-1631- Want it?

"Sig-san!"

Seeing Sigurd draw his weapon in anger and embarrassment, two Sylph players behind him gasped in unison.

"What are you trying to do!? Sigurd!"

Leafa's face turned pale.

"He drew his sword!"

"Sigurd has drawn his sword!"

The surrounding Sylph players erupted into an uproar.

The entire first-floor hall of the Tower of the Wind quickly became a chaotic scene.

In ALfheim Online (ALO), inter-racial conflicts are actually encouraged.

Player-versus-player (PvP) battles between different races are accepted and can be very intense.

While not all races are at odds with each other, the system itself does provide the potential for competition among races.

For example, outside of designated safe zones, conflicts between different races don't lead to players being flagged as criminals (orange-named) or killers (red-named). So, it's common for players of different races to immediately engage in combat when they encounter each other. This is also why Leafa despises Salamanders so much; they exploit this setup to consistently target Sylphs outside safe zones, draining them of both money and valuable items.

In addition, when players of one race enter a city belonging to another race, they cannot attack the local players. However, the local players are free to kill foreign players within the safe zone of their own city.

This reveals the kind of PvP-encouraging system ALO operates under.

However, intra-race conflicts are treated differently.

At the very least, such behavior is not tolerated within safe zones.

"Are you not afraid of being punished by Sakuya?"

Leafa shouted at Sigurd.

Sakuya, mentioned here, is the leader of the Sylphs and Sigurd's superior.

As the leader, Sakuya had decreed that internal conflicts among Sylphs were forbidden, and excessively blatant hostility would lead to punishment based on the situation.

This decree, announced by Sakuya herself, was to protect the harmony and interests of the Sylph race as a whole.

And now, Sigurd was drawing his sword on Rozen.

This was clearly an overtly hostile act.

But Sigurd seemed beyond caring.

"If you have the guts to say that, you should be willing to accept my duel, right?"

Sigurd pointed his sword at Rozen, his eyes filled with raw hostility, malice, and even murderous intent.

"Stand up with honor and accept my challenge!"

Sigurd roared at Rozen.

Before Leafa could stop him, Rozen spoke.

"Quit barking."

Rozen moved past Leafa, stepping forward slowly.

"A duel is a duel. What's the point of shouting so loudly? You're not a dog, for crying out loud. How stupid."

Rozen didn't hold back his words, provoking Sigurd to an extreme degree.

But Rozen had his reasons.

If Sigurd had targeted someone else, Rozen might have let it go. But because Sigurd targeted Leafa and behaved so obnoxiously, Rozen felt no need to show any restraint.

Even though Rozen had encountered many players like Sigurd before, this time was no different.

After all, players like these were nothing compared to the kinds of opponents Rozen had faced in other worlds.

These players were just ordinary people who had gained powers, status, and achievements in-game that they couldn't attain in real life, which made them arrogant and unpleasant. It was understandable, yet unforgivable.

Rozen had no reason to empathize with such characters.

It couldn't be helped. Compared to the various enemies Rozen had faced, these players were simply on a lower level.

Furthermore...

"This is a game, and instead of enjoying it, they're out here ruining the experience for others. How annoying."

Rozen said as he stepped forward, slowly drawing his sword from his waist.

"Shink..."

The blade slid against the scabbard, emitting a metallic hum.

"Clang..."

A dazzling light flashed across the sword's blade, causing the eyes of all onlookers to ache.

The elegant single-handed sword with a white base and golden patterns appeared in Rozen's hand, held tightly.

This was Rozen's weapon—the Fairy Sword.

The surrounding players couldn't help but be amazed.

"That weapon…"

"It seems to be high-performance…"

"I've never seen it before…"

"It must be pretty rare…"

Sylphs around him began murmuring.

Sigurd noticed it too, and after a brief shock, a glint of greed appeared in his eyes.

High-level weapons are always coveted by players.

Especially for someone like Sigurd, who holds himself in high esteem—a weapon that looks both high-performance and aesthetically pleasing would make a perfect emblem of his reputation, an opportunity to make a name for himself. There was no way he wouldn't be tempted.

But unfortunately, it didn't belong to Sigurd.

At that moment, Sigurd's eyes flickered.

And, of course, Rozen didn't miss this reaction.

So...

"Want it?"

Rozen smiled faintly at Sigurd.

But his words were as sharp as ever.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't give it to you even if you beg on your knees."

Rozen sneered.

"You...!"

Sigurd's breath caught, and he finally snapped.

"I'll kill you!"

With a roar, Sigurd raised his broadsword high above his head.

He didn't charge directly at Rozen but instead spread the wings on his back wide. With a single flap, he gained astonishing acceleration, shooting forward.

The speed was clearly much faster than players could achieve by charging or sprinting on foot.

This was also a feature of ALO. Movement speed was based on the player's own abilities, while flight capability was determined by the system, making flying often significantly faster than running.

Combined with the difference in maneuverability, in ALO, the ability to fly practically determined the outcome of a battle.

This was a world of aerial combat, and elite players understood how to utilize flight.

Sigurd, who had managed to fight his way up to runner-up in the Sylph combat tournament, clearly had some skill, despite his unsightly behavior.

But, as always, he was up against Rozen.

"Bang!"

With a sudden explosive sound, as Sigurd dashed out, Rozen's figure transformed into a fierce gust of wind, creating a whirlwind as he charged right up to Sigurd.

He appeared just as Sigurd was dashing forward, raising his broadsword high.

"What…!?"

Sigurd's face shifted dramatically.

"Hmph…"

Rozen smirked as he stood before Sigurd.

Then, like a flash of lightning, the Fairy Sword in his hand transformed into a streak of light, slashing forward without hesitation.

"Splurt!"

With a ripping sound, Sigurd's broadsword flew into the air.

Along with the hand that held it.

"Thud!"

The next second, a dull impact sounded.

"Ugh...!"

Sigurd let out a muffled groan as he was sent flying backward.