In the middle of the forest, with its fresh air and sparkling lakes, a person was running — the Third Elder...
"Damn it, he's of a higher rank than me — I can't kill him!" A person of peak fourth rank was chasing after him.
"Come here, you fool!" spoke the Fourth Deputy of the Demon Alliance leader.
...
Farkan leaped toward the Fourth Deputy.
"Come at me," he said with a bright and cunning smile.
(Two deputies of the same rank were confronting the Third Elder and Farkan.)
Their palms clashed, and the spiritual energy surged to its highest level, blasting them apart like an exploding bomb.
"How can he keep up with me?" said the Fourth Deputy in shock.
"Are all the reports about him false?"
... Flashback to an earlier encounter:
The Fourth Deputy had disguised himself as someone from the kingdom, and no one knew his true identity except the Director of Internal and External Affairs of the kingdom, who had sold him all the elders' information in exchange for gold.
"Is this all the information? My master needs it complete."
"Yes, yes, I understand. Everything is included," said the director, a fat man with large mustaches who, to an uninformed eye, might look like a dirty, homeless person from the lower class.
This was the kingdom's system — a strict class hierarchy.
"Is the total only 15? We agreed on 20."
"I could kill you right now if I wished."
The killing intent intensified, terrifying the director.
"Forgive me — 15 should be enough. Thank you, and thank your master."
The Fourth Deputy leaped into the night and vanished.
...
"Hey, you — you're not really an early-stage fourth rank, are you?"
Farkan looked at him with surprise at his deduction.
"Oh, impressive. Your deduction is correct, boy."
Moments later, Farkan unleashed the terrifying aura of a peak fourth-rank expert.
The Fourth Deputy was stunned.
"How is this possible?!" he said, eyes wide open.
"Let's end this, boy."
They both took their battle stances.
"Wait — before you die, what's your name?"
"I won't die — I have the upper hand in experience. My name is Siel Fo."
Farkan dashed toward him and landed a punch on his chest, sending him flying and coughing up a mouthful of blood.
"What is this? Is this the power of his fist?!"
"The Great Sword!" Siel Fo summoned a massive sword and charged at Farkan.
Farkan dodged the strike with a flick of his hand and kicked Siel Fo's leg, making him fall to one knee.
Seizing the moment, Siel Fo attempted to stab Farkan.
"Bad luck, boy."
"Black Tree!"
A fourth-rank defensive ability blocked the sword's strike without even cracking.
Farkan delivered a powerful kick to Siel Fo's face, throwing him off balance.
"Dimensional Slash!"
The space around Siel Fo began to split and tear, slashing his body all over.
"Tssh — stop," Farkan commanded.
"Hmm... Should I use that ability?" Farkan thought to himself.
"I found this ability within the original owner of this body — perhaps he used it to make the weak worship him."
(Referring to the original owner of the body Farkan now inhabits.)
"The instructions say to place two fingers on the person's neck and speak the ability's name."
Farkan lifted Siel Fo's body by the hair and exposed his neck, placing two fingers on it.
"Complete Servitude."
Yellow energy burst from Siel Fo's eyes and mouth before fading. Moments later, Siel Fo stood up, patted his body, and bowed.
"From now on, the servant obeys the master's commands."
"Hmm... This ability will be useful — but it only works on fourth-rank individuals."
"Now go to your friend, hide your presence and aura, and observe the Third Elder without intervening. If he sees you, flee. Return here at night and report everything you witnessed."
"Yes, master."
Siel Fo turned in the direction where the Third Elder and the other Fourth Deputy had gone.
"I've already checked for animal sellers here — luckily, I found one."
Farkan leaped through the trees toward the city.
...
The Third Elder was kneeling, covered in blood, his head hanging low.
"I told you — you're weak. Even the abilities you displayed were feeble," said the Fourth Deputy.
"Our leader only asked us to assess your abilities, not to kill you... I'll see you in the upcoming war."
He turned and started walking away.
"Wait..." the Third Elder spoke as he stood up.
"You're just being too hard on yourself," the Fourth Deputy replied with pity.
"Dark Thunder!"
The sky darkened with black clouds and fierce winds.
"What is this ability?!" the Fourth Deputy exclaimed in shock.
A massive black vortex formed, unleashing dark lightning bolts.
Watching from a distance, Siel Fo said, "This is bad — the area's going to be destroyed. I need to move farther back to keep observing."
Meanwhile, Farkan glanced at the sky as he walked, holding a small panther cub...
...
End.