《Godlike Player in a Game-Like World》 Chapter 1 Unexpected New Life ?''I know unexpected things happen in life all the time.'' The whole of Raydon''s life has been like this. ''But I never thought that the most unexpected thing that could happen to me would be after my death.'' He looked around, his eyes wide with surprise. He never believed there was an afterlife, but even if he did, he wouldn''t have thought that his destination after death would look like where he is now. But still, he didn''t care much because the most surprising thing was not where he was but what he was seeing right now. ''''Now, this is unexpected.'''' ]: B7890-D4850 [Race]: Human [Name]: Raydon Demugen [Title]: N/A [HP]: N/A [MP]: N/A [Strength]: N/A [Agility]: N/A [Stamina]: N/A [Luck]: N/A [Charisma]: N/A [Spirit]: N/A [Magic Equipment(s)]: N/A [Body enchantment(s)]: N/A [Dimensional Storage]: N/A [Time until awakening: 00:16:30] Raydon stared dazedly at the holographic texts floating in front of his eyes. ''''How did I end up in such an event? '''' *** It was one of those sunny days with not a single cloud in the sky. Even though it was early morning, there were many vehicles on the wide, two-way road. Typically, despite the constant passing of cars on the road, the peaceful morning was not disturbed by the sound of these cars'' electric engines. However, today, there was a different exception. Unlike other vehicles, there was a very old model truck on this road, which caught attention with its engine screaming like a beast as well as exceeding speed limits. The truck driver, who was disregarding traffic rules as if he didn''t care about his own or anyone else''s lives, was a young man in histe twenties. The young man''s pitch-ck hair was blown by the winding through the truck window, and the morning sun never seemed to be enough to tan his sickly-appearing skin, which was as white as snow. Even though his swollen and reddened eyes showed he hadn''t slept in days, the young man never took his eyes off the approaching cars on the opposite road. Soon after, the young man found what he was looking for, as a smile appeared on his face, and he said excitedly. '''' It''s here.'''' His target, a gold-colored vehicle speeding in the oppositene, shone so brightly that even a blind man could see it. He stepped on the gas and elerated even more as if testing the truck''s speed limit. When the time was right, he shouted and steered the truck into the sidene. ''''Let''s get the sh*t out of him, truck-kun.'''' The next moment, with a loud crash, the truck collided with the gold-colored car. Before losing consciousness, Raydon wondered why his body was flying through the windshield despite wearing his seat belt, but he soon stopped caring because his past began to sh before his eyes like a film strip. ¡ª Raydon was a 27-year-old man who had grown up in an orphanage and had no family. Because there were so many people like him where he grew up, he had never seen the love that only a family could provide. That''s why, since he was a child, he''s been an attention seeker. This characteristic feature led Raydon to pursue his dreams of bing world-famous and rich. The first thing that came to mind to make this dream a reality was VR games, which have captured the attention of the entire world and are constantly evolving day by day. He spent a long time doing everything he could to seed in every game he yed, mastering every possible ss in the VR world and learning every single technique, even surpassing human capabilities. And in the end, he achieved far more than the fame he desired, rising to the position of a god, which only one person can hold in the game world. But as hard as it is to rise, it is easy to fall from there. Naturally, Raydon''s actions to aplish his goal had also earned him the ire and hatred of many people in addition to the money and attention he sought. Raydon initially disregarded those who wished for his demise, but eventually he came across the person he couldn''t ignore. This person indeed had enough power to destroy Raydon. Unlike Raydon''s money and influence, which came solely from the gaming world in which he yed as a solo yer, this person was supported by a slew of corporations and powerful people he knew in real life. Raydon was ultimately unable to deal with this behemoth on his own and gradually lost everything he owned. Even the people he trusted the most betrayed him one by one. He was eventually barred from all games around the world due to rumors of him cheating. Meanwhile, while everyone thought Raydon would bepletely destroyed, all of this was just another game for him. Raydon was apetitive individual who hated to lose and would go to great lengths to seed. That''s why he bought an old-fashioned truck with all the money he had left and started making ns for thest game he was going to y. Last and evesting¡­ At least, that''s what he thought. ¡ª ''''Hey, someone call an ambnce right now.'''' ''''Man, I don''t think the ambnce can help after this ident.'''' ''''Let''s go check it out, maybe someone is still alive.'''' ''''Be careful, this is an old model truck, and leaking gasoline can cause an explosion.'''' ''''I haven''t seen a car ident in a long time. Who drives a car this old in the first ce? Without automatic safety measures, he would undoubtedly lose control.'''' While everyone''s attention was drawn to the car ident in front of them, a bodyy motionless in the middle of the road not far away. This persony motionless for a while on his back, then turned to his side, as if seeking a morefortable position, used one hand as a pillow for his head, and began to sleep soundly. But he must have been disturbed by the sounds around him, because not long after, he awoke with a frown and angrily murmured. ''''Hey, what''s with all the noise? Please allow me to sleep a bit longer.'''' He was about to fall asleep again when his closed eyelids suddenly opened, revealing his dark brown eyes, which were filled with confusion. ''''What am I doing sleeping in the middle of the road?'''' He stood up from where he was lying and looked in the direction of the voices, and when he saw the chaos, he began to recall recent events. ''''Holy sh*t, am I still alive? '''' Chapter 2 Memories ?''''Holy sh*t, am I still alive? '''' The one who was sleeping peacefully in the middle of this road as if he didn''t care about the world was Raydon. As soon as Raydon realized what was going on, he checked his body to make sure every part was where it should be, and to his surprise, there was not even the slightest scar on his body. ''''Is this a miracle?'''' Raydon had a fleeting thought that this was the work of supernatural forces, but he quickly dismissed it by shaking his head. ''''Nah, it seems like I just got lucky.'''' Raydon attributed his survival to luck, and after feeling relieved and excited about surviving the crash that he had initially believed would kill him, he went to investigate the crime scene. His desire to know the oue of his work could not be stifled by his fear of being discovered and used of being the cause of all these events. Raydon approached the scene slowly and calmly, as if he were one of the curious onlookers, and asked the first person he saw nearby. ''''Hello, uncle, what happened here?'''' This person, who, like many others, was curiously observing the crash site, did not respond as if he had not heard Raydon''s question. Raydon called out to the old man a few more times but got no response. ''Oh, poor uncle. I guess he''s deaf.'' After giving it some thought, Raydon decided to ask someone else. He quickly found another one and tried to speak again, but, like the old man before, even though this time it was a young and healthy-looking girl, she did not react in any way to Raydon. Raydon, thinking the situation was strange, immediately tested it on a few more people and discovered the shocking truth. He looked around, perplexed, and said to himself. ''''No way, so no one can see or hear me?'''' This was Raydon''s second supernatural urrence as if surviving the ident wasn''t enough. This time, he realized that what had caused this situation had nothing to do with luck. Raydon didn''t have to think long to figure out why no one could see him. There was only one exnation he coulde up with: ''''I''m invisible.'''' Raydon cried out in surprise and excitement. ''''I have heard stories before about people who had rare supernatural abilities, but none of them sounded credible. However, it appears that some of them were real. '''' He raised his clenched right hand slightly, tilted his head, and said proudly. ''''I''ve always known I was special, a chosen one.'''' Raydon was wondering what other supernatural abilities he might have and how to use them when he was abruptly jolted out of his fantasy world by a voice. ''''Hey, there''s someone here.'''' ''''Dude, I don''t think this guy is breathing. '''' "This is horrible. The man''s chest appears to have been wholly crushed. '''' When Raydon heard what the people examining the crash site were talking about, he was taken aback. He quickly walked over to the body mentioned and froze for a while at what he saw. ''''No way.'''' Raydon looked at the apparently dead body with strange feelings and said. ''''Just when I thought I had gained supernatural abilities and was the chosen one, '''' A strange smile began to appear on his face as Raydon spoke, and he continued excitedly. ''''I also got my revenge.'''' Looking at the dead body of the person who had so far ruined his life, Raydon started tough. But hisughter was soon interrupted by another voice. ''''Hey, somebody get over here, there''s another body here. '''' ''''Oh man, it looks like this guy isn''t breathing either. '''' ''''Even the seat belt couldn''t save him. His internal organs seem to havee out of his mouth. Disgusting. '''' Raydon was taken aback by what he heard, and a bad feeling came over him. ''''This can''t be, right? '''' He walked with heavy steps and was shocked by what he saw. '''' Sh*t.'''' Raydon felt stupid thinking about what had happened since the car crash. He cried out in shame as he looked at his own lifeless body. ''''What supernatural abilities? I''m just a f*cking ghost. '''' As Raydon came to this realization, all of a sudden, the world became gray in his eyes, and time stopped. Soon, the already gray world began to darken, and he lost consciousness as everything fell intoplete darkness. *** [Back to the current timeline.] Time until awakening: 00:16:30 Raydon turned to look around in an effort to learn more about his current situation when he saw a notification that said there were only 16 minutes left before awakening. He was in a small room with just a single bed, a nightstand at the head of the bed, and a small closet. This room reminded him of the one he had rented for a few dors after losing everything in his previous life. It was in and ordinary. He looked around for a moment before looking at the full-length mirror on the wall across the room. He rose from his bed and began walking toward the mirror. He stood in front of the mirror and muttered confusedly. ''''ck hair, ck eyes, sick-looking pale skin. This person looks exactly like me, except I look much younger than before. '''' On his right hand, he also had the number 0 tattooed. Raydon rested his hand on his chin and pondered. The first thing that came to mind was that he was in a VR game simr to the ones he had previously yed, but while the games he had previously yed were close to reality, what he felt right now was not like a game, but reality itself. He didn''t want to consider the possibility that he had reincarnated in a different world or that he had gone back in time after the shame of believing he had supernatural abilities when, in fact, he was just a mere ghost. He thought his mind was ying tricks on him and was about to have trouble telling the difference between virtual reality and reality when he felt an excruciating pain in his head. Raydon copsed to his knees in pain, clutching his head in his hands. When the pain subsided, Raydon lifted his head and looked at himself in the mirror again, his eyes wide with surprise. ''''What''s this? Did I really die and transmigrate to another world? '''' He wasn''t sure if it was transmigration or something else, but there was one thing he was certain of: the memories that came with the sudden headache. Chapter 3 Hell To Heaven ?He inhaled deeply and started to search through his recently acquired memory. Raydon, or at least the body with the same name as him, appears to be the noble Demugen family''s 17-year-old crippled son. Because of an unidentified congenital illness, he was mentally ill and incapable of thinking. As a result, he was only able to chew, breathe, and use a few other motor functions. At the end his family had long since kicked him out of the manor and thrown him into the slums so he wouldn''t bring shame to their name. ''''Since this body has been living like an empty shell until now, there is not enough information about this world in his memory, but...'''' Raydon expressed his disappointment, but he had a strange smile on his face. Because this body was aplete idiot, he hadn''t learned anything, and the people around him hadn''t bothered to teach him anything, still Raydon could recall some of the conversations of the people around him in the memory of this body. Using some of the information he had discovered in his memory, he soon realized the exciting truth. ''''I guess I''m really in a game-like world. '''' The grin on his face widened. With a thought, he called the status panel again and checked the remaining time. [Time until awakening: 00:00:36] Raydon started to feel pressure in his chest as the seconds went by. His body started to slightly tremble as his heartbeat became increasingly faster. Raydon thought for a moment. When was thest time he had these reactions? He had justmitted suicide, taken someone else''s life, and died. But, despite everything, he hadn''t felt this way. What this feeling was, Raydon understood perfectly. He recalled the time in one of the games he had yed before, when he had to battle countless enemies in front of countless spectators. It was the same feeling he felt at that moment. Excitement. The excitement of the oing challenge. A smile he didn''t even realize had appeared on Raydon''s face. The smile Raydon was unaware of, but which earned him the nickname "smiling reaper" from his opponents. Time until awakening: 00:00:03 Time until awakening: 00:00:02 Time until awakening: 00:00:01 Time until awakening: 00:00:00 Raydon''s vision wentpletely dark once the countdown was over. He hadn''t lost consciousness, but it appeared as though he had lost his hearing and vision. Raydon felt as though he hadn''t moved at all from where he was. He soon realized, however, that he had been teleported to another location,pletely devoid of light and sound. Looked around, hoping to find something, and indeed he found something. A pair of eyes, darker than the darkness and seemingly gigantic, was watching from the shadows. When Raydon''s eyes met with this being, he felt an incredible pressure. It was as if tons of weight were crushing his entire body. At first, he gasped, as if he had forgotten how to breathe. He couldn''t take it any longer and fell to his knees, putting his hands on the floor. He clenched his teeth and tried with all his might to resist the pressure, but just as all the efforts were about to pay off, a different kind of pain struck his body hard. He began to feel as if his body was being pierced by millions of needles. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to lessen the pain in his eyes. He gave up the breath he was finally able to take after much effort because each one aggravated the stinging sensation in his throat. He clenched his teeth so tightly that they were cracking. Every drop of the blood that was seeping from the corners of his mouth onto his hands stabbed his senses like a knife. Raydon wanted to scream because of the pain and pressure in his body, but couldn''t even groan. If he could think logically right now, all he''d probably think is that the pain he''s experiencing right now is far worse than any he''s ever experienced. Just as the pressure and pain he felt were pushing him to the limit, a voice echoed in his head. ''Submit to me. '' Raydon''s mind reverberated so much as a result of the unknown creature''s single sentence that a strong emotion began to surface deep within him. Raydon resisted the pressure and straightened his back gradually. He didn''t give a damn about the agonizing pain that apanied every motion in his body. That emotion was all he cared about, and it dominated everything else. Raydon rose slowly and with difficulty, not knowing how long it took, but soon he was standing again. The blood dripping from the corners of his mouth now formed a small puddle on the ground. He ignored his trembling body and slowly raised his head, making eye contact with that being once more. The pained expression on Raydon''s face was not present this time. He had a calm face, but there was also an irritated look in his eyes. He looked at the being with his disgusted gaze, as if looking at an insect, and his muffled tone echoed in this dark space that had no sound. ''''Stop staring with those filthy eyes, you lowly creature. '''' These words weren''t a man''sst-ditch effort to maintain his pride; rather, they were amand from a higher being to a more inferior being. Astonishment and fear could be seen in those soulless eyes, which had been emotionless before. Unfortunately, Raydon must have run out of energy before noticing it because he copsed to the ground and became unconscious. *** The sound of happy birds chirping weed Raydon when he opened his eyes. Raydon''s face was illuminated by the sun''s soft, warm light as it passed through the countless leaves of the trees that covered the forest. Raydon reluctantly rose from the soft grass on which he was lying. The sound of birds chirping, the rustling of leaves caused by a light breeze, and the sun''s enlivening light shining through the leaves and falling to the ground made everything appear to be perfect. Raydon felt as if he had recently been a resident of hell and that all of his sins had been forgiven, allowing him to enter heaven. He was about to take a break to enjoy the moment when he felt a presence behind him. When he turned around, he saw four people staring at him with disdain. Chapter 4 New Title ?He saw four people staring at him with disdain. One of them, a scrawny-looking man with a bow in his hand and an all-green outfit, including his hat, said sarcastically. ''''That''s great, the person who came to our team out of all those people apparently is a total loser. '''' ''''Don''t be so arrogant, Falco, in your first match, you weren''t much different from him.'''' A tall man with brown hair and a bodybuilder-like physique said with augh. Despite the fact that the massive shield on his back appeared to be very heavy, the man carried it as if it were a bale of cotton. ''''Don''t cause any misunderstanding, Gary; at least I had a pair of pants underneath. '''' Falco growled in an angry tone. Raydon was still trying to adapt to the events up to this point. From his point of view, everything happened so quickly that he was still perplexed. He had some knowledge of where he was right now, but he couldn''t understand why the group in front of him was staring at him so strangely. Before long, his curiosity was satisfied by the soothing breeze he felt on his skin. ''''Oh, I''m naked. '''' Raydon realized the reason for the bad attitude of the group in front of him when he noticed he was only wearing gray underwear that covered his private area. But now he had another question on his mind. ''''Where did my clothes go? '''' As he examined himself in the mirror of the room he was in before the awakening, he was certain that he was wearing clothes. ''''Looks like this is your first match. '''' One of the two girls in the group, who had been observing Raydon in silence up until this point, spoke up. The blonde and sweet-looking girl smiled and continued her speech. '''' Only system-rted items or items in your storage may be brought in here.'''' As she spoke, she disyed the magic wand in her hand. ''''So your clothes didn''t go anywhere. Just your belongings remain where you were before being summoned.'''' Raydon looked at the giggling girl and nodded. In fact, he didn''t care about being naked. It was just like starting a game with a newly created character for him. ''''Okay, we don''t have time for this. Even if we sit here for hours and talk, it won''t help him. The other team must have moved while we were busy wasting time here. '''' Thest person to speak, a girl, stated coldly. Her ck eyes, which matched her jet-ck hair in a ponytail, seemed to look down on those around her. Despite her cold demeanor, her beauty and charm drew everyone''s attention to her. While the men in the group gasped at her beauty, the blond girl asked, pointing to Raydon. ''''So what are we going to do with him? '''' ''''Just leave him here. He''ll obviously be a hindrance if hees with us. '''' She said, and without waiting for the responses of the others, she turned and walked away. After one final apologetic nce at Raydon, the blonde girl trailed the cold-looking girl. The men of the group quickly followed the girls without hesitation. The only person left was the naked Raydon, who was left alone without even being given the right to object. ''''Well, I''m used to ying alone anyway. '''' He sighed as he looked behind the group that was leaving. He didn''t dwell on it too much because he was ustomed to being alone in his previous life and chose to check the system to see what had changed after his awakening. ]: B7890-D4850 [Race]: Human [Name]: Raydon Demugen [Title]: Master of All [Level]: 1 [Rank]: F [Experience]: 0/1.000.000 [HP]: 10 [MP]: 10 [Strength]: 1 [Agility]: 1 [Stamina]: 1 [Luck]: 1 [Charisma]: 1 [Spirit]: 1 [Magic Equipment(s)]: 0/5 [Body enchantment(s)]: 0/5 [Dimensional Storage]: 1x1 [Time remaining until the end of the match: 02:57:15] Raydon looked at his stats andpared them to the information in his memory. His stats appear to be the basic stats that all human item holders have at level 1. But seems like there was something different from other Item Holders. [Experience]: 0 / 1.000.000 ''''Isn''t this supposed to show how much experience you need to level up? Is that a million?!'''' ''''I have a feeling that this is absolutely not normal. '''' Raydon said, while massaging his temples. He searched the information in his memory, but couldn''t find the answer. Thinking it had something to do with the title he had acquired, he decided to check it out. [Title]: Master of All -Experience points can be used to boost the stat points of your choice. Currently avable stat(s): -Stamina Cost: 1 exp ''''As far as I know, other item holders get 2 free stat points at every level. But it looks like this will be different for me. Additionally, I need to know what other people possess so that I canpare my title with theirs. It''s a real pain, but I''ll figure it out eventually. '''' ording to his newfound knowledge, everyone gets a title with varying abilities depending on their potential and characteristics. As a self-assured and egotistical individual, Raydon believed he had great potential, but he was obviously not so naive as to believe he was the best. However, he also thought that he could improve with time and work toward his goal of bing the best. While Raydon was checking his information on the system panel, his gaze was drawn to the time remaining until the end of the current match, and a new information panel appeared in front of him. [Time remaining until the end of the match: 02:55:27] [Team B7890-D4850] -Ice Maiden (Lv.8) -Forest Walker (Lv.8) -Strong Man (Lv.7) -Caregiver (Lv.5) -Master of All (Lv.1) Current points: 0 [Team P4856-T8744] -N/A -N/A ¡­ Current points: 2 ''''Dude, this feels a lot like a game.'''' Raydon''s face broke into a gleeful grin. He looked at the tattoo on the back of his hand. His hand, which had previously been tattooed with "0," now had "1" written on it; also, its color changed from ck to gray. This tattoo showed the person''s current level. Raydon couldn''t see the tattoos on his teammate''s hands before because everyone was wearing gloves, but now he can see them through the system. He looked at the 2 points the other team had and muttered. ''''I think it''s time to move.'''' Chapter 5 First Encounter ?Raydon looked around carefully, wondering where he might find a mob* in this tranquil ce. Nevertheless, he didn''t have to think too much because he could see a green wolfing out of the nearby bushes and slowly approaching. '''' It seems that this ce is not so peaceful after all. ''''Raydon said as he saw the wolf''s menacingly exposed teeth and drooling. It was evident that Raydon was his prey. In the middle of the wolf''s forehead, there was a gray number 1 written there. ''''Looks like everyone here has a tattoo of their current level on their body. '''' Raydon''s excitement grew with each passing second in this game-like butpletely real world. Raydon, who was only in his boxers, watched as the wolf cautiously approached and looked around for something to use as a weapon. Not far away, Raydon noticed a branch of a tree that appeared to be durable. He intended to approach the stick carefully without alerting the wolf when, all of a sudden, the wolf opened its mouth and leaped on him. Raydon closely followed the wolf''s movements with his quick reflexes, narrowly avoiding the wolf''s razor-sharp teeth, and rolling on the ground to reach the stick. Raydon''s initial instinct after picking up the stick was to straighten his posture and raise his guard, but the wolf was faster than he anticipated, and before he had a chance to react, the wolf made a move to bite Raydon''s throat. With the help of adrenaline pumping through his body, Raydon quickly thought about his next course of action. He caused the wolf to bite into the middle of the not particrly long but also not particrly short stick while holding its two ends, and then allowed himself to fall on his back. ''Now it all depends on how long this sticksts.'' Putting all of his chips on the stick, Raydon hoped. And as he had hoped, the stick was sturdy, even more so than he had anticipated given that the wolf''s teeth had not even scratched it. Raydon had a significant advantage due to the stick''s durability, but the wolf''s strength was equally impressive as its agility. Raydon''s arms tightened as he held the stick, and as his heart rate elerated, more blood poured into his veins, exposing every vein in his arms. Raydon had a fleeting realization that his current body was nearly two times as powerful as his previous one. The wolf''s mouth was only inches away from him, and its saliva was dripping onto his face. But more significant than the wolf''s saliva was the sensation that the pressure was dislocating his shoulders. He grunted through clenched teeth, "At least your breath smells like fruit instead of rotten meat.'''' The wolf started shaking its head violently in an attempt to at least pry the stick out of Raydon''s hand after realizing that it was powerless to break it. After a while of trying and failing, the wolf finally rxed its jaw, let go of the stick, and made an effort to retreat. Raydon, however, was not going to let that happen. He pushed the stick firmly into the wolf''s now-rxed mouth and held the animal with his legs in a jockey''s grip to prevent the animal from escaping. The wolf was startled by this sudden action. Raydon managed to quickly swing his entire body to the side and knock the wolf to the ground by taking advantage of the wolf''s surprise and immobility at that precise moment. Fortunately, there wasn''t much of a strength gap between them, and Raydon quickly reversed the situation as the wolf lost ground. Raydon was now on top, pressing the wolf''s head firmly against the soft grass with the stick in his hand while holding the wolf''s body t to the ground with his own body weight. ''''I''ll be on top in the second round, honey. '''' Raydon finally broke into his trademark grin. He ignored the wolf''s helpless flutters on the ground and kept on using all of his strength to subdue it. When the wolf finally calmed down, it was probably because it was tired of fighting and needed to breathe. Raydon seized the chance to leap with his lower body while still holding the stick in the wolf''s mouth. Raydon used all of his strength to stomp a knee into the wolf''s stomach with the force of his body weight and the momentum of the leap. The wolf whined in agony as it took a severe blow to the stomach. It was difficult to tell whether the knee strike or the stick that felt like it was going to rip the wolf''s mouth out hurt more. Raydon disregarded the wolf''s cries because he knew that one of them would have to die and that he had no time to feel sorry for a wild beast. Raydon delivered that painful knee strike whenever he had the chance, and the wolf eventually stopped moving and began to bleed from its mouth. Raydon wasn''t sure about the wolf''s intelligence, so he was about to hit it a few more times just in case it was acting when he was interrupted by a ringing voice. *Ding* ¡ª ''''It was a really good decision; he obviously came from the slums. '''' Falco, who had been following the group for some time, approached the cold-looking girl and spoke in a gentlemanly tone. His previous attitude toward Raydon waspletely gone. When he did not get a reaction from the girl who was walking in front of him, he continued. ''''It is truly surprising that someone from the slums has the potential to awaken. It seems that the title given by the system is "Master of all". What kind of shy title is this? Heh, I''m sure it has a useless trait.'''' Falco kept talking while keeping an eye on the girl to see how she was reacting, but it was clear that the girl was not listening to him. ''''Anyway, even if he dies, at least he doesn''t have any items to drop or levels to lose. He has nothing to lose except an extra cooldown penalty for his next match. '''' Falco kept talking nonsense about things that everyone already knew, just to get a reaction from the beauty in front of her. Falco''s face briefly showed anger when he realized the girl had no interest in talking to him, but he quickly returned to his previous gentlemanly demeanor and asked. ''''If I''m not mistaken, you''re Seraher Warden of the Warden family, right? '''' At Falco''s words, Seraher stopped and turned to look at him for the first time. Falco seized the opportunity and bowed politely to introduce himself right away. But this time, he spoke with a tone of arrogance. *Mob: Any non-yer entity whose main function is to be killed for experience, quest objectives, or loot is referred to by this general term. The word "mob" used in MMORPG games should not be confused with the definition of the word in the Englishnguage, which is an unrulyrge group of people or a group of organized criminals. Chapter 6 Forest Wolf ?At Falco''s words, Seraher stopped and turned to look at him for the first time. Falco seized the opportunity and bowed politely to introduce himself right away. But this time, he spoke with a tone of arrogance. ''''I''m Falco Sandefer from the Sandefer family. It''s a pleasant surprise to run into a member of the noble Warden family like th¡­ '''' Falco was speaking smugly when Seraher interrupted him. ''''Looks like you two know each other.'''' She said, looking at Falco and Gary. Falco was taken aback briefly because he had not anticipated Seraher''s response, but he replied normally after that. ''''Yes, he is my cousin. He''s lucky to be on the same team as me. But even if he is not as strong as I am, his strength isn''t ba¡­ '''' Seraher interrupted once more. ''''Does either of you have investigative skills?'''' Falco was furious at Seraher''sck of interest in him, but he took a deep breath and calmed himself. He replied with a cheeky smile, pointing to the green triangle-shaped hat on his head. ''''This hat has a green rarity and allows me to detect movement within 20 meters by sensing vibrations in the ground. '''' Instead of wasting time babbling this time, Falco waited to see Seraher''s fascinated face, but what he expected didn''t happen. Seraher still looked cold, but this time she also had an irritated expression on her face. ''''So you had better start putting your skill to use. While we are still wandering around looking for mobs, the other team has already got 3 points.'''' Everyone grimaced as they looked at their system interface after hearing Seraher''s words. It was true. The enemy team already has three points, while theirs is still at zero. While they were thinking that the enemy team wasn''t so simple and that this match might not be as easy as they expected, they were jolted by a sudden system message. [Your team gained 1 point.] [Since you made no contributions to the battle, you won''t gain any shared experience.] The group fell silent as they stared in bewilderment at the system message. Even Seraher, who always appeared cold and emotionless, had a dumbfounded expression on her face. ¡ª [Lv.1 Forest wolf(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experiences.] Raydon took a deep breath and got up from the dead wolf. ''''A-all this e-effort was just for 10 e-experience points?" ''''He was panting from exhaustion and felt that the reward was less than he deserved. Raydon regained his breath and turned his attention to the stick in his hand. ''''I wonder what''s special about this stick. '''' After taking a look around, he went up to the tree where he had discovered the stick. He reached for one of its branches, and without exerting too much force, he easily broke it. He muttered as he examined the tree and branch. ''''It appears that this tree and branch are normal. Other trees around don''t look much different either. I think some conditions have to be met for this stick to be formed, or it came here from somewhere else entirely. '''' He then made the decision to look aroundter in case there were any other sticks nearby, concentrating for the time being on the wolf he had just killed. ''''Nothing dropped when I killed the wolf. I suppose I should extract the useful materials from the wolf''s body myself, but I don''t even have a tool to skin it.'''' Raydon is generally aware of the fact that he needsponents from mobs in order to craft anything in this world. He searched his surroundings to see if there was anything he could use as a knife, but soon realized it wouldn''t be that simple. He also didn''t know if there were other predators around that could smell blood. ''''I guess I should carry it with me until I find something to dismantle it with.'''' While thinking about how to carry the body, he remembered the dimensional storage. Raydon reached out his hand, and with a thought, the space in front of him began to distort, and a 1-meter rift appeared out of nowhere. ''''Wow, it was easy.'''' Raydon peered through the opening and noticed a strangely bright space with walls made of a strange ck stone. Raydon turned his head and looked at the wolf, and again looked at the 1 square meter space in front of him and said. ''''I think I can fit it in. '''' He struggled for a while before finally getting the wolf inside, cursing frequently because the inventory he was familiar with in games was far better than this. ''''Anyway, let''s keep moving.'''' Raydon took onest look around before heading out in search of his next prey. ¡ª ''''Leas watch out, it''sing towards you. '''' Seraher shouted. She pointed her hand at the wolf running in front of her and said. ''''Snowfall. '''' Snow suddenly appeared in Seraher''s hand and began to scatter toward the wolf. With a sudden jump, it jumped out of the way of the snow that wasing at it as if the wolf had eyes on its back. However, it was unable topletely escape, and snow could be seen covering its hind legs. ''''Vertical Dash. '''' Taking advantage of the wolf''s slowing down, Gary dashed towards the wolf with his huge shield in his hand. ''''Shield bash.'''' *BANG* With the sound of the impact, the wolf was thrown forward and copsed on its back. Unfortunately, the wolf did not receive a fatal blow as it staggered to its feet, as another sound was heard. ''''Piercing shoot.'''' A flying arrow struck the wolf''s head with great force. After being shot in the head with an arrow, the wolf eventually copsed to the ground covered in blood. [Lv.1 Forest wolf(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 5 experience.] Falco approached,id his bow on his back, and gritted his teeth as he spoke. ''''Tch, I hate agility-type mobs the most.'''' Chapter 7 Wingman? ?''''I''m curious how he killed a mob with only level 1 stats and no items.'''' Leas approached the wolf''s dead body and asked. ''''He was obviously just lucky. The mob was most likely dying when he discovered it, and he simply went and fired the final shot. Maybe he''s already dead at this point.'''' Falco said with contempt. ''''Yeah, that has to be the case.'''' Leas said with a sudden realization, nodding her head. It was clear who the two were talking about. Since it took even a group of four a fair amount of time and effort to kill the wolf, there was no way they would have believed Raydon killed something simr with his level 1 stats and without any items. ''''I guess we don''t have time to sit down andment on others. The other team earned 2 more points. '''' Gary approached the wolf with a small knife that was too small for hisrge frame and quickly began skinning it. ''''I''ll get this done quickly.'''' Seraher walked up to Falco and inquired, cing her icy blue sword in the hilt at her waist. ''''Did you find the next mob?'''' Hearing Seraher, Falco''s eye twitched. Without saying a word, he bent down, ced one hand on the ground, and closed his eyes. He opened his eyes again after a few seconds and said. ''''Nothing. '''' Disappointment was evident in his voice. Seraher frowned and looked around. ''''It is strange. It shouldn''t have been so difficult for us to locate a few wild animals.'''' ''''Maybe there aren''t many mobs in this region. After all, each match takes ce in different dimensions with varying degrees of difficulty. Couldn''t that be the difficulty of this region? '''' Falco inquired. ''''No, I don''t think so. If what you said was true, the other team should have had a difficult time finding mobs as well.'''' Seraher said. ''Perhaps they have someone on their team with better investigative skills.'' Falco had a thought, but kept it to himself for fear of embarrassing himself if he said it out loud. Falco didn''t really need to say that. Seraher had already considered this possibility, but there had to be a lot of mobs in forest-type match zones. Of course, there were exceptions, but the situation they were in right now made Seraher uneasy. ''Something is wrong. '' ''''Okay, I''m done.'''' Gary put the knife he was holding into his dimensional storage before pointing to the materials on the ground and speaking. ''''If it''s okay with you, I''ll take them and pay your share in gold.'''' Hearing this, the team nodded. Since the materials were not rare and Gary did the dismantling, the team did not object and epted the offer. Since the main currency of the item holders was gold, everything could be sold and bought for gold. ''''We will lose if we continue with this pace, we must speed up.'''' Seraher was about to turn around and leave after saying that when she was abruptly stopped by another system message. [Your team gained 1 point.] [Since you made no contributions to the battle, you won''t gain any shared experience.] ''''Are you serious?! '''' Falco''s eyes began to twitch. ''''People living in slums are this ferocious these days? '''' Leas said, her mouth wide open in surprise. The group was more shocked than before because they had previously persuaded themselves that the prior incident was just luck. But if the same event urred twice, it was very difficult to attribute it to pure luck. ''''Should we go back and find him? Maybe he can join us.'''' Leas asked, looking at Seraher. ''''Not necessary. He just seems to have some talent. His encounter with two mobs in a short period of time also shows that he is still lucky. Someone whocks knowledge and items is useless to us. '''' Seraher stated coldly, turned around, and began walking. ''''There''s no need to think too much about a rookie. He can do whatever he wants as long as he doesn''t get in our way. '''' Falco said sarcastically, following Seraher. Leas sighed and thought. ''Why must the children of big families be so ignorant?'' She then followed the pair with Gary, who remained perplexed and silent. ¡­ Shortly after the group had left the area, a humanoid figure pped its massive brown wings andnded on a nearby tree, its eagle-like eyes fixed on the group walking away. This person was dressed entirely in ck, with only its eyes and beak-like mouth visible. ''''We must have overlooked this wolf. Anyway, 1 point won''t make a difference, after all they won''t be able to finish this match alive. '''' He said in a screeching, shrill voice. ''''The fifth member of the team is still missing; he must have left earlier. He appears to have already earned 2 points. He must be stronger than the rest of the team since he is hunting alone.'''' The wingman extended his hand, and said. ''''Summon messenger.'''' For a brief moment, a light gathered in his palm, forming a bird. *Chirp* The bird sang happily, pping its cute little wings. ''''Go and inform the others. The four-person team is making its way towards the open area ahead. I''ll take care of the fifth person. '''' *Chirp-chirp* The small bird pped its wings and took off into the sky. The wingman soon spread his huge wings and looked into the forest with his sharp eyes. ''''Hmph, it doesn''t matter how strong you are. You won''t even see my shadow before you die.'''' He pped his wings and flew away with incredible speed. ¡­ [Lv.1 Forest wolf(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experience points.] Raydon rose slowly from the wolf and sat beside it to catch his breath. '''' T-these things are r-really fast and agile. '''' He had to kill this wolf with the same tactic he had used to kill the previous one, because his speed was too slow. Regardless of how effective this tactic was, it was tiring him out every time. ''''I believe it is time to put my experience points to use. I''m hoping stamina has the same effect as it does in games.'''' Chapter 8 Stat Increase ?Opening the title panel, Raydon spent one experience point to boost his stamina by one. Raydon felt an incredibleforting energy fill his body as his stamina increased from 1 to 2. All the fatigue that had built up in his body as a result of stress and fights up until this point vanished in an instant. He could also feel his body toughening up. ''''Good. It appears that this stat also boosts my body''s overall durability.'''' He breathed deeply while closing his eyes and enjoyed the feeling. ''''This feeling is extremely intoxicating¡ªit''s unlike anything I''ve ever experienced in a game. '''' He opened his eyes after some time, looked at the stat panel, and said. ''''As I thought, more experience points are required for the next increase. '''' When Raydon saw the experience points needed to increase stamina by one more point, he thought it waspletely natural. After all, if each stat increase required 1 experience point, he''d probably dere his immortality soon. With 20 experience points in total, Raydon decided there was no point in keeping them and instead used them all to increase his stamina. 2 exp. points. 4 exp. points 7 exp. points. He spent a total of 14 experience points and gained 4 stamina. While enjoying the pleasure of his body bing stronger with each passing moment, he decided to check his status. ]: B7890-D4850 [Race]: Human [Name]: Raydon Demugen [Title]: Master of All [Level]: 1 [Rank]: F [Experience]: 6 / 1.000.000 [HP]: 50 [MP]: 10 [Strength]: 1 [Agility]: 1 [Stamina]: 5 [Luck]: 1 [Charisma]: 1 [Spirit]: 1 [Magic Equipment(s)]: 0/5 [Body enchantment(s)]: 0/5 [Dimensional Storage]: 1x1 ''''I have the stats of a level 2 item holder. I don''t know what will happen in the future, but the fact that I can only increase my stamina at the moment puts me at a disadvantage. '''' Raydon frowned and pondered for a moment, then sighed and stood up, looking at the wolf he had just killed. ''''I can think about this problemter, now I have other problems like what to do with this body. '''' The body of the wolf he had killed earlier had already filled his dimensional storage. He alsocked the necessary tools to dismantle the wolves, so he had toe up with another solution. He discovered two more sticks with the same qualities after killing the first wolf, but the ends were not sharp enough to be used as knives. He also thought about tearing it to pieces with a sharp stone, but he didn''t even know which parts were valuable, so that would take too much time and damage the materials he would obtain. He even considered carrying it on his back, but even if he had the stamina, his strength wasn''t enough. As he thought with his hand on his chin, his brow furrowed with each passing second. After much deliberation, he finally made a decision and sighed as he said. ''''I guess I have no other choice. '''' And then, he grabbed the wolf''s tail and started dragging it. '''' Nghh¡­I-I n-never leave my l-loot behind.'''' A solo yer''s mental illness manifested itself. --- Raydon had been dragging the wolf through the forest at a turtle''s pace and had gone quite some time withouting across another mob. After circling around for a while, Raydon concluded that this wolf species either hunted alone or that the wolves he encountered had broken away from their pack. ''In fact, I''m not sure if the social evolution of wolves in this world and mine followed the same principles.'' As he moved forward, he noticed that his surroundings were bing quieter. He continued cautiously and soon came to a small clearing with no trees and a smallke. Raydon took a moment to survey theke and its surroundings. The area was so peaceful and serene that it was a perfect ce for a retiree to build a wooden house and live out the rest of his life in peace. After looking around for a while, he saw tall vines growing not far from theke. The vines looked like someone had taken them and thrown them there, but their roots were still attached to the ground. ''''This is just what I need. Suspicious-looking vines that will allow me to tie up my loot and carry it more easily. '''' Raydon said with a chuckle. He approached the vines, dragging the wolf''s body behind him. The tension brought on by the silence was heightened by the wolf''s friction noise and distant bird noises. Raydon stood some distance from the vines. He tightened his grip on the wolf''s tail and began spinning around. After a few spins, he decided that he had enough momentum with the wolf and released its tail. When Raydon released the wolf from his hold, it perfectlynded on the vines. Following some time of observation and seeing nothing happen, Raydon said. ''''In such cases, in movies and stories, this thing is supposed to attack anyone who gets too close to it.'''' Raydon approached the vine with a disappointed look on his face. A tiny opening appeared in the air, and he reached out and pulled one of the sticks he had earlier discovered. He had learned how to use dimensional storage more effectively during his time in the jungle. He approached the vines, hardly separating the vine from its root with the stick he held. ''''Like the stick, it seems to be quite sturdy.'''' Just as he was picking up the vines after rooting them, he noticed some bubbles beginning to form on the edge of theke. All of a sudden, Raydon''s body started sending out warning signals. His instincts and senses, which he had developed over time, were urging him to leave where he was. He leaped as far back as he could, and at that precise moment, something hideous leaped out of the water and headed straight for him. In that brief moment, Raydon saw a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth in front of him, narrowly missing his chest by millimeters. *BANG* The creature was unable to stop and collided with a nearby tree, making a loud crashing noise. When Raydon''s foot touched the ground again, he raised his guard and faced the creature to see what it looked like. Chapter 9 He Also Took The Stone ?''Isn''t that a crocodile? '' He muttered as he examined what resembled a crocodile but had some differences. This creature waspletely blue, like theke it lived in. It was muchrger than a typical crocodile, with the most noticeable difference being the dangerous-looking spikes on its tail. Raydon observed this creature and noticed the number 1 written on its left hind leg. ''''Is this level 1 too? It looks stronger than the previous forest wolf. '''' Raydon made a briefparison of strengths in his head, but then thought that the crocodile was attacking from the water and might not be as strong and fast onnd. Raydon stretched the vine in his hand and grinned as he saw the crocodile start to slowly recover from the impact. ''''Let''s see how difficult it would be to kill you.'''' He looked around and saw a nearby tree, then quickly knotted the end of the vine into a loop. He threw one end of the vine over the tree branch. He left the loop on the ground and held the other end in his hand, waiting for the crocodile to approach him. ''''I hope one unsessful attack didn''t make you give up. '''' He made an attempt to provoke the crocodile that was staring at him. The crocodile must have felt let down by its earlier attack because it was now acting quite irate. The crocodile began to charge Raydon on all fours, though not as fast as in its initial attack or as the forest wolves. It appears that Raydon''s earlier spection that the crocodile might be even weaker onnd than the wolf was urate. He held one end of the vine in his hand and the other end, which was tied into a loop behind him, as he patiently awaited the crocodile. The crocodile quickly drew close to Raydon, opened its mouth as wide as it could, and leaped. Raydon slid to the side to avoid the attack at the perfect time, and then he yanked the vine with all his might. ''''Yes! '''' Raydon shouted with joy as he observed the loop effortlessly tangle over the crocodile''s head. As Raydon pulled on the other end of the vine tied around the crocodile''s head, it was hung from the tree like amb awaiting its butcher. The creature panicked and started to flutter wildly when its world, which had been horizontal until now, abruptly turned upside down. It was unlikely that the crocodile would be harmed or killed by being hung from a tree by the neck. Raydon couldn''t get close because the crocodile''s tail was circling like a barbed whip. He didn''t, however, intend to wait for the crocodile to rip the vine or break the tree branch. He returned to the spot where he discovered the vines and picked another one from the ground, which he had previously rooted, and turned the end of it into a loop as well. ''''I don''t have much experience throwingssos, but how difficult can it be? ''He started to swing thesso as he spoke. He was aiming for the crocodile''s tail, which was constantly spinning and wrecking its surroundings. He gave up on the notion that it wouldn''t be challenging after a few failed attempts. Especially given that his intended target was a fast-moving elusive tail. Fortunately, Raydon was able to catch the crocodile''s tail and quickly secure its body to the tree before it broke the branch. He exhaled a sigh of relief after tightly tying the crocodile and observing that it was unable to move any further. ''''All right now. I''m sorry, but I don''t think I can kill you painlessly. ''After speaking, Raydon reached into his dimensional storage to retrieve a stick. The crocodile''s abdomen was also covered in scales, but they weren''t as densely packed as they were on the back. Raydon grabbed a medium-sized rock from the vicinity and pressed the stick''s pointy end against the crocodile''s motionless chest. He hit the other end of the stick with the stone, which caused it to be stuck in the crocodile''s chest. The creature began to struggle in pain, but it was futile because it was tightly bound to the tree. When Raydon pulled the stick out, blood gushed from its chest, some of it sshing on his face. The crocodile''s blood was all over his face, which he wiped before speaking. ''''Indeed, the chest and belly of crocodiles were one of their weak spots.'''' ''''But, I think, I missed the heart. Unfortunately, I know nothing about crocodile anatomy, let alone crocodiles from this world. '''' He said as he observed the crocodile, which was still fluttering in pain. He used the stick to pierce the crocodile''s chest once more, at which point he pulled it out and allowed the blood to flow. Sadly, he realized that he had missed the heart once more. Then he decided that rather than using more energy and damaging the material he would get, he should stop and let it bleed out. While waiting for the crocodile to bleed to death, he decided to take thest vine he had left. Additionally, other predators might follow the smell of blood, so he at least didn''t want to be the first one to be attacked if something happened. The absence of other creatures in the vicinity suggested that this territory belonged to the crocodile. Still, there was also the possibility that other predators could smell the blood and decide toe and check. After picking thest vine, he looked at the smallke beside him and thought. ''''I think that was the only crocodile living here. Still, it''s good to be cautious. '''' As the wolf''s body was still around, Raydon tied a vine to it and threw it into theke. Then he started to watch patiently, like a fisherman watching for a fish to be hooked to his line. Raydon realized there were no other predators in theke after some time, and he drew the wolf''s body back. He set the wolf''s body aside and walked over to theke, and he saw himself for the first time since his awakening in the mirror-like rity of the water. Chapter 10 New Territory ?Although he remained emaciated, his once sickly-looking pale skin now had some healthy-looking color. As he began to wipe the blood from his body, he caught sight of a stick by theke''s edge. He stood up, went over to the stick, picked it up, and gave it a close inspection. ''''When I first found it, I thought this stick belonged to something extremely rare like the world tree, but I don''t think I''ve ever been lucky enough to find something this rare four times in a short period of time. '''' He felt disappointed when he realized the stick he found was the same as the ones he had discovered earlier. It seems that what he discovered was not as rare as he had believed. Anyway, he was determined to take this stick as well as his loot. When he turned to look at the crocodile that was still hanging in the nearby tree and noticed that it waspletely motionless, he assumed that it would soon die. Fortunately, he didn''t have to wait long to hear the system sound. *Ding* [Lv.1 Blue Lake Crocodile(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experience points.] When he received the system notification saying the crocodile was dead, he untied it, collected the vines, and brought it to the edge of theke to clean the blood off its body. The absence of predators despite the abundance of blood indicated that either the local predators were not particrly aggressive or that they each had their own territory and remained there. Nheless, out of caution, he covered the open holes in the creatures'' burrows with soil and grass to mask the smell of blood. After preparing the bodies, he tied the wolf tightly on top of the crocodile. He called up the status screen once he was done with his work to see how much time had passed. ''''It seems that only 43 minutes have passed.'''' He was relieved to realize he still had plenty of time and began moving through the forest while dragging one end of the vine attached to his loot. Despite the fact that the crocodile''s weight had been added to his load, he was dragging it like a sled thanks to the crocodile''s t stomach. Raydon noticed that the trees around him were bing scarce as he wandered around looking for other mobs. It was a sign that he had reached the end of the forest, and he soon arrived at a location where all of the trees had disappeared, leaving only isted rock formations in the drynd that stretched out before him. When he looked ahead from where he was, even though it was blurry, he could see where the forest began again, making this area appear to not be that big. ''''A desert surrounded by forest, huh? '''' He looked ahead, raising an eyebrow. In the desert-like area, he could make out a few wandering lizard-like mobs, but for the most part, rocks blocked his view. Seeing a different kind of mob made him excited. ''''I have to go check what kind of monsters they are. '''' Raydon smiled childishly as he gripped the vine tightly in his hand and continued walking, dragging his loot behind him. It was good that there were no trees in the way of his vision, but if a predator was nearby, Raydon would make a clear target with the two animals he was pulling behind him. Regardless of how dangerous the area was, he was eager to explore it to learn and discover something new, and he had no intention of abandoning his loot in the process. With each step he took, the dry earth he was standing on crumbled. Inparison to the jungle, carrying his loot behind him on this t terrain had be simpler, and his increased stamina was helping him more than he had anticipated. As he continued to walk, Raydon began to feel uneasy. Apart from the noises he made, there was only silence. It waspletely silent; not even the wind could be heard. It was simr to the situation at theke a while ago. ''''Have I entered another predator''s territory? '''' Raydon''s perceptions kept alerting him as he walked. He had the feeling that something was watching him, even though he couldn''t see any living things nearby. He quickly reasoned that the only possible source of danger could be the undersoil. There was no way he could not see an enemy approaching from the ground or the sky in his field of vision if the enemy was not invisible. Raydon started to pay close attention to the ground beneath him. With the loot he pulled behind him and his own steps, he had developed a rhythm while moving, but for a split second, he felt that something else was a part of this rhythm. The moment he realized that this new thing was disrupting his rhythm, the ground beneath him split open, and something dark leaped out and sneak attacked Raydon. He quickly let go of the vine''s tip in his hand, hunched his upper body back, and performed a backflip to just barely avoid this sneak attack. [-1 HP] By the time Raydon regained his bnce, the thing that had attacked him was already back in the ground and hiding. Raydon felt a sting in his leg. He looked down and saw that his right leg had been cut, as if by a knife. He didn''t give much thought to the pain this small wound caused because he had always set the pain settings in VR games to almost 100%. It had little impact on his HP either. ''''Don''t tell me, now my enemy is a mole?" Raydon thought of his new foe as another familiar animal after facing a wolf and a crocodile earlier. ''''That''s just a guess, anyway, and I can''t make a n until I''m certain. '''' Knowing your opponent''s strengths and weaknesses is always a huge advantage when fighting them, but if you have the wrong information, this error could be fatal. Raydon thought about this for a moment, then felt the ground vibrate again. This time, he rolled to the side with a quicker reflex than before. He had a better chance this time to get his bearings and see who or what was attacking him. Chapter 11 First Blood ?A ck object with two wed hands and a head that was flying through the air and about to hit the ground quickly caught his attention. Raydon had no doubts. This thing did resemble a mole, but the difference was that its ws appeared to have evolved as a weapon to kill its prey rather than just dig up the soil. Raydon immediately came up with a strategy, knowing at least how this thing would attack again. In a single motion, he quickly untied the vines he had fastened to his booty. He kicked the wolf off the crocodile, turned the crocodile over onto its back, andnded on its stomach. When Raydon heard a noiseing from the ground and looked at the wolf he had just tossed aside, he understood that the situation was more dangerous than he had initially thought. He could clearly see the ck objecting at the wolf''s body like a torpedo from the ground. But the real issue was that it wasn''t just one thing, but several. Raydon had counted at least four of these things in that short period. ''It looks like this will be harder than I thought. '' Raydon murmured. Raydon took the sharpest sticks in both hands and assumed the attacking position, just like the assassin character he had previously yed in one of the games. He let out everyst bit of air in his lungs. Every second, Raydon''s heart rate decreased. Raydon now felt as lifeless as the crocodile that was lying beneath him. The body of the forest wolf now had numerous deep wounds, and blood was flowing continuously to the ground. Nevertheless, all attacks had stopped. It didn''t take long for Raydon to be aware of the sounds and vibrationsing from the ground close to him. He quickly turned his body and aimed the stick in his hand at a specific location. As soon as the mole leaped, Raydon''s stick weed it, and it met a silent, sudden demise. [Lv.1 Soil Mole(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experience points.] Raydon shook the stick and threw the mole that was skewered on it aside before assuming his attacking stance once more. The moles did not make use of their senses of sight or smell. They were limited to sensing ground vibrations and objects on the ground. Raydon had more defensive space and more time to react because of the wide back of the crocodile he was standing on, which prevented the moles from striking directly beneath him. He asionally felt knocks from beneath the crocodile and understood that the moles had to attack from the nks due to the crocodile''s thick skin. Raydon returned to full focus mode and began observing changes in the soil. A few seconds after the previous attack, another mole jumped up to attack Raydon, and he stabbed the creature with his stick as soon as it emerged from the ground. Like his earlier hunts, these were also level 1, but due to theirrger numbers and favorable terrain, these were more dangerous. It wasn''t too difficult for Raydon to stay in full focus mode, but his body wasn''t fast enough, so he had to put extra energy into his reflexes and timing. Although he had no problems with stamina, hisck of strength and agility was having an impact on him. Raydon''s breathing began to lose rhythm after some time, and his heartbeat became faster than before. Around Raydon, there were already eight moles lying in blood with holes in their heads. ¡ª Meanwhile, someone was watching Raydon from a tall rock not far from where he was as he struggled to survive with all his might. '''' I expected him to be strong. '''' The wingman, who was watching Raydon with his keen, eagle-eyed eyes, had a strange expression on his face. When he came here to find Raydon, he thought he had a high level, but he was surprised to see 1 written on his hand. On top of that, he waspletely naked, wearing only his underwear. ''''Now I get it. I believed he left the team because he was strong, but in actuality, the team abandoned him because he was weak. '''' When he learned that Raydon was hunting by himself and scoring points, he hadn''t given any thought to the fact that he was a rookie. However, he discovered the reality after seeing it with his own eyes. ''''It''s difficult to believe that this is his first match. He appears to be a very experienced fighter. '''' He was shocked as he observed his battle with the moles. He certainly wouldn''t have been able to fight that well if he were in that situation. He fixed his eagle-like eyes on the panting, exhausted Raydon and muttered icily in his screeching, high-pitched voice. '''' No matter how skilled you are inbat, right now you are weak and vulnerable. '''' He spread his wings and dropped himself off therge rock he was standing on. With the momentum of the fall, he pped his wings and flew at breakneck speed towards Raydon, who had his back turned. "Silent ps." His brown wings gradually turned ck, and the noise he had been making as he flew through the air came to an abrupt halt. As Raydon''s worn-out body drew nearer in his eyes, the smile on his beak-like mouth grew wider. ''''Metallic Talon. '''' He murmured in a low tone, and the w-like fingernails on his outstretched hand grewrger and turned into a gray metallic talon. ''This match is over for you. '' He smirked as he aimed his sharp nails at Raydon''s neck. The moment he believed that he hadplete control over the situation and that the frail person in front of him would die in a matter of seconds, something horrifying urred. He noticed Raydon turn his head towards him as his neck was inches away from his sword-like nails. Suddenly, the Wingman felt that everything was in slow motion. In that split second, his eagle-like eyes met Raydon''s cold, voidy stare. A senseless chill ran down his spine, followed by a piercing pain in his fear filled eye. Thest thing he saw in the reflection of Raydon''s pitch ck pupils before he died was, ¡­a head pierced through the eye by an ordinary stick. [Lv.9 Winged-man(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 9 point.] [You gained 90 experience points.] ¡ª ''''I guess I''ll take care of the dismantling process again.'''' With a knife in his hand, Gary said as he approached the lizard, which was about the size of a human and had brown skin with yellow spots. ''''I''d like to have the skin again. I believe it would suffice if I find a few more to craft the item I want. '''' Leas approached and said cheerfully. ''''Are you not a healer? What are you going to do with the skin of this earth-type lizard? '''' As he skillfully cut the lizard''s skin with the knife in his hand, Gary asked with curiosity. ''''I asked my uncle to make me a jacket with defensive skill. He told me to find a tough earth-type skin, and I''m hoping this lizard''s skin will do.'''' Leas spoke while casting a sidelong nce at Seraher. This behavior of Leas did not go unnoticed by Falco, and he asked. ''''Is your uncle an item expert?'''' Leas was startled when she heard the question and had a troubled look on her face. ''''Y-y¡­'''' Leas was stuttering when a sudden dinging sound brought everyone''s attention to the system message. *Ding* [Your team gained 1 point.] [Since you made no contributions to the battle, you won''t gain any shared experience.] Chapter 12 Ambush ?''''Wow, he''s doing this again. '''' Gary remarked as he handed the skin to Leas. ''''He already killed another mob while we were hunting our third lizard. Don''t you think it''s very good? '''' Leas took the skin and started examining it. She appeared unsurprised and had just casuallymented on the system message. ''Tch. He''s just lucky. '' Through gritted teeth, Falco murmured. He was watching Seraher''s reaction with an ugly expression on his face. By this time, Raydon''s solo points were equal to those of their four-man team, but he was still unwilling to acknowledge Raydon. ''''The other team''s progress seems to have stalled. Our scores are currently very close to being the same, giving us a chance to win.'''' Seraher, in addition to her usual cold demeanor, appeared relieved. Seemingly by this point, she had also acknowledged Raydon''s strength. Even Falco felt that Raydon was a necessary member for the team to win, although he didn''t show it at the moment. All of them were now used to receiving system messages that did not pertain to them. But this time they were in for another surprise. *Ding* [Your team gained 1 point.] [Since you made no contributions to the battle, you won''t gain any shared experience.] ''''A-again ? T-this fast? '''' Leas'' mouth dropped open as she started to doubt the legitimacy of this system message. The team was beginning to doubt the veracity of the system when they were startled by the sound of another message. *Ding* [Your team gained 1 point.] [Since you made no contributions to the battle, you won''t gain any shared experience.] And another one. *Ding* [Your team gained 1 point.] And another¡­ *Ding* After hearing the sound for the 8th time, there was silence from the system for a while. ''''I-?s t-this finally o-over? '''' Leas stammered, staring at the system message as if she had seen a ghost. Everyone had only one thought. Who was this monster that they didn''t want to have on their team previously because he looked weak? ''''I guess he gone crazy and wreaking havoc somewh¡­ '''' The long silence was finally broken by Gary, but he was cut off by another system message. [Your team gained 9 points.] [Since you made no contributions to the battle, you won''t gain any shared experience.] Gary gulped and spoke in a trembling voice. ''''D-don''t tell me, he finally lost his temper and killed the region boss? '''' '''' Region boss?! '''' Falco cried out. ''''No, he didn''t kill the region boss but¡­ '''' As she was speaking, she noticed a ball of fire quickly approaching her. *BOOM* She rolled to the side in time to avoid the fireball, thanks to her quick reflexes. ''''Watch out!!!'''' Gary yelled, and with hisrge shield in hand, he blocked the sword strike aimed at Leas, who was standing next to him. When the enemy saw that his attack had been blocked, he immediately pped hisrge gray wings and rose into the sky. ''''Oh, you guys are not bad. '''' This person looked like the winged man Raydon had just encountered, but unlike him, this one had arge sword in his hand and heavy armor that looked like it was made of iron. ''''The enemy team found us. '''' Seraher slowly stood up from the ground, but as soon as she did, the pain in her leg caused her to stumble. She did not appear to be able topletely avoid the fireball and was injured in her leg. ''''Let me heal you. '''' In a panic, Leas dashed to Seraher, but after a few steps, she noticed another enemy attacking her. ''''Rapid Shoots.'''' The winged woman was shooting arrows at Leas while holding a crossbow and pping her dark brown wings in midair. ''''Snow Wall.'''' A snow wall suddenly materialized in front of Leas after Seraher said with a raised hand, and arrows pointed at her pierced the wall. Leas, who had narrowly escaped death, rushed to Seraher''s side and pointed the wooden staff at her burned leg. ''''Healing Vines. '''' Lights from Leas'' staff gathered on Seraher''s burnt spots, transforming into a vine and quickly bandaging her wounds. ''''Your pain must have subsided now. '''' Leas said with a sigh. ''''Yes, thank you. '''' Seraher said with a smile to Leas, who was staring at her with sad eyes. This was Seraher''s first and only smile since the match began, but it was cut short by the enemy. ''''Why you guys are so slow? '''' Everyone present was chilled by the voice, which was low but authoritative. He set one of the two swords on the hilt at his waist and began wiping the blood from the other with a cloth he had pulled from his pocket. He looked like a war angel with his white wings and silver armor that sparkled. Seraher and herpanions were startled by the sight of the new enemy, but not by the enemy''s image; rather, it was the body on the ground covered in blood that caused their blood to freeze. ''''Falco!?'''' Gary screamed and tried to rush, but a hand reached out and grabbed him. ''''He is already dead. '''' Seraher said in a low voice. She scowled as she looked Falco''s lifeless body with his throat shed. ''Falco had good tracking abilities and a hunter''s senses, so he wasn''t weak. How could he have died so quickly and quietly?'' The more Seraher thought, the more she realized how powerful the enemy was. ''''Be careful, he is very strong. Do not do anything you wille to regret.'''' Gary nodded to Seraher while gritting his teeth and ncing at the white-winged man. He also understood how strong the enemy was. After a few seconds, Falco''s body on the ground transformed into a pile of light and vanished, leaving only a few items behind. ''''I''ll go and see where the region boss is. Don''t get too carried away. '''' He spread his wings and flew deep into the drynd. Shortly after, another winged man with brown wings and a brown robe appeared from behind a rock, wielding an iron staff and spitting on the ground as he said. ''''He''s bossing us around just because he''s a little strong. '''' ''''A little? '''' The winged man wielding the great sword chuckled and went on. ''''Anyway, let''s finish the job here and join him. He wants to kill the region boss. '''' Chapter 13 Silent Chicken ?The wingman with the iron staff muttered as he heard this. ''He thinks we can actually kill the region boss, what a joke. '' As Gary and Leas listened to the enemies talk among themselves, Seraher shouted. ''''Howe there are only three of you here? Aside from the person who just left, where is your teammate? '''' Her curiosity about this was uncharacteristic of her, but Gary and Leas immediately understood why she was asking. ''''Huh? Why do you want to know? Don''t waste our time with chit-chat. '''' The wingman with the great-sword snorted. Leas smiled slyly and replied. ''''Didn''t your teammate go after our teammate? I know this because yourpanion is already dead.'''' When the enemies heard this, they were initially startled by it and exchanged nces with one another before they all suddenly started toughter. '''' Is Silent Death dead? Oh, I haven''tughed this hard in a long time. '''' The winged man with the iron wand roared withugh. ''''To be honest, you''d have a better chance of convincing us if you said that the person who just left is dead. But you are telling us that death itself is dead?'''' The woman with the crossbow wasughing so hard that she lost her bnce in the air andnded on the ground. Seraher and her team were at a loss for words in the face of the enemy''s behavior. What was so funny about this? Thankfully, the man with the iron staff satisfied this curiosity by speaking. ''''All right, all right, this is enough fun. Well¡­ Let me exin why it''s so funny.'''' He started to exin after wiping hisughing tears away with the sleeve of his robe. ''''Silent Death was already the best assassin among ordinary people before awakening. And his fame grew even more after he awakened. Despite being an F-rank, many consider him to be the best assassin, even among the E-ranks. A high-level E-rank attempted to assassinate him once for personal reasons, but failed. Even if it''s just a rumor, people believe he can escape even from a D-rank item holder. And you''re telling me right now that there''s someone who can kill him in an F-rank match. Hahahahah¡­ This is so funny. '''' The wingman startedughing hysterically once more. The surprise on Seraher''s and the others'' faces increased as they listened intently. They were certain¡ªthough they didn''t know how¡ªthat Raydon had killed this formidable wingman. They couldn''t have misinterpreted the system''s message, right? Seraher muttered quietly to her teammates with a serious expression on her face. ''''Just try not to die. We need to gain as much time as possible.'''' Their enemies basically had more stat points than them with the advantage of their race, and on top of that, they had the ability to fly. Therefore, the chances of defeating them were very low. But they could at least buy some time until the match is over. After Falco''s death, their points were almost equal. But Raydon was still out there, gaining points with each passing second. So if they can stall these three here and give Raydon some time, they can still win the match. Now, all they had to do was avoid dying. ¡ª [Lv.9 Winged-man(F-rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 9 points.] [You gained 90 experience points.] Raydon looked at the system message and said with satisfaction. ''''I didn''t expect this chicken to give me so many experience points. '''' He approached the winged man''s corpse and studied it. ''''It seems that this is not any other ordinary mob. I guess he is from the enemy team. Dude, if you don''t have the skill for assassination, you shouldn''t be wasting your time watching me all the time.'''' If the others had heard what Raydon had said, they would have vomited blood. One of the best assassins in another world was just a rookie chicken in Raydon''s eyes. As Raydon studied the wingman''s body, it suddenly disappeared into a beam of light, leaving only a pair of ck boots and a single ck glove. He picked up the boots from the ground and examined them. [Boots] -Grade: Grey -Quality: Normal -Skill: None ''''Perfect, this has to be the worst item possible.'''' Raydon cursed his luck. There were seven item grades in this world, as far as Raydon could recall. These are respectively; Grey, White, Green, Blue, Purple, Orange, andst one Golden. Along with these item grades, the quality of the item also varied based on the craftsmanship of the person who made it. Normal, Good, Outstanding, Excellent and Masterpiece. Raydon had discovered the worst of all of this, because the only difference between grey-grade items and ordinary non-system items was that they were only slightly more durable. They didn''t have any skills. He quickly put the shoes on his feet. Well, the item''s quality was the worst it could be, but he couldn''tin about it right now. He then took the glove, and the system texts reappeared in front of him. [Glove] -Grade: White -Quality: Normal -Skill: Metallic Talon Turns your hand into a metallic talon. -Mana cost: 1 -Duration: 1 minute. -Cooldown: None [After wearing this item for the first time, the binding process takes 3 hours, during which you cannot use the item skill.] ''''At least this one is useful. ''''Although he didn''t seem overly pleased, he believed it was better than nothing. As Raydon examined his loot and the extra 8 experience points he had gained from the moles, he smiled. His eyes caught a glimpse of the nearly-decapitated forest wolf. His eye twitched briefly before he kicked a nearby mole in rage. ''''You scumbags, that was my precious loot. '''' The moles nearly dismembered the wolf''s body, which he had carried with him all this time and refused to leave behind. He felt his anger subside as he watched the mole''s body fly through the air, but when he regained hisposure, he took a brief pause before chasing after the mole he had just kicked into the air. ''''Wait, you''re now my precious loot too, you can''t go anywhere. '''' Chapter 14 Gary Became ...? ?Raydon gathered all the bodies, including the mole he kicked, and attached the moles'' and the dismembered wolf''s body to the crocodile before checking the time. ''''Hmm, I still have more than an hour. '''' While thinking, Raydon suddenly heard a small explosion not far away. When he looked in the direction of the sound, he couldn''t see much because of the rocks that were blocking his view, but he could see the dust floating in the air. He eventually understood the situation after examining the score difference between his team and the enemy team in the system. ''''They got a lot of points all at once. I think they killed one of my teammates there. '''' Raydon quickly analyzed the situation. He had earned more points than the regr mobs he had killed when he killed the wingman he thought was one of the enemy team just now. The opposing team''s sudden increase in score implied that the previous explosion had killed one of his teammates. But this was just his guess, and he wasn''t entirely certain. ''''Should I go there and check? Or, I can avoid the enemy team and continue killing other mobs in this area.'''' Raydon began to calcte with a solemn expression, taking into ount the time remaining until the end of the match. He was already at a disadvantage due to the death of one of his teammates. He could kill other mobs quickly and gain points again, but the only equipment he found with skill was currently on cooldown and couldn''t be used. With sticks as his only weapon, how quickly could he kill mobs and collect points? It was Raydon''s first challenge in this new world. And, as someone who had never shied away from a challenge in his previous life and had almost always won them all, losing this match would have left him with a bad taste in his mouth. Raydon did not want this to happen. He grinned as he returned his attention to the still-flying dust clouds in the sky. ''''I hope there are more chickens there. '''' Raydon made up his mind and grabbed the tip of the vine, dragging his loot with him as he set off. ¡ª ''''I-I don''t have any m-more mana. '''' While speaking, Leas appeared to be out of breath. Her fair and lovely face had turned sickly pale. Gary, who was blocking the arrows in front of Leas'' weak body with his shield, said depressedly. ''''We can''t even attack properly because the bastards are flying. If Falco were here, our job would be a little easier, but Seraher is the only one with attack power. '''' Gary cast a sidelong nce at Seraher, who was engaged in a heated battle with the winged man wielding the Great Sword. She was also trying to avoid the fire and lighting balls that appeared from time to time. Seraher''s face was expressionless and emotionless as she fought. Her ice-blue sword was moving wlessly with each swing, and the snowkes that flew around gave the impression that she was performing a dance show rather than engaging inbat. ''She is really strong. She would definitely stand a chance of winning if it were just the two of them, but the other winged man''s spells prevent her from effectively counterattacking.'' It was obvious that Seraher''s movements were bing noticeably slower, and he concluded that she wouldn''t be able to endure for very long. ''''We won''tst long if we don''t do something about it. I''ll leave my shield with you for a while. '''' Gary spoke firmly as he extended his hand and began to draw a sword from his dimensional storage. Leas nodded, took the shield that was nearly the same height as her, and watched Gary closely because she wasn''t sure what he was up to. But then, seeing the hilt of the sword Gary was pulling, she soon understood. ''''You are from the Lionheart family? '''' Leas could not hide her surprise. The hilt Gary was holding was longer than usual and appeared to be made for a two-handed grip. The silver roaring lion figure on the hilt''s head was the reason Leas guessed Gary''s household name. Gary ignored Leas'' question and continued to draw the sword. The sword wasrger than the winged man''s great sword, and it appeared to be double-edged. Leas could more clearly hear Gary''s heartbeat elerating with each second that went by. Gary turned and said to Leas with bloodshot eyes and a hoarse voice as he fully extracted the sword from the dimensional storage. ''''I will lose myself for a bit. '''' Then, with a roar, he swung his sword at the winged woman in the air. ''''Roaring sh.'''' A sound wave that was created by the sword''s swing shot through the air and toward the winged woman. ''''What the hell?! '''' The winged woman, caught off guard by the sudden attack, quickly raised her hand and yelled. ''''Wind Cube. '''' Suddenly, a cube-shaped wind current appeared around her, and it was struck by the sword sh. *Boom* The impact of the blow threw the winged woman into the air, where she crashed to the ground a little further. ''''What was that? '''' Turning his head in the direction of the noise, the wingman with the iron staff was startled to see bloodshot-eyed Gary running toward him while carrying arge sword. ''''Shit!'' ''''Fire Wall.'''' He pped his wings and swiftly soared into the sky as mes started to erupt from the ground in front of him, forming a wall. ''''Roaring sh.'''' He hadn''t risen very high when he saw a sword wavee towards him, tearing the mes apart. ''''Damn you!!!'''' ''''elerate.'''' The winged man, whose movements had elerated as a result of the skill, quickly avoided the sword wave. ''''Hey, what''s going on there? '''' As he continued his relentless attacks on Seraher, the winged man with the great sword appeared calm enough to observe what was going on around him. Seraher didn''t seem to be able to put much pressure on him, but she was exhausted from fighting two people so far, so this was to be expected. Chapter 15 Struggle ?''''This man has a strange skill. It''s not a big deal, just a little annoying. '''' The man with the iron staff said this while pointing his staff at Gary, who was running towards him once more. ''''Lighting Ball. '''' The lightning ball struck Gary in the chest, causing his movements to stutter for a moment. Lightning caused a small burn on the chest area of the armor he was wearing, but he collected himself and continued running as if unaffected by the pain. ''''I guess, whatever skill you''re using has turned you into a bloodthirsty, mindless animal.'''' The wingman quickly discovered Gary''s w. He was entirely correct in what he said. In addition to being faster, stronger, and more pain-tolerant than before, Gary''s ability to think has also appeared to have deteriorated. Despite the fact that it seemed like all of hisbat was done out of reflex and instinct, he was unable to evade an attack that was aimed at him. The man with the iron staff said with disdain, ''''I don''t know what that skill is, but it looks like pure madness. '''' He continued to respond with the fireball and the lighting ball as he dodged Gary''s sword waves through the air. ''''Light Recovery. '''' Meanwhile, Leas desperately tried to heal Gary''s wounds as her mana replenished, but it wasn''t enough to heal Gary, though it was effective enough to annoy the winged man. ''''Can''t you just sit quietly and wait your turn? '''' The wingman red angrily at Leas and pointed his staff at her. ''''Fire Ba¡­'''' ''''Roaring sh.'''' He was interrupted by Gary''s sword wave before he could activate his skill. He realized Gary wasn''t going to leave him alone after a few more attempts to attack Leas, so he focused on him again. Seraher let out a small sigh of relief as Gary was now the focus of the man with the iron staff''s attention. However, it appeared that she had already expended all of her energy, leaving her with no choice but to defend herself. Seraher yelled at Leas as she stared helplessly at the ck fumesing from Gary''s body. ''''How much longer can hest? '''' Leas used her regenerated mana for the least mana-consuming healing skill she has and replied. ''''Not much, we still have over 50 minutes until the match is over. '''' Seraher clenched her teeth as she parried another sword strike and called out again. ''''How many more points did that guy earn? '''' After temporary silence, Leas replied in a grave tone. '''' Zero. '''' Seraher became depressed upon hearing this. She felt as if their only hope had been shattered. ''''Hahahaha, do you still believe you can win? '''' After firing one final ball of fire at Gary, the wingman watched him slowly fall to his knees, and he cackled. ''''I don''t understand why your friend isn''t dead yet, but it''s only a matter of time since the Silent Death is after him. '''' When he saw that Gary wasn''t standing up again, he turned his attention to Leas. ''''It''s your turn now. '''' He raised his staff and was about to strike when another sword wave stopped him. ''''I-I''m not d-done yet. '''' Gary had stood up again, holding his sword in both hands. His body was shaking, and he looked like even a soft wind could make him fall. ''''It looks like you''re starting toe to your senses. You can barely even stand; just give up and die peacefully.'''' Gary''s face, which was wracked with pain and had burn scars, caught the attention of the wingman. He was certain that this was his final struggle before death. Gary gathered thest bit of strength in his body and roared with all his might, ready to swing his sword once more, when an arrow pierced into his shoulder, causing him to drop his sword to the ground. ''''You as*hole, my whole body still hurts because of you. '''' The woman with the crossbow yelled angrily at Gary and shot a second arrow at his feet. *Aghh* With a pain-filled cry, Gary fell again. ''''Oh, I thought you died. So you were just cking, huh? '''' With an uglyugh, the man with the iron staff said. ''''Shut up. I''m going to kill him for sneaking up on me. '''' He shrugged helplessly. ''''Do whatever you want, but don''t take too long.'''' ''''Don''t worry, I''m not thatme. I will finish him in one shot.'''' She fumed in anger as she spoke. ''''It''s the end of the game for you, you bastard. '''' ''''Power Shot. '''' The crossbow''s tip started to fill with an orange beam of light as soon as the skill was used. ''I don''t want to lose. '' Gary mumbled as he racked his worn-out body for the willpower to get back to his feet. With the return of the winged woman, Seraher''s unresponsive face changed to one of dissatisfaction. ''I needed to win only one more match to rank up. I don''t have time to start over again. '' With these thoughts racing through her mind, she fought the wingman with therge sword in front of her with all her might. Even though she knew the oue would be disappointing, she hoped that with onest force, she could save Gary and earn more time. Leas stood helpless, watching her teammates struggle. This was no ordinary game; everyone had a purpose in winning this match, and it was painful to lose here like this. ''''We lost. '''' Leas wept bitterly. She couldn''t take it anymore and closed her eyes to avoid seeing herrades'' desperate search for ast-chance opportunity. ''''Go die.'''' The winged woman shouted onest time before firing the arrow. But at that moment¡­ ''''Aghh. '''' The winged woman screamed in pain and fell to the ground. *Boom* The sound of an explosion then followed. As Gary writhed on the ground, thinking these were hisst moments, he stared in surprise at the arrow that fell a little ahead of him. Then Seraher''s tired voice came to him as he pondered why the arrow had missed him and why the woman had screamed and fallen to the ground in agony. ''''Why did youe here? '''' Chapter 16 A Hero With His Costume ?The events that were taking ce caused Leas to open her eyes, but when she saw the neer, she was rendered speechless. Holding the tip of the vine in his gloved hand and an ordinary stick in the other, a frail-looking man wearing nothing but gray underwear and ck boots underneath walked slowly towards the winged woman. As the woman struggled to pull the vine from her head that had caused her to fall from the sky and hit the ground, she was startled by a sharp pain in her throat. She then felt her consciousness leave her body, and she gradually stopped moving. [Lv. 8 Winged-man(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 8 points.] [You gained 80 experience points.] With his inappropriate clothing for the scene and his heroic entry, Raydon said to Seraher as he carefully removed the stick from the winged woman''s throat. ''''I just realized that, '''' His dark eyes slowly scanned the area, while everyone stared at him in silence. Then he continued, ''''Chickens give more experience points. '''' What chickens?! While everyone was searching for meaning in these words, someone broke the silence. ''''You! Who the hell are you?! '''' The wingman with the iron staff was shocked to see Raydon. ''Isn''t this the person Silent Death was after? Where is Silent Death? '' The more the winged man thought, the more perplexed he became until he noticed Raydon''s ck one-handed glove and boots. Then, he recalled the scene when the winged woman died in a matter of seconds. ''It was wless. '' In a voice filled with tremors and horror, he spoke to hisrade, ''''H-he killed Silen¡­ '''' ''''I know.'''' The wingman with the great sword said. The truth also made him appear frightened. Despite the fact that the man in front of them only had the items of the winged man he had recently killed and was level 1 based on the tattoo on his hand, they did not dare underestimate him or discuss the truth of the matter further. Whatever method he used, the evidence showed that he did indeed kill Silent Death and that he had also just killed their other teammate right in front of their eyes. ''''I have no idea how many mobs he killed out there, but just the experience he gained from those two would be sufficient for a normal item holder to level up right away. He must have a very rare type of title, so be cautious. Don''t be fooled by his appearance. '''' The man with the great sword said. He was certain of his conclusion. He wasn''t the only one who had this thought. Everyone there, including Raydon''s teammates, already realized he wasn''t who he seemed. ''''Hold him off for a little while, and I''ll get this done quickly and join you. '''' Without further dy, the wingman with the great sword attacked Seraher. She was already worn out, so the wingman, who had the upper hand, was now attacking more hurriedly and aggressively. ''''You better hurry, this man is making me uneasy.'''' The wingman with the iron staff looked at Raydon''s disturbing outfit and said. Raydon ignored the winged woman as she vanished behind him and transformed into a hum of light before marching into the fray. ''''elerate. '''' ''''Fire Ball. '''' ''''Lighting Ball. '''' ''''Water Ball. '''' ''''Bind. '''' The wingman began employing every skill he possessed as he pped his wings and rose to the sky. However, Raydon used his ultra-super evasion skill from his previous world to deftly avoid all iing attacks. ''''Roll. '''' ''''Roll. '''' ''''Roll. '''' ''''Roll. '''' The wingman felt frustration as soon as he noticed that Raydon was expertly dodging all of his attacks by simply rolling to the left and right. ''''It''s not even an item skill you use; why the fuck are you chanting its name as if it were?! '''' When he realized Raydon was mocking him, the wingman erupted in a fit of rage. But he soon collected himself and believed that everything would work out in his favor as he continued the aerial assault and avoided Raydon''s vine. ''''All you can do is roll around. You can''t even attack me while I''m in the air, hahaha. '''' As time passed, the wingman''s self-confidence grew. But he started to get restless once more when he saw Raydon getting ready to throw the vine. ''''You can''t catch me with that thing. '''' ''''elerate. '''' He made the decision to temporarily stop the attack and concentrate on avoiding the vine. He couldn''t ignore the vine because it was the cause of the winged woman''s death. ''''We will see. '''' Raydon said with a cheeky smile and threw the vine. The wingman thought that this couldn''t be true as he was surprised to see the vine that resembled asso approaching him. ''''What is this? This is too slow. '''' It wasn''t a skill; it was just Raydon throwing asso, so an item holder could easily avoid it, if not catch them off guard. However, the main concern in Wingman''s mind was why Raydon made such a clear and pointless attack on him. ''Is he nning to use his title skill or something? I need to be careful.'' He thought carefully. He easily escaped thesso that was thrown at him and moved as far away as he could, just in case. However, he cried out in panic when he realized where thesso was headed. ''''OH, NO, DODGE THAT. '''' Though he attempted to grab the vine while flying quickly, it was already toote. Hearing his friend''s cries, the wingman with the great sword turned his head for a split second to see what was going on, only to be greeted by the vine wrapped around his neck. ''''Gaagh!!! '''' When Raydon pulled the vine, he abruptly lost his bnce and dropped the sword he was holding. As soon as Seraher noticed this, she seized the chance that had been presented to her. Although shecked the mana necessary to use her skills, she attacked right away with her sword. After being startled by the unexpected events, the wingman pointed his staff at Seraher and chanted when he realized his friend was about to die. Chapter 17 Show Off ?Being startled by the unexpected events, the wingman pointed his staff at Seraher and chanted when he realized his friend was about to die. ''''Lighting Ba¡­ '''' ''''I have had enough of your balls. '''' Raydon shouted and threw the stone he had taken from his dimensional storage at the still-in-the-air iron-staff man at an exact angle with all of his strength. The iron-staff man''s balls were crushed by the stone, which wasunched like a meteor with the purpose of eradicating the dinosaur species. ''''Gahh!!! '''' The winged man fell to the ground, groaning with pain and anticipatory anxiety.