Alex went inside the [World Association] to find Aiden, while of course ignoring the dozens of people shouting his name, since he was getting used to it.


    Never could he have dreamed of being recognized in such a way in his previous life.


    Though he was one of the "fighters of humanity", it was too difficult to know who was with you and who wasn''t.


    Which is why he never trusted anybody except those already in his team.


    And even that didn''t mean that there weren''t traitors.


    While climbing the stairs to the second floor, Alex noticed a massive crowd of yers.


    And once checking from above to see what it was about, he saw Daniel Thunder, AKA MartialMage, the leader of the Overlord Guild.


    He was wielding a [Crimson Moon Staff], probably acquired from the event''s shop.


    Currently, Daniel was only level 58, around half of Alex''s level, and it made sense since Alex was just too advanced for everybody else.


    [Level Ranking:]


    [First, FateBreaker, Unparalleled Mage, Level 114]


    [First, Fallen Devil, Mythic Summoner, Level 97]


    [Third, StarPillow, Star-Level Archer, Level 89]


    [Fourth, Tricky, Clown Warrior, Level 80]


    [Fifth, Miria, Saintess, Level 75]


    ...


    [Ninth, MartialMage, Elemental Mage, Level 58


    [Tenth, Axolly, Knight of the Sun, Level 53]


    ...


    Except for [Fallen Devil], who just like Alex knew what he was doing without being reincarnated, everyone else just managed on their own.


    But Alex couldn''t afford to be reckless, because as the game advanced, [Experience Areas] would appear, allowing yers to level up much more quickly.


    Ignoring all themotion below, Alex kept going up.


    "Huh?" Daniel suddenly felt a chill, and as he looked up, he noticed FateBreaker, "THIS GUY-"


    But after dying several times to the guy, Daniel decided that attacking him head on was stupid.


    Especially because you could see in the ranking that he had [158 Prestige Points].


    And also that he was at the top of the [Pets Ranking] with a [Primordial Shadow Dragon].


    "But don''t worry, FateBreaker," Daniel fumed, "I''ll establish a city, and even hire monsters or assassin NPCs to get rid of you..."


    Unbeknownst to Daniel, though, Alex was more than ready for that


    ...


    He continued up the stairs and down the halls until he found Aiden leaning against the wall, a cigarette in hand.


    Aiden nced upzily as Alex approached, a faint smirk ying on his lips. "Oh? You''re back?"


    "Yep," Alex replied casually. "Objectiveplete."


    Aiden nodded in approval, exhaling a cloud of smoke.


    The intel Aiden had gotten was that a monster could potentially attack Bell City.


    But it wasn''t the secret realm boss that would do it, as a level 225 monster, even without the [Moon Buff] was overkill.


    Aiden could get rid of it easily, but as said before, he is too busy.


    "Thanks for the help," Aiden said, flicking his cigarette aside. "Better safe than sorry, and it''s not like the other guilds would''ve lifted a finger. Especially not Ravenna''s."


    [Aiden Reputation: 100/100]


    Alex''s reputation with Aiden had reached its maximum.


    The old man trusted himpletely now, and Alex knew that if he ever found himself in a bind, Aiden would be there to help.


    "Well, I need to get moving," Aiden said, stretching. "There''s trouble brewing in some of the other cities, and I need to make sure everything''s under control."


    The [World Association] was a critical hub in higher-level cities, and its leaders bore the responsibility of maintaining order.


    City attacks were rare at this stage, but they would be more frequent as yers started creating their own.


    Monsters, rival yers, and other races would all be threats.


    "Thanks for the payout," Alex said, bowing slightly in respect.


    "No problem, kid," Aiden replied with a chuckle. "I''ll call on you if anything elsees up."


    With that, Aiden walked away, leaving Alex to decide his next move.


    Rather than descending back to the lobby, Alex chose to teleport out directly.


    He wasn''t in the mood to deal with Daniel or any other big shot yers looking for trouble.


    A single misstep could escte into a massive fight.


    And while Alex could obliterate the entire building with a skill like [Fire Meteor], he preferred to avoid unnecessary destruction.


    Opening his [World Map], Alex selected his destination and disappeared in a sh of light.


    ...


    The familiar sights of the [Fox Tribe Vige] greeted him as he arrived.


    And he immediately made his way to thergest house in the vige, where Alera, Lilith, and Alice were resting.


    Pushing open the door, Alex was met with the warm aroma of food being prepared.


    Alera stood in the kitchen, expertly slicing vegetables, while Alice and Lilith sat on a couch, chatting andughing.


    "Oh, you''re back already?" Alera greeted him with a smile.


    "Yeah," Alex replied, exhaling deeply. "Just had to confirm something. Now I can focus on other stuff."


    That stuff he was talking about was mainly the [Blood Art], though, as he would need to master it more if he wanted to upgrade its rank and gains more perks.


    To do that though, he would need to find a worthy opponent that would for sure not die if he sent a reckless attack.


    And lucky him, there was one in this very house: Alera!


    With a determined expression, Alex strode into the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves.


    Alera raised an eyebrow, clearly amused as Alex began helping her prepare sandwiches with surprising skill.


    "Oh?" she teased. "So your hands aren''t just good in battle and bed, it seems."


    "M-Mom?!" and Lilith, who was the only one who didn''t know about how good Alex was, spoke, flustered.


    "It''s fine," Alex smiled, "I''m used to cooking alone, and I''d rather finish this quickly, I need to ask you something, Alera."


    "Do ask, dear," the fox tribe queen chuckled, and after a few minutes, they werepletely done.


    A few minutester, with the sandwiches prepared, they all sat around the table.


    Despite the remote location of the vige, the furniture was surprisingly elegant.


    Alex took a bite of his sandwich, savoring the vors, but his mind was already on the conversation he needed to have.


    "I want to fight you, Alera," Alex said suddenly, his tone serious.


    Alera paused mid-bite, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him. "Oh? And why is that?"


    "I want to test something new," Alex exined. "You''re the only one here who''s strong enough to handle it."


    "In bed?" she teased again, a sly grin spreading across her face.


    "No!" but Alex replied instantly, "In an actual battle!"


    Alera chuckled, clearly enjoying the moment, but she didn''t dismiss his request outright. "You''re serious, aren''t you?"


    "Dead serious," Alex confirmed.


    Lilith and Alice exchanged nces, unsure of how to react.


    The idea of Alex challenging Alera to a fight was both exciting and nerve-wracking.


    "Well," Alera said, leaning back in her chair. "If you''re that eager, I suppose I can entertain the idea. But don''t go crying to me if you lose."


    Alex smirked. "I wouldn''t dream of it."


    The atmosphere grew lighter as they finished their meat.


    Once the table was cleared, Alera stood and stretched, her two tails flickingzily behind her.


    "Alright, Alex," she said, her tone yful but firm. "Let''s see what you''ve got. Meet me at the Training Square."


    The Training Square was a massive open area on the outskirts of the vige, specifically designed for battles and practice.


    It was reinforced with powerful wards to prevent coteral damage, making it the perfect ce for their sparring match.


    "You ready?" Alera pulled out her [Frostborne Spear], the one she used during the demon attack.


    "Yeah, but make sure not to try too hard, after all I said I just wanted to test some new powers," Alex nodded.