Chương 71

Rudra stared at the golden crown icon resting right next to his name on the ranking board. Rank 1. The entire server knew he existed. His grand plan to be a character who is not disturbed by anyone was completely dead. The top guilds were probably already tearing the map apart trying to find him. He let out a long, heavy sigh and closed the interface.

"Well," Rudra grumbled, reaching up to his face.

"This is useless now." He unclasped the dark leather half-mask and pulled it off. For the first time in nearly a year, the cool forest air hit his bare cheeks. He looked at the mask in his hand for a second, then tossed it deep into his inventory. He didn't plan on taking it out again.

"If the whole world is going to bother me anyway, I might as well stop hiding," Rudra said, feeling weirdly light. A wide, genuine grin spread across his face.

"Let's just live a little wildly. It's way more fun anyway." Haster laughed, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Now that is the mindset of a Rank 1. Are you ready?"

"Bring it on," Rudra said. He gripped the Staff of the Fire Lord with both hands, planting his boots in the dirt. The heavy weapon wasn't made of wood; it was carved directly from the jagged, red-hot spine of the Salamander Lord. It hummed with heat in his hands. Haster closed his eyes for a fraction of a second. His ears twitched. Before entering Satisfy, Haster had been hailed as an absolute god in FPS games like Underwatch.

Even though the gaming magazines always weirdly mistook him for a pro golfer, his true talent was his exceptional hearing. He could map a chaotic battlefield perfectly just by listening to footsteps, breathing, and the exact whistle of a swinging weapon when his sight failed him. Haster drew his sword and rushed in. Rudra didn't back down. He stepped forward and swung the heavy bone staff in a wide horizontal arc. Haster's ears picked up the heavy sound of the swing.

He ducked perfectly, letting the staff sail right over his head, and stepped in close to thrust his sword at Rudra's chest. Over by the tree line, Winfred slowly raised his head. For a brief moment, the cloudy, drunken haze left the old man's eyes.

"Haster is relying too much on sound," Winfred muttered, his voice surprisingly steady and sharp.

"He thinks he can predict the boy's swings by listening to the weapon." Elysia looked over, shocked to hear her old mentor speaking like a true tactician again.

"Can't he?"

"No," Winfred said, watching Rudra closely.

"Because that boy's foundation is terrifying. His technique looks like a messy tavern brawl, but his physical control is absolute perfection. He doesn't waste a single ounce of stamina. Even at his age, my basics weren't that solid. He could easily hold his own against the weaker Red Knights right now. But more importantly... look at his momentum." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Back in the clearing, Haster's sword was inches away from Rudra's chest.

Rudra just smiled. Instead of pulling back to block, he spun on his heel and brought the heavy spine staff around for a second swing. Because of the profound understanding he had awakened on his path as a Staff Saint candidate, the weapon didn't slow down. It got faster. Haster's eyes widened. He barely managed to raise his sword to block. CLANG! The impact rattled Haster's teeth. Before he could recover, Rudra swung a third time. Then a fourth. He didn't use flashy system skills.

He just chained his basic attacks together, never letting the weapon stop moving. With every single unbroken swing, the Staff of the Fire Lord grew heavier and faster. The infinite momentum was actively taking over. What started as a heavy staff quickly turned into a terrifying, red-hot blur of crushed bone and fire. Haster was completely trapped. He tried to keep up, but Rudra's endless flurry didn't give him a single inch of breathing room.

His exceptional hearing was suddenly completely useless because the swings were coming too fast and heavy to process. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Haster's arms went completely numb. The sheer, escalating weight of the bone staff was too much. On the seventh swing, Rudra smashed the staff directly against the side of Haster's blade. The sword ripped right out of Haster's numb fingers and flew into the bushes. Rudra stopped the heavy spine an inch from Haster's nose.

The intense heat of the staff made Haster sweat instantly. Haster held his empty hands up, gasping for air.

"Okay. Okay, I yield! I'm done. My arms feel like jelly. That force is absolutely ridiculous." Rudra rested the glowing bone staff on his shoulder, breathing totally normally.

"You're fast. But you let me build up my swing. Once I get going, it's pretty hard to stop." Haster chuckled, shaking out his sore wrists. He looked past Rudra at Winfred, who was already staring blankly at the dirt again. The sharp, analytical light was entirely gone from the old man's eyes, quickly replaced by his familiar, hollow depression. Haster let out a tired and frustrated sigh.

"He's been like this since the day I stumbled across him a year ago. He's an amazing teacher when he's sober, but he spends most of his time drinking and staring at the dirt. I've tried everything to snap him out of it, but nothing works. He's totally given up." Rudra looked at the old Red Sage. Seeing how completely defeated the man was bothered him. Rudra hated depressing atmospheres. Then, he remembered his new title. Chef Who Touches the Soul.

He thought about the Empathic Cuisine effect that forced the eater to feel his exact emotions and willpower.

"Haster, step back," Rudra said. His voice dropped its usual lighthearted tone. Rudra opened his inventory and dropped his heavy iron cauldron right into the middle of the clearing. He snapped his fingers, sparking a hot fire underneath it. He reached deep into his inventory and pulled out his absolute best ingredient. The one he had been hoarding for himself to celebrate a special occasion. It was the [Salamander Lord's Heart Meat]. The spicy, magical core of an army-scale labyrinth boss.

"I'm going to make him a meal," Rudra said, pulling out his cooking knife.

"And I'm going to make him wake up." [Quest "Cook a Invigorating Meal" has been generated!] [Cook a Invigorating Meal] [Difficulty: S] [The former 1st Red Knight Winfred has given up on everything and is suffering depp depression. Cook him a meal that will heal his mind and allow him to regain his original mentality and cure his depression. Quest Clear Conditions: Cook a Unique-rated Dish that can cure Winfred's Mentality Quest Clear Reward: Affinity with 'Winfred' will increase by 70. Quest Failure: Elysia confidence in you will decrease]