Kael gagged, his face turning a sickly shade of purple as his feet dangled in the air. He grabbed Aryan's wrist with both hands, trying to pry the terrifying grip open. He channeled his A-Rank mana, his muscles bulging, but Aryan's arm didn't budge a single millimeter. It was like trying to move a mountain.
"Let... him... go!" yelled one of Kael's teammates, a B-Rank Mage. He panicked and fired a high-speed 'Fireball' straight at Aryan's back.
The entire tavern gasped. Firing destructive magic inside the guild hall was strictly forbidden, but the mage was too terrified to care.
BOOM!
The fireball exploded violently against Aryan's back, sending a shockwave that shattered the nearby wooden tables. Smoke filled the area.
"You idiot! You could have killed us!" Kael's other teammate screamed at the mage.
But as the smoke cleared, the entire room froze in absolute horror.
Aryan was still standing exactly where he was. His torn shirt was slightly singed, but his skin didn't even have a red mark. He hadn't even flinched.
[Ding! Host has taken minimal damage.]
[Passive Skill: Absolute Invincibility nullified 99% of the attack.]
[+10 EXP gained.]
Aryan didn't even turn around to look at the mage. He just sighed, looking bored. "Was that supposed to be a warm-up?"
He casually tossed Kael aside like a piece of trash. The A-Rank Swordsman crashed into a wall, coughing up blood and gasping for air.
"You... you monster!" Kael screamed, humiliation and fear driving him completely insane. He drew his prized weapon, a rare B-Rank 'Wind Slasher' sword, and lunged at Aryan with everything he had. "Die, you useless trash!"
The blade aimed straight for Aryan's neck. It was a killing blow.
CLANG!
A sharp, metallic sound echoed through the hall. Kael's eyes widened to the point of tearing.
Aryan hadn't dodged. He hadn't even drawn his dagger. He had simply raised his bare left hand and caught the razor-sharp blade between his index and middle finger. The B-Rank sword, infused with raging wind mana, couldn't even cut Aryan's skin.
"Trash?" Aryan tilted his head, his eyes glowing with that terrifying purple light.
With a simple flick of his wrist, Aryan applied pressure.
CRACK!
The B-Rank sword shattered into dozens of metal shards.
Before Kael could process the loss of his most expensive weapon, Aryan's right fist buried itself deep into Kael's stomach.
The sound of ribs cracking was sickeningly loud. Kael's eyes rolled back into his head, and he collapsed to the floor in a heap of broken armor and vomit, completely knocked out.
Aryan stepped over the unconscious A-Rank hunter and looked at the rest of the Silver Fang squad. They were shaking uncontrollably, dropping their weapons to the floor.
"You left me to die," Aryan said, his voice deadly calm. "My life is quite expensive. And since you clearly don't have the strength to pay me back in blood..."
He extended his hand.
"...empty your pockets. Every single coin, every potion, every monster core. Now."
The mighty Silver Fang squad, known for their arrogance, scrambled on the floor like frightened rats, tossing their entire life savings at Aryan's feet.