PS: The Chapter before this has been updated. Groka is a B-Rank instead of an A-Rank.

***

One would think that since Silas was an S-Rank, clashing with Groka, who was a B-Rank, was a battle already won. Well, they wouldn’t be wrong to assume that, but the truth was... It wasn’t always the case. S-Rank was more powerful than a B-Rank, very true. But there were other factors involved in a full battle, especially one against a freaking 8-foot-tall Orc Chieftain with a club the size of a small tree!

My bad.

Against such a monster, rank would mean shit if you aren’t careful. The first exchange nearly got him killed. Well, he could survive, but it would prove difficult, obviously. The monster’s fist was bigger than his head, and he used a freaking club! The moment Groka moved, the ground exploded under his feet as he became a blur of green muscle and killing intent, shooting toward Silas. The club came first.

BOOM!

The earth ruptured, but Silas had vanished from where he stood. The massive weapon crashed down, creating another crater. Before Groka could pull it back, Silas slammed his fist into his jaw. The impact twisted the chieftain’s head sideways, causing the surrounding orcs to gasp. Groka staggered a single step and grinned. His fist came flying and Silas crossed his arms.

CRACK!

Pain exploded through his body as he was launched through several trees. Wood shattered and branches rained from above.

"Silas!" Gromda screamed.

The pink-haired youth rolled across the ground before digging his feet into the soil. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

"Okay..." He wiped it away. "That actually hurt."

Groka laughed, a deep, booming laugh.

"You are weak!"

The giant charged again, but this time, Silas didn’t dodge. He activated Thread Sight, and countless lines appeared around Groka. Muscle threads, balance threads, structural threads, and weakness threads. Even he was amazed anytime he used his ability. Just these two skills, Sight and Perception made him feel like a cheat, but who cared? He obviously didn’t and no one could complain. They all had their abilities and this was his.

The world slowed while the giant’s movements suddenly became obvious and predictable. His actions became crude, despite them being powerful. The club descended but Silas stepped sideways in a fraction of a second, and the weapon missed.

His hand shot out, grabbing Groka’s wrist, twisted it, and pulled. The giant stumbled, surprise appearing on his face. Silas’s knee drove upward, connecting directly with the orc’s chin. The giant’s feet left the ground and the watching orcs collectively froze. Their chieftain was sent flying.

"What the hell..." one muttered.

Groka crashed down and the earth trembled, but before he could recover, pink arrows appeared, hundreds of them, pointing toward him. A glowing circle manifested behind Silas, causing the air to vibrate. Groka’s eyes widened.

"WHAT!"

SHHHHHHK!

The arrows descended, raining on him. The battlefield vanished beneath pink light, while explosions echoed everywhere. Trees disappeared while grasslands were erased, causing the surrounding orcs to flee in terror. When the light faded, Groka remained standing, but barely. His body was covered in wounds, blood pouring from dozens of injuries. One of his arms hung uselessly, but he laughed. The mad bastard laughed.

"GOOD!" He slammed his fist against his chest. "GOOD!"

His aura erupted, green mana exploding around him. The remaining grass flattened and the ground cracked. The chieftain had finally become serious.

"So this human can fight!" Silas grinned, clearly enjoying the fight. He could feel his blood boiling and his senses screaming. His eyes glowed.

"So ugly can survive!" Groka roared, and the battle resumed. This time, neither of them held back. The two became blurs of fists, a club, kicks, impact, blood, and destruction. The surrounding landscape became unrecognizable the more they clashed. A hill collapsed, trees flew, and the earth split open. At one point, Silas was smashed through a boulder.

At another point, Groka lost three teeth from a punch. Minutes passed, but none of them retreated or yielded. Then Silas saw it, a weakness. A thread projected a single opening to him. At the same time, Groka raised his club too high, planning to smash Silas to the ground.

Silas moved straight forward as the club descended. When he got close enough, he slipped underneath it and grabbed the handle. Groka’s eyes widened as Silas twisted the club, and the weakened chieftain lost his grip. The giant club left his hands, fear appearing on his face.

Silas caught the weapon, and the sheer weight nearly pulled him into the ground. His muscles screamed, while his veins bulged, but he held it. Even with all his strength that allowed him to rip a metallic table off a bolted floor, the club was too much for him. He was literally holding a tree.

Thread Perception guided every movement, every balance point, and every ounce of force. Silas spun, making the giant club howl through the air. Groka tried to retreat, but it was too late—the weapon connected with the side of his skull, causing a shockwave to explode across the battlefield. The chieftain’s head snapped sideways, and his massive body crashed to the ground.

But Silas wasn’t done. He lifted the club again and brought it down on his head. The earth shook, blood sprayed, and the sound of bone shattering echoed grimly. The fourth strike ended everything. Silas stood there breathing heavily.

Groka no longer had a head recognizable as a head; only a ruined mess remained. Silence covered the battlefield as every being, orc, Gromda, and hidden monsters stared at the pink-haired guy. Silas rested the giant club on his shoulder, smiling.

Then he pointed the club at the remaining orcs.

"Anybody else?"

Nobody moved: not a single soul. One orc immediately dropped to his knees, followed by another. Soon dozens of orcs were kneeling. Their chieftain was dead. A new monster stood before them. It was in their nature to follow the powerful and strive to become powerful too.

To Silas, though, this was just the start of conquest. He loved the sound of that. It was unexplainable.