Chương 93

The Vanguard City of Patrian was loud, hot, and covered in a thin layer of dust. Rudra sat in the corner of a crowded tavern called the Rusty Axe, ignoring the noisy merchants and guild players around him. He was entirely focused on the massive plate of roasted desert-fowl in front of him. It was a decent meal. As an Advanced-level cook, he could easily spot the uneven searing and the heavy-handed use of cumin, but he didn't complain.

Eating at the local establishments and paying for over-priced food was the easiest way to get the locals talking. He tore a leg off the bird and handed it down to his right. Kratos, the half-gold, half-black divine beast, was now the size of a large wolfhound. The cub sat patiently beside Rudra's chair, taking up a significant amount of floor space. Kratos snatched the meat from Rudra's hand, swallowing it whole with a happy squeak. Rudra washed his meal down with a cup of water and flagged down the bartender.

"Need something else, traveler?" the burly NPC asked, wiping the table with a rag.

"Just some information," Rudra said, sliding a silver coin across the wood.

"I'm looking for a specific guy. A swordsman. He's likely keeping a very low profile, but he's incredibly dangerous if provoked. Have you heard any rumors about a wandering master in the area?" The bartender pocketed the silver, his expression turning serious.

"A great swordsman? The only person who fits that description isn't wandering the roads. He's hiding out in Kesan Canyon." Rudra raised an eyebrow.

"Kesan Canyon?"

"Yeah. He looks like a starving beggar who hasn't bathed in a year," the bartender said, shaking his head.

"Last week, a top-tier mercenary group tried to mug him for his boots. He drew a rusted, chipped sword and dismantled all twenty of them without taking a single step backward. The survivors said he fought like a demon." Rudra smiled, resting his hand on his bone staff.

"Sounds exactly like the guy I'm looking for." Kesan Canyon was rightly classified as one of the Eternal Kingdom's five forbidden zones. It was an absolute nightmare of a landscape. The canyon featured steep, treacherous slopes that forced Rudra to constantly fight gravity. The rough, violent winds whipped through the narrow gorges, picking up sharp pieces of gravel that caused tiny, burning cuts across exposed skin.

The harsh environment actively drained a traveler's stamina at an alarming rate, and the roaring river cutting through the bottom of the gorge was notoriously deadly.

"This place is miserable," Rudra muttered, pulling his black trench coat tight as a gust of wind hit him. His health and stamina bars were ticking down from the environmental hazards. To counter it, he pulled out a skewer of spicy swamp-croc meat, took a bite, and tossed the rest to Kratos. The heavy vitality buffs instantly kicked in, out-healing the burning cuts and stabilizing his stamina. They trekked deeper into the canyon. As they rounded a sharp bend of red rock, Kratos suddenly stopped.

The divine beast let out a low, warning growl. Sitting on a flat boulder at the edge of a steep drop-off was a man. He looked exactly like a starving vagrant. His clothes were little more than filthy rags, and his hair was a messy, tangled bird's nest that hid his eyes. A rusted, chipped iron sword rested across his knees. Rudra stopped a few feet away, planting his boots in the dirt.

"Hello." The beggar slowly lifted his head. Through the grime and tangled hair, a pair of incredibly sharp, focused eyes locked onto Rudra. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The beggar didn't panic, nor did he display any hostility at first. He simply observed. He noted Rudra's flawless, balanced posture, the heavy bone staff resting casually on his shoulder, and the overwhelming, refined martial aura radiating from the masked player.

The battle-maniac hiding inside the broken knight instantly woke up. The beggar slowly stood up, gripping the hilt of his rusted sword. He spoke in a calm, surprisingly steady voice that echoed over the howling wind.

"Your foundation is good, traveler," the beggar said calmly.

"You did not wander into this forbidden zone by accident. State your purpose, or draw your weapon."

"I'm looking for someone," Rudra replied smoothly, lowering his staff into a ready stance.

