DEATH OF AN S-RANK

"Abandoned? Accept? Only the strong are worthy to be accepted."

Hazel was full of contempt toward the goblins who fell limp to the ground, displaying vulnerabilities. The pitiful sight of the helpless weak submerged in tears further her loathing for them.

"I was right, you guys are weak", Hazel scorned and then she no longer troubled herself with the miserable goblins. With an upright back and indifferent face, Hazel lifted her chin as she drew in the sweet air around her.

*breathe*

Shutting her eyes for a moment, Hazel then opened her snowy lips as her cream eyes fetched their fierceness.

This time, Hazel was dead serious.

"What's wrong about the rule of this world? He is weak and therefore he is punished. I told you before you take the exam, you will be severed of your rights to your life once you ranked bottom, remember?", Hazel took a pause and gently turned to other quivering participants. Then she directed her next words to them.

"So from now on, the weak will suffer the same fate. Weaks don't have the right to live. Only when they turn into a non-living would they turn elegant, don't you think? Therefore...", Hazel footed forward.

"Therefore, if you don't want to be an item. Just kill yourself, weaklings", with her words reverberating to the scenic area, the mourning ambiance abruptly came to a halt.

A deafening silence drifted in. Only momentary gulps resonated.

*shiver*

The weak shivered at her words. Their bodies were stiff as they watch Hazel vanished from the area with her snow lips curved with ethereal disdain.

The weak participants couldn't help but redigest her words. It incessantly echoed through their mind that would not even cease despite the closing of their eyes.

They didn't subscribe to her principles but it was the indisputable truth. The weak would be weeded out.

The flapping of wings of several griffins pulled them out of the trance. Apparently, the higher species were indifferent to her words. As soon as they saw that Hazel had left the area, they no longer had any reason to stay for long.

Consequently, they vacate the area.

Alab was about to leave as well as he had already digested the words of Hazel. His mind sits in with her words.

Alab also believed that the weak would be weeded out. However, he had further thoughts. To him, Hazel didn't have the right to be egocentric because, after all, she wasn't the strongest.

Like the weak she was looking down upon, Hazel was destined to be weeded out.

Only the strongest had to right to reign over death and life.

At this thought, Alab couldn't help but recall the words of the god assigned to Earth.

He vividly retained the lengthy statements, word for word.

'The Absolute One and the Dead Necromancer, they are the strongest', Alab vowed to upgrade his undead skill and see to it whether he would be able to stand at the same ground as the Absolute One.

Having wrapped his thoughts, Alab shortly called for Misery who appeared in a flashy manner, levitating at a towering height, overlooking the participants below.

'I will make sure to see through your full power too, Legendary Griffin'

Misery gracefully glided downward as it took Alab who gripped unto his massive talons. Several griffins were already vacating the area and Anastasia assisted Han Seo Yeon and Girth as they consequently left.

Before Alab could fully leave, he heard the fellow human group behind them. Their eyes were fierce, glaring at the mourning goblins and the bloodied shirt of a woman on their side.

"We will make them pay, we will take revenge for Noan"

Up in the sky, Alab overlooked the wrathful group below, and there, with eye view, he noticed. The group was missing another human.

"Their other member must be the one who turned into an item.", Alab mumbled.

Swiftly, Alab left the area, negligent to poke his nose into their business.

"What will happen will happen. It's no longer my business"

----

On the other hand, Kriks glared at the group of Alab and Felix, with his piercing gaze. His mourning shortly turned to self-blame.

Had they crippled Felix to an irrecoverable state, things wouldn't have turned out this way.

Kriks was reluctant to accept that Girth had earned 10 mana crystals in that little moment. He was certain that Girth cheated somehow and now, he needed to uncover it and save his brother.

He glared at the departing figures of Alab and Girth, steeling his heart for further evil deeds.

'Who cares about being good? If being good means seeing your loved ones die, then I... I'd rather be evil, kri'

Kriks began grabbing the items of Krok from the ground. It took him some time to pick it up with quivering and sweaty hands.

"Brother, kri"

Despite having a low ranking, Krok hid a wicked and potent strength.

Kriks recalled the first time they had arrived in this area.

--

10 days ago...

It was a vibrant day that was brighter than ever. For someone who lived in a world of ethereal darkness, Kriks found it difficult to adjust to the stinging daybreak.

He squinted his eyes and shut them as the pain had become unbearable. Eventually, he felt that the warmth of the rays had curtailed. He inferred that he could open his eyes now, curving his lips upward as he plastered a gentle smile.

Opening his eyes, the excruciating rays didn't dawn upon his eyes, rather, a small yet taller figure than him was standing before him, shielding the piercing rays with his back.

"B-brother? kri?"

Kriks was glad to see his brother in this foreign world. In an instant, he felt relieved and confident that they could battle whatever danger lurked on their prospect path.

Enduring the heat on his back, Krok opened his mouth.

"You don't have to worry anymore, okay? I will be here with you, kri", Krok uttered

Then, he whispered.

"Kri, we can do it. I am sure we can do it, after all, I am an S-rank!", Krok calmed the sea of worries of Kriks.

At that moment, Kriks felt the foreign species blur on the back of Krok. Golden rays shone on his back, giving him a majestic image. The assorted granules escaping the multicolored feathers of massive birds in the sky accentuated his figure.

Krok was not just a brother to Kriks.

He...

He was his Hero...

----

Krok possessed an S-grade skill that allowed him to make a target drop an item with a ceiling of S-rank from his inventory. It was a broken skill that had limitations of once per 3 days of use. It was also through this skill that he made the human from the [Owl Bear Dungeon] drop her mana crystals.

It was a secret that only he and Kriks shared.

"B--brother, kri", tears began dripping from the wistful eyes of Kriks. But, he knew he couldn't stay in this pitiful state for long.

He still had other younger brother goblins to take care of. He had to be strong for them lest Krok would hate him when he came back.

Kriks somehow cling to the little hope of Krok's return.

"I know you will because you made a promise... kri"

Looking at the golden item in his inventory that was emitting a strong aura, Kriks made his resolve.

"Through the item you give me, I will take revenge..."

However, a similar piercing gaze oozed from 4 humans on their side.

Their bloodshot eyes were determined to kill the goblins...