Level 1 Fallen

Because it was still two and a half days before we would even be able to challenge the Ember Flight dungeon, Diane and I both found places for us to train in seclusion. Our timeslot was in the middle of the night, so Diane would need to adjust her sleep schedule a bit in her world to avoid going through the dungeon in sleep mode.

As for the orc player that we encountered before? I didn't pay any mind to him or his lot. If we really wanted to sneak around someone, I doubted that they would be able to find us. And if they did go out of their way to make trouble, I was confident that I could take them after my brief conflict with the orc earlier.

Diane, on the other hand… assuming that these players were already planning to challenge the dungeon, that meant that they were prepared to take on a level one hundred miniboss. Diane, meanwhile, was only level eighty, with equipment suitable for a level fifty. Her new equipment would probably not be ready for a few more days, so I wasn't sure how much she would be able to achieve if it came to blows with them.

I should be able to quickly level her up in the dungeon, at least. I thought to myself, clenching my fists. Normally, I'd want to keep my abilities a secret from other players. That's why I didn't plan to join any other parties for the dungeon. However, there was also an even bigger reason. If I joined their parties, they would demand a share of the loot from the dragon corpses, even if I was the only one able to challenge the fourth and fifth regions.

I took a deep breath, focusing on a skill combination that I had thought of before. My brows furrowed, creating a barrier stretching three meters beyond my body. Then, I channeled my Ghost-X into this barrier, surprised by how easy it was to combine the two. I had been prepared for hours of arduous training, such as when I tried to create crystal weapons. However, maybe because these were both skills I had a high degree of mastery over, or perhaps just natural compatibility.

Either way, I felt that the space had been properly shrouded by my Ghost-X skill, creating a stealth domain. I focused, maintaining this field while practicing my two projection skills. To me, this was just another way to train my mind, keeping multiple skills active at once.

Because I needed space for this training, I was off to the side of the city, sitting on one of the many floating rocks surrounding it. This rock was only a short jump away from the main platform, so it would be easy for Diane or anyone else to come and find me if they needed to.

Unfortunately, by that same logic, it meant that others were able to find me as well. As I was training, I heard voices approaching the ledge. "You sure this is the spot?" The gruff, orc voice spoke up. When I opened my eyes, I saw five players standing across from me, standing on the edge of the city's ledge.

Next to the orc was a foxfolk woman, a bow strapped to her back. "That's what the guards said. That Drake guy was seen heading in this direction, and nobody's seen him since. You don't suppose he jumped, do you?" She asked in an amused tone, leaning forward to look over the edge.

"I wish." The orc grunted, shaking his head. "That'd be a hell of a strat, though. Disable his character's respawns, then jump and log out on the way down to avoid getting caught before the raid."

An elven male with a pair of short swords let out a low whistle. "What're we going to do if that's the case, then?"

"We'll just go with Plan B." The orc said with a noncommittal shrug. "I ain't waiting a whole week just for another shot at that dungeon. Been in this desert long enough as it is, and only two of us have gotten the skill."

Hearing that, I gave a knowing grin. With how popular Mana Breathing was, there was no way that there wasn't a Fallen somewhere in the city that could teach it to them with a quest. This group just didn't have the patience to look for them.

"By the way, you said this guy's name was Drake?" A human woman asked, crossing her arms under her chest. She wore a white robe, looking like a typical healer. "Think he's involved with that bounty business from last month?"

"No way!" The foxfolk woman laughed. "That'd make him a Failure, just a little level one. You saying Grog got his head cut off by a Failure?" And with that, I was liking them less and less.

The orc, named Grog apparently, huffed. "It's not impossible. Apparently, there was one in the lot that was said to be super strong. That Munchkin King or something? Haven't heard about him since the hunt was called off. Figured he got offed and lost whatever Trait gave him the edge."

"Oh, right!" The foxfolk widened her eyes. "I remember him now. Yeah, this is definitely that guy! Didn't he also travel with a halfling named Diane, too?"

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Grog growled, clenching his fists. "Since we can't find the bastard here, let's get the girl. Let's see if he'll just sit by if she's in trouble."

And that was the final straw. I narrowed my eyes, stretching my hand out. Five hands materialized around the players, lifting them into the air as they shouted out, squirming. "What the-!?" Grog shouted, his eyes wide.

