Two people were being surrounded by a dozen unsavory-looking men. One of the two was wearing a metal helmet that covered his face, acting as if he was taking a stroll; while the other was a small-statured boy looking no older than ten, uneasiness was oozing out from his body language.

“You’ve got guts to barge in the Vile Gorilla gang's HQ! State your name!” The boss-like guy said.

“Rowler,” Viers matched the face on the wanted poster. “I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold,” tone as flat as possible.

“Men! Turn these two into minced meat!” Rowler roared.

“Arte - Almost Heaven~” Viers made a light stomp with his foot, trailing the Arte’s name as if it was part of a tune.

The gang members were choked as a sphere of water encompassed the entirety of their heads.

“See? Efficient isn't it? Most humans, monsters, and animals cannot breathe underwater,” Viers proudly demonstrated to Boram.

Almost Heaven Arte was Viers’ main Arte for dealing with low-level mooks. The victim of this Arte would feel as if they were gradually reaching heaven as seconds went by.

Boram nodded then the Level 2 Rowler broke free, just as Viers expected. Almost Heaven Arte still carried its inherent weakness of not being that effective against people not under Viers’ Level.

“Last chance to surrender,” Viers said.

Since the gang leader’s answer was a roar, Viers took that as a no.

“Boram, as we practiced.”

“Yes, Master!”

Master and disciple combined their Victa to cast an Arte.

“Arte - Water and Earth Burial!”

“Wha-!”

Rowler’s whole body first got submerged in a sphere of water before being confined with a coffin made of earth. An upgrade of the Almost Heaven Arte.

The two were maintaining the Arte while Rowler raged inside, a few times almost breaking free. However, it didn't take that long until there was no longer any activity inside the coffin. Viers was victorious.

“Oxygen Not Included inside,” Viers commented while smiling silly.

***

“Boram, do you know that among the four basic elements water and earth are considered second-rate elements by some?”

“Really, Master?”

“Oooh yeah. In the stories, the MCs always have flashy elements, like fire and lightning. It was visually more impressive, you see. I understand it though, making things blow up feels good and looks good. If the story is about elemental powers, then the MC usually uses fire element while his party members have any other elements. Take my water and your earth, for example. Water is usually an element used by a girl in this kind of story, possibly the main char’s love interest while earth is the big guy element. Y’know, just to show that the guy can take a hit.”

“Uhhh, okay?”

On the manga side, there's Natsu the Fire Dragonslayer from Fairy Tail and Kamado Tanjiro who uses the more fiery sun breath than his water breath. In xianxia novels, there’s Xiao Yan from BTTH and Wang Lin from RI.

“Meanwhile, how many MCs use water and earth as their main element? Almost none! Even if they do, it is mostly because they can use multiple if not all elements!”

Such as Linley Baruch from Coiling Dragon and Yun Che from Against the Gods. Wait, that Yun Che guy still mainly uses fire moves, innit?

“Well, I’m not blaming them, Boram. I get them, I really do. Their battle needs to be explosive! Blood-boiling fight scenes! What more suitable element for that than fire? There are alternatives, of course. The top picks of these MCs are fire, lightning, light, and darkness. These are the most common powers of MCs! The ‘cool’ elements.”

Actually, there’s also the soul element mixed in there but that is that and this is this.

“And why are you telling me this, Master?”

“Just to tell you we’re gonna prove them all wrong, Boram. We’re gonna use our water and earth elements and be just as ‘cool’ as them! Hahaha!”

“Who’s 'them'?”

“However, while water affinity will remain my main element,” Along with my soul affinity, “it is alright to use other elements sometimes.”

“...Right. Again, what’s the point of all this?”

So you don't misunderstand that I will gradually use every elemental power in the world in the future. Water and Soul will always remain my central power while others will be merely extra.

Viers didn't answer as he pulled out a bow from his Thousand Treasures Casket. He nocked an ordinary arrow he recently bought and aimed at the distance before letting the arrow fly.

The arrow turned into a phantom of a fiery dog and hit the target, setting the person on fire.

“Enemy attack! To arms!” Viers heard from afar.

“But sometimes using other elements is okay,” Viers answered Boram’s question. “Go get them, apprentice. I’ll shower them with arrows from here.”

While Boram was fighting on the front lines, Viers was using the Bow of Four Beasts that he acquired after cleaning a certain family’s vault. Using the bow, Viers’ arrow could transform into four phantom shapes: ox for earth, dog for fire, eagle for wind, and marlin for water.

After the battle, Boram couldn't help but think that his master’s archery sucks, very different from his swordsmanship.

***

“Trap card open!!”

Viers unfurled a scroll with octopuses drawing on them. Suddenly, pink octopus tentacles entangled the female bandit in front of Viers.

