Child of Destiny

The standoff between the Desert Bandits and the forces brought by Fleeting Dream and Black Soul continued for several more moments before Khavin finally took the initiative to speak.

”You should head back to where you came from and stop bothering us,” Khavin said as he glared at the opposing side. ”You’re interfering with our commission.”

He paused for a moment before sweeping his gaze across the enemy forces. ”For the sake of our previous partnerships, I’ll let you leave if you mind your own business.”

Hearing those words, Fleeting Dream felt as though the veins on his temples were about to burst from the anger boiling inside him.

He couldn’t help but want to crush this arrogant mercenary.

However, he managed to suppress his anger after remembering the monsters who were about to arrive.

”Tsk!”

All he could do was click his tongue, especially after receiving another order from his superiors to let Crimson Soul and Heartless Dream take over the situation.

Until those two arrived, he couldn’t afford to act recklessly.

After forcibly calming himself, Fleeting Dream raised his head and glared at Khavin. ”Let us leave? Hah! You’ve become even more arrogant after achieving a few little successes.”

”It seems you still haven’t realized your current position,” he added as he stepped forward and released an overwhelming aura, attempting to intimidate the opposing side.

”You’ve already slaughtered more than a few of our people...” he growled. ”And you think we’ll just let you walk away?”

”Do you really think we’ll let you do whatever you please? Or are you simply looking down on us?” he asked, his voice growing heavier with every word.

”Ayiah~! Don’t be so bitter...” Khavin replied in an exaggerated tone. ”It’s not like they’re going to respawn, anyway.”

He then smiled before continuing, ”You should understand our side as well. Little accidents like that are bound to happen whenever you stick your nose into something you aren’t supposed to get involved in.”

Khavin was brazenly shifting the blame back onto the opposing side, reminding them that the Ultra Guilds under Dream Entertainment had been the ones who initiated the conflict after the earlier skirmishes in this part of the Sandspine Waste.

Fleeting Dream couldn’t refute those words because they were true.

However, he wasn’t about to admit it, either. He simply remained silent while glaring at Khavin.

Seeing this, Khavin took the opportunity to continue. ”You should go back and stop interfering with our commission.”

”I’m sure you’ve already guessed that the people who hired us this time aren’t your average customers. We should end this here before things get out of hand.”

Khavin repeatedly tapped the back of his massive saber against his shoulder as he spoke. ”If you leave now, I’ll even give you a generous discount the next time you hire us for a commission.”

Hearing those words, Fleeting Dream couldn’t help but grit his teeth, especially after personally experiencing just how shameless the other party could be.

He was on the verge of exploding in anger when a hearty laugh suddenly rang throughout the canyon.

”Haha! You’ve become even more shameless since the last time I saw you, Khavin! Have you stopped taking my Mirage Soul Guild seriously?”

Hearing that voice, Khavin couldn’t help but click his tongue, realizing that the opposing side’s reinforcements had arrived first.

On the other hand, Fleeting Dream and Black Soul immediately felt relieved upon hearing the familiar voice.

Swoosh!

Soon after, the forces those two brought quickly separated, creating a path for the newcomer.

Tap! Tap!

Light yet resounding footsteps echoed through the canyon as a silhouette appeared at the other end.

The newcomer wore a set of loose robes paired with baggy pants, allowing for greater freedom of movement while also making them more comfortable in humid environments such as the desert.

A rather unusual piece of headgear was wrapped around his head several times, resembling a long strip of cloth wound tightly around it.

A pair of broad sabers hung from his back, crossed over one another.

The aura radiating from this person was more than enough to intimidate everyone nearby, as though an invisible pressure were forcing them to lower their heads before his presence.

”Big Brother,” Black Soul immediately greeted after the newcomer reached their side.

This was Crimson Soul, captain of the Mirage Soul Guild’s most elite unit and known throughout the virtual world as the God of Twin Blades.

Crimson Soul gently nodded at Black Soul and Fleeting Dream in acknowledgment before turning his attention back toward Khavin.

”Letting us leave? That’s quite an arrogant thing to say, don’t you think?” he asked with an amicable smile that somehow concealed an extreme sense of danger.

”I guess the lesson I taught you back then still wasn’t enough,” he added as he squinted his eyes.

Unlike the others, Khavin wore a solemn expression after seeing Crimson Soul appear.

He knew better than to take this man lightly. That friendly smile was merely a mask hiding the terrifying side he rarely showed to others.

