---
"Roan, you just need to look at my back."
Kim Shin-Hong was a member of the elite guild "Dunk" formed by Lee Roan and the main tank.
"Lee Roan..."
But Kim Shin-Hong couldn't properly fulfill his role as a tank.
He was filled with doubts, afraid, and more afraid of pain than anyone else.
Yet, because they were friends and because he was a founding member of Dunk, Lee Roan trusted him and went along with him.
"Looks like no one is going to step in for you now, huh?"
That guy hadn't changed at all.
Having betrayed him and becoming the guild leader of the "Volcano Guild," his eyes still had that same gaze from the past.
Weak and wavering eyes.
A heavy voice and tone to hide it.
"Crazy, huh?"
Lee Roan smirked.
"You wonder how I have this kind of power, how the Black Mages died, what my skills are, and what my level is...?"
Grin.
"You don't know anything, so you're going crazy."
That guy would never move unless he had confirmed information.
He always needed to understand his enemies and gather enough information before making a move.
"I got this!"
That was Kim Shin-Hong.
Even so, he had leveled up alongside Lee Roan for a long time, and before betraying him, his level had been in the 130s.
He was a ranker.
Since then, he had become the guild leader of the Volcano Guild and was supported by them, so his level had probably surpassed 150 by now.
"You're probably the same, huh?"
Kim Shin-Hong spoke with a relaxed tone.
"You probably don't know how much my level has increased or what new abilities I've gained. So just do it like you used to."
He smiled.
"Forget about your surroundings and just jump in and clash!"
"Really?"
Lee Roan opened his half-closed eyes and reached out his hand.
"I was planning to do that anyway."
Boom!
A dark bloodshot wave shot out from his palm toward Kim Shin-Hong.
Clang!
As expected, Kim Shin-Hong, using the large sword on his back, planted it into the ground and blocked the dark blood with the sword's blade.
Huff!
However, Kim Shin-Hong was pushed back, not able to completely absorb the shock.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The dark blood exploded, causing secondary damage, but Kim Shin-Hong, as a ranker, managed to block it all.
"...!"
Kim Shin-Hong tried to turn around, sensing a presence behind him.
"Looks like you haven't leveled up as much as I thought."
The voice came from right behind Kim Shin-Hong.
While blocking his view with dark blood, Lee Roan moved and positioned himself behind him.
"White Shield!"
Kim Shin-Hong's voice rang out, and with a clanking sound, a massive shield erupted from the ground, blocking Lee Roan's path.
Blocked by the giant shield, Lee Roan extended his hand again and fired another dark blood attack.
Boom!
The dark blood embedded deeply into the White Shield.
Boom!
Once again, the dark blood exploded, adding even more destructive force, but it still couldn't penetrate his shield.
For a moment, Lee Roan withdrew, creating some distance.
"Is it so obvious? I guess it was awkward for the Volcano Guild to support a betrayer like you, even after making you their raid leader."
"Shut up!"
Whoosh!
Kim Shin-Hong's massive sword slashed toward Lee Roan.
As Lee Roan bent his waist to dodge the attack, the air shifted.
The sword, which had been aiming to slash, now targeted Lee Roan's torso.
Clang!
Lee Roan fired more dark blood, redirecting the sword's trajectory.
"How... how did you get this kind of power?"
Kim Shin-Hong glared at Lee Roan.
"I'm sure you lost your player powers! How is it... how can you...!"
"I told you. I was just lucky."
"Shut up!"
This time, Kim Shin-Hong lunged in with the sword.
"Shield Will!"
Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank!
Shields sprang up around Lee Roan, trapping him like a prison.
A small crack appeared between the shields.
Kim Shin-Hong's sword slipped through the gap, heading straight for Lee Roan.
Huff, huff.
Kim Shin-Hong breathed heavily.
The dark orbs Lee Roan shot out had incredible power.
But Kim Shin-Hong was sure of one thing.
Grin.
He could only shoot those dark orbs.
If not, why would Lee Roan have fired the dark orbs when he had a chance to strike with other attacks?
"It's over."
Kim Shin-Hong's sword was already inside the gap between the shields, and Lee Roan was trapped.
This was a skill Kim Shin-Hong had yet to realize.
"Weapon Bomb."
Crash!
The sword at the tip began to crack.
Boom!
The sword exploded into thousands of shards, sending shrapnel flying.
Even in the vast open space, the power of the explosion was overwhelming, but when trapped within the shield's walls, there was no escaping it.
This was the result of all the growth Lee Roan had achieved.
"Still, I feel good about ending you with my own hands."
As Kim Shin-Hong smiled, he began to release the Shield Will.
"...!"
Kim Shin-Hong's face contorted in fear.
"How… how could you...!"
The shield crumbled, and Lee Roan's eye was revealed through the cracks, surrounded by dark energy, with shards of the sword embedded in it.
Damn it, he hadn't died.
Just as he was about to pull another sword from his waist.
"It's too late."
Lee Roan moved.
Crack!
Lee Roan's hand grabbed Kim Shin-Hong's head and slammed it into the ground.
---