Aren turned around, looking in the distance, where the awakened would be coming from.

The first group arrived, a party of five together, all of them standing tall with swords in their hands. The leader of this party was a tall dude with flowing black hair. He had on a full black armor set and a crimson blade. His eyes were as dark as the abyss.

He looked right at Aren. Their system pinpointed him, so they knew one of them here was the one with the map.

"Which of you has the map?" the leader barked. "Hand it over, and this won't get messy," he said threateningly as he clenched his crimson sword tighter.

But Aren's expression remained blank, just like the rest of the group behind him.

Aren took one step forward. Then another. Then he started walking toward them.

"Hey, stand back!" the leader roared.

Aren didn't pause.

The leader's face twisted with anger. "You want to be stubborn, huh? Then blame yourself for what happens next." He gave a sharp nod.

Immediately, his men rushed forward, all four of them moving fast. They were clearly warriors, each wielding a sword and moving at impressive speed as they charged straight at Aren.

All four leaped into the air, slashing down at full force.

But just as their blades were about to strike, Aren vanished.

He reappeared behind them.

Tendrils of shadow shot out of the ground, whipping upward and slamming into their chests. The impact sent all four crashing violently into the ground and nearby walls. Their armor kept them alive, but the damage was severe.

The scene shocked everyone, especially the leader, whose eyes widened in disbelief.

He gritted his teeth. "So you have some skill. Fine. Don't blame me for going all out." His voice hardened. "New formation. Encircle him!"

His men forced themselves back onto their feet and attacked again. This time, Aren didn't even move.

He simply summoned his shadows.

More than ten formed around him as he looked calmly at the leader in the distance. "I don't have time for this," he muttered.

The shadow ants lunged forward.

The warriors tried to fight back, slashing desperately, but the ants had gone through several evolutions. They were faster, stronger, and far more vicious. They swarmed the men, maneuvering around their attacks, their fangs sinking deep into flesh.

It quickly became a gruesome fight.

Guttural screams echoed through the maze as blood splattered the ground. The men managed to kill a few ants, but they were overwhelmingly outmatched.

The leader watched in horror.

Rage exploded within him. Crimson flames erupted around his sword as he roared, "I'll make you pay for that!"

He lunged forward, faster than the rest combined. His speed was explosive, clearly a high-tier warrior.

Aren stood calmly, not summoning anything.

The leader brought his sword down in a devastating overhead strike, the blade descending like lightning from the heavens.

Aren raised his arm, blocking with Wolf Guard.

Steel met steel

The collision sent out a massive shockwave that shook the air. The leader stared at Aren, eyes burning with fury, while Aren's gaze remained empty.

The leader pulled back and attacked again.

Aren sidestepped, went low, and swept at his legs.

The leader barely retracted in time, but Aren was already back up, driving an uppercut straight toward his chin. The leader blocked with his sword.

Another violent collision.

The shockwave sent the leader skidding back several meters. He struggled to keep his footing, staring at Aren in disbelief.

How could a summoner possess such terrifying physical strength?

It was impossible.

That realization only enraged him further.

He charged again, faster this time, his slash cleaner and more precise. Aren dodged, moved behind him, and kicked toward his back.

The leader spun at the last second, blocking the kick with his free hand, then swung his sword downward. Aren parried and immediately unleashed a close-range claw strike.

The leader jerked his head aside, but the attack still caught his cheek, slicing it open. Blood sprayed into the air.

Before the blood even hit the ground, Aren was already moving.

He appeared at the leader's other side and drove a kick straight into his abdomen.

Crack.

Ribs shattered.

The leader was sent flying, his body bouncing hard across the ground before finally coming to a stop.

Aren watched him calmly.

"I'll say this once," Aren said coldly. "Take your men and leave. No one has to die."

The ants had pinned the remaining warriors down. They were bloodied, bitten, broken, but alive.

"Make another move," Aren continued, "and everyone dies."

The leader used his sword as support, forcing himself to stand. Blood dripped from his mouth as he glared at Aren.

"Fuck you," he spat. "I'd rather eat shit than give up."

Aren clicked his tongue. "You made this choice."

The ants lunged.

Screams tore through the air as limbs were ripped apart and bodies torn open. Blood soaked the ground as the warriors were slaughtered where they lay.

[You have gained 200 soul fragments]

[You have gained 200 soul fragments]

[You have gained 200 soul fragments]

[You have gained 200 soul fragments]

Silence followed.

The leader's eyes widened, his body trembling as he realized Aren had ordered their deaths without hesitation.

"Arghhhhhhhhhhh!" The leader let out a roar. He rushed forward in anger, the red flames from his sword burned brighter as he charged, anger fueling his heart, but Aren had no expression whatsoever.

Just when the leader was about to reach Aren, a sharp whirling sound could be heard, and then from nowhere, a massive hammer slammed right through the head of the leader, turning it into nothing but a massive bloody mess, some of the blood spraying onto Aren's clothes.

The hammer hovered in the air for a few seconds before flying back in the direction it came from and into the hands of a tall, muscular dude. He was totally jacked up, with hair that was crimson, long, and beautiful.

He had no shirt on, showing off his tattooed chest that looked like ancient rune symbols.

Beside him was a lady that had on a beautiful purple gown to match her dark purple hair and eyes. She had done a lot of accessories around her body, looking regal, which contrasted with where they were.

Aren, who was still stunned by how the leader of the first group had died, looked up at this duo, and immediately his mind screamed danger.

Aiden, Kira, and Zero, who were behind, also felt the aura of these two and immediately knew they were no joke.

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