Landlord World - Start with SSS talent-Chapter 273: Alex vs Garek (2)

"Your domain?" Garek suddenly sensed something was off.

But before he could dwell on it, the horde of Orcs had already charged at Alex like a pack of starving wolves.

Alex simply smiled and stomped hard on the ground.

BAM!

A thunderous impact rang out, and snow burst into the air, scattering in all directions and instantly obscuring everyone's vision.

Garek frowned at the sight, murmuring, "Assist the Orcs."

At his command, the three Orc Kings immediately moved, disappearing into the swirling snowstorm ahead like shadows in a blizzard. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

However, a full minute passed without a single sound. Garek's unease grew.

"What the hell are those Orcs doing?" he snapped. "Hurry up! Find that bastard—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Alex suddenly appeared right in front of him.

"What the—?!" Garek gasped, his eyes wide with shock.

Alex smirked with disdain. "In battle, if you kill the king first, the war ends quickly."

"You bastard!" Garek roared. "Don't underestimate me!"

He lunged forward with a punch, but Alex showed no fear or hesitation.

Alex raised his hand and caught Garek's fist mid-air.

BAM!

Even though he blocked it, the sheer force of Garek's punch caused the air to explode outward, flinging snow across the clearing.

"Impossible!" Garek exclaimed, staring in disbelief as Alex effortlessly caught his fist.

But Alex didn't bother replying. He immediately countered—his free hand clenched into a fist and rocketed toward Garek's head.

As the punch closed in, Garek's expression shifted—not to fear, but to a cruel grin. He whispered, "Foolish."

Alex: "??!!"

At that instant, a shadow darted toward Alex at blinding speed, wielding a spiked mace aimed straight at him.

Alex glanced sideways and saw it was one of the three Orc Kings. Knowing he couldn't afford to be careless, he quickly released Garek's fist and leapt back.

But Garek had no intention of letting him go. His hand shot out and grabbed Alex's arm with an iron grip, his voice filled with venom.

"You think I'm that easy?"

BAM!

The spiked mace slammed into Alex's back, forcing him to cough up a mouthful of blood.

"Pfff!" Gritting his teeth, Alex vaulted upward and struck out with both feet, kicking Garek hard in the chest.

BAM!

The kick was so powerful that it forced Garek to release Alex's arm and stagger back more than five meters.

The Orc King hesitated, unsure whether to assist Garek or continue attacking Alex.

But in that moment of indecision, Alex had already retreated, vanishing into the flurry of snow swirling through the air.

"Goddamn it!"

SLAP!

Garek, furious, slapped the Orc King across the face. "Are you stupid? Why didn't you kill him just now?!"

"AAA!! Get him! Catch him now—I don't want him dead, I want him to suffer!"

"Don't let him die! I want him alive! I want to break him… make him regret ever existing!"

The wind howled again, and the snow-filled space grew even murkier, visibility dropping with every gust.

One Orc was searching around when suddenly, two hands emerged from behind, grabbing its head.

"Ke… ke…"

Crack!!!

Before the Orc could even make a sound, its neck was snapped, killing it instantly.

Alex bowed his head, looked at the dead Orc, then raised his fist and drove it into the creature's skull.

BAM!

The blow shattered the Orc's head, splattering blood and white viscous matter across the snow.

Amid the carnage, a faintly glowing crystal appeared from within the gore.

Alex grinned. Without bothering to wipe it clean, he immediately swallowed the stone.

🔔 [Ding! You have successfully absorbed a Rank D Energy Crystal. Current power advancement: 42%.]

Seeing the notification before him, Alex nodded in satisfaction.

The wound on his back had already begun healing, and the pain had nearly vanished.

"Tsk!" Alex clicked his tongue. "Damn it! I didn't expect that bastard to trick me—he had an Orc King lying in wait."

"But it's lucky there was only one. If all three had been there, I'd be dead for sure."

"Still… the hunt has only just begun. Garek, you won't escape me."

Alex smirked, confidence radiating from him.

Why was he so confident? Because he had been trained in the harshest conditions—and more importantly, he had lived atop a snowy mountain for many years.

That's why, the moment the snow began to fall, he knew… this entire area had become his domain.

And with the techniques his master had taught him—normally effective in standard combat—they became even more devastating in snowy terrain, where he had honed them to perfection.

Alex let out a wicked grin.

He stepped back, disappearing once again into the swirling snowflakes.

"Damn it! Still haven't found that brat?!" Garek shouted in frustration.

An Orc King lowered his head and said, "Master, the snow is too thick, and we don't have enough troops, so…"

SLAP!

Before the Orc King could finish, Garek struck him with a brutal slap that sent him sprawling to the ground.

"Goddamn it! I don't want to hear any excuses. I want results—do you understand?!"

"Yes, Master," the Orc King replied with his head bowed, then quickly left.

Gritting his teeth, Garek stared into the rising wind. It was growing stronger by the second—like a blizzard was about to form.

Staying here was not a smart move, but he couldn't swallow his fury.

He wanted to find that bastard Alex and tear him to pieces—make him suffer unbearable pain for daring to wound him.

Suddenly, a system notification popped up in front of him, only adding fuel to his rage.

🔔 [Ding! 1 Orc has been killed.]

🔔 [Ding! 1 Orc has been killed.]

🔔 [Ding! 1 Orc has been killed.]

"Bastard!" Garek swung his fist, smashing it into a nearby tree with such force that the whole thing shook violently, snow raining down and burying him beneath it.

BAM!

Enraged, Garek burst out from the pile of snow, roaring with all his might: "AAA!!"

"You bastard! Don't let me catch you! If I do, I'll show you the true meaning of hell!"

"AAA!!!"

From afar, Alex heard Garek's furious scream and scoffed with disdain.

"This is only the beginning. Our little game is far from over."

At that moment, Alex was sitting high on a tree branch, gazing off into the distance.

Above, the sky was shrouded in swirling clouds, forming a massive circle of dark storm clouds.

Gale-force winds were picking up, carrying with them a torrent of snow that blanketed the entire landscape.

A blizzard was approaching.

To most, this would be a sign of death—a coming catastrophe.

But to someone like Alex, who had lived atop snowy mountains for years, this was perfectly ordinary.

In fact, with his current strength, he could move freely through a blizzard without any difficulty at all.

Sitting high on the branch, Alex held two Rank D energy crystals in his hand.

He had killed six Orcs and obtained four crystals—undeniably lucky.

Normally, energy crystals were guaranteed inside monsters of Rank D or higher.

However, for monsters summoned by a Lord, the drop rate was much lower.

Which made the fact that Alex had found four Rank D crystals all the more remarkable.

He wiped them clean and swallowed them all.

🔔 [Ding! You have successfully absorbed 4 Rank D Energy Crystals. Current power advancement: 58%.]

Alex closed his eyes, feeling the surge of strength coursing through his body. The wound on his back had completely healed.

His confidence returned. He chuckled greedily and said, "What if I kill those three Orc Kings and absorb their crystals? I'd definitely break through my current limit."

"At that point, I'll be the strongest one in this entire region."

Excitement burned in him as he imagined absorbing the three Rank C energy crystals housed inside Garek's Orc Kings.

But still, he didn't rush. He remained perched on the tree, waiting patiently for the blizzard to come.