(3)

---step---step---step---

I walked out of the bar. It was almost midnight. Due to the place being situated in between the streets, no one was there outside. Not even the wind could be heard. Only my footsteps entered my ears. I then suddenly came to a halt, "Stop hiding and come out, you stone-chinned punk!"

The next instant, a man revealed himself from hiding behind a wall. He was the same guy with the broad chin whom I set aside earlier. I spoke, "I knew it. Compared to that nosy guy, your karma reeked of negativity!"

He responded, "Karma? What the heck are you talking about?!"

…

{Earlier in the bar}

While I was having a second glass, a few people's malice ran amok inside my head.

'Hey, we found him!!'

'Yes, we caught a big fish!!'

'We must scout him before those criminals!'

'That LLB is ours!'

'No one will get in my way!!'

…

[What a pain in the head?]

But my instincts made me blink.

'There are so many stalkers. Xona, you will gain their attention while I make a scene. Sim will tail him until he reaches an empty spot!'

'You know me all too well, boss!!'

'Got it, boss. I'll signal you the moment he gets into an uncrowded place!!'

[Aha, the killers are together with the scouters, huh? What a sight to behold?]

…

{Back to scene}

[The last voice from the killers came from this guy.]

I stated, "Since there are no people here, I can take care of you without any worries!!"

He laughed, "You think so?!"

---clank---

The next instant, a sabre came clanking against my right trapezius. The weapon was held by a white-haired woman with pink eyes in a white shirt, brown leggings and black boots. She jolted, 'It didn't cut??!'

---crack---

At once, her sabre broke into a dozen pieces. By gritting her teeth, she backed off. The broad-chinned man took off his bartending clothes and revealed a costume of a white shirt inside a sleeveless brown coat tucked in brown pants. The centre of his belt held the logo of an eagle's head. The boots were the same as the woman's. Both of them formed a duo.

I raised the toe of my right leg and,

---thud------clank---

shot it down at the ground which impacted the surroundings shaking a bit and the broken pieces of the woman's sabre jumping into mid-air which I then grappled with my left hand. The two offenders blinked in shock. The woman asked, "What's he doing?!", whereas her comrade answered, "Like I know!"

---tinkle---

My hands pressed the metal pieces from all sides. Broad-chin asked, "Is he moulding some pieces of metal or a piece of paper?!", whereas his comrade answered, "Sh*t if I know!!"

---claaank---claaang---

Due to constant pressure from my palms and fingers, the metal pieces turned molten red and became a hot fluid. I stretched the fluid into the shape of a one-metre rod which exuded an irritating sound. Both opponents gaped their mouths speechlessly. I then gripped a quarter portion of the rod on both sides and stretched it until the length of my arms. Thanks to that, the hot rod became a 2.5-metre double-ended sword. The mouths of the opponents widened a bit compared to earlier.

---whoosh---

I began swinging the sword around my arms and body. A cold breeze exuded from the motion of the sword. They wondered, 'What is he doing now?!'

---clench---

My left hand clenched the swinging weapon. By then, it had already turned back to silver from the molten state. They wondered again, 'What the hell???!'

---tinkle---

By grabbing the hilt of the sword from the middle end, I divided the weapon into two swords. The foes cried out, "What in the actual hell??!!!"

I said, "Come at me!!", but the woman from the duo yelled, "What are you, a forger or a recycler??!"

I said, "I'm a martial artist!", but she yelled again, "What kind of martial artist makes a weapon then and there?!!"

I said, "I'm a martial deity!", but she yelled again and again, "That doesn't make any difference!!!"

---crumble---

Suddenly, a ponytailed man with a light beard broke out of the ground like a worm. His clothes were drenched in mud. He too shouted, "Yeah, that doesn't make a f**king difference!!!!"

"......!", the other two opponents and I became dumbfounded at his ungrand entry.

[Is he their leader? What's wrong with this bunch? Their manners are so childish.]

---smack(x2)---

Without a word, the woman smashed his nose while the man kicked his spine. Together, they shouted, "Stop scaring us with your bandicoot tactics!!!"

[... Way too childish.]

I asked, "What's wrong with you funny-looking cowboys?!"

The woman countered, "I'm a cowgirl!!!"

[... Childish over the charts.]

I exclaimed, "Sigh, I've lost interest to fight you people!"

---tinkle---tinkle---tinkle---

At once, I began bending the swords which I crafted in rapid motion. The enemies wondered, "What is he doing again?!"

---squeak---

The next instant, I was tying them down together with a metal rope. Broad-chinned guy cried out, "Oh my god, he made a rope out of the same metal that he made the previous swords with!!!!", while the woman shouted, "More than that, when did he start tying us!!!", but their third member said, "Xona, Sim, We have already been tied!!"

"...!!", they remained awestuck after noticing themselves being tied into one bandage except for the heads. I lifted them and held them on my right shoulder. They looked at me with spellbound expressions. I attempted, "Your names?!", while walking forward.

