Chương 288

Slash. [You have dealt 22, 400 damage to the target.] Kkieeek! [The Ridgeback Lizard (Lv. 380) has been defeated.] The massive lizard collapsed. Its heavy scales clattered against the rocky ground before its body dissolved into grey ash. Hurent flicked his wrist. He dismissed his aura blade. The salt breeze blowing in from the Red Sea ruffled his hair. He checked his system window. [32, 340, 100 experience has been acquired.]"Good," Hurent muttered.

He looked at the towering peaks of the Stormbreak mountain range in the distance. The terrain here was rugged and unforgiving. The monsters roaming these jagged cliffs and salt-stained valleys were all over level 380. Right now, most of the top 1, 000 rankers hadn't even hit level 300. Very few had achieved their third class advancement. To a normal player, this place was a forbidden ground. Even a single mob would be a death sentence, let alone when they grouped up.

But Hurent was the 8th Ranker in the Unified Ranking and one of the current strongest players who had gotten his 3rd Class Awakening. To him, this place wasn't a nightmare. It was a highly efficient grinding spot to get tons of Exp at a far faster pace.. He stretched his neck. His muscles felt loose and ready. Hurent was the Aura Master. For him, physical weapons were meaningless. He brought the potential of aura to the extreme.

It didn't just strengthen a blade or amplify a skill—the aura itself was the weapon, freely transformed into any shape he imagined. His class was a growth type. Its rating depended entirely on his mastery over aura. It started as Rare, but through relentless training, he had pushed it to Epic. He was incredibly close to hitting the Unique rating. He had spent the last few months doing nothing but hunting, leveling, and refining his control to reach that next step. He pulled up a specific title in his status window.

[Sword Saint Candidate (Phase 3)] [Difficulty: SS] [A Sword Saint is already present in this Age. Find him and learn the true meaning of a Sword Saint.] [Clear Conditions: Learn the true-meaning of the Sword Saint.] [Reward: Qualification for Phase 4.] Hurent had already achieved the minimum qualifications to become a Sword Saint long ago and got the [Sword Saint Candidate] Title and even progressed till the 3rd Phase. But the 3rd Phase required him to find the current era's Sword Saint and learn from him.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. The system had generated a trail of hints. After weeks of tracking those system clues, the trail ended here, in this secluded, dangerous territory near the Red Sea. He climbed over a large boulder. He reached the crest of the ridge. Hurent stopped walking. His eyes widened. He had expected a small, hidden hermitage. Maybe a rugged fortress clinging to the side of a mountain.

Instead, a massive city sprawled out in the valley below. High, reinforced stone walls stretched for miles. Watchtowers stood at regular intervals. Beyond the walls, he could see smoke rising from countless chimneys. The distant sound of hammers striking anvils and wagons rolling over cobblestones drifted up the wind. It was a bustling, lively metropolis. Right in the middle of one of the deadliest zones on the continent.

"Unbelievable," Hurent whispered. He adjusted his silver armor. He started walking down the ridge toward the main gates. High up on the outer wall, two players sat with their legs dangling over the edge. Red took a massive bite of his burger. It had 3 different meat patties stacked between two buns and was his third burger that he ate in a row. Cheese dripped onto his gauntlet.

"I'm just saying," Red chewed loudly.

"You are playing a dangerous game." Colt swallowed a mouthful of fries. He ran a hand through his hair.

"I didn't do anything wrong. I just told Elysia that her eyes looked nice in the moonlight."

"Colt, you just flirted with the Alchemy Knight Division Captain."

"She appreciated it," Colt argued.

"I think." Red snorted. He took another bite. System messages were ticking in his peripheral vision, confirming the absurd stat boosts from the triple-stack food buff.

"She wasn't appreciating your words," Red said.

"She was deciding where to stab you. And if our Captain finds out you were hitting on her, you're dead." Colt shivered slightly. Piaro finding out was Colt's worst nightmare. The Dual Legend didn't use words when he was annoyed. He just handed out 'extra training' in the crop fields until a person's stamina hit zero and they were penalized by the system.

"Let's change the subject," Colt said quickly. He pointed down at the dirt path leading to the gates.

"Look at this guy." Red looked down. A man in polished silver armor was walking up to the city. He carried himself with a straight back. He didn't have his weapon drawn, but his posture screamed confidence. Red stopped chewing. He leaned forward.

"No way," Red said.

"You know him?" Colt asked.

"That's Hurent," Red said. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"The 8th Ranker." Colt squinted.

"Why are you bummed out? You're the 5th Ranker. You should be stronger than him."

"The Unified Ranking is not an accurate way to compare our strengths," Red said, gritting his teeth comically.

"I encountered him once during a boss fight and we kinda had a falling out, and he beat me black and blue. That guy's a monster who can easily be one of the strongest players. Still weaker than our Boss though." Three NPC gate guards were leaning against the stone wall near Red's boots. They wore heavy Stormbreak armor. They looked completely relaxed. One of them was polishing his scabbard with a rag. The guard looked down at Hurent. He sighed.

"Another one."

"Yep," Red said. He reached into his inventory. He pulled out a handful of copper coins.

"Alright, let's get it going. I say he lasts fifteen seconds before Captain breaks his pride." The guard tossed his rag aside.

"I'll take ten seconds. Captain has been itching for a fight all morning." Colt tossed a copper coin onto the stone.

"You guys are underestimating him, He still does have a hidden class. I'll take thirty seconds. He's got to have some good defensive skills."

"Deal," Red grinned.