* The wingman with the great sword had nothing left to prevent Seraher''s sword from falling over his neck at this point. ''''Ghlige Shigah.'''' In his final moments, he tried to use a skill to defend himself, but in vain. Even breathing was too difficult for him because of the vine around his throat let alone chanting the skill name. The system message was finally heard once more as the ice-blue sword quickly shed the wingman''s throat. [Lv.8 Winged-man(F) has been killed.] [Your team gained 9 points.] Gary, who had alreadye to his senses, and Leas, who was currently trying to heal him, were stunned by everything that was happening in front of them. Their only thought a short while ago was to survive until the match was over. And, despite doing everything they could, they were on the verge of failing. However, with only one person involved in the fight, everything was turned upside down. They were both in awe and admiration as they glued their eyes to Raydon''s perverted appearance. ''He is not even that strong.'' Leas muttered. This is the truth. Raydon had not demonstrated superhuman strength or speed since his arrival. He didn''t even use any shy skills; hell, he didn''t even have any skills at all. However, his mere presence caused the enemy to overthink. They believed Raydon possessed mysterious skills other than his quick reflexes. Indeed, he has many talents, but there was no need to show all of them to defeat this kind of enemy. ''''It was easy. '''' Raydon turned to face the final wingman and grinned mischievously once more. The wingman with the iron staff was stunned. Within minutes, he was the only survivor of the three-man team. A strange fear gripped his body as he noticed Raydon''s creepy smile and dark eyes staring at him. ''I need to escape. '' That was his only thought, and without thinking twice, he turned around and began to fly away. ''''Tch, he is escaping. '''' Gary muttered as he started to rise to his feet with a slightly healed body. Seraher said, looking at Raydon, ignoring the items dropped by the wingman in front of her. ''''All dropped items belong to you. '''' ''''Yes, yes, anyway, we''d be dead by now if you weren''t here. It is enough for us to at least keep our level and items. Also, we won the match thanks to you. '''' Leas chirped with delight. The opposing team had only two survivor left, and they knew he couldn''t close the point gap on his own, so they had already won the match thanks to Raydon. While everyone was looking at Raydon with various emotions, waiting for him to say something, hepletely ignored them and went to the location where the woman with the crossbow had died. He examined the items that had been left behind by the winged woman. A pair of trousers, a jacket, and the winged woman''s crossbow were all on the ground. Raydon picked up the crossbow, took a stick out of his dimensional storage, and ced it on the arrow socket. The stick, though not an arrow, fit easily into the socket because the crossbow was made to be able to fire a variety of arrows. He pointed the crossbow at the winged man who had already traveled a considerable distance, under the watchful eyes of all who waited to see what he was going to do. ''''What is he doing? '''' Leas asked curiously. ''''He is ¡­'''' Gary gulped. He didn''t even want to believe what Raydon was trying to do. Raydon''s jet-ck eyes were fixed on the ck dot that was fading from view. His body remained motionless, like a rooted tree. He inhaled deeply and experienced everyst detail of the wind''s blowing motion in his body. ''What kind of concentration is this? '' Raydon''s perfect posture earned Seraher''s admiration. It seemed as though he was about to shoot the heavens down to the earth with the crossbow in his hand. He finally fired his crossbow after slightly angling it upward. The stick shot up into the sky and quickly vanished, going who knows where. Everyone who had lost sight of the stick returned their gaze to Raydon. ''Oh, so he was just experimenting with the crossbow. '' Upon realizing this, everyone exhaled a sigh of relief. After all, it wasn''t a sniper, and using a crossbow to hit a moving target at that distance was thought to be too difficult, if not impossible. Everyone was thinking about how stupid their momentary thinking had been as the recognizable system message rang in their ears once more, as though meddling with their emotions. [Lv.8 Winged-man(F) has been killed.] [Your team gained 8 points.] After they hade to the conclusion that nothing could possibly surprise them anymore as a result of what this enigmatic man had done since the beginning of the match, another amazing event urred in front of their very eyes. Leas and Gary gaped in disbelief as they looked at Raydon, and Seraher muttered in wonder. ''Who exactly are you?'' ''''He fell quite far, I''ll have to walk a bit to get the dropped items. '' With one hand, Raydon shielded the sun from his face as he watched the winged man on the horizon fall to the ground. He then returned his attention to the items on the ground and collected all of the items that had dropped, ignoring the others. Hepleted gathering all the items when he suddenly realized he was facing a serious issue. *** *Anticipatory anxiety: The worry or fear that unfavorable events might ur in the future. When experiencing this kind of anxiety, we might be fixated on the unforeseen or unpredictable. Because we have no control over the future, it can be frightening to be uncertain. So, n your future carefully and don''t let unexpected events ruin it. Chapter 18 Region Boss (Part 1) ?Raydon disyed the items in his arms and asked the blonde girl. '''' Hey, all this wille with me when the match is over, right? '''' Leas responded with a shaking voice after understanding what Raydon meant. ''''O-Oh... y-yes it will¡­ No, no I mean you need to wear the item and start the bounding process or put them in your storage if you want them to return with you when the match is over. '''' When Raydon heard what she had said, a gloomy expression spread across his face. ''''Damn, but my storage is full, and I obviously can''t bind them all, right?'''' Leas became rmed when she saw Raydon''s dissatisfaction. ''''I-I''m sorry, you can only bind 5 skill items. Other items without skills do not need to be bound, so you can simply wear them. '''' ''''Your storage is full? What do you mean? '''' Gary was surprised to hear Raydon and asked. Raydon made the decision to ask for help and went and took the bodies of the crocodile, wolf, and moles from behind a nearby rock. He also opened his storage to reveal the wolf inside. ''''You see? How can I store all of these? '''' Gary grinned when he understood Raydon''s issue. He wasn''t surprised to see so many mobs and offered Raydon his assistance right away. ''''You don''t actually need the whole body of the mob. Although you could probably get a little more money if you had the entire body, since you can''t carry it all with you, you can also dismantle them and get the valuable parts.'''' He pulled out a small knife from his storage, showed it, and continued. ''''I can dismantle the bodies for you if you want. '''' Raydon, who had no idea which parts of the mobs he had killed were valuable, epted the offer right away. ''''Thank you, you can have one of the moles as a thank you for your help. '''' Gary''s eye twitched as he looked at the two wolves, the massive crocodile, and the eight moles that seemed insignificant next to them. ''''No need for any payment. I''m also doing it to repay you. '''' ''''Okay. '''' Raydon thanked him once more, but it was clear he didn''t really care. He wanted Gary to do his best, so he was ready to sacrifice a mole from his priceless loot. He also wanted to observe him in order to learn the specifics of the procedure. ''''I-If you don''t mind, may I know your name? '''' Leas sneaked up to Raydon like a little kitten and inquired with bright eyes. ''''Raydon. '''' He answered without taking his eyes off Gary''s work. Meanwhile, Seraher asked another question. ''''Raydon? What is your surname? You obviously don''t belong to the slums; which family are you from? '''' Seraher was sure that Raydon wasn''t just someone from the slums. He couldn''t have been this skilled and experienced without any training. But Raydon''sck of understanding of the world they were living in as item holders continued to gue her mind. Raydon turned to face the questioner this time. He was looking at something with consideration. ''''Demugen? '''' He said it not quite sure. Hisst name was clearly written in the system, and he knew from his memories that he had this surname, but he was removed from the family because they thought he was useless and an embarrassment to them because of his illness. So, he pondered whether or not to use thisst name. ''''I knew you weren''t ordinary. '''' Seraher sighed as she said. Raydon already understood that his family was not ordinary, but that didn''t really mean much to him. He would only use this surname as his identity in this world. Fortunately, the concept of family meant nothing to him. Seraher stopped asking questions when she noticed Raydon return his attention to Gary. It was obvious that the other person was uninterested in her inquiries. Gary soon finished his task and spoke with Raydon while demonstrating the items. ''''Sadly, the other''s skin was so damaged that it was rendered useless, so you got only one nt-type wolf skin. '''' Gary studied Raydon and, seeing his nod, continued. ''''The other bodies were in good shape, so the quality of all of them was also high. There are also 11 F-Rank life cores in total here. These will pay well. '''' Raydon looked at the shiny stones, which were 8 brown, 2 green, and 1 blue, smaller than the palm of his hand. These things were not unfamiliar to him. It was, in fact, one of the first things he was taught, even if he didn''t understand it at the time. These were the cores that gave the mobs their abilities. It was the most widely used material for general crafting. Raydon gathered everything and ced it in his dimensional storage with the other items he had gathered, gratefully thanking Gary. He was terrified of having to abandon his loot. But now all his problems are solved. Raydon said after ncing at the system and the remaining time. ''''I have to go and get what the other wingman dropped. See youter. '''' Turned and started to walk. "Wait, perhaps going together would be best. On the way, we might run into more mobs or even thest wingman. Also, that wingman looked he strong. '''' Leas spoke quickly. Seeing the others nod in agreement, Raydon shrugged. '''' Okay for me. '''' ¡ª Less than thirty minutes before the match''s conclusion, the group finally located the items dropped by the wingman after a lengthy search. Raydon was disappointed with what he found. The only things on the ground were the wingman''s robe and the stick he killed him with. He picked the robe off the ground, and just as he was about to examine what features it had, a roar was heard nearby. ''''Huh, what was that sound? '''' Leas startled like a frightened rabbit and asked. ''''Must be the region boss. If I remember correctly, the other wingman had gone to find it. '''' Seraher said. ''''Region boss? What''s that? '''' Raydon questioned. Chapter 19 Region Boss (Part 2) ?''''Region boss? What''s that? '''' Raydon questioned. The team had already gotten used to Raydon''sck of knowledge, and without further ado, Seraher began exining. '''' The boss is a mob in the region where the match is taking ce that is one rank higher than the other mobs in the region. Since we are currently in an F-Rank match, the region boss of this match is E-Rank. '''' Raydon nodded and asked another question that was bothering him. '''' How powerful is this E-Rank boss? What level is it? So far, I''ve only encountered level 1 F-Rank mobs.'''' He always encountered level 1 mobs, but even the level 1 forest wolf he killed appeared to be stronger than the wingmen he killed. ''''The match''s mobs follow a slightly different level logic. Even if you search for a level 2 mob during an F-Rank match, you won''t find one because all F-Rank mobs are level 1. Only the region boss is level 10 and an E-Rank mob. Additionally, even a standard level 1 F-rank mob has more stats than a level 10 item holder, so you can probably guess how powerful the E-Rank region boss is.'''' When Seraher noticed that Raydon was getting ready to ask another question, she knew what he would ask and continued to exin. ''''Yes, we can rank up too, but there are a few differences in the requirements for us to move from F-Rank to E-Rank. '''' Seraher inhaled deeply and prepared to continue, thinking it had been a while since she had spoken for so long, when another roar cut her off. ''''I think the wingman and the region boss are really fighting. '''' Leas said surprised. ''''He must have been nuts. What chance would they have to kill the region boss even if his entire team were still alive? Although I''ve heard of a few teams sessfully taking down region bosses, I''ve never heard of anyone going for it alone.'''' Gary started to believe that this wingman was insane. ''''Hey where are you going? '''' Seraher asked when she saw Raydon heading in the direction the voice hade from. ''''To check the source of the sound. '''' Raydon replied casually and kept walking. ''''If we are careless, the region boss will notice us and may attack us as well. Why don''t we just sit here and wait for the match to end? '''' Leas folded her hands on her chest and pleaded with her watery eyes. Seeing that Leas'' sensible words and sweet pleading had no effect on Raydon, the team unwillingly decided to follow. They quickly located the source of the noise and took cover behind a hill to watch what was happening. A flying person with wings who appeared to be in extremely bad condition and covered in blood could be seen being chased by the 2-meter-tall tree-like creature. The creature would asionally raise its branchy hand and hurl sticks at the flying person like a machine gun, but the wingman managed to avoid each throw, albeit with difficulty. However, there were still a few visible sticks stuck to his body. ''''I-Isn''t that flying thing the w-wingman? '''' In response to what she saw, Leas questioned, her blonde hair standing up in terror. Despite being an enemy, she couldn''t help but feel sympathy for the poor wingman. ''''I guess he pissed off the region boss somehow, and now he can''t get rid of it. He''s paying the price for his craziness,"'' Gary said, irritated. While the team watched the region boss pursue the winged man, Raydon quietly took his crossbow from his dimensional storage. ''''I guess today wasn''t his lucky day. '''' Gary saw Raydon insert a stick into the crossbow and sang with delight. The moment Raydon pointed the crossbow at the wingman, everyone realized he had lost all hope of escaping. ¡ª ''''Damn, I shouldn''t have approached that tree so close to inspect it if I had known it was the region boss. '''' While dodging the sticks that wereing his way, the winged man was cursing. He was initially surprised to see a tree in this location where there was no greenery while looking for the region boss. Curious, he came closer to see what had happened, but it was toote when he realized that what he had mistaken for a tree was actually the region boss itself. ''''Also, why is this stupid mob so aggressive? He''s chasing me for minutes as if he''s sworn to kill me. '''' *Agh* One of his wings was stabbed by another stick as he fled. Just as he was about to fall to the ground after losing his bnce, he quickly pulled out the stick and started pping his wings once more. ''''Those idiots still haven''t finished their job? Why does it take so long to kill a few worthless, lowly humans? '''' The region boss who chased him to death was no longer the target of his rage; it was now directed at his teammates. At the very least, if his teammates arrived, they could distract the boss and allow him to flee. ''''Damn you, it took me a long time to get to level 9, I don''t want to die and go back to level 8. Furthermore, if I lose all of my items, it will take a long time to rece them. Stop already, what have I done to you, crazy monster? '''' The wingman sobbed in agony as his depression worsened, he thought about the losses he would suffer if he died here. After a while of helpless running, he noticed that he was approaching the forest area. ''''That''s it; the trees will prevent him from using his throwing sticks to target me if I enter the forest.'''' His confidence grew as he reasoned that the wooded area would make it simpler to hide and flee, and he began to run there with all of his might. When he got closer to the forest, his escape was assured. With the hope he gained, he resisted the pain of the sticks that asionally inflicted wounds on his body. Chapter 20 Region Boss (Part 3) ?''''Hahaha, you ugly monster. Let''s see if you can still chase me inside the forest. '''' He shouted and prepared to dive into the forest whileughing and mocking the creature. ''''Finally, I escaped. '''' When he thought he was safe from the sticks behind him, another stick appeared from nowhere and stabbed him in the neck. He lost consciousness as he started to fall and thought regretfully. ''I was too close. '' ¡ª [Lv.9 Winged-man(F) has been killed.] [Your team gained 9 points.] [You gained 90 experience points.] ''''Oh, I got the full experience points? Nice. '''' Raydon eximed cheerfully. Normally, if you killed a mob or enemy with the assistance of a teammate, experience points were distributed among the contributors, but it appears that he did not need to share his experience points with a mob. The region boss abruptly stopped its insane attacks after the winged man died and changed back into a tree, rooting in the ground as if it had never been a monster. ''''Too bad, unfortunately, we won''t be able to get dropped items. '''' Leas looked at Raydon and seemed genuinely sorry for him as she said this. Since the region boss was not far from the winged man''s body, if they attempted to take his items, the monster would undoubtedly attack them as well. ''''Hm? Why not? '''' Raydon smiled like a mischievous child and put the crossbow in his dimensional storage before casting a sidelong nce at Leas and beginning to descend the hill. ''''Hey, hey, wait a minute. Where are you running to?! '''' When Leas realized Raydon wouldn''t stop, she made the decision to follow him. Gary and Seraher also took one look at each other and then decided to follow the duo. Raydon checked his system for the remaining time of the match while running. ''Hmm, this should be enough. '' ''''Hey, Berserk man, lend me your sword. '''' Raydon called out to Gary, who was running after him. ''Berserk man? What is that? '' Gary was perplexed and quickly drew his sword from his dimensional storage, running faster to Raydon, he handed him the sword. Raydon realized the sword was quite heavy as he held it. He even had to drag it behind him as he ran. ''''What are you trying to do? '''' Gary asked questioningly. ''''I think he''s trying to get the items dropped before the time runs out. '''' Seraher guessed. ''''Are you crazy? You won''t be able to. Didn''t you see how strong it is? You will die before reaching the items. '''' Gary hastily shouted at Raydon to stop him, but Raydon ignored him. Right now, he wasn''t paying attention to anyone and was only focusing on the character screen in front of him. [Experience]: 461 / 1.000.000 ''Let''s see how much I can increase my stamina with this.'' He thought, and he started spending his experience points. -Stamina Cost: 9 exp. -Stamina Cost: 11 exp Cost: 13 exp ¡­ Cost: 25 exp While he was increasing his stamina, he heard a voiceing from the system, but for now, he ignored it and continued. Cost: 34 exp ¡­ Cost: 58 exp After he finished spending all his experience points, he opened the status menu again. ]: B7890-D4850 [Race]: Human [Name]: Raydon Demugen [Title]: Master of All (New skill unlocked, please check the details.) [Level]: 1 [Rank]: Grey [Experience]: 19 / 1.000.000 [HP]: 200 [MP]: 10 [Strength]: 1 [Agility]: 1 [Stamina]: 20 [Luck]: 1 [Charisma]: 1 [Spirit]: 1 [Magic Equipment(s)]: 1 / 5 -Glove (Bounding¡­) [Body enchantment(s)]: 0 / 5 [Dimensional Storage]: 1x1 ''''The next increase needs 65 experience points. It looks good for now. " Raydon could feel his body getting stronger, but he forced himself to ignore the feeling and concentrated on the system to figure out what the previous dinging sound was. [Title]: Master of All -Experience points can be used to boost the stat points of your choice. Currently avable stat(s): -Stamina ( New skill has been unlocked.) -Life Regeneration: Doubles the body''s rate of healing and enhances the effects of healing skills used on the body based on the stamina stat. ''It''s scary how lucky I am. My use of that technique will improve thanks to this new skill. '' Raydon mused happily. ''''Hey, while you get the items, I can divert the region boss for a little while. I hope we can escape before the time runs out.'''' Gary stated firmly. Raydon looked at Gary. He was taken aback by Gary''s extreme actions on his behalf. Raydon proimed, "My target is not items." ''''What did you say? Your target, not the items? Then what is it? '''' Leas could not conceal her surprise. If items weren''t his target, why was he running towards the region boss in such a hurry? ''''I will kill the Region Boss. '''' Hearing this, Gary stumbled. He gathered himself and ran, catching up to Raydon and yelling. ''''Are you out of your mind? This is just suicide. '''' Seraher was also unable to maintain herposure because she had assumed that he would only be after the items. She had never imagined his goal would be to kill the boss. Raydon continued to run without responding to Gary. Gary understood Raydon''s seriousness. His shocked expression also gradually gave way to solemnity. As he spoke, he reached out and pulled his shield from his dimensional storage. ''''I''m not sure how long I can hold out, but I think I can stop that stick-throwing skill so that you can concentrate on the attack.'''' Raydon couldn''t believe what he was hearing for a moment. Gary volunteered his assistance in this suicide mission. ''''My abilities may not have much of an impact on something thisrge, but perhaps I can slow down its movements. ''''Seraher took her ice-blue sword in her hands and said. Her focus was on the Region Boss in front of them. Leas remained silent, but her continued running alongside them sufficed as an answer. ''These guys are real? They had just said that it was impossible and that it was nothing but suicide. '''' Raydon''s lips curled into a smile as he observed the grave expressions on everyone''s faces. ''This is interesting. '' Was it a trust? Or were they simply grateful to him for what he had just done? Or perhaps they simply wanted to kill this enormous monster in front of them because they were caught up in the excitement of the situation. Raydon wasn''t sure of the answer, but a long-forgotten emotion sparked within him. ''''Thank you. But please, '''' His gaze fixed on the boss a little further away. At the time, Raydon was unaware that the sentence he was about to speak would resurrect a legend from his previous life. For some, it''s just a sentence; for others, it''s the name of a hero from the forbiddennds. ''''Let me solo it. '''' Chapter 21 Region Boss (Part 4) ?Seraher and the others remain silent. They could feel the confidence in his voice, and once they did, they realized they could no longer use Raydon of being insane. As if that monster were the one who was insane enough to fight Raydon. Raydon looked at Gary once more. ''''Hey, berserk man. '''' Gary regarded Raydon and wondered why he kept addressing him in that way. Raydon said sarcastically. ''''That huge shield is not suitable for you. '''' Gary initially expressed surprise, and then a look of shame crossed his face. ''''Let me show you how to y a berserker ss. '''' Raydon''s constant smile suddenly took on a sinister appearance. He turned his head to look at the region boss, who became aware of their presence and began to move slowly. His heartbeat quickened and was now so intense that Gary and the others could hear it clearly. His white skin gradually turned red. His distorted smile was apanied by steam that emanated from the spaces between his tightly closed teeth, giving the impression that he was starting to burn internally. ''''No way. '''' In shock, Gary first slowed down gradually beforeing to aplete stop as he watched Raydon. Having just stopped running, Leas and Seraher approached Gary, and Leas enquired. ''''Why does this skill resemble the one you previously used? I thought that only members of the Lionheart family possessed this skill.'''' As Leas questioned curiously, a sudden awareness shed across her face, and she said, startled. ''''I suppose this can''t be a skill, right? He doesn''t have any items at all. Is that his title ability? '''' ''''No. It''s not a skill or a title ability. '''' Gary''s body shook, and his voice quivered as he spoke. He is currently experiencing a shock that is beyond words. ''How does this happen? Our family should have been the only ones to use this technique. How can he use it? '' Raydon''s heartbeat started to resemble a war drum calling for battle. *Thump Thump* *Thump Thump* *Thump Thump* ''No. This is not the technique that belongs to our family. '' Gary''s body was shaking uncontrobly from the excitement he was experiencing, and he eventually fell to his knees. ''''Not even my grandfather could use this technique to this extent. '''' He unconsciously muttered the words out of his mouth. Leas and Seraher were at a loss for words as they realized the seriousness of the situation and soon started to observe the legendary battle that was about to take ce in front of their eyes. *GAAAARH* Region Boss, nowpletely rooted out, roared at Raydon, who was closing in on itself. It began throwing sticks using its skill as it raised its branchy hand. When Raydon saw the sticks approaching him, he also roared in response to the creature and swung the massive sword he had previously barely been able to carry. As the two monsters hailed each other with their roars, madness descended on the battlefield. Raydon deflected all the sticks that came his way in one swing, taking advantage of the sword''s width, and charged at the boss. He expertly avoided the sticks that were stilling his way. His timing and reflexes, which were already excellent, were enhanced by his current form. He now possessed predatory instincts. He reached the boss without suffering any injuries. He himself appeared childlike inparison to the 2 and half-meter monster. The Boss used his enormous, twig-like hand to attack Raydon. Despite its massive size, it didn''t appear to move slowly at all, but Raydon was also at least twice as fast in this form as he had been before. The great sword and the hand of the monster collided as Raydon swung the sword, which was almost asrge as the boss''s hand. The impact threw the monster''s hand back and briefly, caused it to lose its bnce. Due to his height advantage and the support he received from the ground as the monster attacked from above, Raydon also only needed to take two steps back. The attack had little effect on him now that he was equal to a level 10 full stamina build Item Holder and was using the berserker technique. Raydon rolled over between the monster''s legs and quickly positioned himself behind it as Region Boss struggled to regain its bnce. The Boss was still attempting to regain its bnce when Raydon started to attack him from behind. He swung the sword faster each time, using the momentum he developed from the weight of the weapon. He smashed the creature''s shield of bark with each strike, shattering a piece of it. After the Boss regained its equilibrium, it waved its arm behind it in an attempt to strike him, but Raydon''s sword again knocked it back. Region Boss was unable to regain its bnce as a result of the blows of his sword that rained down like a hurricane. Each time, he was slowly tearing apart a portion of the monster''s body, as if pruning a tree. ''''What am I seeing? '''' Leas found it difficult to believe what she was seeing to be real. She was unable to even follow Raydon''s sword movements any longer. Raydon followed the monster''s every move, acting as its shadow. Every time the monster made a move to attack Raydon, he was able to repel it with an excellent counterattack. There was barely a second between each sword strike. All the blows followed each other like a perfectbo. It was as if Raydon had be one with his sword. Wherever the sword went, his body followed behind it as if the sword were an extension of him. ''''This is insane. He is forcing his body too much. '''' Gary kept his attention on Raydon''s body the entire time. He was the one who understood this technique the best. Raydon''s heart was beating so quickly that every vein in his body felt like rupturing. Blood was constantly dripping from the corners of his mouth, and his eyes were red. Even his stamina and his newly acquired regeneration skill clearly weren''t sufficient for him to sustain this form for an extended period of time. Chapter 22 End Of The Match ?"This is the real madness that this technique was created for." Gary stared at Raydon''s self-destructing body, but all he felt at this moment was admiration. ''''Shut off all your senses and let only your rage rule you; everything in your path is your enemy, and you will be glorious for eternity,'''' Gary muttered in trance. ''''There''s not much time, let''s go find the dropped items. '''' Seraher said as she looked at the monster''s shrinking body. Leas nodded and turned to face Gary. ''''Leave him alone; I doubt he even hears us. '''' Gary was on his knees, his eyes wide open, and he was totally concentrated on the battle. All of the branches above Region Boss were now gone. It resembled a tree that had been cut down by the city because its branches were disturbing the nearby structures. Unwilling to give up, the monster attempted to approach Raydon, who was behind, once more, but each time it did, Raydon''s sword was all that stood in its way. This time, however, the sword did more than just sweep the monster''s arm away; it also severed it entirely. Raydon didn''t stop after severing one of the monster''s arms; he struck its right arm, which no longer had a hard bark on it, with a sharp sword strike, severing it as well. The only piece of bark still present was on the monster''s legs. Raydon wasn''t attacking the monster''s legs because it would be more challenging to usebo attacks on it if it fell to the ground. After cutting off the second arm, he began hacking at its body. Meanwhile, he was not in good shape either. The blood he vomited from his mouth left trails of it wherever he went. He could ignore the pain because of his berserk form and mental fortitude, but if he lost any more blood, he would die. Fortunately, that wouldn''t happen because he realized it was all over with the system sound. [Lv.10 Ferocious Tree(E-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 100 points.] [You gained 1000 experience points.] [Congrattions; at the conclusion of the match, you will receive your reward for killing the region boss.] Suddenly, Raydon dropped to his knees and started to sputter blood. ''I doubt I can use this technique for more than five minutes, even with my current stat points. '' Raydon pondered as he threw up more blood. He experienced a tearing sensation throughout his entire body''s muscles. His body began to tremble from the massive blood loss. His color, which had previously been red due to his body''s high blood pressure, was now white due to blood loss. ''''Wait, don''t move, I''ll heal you. '''' Leas'' sweet voice appeared in Raydon''s ringing ears. ''''Call of the nature. '''' Given the state of his body, the skill name he heard sounded more like a curse than a healing skill, but within a few seconds, the pain in his body started to fade. After he stopped vomiting blood, his color, which was white as a result of blood loss, slowly began to return. ''Hm?, I didn''t think my skill was that effective. '' Even though Leas had used her best healing skill, she hadn''t anticipated Raydon''s rapid recovery. Of course, she didn''t know about his new skill. ''''Here are the items the wingman dropped. '''' Seraher said with a gentle tone. ''''You''re extremely lucky; obtaining this item was worth risking your life for. '''' Seraher pointed to an object next to a silver breastte and vambraces. A ck sphere that was about the size of a fist that appeared to be filled with ck smoke was the object that Seraher pointed out. Raydon took the items without bothering to ask what it was because he didn''t have the time or energy to do so. Instead, he put it in his dimensional storage with the intention of finding out what it waster. Raydon noticed that there was only a minute left in the match when he looked at the time on the system. He forced himself to stand up while still dragging his worn-out body, using the sword in his hand to assist him. He then noticed Gary approaching with a serious expression. ''''It''s a good sword, thank you, you can take it back. '''' Raydon said, pointing to the sword. Before responding, Gary looked intently at Raydon as if he wanted to memorize every nuance of his features. Then, all of a sudden, Gary lowered his head and spoke in a loud voice. ''''I''m Gary Lionheart, the youngest son of the Lionheart family and, '''' He paused for a moment, as if thinking about something, and then continued. '''' Heir of the Berserker technique. '''' In front of Raydon, Gary was unable to refer to the technique his family used as the Lionheart technique. The man in front of him clearly possessed the true form of the technique. ''''Please ept the sword as a gift from my family. '''' Raydon looked at Gary, who remained standing with his head bowed, as if he wouldn''t look up unless he epted the sword. Actually, Raydon had the character ept any free item he could find, so he didn''t need to do that. ''''Okay, thank you. '''' He said it calmly and tried to ce the sword in his dimensional storage right away, but he was unable to squeeze it into his 1 square meter storage. ''I think I need to bind the item. '' Raydon said and confirmed the system''s bind message. Gary finally raised his head to face Raydon. The match had only a few seconds remaining. Gary drew his shield from his dimensional storage and threw it to the ground in front of Raydon''s stunned eyes as a dazzling light started to cover their bodies. Thest thing Raydon thought before his body vanished was, ''Why did this idiot leave the shield to vanish here instead of giving it to me?!'' [The match has ended.] [Winner Team: B7890-D4850] [Rewards are calcted in ordance with contributions.] [You gained gold coins: 128] [You gained item blueprint: Trousers(White)] [You gained a body enchantment: Bark skin(Green)] [Win streak: 1] Chapter 23 Checking The Loot (Part 1) ?In a room bathed in sunlight from its enormous windows, a stunningly beautiful young woman was sitting cross-legged on the bed that seems to be arge double bed, studying her white tattoo on the back of her hand that read "9." ''''Finally, I will be able to participate in E-Rank matches. '''' She spoke with a sense of relief, but there was also a hint of mncholy in her tone. While the young woman seemed lost in thought, her door suddenly opened. ''''Seraaaa, I still can''t believe we won, hehe. '''' A sweet young woman ran in, jumped on Seraher, and gave her a bear hug. She had blonde hair and a smile as radiant as the lighting through the room''s window. ''''Leas, you''re acting like a child again. '''' Seraher said while grinning, and she hugged her too. ''''But Seraher, the match was really exciting. I really thought we were going to lose there. '''' Leas remarked as she observed Seraher''s tattoo. ''''You should be happy too, Seraher. You would have to start over if you lost this match after working so hard,'''' Leas said with her arms crossed and a fake pout on her face. ''''Yes, yes I''m happy too. '''' Seraher sighed as she acknowledged her defeat. Leas grinned in response to Seraher''s eptance. ''''Hehe, Raydon Demugen, huh? I''ve never heard of a Demugen family member like that before. How could they hide such a genius? '''' Leas pondered. ''''I don''t know, but I have a strong feeling that there is a drama going on in their family. '''' Seraher remarked as she peered out her window at the horizon. They were very perplexed by Raydon''s impression that he was from one of the slums. He had arrived at his first matchpletely unprepared, and his body had the appearance of having gone without food, which made it puzzling. He alsocked the necessary knowledge. ''''Anyway, since he is now an item holder, shouldn''t he at least enroll in the academy? There, we can catch up with him once more and learn more about him. '''' She seemed to be in her own fantasy world as she spoke, her eyes shining. ''Well I''m not so sure. '' Seraher thought as she cast a thoughtful nce at her friend. ¡ª ''Hmm, am I back? '' Raydon murmured as he peered into his clean yet shabby little room. Then he noticed the clothes on the floor beneath his feet and looked in the mirror beside him. He said as his eyes twitched at the sight of his own reflection. ''''Considering I''ve been hanging around in this appearance for so long¡­ Well, whatever. '''' He was troubled by his perverted appearance for a while, but then he decided to ignore it. ''''Where are the system rewards? '''' Raydon had the sword Gary had given him, as well as the boots and glove he was wearing, but he was unable to see anything else. Then, when he opened his dimensional storage, he discovered that everything was there. ''''This little space looks like it''s already filled. '''' When he was faced with nearly overflowing items, he experienced mixed emotions of joy and despondency. ''Anyhow, I''ll put some clothes on first, then I''ll check out what I''ve gained. '' He decided to put on his clothes that were on the floor because he didn''t want to continue to look like this. He began to line them all up after taking each item out of his dimensional storage one at a time. ''''Check out the loot, shall we? '''' He stared at the items before him, excitement visible on his face. ''''I have 5 sticks and 3 vines. But I''m not sure how much these are worth. '''' He has set them aside for the time being despite not knowing their full value because they were very helpful in the previous game. In addition, he set aside the mobs'' parts. He didn''t know how much these were worth either, but he knew they were used to craft things. Finally, he focused on the items that the wingmen had dropped. Along with the Silent Death''s items he had killed earlier, there were also the 4-winged man''s items present. He obtained the crossbow, a pair of pants, and a jacket from the winged woman. Despite using the crossbow twice during the match, he picked it up and checked the details for the first time. [Crossbow] -Grade: White -Quality: Good -Skill: Power Shot Focuses mana at the arrow''s tip and fires an arrow with a strong explosion effect. (Damage is based on the user''s spirit.) -Mana cost: 10 -Cooldown: 20 seconds. ''''Good one, I like it. '''' Raydon was pleased with an item he found for the first time. He looked at the pants and jacket after putting the crossbow back into his dimensional storage. ''''Tch, did I use up all my luck on the crossbow? '''' He folded the items and ced them neatly in his dimensional storage when he noticed that they were of white grade and normal quality. ''''Next one is the guy with the Iron Staff. '''' A lone brown robey in front of him, which he began to inspect. "This was the only item he dropped, I hope it''s something valuable.'''' [Robe] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: elerate Gives the user a temporary 50% speed boost. -Mana cost: 25 -Duration: 8 seconds. -Cooldown: 1.5 minutes. ''''It''s so good, but¡­ '''' With a sigh, Raydon looked at his mana in the status window and said. ''''My total mana is 10 and I don''t even know if I can ever get to 20. '''' The only thing Raydon''s cursed title did was give him more stamina. Maybe he wouldn''t even be able to increase his other stats for a long time. Therefore, using a high-mana skill was just a dream for him at the moment. He wasn''t overly upset, though, because the item was of good quality and could be exchanged for something else useful to him. One belt and one set of gloves were dropped by the great-sword-wielding wingman. Although the belt was perfectly ordinary, Raydon believed he had finally found what he was looking for when he saw the gloves. Chapter 24 Checking The Loot (Part 2) ?[Glove] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Reflect Reflects the approaching attack and returns the attacker 5% of the damage. -Mana cost: 2 -Duration: 1 time. -Cooldown: 40 seconds. He took a closer look at the gloves, which were made of ck leather and embroidered with silver lines. ''''It seems like the glove is a necessary item for every item holder, and that this one also possesses a useful skill.'''' Raydon was overjoyed, as if he had received the birthday gift he had been anticipating. He equipped the gloves and decided to examine the items that had fallen from thest winged man. He picked the first of the three things in front of him. It was a short sword with a white leather cord-wrapped hilt and no guard. [Short Sword] -Grade: White -Quality: Good -Skill: Paralyze Depending on the enemy''s agility, it slows enemy movement by up to 10%. -Mana cost: 5 -Duration: 3 minutes. -Cooldown: 10 minutes. ''''Not bad. '''' He now has another weapon he can use, so it was good. He equipped the sword as well, then stored it in his dimensional storage before taking the silver shoulder strap. [Pauldron.] -Grade: White -Quality: Normal -Skill: Rush When activated, it allows the user to run forward up to 2 meters with a 50% speed increase. -Mana cost: 5 -Duration: Maximum distance of 2 meters. -Cooldown: 45 seconds. ''''This isn''t bad either. It looks very shy and eye-catching, but the skill is good. '''' By cing this in his dimensional storage after equipping, Raydon reached the final item. This thing looked like a ck sapphire ball with wisps of smokey ck clouds floating in it. Seraher indicated that it was extremely valuable when she gave Raydon the item. [Storage Expansion Orb.] -Grade: White -Quality: N/A -Skill: Enchant Users can increase the capacity of their Dimensional Storage by 1x1 by using this item. -Mana Cost: None -Duration: None -Cooldown: None ''''It is indeed the most valuable item of all I have found. '''' Raydon held the object in his hands like it was a priceless treasure. He likely needs this the most right now and in the future. ''''It''s white-grade, but it''s probably pretty valuable among other item holders as well. '''' Despite feeling happy, Raydon couldn''t help but wonder. So far, the winged men he had killed had only dropped the items on them. So, where did this Storage Expansion Orbe from? ''''Anyway, this is probably not something I need to think about right now. '''' Raydon wasted no time and chanted. ''''Enchant.'''' But nothing happened. ''''Wasn''t everyone activating their skills by saying the name of the skill? '''' He thought and tried a few more times, but failed again. ''''Oh, I think I understand. '''' Opening his dimensional storage, he inserted his hand inside while still holding the orb and repeated. ''''Enchant.'''' The orb in his hand instantly changed into a cloud of ck dust, which spread across the walls of his dimensional storage. Raydon could see the expansion with his eyes. His dimensional storage had increased to 2x2 after the expansion wasplete. ''''I don''t need to worry any longer about having no ce to put my loot in the next match. '''' Raydon said while putting his hands on his hips. ''''It looks like the next match is 48 hours away. It would be nice if I could sell the excess material I have during this time.'''' As he was considering this, Raydon noticed that he had forgotten something and turned to the side to see the three items. ''''I nearly forgot about these things in the excitement of finding the Storage Expansion Orb.'''' These were the two match rewards as well as the sword Gary gave him. In addition, there were gold coins piled on top of one another. Raydon took the great sword and examined it. [Lionheart Great-Sword] ''''Oh, this item has a name? '''' Since none of the previous items had names, Raydon was quite surprised. -Grade: White -Quality: Outstanding -Skill: Roaring sh. Releases a sound wave that resembles a sword sh. The amount of damage inflicted is based on the user''s strength. -HP cost: 2 -Duration: None -Cooldown: 3 seconds. ''''Wow, this one is really good. And it doesn''t consume mana, but HP? '''' When Raydon saw the attributes, he was rendered speechless. This item appears to have been created specifically for the berserker ss. ''''This definitely deserves to be my main weapon. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to swing and carry this sword without using the berserker form. '''' Since Raydon''s strength stat was still 1, using the sword with his current stats would be challenging and taxing. ''''Anyway, perhaps I can solve this problemter. '''' He said and ced the sword in his dimensional storage, which was by this time big enough to hold even this enormous sword inside, before looking at the following item. [Pants(White) (Blueprint)] -The design necessary to create a pair of white-graded pants. Depending on the materials used, skill will be added at random. In his hand, Raydon held what appeared to be an old parchment. It was decorated with rounds drawn on each end of a star-like pattern. A darker sketch of a pair of pants could be seen in the star''s background. ''''I suppose these are used in item crafting, huh? '''' Raydon had almost no knowledge of item crafting, so he ced it in dimensional storage for the time being. [Bark skin(Green)(Body Enchantment)] -Increases durability by 10% by hardening the wearer''s skin like tree bark. The item in Raydon''s hand was only the size of his hand and looked like ordinary tree bark. Body enchantments, as far as Raydon knew, were not the same as magic items. When used, body enchantment permanently strengthens the user''s body. In addition, unlike magic items, when body enchantments are used, the item disappearspletely. ''''And as far as I know, when body enchantment is used, it is quite difficult to separate it from the body again. '''' With his high stamina, Raydon knew this item would be effective, but it would be wise to learn more before using it right away. Chapter 25 Maid ?Raydon packed everything into his dimensional storage, opened his shabby closet, and put on one of his few pairs of clothes. It was just a pair of jeans and a ck T-shirt. He wanted to go out and explore. He wished to sell his excess items and, if possible, purchase new ones. While the items he discovered weren''t bad, the skillbination was poor. His intention was specifically to look for an investigative-type skill. He was aware of how crucial investigative abilities were in these kinds of games. He was about to open the door when he heard the sound of a key being turned on the other side of the door. Obviously, someone was attempting to open the door. After a brief pause, Raydon muttered while his pupils grew wider. ''''Damn, I forgot her. '''' He hurried back to his bed, pulled the nket over his neck, and quickly closed his eyes while feigning sleep. Soon after, the door opened, and a woman with purple hair entered, her face as wless as a doll''s, but with a nervous expression. She was dressed in a traditional ck and white maid costume. She was wearing a pair of ck halfced boots and white gloves with lovelyce embroidery at the ankles. ''''Ahh, I''mte again. Hey, are you okay? I hope you''re not dead yet. '''' The woman called out, looking at Raydon. She set the grocery bag aside and flung open the window. ''''The room is really stuffy. Nevertheless, the air outside isn''t very good either. Although I could have invited you to stay with me, I don''t believe your family would agree. '''' She murmured while ncing out the window. She walked slowly over to Raydon and said. ''''I think you should take a hot bath before dinner. I''m sure your body is aching from lying in bed all day. '''' Raydon''s nket was removed by the woman. ''''Huh? Why are you dressed up? Thest time I left you, I''m fairly certain you weren''t wearing these. '''' After giving it some thought, she sighed and said. ''''I''ve been working so hardtely that I haven''t even been able to get a good night''s sleep. I suppose I can''t even remember what I did anymore. I should be more cautious the next time.'''' She set the nket aside and gently removed Raydon''s pants. After that, she removed his shirt. ''''Wow, there seems to be a change in you. Yourplexion no longer looks so pale. '''' She said that, and then noticed something as she reached out to remove Raydon''s boxers. ''''Hm? What is that? '''' She grabbed Raydon''s hand and turned it over to see what it was after noticing something on the back of his hand. ''''Is this a tattoo? W-wait, I don''t remember you having something like this before. I''m not that sleepless. I know this tattoo. N-no way y-you¡­ '''' When Raydon''s voice¡ªwhich she had never heard before¡ªstarted to y in her ears, the woman stumbled in shock. ''''Well, nothing major, just a teenage fad, hehe. '''' Raydon said as he opened his eyes and gave an awkward smile. ''''You can speak? Are you really awakened as an item holder?'''' The woman''s beautiful purple eyes widened as she stared at Raydon. She wanted to be certain that the person in front of her was, in fact, the same person she had known and cared about for years. ''''Yes, it''s really not that big of a deal. '''' Raydon got out of bed, unconcerned, and began to put back on the clothes she had just taken off from him. When the woman remembered she was the one who stripped Raydon of his clothes, she suddenly became enraged. She was the one who had taken care of him for years and had frequently witnessed him in a naked state. At the time, she didn''t care because she believed he was simply someone who needed assistance. But now it was different. Also, Raydon was only 3 years younger than her. ''''Why did you allow me to remove your clothes if you could move? I was about to wash you and there was no way I could have missed the tattoo on your hand, do you realize that? '''' Raydon was yelled at angrily by the woman. ''''I know, I know. I just didn''t want my family to find out. I also have my own methods for hiding the tattoo; I was just a little careless, tch. '''' Raydon delivered the second half of his speech silently, but she could clearly hear what he was saying. Raydon had a family who stopped caring about him and disowned him. He, therefore, had no idea how they would respond if they learned that he was now an item holder. Raydon also couldn''t stand to be controlled by a family, especially one like that, as he was ustomed to living alone all the time. In addition to all of this, despite the fact that he appeared not to be bothered by his family''s treatment of him, he secretly harbored some resentment and desire for vengeance. Raydon''s indifferent demeanor left the woman speechless, but she could still understand him. She was thus more familiar with his family than Raydon, perhaps. ''''I can see why, but I don''t think you can keep it a secret for very long. '''' The woman sighed as she spoke. ''''You''re not going to tell them, are you? '''' Raydon questioned. ''''No, it''s not about me. I''m not the one whose mission is to take care of you. If that woman learns¡ªand eventually she will¡ªshe will report it without a doubt. ''''As she spoke about the other woman, she was unable to conceal the disgust in her tone. ''''Not important. At least I''ll be free for a while. '''' Raydon started to walk toward the door after he was done with his dressing. The surprised woman enquired, ''''Where are you going? '''' ''''To wander around a little. '''' ''''To wander around? Do you realize where you live?'''' the woman asked again. ''''That''s what I want to know. '''' Raydon said with a grin. Chapter 26 Strolling Around ?In the meantime, he took his gloves from his dimensional storage and ced them on his hands. ''Did he find an item from his first match? It must have been given to him by someone who felt sorry for him. '' After some thinking, the woman decided to go with Raydon. ''''I''lle with you, and at least I''ll help you stay out of trouble. '''' As it was on the second floor of the apartment, Raydon left his home through the door and descended the side stairs outside the structure. When he eventually made it downstairs, he was met with a very wide street covered in mud and filth, and all the nearby walls were painted and defaced with graffiti. Raydon didn''t find what he saw particrly strange because he had seen simr ces in his previous world. In his previous world, such locations existed, where those unable to fit into society generally resided. He could see women wearing skimpy clothing and men who appeared to be hooligans conversing on the sidewalk everywhere as he continued down the street. Two people were even kicking someone on the ground a little bit further away, but nobody seemed to care. Raydon surveyed his surroundings before turning to address the woman behind him. ''''Belicia, where can I eat something around here? '''' ''''You remember my name huh? '''' She responded after being taken aback. ''''There''s a buffet selling sandwiches down the street. '''' ''''All right, let''s go there. '''' Raydon made his decision and took off. His stomach was growling as if he hadn''t eaten anything for a long time. While walking, he kept looking around. Raydon noticed that as they passed people on the street, they were all turning their heads away from them. He turned to look at Belicia and the outfit she was wearing and said. ''''I didn''t realize my family could be so scary. '''' ''''Not only does the Demugen family inspire fear and respect in the general public, but all other families do as well. After all, theserge families ount for more than 80% of all item holders. '''' Belicia appeared to be ustomed to the situation. Even the maid costume she was wearing alone indicated that she was serving a family, and no sane person would mess with her even if they didn''t know which family she belonged to. Raydon understood the situation. After all, the weak were expected to fear the strong in his world as well. ''''By the way, is there a ce where we can sell or buy the items we won in the system matches?'''' Raydon posed the query that had been on his mind while he was observing all the shady andwless alleys they were passing. ''''Oh? Did you win your first match? Congrattions, the teammates youe across must be pretty good. '''' She said so delightedly. Raydon''s question did not surprise her, and she began to exin. ''''There are a few locations. One of them is the academy. The academy is fully affiliated with the federation, and anyone from arge family is wee to join. '''' She paused to look at Raydon, and when she didn''t get a response, she continued. ''''Another is the central city. In all the cities connected to the Federation, you are only permitted to buy and sell goods in the central city. If you are found engaging in illegal trade in another city, the punishment could still be harsh even if you are an item holder. '''' Belicia paused again and spoke with a serious expression. '''' Last but not least, there are secure locations where you can shop illegally. Although it may sound strange, there are some influential organizations that are not connected to any particr family. You can go to some of the illegal markets where they operate and do your trading there. Naturally, it is your responsibility to ensure your safety. They take no responsibility if you are captured by the Federation outside of their territory or attacked and forced to hand over your goods and gold by another party. '''' Raydon nodded while paying close attention. He couldn''t currently do the first thing Belicia suggested. He didn''t want any ties with his so-called family right now because he needed their help to get into the academy. Raydon''s past seemed to cause him problems down the road because it seemed that all the power in this world was held by big families. The center city was the second possibility. Inquiring further about the central city, Raydon evidently concluded that at the time, it didn''t seem like the best choice. He had to have the item holder ID in order to shop in the central city, and regrettably, he should have obtained it from the academy. He was left with thest option. Raydon smiled and said, ''''Since you''ve given so much information about thest option, you know I have no other choice. '''' ''''Regrettably, yes. I even have a hunch as to what you''ll ask next, and yes, I do know of a ce.'''' Belicia shrugged in response and spoke casually. ''''Will all of this cause you any problems? Consequently, you assist me and keep my secret. Will there be any issues if my family finds out?'''' Raydon questioned. "Don''t worry, as I''ve already said, I''m not even the one who should normally be looking after you. I''m here outside of all surveince. '''' Belicia said, waving her hand. ''''May I ask why? The reason for your help. '''' Raydon asked. In his previous life, he had to learn the hard way that no one could be trusted. ''''Are you asking this as the Demugen family''s young master or simply as Raydon? '''' Belicia asked mockingly. ''''Does it make a difference? Either way, I''m an outcast, so just take it as a question from a curious person. '''' ''''Haha, true. Then I don''t want to answer.'''' Belicia replied with a grin. ''''You are not like the maids I know. '''' ''''Yes, the maids you know were generally treating you like garbage. '''' As memories suddenly resurfaced, Raydon got annoyed, and his eyes twitched. Even if you are the young master of arge family, you cannot expect anything more from their staff, when even your family dismisses you because you are an idiot. Chapter 27 Gold Coins ?''There''s no need to recall those pointless memories.'' He is aware of how the memories of this body were influencing his feelings. They arrived at a small buffet after a while of chit-chatting. Raydon felt as if he hadn''t eaten in a long time. After getting the sandwich they wanted, Belicia said with a chuckle. ''''Well, gentleman, I think you''ll cover it. '''' ''''Sure. '''' Raydon took a gold coin from his dimensional storage and handed it to the seller. When Belicia spotted the gold, she nearly dropped the sandwich she was holding. The salesman, on the other hand, was trembling and staring at the gold with sweat running down his forehead. ''''S-s-s-sir It doesn''t matter, these are on me. Y-you really don''t need to p-pay. '''' The man looked as if he had seen a ghost. Raydon did not understand what was happening and looked at Belicia. ''''Are you stupid? Why are you casually pulling out a gold coin and trying to buy a sandwich with it? '''' Belicia hit Raydon on the head and quickly paid for the sandwiches, pulling her small wallet out of her pocket. Raydon held his head, despite the fact that he was not in pain, and thought. ''There must be another reason why she''s being so casual with me. '' He smiled and said. ''''I just wanted to buy you something. '''' She sighed and acknowledged that it was her fault after seeing Raydon''s innocent smile. Raydon was someone who, until yesterday, couldn''t even eat properly by himself. With their sandwiches in hand, they moved to a deserted park nearby where she started to exin while wearing a serious expression. ''''Look, gold is a currency used only among item holders. '''' She took out her wallet again and showed some paper money. '''' This is federation money. You can exchange gold for federation money, but not vice versa. In fact, there is now that prevents people who are not item holders from owning gold, but it is still an unwritten rule in this society.'''' She took a deep breath and continued. ''''The man would have died soon if the seller had just taken the gold in exchange for sandwiches and someone had seen him. '''' She looked Raydon in the eye and spoke firmly. ''''Raydon, can you imagine what a Gold coin can do in this day and age when people kill each other for money? '''' Raydon couldn''t understand why Belicia was taking it so seriously or why she was getting so angry. He might not have cared much about people or life in general, but he still nodded to show that he understood. ''''Good if you understand. '''' She said it with satisfaction. ''''Spending time with you was enjoyable, but I now have to return. I''ll drop you home too. '''' Belicia said with a wink. ''''And don''t worry, I can pick you up tomorrow morning and take you to that ce. During this time, just stay at home and don''t do anything that will get you in trouble. ''''Even though she was surrounded by garbage, she found a trash can and threw the sandwich''s wrapping paper into it. Raydon followed suit, and they returned the same way they hade. Raydon ascended the stairs as Belicia waved at him before turning away. ''It''s incredible that he managed to be an item holder in that condition. Even as a maid in a big family, it took years of intense training for me to awaken. I''m d for him, and I suppose I still have hope for my brother.'' Belicia turned and looked in the direction of Raydon''s apartment while wearing a kind smile. She then continued walking and vanished into one of the shadowy alleys. ¡ª Raydon waited inside the house for a while before leaving once more. On his first day in this brand-new world, it was unthinkable for him to stay at home and wait. He had to venture outside and do his own exploring. He had no intention of getting into trouble, so it went without saying that he would heed Belicia''s advice. Even if he got into trouble, what would happen? He was an item holder. In thiswless environment, he was thew himself. He started crossing the street to the opposite side this time. No one could look at him before because of Belicia''s presence, but now he was the center of attention. Everywhere he went, people gave him a wary look as if to warn him that he was invading their territory and needed to respect that. ''I think this trip will be fun. '' Raydon grinned as he continued to move along while keeping his hands in his pockets. After a short distance of walking, Raydon heard a voice behind him as he entered one of the side streets. '''' Hey brother, I guess you''re lost, huh? I''ll be your guide for a small fee if you want. '''' This individual, whose presence Raydon had already sensed, did not surprise him. He turned to face the person who was speaking to him. He was a skinny-looking man with red hair. He seemed to be the same age as Raydon. He was also apanied by two men who appeared to be delinquent. ''''I don''t need a guide, I''m just wandering around. '''' Raydon said this before turning around and walking away. ''''It''s a dangerous ce out here, bro. I believe you definitely require guides like us. '''' The man approached Raydon and grabbed his shoulder. Before the man realized what had happened, his entire world had turned 180 degrees, and he was on the ground. ''''You asshole, what do you think you''re doing to our brother? '''' When the other two boys noticed their brothers on the ground, they sprinted over to Raydon and started attacking him. Raydon caught the iing fist and bent his wrist down. The owner of the fist knelt involuntarily for fear of breaking his ankle. At the same time, Raydon kicked and threw back the person who was attempting to hit him with a baseball bat. In a matter of seconds, all of the attackers were defeated. Chapter 28 New Friends ?The red-haired man understood that the person they were messing with was not an ordinary person. When he saw that Raydon was still holding his brother''s hand and twisting as he knelt in agony, he made the decision to step in before his brother''s hand broke. ''''Wait, wait, we had no bad intentions, we were just trying to help. '''' The man with red hair yelled in distress. ''''Hoo? Is that so? '''' Raydon clenched the boy''s fist harder and twisted it more. '''' Agghhh'''' The boy screamed in pain from his wrist. ''''OK, please stop. We wanted to rob you and take your money. Please excuse us, don''t hurt him. '''' The red-haired man fell to his knees and pleaded. He appeared to be deeply concerned about the person Raydon had threatened to break his wrist with. He was making every effort to calm Raydon down because he knew that his brother would have little chance of surviving with a useless hand in such a chaotic ce. Despite the man''s pleading, Raydon had no sympathy. Anyone who was raised in such conditions would engage in any humiliating behavior, including begging for survival. Raydon was aware of this from his personal experience. He wasn''t sure if the begging man was sincere, but he still let go of the hand and said. ''''Okay. I just think I might really need a guide. But unfortunately, I have no money. What can we do about this? '''' Raydon smiled wickedly as he said this to the redhead. ''Who the hell are we messing with? '' When he saw Raydon''s twisted smile, he couldn''t help but nod and approve. ''''Yes, yes, we are very good guides. You can''t find anyone better than us here. Also, the first time is always free so you don''t need to pay anything. '''' ''''Haha, nice. Okay, then before we start, I''m Raydon, your new client. '''' Raydon introduced himself and extended his hand to the red-haired man. ''He won''t break my hand, right? '' The red-haired man nervously swallowed as he extended his shaking hand to shake Raydon''s hand. '''' I-I''m Dan, '''' He said and pointed to the blond-haired boy next to him, and he continued. ''''This is my brother Karan and that fatty is also my brother Sami. '''' The blond-haired person, who was also as skinny as Dan, spoke, rubbing his still sore wrist. '''' N-nice to meet you. '''' ''''Yeah, you can trust us, bro; we are the best here. '''' The fat one walked closer, his belly wobbly, and extended his hand to Raydon. He pretended as if they had never attacked him just now and that they had known each other for a long time. Raydon shook hands with him, smiling too, and asked. '''' I don''t know much about these ces, so I want to get to know the area a little bit. '''' ''''You are not from here? '''' Dan asked curiously. ''''I live here actually, but anyway, we can say that I''m new around here. '''' Raydon answered. ''''Brother, you have to be careful when you''re out here. People here can even gang up on people in the narrow, dark streets and demand money. '''' Sami crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head, an annoyed expression on his face. ''''This guy¡­ '''' Karan face palmed and felt shame for his brother. ''''Anyway, let''s start touring around. Here, our gang is more or less known and everyone knows us, so no one messes with you when you''re with us. '''' Dan pushed Sami aside with his hand and said. ''''Okay, let''s go then. '''' Raydon nodded. ¡ª ''''This is Uncle Samuel''s clothes shop. There are not very high-quality things here, but you can find everything you need, and if you pay a little extra, he can even sew something special for you. '''' Dan said, pointing to an old-fashioned but clean-looking store. Raydon and the brothers had been wandering around for a while when they came to a more crowded and slightly more livable street than the one before. While Dan was exining everything in detail, Raydon noticed that almost everyone here knew each other and that it wasn''t such a bad ce after all. As Dan pointed to another store, they became aware of amotion ahead. ''''Huh, what are those people doing there? '''' Karan asked. He had a worried expression on his face. ''''Are those bastards back to cause trouble again? '''' Dan muttered through his teeth. He apologized as he turned to face Raydon. ''''I''m sorry, bro, but we need to leave immediately. If youe here at this time tomorrow, I promise we can continue touring around. Aspensation, I''ll buy you a sandwich from Uncle Park''s buffet, '''' As soon as he had finished speaking, they started running, without waiting for Raydon''s reply. Raydon had guessed what had happened based on his observations of the events. It looked like a gang fight. He too, reasoning that it would be useful to watch, kept strolling calmly behind the brothers. ¡ª At the scene where Dan and his brother were rushing, five troublesome-looking men were yelling. ''''The next time wee, if you don''t pay our protection money, we''ll take one of you and sell you to make the payment. Also, we heard you walking around saying you''re a gang. There are no other gangs here besides the Ash Skin Gang. I''ll kill you all the next time if I hear you say you''re a gang again. '''' The big man shouted to the young man lying on the ground in front of him. ''''We don''t need to pay you protection money, we can protect ourselves. And our gang is just as real as yours. '''' The boy, who looked to be around 13 years old and was lying on the ground holding his head, bravely objected. ''''I guess I didn''t hit hard enough. '''' The burly man said angrily and prepared to kick the boy. ''''Leave my brother alone you asshole. '''' At that precise moment, another young man came speeding up in his wheelchair and collided with the burly man. The heavy man was knocked to the ground by the impact, and the young man tumbled from his wheelchair. Chapter 29 Feelings That Make No Sense ?''''Where did this cripplee from? Catch him. '''' One of the big man''s minions ran and seized the crippled boy by the throat. '''' Boss, are you okay? '''' Another asked the burly man, who was slowly rising from the ground. ''''I will kill that cripple.'''' He stood up furiously and pulled a knife out of his pocket. He grabbed the kid from his friend''s hands and yelled. ''''You really pissed me off, bitch. '''' The crippled boy''s face turned white at the sight of the knife in the man''s hand, but he continued to stare at the man''s face without blinking. ''''Let''s see if you can be that brave when you die. '''' The burly man became even more incensed when he noticed that the boy was able to look into his eyes despite trembling from fear. He raised the knife and swung it at the boy''s face when he took a hard blow to the head and fell to the ground again. ''''Who are you attacking in whose ce bastards? '''' Dan''s eyes were red with rage as he stared at the burly man who had fallen to the ground. ''''How dare you? '''' Thepanion of the burly man turned to face Dan and got ready to punch him. But Sami''s voice was heard. ''''Did you think my brother was alone? '''' He threw his overweight body at the man like a sumo wrestler and threw him. Karan also sprinted and yelled as he positioned himself in front of the crippled young man. '''' Don''t you have shame ganging up on our brothers in the middle of the street? Can''t afford to fight with us fairly? '''' ''''Fairly? '''' Blood dripping from his head, the big man rose from the ground. He was now quaking with rage and said while gritting his teeth. ''''You worms are not worth it. I''m going to kill you all here. '''' He took a gun out of his belt and pointed it at Dan. ''''Let''s see if you can be that brave now. '''' ''''Are you nning to kill me? Will you disobey your leader''s orders? '''' Dan didn''t seem at all frightened by the gun. When the man heard Dan''s words, he hesitated for a moment and said. ''''I''ll just say that I identally killed you in a gang war. Nothing happens, just one death. '''' ''''Look around you idiot, do you really think you can fool your Leader like that? '''' Dan pointed to the onlookers who had gathered near them to find out what had happened. The burly man looked around and spit on the ground and said angrily to Dan. ''''I do not care. You really pissed me off. Someone will die here and you will make the choice. '''' Dan realized the situation was critical when he observed the man boiling over with rage. It was clear that he wouldn''t listen no matter what he said. He muttered as he looked at each of his brothers individually while gritting his teeth. ''How can I choose any of them?'' He turned to look at the burly man again and said. ''''Kill me. '''' ''''Dan!'''' Karan cried out. ''''No! What are you talking about? '''' Sami yelled, his face turning white. ''''No, big brother, please no. '''' The kid who was involved in the incident at first yelled in depression. ''''You are our leader, you cannot die. Let him kill me. I''m a cripple anyway, and I''m no use to you. '''' ''''Enough! '''' Dan shouted loudly, and everyone fell silent. ''''Kill me, and this fight ends here. But promise me you won''t touch them. '''' Dan said with a serious expression. ''''Hahaha, don''t worry; even if I wanted to, I don''t want to further infuriate the leader because he would kill me as well. '''' Despite having apletely insane appearance, it was obvious that the big man was terrified of the leader behind him. ''''Good, then do it. '''' "This will serve as an example for everyone, so you won''t make me angry again." The man said this while pointing his gun at Dan. Dan never averted his gaze from the person in front of him. Because if he turned to look at his brothers, he would see their sad and terrified faces. His only thought was to protect them, as he always did. Even if he left, one of the brothers he left behind would undoubtedly step up to protect the others in his stead. Thus, he can die without having any regrets. He had been able to face death without fear thanks to his trust in his brothers. risking one''s life to save another... This feeling was difficult for some people toprehend. And among them was Raydon. ''''Do you realize he''s going to kill you?'''' The utter silence was broken by a calm, questioning voice rather than the gunshot that everyone had been waiting for. ''''Who are you? '''' The burly man burst out, looking at Raydon, who had interrupted him from executing Dan. Dan had already turned around and was now bewilderedly looking at Raydon. ''''What are you doing here? '''' His voice sounded more worried than surprised. Everything was about to be resolved for a small cost, but now an unexpected visitor entered the picture. ''''Are you really ready to sacrifice your life for them? '''' With his bottomless ck eyes, Raydon looked at the brothers. Giving up your life for the sake of another. Raydon was one of those men who would go to such lengths for his ideals. However, sacrificing your life for someone else? ''''I don''t understand. '''' Raydon frowned. ''Is this true loyalty? '' Everyone around him had always stood by him for their own benefit, and he was betrayed when he eventually became useless. He never learned the meaning of true loyalty. That''s why it seemed strange to him. ''''I asked you who you are. '''' The big man shouted again. Out of rage, even the saliva in his mouth began to fly while he spoke. ''''He is nobody. It doesn''t matter; let''s just get this done before anyone else gets involved,'''' Dan said quickly, stepping in front of Raydon. ''''I changed my mind. You are lucky today. I decided to kill that skinny monkey as he ignored me twice and ruined my fun. '''' The burly man said while hystericallyughing. ''''It has nothing to do