"But I wouldn't mind a warm-up first." The beggar didn't shout or rush blindly. He moved with terrifying, explosive precision. He crossed the rocky gap in a fraction of a second, bringing the rusted sword down in a clean, perfectly optimized vertical strike. Rudra didn't use Abyssal Step. He kept his boots firmly planted on the uneven rocks, gripping his staff with both hands to catch the blade. CLANG! The impact shook the canyon. The ground beneath Rudra's boots fractured.

Even with a rusted sword, the sheer, refined technique behind the beggar's strike carried a terrifying weight.

"Your stance is flawless," the beggar noted calmly, completely unbothered by the blocked strike.

"Advanced mastery. A very rare sight. But let us see how you handle pressure." The beggar pulled the sword back and unleashed a flurry of strikes. The rusted blade moved like silver lightning. Rudra laughed, his red eyes lighting up with the familiar thrill of a high-tier brawl.

"Crushing Strike!" Rudra stepped into the flurry, swinging his fiery bone staff in wide, continuous arcs. Thwack! Clang! Sparks flew across the red rocks. Rudra chained his basic attacks, letting his endless momentum build up. The beggar parried the heavy strikes effortlessly, weaving through the fiery explosions.

"You have immense power, but you rely entirely on your momentum to dictate the flow. If your rhythm is broken, you are wide open." The beggar suddenly shifted his footwork, completely bypassing Rudra's sweeping arc, and brought the flat of his blade directly toward Rudra's neck. Rudra barely managed to snap the staff back to deflect the lethal blow, taking a few steps back to reset.

"You're amazing," Rudra grinned, breathing heavily.

"Let me guess. You're Piaro?" The moment that name left Rudra's mouth, the calm, calculating atmosphere around the beggar vanished. The beggar froze. His sharp eyes widened, instantly flooding with toxic, unhinged trauma. The rusted sword in his hand began to tremble, and a terrifying, oppressive aura erupted from his ragged body.

"Did he send you?" Piaro roared, his voice cracking with pure, blinding rage.

"Did that traitor Asmophel send you to finish the job?!" Piaro didn't hold back anymore. He gripped the rusted sword with both hands, stepping forward with absolute, lethal intent. The sword blurred, carrying a high-tier sword art designed to completely obliterate whatever it hit.

"Whoa, hold on!" Rudra yelled, throwing his staff up in a desperate Iron Guard to catch the incoming strike.

"Asmophel didn't send me! I was sent by Winfred!" The rusted sword stopped exactly one inch from Rudra's staff. The violent, oppressive aura instantly evaporated. Piaro stood completely frozen, his eyes wide and trembling.

"Winfred...?" Piaro whispered, the name catching in his throat.

"Yes, Winfred," Rudra said quickly, lowering his staff just slightly to show he wasn't attacking.

"And Elysia. She told me to look for her big brother." Piaro's grip on his sword failed. The rusted weapon slipped from his fingers and clattered onto the rocks. The swordsman fell to his knees in the dirt, covering his face with his dirty hands. His shoulders shook as a raw, agonizing sob tore out of his chest.

"Elysia is alive?" Piaro wept, his voice completely broken.

"Sir Winfred... they survived?"

"They did," Rudra said gently, stepping forward and resting his staff on the ground.

"And Singuled, Kentrick, Amelda, Dante, and Icarus. They are all safe." Piaro looked up, tears cutting through the grime on his cheeks. The absolute despair that had driven him to hide in this miserable canyon for years was finally breaking.

"Who are you?" Piaro asked, his voice thick with emotion. Rudra smiled, adjusting the collar of his black trench coat.

"I am Duke Rudra von Stormbreak of the Murray Kingdom," Rudra said respectfully.

"I am currently sheltering the surviving Red Knights in my territory. We are rebuilding our strength, and we plan to fight the Empire. They need thier Captain back. Are you willing to coming with me?"