Orion flew through the air toward the group when he suddenly stopped as a notification appeared in front of his eyes, followed by a list of names.
[The rankings have been announced. They are based on the number of kills and don't necessarily contribute to anything. It's just to show the audience who the strongest individual in Dreamshore is.]
He had known a ranking would be announced soon, so the notification didn't surprise him. However, the ranking list itself almost shocked him to the core.
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1. Zeref - 323
2. Alex Cooper - 30
3. Mark Prince - 27
4. Gemivi Loren - 25
...
6. Ray Wiser - 17
....
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Orion's eyes widened as they scanned the list, landing on the number one name—Zeref. The sheer disparity between Zeref's kill count and the others was staggering. Nearly three hundred kills in such a short span of time—it was absurd. No one else even came close.
A sense of disbelief washed over Orion. He knew his own capabilities well enough to understand that, with his cheat-like abilities and powerful area-of-effect attacks, he could potentially rack up a similar body count.
His curses granted him overwhelming destructive force, making mass slaughter almost effortless if he chose to go that route. But what about Zeref? What kind of abilities did this man possess to outpace everyone so decisively?
"Who is he? His strength might be on par with mine!"
Swish! Clang!
At that moment, another knife came flying toward his neck from behind, but Orion blocked it with his sword just in time.
"You're quite good at blocking my knives so swiftly and effectively," a voice echoed from behind.
Orion sensed a presence and turned to see a triangular-faced young man with long black hair covering one of his eyes. The man looked at Orion as if observing an interesting test subject.
"So, it was you attacking everyone sneakily," Orion said with a smile.
The attacker smiled and bowed slightly before introducing himself. "I am Michael. And you?"
Orion, intrigued by the introduction, responded, "I am Ray Wiser. But why reveal yourself? If you had stayed hidden, I'd have needed time to find you. You could've attacked me multiple times."
Michael smiled craftily. "My way of hunting is honorable. I can kill as many as I want from a distance, hidden away safely. But when I meet a worthy opponent, I reveal myself and introduce myself before finishing them. That is my way of hunting."
Orion raised his brows, clearly not expecting such an answer.
"So, you're confident you can kill me, even after seeing me remain unharmed by your earlier attacks?" Orion asked with a smile, surprised by the man's confidence.
"That's why I'm here," Michael replied with a sly grin. "The closer I am to my knives, the more powerful they become and the more control I have over them."
He continued, "You're worthy enough for me to come here myself. It's an honor for both of us."
Orion nodded in understanding. "Then come on and attack me. Let's see if you're worthy enough for me or not."
"I've already attacked," Michael said with a smirk.
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Also, I was hoping you could leave some comments or reviews to let me know your thoughts!
Some gifts would be appreciated as well, but up to you....