with him. He is just a stranger. Don''t get others involved. Or will you go back on your word? '''' In an effort to draw attention back to himself, Dan was once more defending Raydon in front of his surprised eyes. ''''Okay, just let me kill someone, or I won''t be able to sleep this night. '''' While spitting on the ground, the man spoke. Raydon muttered, looking irritated, "This drama is starting to annoy me, I will really puke if it continues." Chapter 30 High Stamina ?Dan pleaded, "Can''t you just keep quiet and go your own way?" ''''What did you say!? '''' The burly man must have heard Raydon clearly because he shouted again, this time pointing his gun at Raydon. ''''I said, I wonder how much damage the bullet of the gun in your hand can do to me.'''' Raydon began to approach the bulky man slowly. He was wearing that strange smile again. Indeed, how much harm could an ordinary weapon inflict on an item holder with more than 20 times the toughness of a normal human? ''''What are you doing? Are you crazy? '''' Dan yelled out in shock and attempted to stop Raydon, but he recalled thest time he had found himself on the ground only after cing his hand on his shoulder. ''But the person in front of him is twice as big and has a gun. '' Dan thought. Raydon was walking slowly toward the man in front of everyone''s prying eyes. ''''So you''re really trying to get yourself killed. '''' He spoke through gritted teeth. His rage at this point knew no bounds. Everyone was lining up to die in front of him, as if they were mocking him. ''''Do you really think I can''t kill you? To hell with the leader and his orders. You will all die here. '''' He yelled, using everyst breath he had, then got ready to shoot Raydon. ''''Yes. I think you can. Pull the trigger. '''' Raydon said with a twisted smile. He was staring right into the man''s eyes. For a brief moment, the man''s hand holding the gun shook. ''Who is this man? What the hell are those eyes? '' Raydon had hollow eyes that appeared to be staring into his soul. He had the impression that he was the target of the gun rather than Raydon. ''''D-Don''te close, or I''ll actually shoot. '''' The man said with a trembling voice as he unintentionally took a step back. He no longer experienced anger as a feeling. He wasn''t sure why, but the bitter cold of the wind seemed to freeze his body. ''H-He will kill me. '' The man was starting to believe that he was going to die because Raydon''s killing intent had seeped so deeply into him. "The gun in your hand is not there to frighten kids. Just shoot me. '''' Raydon was now so close that he could reach out and grab the gun. But he did nothing but wait, standing motionless. Everyone who was watching was attempting toprehend what was happening. Raydon stood in front of a man muchrger than himself, begging to be shot. The strangest aspect of this y, which was being performed in front of everyone, was that the man''s body was shaking like a leaf in the wind. His face was covered in a cold sweat, and drops of it were beginning to fall to the ground from his chin. The crowd was puzzled as to whether this was all part of a script or what kind of magic Raydon had used when they were suddenly startled by Raydon''s shout. ''''I SAID SHOOT. '''' And then a gunshot followed. *BANG* ''''A-Are you serious? '''' After a brief period of silence, Dan spoke aloud what was on everyone''s mind. Raydon, who had been shot in the head in front of everyone, was still standing there, his head cocked back. Smoke was stilling out of his forehead, which had a small scar in the center. [-23 HP] ''''Damn, that hurt. '''' Holding his head, Raydon spoke while ignoring the blood dripping from his forehead. The pain he felt was insignificant, but the dizziness from the impact was unsettling. ''I guess it wasn''t a good idea to get shot in the head to test the effectiveness of my stamina,'' Raydon muttered. ''''You are¡­ Are you an item holder? '''' The muscr man retreated in fear as he asked. Dan and the others were also staring at Raydon as if he were a monster. Their eyes were filled with fear, surprise, admiration, and a hint of jealousy. The burly man stepped back in fright, but then he tripped and fell to the ground. A grip appeared on his throat as he struggled to raise his shaky body off the ground. As the big man struggled to stand up while on his knees, Raydon grabbed him by the neck. ''''Are you nning to go somewhere? '''' The burly man''s vision was of Raydon, with his bloody face and frightful smile, looking like the reincarnation of a demon. ''''I-I''m s-sorry. '''' The burly man began to sob out of fear. In light of the devil grabbing his neck, he started to believe that death would be a simple escape for him. ''''I don''t need to hear you say sorry. '''' Raydon stated. ''''Wait, wait, I''m a member of the ash skin gang. My leader is also an item holder. He is an E-Rank item holder. If you do something to me, he won''t stay silent. '''' The burly man spoke quickly, as if he had found his ticket to salvation. ''''I don''t care. You''ve just made me angry, and you''re going to pay for it with a life.'''' Without paying attention to the man''s words, Raydon spoke. What he was doing was identical to what the burly man had done a while back. In order to resolve this situation, a life had to be offered in exchange. The man repeatedly opened and closed his mouth as if he were going to speak, but nothing came out. ''''Okay, we''ll do this then. You have a chance to be saved. '''' When Burlyman heard what Raydon said, his eyes glowed. He only needed a chance to get away from this demon''s grasp right now. He was ready to do anything. He replied instantly so as not to lose this opportunity, "Of course, I will do anything, just say so and consider it done." ''''I will spare your life if one of your friends agrees to take your ce.'''' The burly man was shocked to hear this. His friends, who were only a short distance away, were also stunned by what they were hearing. Chapter 31 BANG ?''''Is there any other way? I''ll do anything you want, please. '''' The man held Raydon''s arm and began to plead. It wasn''t because he cared too much and couldn''t sacrifice his friends that he wanted him to ask him to do something else. Knowing that none of them would be willing to die for him was the reason. Raydon spoke after directing his attention to the other gang members. ''''You have 10 seconds to make a decision.'''' Raydon had given them some time to think it over, but based on the way they all turned their heads away, it was obvious what they had decided. ''''You ungrateful bastards. I am your boss. Can''t you even sacrifice your life for me? '''' Burly Man began to scream and cry, but it was in vain. None of the words he spoke reached hisrade''s ears. They acted as if they did not see or hear him. ''''Time is up. '''' As he spoke, Raydon picked up the gun from the ground and held it to Burly Man''s head. ''''If you kill me, my leader will fall after you. You don''t want this. He is very strong, way stronger than you. '''' *BANG* The man''s threats were abruptly stopped by the sound of the gunshot. Raydon let go of the lifeless body of the man and let it fall to the ground. Then he turned coldly to the gang members and said. ''''You can get the body. And whoever that leader he was talking about, if he has a problem, you can tell him toe and find me. '''' As soon as Raydon finished speaking, the men nodded and, without saying a word, quickly grabbed the big man''s arms and legs and fled. Raydon looked at his surroundings when he saw the gang members leave. Dan and his brothers, as well as the people, gathered around him, were looking at Raydon. He turned to Dan and threw the gun at him. '''' I don''t need this. '''' Dan continued to look at Raydon in shock as the gun flew through the air and struck him in the head. ''''Agh'''' The pain he felt on his head helped hime to his senses. He said while picking up the gun off the ground. ''''Are you really an item holder? '''' Dan was still in disbelief over what had happened. Who were the item holders? They were deities who walked among ordinary people. They were people of incredible authority and could do things that most people couldn''t even imagine. He still couldn''t believe he was speaking to an item holder while standing in this shithole they call home at this very moment. ''''Hm? Why are you asking? Is it matter? '''' As he wiped his face clean of the blood with his hand, Raydon spoke. The scar on his forehead looked like it had already healed. ''OF COURSE, IT MATTERS. '' Everyone present shouted the same thing in their hearts, but, of course, no sound came from their mouths. Dan yelled to the people gathered around him after noticing Raydon''sck of interest. '''' Hey y''all disperse now. You haven''t seen or heard anything here. '''' Everyone who lived in this area was a friend of Dan''s, and he warned them not to discuss what had just happened here. Of course, they are reluctant to speak, either because they fear the wrath of the item holders or because they know that no one would believe them even if they told what happened. Everyone gave Raydon onest nce before slowly scurrying away. There were only Dan and his brothers left. ''''Rayn, are you okay? '''' Dan approached the crippled boy and inquired while helping him sit in his wheelchair. ''''Don''t worry, I''m fine.'''' Rayn sat in the wheelchair, asionally looking at Raydon with his purple eyes that matched his purple hair. ''''Phil and I were out for a walk around the neighborhood, but I went to the grocery store once and came out to see those scumbags attacking Phil.'''' Rayn exined what had urred while looking at the boy with ck hair and brown eyes. ''''I really thought today was the day I was going to die, b-but.'''' Rayn nced at Raydon once more out of the corner of his eye, but he quickly averted his gaze when he realized Raydon was also examining him. ''''Hahaha, my new bro is cool, right? He is absurdly strong, right? You should have seen him kick me once andunch me ten meters into the air. He forced Karan to fall to his knees and worship with nothing more than his gaze. '''' As Fatty Samiughed, every bit of fat on his body shook. "This man''sck of shame shocks me every time," Karan said, averting his eyes because he was embarrassed and couldn''t even look at Sami. ''''W-W-W-What. Did you f-fight!? Why? And how are you still alive? '''' Phil hurriedly asked Sami while still clutching his throbbing head. ''''E-eh? '''' Sami hesitated when he heard the question because he was at a loss for words. That, however, didn''tst long because of his superior bullshitting skills. ''''Naturally, we didn''t actually fight. He is our brother. We were merely practicing. '''' When Phil heard this, his eyes glistened, and he turned to stare at Raydon as if he were his idol. ''''This is enough. Really¡­ '''' Dan facepalmed and said. He approached Raydon, who was watching them with interest, and bowed his head before speaking. '''' Thank you so much for helping us. We got you in trouble too. '''' Dan''s voice was hoarse as he finished his sentence. ''''Why would I get in trouble? '''' Raydon said. ''''Isn''t that going to be a problem for you in the end? This is, if I''m not mistaken, your territory, and that man just died here.'''' He said this while observing Dan''s facial expression. It may seem like he actually saved them, but he might actually have caused more trouble. Perhaps this fight, which would result in only one death, would escte into a massive gang war. Behind the other side, there was also a mysterious item holder. Dan raised his head and looked at his brothers. With serious looks on their faces, they were all attentively observing the two as they spoke. No sign of fear could be seen in their eyes; rather, it appeared as though a volcano of rage was about to erupt within them. Chapter 32 Nostalgic Smile ?''''Don''t worry; by killing him, you actually helped us more than hurt. One person''s death won''t be enough to hold those scumbags ountable for what they''ve done thus far. '''' In Dan''s eyes, the me of retribution burned. Dan sighed and turned to Raydon again with a sincere question. ''''Our ce is not far away. You mentioned that you had just moved here. If you want to join us and eat something, you are wee to. '''' After giving it some thought, Raydon agreed. His goal was to learn more about the environment and the world, and the best way for him to do so was to meet new people. ¡ª After a brief distance, Raydon and his group arrived at an area resembling a warehouse withrge, rusted doors. Dan walked up to the door, knocked three times, and shouted. '''' We''re back, open the door. '''' Another young man of simr age greeted them as one of the doors slowly opened with a loud creak. ''''Wee, Boss. You came just in time. Dinner will be ready soon. '''' Dan gave the boy a shoulder pat while beaming. ''''Good, good. We have a guest. Do not forget to prepare an extra te. '''' The young man smiled and spoke after looking at Raydon. '''' Wee brother. '''' Raydon nodded, and they went inside. Raydon was met with arge area when he first entered. The ce appeared to be old, with some windows broken, but it was quite clean. In one corner, beds and sheets were scattered across the floor. This was obviously where they slept. Three elderly women were chopping vegetables and cooking food in a sizable cauldron on the opposite side. Raydon noticed that the air inside was fragrant with delicious food. In addition, arge number of people, from young children to the elderly, could be seen. Raydon quickly realized that there were at least 20 people inside. In response to what he saw, his first thought was that this ce was a shelter. ''''Boss, the table is already set; you may take a seat if you wish.'''' The young man who had opened the door said to them, pointing to a long table made up of small tables that had been joined together. By this point, everyone who saw Dan and his crew walk in was standing up to greet them. ''''Wee back, boss.'''' A middle-aged man who was limping on one leg called out. As he held tes in his hands, an elderly man said, "Boss, you are early today." "Haha, Boss, I hope you had a day without any incident. " With a few teeth in his mouth, another old man said whileughing. Dan exhaled, "Grandpa, you''re already old enough to retire, stop calling me boss.'''' ''''Who is old? I am still young. Come to arm wrestling if you dare. '''' The old man yelled, showing the sagging muscles in his arms. ''''Yes, Grandpa, you are the best; you should calm down before your blood pressure rises again,'''' Karan said, he looked tired. ''''Hey, old man, stop bothering people and let them eat in peace.'''' When one of the elderly women shouted from behind him, the old man sighed, turned around, and sat in one of the chairs at the table. ''''I apologize for the inconvenience; it''s always a little noisy in here.'''' Dan expressed his embarrassment. ''''No worries. It reminds me of my old days. '''' Raydon smiled, but there was sadness beneath his smile only a few noticed at the time. The group moved toward the table after concluding their wee. Except for the old, senile man who had already taken a seat at the table, everyone was looking at Dan and waiting for him to take a seat first. Dan did not sit either; instead, he motioned for Raydon to take a seat in the chair at the head of the table. "Please take a seat. Today you are our guest of honor. '''' One of the young girls in the group couldn''t help but speak up as everyone stared confusedly at Dan. ''''Boss, what are you doing, it''s your chair. '''' Karan frowned, red angrily at the young girl, and motioned for her to be quiet with his hand. Although the young girl noticed Karan''s sign, she did not hold back and spoke louder. ''''He is our boss, and we are required to respect him, no matter who the guest is. Boss, I can''t support such disrespect, even if it''s on your word. That''s your chair. '''' ''''Shut up Pana.'''' Dan couldn''t take it anymore and bellowed. ''''I apologize for the disruption. Please sit. '''' Dan bowed his head once more and apologized to Raydon. Pana''s facial expression became more irritated. Why the person everyone referred to as the boss was treating a stranger with such respect baffled her. Raydon sat in the chair Dan had indicated without saying anything, and Dan sat to his right. After Dan, everyone sat down, wondering what was going on inside their heads. Raydon examined the food in front of him. There was a bowl of vegetable soup and a te of bread on the side. ''''This is very nice. Regardless of what the aunts actually do, they always manage to make it delicious. '''' A young man sang happily as he devoured the food in front of him. ''''Haha, of course. When I asked them how they cook so well, they said they put their love into it. '''' Another girl said giggling. ''''Aunts love is really delicious. '''' A boy who appeared to be 8 or 9 years old said in a serious tone. He still had soup dripping from the sides of his mouth. The aunts giggled at this and smiled lovingly as they watched everyone enjoying their meals. Everyone, with the exception of Pana, looked happy. Only one person had not touched anything in front of him while everyone else was eating. Raydon just sat there and watched. It was difficult to tell what he was thinking due to the nostalgic look on his face and the flimsy smile on his lips. Chapter 33 I Will Help You ?Dan set his spoon down and looked at Raydon. When he noticed that Raydon hadn''t touched his food yet, Dan expressed sadness. ''''I apologize that we don''t have much, but I can at least promise that it tastes good. '''' Dan assumed Raydon refused to eat the food because he disliked it. After all, he was an item holder, and he had to be eating food that the rest of the table couldn''t even fathom. Raydon took a spoonful of his food and savored it without responding. After Dan''s question, everyone at the table fell silent and were staring at their guests with interest. The aunts, in particr, seemed to be anticipating Raydon''s thoughts on the food. They were curious about the reaction of the guest, whom Dan admired and adored so much. Raydon ate the first spoon, followed by the second, third, and fourth spoons. He finished thest spoonful while everyone continued to watch him. He then grinned and said. ''''Yeah, It''s really delicious. '''' The aunts sighed in relief after hearing this, even though they had seen that Raydon had finished everything in his bowl. Others continued to happily eat and chat as well. Dan was about to begin eating his meal with peace of mind when he heard Raydon speak to him. ''''How long do you think you can protect them? '''' He inquired solemnly. Everyone at the table fell silent once more. Dan looked at Raydon, puzzled, and said. ''''I don''t understand what you mean. '''' ''''You almost died today just to protect those around you. Now I see that you have more people to protect. I''m asking. Can you really protect them? '''' Raydon locked his gaze on Dan, ignoring the other people at the table. ''''What? Did the boss almost die today? '''' ''''Is this true what I heard, boss? '''' ''''Why didn''t you tell us? We already know how dangerous this ce is, why are you still risking your life for us? '''' At the table, both the young and the old spoke in unison, both of them expressing fear and sadness. Karan and the others who were there at the time of the incident remained silent, their heads bowed. Dan ignored the questions others posed to him, and he mumbled, bowing his head. ''''I don''t know. '''' He gritted his teeth as he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. He had not expected to be asked such a direct question in this manner. It was as if, with this question, the worries he had buried deep within himself and couldn''t share with anyone had bubbled to the surface. The ce where they were living was dangerous. And the world they were in was even more dangerous. Gang fights weren''t their only problems. Nobody died today thanks to Raydon, but things were different in the past and will be different in the future. He looked up with reddening eyes, remembering how crowded this ce used to be. The faces of the people who should have been sitting in the empty chairs shed before his eyes. Dan''s expression brought a sudden silence among those who witnessed it. Their previous state of happiness vanished like an illusion, and only sadness swept the area. As everyone sank into silence and mncholy, Raydon''s soothing voice rang in their ears once more. ''''You are weak. So all you''ll ever feel is sadness. And all you can do is put on a fake smile to hide your sorrows and worries. '''' Raydon''s words cut like a knife into everyone''s hearts. A few people tried to open their mouths to protest that what he was saying was nonsense, but they couldn''t. They were aware that everything he said was true. They were weak. Theycked the strength to defend what they valued, and even they themselves required protection. Raydon watched in silence. He, too, had been weak, and there was no one to remind him of it. He also wore a mask over his face to conceal his worries. But not even that mask could keep Raydon from feeling lonely. In the end, he was the one who lost everything again. Raydon noticed something he had never seen in his previous life as he observed everyone''s depressed expressions. Everyone in this room was grateful for one another. ''Was this what I was always looking for? '' He thought to himself. He searched for his long-dead emotions somewhere inside him. Finally, taking a deep breath, he spoke again. ''''I will help you. '''' The people at the table could not make sense of Raydon''s statement. They mocked him, wondering what a single person could aplish and what he could change. But, apart from everyone else, a light went on in the eyes of five people at the table who appeared to have given up hope. Raydon''s calm, smiling face caught their attention. Their long-sought hope had been rekindled by those assured eyes. They were aware of the impending apocalypse and knew that only the person seated in front of them had the power to prevent it. These five people were looking at Raydon with hopeful eyes when they heard an irate voice. ''''Who are you? How can you help us by yourself? How can you have the courage toe here and say these things? '''' Unable to control herself, Pana stood up, mmed her hands on the table, and began yelling. ''''PANA!!! '''' Dan roared with all his might. He yelled so loudly that Pana had never seen him this angry before. ''''B-But he is¡­ '''' Dan shouted again as Pana tried to speak. ''''I don''t want you to disrespect him again. '''' Dan spoke menacingly. He looked at the faces of the people at the table and began to speak slowly. ''''He can help us. In fact, he is the only person who can help us. '''' As he watched everyone''s surprised faces, he turned to Raydon and said in a trembling voice as he saw his nod. ''''He can absolutely help us. Because, like our enemy, he''s also an Item Holder. '''' Dan''s words echoed in everyone''s ears. Chapter 34 Hidden Thoughts ?Pana asked following a brief pause. ''''W-what are you saying, boss? It''s a joke right? '''' She didn''t believe Raydon could be an item holder given his frail appearance. Everyone stared in astonishment at Raydon, all of them thinking the same thing. What on earth was an item holder doing in this shithole? ''''It''s not a joke. He was the one who saved Dan''s life today. '''' Karan said. ''''Ash Skin Gang attacked us today. The boss was going to sacrifice his life to save us, but he easily killed that man and saved all of us. '''' Phil jumped in excitedly. ''''Yes, yes. You should have seen this. That enormous guy, hmm... I think he was about three meters tall, with a bazooka in his hand, as he was shooting at Dan, brother Raydon jumped in front of the missile, and guess what? BAM¡­ With only using his head he blocghmmhm'''' Fatty was ranting again when he was silenced by a piece of bread stuck in his mouth. ''''Can''t you at least keep quiet during such a serious conversation, '''' Karan snapped. The color of Pana''s face started to dwindle as she listened to the others confirm the incident. Finally, she copsed into her chair. She reflected on what she had said previously. She did a little shouting and raising of her voice, but she didn''t go too far, did she? She was thinking about what she had done in her head as she caught a glimpse of Raydon out of the corner of her eye, but when she realized Raydon wasn''t looking at her, she took a deep breath and made the decision to simply disappear by slouching into the chair. Dan turned back to Raydon and spoke when there was once more silence. ''''Thanks a lot for offering your help, I really am thankful.'''' He looked down for a while and appeared to be deep in thought. He continued after taking another look into Raydon''s eyes. ''''Are you really going to help us? '''' He was unable to grasp the motivation behind Raydon''s offer of assistance. They had just met today, which wasn''t even a normal encounter. If Raydon were an ordinary person, they most likely would have just robbed him of his money. Raydon was initially met with hostility, but somehow things progressed to the point where he offered to assist them. Not wanting to turn down his offer of help, Dan didn''t ask why; instead, he simply questioned whether he was sincere. ''''I am serious in my offer of help. If you ept, I will help you. '''' Everyone abruptly rose to their feet, with Raydon''s words. ''''Really? It''s not a dream, right? '''' One of the old men said with wide eyes. ''''It''s unbelievable. We finally found a backer. We can now live without fear of losing our lives.'''' With tears in her eyes, one of the little girls spoke. ''''Eventually, our young people won''t risk their lives in order to support us elderly people any longer. I am so happy. '''' The aunts had already begun to cry, unable to hold back their tears. Nobody questioned Raydon''s status as an item holder after hearing what Dan and others had to say. They hadplete faith in them. Raydon, on the other hand, was an item holder. Normal people regarded them as gods who sent down rain when they were sad and earthquakes when they were furious. If an item holder said he would help them, it meant their absolute salvation. Even if their enemy had another item holder, they had already started to feel confident that everything would work out thanks to Raydon''s presence. After receiving heartfelt thanks from everyone, Raydon spoke once more. ''''I said I would help you, but there are some conditions.'''' Everyone fell silent once more and focused their attention entirely on what Raydon had to say. They were willing to ept whatever terms he offered. Seeing that everyone was listening intently to him, Raydon continued. ''''First and foremost, I will not engage in a direct fight with anyone other than Item Holder, who is standing behind your enemy. So, whatever your issue is with the other gang, you must resolve it among yourselves.'''' Raydon''s words caused everyone''s faces to fall. True, their hands were tied because an item holder was hiding behind the enemy, but that was not their only problem. The enemy gang outnumbered them as well, and the majority of their own side consisted of children and the elderly who were unable to fight. ''''Brother, really? So, don''t get me wrong, I''m not trying to be ungrateful, but I don''t think we have a chance in one-on-onebat with the enemy gang. After all, we''re only a few people who can actually fight, and the other gang has weapons. '''' Dan said hurriedly. While the crowd was quietly discussing and assessing the situation, Raydon raised his hand, and everyone fell silent once more. ''''I haven''t mentioned my condition yet.'''' Raydon said with a smile. Even though it wasn''t exactly the same, the smile on his face resembled the menacing grin he always wore during fights. ''''As I previously stated, I will only fight the enemy Item Holder; however, I will teach you how to fight the enemy gang. I''ll give you the power to fend them off. If you ept my offer, I will put you through torturous training where you will frequently wish to die, but eventually, you will be very powerful.'''' Raydon fell silent and watched the crowd. Everyone was gulping at his demonic words. He continued once he was satisfied with everyone''s reaction. ''''So, if you obey my everymand and finish this training, you will have a chance to defeat them.'''' Everyone was once again lost in thought. It wasn''t the assistance they had hoped for, but it had to be better than nothing, right? ''''What are you still thinking for? No training can intimidate me. I ept. '''' The old senile man said, jumping on the table. Spit wasing out of his gaping, toothless mouth as he yelled. With the old man''s encouragement, they all began shouting enthusiastically. Even if it meant dying in the process, they would still do it. They had to regain their peaceful lives. ''''Good, then we can start. '''' Once again, Raydon smiled evilly. Chapter 35 Difficult Decisions ?For training, a sizable area was made avable in the middle of the warehouse. Dan, Karan, Sami, Pana, and 6 others of simr age, were standing next to each other, staring at Raydon. They all had tense looks on their faces. Although they were unsure of the training''s specifics, Raydon warned them that it would be challenging and that they should first mentally get ready. But even the pressure from Raydon''s gaze, who was standing in front of them, was making them sweat. Except for these ten individuals, others were either very old or very young. They were curiously observing from the sidelines. The crazy old man was among them; he was sitting in a chair, and for some reason, his hands and feet were restrained with a rope. Raydon asked, looking at the ten people in front of him. ''''You''ve been living in the slums for a long time, and I''m sure you have some means of survival.'''' ''''We steal. '''' Fatty said without hesitation. ''''We rob,'''' Karan added. The other 8 people were at a loss for words, fearing that if they spoke, they would further embarrass themselves. But to everyone''s surprise, Raydon appeared satisfied with these responses. ''''Good, just as I thought. Thief huh? I think I can train you as an assassin. '''' Since the thief ss is essentially an assassin ss, Raydon considered the games he had yed as a thief and decided on it. As soon as they heard the word "assassin" everyone became excited. In this world, there were no VR games, but everyone understood what an assassin was. There were even famous assassins among the Item Holders. ''''The purpose of the first training will be to mentally prepare you and to assess your determination.'''' Raydon called out to the aunts who were standing nearby. ''''Bring me 5 buckets of water. '''' When the aunts were unexpectedly called, they were startled, but despite being unsure of the purpose of the buckets, they quickly left to get them ready. They quickly showed up carrying buckets of water. They positioned the buckets in front of Raydon and then retreated. Raydon pointed to Dan in front of everyone''s prying eyes and said. ''''You will put your head into one of the buckets and try to hold your breath for as long as you can.'''' Afterward, he pointed at Karan. ''''You''re going to force his head into the bucket. You won''t stop pressing without me telling you. '''' Dan and Karan approached the bucket apprehensively. They didn''t understand why they were doing it, but they didn''t dare to question it. Furthermore, doing so was essential for their growth and future. At least they convinced themselves of that. Soon after, Dan inhaled deeply and lowered his head into the bucket, and Karan followed suit by pressing his head into the bucket with his hand. "Use more force, let him feel the pressure, and if he makes an effort to stick his head out, block him with more strength." Raydon said coldly. When Karan heard the instructions given to him, he was taken aback. Isn''t the only reason he''d want to poke his head out that he was out of breath? Then, wouldn''t forcing his head into the water mean he''d drown him? ''''I don''t understand the meanin¡­ '''' Karan halted speaking when he saw Raydon''s expression shift to one of annoyance. ''''I promised to assist you if youplied with my instructions. I don''t need to waste my time with you if you''re already opposing me. Ignore my orders once and forget about my help,'''' Raydon stated. Karan gritted his teeth and said nothing more after witnessing Raydon''s seriousness. If he made a mistake here, all of the hopes that everyone had recently gained would be destroyed. He eventually sensed Dan trying to raise his head from the water. Unwillingly pressing Dan''s head into the bucket, Karan cast a re at Raydon. Dan soon reached his limit and began to struggle. He first tried to raise his head, then he tried to hold the hand that was pressing his head with his hands, and finally, he began to oppose Karan with his entire body. Karan''s body began to tremble as Dan struggled with all his might. Blood began to flow from his unconsciously bitten-off lip. With his hands, he was torturing his friend. Karan looked at Raydon with nervous and pleading eyes, but he didn''t know what to do when he saw his unresponsive demeanor. Dan''s frantic struggles were also visible to the onlookers, who felt this was going too far. ''''Hey, isn''t it too much? He is already at his limit. '''' "Karan, what are you doing? He will drown at this rate. Let him go. '''' ''''Stop it, he will really die. '''' Karan''s ears rang with the echo of the shouts and cries of those nearby. Karan''s eyes were focused on Raydon. Just a sign from him was enough. He wanted to stop this torture immediately. ''''If you stop now, I''ll turn around and leave, never to return. But I swear, I''ll make sure you all get saved if you don''t disobey me and follow my order.'''' As Raydon spoke, he showed no sign of emotion at all. When Karan heard these words, his eyes started to grow dimmer. He was under extreme pressure from the weight he was carrying. His friend, who was drowning under his hand. The shouts of the crowd watching him. And Raydon''s chance for salvation. The choice was entirely in his hands. In an instant, he was responsible for the fate of everyone present. While being crushed by the weight, Karan''s face turned white, but he continued to apply pressure to Dan''s head. A piece of his lip, which he had been biting, was now in his mouth. The blood from his mouth was pouring into the bucket, and he felt as if he was drowning Dan with his own blood. Unbeknownst to him, tears were already streaming down his cheeks. Unable to bear all this, Karan began to mutter. ''''I''m sorry, I''m so sorry¡­ I will let all of you down. '''' He then removed Dan''s head from the bucket. Chapter 36 Real Emotions Buried Deep Within ?When Dan finally got his head out of the water, he seemed to be trying to greedily consume all of the oxygen in the air. He held his throat, coughed, and tried to breathe as he started to look around for Karan. When he saw Karan sobbing on the ground, tears streaming from his eyes and blood pouring from his mouth, he spoke between coughs. ''''Sorry. I couldn''t help myself. I didn''t want to die. I''m sorry.'''' Dan seemed to be coughing and crying simultaneously. Before putting his head in the water, he knew exactly what Raydon had said. Karan had no choice but to continue pushing Dan''s head into the bucket until he said otherwise. Dan wasn''t stupid, and he knew exactly what Karan would have to go through if he began to struggle. However, when he reached his limit and realized he couldn''t go on, he began to struggle. He was unable to ignore his body''s natural instincts. Even though it would mean the end for everyone, he struggled because he didn''t want to die. Despite knowing that his flutter would put Karan in a difficult psychological situation, he couldn''t stop it and struggled to live. Dan and Karan felt guilty about their selfish actions. They looked at the people around them with ashamed eyes. What they expected to see was everyone''s great disappointment. However, they did not see that. Everyone''s faces were covered in a look of intense relief. While some continue to smile and look at them with tears in their eyes, others sit on the ground and appear to be resting after a strenuous run. Dan and Karan could see the feeling that permeated everyone. Relief. Everyone was going through a rollercoaster of emotions as Raydon''s cold voice echoed in their ears once more. ''''You both have failed to follow my instructions. '''' The crowd sighed in response to Raydon''s remarks, and they remained silent. They did not appear to have shown even the slightest disappointment. However, out of shame, Dan and Karan already had their heads in their hands. When they believed everything was over, Raydon''s words shocked them. ''''Congrattions. '''' Raydon smiled again and said. Dan looked up at Raydon. His breathing had already settled, and his coughing had passed. ''''What are we congratted for? '''' ''''For passing the test. '''' Raydon said. Everyone was attempting to understand what was happening, including Dan and Karan. Was this a test? They disobeyed Raydon''s orders, but did they seed in the test? ''''How? '''' Eventually, Karan had to ask. ''''The ability toprehend emotions is an assassin''s first defining trait. They recognize their emotions and then learn to control them. You two have discovered your true emotions and have passed this test.'''' Raydon exined. Dan and Karan exchanged nces. Their confusion was clear; they were still unsure of the nature of the test and its objectives. Raydon turned to Dan, seeing his confusion, and said. ''''Not long ago, you were willing to die for your friends. In front of the gun, you prepared for death, but you were unable to face it this time. Why is that? '''' Dan''s eyes suddenly lit up when he realized what Raydon was trying to say after a brief pause. "A quick and painless death would result from a gunshot. I was only concerned with saving the lives of my friends at that time. Everything would end in an instant. '''' Raydon said while grinning broadly. ''''Indeed, you are willing to sacrifice your life for your friends, and you are able to do so without hesitation. But is dying really enough? Suffering is more difficult than dying. You simply refused to suffer for the sake of your friends. This enabled you to see your true emotions.'''' The more Dan listened, the more he became aware. When he put his head in the water, the first thing he felt was a deep silence. An environment in which he can think about anything without being distracted. He didn''t understand the significance of this training at first, but he was hopeful as he held his breath in the water. He could sense his deep excitement and tension. A desire for power and a sense of vengeance gradually emerged within him. With the help of this training, he would be able to aplish everything he had long desired. As he was emptying his mind and thinking about the bright future, he realized he was running out of breath. Hested as long as he could. At first, the feeling of Karan''s hand on the back of his head seemed tofort him. As if his friend were encouraging him. But as he began to feel short of breath, he realized that all of the ns he had made for the future that he had considered a while ago could easily be destroyed. He was more afraid of death with each passing second that he couldn''t breathe. He couldn''t live up to his dreams if he die. He, therefore, made an effort to survive. Nobody else mattered anymore; all he cared about was living. Dan''s understanding of Raydon''s words improved as he reflected on them. He hadn''t even been honest with himself until now. He thought it was easy to die, but when he actually suffered, he realized how absurd that thought was. Dan raised his head to survey his surroundings. This time, he did not disy any embarrassment. On the other hand, there was resolve. After carefully assessing each person, he made a choice. Death would not be an option for him anymore. From now on, he would live and suffer for his friends. Karan''s situation was no different. It was too much for him to take his friend''s life with his own hands in order to save everyone else. He could not bear this burden and ultimately chose to avoid this responsibility. While watching them, Raydon thought. ''When making choices in their lives, everyone acts selfishly. The choices we make are always influenced by our interests. Being able to ept this fact is what''s important. '' ''''A good assassin must first be aware of their emotions and be able to control them, not the other way around. That is why you seeded in this test by finding your true emotions. '''' With a bitter smile, Raydon concluded his speech. In a simr way, he had discovered his true emotions as well. Unfortunately for him, it wasn''t a mere test. Chapter 37 Antique Market ?''''Let the others take this test in turns. I don''t want whoever is holding the person''s head to let go before the person whose head is submerged in water loses consciousness.'''' Raydon said solemnly, looking around at everyone who was staring at him with puzzled eyes. He spoke his final sentence, ''''Additionally, I don''t want my instructions to be disobeyed again. '''' and he left the warehouse. ''''Well, you heard him. Divide into two groups and carry out the instructions.'''' Dan said as he rose to his feet. The slight hesitation that had previously been visible on his face was nowpletely gone. Everyone quickly decided on their training partner and moved right along. Meanwhile, Karan came up to Dan and said. ''''I guess it''s my turn to drown. '''' He said, with a half smile on his face. Dan responded while looking serious. '''' Didn''t you hear his words? Everyone will suffocate until they pass out. You''d better use all of your strength to keep me in the water this time. '''' Heughed and tapped Karan on the shoulder, encouraging him. ''''Don''t worry, it won''t be the same this time. '''' Karan said confidently. At least now that they understood why they were doing it, it wasn''t as difficult. They were now acting solely in their own interests, not those of others. They needed to be stronger in order to avoid situations where they would feel ashamed again. ¡ª Raydon eventually went back to his house after leaving the warehouse. He threw himself on the bed and started to think while gazing up at the ceiling. ''I wonder if this will be enough for them to awaken as item holders. '' While the 10 people in the warehouse were trying toplete Raydon''s training with all their might, Raydon''s thoughts right now were shocking. "Potential, huh?'''' Raydon said, extending his hand toward the ceiling as if he were trying to reach something. He was now attempting to piece together what he had discovered in his memories. And deep within his memories, he discovered something surprising about the necessity of awakening. This was also the reason his family abandoned him. Although Raydon was born into arge family, hecked the health toplete the training his family gave him in order to awaken. As a result, he never had the potential to be awakened. The technique Gary had used then came to mind, and he assumed that each family had its own method for training item holders. Could awakening ur if someone received the proper training to maximize their potential? ''''We''ll see in time. '''' While he was deep in thought, he started to feel weary from everything he had gone through sinceing to this world. His body didn''t seem ready to let go of his sleeping habit, no matter how strong his stamina was. Gradually, his eyelids fell, and he finally fell asleep. ¡ª When Raydon once more opened his eyes, it was already morning. He slowly rolled out of bed and went through his usual morning rituals from his previous world. He noticed his body had be more built than before while drying his hair in front of the mirror with a towel after getting out of the shower. His body, which had appeared frail, now appeared to be more muscr. ''''Heh, I don''t even need hours of weight training. '''' Raydonughed, satisfied with his development. He quickly changed into some clothes before leaving the house. He felt like he was starving right now, and all the protein he had eaten had been used up by his body. He immediately returned to the location where he purchased the sandwich yesterday and purchased several times more than he normally ate before returning home to eat it. ''''Man, I forgot I didn''t have any money. Fortunately, he pleaded with me to ept the sandwiches as a gift. '''' Raydon said, looking at the sandwiches in the bag in his hand. As he began to eat his sandwiches, he noticed that a key had been used to open his door. ''''Oh sorry, it''s be a habit. You''re already awake. '''' While holding her keys and grinning awkwardly, Belicia said. Raydon took a sandwich from the bag, handed it to her, and said. ''''It''s okay. '''' ''''Looks like you have adapted to life here already. '''' As she prepared to bite into the sandwich, Belicia paused to look at Raydon before continuing. ''''Wait, where did you get the money? '''' As he continued to eat, Raydon shrugged in response. With a grimace, Belicia uttered. "Well it''s my fault; I should have left you at least some money. But at least you could make do with what I brought yesterday. '''' She gestured toward the shopping bag she had brought the day before, but she gave up when she noticed Raydon''s disinterest. Raydon asked eagerly, "Are you here to take me to the ce you spoke of yesterday?" He had intended to get rid of the unnecessary items and find a good skillset until his uing match, which is tomorrow. ''''We can go after you finish your meal. Our destination is not far away. '''' Belicia said and start eating her sandwich too. ¡ª Leaving the house, the couple walked down the street for a while until they came to another wide street. On the side of the road, a few yellow vehicles could be seen. Belicia approached one and got into it. She then informed the driver after Raydon got into the car. ''''To the antique market. '''' The driver briefly nced in the mirror at his customers sitting at the back, then quickly averted his gaze and said. ''''Yes madam. '''' As the car left the filthy, disorderly slums and started to travel on more well-kept roads, Raydon peered out the window. Throughout the journey, he saw buildings and structures that reminded him of his previous world. In contrast to his previous world, there were numerous billboards hanging everywhere. These were not, in fact, for promotional purposes. The posters featured strong and attractive-looking individuals posing in various outfits. Some featured humans battling creatures Raydon had never seen before. These individuals were clearly Item Holders. ''I suppose Item Holders are the celebrities of this world.'' Raydon thought. The general public respected the strength of the item holders, but they also appeared to make their advertisements to glorify them even more. Chapter 38 Young Master ?Soon after, the car drove into a congested area. This location appeared to be a market. Raydon assumed this was the antique market Belicia had mentioned. After Belicia paid the driver, they exited the vehicle and made their way inside the market''s crowded entrance. Despite the fact that it was very crowded, Belicia''s maid costume kept people from blocking their path. As Raydon moved forward, he peered at the stalls nearby, but all he could see were genuine antiques. "This is not the location we are looking for, but don''t worry, we are almost there." As Raydon followed her, Belicia said and carried on walking. He soon realized that they were moving in the direction of a sizable, stylish-looking store. He was drawn to the sign on the building''s door. ''Other World Antiques'' was written on the sign. The interior was as spacious and opulent as it appeared to be from the outside when he walked in. As soon as Belicia entered the shop, a woman rushed up to greet her. She bowed her head and said in a polite and courteous manner, ''''Please ept my greetings, madam. If you wait a moment, I will notify my superior. He would be the one to take care of your needs. Would you like something to drink while you wait?" ''''There''s no need, thanks. '''' Belicia waved her hand. ''''All right, if you need anything, just let me know. I apologize for keeping you waiting.'''' The woman said it as gently as she could. The woman then noticed Raydon. Her demeanor abruptly changed as she turned to face him. She lost all trace of the kind attitude she had earlier disyed toward Belicia. She saw Belicia walk over to one of the waiting chairs and sit down, and she quietly called out to Raydon. ''''Hey, you. I''m sorry, but we''re closing now. If you need anything, you should returnter.'''' In a startled reaction to the employee''s statement, Raydon, who had been trailing Belicia, turned to face her. He pointed to himself in confusion, "Are you talking to me?" "Yes, I''m telling you. Is there anyone else here with whom I can speak besides you? I asked if you could leave without wasting my time because we are now closed. '''' She continued to speak in an insulting manner. As she observed Raydon''s attire and his untidy appearance, the disgust on her face intensified. ''Where did this beggare from at the exact time that such a significant guest arrived? '' After a brief moment of thought, the woman pulled her wallet from the pocket of her zer jacket and handed Raydon some cash. "Look, I''m sorry, but I just don''t have the time to take care of you right now. I am familiar with people like you. After making it as though you want to buy something, you try to steal something. While I still have patience, take this money and leave because I''m really busy. '''' Still ring at Belicia, she whispered to Raydon. Raydon looked at the money the woman was holding out and said after taking it and putting it in his pocket. ''''I believe there is a misunderstanding. I came with the maid who was sitting there.'''' He said, pointing to Belicia. Belicia, meanwhile, sat quietly, despite the fact that she was clearly aware of everything. Her expression suggested that she was about tough but was holding back. ''''Look, enough already, okay? If you keep doing this, I''ll have to resort to force.'''' The woman spoke threateningly to Raydon. ''''Haha, look who just came! You''ve honored our little shop, and I apologize for keeping you waiting.'''' Coming down the stairs, an elderly white-bearded man said with a heartfelt smile and approached Belicia. Belicia stood up and said. ''''It''s alright, I just got here not too long ago.'''' ''''Good, good. I won''t waste any more of your time. Please allow me to take you to the VIP room. '''' The man politely motioned Belicia to another door before returning his gaze to his employee. ''''What are you up to? You didn''t even inform me that an important guest had arrived. If I hadn''te here because I had something to do, our honored guest would have wasted even more of her time. ''''Angrily, the man addressed the woman. ''''I''m truly sorry, sir. I was going toe right away to inform you, but I was trying to get him out so that this man wouldn''t bother our guest.'''' With a trembling voice, the woman pointed to Raydon. After ncing at Belicia and observing herck of interest, the man sighed and said. "Call security, then take him outside. Additionally, tell them to beat him; I don''t want to go through something like this again. '''' ''''I apologize for the situation, but it''s not a big deal because things like this ur asionally. '''' The man apologized, but he was shocked by what Belicia said next. "Young master, why are you still standing there? Are you interested in the antiques here? '''' Belicia said with a sly smile. ''''What!? Y-young m-master???'''' The old man stammered. The woman was as stunned as the old man by what she heard. ''''If you''ve had enough fun, can we go now? '''' Under the shocked gazes of the man and woman, Raydon sighed and moved toward Belicia. ''Young master? So, thisdy serves as the battle maid for this man who appears to bepletely ordinary?'' His thoughts caused every hair on his body to stand on end. Even though the servant was merely the lowest member of the family, he still needed to show them the utmost respect. The power of the families who rule this world is undeniable, and everyone who works for them should be respected in the same way. Every statement made by them should be interpreted asing from the family they work for. If even one maid was so revered, their treatment of the young master, who was being served by that maid, was uneptable. Chapter 39 Item Market ?''''Sir, I''m terribly sorry. The condition of this old man''s eyes has recently declined. I beg your pardon. '''' As low as he could, the man bowed his head and addressed Raydon. The woman also copied the old man. Her body trembled like a leaf as she bowed, giving the impression that she was about to pass out at any moment. ''''It doesn''t matter. It has nothing to do with you; it''s just a prank yed by my mischievous maid.'''' Raydon shook his head. All he wanted was to go where he wanted as soon as possible. ''''Please ept our sincere apologies, sir. Please forgive; this will not happen again.'''' While continuing to apologize, the man jumped up to show them the way after noticing Raydon didn''t seem to mind. All three of them entered the VIP area through the door, leaving only the woman who was still trembling and bowed her head. With tears in her eyes, the woman dropped to her knees and muttered. ''''I''m done. '''' ¡ª After Raydon passed through the VIP door, a stairwell descended in front of him, the end of which was not entirely visible. The stairwell appeared to have been carved underground. The only light in this room came from the glowing stones that were affixed to the walls. The man led them as they began to descend the stairs. After some time of walking, Raydon saw the bottom of the stairs. Stairs led to arger room with arge door across the room. When they arrived at the door, the man paused and spoke politely to Raydon once more, bowing his head. ''''Please ept my apologies, but I can only apany you here.'''' He looked up at Raydon''s face, relieved to see that he didn''t look angry. ''''I guess it doesn''t matter,'''' Raydon said, looking at Belicia, as he was unfamiliar with the procedures. "All right, thanks. By the way, you don''t have to be angry with that girl for the recent incident. My young master is kind and unconcerned with such things. '''' Belicia chuckled as she cast a happy nce Raydon''s way. ''''Yeh, whatever just let''s go. '''' Indifferent, Raydon pushed the door open. He didn''t currently have the time to deal with others. What awaited him inside was the only thought on his mind. As Raydon and Belicia walked through the door, the man behind them spoke, his face filled with gratitude. ''''Thank you very much, young master. I promise that nothing like this will happen again. I''ll be here waiting for your return, so you can spend as much time as you want. '''' He muttered as he shut the door. ''''Damn, I''m not sure if they''re going to use this door on their way out. What if they leave through another door, and I''ve been waiting in vain? '''' He took a deep breath and started to wait patiently. ¡ª Raydon passed through the door and began to walk in a short, dark tunnel. When he stepped out of the light at the end of the tunnel, he couldn''t hide his surprise at what he saw. ''''This is crazy. '''' It was as if there was another world in front of his eyes. This was an underground ce, and the area was as bright as daylight even though it was underground. He had a clear view of his surroundings from his high vantage point, and what he saw seemed to be a very busy marketce. People are seen walking around in various outfits and appearances. He could see the strange-looking equipment being sold on the stalls that were scattered about the area. This image, which resembled a second-hand market, was not what Raydon had expected. ''''Are you surprised? The reason why they can sell their items so easily and openly is that this area is safe. Everyone here is an item holder. But what really makes this ce safe is the organization that owns this area. '''' Belicia exined. From where they were, they started making their way slowly toward the stalls. ''''You can buy and sell anything you want here. Even the items you stole from others. '''' Instead of the items around him, his attention was drawn to other item holders. He observed their every move and sensed the presence they emit. '' They look strong. They must be a lot stronger than the wingmen I''ve encountered in my first match.'' Unlike the item holders he encountered in the match, those here had clearly been in life-or-death situations. Everyone appeared to be a seasoned fighter. Raydon wouldn''t give a damn about their stats, no matter how high. If the difference is not too great, strong techniques andbat experience could easily make up for the stat difference. But when high stats and fighting skills arebined, it bes apletely different situation. While taking in his surroundings, Raydon posed a question that was on his mind. ''''I am aware that this location is secure, but nobody seems to be making an effort to conceal their identity. Why is that?'''' Except for a few individuals, no one in Raydon''s immediate vicinity was wearing a mask or a robe in an attempt to conceal their identity. He didn''t feel the need to conceal his identity, either, because he wasn''t the type to care about such things in the first ce. ''''Because they don''t require it. Only the weak need to hide their identity, and in the world of item holders, the weak are not respected. Additionally, don''t even think about hiding your identity if you don''t have good concealment skills. '''' Belicia stated the obvious. ''''From what I recall, this ce was run by an organization that was not affiliated with any families. No matter how hidden it looks, it does not appear to be a location that can fly under the radar of powerful families.'''' Raydon said this while inspecting a belt from a nearby stall. ''''While it is true that it is independent of families, both entities work in the best interests of the other.'''' After pausing to gather her thoughts, Belicia resumed speaking. ''''You could actually think of families as the light because they are the ones who rule this society. Since light does not mean anything without darkness, organizations independent of them also take on the role of darkness. It may be difficult to grasp at first, but as you live in this society, you will understand what I mean.'''' Chapter 40 Investigative-Type Item ?Raydon didn''t have to give these words much thought. He understood exactly what Belicia was saying. Everything mirrored the social mores of the society he hade from. Raydon put the belt back and continued walking between the stalls. He inquired after examining a few more items. ''''The items here do not appear to be of very high quality.'''' ''''That''s right. The highest quality items you will most likely find here are Good-Quality and Blue-Grade. This area also has an auction section, but you need VIP ess to participate in it. For this, you need to be at least an E-rank item holder. Even being a young master from a big family doesn''t help.'''' Belicia added as she looked around. ''''I guess you won''t help me with this. '''' Belicia chuckled as she gave Raydon a concerned look. ''''Unfortunately, I am not permitted to bring anyone with me.'''''' Raydon was aware that Belicia was an item holder, but he had no idea what rank she held. ''''By the way, what do I need to get to the next rank?'''' Belicia hesitated a little and spoke, ''''I''ll say it anyway, even though it''s too soon for you to think about it. You need to win 10 matches in a row, without losing any.'''' After giving this requirement some thought, Raydon concluded that it made sense. Combat skills were just as crucial as equipment or stats. No matter how strong you were, it was difficult to win a 5v5 match without the proper tactics. ''''What kind of skill are you looking for? '''' As they walked, Belicia asked. ''''Something that will allow me to locate my enemies and mobs during the match. '''' Raydon said what he thought he needed most right now. ''''Good choice. '''' After a short distance, Belicia stopped in front of a stall and asked the salesman behind it. The salesman had slime-covered hair and eyes that resembled snakes. ''''Do you have a good investigative-type item? '''' ''''Kekeke, it''s been a long time since I''ve seen a battle maid. '''' The salesman hissed with his snake-like tongue. ''''You must be the young master she is subordinate to, I have a few on hand. You''ve found the ce where you can find what you''re looking for. One of them will no doubt meet your needs.'''' Ignoring Belicia, he said while turning to face Raydon. Although Raydon didn''t understand what "battle maid" meant, he didn''t dwell on it because it wasn''t difficult to figure out. He looked at the seller and said. ''''Yes, I am. Show me what you have. '''' The sellerughed once more before taking three items from the counter and cing them in front of Raydon. Raydon examined one of the items, an earring that resembled a copper coin. [Earring] -Grade: White -Quality: Normal -Skill: Hearing The user''s hearing is strengthened and made more sensitive, allowing them to distinguish sounds within a 10-meter radius of themselves. Depending on the user''s agility, the effect gets stronger. -Mana cost: 3 -Duration: 10 minutes. -Cooldown: 11 minutes. ''''Not bad. '''' Raydon said and moved on to the next item. [Gloves] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Air Sense It uses the wind''s movement to detect motion within 30 meters. Depending on the user''s spirit, the effect gets stronger. -Mana cost: 2 -Duration: 5 minutes. -Cooldown: 10 minutes. Although it didn''t look bad either, Raydon wasn''t satisfied with the skill. First of all, he had a good glove with a good skill, and he didn''t think about changing it until he found a much better one. In addition to that, each match''s region''s environmental factors were different. This skill might bepletely useless on a map with storms, or vice versa, or in a desert with no wind. ? After making all the evaluations quickly, he took the third andst item. [Bracelet] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Blood Bat Using the user''s blood, it creates a bat that simultaneously shares its vision with the user. The blood bat''s vision range and physical characteristics change depending on the wearer''s stamina. -HP cost: 10 -Duration: 4 minutes. -Cooldown: 10 minutes. Raydon looked at the rusty iron bracelet in his hand, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face. ''''I will take this. '''' ''''You have good eyes. Kekeke. '''' The seller expressed appreciation for Raydon''s choice of this item and quickly retrieved the other ones that were in front of Raydon. Raydon was startled, he was suspicious of the salesman''s behavior when he heard Belicia. Belicia scowled at the salesman, then told Raydon. ''''The skill of this item may be good, but it has a self-harming requirement. Not many people prefer them. '''' She appeared to be trying to talk Raydon out of buying this as she spoke. ''''I am sure, I want this. '''' He said it without further ado and then asked the seller. ''''How much do I have to pay for this item? '''' In response to Belicia''s attempts to destroy his business, the salesman gave her a menacing look before turning to Raydon andughing. ''''Keke, It''s not much. Just 1200 gold coins. '''' Raydon was stunned upon learning the cost. Even the item that no one wanted was that expensive? He looked at Belicia, but when he saw her gaze shift elsewhere as if avoiding him, he realized she wouldn''t help. ''''I don''t have much gold with me, but I do have some items I''d like to sell. Is there somewhere I can sell them?'''' Raydon asked. Belicia was surprised to hear this question while pretending to look at another item on the stall. She asked as she turned to face Raydon. ''''Did they give other items as well? Have item holders been this generous these days? '''' She had assumed that the gloves were the only item he had and that they had been given to him out of pity. As a result, when she learned that Raydon had other items, she had a variety of thoughts. Raydon ignored Belicia''s question and waited for the seller''s answer. ''''Of course, if there is something I like, we can even trade it. After all, I''m a trader, keke. '''' When the salesman heard Raydon, a light shed in his eye. Raydon was obviously the young master of arge family, and his items couldn''t be bad either. Furthermore, the price he quoted for the item waspletely average for the market. To keep his reputation as a dealer in this ce, he wouldn''t put high prices on his items, but he could make more money by trading them for another item. **** [Don''t forget to add the book to your library if you enjoyed it. Your feedback is extremely helpful to me and the story''s progression. I appreciate each and everyment you make. And of course, don''t forget power stones... heh] Chapter 41 Selling Items (Part 1) ?''''All right, can you give me a price on these?'''' Raydon stated before beginning to extract life cores and other crafting materials from his dimensional storage. ''''Wait, wait, wait!!! '''' Belicia immediately ran and stopped Raydon. ''''How do you have so much material? Anyway, this isn''t the best ce to sell these. We''re going somewhere else.'''' She responded in shock and awe. She gave the salesman a pouch that she had taken out of her dimensional storage. ''''There is 1000 gold coins here, and the pouch is worth 25 gold coins. We take this bracelet. '''' ''''Hey, I said 1200. '''' ''''We negotiated and you got it down to 1025. Is there a problem? '''' Belicia said with a threatening look. ''Tch, why battle maids are all maniacs? '' The seller muttered, epting the gold coins. Belicia held Raydon by his arm and pulled him away after having him rece all the items he had taken out. ''''Hey, you couldn''t have found all that material in your first match, could you? Or was this not your first match? No, if you had awakened earlier, I would have definitely noticed. '''' Belicia appeared to be questioning Raydon and conversing with herself. Raydon let his arm be yanked and waited for Belicia''s muttering to stop before responding. ''''Where are we going? Apart from materials, there are also items that I need to sell. '''' Belicia paused once more when she heard this and gave Raydon a pupil-dted look. ''''I want you to tell me everything about your first match in detail.'''' Belicia found what she was hearing to be unbelievable. If she hadn''t seen what Raydon retrieved from his dimensional storage with her own eyes, she wouldn''t have believed it. Was this the same person she''d known for years? The person who has previously relied on others for survival has suddenly awoken as an item holder and won that much loot in his first match? This was difficult to believe. Raydon grinned and said, staring into Belicia''s wide-open eyes of surprise. ''''Are you asking as a friend or as a battle maid from a big family?'''' Belicia couldn''t think of anything to say in response to the question, so she clicked her tongue. ''''Tsk, nice move, well, I don''t care, I''m not curious anyway. '''' Belicia switched the conversation to something else after realizing she wouldn''t get an answer to her question. ''''Like before, in this ce, you must purchase specific items from specific individuals if you want to purchase anything. For example, the seller of the investigative-type item you purchased was an expert in this field. He typically assesses and sells these kinds of items by himself. '''' Belicia appeared a little colder than usual as she spoke. She must have been a little annoyed by Raydon''s earlier behavior. ''''Simrly, you should sell your goods to people who need them and are knowledgeable about what you are selling. In this way, you will get the best prices in the market. '''' Raydon spoke calmly to Belicia, who was grunting. ''''Hey, I can exin what happened; it''s not such a big deal.'''' Belicia abruptly turned to face Raydon. She had a spark of curiosity in her eyes, but when she saw Raydon''s sly smile, she turned her head and continued walking. ''''Hmph. I don''t care. I don''t want to know. '''' Raydon chuckled and thought as he observed Belicia''s demeanor. '' She looks very cute when annoyed. '' ¡ª Belicia led Raydon to arge structure that was unlike the nearby stalls. Raydon realized why they hade to this three-story, seemingly ordinary shop after entering it. There were boxes everywhere, and the boxes contained a variety of items. Some of them contained monster hides, while others contained ws and teeth. Even on the shelves, Raydon noticed ss jars filled with blood and eyes. ''''I did not expect such a prestigious person toe into my shop today.'''' Raydon was surveying his surroundings when he heard a deep and calm voice and turned to look in the direction of the sound. A man with white hair and a beard emerged from another room through the door wearing a blood-stained butcher''s apron. As he slowly removed his butcher''s apron, the man gave Belicia a quick nce before focusing on Raydon. ''''I apologize for disturbing you; I believe you were busy. We just came to sell a few things.'''' Raydon stated politely. In fact, he seemed surprisingly friendly. The main cause of Raydon''s behavior was the pressure he felt from the man when he first saw him. The man appeared old and harmless on the outside, but Raydon knew that a monster lurked beneath that facade. Another reason was Belicia''s attitude. She only gave a slight bow in response to the man''s words. She even avoided eye contact and stood there without saying anything. She seemed to have made up her mind to behave like a true maid. ''She''s having fun by throwing me into an awkward situation again, huh? '' Raydon thought. The man in front of them was obviously not an ordinary person. ''''Haha, no worries, I was just looking at some new arrivals.'''' The man said this as he began to remove the bloody gloves from his hands. As soon as the man removed the gloves, Raydon understood what he was up against. The man had a purple tattoo on his right hand. and the number written was 63. Raydon was well aware of what that implied. The man was a B-Rank item holder. Also, being level 63 was proof of how high his stats could be. ''''So what do you want to sell? '''' He asked as he walked past the counter at the far end of the room. He didn''t even bother putting on another glove. Raydon has seen item holders wear gloves to conceal their level and rank. The goal was to keep their powers hidden from a potential enemy, but apparently, this man didn''t need this at all. There was even a chance that this person was the most powerful man in the area. Chapter 42 Selling Items (Part 2) ?After noticing the man was not the talkative type, Raydon began to remove all the crafting items he had won in his match from his dimensional storage. He took out all parts of two wolves, one crocodile, and eight moles, including their life cores. Even the sticks, vines, and one stone were removed and ced on the counter. Belicia couldn''t hide her surprise when she saw the materials he was pulling from his dimensional storage. She watched, however, and said nothing as she stood motionless on the sidelines. Apparently unaffected by what he saw, the man said while taking a bored look at Raydon''s loot. ''''Despite not being professionally done, all dismantlings appear to be of good quality. Additionally, there are 8 earth-type life cores. They are widely used to make defensive items even though they are F-rank. '''' As the man examined them one by one, he took one of the sticks and said. ''''Oh, this stick is from an E-rank mob. They can be used to make strong arrows. I can give 2 gold for each. '''' The man paused briefly, calcted, and then said. ''''Earth-type life cores are 15 gold coins each, the others are 10 gold coins, for a total of 285 gold coins with all the other mob parts.'''' Raydon was a little disappointed with the price he heard, but he couldn''t do anything about it. It also didn''t appear that the man was taking advantage of him. Raydon agreed with a nod. ''''Okay. '''' The man took a pouch from under the counter, arranged the gold coins on the counter, and handed it to Raydon. ''''Is there anything else? '''' He inquired, watching Raydon grab handfuls of gold coins and toss them into his dimensional storage. ''''Actually, there is another one.'''' Raydon disyed another green-colored but slightlyrger and brighter life core after tossing the gold coins into his dimensional storage. ''''Oh? This is an E-rank nt-type life core. Impressive. '''' He pretended to be surprised and chuckled sarcastically. The fact that Raydon had an E-rank life core did not, of course, surprise the man. After all, Raydon came from a big family, and the man suspected he was an E-rank item holder, albeit a new one. Belicia, on the other hand, had apletely different expression. She was aware that Raydon had only ever been to one match and that this was his first match¡ªan F-rank match. The only meaning of this life core was that Raydon and his team had killed the incredibly powerful region boss. On top of that, Raydon surprisingly obtained the boss''s only life core. ''What the hell did he do in his first match?!'' Belicia thought as she looked at Raydon, her eyes almost popping out. ''''This ismonly used to craft items with healing skills, and while it does not have as many receptors as earth-type, it is a little more valuable than water-type. I''ll give you 120 gold for that. '''' The man quickly made a calction and told Raydon. Raydon nodded without thinking too much. ''''Okay. '''' He was well aware that what he possessed was not umon. He had to craft something if he wanted to use them, but he didn''t know much about crafting. The best course of action was to sell them all and free up as much of his dimensional storage space as possible. After all, he could collect arge number of items in his next match, which would be a major issue if he didn''t have enough space in his dimensional storage. Raydon mentally totaled up all the gold he had acquired up to that point and saw that he only had 533 gold. ''This is undoubtedly insufficient for me to purchase another item. '' Raydon pondered and asked again while removing a few more items from his dimensional storage. ''''How much would you pay for these? '''' This time, Raydon took out gray-grade magic equipment to sell. These included boots, trousers, a belt, and a jacket. Even if these items didn''t have a skill, Raydon could wear them in his next match to avoid going naked, but his priority right now was to collect the gold required to purchase a useful item with a skill. The man examined the items, nodded, and said. ''''Of course, these are the most popr items on the market. I''ve seen a lot of people who spent all of their gold to rebuild a strong skill set after losing all of their items when they died in a match, but they had to go around in the match in their underwear because they couldn''t afford to buy anything to wear afterwards HAHAHAHA.'''' When recalling his memories, the man burst outughing. Raydon debated whether or not to sell these when he heard the manughing mockingly, but he ultimately made the choice to do so. Raydon would undoubtedly prefer to have a set of useful skills over a set of useless clothes. ''''I''ll give you 50 gold coins for every piece of trash magic equipment. '''' The man said. Raydon turned sour when he heard the price. The 200 gold coins he would receive for four items would be of little use to him. He only sold the belt after giving up on selling the boots, jacket, and pants, and he was paid an additional 50 gold coins. He then showed the man a robe and a one-handed glove. ''''What about these? '''' ''''Why don''t you just show everything you want to sell at once so we don''t have to waste time? '''' Despite his sigh, the man picked up the items and began examining them. [Robe] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: elerate Increases the user''s speed by 50% for a short time. -Mana cost: 20 -Duration: 1 minute. -Cooldown: 1.5 minutes. [Glove] -Grade: White -Quality: Normal -Skill: Metallic Talon Turns your hand into a metallic talon. -Mana cost: 1 -Duration: 1 minute. -Cooldown: None ''''I''ll give you 1500 gold for the glove, which has a mediocre attack skill. '''' He took a breath, then carried on. '''' The robe is excellent. It has a very strong enchantment skill, which is extremely umon. Whoever lost it must be feeling pretty sad right now, heh. Okay, I''ll pay you 6500 gold for this.'''' Chapter 43 Selling Items (Part 3) ?Raydon wasn''t surprised by the price of the glove, but he was taken aback by the price of the robe. Even the Green-Grade bracelet he recently purchased was worth around 1000 gold. Although the item''s price was decreased by having an HP cost, the difference was still very big. Even though Raydon was pleased with the prices being offered, he still turned to look at Belicia to be certain. When he turned around and saw Belicia staring at him with a gaping mouth and shocked eyes, he abandoned the idea of asking her opinion. The man must have assumed Belicia''s reaction was due to the price of the item, he said as he chuckled. ''''I suppose you underpay your maid. I''ve never seen a battle maid so taken aback by a Green-Grade item.'''' If the man had known Raydon was a useless cripple until now, but had recently awoken as an item holder and won all the items he is now trying to sell in the first match he participated in, his expression would be simr to Belicia''s. But, as they say, ignorance is bliss, so he just looked at Belicia with pitying eyes, not knowing the truth. ''''So, are you selling or not?'''' he asked, his gaze returning to Raydon. ''''Yeah, 8000 gold coins, right? I''m selling.'''' Raydon agreed right away. Even to him, whockedmon sense in this world, this sum seemed quiterge. After taking the items and handing over the gold coins to Raydon, the man asked again in a bored tone. ''''So, anything else? '''' Raydon''s total number of gold coins had risen to 8583. He paused for a moment to consider whether that many gold coins would suffice, and his conclusion was negative. He began to consider what else he could sell. He had a crossbow but didn''t want to sell it just yet. Even if he didn''t bind the item and use its skill, the crossbow was his only long-distance attack option and could be extremely useful. Then he remembered the short sword, which was also the only thing he could actually use as a weapon at the moment. While considering what to sell, he remembered something he had forgotten about. ''''What do you think about this one? '''' Raydon reached into his dimensional storage and pulled out a bark before handing it to the man. At first, the man appeared perplexed, but soon his eyes lit up. The thing Raydon was attempting to sell had finally surprised him a little. [Bark skin] -Grade: Green -Quality: N/A -Skill: Body Enchantment increases durability by 10% by hardening the wearer''s skin like a tree bark. ''Body enchantment? And it''s green-grade. This is quite rare, '' he muttered. Eyeing Raydon, the man thought. ''This is not a crafted item. Only by killing the region bosses can you have a chance to acquire body enchantments. This young man is not bad at all if he really killed a region boss and obtained this. '' The way Raydon carried himself and his demeanor gave the man the impression that he was a formidable young man. But still, even if he was a young master from a big family, he had little chance of killing the region boss unless he had a team of extremely skilled teammates. ''''What rank are you? '''' The man asked curiously. Normally, it would be extremely hostile for one item holder to ask another item holder this question, but Raydon didn''t mind. Because he knew the man in front of him had the ability to kill him in seconds if he so desired. ''''F-Rank,'''' Raydon said calmly. He considered removing the glove and showing it directly, but decided against it when he remembered that his level was still 1 due to his title. ''So he actually defeated the region boss in an F-Rank match, huh? '' With his hand resting on his chin, the man murmured. "Indeed, body enchantment is a hard-to-find item. This is a body enchantment that boosts defense, but because it''s a nt-type, it also has the hidden attribute of boosting the body''s regeneration rate. However, as with most body enchantments, there is a drawback. It hardens the skin and shapes it like tree bark, reducing the person''s movement speed significantly. The sensation of touching will also be lessened. '''' The man finished his sentence while lowering his gaze to Raydon''s waist. Radon swallowed. Hearing these words, his face showed relief at not using this item right away. Looking at Raydon''s response, the man continued. ''''I assume you won''t be using it. Although it is beneficial for those with high stamina and agility stats, not many people desire this item. Nevertheless, I can still pay you 14000 gold coins for it.'''' Raydon agreed as soon as he heard the price. He understood how difficult it was to find body enchantments, but all he could do now was increase his stamina due to his title, and any further restriction on his current movement speed would undoubtedly affect him negatively. ''''Well, I hope that was thest one.'''' "Yeah, thanks for your time," Raydon said with satisfaction, dropping thest few gold coins into his dimensional storage. His total gold now stood at 22583, and he believed that would be sufficient. Raydon also didn''t want to push his luck any further because the man appeared irritated. He coulde backter if he wanted to sell something else. "All right, you can leave now." The man said, gesturing with his hand toward the door. Raydon and Belicia bowed slightly and exited the shop. As they walked out of the store, the man squinted. ''''One of the families apparently produced yet another genius. This year''s riftpetition seems to be shaping up to be quite thrilling. '''' He chuckled. The man spoke authoritatively, his eyes fixed on a dark spot in the corner. ''''Go find out which family he is from. Don''t forget to forward my message to them as well. I, Fang the Butcher, would like to support this young man in the uingpetition. '''' Unexpectedly, the darkness Fang was looking at transformed into a silhouette of a person dressed entirely in ck. This person responded by kneeling on one knee. '''' Yes sir.'''' Then he vanished into the darkness again, as if he had never been there. **** Don''t forget power stones. You can also support me with golden tickets. Thanks. I also leave Fang''s illustration in thements. Let me know if you want it for other characters as well. Chapter 44 Everything Is Ready ?''''Who was that man?'''' ''''How did you get all those items? '''' As soon as they were outside the store, Raydon and Belicia asked at the same time. After some hesitation, Belicia decided to speak up first after noticing Raydon''sck of response. ''''He is a member of one of the mysterious organizations I previously mentioned. I''m not sure of his identity or position within the organization, but generally, people refer to them as "shadows." '''' ''''Shadows? '''' Radon inquired. ''''Yes. They are named that way for no particr reason. All members of high-level organizations are referred to as shadows. The reason they are called shadows is that they can appear unexpectedly in unexpected ces, just like before,'''' Belicia exined. Evidently, she didn''t anticipate running into that man in such a manner either. Raydon was also surprised to meet such a powerful person in this world so quickly. However, he did not give this matter much thought. ''''Oh, what was your question? '''' Raydon asked. Belicia came to a halt, looked at Raydon''s face for a few seconds, and then resumed her walk. ''''Nevermind. I believe you have a title that makes you quite powerful. Assume I never asked.'''' Belicia believed Raydon''s sess in his first match was due to his title. She gave up asking because she believed that if she persisted in asking about the match''s events any longer, Raydon would also divulge information about his title. After all, item holders must keep their title''s attributes secret. Raydon shrugged at those words. He had no intention of telling what had happened anyway. Even if he did, his abilities had nothing to do with his title. On the contrary, his title was a curse for him right now. ''''So what kind of skill are you looking for? '''' Belicia asked. Normally, she would choose Raydon''s skill-set herself, but after witnessing his first choice of skill was an investigative-type, she understood that Raydon had not lived his entire life totally as an idiot. She also epted that Raydon was a born genius after hearing about his significant victory in his first match. Raydon gave this question some serious thought. He had discovered an investigative-type item that would suffice for the time being. Pauldron had a movement-type skill. He could change it if he could find something better, but he wasn''t in a hurry. As a weapon, he had the great sword from Gary and a short sword from Wingmans, but he wouldn''t use the great sword however he pleased, and the short sword had a debuff skill rather than an attack skill. In short, he now had gloves as a defense type, a pauldron as a movement type, and a bracelet as an investigative type. ''''I think I need an attack-type skill as well as a control-type skill. '''' Raydon mentioned the skills he needs toplete his skill set. He needed almost every kind of skill because he was ying alone. He skipped the healing-type skill because he already has high stamina and a passive HP regeneration skill from his title. The purpose of the attack-type skill was clear. The control-type, on the other hand, was to neutralize the enemy or catch them off guard when necessary. ''A concealment-type skill could work for me, but I guess I''ll have to rely on my own methods for the time being.'' Raydon was initially disappointed that he could only use five skills, but his disappointment was short-lived. Until he found a way to increase his skill capacity, he could use the experience he had from his previous life to make up for his skill deficiencies. Belicia wasn''t sure what kind of skills Raydon already had, but she didn''t question his decision either. ''''Well, I know a few ces where you can find what you''re looking for,'''' Belicia said, as they started to circle the stalls once more. ¡ª Raydon finally got what he wanted after a few hours of walking around with Belicia''s assistance. The first of these was a brown vambrace. [Vambrace] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Hook -Mana cost: 1 -Duration: 10 seconds. -Cooldown: 20 seconds. The other is a pair of dark red boots. [Boots] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Fire Kick When kicking, it uses the friction in the air to ignite a me that intensifies over time. The duration of the mes varies depending on the user''s stamina stat. -Mana cost: 2 -Duration: 20 seconds. -Cooldown: 2 minutes. ''These two are very useful. It is also quite expensive. '' Raydon thought. He spent 4,000 gold for Vambrace and 4,500 gold for boots. It was also difficult to find, especially stamina-supported items. He also bought some arrows for his crossbow. There were a little less than 14,000 gold coins left. In fact, he expected to get a blue-grade or an outstanding quality item, but he knew he wouldn''t be able to find these items unless he went to the VIP area and participated in the auction. He also learned from Belicia that there were significant price differences between green-grade and blue-grade items, implying that the gold he possessed would be insufficient. ''Should I look for another movement-type skill? '' Raydon thought. He now had a pauldron whose skill was already bound to him. Though the skill was clearly good, the silver pauldron was too shy. Although the items Raydon has discovered thus far are not fashionable, he was unconcerned about his appearance, but the reflection of the sun''s rays from the pauldron in a sunny match could reveal his location to the enemy. ''Anyway, I already have a jacket to wear. '' He thought the gray-grade jacket in his dimensional storage would solve the issue when he remembered it. ''''Okay, I think we can return now. '''' For the uing match, Raydon was now fully prepared. There were also various crafting items for sale in Stalls, but he didn''t even look at them because he has no need for them right now. A body enchantment was something else he wanted to purchase, but as the old man had warned, it would be very difficult to find since he hadn''t run into any while looking around. In any case, it wasn''t that urgent right now. After all, F-Rank matches were easy for him. Chapter 45 Back To Slums ?''''All right, then, let''s go. We''ve already spent too much time. '''' With a sigh, Belicia said. Raydon spent a long time looking through each item one by one to find the ones he was looking for. Belicia was even more convinced that Raydon was a natural genius when she observed how he carefully weighed the advantages and disadvantages of each item before deciding which one was best for him. ''''By the way, you owe me for the bracelet. 