The moment Steven said those words, the four Emperor's Blades were instantly left speechless.
What do you mean, "just killed it"?!
That wasn't what they were asking!
The way he said it, it was as if he were some butcher at a market casually talking about gutting a fish.
If they weren't the ones who understood better than anyone how terrifying Collapsals truly were, they might've thought he was describing something easy.
Then, the black-clad Emperor's Blade who had gone ahead to scout returned, his heavy footsteps hurried but precise.
He brought back a report that left the others utterly shocked.
The Collapsal's true body had been hammered into pulp, ground into the very earth itself. Even its core had been completely shattered.
And this information… perfectly aligned with Steven's claims.
So, just what kind of monster was this guy?!
A single person, taking down a Collapsal alone and without a scratch—was that something any human on this land was truly capable of?
For a moment, silence fell over the entire group. The sheer impact of this revelation was almost too much to process.
After all, when they had previously faced the Collapsals, they had sacrificed dozens of their comrades just to push them back into the far northern tundra.
Even the power they wielded now came from those very Collapsals.
No one understood better than them just how horrifying these creatures were.
Yet now, standing before them was someone even more ridiculous than the Collapsals themselves.
Not only had he appeared out of nowhere, but he was also…
Surprisingly easy to talk to?
Steven's demeanor had nothing in common with that of a hidden master or some reclusive warrior.
If anything, he just seemed like an ordinary traveler passing by.
Even when facing their strange and intimidating presence, he showed no hostility—just casually chatted with them as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
He even greeted them first!
Wasn't this way too absurd?!
At the very least, they certainly couldn't do the same.
When dealing with the average Ursus citizen—people far weaker than themselves—they never interacted with them so casually.
One of the black-clad figures finally stepped forward.
"Sir, may I ask—what was your reason for fighting this creature? And what method did you use to kill it? If it's not too much trouble, would you mind sharing?"
Now that they were almost certain Steven had done exactly what he claimed, their attitude became noticeably friendlier.
After all, this meant there was a high probability that he was someone they couldn't take down even if they tried.
If Steven had been some other kind of Collapsal, they would have had no choice but to fight him on the spot.
But he was clearly human—and a reasonable one at that.
That meant there was plenty of room for negotiation.
For now, they kept their tone probing yet polite, curious to see what kind of answer he would give.
Steven blinked, looking genuinely confused.
"Huh? Is how I did it really that important?"
"And what does any of this have to do with you guys? Seriously, who are you people, anyway? You keep throwing questions at me, but isn't it kinda rude to not introduce yourselves first?"
His face showed an expression of mild exasperation, like he wasn't even sure how to explain things.
But after a brief pause, he seemed to realize something and turned the questioning back on them instead.
Sure, he had stolen their kill. But that didn't mean they could just interrogate him nonstop without even telling him who they were, right?
Steven wasn't particularly worried about them being hostile toward him—at least for now, they clearly had no intention of picking a fight.
Which made him all the more curious.
Just who were these people? And why were they hunting that so-called Collapsal in the first place?
Although Steven could guess that these guys were most likely some kind of Ursus government personnel, he still had quite a few questions about them.
For example—why did they have an aura identical to that of the Collapsal?
That part really puzzled him.
Don't tell me these guys are some kind of masked riders or something?
The similarity in energy signatures made it impossible for Steven not to think of the classic "power derived from the same source" trope.
One of the black-clad figures—their leader—spoke up in response to his question.
"Us?"
"We are the Emperor's Blades, directly under the command of the Ursus Emperor. Our duty is to eliminate these creatures. Here is our official identification."
He produced an official-looking document as proof. His demeanor remained exceptionally polite, like a neighborhood police officer kindly offering to help an elderly woman cross the street.
If Talulah had been here to witness this, her jaw would have hit the floor.
Who would've thought that the infamous Emperor's Blades—the very same ones feared by the Ursus Infected, often called the Facerending Liches—could actually be this approachable?!
Steven, of course, had no way of knowing if their identification was real or not. But given how chill they were being, he was inclined to believe them. After all, this explanation lined up with what he had suspected.
Although… Are all of Ursus Emperor's Blades really dressed this oddly?
Steven had to admit, he actually liked their aesthetic—it had a unique, intimidating sort of coolness to it. But objectively speaking, it was definitely strange.
Especially the fact that they needed breathing apparatuses just to function.
Combined with the Collapsal aura clinging to them, Steven wasn't exactly convinced that they were in great condition right now.
Probably underwent some sort of human experimentation?
He didn't have any strong opinions about it.
At the very least, these guys seemed to have undergone the modifications voluntarily, and they were clearly benefiting from the power boost.
Steven thought for a moment before nodding.
"Alright, fair enough. Since this kind of stuff is your jurisdiction, I don't mind explaining things properly. No point in having you guys come after me later over a misunderstanding."
He paused for a bit, thinking things through.
If possible, he really didn't want to start anything with the Ursus government right now.
Even more so, he didn't feel like dealing with these Emperor's Blades for longer than necessary.
So… might as well just clear things up and move on.
Reaching into his inventory, Steven pulled out his Netherite Sword.
Instantly, the Emperor's Blades tensed—their entire group shifting into high alert at the sight of the weapon.
But Steven just casually wiped its blade in front of them… then turned around and swung with all his might in the direction behind him.
This time, Steven didn't hold back at all.
Just the sheer shockwave from his sword sweep was enough to completely annihilate what little remained of the ruined village.
Even the last few scraps of flesh from that monstrosity were reduced to nothing but ash under this single strike.
The sword aura cut across the entire village, extending for hundreds of meters, erasing everything visible in its path before finally dissipating.
It was just one swing—yet it was like a giant eraser had wiped out everything within that range.
Even though the Emperor's Blades hadn't been standing in the direct path of the attack, they could still feel the sheer oppressive force behind it.
And deep down, every single one of them found themselves wondering—
If I had taken that hit head-on… would I have survived?
None of them had an answer.
But looking at Steven's completely relaxed expression after delivering that attack…
Even if they could take that blow and somehow survive—
They sure as hell weren't going to be a threat to him afterward.
Steven turned back to them with a smile—but with that massive sword still in his hands, that smile looked anything but friendly.
"Well, there you go. That's about how I took care of the thing. That proof—should be plenty sufficient, yeah?"
He shrugged, completely unconcerned.
"So anyway, that's the situation. Whether you guys buy it or not doesn't really matter to me. I've already said everything I care to say."
He stretched a little, then gave them a pointed look.
"So… am I free to go home now, officers?"
Steven waited for the Emperor's Blades' response.
He had already made things abundantly clear—if they still decided to push their luck…
Well, they'd have no one to blame but themselves.
At this point, he might as well have carved "DO NOT MESS WITH ME" onto his forehead.
Any sane person with half a brain would know better than to keep pestering him now.
—Of course, Steven also knew that the world was never short of idiots who simply refused to read the room.
<+>
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