...

With Apex's attention drawn to Izroth and the number of Headhunter Syndicate players in the immediate vicinity reduced, One Shot Brick and the members of Sacred Beasts went on the offensive.

One Shot Brick led the way as he smoothly moved throughout the battlefield unimpeded.

Those who tried to block his path were instantly knocked out of the way or trampled beneath his feet as he charged onward.

With their numbers advantage waning, the players from the Headhunter Syndicate quickly had their individual weaknesses exposed.

In front of more seasoned and skilled players like One Shot Brick, Banshee, and the other core members of Sacred Beasts, they did not stand a chance!

Swoosh! Ding!

Apex swiped out at Izroth with his claws as a red aura lingered around the tip of his nails; however, his blow was swiftly intercepted by Izroth's sword.

Apex could not fully comprehend how Izroth ended up near his assigned outpost when he was supposed to have been eliminated by Black Dream.

What baffled Apex was that even if Izroth somehow defeated Black Dream, it should have been impossible for him to reach this area so quickly. None of it made sense!

"No, he appears to be a speed-type player. It's possible he escaped from Black Dream and ran full speed to meet up with the nearest group. Useless! Whatever, I'll just deal with him myself and take all the credit. I don't know why, but our guild leader hates this guy. Once I crush him here, the guild leader will have no choice but to reward me handsomely!" Apex internalized as a large grin formed on his face.

The way he saw it, even if Izroth fled from Black Dream, there should be no link that led back to their Headhunter Syndicate. After all, there were a lot of puppet users in RML.

Vault prohibited them from openly attacking Izroth since he still needed to find a way to draw the two Pill Emperors of the Mystical Realm Palace to the side of their Headhunter Syndicate.

However, since Izroth was the first to strike in this scenario, Apex would merely claim self-defense. Even if Sleeping Gardenia or another top guild wanted to step in on his behalf, their Headhunter Syndicate would be in the right! All he had to do was feign a bit of ignorance and twist some words.

Apex retreated a few meters away from Izroth as the beastly aura around him grew.

"I'm not sure who you are, but I know all of Sacred Beasts' core members, and you aren't one of them! Our business is with those from Sacred Beasts alone! If you leave now, I'm willing to overlook this offense against our Headhunter Syndicate and will permit you to live! Otherwise, don't accuse me of being discourteous when it's too late!" Apex shouted.

Of course, he had no intention of letting Izroth go.

If Izroth accepted, Apex planned to demand an outrageous amount of compensation for the lost lives of his guild members. Once Izroth refused to pay, he would be justified in his actions. Either way, there was no chance of him leaving this place alive!

Apex's words were met with Izroth's dead silence and distant gaze.

Apex became irritated by the look on Izroth's face as it seemed to scream that he was unworthy of being placed in his sights.

If there was one thing Apex hated, it was being looked down on. So what if he had the most contribution points? That meant nothing when it came to PVP battles!

"Let's see how long you can keep up that calm expression of yours..!" Apex growled under his breath.

The biggest contributor to Apex's confidence was that Izroth appeared to be a speed-type player. If that was so, he could not have asked for a better opponent. As long as he had his skill, Predator's Acuity, no matter how fast his opponent moved, they would not be able to avoid his perception!

"Fine, stay silent for all I care. I'm  going to wipe that annoying look off your face!" Apex lowered his stance until he was on all fours as his muscles expanded once again.

Apex roared as fur started to spread over the rest of his body as he underwent a rapid transformation.

By the time the fur finished covering him from head to toe, Apex's appearance had undergone a drastic change.

What emerged was a fierce beast that resembled a cross between a Saber-Toothed and Bengal Tiger.

This was a skill unique to Apex's class, Beastmaster.

He took on a beastly form in exchange for shedding his human form, which provided a considerable boost to his health, attack, defense, and agility.

In addition, his skill, Predator's Acuity, was further enhanced, which would hugely improve his ability to keep track of targets.

Apex shot forward at full speed as he leaped ten meters into the air!

"Die!" Apex shouted as a paw the size of his body made of red energy materialized beneath his frontal limbs.

However, Apex failed to realize that he had unknowingly sealed his fate the moment he left the ground.

Almost immediately after Apex leaped, Izroth kicked off the ground and jumped a couple of meters into the air.

When Apex saw what Izroth was doing, it nearly caused him to burst into a fit of laughter.

What was that idiot doing?! Didn't he know that there was a limit to how high players could jump? The only reason he was able to bypass this limit was because of his beast form. But, it was virtually impossible for a typical player to achieve this kind of height, even with a skill that boosted their jumping capabilities.

The only way to reach him this high up would be to transform like he did or fly.

While the first option was a possibility, he knew for a fact that Izroth was a Combat Master; therefore, having a class that could transform was out of the question.

As for the second choice—it was impossible. If one were not a naturally flying monster or a high-level NPC, flying was a distant dream. It may be possible once players reached a higher level; however, at the current point, how could anyone, let alone a Combat Master, fly?

As Apex began his descent, he headed right for Izroth. He wanted to flatten him alive before he could land!

But, to Apex's surprise, Izroth did not fall back to the ground. Instead, he kept getting closer and closer every moment!

"What?! How can he jump so high?!" Apex exclaimed.

Was there such a thing as an S-ranked jumping skill?

"Whatever! If he wants to rush to his death, that's fine by me!"

In Apex's eyes, Izroth was a fool. He gave up his only advantage, speed, the instant his feet left the ground. Now that he was mid-air, there was no longer a method for him to dodge his attack!

Izroth returned his Sword of The Storm to its sheath as dense lightning elements gathered around him.

Right as the giant energy paw was about to crash into him, Izroth kicked off the air and moved to the side just out of the attack's range.

"?!" Apex was dumbfounded at what had just unfolded before his eyes.

Did he just kick off the air like it was something solid, or was he seeing things?

But, before he could fully process his thoughts, Apex felt a soft, cold breeze brush across the side of his neck, followed by a high-pitch screech.

Apex did not see Izroth draw his weapon, but he knew the feeling of a blade missing him by a hair's length. If it were just a bit closer, he would have received a critical blow—at least, that's what he thought.

"That was close-"

"Wait, why can't I move?!" Apex internalized as his body turned rigid.

'Seventh Sword Form: Motionless Killing Stroke.'

Precisely half a second later, a powerful jolt of lightning invaded Apex's beastly form!

«Critical Hit»

-27,887

Apex went pale when he noticed his HP fall from 100% to below 5% with one strike!

If he had not transformed when he did and received a boost to his health and defense, that strike alone would have been enough to take him out!

What kind of ridiculous damage was that?! This was the thought that went through Apex's mind.

However, just when Apex believed that it was over, a wave of intense sword intent washed over him.

〈Battle Alert: The effect «Quelling Ripple» has been activated!〉

-5,000

〈Battle Alert: Player Apex has died!〉