“What on earth is going on?! Where are all these animals coming from?!” Pride said. Ever since he caught Robyn, the woodland creatures wouldn't stop pursuing him. Hours of combat passed as he tried to find a safe place to interrogate his prisoner, but there was no such place in the Evergreen Forest. He should have been frustrated yet oddly wasn’t. He didn’t mind having his plans halted for the moment. Each weakling that faced him only increased his power. The voice in his head was always kind enough to boost his exponentially growing ego. It was the same message he heard hundreds, if not thousands, of times that day alone.

“NOTICE. SKILL [PRIDE] HAS INCREASED THE SIN’S POWER.”

“Ha! Come at me! You filthy creatures can do nothing against my might!” Pride said to no one in particular. He kicked away the slimes that were trying to dissolve his immaculate armor. Aggravated arms swatted any bird near him out of the sky. Small bug bites did nothing to his god-like body. The dire wolves and giant toads tried their best, but they too were slain. Genesis replayed the same message over and over again. It may as well have been on loop during the battle.

“NOTICE. SKILL [PRIDE] HAS INCREASED THE SIN’S POWER.”

“Yes! I can feel the power flowing through my-” Pride started to say but was interrupted. The ground shook, more than it already was. Most of the small swarming animals parted ways to allow something larger to pass through.

It was a lone man with gray hair. Although the years weighed heavily on his face, the gaze in his eyes was incredibly intense. He was well-equipped as one would expect for a veteran hunter. Light armor protected his body. An impressive bow glowed with its enchantment. Even the sheathed sword radiated strength. To add to his already impressive image, he was riding a white stallion in the fray. All put together, this man may as well have jumped out of a fantasy world, though not the one Robyn was already in.

The only thing that ruined his appearance was Xander being dragged along for the ride. He had fallen off the horse but one leg was still stuck to its stirrup. His constant flailing ceased as the horse’s gallop slowed to a trot.

“Xander?! And, wait, who are you?” Robyn asked. She was already familiar with her bumbling friend and took a minute to laugh before helping him. This new man, however, was much different than most people she knew. His strength was plain to see, even with his age. The only person she could compare him to was Paladin Rose. It was the same thought that Xander had.

“He’s Huntsman Damian, one of the strongest hunters in the city. I’d even bet good money he’s better than that paladin.” Xander said. He spent the latter half of the day learning from the hunter. Damian apparently saw potential in the young man. To be more precise, he saw how Xander took down a wyvern and wanted to cultivate that level of talent. Xander didn’t have the heart to say it was a simple fluke.

“I wouldn’t go that far. These old bones aren’t what they used to be, but I’ll be sure to show you, youngsters, a thing or two.” Damian said. He knew the paladin Xander referred to. Rose was a popular hero who saved the city while he was away. Her strength was unquestionable. Damian still had a fire within him, but it was nothing compared to the next generation’s. Despite this, he charged into battle and prepared to face his most deadly foe yet.

“Hmm? Another hero of the voice and a man decades past his prime? Neither of you is worth my time.” Pride said with a nonchalant attitude. If the two didn’t say anything, he probably wouldn't have even noticed them. Their power was no more significant than the animals that flailed against him.

Damian took advantage of this disrespectful sin. Pride didn’t bother to raise any sort of defense. He was too cocky about his own overwhelming might. Damian nocked an arrow and aimed straight for Pride’s head. He uttered multiple skills in an instant. Damian was hellbent on eradicating his target in a single shot. His fingers loosen, and the arrow zipped through the arrow faster than the eye could see.

“NOTICE. SKILL [PRIDE] HAS INCREASED THE SIN’S POWER.”

“What?” Damian stammered. The arrow he fired shattered upon impact. It didn’t even leave a dent in Pride’s armor. He blinked in disbelief, and his target swiftly turned the tables. Pride moved even faster than the arrow that broke against him. His mighty strength took the form of an impressive punch. It collided straight into Damian’s stomach, knocking all of the air out of his lungs. Damian was sent flying and crashed into a tree, nearly toppling it.

“Ha! He was weak. Just like you two. Now, tell me who killed Envy or I’ll-” Pride tried to say but was interrupted yet again. This time, it was a much younger adventurer. He was less put together compared to Damian, and his weapon was nothing worth discussing. A person with a low level like his should have stayed out of the fight, but he couldn’t possibly do that.

“Do nothing and get wrecked!” Rex said as he charged into battle. While it wasn’t an immaculate sword, Rex was still armed with his newest creation that fit within his level requirement. The fruits of his labor, a [Tempered Iron Rod], rested in his main hand. A shield made from wooden scraps was held with the other. [Irresponsible] led the charge against the sin, and [Heavy Hit] smashed against Pride’s face.

“NOTICE. SKILL [PRIDE] HAS INCREASED THE SIN’S POWER.”

“You think some pathetic excuse for a weapon could defeat me?!” Pride shouted. Not even the slightest flinch came from him. He scoffed at the iron weapon. It was worthless. An irredeemable item, not even worth the material it was made from. It was an insult to use such a tool against a sin. Pride grabbed Rex by the collar and slammed him to the ground. Rex’s body recoiled from the impact, and he almost lost consciousness. Pride put his foot on Rex's chest to keep him in place.

