Chapter 7: Progress of The Weak [Prey Turns Predator]: Part One

It was a chance encounter. C-Rank Knight Class Warrior Zeke Reinhardt, third son of the great and powerful Reinhardt family, aged 23 years old hated the idea of not being in charge more than anything else. As a result, despite his fame and the admiration and respect he received from other Warriors of the same Rank and below, he didn’t allow anyone in his party unless they were at least one Rank below him, thereby eliminating the chances of anyone in his party ever opposing him. Hence the criteria to join his party only stretched thinner and thinner. So far, he managed to procure a D-Rank Assassin Class Warrior and Mage Class Warrior and an E-Rank Archer Class Warrior in his party, and they were well known in District-2 despite being considerably new, as the reputable Zeke Party of the Helios Guild. So Zeke wanted nothing more at the time than to complete his party with the recruitment of a fifth member. He had found the perfect candidate by chance when he went to the Warriors Association to sell Mana Crystals he had accumulated after recently coming out of a Dungeon. Overhearing the conversation between a receptionist and a newbie Warrior who was undergoing registration, he found out that said-Warrior was the first and only F-Rank in the world, one who had chosen the infamous Blacksmith Class, and therefore the weakest Warrior known to man. The perfect person for him to enact his dominance on. There was just one problem…

“Oh no, that’s okay, I don’t plan on going to any high Rank Dungeons anytime soon anyway, but thanks for the offer though, I appreciate it”

Instant straight up rejection. He was baffled. It didn’t make sense. Not from his point of view anyway.

The result…

“Audacious. Just who does this bastard think he is!!?”

Pissed. He was pissed. Like, really, really pissed. Amidst the facade of a smile, a bulging vein quite visibly showed itself on his forehead.

And before he could even say anything, the F-Rank Warrior quickly entered his car and drove off. His offer was rejected in, one might say, one of the most polite ways possible considering the numerous uncivilized aspects of the exchange in the first place, one of them being the manner in which he approached the Warrior despite them being total strangers, still however, he felt that something was a little off. Despite the words themselves that the Warrior used, he felt no respect or politeness from them at all, rather, he felt he was being looked down upon.

“That brat, does he not know who I am?”

He wondered…

“But if that’s the case then…”

If that was the case then that made matters worse, it gave him even more reason to direct his animosity towards the Warrior. How could the “brat” not know who he was?

“You’re kidd-”

“Brother, forget about that loser. He’s just a naive newbie who probably thinks he might be able to make it big if he works hard or something”

“That’s right, he’s too weak to join us anyways. He’d only hold us back. He doesn’t know anything about the real world out there.”

“Besides, there’s a lot of other Warriors at least ten times stronger than that brat who are dying to join your party. We could have them compete against one another then pick the winner among them to be our fifth party member. Just leave that brat be, he doesn’t know any better…”

His party members, the Mage, the Archer and the Assassin all added in that order.

He thought about what they said for a few seconds.

“Yeah, you’re right. He doesn’t know any better. And of course, if that’s the case then isn’t it our job as his superiors to teach him a lesson or two?”

An evil grin formed on his face. It didn’t take a second for his party members to figure out what he meant by that. Resultantly, they also started smiling all sinister like.

Their plan was simple. They had deduced that the Warrior was going to a Dungeon so all they had to do was follow him. Enter the Dungeon a little while after he himself had entered then conduct their…”lesson”.

Whether it was breaking a limb or two or plundering what ever Mana Crystals the Warrior managed to accumulate after exploring the Dungeon, they were confident that there would be no negative outcomes. Afterall, this world, the world of Warriors, operates on the principle that; what happens in a Dungeon stays in a Dungeon. It was survival of the fittest. And even if they were to be found out, Zeke himself was confident that the name of his family could cover just about anything up. He was an incredibly spoiled child in that aspect. An entitled persona and unwavering belief in his skills. He was determined to teach the “brat” that dared to look down on him a lesson.

Which is why he didn’t understand.

“I-I…I don’t get it. How is this…just why, why is this happening? How is this happening!? This is impossible. Isn’t he just an F-Rank? He’s the weakest Warrior in the world so how the hell did he do all of this!!?”

As he was lost in fear-struck thought, a certain figure was calmly and slowly approaching him. The figure wore a grey short sleeved shirt, a black and white tracksuit jacket and trousers set, and uniquely designed sneakers. Bearing spikey black hair, a cold glare and a very sinister smirk, this figure was none other than the weakest Warrior, the world’s only F-Rank, the Blacksmith, Raid.

About twenty or twenty-five or so minutes ago. After he had followed Raid in the E-Rank Dungeon, accompanied by his fellow party members, they then came across Raid as he was exiting a cave of sorts. Zeke never would’ve imagined that things would turn out this way. That they would go off the rails so much.

“If I could go back in time at least twenty minutes, then I…I would’ve done things a little differently.”

***

Yeah. Surprises are the worst. And the one before me right now isn’t any different.

“Why are you here?”

I asked the Warrior I met previously outside the Warriors Association. Unlike before, he was wearing armour this time and had a longsword hanging at his waist, all which confirmed he was a knight. It wasn’t like I couldn’t *totally* guess why they followed me here though. It was more or less obvious that I had made an enemy out of him by rejecting his offer to join his party so he must’ve followed me along with his buddies to try and gang up on me after I hurt his pride. Probably must’ve not heard ’no’ before in his life, otherwise who the hell would go through this much trouble just to make a point?

Can’t believe how childish he is considering how much older he looks than me.

“Why am I here, you ask? Well that’s simple, you see I always get what I want. No one, and I mean no one has ever said ’no’ to me before.”

Called it.

“That is, until you came along…” He added.

“Is that so? I guess that makes me pretty special doesn’t it?” I poked.

“Haha, I guess so. So special in fact that I, Zeke Reinhardt, third son of the Reinhardt family went out of my way to give you…your very own “special” lesson.”

“And what kind of lesson is that?”

“Curious, aren’t you? I’ll have my friend Doyle here show you a little example. Doyle?”

As he said that, the Assassin stepped forward.

“Yes, brother.” Almost immediately afterwards, a slight tilt of my head to the right, I felt a slight pain on my left cheek. As I felt it with my right hand, it was met with a wet sensation, it wasn’t sweat. I looked at my hand and there was blood, my blood. I chuckled in response.

The Assassin, Doyle. He threw a dagger.

“You’re quick to react.” He said.

“Not quick enough it seems.” I replied.

He seemed a bit surprised, probably thought that would instantly take me out. Afterall, what else is an Assassin good for if their insta-kill skills are lacking?

Our eyes were locked on one another intently. I wouldn’t say I was relaxed but my guard wasn’t necessary that up.

It was weird, I didn’t feel threatened at all, not that he was weak mind you, just that I felt that I was strong enough to take him on. As a matter of fact, I would’ve guessed he was incredibly skilled, maybe one or two Ranks above me but I felt no fear, no sense of danger. It was as if every fibre of my being was screaming; “I can beat this guy”. He then put out his hand and the dagger he previously threw flew back to him coated with green coloured Mana as he then caught it.

“So he’s a D-Rank. That or whatever Skill he just used to bring back his dagger is D-Rank.”

I then unsheathed my blade, he responded by charging straight at me at an alarming speed so I did the same.

Then, it was on. I mean really on.

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