"Ben, are you sure we shouldn't initiate fire?" a guard standing on the wide city walls couldn't help but voice his doubts, his wary gaze trained on the rapidly incoming vehicle.
"Those are the Master's orders." Ben's shadowy visage bristled in the wind as he gazed at the incoming vehicle with disdain. He couldn't understand why his Lord decided to give this man the privilege of an equal.
In his heart, his Lord was the strongest… well, aside from that madman called Lux, she was the strongest. And this here — this wannabe Level 3 Lord — just up and waltzed into their territory.
He frowned. He knew his Lord gave instructions to respect the man, but that didn't mean he couldn't knock him down a peg or two.
Suddenly his figure dispersed, only to appear before the open gates, right in the path of the looming vehicle. His aim was simple: make the Lord stop, come down from the vehicle, and walk his way to his Master's spire.
Though he anticipated that the Lord wouldn't stop… no, he hoped the Lord wouldn't stop. This would give him a chance to act forcefully. A shadow-concealed grin appeared on his face as he imagined what expression the Lord would wear when he ripped his buggy into two pieces with his bare hands.
As the speeding Lord loomed closer, his features became clearer. His expression remained cold even as Ben stood in his path. Instead, his hands seemed to be reaching for something…
Suddenly Ben's skill, Danger Sense (B), kicked in. The air became unbearably stifled for no reason. His heart palpitated violently, all the hair on his skin standing on end. His vision went hazy and his nose twitched — he could smell it!
An unbearable stench of danger wafted so thickly that his brain rapidly simulated countless scenarios of his death, practically making him believe he was already dead. It wasn't until the revving of the buggy grew louder that he snapped out of it, his figure vanishing in a blink of retreat, allowing the buggy to pass unimpeded.
By the time Ben appeared back on the top of the walls, he was on his knees, frantically wheezing for breath, his pupils constricting sporadically. Sweat soaked his back. He gulped hard. "Was that death?"
Yes. It was as though he had come face to face with certain death — one he almost surrendered himself to. "How the hell can a Level 3 provoke such reactions? Indeed, it is as Master said. Lords, regardless of how weak they appear, are to be feared."
Gazing at the swerving silhouette of the buggy, he sighed as he vanished, leaving the confused and still dissatisfied guards. Now he had no choice but to treat the Lord with respect — one provoked out of fear.
On seeing that no one else had any plans to obstruct him, Roy released his grip on his Glock as he piloted the steering, swerving through the developing city, making sure not to damage anything or anyone.
Only when he saw the obsidian spire in sight did he ease his footing on the accelerator. As rude as he wanted to be, he didn't dare try anything funny near the core of the Lord's territory. His own outpost was indestructible.
But he couldn't help but sigh as his eyes trailed across the towering obsidian spire. Compared to his humble outpost, the disparity was crushing.
The buggy finally slowed to a halt right before the crimson gates of the structure. He got off from the vehicle and immediately sent it back into his inventory, one hand resting on his Glock, the other on the unassuming silver baton strapped to his waist, as he strode forward.
Ben's shadowy figure stood before the gates with a line of entourage, here to welcome the Lord. This guy is still dressed in the same cosplay? he thought, glancing at Roy with uncertainty. This was Arcana — what was the use of dressing as a cop?
Order was long gone. Justice was now a question of who had the bigger fist. Wait… where did he get all those gadgets from? Are my eyes tricking me, or is that… is that a gun? The more he scrutinized, the wider his eyes grew.
Humans were uplifted into Arcana. Gadgets, tech, and all were left behind. Even trying to recreate them here would take time. And even if by some luck you did make one, it would be useless, as the laws of this plane and that of Earth were two vastly different ruling systems. Gravity, metal density, even gunpowder — all different here.
His eyes quivered. There could only be two answers to this: either that gun was a dud… or this guy's system and order were terrifying.
He coughed nervously as he and the entourage made a slight bow towards him. "Welcome, Esteemed Lord."
Roy finally stopped before them, his electric gaze sending shivers down their spines. Honestly, they found it weird. Why were they all scared of a Level 3? Among them here, the lowest level was 8.
"Esteemed Lord, please follow us in," Ben offered as he and the others began moving, threading carefully into the crimson spire.
They moved through a series of hallways and up a long winding trail of stairs. Roy's lips twitched. Indeed, his outpost might be small, but at least getting through it wasn't this stressful.
Finally, they arrived before a pair of massive doors. Ben stepped forward, his muscles bulging as he opened the doors but didn't step in, only motioning for Roy. "Our Master awaits your presence, Esteemed Lord."
Roy nodded and made his way in. The door closed heavily upon his entry. Only then did the others breathe out a sigh of relief. They didn't know why, but throughout the escort the air remained heavy, and anytime the Lord gazed at their backs, they couldn't help but shiver.
"Are you sure he wasn't masking his level? That guy's gaze seemed more terrifying than that tyrant Lux…" one of them wondered as he wiped his sweat-soaked neck.
"Who are we to pry into Lords' matters? I'm off to my post. I hope I never meet that guy again." One sighed as he quickly scampered off.
The others glanced at each other before following suit, leaving only the shadow-cloaked figure of Ben behind. His eyes were vacant and his mental wave fluctuating — he was delivering a psychic message to his Master.
"Master, be careful. That guy is terrifying. I believe he has a first-class order like you. One gaze from him almost made me accept my death. You must by no means treat him like a weakling!"
Within the chambers Roy had just stepped into, a stunning beauty sat at the head of a meeting table, her emerald gaze glistening as she received the transmission. A playful smile tugged at her lips and her pearly white teeth peeked through. If it's as you say, Ben, then this guy just got a lot more interesting…