Raydon had an insatiable greed for a life of unrestricted freedom, and in his previous life, the betrayals of those he held dear were what limited his pursuit of such freedom.
However, he was also unlucky in the sense that, as a member of the socially inclined human race, it was impossible for him to lead an entirely solitary life. As a result, he viewed the challenges he faced as a game in which he had to prevail in order to achieve his goals.
Therefore, in this new life, he had only one expectation from the people he had with him, and that was another reason why he continued to help Dan and the others.
Loyalty.
It was unacceptable for him to be in the company of a person who was not loyal to him.
"So it looks like I won't be able to get what I want as long as she's still alive, huh?" '' Raydon said with a twisted smile on his face. And along with that smile, intense black flames erupted from his body, and gray smoke emanated from the corners of his mouth.
Finally, he let his anger take over.
''Wha…? ''
Tika's heart skipped a beat as she sensed the foreboding aura emanating from Raydon. Instinctively, she turned her gaze towards Cael and the others, seeking their guidance and reassurance.
'What are they thinking? ' Her eyes widened when she realized that they were simply watching in silence without any intention of interfering.
There was even an extra look of surprise and wonder on their faces, as they watched Raydon use yet another technique.
''What do you want? '' Tika was forced to retreat involuntarily as soon as she turned her attention back to Raydon because he greeted her with a pair of eyes that radiated with the intent to kill.
'He wants to kill me. ' The thought of the answer to her own question filled her mind with fear.
If Tika had been confronted with Raydon's wrath some time ago, it would not have been enough to frighten her. However, now that she has seen Raydon's strength, she cannot help but be terrified of him. And when she saw that the family had no plans to help her, the tension she was feeling got even worse.
'He should still be an F-Rank. He should not have the power to harm me. ' She made an effort to calm herself down by persuading herself that Raydon's apparent strength was only an illusion created by the technique he possesses.
''Shield of W… '' As Tika witnessed Raydon's menacing intent and anticipated his impending attack, she instinctively attempted to activate her defensive skill. However, before she could do so, a hand engulfed in black flames swiftly gripped her mouth, preventing her from using her skills.
It was a stroke of bad luck that her defensive type skill had such a long name, to begin with, and it only got worse from there.
Despite Tika's impressive strength as an E-Rank item holder, Raydon's recent boost in agility, coupled with the berserker technique he was employing, granted him exceptional speed. Caught off guard by his sudden acceleration, Tika found herself unable to react in time to his lightning-fast movements.
"You thought you were quite a big deal in front of me, didn't you? " Raydon said as he stared into Tika's terrified eyes and her face, which he had started to burn with his dark flames.
It was the same sentence that Tika had said a while ago because she continued to believe that Raydon was a weakling.
She was able to temporarily block out the shock and pain that was written all over her face, and she quickly reached into her dimensional storage to retrieve a short blue dagger, which she then swung at Raydon's neck.
In that critical moment, Tika couldn't be certain if the attack would prove fatal, but she knew it would inflict severe injuries on Raydon. However, she had no time or inclination to ponder the consequences. Survival became her sole focus, consuming her thoughts as she fought to save her own life.
Unfortunately for Tika, the knife thrust that was supposed to kill or at the very least seriously injure Raydon did not even succeed in making him feel the slightest bit of discomfort when it landed on his throat.
''Rusty Chain. ''
During the time that Tika was once again taken aback by Raydon's unexpectedly high defense, Raydon took advantage of the gap and utilized his skill.
Raydon, using movements that were both swift and precise, swung the chain that was ablaze with black flames, which quickly entangled itself around Tika's body. The hellish shackles were wrapped so tightly around her that she was rendered completely immobile and unable to break free.
'I will die. ' As she became aware of how desperate her situation was, tears started to fall from her melting eyes, but they were immediately extinguished by the heat of the black flames.
Tika, who was now as helpless as a fish caught in a net and was staring death in the face, turned to look at Cael and the others for one last glimmer of hope. However, when she realized that they were just watching and wouldn't interfere, she understood that she had come to an end.
She had just begun to accept her impending death when Raydon's icy voice echoed in her head.
''Being lucky doesn't change the fact that you're weak. ''
It was her luck that the family took her from the slums and turned her into a battle maid.
''Even now, nobody cares about you; all of their attention is focused on me. ''
These were the words Tika had said to Raydon a while ago. She emphasized the fact that Raydon was still a nobody and that his master was the primary focus of the family's attention.
But now, hearing this sentence again, she understood. She was the one who is weak and unimportant now, and the family has already dismissed her as a sacrifice to calm Raydon's anger for the sake of the family's own interests.
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