1,000 gold coins will be enough. '''' She smiled slyly and said, pointing to Raydon''s bracelet. "I thought this was a gift," Raydon said. Then, with a look of reluctance on his face, he started to take out the gold coins one by one from his dimensional storage. As she took Raydon''s gold coins, Belicia chuckled and said. ''''I''d never purchase such a pricey gift, hehe. '''' She continued as her expression abruptly changed to one of annoyance. ''''Hey, you should also use those gold satchels because if you continue trading in this manner, someone may grow impatient and try to fight you.'''' Raydon''s payment of counting the gold coins one by one each time was one of the factors contributing to their extended stay here. Because of this, even Belicia was beginning to grow impatient at this point. ''''If you''re that bothered, you can gift me one,'''' Raydon said mockingly as he continued to hand over the gold coins. ''''It''s my day off today, so I have plenty of time,'''' Belicia said quickly, turning her head. ''Tch, stingy '' Raydon made the decision to purchase one for himself after realizing he wouldn''t be able to obtain one for free. Gold satchels were items crafted specifically for carrying gold coins. You could instantly tell how much gold was inside a satchel by holding it in your hand, and you could easily remove or rece any quantity of gold with a singlemand. Before leaving the market, Raydon went and spent 100 gold on a white gold satchel after finishing his payment to Belicia. This was more expensive than Belicia''s and was white rather than her gray colored satchel because it could hold a maximum of 20,000 gold inside. Raydon started to head back the way they hade after feeling relieved that he had gotten what he wanted and enjoying seeing the new things this new world had to offer him. They soon returned through the short, dark cavern and arrived at the door leading to the antique shop''s stairs. ¡ª ''''It''s been a while; I wonder if they took a different exit as I had assumed... No, no, I have to continue waiting. If he has a grudge against us for what we did, I''ll die before I even understand how. '''' The old man was sitting on the ground, his head between his hands, near the entrance to the underground item market. Due to the length of time and the strain on his mind, he started to feel as though he was going to lose his mind. He was contemting when he heard the door creaking open gradually. ''''They''ve returned?'''' The man quickly got to his feet, wiped the dust off himself with his hand, ran to the door, and bowed to Raydon and Belicia. ''''Sir, wee back. I hope you found your shopping to be enjoyable. '''' He said with a genuine smile. ''''Indeed, it was good. '''' Raydon said. His face revealed that he was having a great time. ''''Huh? Have you been waiting here the entire time? '''' Looking at the man''s exhausted expression, Belicia questioned. Strangely, there was a tinge of pleasure beneath her innocent face. ''''Haha, it''s true, but it''s irrelevant. There was nothing else I needed to do. Furthermore, how am I supposed to do any other work when such important guests are here? '''' The man said smugly. ''''Anyway, let''s get out of here because I''m starting to get hungry.'''' Raydon said as he walked towards the stairs. They eventually made their way back to the antique store by ascending the stairs. Although Belicia and Raydon appeared to be in excellent condition as they entered the antique shop through the VIP door, it was obvious from the old man''s white face and hisck of breath that climbing the stairs quickly had exhausted him. Belicia and Raydon were on their way out of the shop when they noticed the still-kneeling employee on the floor, but they both ignored her and walked away. ''''Huff, huff, I-I believe you were pleased with our service, sir. I h-hope to see you again.'''' The old man bowed behind them again and said as he gasped for air. When Raydon and Belicia vanished from his sight, he couldn''t take it any longer and copsed to the ground. ¡ª Raydon looked at Belicia with interest and remarked, "Guess I wasn''t the main character of this drama huh? '''' He initially believed Belicia was making fun of him, but it turns out that the owner and staff member of that shop were her true targets. ''''You must have noticed, eh? haha. '''' Beliciaughed before carrying on. ''''Right, they were my true objective. Actually, I wasn''t aiming at them specifically; I just dislike everyone associated with any organization. '''' Belicia spoke while wearing a vengeful expression. Raydon noticed this expression on her face but asked no further questions. She clearly harbored a grudge against the organization for some reason. The two walked around the antique market, found a ce to eat, and then returned to Raydon''s neighborhood after a few hours. ''''Wasn''t it like a romantic date where the poor maid was dating her wealthy young master? '''' As they walked down the street to Raydon''s house, Beliciaughed. While she was having a great time on the date, Raydon was clearly delighted by the excitement and pleasure of exploring this brand-new world. In response to Belicia''s words, Raydon merely chuckled. Most of the time, he was unable toprehend the thoughts that were running through this maid''s head. *** If you enjoy this story as much as I do... Power stones, gold tickets,ments... Thank you for all your support. Chapter 46 Another Maid, Tika ?As they turned from the end of the street to the one leading to Raydon''s house, Belicia suddenly stopped and cried out. ''''What are they doing here? '''' She was fixated on the ck vehicle ahead of her. Raydon was taken aback by Belicia''s reaction and inquired. ''''Whose car is that? '''' Raydon and Belicia were gazing at the car when the door opened, and a woman emerged who was as stunningly beautiful as Belicia and wearing a simr maid costume. ''''This is really interesting. When I couldn''t find him at home, I assumed you had taken him somewhere, but where were you for so long? '''' The woman frowned as she cast a re at Raydon with her bright blue eyes. As she spoke, she raked back her hair that had fallen over her elf-like pointy ear. ''''There''s something different about you.'''' The woman looked into Raydon''s eyes. She expected to be met with the nk, meaningless stare she was used to, but what she saw in Raydon''s eyes was something different. When she looked into those eyes, the woman got goosebumps. His pupils resembled a vast void, ready to devour anything that came its way, like a greedy ck hole. ''''Who are you? No, you are still the same person, but¡­ '''' The woman furrowed her brows. Raydon, standing in front of her, was the same soulless body she had always seen. But something was different about him now, something very different. Raydon did not respond to the woman''s question. She was looking at him, trying to understand what was going on, and Raydon was doing the same with her. ''The maid Belicia was referring to must be this person. She seems to be strong. '' Raydon had a gut feeling that this person was just as powerful as Belicia, if not more so. Belicia had stated that she was not the one to look after him, but that there was another maid responsible for him. The person in question was most likely the maid in front of him. ''''Does she pose a threat to my secret? '''' Raydon asked as he turned to look at Belicia. But after observing Belicia''s expression, he understood the question was pointless. Belicia''s white fair forehead, which resembled that of a doll, was wrinkled. She was gritting her teeth and had a scowl on her face. ''''Why are you here, Tika? '''' Belicia asked in a heavy tone. After hearing this, Tika finally turned her attention away from Raydon and toward Belicia. ''''Haa? Who are you speaking to? Naturally, I''ll be here. After all, I am my young master''s personal maid. To always stand by his side is my responsibility. '''' Tika smiled innocently as she spoke. ''''Who are you trying to fool? You only evere here to check whether the person you''re calling "young master" is still alive or has finally died. '''' When Belicia could no longer take it, she yelled. ''''Belicia, You must be dreaming. I was always here and was the only one who looked after the young master. On whose orders are you here? You shouldn''t be here at all. '''' Tika''s innocent gaze grew threatening as she continued, ''''Are you certain you want to stand between the young master and his battle maid?'''' Tika asked, looking at Belicia as if she were insane. Belicia could only respond by clenching her fist and remaining silent. Every big family had their own set of rules and traditions. The battle maids were one of them. Raydon''s battle maid was not Belicia. And, unless there was a direct order from the family, her involvement in this matter would result in severe punishment. ''''Young master, I had only returned to the mansion for a short time at the family''s request. I apologize for having to leave you alone at this time. I see you''ve recovered miraculously from your illness. I believe we should notify your family as soon as possible.'''' Tika made a bow, put her hand on her chest, and then spoke politely. Raydon might have actually believed Tika''s actions if he hadn''t been able to put the pieces of his jumbled memory back together. The battle maid Raydon''s family had selected for him was Tika, in fact. However, there were additional facts involved as well. Raydon had been neglected by Tika, who had left him to perish in this ce. His family was most likely behind Tika''s actions thus far, and he knew that trusting Tika and returning would only make things worse. ''''I have no ns to return,'''' Raydon stated as he made his way towards his house. ''''I''m sorry, but I was just being polite when I asked. Please pay attention to what I''m saying and get in the car on your own.'''' Tika smirked as she folded her hands behind her back. The driver, who was waiting by the car in a suit, opened the back door and motioned for Raydon to enter. "He said he doesn''t want to go with you. Keep in mind that he is still your master. '''' Belicia saw Tika''s insistent demeanor and intervened, realizing that things were about to get ugly. ''''Don''t be silly, Belicia. I keep insisting because I want to help my young master regardless. After all, we battle maids only exist to support and guide our young masters in making the best decisions possible. '''' Tika sang as she slowly drew nearer to Raydon. "Now, young master. Please allow me to guide you in making the best decision.'''' Raydon''s instincts immediately told him to get ready for a fight when he saw Tika approaching him with a menacing gaze. ''It will be difficult.'' Raydon understood he had no chance of victory. But he had no desire to give in without a fight. Even if he had to admit that he was an item holder¡ªwhich he would have to do if he ever went back to the family¡ªhe still intended to fight the enemy in front of him with all his might. "Hoo, I guess my young master is no longer a frightened cat, but a tiger," She spoke before suddenly taking a step forward and sprinting toward Raydon. She aimed her hand at Raydon''s throat. ''She is fast. ''In the face of this speed, Raydon felt helpless. He had the means to repel this attack thanks to his godlike reflexes and martial instincts, but his frail body was powerless to assist him. Raydon managed to raise his hand at thest second, just as he was about to say the following words, ''''Refl¡­'''' ''''Tika!! '''' Belicia''s furious voice was heard. Raydon could only see a long smooth leg kicking Tika after hearing that. *BAM* Tika''s body was thrown by the impact of the kick, and she collided with the car with a loud thud. Belicia stood in front of Raydon, her gaze fixed on Tika''s body, which had caused arge dent in the car. ***** If you enjoy this story as much as I do... Power stones, gold tickets,ments... Thank you for all your support. In addition, an auxiliary chapter featuring the character illustrations has been published, you can check it out. You can also check out thement I made to address some questions in the book reviews section. Chapter 47 The Next Match Has Begun. ?Raydon sighed as he looked at Belicia, who was standing straight in front of him. His eyes were unable to keep up with her speed. These two appeared to be monsters by their own standards. ''I need more strength. '' Raydon muttered and returned his attention to Tika. Raydon and Belicia watched as Tika gradually pushed herself out of the dent she made in the car. As if nothing had happened, she dusted herself off, arranged her uniform neatly, and said calmly. "You really did it." Then, the emotionless look on her face changed to one of annoyance. ''''Are you really sure it''s worth it? '''' Without responding, Belicia simply stared at Tika. Despite the fact that she made the decision in an impulsive manner, she didn''t appear to regret it. ''''You are being overly stubborn. I''m not even sure what you''re trying to aplish. Don''t forget, I''ll inform the family of the events here. '''' Tika stated. "I don''t care. If you want to take him away, you must be willing to fight me. Of course, if you dare, while keeping in mind that we are currently in someone else''s territory,'''' Belicia smiled. Tika looked startled before clenching her fists and giving a furious look at Belicia. She evidently realized that fighting Belicia in this location was a bad idea. It wasn''t Belicia''s power she was afraid of, but the owner of the territory they were in right now. She spoke as she turned her attention to Raydon. ''''Young master. It won''t be long before I return this time, so don''t worry. For the time being, I should return to inform your family of the situation, and then I will return and apany you back to the mansion.'''' She bowed slightly toward Raydon before turning around and getting into the car. Raydonughed as he turned to Belicia and said as he watched the car slowly pull away. ''''I believe myfortable life is about toe to an end.'''' Belicia sighed as she spoke. ''''Don''t worry, she won''t return as quickly as she promises. Most likely, it will be at least a week before you see her again. '''' After pausing, Belicia continued. ''''She is not always able to make trouble where she wants. Because of this, she was unable to continue when I intervened and she made the decision to leave. However, she will return after obtaining the necessary permission from the family. '''' Raydon turned to face the street after hearing this. His cold eyes made it impossible to guess what he was thinking. ''''Whose territory is this, exactly? '''' That agitated look returned to Belicia''s face as she spoke. ''''I''m not certain either. There is, however, an item holder here working for the one of the secret organizations. '''' Belicia looked Raydon in the eyes and said solemnly. ''''There''s probably nothing you can do when Tika returns. In any case, you must return to your family. I know you have grudges against them, but you don''t have the power to oppose them. Don''t worry, once they realize you''re an item holder, they''ll at least start treating you like a human again.'''' When she saw Raydon nod, her solemn expression softened into a smile. ''''Good, now I have to leave as well. I have other things to do. This incident is also going to give me a headache. Anyway, take care. '''' She turned around and began walking down one of the dark alleyways. As Belicia walked away, Raydon noticed that the calf of the leg she had used to kick Tika appeared bloody. ''''Even my high stamina probably wouldn''t have kept me from being seriously injured if I''d been the one kicked. '''' Raydon muttered and turned to go up the stairs to his apartment. As he ascended the stairs to his house, he noticed that, despite the previous noise, no one was around. This, however, was entirely normal. Since everyone who lived here was a regr person, they had no right to even be curious about what was going on among the item holders. The strong are always right and free. Raydon was well aware that being an item holder among ordinary people gave him unrestricted authority and freedom, but this was not what he desired. He possessed the will to pursue freedom and power not just among mortals but even among gods. And this uing match was the only way to make it happen. [Time remaining for the next match: 03:56:30] Raydon smiled as he walked through his front door, looking at the system notification. ''''I''m curious what this next match will bring me.'''' Raydon made the decision to use the remaining time to mentally recharge since the match was less than 4 hours away. As hey on his bed and thought about everything that had happened today and the jumbled memories in his head, he gradually dozed off. Raydon opened his eyes once more in response to the system message sound. *DING* [The next match is ready to begin. Do you want to join?] Raydon''s eyes lit up when he saw the message, and he eximed excitedly. ''''Yes.'''' And all of a sudden, the area fell into darkness. ¡ª After a brief period of darkness, when Raydon regained vision, he was met with a scene where everything appeared to be white. ''''It''s cold. '''' Raydon was dazzled by the excessive whiteness and the light of the sun, and soon as his body grew cold and shivered, Raydon realized that the whiteness was snow. Despite his high stamina, he could still feel the cold very clearly. The strangest part was that he felt the coldest in his feet out of all of his body parts. Raydon lowered his head, looked down at his snow-covered bare feet, and cried out. ''''Not again¡­ '''' Raydon was once again standing only in his underwear, as he had done in the first game, with the exception of the gloves he was still wearing. He hadpletely forgotten to put on the other system items he had. ''''I must be an idiot, right? '''' When Raydon felt someone staring at him from behind while he was thinking, he turned around to see four people gazing at him with disgust. He started his second match in the same way as he did in the first one. *** If you enjoy this story as much as I do... Power stones, gold tickets,ments... Thank you for all your support. Chapter 48 Iceworld Map ?''''Okay, you don''t need to say anything. Please just leave me alone with my shame.'''' Raydon let out a sigh. Regardless, he nned to go solo again. ''''At least he is not clinging to our legs like a typical slum bastard, begging for something to wear. '''' A team member who is blonde and has a very alluring appearance said. She had two tiny, brown horns sticking out of the top of her head, which only enhanced the sweetness of her lovely face. There was also a metal armor set on her with some white fabric covering her private areas. She must ce a high value on appearance because despite the fact that her clothing in this cold weather condition reveals many parts of her body, particrly her oversized melons, she wasn''t even attempting to cover herself. She also doesn''t appear to be affected by the cold. ''''No need to waste time with him, let''s leave. '''' The woman said her final words before turning around and walking away. Her melons swayed as she moved, appearing ready to burst free at any second in her restrained clothing. Others didn''t even look at Raydon, and they only thought that this was the best idea, as they followed the melons without saying anything else, leaving Raydon to his own fate. Meanwhile, Raydon didn''t mind that his teammates had abandoned him yet again, but he had a question that piqued his interest. ''''What kind of items are those oversized boobs? '''' He couldn''t help but think. It seemed impossible that such enormous and alluring breasts could be real. ''''Anyway, I should put on my items. '''' Even though he wasn''t particrly affected by the cold, he stillined about it as he rubbed his chilly arms. Raydon wore the gray-grade ck pants he had pulled out of his dimensional storage, then the dark red boots. He next put on the ck jacket, and the silver pauldron, followed by the vambrace. Since the pauldron was so shiny, his initial thought was to put the jacket on and cover it, but after doing so, he changed his mind, realizing that it wasn''tfortable this way. "Well, whatever. I will change thister. '''' He then opened the system after putting on the rusted bracelet. [Time remaining until the end of the match: 02:54:15] [Team B7890-D4850] -Life Sucker (Lv.8) -Uneducated (Lv.7) -Woodcutter (Lv.7) -Mugger (Lv.6) -Master of All (Lv.1) Current team points: 0 [Team J5836-S4704] -N/A -N/A ¡­ Current team points: 0 ''''Now I have 3 hours to enjoy this. '''' Raydon cheered as he began to walk in the opposite direction of his team. Apart from the snow-covered in, Raydon was surrounded by the hills he could see only a little further away. Everything else appeared to be tnd. He had not seen any mobs nearby, though. ''I suppose I should use the blood bat.'' He considered. In fact, he didn''t want to use it right away. It wasn''t because he didn''t want to spend his HP. His HP was high due to his stamina, and thanks to his passive regeneration skill, he could quickly regain the HP he would lose after using the skill. The cooldown of the skill was the main reason. He could only keep it active for 4 minutes, and once activated, he had to wait 10 minutes before it could be used again. ''Anyhow, I want to familiarize myself with the surroundings. '' Raydon decided. Understanding the environment could aid him in making decisions in emergency situations. He extended his right hand, opened his palm, and said. ''''Blood Bat.'''' He felt a stinging pain in his wrist. A thread of blood that appeared toe from Raydon''s wrist began to swirl around the bracelet, and this thread of blood made its way to his palm, where it took the shape of a bat. After fully assuming the shape of a bat, its liquid form transformed into a solid red bat. In that instant, Raydon acquired a third visual angle. He was able to recognize his own face in this third vision. "This skill is truly incredible. It doesn''t seem to differ much from my own vision. '''' He only needed to control the bat with his thoughts as it pped its wings and flew into the sky. "Let''s see how far you can soar." He chose to check the flight distance this time after being satisfied with the bat''s vision. Raydon''s vision began to dim after the bat ascended into the sky and grew to a distance of 25-30 meters from him. ''''I suppose that''s the upper limit, and I think that limit will rise as my stamina increases. '''' He then gave the bat the order to fly around as he started to survey the snow-covered surroundings from above. There was little to see but the dazzling whiteness everywhere as he observed it from above. But Raydon soon found out something else. The snow appeared somewhat fluffy in some spots. Because of the optical illusion caused by the sun''s reflection on the snow, he hadn''t noticed this difference from the ground, but he could now see it more clearly from above. Raydon began to approach one of these snow puddles cautiously. The moment he was close enough to examine one with his own eyes, he understood that it wasn''t snow at all, but rather a ball of wool. ''''A camouged mob huh? '''' Raydon grinned as he reached into his dimensional storage for his crossbow and a few arrows, then locked onto the prey. He didn''t waste much time aiming because his target wasn''t far away, and he quickly released the arrow. The arrow tore through the air and flew straight at the mob, piercing it with no resistance. *** --Lastest update for the character panel. -- ]: B7890-D4850 [Race]: Human [Name]: Raydon Demugen [Title]: Master of All [Level]: 1 [Rank]: Grey [Experience]: 1019 / 1.000.000 [HP]: 200 [MP]: 10 [Strength]: 1 [Agility]: 1 [Stamina]: 20 [Luck]: 1 [Charisma]: 1 [Spirit]: 1 [Magic Equipment(s)]: 5 / 5 -Glove (Bonded) -Pauldron (Bonded) -Vambrace (Bonded) -Boots (Bonded) -Bracelet (Bonded) [Body enchantment(s)]: 0 / 5 --- [Dimensional Storage]: 2x2 -Short Sword(White) -Crossbow(White) -Lionheart Great-Sword(Green) -Boots(Grey) -Pants(White) (Blueprint) -Crossbow arrows 100x(Grey) -Gold satchel(White)(13.883 Gold Coins) --- [Title]: Master of All -Experience points can be used to boost the stat points of your choice. Currently avable stat(s): -Stamina / Cost: 65 exp. -Life Regeneration(Sub skill): Doubles the body''s rate of healing and enhances the effects of healing skills used on the body based on the stamina stat. *** [Notice] This novel soon go premium. Many thanks to everyone who has supported me so far. **[Especially "IdleLittleSloth," who has been my biggest supporter from the start.]** Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoy writing it. Chapter 49 Frozen Lake Flowers ?[Lv.1 Snow Rabbit(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experiences.] ''''Animals again? '''' Raydon sighed, wanting to face a different kind of mob. He looked at the blood bat''s timer and, seeing that he still had two minutes, he set it up so that it was directly on top of him in the air. He then used the bird''s eye view to find the camouged rabbits around him. ''''How difficult could it be? '''' After giving it some thought, Raydon pulled out more arrows from his dimensional storage and concentrated on the camouged mobs in his third view. He took his time performing a thorough calction before releasing the first arrow. [Lv.1 Snow Rabbit(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experiences.] And the second, [Lv.1 Snow Rabbit(F-Rank) has been killed.] And the third¡­ [Lv.1 Snow Rabbit(F-Rank) has been killed.] He used the blood bat''s third sight, which he was unfamiliar with, in ce of his own vision to take precise aim at the targets and kill them one by one with arrows. There is no doubt that Raydon had the best archery in his previous life, and it doesn''t seem likely that anyone will have a better shot in this one either. He released his final arrow, and then all of a sudden, his third sight vanished. ''''Not bad. '''' He had killed thirteen mobs altogether by the time the skill''s duration was over. ''''130 experience points, If this continues, it will take me years to reach the next level.'''' Raydon had a negative outlook butter consoled himself by thinking that he mighte across opportunities to gain experience more quickly in the future. After putting his crossbow back in his dimensional storage, he began gathering the mobs he had just killed. The fur on these rabbits was as white as snow. This allowed them to blend in with the snow without much effort. In the middle of their heads, they were also equipped with white pointed horns. On their backs, the number one was written in gray. Raydon was actually able to find these rabbits from above using his third view, thanks to this gray tattoo. ''''It is now time to dismantle.'''' Raydon had learned a little about dismantling by watching Gary. By only taking the necessaryponents, it would not needlessly fill his dimensional storage. He first gathered all the arrows and ced them back in his dimensional storage. He then picked up a rabbit before pausing abruptly and cursing. ''''Wait a minute, shit, I forgot to get a knife for dismantling. '''' By hitting himself in the head, Raydon berated himself for his forgetfulness. ''''At least I can use the short sword, even though it won''t be as practical as a knife. Well, still better than using the great sword. '''' Raydon said, taking the short sword and beginning to dismantle the mobs. He first separated the horns from their heads, then cut off the hide and peeled it expertly. He then took the blue, shiny life-core that was located near its chest. Finally, he ced all the parts in his dimensional storage after also taking their eyes. ''''I believe that is sufficient. Given that the mob is low level, blood or flesh shouldn''t be that valuable.'''' He actually wanted to take the entire body, but he didn''t have enough space to carry it, so he had to think logically this time. He turned around and set out to find his next prey after onest reluctant nce at thepletely skinless bloody corpses of the rabbits. ¡ª Raydon came to a halt after killing three more snow rabbits, rubbed his eyes, and said, ''''I guess I won''t be able to make much progress without using blood bat skill. '''' The sun, which appeared to be brighter than the sun from his previous world, was shining on the snow in all its splendor. He began to feel as if he would go blind from the sun''s reflection on this snow-covered area, where everything waspletely white. Even his high stamina wasn''t much of a help. ''''Blood bat. '''' Raydon used the skill again, its cooldown period has long since ended. He wasted no time in instructing the blood bat to survey the surroundings. After some time of observation, he noticed a fairlyrgeke not far away. When he pointed the blood bat in that direction, he discovered it was apletely frozenke. But there was something unusual about this seemingly ordinary frozenke. It had various blue flowers growing on it, thergest of which measured up to 60 centimeters in length. ''''This looks interesting.'''' Raydon decided to approach the area himself and check it out. He walked up to theke''s edge and peered at the flowers that were a little further away. These flowers struck him as odd, so he made the decision to approach one of them while holding his short sword in his hand. However, as he took his first step on the ice, a problem arose. The ice was much thinner than it appeared, and it cracked before it could even withstand the pressure of one foot of Raydon. He quickly retracted his foot as he pondered. ''I suppose I won''t be able to approach these flowers in this way, '' He drew his crossbow from his dimensional storage and aimed at one of the flowers. The flower was struck by the crossbow''s arrow. *Clink* The arrow struck the flower and then bounced back. On the flower, there was just a crack. ''''These things seem to be made of pretty solid ice. '''' He realized that an arrow couldn''t damage the flowers and fired two more. The crack on the flower grewrger andrger until, with the fourth arrow, it waspletely broken and dispersed. [Lv.1 Frozen Lake Flower (F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experiences.] Raydon scowled as he examined the ice chips on the floor and the blue life-core. ''''This motherfucker has wasted my 4 arrows. '''' The fact that it was a mob and gave him the experience was good, but he was unable to cross the ice to retrieve his arrows or his loot. Raydon was a looter who never left anything unimed, but he wasn''t foolish enough to swim in this icy water to retrieve his loot. When Raydon couldn''t think of a way to get there without having to walk on the ice himself, he pped his forehead and said. ''''Ahh, my reputation as a looter is ruined. '''' He looked around at the dozens of other flowers in front of him. Other than these things, there were no mobs nearby from which he could gain experience, but killing those flowers would cost him his arrows. He didn''t even know if all of his arrows would be enough to kill them all. ''''Apparently, I need to find a different approach. '''' Raydon contemted as he crossed his arms over his chest and gazed at the flowers. His eyes suddenly lit up, and he said. ''''I think that skill can help me. '''' He pointed the palm of his left hand at one of the flowers while drawing his short sword from his dimensional storage and holding it in his right hand. He then said, ''''Hook. '''' *** If you enjoy this story as much as I do... Power stones, gold tickets,ments... Thank you for all your support. Chapter 50 Farming In A Unique Way ?A rope came out of Raydon''s hand with an iron hook attached to the end, and it flew in the direction of the flower. In a split second, the hook wound around the flower as though it had consciousness. When the rope had fully grasped the flower, it began to pull back into Raydon''s palm. The thin and fragile ice on which the flower had taken root broke easily as the hook pulled the flower, and Raydon encountered only a little resistance. The flower''s roots, which resemble long octopus arms, are entirely detached from the water. Just as Raydon was about to believe that this method had worked, the octopus-like roots of the flower suddenly attacked him. ''''Damn. '''' He immediately deactivated the skill and rolled sideways to avoid the attack. After rolling, He quickly took his guard again. Upon seeing the flower''s roots approaching him once more, he swiftly swung the short sword he was holding at the root. The root was abruptly broken into pieces and scattered across the ground by the strike of the short sword. ''''This thing is just like ss. '''' He was ecstatic to discover that a blow from his sword can easily shatter the roots apart. ''This creature probably uses these roots to scavenge for fish in theke. '' Raydon reflected as he smashed another root with a sword blow. The flower had no mobility and could only attack with its roots. He noticed that there were only 3 left after shing another root. Since the number of the roots had decreased and their speed wasn''t a concern for him, Raydon expertly avoided the ones that came his way and used his skill to dash onto the flower. ''''Rush. '''' In a split second, Raydon''s speed increased. With just one step, he quickly approached the flower''s front and stabbed the sword in his hand into the flower''s very center. The flower split into pieces and fell to the ground with a cracking sound that reverberated throughout the area. [Lv.1 Frozen Lake Flower (F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experiences.] ''''Wow, that was a tough fight. '''' Raydon didn''t even break a sweat, but the flower''s attack caught him off guard for a moment. He took the blue life core from the ground and ced it in his dimensional storage before inspecting the ice shards. ''''This also appears to be an item crafting material.'''' He said this while holding a piece of smooth and transparent azure-colored ice in his hand. Not all of the shattered pieces were like this. Only about one-fifth of the flower was like this, and the rest hadpletely turned into snow and mixed with the other snow. Raydon gathered these ice chunks and ced them in his dimensional storage before checking his vambrace from the system panel. [Vambrace] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Hook Launches a rope hook in the direction of the target. The hook will coil up and drag the first target ites across back to the user. Rope toughness and range are affected by the wearer''s stamina stat. -Mana cost: 1 -Duration: 10 seconds. -Cooldown: 20 seconds. ''''20-second cooldown and 1 mana cost. '''' Raydon began to calcte methodically. ording to the data he gathered from previous experiments, 1 mana spent was replenished in an average of 10 minutes. With the total mana he had now after using the rush skill and hook, he could also use the skill 4 times in a row. ''''It will suffice.'''' Raydon returned his attention to the ten or so flowers on the ice. There were more, but they were standing too far away for the hook to reach. Raydon returned the shortsword to his dimensional storage and took out the great sword Gary had given him. He couldn''t swing the sword quickly and effectively with his strength, but for the time being, this great sword would be more useful to him. The sword was not bound to him, but he did not need to use the sword''s skill at this time. He grabbed the sword''s hilt and dragged it behind him with one hand, returning to theke''s edge. Raising his left hand, he aimed at a nearby flower, ''''Hook. '''' Simrly, the hook jumped out of his hand, wrapped around the flower, and began to pull towards Raydon. Raydon swung the great sword horizontally at that precise moment with all his might. Before the flower caught in the hook realized what had happened and tried to stab Raydon with its roots, Raydon had already struck it with a sharp blow with his great sword, tearing it apart instantly. As the flower shattered, ice shards rained down on Raydon. ''''Loot rain, I loved it. '''' Radon chuckled. He found it challenging to hold therge sword continuously, but he could manage a single sh. Furthermore, the great sword that struck the flower with perfect timing caused the maximum damage it could. He repeated the process after collecting his loot, each time waiting for 20 seconds to pass for the skill cooldown. After a few more repetitions, his mana ispletely depleted. ''''Tch, I need to wait more than an hour topletely replenish my mana.'''' Raydon had killed a total of 6 flowers, including the one he had killed with arrows. Only a few flowers remained in front of him, but he ignored them because he didn''t want to waste his arrows and felt they weren''t worth the trouble and expense. ''I should at least find something that speeds up mana regen. '' Raydon muttered. He was unaware of any item that directly increased stats, but body enchantments that boosted mana or sped up mana regeneration might exist. He noticed that only a little more than an hour had passed when he looked at the system''s timer. ''''Should I leave here and go somewhere else?'''' He could also stay here and kill the remaining flowers, but he''d have to wait more than an hour for this to be effective. *** If you enjoy this story as much as I do... Power stones, gold tickets,ments... Thank you for all your support. Chapter 51 Helen ?Raydon muttered and looked around, taking his gaze away from the remaining flowers. ''When you''re in such a vast and unexplored area, it''s no fun to spend too much time in one ce.'' He walked away, cing the great sword in his dimensional storage. He was unconcerned about running out of mana. In any case, he didn''t need mana to survive in an F-Rank match. ''''I wonder where the enemy team is." As he moved across the vast, blindingly white snowfield, Raydon thought. He wandered around for a considerable amount of time withouting across to another mob. He considered his options for a while before deciding to reactivate the Blood Bat. But just as he was about to use the skill, there was a booming noise. ''''Huh? What was that sound? '''' Raydon looked in the direction of the sound, shading his eyes with his hand against the sun. He could see nothing but a cloud of snow. It appears that the blow responsible for the noise whipped up snow into snow clouds. He was about to summon blood bat and check the area with it when he heard another voice calling out to him. ''''Hey!!! I finally found you. '''' When he heard this female voice, the owner of the voice emerged from the snow cloud at the same time. Raydon''s curious eyes followed her as she ran in his direction, two enormous watermelons swinging seductively on her chest and her blonde hair swaying in the breeze. ''''Tch, that woman again? '''' He remembered the cow-woman he had met earlier at the start of the match, and as he reached the dimensional storage, he pulled out his crossbow. He aimed his crossbow at the woman and got ready to shoot, thinking there would be no good reason for her to run to him like this. But the woman''s next words caused Raydon to pause as he was about to release the arrow. ''''Please, save me¡­ '''' In addition to the joy she felt upon seeing him, Raydon could also see the desperation on her face. He stopped shooting and lowered the crossbow for the time being, and then he realized why the woman was running towards him so helplessly, first by the sound he heard and then by what he saw. ''''GAAARRRGGHH'''' The snow cloud, which was still dispersing, was swiftly torn apart by blue ice-like ws. A massive creature then materialized from behind the splintering snow cloud. Seeing this creature, Raydon muttered with a grin, ''Good job cow woman, you saved me the trouble of looking for the region boss. '' ¡ª [A while back...] ''''Unfortunately, we only have 4 people left. Most likely, that loser will die soon enough. '''' With a grin, the ordinary-looking young man with blond hair said, looking at the woman next to him. In fact, he was staring at the woman''s enormous breasts, which only a fertility god could have. The other 2 men on the team were also attempting to look at these breasts most of the time, so it wasn''t just him who was focusing his attention there. Instead of focusing on their surroundings, they were more preupied with these overgrown melons. "Tch, these morons." Helen muttered under her breath, looking irritated. It wasn''t long before a smile took its ce. ''''Yes, but it doesn''t really matter, does it? So you''re not so weak after all. The absence of one person should not have a significant impact on you. '''' She spoke seductively with a wink. ''''O-of course haha, I''m very strong, don''t worry, most likely I can kill all the enemies by myself. ''''Another alfa male on the team enthusiastically joined the conversation. He was staring straight at Helen''s breasts, which swung like a water balloon as she walked, without even trying to hide his gaze. ''This body enchantment I use is extremely useful, but it is extremely distracting to others as well.'' Helen watched the behavior of her teammates with twitching eye. Because of the extra charisma stat points her title provided, she already had a very attractive appearance. Furthermore, thanks to her title''s other and most important feature, "life sucker," she was gaining extra stamina stat points from every man she had sex with. She then used minotaur blood, a rare body enchantment, to boost her stamina even further. However, as with most body enchantments, the side effect was that her alreadyrge breasts grew evenrger. Actually, it wasn''t such a big side effect for her that it was even something good, but when her entire team was made up of horny men, the downside was obvious. ''''That''s what I thought as well. So, who has investigative-type skills? We have to start earning points quickly. '''' Helen stated. The men fell silent when she asked this question. ''Tsk, all men are worthless.'' Helen thought about it and said chuckling. ''''It doesn''t matter; I have one. What does a man need this for anyway? A true man can hit his target without even seeing it. hehe '''' Shepleted the sentence by cing her finger on the side of her mouth and speaking in an erotic tone. The moment the men heard this, their bodies began to tremble, and they swallowed before gazing into Helen''s seductive smile. ''''Absolutely, just tell us where the mob is and we''ll kill them all for you. '''' ''''Yes, we are men so just trust us hahaha. '''' ''''Don''t make us wait hurry and show us where are those breasts¡­ I-I mean beasts. '''' The men all spoke hurriedly in unison. They all looked like cats in mating season. ''Hmph, at least I can use these idiots. '' She thought about it and activated her skill. ''''Clear Vision. '''' Helen''s honey-colored pupils widened and covered the entire surface of her eye. The whiteness around her and the sun''s eye-stinging rays reflected from this whiteness vanished in an instant. Her vision range has also increased significantly. She then used the skill to look around for a while but still couldn''t find anything. ''''Strangely, there is nothing visible around. Nothing is visible in the sky either. They may be hiding under the snow. '''' She said with a frown. The men continued walking ahead, paying attention to their surroundings, with Helen trailing behind. ''''Wait a minute, there appears to be something on that snow.'''' She said this while pointing to something gray on a puddle of snow. Chapter 52 Astonishment ?''''Let me check. '''' As one of the men said and walked over to investigate, he realized that what he thought was a puddle of snow was actually made of fur, and that gray thing is a number written 1. ''''It''s a mob! '''' The man yelled and jumped backward. But it was a littlete. His shoulder was pierced by the snow rabbit''s long, sharp horn as it shot through the snow like a rocket. ''''Aghh... '''' In pain from his injured arm, the man cried out. The horn would have pierced his chest rather than his arm if he had been a little slower in moving to avoid it. ''''Wind Cleave. '''' The other man immediately shouted, raising the short wand in his hand, and the green wind disk flew from the tip of the wand and mmed into the rabbit stuck in the man''s shoulder, knocking it off. The injured man must have been affected by the skill''s blow as well, because he fell backward andnded between Helen''s breasts, which felt like a pillow. ''''Oh my, are you alright? '''' The man felt a heavenly sensation in the back of his head as he looked up at Helen''s concerned expression, and then he thanked the man who used the skill and the rabbit who pierced his shoulder in his heart. ''''I believe you also suffered a head injury; this could be serious. You need to be treated as soon as possible. '''' The team''s healer said quickly, staring at the red-faced man with blood streaming from his nose. ''''Life Sense. '''' Healer man said, *BONK* angrily hitting the wounded man on the head with the knob of his long staff. ''Is this the real meaning of "knocking some sense into someone''s head?'''' '' After he recovered from the blow to his head and realized he was still in the middle of the match, the injured man stood up. His shoulder wound had already started to heal. One of the team''s men took the dead snow rabbit''s body and showed it to his teammates, saying. ''''These things seem to have very good camouge abilities. We must be careful. '''' ''''True, my investigative-type skill can''t pinpoint them either. '''' Helen added with a gloomy expression. When one of the men saw Helen''s sad state, he immediately said. ''''Don''t worry, I believe this map is extremely difficult. Even though the enemy team has not earned any points, we have got one.'''''' ''''Mhm, I think you are right. '''' Helen said with a smile to the man. The other members of the team nodded in agreement as well. The team regained their courage and was about to continue when they were interrupted by a system message. *Ding* [Your team gained 1 point.] [Since you made no contributions to the battle, you won''t gain any shared experience.] ''''What the hell?! '''' ''''Huh? Where did this pointe from? '''' ''''Don''t tell me? It can''t be right? '''' Helen stared at the system message as the men expressed their surprise among themselves. ''''Is he still alive in this cold, despite the fact that he''s naked? Although he is weak physically, his willpower must be formidable. On top of that, his luck is very good, as he discovered and killed an already dying mob. '''' Helen immediately made her deduction. Just as Seraher and her team did in the previous match, Helen and her team are making the same mistake, believing Raydon was simply lucky. ''''At the very least, he contributed to the team by earning one point.'''' After quickly and carefully dismantling the snow rabbit they had killed and handing it to Helen, one of the men said. The other two men saw this, but they kept quiet about it. Even their faces conveyed jealousy, as if they regretted not having thought of the idea themselves. ''''All right, let''s find the next mob¡­ '''' The sound of another system message interrupted the healer man as he was speaking. [Your team gained 1 point.] [Since you made no contributions to the battle, you won''t gain any shared experience.] ''''What the fuck is going on here? '''' The injured man couldn''t help but curse. ''''He is still just lucky right? '''' Other one spoke, his facepletely fell with another system message. [Your team gained 1 point.] [Since you made no contributions to the battle, you won''t gain any shared experience.] A deep silence fell upon everyone. They were now certain that it wasn''t luck. Because the system messages came one after another and did not even give them a chance to think, they were at a loss for words to describe the situation. [Your team gained 1 point.] [Since you made no contributions to the battle, you won''t gain any shared experience.] ¡ª [Your team gained 1 point.] ¡ª [Your team gain¡­ Thus, the system message was heard 7 more times. ''''B-But h-he is just level 1. '''' In a trembling voice, the healer man said. He had never seen anything like this before, and the person in question was a level 1 item holder with no items on top of that. Others were too taken aback to respond to the man. Helen''s face in particr looked pale. ''What have I done? '' It was all she could think about. The person she dismissed as useless and refused to ept into the team with harsh words was, in fact, the strongest of them all, including herself. ''I missed the real treasure because I was dealing with these insignificant things.'' Helen looked at her teammates, who were still in disbelief as they continued to stare at the system message, feeling as though she had wasted all her money on the wrong horse. ''''Come to yourselves now. We''re wasting our time,'''' Helen yelled furiously. Her previous loving and sweet self waspletely gone. The men also nodded in agreement while still in shock, paying little attention to Helen''s behavior. They departed once more in search of the next mob with sour faces. They walked around aimlessly for a while, found a few snow rabbits, and killed them, but they couldn''t even rejoice in this because Raydon also added three more team points during this time. *** If you enjoy this story as much as I do... Power stones, golden tickets,ments... Thank you for all your support. Chapter 53 Region Boss Joined To The Party ?''''Hey, he''s not a human, right? '''' In a low voice, the man who had recently injured his shoulder spoke. He appeared to be fully recovered physically, but his mental injury was a different story. The man asked, but no one on the team answered. Helen also had a more agitated expression than before. With the shield in her hand, she gave the impression that she was about to blow someone''s head off. Even though their team was winning the match, nobody could celebrate because of how unexpectedly they were doing it. ''''There are a few more snow puddles up ahead. '''' Now that she could more or less tell the difference between snow and snow-colored rabbit fur, Helen reported her findings to the team. The team was on its way to the snow puddles Helen had pointed out, which could be a group of snow rabbits, when another system message was heard. ? *Ding* [Your team gained 1 point.] [Since you made no contributions to the battle, you won''t gain any shared experience.] The team paused for a split second, and then continued on, pretending not to notice. Shortly after that, the system message began to ring continuously again until one of the men snapped under the stress and yelled. ''''Fuck this shit¡­ If he can do it, I can, too. Graaaahhh '''' With a war cry, he then began to run in the direction of the snow puddles. When the other two men saw this scene, they were unable to stand it either and joined the man to defend their pride with their own war cry. Helen was the only one who remained, watching her teammates in helpless disbelief. The three men were frantically running toward the snow puddles while yelling, then they abruptly stopped after feeling a sudden jolting from the ground. ''''W-what''s going on? '''' Healer questioned while defending himself with his wand in his hand. This tremor didn''t appear to be normal at all. Without waiting for the other two men''s responses, he quickly understood what was happening as he saw what was emerging from the snow puddles in front of them. First, one of the mounds began to rise, revealing a massive blue hand. Then another hand appeared by splitting up the snow. Soon, the head of the thing, the owner of those massive hands, slowly emerged from under the snow. As the azure-colored humanoid monster rose from the snow, the three men froze in terror. The creature turned and red at these three men with its yellow eyes and jet-ck pupils, indicating that it was not overly pleased to be disturbed. The thin white hair that fluttered from its head to its face made those eyes appear even more menacing. Opening its mouth, it showed fangs from its lower jaw that were protruding and curled like those of a mammoth, and it roared as though in response to the earlier battle cries of these three men. ''''ROOAAARRRR'''' The impact of this sound, which reverberated throughout their bones, caused the three men to finally regain theirposure. ''''R-RUN!!! '''' One of the men yelled while attempting to turn his shaking body around. But by then, it was toote. When the man finally turned around and took the first step of his jog for his life, a horizontally rotating object hit him in the waist and split him in half. ''''F-Fuck this¡­ T-This is Region Boss. '''' Helen''s eyes showed the horror she was experiencing as she watched this. When she saw what had happened to her teammate, who was lying in a pool of his own blood in front of her after being cut in half by a flying axe, she immediately did the first thing that came to mind. With all of her might, she began to run, leaving her teammates to face their own fates. Region Boss, meanwhile, quickly got to its feet and sprinted over to the second man closest to it. The monster, who stood more than three meters tall and covered several meters with each step, pressed its long, ice-made nails into the back of the second man, who was trying to flee. ''''AGGHH'''' Because of the horror he was experiencing, the man couldn''t even consider using his skills and died helplessly while screaming in agony. ''''Light Steps. '''' Thest man standing had enough time to use his skill. As the skill took effect, the man''s weight seemed to lighten. His body swung forward with each step he took, like a feather in the wind. Sadly, that wasn''t enough to escape from the enraged creature that had been jerked out of its slumber. With only two steps, the creature caught up to the man and grabbed him by the neck. The man flinched in pain. He didn''t have any skills left to help himself out of this situation. Helen''s undting blond hair fluttering in the distance caught his eye seconds before he died with the sound of a bone breaking. ''''Damn, why am I so unlucky? '''' Helen eximed as she dashed forward with all her might. She didn''t even have time to look back to see if the region boss was pursuing her. "My rush skill won''tst for long. I hope I can do it before that. '''' Helen continued to run, with only one goal in mind, in this ce where she had nowhere to hide. ''''If I recall correctly, he went that way. He is now my only hope.'''' She pondered desperately. To believe that the region boss wouldn''t pursue her was pure fantasy. She would undoubtedly be the next target the moment all of her teammates died. Finding Raydon was the only way to escape. Though she was unsure of how he could assist her, she had a feeling that he could somehow protect her from this monster. The region boss''s footsteps, which shook the ground with each step, could be heard behind Helen as she ran as fast as she could, realizing that her skill duration was about to expire and that this was also the thing she most feared. *** 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. (Power stones, golden tickets,ments, maybe even gifts hehe.) Chapter 54 The Fight Has Begun ?''Where, where, where? '' Helen screamed in her heart while searching for Raydon with her honey-colored eyes. ''''Huh? What is that? '''' Then, all of a sudden, she became aware of a glimmer in the distance. It resembled a glow that a mirror was reflecting. The region boss was rapidly approaching behind her, and her skill duration was about to end. She, therefore, made the decision to stake everything on this. If this glow belonged to the opposing team, Helen might be able to use them to divert the monster so she can have a chance to escape. She dashed with all her might toward this glow, which represented her only hope, and her long-range vision skill allowed her to recognize its owner. She didn''t immediately recognize him because of the items he was wearing, but she soon realized he was Raydon and the pauldron on his shoulder was what was causing the glow. ''Finally, found you. '' She had just found the hope she had been looking for and was enjoying it for a brief moment when she heard something ripping through the air and moving toward her. This sound reminded her of the flying axe that killed her teammate not long ago. ''''Turtle shell. '''' She shouted and immediately used her skill. On Helen''s back, a dark green substance started to materialize quickly before taking the shape of a tortoise shell. *BOOOOMMM* She was thrown forward by the impact as the axe mmed into the shell with a loud bang. The energy emitted by the impact was so powerful that it swept away the snow in the area. Helen was thrown forward a few meters, rolling on the ground several times beforeing to a halt. Despite Helen''s turtle shell on her back appearing to bepletely broken, she miraculously looked fine. With the special skill her title provided, it was obvious that she had significantly increased her stamina. ''''That hurt. '''' She slowly stood up and looked around, holding her head in pain and feeling dizzy. The snow cloud from the impact made it difficult for her to see much, but she could hear the Region Boss''s approaching footsteps clearly. Even though she didn''t know where Raydon was, she knew which direction she needed to run. She quickly recovered and resumed her escape from the Region Boss. When Helen finally came out of the snow cloud, she yelled with joy at what she saw. ''''Hey!!! I finally found you. '''' It was Raydon who was standing a good distance away and ncing at her with intense eyes. Due to the emotions, Helen was going through at the time, she was unaware of the irritated expression in the eyes staring at her. The Region Boss was pursuing Helen as she ran, and she could hear its footsteps getting closer and closer. She wasn''t as concerned this time, though, because the man who had been racking up points like crazy ever since the match began had pulled his Crossbow out of his dimensional storage and was prepared to use it to save her. Helen''s face lit up with a contented grin. She did so because she was confident that no matter who he was, as long as they were men, they would never be able to resist her alluring charm, especially after seeing how helpless she was. She was therefore making use of every man''s innate desire to save a beautiful and alluring woman like herself, then yelled as she used her final and most powerful trump card for the finishing blow. ''''Please save me¡­ '''' She was sure now. Even if it meant sacrificing his own life, the man in front of her will save her. ¡ª After giving Helen, who was running in his direction, a quick nce, Raydon turned to face Region Boss, who had emerged from the snow cloud with a loud roar. ''''Good job cow woman, you saved me the trouble of looking for the region boss. '''' He then raised his crossbow once more, took aim, and released the arrow. The arrow flew through the air with perfect power and angle, piercing Helen''s honey-colored eye, which was filled with relief that she would soon recover from the misfortune that had befallen her. ''''W-why?! ''''At this, Helen muttered as she stood in shock. One arrow clearly wasn''t enough to kill her due to her high stamina. That didn''tst long, though, as the same eye was struck by a second arrow, this one making sure she was dead. Helen fell to the ground with two arrows in her eye and a look of disbelief on her face. ''It seems that I am unable to gain experience after killing my teammate.''Raydon pondered as he watched Helen''s body slowly transform into light beams and disappear. He put his crossbow in his dimensional storage and turned to face the region boss, who was visibly confused because its intended target Helen had vanished without a trace. ''''In what way should I kill you? '''' Raydon stated with a twisted grin. He was already incredibly excited about the situation he was in and what was going to happen next. He had already begun to calcte the experience points he would gain. Raydon was soon spotted by Region Boss, who was looking around in confusion. Without thinking, it roared again in rage at having missed its previous target and lunged with its axe toward Raydon. ''''OK, we''ll do it this way. '''' The Region Boss was sprinting in his direction when Raydon began to run in its direction as well. Region Boss was initially a little surprised to see the dwarf Raydon begin to run in its direction, but it quickly grew irate and began running faster. ''''Come,e hahahaha, this is funny. '''' As though provoking the monster, Raydonughed. The fact that the monster appeared to be getting angrier with each passing second suggests that it must have been sessful. ''''ROOOOAARRGHH'''' Spit was nowing out of the monster''s mouth as it roared furiously. Even the nearby snow hills began to tremble and crumble at the sound of it. ''''Good, you''ve reached the point. '''' As he continued to run, Raydon said, pulling the crossbow from his dimensional storage. Yes... again. Chapter 55 The Fight Has Ended ?Raydon aimed the crossbow at the Region Boss, and fired. Region Boss saw the arrowing its way and swung the ax angrily to deflect it. But then something unexpected happened, which the monster had not anticipated. Without forethought, in its fury, it destroyed the arrow with all its might, but as a result, it was unprepared for and helpless against the subsequent attack that wasing after the arrow. The hook was heading straight for the region boss''s head, and the monster had nothing to do about it. Right after Raydon released the arrow, he used the Hook skill. Region Boss, however, was too preupied with the arrow to notice it. Hook quickly circled the Region Boss'' head, who had nothing to fend for. Meanwhile, Raydon, who was still running, began to use the hook''s pulling ability to pull himself toward the monster. ''''Fire Kick. '''' His right leg began to catch fire, and soon the entire leg was engulfed in mes. With all the momentum he had built up, Raydon leaped in the direction of Region Boss and delivered a crushing head kick. *BAMM* mes suddenly burst from the monster''s head when Region Boss'' head and Raydon''s ming leg collided. The monster was knocked backward and fell to its back as a result of the blow. After the kick, Raydon hit the ground and was about to strike again when he heard the system message. [Lv.10 Frost Troll(E-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 100 points.] [You gained 1000 experience points.] [Congrattions; at the conclusion of the match, you will receive your reward for killing the region boss.] Raydon was dissatisfied, saying, "What the heck, why is it so weak? '''' He approached the Frost Troll and stared at the monster''s half-molten head, which was still steaming. ''''Anti element, huh?'''' Raydon deduced. Being an ice type, the Frost Troll was probably unable to withstand Raydon''s me-type skill. Additionally, his kick should not be underestimated even if there were no mes, and the mes served as the finishing touch. He took the short sword out of his dimensional storage, and started cutting the Frost Troll apart. ''''Such a waste. I''d like to take the whole body with me,'''' he said as he removed the pieces one by one. Even after dismantling because the body is too big, what he could take was quite little. Raydon took what he could after the dismantling waspleted in a matter of minutes. He ced the short sword in his dimensional storage and looked around. He wasn''t just looking around at random, trying to remember where Helen had died. It didn''t take long for him to find the location. On the ground where she died, there were the arrows he had used to kill her. Along with that, there was a ck sphere about the size of a fist and a metal knee pad. Raydon held up this sapphire that was filled with swirling ck smoke and eximed joyously. ''''Hahaha, isn''t this Storage Expansion Orb??? '''' Raydon was thrilled with what he found. This was an extremely valuable item. Although he was still unsure of the market price, he could assume that it was higher than the prices of all the items he had previously seen because, despite searching throughout the item market, he was unable to find one. Even if he had known the price, he had no desire to sell it. For an item holder, loots from matches were very important, and the simplest way to maximize earnings was to have thergest dimensional storage possible. Every item discovered in matches could be exchanged for gold. Using Raydon as an example, he sold the stone he discovered during the previous match for 1 gold. Raydon used this item right away to make his dimensional storage 3x3, as he had no ns to sell it. Then he took the knee pads, which had ck leather binding spindles and a pale horse image embroidered on them in metallic color. These were the knee pads Helen wore. [Knee Pads] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Faster immediately increases the user''s movement speed by 5% and continues to do so at a rate of 2% per minute as long as the skill user keeps moving. The skill''s duration increases depending on the user''s stamina. -Mana cost: 5 -Duration: 10 minutes. -Cooldown: 40 minutes. ''''Wow, I must be lucky, right? I came across this when I was considering recing my pauldron. Nice. '''' Raydon said, pleased. Then he looked at the system panel. [Time remaining until the end of the match: 00:54:15] [Team B7890-D4850] -Life Sucker (Lv.8) -Uneducated (Lv.7) -Woodcutter (Lv.7) -Mugger (Lv.6) -Master of All (Lv.1) Current team points: 440 [Team J5836-S4704] -N/A -N/A ¡­ Current team points: 230 ''There is still roughly an hour to go. I wonder where the enemy team is. '' Raydon pondered. He was certain to win the match, in this short time the enemy team did not seem to have the ability to close the point gap, but still, he wouldn''t be satisfied with only winning the match.His first target for the match was the region boss, and he was considering going after the enemy team, who was his second target. After all, he would gain a ton of loot from them in the form of experience points and items. Raydon re-summoned the Blood Bat and went in search of the opposing team. ¡ª [Lv.1 White Wolf(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experiences.] Raydon drew the short sword he had stabbed into the wolf''s stomach and gave the remaining time on the system a quick nce. [Time remaining until the end of the match: 0004:15] ''''Damn, howe the region is so big? '''' He yelled angrily, waving his sword and wiping away the blood. Time was up before Raydon could find anyone from the enemy team. *** 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. (Power stones, golden tickets,ments, maybe even gifts hehe.) Chapter 56 [Bonus ] Checking The Investment ?Raydon spent the rest of the time searching everywhere he could with the Blood Bat, but he couldn''t find anyone from the enemy team. This was actually quite normal. The region was toorge, and Blood Bat wasn''t very good at searchingrge areas. It was also a pure chance that he got to face the opposing team in his first match. ''''Tch, well, there''s nothing I can do right now.'''' Raydon had no choice but to ept it. He believed that finding the enemy team in his next match would also require either a better and more effective investigative skill or a lot of luck. Fortunately, in this match, he killed more mobs. Although he was unable to locate the enemy team, he managed to kill about 30 wolves in a wolf territory he came across during this time. Additionally, since his dimensional storage is now 3x3, it could amodate more materials. Raydon sighed as he observed the timer for the match''s conclusion and said, "I hope the final prize for the match is good." [Time remaining until the end of the match: 00:00:8] ¡­ [Time remaining until the end of the match: 00:00:4] ¡­ [Time remaining until the end of the match: 00:00:1] ¡­ [The match has ended.] [Winner Team: B7890-D4850] [¡­Based on the contribution, rewards are calcted.] [You gained gold coins: 78] [You gained item blueprint: Pants(White)] [You gained a body enchantment: Ice Veins(White)] [Win streak: 2] Raydon''s body vanished into a light beam following the announcement of the system message. ¡ª Raydon opened his eyes again to find himself lying on his bed, exactly where he had been before. ''''Even though this is already my second match, everything that''s happened is like a dream. '''' Straightening himself up, he said. If technology was responsible for all of this, then it was unquestionably something the godsbined their powers to produce. Raydon put the unknown powers of the gods¡ªwhom he had never seen or heard of¡ªout of his mind for now and started figuring out how much gold he would make from the match. In total, he killed 17 snow rabbits, 6 frozenke flowers, and 33 white wolves. In addition, he gained a total of 1560 experience after killing the Region Boss. He had no idea how much gold he would earn from all of this, but even if it wasn''t as much as the equipment he had won in the previous match, he wouldn''t end up empty-handed. Items dropped by Helen were also extremely useful to him. ''''Let''s see what the match reward is. '''' Raydon was dissatisfied after reviewing the system messages. The white-grade pants blueprint, which he had previously won in his first match, was in front of him again. Besides, he only earned 78 gold coins. ''''Please, tell me this one is something good. '''' Raydon pleaded as he picked up another item that had been rewarded by the system. The object Raydon was holding resembled an oval, transparent blue egg that was about the size of his fist. Its interior was filled with strands of metallic blue. [Ice Veins(White)(Body Enchantment)] -Increases mana regeneration by 10% by modifying the user''s veins. ''''Wow, that''s exactly what I was looking for, isn''t it?But¡­ '''' Raydon was initially pleased to see this item, but when he considered how much of an impact the 10% increase would have, his joy faded. With this item, his mana would only regenerate in an average of 9 minutes as opposed to his current rate of 1 mana per 10 minutes. ''''Unfortunately, not that useful, huh? '''' This item could be very useful for those with a high spirit stat, but for those with extremely low mana regen, 10% won''t make much of a difference. ''''I wish there was a way to improve my other stats.''''He said with a sigh. But he quickly recovered and improved his mood. He got out of bed, smiled sneakily, and thought as he looked out his dusty window. ''I should go see how my investment is doing.'' ¡ª "Hey Pana, open your eyes, you didn''t die, right? Don''t scare me. '''' Sami screamed and smacked his chubby hands against Pana''s unconscious cheek. ''''Why didn''t you just pull her out, even though she was unconscious? Stupid fatty. '''' Karan cried out in rage as he observed Pana''s pale face. ''''Hey, it''s not my fault, alright? She said; "Don''t pull me out even if I''m unconscious." What can I do when she is so eager? '''' He said by imitating Pana''s voice. ''''I think I''ll have to do CPR. '''' Sami began to wet his lips with his tongue and then moved his face closer to Pana''s face. ''''ARGHH!!!'''' However, he yelled and backed away as a sharp pain shot through his stomach just a few centimeters before his lips touched Pana''s. "W-what *cough* a-are you trying *cough* *cough* to do, you p-pig." Pana abruptly stood up and yelled at Sami in frustration. Her virgin lips, which she had not allowed anyone to touch for years, would have been stained by this pig if she hadn''t recovered in time. ''''What are you talking about, you crazy woman? I thought you were dying, and I was trying to save you,'''' Sami replied, clutching his still-achy stomach. A small amount of regret showed on Pana''s face when she realized what was happening, but it was quickly reced by anger again. ''''Do not dare to do that again, pig. If something like this happens again, just let me die peacefully. '''' Pana stood up, dried her wet hair with a towel she found on the side, and approached Dan, who was currently sitting and resting on the sidelines. ''''How much longer do we have to go on like this? I''m notining or anything, but given what he said, it seems like there wasn''t a need for so much repetition. '''' Pana questioned hesitantly. She lost track of how many times she had almost drowned and passed out after Raydon had given them his instructions and left. ''''It was probably enough to go through it once, but I believe we should keep going until he returns. '''' Dan said as he slowly stood up. Compared to before, the color of his face appeared to havepletely faded. He was asionally stumbling even while walking. *** 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. (Power stones, golden tickets,ments, maybe even gifts hehe.) Chapter 57 Dans Big Misunderstanding ?''''Why? '''' The question this time came from Sami. His condition was no different from the others. Dan paused and observed the nine individuals surrounding him, who appeared worn out and exhausted. His eyes had a different expression than before. It was as if drowning his head in water opened his eyes to something. He had undergone mental changes as a result of repeatedly facing death. ''''We need to show him how willing we are. We must also show that we are the people who will be useful to him.'''' Dan made a firm statement. ''''Useful for what?'''' Sami asked again, puzzled. ''''Think about it: just when we need help the most, an Item Holder appears and decides to assist us. Who among you would be able to believe me if I told you this story if it weren''t happening in front of your eyes? '''' The tone of Dan''s speech was grave. In response to Dan''s query, everyone remained silent. What he said was true. Everyone present understood that the person who was their enemy was also an item holder and that they would only interact withmon people like them if they had something to gain from it. ''''We are not likemon city dwellers, to put it mildly. Here, we are the outcasts of society. '''' Dan took in his surroundings. Everyone, including the young, the old, and those with disabilities, was standing and listening to what he had to say. Dan continued after taking a deep breath. ''''Even the enemy we''re currently facing is an Item Holder. He abducted our countless friends and family members solely for his own research, used them as subjects in his experiments, and then mercilessly murdered them. We who reside in the slums are the ones who are most familiar with the dark side of the Item Holders. However, we have chosen to entrust our lives to an Item Holder in order tobat our enemy, another Item Holder. Can you tell me why? Why did we ce so much faith in him and his words? '''' Dan took another look at everyone''s bewildered faces. Everything he said was entirely urate. Why did they have such faith in Raydon? Like their enemies, he was an Item Holder of great power. Unless he had a genuine interest in them, why would he have offered to help? ''''I will tell you why. '''' Dan said with a smile. "Because you thought he was one of us, someone who sits at the table with us and says it tastes good while munching on the mediocre food we cooked in this shithole with a smile on his face. Even if you weren''t aware of it at the time, you could tell he was looking at us with a sense of longing and loneliness. Now, tell me why this immortal, who has the ability to send storms when he is sad and earthquakes when he is angry, wants to help us. '''' Dan raised his voice as he spoke his final words. In addition to being angry, his face also disyed sadness and respect. ''''Out of sympathy for us? Do you think he lived a life simr to ours? '''' Karan inquired, his voice shaking. He had noticed it himself, but wasn''t sure until Dan mentioned it. ''''Definitely. In fact, I believe he grew up in the slums like us. He probably has experienced difficult times simr to ours or even more so than we have, so I have no doubt that he is aware of what this dark world is like. Because of this, we must demonstrate our willingness to assist him when he asks us for assistance. We should fight just as he likely did in the past and not let his efforts go to waste. '''' Dan gasped, paused, and then spoke in a more solemn tone, yelling like a politician. ''''Additionally, if my reasoning is correct, he is waging war on the dark side of other item holders, which is another reason why he is assisting us in our fight against that item holder. Therefore, we should work to help him and be of service to him so that we can aid him in his struggle. '''' By the time Dan finished his speech, he was already out of breath. He seemed to be the master of exaggeration, even surpassing Fatty Sami. If Raydon had been present, he would not have been able to hide his surprise at hearing this. Surprisingly, the looks on everyone''s faces as they listened to Dan revealed shock, sadness, pity, and admiration. Even some of the older ones started crying. ''''Oh, but he appears to be so young. What has he been through up until now? '''' One of the aunts said as she wiped her tears away. ? ''''So that''s what it was all about.I also thought this was odd. What a brave, kind, and determined young man. '''' With his eyes wide open, a crippled man spoke. ''''Uuuuhhuhuh, What struggles has Brother Raydon faced? Who knows what he endured while we were living here in peace while he was going through hell? '''' Fatty Sami got on his knees and began sobbing dramatically. ''''I knew it !!! At first nce, I could tell it from his eyes. He will undoubtedly be the one to drive out these shadows and restore the light in this ce. Quickly untie me and let me drown. I must be stronger as well so that I can help that brave young man fight. '''' The senile old man hopped over to Dan in the chair, to which he was tied with ropes. As he yelled, saliva and a tooth were seen flying from his mouth. In an instant, everyone''s mistrust of Raydon had vanished. In the short time they had spent listening to Dan''s speech, it was as if they had made up their minds to even give their lives for Raydon if he ever asked. Raydon would have been astounded if he had been present to witness what had urred. He had no idea his maniption skills had advanced to this level. *** 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. (Power stones, golden tickets,ments, maybe even gifts hehe.) Chapter 58 Unexpected Visitor ?Actually, most of what Raydon experienced here was genuine, but he was the one who chose tomunicate those feelings to others. He just pretended to be one of them in order to gain their eptance by disying his frail side to them. Dan was mistaken about Raydon in most of what he just said, but only Raydon''s desire to use them was urate. The sound of a knock on the warehouse door reverberated inside as everyone had fallen into Raydon''s grasp with Dan''s assistance and was talking about him fervently. ''''Huh, who is that? '''' One of the aunts wiped her tears away and enquired anxiously. After all, this location served as a gang headquarters as well as a shelter for them. Who was it, since all of the members are now present? ''''This doorknocking sounds like it belongs to my sister. She arrived early today, looks like she is off work.'''' Rayn said it right away, reviving the hearts of those around him. ''''Oh, right, let''s open the door. Don''t make sister wait,'''' Fatty urged. "Wait. '''' Dan shouted to the person who was about to open the door. "I must state this before opening it. Raydon is someone we can''t discuss with anyone. Perhaps nobody but us is aware that he is here. If it is discovered that he is assisting us, the ns he was working on may be ruined.'''' Dan took his words seriously. The people around him nodded in agreement, without questioning. Dan continued as he turned to face Rayn, who was seated in his wheelchair. "I understand that you don''t want to keep anything from your sister, but it''s also for her own good. The less she knows about it, the better. '''' Hearing this, Rayn averted his eyes and stared at the ground for a moment, as if thinking. After a few seconds, he returned his gaze to Dan with determination, nodded in agreement, and said. ''''I get it, Boss. Don''t worry, I won''t say anything. '''' ''''Good. Don''t make our sister wait outside; let''s let her in. '''' They finally opened the door with Dan''s permission. ''''Hey, why did it take so long for you to open it? What were you doing? '''' A stunning young woman with purple hair and purple eyes entered, resembling the disabled Rayn. She was dressed in a ssic maid costume made of ck and white. Surprisingly, this person was Belicia, the one who had been taking care of Raydon all this time. ''''Sister, wee. '''' Rayn rushed over to Belicia in his wheelchair and said with a smile. Belicia chuckled and knelt down to hug her brother right away. ''''Rayn, I haven''t seen you in two days, but it looks like you''ve put on weight. Are you overeating yet again? '''' Rayn''s face dropped and he snapped when he heard this. ''''No, I don''t eat... Maybe a little... Okay, my aunts make excellent food and always make me eat more, so It''s not my fault. '''' Rayn tried to misrepresent the truth at first, but in front of her sister''s judging eyes, he confessed and med everything on the aunts. The aunts simplyughed and approached Belicia to greet her. ''''Belicia, he''s still a growing young man, he needs a lot of food. '''' ''''Right, don''t worry, we''re taking good care of him. '''' Belicia smiled in response. ''''Don''t worry, I''m not concerned about his health. After all, I was raised under your care as well. '''' As she talks to everyone, Belicia''s eyes appear to glow. She regarded everyone in the same manner as she regarded Rayn, her brother. ''''I''m so relieved you don''t have to live in this deste location, but don''t they make you work so hard, my child? You always have your maid uniform on whenever I see you. '''' One of the auntsmented. ''''Don''t worry, aunty, my job isn''t that difficult. I''m just a maid, and I''m doing what you always do here, so it''s not much different. '''' Belicia smiled, calming the worried expression on her face. ''''Sister Belicia, don''t worry, they''re worried about everyone and for everything, so it''s nothing unique to you. You should ignore them.'''' Having a sideways nce at the aunts, Sami said. ''''Hahaha, Fatty, I think you''re upset because they forced you to go on a diet again.'''' Belicia said with augh. ''''Hmph, I''m never going to diet.'''' Sami shook his head, rolling his eyes and folding his hands on his chest. While everyone wasughing, Belicia noticed something and inquired. ''''By the way, why do you all look tired? Your face appears to have lost its color as well. And why are some of you wet? '''' When they heard the question, everyone fell silent. They immediately remembered what Dan had just warned them about. Belicia was one of them, but unlike the others, she had gotten a job as a maid for wealthy people. All they wanted was for her to save up enough money to take her brother out of here and live a better life. They didn''t want her to be part of their own problem because of this. Of course, they were unaware at the time that Belicia was a Battle Maid and not just a regr maid. ''''Oh, we were just cleaning. I think we got a little carried away, haha. '''' Rayn told a lie outright, and everyone nodded in agreement. ''''Is that so? '''' Belicia asked, looking everyone in the eyes before turning to face Rayn again. ''''Yes, yes, there is an epidemic here these days, and everyone is getting sick, so we are doing a thorough cleaning to ensure that the virus does note here.'''' Rayn was lying in an unexpected performance, and Belicia appeared to be convinced yet again, with everyone around her confirming it. *** Author''s Babbling; 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. --- Monthly Goals Every; 250 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter(Max 5) 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter(Max5) 1 Magic Castle = 1 extra chapter(N/A) Chapter 59 Mysterious Item Holder (Part 1) ?''''Well, don''t overwork yourself, and make sure you''re not sick,'''' Belicia said as she messed Rayn''s hair with her hand. And she took some money from her pocket and ced it in Rayn''s. ''''Well, I was just passing through and decided to take a look. I have work to do and must leave. I''lle backter. I''ll also bring your favorite choctes the next time.'''' Belicia told everyone, particrly Rayn. ''''I''m sorry you won''t be able to stay for dinner, but there''s nothing you can do. Take care of yourself. '''' ''''Yes, don''t worry about us; instead, focus on your own health. We are pretty good. '''' ''''You don''t need to bring anything every time youe; you already know this is your home. '''' Everyone spoke in unison. Their expressions and voices revealed that they genuinely cared about Belicia. ''''All right, see youter. And you don''t upset your aunts, okay? '''' After saying and seeing Rayn nod in agreement, Belicia turned and left the warehouse. