News spreading wide

Unbeknownst to the entire world, the tragedy that had struck the Aerendil complex.

Death god fits were the talk of the VR platform. It had spread out from the training sector down to other sectors. Many mercenaries were trying their best to fish out this new genius, adding him to their ranks. The same for huge known factions of the world, with exploration of new planets and fighting as the first source of livelihood. Lots of factions and mercenary guilds had been formed, making exploration the number one most potent job.

Either that, or you are working a normal, boring life job. Boring means it would be very dull because tech has taken the majority of jobs humans used to survive. More than 2/3, while abilities took the other part, so it's pretty boring with no thrilling events like beast hunting.

In the midst of all this, there were those who were not interested in the fame and fortune that came with being a hero. There were those who simply wanted to live their lives in peace, away from the chaos and violence of the world.

One such person was a young woman named Aia.

She was a skilled swordswoman, but she had chosen to leave behind the life of a hero and instead live a quiet life in a small village.

Her days were spent helping the villagers with small tasks, using her ability to heal the sick and injured, and tending to the crops in the fields.

She was content with this style of living; her family sword heritage passed down to her had been perfected to a great extent.

If she decides to join the competitive life of VR, she would make a name for herself, as joining a guild or faction. Yet she left all that and chose the simple life many in her place would disdain.

Right now, watching the playback of a so-called death god going against the Butterfly Sword Gang, she's intrigued. She had watched many youngsters play with sound, but they all seemed like child's play to her. Some of the geniuses were requesting her tutelage, which she promptly declined. Out of amusement for this particular sword user, she had taken her time to download more of his battle playbacks and was indeed satisfied by his skill. The sword proficiency he displayed isn't something a level ten ability user could exhibit; it made her wonder who his teacher is.

Just like her, many older generations and big shots were watching this same playback. Some were already sending envoys out to scout and poach this young man.

At a luxurious building, sat a middle-aged man in an executive chair, fashioned after the manner of a presidential seat. His brows furrowed while watching the playback his secretary had just transferred to him.

This figure is none other than Morphis, the strongest man of the human race. He had seen the playback and was impressed, just like everyone else, but a nagging feeling brought him unease. He had to watch the playback over and over again to find out what he is missing that's giving him this uneasiness. The longer he watched, the stronger the foreboding, something about it feels too familiar, and he couldn't shake it off.

Restarting the playback for the heavens know how many times, he caught a hint of the unease he had been feeling. The sword pattern, fighting style, footwork, concentration, and all matched something he had seen before. No, to be more precise, it matched someone he had seen before.

A monster when it comes to weapons proficiency and battle awareness.

A man that could go toe to toe with powerful foes using his skill and proficiency against them.

As if by instinct, he dove into the report sent over along with the playbacks.

Age of the young man doesn't fit, along with the fact this person has an ability.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he was about to shut the file when he saw the username, Razler.

A sudden bolt of shock coursed through his body, his hands shaking and fidgeting so badly the table began vibrating along with it.

His breathing rough, heaving up and down in an uneven rhythm as his eyes threatened to peel the name of the file.

"Steve," he called, more like a roar, a slender looking man appeared in the room in an instant.

He had used teleportation ability. "You called, Sir?"

Morphis nodded while his focus still glued to the file. "I want you to do some private investigation for me."

Steve nodded. This isn't the first time he runs a secret errand for Morphis.

He is his personal assistant after all, but the job he was given this time shocked him silly.

"Are you sure I..."

"No, I'm just presuming, there is no harm in checking it out. You still recall where he was buried, right?"

"Sure, he was the sword hero after all, many still give monument to him till date."

Morphis nodded but said nothing further. Only he knew there is more than just a sword hero, but the actual hero that saved the world.

With the news of the upcoming battle spreading far and wide, many are preparing to watch an epic battle of their lives.

A particular person took the preparation to a whole new level.

On a mountain range, sounds of intense battle could be heard. Weapons clashing against weapons and explosive sounds.

Most of the mountains within the range had huge fissures, dents, and burnt marks.

Five people could be seen clashing hard against a single figure, pushing him back from all angles.

The ground trembled with each clash of weapons, and the air crackled with the energy of their battle. This single figure is none other than Rhaegar who did a flip over to evade a vertical slash aimed at him from underneath his chin.

Sparks flew as Rhaegar clashed against his opponents, each strike resonating with power and determination.

Landing some distance away from an attacker, he kicked hard on the ground, shooting into the sky to evade the twin attack coming from a coordinated duo.

His eyes changed into reptilian pupils as dragon-like wings sprouted out of his back and with a single flap, he changed towards one of the incoming opponents.

Another round of battle ensued with the other three on the ground joining in. Each of the five warriors had their own unique fighting style and abilities, making them a formidable force against Rhaegar.