Dropping the stealth field around my training spot, I looked at the five surprised figures. "How idiotic must you be to openly plan crimes without even using private chat?" I asked aloud, forming platforms to walk over towards the others. I could feel them all struggling against my grip, but none of them could overcome my Martial Intent-X. "If you wanted to attack me, I'd take you on any time. But saying you want to go after my friend? I've got a special punishment in mind for the five of you."

"Hey, now, little brother, there's no reason to escalate things." The foxfolk woman said, but I could feel the elf reaching for one of his short swords. The hand gripping him clenched tighter, until I heard a dense crack, and he screamed out.

I ignored the five sets of cries, deploying my newly developed stealth zone around us as I pulled out my bike. "Let's go for a little ride." I told them, revving the engine. They seemed surprised by my bike, but I wasn't going to give them much time to process.

I revved the engine, driving off the ledge and pulling the five players behind me through the air. Although I gave myself a protective barrier against the wind, they were offered no such luxury, especially once I began channeling Duke of All Trades-X into the bike. Their screams echoed out as the bike's speed skyrocketed.

Let's get this taken care of quickly. I thought to myself, driving straight north. Ten minutes to get to Daggerloft, and then another five to Falconlot. By the time we reached Daggerloft, four of the five had fainted, their faces pale. Only Grog seemed barely conscious.

I stopped by both cities long enough to ensure that their respawn points would be registered, before driving straight east. My eyes were scanning the horizon, looking for something. When I saw a giant mound of sand in the distance, unusually larger than those around it, I smiled darkly.

Revving the bike again, I drove out towards the mound, stopping close enough to throw the players down onto the ground. "Have fun finding your way back. And good luck on whatever you end up dropping this time." I told them, seeing how they were starting to recover.

"What are you talking about, you bastard…" Grog asked, but I simply created a pillar of energy above the sand dune.

"I'm just saying that it's time for a shift in the weather." I said, bringing the pillar down. I wasn't targeting any of the five, but rather the dune itself. Or, more accurately, what was under it.

As soon as the pillar crashed down, the ground shook, and sand began to rise. I didn't want to stick around and have a touching reunion with the Desert Emperor, so I immediately began flying south at full speed. From here, Manamill should still more or less be to the south, so I should be able to see it if I just keep going in a straight line.

As for those players? There was no way that they were going to survive against a monster I couldn't even appraise. They'd be lucky if they managed to just hide, but then they'd be wandering the desert to try to find their way back.

Most likely, they would be killed, and sent back to Falconlot. Did I think that would be the end of it? Of course not. They obviously had enough money to afford a direct teleportation back to Manamill. What I was doing now was sending a message. They knew who I was, either way.

It didn't take me long to drive back to Manamill, finding the familiar spot where I had been training. However, there now stood an amused halfling, her arms crossed. "So, where'd you send them?" She asked, surprising me.

"How'd you know?"

Diane simply shook her head. "Those guys talk about their plans like they're the only ones in the world. I was training my stealth walking through town, and heard them asking about you, so I followed from a distance. And boy, did you get pissed…'

I couldn't help but grunt, nodding my head. "I drove by a couple cities to reset their spawn points, and then dropped them off with the Desert Emperor. They'll probably be back by tomorrow, but that should be enough to keep them from approaching us again."

Diane's eyes widened a fraction. "You went to pick a fight with a world boss?"

"No, I just woke it up and threw it a snack." I clarified, but she chuckled. "If they cause any trouble for you after this, let me know." Diane nodded her head, but we both knew that this wasn't the last we'd see of them. Even if they were too scared to directly approach me, which I wasn't sure they had enough brains to feel fear, they would cause trouble in other ways.

At the very least, we had the rest of the day, and the next as well to continue our training before having to worry about them. Personally, I was determined to get as much out of the time as I could.

As I thought about that, I noticed a skill notification that had passed by while I was somewhat distracted playing delivery driver for the world boss. My use of Ghost-X as an area skill had earned me the new skill Ghost Zone. Although this skill would likely not be as effective as Ghost-X itself, it was easier to focus on one skill than trying to merge two together.

Satisfied, I deployed my new Ghost Zone and resumed my elemental training, watching as Diane slipped back into the city to do her own work.