The broad-chinned guy said, "Sim Wiezlé!", the pink-eyed woman stated, "Xona Remins!", and the ponytailed guy exclaimed, "Grane Tiryet!"

I chuckled, "Simple Weasel, Donut Remains and Grain tablet? You've got quite the funny names!!"

"...!", whilst sulking, they stared at me intensely. I kept chuckling and walking.

"He's so funny!!", said an anonymous figure who was looking at me from afar. A tiny lion stood on top of his shoulder. That person was nonetheless Krisillis spying on me. His mount Grenard asked, "Master, I never saw his bird this whole time!!"

Krisillis said, "It turned back to its keychain form and is asleep!!"

[Thank goodness Kendor alerted me about Krisillis' spying, I acted like a screw-loose. Or else, that guy would have started analyzing me when I'm serious.]

I commented, "You should consider yourselves lucky for escaping a miserable death!!"

---gulp---

By swallowing their saliva, they nodded left and right. I just continued walking.

[The colour of the sky is red indeed. How marvellous?]

…

Dawn arrived. The three hostages whom I tied into one baggage opened their eyes only to find themselves hanging onto the branch of a colossal tree. What's more, they were hanging hundreds of metres above the ground. The tree was situated in between a forest. The purple trees and bushes on the ground seemed like grass from above. Amid quivering, they shouted, "Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!"

A voice exuded from the sidelines, "You're just hanging upside down, you didn't die. So, stop freaking out!"

Slowly, they turned their heads around, "Gasp!!!", only to find that it was me. I was sitting on a tree branch near the ones they were hanging onto. What's more, I was sitting on a wooden chair along a thin stool drinking a cup of coffee. On the stool was tiny Kendor having her own cup.

Together, "Slurp!", we were enjoying our morning cups soundly. However, what made those three cowmen gape their faces in utter disbelief was a two-story wooden building behind us. Grane attempted, "Is it me who's seeing things or did he build a house on top of a tree branch that's eight hundred metres above the ground?!"

Xona said, "It's really hard for me to digest!"

Sim emphasized, "Guys, his building a house over a branch is our least concern. Don't you recognise this vicinity?!!!", in a loud tone.

Whilst tearing down, Xona cried out, "Uwaaahhhh, this is The Kurak Periphery!!!!"

"Help!!!!!!!", they cried together. I told them, "Huh, what's so special about this place? It's just ordinary forestland. Stop freaking out about everything!!"

Grane exclaimed, "But how did you manage to climb the Kuraks' tree? There should have been multiple swarms of insects in the way?!"

[Kuraks, they're creatures who move in packs. Their anatomy is that of a titanoboa with crocodile-like limbs and scales alongside two reindeer-like horns. Not to mention their head that resembles triceratops. They crawl like snakes at high speed and use their limbs only for climbing. They got their names due to their screams.

I sensed countless entities out of the city. Therefore, I tried to adjust my fighting power before taking the pillar trials. But every creature that encountered me in the wilderness outright bowed to me and remained on the spot unless I walked a few metres away from them.

I doubted the beasts' weird behaviour. Thanks to Kendor, I was informed that they were submitting to me for my strong presence out to their wild instincts. No creature came upon to challenge me.

And so, I walked here to this peaceful environment. From the top of this tree, I was able to see the pillar on one side and a red sea on the other side. It was so beautiful that I ended up building a wooden house in the heat of that moment.]

---rustle---

Suddenly, a tree branch that the trio were hanging onto shook a bit. With widened eyes, they stared upwards at the tree branch only to notice a dozen Kuraks gazing upon them with their jaws drooling saliva. One of them let out a voice, "Kurak!!"

"Oh my god!!!!!", the trio shouted in unison. Followed by that one Kurak, the remaining cried out,

"Kuraaaak!!!"

"Kraaak!"

"Kuraakk!!!"

"Kuraakk!!!"

"Kurak!!"

"Kuurak!!!"

"Kuak!"

…

The boss of the trio became puzzled, "Wh-what are these monsters screaming?!"

Xona emphasized, "We're not animals. How in the hell would we know?!"

Sim agreed, "Exactly!!"

On the other hand, I and Kendor continued with our cups while listening to the screams of the Kuraks,

"Let me eat the heart of the virgin woman. The remaining is all yours!"

"Go to hell, you whore!!"

"Stop being a succubus!!"

"I'll take her heart!!!"

"As if we'd allow that!!!"

Kendor commented, "They are fighting to eat that Xona-woman. What's more, they were able to tell she was fresh from a simple glance. Poor men, they're being treated like leftovers!!"

I said, "But they were so helpful with their intel. Thanks to reading their memories, I now have complete knowledge about this earth's pillar and the ones above!!"

She attempted, "Is that so? How many earths?!"

I exclaimed, "The starting ten earths!"