~SWISH!~

Adonis' golden blade swept through the air as he nimbly sped across the area in a cost of brilliant light.

Space around him became distorted as waves of energy flowed from his body. In a flash, he sliced up multiple Centipede Monsters and landed a finishing blow on the one wriggling at the end of the row.

~BOOOOOM!~

They all erupted, turning into chopped-up forms of bug meat, roasted by the intense radiation that Adonis ' attack gave off.

"Haa…" Mist escaped his lips as he looked behind him to see the actions of his teammates.

Billy was doing fine enough.

He was using his [Grand Fire Magic] to damage the Centipedes and also trap them in a concentrated position, while utilizing his Warrior-concentrated Skills to lend heavy blows and finish them off.

None of them stood even a modicum of a chance.

As for Rey, well…

"Hiyaa!" He slashed some of the several legs of the Centipedes with his bladed arm, while also blocking their attacks.

He slowly chipped away at their strength, and right when they attacked and he blocked, he would go for a counter which involved slicing through their head, or cutting through their long torsos.

Either way, he fought in a more strategic way.

His major strength was evasion and defense, while striking at the perfect time.

Unfortunately, his method was too slow.

By the time Adonis and Billy were done with their part, he was barely getting started on his end.

As a result—

"Let me help you out, Rey."

—Adonis had to intervene.

~VWOOSH!~

In a burst of golden light, Adonis appeared right behind the cluster of Centipedes and cut down their numbers by a quarter with a single strike.

"T-thanks, Adonis!"

Thanks to their numbers going down by a consideable margin, Rey had a lot more room to breathe.

He gave more counters, and he was able to kill a lot more from his position.

And so, Adonis kept chipping at their numbers from behind while Rey did so at their front.

The event swiftly ended in the victory of the team.

Their guardian Undead, a Mage-looking 'thing' , merely watched them, not once having the opportunity to assist the team in their plight.

After all, they—or, a majority of them—were just that good.

They were done with their round in no time.

*********

"Thanks for the save again, Adonis." Rey beamed as they began to walk side by side.

Billy kept a considerable distance from the two and didn't utter a word, but he sometimes cast his gaze on them.

He was clearly listening in to what they were saying.

"It's nothing, Rey. You did a good job with those Monsters, though. I keep getting surprised by your incredible combat skills."

Rey scratched his head as he laughed sheepishly.

"Come on, don't patronize me."

Adonis smiled and placed his hand on Rey's shoulder. His expression looked genuine—as genuine as one could possibly be.

"I would never do that. I'm only speaking facts." His smile broadened as he took a look at several portions of Rey's well-developed body.

"You've really grown, Rey. You're a lot stronger than you were before. Your hard work is paying off, and I just want you to know that I can see that growth."

Adonis' hand tapped Rey's shoulders for a few seconds, almost the same way a big brother or an uncle would react if you told them some incredible news.

For some reason, Adonis seemed much older than he actually was.

"Thanks, man. Your hard work is also evident. You're really OP."

As soon as are made this statement, though, Adonis' bright expression darkened and he took his hand away from Rey's shoulders.

He shook his head slowly and turned away.

"No. Not really…" Adonis whispered, almost to himself.

He clenched his fist and looked at the ground in something akin to a defeated posture.

"I… still have a long way to go."

"Don't we all? We've not reached the full extent of our potential, right? So I see you growing even more."

Adonis swiftly shifted his gaze to Rey, his face holding a look of pleasant surprise.

"Unlike you, and even Billy, who are growing at an astronomical rate, I… I am just doing so at a slow pace." Rey clenched his teeth after uttering those words.

"I know I can't ever measure up to you guys. It just feels a bit… I don't know how to put it…"

Adonis' eyes glistened, almost as if they were moist. He pulled closer to Rey and hugged him.

The suddenness of his action caused shades of red to form on Rey's cheeks.

It was so embarrassing.

Even Billy had to look away from the awkward display that was happening right before his eyes.

"You're fine, Rey. You don't need to be too bothered about all of this."

His words came as a soft whisper, dancing into Rey's ears in a somewhat stimulating tone.

"I-I see…"

A bead of sweat fell from Rey's forehead as he began to look a bit uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, Adonis could not see his face at the moment.

"You've come this far already. So far, you have done great. I'm proud of you… for how far you've come."

Adonis slowly stepped back, and Rey had to plaster a smile on his face so he wouldn't seem ungrateful for the goodwill from Adonis.

"A-ahem… sorry. Just got a bit emotional there…" Adonis cleared his throat.

It seemed even he could sense how awkward he had made the entire atmosphere.

Billy, of course, kept pretending that he wasn't invested in the conversation.

"I-it's fine." Rey strained his smile.

Both of them looked at each other for a few seconds, their eyes absorbing the other's.

It seemed like a staring contest that wouldn't end.

Then—

"To be honest… neither you nor I compare to the true OP guy." Adonis took a step back and looked at the Mage-like creature who floated in the distance.

"Compared to him, I'm really nothing."

*

*

*

Thanks for reading!

Man… I really like Adonis. Not in the way some of you think, though.

Hahaha!