"The Victor: Player Clark Colter!" The Dungeon Spirit announced after a gruesome death that took 5 long minutes to end.
It was also at this time when our bored gamer opened his eyes once more.
"SIGH!"
"I did not even have to lift one finger to do the job." Clark shook his head in lament.
"Take me back." He instructed after a few more breaths.
"FLASH!" The world around our good gamer crumbled to nihility and within seconds, he was transported once again to a place of celebration and mirth.
It was only funny to see that the supposed to be positive atmosphere in the location was degraded into a chorus of open shock.
Everyone else on the scene could not believe what they have just witnessed on their cell phones. Perhaps only our very own protagonist remained calm and composed through it all.
Murder was already an old profession in his trade. Ten beats of awkward silence persisted before our avid gamer finally decided to break the ice.
He was much too old to have the patience to dawdle around in impotent idleness.
"So who is next in line?" Clark said gently but to the people around him, it seemed like someone had just roared in their ears.
The deafening silence was that extreme from a moment prior.
"..." The young men that was so eager to put our bored gamer in his place earlier was nowhere to be seen at this moment.
Almost everyone of them could only curse at Clark for this shame. Alas, not all of them remained cowed after that gory picture of death.
"Let me try!" A determined 21 year old boy stood up to the challenge.
"Very brave. Come then." Clark nodded his approval on this heroic soul.
But it was also at this time when someone regained their senses and had to choose to dissuade any further barbarity from taking place in this auspicious night.
This was supposed to be an evening of life and happiness! Not death!
"I won't allow it!" It was Bradley Victoria who spoke at this time.
"Stand down, Marvin!" He added a second later. Marvin was the son of one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the country. Thomas Blake!
Marvin and Amber would have absolutely made a great pair but alas, it was very sad that a boy named Clark Colter had entered into the fray before Bradley Victoria could set an arranged wedding between the two.
"Let me do this, Uncle Bradley! I can beat him even with my eyes closed!" Marvin resisted with great tenacity.
He was already planning to end more than our bored gamer's career from 1 year ago. It was only unfortunate that the constant presence of bodyguards and private armies were standing between Marvin and his wishes.
But tonight was different. It was like the stars had aligned for him in order to finally see his dream come true. Clark Colter's handsome face pulverized into a scarred sorry mess.
'Tonight will be the night that I will humiliate you in front of Amber! After that, i shall kill you with my own bare hands!' Marvin Blake vowed deep within him.
"But..." Bradley was still hesitating on how to proceed at this point. He had seen firsthand how our bored gamer had defeated the man named Luis.
The poor guy was only outsmarted to death because of the terrain.
Bradley did not know how Clark knew about the rituals involved to survive that particular setting but he was not about to bet Marvin's life in the process.
If something happened to the young promising boy, there would be grave repercussions in Thomas Blake's anger in the aftermath.
It was a possibility that Bradley did not want to entertain at all! For his peace of mind and security. Not in a hundred years!
"Stop him, Karen!" Bradley ordered his most capable chess piece in place. His loyal assistant of course.
"BANG!" A quick shadow descended atop Marvin's head.
It was about to grasp his neck like a helpless puppy but it was also in that moment that another agile force stepped in to bar the attempt.
A brief engagement happened in the center of the party. Only one strike was released but the damage that it has brought on the place was absolutely serious.
The evergreen stone floors on the left side of Marvin were cracked in a deep and ugly mess.
A wrinkle of irritation showed briefly on the forehead of Clark the moment he saw the effect of these unruly punks.
"Why don't you teach them some manners, Blood Twin."
Our bored gamer muttered and he did not even have to wait for a half breath before a new commotion entered into everyone's perception.
"FLASH!" Karen and the other yet to be known man or woman were about to hit once more.
Alas, both of them lost balance of their faculties and before they knew it, they were already hanging upside down in front of the stunned audience in the party.
It was a surprise that Marvin's helper was also a woman and a very beautiful woman at that. In the end, two lovely ladies were on display in such a very compromising situation.
"Release Miss Karen at once!" A goon on Bradley's side roared. It was easy to say that this one might have been enamored by the innate charm of the sexy belle.