There was the agile swordsman who moved with lightning speed, the powerful tank like swordman who cover mostly for the group against heavy attacks, an archer like swordman whose attacks never missed their mark, dealing power strikes from a distance, the stoic warrior swordman who possessed incredible strength, and the mysterious rogue swordman whose movements were unpredictable.

Despite their differences, the five warriors fought together seamlessly, in perfect harmony, making it difficult for Rhaegar to find an opening to strike.

But Rhaegar was not one to back down easily. With a roar, he lunged forward, unleashing a flurry of attacks using his dragon-like abilities to his advantage

the sky was dye red with flames and other elements, Rhaegar finally found a way to break out of the encirclement.

Rhaegar could feel his strength waning. His movements grew slower, his breaths heavier, and his mind foggy with exhaustion. The five warriors, sensing his weakness, pressed their advantage, attacking with renewed vigor and determination.

Distancing himself from the five, having find an opening, Rhaegar slip away from their encirclement, catching a brief breath of relief

Rhaegar looks around at his opponents, his eyes filled with determination and a hint of exhaustion. These five warriors had proven to be a challenge, pushing him to his limits in a battle that seemed endless.

With one final burst of energy, Rhaegar pushed himself to his limits, summoning all his strength for a final, desperate attack.

His opponents were caught off guard by his sudden surge of power, and with a mighty roar, Rhaegar unleashed a blast of white flame that engulfed the battlefield in a blinding light.

The didnt lag behind even thought they were taking by surprise, they quickly retaliated with their combined flame, countering and pushing back Rhaegar's own flame.

Once the show of fireworks is over, the light faded, Rhaegar stood alone, victorious but weary.

The five warriors had been defeated, their bodies bruised and battered from the intense battle.

Rhaegar's chest heaved with exertion as he surveyed the aftermath of the fight, all six figures drop to the ground gently, returning to their human form.

Rhaegar was breathing heavily, this battle had taken a toll on him, the others are in the same state.

"You have to take it easy, Rhaegar," one of the youngsters said amidst his bated breath.

"We know you are a genius and had even broken your previous records twice in three days. Still, overworking the body would make it lose its full capacity subsequently."

"You don't have to worry about me, I told you guys not to hold back. I can feel you are still holding back," the rest of the people could only shake their heads helplessly.

Rhaegar had been like this for the past three days, obsessed with getting stronger and better with the ways of the sword.

"I'm just a step away from breaking through to the next level, my experience points have gone up considerably," Rhaegar added before sitting on the floor with a burdensome expression. Truth be told, he is more than exhausted.

The other five youth had learned to know that when Rhaegar looks like that, he just needs some rest, no matter how much he insists he is fine.

So they decided to leave him alone and sit somewhere else, watching him with worried expressions.

Rhaegar had been really tired recently, no matter how hard he tries to conceal it, it's really obvious to everyone that he has been pushing himself too much.

They really wish he could relax more often; with his strength, he has nothing to worry about but that necromancer player really is something.

It had shaken them to their core, just like Rhaegar, they all had been putting their all into it to grow too.

This is their little team they hope would shake the world as they grow, so they can't lag behind their leader or stay back and watch him lose.

All of them had made up their minds not to let that happen.

But despite their best effort, Rhaegar always seemed one step ahead of them, not just with levels, but in skills too.

No matter how much they tried to catch up, he seems to be pulling farther and farther away with each passing day.

It was frustrating and motivating to them at the same time.

They looked at him and saw what the future held, and they were determined to get there themselves.

That's why they always gave their all in battle and training.

It's just this time around, they had been milk dry for three consecutive days straight.

This short break is like a lifesaver; being a dragon didn't make them immune to fatigue.

In moments like this, one could almost imagine Rhaegar sleeping like a dead log.

But that was not the case, he opened his gaming system profile and watched it intently, thanks to smart Tech's.

Rhaegar had been obsessed with the ranking board from the moment he had gotten into the game.

He had always wanted to top the board, no matter the cost, so he worked hard, even though he was already considered a genius by many.

Now after hard work, his name had finally made it into the top hundred ranks.

Only for it to suddenly be challenged by an unknown newbie; this felt like a slap on his face.

Especially with the tags and comments he can't seem to stop going through every once in a while.

"Let it rest, man, you got this," Aemond consoled from the side. "He is a human, you are a dragon, aside he got unique class ability, you still got it."

Rhaegar wanted to believe this so badly, even mentally prepping himself, but the unease just wouldn't go away.

"I think it's not just that," Aegon said while chewing on some snacks beside him. "I think it's that new guy's ability, we don't know all what it does, but I bet there are pretty more impressive moves stored in the dark.

It's way different from every other necromancy ability we've seen and I can't help but wonder if he truly is just a necromancer or?" He left it off there for their imagination to fill out.

Rhaegar shrugged, knowing that his cousin is right; the class ability could be something that trumps him and his ultimate.

Still, he wouldn't back down.