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Belicia was gone and quickly picked up where they had left off by following Raydon''s instructions. ¡ª After the warehouse door closed behind her, Belicia walked for a while on the empty and dirty street, then stopped, looked behind her, and muttered. ''''Cleaning my ass. There''s obviously something they''re not telling me. That son of a bitch promised thest time we spoke that he wouldn''t hurt my brother and those around him. Or did he go back on his word? '''' Belicia gritted her teeth as she thought about it. The thought of harm to her brother and acquaintances drove her crazy. ''''I guess I should go and talk to that ugly bastard again and make sure. And if it''s what I think it is¡­ '''' Belicia didn''t finish her sentence, but her expression looked so angry that one could guess what she was thinking. ¡ª After a short journey, Belicia came to a ce where nothing but gray and brown could be found, where not even a green nt could grow. Ruined houses, cars without tires, broken orpletely shattered windows, and all kinds of garbage could be seen around. Surprisingly, there were also people living in what appeared to be a war-torn vige in the middle of the desert. Belicia could see people walking around these haunted streets or sitting in front of their houses doing nothing. They didn''t even turn their heads to look at her as Belicia passed by. Interestingly, these people were all dressed in tattered and patched clothes. Even their faces could not be seen from the hoods or pieces of cloth they covered their heads. Belicia muttered, looking out of the corner of her eye at these seemingly soulless figures. ''There is absolutely no limit to that scumbag. '' And she continued walking without caring. Soon, when she came to the center of this area, she saw arge factory in front of her, which looked like a dpidated ruin just like the houses around it. However, this old and deste-looking factory also seemed to be still functional at the same time, interestingly considering the smokeing from its chimney and the soundsing from inside. Without much thought, Belicia approached the door of the factory but stopped when the tworge men guarding the door called out to her. ''''Hello Madame, wee, but we''re sorry that we didn''t get any information that you''reing. '''' Unexpectedly from their appearance, both men bowed their heads at the same time and politely greeted Belicia. ''''Yes, because this visit was not nned. Now get out of my way. '''' Belicia said coldly. Seeing Belicia''s angry state and feeling the killing intent radiating from her body, the men suddenly broke into a cold sweat. The moment they raised their heads to look into Belicia''s deep purple eyes, they were dizzy and felt as if they were going to vomit, and immediately averted their gaze. ''This person is definitely a monster disguised as a human. '' The men thought. The situation they were in could not even be exined by the example of a man trapped in a hungry lion''s cage. Even a lion would grant them a more merciful death than Belicia standing before them. As the men froze, thinking carefully about their next sentence, a loud voice was heard from behind. ''''Send the guest inside. Master is waiting. '''' ''''Y-yes, yes, please, Miss Belicia, go inside. '''' The men felt great relief, thinking that they had narrowly escaped the disaster, and immediately invited her inside. Without giving the men a second nce, She continued and entered through the shattered doors. She looked at the person who greeted her inside, as well as the owner of the voice just before. This person resembled the people Belicia had seen on her way here. The shabby clothes, the hoodie that prevents even his face from being seen. Even his voice as he spoke waspletely devoid of emotion. ''''Please follow me. Master is waiting in his room. '''' This person said again in a cold and emotionless tone then turned around and started walking. As Belicia followed behind, she could smell the rotten meat-like odor that was spreading around. This scent seemed to permeate the entire area. She scanned the inside of the factory with her eyes and saw that people were constantly bringing and throwing things into the huge cauldrons with gray steaming from them. Belicia couldn''t see what was inside these cauldrons or what they had put in because of her sight, but she thought they were the source of this smell. Actually, this scene wasn''t all that unusual for her. She had been here a couple of times and had encountered the same thing. She had asked what they were before, but her question remained unanswered. After walking for a while, they climbed a staircase to the second floor, and the hooded person came to a red iron door, which was probably the only thing that looked new in this factory. *** Author''s Babbling; **Starting tomorrow, 2 chapters will be published daily.** --- 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. --- Chapter 60 Mysterious Item Holder (Part 2) He said this to Belicia as he opened the door without even knocking. "The boss is expecting you." She entered without hesitation, indicating that she was not surprised by this action. Belicia walked in and was immediately met by a space that appeared to be aboratory. In this room, which was quiterge, there was not even a window to be seen; the only illumination came from the strange white light-emitting stones stuck to the ceiling. There were a lot of monster parts, craft tools, and scrolls lying around. She had even observed what appeared to be multiple covered human bodies on theb''s tables. She scowled at what she saw, and then she heard a voice that caught her attention. ''''I really didn''t expect to see you, Kahkahkah. What do I owe this unexpected visit? '''' An uglyugh was heard. It sounded like two irons hitting each other. Belicia turned to face the source of the voice and noticed an old man walking toward her. This old man appeared to be so old that the skin on his face was drooping to the point where it nearly concealed his eyes. Additionally, the tone of his skin gave off the impression of being gray, like a person who had been dead for days. His few strands of white hair and the remaining few teeth in his mouth gave him the appearance of a ghoul rather than a human. ''''I came here to check on you, to make sure you didn''t do anything to piss me off. '''' With contempt in her eyes, Belicia sternly remarked as she spoke. ''''I''m very upset that you came here uninvited and are now speaking in such a disparaging manner. kahkah '''' The man said. It was hard to tell if he wasughing or coughing. ''''No bullshit, Herman. Tell me, is there anything that would require me to know? '''' Belicia growled at him and rephrased her question. ''''Belicia, you do realize that you can''t just drop by and bother me whenever you want? You need to stop interfering with my affairs as well. Keep in mind that the organization supporting me has connections to the family you work for as well. '''' In an instant, Herman''s sarcasm disappeared, and he spoke seriously. Hearing this, Belicia went over to him and grabbed him by the throat. ''''Gaaghg, w-what are you d-doing you, you crazy woman? '''' When he was abruptly grabbed by the throat, Herman panicked and uttered his words in a flutter. "I don''t care who I or you work for, Herman. You can already move about so freely because I''m constrained by the organization and the family I''m working for. But keep in mind that I will hold you ountable first if anything bad happens to my brother or those close to him, regardless of who we are working for. '''' Belicia spoke while gazing angrily into Herman''s eyes. "All right, all right, I didn''t hurt them, okay? Just one of my stupid subjects went insane and started messing around. Additionally, he was killed by an Item Holder who happened to be nearby, so there is no need to be concerned. '''' He exined it quickly after realizing that Belicia was serious. ''''Hey, don''t hold on too tight, or my throat might actually break. '''' Herman quickly said after bing aware of a crackling sounding from his throat. ''''An item holder passing by chance? '''' Belicia asked, surprised, as she let go of Herman''s throat. ''This maniac woman was nearly able to break my throat despite my high stamina and body enchantments. '' Herman reflected while holding his throat. His throat had five fingerprints on it and was so nearly bent like a coke can. ''''Yes, some of my men recently came across your brother and his group as they were perusing the street in search of fresh material for me. However, the group''s leader was already on the verge of losing his mind, and I believe he lost himself there and slightly beat your brother. '''' Herman began to speak, but as soon as he realized Belicia was about to attack him once more, he was terrified. He quickly took off the covers in the center of the room and revealed the bodies that were hidden there. ''''They all perished in the most agonizing manner, alright? So there''s no need for you to be angry. '''' Belicia was disgusted by the sight of the bodies lying in front of her when she took a closer look. Each body had the appearance of having undergone modification. Some had kangaroo-like legs in ce of their legs, while others had a beak in ce of their mouth. Even one of them appeared to be entirely skinless and covered in crocodile skin. "I''ve already given them clear instructions not to kill anyone, and I''ve also made it clear to them who they should avoid. This is the punishment for disobeying my orders, so you need to believe me, it really wasn''t my fault. '''' When Herman noticed Belicia''s expression softening, he said and covered them once more. Belicia turned to face Herman''s ugly face and knew she had no choice but to believe him. She went to great lengths to conceal her brother''s presence because she did not want anyone to know. Everyone who was hostile to Belicia could harm her brother because every Item Holder had the potential to have an enemy. Furthermore, she was working for a big family, so she might have enemies from other families as well. She left him in the slums because she could hide him there rather than take him with her. Belicia said while heaving a sigh and appeared to be more at ease now. ''''It''s okay as long as you know what you should do, '''' *** Author''s Babbling; **Starting tomorrow, 2 chapters will be published daily.** New privilege chapters that you can get up to 13 chapters are ready. Have fun. --- 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. --- Chapter 61 Next Training Belicia was aware that she couldn''t hurt this man. The man had the backing of his organization and even had some ties to the Demugens. Despite how disgusting Herman was, Belicia was unable to harm him because she was worried about her brother and other dear people to her. After a brief pause, Belicia enquired. ''''Who is the item holder you mentioned? '''' "I''m not sure. Most likely someone who got bored and went for a walk. Fortunately, your brother came across a good person to save him rather than a maniac. Such item holders are hard toe by these days. Kahkahkah '''' Herman said,ughing uglily. Like he wasn''t the one who kidnapped people and used them as experimental subjects. Belicia frowned and thought. She had a different take on the mysterious item holder than Herman, who believed he was merely a bored item holder hanging out. ''Is that Raydon? '' Belicia pondered. ''I suppose I''ll have to ask himter.'' Belicia gave it some thought before turning around and leaving. Herman sighed and kept silent as he watched Belicia walk away. The less this crazy woman was around, the more at ease he would feel. ¡ª Belicia reflected as she walked back the way she hade after leaving the factory. ''If I''m not mistaken, Rayn and the others were doing some kind of mental training. Is Raydon the one who forced them to do this? '' Belicia understood why they hadn''t told her about what had happened with the Ashskin gang and Raydon. However, it was strange and unbelievable that Raydon suddenly began training them with such mental training methods. Since regaining his health, it had only been a few days. ''''Simr mental training methods were part of the training we received from the Demugen family. I''m curious if Raydon remembers these methods and wants to teach them as well. '''' Belicia didn''t understand why Raydon wanted to train them in addition to rescuing Rayn and the others, but she was certain it was because of his good intentions. Raydon''s actions had no ulterior motive in her opinion. After all, one of the reasons Belicia cared for Raydon for so long was her empathy for him, as she, too, had a disabled sibling. So it wasn''t surprising that Raydon was doing the same for her brother. ''''Well, I''ll ask himter and find out the details. I owe him anyway for saving my brother''s life. '''' Belicia stated. Meanwhile, while Belicia was busy figuring out what was going on, Raydon approached a warehouse slowly. He spent some time gazing at the warehouse''s closed door before making his way around it and entering through one of the broken windows. He smiled and muttered when he snuck in and saw the scene. ''They are not bad. '' ¡ª ''''Hieekk¡­ Huff, huff¡­ Dan, that''s it for me, I need some rest or I''m really going to die. '''' As soon as Karan regained consciousness, he tried to catch his breath, looked up at the ceiling from where he was lying, and said. "Okay, get some rest. This time, it took you longer to recover. Next time, you can actually die,'''' Dan said with a chuckle. He could now lightheartedly discuss death as if it were amon urrence. ''''When do you think he will return? '''' As he gently ced another unconscious person on the ground, one of the young men in training questioned. "We can''t be sure of this. Perhaps he''s already here, watching and assessing us.'''' Fatty continued in a quieter voice after squinting his eyes and looking around. ''''You are aware that he is an item holder, aren''t you? He is definitely capable of reading our minds... Woahh, we have such a strong and charismatic brother. I''ll be just as cool as him. '''' Fatty ran off and dove his head into the water right away. He appeared impressed by his own assumption that mes started to burn in his eyes. Now, after doing this repeatedly for so long, his will had grown so strong that he was even able to hold his breath until he fell unconscious on his own. ''''I really don''t know if this guy is really a genius or an idiot. '''' Pana said with a sigh. Although everyone present found this amusing, they regrettably didn''t even have the energy tough. ''''Okay, now that Karan is resting, does anyone want to train with me? '''' Dan stood up and asked. ''''I will be your training partner for the next training.'''' An unexpected voice startled Dan. When he turned and looked in the direction where the voice hade from, he smiled with relief. He respectfully bowed his head and said. ''''Wee back, brother. '''' Raydon approached the group, who were barely standing at the time, in front of everyone''s puzzled and joyful eyes. Nobody asked how he got in or how he got so close to them without them noticing. All they felt was a relief. The man they had entrusted with their lives, whom they now considered to bepletely one of their own, had returned. ''''Wee back brother. '''' ''''Wee back brother. '''' ¡­ .. Raydon was greeted warmly and respectfully by everyone who lived there. Even Pana appeared to have epted Raydon without reservation. At this point, she was unable to conceal the admiration in her eyes as she stared at Raydon. ''''You said the next training, correct? If you''d like to begin right away, I''m ready. '''' Dan pulled himself together and said in a firm tone, despite the fact that he was too exhausted to even stand up. Following a brief pause, Raydon spoke. ''''Yes, we can move on to the next training, but I''m hungry. Let''s eat something first. '''' He looked around the group, finally stopping at Sami, whose head was still in the bucket of water, and said. ''''Don''t forget to bring him with you. He appears to have already passed out. '''' Pana and Karan facepalmed and dashed to pull Sami''s head from the bucket. *** 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. Chapter 62 New Technique Everyone around, especially the aunts, got right to work setting the table and making food. Compared to his initial arrival, Raydon was weed this time with much more warmth. Moreover, as they prepared the dinner table, everyone appeared happier than before. Raydon was astonished and thoughtful when he noticed how everyone was looking at him with the utmost respect and adoration. ''They seem to have epted me sooner than I expected. '' Raydon''s gaze shifted to the purple-haired and purple-eyed crippled boy and he inquired. ''''You look exactly like someone I know. What was your name? '''' Rayn became enthralled by the question posed to him. He never expected to get Raydon''s attention. '''' R-rayn. '''' ''''Rayn huh? It''s an impressive name. I was wondering, Rayn, do you have an older sister who just looks like you? '''' Rayn flushed at thepliment on his name. If someone else had said it, it might not have had the same impact, but Raydon did, and it was incredibly ttering for him to get praise from him. He immediately responded to Raydon''s question. ''''Yes, I have a sister, Belicia. She''s not here right now but because she works as a maid for a wealthy family, she can onlye a few times a week. '''' After some consideration, Raydon said. ''''Oh, I got it. I think I got it mixed up with someone else. '''' Raydon refrained from iming to know Belicia because he suspected that nobody here knew that she was an item holder or even a battle maid. So he didn''t want toplicate things any further. Rayn also didn''t question why Raydon was asking that question. He, like the others, thought he was simply trying to strike up a conversation. The table was eventually set, and everyone ate. Dan and his group almost fell asleep while eating, but they were able to ovee it thanks to their strengthened mentality and willpower. The fact that Raydon was sitting at the table with them again and eating dinner gave them an extra boost of energy. Every time they nced over at Raydon, who was seated at the head of the table, they saw the sadness underneath a faint smile as he ate slowly and enjoyed his meal. Dan''s words continued to reverberate in their minds as they all consumed their meals. If they had ever harbored even the slightest qualms about Raydon, they were all gone after this meal. Raydon appeared to be very close to obtaining the loyalty he sought... -- Following dinner, Raydon gave Dan and his team a quick rest period, during which everyone dozed off. When the rest period was over, they all seemed to have recovered, if notpletely. They all lined up in front of Raydon as before, waiting for his next instructions. ''''Dan. '''' Raydon called out Dan''s name, and he immediately ran up to him and stood in front of him. Raydon gave his next instruction with a straight face right away. ''''Attack me. '''' Dan was momentarily startled when he heard this, but he quickly recovered and dashed to Raydon. He saw Raydon standing still as he ran towards him, but he didn''t stop and got ready to punch. Dan quickly moved into position and punched Raydon in the face. Knowing that Raydon''s body couldn''t be hurt by his mere fist and that even a bullet couldn''t hurt him, he had used all of his strength without holding back. Dan was just waiting for his fist to hit Raydon''s face as it got closer, but that didn''t happen as Dan had anticipated. The fist swungpletely in vain, finding no target for itself. Dan went on the defensive after regaining his shaky bnce and began looking for Raydon, who had been the target of his fist but was now nowhere to be found. Dan looked to the right, to the left, to the back, up, and down, but he still couldn''t find him. He turned to look at the audience in an attempt to understand what was going on, but all he saw were the shocked expressions on everyone''s faces. ''''What''s going on? Where has brother Raydon disappeared to? '''' Dan enquired with curiosity and confusion. The only usible exnation, in his mind, was that Raydon had used his item-holder abilities to turn invisible. ''''Boss, are you okay? '''' One of the youths asked with concern on his face. ''''Boss, I think you pushed yourself too hard in the previous training. Or did you not sleep well? '''' Another said. ''''Did you get water in your eye, boss? Or are you losing your sight like the old grandpa? '''' Fatty Sami said sarcastically. ''''What are you talking about? I''m absolutely fine. '''' Dan was unable toprehend what they were talking about. Raydon''s invisibility had nothing to do with his vision, right? ''''Boss, Brother Raydon is still standing next to you. '''' Pana said while pointing with a shaking hand. She was equally confused about what was happening, but whatever it was, it waspletely unbelievable. Dan looked where Pana was pointing, confused once more. Raydon had just be invisible and had now deactivated his ability to be visible again. Isn''t that the situation? After all, he was an item holder, and such abilities should havee naturally to him, so why was everyone watching so shocked? ? While Dan was perplexed, the real reason the others were so shocked was that they had only seen Raydon narrowly avoid Dan''s punch by angling his head back slightly. And he was only moving in Dan''s blind spot, taking very small steps the entire time. His movements seemed so natural and minimal to the audience that it appeared as if he didn''t move at all and simply stood next to Dan, but he still managed to escape his field of vision. ''''What''s going on, Brother Raydon? '''' Dan asked enquiringly, but he didn''t get the response he was hoping for. ''''Next one. '''' Raydon called. Out of the group, Karan immediately stepped forward as the second-highest rank member of the gang. The slight trembling in his body indicated how excited he was. Whatever had just happened to Dan, he was about to experience for himself, and it was... incredible. Chapter 63 Shadow Assassin Technique Dan soon returned to the audience, and Karan took his ce. He then began to experience it in a simr manner. No one was paying attention to Karan at this time. On the contrary, everyone was watching Raydon''s movements. They were attempting to understand how he aplished it. As he stood there watching, Dan''s mouth dropped open. How is this even possible? Raydon was standing right next to Karan, close enough for him to feel his breath. But how could he not notice, hear, or feel him? They were starting to suspect it was an illusion when Raydon''s next words made their hearts race. ''''This is a shadow assassin technique. And your next training will consist of learning this.'''' Raydon said calmly. The excitement in everyone''s hearts was so intense that they nearly forgot to breathe. They were about to learn this cool-sounding technique. They thanked themselves for persevering to the end during the previous training in order to earn this right. After all of their efforts, they were finally able to learn a true assassin technique. ''''And for this training¡­ '''' Raydon nced at the warehouse''s broken windows and a few of the broken ss bottles he had seen around the corners before continuing. '''' Gather and break as much ss as you can, then spread it out here. '''' Raydon finished his sentence with another devilish smile. Raydon''s instructions and the smile on his face told everyone that it would be another hellish training session. ¡ª Raydon eventually found himself in front of a pile of shattered ss. ''''Hmm, not bad. '''' He said with approval after spending some time examining the ss fragments. The ten people were once again lined up in a single file, waiting for Raydon''s instructions. In contrast to the previous training, this time, they appeared more curious than nervous. They believed they could handle whatever came their way because of their prior training. ''''You''ll practice this training in pairs again. In the middle of this ss pool, two people will engage in a sort of blind man''s buff game. '''' Raydon studied everyone''s expressions and continued when he realized they knew what the game was. ''''During this game, the person who is blindfolded will be allowed to wear shoes. Of course, you can choose not to wear it. And, just like in the game, they will win the game as soon as they manage to touch their partner. '''' Raydon was pleased to see everyone nodding in agreement. ''''The key here is to be as quiet as possible for the person attempting to avoid being touched. Simultaneously, the person attempting to touch should try to open up all of their perceptions as much as possible in order to find and touch their partner. '''' Raydon motioned to Dan and Karan once more, asking them to try. Karan and Dan took a step forward into the pool of ss, quickly deciding that Karan should wear the eye patch. Unsurprisingly, Karan had also objected to wearing shoes. As they cautiously took their first steps over the shards, they felt the ss painfully dig into their feet. They were initially very cautious and moved slowly, so the ss shards didn''t cut their feet, but they couldn''t help but feel uneasy when they imagined what would happen when the real action began. ''''I should also remind you of one more thing. '''' Dan and Karan, who were slowly preparing, heard Raydon call out to them. "Let the ss fragments that cut your feet as little as possible. Keep in mind that you won''t be able toplete the training if you sustain serious injuries. '''' Upon hearing this, Karan and Dan tensed up. The worst thing that could have happened to them wasn''t getting their feet cut. The worst thing that might ur is that they won''t be able to finish this training. In actuality, things like walking on shattered ss, stepping on zing coals, or lying on jagged nails were not impossible. However, it took a lot of time and study to achieve these. Raydon was putting pressure on Karan and Dan to do it right away. Karan and Dan cautiously made their way to the center of the shard pool and took positions. They already had minor cuts on their feet from walking this far. As they considered how to move their feet with the least amount of damage, Raydon''s soothing voice could be heard in their ears once more. "Purge your thoughts¡­ Ignore the pain in your feet¡­ Recognize that the ss fragments beneath your feet cannot harm you. '''' When Dan and Karan heard the instructions, they started carrying them out right away. They appeared to be drawn into intense meditation by Raydon''s voice. ''''Feel yourself bing lighter, visualize that your weight is distributed evenly over your body, and ease off on the pressure you apply to the ground. '''' The stinging in Dan and Karan''s feet gradually subsided, and they were stepping on the ss shards more confidently andfortably by this point. The only thing left to do was to prevent ss shards from cutting their feet. In his deep voice, Raydon kept speaking. ''''Focus on your heartbeat¡­ Feel the air touching your skin¡­ Acknowledge the presence of the person in front of you, and acknowledge the presence of everyone present. '''' At this point, Dan and Karan were bothpletely still. Their mental and spiritual control had already reached incredible heights due to their prior training. And now, following Raydon''s instructions, they felt as though they were slowly activating their sixth sense. Dan had already closed his eyes, like Karan, who was blindfolded. Despite the fact that both of their eyes were closed, something began to glow in the depths of the darkness they were seeing. They first noticed the flow of air synchronizing with their heartbeats, then the light took on the shape of each other, and finally, they began to sense everyone in the environment. Their eyes were closed, but they didn''t need them to see anymore. All motion and life were now perceptible to them. *** Author''s Babbling; 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. --- Monthly Goals Every; 250 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter(Max 5) 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter(Max5) 1 Magic Castle = 1 extra chapter(N/A) Chapter 64 Back To Item Market "All right, now let go of your physical self. Stop being material and start interacting with the light you see. Make yourself one with the airflow. Right now, you are only a spiritual being. You are no longer physically connected to anything. '''' Dan and Karan feltpletely at one with the environment after Raydon''s final words. Unknowingly, their heartbeat and breathing had slowed dramatically, as if to avoid disturbing the naturally flowing air. Raydon was pleased with what he saw and muttered. ''The assassin''s nature is to be one with the environment. The best assassins are those who can switch between being a shadow at night and a light during the day. '' ''''Now, start. '''' As he turned to leave, Raydon uttered hisst order. He already knew the oue. Nobody seemed to notice Raydon''s departure. Along with Dan and Karan, it appeared as though they were all in a trance. In response to Raydon''s order, Dan and Karan had already started to move. They were moving with self-confidence and determination. They no longer had any concerns about hurting their feet. Each step they took was so effortless, and it appeared as though they were very aware of where they were supposed to step. The broken ss was barely disturbed by their movements. After a few minutes of running and chasing, Karan''s shout abruptly brought them to a stop. ''''Wait, wait. '''' After removing the eye patch, Karan examined his foot and discovered a small cut. This cut was actually quite small, but it served as evidence that he had emerged from his trance. ''''I need a break because I''ve reached my limit and know that continuing would cause me to lose focus once more. '''' Karan said sourly. It was already incredible that he had remained in this state for so long. After all, staying in trance required a significant amount of mental energy. ''''It''s okay, I also felt like I had reached my limit. It would be beneficial to get some rest. But... that sensation was truly incredible. I never imagined I''d be able to aplish something like this.'''' Dan couldn''t hide the joy and excitement on his face as he remembered his trance state from earlier. ''''That''s right, and we reached it in a matter of minutes,'''' Karan said. He was still unable to believe what had urred. Dan averted his gaze and searched the area for Raydon as he reflected on how incredible this training was and how even more incredible the person leading it was. ''''Huh, where is brother Raydon? Ouch...'''' When he couldn''t see Raydon, he hurriedly tried to get out of the shard pool, but he was stopped by the pain in his feet and began walking more slowly. ''''Oh, he was here just now, where did he go? '''' Sami, too, didn''t notice it because he was also engrossed in what was going on and was clearly eager to try what Dan and Karan were experiencing. ''''I think he left without us noticing,'''' Pana said with a sad expression. She wanted Raydon to watch her as she attempted the training. ''''Well, there''s nothing to do. He already devotes his valuable time to assisting us. I''m sure he already has important tasks toplete.'''' Dan said with a sigh. He felt bad about wasting Raydon''s time. Everyone else shared the same sentiments. With each passing day, their admiration and respect for Raydon grew. ''''Okay, let''s continue without wasting any more time. We must show that we are at least deserving of his time when he returns. '''' Dan stated firmly. Raydon was someone he wanted to be worthy of. -- ''Their talents aren''t too bad. It must be because they spent a lot of time living in slums. In any case, I will leave them if they don''t show the oues I want.'' Raydon thought as he moved along the side streets, ''''Besides, that kid is actually Belicia''s brother, huh? Was it empathy that drove her to take care of me for so long? '''' Raydon had helped Rayn the first time he saw him because he looked exactly like Belicia. Apart from Belicia''s sympathy for him, he hoped to gain her trust by assisting her rtive. After all, empathy had no meaning to him. It would have been more advantageous for Raydon if Belicia had owed him for her brother''s life. ''''Anyway, I''ll think about itter.'''' He considered it and exited one street into a wider street. He climbed into one of the vehicles he found and drove away for something more important right now. -- Raydon eventually made his way through the antique market and came to the familiar building with the Other World Antiques table on it. The woman working inside noticed Raydon as soon as he walked in, and her face turned white. She dashed forward like a terrified rabbit, bowed before Raydon, and said. ''''S-sir, w-wee b-b-b-b-b-back. '''' The same woman who had earlier mistook Raydon for an intruder and had given him money like a beggar now stuttered, bowed her head, and shook with terror. Raydon ignored the woman''s behavior and asked, "Where is the owner? " ''''Y-y-y-y-y-yes, sir, I''m calling immediately; kindly take a seat. Ouch... '''' The woman was stuttering but at the same time speaking so fast that she bit her tongue, but she ignored the pain and continued. ''''W-w-w-w-w-would you like something to drink or do you have any other r-r-r-r-r-requests.'''' ''''No need, just call the old man. '''' Raydon said, refusing to sit down. When the woman noticed Raydon''sck of interest, she immediately ran to find the shop''s owner. Soon, the two of them could be seen hurriedly approaching. ''''Greetings, sir. I sincerely apologize if I made you wait. You''re visiting the item market, right? Please allow me to show you the way so I don''t waste any more of your time. '''' The man must have fallen while hurrying because he had a freshly opened bleeding wound on his head, but as if he hadn''t noticed, he opened the door to the item market and showed Raydon the way. Raydon continued to ignore the terrified couple as he walked through the door to the item market. Chapter 65 Selling Items Again Raydon eventually emerged from the dark cave and returned to the familiar underground market that appeared to be straight out of a fantasy novel. He went straight to Fang''s shop this time, not looking around at the other stalls. The first thing he wanted to do was sell the things he had. Raydon was once more greeted by the same scene as soon as he walked into the store. The only thing that was different was that there were more boxes scattered about, and they contained different materials in addition to various monster parts from various monsters that were disyed on shelves. The only significant difference was that this time, there was a stranger working on the counter. ''''Hm? Do you need anything? '''' Out of the corner of his eye, the salesman at the counter asked Raydon before returning to the book he was currently reading. ''''Yes, I want to sell a few things. '''' Raydon continued after taking a quick look around as if looking for something. ''''There was another person here thest time I came. '''' Raydon had no idea who Fang was or what his name was, but he was wise enough to realize that he didn''t usually work here. He''d only asked to try his luck because Fang had been extremely helpful in selling his items, and Raydon wanted to do business with him again. ''''Someone else? I am the sole employee here. Your memory must be inurate. '''' The man returned to his book after casting another nce at Raydon. "I suppose I have no other option," After some consideration, Raydon walked up to the counter. He then began bringing all the pieces he had amassed from the mobs he had killed in his previous match from his dimensional storage to the counter. The man looked calmly at what Raydon had pulled out at first, but then a look of surprise crept across his face. On the counter, Raydon had arranged about 60 mobponents in total. Normally, this wouldn''t surprise the man because any item holder could sell that much stuff, even if only asionally. However, what was strange about this situation was that these items all belonged to the same type. Snow rabbit, frozenke flowers, and white wolf. The man suddenly stood up and turned to face him as he saw Raydon ce the Frost Troll''s parts on the counter. ''Who is this young man, exactly? Killing so many mobs in one match and the Region Boss on top of it? '' After briefly disying his surprise, the man quickly concealed it. ''''17 snow rabbits, 391 gold coins including ice-type life cores, 33 white wolves, 759 gold coins including life cores. '''' The man quickly calcted, then paused before continuing. '''' Frozenke flowers, huh? There aren''t many item holders selling these anymore. 125 gold coins for each flower, and for ice-type life cores, 13 gold coins, the same as the others. Total of 828 gold coins for 6 of them. '''' ''''And they all make 1978 gold coins in total. '''' The man did his math and said, looking at Raydon. ''''Deal. '''' ''''And as for that. '''' The man said, pointing to parts of the Frost Troll. ''''Ice-type E-Rank life core 140 gold coins and 425 gold coins for the parts, 565 gold coins in total. Are you okay with that? '''' ''''Yeah. '''' Raydon agreed without bargaining. He didn''t think he could bargain here anyway. In the item market, it appears that this was thest ce to con someone. After receiving the gold coins from the man, Raydon put them in his own gold satchel, bringing his total gold to 16,514. Raydon contemted for a while before deciding to sell Pauldron as well. Regardless, Helen''s knee pads that he looted had a movement-type skill and were much superior to the pauldron. [Pauldron.] -Grade: White -Quality: Normal -Skill: Rush When activated, it allows the user to run forward up to 2 meters with 50% speed increase. -Mana cost: 5 -Duration: Maximum distance of 2 meters. -Cooldown: 45 seconds. After inspecting the pauldron, the man said. ''''Considering the quality of the skill it possesses, it has a pretty fancy appearance. I offer 950 gold coins. '''' Raydon agreed after hearing the price and assumed it was reasonable. Given its shiny color alone, very few people would actually want to use it. The man handed over the gold coins once more and then inquired, "Anything else?" Raydon appeared to have made up his mind after giving it some thought when he pulled out an oval-shaped piece of ice and showed it to the man. ''''What do you think about this? '''' The body enchantment ''''ice veins'''' were the thing Raydon disyed this time. He''d gotten a lot of information from Fang before, and he hoped this man would do the same. Body enchantments had so many hidden features and disadvantages that it would be foolish to use them unknowingly. So gathering as much information about them as possible was critical. This time, the man didn''t seem surprised to see the body enchantment. After all, he now knew Raydon''s team had killed the Region Boss. ''''What do I think about this, huh? '''' Raydon''s intention in posing this question without directly asking the price was understood by the man. He picked up the item and gave it a close look. [Ice Veins] -Grade: White -Quality: N/A -Skill: Body Enchantment Increases mana regeneration by 10% by modifying the wearer''s veins. ''''Hmm, it''s a good item for spirit build item holders. It also has a hidden attribute that increases defense against the cold, which is useful for elementalist item holders. But, the drawback is that they will be extremely unstable to heat. It can slightly improve the user''s skills if they are an ice-type item holder, but if they are a fire-type, they even run the risk of self-immtion. '''' The man had fulfilled Raydon''s expectations by providing him with the information he was looking for. Although Raydon had essentially guessed these, it was still wise to be certain. --- 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. --- Chapter 66 Finally A Proper Body Enchantment? (Part 1) ''''So how much can I sell it for? '''' Raydon made the decision to turn it into gold because he doesn''t like to keep useless items in his bag. He was looking for something that would give him mana, but ice veins fell far short of his expectations. ''''9750 gold coins. '''' The man spoke upfront. Raydon remembered the bark skin he had sold previously for 14.000 gold coins, but given that this was only white-grade, he decided that the price was reasonable. ''''Deal. '''' ''I wonder if I can find a good body enchantment with this much gold?'' He pondered. A good body enchantment was apparently difficult toe by and also expensive. The man leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on his book once again, and he asked.''''So? Is there anything else? '''' Even if Raydon wanted something else, it was obvious from the man''s actions that he would not get it. Raydon said, "That''s all, thanks," and he walked out of the store. After he had gone, the man once more raised his head from his book, took his ne off,id it on the counter in front of him, straightened himself up, and said. ''''Call. '''' A projection from the ne protruded in response to the man''s words. A few secondster, a charismatic old man with white hair and a white beard appeared in the projection. This man was none other than Fang, whom Raydon had met not long ago. ''''Speak,'''' Fang said, his voice deep andmanding. At Fang''smand, the man began exining right away. ''''Raydon, the young man you told me to keep an eye on, was here a while ago. As Sir previously stated, he sold a variety of items, including Region Boss parts and a body enchantment. '''' The man gave his report respectfully and waited for the response. ''''Hmm, I knew that young man was no ordinary person. It''s quite surprising that he killed the Region Boss, twice. '''' Fang thought for a while and continued. ''''Despite the difficulties, we discovered that he is a member of the Demugen family. Strangely, it seems that the Demugen family destroyed all proof of their association with him. In any case, let me know again if he returns. '''' Fang was going to inform his family that he wanted to support Raydon during the impending rift event. Earlier, he had dispatched someone to look into Raydon. It''s interesting to note, though that even though they discovered which family Raydon belongs to, the members didn''t seem to know anything about him. Finally, after some more investigation, Fang decided to stop delving too deeply and refrain from revealing himself. It was best to look into Raydon''s secrets from the shadows, if there were any. Fang inquired, suspecting that something strange was going on in the family. ''''Oh, by the way, have there been any recent events in the Demugen family? '''' The man responded right away. ''''As far as I know, they will celebrate one of the family''s young people being promoted to E-Rank in two weeks.'''' ''''Hahaha, good, I guess I should go and congratte that young man myself, '''' Fang responded with augh. For the uing rift event, which was crucial to him, Raydon may be the best choice he has found so far among the candidates. That''s why he wanted to go see what was going on for himself. ¡ª Raydon started looking around the stalls after he left the shop. He was looking for body enchantments and was particrly interested in ones that would increase his mana and speed, but even white-grade ones were sadly very difficult toe by. Raydon eventually spotted a stall after some time spent wandering. On this stall, everything appeared to be rusty and aged. Raydon was the type of person who didn''t care how something looked as long as it served its purpose, but it was odd that the entire counter was stocked with these cheap-looking things. As he approached the counter, he turned to face the salesperson. The woman had a humpback, appeared to be very old, was dressed in a worn-out, patched-up ck robe, and wore a pointed ck hat that looked like a witch''s hat. She had a half-melted face that appeared to be on the verge of dripping onto the ground. The woman asked in an odd metallic tone while ncing at Raydon through her single,pletely yellow-colored eye. ''''You are my first client today. Tell me what you need. '''' Raydon briefly felt lightheaded because of how much the woman''s voice irritated his ears. But thanks to his strong will and endurance, he quickly recovered and asked. ''''Do you sell any body enchantments? '''' When Raydon''s question was heard, the woman looked at him suspiciously and said. '''' I guess you''re new around here, huh? Normally, no one buys body enchantments from me. Ghehgehg'''' The womanughed wickedly. Raydon didn''t have to wonder why, given the woman''s appearance. It was obvious that whatever the woman specialized in, the body enchantments she used caused her body to look like this. ''''It makes no difference as long as it works for me.'''' Raydon spoke firmly. Frankly speaking, he wouldn''t want to look like the woman, even though he didn''t care much about his appearance, but still, he wanted to see what kind of items she had. ''''Oh ho? I liked you. So you''re one of those people who believe that the beauty of strength outweighs the beauty of appearance. Then I will show you the power of corrosion. '''' Thedy removed two items from her dimensional storage and ced them in front of Raydon. ''''I''ve had both of these body enchantments for a while. See if you like it. Ggehgehgeh '''' With another disturbingugh, the woman said. Raydon looked at the two items in front of him before picking up a small bottle containing a dark green liquid that was bubbling. --- 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. --- Chapter 67 Finally A Proper Body Enchantment? (Part 2) [Zombie Essence] -Grade: Green -Quality: N/A -Skill: Body Enchantment Increases HP by 50% as a result of corroding cells bybining the life force with the corrosive force of the decaying body. Raydon examined this item and thought the effect was satisfactory. '''' So what are the hidden attributes? '''' He inquired, his gaze fixed on her. ''''Ggehegehe, It does have a few good hidden attributes. I can say that the person who uses it bes a zombie at a 3/1 ratio. As a result, you won''t feel exhausted and your perception of pain will lessen. Additionally, the majority of wounds that would normally be life-threatening won''t affect you. '''' Since the woman was only discussing the advantages, Raydon refrained from inquiring about the disadvantages because he knew he wouldn''t get a satisfactory response. Even though it was only 3/1, he was already somewhat aware of the negative aspects of being a zombie. In addition, with all these good hidden attributes, it was only a green-grade body enchantment, and the drawback was likely very great. The loss of speed and reaction time was one of these drawbacks that Raydon feared the most. He couldn''t let his agility deteriorate any further since it was already at the lowest point possible. Raydon put back the zombie essence and took what appeared to be a burned, heart-shaped piece of wood. As soon as he picked up the item, he could immediately smell its burning odor. [Ashen Heart] -Grade: White -Quality: N/A -Skill: Body Enchantment The person''s heart starts to ze with ferocious ck mes of death, burning 1% of their HP per minute and turning half of that amount into MP. When Raydon read the skill description, his mouth literally dropped open. If the bracelet he had previously purchased with the blood bat skill was regarded as self-harm, then this item should unquestionably be a suicide item. ''''How much is this? '''' Raydon asked while trying to contain his excitement. Without a doubt, he would purchase this. Raydon now had 200 HP and could regenerate 1 MP per minute by losing 2 HP. It would also increase as his stamina improved. Normally, even a regr stamina build item holder would avoid using this body enchantment, but Raydon was different. Raydon''s high stamina allowed him to regenerate 2 HP per minute, and his title skill doubled this, allowing Raydon to regenerate 4 HP per minute. It was perfectly reasonable to spend half of that on MP regen. ''''24.000 gold coins. '''' The woman spoke directly. The cost caught Raydon off guard. It was only a white-grade body enchantment, and even the ice veins he sold a while ago was only worth about 9000 gold. ''''Isn''t that very expensive? '''' Raydon inquired once more. He didn''t think she''d try to take advantage of him, especially with such arge price difference. In general, the people around attempted to gain trust as a seller by offering as reasonable a price as possible. After all, this was an item market for mighty item holders. ''''I know it''s pricey, but there''s a reason for that. Ghegeh '''' The woman spoke before going silent. It appeared as though she was attempting to pique Raydon''s interest even further. ''''Is this rted to the hidden attributes? '''' Raydon gave the first exnation that came to mind as to what might have caused the price to be so high. The woman, however, added while shaking her head. ''''No, I don''t actually know any of its hidden attributes or disadvantages, and I doubt you''ll find anyone who does either¡ªafter all, it is a unique body enchantment item.'''' ''''Hm? What do you mean? '''' Raydon asked curiously. She had sessfully piqued his interest. ''''I discovered this item in a rift years ago, Ghegehe. This is an inheritance item. You understand what I mean, right? '''' With a rather serious expression, the woman concluded her statement. Raydon pondered and made an effort to put his memory back together. The Rift the woman was referring to was an event that the system produced asionally. A door known as the Rift would suddenly open in a random location on the, and countless creatures of all levels would burst through it to attack anything they could see. By visiting these rifts and ying the creatures that emerge from them, item holders could increase their experience and their gold. However, that was not the primary aspect of this event. People with a special item called "ticket" could pass through this Rift and enter another dimension. These dimensions were rumored to be a part of the worlds of the extremely strong Item Holders who once resided there, but after those item holders died, their worlds were split into too many pieces, which led to the creation of these dimensions. Typically, the items inside those dimensions held a portion of the item holder''s inheritance. These inheritance items were discovered as aplete set on rare asions, but even if youe across one, it''s nearly impossible to obtain due to some restrictions on them. In Raydon''s memory, only one person discovered thisplete item set, and that person was known as the strongest Item Holder in the world he now lives in. He couldplete the full set and gain incredible features if he found the remaining parts after purchasing this item. However, it was obvious that this was just a thought because the remaining parts had probably already been lost in other dimensions or even destroyed. Raydon thought for a while and said. ''''Deal. '''' In spite of everything, Raydon still wished to purchase this item. The first was that he needed mana, and this item was ideal for him at the time, and the second was that its previous owner probably was an incredibly strong item holder. Even if Raydon was unable to locate the otherponents of the inheritance, perhaps he could findplementary items ande up with a brand-new set of items on his own. --- 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. --- Chapter 68 Finally A Proper Body Enchantment? (Part 3) Raydon took 20,000 gold coins out of his gold satchel with a single thought and started taking the remaining 4,000 gold coins out of his dimensional storage one at a time to give to the woman. ''Perhaps I should purchase a few more of these gold satchels. '' Under the woman''s hostile gaze, Raydon pondered. He handed the woman her gold coins and thanked her before walking away. He purchased two more gold satchels, additional arrows, and a dismantling knife from other stalls before leaving the item market. ¡ª Raydon was greeted by the owner of the antique shop once more as he exited the dark tunnel and arrived at the door that led to the stairs back to the ground. They began climbing the stairs together and soon returned to the antique shop. ''''I hope you had a good time, sir. We anticipate seeing you back soon. '''' Man exhaled heavily. He appeared to be worn out from going up and down all those stairs. ''''Actually, I have a question for you before I leave. '''' Raydon turned around and told the man as he was leaving through the door. ''''Yes, sir, of course. You just need to say it, and we''ll take care of it right away. '''' The man immediately replied. He was still afraid of Raydon because of what had happened before. Since he wanted to erase this incident from memory, he was prepared to do whatever it took. Even the female employee next to him was still waiting, her head bowed to Raydon. ''''I''m looking for some guys to help me on an illegal mission. The work can be bloody, and some of the guys may die. Do you know where I can find such people? '''' Raydon asked the man, who was staring at him in fear and was suddenly beginning to sweat. "Sir, you don''t need to do this. Just let us know if we made a mistake. '''' The man fell on his knees and began to beg. The woman was already on the floor, unconscious. ''''What are you talking about? I''m asking for a personal business that has nothing to do with you. So, is there any? '''' Raydon asked again, his eye twitching. The man''s face lit up in relief as soon as he heard this, and he exhaled deeply before standing up and saying in a trembling voice. "I don''t know anyone, but I have contacts. Any time you want, I can find it for you. You only need to provide the details.'''' Without thinking, the man said. He had vowed to do the job no matter what. ''''That''s great. I don''t need it right away, but I want it to be ready when the timees. Also, for contact... I don''t have a phone. I don''t have time toe back here for this. '''' Raydon reasoned. He was obviously after free items again. ''''Don''t worry, sir, I have a spare that I don''t use.'''' Without thinking twice, the man took a phone from his pocket and handed it to Raydon. ''I must immediately inform my mistresses that they must not call this number again.'' This was obviously the man''s secret phone with his mistresses to avoid being discovered by his wife. ''''All right, I''ll send the detailster.'''' Raydon took the phone and left the shop. ¡ª When he returned to his neighborhood, it was already dark. Before heading home, he stopped at the street buffet and bought a few sandwiches. After finishing, he sat down in bed and, as he always did, went over and organized all the information in his head before slowly drifting off to sleep. ¡ª When Raydon opened his eyes once more, he was greeted by sunlight streaming through his room''s dusty window. He wasted no time in forcing himself out of hisfortable bed. After going through his morning rituals, he put on his regr clothes, went to the store to buy some sandwiches for breakfast, and then returned to his room. After eating his breakfast, he stripped off everything but his boxer and stood in the center of the room while gazing at the object in his hand. ''''I''m hoping there won''t be any unpleasant side effects. '''' The heart-shaped object he was holding was actually the body enchantment he had just purchased the day before. Raydon had very little knowledge of this item. He didn''t know anything other than what the description system showed him, and that was enough to convince him to take the risk. In fact, not knowing what would happen next gave him special pleasure. He was more interested in its hidden attributes than in its disadvantages. Whatever the disadvantage was, he could ovee it. After all, he wouldn''t die from this body enchantment, would he? ''''Let''s start it. '''' He then concentrated on the item in his hand and said the necessary words to activate it. ''''Body Enchantment. '''' At that moment, the item turned to ash and entered Raydon''s mouth, nose, and ears. Raydon panicked briefly, not expecting this to happen, but quickly calmed down and focused on the changes that would ur in his body. He didn''t feel anything for a few seconds, but then his heart tightened. It began to beat faster than it should and continued to elerate. Since Raydon has ustomed to this situation thanks to the berserk technique, it did not significantly bother him at first. However, as his heart continued to beat quickly, another pain gradually took over as the veins running from his heart to his neck gradually turned ck. The pain abruptly stopped after the ck veins stopped covering a portion of his chest and neck. However, Raydon soon felt something rise up in his throat, slouched, and started to throw up. He didn''t throw up blood or the sandwiches he had just eaten. He was vomiting somethingpletely ck and stinky. This thing tasted like smoked meat to him as he puked. Additionally, it had a burned-wood odor. --- 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. --- Chapter 69 Improved Body He looked at this ck, steaming gray thing that had umted in front of him after his vomiting had stopped and said, after wiping his mouth with the back of his arm. ''''Is this waste that has umted in my body? I''ve seen such things in cultivation novels.'''' Raydon considered. That was the only logical exnation he coulde up with at the time. Right now, his body felt incredibly at ease. It appeared as though his breathing had changed and that all of his senses were at least two times more acute than before. Even his hearing and vision seemed to be a little bit better than before. Raydon wondered if this was the hidden attribute of the body enchantment. If true, it was a perfect hidden attribute, and the only thing left now was to discover its disadvantage. Of course, there were rare body enchantments with little to no drawbacks, but they were extremely rare. Raydon got to his feet, turned to face the mirror, and examined the changes to his body. He had lost another shade of color from his already pale skin. Also,pared to before, his skin appeared to be much smoother. There was also a grayish tint in his previously ck pupils. The ck veins that extended from his chest, where his heart was, all the way up to his neck were the most noticeable change. Without knowing what it was, someone would undoubtedly assume it was a tattoo. ''''There doesn''t seem to be anything that will put me at a disadvantage. '''' Raydon had not noticed any side effects that would cause his veins to freeze like ice veins or cause his skin to be dry and hard like bark skin. Everything seemed to be in perfect condition. He also checked his little friend under his boxer to make sure, and everything seemed fine there too. ''''I''ll probably find out if there are any negative effects over time,'''' Raydon stated and made the decision to test the body enchantment''s main feature. He first used Blood Bat, which reduced his HP. After waiting and watching, he realized that his HP regen had indeed been cut in half. He used to regenerate 4 HP per minute, but now he only regenerates 2. Then he used his hook skill, spent 1 MP, and resumed his observation. And it was effective. He really gained an extra 1 MP regen per minute. He would now gain 11 MP in 10 minutes instead of 1 MP at his previous rate. ''''This is awesome,'''' Raydon eximed. The MP issue was temporarily resolved in this manner. Redressing once more, Raydon stepped outside toplete the following task for the day. ¡ª After some time, Raydon arrived at a neighborhood that appeared to be deserted and haunted. As if a war had been fought here, the area was littered with abandoned homes, smashed and damaged vehicles, and all kinds of trash. Aside from that, he noticed individuals aimlessly wandering the streets whilepletely cloaked from head to toe. This ce belonged to the Ashskin Gang headquarters, which controlled this region, based on the information Raydon looked up and found. ''ording to them, this is where that item holder is.'' Raydon had spent the entire day gathering details about this ash gang and the item holder who was behind it. He had previously learned from Dan and others that this item holder was E-Rank, though they were unsure of that. Even though the general popce didn''t know much about item holders, every rumor contained some element of truth. The only reason Raydon came here was to confirm the rumors. ''I guess it''s true that the item holder lives here, or the people here are just high on something.'' Raydon pondered as he observed the individuals who appeared to be soulless. He was aware of how out of the ordinary these people were. As Raydon snuck through the shadows, a dpidated old factory came into view. He murmured as he noticed the lighting from the factory''s broken windows. ''This factory appears to be still in operation based on the smokeing from the chimneys and the noiseing from inside. I think I''m in the right ce. '' With the steps being quieter than the night, Raydon made his way to the factory. ¡ª "Master, the subjects that were included in the most recent delivery were also all consumed. Additionally, the men who were dispatched into the field to gather fresh subjects started behaving strangely. As if¡­ '''' The burly man, who had arge scar on his forehead that looked like a hole, knelt and reported emotionlessly. Although he appeared bulky, the man''s skin appeared severely dry and discolored. He looked up as he was speaking and saw a face with bby gray skin, some white hair falling on it, and a few teeth in the mouth. ''''As if? Kahkahk, Yes, their time hase as well. Call back those who are acting strangely and make them wait. I don''t want anyone else to make the same mistake you did and get shot in the head with a bullet. It''s also best not to mess with that crazy battle maid. Make sure you warn others to stay away from that maniac maid''s friends'' territory.'''' Herman said. The bowing man''s body twitched for a moment when he heard the word "bullet," but he quickly returned to normal and carried on. ''''Yes, sir, what are we going to do with that item holder who killed me? '''' Herman answered the man''s question with a frown. '''' Hmm? You''re already dead, but can you still feel resentment? Interesting. I should take note of this. Also, as for that item holder, forget it. He was most likely just a bystander, and you poked him like a moron. I only want to concentrate on the experiment right now. Therefore, avoid taking actions that will put me in more trouble. '''' ''''Yes sir. '''' Burly man, the now soulless body of the man Raydon had earlier shot and killed with a gunshot, said before getting up and leaving. Unbelievably, looks like he somehow came back to life. Chapter 70 Third Match Starts ''''I got very close. If I can craft this item, I can extend my lifespan even more. I might even be immortal. Kahkahkah, '''' Herman abruptly stoppedughing and continued anxiously. ''''However, I have a bad feeling that something will go horribly wrong; I hope these idiots don''t mess things up. He was already stupid when he was alive, and he appears even more so now. '''' Then, he reached into his dimensional storage and pulled out a very old-looking book covered in ck patched leather. He mumbled as he opened a page and read. "I need to further develop these fallen soldiers. Their lifespan and level of intelligence are both verycking. '''' Herman struggled to read the pages of the book, the majority of which had been erased, before abruptly turning his gaze to the receding darkness. He muttered after gazing there for a while and failing to see anything. ''''I think I''m getting too paranoid. I''d better get some rest. '''' ¡ª ''His intuition seems to be quite strong. But he still shouldn''t have noticed me. Or are my stealth skills deteriorating? '' Raydon pondered as he watched Herman''s silhouette fade away from his hiding spot. So far, he had infiltrated without being detected. He had faith in his own concealment abilities, but Herman''s sense of his presence and his gaze toward his location made him doubt it. ''He should probably have an investigative-type item or body enchantment. '' Raydon said to himself as he turned away from his hiding ce. He had onlye here to observe, and he had obtained the information he required. ''Now it''s just a matter of time and nning.'' He muttered while wearing that twisted smile as he walked through the dark veil of the night with a secrecy that not even the moonlight could reveal. ¡ª It was already midnight when Raydon returned to his neighborhood. He walked inside his home after opening the door. He noticed a difference at that moment. There was a faint perfume odor in the room. ''''I believe Belicia came while I was away. '''' Raydon soon discovered a bag of food and drink on the table, along with a note. He took the note and began reading it with interest. Belicia had something to discuss with him, but she was disappointed that she couldn''t find him at home and that she wouldn''t be able to stop by for a while due to recent events with Tika. ''''I suppose Tika reported what happened, so Belicia must have received some sort of punishment, huh? '''' Raydon pondered, putting his hand on his chin. "What could she possibly want to discuss with me? Perhaps she discovered that I had saved her brother that day. It doesn''t matter, though; she would have found out sooner orter. '''' Raydon treated it as though it were nothing unusual. After all, this was where Belicia''s brother lived, so she was familiar with the area. It would be absurd if Belicia, a battle maid, was unaware of this. Additionally, Raydon also wished for her to be aware of it. "Since Belicia isn''t here, I can move forward with my ns faster. But first¡­ '''' Raydon said while checking the system panel. The next match would start hourster. He made the decision to lie down and rest because whatever he was nning was unquestionably of less importance than the uing match. Hey in his bed, as he always did, and slowly fell asleep as he reflected on the events of the day. --- [The next match is ready to begin. Do you want to join?] Raydon once more opened his eyes to the system message. In anticipation of a brand-new adventure, he was about to respond "yes" to the system''s message when he recalled something. ''''I almost started the match naked again. '''' Awkwardly grinning, Raydon began to put his items on. He didn''t even need to wear the items to use the skills once he had bounded the items to himself. To use their skills, he only needed to keep the items in his dimensional storage, but the extra defense they offered was always crucial. Besides, Raydon wasn''t all that keen on walking around naked. Raydon hurriedly put his items on. Unlike the previous match, there was no glitzy pauldron shining on his shoulder this time; instead, he was wearing knee pads that were metallic in color and had an embroidered horse image on them. When Raydon was prepared, he grinned and eximed happily. ''''Yes.'''' And he set off into an entirely new world and adventure. ¡ª When Raydon''s vision returned, he was met with a brown-densendscape, as opposed to the previous snowy and white view of his surroundings. Everything in the vicinity appeared to be made of stone and earth. Furthermore, the terrain seemed to be so uneven that the numerous small andrge hills in the field of view prevented the eye from seeing very far. Raydon thought as he turned to his right and left and noticed that it was encircled by high mountains. ''I think I''m in a huge canyon. '' That was correct; what he saw as mountains around him were actually ins, but because he was inside a massive rift, inside a canyon, they appeared to be mountains. Raydon turned around after looking around and saw a woman and three men. No one was looking at him with disgusted eyes this time. They only give him a disdainful nce and turn their heads because of his seemingly mismatched items. Clearly, even having an item on him made a significant difference. Raydon checked the team information from the system. [Team B7890-D4850] -Gentleman (Lv.11) -Cannon Fodder(Lv.6) -Insignificant (Lv.5) -Big Mouth (Lv.5) -Master of All (Lv.1) Current team points: 0 [Team P4856-T8744] -N/A -N/A ¡­ Current team points: 0 [Time remaining until the end of the match: 02:58:15] *** Author''s Babbling; **Starting tomorrow, 2 chapters will be published daily.** New privilege chapters that you can get up to 13 chapters are ready. Have fun. --- 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. --- Chapter 71 Level 11 In An F-Rank Match? Raydon looked at the first one and thought, ignoring the other strange titles. ''Level 11? I thought leveling up after 9 in an F-Rank match was extremely difficult. '' Normally, leveling up was difficult due to the limited experience gained from killing mobs in F-Rank matches. It was also clear that after level 9, leveling up required a significant amount of experience. As a result, those who stuck in F-Rank generallygged behind in level. Raydon turned to face his teammates. Everyone appeared to be Raydon''s age or a few years older, except for one middle-aged man. This man was dressed in a suit, wore a fedora hat, and was carrying a walking stick. ''''Hahaha, as usual, I seem to have found another dream team.'''' The man greeted his teammates by opening his arms and shouting loudly. Due to his loud voice, Raydon experienced ringing in his ears and a momentary feeling of lightheadedness, but he quickly recovered. The same thing had obviously happened to other team members as well. ''''Uncle, aren''t you a little too loud? '''' While covering her ears, the blonde girl spoke. She was simultaneously scanning the area. She must have been worried that the noise would draw the attention of nearby mobs. ''''Oh, sorry, sorry, I got carried away with excitement hahaha. '''' This time, he spoke quietly and calmly. ''''Sir, are you the one holding the title of Gentleman? '''' The young man, who had ck hair and brown eyes, asked curiously, holding a small shield in his hand. Since titles typically reflect the personalities of the people who own them, and since the middle-aged man was the only one among them whose appearance shouted, "I am a gentleman," the young man made this assumption right away. "Yes, it''s me; greetings, pleased to meet you. '''' The man bowed slightly and greeted again in a gentlemanly manner. ''''This is better than your shockingly loud voice before. By the way, I just realized you''re level 11. Well, it has to be true because you look old. How long did it take you to get to this level? Why didn''t you advance to the next rank? Or are you actually weak? '''' The robed young man spoke up, holding a long staff and wearing sses that were unusual for an item holder. ''''Haha, actually, I am not considered weak; in fact, you can say I am pretty strong. My friends simply state that the next rank is too dangerous for me, so I should remain at this rank. My only goal is to have fun during the matches. In order to reset the win streak, I sometimes stay behind and wait to lose. '''' The man added. His goal was clear: he didn''t want to gain power orpete. He viewed matches as a type of game in which he could pass the time and have fun. Raydon looked at the man with a frown. These were the types of teammates he preferred the least to y with in his previous life. These were the sons of b*tches who refused to participate in team fights and instead sat in the back and waited for the game to end. There was also another type known as feeders, but he chose to ignore them because he reasoned that it would be impossible to describe them using only profanity. ''''This isn''t one of them, is it? I really don''t want to lose. '''' The young man with the shield asked hastily. ''''No, no, my win streak is only 1 right now, so it''s okay for me to win this match. Haha '''' ''''It seems as though I''ve heard of you before. If I recall correctly, a few friends mentioned a senior F-ranker dressed in a suit. '''' The blonde girl spoke after some thought. ''''Oh, what did they say? Is he really strong? '''' The young man with sses questioned. ''''I am not sure. Both imed they died during the match and were unable to witness his power. Ah, but this has nothing to do with Uncle; they both stated that they died as a result of their own stupidity.'''' She spoke quickly, concerned that they would misunderstand. ''''Oh, I''m so sorry to hear that. That''s right, someone from my team can die from time to time. So this is to be expected; after all, I can''t protect everyone.'''' The man expressed regret. ''''Good, then you can assist us in winning this match. In F-Rank matches, I don''t believe there are many high-level item holders like you. This is a sure win for us.'''' With a grin, the young man with sses said. "All right, then, let''s get started without wasting time, shall we? " With a gentle smile, he spoke while turning to face his teammates. Finally, his gaze settled on Raydon. He had obviously extended an invitation for him to join them. Others also observed this but kept quiet. After all, they had already decided to make this man the leader of their team. They resolved to carry out his instructions. Raydon''s status as a level 1 newbie was irrelevant. Of course, it didn''t take them long to figure out that Raydon was the team''s level 1 yer. Despite the fact that everyone else''s clothing appeared to be consistent, Raydon''s was utterly disorganized. The half-open zipper of his jacket revealed that he wasn''t even wearing a t-shirt. Since the item holders tend toe fromrge families, they generally paid more attention to the harmony of the items'' appearances than they did to their skill set, especially in F-Rank matches. Raydon gave the face of the middle-aged man a long, thoughtful look. ''This is interesting. '' And said, ''''Sure.'''' He decided to join the team this time. ''''This is fantastic. I have an excellent investigative-type skill, so you can rely on me to locate mobs.'''' He closed his eyes and mmed the cane on the ground, saying the next word. ''''Scan.'''' After some time, he slowly opened them again and spoke while pointing at a nearby hill. ''''Looks like there''s a worm-shaped mob hiding behind that hill. Let''s go and check. '''' Chapter 72 Unexpected Incident The team was shocked to learn that the man''s skill was so great that he could even predict the mob''s shape, and they quickly followed behind him. Still grinning, Raydon also trailed behind the group. After a while of walking, they came to a hill and, sure enough, there, they saw arge brown worm devouring a small patch of grass. It was possible to see that the sides of this worm were covered in bony spines. Additionally,yers of frightening-looking teeth filled its mouth. The onlookers'' first thought was that anything that fell into this mouth would shatter into pieces as if it had been put through a grinder. "Okay, who wants to kill this? " The man asked as he turned to face the group. ''''Aren''t we going to kill it as a team? '''' The blonde girl looked confused. ''''Uncle doesn''t have to join us. He may be strong, but it is better to keep his strength against the risk of encountering the opposing team, so he should not participate. It''s only one mob, and we can take care of it. '''' While adjusting his sses with his hand, the young man spoke. ''''So let''s go kill it right away. I will tank it. ''''Another young man began to approach the worm after raising his small shield. The one with sses followed the youth with the shield, long staff in hand, and the blond girl joined them by pulling a bow from her dimensional storage. As they approached the worm, ready for battle, the middle-aged man frowned and looked at Raydon, who was still standing beside him. But his frown quickly turned into a gentle smile as he inquired. ''''Won''t you join them as well? It doesn''t matter if you''re low-level; at the very least, you''ll gainbat experience. '''' The man appeared to be an ordinary uncle concerned about Raydon''s well-being. ''''There''s no need. For the time being, I''ll simply observe. By observing, I can gainbat experience as well.'''' Raydon said this while folding his arms across his chest. ''''You are correct; observation is the best way to learn teamwork.'''' The man, too, smiled and sped his hands behind his back, watching the trio, who had already begun fighting the worm. ¡ª ''''Step back, I''ll block.'''' The young man with the shield raised it and dashed forward, using it to deflect the worm''s blows. ''''Ice Arrow. '''''' The young man with the sses immediately applied his skill, and the ice arrow shot from his staff pierced the worm''s body. ''''Spinning Snake Arrow '''' The blonde girl took advantage of the situation as well, firing an arrow that swirled like a snake while flying through the air. The arrow pierced through the worm''s body, but despite being stopped by the impact, it wriggled and kept going deeper. ''''Knock Back. '''' When the shielded youth saw the worm''s body being pulled back in pain, he wasted no time in disrupting the bnce of the worm''s retreat and causing it to fall on its back. ''''Now is the time to attack, use all of your skills. '''' With the shouting of the tank, everyone used all of their skills to attack the worm. Recognizing that the worm''s HP was nearly depleted, the shield guy decided tond the finishing blow with onest skill. ''''Bash Strike. '''' He raised his sword and quickly lowered it to sever the worm''s head. But at that moment, he felt intense pain and coldness in his back. ''''Where are you aiming, you idiot? '''' The blonde girl yelled and ran to help the shield guy, but before she could, he turned into light and vanished, leaving two items behind. ''''What did you do? Why did you kill your teammate? '''' The blonde girl yelled angrily as she turned the bow in her hand to the bespectacled youth. ''''It wasn''t on purpose. I was only aiming at the worm. I swear to the Item God. I don''t even know how it happened. '''' While staring at the blonde girl in confusion, the young man with the sses dropped his staff and said. His voice and demeanor made it obvious that he had made the mistake unintentionally. ''''Liar, how can you be so clumsy? '''' The blonde girl was about to shoot her arrow when she heard a booming sound. *BANG* When the girl heard the sound, she turned around to see the worm lying lifeless with a huge hole in its body. The middle-aged man stood next to the worm, his walking stick pointing at it. ''''Don''t me him. He''s telling the truth. I saw that he didn''t do it on purpose. '''' With a sad expression on his face, the man said. ''''I told you, I didn''t do it on purpose. I''m also sure I was aiming right... Just. '''' He continued while squeezing his head with both hands. ''''What is causing this severe headache and ringing in my ears? I feel so ufortable. '''' The words of the man in the suit calmed the blonde girl, and she lowered her bow. She spoke while softly tapping her ear. ''''It has been going on ever since we started the match.It''s getting on my nerves as well. Is it rted to this region? '''' ''''I''m sure it is. Since we are in a canyon, the air pressure must be extremely high and affecting us. '''' The man said calmly as he took the shield man''s fallen items and handed them to the blonde girl. Seeing the blonde girl''s perplexed expression, he exined. ''''You get these items aspensation because you were the one fighting the mob and the other young man made a big mistake and killed his teammate. '''' They both agreed on the man''s words. Everything seemed pretty fair. Raydon remained silent as well while smilingly observing everything that was happening. ''''Well, idents like this ur frequently. Whatever the case, let''s continue. '''' They were back on their way after the man quickly disassembled the worm''s body and gave it to the blonde girl as well. --- 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. --- Chapter 73 [Bonus ] Another Unexpected Incident After a while, they came across another worm, and the man said. ''''You can actually kill it from a distance because nobody is acting as the tank this time. Due to its slow movement andck of other defenses besides its hard spines, this strategy may be lessplicated for you. '''' The blonde girl and the young man with the sses exchanged nces before deciding that this might be the best way to fight it. They quickly decided to use this strategy since they were both ranged attackers and started moving toward the worm. They didn''t even bother to look at Raydon. He was a noob in any case, and they weren''t expecting much from him. They moved stealthily and slowly until they thought they were close enough to the worm, then they prepared to strike. "This time, watch where you aim." The blonde girl spoke in a low voice and wore a skeptical look. The young man with the sses did not respond to the girl. His facial expression made it obvious that he was still bothered by his headache and ringing in his ears. Meanwhile, Raydon and the man in the suit were once again watching. The man cast a sidelong nce at Raydon, but without saying anything, returned his attention to the uing fight. ''''I''ll attack first, and then you can start attacking right away.'''' The blonde girl said as she lifted her bow and aimed. At that moment, just as the blonde girl was about to shoot the arrow, a wild bird''s scream could be heard resonating through the hills. *Screeech* Then, with unimaginable speed, a huge bird resembling an eagle swooped down and dug its sharp talons over the shoulders of the blonde girl before quickly soaring away. ''''Aghh, Noooo¡­ '''' The blonde girl screamed in pain and terror as the monster bird lifted her into the air. ''''Damn. '''' The young man raised his staff and was about to use a skill on the bird when he remembered he had just identally killed one of his teammates. He halted to prevent the same thing from happening again and fixed his gaze on the man in the suit. When he noticed the man standing by and doing nothing while watching the bird carry the girl into the air, he yelled. ''''Hey, help her. Why aren''t you taking action? '''' The man turned to the young man when he heard this question and sighed. ''''I''m sorry, but I don''t possess a skill that can influence long distances. I additionally witnessed the bird''s talons pierce her chest. Before I do anything, she''ll probably be dead.'''' During his speech, the man appeared incredibly helpless. When the young man saw his helpless expression, he couldn''t me him and epted it. ''''What the hell is going on? How did that bird appear out of nowhere? How could a monster be that fast in an F-Rank match? '''' The monster bird moved so quickly that it was toote for even the level 11 item holder to intervene in time. Even Raydon didn''t believe he could avoid this attack. ''''I believe that was the region boss,'''' the man mumbled. ''''So, it was like that. It makes sense now.'''' The youth with the sses stated, believing that this was the only exnation. ''''So, what are we going to do now? There are only three of us left, and we have only one team point. In addition, I believe we ought to leave before the region boss gets back. '''' The young man hurriedly approached the man in the suit and said, nervously scanning his surroundings. ''''I''m here, and we can still win, so don''t worry. Let''s find the next mob first. '''' The man''s words caused the young man to loosen up a bit. He was really hoping to win this match. ''''Scan. '''' The man demonstrated his skill by striking the ground with his cane once more. "Well, the next mob isn''t too far away. Looks like a worm again. Let''s go. '''' The group departed once more on the man''s assurance. Raydon continued to follow without expressing anything other than a smile. Following a while of walking, the man abruptly stopped and said, pointing beneath arge rock that resembled a hill. ''''Do you see that? '''' A set of boots and a green cape were visible where the man was pointing. "Wait... Don''t these belong to that girl? '''' The young man eximed in shock, ran over to the man, and took a nervous nce up at the sky. "Don''t tell me, did we unintentionally enter the region boss''s territory? We should leave right away. If that monstrous birdes back, it will kill us as well. '''' The young man''s voice started to quiver. The mere thought of Region Bossing back