Chapter 727: Threat

"Omar, we found this place and the lake full of lightning essence stones first—it’s ours, so you should just go away," Arlen said, trying his best to keep his voice steady even though his fists were clenched tight at his sides, his face a mixture of frustration and desperation as he attempted to reason with the red-haired young man standing so arrogantly before them.

But Omar merely threw back his head and let out a sharp, mocking laugh, his fiery hair almost seeming to spark in the dim light. "Yours?" he repeated, his voice dripping with scorn. "The moment I laid eyes on those lightning essence stones, they were already mine." His laughter rolled through the clearing, full of cruel pleasure, as though the idea of stealing from others gave him genuine delight.

Arlen’s jaw tightened as he bit out, "Don’t be so unreasonable, Omar," his teeth gritted and voice trembling slightly with barely contained anger.

Omar tilted his head, his expression turning sinister, his lips curling into a cold smile. "Unreasonable?" he sneered softly, a glint of deadly amusement flashing in his eyes. "You haven’t even seen me being unreasonable yet." His gaze shifted sharply to the three experts standing just behind him, all of them radiating the dangerous aura of 6th level Champion Rank experts.

Omar’s voice dropped to an icy tone as he gave a merciless command. "Kill them all." The words fell like a blade through the tense silence.

Max’s eyes, which had been calm moments before, turned as cold and sharp as shards of ice, his expression hardening instantly upon hearing Omar order their deaths so casually.

It might have been one thing, he thought bitterly, if Omar had only demanded their storage rings—they could have negotiated, or found a way to escape—but to kill them all for no reason other than greed and arrogance ignited a searing fury deep in Max’s chest, his hands trembling slightly as he prepared himself for the coming fight.

"Everyone, when I start talking to Omar, you all need to be ready to flee," Max instructed his companions through a voice transmission, his mental voice low and urgent, as he kept his eyes trained on Omar and the group of powerful experts now looming over them like predators.

Arlen immediately shot back a worried response, unable to hide the strain in his mental tone. "What about you?" he demanded, his brows furrowed deeply as he glanced sideways at Max.

Although he knew Max was stronger than the rest of them, the sheer number of enemies—especially with high-level Champion Rank experts on Omar’s side—made it nearly impossible for Arlen to imagine Max getting out of this alive if he stayed behind.

But Max responded swiftly, his mental voice calm but filled with a sharp edge of urgency. "I have a way to escape from them," he assured, flicking a brief look toward Arlen before returning his focus to their enemies. "I’ve comprehended the space concept, so I can teleport all over the place. Don’t worry about me—they won’t be able to catch me."

He spoke with such quiet confidence that for a moment, Arlen hesitated, caught between doubt and reluctant hope.

Max continued quickly, wanting to give them no room for hesitation. "The moment I attack, you guys must run. Don’t even think about looking back. It would be best if you all leave the Berserk Lightning Region entirely and head straight for the closest White Town Region. Once you’re there, use the black cube to enter the Battle Realm—I’ll meet you inside. From there, we’ll regroup and make our way to the Hunter Association."

As his mind raced, calculating every step, Max added one last thought, his mental voice lighter but still resolute. "Oh, and don’t worry about the lightning essence stones—I’ve got a way to get those too." His eyes glimmered for an instant with determination, as though even in this life-and-death moment, he refused to leave empty-handed.

Arlen frowned for the briefest moment, the muscles in his jaw tightening as countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but then he took a deep breath and nodded firmly to Max, his eyes steady and resolute despite the tension swirling around them. "Take care, we’ll see you at the Battle Realm," he said, his voice low but laced with quiet determination, accepting that staying would only weigh Max down in the coming fight.

Deep down, he knew they would be nothing but a hindrance against opponents so overwhelmingly powerful, and with a heavy heart, he chose the wiser path—to retreat and regroup rather than die uselessly here.

Everything they discussed had unfolded in the span of mere seconds, spoken silently through void transmission so swiftly and seamlessly that to Omar and his group, it simply appeared as if the people from the Great Ruler Empire were frozen in fear, staring mutely and trembling under the oppressive aura radiating from Thunder Monarch Hall’s geniuses.

To Omar, it looked like a satisfying spectacle—his enemies too terrified even to speak.

Just then, cutting through the charged silence like a blade, Max stepped forward, his expression cool and composed, shoulders squared as he met Omar’s gaze head-on. "You must be Young Master Omar," Max said smoothly, his voice carrying an even, respectful tone that held just the faintest trace of flattery. "I have long heard about your greatness."

The sudden address seemed to catch Omar off guard for a fraction of a second. Up until that moment, Omar’s sharp eyes had been focused solely on Arlen and the others—the experts he considered worthy of his attention, all of whom were at the 5th level of Champion Rank.

He had completely ignored Max, dismissing him as insignificant, since Max’s aura marked him merely at the 1st level of Master Rank—a realm Omar deemed far too weak to bother noticing.

But now, as Max’s calm words cut through the tension, Omar’s eyes finally shifted, narrowing slightly as he turned his full attention toward the young man he had overlooked, curiosity and a flicker of irritation mingling in his crimson gaze.