The main reason Dan wasn't wearing the gloves was that he wanted to show Raydon the results of his hard work. And just as he desired, he noticed the gray tattoo with the number 2 written on Dan's hand.

'So, my previous assumptions were accurate, huh?'

Raydon had been piecing together the memory fragments this body had since his first match and had come to the conclusion that awakening was all about techniques and potential. And now, seeing Dan as an item holder, he realized his efforts had not been in vain and grinned.

''Good, you did well and awakened. ''

Upon hearing what Raydon said, Dan's eyes welled up and his lips trembled as he finally heard the words he'd been waiting to hear. The difficulties he had endured while living in the slums began to feel lighter all of a sudden. He came to the realization that all of his previous struggles had been worthwhile in the end.

His hopes for a life free from worry and danger had, at last, come true. And there in front of him, recognizing his efforts, was the person who had made this possible.

Dan was looking for the right phrase to express his emotions and graduate for Raydon when suddenly Karan and the others' voices could be heard in the street.

''Boss, Master is back?'' Karan exclaimed as he rushed toward them.

''Whoah, master has returned, hurry.'' Fatty Sami ran past Karan and shouted at a speed that was unexpected given his heavy mass.

Within this short time frame, ten of the people Raydon has been training and a group of others who had been living in the warehouse had gathered outside of Raydon's apartment.

Everyone just stood there as Raydon's eyes suddenly locked with theirs. They were as clueless as Dan about how to properly welcome this god.

''Welcome back, master. '' After a lengthy awkward pause, one of the youths in the group finally spoke while saluting like a soldier.

*Pat*

''Hey, why did you hit my head?''

"Are you a moron? What kind of greeting is that? '' Fatty Sami cried out in rage after giving the boy a swift blow to the head and some common sense.

Not too long ago, even the all-powerful Shadow Messenger trembled at the mention of this god's name and kneeled down. And now Sami was so infuriated by the dummy's ridiculous greeting that he couldn't hold back his anger.

''T-then what.. ''

Right as the young man was about to inquire as to what the proper greeting would be, Dan's firm and bright voice echoed through the grimy and shaded street.

''Please forgive us for our lack of manners, master. Since we have all spent our entire lives in these filthy, ignorance-stricken neighborhoods, we do not know how to express our respect for others or our sense of inferiority. ''

Dan choked back the tears that threatened to escape his eyes and sank to his knees. There were countless things he wanted to say to Raydon and express his gratitude for, but he simply couldn't find the right words. So he decided to stop trying to express his gratitude to Raydon verbally and instead show it through his actions for the rest of his life.

Finally, he realized that the proper way to greet Raydon was to kowtow before him like a loyal subject would a king or a devoted servant would a god.

''Welcome back, master. ''

Following Dan's lead, the rest of the group knelt and said the same thing in unison, drowning out the rest of the neighborhood in their voices.

''Welcome back, master. ''

As Raydon gazed in wonder at the people kneeling before him, he had no idea that this greeting would become a legend among the inhabitants of this world for many years.

Locals who witnessed today's thunderous greeting would tell their children about it for years to come, pointing to the statue where Raydon now stands and noting that this was the spot where the God was first greeted by his subjects after his descent to Earth.

—

'What the hell is this? It's so cringe. ' As Raydon heard the ear-splitting greeting, his expression grew ugly. In his previous world, he was also known as a god, but that was merely a title, and he never anticipated that someone would kneel before him and offer him their loyalty.

'Are these guys stupid or something? I only trained them for a few days, and they've already gone insane? ' Raydon thought for a moment as he stared at the crowd, their heads down and unwilling to get up.

He had no idea what had happened after his battle with Herman, and his sole purpose in training Dan and the others was to gain their trust and use them as trustworthy men if at all possible. But he had not expected them to go so far as to kneel before him to demonstrate their devotion.

'Anyway, I'm not sure what's going on, but they seem sincere about their commitment.' Raydon murmured, massaging his temples with his hand. Unaware of the misunderstandings going on behind his back, he accepted the situation for the time being.

''You may rise. '' Atmosphere causing him to follow suit, he raised his hand and said.

With Raydon's permission, everyone rose to their feet at once and gazed up at him with worshipful eyes.

'Shit, It's just too embarrassing. ' Raydon was feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the adoring gazes of the group.

"Master, I have a message to deliver. ''

Raydon was contemplating whether he should leave this insane cult and relocate when he heard Dan's voice and turned to face him.

''What it is? ''

He asked curiously. He recognized the clothes Dan was wearing as system items and wondered where they came from. After all, even if he killed someone during the match, what were the odds of that person dropping the entire set?

Dan stated, ''The message is from a member of the Trade Organization known as Fang the Butcher, a mid-rank item holder. ''

''Fang the Butcher? ''

Raydon expressed surprise at hearing the name and inquired.

''Who is that? ''

He had no idea who Fang was.

---historical

This story exists not because I wrote it, but rather because of your support, which drives me to write it.

Thank you for all your support.

---