”Crimson Soul...” Khavin muttered, no longer daring to throw out another careless provocation.

He knew that they would be in serious trouble if this monster suddenly decided to make a move.

Crimson Soul, meanwhile, swept his gaze across the battlefield, seemingly assessing the overall strength of the opposing side before speaking again. ”I doubt your confidence comes from this little bit of force you’ve brought.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. ”This makes me wonder... who exactly is your customer this time?”

His interest in the situation was genuine.

After all, he couldn’t think of any reason for Khavin to dare provoke them unless the person backing the Desert Bandits was someone extraordinary.

Before Khavin could even respond, another voice suddenly echoed throughout the canyon.

”Is it important!?”

The thunderous voice was so loud that the echoes alone gave nearly everyone an intense headache.

Swoosh!

Immediately afterward, a dark silhouette descended from the sky and landed directly between the two opposing forces.

BANG!

The impact produced a powerful explosion, sending a shockwave surging through the canyon and nearly forcing both sides to retreat.

Not long after, the thick cloud of dust generated by the impact finally began to disperse, revealing a muscular man standing in the middle of the crater.

He was completely topless, exposing a heavily muscled physique covered in intricate tattoos.

The tattoos pulsed with a faint, strange light, making his already intimidating appearance even more menacing.

A massive hammer rested casually across his shoulders, with both arms hanging lazily over the weapon.

The muscular man slowly swept his gaze across the members of the Desert Bandits. The sheer pressure contained within that gaze sent shivers down their spines.

Seeing their nervous expressions, he smirked.

”Why are we wasting time asking them useless questions?” he said before glancing toward Crimson Soul. ”We can just crush them here and now.”

”Then we can find out what they’re trying to protect afterward.” A savage grin spread across his face as he spoke.

Seeing this man, Khavin and Serv immediately wore even more solemn expressions.

”Heartless Dream...” Khavin muttered.

Unlike Crimson Soul, Heartless Dream was an absolute battle maniac who was notorious for picking fights wherever he went.

He was the captain of the Illusion Dream Guild’s most elite unit and was known throughout the virtual world by the title God of the Golden Hammer.

With both Crimson Soul and Heartless Dream now present, Khavin knew that his forces would most likely be wiped out the moment a battle began.

Those two alone were more than enough to accomplish the task.

The tension lingering in the air grew heavier with every passing second, making it increasingly difficult for the members of the Desert Bandits to breathe.

The combined pressure radiating from Crimson Soul and Heartless Dream was already too much for them to endure.

Even Khavin and Serv, who were the strongest among them, were struggling to remain standing.

Fortunately, the oppressive pressure crushing down on them suddenly dispersed.

An even more powerful presence had appeared, instantly dominating the entire canyon.

BOOM!

”Argh!”

”Urgh!”

”Ahh!”

The sudden eruption of pressure nearly forced everyone on the opposing side to collapse onto their knees.

Aside from Crimson Soul and Heartless Dream, everyone else struggled to breathe. Even Black Soul and Fleeting Dream found themselves struggling to remain standing beneath the overwhelming presence.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

In response, Crimson Soul and Heartless Dream immediately worked together, releasing their own auras and forming a defensive barrier around their forces.

BANG!

The clash between the two invisible forces erupted like an explosion, sending violent shockwaves throughout the canyon.

”WHO’S THERE!?” Heartless Dream roared furiously.

BOOM!

His thunderous voice reverberated through the canyon, causing the surrounding terrain to tremble.

At that exact moment, a relaxed voice suddenly echoed through the canyon.

”Ah~! Looks like this place is quite lively... Would you mind if we joined the fun?”

Swoosh!

Everyone immediately turned toward the source of the voice.

Standing atop the canyon walls was a group of figures casually watching the battlefield below.

The moment they saw them, the members of the Desert Bandits immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Their reinforcements had finally arrived.

The members of the two Ultra Guilds under Dream Entertainment, however, became tense almost immediately, especially after recognizing one of the five figures.

”Dark Knight Owen?” Heartless Dream muttered as he stared intently at the knight casually sitting atop the canyon wall.

Yet even he could tell that the person carrying the greatest sense of danger wasn’t Owen.

It was the cloaked figure standing behind him.

Crimson Soul’s expression gradually became solemn. He didn’t need to guess since there was only one person he could think of at this moment.

”Battle God Sickarius...”

......