and attacking them was nearly enough to make him shit himself. ''''Don''t worry, I didn''t detect the region boss when I used the scan skillst time. Probably not nearby. Furthermore, those items can be extremely valuable. Why don''t you go and get them? '''' When he heard this, the young man came to a sudden halt. ''''Item'''' and ''''valuable'''' were two of his favorite words. After a while of staring at the items, he swallowed and asked the man. "Don''t you want? " ''''I already have aplete set of items, so I don''t believe those items will be useful to me. Additionally, you were the one who was constantly fighting up until this point, so it would be better for you to get them. '''' He spoke with consideration. The young man said after reflecting on the man''s goodness and fairness. "All right, I''ll quickly get it. Are you certain that the region boss is not nearby? '''' "Yes, I''m certain. To be more certain, let me check once more. '''' ''''Scan.'''' ... "Yes, I''m more certain now. It''s not around. '''' The man quickly became more certain and said. Now that he appearedpletely at ease, the young man thanked the man and proceeded to approach the items hidden beneath the rock with caution. When he realized there was no threat he continued to approach slowly then he sped up, picked up the items, and eximed joyfully. ''''Haha, I got them. Wow, these look great¡­ ... Hm? '''' Chapter 74 Black Fire ''''Haha, I got them. Wow, these look great¡­ Hm? '''' He opened his mouth wide to express his happiness when he abruptly heard a crackling sound above his head. ''''You''ve got to be kidding, right?'''' *BAMMM* Unexpectedly, a chunk of the rock that was on top of the young man broke off andnded on him. ''''Oh, no.'''' What kind of misfortune is this? '''' The man rushed to the falling rock and attempted to save the young man, but when he noticed the light beams emerging from beneath the rock, he realized the boy had already died. ''''How can this happen? '''' The man appeared surprised and upset. He sighed and said as he turned to face Raydon. "In matches, all kinds of unforeseen things can ur. " Without ceasing to smile, Raydon replied, "Absolutely, but I don''t think this was something unforeseen. " ''''What do you mean? '''' The man asked while frowning. He grew annoyed by Raydon''s smile. Raydon repeated, "I''m saying you''re the reason they''re all dead. " The man''s brows creased even deeper. He said with a slightly irritated tone as wrinkles started to form on his forehead. ''''Are you aware of what that means, young man? Are you saying that I killed my teammates? You are aware of how serious this usation is, right? You can really piss me off with this. '''' He seemed to grow angrier the more he spoke. His gentlemanly demeanor ultimately vanished into thin air. His anger at Raydon''s usation was intense. Any participant in the match could have been a young master from a big family. It could be very risky to kill a teammate during a match, especially if that teammate was the young master of a big family. After all, the family of the victim could seekpensation from the killer in order to protect their reputation. When the man realized Raydon wasn''t responding and was still grinning, he became enraged and began shouting. ''''Are you insane? That idiot with the sses, who couldn''t even see past his nose, went and killed his teammate by ident. The girl, whose blond hair shone like a lighthouse under the sun and who was more concerned with her appearance than her item skills, was killed by the region boss. And by a stroke of bad luck, this moron perished beneath a falling stone. How was it possible for me to do all of this? '''' The shouting had left the man gasping for air. Raydon said as he pulled his shortsword out of his dimensional storage, "Heh, yes you killed them all because none of what you said really happened. '''' The moment he heard what Raydon was saying, the man stiffened. He spoke while his face went white. ''''What are you talking about? Do you have a mental illness? Everything took ce in front of your very eyes. '''' "I am in good health and am quite conscious. I appreciate you thinking of me. However, as I previously stated, none of this urred. In fact, since the match began, none of us have even moved from our positions,'''' Raydon said with a smile as he looked at the man''s face. The man''s face now appeared to bepletely white, and he began to break out in a cold sweat. With his voice quivering and his body shaking, he said. ''''How did you understand? This is a blue-grade item. It should have been impossible for you to remove the effects of the skill. '''' ''''You don''t need to know how I did it. '''' After saying this, Raydon swung his sword at the man. ''''Damn you. '''' The man cursed and used his cane to block the approaching sword. ''''A level 1 loser is attacking me, like a joke. Haha, '''' The man blocked Raydon''s sword, jumped back, and then lunged at him. Raydon twisted his body a little to the side to dodge the cane that wasing at him at a straight angle. ''''I got you. '''' The man grinned as he pointed his other hand at Raydon and used his other skill after observing that he narrowly avoided his cane. ''''Confusion. '''' The man''s hand sent out a strange wave of air that rushed quickly in the direction of Raydon''s head. However, Raydon was ready for this because his free hand was already waiting to go on the defensive, indicating that he must have been waiting for the man''s next attack. As he positioned his hand to stop the wave, Raydon uttered the following. ''''Reflect. '''' A blue shield appeared in front of Raydon''s hand as he used his skill; the airwave hit the shield and returned to the man at the same speed. ''''Shi¡­'''' The man immediately reacted to Raydon''s move and attempted to avoid it, but due to the close proximity andck of time, he was unsessful and the airwave silently crashed into his head. The impact of this attack briefly caused the man''s eyes to lose focus, and he staggered. However, he quickly recovered and started to move backward. ''''Hook. '''' However, Raydon had already used his second skill before the man could flee. Raydon''s hook snaked around the man''s waist, preventing him from retreating. ''''Fire Kick.'''' Raydon immediately applied his third skill and delivered a direct kick to the man''s stomach without giving him a chance to react. *BAM* Raydon kicked the man with such force that the pitch-ck fire from it mmed into his stomach and spread all around. Despite being briefly startled by the ck mes, Raydon refocused on the battle and used the hook to pull the man who had been thrown backward back to himself while this time throwing a spinning kick. ''He is quite tough, '' Raydon thought. Without giving the man a chance to respond, the third kick to the head was delivered while he was still recovering from the second. Thebo attacks Raydon used on him left the manpletely defenseless. He couldn''t even think clearly due to the repeated blows he was taking, let alone use his skills. --- 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. --- Chapter 75 [Bonus ]Blue-Grade Item Following the fourth kick, the man saw a gap, raised his hand, and attempted to use a skill. ''''Drea¡­ Gaagghh'''' But before he could use it, a sword thrust to the throat caused him to drop to his knees. He gave Raydon a shocked look with eyes wide open, then vanished in a sh of light. Hisst thought before his vision wentpletely dark was... Well, he was too shocked to even think of anything. ''It seems that my strength is still insufficient. '' Raydon muttered, lost in thought. After delivering so many blows, he was finally able to kill the man by slicing his throat with his sword. The man''s defense wasn''t great, but Raydon''s kickscked strength. ''''Also, what were those ck mes? Don''t tell me¡­ '''' Raydon could only think of one reason why, but before he had a chance to consider any other possibilities, everything around him shattered into shards of ss with a loud smashing noise. Once his vision was clear again, Raydon looked around. He was in a ce that was very familiar to him. This was where Raydon first started the match. The man used an illusion skill on all of his teammates as soon as the match began, exactly as Raydon had predicted, and up until this point, everyone had been deceived. ''''So he''s been killing his teammates and collecting items like this all this time, huh? '''' Raydon pondered as he observed his surroundings. There were many items around him. Everyone who died in the illusion appeared to have died in reality as well, leaving only their items behind. ''''That illusion skill was really strong. If I didn''t feel that something was off, it might even fool me. '''' As soon as the match started, Raydon noticed that the man was using a skill under the guise of his greeting. This was further supported by the mild headache and ringing in his ears up until this point. Raydon agreed to follow the group and pretend to work with them as a result. He initially had the option of attacking and killing the man as soon as he used his illusion skill, but by doing so, the man''s teammates would also attack Raydon, and things might getplicated. Even though he was capable of handling them all at once, he didn''t want to waste his time on something like that. He had more fun this way as well. And another reason, if Raydon killed anyone at will during the matches, the families of those killed would eventually go after him. This was something that would give him a headache. Even killing Helen in the previous match was likely to cause him problems in the future, and now this man in the suit has added to that. The man''s use of an illusion skill was obvious. He persuaded his team that they had died naturally. No one would suspect him this way. Raydon looked around him, and when he saw the cane on the ground, his eyes gleamed with delight, and he ran to pick it up. ''''Please be what I guess,'''' He prayed, looking at the ck cane embroidered in brown with an eagle on its head. [Cane] -Grade: Blue -Quality: Normal -Skill: Dream It releases sleep waves that trap the user and up to five other enemies in an illusion. Death in illusion results in death in reality. The spirit stat determines how long the skillsts and how many enemies it can affect at once. The charisma stat determines how well you can control illusion. -Mana cost: 70 -Duration: 1 hour. -Cooldown: 2 days. ''''Holy shit¡­ It really is as he said. This is a blue-grade item. '''' Raydon shouted excitedly. He couldn''t use this item because of its high mana requirement, but even having a blue-grade item was incredible. ording to Belicia, there are at least ten times more price disparities between blue and green-grade items. Even if he is unable to use this item, he can still sell it for gold coins and buy another useful item for himself. After putting the cane and other items into his dimensional storage, Raydon excitedly checked the system. [Time remaining until the end of the match: 02:54:05] ''''Huh? Only a few minutes have passed since the match began. Was the passage of time also an illusion? '''' Raydon eximed in surprise. He epted this exnation with joy. The fact that he had amassed so much loot so soon after the match had begun was a perfect start. He muttered while beaming a smile. '''' Plus, if I can find the enemy team and the region boss... Okay, I need to calm down.'''' He was overjoyed as he calcted his potential earnings. He quickly calmed himself down and went about carrying out his ns. He decided to use the blood bat skill after walking for a while and seeing nothing but stones and soil around him. ''''Blood Bat.'''' Having manifested in his hand, the red bat immediately rose into the air and started to watch from above the hills that were blocking his view. ''''Looks like this skill will be very helpful in this region. '''' His view was significantly obstructed by the hills in the area, but when he observed it from a bird''s eye perspective, this issue waspletely resolved. Despite the fact that he was still only able to see a small portion of his surroundings, it was still quite effective. *** - Current Character Panel - ]: B7890-D4850 [Race]: Human [Name]: Raydon Demugen [Title]: Master of All [Level]: 1 [Rank]: Grey [Experience]: 2579/ 1.000.000 [HP]: 200 [MP]: 10 [Strength]: 1 [Agility]: 1 [Stamina]: 20 [Luck]: 1 [Charisma]: 1 [Spirit]: 1 [Magic Equipment(s)]: 5 / 5 -Glove (Bonded) -Knee Pads (Bonded) -Vambrace (Bonded) -Boots (Bonded) -Bracelet (Bonded) [Body enchantment(s)]: 1 / 5 -Ashen Heart [Dimensional Storage]: 3x3 -Short Sword -Crossbow -Lionheart Great-Sword -Boots -Pants(White) (Blueprint) 2x -Crossbow arrows 100x -Gold satchel 3x (2714) -Dismantling knife [Title]: Master of All -Experience points can be used to boost the stat points of your choice. Currently avable stat(s): -Stamina / Cost: 65 exp. -Life Regeneration(Sub skill): Doubles the body''s rate of healing and enhances the effects of healing skills used on the body based on the stamina stat. Chapter 76 Stoneback Fox Family Using the blood bat''s vision, Raydon searched the area for a while before spotting several fox-like mobs that appeared to be sleeping in a rock''s shadow. ''''I suppose all I''ll find in F-Rank matches are animal-like mobs. Or the god who created this world has very limited imagination. '''' He felt dissatisfied and went after his first prey of the match. These monsters were sleeping in groups of six beneath the cover of shadow. They had fur that was dark red, and their heads and backs appeared to be covered in stone armor. ''They look cute. '' Raydon thought beforeunching his first attack. ''''Hook. '''' The hook that flew out of his hand quickly wrapped around the head of the mob closest to him and drew it towards himself. ''''Fire Kick. '''' Raydon used his second skill at that moment, kicking the monster that was being drawn towards him with his heel to the ground with a powerful blow. *BANG* The ck mes Raydon released with his kick shattered and scattered the stone armor on the beast''s back. *Ding* [Lv.1 Stoneback Fox(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experiences.] ''''These ck mes have to be caused by body enchantment. But it doesn''t appear to have gotten any stronger. '''' Raydon performed an analysis once more after seeing these ck mes for the second time. Other than the color, the mes didn''t appear to have changed at all. The five monsters who were left behind had awakened as well while Raydon was thinking, and they were shocked to see what had happened to their friends. The fact that they were just standing there without attacking suggests that they were either frightened by the ck mes shooting from Raydon''s leg or by their friend''s sudden demise. ''''If you''re noting, I''ming. '''' With a twisted smile enhanced by the dark mes raging on his leg, Raydon said as he turned to face the monsters. The moment the Stoneback Foxes noticed Raydon running toward them, their furs began to stand up and they hissed at him. Nevertheless, one of them was killed instantly by a hard kick to the head, proving that their threat wasn''t enough to stop him. When the monsters became fully aware of the situation with the death of another family member, they attacked Raydon in rage, as if to avenge their sisters. While Raydon kicked the third fox in the stomach, another fox took advantage of the situation and moved in from behind Raydon to bite his arm. The fox was certain that this move would be sessful, but Raydon sensed iting and avoided it as if he had an extra pair of eyes on the back of his head. When the fox''s attack missed its target, it quickly tried to regain itsposure and assume a defensive stance, but it failed and was struck in the neck by the sword Raydon pulled from his dimensional storage during the fight, falling to the ground covered in blood. The other fox cried out in rage and sorrow as it watched its friend''s lifeless body fall to the ground with blood gushing from its neck. It then attacked Raydon without thinking twice. However, the only thing that weed the enraged fox was a ring of pitch-ck mes that appeared to be shooting out of the depths of hell. A kick to the chin instantly scorched the fox''s brain, and the poor beast immediately departed for the afterlife while carrying all the resentment with it. Thest remaining fox instinctively tucked its tail between its legs and started to back away as soon as it realized all of its friends had been brutally killed. The fox saw the deviling toward itself, his sword dripping blood, his feet burning with ck mes. The fox''s entire family, whom it had hunted and spent time with for years, had been murdered by this heartless monster, and all the fox could do was close its eyes and prepare to die. Closing its eyes, the fox left this world to join its family, with a sharp but fleeting pain in its neck. *Ding* [Lv.1 Stoneback Fox(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experiences.] Raydon grinned as he studied the system message left by thest fox he had killed. ''''I wish I could always find mobs inrge groups like this. It saves me the trouble of searching everywhere. '''' Swinging his short sword, he swept away the blood and returned it to his dimensional storage while looking around. ''''The cooldown for blood bat will end in a few minutes. I wonder in which direction is the enemy team. '''' In the previous match, the match ended before Raydon could locate the enemy team, and he didn''t want to go through that again. But the region was toorge, and the blood bat wasn''t enough to cover it all, so he had to think more strategically. He took a few moments to scan the area before focusing on one of the closest, tallest hills. After some time, Raydon approached this hill''s summit and looked at it. This hill resembled arge rock. It seemed to be a little challenging to climb because it was so steep. For Raydon, however, it wasn''t all that difficult. He pointed his hand at a ledge that was visible to him but quite high off the ground and said. ''''Hook.'''' After leaving Raydon''s hand and flying a few meters, the hook got tangled in the rock ledge that Raydon targeted. Then, with the hook-pulling feature engaged, Raydon started to be drawn in the direction of the rock. ''''This is probably the most useful skill I possess. I feel like Spiderdude. '''' Raydon climbed to the top of the hill in record time, thanks to the hook and his own climbing abilities. From the top of the hill, he had a simr view to the blood bat, so there wasn''t much difference in what he saw. But his intention was not to use the viewpoint of this location in the first ce. ''''Blood Bat.'''' Chapter 77 Enemy Team Found ''''Blood Bat.'''' He once more used the blood bat, this time ordering it to rise as he started to scan the area. He was able to move the blood bat approximately 25 meters away from himself. He was confident that from this height, he could explore more areas. ''Although I won''t be able to see the enemy or the region boss directly, I will be able to find the signs they left behind. '' Raydon pondered as he scanned the area. His goal was to observe the skill effects or dust created by the enemy team while fighting mobs. And it happened exactly as he had predicted. He could make out skill-like effects in the distance, along with dust clouds rising into the air. If there were no mobs capable of using skills other than the region boss, the opposing team was the reason for this. After finding the enemy team, Raydon did not immediately leave the hill but instead kept looking around. He also wanted to find the Region Boss if possible. But he was unlucky, and the blood bat''s duration ended before he could find it. ''I suppose I should try again from a different location. In any case, it appears that I have located the enemy team. '' Raydon sighed as he thought. He was determined to get the most out of this match. He began to descend the hill, and he took much less time doing so. He then used the item he looted from Helen for the first time afternding on the ground. ''''Faster. '''' [Knee Pads] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Faster Increases movement speed by 5% immediately and continues to increase as the user keeps running. The stamina stat determines speed increase and skill duration. -Mana cost: 5 -Duration: 10 minutes. -Cooldown: 40 minutes. Raydon didn''t want to take too long getting to the enemy. He then started running after activating the skill. Raydon''s agility was at the lowest possible level, but thanks to his running technique, his speed was still quite fast. Of course, he was much slower than an agility build item holder. Raydon kept running, and the skill''s effect caused him to run faster. In less than 30 minutes, he had already arrived at the location where the opposing team was visible. ''''All I have to do now is find them by following their tracks.'''' Thanks to the knowledge he had gained from using the hunter ss in his previous life, Raydon could quickly identify the tracks left behind by the enemy team. ''Looks like this is where they got into the fight. '' Raydon made an immediate deduction after observing the tracks on the ground, and he then started to advance by once more following the tracks. After making some progress, he eventually located the enemy team. But he wasn''t expecting what he saw. Raydon chuckled in confusion, "Is today my lucky day?" A group of five people was battling a huge, overgrown spider a little distance from where he was hiding. But that wasn''t what caught Raydon off guard and led him to believe he was lucky. Raydon concentrated and paid close attention to the foe who was hiding at the very back of the formation the team had adopted when fighting the spider. This individual had light blue skin and long blue hair. However, as opposed to being smooth like a normal person, his skin appeared scaly. He also had gills on either side of his neck that kept opening and closing. Instead of attacking the spider, this person constantly sprayed water on himself and his teammates while they were battling the spider. Raydon climbed onto the rock he was hiding behind, sat cross-legged to watch morefortably, and said. ''''It''s amusing just to watch this. '''' ¡ª ''''Hey, my scales are about to dry, water me quickly.'''' One of the fish men yelled, attempting to avoid the web the spider had thrown out of its mouth. ''''Irrigation. '''' The fish man, who was standing behind the team, shook the fan he was holding and immediately poured water on his teammates. ''''Bleh¡­ Blergh¡­ Blearhghh¡­I got soil in my gills. Fuck the soil bing mud when it is mixed with water... Hold on while I clean my gills. '''' Another fish man yelled while attempting to use his hand to clean his neck while retreating. ''''Hey, we don''t have time for this. We were covered in mud as well. Come on, let''s finish this quickly. ''''After saying it, the other fish man, whose head resembles a crab, lunged at the spider with his trident. ''''Damn, I really don''t like ces like this that are so dry. Five matches ago was thest time I came across a sea region. '''' ''''There is nothing to do because every region has different kinds of difficulties. Stop whining and let''s get this done. In any case, we are not far behind in terms of points. It appears that the opposing team is having simr difficulties as us. '''' Looking at the 2-point difference, the fan-holding fish man said. The difference would be reduced to just one if they killed this spider. They were not used to soil or arid environments because they were fishmen themselves. So, what was the source of the enemy team''s difficulties? Why did they also have so few points? ''''The other team receives no points for nearly 30 minutes. There''s something fishy here. '''' ''''Huh? '''' ''''Huh? '''' ''''Huh? '''' ''''Huh? '''' Hearing the remarks of his friends, the other team members were unable toprehend what he meant. "I mean, it seems suspicious, isn''t it? Could they have died? It could also be something else. '''' ''''I''m not sure, but I hope they died. By the way, the cooldown for my stun skill has ended, so prepare to attack. '''' ''''Impact. '''' With a yell, the fish man threw his trident at the spider. ''''I got this. '''' Another fish man yelled as he jumped on the spider with wed gloves after seeing that the trident had struck the spider and stunned it with its blow. "Die, you crab head. " ''''Hey!!! '''' When he heard this, the fish man who had just thrown the trident and stunned the spider cried out furiously, but he quickly forgot his rage when he saw what happened next. Chapter 78 The Fishmens Struggle Just as his friend was about to use his ws to deal the spider its death blow, an arrow from an unidentified source struck him in the gills, and at that instant, he turned into a beam of light and vanished. ''''Watch out!!! The enemy team has found us¡­ '''' He shouted a warning to his friends as soon as possible and used a defense-type skill. ''''Water Shell. '''' He was surrounded by a jet stream of water that quickly formed an oval shield. As he tried to figure out where the arrow came from, the Fishman turned around and called out to his friends. ''''Due to the dry weather, my water shield is very thin. Can probably only withstand one arrow attack. Find the enemy team quic...'''''' *BANG* Before the Fishman could finish, the spider mmed into his water shield with a powerful blow. The Fishmen team was all focused on finding the opposing team and were unable to realize that the spider''s stunned effect had already worn off and that it was currently on the rampage. ''''Gaaghg.'''' The Fishman briefly hovered in the air before crashing to the ground a short distance away. The water shield hadpletely shattered and covered the sand, turning it into mud. ''''Beghh, bough, hurry and wash me, I can''t breathe. '''' He called out for assistance in an attempt to get the mud out of his gills, but nobody responded except for the spider. *Crack* The spider popped open its enormous, obscene mouth and bite the Fishman''s crab-like head with a walnut-like crack. ''''Damn you, run. First, let''s find somewhere to take cover. '''' The fan-wielding Fishman shouted and made an effort to run away. Two of his teammates had already died within a short period of time, and an enraged spider was now chasing them. "I can''t run fast enough. My scales have all dried up and are now covered in mud. I also don''t have enough mana to use skills. Please help. '''' The spider was rapidly approaching him when the other Fishman turned to look behind him, at which point he began to scream for help. However, it was obviously toote, as usual. The spider caught the Fishman, who couldn''t run fast because of his condition and devoured him as well. There were only two Fishmen left, and they weren''t looking good either. ''''Fuck this¡­ I''ll immediatelymit suicide if I ever find myself in a region that is dry and covered in sand again. It''s not worth going through all that pain. '''' "You''re right, " The other Fishman nodded in agreement after hearing what the fan-wielding Fishman said and ced his hand on his head. ''''Water bullet. '''' His dead body then hit the ground and vanished into the lights. ''''Wh¡­ This idiot¡­ I was just saying¡­ I wasn''t even serious¡­. IDIOT '''' Thest Fishman standing yelled angrily as he turned to face the spider chasing after him. Even though the region greatly disadvantaged them, they shouldn''t have died out so quickly. He was unable to ept this. His own race was the ruler of all the seas in the world he came from, and he couldn''t bear losing so easily and mockingly. ''''You can''t even fight us face to face, cowards. Take a look at how I''m going to kill this spider. Afterward, it will be your turn. '''' Holding the fan in his hand, he bravely went up against the spider, shouting at the enemy team in an effort to make them hear his voice. Although he wasn''t sure if the enemy heard him, he had enough time to realize that an arrow had been shot through his neck and killed him. ¡ª [Lv.8 Fishman (F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 8 points.] [You gained 80 experiences.] Raydon rose slowly from his sitting position and ced the crossbow in his dimensional storage. He said while cleaning himself with his hand. ''''That was fun haha. '''' Raydon found the entire situation to be amusing as the Fishmen struggled mightily to score one more point for the team despite all odds. ''''I could only kill three of them to gain experience points, but at least their items are still there. '''' Raydon hastened to the location of the dead Fishmen. Pulling his shortsword out of his dimensional storage, he muttered and cast a nce at the spider that was still hovering nearby. ''''It won''t make up for the experience points I''ve lost, but at least your death will lessen my resentment. '''' He then started to run in the direction of the spider. The spider looked exhausted but stayed in the fight when it saw Raydon approaching. The monster immediately began to spit out sticky, web-like saliva. Raydon deftly evaded the iing web attacks and came right in front of the spider, thanks to his ultra-super-powered rolling technique. When the spider realized Raydon had dodged all of its attacks and was now directly in front of it, it screamed in rage and stabbed Raydon with its two massive metallic teeth. *Screeahh* ''''Reflect.'''' Raydon used his skill to deflect the spider''s attack with his hand. Due to the skill''s ability to reflect 5% of damage, the monster briefly lost bnce. Seizing the moment, Raydon stabbed his short sword into the spider''s abdomen, easily splitting it since the abdomen was softer than the rest of its body. The spider screamed in agony and started to quiver. With the greenish liquid flowing from its stomach, it turned around and began to flee at breakneck speed, but it was toote. Raydon raised his hand once more. ''''Hook. '''' The hook became entangled in the spider''s side legs, causing it to fall over. Quickly approaching the spider that had lost its bnce and fallen on its side, he drew the great sword from his dimensional storage and stabbed it into the spider''s head with all his strength. [Lv.1 Dirt Spider(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experiences.] Raydon removed the great sword from the spider''s head after hearing the system message. He cleaned the greenish blood off the sword by rubbing it against the spider''s hairy abdomen before putting it back in his dimensional storage. ''''It''ll be pretty gross disassembling this thing, but... Sigh, I can''t let any loot go to waste. '''' *** If you don''t want to wait for the next chapter, you can get the privilege and read up to 13 chapters. Chapter 79 [Bonus ] The Stupid Pride Of The Solo Player He then got to work after pulling out his dismantling knife. Fishmen''s items could have waited a little longer. After all, there was nothing nearby that could steal them from Raydon. At least, that''s what he thought... He disassembled the spider and took its valuable parts before putting everything in his dimensional storage and walking to the location where the Fishmen died to collect the items. But when Raydon arrived at the location where he was certain the Fishmen were dead, he found nothing. "What the heck? " Raydon, shocked, went to the location where the next Fishman died but found nothing there either. ''''Where??!! Where are the items supposed to be dropped? '''' Raydon went mad when he couldn''t find anything on the ground. They must have dropped something¡ªeven if it was trash. After spending some time searching, Raydon noticed that the area where the Fishman should have perished and the item should have dropped was a little fluffy. He finally spotted a fan on the ground as he turned his attention to thest and final dead Fishman. ''''At the very least, I found one.'''' When he ran to get the item, the ground pierced in front of his eyes, revealing a brown worm that was at least three times bigger than him swallowing the item. ''''Y-Y-YOU FUCKER!!! '''' When Raydon witnessed this scene taking ce in front of him, he went insane. He was furious and pulled his crossbow from his dimensional storage when he understood that the worm had eaten the items he couldn''t find earlier. He shot an arrow at the worm while its head was still on the ground. The arrow wasunched from a short distance and flew through the air, striking the worm''s head and rebounding. ''''What in the world?!'''' Raydon was taken aback by how tough the worm''s soft-looking skin was. When the worm noticed Raydon, it turned to look at him with absent eyes before jumping and burrowing overhead back into the ground. ''''No!!! You can''t just take my things and run away.'''' ''''Hook. '''' The hook shot out and became entangled on a bony spine that was extending backside from the worm''s back. Raydon grabbed hold of the rope and started to be dragged underground after the worm when he suddenly found himself unable to handle its strength. ''Shit, shit, shit. '' He was dragged behind Worm as he moved quickly beneath the ground, mming into the nearby stones as they were moved. [HP -1] [HP -4] [HP -9] ¡­ .. In addition to hitting the surrounding stones, Raydon began to feel another pain, as if his skin was melting. Because of the darkness, he was unable to see what it was, but when he felt the breath he was trying to take burning in his throat, a thought suddenly came to him. The burning sensation Raydon experienced was probably a poisonous gas that the worm left behind as it moved. He realized after looking at the system alerts that he was losing more and more HP. ''The duration of the hook is 10 seconds; if I try to hang on for that long, I will die. Should I give up? '' Raydon made a decision right away after a split-second of thought. ''Never!!! '' He was willing to sacrifice everything to keep the worm from taking his possessions. He had once again be foolish due to his pride as a solo yer. However, he would never allow a mob to take something that belonged to him. That would be too embarrassing... "If I can''t get my items back, I''m taking you with me," Raydon quickly devised a strategy. Without even looking at how many experience points he had, he opened his system and immediately pressed all of them to the stamina stat. [Experience]: 2849/ 1.000.000 -Stamina- Cost: 65 exp. Cost: 72 exp. Cost: 80 exp. ¡­ *Ding* Raydon heard the system message while increasing his stamina stat, but he chose to ignore it because he didn''t have time to check it right now. ¡­ Cost: 256 exp. Cost: 279 exp. After Raydon gained 16 more stamina, his experience points were depleted. His pain from hitting the stones waspletely gone. The melting sensation in his body now felt like itching. He even felt as if his wounds were beginning to heal. ''Now I''m hoping this gas is mmable. ''Raydon smiled and said with his half-melted mouth. ''''Fire Kick. '''' *BOOOOOMMM* When a small spark formed in Raydon''s leg, he heard a brief, loud explosion and went unconscious. [HP -198] [Lv.10 Devouring Worm(E-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 100 points.] [You gained 1000 experience points.] [Congrattions; at the conclusion of the match, you will receive your reward for killing the region boss.] ---- A clear blue sky greeted Raydon when he opened his eyes once more. He straightened his back from his lying position, still holding his throbbing head, and muttered as he peered at the sizable crater next to him. ''I-I''m still alive, huh? '' As Raydon attempted to stand up, he became aware that something was missing and, with his vision still spinning, he looked down at his feet. ''''Oh, damn, I don''t have any feet.'''' Raydon''s right hip waspletely gone, and his left leg appeared shattered. As if something had suddenly urred to him, Raydon checked hastily for what should have been between his legs. When he saw what he was looking for¡ªa sound and healthy little brother¡ªhe sighed in relief. ''''I guess it''s a small price to pay for a suicide mission,'''' He said, looking at his rapidly healing wounds. He only intended to kill the worm, and he made the decision to pay the price with his own life. However, it is clear that the stamina stat he had improved before his suicide mission was what kept him alive. ''Stamina couldn''t have been the only thing that saved me from the explosion.'' Raydon reflected as he looked down at his regenerating legs. He heard the system dinging earlier as he was increasing his stamina and decided to check it out while he waited. *** Monthly Goals Every; 250 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter(Max 5) -- 1 published 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter(Max5) Magic Castle = 1 extra chapter(N/A) -- 2 published --- 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. --- Chapter 80 Roller Coaster Of Emotions Raydonughed as he scrolled through the system messages, seeing the message informing him that he had killed the Region Boss. ''''That really was the region boss, huh? Haha, no one can steal my items and run away from me. '''' Even though he had destroyed the Region Boss with the explosion and lost all the items, his vengeance was still enough to improve his mood. Being alive was a reward in itself for him. He cheerfully continued and checked the other system message before realizing this message about his title. [Title]: Master of All -Experience points can be used to boost the stat points of your choice. Currently avable stat(s): -Stamina / Cost: 234 exp. ( New skill has been unlocked.) -Life Regeneration (Sub Skill): Doubles the body''s rate of healing and enhances the effects of healing skills used on the body based on the stamina stat. -Damage Reduction (Sub Skill): Ignores 50% of all received damage. ''''Are you for real? '''' When Raydon saw his newly unlocked skill, he could not contain his surprise. ''''Does this cover all types of damages? I will only take half as much damage as a result, right? Isn''t this just too perfect? '''' Raydon hadpletely forgotten about the pain he was feeling in an instant. He waspletely taken aback by the new skill he acquired. ''''Whates next? Will I be immortal? '''' He said, grinning broadly. What other skills would he acquire if his stamina continued to increase? In fact, what kind of skills could he acquire if he unlocked and increased other stats?He thought his title was too OP, but he calmed down when he saw the experience points required to increase his stamina again. ''''234 experiences¡­ After a while, it will most likely take millions to increase it by just one.I''ll probably have leveled up by then. I''m curious if my other stats will be unlocked as I level up. '''' He paused for a moment, reflecting on the increasing amount of experience required. However, if he could unlock his other stats by leveling up, and even unlock all of his stats, the passive skills he would gain by increasing each stat would be stronger than he could have imagined. ''''Heh, all of a sudden I began to have incredible hopes for my future. I feel like I''ll have more fun in this world. '''' When Raydon saw that his legs had fully recovered, heughed once more and got to his feet. ''I wonder if there is still a chance to earn some gold coins from the region boss. '' Raydon thought. And as he got closer to the crater, he became aware of something. He sighed as he looked at himself from the waist down. "Looks like my knee pads, boots, and pants were destroyed in the explosion. " His mode, which had just risen, abruptly dropped to the bottom once more when he realized he needed to find new items to rece them. ''Tch, I really liked those ck mes...I''d like to eat worm fries tonight. '' A furious look crossed his face as he muttered. He moved forward and took a closer look at the crater, which he found to be quite deep but whose bottom was easily visible. The worm appeared to be reduced to nothing more than shredded fragments of flesh. ''I don''t think any of these will bring in any gold coins,'' While Raydon was thinking, his eye was drawn to a ck oval object on a piece of flesh. ''''Is that¡­? '''' He jumped into the crater in a hurry, slid all the way to the bottom, and then dashed toward what he saw. He picked up the object, removed the pieces of flesh and blood from it, and then shouted joyfully. ''''Hahahaha, this item can make me forget about all my losses.'''' [Storage Expansion Orb.] -Grade: White -Quality: N/A -Skill: Enchant Users can increase the capacity of their Dimensional Storage by x1 by using this item. -Mana Cost: None -Duration: None -Cooldown: None Raydon was finding storage expansion orbs in three consecutive matches, but he was also aware of how valuable they were. When he killed the enemy team, he was aware that there was a slim chance that this item would also drop. But even killing someone from the enemy team is usually a difficult task, so he doesn''t even need to consider the slim chance of this drop. Raydon used the item right away to increase his dimensional storage to x4. He then opened the door to his dimensional storage, making itrge enough for him to walk through, and took a look inside. He noticed the stacked pieces of mobs he had hunted in this match in one of the corners of the storage. Other items were also scattered on the other side. "Perfect, this ce is already as big as a room where one can livefortably." Given that there was no source of illumination and the walls were constructed of a dark stone that resembled obsidian, the interior was surprisingly bright. The the inside looked like a room that was 4 meters deep, 4 meters high, and 4 meters wide. Now, if he wanted to, Raydon could even fit the region boss he killed. "I wonder how big it can get." Raydon pondered. In the future, it could even be a separate world by itself. When he entered inside, he stopped in the middle as if he were considering something. ''''Am I the reason I can''t close the entrance, or is it because I can''t close it when any living creature is inside? ''''Raydon contemted with his hand on his chin. Whatever the answer, it was clear that Raydon would not be able to use this space as a secret room for himself. ''''Anyway, it appears that I still have time. I can get out of here and hunt a few more mobs. ''''He left the dimensional storage and climbed out of the crater again after seeing the remaining 1 hour on the system. He put the sole pair of spare boots in his dimensional storage on his feet and set out to hunt more mobs. Chapter 81 Back To Item Market [Lv.1 Funky Hedgehog(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experiences.] Raydon approached the thorn-covered monster that resembled a ball with his crossbow in hand. After retrieving his arrow, he then checked the system to see how much time was left. [Time remaining until the end of the match: 00:01:15] ''''Not bad, I was able to kill 24 more mobs even though a few of my arrows were broken during the hunt. '''' Raydon did not get all of the results he desired from the match, but he had a great time. ''''I guess I''ll have to look for a better investigative-type item as soon as possible. '''' He could find and kill mobs faster if he had a better investigative-type item, and what happened with the Region Boss would not happen again. At the very least, he could keep the Region Boss from stealing his items covertly. After waiting for the countdown to end and cing his crossbow in his dimensional storage, his body transformed into light and vanished into thin air. [The match has ended.] [Winner Team: B7890-D4850] [¡­Based on the contribution, rewards are calcted.] [You gained gold coins: 168] [You gained item blueprint: Jacket(White)] [You gained a body enchantment: Poison Sac(White)] [Win streak: 3] ¡ª Raydon viewed the system message while sitting on his bed and then spoke. ''''Not too bad. At least I obtained a new body enchantment. '''' He then pulled the items from his dimensional storage that he had looted from his teammates and examined them. ''''A total of 8 items, 5 of them are trash items, 1 of which is white-grade, 1 green-grade, and 1 blue-grade.'''' He returned the useless gray-grade items before taking the white-grade armbands and inspecting them. [Armbands.] -Grade: White -Quality: Normal -Skill: Jump Doubles the impact of the jump after it has been activated. -Mana cost: 1 -Duration: 1 Time. -Cooldown: 20 seconds. ''''A movement-type skill, hmm. I can use it if I can''t find a better one, '''' Raydon reasoned. Since he had lost his only movement-type item due to the explosion, he needed to find another one. So he thought this might work, at least temporarily. He bound the item and turned to the following. It was the pair of sses that the young man with the sses wore during the match. [sses] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Focus All of the user''s skills automatically hit their intended target. -Mana cost: 10 -Duration: 30 seconds. -Cooldown: 5 minutes. ''''He was able to kill his own teammate despite this item, huh? Well, it shouldn''te as a big surprise since he was in an illusion after all. '''' After cing this item in his dimensional storage as well, Raydon went to his closet, changed, and muttered. "Hopefully the store owner prepared what I requested, " He then opened the door and walked out of the house. ¡ª Raydon returned to the antique store after a brief absence. The store owner, who was in front of him and had his forehead bandaged, spoke while giving Raydon a modest look. ''''Sir, as you requested, I found the men. I have forwarded all of the directives you sent with the message, and they are all ready. They can act whenever you want, just on your word. '''' Raydon nodded and looked impressed when he heard this. ''''All right, I''ll message you the time and locationter.'''' He began walking towards the door that led to the item market. Now that he was ustomed to being in this ce and the shopkeepercked the courage or the desire to stop him, he opened the VIP door and moved on to his next stop. He arrived at the item market after descending the long stairs and passing through the dark tunnel, and went straight to Fang''s shop, skipping the other stalls. The same man was the one to wee him inside; once more, he was preupied with the book in his hand and had not even raised an eyebrow at Raydon, who had entered. ''''Hello. '''' He said it in an effort to get the man''s attention, and it was sessful. The man finally raised his head and said to Raydon, looking bored. ''''You''re back, huh? Actually, given that it has been two days since your previous visit, it is not at all odd. You must havee to sell the loot from another match.'''' The man put down his book and turned his attention to Raydon. ''''Yes, if you''re avable. '''' He was attempting to converse with the man in a polite and friendly manner. After all, he was helping him and giving information about the items even though he wasn''t required to. ''''I''m free, as you can see. You are one of the few visitors whoe here. '''' Raydon agreed with the man''s statement. He was the only customer every time he came. It was most likely due to the shop only being open to prestigious people or only epting high-quality items and materials. ''''OK, let''s see what you''ve got this time. '''' Following the man''sment, Raydon started to line up all the mob parts he had hunted in the previous match. ''He has a lot of loot once morepared to a typical item holder, but this time I assume he was unable to kill the Region Boss. '' When he was unable to see the region boss''s materials, the man thought. It was a very rare sess for him to kill the Region Boss in the previous match; therefore, if the man discovered that Raydon had done so once more, he might have been greatly surprised. "957 gold coins for all. '''' The man made the calction right away and gave Raydon the gold coins when he saw his nod. ''''I also have a few things I want to sell. '''' Raydon said as he took everything off the counter except the movement-type armbands and blue-grade cane. ''''Hmm, I can give 250 gold for all the gray-grade items and 850 gold for sses. While the sses appear to be useful, I doubt anyone would want to wear them during a match ''''After some thought, the man offered a price. *** Updated Character Panel ]: B7890-D4850 [Race]: Human [Name]: Raydon Demugen [Title]: Master of All [Level]: 1 [Rank]: Grey [Experience]: 1368/ 1.000.000 [HP]: 360 [MP]: 10 [Strength]: 1 [Agility]: 1 [Stamina]: 36 [Luck]: 1 [Charisma]: 1 [Spirit]: 1 [Magic Equipment(s)]: 5 / 5 -Glove (Bonded) -Armbands (Bonded) (New) -Vambrace (Bonded) -Boots (Bonded) (Gray-grade - The one with the ''''Fire Kick'''' skill destroyed.) -Bracelet (Bonded) [Body enchantment(s)]: 1 / 5 -Ashen Heart [Dimensional Storage]: x4 -Short Sword -Crossbow -Lionheart Great-Sword -Pants(White) (Blueprint) 2x -jacket(White) (Blueprint) -Crossbow arrows -Gold satchel 3x (16.939) -Dismantling Knife -Cane [Title]: Master of All -Experience points can be used to boost the stat points of your choice. Currently avable stat(s): -Life Regeneration (Sub Skill): Doubles the body''s rate of healing and enhances the effects of healing skills used on the body based on the stamina stat. -Damage Reduction (Sub Skill): Ignores 50% of all received damage. Chapter 82 [Bonus ] Buying A Movement-Type Item ''''Deal. Can you also give me some information about this item? '''' Raydon nodded in agreement and took out a dark green pouch-like object with no opening that appeared to be made of cloth from his dimensional storage. The man''s pupils widened as soon as he saw this item, indicating that he must have realized it was a body enchantment. He paused for a moment, looking briefly at Raydon''s face. ''No way, right? Did he actually kill the Region Boss once more? Even if he killed it, he might not necessarily get a body enchantment. Perhaps he discovered it elsewhere. In any case, I must inform the master of this as soon as possible. '' He gathered himself, picked up the item, and started to examine it without letting Raydon see the turmoils of his repressed emotions. [Poison Sac] -Grade: White -Quality: N/A -Skill: Body Enchantment It provides the user with an organ that regrly releases poison. Raydon was immediately suspicious of the item''s description when he first read it. The person who would use it gained the ability to produce poison, but was left in the dark regarding the specifics of how to use this poison. ''''This item can be very useful for a select few item holders. Obviously, if they are an antisocial loner with no close friends or family. '''' With augh, the man said. He went on to exin. ''''After using this body enchantment, your entire body begins to secrete poison. Your sweat and even your odor be poisonous. There would undoubtedly be a buyer for it. I''m willing to buy it from you for 12000 gold coins if you want to sell it. '''' Raydon eventually made the decision to sell it. He could use this item as well, but he didn''t want to iste himself from his soon-to-be-formed social circle. ''''Is there anything else? '''' The man asked, raising an eyebrow. Knowing Raydon, he was aware that he was prone to selling his possessions one at a time. But Raydon surprised him by responding, "Nothing else, thank you. Goodbye for now. '''' He then turned around and left the store. There wasn''t much he had to sell. Only the cane was valuable, and even if he could sell it, because it was a blue-grade item, the gold he would receive would not allow him to purchase another blue-grade item. He needed to be E-Rank and eligible to take part in the auction in this location if he wanted to sell it and purchase a blue-grade item for himself. ''I have 16.939 gold coins; let''s see if I can find a movement-type and attack-type item.'' He considered it and resumed his tour of the stalls. He wandered around the stalls one by one, hoping to find something simr to the fire kick skill for the attack type. Additionally, it needed to be supported by stamina stat. After some time, he discovered arge stall with an enormous salesman. The man was so obese that he resembled a human snowman. Over his round body was a round head. His head, which appeared to be a ball of flesh, had tiny eyes, a nose, and a mouth. He initially assumed the man was seated behind the counter, but as he drew nearer, he noticed that the man''s legs were rather short and had vanished beneath ayer of body fat. ''''Hello, sir. '''' Respectfully, Raydon greeted. Along with his appearance, he gave Raydon the impression that he was quite strong. "Hoho, Hello, young man. Greetings from my stall. '''' He was greeted by the man''s lovelyugh. "I''m looking for movement- and attack-type items that are supported by stamina. Do you have anything you can show me? '''' He described the items he wanted clearly and to the point. He initially thought the man was someone who would sell stamina-rted items because of his physique. ''''You''vee to the right ce, Hohoho. Does it matter if it''s clothing or an essory? '''' With his amusingugh andical appearance, the man gave the impression that he was a cartoon character who genuinely wanted to help Raydon. ''''Doesn''t matter. I''m okay with both types. '''' Raydon said. He hoped to find a useful item by making use of the man''s good nature. ''''All right, young man, I have three good movement-type items that I believe you will like.'''' The man said this while pointing to the three items on the counter. One was a bronze ring and two were boots. Raydon first took the ring and examined it. [Ring] -Grade: White -Quality: Good -Skill: Run Increases movement speed by 20% in an instant. The duration of the skill increases depending on the stamina stat. -Mana cost: 3 -Duration: 6 minutes. -Cooldown: 10 minutes. ''Hmm, not too bad. At the very least, it''s better than my armbands.'' He then took one of the boots, and, seeing how simr it was to the ring, he picked up the other boot and examined it. This was a dark green leather boot with ckces. [Boots] -Grade: Green -Quality: Outstanding -Skill: Depart Locks onto a target and increases the user''s speed by 25% until the target dies, vanishes, or the skill expires. If the target dies before the skill expires, the cooldown is reset and the user gains 5% more speed and +30 seconds to the skill duration, which can be stacked up to 5 times. The duration of the skill increases depending on the stamina stat. -Mana cost: 6 -Duration: 5 minutes. -Cooldown: 7 minutes. ''T-this¡­ '' When Raydon saw the skill, he was at a loss for words and said whatever first came to mind. ''''I''m buying it. '''' ''''Hohoho, I guessed you''d like it. '''' The man nodded, approving Raydon''s choice. ''''How much? '''' ''''Well, it is a little pricey. 19.500 gold coins. Hoho '''' ''''That expensive? '''' Raydon expected it to be expensive, but he didn''t expect it to be this much. ''''It''s actually a semi-blue-grade item. These features are nearly the best you can find in a green-grade item. '''' The man said with a chuckle. Raydon couldn''t deny what the man had said. Despite the fact that this item was as expensive as a body enchantment, these features were unquestionably excellent. He remembered that he had 16,939 gold coins in total, so he chose to haggle in an effort to lower the price. *** Monthly Goals Every; 250 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter(Max 5) -- 1 published 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter(Max5) 1 published Magic Castle = 1 extra chapter(N/A) -- 2 published *** When I first set this monthly goal, I really didn''t think you could reach it so quickly. Now I have to publish bonus chapters every single day... Okay, I''m notining... *sob* *sob* Thanks for all your support. Chapter 83 A Future Debt ''''Can''t you lower the price a little more? '''' Raydon asked bluntly. He believed the man would help him because of his good nature. "Hmm, how much do you have?" Raydon really wanted the item, and the man could tell that he probably didn''t have enough gold, so he squinted his eyes in recognition. ''''Eh, a total of 16.939 '''' Raydon gave an honest response. He chose not to try to trick the man because hisst chance to negotiate would be lost if the man somehow discovered that he was lying. "Hohoho, you are a decent young man. I can see your resolve in your eyes, and I think you''ll one day hold a lot of power. You owe me the difference in gold when I need something in the future, so give me 16.000 gold coins. '''' He said it with sincerity. Actually, what he did was not all that unusual. He was gaining himself a potential ally for the future by assisting someone who was in need at the time. It was only natural for an item holder to request assistance from another item holder, and as the man had predicted, if Raydon rose to prominence and authority in the future, he might be able to repay his debt by lending a hand if he ever encountered difficulties. "Thank you for having such high regard for me. If the timees and you ever need anything I will dly assist you with everything I have,'''' Raydon said respectfully, slightly bowing his head. Seeing Raydon''s actions, the man nodded, believing he had made the correct decision. ''''Then it''s yours. '''' The man motioned for Raydon to pick up the item, and Raydon wasted no time pulling out 16,000 gold coins from his gold satchel and paying for it. ''''Again, I''m grateful. I''lle to you when I have enough gold once more to get the attack-type item I''m after. '''' Raydon said with a smile, and when he saw the man nod his head and smile back, he turned and walked away. The man watched Raydon turn and start to walk away for a moment, muttering to himself. "Those are most definitely not the eyes of a weakling. Either he is using a skill to conceal his strength, or my investigative-type item miscalcted his strength." Given that he was constantly buying and selling items here, the man must have had the skill to keep an eye on his customers. He couldn''t learn Raydon''s full strength, but based on the information the skill provided, his level appeared to be very low. The man, however, also relied on his feelings and years of experience. Like Fang, he had the same impression of Raydon at first. Either Raydon was a very strong item holder who hid his level, or he was a person of great potential. ''''Hohoho, it is far preferable to be friends with such mysterious people than to be enemies.'''' The manughed again and patted her big belly before returning to work. ¡ª ''I thought my gold coins would be enough to get both attack and movement items, but I could only get one.'' Raydon sighed as he exited the item shop. Although the attack-type item was crucial to him, he did not want to overlook this movement-type item. ''There is nothing I can do right now, I''ll buy it with what I win from the next match, '' Raydon muttered. He returned the way he came, said goodbye to the owner of the antique shop, and returned home. ¡ª ''''Despite his overweight body, he floats like a feather on ss shards. I can''t believe how much he''s improved. Could Fatty really be a genius? ''''Pana looked at Sami, who was dancing on top of the broken ss and frowned. ''''The trick of this technique is to clear the mind. The more concentrated you are, the faster you will learn. Sami''s mind was probably always clear because he was born an idiot. '''' Karan chuckled. ''''Despite everything, no one has made as much progress as him.'''' Karan turned his gaze to Dan, who was sitting with his legs crossed and meditating on one side. He was the one who had tried the hardest and made the most progress since Raydon had left. ''''That is correct, but keep in mind who taught us this technique. If it had been someone else, I''m sure we wouldn''t have learned as quickly and effectively. ''''As she talked about Raydon, Pana was beaming. Like everyone else, she had developed a tremendous amount of respect for Raydon. Unknowingly, everyone had begun to idolize him. ''''Karan, if you have the energy to talk, you can keep practicing with me.'''' Karan sighed and turned to face Dan, who was approaching him. ''''Aren''t you tired yet?You''re overworking yourself. '''' Dan was the only one of the group who practiced nonstop. He wasn''t even sleeping when he was resting; he was just meditating. In fact, Karan saw his nose briefly bleed from how hard he had pushed himself, but he just wiped the blood away with the palm of his hand and kept training. As a result of their training, they were expending mental energy and bing mentally exhausted. He was concerned that Dan''s extreme exertion would harm his brain. ''''Don''t worry, I''m fine. I push myself because I know what I''m capable of. Let''s stop talking and get started.'''' Dan chuckled as he patted Karan on the shoulder. ''''If you say so, so be it.'''' Unable to refuse, Karan epted by shrugging. Dan wasn''t the only person working hard; others were as well. Although not as much as him, everyone had already gone beyond their limits. The two returned to the puddle of ss shards. Meanwhile, the aunts, who were cleaning the blood stains on the ss shards one by one and reorganizing the shards, realized they had arrived and stepped back. The only people in the warehouse who worked hard to train were not the ten Raydon had chosen. Apart from them, everyone else was doing their best to help these 10 people. Even some of them, including the crazy old grandfather, were attempting this training in their own unique way. And those who were unable to do this training were doing everything they could to help them. Chapter 84 Under Attack Dan and Karan moved forward without a second''s hesitation, stepping on the shards of ss. Instead of a puddle of shattered ss, it appeared as though they were walking on grass. It was interesting to note that not a single one of their movements¡ªlet alone those that actually moved any ss shards¡ªmade even the slightest noise. "This time, I''ll be the one to close my eyes. Let''s get started. '''' Dan said, taking a deep breath before closing his eyes. All of the emotion that had been present on his face vanished in an instant. He appeared to be as still as water,pletely silent. Likewise, Karan appeared utterly emotionless and incrediblyposed. The silence they created around them would have made one think that they were getting ready to catch fish instead of fighting on the broken ss. Dan and Karan were about to start moving for their training, when the warehouse door was suddenly blown up by a massive explosion. *BOOOMM* ... ''''W-what''s happening? '''' ... ''''The door exploded! '''' ... ''''S-womeone is entering.'''' ''''Get down, they''ve got guns! '''' While the people in the warehouse were shouting in surprise and fear, armed andpletely masked individuals emerged from the smoke. ''''No one dies if you don''t move or resist.'''' After about 15-20 people entered, one of them said as they pointed their guns at the terrified residents. ''''What are you doing? Who are you? '''' Dan yelled furiously. Though he had a good idea of who they were, he hoped it wasn''t them. They werepletely caught off guard right now because they weren''t yet prepared to face them. ''''You must be well aware of who we are. You did, after all, turn against us a few days ago, and now you''re going to pay for it. '''' Another masked and armed man, who appeared to be their leader, stepped forward slowly and said sternly. ''''Ashskin Gang!'''' Karan eximed through clenched teeth. They had experienced what they had feared most. Ashskin Gang had finallye to avenge what had happened a few days ago. ''''Don''t worry, we''re not here to kill anyone. It''s just that you''ve been getting a lot of attentiontely, and the boss wants to see a few of you. It is sufficient if only a few people chosen by use with us; there is no need for everyone toe. Hahaha '''' When they heard what the masked man said, everyone''s faces fell. They were well aware of what would happen if they followed them. It was well-known among the locals. The Ashskin gang arrives and abducts the people they choose, and they are never seen or heard from again. The only thing that would happen to those who apanied them was that they would be the subject of a crazy item holder and die in the most painful way possible. "Nobody ising with you. Who do you think you are? Get out of here.'''' While everyone was trembling in fear, an old man with a handful of teeth in his mouth stepped forward, shouting angrily. ''''Hm? I guess I didn''t speak clearly enough.'''' The masked man drew his gun, aimed it at the senile old grandpa, and prepared to fire. ''''Stop. '''' He was about to shoot when he heard Dan''s voice and came to a halt. ''''Tell me while I''m still patient. Will youe willingly or unwillingly? '''' The masked man lowered his weapon once more and inquired sarcastically. ''''We wille. Just let us decide whoes.'''' Dan spoke calmly. But his clenched fists as he spoke were enough to convey his rage. ''''Unfortunately, that is not how it works. We will make the decision, and you will obey. You should not try to bargain in this situation.'''' As soon as the man finished his sentence, he raised his gun, *BANG* ''''Aggh..'''' and shot the senile old grandpa in the leg. ''''Grandpa!!!'''' ''''You viins. What have we done to you? '''' ''''Can''t you just leave us alone? If you''re brave enough,e unarmed.'''''' Everyone who saw the old man being shot erupted in rage, but they all fell silent at Dan''s shout. ''''Enough!!!'''' Dan looked around the room with serious eyes after silencing everyone and said. ''''Let them choose. Better than all of us dying.'''' ''''B-But boss¡­ '''' ''''I said enough!'''' One of the young men attempted to speak, but Dan cut him off again. Because of Dan''s solemn and sad expression, everyone understood the gravity of the situation. Either the selected few or everyone would perish. Dan sighed as he looked around at everyone''s helpless expressions and said to the masked man. ''''Go on. I just hope you''ll be fair. '''' Dan didn''t want the man to choose the kids at the very least. The young and old could have offered their lives as a sacrifice, but the children had just started their lives. ''''Yeah, don''t worry. I''ll bepletely fair. Hahaha, '''' The manughed and began pointing at people in the crowd. There were no children among his chosen ones, but he had chosen nearly half of the poption. ''''Hey, isn''t that too much? Why don''t you simply kill us all? '''' Fatty Sami couldn''t take it any longer and interrupted. ''''Sami! It''s fine. Think about the children. '''' Dan intervened. ''''Your leader seems to be intelligent. At least he is aware of his boundaries. Those who are still alive can express their gratitude to himter. Hahahah. '''' Heughed sarcastically once more and continued. ''''Additionally, I didn''t like the way he was yelling at me. I''m going to choose one more person. '''' This time, Rayn, who was in his wheelchair and watching with enraged eyes and clenched teeth, was the target of the man''s finger. ''''You will also apany us. You can me your bad luck on the fat guy. Hahahaha'''' ''''Y-you¡­ '''' Fatty Sami was about to speak again when he abruptly stopped himself so that no one else would have bad luck because of him. He was so enraged and regretful that his eyes welled up with tears. However, the mes that were currently zing in his eyes couldn''t be extinguished by even the tears that were streaming from them. --- 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. --- Chapter 85 [Bonus ] Results Of The Training ''''Good. You are a quick learner. Hahah. Okay, get ready; we''re leaving. Don''t keep the boss waiting any longer.'''' After the man had his men tie their victim''s hands, they walked slowly out of the warehouse, before the eyes watching them full of tears and rage. ''''Boss, I can''t le¡­. '''' Karan stopped Pana from shouting in frustration and sadness after all the men had left the warehouse. ''''Don''t worry, he won''t let them go easily. '''' Dan''s blood-spattered hands caught Karan''s attention as he said. The nails he dug into his palms revealed that he was not as calm as his expression suggested. He knew that Dan, who he had known since childhood and who he had referred to as his brother for many years, wouldn''t let them go so easily. And just as he had guessed, it happened. Dan slowly turned around and asked in a serious tone while ncing at the nine people who were fortunately not selected, which included Karan, Sami, and Pana. "Those who are afraid of death, please take a step back. " Although Dan''s voice appeared calm to the audience as he spoke, everyone understood what he was getting at. The calmness of his voice only hinted at the fury of the storm that would follow. Dan took a quick look at the nine people who remained standing and instead turned to face him with intensely serious and animated eyes. ''''Good. The time hase to see the effects of our training. '''' Dan and the others put on whatever dark-colored clothing they could find, grabbed their knives for a weapon, and stepped out of the still-steaming warehouse doors into the night like a panther stalking its prey. "We will pray for your safe arrival." These young people were prepared to die, and the people who were left behind in the warehouse could only pray as they said goodbye to them. ¡ª "Be quick, the boss is waiting." Rayn heard the leader speaking as he and the others were being loaded into the back of a pickup. They had traveled a short distance after leaving the warehouse to where the armed men had parked their vehicles. There was no sound besides the soft wind, the sounds of people getting into trunks, and the asional spoken words of the masked leader. Rayn and others could hear their fast-beating hearts more clearly during this tense silence, which only increased their fear. Everyone was getting ready to embark on their fate in this silence when Rayn heard a young man next to him ask him a question in a shaking voice. ''''B-brother Rayn, we''re going to die right? '''' Rayn turned to face the young man who had posed the question. His face was as pale as everyone else''s. He was staring at Rayn with terrified eyes, clutching his hands to keep his body from shaking even slightly. ? ''''I ¡­ '''' Rayn attempted to respond to the question, but the moment he opened his mouth, he realized that his voice was trembling as well. The moment they stepped outside the warehouse door, everyone was ready to die. They assumed they would die eventually; now they were just unlucky, and death hade sooner than they had expected. But they could not mentally convince themselves as they thought. The fact that they believed they were prepared to die didn''t stop them from being afraid and holding out hope. For a brief moment, Rayn''s vacant eyes shone, and he spoke, stifling his fear because of the glimmer of hope he carried. ''''I think he will save us. '''' Upon hearing Rayn''s words, everyone turned to face him in surprise. They knew who he was referring to. With the hope that had just emerged in him, the young man''s trembling subsided a little and he asked in a questioning tone. "B-but he said he won''t fight with anyone other than the enemy item holder. " After a brief moment of staring into the boy''s eyes, Rayn turned to look at the other people who were nervously looking at him. No matter how untrue Rayn''s next words might be, everyone was hoping to find hope in them. And so it was, the following words Rayn uttered were sufficient to make everyone temporarily forget their fear and cause their blood to boil. ''''That''s right, and that''s why he trained ten of our brothers to fight these ordinary people. '''' ¡ª ''''Leader, everyone is loaded into vehicles and ready to go.'''' One of the masked men approached the masked leader and informed him. ''''Good, finished ahead of schedule. I expected this job to be more difficult and bloody. Hahaha, '''' The masked leaderughed joyfully and motioned with his hand for everyone to get into the vehicles. The men started to slowly board the vehicles after seeing the leader''s instructions when suddenly they heard an unfamiliar voice. ''''Khagahkhh¡­'''' *Tut* It sounded like a cat vomiting a wool ball, followed by the sound of something falling to the ground. One of the masked men nearby directed his shlight toward the sound, and upon seeing two of his friends lying in their blood with their throats cut, he immediately shouted. ''''AMBUSH!!! '''' He then raised his gun, ''''Aghh...'''' and was about to shoot a pair of eyes he saw in the dark when he copsed to the ground, screaming in pain, with a knife wound in his chest. ''''Hey, thanks to you, they noticed us. Couldn''t you be a little quieter? '''' After removing the knife from the man''s chest, Karan spoke in a hushed tone to Fatty Sami, who was standing a short distance in front of him, before vanishing back into the shadows. ''''Hey, it''s not my fault, alright? My blunt knife was unable to make a clean cut through the man''s pig-thick skin in one strike. Tch, additionally, he was even fatter than me.'''' Fatty Sami attempted to reply before Karan snuck away, but when he saw that he had already left, he snapped his tongue and ran off to find his next victim. *** --- 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. --- Monthly Goals Every; 250 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter(Max 5) -- 2 published 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter(Max5) 1 published Magic Castle = 1 extra chapter(N/A) -- 2 published Chapter 86 From The Shadows "Be cautious. Point your shlights into the darkness and shoot anyone you see.'''' The masked leader aimed the semi-automatic rifle into the darkness and gave his orders quickly. Although he was unable to identify any of the victims or the killer, when he counted the number of his men, he realized that the attackers had already imed the lives of several of his men. ''How did they kill six people already without me noticing it?'' Having second thoughts, the masked leader shouted again. ''''Be careful, and keep an eye on each other''s backs. The enemy ising from the shadows. '''' He realized that his enemies were very good at concealment. *BANG* *BANG* Immediately after the masked leader gave his orders, gunshots could be heard from around the vehicle a short distance away, and when he turned to look there, he heard another sound close by. ''''Sto¡­Aghhgh'''' ''''What the¡­??? '''' He once again turned around to see one of the men beside him on the ground with a cut on the neck. ''''Open fire! Shoot in every direction. Shoot into the darkness anywhere you can''t see.'''' Fearful of the might of the enemy he could not see, the masked man quickly began to shout orders to his men. The remaining soldiers started firing all of their magazines into the pitch-ck night as soon as they heard their leader, hoping to hit the enemy. ''''Agghh..'''' ''''Gaghh..'''' ''''Kaughgahg¡­'''' ''''Mommy..'''' ¡­ ''''Who are they?! I couldn''t even see them. '''' "I saw one of them¡­ He was wholly a thing of ckness¡­ They don''t resemble a human¡­ '''' The masked leader and his men were a bunch of street thugs who only cared about getting paid. They had never seen anything like this before, so they mistook Dan and his crew for monsters, despite the fact that they were only concealing themselves using the shadow assassin technique. While the masked men were dying one by one against monsters that came from the darkness stealthily and gradually retreating in fear as they faced the unknown, the masked leader had already begun making ns to flee. ''Shit, shit, shit, why are there monsters here? I''ve heard rumors of monsters roaming this area, but I''ve never seen one.''The masked leader continued to fire while approaching a car, and as he considered getting in and fleeing, he noticed that the car''s tires were t. ''''Damn, when did they do this? '''' The man started cursing and ran to the back of the car and pointed his gun at the people inside. ''''You cripple boy, you''reing with me.'''' He then pulled Rayn out of the car''s frame by grabbing him by the cor. ''''Hey, what are you doing!!!'''' ''''Let go of brother Rayn. '''' *BANG* ''''Gaaghh¡­'''' One of those attempting to hold Rayn back and resisting was shot in the shoulder by the masked man. ''''The next bullet will be to your head. Wait quietly here. If you move, I''ll kill you all along with the boy...'''' Everyone gritted their teeth and stepped back as soon as they heard the man make his threat. While none of them could see the people attacking the masked men, they were all keeping an eye on what was happening around them up until this point and were very aware of who they were. They, therefore, hoped that Rayn would be safely saved by Dan and his crew as well. ''''Good. And as for you.''''When he noticed Rayn''s furious expression, the man grabbed him by the hair and threw him to the ground. He then struck him behind the neck with the back of his gun, rendering him unconscious. ''''You.. '''' ''''I said stay silent. '''' The man yelled again, aiming his gun at the person speaking, and when he stopped speaking, he picked up Rayn and started looking for a way out. ''I have to leave right away while I still have men to upy them. If I don''t bring this kid, the boss''s main target, he''ll kill me anyway.''After some deliberation, the man began to flee into the night, under the cover of gunfire. ¡ª ''''Guaghh¡­ '''' One of the masked men fell to the ground after taking a knife strike to the throat, and Dan, who was behind him, appeared. He cast a cold, emotionless nce at the other masked men''s bodies lying on the ground in a pool of blood before being drawn to the location by a voiceing from the back of the car in front of him. ''''B-Boss. It''s really you. '''' A middle-aged man said, his eyes filled with tears. ''''I knew they''de.'''' With a sigh, one of the aunts joined in. ''''As Rayn predicted, they came to save us...Wait a minute, we can''t spend time here chit-chatting, Boss, the leader of the masked men just knocked out Rayn and fled with him, you have to save him.''''One of the young people spoke quickly, clutching his injured shoulder. ''''What?! Why did that asshole kidnap Rayn?That fucker¡­Where did he go? I''m going to kill that coward myself. '''' Dan couldn''t keep the cold demeanor on his face any longer and yelled. He thought the masked leader fled while holding Rayn hostage because he was obviously terrified of what was going to happen to him. Taking a crippled boy hostage was certainly easier for him. ''''They fled that way. Dan, he''s only been gone a few minutes; you can still catch up with him; please save him.'''' One of the aunts, unable to hold back her tears, pleaded, pointing toward the darkness. ''''Do not worry. I''ll bring Rayn back alive once I''ve killed that coward.'''' As soon as Dan finished speaking, he immediately began running in the direction in which the aunt was pointing. Even though he had never seen so much blood in one night, all he wanted at the moment was more blood, specifically the sight of the kidnapper of Rayn drowning in his own blood. ¡ª ''''Huff, huff, the sounds seem to have stopped for a little while. Are they all dead already? '''' The masked leader, still carrying Rayn on his back and panting, took a moment to look behind him nervously. Chapter 87 Mysterious Residents ''Those monsters aren''ting after me, are they? I need to get this boy to the meeting location quickly. There, hopefully, is somewhere I can hide. '' The man pondered as he ran. After a while of running, ruined houses began to appear in front of him. ''''Huff, t-this should be the ce, r-right? So where exactly am I supposed to meet these people? '''' The man looked around as he slowed down and moved closer to the houses. ''''Did I arrive early? '''' ''''Gaggh..'''' While looking for people to turn Rayn over toplete the mission, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck and a sword tip emerged from his mouth before copsing to the ground and dying instantly. ''''I was worried they wouldn''t make it, but they did an excellent job,'''' Raydon said as he wiped the blood from his shortsword on the man''s clothes. After putting the man''s mask on his face, he dumped the man''s body into his dimensional storage. He then lifted Rayn onto his shoulder and turned to face the darkness. ''''I think he''ll be here soon.'''' He then turned around and fled in the direction of the abandoned homes. ¡ª "How far did that cowardly bastard run? " Dan pondered as he ran as hard as he could. He had trouble seeing far because it was so dark. After a while of running aimlessly, he noticed the ruined homes in the distance. ''''Huh? Isn''t this the location of Ashskin''s headquarters? '''' He paused briefly before regaining hisposure and carrying on. It would be impossible to save Rayn if the man made it to his headquarters. ''I can''t allow that to happen. '' He was now running to his full potential. He ignored the cramps and aches that crept into his muscles and entered the full-focus mode that Raydon had taught him. He slowed his breathing and heart rate in order to tire more slowly. He put everything out of his mind and concentrated solely on the masked man, who was his intended target, allowing him to detect him even in the darkness. Gradually, the anxiety he had just experienced was reced by total calm. With each passing second, he noticed that his steps were getting lighter. Now that he was running across the soft ground, he was leaving so few footprints that it was impossible to tell them apart without paying close attention. Even as he ran desperately, it was impossible to spot him unless they were very close because of how well he blended into the night. Dan didn''t realize it at the time, but he was getting close to mastering the Shadow Assassin Technique that Raydon had taught him. He kept running in this manner for a while longer beforeing to a halt in front of the destroyed homes and spotting something dark running ahead of him. ''I found you.'' Dan muttered as he squinted at the silhouette. He elerated once more, one level beyond the limits he had already reached, and could now clearly see the man and the Rayn he was carrying. He continued to run as stealthily as he could, eventually approaching the man. ''I got you. '' Dan swung the knife in his hand toward the man''s back. But just then, the man fell to the ground alongside Rayn as if he had tripped, narrowly avoiding the knife. Just as the man was about to stand up and walk over to Rayn, he saw Dan and began running again, looking terrified. ''''Damn, lucky bastard. '''' Dan cursed and dashed over to Rayn to check on him. ''''Fortunately, he is unharmed.'''' He sighed and looked at the fleeing man. He wanted to pursue him and kill him, but he also didn''t want to leave Rayn alone because he knew this area was dangerous. "You coward bastard. I dream of the day when I can track you down and kill you with my own hands. '''' Dan said, taking Rayn on his back as he looked at the man who was almostpletely lost in the darkness. He was about to avert his gaze and turn around when he noticed that the man had abruptly stopped. ''What''s he up to? Does he mock me because he knows I can''t pursue him? '' Dan considered it, but as soon as he noticed the man''s next move, he turned around and fled while swearing. ''''You fucking bastard.'''' *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* Dan quickly hid behind a destroyed building as the man pulled out his gun and started shooting at him. "What''s the point of this? He just fires at random. Is he seriously considering hitting me like that? '''' He looked at the man from his hiding ce, perplexed as to why he was shooting at random rather than focusing on escaping. Dan muttered after some thought. ''Anyway, I''d better get out of here now. If the gunshots are heard, more Ashskin gang members may arrive. '' He turned around and thought about sneakily going back the way he hade, taking advantage of the darkness, but then he heard a growl nearby. ''''Grhargll'''' ''''A dog? '''' Immediately after Dan said it, apletely ck humanoid thing leaped out of the destroyed house''s broken window. Dan made a decision in a sh and leaped back to try to avoid it, but he was toote, and whatever that thing was left three cut marks on his chest. ''''Shit, Isn''t this one of the residents here? Is this thing even human? '''' He realized it wasn''t a human being when he looked at the person who had missed his attack and had fallen to the ground. Dan was mistaken, as was everyone else, in believing that those who resided here were merely drug addicts; however, he now realized how wrong they were. ''I don''t think any drug can turn a human into this.'' --- This story exists not because I wrote it, but rather because of your support, which drives me to write it. (Golden tickets,ments, power stones, and if you liked the novel so far you can leave a review. ) Thank you for all your support. --- Chapter 88 [Bonus ] Pushing The Limits Dan thought as he looked at this human-looking but definitely not a human thing. Its face was like dried bark, its pupils were red, its hair had all fallen out, and its mouth was drooling, which the monster wasn''t able to close due to his overgrown teeth. These monsters never left this area, and the people who lived nearby never came here either. As a result, anyone who saw these things, including Dan, had no idea what they looked like because they couldn''t even see their faces due to the clothes they always wore, so they assumed they were just drug addicts, but after seeing one, he realized how wrong he was. ''''This thing is definitely a monster. '''' Dan turned around and started running after seeing the monster rise slowly from the ground. But as soon as he turned around, he saw that another of these monsters was moving in his direction. "Sh*t, why did they show up now? Is it because of the gunshots? ''''Dan immediately turned and started running again, but no matter which way he turned, he kept running into these monsters. ''They''re too many; I have to get through them somehow.''In an effort to locate an area where there were fewer of these monsters, he muttered before resuming his run in a different direction. As Dan ran, they continued to appear from the left and the right, hitting him with their w-like hands. Although he managed to avoid most of the attacks, he had cut marks on his hip and legs from trying to protect Rayn. Dan, who was already tired and sore from pushing himself so hard, was now pushing himself even harder, hoping to save himself and Rayn from the onught of monsters. ''I''m not going to give up now. I have to get us both out of here.'' Dan continued to run helplessly. Using the shadow technique he had learned, he was dodging the creatures in front of him. However, every time he managed to get away from one, a new one would appear out of nowhere, leaving a few cut marks on his body. As a result, he had to alter his escape route once more. This technique worked wonders against one enemy, but he was powerless in the face of these numerous creatures. ''No, I''m not going to use that as an excuse.'' Dan screamed on the inside. He was only fooling himself into thinking that this technique could only work against one foe. If it worked on one, he could use it on two, three, or even four additional monsters. And he did exactly what he thought. He used his technique to avoid the first monster he encountered, then the second, but when he got to the third, he was caught again, inflicting another wound to his chest with another w attack. ''I know I can do it.''He escaped one of the alleys once more while gritting his teeth. And once again, he was confronted with a monster. He avoided the 1st,the 2nd, and the 3rd, ''''Gaagh.'''' ¡­and this time was caught by the fourth monster, causing him to suffer another injury. ''''Huff, huff¡­I-I can do this¡­ '''' Dan appeared to be in total exhaustion, but he had to escape this monster siege. There was no other option for him. ''''Again. '''' He began to move once more after clenching his teeth to numb the pain he was experiencing. He took off running once more, searching for a spot where there were fewer monsters, and dashed in that direction. When the first monster saw Dan, it waved its w in his direction, but it waspletely ineffective. Dan, who had just dashed towards it, was no longer visible. ''First one¡­'' Dan avoided the first monster, and then the second one jumped at him from his right, but the same thing happened. ''Second one¡­ '' ''Third one¡­ '' ¡­ ''Sixth one¡­ '' ¡­ ''Thirteenth one¡­ '' There were only a few left after Dan sessfully avoided the 16th before he was able to escape this monster encirclement. ''Finally. '' Dan eventually arrived at a in where he no longer saw any monsters on his escape route, after sessfully avoiding the 17th and 18th ones. He could now continue his escape unhindered by the monsters. All he had to do was move his body, which he was already pushing to its limits, and his muscles felt like they were going to tear. ''''Look, Rayn, we did it.We managed to get away. Rayn, who had been awake for some time but was so tense he couldn''t even open his mouth, heard what Dan said. ''''Mhmh, You really did it boss. ''Rayn''s voice trembled as he spoke, and tears were streaming from his eyes. His emotions were conflicted, torn between relief at getting out of this ce and guilt at adding to Dan''s burden while escaping. Dan kept running with a smile on his face, but at that precise moment, all the pain he had previously repressed came crashing down on him like an avnche due to the relief he was experiencing. Finally, he had reached his breaking point. His pace slowed at first, then he began to stumble until he could only walk, but even that didn''tst long, and he fell face down with Rayn on his back. ''''Boss?! '''' Rayn cried out in distress. ''''I-I''m fine, g-get back on my b-back quickly, we''re almost out.'''' Dan said as he made an effort to raise his body off the ground using his hands. Even in this situation, he was thinking about Rayn. ''''Boss, you should get out of here. Just don''t worry about me.'''' Rayn looked at Dan, who was struggling to stand, and said. He had just used all of his willpower to stop the tears from falling. He was afraid that ifDan saw the tears in his eyes, he would want to save him at any cost. ''''W-What are you talking about Rayn? I-I just stumbled on a stone, so hurry up. ''''Finally, Dan struggled to sit up and waited for Rayn to get on his back. But it was obvious from his trembling body that he wouldn''t be able to stand up again, with or without Rayn on his back. Chapter 89 Next Phase Of The Shadow Assassin Technique. ''''Raarrgh¡­ '''' The monsters'' voices, which had finally noticed them, began to draw closer. The terrifying sounds that had initially onlye from behind soon spread to the right, left, and finally in front of them. They were once again surrounded. Dan, on the other hand,cked the strength to flee them this time. ''''I''m sorry, Rayn... I can''t¡­ '''' And Dan finally gave up. There was no point in deceiving himself any longer. With the realization that the monsters had surrendered them again and his body''s condition, he truly epted that they hade to an end. There was no other way out for them. His eyes began to get wet, and the blood that wasing from his veins that had ruptured from his straining mixed with the tears. ''''No, boss. It has to be me who is sorry. It was my fault. You gave it your all. Just because I''m useless¡­ '''' Rayn, too, was unable to suppress the tears he had been holding back up until this point. ''Just when I had a chance to get stronger, '' Dan murmured as he regarded the approaching monsters. ''He will be disappointed in me, '' he thought, and a wave of regret washed over him. As they waited among the monster horde and resigned themselves to their deaths, something dropped in front of them. "What is that? '''' Dan initially believed it to be one of those stupid monsters that misjudged its attack and fell in front of them, but upon closer inspection, he waspletely taken aback. "What the hell is this man doing here?! '''' Dan said as he observed the masked man lying dead in front of them. This was the man who had just attempted to kidnap Rayn and opened fire on them, putting them in this situation. ''''I think I made it on time. '''' A recognizable voice interrupted Dan and Rayn as they were wondering how the body of the masked man ended up here. The first thought that came to mind when they turned their heads to face the source of the sound was, ''We are saved. '' Raydon weed Rayn and Dan with a serene smile on his face as he stood silently next to them. He didn''t seem to care about the numerous terrifying creatures that were all around him. ''''B-brother¡­ '''' Dan wanted to say something, but he couldn''t think of anything to say. Simrly, Rayn was at a loss for words to express his current emotions. They epted their impending death just seconds ago. However, they were now guaranteed to live simply by Raydon''s presence. ''''It appears you have mastered the first phase of the shadow assassin technique. '''' Dan was surprised to hear Raydon say this while staring at him. What was the first phase? And why was Raydon suddenlyplimenting him on it? Dan was trying to make sense of what Raydon was saying when he noticed Raydon reach out and slowly pull a short sword from a ck hole that appeared out of nowhere. ''''I didn''t mention it before, but the primary purpose of this technique is not to avoid or hide from enemies. '''' He had already fully drawn the sword and was aiming it at the approaching monsters when he finished speaking. "Now that you''ve made such significant progress, I can demonstrate the technique''s true intent for you. This will be your next training, so watch carefully. '''' Raydon chuckled as he moved the sword. The light of the moon, illuminating the darkness of the night, was briefly reflected from the surface of the sword, and all Dan saw was a brief sh of light. And then Raydon vanished... ''''W-where has brother Raydon gone? '''' Rayn inquired, startled. ''Watch carefully? As if I can. '' Dan sighed and focused his attention on the monster horde. ''''I''m not sure, but I can make a guess. '''' Dan uttered. Rayn turned his head in the direction Dan was looking, not understanding what he was thinking, and saw the frightening monster running towards them and getting closer. ''''Boss? '''' Rayn worriedly called out, but received no response; in fact, he didn''t need to get a response anymore. Because the scene that unfolded in front of his eyes answered all of his questions. The monster, charging towards them with all its might, copsed to the ground with its head severed, and slid on the ground beforeing to a halt in front of them. ''''W-w-w-what was that? I-?