?


    Elena ignored the Prince. "Ren, if it''s gold you want, you can always marry me, and you will have all the gold of the eleven realms within the palm of your hands."


    Ren doubted that.


    "Marry her?" Isolde raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.


    Ren quickly deflected the topic, saying, "Let''s not talk about that." He turned his attention to Scar, preparing for their one-on-one fight.


    On the other side, Invayne whispered to Scar, "We''ll support you if needed."


    "Don''t interfere, or those two NPCs will spring into action," Scar replied. "Focus on powering up those items first, and victory will be ours in the end."


    Scar then approached Ren, leaving a distance of about twenty meters between them. Once he initiated the attack, the battle began.


    As the battlemenced, Scar began with a series of dark spells, testing the waters against Ren''s defense.


    "You should have epted my offer without resistance," Ren taunted, skillfully deflecting Scar''s spells with ease. "It would have saved you a lot of money. Now, your greed will cost you four times as much."


    Scar sneered in response. "We''ll see about that."


    Scar had spent thest months since his recement as the leader of ck Lion wisely. He had acquired the rare ss of Necromancer and obtained impressive equipment such as the [Bone Armor of the Dead], which provided a substantial boost to his defense and magic defense, along with the ability to reflect a portion of physical damage back to the attacker.


    Additionally, Scar wielded a legendary-grade weapon known as [The Grimoire of Bones], enhancing his intelligence and granting him a significant increase in magical power. The tome also allowed him to unleash its unique spell [Bone Shards] when attuned to it.


    Scar''s confidence surged as he assessed his armor and weaponry. With his powerful spells and formidable equipment, he believed he could ovee Ren''s challenge.


    Scar didn''t think twice and unleashed the spell [Bone Shards]; the ground trembled, and the bones of the deceased surged forth, transforming into lethal shards.


    With a wave of his hand, Scar directed the onught of bone fragments toward Ren, intending to overwhelm him with necromantic force.


    Ren, however, stood his ground, unfazed by the impending attack. He had already assessed Scar''s abilities and equipment, knowing that his own stats far surpassed his opponent''s.


    Challenging him to a one-on-one battle was Scar''s grave mistake, and Ren was determined to demonstrate the vast difference in their power to shatter his pride.


    The bone fragments tore through the air, colliding with Ren and triggering a devastating explosion. Debris and dust filled the surroundings, obscuring the oue of the attack.


    Amongst the members of ck Lion, smiles spread across their faces, convinced that Ren had been dealt a fatal blow.


    "He''s done for!" eximed Robert triumphantly.


    "He won''t survive that," added Mike, his grin reflecting his deep-seated animosity toward anyone named Ren.


    Invayne chimed in, providing additional insight. "The [Bone Shards] spell amplifies its magical damage based on the number of shards that hit the target. With Scar''s impressive INT stat, which exceeds 200, there''s no way that guy can survive such an onught."


    Joker shrugged without care. "I doubt that. He could have dodged it if he wanted to."


    Invayne was about to argue, but Angelica interjected, her tone urgent. "Focus on powering up those items, and quickly."


    "I don''t think that''s necessary--!"


    Invayne''s words trailed off abruptly as the dust settled, revealing Ren still standing, unscathed. The damage inflicted upon him hadn''t even reached 500.


    Ren casually tossed a [Greater HP Potion] he had concocted, replenishing his health to its maximum. "We can keep going like this all day. And just so you know, I have an endless supply of these potions." He possessed an abundance of herbs stored in his [Dimensional Ring], ensuring a constant source for crafting potions.


    The herbs he had obtained before were already thriving on the shell of the [Tortobas], providing him with an unlimited ingredient base for creating simple potions such as the greater restoration potions like HP and MP.


    Though these simple potions couldn''t fully restore a thousand HP, they could easily replenish the lost -500 HP.


    "Give me everything you''ve got. Show me a blow that could kill me in a single strike," Ren challenged.


    A smirk yed on the corner of Scar''s lips as his gaze intensified, locking onto Ren.


    Invayne''s disbelief was palpable. "W-what on earth is he?" She couldn''t fathom how Ren had survived such a devastating spell. He was the first yer to ever withstand that spell.


    Joker let out a bored yawn as if the situation didn''t concern him. "He''s our Host. The one who opened the Fey Realm and dared to venture into this ce alone. Give him some credit. Frankly, I''d be disappointed if he had perished so easily," he chuckled.


    Invayne red at him, her frustration evident. "Is everything a joke to you?"


    Joker nonchntly shrugged, his eyes holding a sense of wisdom beyond his casual demeanor. His lips wore a smile, but his gaze conveyed seriousness. "In a way, yes. Soon enough, you''lle to understand that taking everything too seriously can drive you mad."


    Invayne couldn''t contain her frustration. "You are infuriating," she grumbled.


    Joker simply smirked. "One of my many fine qualities."


    Deciding it was best to ignore him or she would pop a vein, Invayne turned her attention back to the battle. Scar unleashed another flurry of spells at Ren, giving the impression that he was fighting with all his might and struggling against him.


    After nearly ten minutes had passed, Ren grew suspicious. He realized that Scar was merely stalling for time.


    "You . . ." Ren set down his scepter and regarded Scar with a serious gaze. "What are you nning?"


    Instead of answering, Scar''s face twisted into a sinister grin. "Ah, you truly are perceptive. I underestimated your instincts. As I thought, I could only fool you for this long."


    Ren refrained from responding, knowing that he had fallen into a trap. Before he could react, a blinding light erupted into the sky, momentarily overwhelming his vision.


    When his vision cleared, Ren found himself alone with Isolde. Elena and the Prince were nowhere in sight.