He charged in and he was joined by 10 of his comrades in a matter of seconds. They were berserk with rage to say the least.
"Let go of Ma'am Rose!" On the other side, Marvin's bodyguards also joined in on the fun. They were fast and agile. Almost inhuman in skill.
This was because they were all of them supernaturals to begin with. About a dozen of them to rescue the damsel in distress. They tried but that was all they accomplished.
"BOOM!" More than 20 pairs of feet left the ground and they too were strung upside down on the air like helpless fishes above water.
They struggled and all but they could not even speak to raise their discontent and rage with words.
"..." It was at this time that Blood Twin finally emerged from the shadows. He stood beside our bored gamer and inspected his handiwork with indifference.
"You did well, Blood Twin. Kindly repair the place for me also. I don't want to ruin my beautiful girlfriend's party after all." Clark ordered his best summon amongst trillions.
"..." Blood Twin merely nodded in assent and moved not once inch.
"BOINK!" The cracked evergreen stone floors mended on themselves and before long, it returned to their pristine condition before destruction ever took place on their smooth surfaces.
"Who the hell is this old man?!" This was the question on everyone's mind right now.
This query was particularly of utmost importance to Marvin, Bradley and of course Mister Steven Price. The 3 of them were dying to know the answer to this mystery.
"So shall we start?" Our bored gamer smiled towards Marvin.
Since there were no more hindrances to their bout, it would be too anticlimactic to not push through with the earlier agreement that they had.
Clark looked around the silent hanging bodies in the air and thought on how lucky these people were.
If these were any place else other than here, they would have no doubt met their makers on this very fateful night.
It was good that our avid gamer was always thinking about Amber's interest first and foremost.
He did not want to be the reason to end this celebration prematurely in this very early hour of the eve.
"Of course! I am not one to back down on my word!" Marvin replied with admirable confidence.
Although he did not know who that old man or how powerful he was but he had seen better in his father's employ.
This much strength was nothing in comparison to the experts that his father had personally groomed to support their clan in these extremely tumultuous times.
Marvin touched his diamond watch and a breath later, he vanished into one of the faraway dungeons in this world.
"One hundred points for guts, I'd give him that at least. And an equal point for stupidity perhaps?" Clark chuckled at his own sad jest.
He did not go away fast like last time but was civil enough to comfort the feelings of someone who had just lost one expensive investment in this game of life. Even if the sentiment was fake.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Uncle Steve. It was not my intention at all to end Luis' life. It was only an accident." Clark's acting was perfect as always.
If he said these words after he went out from the dungeon battle, it would have been totally acceptable. But now, this much was pure garbage talk already.
At least our bored gamer was not one to be subtle in his punches unto someone who was foolish enough to play with him right from the beginning.
Steven Price would have a bad bad end after this night ended.
"It's nothing, Clark. You don't need to punish yourself for that. As they say, what happens in the dungeons, stay in the dungeons. In the eyes of the law, you are innocent and blameless." Steven replied.
This was of course the unspoken rule that was given unto dungeon battles. It was beyond the powers of the authorities to handle.
Especially since the combatants that entered such life and death battles chose to go in using their own free will and no one else's.
"I see. I will visit you shortly after tonight, Uncle Steve. I want to get to know Luis' family and perhaps give aid to them in any way I could. And I also wish to return the favor."
Clark's last sentence sounded off but he did not care at all. It was his way of saying hello to the soon to be dead.
Our bored gamer was about to touch the diamond watch on his wrist when he heard a voice stop him in place.
"Don't kill the boy, Clark." This was none other than Bradley Victoria.
He was not sure about what would happen next but his gut feeling was telling him that Marvin would not go out unscathed in this dungeon battle.
And Bradley had learned to trust his instincts. This had served him well in combat before. He lived through them and more! Bradley was still in one piece.
"I shall follow my Father in Law's wishes. Hmmm... I'm glad that you have that much confidence in me, Father in Law." Clark smiled and looked in Amber's way. He could see concern and worry shine in her eyes.
"This will be fast. I promise." Our bored gamer said to Amber and then he was gone for the second time of the night.