-?s it dead? '''' Rayn stammered, staring at the monster''s headless body in front of him. This time, his stuttering was not triggered by sadness or fear but by shock. ''''I think it''s too soon for us to be surprised,'''' Dan said, but there was a look of surprise on his face as well. He was watching what was going on with his eyes wide open. The second monster, followed shortly by the third and fourth, was also mysteriously decapitated and fell to the ground. As they watched the monsters in front of them continuously have their heads chopped off, Rayn and Dan had the appearance that their eyes were going to pop out. ''Is this a true representation of the Shadow Assassin technique we are learning? '' Dan watched as his whole body shook with excitement. All of the pain he was experiencing was forgotten. The demonstration of the technique''s power in front of his eyes exceeded his wildest expectations. Even the entire army of monsters appeared unaware of Raydon''s presence, as neither Dan nor Rayn could see him. Dan suddenly recalled what Raydon had just said¡ªthat this was his next training¡ªas he eagerly observed what was taking ce in front of him. ''But I''m not even able to see him. '' Dan took a moment to reflect before recalling and putting into practice everything he had learned so far. In an effort to locate Raydon, he returned to full focus. And eventually, he began to see results. Even though he was still unable to see Raydon, he was still able to make out the light Raydon''s sword left behind after each swing. Following this light, he started to simte Raydon''s movements in his head. He could picture Raydon, sword in hand, dancing in the middle of the monster horde. His movements were as effortless and fluid as water could be; there was no force behind them. Chapter 90 New Source Of Experience ''Be one with the environment, move with the notion. '' Dan already knew the meaning of the first sentence from previous training, and by observing Raydon, he is now beginning to understand the second sentence. While Dan waspletely focused and not allowing anything to distract him, unbeknownst to him, a ck number 0 slowly began to appear on the back of his hand. ¡ª Meanwhile, Dan and Rayn were watching as Raydon continued his ughter of the army of monsters, he was grinning as if he were trying hard not tough. ''''As I really thought," Raydon eximed with joy. He was happy not because he killed monsters, but because of the system message that came with each monster he killed. [Lv.1 Weakened Fallen Soldier(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 10 experiences.] ''''Hahaha, they really give experience. These must be the failed subjects of that item holder. '''' When Raydon first arrived here a few days ago, he was aware that the item holder was the one who had created these monsters, but he wasn''t sure if killing them would give him experience. But now he was certain that these things had be a part of the system because the system materials had been used to turn these people into monsters. ''These monsters seem to be a result of the side effect of a body enchantment. I wonder if that item holder is attempting to craft a body enchantment for himself and then testing it on his subjects. '' Raydon pondered. He could only guess with so little information at the moment because he didn''t know much about item crafting. Raydon noticed that the number of monsters had decreased significantly as he continued to think and kill. After a while, he came to a halt, severing the head of thest monster as well. [Lv.1 Weakened Fallen Soldier(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 10 experiences.] ''''I killed 468 fallen soldiers in total, huh? I wonder if there are any more. '''' Raydon began to think as he looked around. He had gained 4,680 experience points in less than half an hour, which was the most he had ever gained in a single action. ''''I believe there is more inside the settlement; I shouldn''t waste the experience points.'''' Raydon began to make his way toward the ruined houses. He was determined to obtain every possible experience point. ¡ª [Lv.1 Weakened Fallen Soldier(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 10 experiences.] Raydonughed as he looked at thest fallen soldier, who had copsed in front of him with its head severed. ''''Good, I earned a total of 6740 experience points with this one.'''' Raydon worked for another hour, bringing the total number of kills to 674. He wiped the blood from his sword and ced it in his dimensional storage before gazing out into the night. ''''Fortunately, this isn''t enough to keep me entertained. The real fun begins now.'''' Raydon''s face once more wore that twisted smile before he swiftly vanished into the darkness. ¡ª ''''What do you want? Don''t you see that I''m busy? '''' Herman spoke as he turned to face the burly man who was kneeling in front of hisb door. ''''Master, I''m sorry for the inconvenience, but we heard some gun shoot noises from the test subject''s area. '''' Herman snapped after giving the burly man a grimaced look. ''''Did you really bother me for something so trivial? '''' "But master, you said we need to let you know right away if anything suspicious happens. " With a sigh, Herman said. ''''Probably one of the neighborhood gangs is stirring up trouble once more. I believe they are all dead by now in the hands of failed subjects, but just to be sure, go check it out, find out which gang they belong to, and bring them all here. I was already out of fresh subjects. '''' Herman was used to being in this situation. There were gangs passing through asionally who ignored the rumor that there was an item holder here and instead chose to investigate and, if possible, take control of the area and incorporate it into their ownnds. ''''Yes master. '''' Burly man said and was about to go outside when Herman called to him. ''''Wait. '''' Herman spoke to a figure slightly behind him who waspletely covered in ck clothing, including its face. "Go with him; I don''t want any disturbances, and I really need more test subjects right now," ''''Yes, master.'''' This person said this in an emotionless tone and walked towards the burly man, and the two of them left theboratory together. Herman muttered as he rolled his eyes. ''''They can''t even handle something so simple. Now I need to find smarter subordinates. These failed fallen soldiers are causing me additional problems. '''' ¡ª When the Burly man emerged from Herman''sb, he informed the group of ten people waiting for him downstairs. ''''Master instructed us to go find them and bring them in as test subjects. Try to get them alive. '''' ''''Yes, sir.'''' The men responded right away with discipline. As they gazed upon the burly man, fear filled their eyes. In addition to his bulky and muscr build, his dry and discolored skin gave the impression that he was a monster rather than a human. Additionally, the gaping wound in the middle of his forehead caused one to wonder how he was still alive. They did not even dare to look at the figure in a ck robe that was approaching from behind the burly man. They were aware that this person served Herman and was constantly by his side. Even though they had never seen his face or witnessed its power, they were still terrified by his mere presence. They were aware that the boss they worked for was an item holder, and that the two people in front of them were his test subjects. Therefore, they had to follow the instructions even though they were afraid. The men stepped aside, letting the burly man and the person in the ck robes pass first, and then they followed behind. They were tasked with looking into the noiseing from the location of the failed subjects, tracking down the culprits, and returning them to Herman for fresh subjects. Chapter 91 [Bonus ] Burly Man Raydon spent some time moving from the area of the failed test subjects to the center before the factory started to appear in front of his eyes. ''They must have already sent men to investigate the noise in the area. Why couldn''t I find anyone? '' He had wandered around for a while, looking to see if anyone from the factory had been sent to investigate the sound. But to his surprise, he hasn''t been able to find anyone. ''They simply don''t care? '' Raydon paused, ced his hand on his chin, and thought. There was a good chance that they were unconcerned. They might have believed that the weakened fallen soldiers had already killed anyone who entered the area. He sighed and remarked, "I could lessen their numbers with this approach, but whatever. '''' He nned to wait for people to leave the factory and kill them as they traveled. He was especially interested in the ck-d man who was always standing next to Herman. If it was at all possible, he wanted to keep it away from Herman. After taking everything in, Raydon was nning his next attack on the factory when he saw the car headlights leaving the factory door. ''''Atst, they made the decision to investigate. '''' He began to move after saying this with a grin on his face. He took his crossbow from his dimensional storage and aimed it at the wheel of the ck van speeding down the empty road. ¡ª ''''Hey, I''m starting to get nervous.'''' One of the men in the vehicle leaned over and whispered to the man beside him, his gaze fixed on the burly man sitting across from him. ''''Shh, focus on the task as we always do.'''' The man motioned to his friend to be quiet with his hand. Normally, the missions they went on were always in slums, and they could easily collect and bring homeless subjects for Herman, but this time they were going to that monster-filled ce they had always been afraid to go. They also had one of those monsters, the burly man, as their leader this time, not to mention the ck-d person currently sitting next to him. ''''Hey, he''s not going to use us as test subjects one day and turn us into these monsters, is he? '''' The man gulped and inquired once more. The man, hearing what his friend had said, hastily looked at the burly man, who was sitting still, and said with relief when he realized he hadn''t heard what they were talking about, ''''I told you to be quiet; do you want to cause us trouble? '''' ''''But¡­ '''' ''''Just stop talking and concentrate on the mi¡­'''' *Pow* ''''What was that?!'''' ''''Oh shit, the van went off the road.'''' The passengers inside yelled in shock as they heard a popping sounding from the car and watched as it lost control and left the road. The burly man''s voice could then be heard as the car came to aplete stop after briefly skidding on the dirt road. "What the heck is wrong? '''' ''''I''m not sure, but I think the tire blew. I''m checking right away. '''' The driver jumped out of the van and started to inspect it. The man discovered the t wheel while checking the van''s wheels, and he shouted in shock when he noticed that the wheel had an arrow on it. ''''What the¡­? There is an arrow on the¡­ '''' *Put* As the man called into the car to exin the reason for the incident another arrow pierced the back of his head, and he copsed to the ground. ''''Ambush!!! '''' One of the men inside the van grabbed his gun and yelled when he saw this. ''''It looks like our targets are still alive; go out and bring them,'''' the burly man said calmly as if sending them to buy some candies. ''Go out and bring them? Is he aware that we are being ambushed right now? '' As the men stared with quizzical expressions at the burly man, wondering if he was stupid, he spoke again. ''''Why are you still waiting? Hurry up. '''' He apparently didn''t intend to go himself, as he insisted to his men yet again. The men looked at the burly man''s horrifying face, which rendered them speechless with fear, and they cautiously started to exit the van. It wouldn''t have made a difference if they stayed in the vehicle; after all, if the enemy had heavy weapons, even an armored van wouldn''t have protected them. The burly man watched the men step out of the car cautiously and slowly, and spoke to the ck-d person seated next to him, maintaining a serious expression on his face. ''''I work with idiots all the time these days; they can''t evenplete a task without me. '''' He patiently waited for the ck-d person to respond, but when it did not, he turned his head, and kept waiting. ''''Aghhh¡­'''' ''''Watch out, the enemy is attacking with arrows.'''' ''''Gaagghhh¡­ '''' ... While the men outside died one by one, the burly man turned to the ck-d person again and said. ''''It sounds like they''re fighting outside; I wonder if they''ve finished the job? '''' When he didn''t receive a response after another prolonged period of staring, he turned his head once more and resumed waiting. ''''Goaghhg¡­ '''' ''''Don''t stick your heads out; the enemy has godlike archery. Did anyone bring a grenade?'''''' ''''I''ve got a few. '''' ''''Good throw to that direction, but be careful. '''' ''''Okay¡­ Gaaghggh.'''' *Booom* ... The burly man turned back to the ck-d person and asked again. ''''There are a lot of soundsing from outside. Should I go take a look? '''' He turned his head and waited once more after receiving no response to his question. Meanwhile, thest man copsed to the ground after being struck in the head with an arrow. After a moment of silence, he turned his head again, ''''It seems like the sounds have stopped. Do you think they captured them all? '''' The burly man inquired but was met with silence, yet again. *** Monthly Goals Every; 250 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter(Max 5) -- 2 published 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter(Max5) -- 1 published (Other one will be tomorrow. ) Magic Castle = 1 extra chapter(N/A) -- 3 published Chapter 92 Ugly There were now ten dead bodies on the ground around the vehicle, and a red bat was peering inside through the vehicle''s window. ''''What are they doing? All of their men have died. Don''t they think abouting out and doing something about it? '''' When he looked inside and saw the individuals sitting motionless and acting as if nothing had happened, he was rendered speechless. Raydon eventually lost patience and fired an arrow at the van''s window. Only a crack was left when the arrow struck the reinforced ss and fell to the ground. ''''Oh, the window cracked.'''' The burly man turned his head, saw the ss behind him crack, and returned his gaze to the ck-d person. ''''I think I should go check.'''' He waited for an answer again after saying that, but when he didn''t get one, he finally got up and went outside. Coming out of the vehicle''s back door, he first noticed his men lying on the ground, each with an arrow in their heads, and said as he observed his surroundings. ''''I knew these idiots couldn''t even do a job. '''' *Put* He was looking around when an arrow pierced his head through the pre-existing bullet wound on his forehead. He stood motionless for a moment, then squinted his eyes at the arrow on his forehead and pulled it out with his hand. ''''Who the hell threw this? '''' Furiously, he yelled into the night. The burly man''s usual emotionless expression must have been triggered by memories of the scar on his forehead, as he appeared very angry this time. ''Oh? Isn''t this the same guy I killed in the slums? '' Raydon pondered as he looked at the burly man, who was still standing despite being shot in the head with an arrow. The fact that he was still alive didn''t surprise him. Because item holders possessed a wide range of abilities, the thought of raising the dead did notpletely consume his imagination. He was just thinking about another question. ''''Where is his brain? '''' Raydon considered. It surprised him to see one in person even though he had heard of people in his previous world surviving without any issues despite losing even 80% of their brains. ''''Anyway, the other ck-d thing doesn''t seem to want to go out, so I''ll deal with this one first. '''' Raydon stowed his crossbow in his dimensional storage, grabbed his shortsword, and approached the burly man. ''''You??!! '''' The burly man''s face slumped as he saw Raydon approaching, and he said through gritted teeth. Raydon grinned and said, "Heh, we met again. '''' ''''You¡­ You¡­'''' The burly man''s expression turned even angrier when he saw Raydon''s smile, but what he said after that caused Raydon to falter. ''''Who are you? Why do I get angry just looking at your ugly face? '''' ''''Ugly? Who is ugly? You freak¡­ Go and look in the mirror and see your own face, which looks like an ugly dried onion. '''' Raydon, too, became enraged and snapped. The burly man''sck of memory was understandable; after all, he died with arge hole in the middle of his head, but Raydon was insulted in the worst way by this ugly thing calling him ugly. ''''Shit, this fucktard is ruining my mood. Despite having a low charisma stat, I don''t look ugly at all. I can even be considered attractive, you jerk,'''' Raydon grumbled. He actually had nothing that made him appear attractive, aside from his confident-looking ckish-dark brown eyes. But even so, would that make him look ugly? He should have been considered better than average. ''Shit, I want to increase my charisma stat. '' He frantically pondered. He obviously didn''t give a damn about his appearance, but hearing the monster in front of him call him ugly made him feel self-conscious. "Why am I arguing with a brainless monster anyway? '''' Raydon took a deep breath to calm himself before charging him with the sword in his hand. ''''I hope you give me some good experience points, ugly. '''' ''''Raaargghhh YOU ARE UGLYY¡­ '''' The burly man yelled and mmed his fist into the approaching sword, appearing to bepletely out of his mind. *nk* The sword sounded like it had struck iron, then rebounded. ''''What the hell are you made of? '''' Raydon observed that the sword strike had only left a small cut on his hand. ''''Ugly. '''' He responded and started swinging his slow but powerful fists at Raydon one after the other. ''''Ugly. '''' ''''Ugly. '''' ''''Hodor. '''' ''''Ugly. '''' He didn''t forget to say that magical word before each attack. ''''This isn''t funny anymore,'''' Raydon said as he dodged. During this time, he repeatedly shed at him with his sword. He tried to hit him where he was vulnerable, but even his eyes seemed modified. ''Does he not have a weak spot? In this manner, the fight will continue for a very long time. '' Raydon thought. His current stamina would allow him to continue fighting for hours, but he didn''t have that much time. His attacks were ineffective because his strength stat was insufficient, and hecked the attack-type skill to deal more damage. He looked around and saw something cylindrical standing next to one of the dead men as he continued to avoid iing attacks. ''''This might do the job.'''' Raydon easily avoided another blow, quickly picking up the grenade from the ground and pulling the pin. He did not avoid the next punch that was thrown at him, but this time he opened his palm and blocked it by saying, ''''Reflect. '''' As his fist impacted Raydon''s palm, he felt a powerful resistance, and as the blow reflected, the burly man''s arm was thrown back. When Raydon saw that the burly man''s posture waspletely distorted for either attack or defense, he seized the opportunity to throw the grenade he was holding perpendicrly into the opening in the burly man''s head. Raydon then gave the hovering grenade a rotary kick and thrust it right into the hole in the burly man''s head. --- 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. --- Chapter 93 Big Disappointment He stepped back and grinned after forcing the grenade into the burly man''s head hole. "Let''s test whether the inside of your head is as sturdy as the outside. " *BOOM* As the grenade exploded, blood and brain fragments poured from the burly man''s eye sockets and mouth. But surprisingly, it appeared that his skull was still present. ''''Are his bones sturdy enough to withstand even a grenade? What sort of experiment was that crazy item holder conducting? '''' Raydon''s shock was obvious. With his current stamina and the sub-skills associated with his title, he could also easily withstand a grenade, but he was an item holder, whereas the person in front of him was just an ordinary person who had been the subject of an experiment. "I can''t even imagine thepleted version if that person is trying to craft a body enchantment as I thought; even if the failed product is this good." Raydon thought in astonishment. He was deep in thought when he noticed something looking at the body of the burly man, who was standing still and emitting smoke from his skull. ''''Why didn''t I receive a system message? '''' Raydon waited for the system to notify him that he had gained experience for killing a mob, but neither the message nor the experience points arrived. ''''Don''t tell me? '''' He muttered in awe once more before going to the dead men and grabbing another grenade. This time, he pushed the grenade all the way down from his mouth into his stomach before backing away. *PUFFF* The grenade exploded inside the burly man, shattering some of the skin on his abdomen and spilling all of his internal organs out before the system message was heard. [Lv.1 Weakened Fallen Soldier(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 10 experience points.] ''''What the fuck is this? Even without his head, he was still alive. Is that item holder after immortality or something? '''' The burly man''s stamina left Raydonpletely speechless. He had no idea what kind of toughness thepleted body enchantment would offer. ''Will I be immortal with my current title abilities if I use that body enchantment? '' Raydon immersed himself in his fantasy world and began to think. ''''Other than that, the experience points he gave are the same as the other lousy fallen soldiers. Is this some kind of joke? '''' He said this while spitting on the lifeless body of the burly man. Actually, there was no distinction between the burly man and the other fallen soldiers. They were both created by an item holder, so they were unable to level up or umte experience points. Only the burly man''s body was more advanced than the other fallen soldiers. Raydon is once again disappointed that his expectations were not met, and in the meantime, the ck-d person slowly emerged from the van. ''''You finally made the decision to join the party, huh? '''' Raydon gave him a direct look before speaking. ''''I don''t think you should be happy that you were able to kill that idiot.'''' The ck-d man said, his voice devoid of emotion. ''''Look, stop acting mysterious, and don''t raise my expectations, okay?'''' Raydon''s disappointment was evidently still fresh when he said with a disgusted expression. ''''Don''t worry, I''m not a weakened fallen soldier like him,'''' said the ck-d man before removing his robe. ''''What the fuck are you?'''' Raydon scowled at what he saw before him. He faced a creature with rabbit feet, a monkey body and head, and mantis arms with sharp-looking des. ''''You should be grateful for the opportunity to see the perfect body my master gave me before you die.'''' The creature spoke again, emotionless, but with a hint of arrogance this time. ''''Perfect body? This? '''' Raydon was at a loss for words. ''At least he appears to be strong? '' Raydon could feel the creature''s power the moment he saw it. At the very least, he didn''t appear to be someone who relied solely on physical strength, as the burly man did. ''No, no, I can''t keep raising my expectations and disappointing myself.'' He pondered it and inquired once more. ''''So, what are you if not a fallen soldier?'''' ''''Do not mix me up with those failed subjects. I am a chimera. '''' The creature stated proudly. ''''Chimera? I used to think chimeras had lion bodies and snake tails.'''' While suspiciously staring at the creature, Raydon asked another question quickly, as if something had just urred to him. "Wait a minute, you''re not as tough and strong as the burly man just now, are you if you''re not a fallen soldier?" ''''Are you insulting me? '''' The creature grunted angrily and said, obviously taking Raydon''s inquiry regarding the appearance of chimeras as an insult. ''''I don''t need their stamina and strength. None of that matters when ites to my speed.'''' Chimera said this as he rushed towards Raydon at breakneck speed. ''''Die. '''' Before Raydon could react, he raised his knife-sharp mantis arm and swung it down his throat. ... .. . ''''Hm? '''' Following his attack, he stood a little away from Raydon''s back and, upon noticing something was amiss, turned around and gave Raydon a shocked look. "Why wasn''t your neck chopped off?" Raydon had previously felt the same way before the burly man, and the chimera was now experiencing it as well. Despite his quickness and razor-sharp arms, Raydon''s high stamina and 50% damage reduction skill were too much for him to ovee. ''''I tried not to have high hopes, but it''s still very disappointing. '''' Raydon sighed as he turned around and said. ''''Hook. '''' The chimera, startled and slow to react, was quickly drawn toward Raydon by the hook that leaped out of his hand and wound around him. ''''Y-y-you are an item holder? '''' The Chimera finally realized why his overly confident attack had failed when he witnessed he use a skill for the first time, and he screamed in horror. Raydon said, drawing the short sword from his dimensional storage and thrusting it into the chimera''s monkey head. "Yes, and you are dead. '''' [Lv.1 Weakened Chimera(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 10 experience points.] When Raydon saw the system message, he exploded. ''''Fuck you, after all, you''re just another unsessful test subject. '''' The disappointments he experienced in such a short time were too much. Chapter 94 [Bonus ] Element Of Death? ''''Man, I really hope you''re E-Rank,'''' Raydon muttered, looking in the direction of the factory. He knew what rank the item holder was based on unfounded rumors he had heard, but after experiencing consecutive disappointments, his hopes began to fade. Like any die-hard gamer, all he wanted was to engage in apetitive fight. ''''Anyway, there''s probably no one elseing, so I''d better start moving,'''' He said before leaving. ¡ª *Tut* ''''Wha¡­'''' *Tut* Following the arrows that struck their heads, the two muscr men who were guarding the factory''s gate fell to the ground one after the other. Shortly after, a silhouette carrying a crossbow emerged from the darkness and started to move slowly in the direction of the gate. ''''Last time I checked, they didn''t have many men. It should be a couple of those failed subjects and a few dozen ordinary people. I can get rid of them before I look for the item holder.'''' Raydon walked calmly through the factory''s entrance. He entered carelessly through the front door because he knew there was nothing inside that could hurt him right now, aside from the item holder, who was his main target as a result of his earlier investigation. This method was quicker than hiding and dealing with each person individually. ''''Hey! I heard a voiceing from the main gate. Gaaghgh¡­ '''' ¡­ ''''What happened? Huh? Someone is sneaking in... Agghgh¡­ '''' ¡­ ''''W-who are you?! Gahh¡­ '''' ¡­ [Lv.1 Weakened Fallen Soldier(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 10 experience points.] ¡­ ''''Oh, that was a monster, nice. '''' Raydon said while looking at hisst kill in surprise. He was constantly drawing an arrow from the ck hole in front of him and shooting everyone he saw with his perfect archery. He was asionally killing weakened chimeras and fallen soldiers who appeared from the right and left, alongside ordinary people. ''''When you raid a scientist item holder''s headquarters, extra experience points are probably a given. Hehe. '''' Raydon kept on killing everyone he came across in a happy manner. [Lv.1 Weakened Fallen Soldier(F-Rank) has been killed.] ¡­ [Lv.1 Weakened Chimera(F-Rank) has been killed.] ¡­ [Lv.1 Weakened Chimera(F-Rank) has been killed.] ''''And this should be thest... '''' Raydon said, shooting thest man he saw trying to flee in the head. ''''Wow, look at this mess. '''' He looked around at the bloody corpses and said as he put his crossbow in his dimensional storage. He had raided a gang''s headquarters and killed dozens of people in just minutes. He also gained a total of 160 experience points from the monsters he killed. ''''Well, if the item holder has still not shown up despite themotion, he is either not present at the moment or is quietly conducting his experiments in hisb. I''m hoping that the first option is the one. '''' Raydon noticed the metal stairs leading upstairs as he continued to scan the area. From where he was, he could also see the red iron door upstairs. The appearance of this door suggested that it was the most essential location in this factory. He started climbing the stairs while still looking around, and his gaze was drawn to therge factory cauldrons that were bubbling and steaming. He had seen these cauldrons that smelt bad and were constantly boiling on his previous visit, but he couldn''t see what was inside up close. He walked up to one, giving in to his curiosity. "What''s this? Some sort of stew? '''' Raydon grimaced at the smell and peered into one of them, but what he saw made even him sick to his stomach. This huge cauldron was filled to the brim with various, mostly bone-like body parts, some of which seemed to be human, bubbling about in a green slime-like liquid. ''''I think it''s a material he''s using in his experiments. I''d better find more information about item crafting as soon as possible. '''' After giving it some thought, Raydon retreated and approached the red door. He walked forward and stopped in front of the door. Unable to find a doorknob to turn, he then tried pushing it, but that didn''t work either. "How do they open this door from the outside? Should I try to break in? '''' When he decided that this was the best course of action at the time, he kicked the door. *Bang* He stepped back to gauge the impact of his kick and sighed when he saw that the door had not even sustained a scratch. ''''It appears that Ick the strength necessary to break it. I suppose I''ll have to try the hard way. '''' As if he really didn''t want to use this method, he sighed reluctantly, approached the door again, clenched his fist, took his stance, and knocked. He took another step back, and a momentter the door creaked open to reveal a face behind it with pendulous gray skin, a few strands of white hair, and a few remaining teeth. "Didn''t I say don''t bother me? What do you want again? '''' Herman yelled angrily, but when he saw a face he didn''t recognize, he paused and inquired thoughtfully. ''''Hm? Who are you? I hadn''t seen you before¡­ Wait¡­ '''' Herman continued, sniffing the air with a surprised expression on his face. ''''Why do I smell death from you? You are not a fallen soldier. It doesn''t smell like a dead body either... It smells more like me, like the element of death... Wait a minute, I smelled this scent a few days ago as well... Kahkahkah. I knew at the time that it wasn''t due to my negligence. You were sneaking up here trying to spy on me huh? You are very courageous. Kahkahkah. '''' As he spoke, Herman''s expression changed from one shape to another, and he ended with augh that was not entirely clear whether he was coughing or justughing. He sensed him a few days ago when Raydon came here to investigate, but he hadn''t paid much attention to it because he assumed he was just tired then. But now he was certain, what he sensed was the element of death, and interestingly that person was standing in front of him right now. *** Monthly Goals Every; 250 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter(Max 5) -- 2 published 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter(Max5) -- 2 published Magic Castle = 1 extra chapter(N/A) -- 3 published Chapter 95 Fight With Herman ''''Oh, you''re an item holder, aren''t you? Hmm... Looks like you also killed everyone inside... So you came here as an enemy. Kahkahkah. '''' Raydon simply stood there, frowning and thinking as Herman spoke. ''Why is this old crazy man talking so much? '' ''''Well, at the very least tell me why you are attacking me. I believe you are aware that I am a member of the Blood Organization. Oh, don''t tell me you''re also a member of the Blood Organization, right? It exins why you smell like death. Did youe here to steal the results of my research? But you still look young; is this due to a body enchantment? Damn, I want that as well. '''' Herman continued to speak hastily. His greed suddenly erupted, believing Raydon was a member of the blood organization and had used a body enchantment to make himself look young. Raydon paused as he took in the man''s hasty speech. ''Blood organization? Oh, the purpose of his research became clear. This man really wants to extend his life. '' After visiting the item market with Belicia and meeting Fang, Raydon had already learned a little bit about organizations. He learned about two of these organizations: the Blood Organization, which is one of the top ten most dangerous organizations, and the Trade Organization, which governs the ck market for items. And, this old man is a member of the Blood Organization. Raydon didn''t understand why this organization was among the most dangerous at first, but after seeing Herman, some puzzle pieces began to fall into ce in his mind. This organization appeared to be full of old and near-end item holders like Herman, and they were crafting taboo body enchantments to extend their lifespan. At least, that was Raydon''s conclusion for the time being. ''''Actually, my main reason is different, but while I''m here, why not steal your research results? '''' Raydon said with a grin. Indeed, Herman''s research findings were not his primary goal, and he had no idea what kind of research he was conducting. His primary goal was to have fun. Secondly, he wanted to get rid of this item holder, who was a potential enemy for him in this region, and the final reason was to somehowpletely bind Belicia to himself by using Rayn for his future ns. Of course, while doing this, he made sure to add Dan and his team''s training as an extra to these events. After all, their strength was also a part of his ns. When he heard what Raydon said, a frown appeared on his face. ''''Unless I make you my test subject first.'''' ''''Undead Tentacles. '''' As the man extended his hand and spoke, ck tentacles appeared beneath Raydon''s feet and began to grab hold of him. Raydon jumped back and attempted to flee, but the tentacles were already tangled around his feet due to hisck of speed. ''He''s good, '' Raydon thought. Both the man''s rate of skill casting and skill usage was quite rapid. ''''Hook. '''' When Raydon realized he couldn''t get rid of the tentacles easily, he used the hook skill and attached it to a piece of iron that was hanging from the ceiling. He then took his short sword out of his dimensional storage, shed the tentacles, and started to pull himself up. ''''Multishot. '''' Herman used his second skill as soon as Raydon was free of the tentacles, and ck arrows in his hand shot towards him. Raydon quickly deflected the iing arrows with his short sword. ''''Kahakahkah, you are not bad, but you are also not that good. '''' Hermanughed once more before performing his next skill. ''''Death Grip. '''' This time, ck smoke erupted from Herman''s hand, quickly forming into a hand and flying towards Raydon. ''Shit, Are all the skills of this man offensive? '' Raydon considered it and began to fall, deactivating his hook skill. Meanwhile, his breathing became faster, his skin turned redder, and grayish smoke began to emerge from his mouth. Except for the grayish smokeing from his mouth, all of these reactions indicated that Raydon was using the berserker technique. ''Gray? '' Raydon returned his attention to the battle after a brief thought, pulled the great sword from his dimensional storage, and swung it at the approaching smoke hand. The great sword struck the smoke hand and, with the wind of its impact, scattered all the smoke. ''''What kind of skill is that? Wait, it''s not a skill, right? Are you a traitor from the Lionheart Family? '''' Herman recognized Raydon''s technique right away and expressed his surprise. ''''So even proud Lionheart Family members can sink to the point of disregarding their morals and joining the Blood Organization, huh? Kahahaha. '''' Hermanughed once more and came to yet another incorrect conclusion. A few moments ago, he concluded that Raydon was actually an old man who had used body enchantment to make himself appear younger. Now that he had seen Raydon use the berserker technique, he was also convinced that he was a traitor to the Lionheart Family. He actually had a reason for his deduction. The Blood Organization was created exclusively with the intention of increasing their average lifespan. Therefore, regardless of their position or family background, anyone who was afraid of death could join this organization. Each member would conduct their own research and only share or sell this information among themselves. Furthermore, incidents in which they fought among themselves to steal information weremon and epted as normal. However, if an outsider attempted to attack one of them, the entire organization would band together and go after the attacker. Of course, this organization was the most despised of all. They had no moralpass in their research. Members of this organization were considered criminals and traitors among other item holders because they could kill anyone or use them alive as test subjects in the most heinous ways. Raydon had alreadynded after deflecting the attack in mid-air and was grinning as he listened to Herman''s nonsense. ''It seems like the rumors were true.'' Raydon confirmed Herman''s status as an E-Rank. He also appeared to be much stronger than the E-Rank bosses Raydon had previously encountered. ''At the very least, this fight will be a lot of fun.'' He thought and moved into an attacking stance, raising his great sword before charging Herman. Chapter 96 Im Not Stamina Build ''''Heh, use whatever technique you want; you''ll end up as a test subject on my experimental table anyway. Kahkaha. '''' Hermanughed and raised his hand, blocking the sword that wasing at him. *nk* Raydon felt a powerful recoil as the great sword crashed into Herman''s hand, sounding like it had hit an iron. ''Of course, his body is stronger than the burly man, shit. '' Raydon thought, and using the recoil from the attack, he rotated himself to attack him again, this time from the other side. Herman was a little slow to respond this time, and the sword mmed into his shoulder with much more force. *nk* However, again, he didn''t appear to be affected by it, but Raydon persisted. He noticed Herman raise his hand, indicating that he was about to use a skill. ''''Undead Tentaughh. '''' Raydon''s kick to the stomach stopped Herman''s skill casting and pushed him back. Raydon saw his opportunity to strike when Herman''s head bent, and he raised the great sword above his head, swinging it down with all his might. *BANG* This time, Herman''s head was struck by the sword with an incredibly loud bang. His head hit the ground, shattering the concrete, also Raydon had to take five steps back to maintain his bnce from the recoil. Instantaneously finding his footing again, Raydon turned to face Herman. He was wondering how much damage this attack had done to him. Raydon had used nearly all of his strength in this attack, as the veins in his arms and neck were nearly bursting from the blood cirction. If only a little more grayish smoke wasing from his mouth, it would have resembled the chimney of a coal-fired train. As Raydon stood there watching, Herman ced his hands on the ground and pushed himself out of the concrete, which his head had entered by breaking it. Following that, he stood up and began to brush the dust off of himself. Except for a slight bend in the back of his head and the embarrassed expression on his face, he appeared to be in perfect health. When he saw this scene, Raydon scowled. Due to his high stamina, the berserker technique he used this time was significantly more potent than it was when he used it against the region boss he faced in the first match. He was able to push himself even further because his body could handle the technique better. Despite this, Herman easily blocked his first attack with his hand, as if he were being attacked with a stick by a child. Even his most powerful attack did not deal much damage to him. ''''It was a powerful attack, but not powerful enough to affect me. Kahakah. '''' Herman quickly gathered himself andughed to hide his embarrassment, but on the inside, he was thinking differently. ''Damn. It looks like he is also an E-Rank. His speed and strength appear to be greater than mine, but fortunately not sufficient to ovee my defense.'' After Raydon used the berserker technique, Herman made another inference in the face of the power he saw. But, as usual, he was incorrect. With his current stats, Raydon was only equivalent to a level 18 stamina build item holder. However, the berserker technique he was employing was a more advanced version of the Lionheart family''s berserker technique in this world, allowing him to wield powerparable to an E-Rank. As Herman measured Raydon''s strength, Raydon was doing the same for Herman. ''It appears that the stats of E-Rank item holders are higher than I thought. The skills he uses seem to be spirit-supported, but at the same time, his speed and strength are almost equal to mine. Not to mention his stamina stat. '' Raydon couldn''t figure out why Herman''s stats were so good overall. ording to what he knew, every item holder gained two stats with each level. However, even if he distributed the two stats among all stats, how many levels would Herman need to reach to have such high stats? ''This is most likely because of the body enchantments he used, or when an item holder advances to E-Rank they receive additional stat points. '' Raydon made a deduction. All the information about the item holders in his memory was about F-Rank, so he was unsure exactly what kind of improvement an item holder receives when they advance to E-Rank. ''''It looks like you have no intention of attacking,''''Herman said after a while of them staring at each other, contemting, and simultaneously searching for a chance to strike. ''''Enough of wasting time. I ept that you are not bad. However, you are still nothing to me. Kahkahkah'''' Herman said and thought to himself. ''Who is this guy? There is no gap in his stance that I can see. I have the feeling that my next strike will result in his sword slitting open my throat. '' Herman would have likely left this fight and fled at this point if he hadn''t been relying on his high defense. He was sufficiently intimidated by Raydon''s superior swordsmanship and fighting abilities. Raydon grinned as he returned to his attacking position after hearing this. ''''Let me see what you have to offer. '''' ''Tch, this guy''s a pain. '''' Herman saw Raydon''s smirk and thought. Then, behind him, a sizable ck hole began to form. ''''If you assumed I was a stamina build item holder because of my high defense, you are gravely mistaken. Kahakahakah. '''' Following Herman''s statement, Fallen Soldiers and Chimeras started to appear from the hole behind his back, specifically his dimensional storage, which resembled the one Raydon had been killing for a while. They seemed identical, but there was a significant difference between them. These appeared to be more powerful than the ones Raydon had killed. Even the Fallen Soldiers looked to possess the same strength as the burly man. ''''As I previously stated, I am not a stamina build item holder, but rather a charisma build item holder. '''' ¡­ .. . ''''WHAT?!'''' Raydon shouted in shock. Chapter 97 [Bonus ] Using The New Movement-Type Skill ''''WHAT?? '''' After a long moment of silence, Raydon eximed in shock. The sword nearly fell from his grasp. Of all the blows he had experienced during the fight, this one was the biggest. He asked in astonishment as he gaped at Herman. ''''H-how can you be a charisma build item holder? You look so ugly. '''' ''''Your mother is ugly!!! You fucking ugly bastard!!! You just look young because of your rare body enchantment!!! '''' Herman became furious upon hearing this, and his whole body shook as he began to yell. Since he believed Raydon to be the same age as him but looks younger thanks to a body enchantment, he took this as a p in the face. He was also aware of how ugly he was, but no matter how much research he did, he couldn''t find anything that would restore him to his youthful appearance. Meanwhile, while Herman was yelling angrily at him, Raydon''s old memory from a while ago with the burly man resurfaced, and he snapped as well. ''''How can you call me ugly when you have such an ugly face, you old bark? Have your experiments made youpletely blind to your artistic vision? You should be too old and have lost your sight. '''' ''''Y-You rat. '''' With hisst few teeth clenched, Herman pointed his finger at Raydon, and dozens of monsters he had just called forth from his dimensional storage started to charge at him. ''Tch, your skill that you boast about will be your downfall.'' Muttering, for the first time since purchasing it, Raydon used his movement-type skill. ''''Depart. '''' [Boots] -Grade: Green -Quality: Outstanding -Skill: Depart Locks onto a target and increases the user''s speed by 25% until the target dies, vanishes, or the skill expires. If the target dies before the skill expires, the cooldown is reset, and the user gains 5% more speed and +30 seconds to the skill duration, which can be stacked up to 5 times. The duration of the skill increases depending on the stamina stat. -Mana cost: 6 -Duration: 5 minutes. -Cooldown: 7 minutes. His speed instantly increased by 25% as he locked his skill onto the closest Fallen Soldier who was approaching him. After using the skill, Raydon, who was already fast enough thanks to the berserker technique, moved even more quickly to the Fallen Soldier, swung his sword, and sliced the monster in half. [Lv.1 Weakened Fallen Soldier(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 10 experience points.] ¡ª [The cooldown for the ''''Depart'''' skill has been reset.] [The ''''Depart'''' skill now has a skill duration of +30 seconds.] [Movement speed has increased by +5%] ''''Nice. '''' Raydon locked his skill to the following monster as soon as he noticed the iing system messages. ''''What!? '''' Meanwhile, Herman was taken aback by the ease with which his Fallen Soldier died. He was more surprised by Raydon''s ability to split the Fallen Soldier in half with a single blow than by his speed. He increased his speed and used it to his advantage, swinging his heavy sword with greater momentum to increase the force of his blows. "Killing just one doesn''t make a difference. Let''s see how you react if you''re surrounded. '''' Herman continued, sounding irate. ''''Mind of Death. '''' He used his skill and it appeared as though nothing had changed, but Raydon noticed the difference right away. Now that the monsters attacking him were more coordinated, their attacks began tobine. ''His charisma must be quite high; he has excellent control over his soldiers. '' With a frown, Raydon said. He really didn''t want to consider the possibility that this ugly man had high charisma. ''''Death Grip. '''' After witnessing Raydon use his sword to sever the next monster in half, Herman used his skill to obstruct his movement. Raydon, on the other hand, added one morebo hit to the monster he had just killed in one blow, and then swung the sword to scatter the smoke hand that was approaching him. ''''Shit!'''' ''''Undead Tentacles. '''' ''''Multishot. '''' Herman began using all of his skills to stop Raydon. It turned out that he had a prettybined set of skills. In addition to using his soldiers to attack the enemy, he used his other skills to obstruct the movement of his enemies. He also had the body enchantment for defense. Only a movement-type skill wascking, but he didn''t appear to require it either. ''''Shit, shit, shit¡­'''' Raydon easily avoided Herman''s skills and killed each of his soldiers one by one as Herman watched and cursed. The skillbinations he''d always relied on and worked with couldn''t keep up with Raydon''s speed right now. With his great sword and a plume of grayish smoke emerging from his mouth, Raydon whipped through the soldiers like a storm. ''Where did this lunatice from? All of my soldiers, on which I have spent a lot of time and effort, will perish if things continue as they are. '' Herman muttered while ncing at Raydon with a distressed expression. He spent a lot of time and gold coins creating these soldiers. ''''Stop!!! I will share my experiment results with you¡­ Just stop!!! '''' Herman shouted and pleaded with Raydon to stop when he could take it no longer, but his face fell when he heard the response. ''''I don''t want. '''' Raydon said with a grin. ''''Y-y-you!!! What do you want from me? '''' He clenched his fists as he observed that only a small portion of his once nearly 100 soldiers were still present. He was now shaking with rage. ''''Your life. '''' Raydon said, slicing the chimera in front of him with his sword before suddenly charging at Herman. When Raydon yed monsters, he was doing more than that. He not only used his skill to elerate by 50% to reach the maximum stack, but he also used the momentum his sword had created to strengthen his final strike and sh at Herman. ''''No!!! '''' Herman was unprepared for the sword''s approach, which caught him off guard. He had previously believed Raydon was incapable of harming him, but now he was aware that this sword strike could cause serious damage. It can even kill¡­. And so it did¡­. The sword fell vertically down the center of Herman''s forehead, slicing through his chest, before finallying to a stop, losing all of its force. ''''Even with that much power, I could only cut it halfway, huh,'''' Raydon sighed. *** Monthly Goals Every; 250 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter(Max 5) -- 2 published 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter(Max5) -- 2 published Magic Castle = 1 extra chapter(N/A) -- 4 published Chapter 98 Permanent Death Raydon pulled his sword back and pondered as he watched the motionless, bloodied body fall to the ground. ''''They really are like cockroaches. '''' He sighed as he realized he hadn''t received the system message informing him that Herman had died. As he watched, Herman''s split upper body, which was slowly regenerating, began toe back together. ''''Anyway, I think I have a better way topletely kill you.'''' After taking all his items from him, he grabbed his leg and dragged his freak body up the stairs once more. Once he was upstairs, he proceeded to one of the boiling cauldrons'' tforms and dropped Herman''s body into it. "Let''s see how long you canst there." Raydon smiled devilishly. The slime-like substance slowly absorbed Herman''s body. *Hisss* Due to the acidic nature of the slime, Raydon noticed that the body was rapidly dposing as it slowly sank and gave off fumes and a hissing sound. Herman''s split head didn''t reveal it, but anyone who looked at it closely could see his pain reflected in his expression. This person, who had been kidnapping people and torturing them to death for years, was eventually dying in the worst pain he could have ever imagined. Soon after, Raydon received the system message he had been anticipating. [Lv.24 Human(E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 2400 experience points.] [An item holder is given a permanent death.] [You gained a dimensional storage fragment: Storage Expansion Orb(Green) ] The messages from the system that Raydon saw surprised him. ''''Permanent death? So killing an item holder for goodes with a reward too? Awesome! '''' Raydon eximed happily and was about to open his own dimensional storage to check out this new green-grade dimensional storage expansion orb when he heard a variety of soundsing from the cauldron. ''''What''s happening? '''' Herman''s body, almost entirelyposed of bones and skin, was still sinking when mud began to bubble and overflow. It had even begun to melt the sturdy cauldron in which it was contained. ''''No¡­This shit is going to blow up.'''' When Raydon noticed this, he immediately turned around and began running away. He''d seen what this thing did to Herman''s body with his own eyes, so he wasn''t stupid enough to stay here to assess his own defense. He jumped downstairs without taking the stairs and began running quickly towards the exit. At this point, the green mud overflowed even more and began to move like a wave, instantly melting everything in its path and leaving hissing sounds and steam in its wake. Raydon ran at full speed for a while beforeing to a halt when he noticed the green mud slowing behind him. When he turned around, he saw something incredible. ''''I''m d it wasn''t one of my stupid moments and I chose to flee.'''' The green mud covered arge area and was slowly dissolving into the ground beneath it. But the surprising part wasn''t that. In his field of vision, Raydon was unable to see the factory or anything else. Everything had vanished entirely. ''''I believe this thing dposes everything except pure soil,'''' Raydonmented as he watched the mud quickly disappear into the ground. After a few minutes, when the green mud hadpletely vanished into the ground, Raydon moved forward, stepped into the ground where the mud had vanished, and observed. ''''It seems to havepletely vanished and doesn''t seem dangerous. '''' Then he continued, his eyes shifting to the spot where the factory had once stood. ''''I wanted to take his craft-rted research findings, but he was probably hiding them in his dimensional storage. '''' Raydon walked on and came up to where the mud had been before it exploded. ''''Hmm? There is something. '''' He cautiously walked over to a glowing ck obsidian stone that was lying on the ground. ''''It looks harmless. I believe this thing was in the mud; it''s amazing it wasn''t dposed. '''' Raydon examined the strange-looking stone and, knowing it was the only thing left from that acidic mud, decided to take it, thinking it might be valuable. "It''s been a very long day. I think I''ve had enough fun. I can go back now.'''' Raydon sighed as he noticed the sun slowly rising above the horizon. Today was a very enjoyable and fruitful day for him. --- Dan slowly stood up from the ground as the first light of the day hit him in the face, feeling the chill of the early morning. He grinned as he addressed Rayn, who was watching him with concern. ''''I''ve gotten enough rest, don''t worry, I''m fine.'''' He patted Rayn on the shoulder. Rayn nodded, looking at Dan''s face, which was paler than ever, and his bloodshot eyes. He could see that Dan had exerted all of his strength to save him. As Dan turned to face the hundreds of dead bodies that were all around them, he said it in awe. ''''He is truly amazing. He annihted them all in a matter of minutes. I wonder where he is at this moment. '''' Dan shifted his admiring nces in the direction of the factory. He couldn''t see that the factory, so far away, hadpletely vanished, but even if he could, he wouldn''t be surprised. After tonight, his belief in Raydon''s strength had reached entirely new heights. ''''Heeey!!! I found the Boss. There they are, still alive. '''' Dan and Rayn were startled by the sudden sound and looked in the direction of the voice. ''''Finally, they showed up. On their end, I believe everything is resolved as well. '''' After some time, Sami was soon followed by Karan, Pana, and arge group of other people. Evidently, Sami and the other 8 had saved everyone, and now they were all looking for them. ''''We searched everywhere and, finally, boss, we found you. '''' In a moment of relief, Sami ran in front of Dan and Rayn, gasped, and fell to the ground. They all appeared exhausted from the mental and physical exhaustion they had been experiencing up to this point, and they thought it was all over, but they didn''t realize at the moment that there was one more surprise in store for them. Chapter 99 Not An Item Holder, But A God? (Part 1) ''''W-what happened here? '''' Following Sami, Karan arrived and questioned while horrifiedly surveying the surrounding dead bodies. ''''Brother Raydon was here,'''' Rayn eximed, his face beaming. ''''What exactly are these dreadful things? They don''t resemble humans. '''' Pana remarked in fear. She''d never seen anything like this before, and now hundreds of themy before her, their heads separated from their bodies. ''''H-he really killed all of them? '''' Pana excitedly turned to face Rayn. She was trying to picture Raydon heroically battling these things with his sword in hand. ''''Yes. The time that Boss arrived to save me, we were surrounded by these. He made every effort to save me, but still, we were unable to escape from them. '''' Rayn nced at Dan''s bloodless face as he spoke, feeling guilty as if he were reliving those moments, and his eyes welled up with tears. However, the next moment a sudden gleam appeared in his eyes, and his momentary sadness vanished. His face broke into a broad smile as he continued, speaking with extraordinary reverence. ''''But just as Boss and I had given up and were getting ready to die, we heard his voice. '''' No one made a sound as Rayn continued to speak at this point. Everyone was listening intently to him with their full attention. They were all waiting with great anticipation despite knowing how the story would end. Rayn''s body showed a slight tremor as a result of his extreme excitement. He exhaled deeply, collected himself, and carried on. ''''He was standing right next to us and was giving us a calm stare. With his smile, he gave us the impression that we weren''t surrounded by hordes of monsters, but were simply lost while wandering the streets, and he was only here to show us the way. '''' Everyone experienced what Rayn was feeling at the time as though they were living it. They were moved to tears as they listened to his story and felt a weight in their chests, but it wasn''t the sadness they were feeling. Rayn continued when he noticed everyone staring at him with urging eyes. ''''He then drew a sword from nowhere. When I saw the sword, I was thinking about how beautiful it was glowing in the moonlight, and when I regained my attention, he had already vanished. '''' Rayn continued, his gaze fixed on the monsters thaty around him. ''''The only thing we could see at that point was the monsters being executed one by one. I wasn''t even sure how. They were running one second, and then they were falling to the ground with their heads severed. '''' Everyone''s expressions while listening ¡ªincluding Dan and Rayn''s¡ªwere a mix of awe and respect. Although they were aware that Raydon was an item holder, they found it extremely challenging to even imagine what Rayn was telling them. ''''He is¡­ '''' Pana attempted to speak, but she was unable to find the right phrase to describe Raydon. For a while, everyone just stood there quietly, taking everything in. ''''Let''s not sit here and wait. He must have gone to Ashskin''s headquarters. Let''s go check it out.''''Dan''s words grabbed everyone''s attention. ''''What? Is he fighting the enemy?I-I want to see. '''' Fatty Sami, who was lying on the ground, jumped to his feet and eximed enthusiastically. ''''Are you sure? Won''t we just be a hindrance to him if we go? '''' Karan spoke, but it was clear from his voice that he was excited and also yearned to see everything for himself. ''''Yes, yes we have to go. We can just observe from a distance,'''' Pana chimed in. Everyone just wanted to see Raydon wreak havoc at the Ashskin headquarters. Nobody even considered that he might lose to the enemy item holder. ''''Then let''s go,'''' Dan said, and as he was about to turn around and walk away, he heard Sami''s voice calling out to him. ''''Boss, hold on, what''s that on your hand? Tattoo? I didn''t know you had a tattoo,'''' Sami inquired. ''''Huh? What tatto¡­ '''' Dan didn''t understand what Fatty was saying and looked at his hand, shocked by what he saw. ''''W-w-w-what is this?! '''' ''''B-boss, I-Is that? '''' Karan had a good idea what it was. ''''I know what that is. Boss, you''ve been chosen for the awakening! '''' Rayn, whom Sami had recently taken on his back, yelled with delight. Everyone was aware of the tattoos on the hands of the item holders, as ismon knowledge in this world. Specifically, what is the ck tattoo with the inscription 0 is. It demonstrated that a person had realized their full potential and was chosen as an item holder. ''''Me? Am I really chosen? '''' Dan said with wide-open eyes, then his legs gave way and he fell to his knees. It was a huge shock for him. ''I am as a nobody has been chosen? Why? '' Dan had conflicting thoughts. He didn''t even have a family and had been living in the slums with everyone else since birth; his only concern was making it through another day. He possessed no abilities, wealth, or influence. However, this nobody has now been selected to awaken as an item holder¡ªwhom everyone knows to be immortals. ''Is it because of him? '' As Dan looked at his tattoo, tears began to fall onto it. He could only think of one person who could grant him the right to be chosen. ''''Do I really deserve this? '''' Dan murmured, and everyone in the vicinity heard him. They could rte to Dan''s current emotions. ''''You have no way of knowing that right now. You can just show him that you deserve it by doing your best. '''' Karan approached Dan, ced his hand on his shoulder, and said with a smile. ''''Karan is right, boss. At least you will soon be an item holder. What should we do? '''' said one of Raydon''s trainees. ''''Yes, yes, I, too, want to be chosen. '''' ''''He gives us power casually; all we have to do is ept it andter repay him with our loyalty. Just ept it, Boss. '''' Everyone was voicing their support for Dan. But they were unaware that this support would soon turn into a deration. Chapter 100 [Bonus ] Not An Item Holder, But A God? (Part 2) ''''That''s right. He is a deity who gives his followers the opportunity to grow. Don''t let him down, and show him that you''re worth it. '''' Another youth said. ''''The Master bestowed grace upon us. As his subjects, all we can do is our best. Just be grateful, Boss; don''t be a fool. '''' Thest to speak was Fatty Sami. He was already on his knees and appeared to be praying in the direction of the factory. One by one, they were all shouting, and the volume of their exaggerations only increased. At this point, everyone''s inner fire started to burn. Thest obstacle to their perception of Raydon as a god had been removed by Dan, who became the chosen one for the awakening. ''''Yes, you are right. '''' Dan finally collected himself and began to slowly stand. There was no longer any room for uncertainty in him. ''''I''ll try my hardest to earn this privilege that the master granted me. '''' Dan dered resolutely. Raydon used to be referred to as everyone''s brother, but now, out of fear that it would be sphemous, they have started calling him master. Despite the fact that Raydon would have cringed if he had been present and witnessed everything that was going on, he had now won over devoted followers. ''''Okay, let''s get going. You now have the opportunity to witness the strength of our master. '''' Dan said and led the crowd to Raydon''s fighting location. ¡ª ''''What? I''m fairly certain that this is the location. There must have been a huge factory located here. '''' Sami said while observing the vast field in front of him. All that could be seen as soil; there wasn''t even a shred of green. ''''Yes, I dide by here once to scout the area. I''m sure their headquarters should have been here. Or am I mistaken? '''' While rubbing his confused head, another teen said. With a serious and assured expression, Dan replied, "No, this location is urate, I''m sure of it. '''' ''''What? Are you sure, boss? But there is nothing here. '''' ''''Boss. I believe we are in the wrong location. I don''t even hear any fighting. '''' ''''Yes, we should at least be able to hear the noise of the fight, right? They should fight fiercely, after all, they are item holders. '''' ''''No, we''vee to the right ce. Just the fight has already ended. '''' Dan said in a collected manner. He vowed to stop letting anything he learned or saw about Raydon surprises him. Sami must have also noticed what happened because he joined the conversation right away. ''''Fighting between two item holders? Hahahah, you''re so naive. As the boss stated, this is the location of that item holder''s headquarters. And, indeed, our master and that item holder fought here. But who is our master? Do you really think that he is merely an ordinary item holder, like the enemy? You''re gravely mistaken; he''s a god who bestowed the power of an item holder on our boss. '''' Fatty Sami took a step forward, excitedly shouting. He''d finally gotten the chance to put his exaggeration skills to use, and he had to make the most of it. "You all know that saying when wemon people talk about item holders, right? '''' Sami inquired, standing in front of everyone, his gaze fixed on the curious eyes staring at him. ''''They are immortals, who have the ability to send storms when they are sad and earthquakes when they are angry. '''' One of the teenagers said reverently. ''''You are correct. That is how we define item holders. '''' Fatty Sami said with astonished seriousness. He continued to speak while everyone wondered where this big mouth''s speech was going. ''''However, you all forgot that our master is not just an item holder. He is a god among item holders.'''' Everyone was silently listening to Sami. Even though they could sense that what he was saying was exaggerated, no one objected because they were starting to think that Raydon was a god as well. ''''I can still see uncertainty in your eyes. But you''re all stupid, and you can''t see the proof right there in front of you. '''' Sami said loudly, pointing to the t area behind him with a reverent expression on his stupid face. ''''Look!!! Our master has only recently fought here, but where is the storm or earthquake? There is no such thing, right? Nothing is there, not even the factory or the nearby houses. Because he is not an item holder. He is a deity. He just came here and erased everything from existence, and this is proof of that. '''' At the end of his speech, Sami finally fell to his knees, arms wide open to the sky, and yelled as if praying. ''''Master, thank you for saving your followers from this disaster. '''' As they watched Fatty Sami, everyone was in awe of his level of stupidity. But simultaneously, everything in front of their eyes was confirming his theories, so they ultimately made the decision to join him. One by one, they all knelt like Sami and started chanting with their hands raised to the sky. ''''Master, thank you for saving us followers from this disaster. '''' ... ''''Master, thank you for saving us followers from this disaster. '''' They wereter joined by Pana and Karan. In spite of the fact that Dan thought it was embarrassing, he decided to imitate everyone because of his extreme respect for Raydon. ''''Master, thank you for saving us followers from this disaster. '''' From a distance, anyone who saw this group activation in a deserted field would undoubtedly assume they were a cult. And if there had been a stat called faith in this world, Raydon''s faith stat would have increased at this point without a doubt. ¡ª *Achoo* Raydon had already returned home and was about to check today''s loot when he sneezed. ''''What is this? I didn''t catch a cold or anything, did I? ''''He had a brief thought. ''''Anyway, I got quite a few items, despite the fact that a few of them were broken due to my carelessness. '''' Herman''s items, which he had stripped off before dumping his body into the cauldron, were now lying in front of him. Chapter 101 Checking The Loot ''''This is now total garbage, '''' Raydon said, picking up a robe that was nearly split in half and covered in blood. Normally, when he checked an item, he could see its properties along with the system message, but in this case, the system message did not appear. ''''Can I still sell it? Or maybe I''ll be able to find someone to fix it. Let''s keep this for now. '''' Herman''s items seemed to be aplete skill-set and would probably not be useful to him because they were primarily supported by spirit and charisma stats, but he might still be able to sell them and make some good gold coins. ''''Okay, next. '''' He took the next item after cing the robe in his dimensional storage. This was a pair of gray and ck embroidered gloves Herman was wearing. [Fallen Gloves] -Grade: Green -Quality: Outstanding -Skill: Death Grip It generates a smoke hand that can be used as a third hand. The duration of the smoke hand varies depending on the spirit stat. The user''s control over the smoke hand varies depending on the charisma stat. -MP cost: 2 -Duration: 5seconds. -Cooldown: 10 seconds. ''''Hm? Another outstanding-quality item. Additionally, like my great sword, Lionheart, this one has a name as well. '''' He was surprised to see this item. Only outstanding and higher-quality items are likely to have a name. It was expected that the sword Gary gave Raydon had a name; after all, Gary was the young master of a big family, and the sword had to have been specially made by the family. However, the fact that this item had a name also raised the possibility that Herman had crafted it himself. "There should be very few item holders who can craft outstanding and higher quality items. "Raydon pondered. He had rarelye across an item of outstanding quality before. "That''s also a pretty good skill, but it''s not very durable. '''' Herman used this skill twice on Raydon during their battle, but he easily dispersed it with a single sword stroke. Being a control-type skill, it could be very effective on inexperienced fighters, but on someone with Raydon''s fighting instincts and experiences, it was just a harmless smoke. Herman probably didn''t give much thought to the smoke hand''s durability while crafting, since he typically relied on his crafted soldiers in battle and this skill was only intended to temporarily divert the enemy''s attention. After putting the gloves in his dimensional storage, Raydon picked up the next item. It was a shoulder brace that looked like it was made of dark gray leather. ''''Is this human skin? '''' He noticed that this leather resembled the skin of fallen soldiers when he looked at it closely. [Fallen Shoulder Brace] -Grade: Green -Quality: Outstanding -Skill: Undead Tentacles Opens a door connected to the underworld in the targeted area, summoning undead tentacles. Depending on the user''s stamina stat, tentacles'' durability varies. Depending on the user''s charisma stat, the control of tentacles varies. -MP cost: 20 -Duration: 3 minutes. -Cooldown: 5 minutes. ''Another named item. It seems like this guy really self-crafted his item set, huh? '' Raydon sighed while reflecting. As soon as possible, he also wanted to start learning how to craft. So perhaps he wouldn''t need to visit the item market every time and spent the whole day to find a suitable item. ''''It has a good skill but, regrettably, requires a lot of mana. '''' Following another sigh, Raydon also put this item back. Fortunately, he has a hook skill as a control type, which didn''t need to be changed right away because it was extremely useful. ''''And this one. '''' He said, looking at a ripped belt that appeared to be made of the same leather as the shoulder straps. ''''I probably did more damage to the items than I did to Herman,'''' Raydon chuckled. Herman obviously did not care about the durability of the items while crafting them, as his own skin appeared to be stronger than all of them. He looked at thest item after throwing the belt into his dimensional storage and was once again disappointed. The reason was not that the item was bad; on the contrary, it was excellent; however, it was not suitable for him as well. [Fallen Ring] -Grade: Green -Quality: Outstanding -Skill: Mind of Death It enables the user to form a mental connection with up to 40 death-type entities and control them as desired. The maximum number of entities that can be controlled varies based on the spirit stat. Depending on the user''s charisma stat, the control over entities varies. -MP cost: 60 -Duration: 20 minutes. -Cooldown: 50 minutes. ''''Fuck, another custom-made item that I can''t use. '''' Raydon swore before stuffing it into his dimensional storage as well. ''''Can I get more gold coins if I sell all of these items at once? '''' Other than these items, Raydon couldn''t find a way to profit from the battle. Because the monsters he killed were Herman''s own creation, they didn''t have life cores, and he didn''t even have dimensional storagerge enough to take all of their bodies for the material. Even the value of their dead bodies was unknown to him. ''''Using them all at once doesn''t seem to have a set effect. Anyway, I''ll ask the man in the item market about thister. '''' He put the matter to rest for the time being after remembering the man at Fang''s shop. Also, the ck obsidian stone he had discovered previously remained a mystery to him, so he could save these two questions forter. He had something more important to look into right now. ''''This should be the most valuable item of the day.'''' Raydon took a ck sapphire ball with wisps of smokey ck clouds floating in it. This was the storage expansion orb he received as a system reward for killing Herman. ''''This one appears to be a littlerger than others I''ve discovered. I believe it''s because it''s green grade. '''' After saying this, he looked at the system information and was shocked by what he saw. Chapter 102 Hermans Dimensional Storage Fragment Raydon asked in surprise, "What does this mean? '''' [Storage Expansion Orb.] -Grade: Green -Quality: N/A -Skill: Enchant Users can increase the capacity of their dimensional storage by 3x3 by using this item. (It contains some of Herman Ashskin''s belongings.) -Mana Cost: None -Duration: None -Cooldown: None The item was identical except for the capacity increase, which was 3x3 rather than 1x1, but Raydon was surprised to see the additional information in the description. ''''Does that imply that this storage expansion orb is part of Herman''s dimensional storage?'''' With this item, some of Raydon''s questions were answered. Raydon regretted not being able to steal Herman''s research findings earlier, but he also didn''t know how to do it. Since Herman has his own dimensional storage, he should be keeping the important items and information there. He reasoned that it would be impossible to find these research findings if the attacker did not have a skill that would allow him to steal something from the enemy''s dimensional storage. Despite this, he learned from Belicia that members of the Blood Organization asionally killed each other in order to steal each other''s research results. ''''So that was the exnation. They can obtain the items hidden in their dimensional storages by killing other item holders. But how many of these possessions does this 3x3 space hold? '''' With excitement, Raydon enquired. For him, this item was like an Easter egg. And it appears that the system was always rewarding the killer with a fragment of the dimensional storage of the killed item holder. ''''I''m in love with this world.'''' Raydon gave a devilish grin. In this world, he had discovered a new interest for himself. And because of this hical interest, he would probably be a serial killer. ''''Let''s see what surprises are in store.'''' Raydon opened his dimensional storage, extended the object in his hand inside, and said. ''''Enchant. '''' The sapphire in his hand vanished into a ck smoke at that instant, blending with the walls that appeared to be made of obsidian. Raydon could see the area rapidly growing, and as it did so, different objects started to emerge from it. ''''These must be some of the items Herman has stored in his dimensional storage. '''' Raydon looked at these items with gleaming eyes. Herman''s dimensional storage could hold over a hundred monsters, and the items Raydon saw were only from the 3x3 section, but there were still a lot of them. When the expansion came to an end, Raydon stood in front of the 7x7 area, which was nearly twice the size it had been. Various magic equipment, materials, scrolls, books, and even gold satchels were scattered around the space. ''''Hahaha, this is awesome, I feel like I found a treasure room. '''' First, he hurried to inspect the gold satchels. There were 6, and 2 of them were white and the other 4 were gray. ''''Nice, they are all fully loaded, with 20,000 gold coins for the grays and 40.000 gold coins for the whites, for a total of 60,000 gold coins. '''' Raydon eximed cheerfully. With this many gold coins, he could purchase two or three more body enchantments, the most expensive thing he saw in the market. ''''It started so well; I hope it continues.'''' Raydon dashed to the other corner like a child, checking the items there. There were dozens of different kinds of magic items here. ''''Hmm, the majority of these are trash items.'''' When he realized that most of them were gray-grade, his expression darkened. He sighed as soon as he hadpleted inspecting every item. ''''Looks like I''m not having much luck with the items. There are only 3 white-grade and 2 green-grade items and none of them are suitable for me. In any case, if I sell them, I''ll make more than 25,000 gold coins. '''' Raydon unluckily has gotten the low-quality side of Herman''s item stockpile. ''''Well, I shouldn''t ruin my mood. '''' Raydon was looking around for anything else he had missed when he noticed a small copper chest on the floor in another corner. ''''A mysterious chest with the appearance of being old and cheap. There must be something valuable in it for sure. '''' Raydon examined the chest, which was small enough to be held in one hand, with a grin. He opened the lid after realizing there was no lock on it. The moment the chest''s lid was raised, Raydon experienced a chilling breeze touching his face. ''''Heh? A body enchantment? '''' On the red velvet cloth inside the chest, Raydon noticed a deep blue eye resting. He picked up the object, which was entirely blue with a ck pupil and cold fumesing from it, and started to read the system information that was disyed in front of him. [Eye of the Ice Gnome] -Grade: Green -Quality: N/A -Skill: Body Enchantment The eyes absorb the surrounding air and convert it to ice-type mana before freezing and storing it, effectively increasing the user''s mana by 200. ''''Wow, it looks fantastic. But, when ites to the eyes, if the side effect is as severe as I think, it could be a major issue. '''' Raydon was tempted to gain 200 Mana, but he didn''t want to lose his eyesight in the process. So he set it aside for the time being to ask the man at the item shopter. ''''So what else is left? '''' Raydon scanned the area. He was drawn to a few items that stood out from the other items he had previously seen. They included a test tube, a ck cauldron, and some hand tools. "I believe these are the tools used to craft items," Raydon pondered while averting his gaze in an effort to find what he was seeking. There were several books in the area he was looking at. ''''Let''s find out what they''re about.'''' He went through the books one by one and was very pleased with what he discovered. The majority of them provided general information about item holders, while others provided information about crafting magic items. --- 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. --- Chapter 103 [Bonus ] Death-Type Item Crafting ''''I can finally learn to craft items. Unfortunately, there is no information about body enchantment crafting; however, this is still better than nothing. '''' Herman, and particrly all members of the Blood Organization, had focused on body enchantment crafting rather than magic equipment crafting. So, while the books Raydon discovered were not particrly valuable, they could still assist him in learning the fundamentals. After reviewing every book, Raydon picked up one that seemed to be different from the others he had saved to be checkedst. ''''This looks like an ancient book.'''' The first thing Raydon thought of when he looked at this book, which looked very old and was covered with gray human skin on the outside, which had now be Herman''s signature, was that it was very old. When he opened the book, the pages nearly fell to the ground due to how old and worn it was. Even though the text was difficult to read on most pages, Raydon spent some timebining the keywords he had read to determine what this book was about. ''''Clearly, he was not the original creator of those fallen soldiers or the body enchantment. Using this book, he was trying to replicate the original. Is this book a family heirloom? Or did he just happen to find an inheritance? '''' Raydon thought deeply. In general, death-type item crafting was discussed in the book. The two that stood out the most among these were body enchantment and fallen soldier crafting. Herman was probably attempting tobine these two things with his own knowledge, but more than 80% of the information was unfortunately unintelligible. ''''Even if only 20% of this book can be read, it still has a great deal of value, right? '''' Raydon questioned. Items were frequently linked to natural elements. In fact, nearly all item holders select a specific element and stat for themselves, develop and improve on these, and then select items ordingly. Overall, this decision is influenced by the title bestowed upon them when they first awakened. For example, in Raydon''s first match in this world, one of his teammates, Seraher, had the title of ''''Ice Maiden,'''' and all of her skills were ice-types. The mostmon of these types included nt, earth, water, fire, and others. There were, however, some that were extremely rare. These are death-type, life-type-dark-type, light-type, fate-type, and a few others, all of which are difficult to research and master. It''s not even necessary to mention how difficult it is to find these types of materials. Thus, Raydon''s discovery of this book containing the research on death-type was aplete stroke of luck. ''''This book is definitely worth looking into, but I''m not sure how well this type fits with me.'''' Until he activated another stat point, Raydon had only stamina and was a stamina-build item holder. He was therefore unsure of the appropriate items to use, particrly body enchantments. ''''It turns out that the body enchantment I''m using, Ashen Heart, is a death type as well. But it also appears to be rted to the fire type. Perhaps I should focus on a mix of items with fire and death types. '''' He thought about it. ''''Anyway, I''ll save that forter. I should visit the item market to get ready for the uing match. '''' Raydon left his house and went to his favorite location, the item market, with a huge grin on his face and his pockets fully stuffed. ¡ª A young woman with striking purple hair and purple eyes is seen moving down a hallway that is lit by the sun. She is dressed in a ssic ck and white maid''s outfit that entuates her curves and reveals her breathtakingly attractive legs. The hallway was ss on one side, allowing a view of the outside world, making this a truly amazing sight to behold as the woman walked gracefully in the sunlight. This woman walked down the long corridor for a while, then frowned and muttered when she saw the richly embroidered wooden door opposite her, and the woman standing next to it, dressed in a maid''s costume simr to hers. ''I really want to kill this bitch. '' The other woman she was cursing had dark hair that cascaded down her back in perfect waves, framing her face with pigtails that added a yful touch. Her light blue eyes twinkled with a mischievous gleam, and her pointed, elven-like ears were only adding to her enchantment. However, despite her charming and innocent appearance, Belicia seemed to be ovee with rage as she turned her annoyance towards Tika. ''''What do you want? Did youe to see what punishment I receive? '''' As she got closer, Belicia sternly questioned. It appears that Tika had already submitted her report on the incident following the most recent incident involving Raydon. ''''Belicia, please don''t be so upset. You see, I''m just doing my duty. Furthermore, shouldn''t you be with your own young master rather than that cripple? Think I''m just doing this as a favor so you can spend more time with your young master,'''' Tika said innocently. Her movements and expression suggested that she was genuinely concerned about Belicia''s well-being. ''''Your two-faced personality irritates me. Why aren''t you also with your young master if you are so concerned about this? Furthermore, keep in mind that even though you are a battle maid, he is still the one you serve, and you should be mindful of this when addressing him. '''' Belicia lost her cool. She was extremely irate when Tika referred to Raydon as a cripple. ''''Haha, it''s none of your business how I address him. And don''t worry, I''ll soon be with my young master. While you''re away, you can depend on me to take good care of him. '''' As Tika said, the innocent look on her face finally vanished. ''''In the meantime, best of luck. When I mentioned you, the young master appeared a little annoyed. I''ll hope you don''t receive a severe punishment. '''' Tika finished herst sentence with augh as she turned around and began to walk away. *** Monthly Goals Every; 250 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter(Max 5) -- 3 published ( 1 more will be published. ) 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter(Max5) -- 3 published Magic Castle = 1 extra chapter(N/A) -- 4 published (You guys really made me work hard these 10 days. I really didn''t expect this novel to get this much attention. Thanks a lot. (-.