The Dreamer's POV

Chapter 93: The True Leader

[00 Months: 06 Days: 08 Hours]

I stared down at Fenrir, whose bulging eyes and gasping mouth bore a clear testament to his fear and surprise.

A flicker of disappointment trailed through my heart.

I had expected more from him. With all his talk of power and revenge, with his dramatic display of strength, I had hoped for a challenge, a worthy opponent.

I had hoped for a chance to grow stronger, to finally Level Up.

"Is this it?" I murmured, my eyes flicking across the scene, taking in the shocked bandits who looked as if they had seen a ghost.

Fey and Benard, who were still recovering from the shockwave, also appeared completely stunned.

And then there was Fenrir, lying prone and helpless beneath my power.

'Is this really all he's got?'

It was disheartening. All this preparation, all this anticipation... for what?

A display of false bravado and a pitiful whimper of defeat. It felt like a colossal waste of my time, my energy.

I released my <Gravity Press>, allowing Fenrir to scramble back to his feet.

I hoped the terror of the experience would provoke him, perhaps push him into fighting with more determination.

But as he staggered upright, a look of pure terror in his eyes, I could tell he was broken.

"A-are you sure about this, Luke? You're releasing him from your hold?" Benard cautiously protested, though his tone was as weak as it was pointless to me.

'What's the point? He clearly won't do anything more. Besides...'

I had noticed something in my fight with Fenrir, and that was the true source of his powers. It didn't stem from his Martial Arts, or any latent power he possessed, but the items in his possession.

... Items that resembled the ones given by the System!

"Answer me truthfully or I'll eliminate you on the spot." I said, my gaze settling on the trembling Fenrir as he stared at me with obvious despair.

"Where did you get those items?"

Heavy silence settled as I asked him that question, and I could see his eyes twitching and sweat pouring from his face as the question landed.

'He most likely got it from a Survivor from Earth. That explains why he was able to defeat Sirius, who is considered very strong by this world's standards, and even threaten Benard with his seemingly overwhelming power.'

Considering how he talked about his weakness in the past, Fenrir must have not had access to such Items before, and the fact that he was just making his move against the Lyma Family now meant he must have just recently gotten the items.

'It's just a hunch, and I could be wrong.' However, my suspicions wouldn't let it go.

'Should I just use <Truthful Glare>?'

I took a step forward, and instantly Fenrir shrieked and shivered, moving back.

"T-they were given to me by our backer! Our backer g-gave them... t-to me!"

It seemed I didn't need to use my Skill, after all. As it turned out, one of my suspicions was correct.

Someone gave him the Items.

... But who?

"When were the Items given to you?" I asked, my gaze narrowing on the trembling man.

"I-it was five days ago... when I swore loyalty to him." Fenrir whimpered as he spoke.

'Oh? Yet another match.' I smiled internally.

It seemed I was right. Or rather, most likely correct. The Items were given to this Mage'Earth Native by someone like me.

The bandits behind Fenrir also seemed to know this, considering how their expressions all seemed uniformly frightened, as well as concerned for Fenrir, who was spilling their secrets.

It seemed that, even though Fenrir was the leader of their little bandit squad, the benefactor was the real person in charge.

'He probably appeared somewhere within the bandits' territory and subdued them, taking over their means of operation.'

Considering the standard of strength in this world, I wasn't too surprised.

At this point, I was already getting curious about the identity of the person who tamed this bunch.

"Who is the—"

~BOOOOOMMMM!!!~

A sudden, deafening sound of splintering wood resonated across the battlefield, causing everyone, myself included, to whip our heads towards the source.

The large wooden gate of the bandit hideout, which until now had stood tall and intimidating, was being torn apart.

Dust and debris flew everywhere as a figure emerged from the wreckage, and I felt an involuntary shudder run down my spine.

'T-that is...?!' A silhouette caught my sight as <Immersion> picked up a strong presence approaching me.

It wasn't just the audacity of his entrance or the wreckage he left in his wake. It was the palpable sense of power that washed over my senses.

A pressure that pressed down on my chest, making my breath hitch. It was a whole different level from what I had sensed from Fenrir.

"Who dares to disturb my lovely nap?" The figure growled, stretching his arms over his head as he yawned, seemingly unbothered by the wreckage around him or the stunned silence that had fallen over us.

The figure was a man, not particularly large or imposing, but his aura... it was overpowering.

He was a rugged man, sporting a disheveled hairstyle and a reckless grin.

His clothes were simple, a rough tunic and pants, but they were offset by the intimidating aura of power that radiated from him.

Even from a distance, I could feel the strength radiating from him. It wasn't like Fenrir's crude display of power, but a quiet, simmering potency that spoke volumes.

One by one, the bandits around us dropped to their knees, their heads bowed in a gesture of deep respect, or maybe fear.

'Ah, I see. So that's him. To think he would show himself this easily...'

I watched, my heart pounding in my chest as the man ambled towards us.

Each of his lazy strides covered an impossible distance, and before I knew it, he was standing before us.

His eyes, half-lidded and uninterested, scanned over us, flicking over Fenrir's prone form with a barely concealed annoyance.

His gaze finally landed on me, and for a brief second, I felt a jolt of recognition.

But before I could explore that sensation, he yawned again, covering his mouth with a calloused hand.

"You've got a lot of nerve, messing up my afternoon siesta," he drawled, his voice filled with a raspy, delinquent-like tone.

Despite the clear annoyance in his voice, his eyes were unreadable, as though he was still debating if we were worth his attention.

'He... he's strong!' My instincts instantly screamed at me.

I swallowed hard, mentally preparing myself for what was to come.

This was it. This was the real battle I had been yearning for.

I didn't think I would meet a fellow Earthling so soon, but I also never expected him to have such an overwhelming aura.

Was he a Ranker? How had he been Leveling Up if he had been with these Bandits for so long?

How in the world did he get so strong?

I had so many thoughts as I stared at the man before me, gazing deep into his abyssal eyes. The questions never seemed to leave me.

'Just who is this person?'

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[A/N]

Looks like things are about to get a lot more serious...

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