]

Leo fall on his ass and sat down as his exhausted body rested.

As soon as King Artorius died, the two others woke up and came to his aid.

After resting for a bit Leo, Tom and Evan were presented treasures they can choose. 'One treasures per person' written on a brick.

"Wow! So many treasures and they're all top-grade items and weapons"

They search and appraised each items to know what they would need. Leo saw the sword King Artorius' wielded. He picked it up and looked through its description.

[Tainted Excalibur]

[Type: One-handed sword]

[Rank : A]

[Class Required : Grim Reaper]

[Damage : 100, passive skill : Soul Collector]

[Passive skill attribute : ???]

[Soul Collected : 0]

[Sword of the selfish cursed king, King Artorius. Lived for hundred of years guarding his collected treasures. The souls of the dead that clings at the sword had been released.]

'This is a good weapon but I don't have a class and is there a grim reaper class. I've never heard of such class.'

Leo puts down the sword and a notification came in sent by the 'Cabal'

[You've choose the treasure 'Tainted Excalibur']

"HUH!? No, no I didn't choose this treasure. WTF! I want to changed this!"

"What's wrong, brother?" The two others stopped looking through the items.

"Cabal chose this sword for me when I don't want it because it's useless for me!"

[Item chosen cannot be change]

"WTF!"

~