...

    "Arrogant!" said Han after hearing how Shin acted.

    He was about to make his move and teach this guy a lesson when he suddenly saw the mask that the latter was wearing when they slightly raised their head. "You-..."

    The words were stuck in his throat for a moment due to the immense pressure that suddenly washed over him after his eyes met the latter''s gaze.

    He was only able to force out his words after using a mind-cleansing skill to strengthen his willpower. "Battle Sickarius of the Empyrean Talons!"

    "All of you, use the special drugs!" he shouted after realizing that a great enemy was standing before them.

    The others did not even hesitate after hearing his orders, especially when they heard that it was the Battle God who they would be facing.

    They all took out a pill from their inventory bags and swallowed it without any hint of hesitation.

    Shin frowned slightly after seeing this. He was not expecting that this Han guy would be this decisive. He thought that Han was too prideful to use the evil pill.

    He was expecting that his person would challenge him straight away rather than relying on these pills after seeing how confident he was in his abilities.

    Regardless, Shin could not let these people lose themselves after using these evil pills. But it was quite troublesome to kill them all in an instant because they maintained a good distance to ensure their safety while forming a formation that trapped him inside.

    "Fortunately, I am not alone," he mumbled, sending shivers down the spine of the three peak Maverick Rankers of the opposing side.

    Due to his overwhelming presence, they had overlooked that three more people were targeting them.

    Realizing this, they simultaneously turned their heads toward the other direction and quickly prepared to engage the incoming trio.

    They were the only ones, who could match the other three Rankers in this group. Then they could leave the rest to help Han at trying to take down Shin. Even if the chances were low, they had to gamble it anyway since they did not have a choice.

    The three moved quickly as they even sent an emergency message to their superiors, reporting that they had encountered the Battle God in the Plagued Lands. They even provided the coordinates, pinpointing their exact location.

    But before they could fully separate themselves from the group, Shin suddenly raised his right foot while concentrating his mana on it.

    His breathing and energy circulation also followed the Jade Kirin Scripture.

    Crackle! Crackle!

    At the same time, a series of electric currents danced around his body as he supposed the Primordial Lighting.

    In the next instant, he suddenly stomped his foot on the ground, sending a powerful ripple in the air along with a thunderous sound that shook the entire 20-meter radius around him.

    ''Personal Combat Technique: Thunderclap Step''

    Boom!

    With a clap of thunder, all the players, who were about to lose their minds from the mind corruption, suddenly snapped out of their dazed states for a moment before their minds got overwhelmed by evil thoughts once again.

    Crackle! Crackle!

    Electric currents dance in the air, immobilizing everyone who was caught in the explosion.

    Aside from Han and the three Maverick Rankers, the rest were paralyzed by the electric currents filling the air.

    Han had a solemn expression on his face as he realized that those gods standing at the peak of the game were not someone he could afford to underestimate.

    Regardless, he was not afraid as he quickly activated all the buffs available from his arsenal while entering his combat state.

    Boom!

    He kicked the ground behind him and propelled himself straight to Shin, challenging the latter.

    The follow-up attack was seamless, grasping the flaw in the opponent''s defense and striking at the perfect timing.

    If it was any other people, then they would most likely get killed in this single exchange.

    Han realized that it was too late to counter, but he would not give up that easily. He followed the backward momentum of his body to take a couple of steps back to create some space for himself.

    He then spun around while swinging the broadsword upwards, deflecting the incoming attack. He also reinforced the sword with an immense amount of mana, further enhancing his strength.

    ''Dark Military Tactics: Turning of the Thousand Troops''

    Bang!

    Following this spinning momentum, Han continued while using one of the signature skills of the berserker class the ''Whirlwind'' skill to be the main moment of his next attack.

    ''Scarlet Moon Slaying: Dark Tornado''

    Shin frowned slightly after seeing the strange moments of the Wind Elemental Mana, particularly the strong suction force that was pulling him forward.

    Despite sensing the danger from the tornado that his opponent had created, Shin took a step forward while raising the [Yamato] high up in the air.

    The black and white flashes of lighting around him suddenly gathered toward the sword, illuminating the area with the two alternating colors.

    He then swung the sword down, drawing a vertical line made of lightning that split the spinning wind along with the suction force that it carried.

    ''Jade Kirin Scripture: Fourth Movement – Tempest Stroke''

    As the creation of the tornado was stopped, Han suddenly leaped forward, charging at Shin once again.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The two exchanged a series of moves as they disappeared and reappeared in different places.

    Those who were caught in the shockwaves caused by the collisions of powers were further blasted away, sending them flying.

    ...

    At the same time, the three Maverick Rankers of the group just freed their paralyzed bodies from the lightning currents when they were greeted by a new disaster.

    "Let me take on this guy!" shouted Bryan as he appeared in front of a Fallen Human with a pair of dual swords.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The two were immediately engaged in an intense melee as Bryan fearlessly pushed forward.

    Swoosh!

    At the same time, Exheart appeared before the other Maverick Ranker, who seemed to be a knight or paladin based on their equipment. Just like the previous pair, they also engaged in battle without any greeting.

    The remaining Maverick Ranker, who was a Human Holy Mage, was about to give his two companions support when he sensed a vibration on the ground.

    Without any hesitation, he cast Blink and appeared a few meters away from his previous location.

    Bang!

    That was when a bone cage appeared from the spot where he previously stood, almost catching him.

    Turning toward another location, he saw HellBan looking at him coldly, seemingly telling him he was his opponent.

    The battlefield was immediately thrown into chaos as the two sides clashed.

    ......