Game Reincarnation: Reborn as the Strongest Villain

A dignified and loud voice echoed as Jin opened his eyes to turn to the source. He saw a man in his forties with a large build and thick muscle fibers hiding behind those white shirts. The man was taller than his father; Jin estimated the man's height to be around 190 cm.

Holding a piece of paper containing his information, Jin properly addresses the man and the earlier receptionist woman, who has started fidgeting since she arrived at the Arena. 

"So, Jin, is your name correct?".

"Yes?".

The man knitted his brows and alternated his gaze toward the paper, and Jin's face several times before he gave back the paper, hiding the joy of seeing an ambitious boy at that age. He purposely whispered something toward the receptionist woman, which made her flustered to her ears. 

Jin saw the man tilting his head in wonder after doing something brazen in front of a kid. However, looking at the oblivious expression on the man's face, Jin's eyes opened wide, as he couldn't believe that people like that existed. 'Woah, what a dense man!'.

"Sorry, let's start the test, shall we".

With the man's instructions, he stepped into the Arena and took something from thin air. Jin's face stiffened upon witnessing someone using a storage item beside him. He looked at the thing the man took, which baffled him. 

'Is that shield too huge?'. It was at least two meters in height and width for about one and a half, clad in silver metal that gleamed under the care of the sunlight. 

*Clank!

The man slapped the shield as he stood in front of Jin, placing it in front of him, ready, and lowering his center of gravity. 

"Give everything you got!".

Seeing the fierce glint in the man's eyes, Jin loosened the tension in his body as he inhaled deeply to calm his racing heart. Simultaneously, as he exhaled, he slid his Katana on his left side belt, tensed all the muscle around his body, lowered his stance, and prepared. 

The receptionist woman who was left behind flusteredly gazed at the two people in the Arena before shouting. 

"The test begins!".

Jin and the man stayed in their position while observing each other move. After mulling over his choices for a few seconds, Jin clenched his Katana and dashed forward. 'Well, this is a test, so I might as well show what I have!'.

He trapped the man, who stayed in position within the range of his blade. Jin inhaled, and in one fell swoop, he drew his Katana, letting it clash with the shield. 

*Clank!

A high-pitched clash resonated, but in that one collision, Jin already assumed that the man was at least as strong as his father. 

However, he had no choice in hand and began his second attack. Probably seeing Jin, who intended to resume his attack, the man slightly shifted the position of his shield so that Jin could continue. 

'This man!'. Jin briefly sees the man's eyes peeking through from the shield and sees his facial curves. There is no mistaking it; the man is enjoying this. 

He changed his grip to two-handed, positioned his stance into middle stance one, and began to launch a different kind of slash from any angle. Nine years was enough for Jin to master the basics to the limit.

However, that was just basic. Jin still didn't have many finishing moves to finish the battle. The only thing he practiced this whole year was.

"What?!". 

The man suddenly pushed the shield forward, putting a bit of distraction in Jin's focus. Not only that, the man seemed to have decided that it was his turn because the way he held the shield was different. 

He sheltered the shield in one of his hands and began to enter Jin's range. Jin tried to retaliate and deliver a horizontal slash from the man's right, but the man stomped hard and spun in his place, using the momentum to deflect the blade, making Jin's stance crumble. 

"Kuh!".

"Here comes the head!".

Jin heard the man warning and ducked away after seeing him swing his fist from the right. His body started to sweat as he could feel the residual wave from that swing. Jin would not leave unscathed if that were to hit him. 

'This man was serious!'. He was distracted for a bit, for he couldn't see a towering shield blocking his vision. 

Thanks to his trained physique, Jin acted reflexively and managed to cross his arm to block the shield bash. However, Jin couldn't help but curse his stupid choice. 

The sheer force of the impact sent a tremendous shock that jolted his nerves to scream in pain. His bones felt like they throbbed endlessly on the brink of shatter, and all his ligaments creaked unpleasantly as if they wanted to snap. 

His body couldn't handle the blow, so he needed to roll over several times before he stopped and faced the sky. The blinding light that burned his retina prompted Jin to force his body to wake up and prepare his stance once more. 

"Ouchie!".