“Ah! What is this? Let go of me!”

Only then Viers realized his mistake.

“Boram, look away. This is called 18+ and you mustn't see it!”

“AAAAAHHHHHH!!!”

The scream turned into a painful wail as the woman’s body melted.

“...Oh, I didn't think it would do that,” Viers glanced at the scroll on his hand then at the disgusting gunk of meat.

At some point, Boram already closed his eyes using his hands, hoping his master had warned him sooner.

I didn't think the effect would be so… nasty. Apologies, woman. I didn't mean to kill you, not by melting your skin and bones anyway. Sorry…

***

A beam from the Mind Stone look-alike Sunburn hit a man on his chest before he slumped to the ground.

“Wait, I’m from the Cloud Scattering Fist School! You can't kill me unles-”

“The words ‘dead or alive’ are written on your wanted poster,” Viers wiped the blood on his sword after the decapitation. “That means I got a license to kill. Your surrender has been denied. You should have done so from the start.”

***

Boram was facing off against a Level 1. Viers was watching while crossing his arms. He didn't show any intention of lifting a finger.

Boram was hesitating.

“What are you waiting for?” Viers spoke loudly. “His Arte is still ongoing. If you don't finish him off shortly, the Child Skinner will take the life of his sixth victim. You still remember the picture of the kidnapped girl, didn't you? Do you want to let her die, apprentice? Do what must be done.”

“Uuu… Khh… Ruaahhh!” Boram charged after making up his mind.

It was a difficult battle for Boram even though he was already Level 2 while the enemy was a Level 1. The Child Skinner was quite crafty which created many awful surprises for Boram. It took a while but the young boy finally smashed the head of the serial kidnapper and killer.

After the fight, Boram was trembling. There were splotches of blood on his face, not of his own. He was looking at the corpse of the first human he killed.

“You made it by the skin of your teeth. A few more seconds and the girl would be dead,” Viers spoke.

“Master… would you interfere if I didn't make it in time?”

“...No,” Viers’ voice fell like a hammer.

“...Why?” Boram hoarsely said.

“I’m your teacher, not your savior. I’m here to teach you that there are cruel people out there that do things incomprehensible to you. I’m teaching you that failure will have consequences, sometimes even tragic ones. That kind of thing will leave a scar on you until the end of your life.”

“...”

“...But through your own strength, you changed the outcome today,” Viers placed a hand on his tiny shoulder. “Take pride in your success; you’ve saved a life. Let’s bring the girl back to her parents.”

“...Yes, Master. Uuuugghh,” Boram broke into tears, hugging Viers’ thigh.

Viers let him.

“You’ve done well. Let’s buy your favorite food today.”

***

“Now, tell me why you killed a woman in broad daylight in the middle of a frickin’ market?”

Viers was inside a room, being interrogated by Franz, the Level 4 city guard who he had met before.

“It was self-defense, officer. Surely there are many eyewitnesses about what happened? She screamed, revenge, revenge, quite loudly.”

“...The woman was a widow. You killed her husband. There are people who witnessed her try to strike first but you lopped her head off before she did anything.”

“Ah, I get it. Well, as I said, it was self-defense. In fact, if it wasn't because of me, there would be innocent bystanders that got hit by her.

“...You haven't been in this city for a month yet you’ve left quite a body trail on your wake, Avel,” Franz eyed him sharply.

“Is this about the wanted posters from the guild? I don't see the complications. I’m a bounty hunter and they have bounties on their heads. I came to collect and they were resisting arrest. What can I say, officer? I’m an instrument of the law,” said Viers with the air of justice.

***

“Have you heard? There’s an amazing guy cleaning the wanted list left and right.”

“Rowler the Gorilla, Hroppand the Green Maniac, Toothless Thurlow, Payton the Jackal, The Child Skinner, Poison Billy, Joia the Thorn Daisy… Holy Goddess Mother! So many!”

“What’s his name?”

“Avel of Javia. He’s a rookie. You’ve seen him. He’s the guy with the helmet. A small boy is always following behind him.”

“Oh, him. Wow, this year’s kids are quite something aren't they? There’s the formidable Ivory Flame, Second Amends School's prodigy Jaime, not to mention all the scions from the noble side.”

“Those noble guys won't bother to take plebeian quests so they have their pissing match for all I care. It's these super rookies that we need to watch out for.”

“True, they might not leave any good quests for us if we dawdle.”

“By the way, what’s that Avel guy’s title?”

“He didn't have one.”

“He does now?”

“How could he not, after he kept bringing heads to the guild? He’s only taking quests about finding wanted guys like a vampire thirsting for blood. Word is, if you don't surrender at the start, you’re dead. Men or women don't matter. Folks have been calling him… the Slayer.”