Chapter 268: I Am S-Ranker!
Chapter 268: I Am S-Ranker!
If they didn't look happy and satisfied, they would get beat up by the guards who were patrolling the area.
On one of the balconies, near the crimson castle, Otis and his family, alongside Adam and Raquel, gathered close enough to catch a glimpse of the stage, where the new ruler would do his speech.
From here, Adam would finally be able to see the ruler's identity.
"See those smiles?" Otis said to Adam. "All forced, and fake."
"Why're they forcing themselves to smile?" Adam asked.
"Well, look." Otis pointed to the corner of the street, where an elderly man was looking extremely bleak, but then a couple of guards stopped him and kicked him down to the ground, where they started beating him.
"It's because of what the guards will do." Agnes said with a sad look. "The ruler is extremely blind to his own ways. He believes that the citizens are extremely happy to be under his rule, and if they show any sort of displeasure, they are swiftly dealt with."
"How can someone be so blind?" Adam asked. "It's like he's living in a completely different reality."
"I think he wants to be a good ruler, but deep down, he is just an evil person." Otis said. "Evil exists in the world. He might think he is righteous and kind."
'I don't think he cares about what Originals feel. He most likely thinks that they are just some programs created to serve players. It's not that uncommon a view of thinking.'
At that moment, loud celebrations reverberated across the city, coming from the gate of the city.
Near there, all the citizens started clapping their hands while forcing smiles on their faces. It was because a man, on a horseback, had entered the city, waving his hand with a smirk on his face.
"He has come." Otis said coldly.
Raquel dug her nails into her palms, trying to contain her rage.
'I can't see him yet.' Adam said while narrowing his eyes. 'I have to lower my aura's strength to resemble that of Original so that I won't get discovered.'
Soon, his aura had the strength of ordinary Original. To any mercenary, he would seem like just any Original.
The man rode across the streets of Sevenfold, slow enough, and just kept waving his hand while he was showered with cheers.
The citizens kept clapping. Some even teared up, but those weren't tears of happiness. They were tears of frustration and anger.
This man on the horseback was the main reason why all of them were starving and suffering.
However, he had shown his strength more than enough times already so that none of the citizens ever dared to challenge him.
And they didn't dare.
The man seemed drunk on this feeling. He felt like everyone around him was worshipping him like a god, and he loved this feeling.
To him, it was the world's greatest feeling.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
'The crowd of people is making it hard for me to see him.' Adam thought with crossed arms. 'However, when he arrives at the stage, I should be able to see him.'
The white-maned horse galloped down the streets, and once he arrived near the crimson castle, he was welcomed by the castle's servants, who were also smiling and clapping.
All the servants were female. Beautiful and dressed in bright colors, they surrounded the horse and its rider in a whirlwind of excitement.
However, like the citizens, their excitement was fake. Their smiles were fake. Their clapping was fake. All of them were performing for show, hiding their true feelings behind a facade of joy.
"My beautiful ladies, I've returned!" The man hopped off the horse, grinning from ear to ear. The drums sounded from some distance away, creating a celebratory atmosphere.
With a grin, he stepped up the stairs to the stage, and took the spot at the center, smiling at the excited crowd.
In the balcony, Raquel said. "That's him!"
"Do you know him?" Otis looked over to Adam.
However, to his surprise, he saw that Adam looked to be genuinely in shock, unable to speak a word.
"Young Adam?" Agnes, and her children looked at him.
"Adam?" Raquel didn't like that look. "Could it be that he is... someone more powerful than
you?"
Adam took a step forward and leaned against the railing, glaring towards the stage with a strange look.
"Oh, yes, I know him. I know him very well!"
"What now?" Otis asked. "Can you take him down?"
"Wait!" Raquel grabbed Adam by the shoulder and asked. "Who is he?"
"His name is..." Adam took a deep breath. "Calamity!"
At the stage, Calamity continued grinning, his handsome face twisted into a sinister expression. His long, red hair was flowing in the wind, making him look like a royal prince of some fairytale, but his eyes told a different story.
Evil, malicious, and sinister.
That's who Calamity was.
"Is he strong?" Raquel asked. "Even in the New World?"
"Yes, powerful indeed." Adam said. "He is S-ranker. One of the most talented people in the
entire world."
"So, he is that special..." Otis thought aloud, feeling a shiver run down his spine.
"Young Adam, is there nothing you can do?" Agnes asked with a look of concern in her eyes.
Adam inhaled deeply and softly opened his eyes.
'I can gauge his strength. He hadn't reached level 25 yet. However, he is close, probably only two thousand experience points away, but his strength is already at Royal Mercenary or
above.
'While I can fight against mercenaries that are higher-ranked than me, so can Calamity. After all, he is S-ranker, and since I am a couple of levels below him, beating him is nearly
impossible.
'However!'
Adam cracked his knuckles and said, "I will give it a try."
"If you think you can't do it, don't!" Otis held him back. "We appreciate you, but you don't need to kill yourself over this!"
"Wait, Otis." Raquel said and looked straight at Adam. "If you lose the fight, Calamity will become hundred times worse. He will believe we were plotting against him and will start
slaughtering all of us.
"I would like to see Calamity dead, and I wish I could just cheer you on, but if you can't beat
him now, we're fine waiting another year or two."
Adam just smiled and said, "That won't do. I have to kill him now."
"W-why?"
There were many reasons.
This was the only time when Calamity would be alone.
In the New World, he was always with Mauricio and killing him there was impossible.
Calamity also hadn't reached Royal Mercenary yet. Once he reached that level, his strength would have another insane jump.
It would be very difficult to keep up with Calamity's level of talent, and Adam wasn't sure if
he could do that.
Also, next time Calamity was alone, like this wouldn't be any time soon because of the war, and he would definitely be in the New World for the next couple of years.
"It's not just him, y'know."
"?" Raquel looked at him with wide eyes.
At that moment, Adam hopped on top of the railing, and the wings grew from his back.
Those wings were so bright and beautiful that every citizen below was able to see them.
Calamity slowly turned his gaze over to the winged young man, and his eyes widened in an utter shock. He recognized the young man.
"I am also S-ranker!" Adam jumped off the balcony and took flight.