"You okay, Kid?".

"Yeah, no problem. Let's continue!".

Even though he said that Jin was recklessly showing his brave front, he couldn't even conceal just how rough his breath was, seeing how his chest puffed in and out. 

However, the fire in his eyes was still burning, so Jin lowered his stance, carefully sheathed his Katana back into its sheath, and prepared his Iai technique. 

The man, who seemed to understand the boy's invitation, parted his lips in joy as he laughed in his heart. 'Gahaha, Ryan. Your third son was definitely something!'

"I'm coming, boy!".

As soon as the man said that, he marched forward like a mad bull with a towering shield ready to crush Jin's body into mince. 

On the other hand, Jin exhaled all the tension in his body and slowly gripped the hilt with focus. His left hand, which held the sheath, began to act as he poured enough Mana into the blade and created a tiny compressed wind on the tips of the blade. 

This is the only technique Jin has developed over the years, an Iai technique that he has modified a bit. It uses the thrust of the blasted wind on the sword tips, coupled with his own strength, to let the blade travel faster. 

He waited for the right moment to act and when the man had entered his blade range. Jin clenched his hands and blasted the wind on the blade tips, letting Jin's other hand do the rest. 

"Hm!?".

The man's body flinched, and his instinct, honed as a former adventurer, reminded him of the incoming danger. He stopped his advance and backed away, but the blade was a bit faster as it touched the side of the shield, and shockingly, it traveled smoothly like cutting butter. 

"What?".

Two voices overlapped, and when the man saw Jin, who was obviously showing such a wide gap in his defense, he switched his mind and closed the distance with the boy while gripping the boy's right wrist and placing his clenched fist before his face. 

"...I lost". Jin's weak voice escapes his lips as he faces the test with resignation. 

"Layla, change this kid's copper tag into Iron!".

"Um, is that okay?". The receptionist asked with a bit of trepidation in her tone. 

"Yeah, he shows his abilities enough, and also…".

"?".

Both Jin and the receptionist Layla tilted their heads in wonder, seeing the man's refreshing smile. He let go of Jin and began to take a distance. 

"Layla, hurry!".

"Understood! Adventure Jin, may I ask for your necklace?".

"Yes, here".

Jin handed her the necklace he still had not put on his neck. As he saw the receptionist leave, he turned toward the man, who sighed in resignation, seeing the shield had been split into two. 

"I'm sorry about the shield".

"No, don't be. This thing was just a spare anyway!".

He stiffened upon hearing a dubious remark from the man who calmly stored the destroyed item and came to his place. From the fight earlier, Jin could feel that the shield was made from something quite precious. 

It was made from the same metal, Mithril, which boasts a high endurance yet is lighter than steel. It is also good for conducting magic. Jin was told that his Katana blade was also made from Mithril. 

The man, who didn't know what had transpired in Jin's mind, approached him with a bright smile. His short brown hair reflected his neat personality with a touch of childish innocence. His facial muscles always loosened as he stared at Jin from earlier. 

"Pleased to meet you. My name is Ronald Arman. A former Mithril Adventurer, and now I am a Guild Master that managed the Guild in this town!".

"Eh? Guild Master?".

Jin saw Ronald extend his hand forward while showing his warm smile. Jin slowly sheathed his Katana's back and grasped his large, rough hand filled with calluses, a testament to his years of journey as an Adventurer. 

"My name is Jin Midnight. Third son of Viscount Midnight. I am pleased to meet you!".

"Ghahaha, I know. How were your parents doing, Jin?".

"Yes, they are doing fine. Um, by the way, are you perhaps acquaintances with my parents?".

Ronald's face stiffened, and his towering body turned stoned upon hearing Jin's simple question. Slowly, his body squirmed, and his shoulders started slumping. 

"Man, that was cruel; how could those two not tell their kid something about me?".

Jin's face starts to turn blue, seeing a large man with such a gloomy aura, with tears accumulating in his eyes. 

"Um, I'm sorry about them. So in the end, who are you to them, Guild Master?".

"...Aah, we were once a comrade that journeyed the land as an Adventurer. I was included in your father's party and worked as a tanker in the group!".

"Adventure party?".