“Rex!” Xander and Robyn cried out. Neither were equipped with healing skills, and their potions were no good if Rex couldn’t drink them. They needed a way to get Pride away from their partner. It was no longer about beating yet another sin. These two were focused on survival. They were ready to pull out every trick they knew to live another day, along with the rest of their team.

“I’m starting to get irritated with you heroes. You are nothing more than insolent worms! Just sit down and shut up! I do not like my monologues being interrupted by-” Pride tried to say yet was interrupted once again. This time it wasn't some fool with an irritating one-liner. It was a fool with an aggravating command. Pride voice would have stopped the remark, but it was oddly muted by a new, slimy, presence.

“Tres, headcrab mode!” Nicholas shouted to his familiar. Tres, the slime, executed its orders perfectly. Its acidic innards increased in concentration. Normally, this concoction would have been enough to eat through anything. Pride, however, was unlike anything the team had faced.

“NOTICE. SKILL [PRIDE] HAS INCREASED THE SIN’S POWER.”

“Enough! I have had enough of your games. I don’t care if none of you vermin killed Envy. I am going to slaughter you all regardless! Starting with this deplorable excuse for a familiar!” Pride said, shouting with enough rage to rival another sin. His hands reached for his head. Such a filthy creature didn’t deserve to touch him.

A single touch was all it took to pop Tres.

Nicholas cried out to his familiar, but it was too late. Tres was no longer. The toll weighed heavy on his mind. He’d spent all day with that little blue blob. One could even say he got a bit too attached while in that dark cave. None of the others could understand his grief. Pride even took the time to let out a hearty laugh. Seeing pitiful creatures break before him brought joy to his soul. It would have been better if the voice in his head replayed its message, but Genesis had something else to say.

“ERROR. OVERFLOW. SKILL [PRIDE] HAS EXCEEDED THE MAXIMUM VALUE ALLOWED. AS A RESULT, THIS SKILL WILL RESET AND RELATED VARIABLES WILL BE REDUCED TO THEIR BASE VALUES.”

“What?” Pride stammered. He’d never heard this message before. The voice had never said anything other than how his power increased. Without the other sins, Pride would have assumed Genesis was created solely to praise his name and skill. Suddenly, the power left him. His knees felt weak. The armor that shielded him became an overbearing burden.

“With me!” Nicholas said, calling out to his friends. He rushed forward using [Sprint]. The others quickly followed suit. Nicholas wasn’t thinking about anything. He didn’t have a plan. There was no time to delay. [Pride] could reactivate at any moment. Nicholas started the volley of attacks with a single shoulder bash, knocking his enemy back. He dropped to all fours so that Rex could act next without issue.

Rex rose from the ground and took a running start at his companion. He grabbed Nicholas's shirt to have a stable platform. He hurdled over his ally and propelled his legs forward. The assisted dropkick hit its mark, dealing significant damage. Pride stumbled back from the impact. He had never felt this before. To be on the other end of a powerful attack, but the assault was far from over. Rex didn’t hesitate to follow up. He rolled forward and swept his leg out, tripping Pride.

Xander continued his run. He stepped on Nicholas’s back to gain height. Rex offered the next step in Xander’s uneven stairs. The forgettable archer etched his image into Pride's mind as he flew over him. Xander twisted his body and readied an arrow. He uttered his newest skill and fired. The shot didn’t need to travel far before piercing Pride’s armor, striking between the ribs.

Robyn pointed to her target and muttered words only Genesis could hear. Dire wolves ran past her. They weaved through the trees. Each one took a different path around her three teammates. Pride found himself surrounded. He had no way to defend himself from every direction. Teeth sunk into his legs, crunching through the thinnest parts of his armor. Another gnawed at its victim's arms. The last one took a noticeable interest in Pride’s codpiece, presumably at the more specific command of Robyn. She may not have dealt the final blow, but she was satisfied to get revenge on the man that seized her.

“That last part probably wasn’t necessary,” Rex said. He was upset with Pride but also felt sorry for him. At that moment, he looked at his enemy in another light. It wasn’t the view of a critical opponent. It was the view of one man seeing another in a relatable pain. Rex didn’t know what Pride was going through, but he knew it wasn’t good.

“Yeah,” Xander and Nicholas added. They reflexively hunched over and made a sound as if they were the ones hit. Dire wolves were not to be trifled with. At their level, the team would struggle against one in a full fight. Pride was at the misfortune of being extremely weakened before these beasts assaulted him.

“Whatever. The sin is finished off. Genesis, how many levels did we go up?” Robyn said. She didn’t feel the least bit sorry for Pride. Quite the opposite. She was more than glad to get revenge on her target. If it struck fear into the other people present, it was even better. Now there was no doubt about why she was on the team. She may not have been a gamer in her previous life, but she could break the system and use skills well above her level just like everyone else.

Moments of silence passed. Genesis never responded to Robyn’s question. It was odd, to say the least. Genesis never took longer than a minute to respond. The question could be incredibly complex, and it’d still be answered in a timely manner. The team shared a sense of dread. Something was wrong.

“Genesis?” Robyn called out to the voice that controlled the world.

“NOTICE. DUE TO THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED OVERFLOW ERROR, PRIDE WAS REDUCED TO LEVEL ONE. AS A RESULT, MINIMAL EXPERIENCE WAS GAINED. NO LEVELS HAVE INCREASED. NO NEW SKILLS WERE EARNED. NO NEW CLASSES ARE AVAILABLE.”