Lord Phobio; The Crimson Angel.
That was what his name within the Mercenary Gang—though some would argue that his true nature resembled a devil more than an Angel.
He had a beautifully crafted face, and his body was toned to perfection.
As he stood there, watching the Dragon announce itself, he couldn't help but leak out a wry grin.
"Kekeke… you're a Dragon, huh?" His lips slowly curled up, revealing a twisted grin that handsome men shouldn't have.
Phobio looked like a snake at that point, his entire demeanor contorted to form an ugly mask of amusement.
"So what? So what if you're a Dragon?" He asked, his body suddenly relaxing as he kept up his cackles.
"Hm? Aren't you supposed to be frightened or something?"
"Nope! Why would I be?"
Phobio feared no one. That had been the case since he was little.
His special ability made it so that he was always very strong. In fact, he was the one who was always feared by those around him.
Also…
"I've killed a Dragon before, so it's no big deal. It seems you came here to attack us, so I'll just kill you too…"
The way Phobio spoke was with confidence and finesse.
Even though he wasn't wearing a lot of Enchanted Items, he still had the confidence to win.
His white robe and dark brown sandals were the only two Items he had on, and they were far from his usual set.
Still, he was confident.
'The blood I've amassed from thousands of people should be enough for this guy…'
Particles of Mana was trapped in the blood of people, so if he collected their blood, he was collating a lot of Mana in the process.
Not only would the energy add impact to his Spells, but it wouldn't consume too much energy on his part.
He could keep going on and on.
"I see. I'm curious, though, what kind of Dragon did you defeat?" The Dragon asked.
He seemed to be scoffing at Phobio, as if disbelieving his words.
"How would I remember the kind of Dragon? I don't care to remember such things."
Phobio wasn't lying. He didn't care enough to recollect the kinds of enemies he had faced, especially if they lost.
The defeated had no value in his eyes
"You probably fought a weak Dragon. I'm a strong one, you know?"
Veins appeared all over Phobio's heard the moment he heard this.
He had never felt so insulted in all his life.
"What the hell are you trying to say?" He growled, the sphere of blood beside him already bubbling with energy.
What would happen next depends on the next word given by the humanoid Dragon.
"Haha! Sorry! It seems your brain can't comprehend what I'm telling you, so why don't I break it down for you?" As the Dragon spoke, he stretched a hand towards Phobio, gesturing for a moment,
"I'm telling you, it'll be okay for me. After all… you're weak."
"…."
Phobio's wide eyes took in the Dragon's humanoid form as he heard those words.
His eyes that were littered in darkness suddenly began to have a red glow to them.
"Did you just… call me weak…?"
His long black hair began to rise, and an incredibly dense layer of Mana erupted from within him.
The amount of energy generated caused distortion in the air, but Phobio cared for nothing like that.
He simply wanted to show the ignorant Dragon in front of him who was boss.
'Those two fools must have known it was a Dragon, which is why they woke me up…'
They couldn't leave his side since he had instructed them not to, so they resorted to the least severe option—and for good reason.
'Those two knew I could beat the Dragon, which is why they fervently stayed by my side rather than run off.' Phobio's thoughts echoed deep within him, so he couldn't help but smile internally.
'I understand now. Those girls… they should have explained or said something quickly.'
Phobio thought it was a shame to see them die.
'Well… they brought it upon themselves. Just like this fool here!'
The Masked Dragon stood still, watching as Phobio's Mana undulated.
It almost seemed like the thing wasn't even fazed by the power being released.
'You can't fool me!' The man gritted his teeth as he activated his three other Skills.
[Great Protection Cloak]. [Superior Self]. [True Detection]. [Bloodlust].
Each of these Skills had their benefits, and by using them at once—alongside his [Greater Blood Magic]—he was pretty much invincible.
'I'm not with any of my standard Items. But, I can compensate for that weakness with this amount of blood. It's not most times I get to have something like this…'
Even though this was the coalition of blood from vermin, it still had its uses.
"Oi, Dragon!" Phobio's enraged eyes glowed a different shade of red compared to the Dragon,
"Get ready to die!"
"Oka—?"
~WHOOOSH!~
Like a ghost, Phobio instantly appeared behind the Dragon, a blade already in his grasp.
After using [Superior Self], a Buff that raised his physical abilities to the very limits, Phobio had no problem quickly making a sharp and long blade out of blood.
His crimson weapon was going to be dyed in blood as soon as he slashed the bare back of his enemy.
His [Great Protection Cloak] was going to be useless in this fight, now that Phobio thought of it.
'The enemy will perish! Right here and now!'
[True Detection] had told him that attacking his opponent's back was the best move at the moment, and he followed suit instantly.
As for [Bloodlust], it caused his opponent to feel a paralyzing sensation that prevented them from reacting properly to his attacks.
Some targets, who had weaker mental states, would even see illusions of them dying before they experienced actual death.
Phobio had combined all of these Skills in order to deal a decisive strike.
He could ask all the questions later,
~WHOOOOSH!~