Era of Players: Death God-Chapter 263: The Ones Chasing Behind 6

As the icy wind howled outside the grand pavilion, Aiden leaned back in his chair, swirling his glass of crimson wine in one hand while staring at the chessboard before him. The fire from the enchanted brazier cast long shadows across the tent, giving the room a warm yet eerie glow.

Gareth sat across from him, his brow furrowed in frustration. His hand hovered over a knight, hesitating. Every move he made, Aiden had already predicted it. Every strategy he thought of, Aiden countered effortlessly.

The game had been going for twenty minutes, but it was clear—the Von Klassen heir was toying with him.

"You're hesitating," Aiden remarked lazily, taking another sip of his wine. "That's why you're losing."

Gareth gritted his teeth. He refused to let Aiden beat him so easily.

"Aiden, do you always have to be this smug?"

Aiden smirked, resting his chin on his hand.

"If you had even a fraction of my talent, you'd be smug too."

The other lackeys sat around, some watching the chess match, others playing a card game on the side. The atmosphere was a rare one—relaxed, almost enjoyable. Despite Aiden's arrogance, he had a way of making things entertaining.

Finally, Gareth moved his knight. "There. Let's see you counter that."

Aiden barely glanced at the board. He moved his queen without hesitation, slamming it down.

"Checkmate."

Gareth's face paled. "Wha—?!"

The others leaned in to check. It was true.

"You lost again," one of them laughed. "That's four times in a row!"

Gareth sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I swear, you must be cheating."

Aiden chuckled. "Genius isn't cheating. It's just… unfair to people like you."

After the chess game, they moved to a high-stakes card game. The rules were simple—each person would bet something valuable before the game began.

Aiden tossed a small golden ring onto the table. "One hundred gold."

Gareth hesitated before tossing in a mana-enhancing gem. "I'll match your bet."

The others threw in various items—elixirs, trinkets, and rare materials they had looted from monsters.

As the game progressed, Aiden's smirk never wavered.

"You're bluffing," Gareth said, narrowing his eyes.

Aiden shrugged, taking a sip of wine. "Am I?"

The final round came. Gareth revealed his cards—a strong hand, nearly unbeatable.

The others leaned in. "That might be it…"

But Aiden calmly laid his cards down—a perfect hand.

Silence.

Gareth slammed his fists on the table. "No way!"

Aiden chuckled, gathering the winnings. "Oh, there's a way. And you walked right into it."

The others groaned. "This is why it's no fun playing against him."

Aiden leaned back, satisfied. "It's not my fault you all make poor choices."

As the games wound down and the others reluctantly handed over their losses, Aiden stood and walked to the entrance of the pavilion.

Outside, the frozen world stretched endlessly, illuminated by the pale glow of the dungeon's artificial moonlight. His breath fogged in the cold air, but he felt nothing—the fire of his mana kept him warm.

His mind wandered to Lilith.

She must be ahead of me by now.

That thought irritated him. He couldn't let her leave him behind.

Tomorrow, he would crush the third floor and close the gap between them.

With that thought, Aiden returned inside, dismissing his lackeys with a wave of his hand.

"Get some sleep. You'll need it if you want to keep up with me tomorrow."

He smirked at their exhausted faces before reclining on his luxurious bed, drifting into sleep.

Aiden woke before the artificial sun of the dungeon could rise, his red eyes gleaming with determination. As he sat up, the luxurious silk sheets slipped from his shoulders, revealing the toned physique he had honed over years of training.

Unlike his lackeys, who still snored in their beds, Aiden never allowed himself to grow complacent.

Lilith is ahead of me. Noah is ahead of me. I won't let them stay there for long.

He stepped out into the cold morning air, the ice-covered landscape stretching endlessly before him. The frozen mountains reflected the dim morning light, casting a serene yet foreboding glow over the dungeon floor.

Aiden exhaled, his breath forming a mist before disappearing into the crisp air.

"Time to get started."

Aiden didn't believe in idleness. He trained every morning, even in a dungeon. With a deep breath, he channeled his mana, his longsword igniting with flames.

He took his stance.

Swing!

The fire-coated blade cut through the air, melting the snow beneath him.

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Wind gathered around his legs, propelling him forward in a blur of speed.

With a quick pivot, he leaped onto a frozen boulder, delivering a downward flaming strike that split the stone in half. The force sent a shockwave rippling through the icy ground.

The combination of fire and wind gave him unparalleled agility and power—speed to overwhelm, flames to devastate.

But he was not satisfied.

He pushed himself harder, performing a hundred slashes, each one faster and deadlier than the last. His muscles burned, but he relished the pain. It was proof of his progress.

By the time his lackeys awoke, Aiden had already prepared himself for departure.

"Get up," he ordered, his voice sharp as a blade.

His subordinates scrambled awake, rubbing sleep from their eyes.

"Breakfast?" Gareth muttered, yawning.

Aiden scoffed. "We eat while moving. We lost enough time already."

He waved his hand, and a few enchanted bread rolls materialized from his spatial ring. Food fit for nobility, rich with mana and sustaining properties.

The lackeys quickly grabbed their portions, chewing as they followed Aiden toward the entrance of the third floor.

As they walked, Gareth glanced at Aiden.

"You're really in a rush to catch up, huh?"

Aiden didn't respond. He didn't need to.

He would catch up to Lilith. He would surpass Noah.

No matter what it took.

The third floor was harsher than the previous ones, its blizzards relentless. Towering ice beasts roamed, their eyes glowing with unnatural energy.

Aiden welcomed the challenge.

The first monster they encountered—a massive ice-fanged direwolf—barely had time to react.

Aiden dashed forward, flames coating his blade, and delivered a devastating horizontal slash. The wolf let out a piercing howl before its body collapsed into smoldering ice shards.

His lackeys barely had time to react.

"Damn…" Gareth muttered. "At least let us do something!"

Aiden smirked, wiping the blade clean. "Keep up, then."

They pressed forward, tearing through monster after monster. Each enemy fell faster than the last, their bodies reduced to molten puddles in the snow.

By the time six hours had passed, Aiden had annihilated every major threat on the third floor.

He arrived at the exit first, not a single scratch on him.

His lackeys stumbled behind, panting, exhausted.

"How… are you not tired?" one of them asked.

Aiden simply smirked, stepping into the portal to the fourth floor.

"I'm just built differently."