-) ) Chapter 104 Belicias Young Master As she watched Tika walk away, Belicia scowled. She then turned around and knocked softly on the door. ''''Young master, I''m here. '''' ''''Come inside. '''' Soon after, a wheezy voice was heard. Belicia cautiously opened the door and stepped inside the room, which was much darker than the hallway. As soon as she walked into the room, she was hit with a pungent smell that made her nose burn and her skin start to tingle. The room wasrge and impressive, with cream-colored walls and intricate moldings. In one corner, there was an unlit firece framed by a marble mantle, and in the center of the room sat arge wooden desk covered in paperwork. Richness and power pervaded the atmosphere. ''''Young master. '''' Belicia approached the man seated behind the desk and bowed down to greet him right away. ''''You can raise your head. '''' When the same wheezy voice rang in her ears again, Belicia raised her head and quietly waited with her hands folded in front of her. ''''You should understand why I summoned you here, right?'''' The man spoke again. ''''Yes, master. '''' As she replied, She gave the man a quick nce out of the corner of her eye before returning her eyes to the ground. Belicia was currently too terrified to even look at this man, who appeared to be a skinny 20-year-old man wearing a white t-shirt over ck pants. However, it was interesting to note that he had bandages covering his arms, hands, and head, giving the impression that he had recently been in an ident and was recovering. Only the green and glowing pupils beneath hisshless eyelids were visible on his bandaged face. One would assume from those eyes that there might be an incredibly attractive face hidden beneath those bandages, but Belicia was not thinking about that at the moment. Every breath she took while she was in front of this man hurt, and the tingling throughout her body began to feel more and more like pins and needles. ''''Do you have any idea how he recovered? '''' The man asked, this time with a voice that was clearly irritated. Belicia didn''t dare hesitate before responding to the question. '''' I''m not certain as well. When I arrived to check on him, he had already recovered¡­. '''' Belicia paused and wished she could tell a lie to keep Raydon''s awakening a secret, but the immense pressure from the man across from her made it difficult for her to even think clearly. Belicia couldn''t even say what was on her mind anymore. Her body was starting toply with the man''smands. It even took all of her willpower to keep quiet about Raydon''s awakening as an item holder. But there was no need for Belicia to say it with her mouth because the man''s eyes were staring straight into Belicia''s soul. ''''I see. He''s awakened, isn''t he? That''s quite unexpected.'''' As he stood up from his chair, the man said mockingly. ''''An idiot since birth and a disgrace to our family, my little brother awakens as an item holder only a few years after being kicked out of the family. It''s a really interesting story. '''' Step by step, the man approached Belicia and inquired. ''''Can you tell me how this happened? '''' Everyone believed Raydon would pass away soon after he was expelled from the family mansion. Even the battle maid assigned to Raydon the moment he was born, who was supposed to take special care of him, had been secretly told to abandon him. But, all the while, Belicia was doing what Tika was supposed to do, and, interestingly, no one stopped her, despite the fact that they were aware of it. That''s why this man, Raydon''s older brother, was interrogating Belicia. She would most likely know if there was a secret behind Raydon''s awakening. ''''I don''t know,'''' Belicia replied. She wasn''t lying, either, because Raydon''s sudden awakening had taken her by surprise as well. ''''I''m disappointed in you, Belicia.'''' ? The man continued while reaching out and stroking Belicia''s hair. ''''I know my grandfather was the one who ordered you to look after him, so I can''t do anything to you, but I need to vent my rage somewhere.'''' When he noticed Belicia''s trembling body, he withdrew his hand, giggling with delight. ''''Don''t worry, I''m not allowed to touch a battle maid because of this body, even if you were chosen for me. Well, even if I became the family''s future head and was allowed to touch you, I wouldn''t want to abuse one of my precious battle maids for my own pleasure. '''' Belicia took a deep breath and felt relieved as she heard these words. She was well aware that her young master had already murdered hundreds of women in order to satisfy his sexual desires. As a battle maid, normally it was her responsibility to look after her young master''s every need and even to bear him a child in the future. Big families would gather the most talented individuals they could find, train them to be battle maids with all of their resources, and then prepare them to serve the family''s heirs. Future generations of the family''s genes were strengthened in this way as well. Battle maids were also generally respected in the family, and their behavior was tolerated as long as it didn''t go too far since technically even the head of the family''s mother had once served as a battle maid. Because he knew that, in addition to being a battle maid, Belicia was also following the family head''s orders, he was unable to approach her directly. ''Tch, I have no idea what that old man is thinking. He should have just let him die in the slums.'' After giving it some thought and squinting his eyes, the man turned around, walked over to his desk, sat down in his chair, and spoke. ''''As I previously stated, I cannot touch you, so you cannot pay the price for betraying me. So I''ll settle this with your brother.'''' The man said in a sinister tone. Although it couldn''t be seen through the bandages, he had a sly grin on his face. --- 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. --- Chapter 105 High-Ranker ? ''''W-what? I- '''' Belicia''s face went white when she heard this. She was so shocked that her voice and body trembled uncontrobly, and her eyes were wide open as she stared at the man in front of her. She had kept her brother''s existence hidden from everyone for years, especially to avoid a situation like this, and now the man in front of her was threatening to harm her brother. This was exactly what she feared the most. Belicia''s body gave outpletely, and she copsed to her knees as she thought. ''How, how did he learn? The only person who knows this¡­ Herman? '''' Belicia raised her head to face Loran Demugen, her young master, with trembling eyes and received her response. ''''Haha, did you really believe Herman would keep your secret? Besides, who do you think is supporting him in his research? ''''As Loran looked down at Belicia, the glint in his green eyes grew brighter. ''''No matter how hard you tried to hide it up until now, Belicia, I know every move you make.And now your crippled brother will bear the brunt of your misbehavior. What a pity. '''' ''''No!!! Please no. '''' Belicia began pleading on her knees. She couldn''t stop the tears from welling up in her eyes. She knew the man in front of her wasn''t threatening her; he was simply telling her what will happen. ''''Hahahah, It''s toote for that now. I''ve already given orders to Herman. Don''t worry, your brother''s body will be used for purposeful research. '''' ''''I can''t let that happe¡­blerghh¡­'''' As Belicia struggled to her feet with desperation, she met the man''s eyes shining in the dim light of the room, and a feeling rose in her throat as she fell to her knees again and began to vomit blood. ''''Stay like that. '''' Using a firm voice, the man spoke. Beliciacked the strength to even confront the person in front of her, let alone save her brother. ''''Know your ce, Belicia. Other than the Demugens, you have no family. '''' The man stated as he shifted into a morefortable position in his chair. ''''P-please, d-don''t hurt h-him. '''' She felt as if she was going to pass out at any moment. But she begged for her brother once more, using all the willpower she had. ''''Oh, I''m sorry, but it''s already toote. Additionally, I believe I should include this information. Including your brother, everyone else will be Herman''s test subjects. I believe you don''t mind. '''' The man chuckled and said again sarcastically. ''No! '' Belicia''sst ounce of strength to keep herself on her knees vanished with those words. She then fell to the ground on top of the freshly vomited blood. ''They''re all going to die because of me. I''m going to cause my brother to die. '' She was left with nothing but regret and guilt as the blood she was lying on was mixed with the tears that were streaming from her eyes. ''''I am sorry. '''' As she began to lose consciousness, Belicia mumbled one final time, trying to get her brother and others to hear her apology. But then something unexpected happened, and just as Belicia was about to lose consciousness, all the pressure on her vanished. ''''Hm? What is it? Why are you disturbing me now? '''' Loran inquired, his gaze drawn to the darkness of the room. Being disturbed at the height of his amusement enraged him. ''''I''m sorry, master, but I need to report something.'''' Loran was staring at a silhouette that slowly emerged from the shadows, made his way over, knelt, and respectfully addressed him. ''''Talk. You''ve already ruined my fun. What is so important? '''' The man turned to face Belicia, who was lying on the ground and started speaking once he realized that his young master wasn''t bothered by her presence. ''''We learned a while ago that there was a fight between item holders in a nearby location. And when we went to check the area with the information, we discovered that the fight had already ended. '''' ''''Did you find out who they are? They''re either overconfident or just in stupid because they''re fighting near Demugen family territory. '''' Loran asked curiously. In general, he gave these concerns a high priority. Because he was one of the family''s potential future heads, he needed to pay close attention to these developments for both the family''s safety and, more importantly, its reputation. The person delivering the report gulped nervously before continuing, ''''We believe there were two people involved in the fight. We have no information about one and can only specte about the other one who was killed during the fight.'''' ''''What do you mean? You couldn''t find anyone involved in the fight, and the only person you suspected was just a wild guess? Who is he? '''' Loran became enraged again as the mystery surrounding the incident grew. ''''I apologize, young master. Herman Ashskin, a member of the Blood Organization. We suspect it was him because the fight took ce in his territory, but we can''t be sure because we couldn''t find his body.'''' The man said quickly before lowering his head once more. ''Herman? '' Loran was surprised to hear Herman''s name. Hearing Herman''s name, Belicia also raised her head and looked surprised at the man kneeling on the ground, waiting for the next words toe out of his mouth. ''''How do you know he was killed during the fight if his body hasn''t been found?'''' Loran inquired, suspiciously. ''''Because there is no way of surviving a fight like that. The area has disappearedpletely. Everything has vanished. Neither the old factory nor its immediate surroundings, not even a single piece of garbage, remained. Our suspicion is that a high-rank item holder became enraged and attacked his territory. '''' The man''s description of the area, which was filled with dread and voice trembling, indicates that he must have seen the ce firsthand. That kind of damage could only be done by a high-rank item holder, and upsetting one of them required no brains at all. Chapter 106 [Bonus ] Another Misunderstanding Upon hearing this news, Loran was astounded and thought helplessly as he slumped into his chair. ''Who did that idiot offend? What could he have done so foolishly to enrage a high rank that he personally intervened and wiped out an entire region? He was just about toplete his research, and now everything is lost? '' With hope in his voice, Loran asked the man. ''''Are you certain there is nothing left?'''' He hoped that something remained from Herman''s research. Even though he knew it was impossible, he refused to believe that everything had been destroyed. ''''I doubt anything was left behind. Only a few slum dwellers were near, but they were ordinary people. We also observed the presence of another item holder of low rank nearby. We were going to look into whether he had any knowledge of the incident, but our superiors told us to stop. Due to the involvement of a high-rank item holder, they didn''t want us to look into the matter further. '''' Evidently, not even arge family wanted to interfere in the private affairs of a high-ranking item holder. Additionally, the incident was not located in their own region; rather, it was only close by. Further involvement would have put a high-rank item holder in danger of bing an enemy, which was not worth it. There was no hope left for Loran. He would no longer be able to obtain the research results and craft the body enchantment. ''''Wait, you said there was another item holder? Do you know who that was?'''' While thinking, he stumbled upon this detail. ''''Our superiors forbade us from investigating who he was. But he is only a low-level F-Rank inparison to our investigative skills. Besides, all we know about him is that he lives in the slums not far away from where the incident urred. '' The man said it as if there was nothing to be suspicious of, but Belicia and Loran already had an idea who this item holder was. ''Living in the slums? Is that Raydon? '' Belicia was aware that Herman''s men and Raydon had previously crossed paths, but she had no idea what Raydon had to do with this epic battle. ''''Okay, you can leave. '''' ''''Yes master. '''' With themand, the man retreated into the shadows. Following the departure of the man, the Loran turned to Belicia, who was sitting on the floor with blood on her face and inquired. ''''Is that him?'''' Despite already knowing the answer, Loran inquired. There could be no other item holder living in that environment besides Raydon without their knowledge. ''''I''m not sure,'''' Belicia replied, puzzled. ''''Did he have a problem with Herman?'''' he asked more seriously this time.e. Belicia paused for a moment before exining what happened between Raydon and Herman''s men, as well as how he saved Rayn. She didn''t want to help the monster in front of her, but she didn''t have a choice. Even if she doesn''t tell, he will eventually figure it out, and she might not be able to protect her brother in this way. Also, there was clearly a big scheme going on, and she wanted to know what it was. ''''I see. Everything makes sense now .'''' Loran sagged in his chair, rubbing his temples with his hand. He appeared to be utterly depressed. Belicia had no idea what he was thinking and waited for him to exin. He soon began to speak. ''''When you visited him before, did you notice anyone suspicious? '''' he questioned. ''''No. '''' Belicia replied honestly. ''''Well, if you could spot a high-rank item holder, that would be odd. ''''Sighing, the man continued. It appears that my stupid brother''s awakening wasn''t a coincidence. I''m not sure why, but this high-rank item holder must have noticed him and assisted him in awakening. Then that idiot Herman went after my brother for vengeance, and that high-ranker did not remain silent, eliminating Herman as well as his entire territory.'''''' When speaking, Loran exuded a lot of assurance. And it was clear that his mood had dipped as he thought about it. Raydon had been crippled some time ago, and now someone with a strength he couldn''t even imagine was watching his back. ''What kind of luck is this? How do you get a high-rank item holder''s attention and get him to go this far to help you? '' Loran waspletely certain of his deductions and did not even consider the possibility that they were all incorrect. Raydon did indeed kill Herman, but the power thatpletely wiped out the entire area was simply the result of Herman''s experiment. Of course, everyone who didn''t know assumed it was the result of a high-rank item holder''s skill. ''I''m sure the entire family will find out soon enough. If they discover that Raydon has awakened as an item holder and has a high-ranking supporter, it will be impossible for me to be the family''s leader in the future. '' Loran pondered desperately. Raydon had been kicked out of the family because he was crippled, but once they realized he was incredibly strong, they would put him in charge of the family without hesitation. Raydon, of course, would never ept such a thing, but Loran had no idea. Meanwhile, while Loran was brooding, Belicia was also in her own imaginary world. ''Was he truly Raydon? Indeed, he''s awakened because there''s a high-rank item holder behind him, huh? So, after Herman received orders from young master Loran and attempted to kidnap Rayn, Raydon most likely asked this high-rank for assistance in saving him? '' Belicia began to cry happily as she continued living in her fantasy, convinced Rayn and the others were secure and wouldn''t die because of her. ''I can never pay Raydon back for what I owe him. '' That day, Belicia made amitment to herself. She would pledge all of her loyalty to Raydon as a battle maid. When he was making his ns, even Raydon could not have predicted that things would progress to this point. If he were present, he would watch everything in disbelief and grimace. ¡ª ''''Achooo. '''' ''''What the hell? Am I really getting sick? '''' *** Monthly Goals Every; 250 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter(Max 5) -- 4 published 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter(Max5) -- 2 published Magic Castle = 1 extra chapter(N/A) -- 4 published Chapter 107 A Gamers Enjoyment: Selling Items While events were taking ce that would have made Raydon doubt his luck stat if he had known them, he went to the item market and entered Fang''s shop to sell the items he had. ''''You again? I wasn''t expecting you so quickly. '''' When Raydon entered, the shopkeeper was working on a different task; this time, he was organizing the items on the shelves rather than reading a book. ''''Have a good day. '''' Raydon returned the man''s greeting with a friendly greeting of his own. ''''All right, let''s see what you''ve got this time.'''' He stopped arranging materials and went behind the counter. He didn''t show it, but he was curious to see what Raydon would sell. Since he always found something to surprise him in a match, he really couldn''t predict what he would sell next. His interest was further piqued by the fact that his master, Fang, had a strong interest in this young man. Raydon didn''t waste any time getting a variety of mob parts out of his dimensional storage and began stacking them on the counter. ''''Of course, we''ll start with crafting materials.'''' When he saw Raydon pull out the mob parts, the man sighed. He knew Raydon well now and had expected him to save the best items forst. He was especially curious about the body enchantment that would be dropped by the boss if he killed it again. As the man watched Raydon pile up the mob parts on the counter, he realized Raydon was still going without stopping and that the mob parts he removed were all different types. ''What kind of match region did hee across? It''s impossible to have so many different kinds of mobs in F-Rank matches. '' The man scowled as he deliberated. Around 300 different types of mob parts piled up in front of the man before Raydon finally stopped and said. "Can you tell me if there is any rare material among them? " He asked curiously. All of these materials came from Herman''s dimensional storage. There were no life cores present, nor did these materials appear to be particrly rare. Raydon was either unfortunate to only obtain inexpensive ones, or Herman used them all for his research. ''''There are a variety of pieces here. Give me some time. '''' The man began to examine them. ''''They''re all F-rank, and there''s no rare type. I can give them 4830 gold coins if you want to sell them.'''' Afterpleting his check, the man said. ''''Deal. '''' Raydon agreed right away. There was no rare material among them, as he had predicted. If it was something rare, he could keep it for himself and then use it to craft his own item, but he didn''t want to keep materials that he could easily find in the market because he already had limited space in his dimensional storage. After gathering all of the materials, the man chuckled and handed Raydon his gold coins. ''''I''m sure there''s more, so keep going.'''' Raydon smiled and pulled out the magic equipment set he had taken from Herman, including the damaged ones. When the man saw these items, he looked at Raydon with a suspicious expression on his face. ''It''s not what I think, is it? '' The man said, immediately hiding his skeptical gaze. ''''These appear to bepatible items owned by the same person. But unfortunately, two of the set''s pieces were damaged. If it wasplete, you could sell it for up to three times its original price. '''' ''''Hmm. So, is there any chance of getting them repaired? '''' Raydon was ecstatic when he heard the triple price. These items were obviously not cheap and could fetch quite a bit of gold if sold as a set. ''''You can, but I wouldn''t rmend it. Repairing an item costs the same amount of gold and time as crafting it. No one usually chooses this option if the item is not very important. '''' The man said it inly. After giving these words some thought, Raydon gave up on the idea of having it repaired as well. The profit he would probably make after repairing and selling the set would not be worth the time he will spend. ''''So, how much can I get for all of this? '''' ''''Although some of the items are damaged, there may be people who want to buy it as a set, so I''ll give you 67,000. If there had been no damaged items, the price would have been around 125,000.'' Raydon couldn''t help but be surprised when he heard the price. Even with the damaged parts, the items were more expensive than any magic equipment he''d ever sold. Raydon epted the offer, adding another 67,000 gold coins to the cash gold he had already received from Herman. He then made an additional 23,000 gold by selling the gray, white, and green-grade items he found in Herman''s dimensional storage. ''Killing that old, ugly zombie was probably the best decision I''ve ever made.'' Raydon chuckled and patted himself on the back for his decision. He had earned more experience and gold by simply killing Herman than he had from matches up until this point. ''''You seem happy huh? '''' The man couldn''t help butugh when he saw his silly grin. Raydon quickly collected himself after realizing that he was smugly giggling. He couldn''t help himself. He was a man with the soul of a gamer, and one of his favorite pastimes was to take pleasure in seeing the gold coins in his inventory rise as a result of selling his items. He then took another item from his dimensional storage and said. ''''Okay, can you tell me what you know about this?'''' ''''Tch, I should start charging you for extra work.'''' The man said, taking the small copper chest Raydon was holding out. When he opened the lid of the chest, the man was startled to see the fully blue eye with a ck pupil, and an aura of ice surrounding it. ''''Oh, this body enchantment is interesting. '''' The man eximed. Chapter 108 Mana Type [Eye of the Ice Gnome] -Grade: Green -Quality: N/A -Skill: Body Enchantment The eyes absorb the surrounding air and convert it to ice-type mana before freezing and storing it, effectively increasing the user''s mana by 200. ''''Ice Gnomes are very rare mobs. I''m surprised you discovered a body enchantment associated with them.''''The man said, closing the box. ''''That''s great to hear, but no matter how rare, I don''t think there''s no downside,'''' Raydon said. ''''That is correct. However, the disadvantage is rted to the advantage, so let me start with the advantage. It has a really unique advantage actually. '''' The man smiled and waited for Raydon''s reaction. He was obviously making fun of him and attempting to raise his curiosity. However, Raydon merely waited for the man without saying anything, appearing to bepletely uninterested. The only problem was that Raydon had already read about all of its features in one of Herman''s books. He asked the man now because he wanted topare it to determine how urate the information was in the book. ''''Tch, you''re not funny.'''' When he didn''t get the reaction he was hoping for from Raydon, the man grimaced and began to exin. ''''Okay, gnomes are creatures that typically adjust to the conditions of their environment. Therefore, don''t be fooled by its name, Ice Gnome. If you drop an ice gnome near a volcano, it will eventually turn into a fire gnome. '''' The man paused again, waiting to see Raydon''s surprised expression, but when he didn''t get what he was expecting, he continued with an annoyed tone. ''''This characteristic of theirs also transfers to the body enchantments made from them. If you used a body enchantment of another type before, it will also transform from ice to take on that body enchantment''s element type. '''' Looking at Raydon with interest, the man said. When Raydonst visited, the man could tell from his altered appearance that he was using a new body enchantment, but he was unable to determine what kind of one. Looking at Raydon''s unresponsive demeanor, the man continued, realizing that he would not learn anything about the body enchantment he used. ''''As a result, the eyes you acquire will store the mana they have umted by converting to this type. If the types of mana and skill are the same, the skill''s power will increase at least twice. Normally, body enchantments that grant mana an element are difficult toe by. That''s why this body enchantment is pretty rare. If you try to sell it, it will most likely be worth more than 30,000 gold coins. '''' Raydon had read about the specifics of this body enchantment in the book but had no idea about the price, so when he heard about it, he became even more excited. He also posed another question for which there is no answer in the book. ''''What if the person using it has previously used body enchantment with more than one element? Which type will these gnome eyes acquire? '''' Raydon suspected that the previous Ashen Heart he used was of the fire and death type, so he asked this question. When the man heard the question, he took a moment to consider his response while taking a look at the copper chest. ''''Hmm¡­As far as I know, they mostly have one type, but asionally two types can bebined. I''m not referring to the fire and waterbination. If you have previously used earth and nt-type body enchantments, which are more interrted, it is possible that it will turn into a type that contains both elements. '''' Raydon got exactly what he wanted with this answer. Even if the chances were slim, if he could generate mana of the fire and death types, he could start choosing his future items based on these two types. The fact that skills that used the same type of mana as themselves were typically 2 times stronger was extremely advantageous. ''''This is also where the side effects arise.''''The man drew Raydon''s attention away from his thoughts and continued speaking. ''''First and foremost, because this is only a green-grade item, the amount of mana it will provide you with is 200, and it will only store 200 mana of a specific type. So, if you use this 200 mana in a battle, you will have to start using your own mana, which has no type, until it regenerates. It regenerates at the same rate as your normal mana regeneration. '''' Raydon already knew that, and to be honest, it didn''t really matter to him. Since his spirit stat was 1, he only had 10 mana anyway. ''''In fact, this is not its primary disadvantage. The main disadvantage is that if you use this mana with an opposite type of skill, the power of that skill will be halved. You might not even be able to use the skill at all.''''The man stated solemnly. This was actually viewed as a major disadvantage. It would be impossible for someone to cast a fire-type skill with ice-type mana created by this body enchantment. In other words, the user of this body enchantment was limited to choosing items associated with particr elements. ''''Okay thank you for the help. '''' Raydon took the chest back, ced it in his dimensional storage, and said. He hadn''t decided whether to use it yet, but it was a very useful item, so he would keep it with him for the time being. ''''It looks like you like this body enchantment. However, before using it, ensure that you have the correct type of element. It will influence your future item selection.''''The man gave advice. It would be extremely detrimental to Raydon''s development if he used this body enchantment and then decided to use a skill set with the opposite element. After all, separating a body enchantment from the body was a difficult task. ''''All right, thanks for the advice.'''' Raydon expressed his heartfelt gratitude. The man''s assistance and advice to Raydon demonstrated his genuine concern for him. Raydon received a smile and a nod from the man. While he assumed Raydon had shown all of his items and was about to leave, he was surprised by the next thing he took out. ''''Can you tell me what this is? '''' --- 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. --- Chapter 109 Fangs Trouble As the man viewed the object for the first time, he realized it was a crafting material and not anything ordinary. "Let me check." He took the ck stone out of Raydon''s hand and studied it for a while. "It seems to be a material and death-type. But I''m not sure which grade." He grumbled and grimaced before activating a skill. ''''Inspect. '''' When the man used his skill, his eyes seemed to glow white for a while, and it looked like texts were moving quickly inside them. His eyes returned to normal shortly after, and he remarked, turning to face Raydon in amazement. "I don''t know where you got this, but you''d better put it back in your dimensional storage. Something like this could make you the target of greedy item holders. '''' The man stated gravely, giving Raydon the stone back. ''''So? What is this?" Raydon said as he ced the stone in his dimensional storage. ''''This is a pure death-type crafting material. I believe it is one of the best materials avable for crafting a death-type item. Moreover, this is a blue-grade material. In the hands of an experienced item expert, a top blue-grade, death-type item can be crafted with this. '''' Raydon was unsurprised by what the man had said. After all, Herman was attempting to craft a body enchantment, most likely of the death type. It was quite usual for him to create the materials himself. The item expert that the man was talking about was the title given to people who have mastered item crafting. Herman should have been an item expert or semi-item expert if he could even craft his own material. "So, how much would it cost for me to sell it?" Raydon inquired. He didn''t really want to sell it, but knowing how much it was worth would have helped him figure out what it was worth overall. "It''s difficult to say. Items and materials of blue-grade or higher that people want to sell or buy can only be bought and sold at auction. Moreover, since this material is of a rare type, its worth is unclear. If you discover someone who truly wants it, the price will most likely rise to 300,000 gold coins, or more. But I''m sure it''s not less than 100,000 gold coins."He said openly and honestly. There may have even been item holders who wanted to get it by giving up all of their possessions. After all, it was a rare material that was hard to find. ''Wow, it''s simply a material, yet it''s that expensive?'' Raydon pondered. He was well aware that blue-grade items were several times more expensive than green-grade items, but the blue-grade material he had at the time was sufficient to purchase dozens of green-grade items. "All right, I suppose it was today''s most valued thing. I look forward to seeing you again." When he realized that Raydon had no more things to show, the manughed. "Many thanks for your assistance. I''ll see youter." Raydon smiled back and then left the store. As the shopkeeper saw Raydon exiting the store, he instantly removed his ne, and after activating the skill, Fang appeared in the hologram that emerged. ''''Hm? Do you have any interesting thing to say about him?" Fang inquired, lifting an eyebrow. He was curious since he knew this guy would only call regarding Raydon. ? In response to Fang''s query, the man lowered his head and answered respectfully. "Yes, master. He was recently here and, as usual, sold a few rare items. But, this time was far more interesting and special than the previous ones." "Interesting and special, huh? Keep going." "Sure, master, you may be aware of recent happenings. A high-rank item holder attacked Herman Ashskin. '''' The man said and waited for Fang''s response. "Yeah, this news has spread quite quickly. After all, a high-rank was involved. I''m not sure how that moron managed to offend him." Fang eximed in awe. Even though he is a B-Rank item holder, he is one rank below high-rank status, therefore he must show respect while speaking with high-ranks. That''s why he couldn''t figure out how Herman, a mere E-Rank item holder, could be so foolish. "What does this matter have to do with it?" Fang inquired, frowning. He didn''t want to be involved in the affairs of a high-rank if at all possible. "Master, the things Raydon sold today were most likely belonging to Herman Ashskin. No, I believe they absolutely belonged to him." The man said assuredly. He was certain of this since he was the one who sold Herman the majority of the materials he used to craft his items. After all, the item market was a great location to buy for unruly item holders like him, and this store is also recognized for offering all high-quality stuff beneath the blue-grade. "This is troublesome." Fang grimaced as he heard this. If what he suspected was correct, he would have to adjust his ns for Raydon as well. ''It seems that there is someone else besides myself who recognizes this young man''s potential, and this person is a very powerful one. I think I should take a chance and seek this senior and speak with him. Maybe I can persuade him to let Raydon assist me. Even if it involvespensating a few blue-grade items.'' Fang was wishfully thinking about finding a high-rank item holder who was even not real and trying to ask him to let Raydon help him. ¡ª "Achoo. " "Hey, what sort of virus can make me sick despite my stamina?" As Fang and the shopkeeper discussed a non-existent item holder, Raydon was walking around the stalls looking for a suitable item for himself. ''I have a total of 182,544 gold coins at the moment. With this money, I can easily buy a set. But first, I need an attack-type skill.''Radon thought. He had difficulty in hisst fight with Herman because hecked the attack-type skill. To make up for this, he used the movement-type skill, but this strategy wouldn''t always work. Chapter 110 Buying Items (Part 1) Raydon once more found himself in front of the stall of the man who appeared to be a cartoon character from whom he had purchased the movement-type item the previous time while moving between stalls and looking for the most suitable stall. "Hohoho, young fellow, great to see you again. '''' The manughed funnily. Every extra piece of fat on his body, even his cheeks, wobbled as heughed, adding animation to the man''s alreadyical image. ''''Hello, sir; good to see you as well. '''' Raydon also greeted him in a friendly manner. When he previously purchased the item that enabled him to kill Herman, the seller did him a favor and offered him a discount because his gold amount was insufficient. So he had a positive attitude toward this man, and he hoped that this time he would also find what he was looking for. "I presume you''re here for the attack-type item you didn''t get thest time you visited, right?" "Yeah, if you have a stamina-based attack-type item, I''d want to look at it. Also, it would be better if it is death-type or fire-type. '''' added Raydon. ''''You won''t have any issue with any of my items as they are almost all stamina-based, but death-type? That''s a little difficult. '''' He pondered for some time, his forehead furrowing. There was no problem with fire-type, but death-type ones were very rare. "I have two fire types, but I can''t help with the death type because it''s outside of my specialty. Hoho '''' The guy said this while reaching for a knife on the stall and picking it up, as well as withdrawing a glove from his dimensional storage and cing it in front of Raydon. ''''Check out these two; they''re good. '''' Raydon reached out and checked the dagger without lowering his mood despite being disappointed that he couldn''t find a death-type item. [Dagger] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Ignite Increases the damage rate by covering the weapon with mes. The temperature of the mes varies depending on the user''s stamina. -Mana cost: 3 -Duration: 3 minutes. -Cooldown: 3 minutes. Raydon considered the skill for some time. The heat of the mes he will likely produce with his current level of stamina will be rather intense, and given that he typically wields a sword, it will have the same effect as cutting butter with a hot knife. ''''Can I use this skill with arrows? '''' He enquired. In addition to the sword, he frequently used a crossbow, and if he hit the target with arrows powered by these zing mes, there was a chance that he might pierce even tough skin. "Of course. Yet, the effect will be lesser. '''' With this answer, Raydon believed that this skill was eptable. Even if the effect on the arrows was minimal, it was sufficient to at least raise the damage rate. He then took the glove with the ck-on-red striped design and studied it before returning the dagger. [Gloves] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: me Burst When the skill is used, sprays a pressurized me onto the target. The pressure of the me output varies ording to the user''s stamina stat. -Mana cost: 5 -Duration: 30 seconds. -Cooldown: 1 minute. Raydon asked excitedly after seeing the skill description. '''' Is it possible to use the skill with any part of our body? '''' The reason for Raydon''s question was because simr to the hook skill he always used and could only throw from his hands, the skills were activated only with certain body parts. ''''Sure. You can even use your mouth to activate the skill and breathe mes like a dragon. Hoohoho. But, be careful as you might burn your beard. hohoho. '''' Raydon ignored the bad joke and eagerly said. "I''ll buy it," ''''I guess you liked that. At least it isn''t as expensive as the previous one. It''s 8.500 gold coins. '''' As soon as the man epted payment, Raydon bonded the item to himself. After looking at a few more items, he realized that nothing else caught his attention, so he made the decision to go and visit other stalls. After saying goodbye, Raydon departed from the hoho guy and then resumed his wandering. This time, he was specifically searching for possible sellers of death-type items. In general, it was easy to determine which seller specialized in which type just by looking at them. He eventually did find a big, muscr man. Raydon reasoned that this man could be able to sell items rted to death-type because he was a zombie. Although seeming muscr, the man''s upper torso was entirely naked, and some of his pale skin was missing, which led Raydon to believe the man was a zombie. Even the right side of his breastbone and the still-beating heart behind it could be seen. In addition, it seemed as though the skin had been entirely torn off of one side of his face, exposing his skull. ''''Hey, don''t get too near; your smell is making my nose burn. '''' The zombie abruptly raised his hand and motioned for Raydon to keep away as he approached the stall. "My smell? Why? '''' Raydon questioned the man''s actions since he could not understand them. "You have an ashy, burned corpse-like scent. Just who are you? Stop there and don''t approach. '''' ''Ashy? Burned body? Is it a result of my body enchantment? '' Raydon pondered. Zombies were normally vulnerable to fire, and heat, another attribute of Raydon''s body enchantment, which is fire, must have disturbed him, but his im that he smelled like ash and burnt corpse parts puzzled him. ''''Good, let me hear what you need. Be quick." The zombie told Raydon while covering his nose. He appeared to be about to kick him based on the expression on his face. Raydon remarked, "I''m looking for a stamina-based death-type item. '''' "All right, I have a few. Just remain there, and I''ll put them here. '''' The zombie moved back after taking the three items from the stall and cing them on a distant corner of the stall. Chapter 111 [Bonus ] Buying Items (Part 2) ''Weird guy. '' Raydon thought and walked over to look at the items. The first thing that caught his eye was an earring. This earring looked like the wing of a small bat. [Earring] -Grade: White -Quality: Good -Skill: Smell Corpse After using the skill, the exact location and shape of all corpses can be determined by smelling them at a radius of 40 meters. The smelling radius increases depending on stamina stat. -Mana cost: 6 -Duration: 5 minutes. -Cooldown: 7 minutes. ''''What the hell is this? '''' Raydon cursed as he read the skill description. It was an investigative-type skill, but what good would smelling the corpse do him? He couldn''t gain anything from a mob that was already dead. ''''Tch, just ignore it if you don''t like it. Don''t insult my items. '''' The zombie said in a mad tone. It was clear that he had put this item there in the hopes that maybe he could sell it to some idiot. Raydon gave the man a dirty look and moved on to the next item. After the first one, he didn''t have high expectations for this one, and he exactly got what he anticipated. This was yet another useless item of the attack-type that appeared to be something the zombie wanted to get rid of. ''Poison the death? What am I supposed to do by poisoning someone who is already dead? '' He red at him sternly once more. After briefly locking eyes with Raydon, the zombie quickly turned away and pretended to be speaking with another buyer. Raydon reluctantly took the final item and started to examine it. Simrly to the first item, this was an earring, but this time in the form of a silver cross. [Earring] -Grade: Green -Quality: Outstanding -Skill: Despise The user''s disgust for the living increases after using the skill, and they are able to see them up to 140 meters away while ignoring any obstacles in their path of vision. The range of visibility depends on the stamina stat. The duration of the skill depends on the stamina stat. -Mana cost: 15 -Duration: 5 minutes. -Cooldown: 5 minutes. ''''No way. '''' Raydon was taken aback by the skill. After two frustrating experiences, he didn''t expect to find such a thing. In addition to seeing the living things so far away, the skill''s capacity to ignore obstacles was what convinced Raydon to buy this item. He had the blood-bat as the investigative-type at the time, but it didn''t have much more than a bird''s eye view. This skill, on the other hand, would allow him to locate mobs and enemy teams even if they were hidden beneath the ground. At least using this item would prevent what happened with the worm boss from happening again. ''I guess I''ll have to use that body enchantment.'' Raydon said this while thinking about the ''''gnome''s eye'''' body enchantment. It was difficult to find items that consumed HP rather than MP, and without MP, he wouldn''t be able to make much progress. ''''I will buy this. '''' Raydon yelled to the zombie as it stood far away from him with his nose still covered. ''''Huh? Which item? '''' The zombie asked as he turned his head to look at Raydon. ''''Earring. '''' ''''Ha? Are you sure¡­ I mean what a good choice. Bahaha. You absolutely made the right choice. Give me 4.000 gold coins and take it. '''' Unexpectedly, Zombie appeared pleased that he chose the earring. ''''4000? '''' Raydon was surprised and inquired because he believed the price was too low for the item. Judging by the behavior of the zombie, it was as if he wanted to sell this item as soon as possible. ''''Did I just say 4000? I mean 3000. Just pay for it and go. You really stink.'''' He yelled angrily. ''What the hell is wrong with this earring? '' Raydon examined the earring in his hand and considered it, but he was unable to find anything wrong with it, so he made the decision to purchase it. Even if it had a w, it was still rtively inexpensive. Raydon took 3000 gold from his gold satchel, tossed it over the stall, and walked away under the strange gaze of the zombie. ''''Bahahaha, that idiot actually purchased that item. I thought I''d never sell it and was about to throw it away.'''' The zombie watched Raydon with delight and began to collect the gold. ''''Who would pay 3000 gold coins for a worthless white-grade item? He was surely a noob. Bahaha '''' After taking the gold, the zombie turned to take the other two items Raydon had left. ''''Hm? Wait. Howe this is still here? '''' As he held the bat-wing-shaped earring, the zombie questioned. ''''Wait, wait, wait¡­What did he buy if this one is still here?'''' The zombie had mistakenly assumed that the earring Raydon had purchased was this useless one, but he had now realized his grave error. ''''No!!! What have I done??? That item was worth at least 15.000 gold! I can''t let him have that item!!!'''' The zombie immediately began gathering his items from the stall. His goal was to close the stall, find Raydon, and reim the item he had just sold by ident. ¡ª ''I really can''t find anything wrong with this item. Is it possible that the brainless zombie sold it by mistake?'' While still perplexed about why the zombie was selling this so eagerly and cheaply, he guessed the truth. ''''Anyway, if that''s the case, I don''t care,'''' Raydon eximed,ughing. Because of the zombie''s stupidity, he was able to purchase this item for a very low price. ''I now have an attack type, a movement type, a control type, and an investigative type.'' He came to a halt and began to think. The only things he didn''t change for a long time were hook, which is a control type and reflect, which is a defense type. ''''I believe it is time to change the gloves. They appear to be quite worn out already. I''m not sure they can take any more blows.'''' Raydon stated as he examined his gloves. Although it could reflect iing attacks, the item''s durability was low, and the gloves were damaged whenever Raydon used the skill. *** Monthly Goals Every; 250 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter(Max 5) -- 4 published 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter(Max5) -- 3 published Magic Castle = 1 extra chapter(N/A) -- 4 published Chapter 112 Using Another Body Enchantment ''''I suppose I could look for another attack type to rece the defensive type. I don''t believe I need any additional defense right now.'''' Raydon thought that his high stamina already provided him with adequate defense, so he made the decision to find an attack-type item that would, at the very least, allow him to kill mobs more quickly in matches. ¡ª After a long period of wandering, he sighed and looked at the sword in his hand with the ck leather hilt and gray de. [Sword] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Spirit Wave The de of the sword emits the energy of the dead spirits, creating a shing wave that inflicts damage to the target up to two meters away. The attack''s damage rate is determined by the spirit stat. The attack''s range is determined by the stamina stat. -Mana cost: 10 -Duration: 2 meters. -Cooldown: 2 seconds. ''''This will be sufficient for now. It''s absolutely worth 12,000 gold coins, '''' Raydon said with a satisfied grin. The skill''s damage rate was determined by the spirit stat, but if Raydon used the gnome''s eye body enchantment and acquired death-type mana, the damage rate would rise by an average of two times. And if he can''t get the death-type but only the fire-type, he''ll just sell everything and start over with a new set of items. He currently had gold coins that could be used to purchase almost any item under blue-grade, but his main goal was to learn crafting as soon as possible and begin creating his own set of items. Therefore, in order to temporarily increase his match profit, he had to buy new useful items. Raydon ced the sword in his dimensional storage and sighed, "Unfortunately, I couldn''t find any body enchantments again". Even a cheap body enchantment was extremely difficult to find. He didn''t need to be stronger right now to win F-Rank matches, but he might have something useful for killing more mobs or even the region boss and the enemy team. ''''Everything seems to be fine for the time being, anyway. I can go back and prepare for the next match,'''' He said as he exited the item market and made his way home. ¡ª Soon after Raydon left the item market, a zombie was seen ambling aimlessly through the stalls. ''''Where? Where? Where is that stinky bastard!!! '''' Unable to find him in the vast item market, the zombie wandered for a long time, unaware that Raydon had already left. ¡ª ''''Please... please give double attribute.'''' Raydon had already returned home, stripped down to his underwear, and was staring into the cold-steaming blue eye in his hand. After taking a few deep breaths to prepare himself for the potential pain, he said. ''''Body Enchantment. '''' In an instant after being activated, the blue eye transformed into a blue vapor that sprayed directly into Raydon''s eyes. ''''Shit. '''' He was brought to his knees by the sharp pain that had suddenly shot through his eyes. The pain he was currently experiencing was significantly worse than the previous body enchantment he had used, Ashen Heart. Cold steam prating his eyes quickly froze them, causing them to freeze and fall to the ground as ice chunks. The pain in his eyes wasn''t the only thing he was experiencing. The unbearable cold was reaching all the way from his eyes'' nerves to his brain, giving him the sensation that a fire was burning inside his head. Fortunately, this pain did notst long, and the sensation of pain in his frozen nerves vanished quickly. This time, however, Raydon began to feel a different kind of pain as new eyes began to form in ce of those that had shattered into ice and fallen to the ground. A pair of ck mes erupted from the empty spaces where his eyes used to be. Raydon was feeling more pain from the mes now than he had before. The pain gradually subsided as ck fire poured into both of Raydon''s eye sockets and began to take the form of his old, normal eyes. Finally, the ck fires solidified into matter, taking the form of Raydon''s previously healthy eyes. The eyes, however, were a little different from the ones before. His dark brown pupils, which had turned slightly gray after using the Ashen Heart body enchantment, were nowpletely gray. ''''Shit, that really hurt. And here I was thinking I''d seen every kind of suffering there was to see. '''' After a few moments, Raydon got up from his knees and gently rubbed his eyes. ''''The first sensation I experienced as my eyes were destroyed was freezing, but the second sensation I experienced as it formed was burning. I suppose that serves as evidence that it had changed into the fire type. But what about the death type? '''' Since Raydon couldn''t see the mes as his eyes were forming, he knew it was a fire type simply from the burning sensation he experienced, but he had no idea how to determine whether it was a death-type or not. ''''Oh, it''s here, haha¡­ huh? Wait¡­ What?! '''' While contemting how to verify this, Raydon examined his character panel from the system and noticed that there was information indicating that his mana had indeed gained an attribute. But there was something totally unexpected. ]: B7890-D4850 [Race]: Human [Name]: Raydon Demugen [Title]: Master of All [Level]: 1 [Rank]: F (Grey) [Experience]: 10.688/ 1.000.000 [HP]: 360 [MP]: 10+200 (Attribute(s): Ash) [Strength]: 1 [Agility]: 1 [Stamina]: 36 [Luck]: 1 [Charisma]: 1 [Spirit]: 1 [Magic Equipment(s)]: 5 / 5 -Sword (Bonded) (Skill: Spirit Wave) -Gloves (Bonded) (Skill: me Burst) -Earring (Bonded) (Skill: Despise) -Vambrace (Bonded) (Skill: Hook) -Boots (Bonded) (Skill: Depart) [Body enchantment(s)]: 2 / 5 -Ashen Heart -Eye of the Ash Gnome [Dimensional Storage]: x7 -Short Sword -Crossbow -Lionheart Great-Sword -Pants(White) (Blueprint) 2x -jacket(White) (Blueprint) -Crossbow arrows -Gold satchel 5x (White) (159.044 total gold coins.) -Gold satchel 4x (Gray) -Cane(Blue) -Obsidian stone -Crafting tools -Books ¡­ .. . ''''Where is fire or death? What the hell does "ash" mean? '''' Raydon eximed in shock. Even in his previous life, he had never heard of an ash attribute. Chapter 113 Hungry Raydon murmured as he stared at the character panel. ''''Is this an attribute thatbines death and fire, or is it something else entirely? It seems to be of a lower tier than the death-type. '''' Raydon had never seen an ash attribute before, so he wasn''t aware of its ws or advantages. Additionally, he purchased fire and death-type items. He was aware that using the death-type skill with death-type mana would increase its power, but what kind of skill should he use with the ash-type mana? ''''This is an enigma. '''' He looked for additional information in Herman''s books but found no results. ''''What am I going to do with this now?'''' After some consideration, Raydon chose to use one of his recently acquired death-type skills to try it out. If this ash type is rted to the death type, the skill he used should be stronger as well. ''''Despise. '''' His gray eyes began to take on a more ck hue as soon as he cast the skill, and the veins at the corners of his eyes bulged. ''''Man, this skill is awesome. '''' He said as he focused on the walls of his home. However, what he was really focusing on were the red silhouettes of the people far away, not the walls themselves. Normally, the skill''s ability to see up to a maximum of 140 meters has already been enhanced by being a stamina base and Raydon''s high stamina. ''''I don''t think it''s just because it''s a stamina base that I can see people this far away; I guess ash-type mana really supports death-type skills,''''Raydon stated, his gaze fixed on the farthest red silhouette he could see. ording to his calctions, he could see living beings nearly 400 meters ahead. He would likely be able to see from about 200 meters away with just the support of his stamina stat, but with the help of ash-type mana, this had increased to about 400 meters. This realization made Raydon sigh with joy. He said, "It seems like this skill gives me a very good bloodlust," as he studied the silhouettes and fought off the growing urge to kill them. He then deactivated the ''''Despise'''' skill and wanted to see if it also supported fire-type skills by activating the ''''me Burst'''' skill, but he gave up after some consideration because he didn''t want to blow up his house by using this skill. ''''Anyway, I can check thatter during the match,'''' He said, realizing that his next match was only a few hours away. ''''Hmm, I just realized I hadn''t eaten anything in a long time.'''' Raydon suddenly felt hungry and decided to go to the buffet for a sandwich before going to bed and resting, as he always did before a match. He had a bag in his hand when he returned home, and this time he had three times the usual amount of sandwiches. He became even more hungry after going without food for a while. He grabbed a cheese sandwich from the bag and bit into it while sitting on his bed. ''''Blearghh. '''' He immediately felt extremely nauseous after chewing and swallowing, and he then puked. ''''Is the sandwich spoiled? But the taste was normal. '''' As he wiped his mouth with the napkin, Raydon looked at the sandwich and saw that the bread and cheese appeared to be fine. Not knowing what the issue was, he threw away the sandwich from which he had taken a bite and reached for another. ''''I hope the ham isn''t spoiled as well.'''' His hunger had increased after he had just vomited up the sandwich. After confirming that the ham sandwich smelled and looked fine, he took a bite and said, ''''This tastes good¡­Blearrghh¡­ '''' And as soon as he swallowed it, he began to vomit once more. "What the hell is going on?" Angering at his growing hunger, Raydon grabbed a different kind of sandwich than cheese and ham and bit it again. ''''Blerrghh¡­ '''' And another one, ''''Blearghh¡­'''' And another, ''''Bleraghafhfg¡­'''' After vomiting thest sandwich onto the floor, he dropped to his knees, sped his hands around his head, and yelled. ''''Why is this happening?! Am I now allergic to sandwiches?'''' Raydon began to starve more and more after each vomiting. Even though he was starving, the fact that he couldn''t eat the sandwiches in front of him made him angry. ''''What exactly is wrong with these sandwiches?'''' He was trying to figure out why he was throwing up the sandwiches when he suddenly looked up, his eyes glowing as if he had found the problem. ''''Wait¡­When was thest time I ate something?'''' Thest time he had eaten was two days prior to using the body enchantment Ashen Heart, and he had puked right after. When Raydon realized why, he said it with a sigh. ''''This must be one of the side effects of this body enchantment, huh? '''' He couldn''t figure out what the side effect was when he first used Ashen Heart, and he hadn''t figured it out until now. However, everything is now clear. ''''Man¡­ I''m really starving. '''' He mumbled as he stood up and began cleaning up his vomit from the floor. ''''Why do I feel hungry if I can''t eat anything? '''' He finished cleaning, stood in the middle of the room, put his hand on his chin, and started to think. ''''Do I have to consume human blood like a vampire? No, that would be too clich¨¦. What if I devour human flesh as a ghoul would? No, no, I already read that in a novel; mine must be more original. '''' Raydon kept thinking, not even realizing that he was talking nonsense because he was starving, until he realized hours had already passed with the system''s message. [The next match is ready to begin. Do you want to join?] When the system message came up, Raydon scowled. ''''Damn, I really hope I don''t have to eat my teammates. '''' He wanted to find a solution to his hunger problem before the match, but the excitement of the adventure made him forget about his hunger, even if only for a moment. ''''Yes. '''' And he went on a new adventure to fill his stomach. --- 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. --- Chapter 114 Fourth Match In the blink of an eye following the beginning of the match, Raydon opened his eyes to the sight of the ocean and the feel of the fresh, salty breeze on his face. He took a deep breath of the clean, tasty air, which waspletely opposite to the slum''s polluted, dirty air, filling his lungs to capacity and quenching his hunger. "This fishy smell is really good." He was ovee by the smell of the sea, which made him think of the smell of seafood as he mumbled and looked around. He could see that he was currently standing on a very small patch ofnd that was elevated significantly above the water. He could make out other pieces ofnd that were nearby, at a maximum distance of 10-15 meters, on the calm, never-ripening azure waters of the sea. ''This appears to be a sea region with small inds. ''As Raydon surveyed his surroundings, he observed at least twenty pieces ofnd with lush green fields on them. He was contemting whether this was a sea region and whether mobs could be onnd or in the water when he was startled out of his train of thought by a voice from behind him. ''''It seems like we are in an ind region. We need to travel to other inds if we want to find mobs. Does anyone have the skill to get us across to the other ind without having to swim through this sea? '''' When Raydon turned back to the source of the voice, he saw four young women, all of whom were stunningly beautiful and also delicious looking. ''''No! Fuck! No! Not delicious. '''' Raydon shook his head rapidly to clear his mind of any erroneous ideas. One of the girls, who had just finished speaking, noticed Raydon shaking his head and muttering something. She raised her eyebrows at him and asked. ''''What? Delicious? '''' Raydon raised his head once more in response to the question posed to him, nced at the spaghetti-blond hair, olive-shaped eyes, and skin that looked as sweet and white as a marshmallow, and then quickly averted his eyes again and said. ''''Eh? Nothing. Don''t mind me. '''' ''I''m not really craving human flesh, right? '' Raydon frantically pondered. Although it was clear that hecked any sense of morality and would consume human flesh if necessary, the idea of consuming a member of his own race still made him queasy. ''''Hey, are you okay? Hmm... You are the one who is level 1, correct? Look at that outfit. Are you a servant? '''' Raydon once more raised his head and saw the girl''s moving meatball-like lips as she spoke. This time, due to the fact that Raydon was wearing his items, he was mistaken for a regr household servant rather than a slum dweller. ''''Yes, I''m the one who is level 1, but don''t worry--I won''t be traveling with you as a team anyhow. Besides, if I stay here any longer, I might eat you any minute, so I''d better leave. ''''Raydon said the second part of his sentence quietly, then turned around and started thinking about which ind he should go to first. ''''E-Eat us? '''' Obviously, the girls had heard what he said. The girls'' fantasies took flight as they pictured a boy and themselves stranded on an ind engaging in sinister rituals together. ''''What are you saying? Pervert!! '''' Said the blonde girl angrily. "You have a death wish. '''' One of the other girlsmented irritably. ''''What are you talking about? You are merely a level 1 servant, yet you believe you can touch us? '''' Another girl said. ''''A-are you trying to s-seduce us with those c-captivating gray eyes, smooth white s-s-skin, and lean but muscr b-b-b-b-body? '''' And when thest girl said it in a flushed and slightly trembling tone, everyone paused and looked at her. ''''W-what? '''' The girl''s blush intensified as she turned to face her teammates before averting her gaze once more. Raydon, too, took one look at this girl before returning his gaze to the nearest ind and thinking. ''I believe it is time to put my new skillbination to use. Hopefully, my boots will be able to withstand the impact.'' Raydon positioned himself to jump by bending his knees and lowering himself to the ground. Once he was in the ideal position, he pushed off the ground with all his might, concentrating his power on the muscles of his right leg while he chanted the name of the skill. ''''me Burst. '''' *Bang* A small explosion urred just before his feet were swept off the ground, and a pressurized jet of ck me began to emerge from the sole of Raydon''s right foot and propelled him into the air like a rocket. ''This is a lot stronger than I expected.''As Raydon ascended into the air and stood at the height of a six-story building, he thought. ''''Despise. '''' He immediately activated his second skill after his initial burst of speed had dissipated and his ascent hade to a halt. With his eyes turning ck, he cast a quick nce around the 400-meter radius. A few inds Raydon saw when he was on the ground were nothingpared to what he was seeing now. Raydon now realized that they were encircled by a myriad of inds of varying sizes. There were treeless ins and verdant forests among these inds. He has also seen a number of inds with bright red things wandering around on them. He quickly made a mental note of which ind had more mobs before looking at the forest-covered ind, which he believed to be the biggest in this region, and starting to fall down. *Bam* Raydonnded with a superhero thud, kicking up dust and creaking the rock beneath his feet. ''''C-cool. '''' The girl''s face had just started to look less flushed when she looked at Raydon once again, and this time it looked as if the smoke were about toe out of her ears. --- 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. --- Chapter 115 Mana Regen ''''What? '''' Turning around, Raydon looked at the girl. ''''Hyeakk. '''' The sight of Raydon''s ominous eyes, with his despise skill still active, caused the girls to lose all strength in their legs and fall to their knees as a wave of chilling fear washed over them. The look in his eyes gave them a newfoundprehension of the meaning of the word "eat," which they had previously misunderstood. As the girls trembled in fear of Raydon''s murderous intent brought on by his hunger and the effect of the despise skill he used, he turned his back and muttered. ''Shit, I''ll start biting them if I stay here any longer. '' He then started to make his way toward the islet''s shore. ''''This route should be fine. '''' Raydon muttered, staring at the other islet only ten meters away from him. With the route he had mapped out in his head, he intended to travel to the biggest ind he had previously seen, passing through the islets where the mobs were most prevalent. He waited for the me Burst skill''s cooldown to expire before stepping back and beginning to run towards the other islet in front of him. ''''me Burst. '''' ck fire once more erupted from beneath his feet as he leaped onto the following islet. He waited here for a while, then jumped to the next islet because there weren''t any mobs in this one either. ''''Let''s start now. '''' Raydon said, grinning at the serpent-like monster that had spotted him the moment he stepped foot on thend and was now wagging its tongue at him. As he saw the green creature, which had the appearance of a snake but had two small, webbed feet on either side, running towards him, he drew his sword from his dimensional storage. He then, chanted and waved the sword vertically in the direction of the approaching monster. ''''Spirit Wave. '''' Raydon activated the skill as he swung the sword, and the ominous aura covered the gray metal of the de as it sped towards the monster in a shing wave. The force of the blow shed open the top of the monster''s head, killing it instantly. [Lv.1 Wandering Snake(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experiences.] ''''This skill is so cool,'''' Raydon said, recalling a skill used by an anime character in his previous life. ''''It can also kill an F-Rank mob in a single hit. This ash-type mana has already surpassed my expectations.'''' He expressed his delight. He had already discovered that ash-type mana strengthened death-type skills when he used the Despise skill. He also noticed that it had strengthened his fire-type skill, which was the me Burst he had just used. ''''I''m curious if it only strengthens the death and fire types. What else might Ash be associated with? '''' Raydon pondered. Given how ash is created, the association of death and fire made sense, but he had a gut instinct that it was more than that. While contemting, Raydon pulled out his dismantling knife and started tearing apart the body of the snake. As he dismantled the snake''s body, saliva started toe out of his mouth. ''''Can I eat this? Dude, I''m really hungry. I need to figure out what I should eat or this feeling will drive me insane.'''' While Raydon was debating whether he should cut a piece of the snake''s flesh and fry it before eating it with his me Burst skill, another snake emerged from the nearby bushes. ''''Damn, just give me a second so I can finally eat something,'''' he said, before killing it with another Sprit Wave skill. [Lv.1 Wandering Snake(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experiences.] Raydon looked at the dead snake''s body and sighed as he realized he had been wasting mana out of anger. ''It is very cool and useful, but its mana cost is too high. '' Raydon pondered gloomily as he calcted the mana he had expended since the beginning of the match. He spent a total of 50 mana using the me Burst skill three times, the Despise skill once, and the Spirit Wave skill twice. ''''If I continue in this manner, my mana regeneration will not be sufficient to cover my expenses. Should I increase my stamina again? '''' Raydon was now losing 3.6 HP per minute as a result of Ashen Heart, while gaining an additional 1.8 MP per minute. If he were to increase his stamina even further, he would burn more HP and gain more MP regeneration. After giving it some thought, Raydon spoke. '''' Why am I saving experience points in the first ce? I can''t use it to level up since I need 1 million experience points to do so. '''' And he chose to invest the experience points in his stamina that he had been saving for unexpected events. At the very least, if his mana regen increased, he''d be able to use his skills more frequently. [Experience]: 10.708/ 1.000.000 ''''Let''s see how much stamina this will give me. '''' He then started spending his experience points. -Stamina Cost: 253 exp. Cost: 274 exp. ... Cost: 318 exp. *DING* ''''Good to know that a subskill apparently unlocks every ten stat points. Hahah '''' Raydon knew exactly what the system message meant when his stamina reached 40, and heughed with joy as he continued to increase it. Cost: 380 exp. ... Cost: 568 exp. *DING* ''''Hahah, I really get a new sub-skill for every 10 stamina.'''' When Raydon''s stamina reached 50, he once moreughed enthusiastically and joyfully at the message he received, forgetting even his hunger. ... Cost: 775 exp. He stopped when he realized he was out of experience points for the next increase after using 775 experience points for thest one. [Experience]: 323 / 1.000.000 ''''I got 21 more stamina and hit 57 stamina in total,'''' Raydon said with a grin, looking at the character panel. ''''Now, let''s see what sub-skills I got. '''' His eyes glowed with anticipation as he opened the title panel and began reading it. Chapter 116 New Sub Skills Before he even looked at the sub-skills he had gotten from his title, Raydon could feel the change in his body. He felt his muscles, skin, bones, and internal organs hardening up as a result of his improved stamina. Not only that, but he felt a surge of vitality as if his life force had been replenished. He had the impression that all of his cells had once belonged to a grandfather who had lived to be a hundred years old, and that they were now growing younger and regaining their youthful vitality. When Raydon examined the title panel, he found the answer to what was making him feel this way. [Title]: Master of All -Experience points can be used to boost the stat points of your choice. Currently avable stat(s): -Stamina -Life Regeneration (sub-skill): Doubles the body''s rate of healing and enhances the effects of healing skills used on the body based on the stamina stat. -Damage Reduction (sub-skill): Ignores 50% of all received damage. -Minor Elemental Resistance (sub-skill): Body resistance tomon elements is increased by 50%. -Greater Health: HP is increased by 1000. ''''+1000 health points? '''' He couldn''t contain his excitement when he saw that 1000 more points had been added to his HP, which had already increased to 570 due to his increased stamina. This meant that as his HP increased, so would his mana regen, thanks to the Ash Skin body enchantment. ''''And %50 elemental resistance? Ismon referring to elements like fire, water, earth, and air? '''' Despite the fact that this skill does not include extremely rare ones like death, Raydon was still satisfied. With the 50% damage reduction sub-skill he previously obtained, his resistance to these elements has now reached incredible levels. ''''Anyway, my MP regeneration rate should now be around 7,85 per minute. '''' He contemted it. If he includes the mana regen thates with 1 spirit stat point, his mana regen is now close to 8 per minute. As a result, he was able to use the Spirit Wave skill once or the me Burst skill almost twice per minute without using his mana reserves. ''''I think now I can start my hunt. '''' He grinned as he spoke, unable to contain his delight at the improvement. ''''But I must first taste that meat. '''' His grin was abruptly cut short by the drool that once more began to drip from his mouth. The raw snake meat did not look very appetizing to Raydon, so he decided to fry it before trying it. However hungry he was, he was willing to wait a few extra seconds if it meant his meal would taste better. ''''me Burst. '''' The snake''s flesh was quickly roasted with the seasoning of death by the ck mes that erupted from his hand, creating a delightful aroma in the process. ''''I think that''s enough. '''' He said, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket as he cut off a piece of the fried, tough meat from the snake and shoved it in his mouth. When he bit into the meat, the oils it released created a vor explosion in his mouth. "Damn, this is delicious!" He gulped down the piece in his mouth and let out a joyful cry. Once he realized he wasn''t going to throw up, he took another piece and kept eating, and then another, and another, and another, until he''d eaten the entire snake in a matter of minutes. ''''So from now on I can only eat monster meat, huh?'''' Raydon chuckled as his hunger was satisfied. It was fine with him if all the monsters were going to be this tasty. ''''But I believe my daily food costs will rise significantly. '''' He considered as he observed the Wandering Snake in front of him, all of whose flesh had been consumed and only its internal organs remained. He had just consumed about 15 kilos of meat, yet he didn''t even feelpletely full. He would now have to use their meat for his own food requirements, in addition to the materials he had taken from the mobs he had killed. The good news was that his dimensional storage was adequate for the time being, and after each match, he could store enough meat for two days. At the very least, he was relieved that it didn''t have any restrictive side effects, as most body enchantments do. Raydon threw the other wandering snake directly into his dimensional storage without dismantling it and then went in search of his next victim. ? There were only two mobs on the islet, and as he jumped to the next one, he encountered three wandering snakes and quickly killed them as well. When his mana was full, he could use the Spirit Wave skill to instantly kill them with a single strike, but as his mana was being replenished, he chose to only use the sword to finish them off in two to three strikes. Raydon jumped from islet to islet in this manner, killing a total of 78 wandering snakes in little more than half an hour. He threw ten of them into his dimensional storage without dismantling them, and the rest were dismantled to save space. ''''If my calctions are correct, 5 of them couldpletely satisfy my hunger for one day. But it would be nice if I could find other types of mobs if possible.'''' He refused to eat the same thing over and over, no matter how delicious it was. Eating the same thing over and over reminded him of how he used to eat instant noodles every day when he was broke. Raydon checked his mana and saw that he was only missing 10, so he moved on to the next islet. ''''I think I''vee a long way. ''''I wonder if I can find the enemy team.'''' He had already passed over 20 islets and was getting close to his destination, therge ind. He jumped to the next islet, killed five more wandering snakes there, and decided to check the area again. ''''Despise. '''' ''''me Burst. '''' He jumped, using hisbination skills, and began to survey his surroundings from the air. When he looked at the big ind, he realized there were only 14 more islets until he arrived, and this time, he could also see the ind''s center because he was closer. Chapter 117 Long Ears Raydon looked at the big red glowing silhouette in the center of the ind and said, "Hahaha, looks like as I guessed the Region Boss is there. A monster thisrge should be none other than the Region Boss. '''' After locating the Region Boss, he continued to look around and saw what he was looking for before starting to fall. ''''And I found you, too,'''' Raydon added with a grin. Just a few islets away from him, he saw the silhouette of a glowing red snake-like creature and five other humanoid silhouettes that appeared to be fighting against it. These silhouettes were clearly the enemy team. ¡ª ''''Quick, hop over there and finish it. '''' A woman with white bunny ears, a bunny nose, and a fluffy tail called out to her teammate. What looked like tree branches extended from the end of the blue staff she held in her hand and intertwined themselves around the Wandering Snake in front of her, pinning it to the ground. ''''Niyaaahhh '''' Another rabbit man, this one gray, heard his friend''smand, leaped with the sword in hand, and plunged it into the neck of the wandering snake. When the rabbit man''s sword failed to sever the monster''s neck in one swing, he drew back and struck again; this time the snake''s head was severed from its body and it copsed. ''''Oh my carrots, these things have thick skin. However, there is nothing that my sword cannot cut. '''' The rabbit man spoke, disying the muscles on his arm covered in gray fur. ''''That isn''t the only thing with thick skin here. As you are aware, our score is significantly lower than our opponent''s. If you are strong, go ahead and get us more points.''''The team''s second rabbit woman erupted. ''''Tch, I''ll kill more if we can get across the islets quicker. While I''m dismantling this right now, prepare to move on to the other islet.'''' The rabbit man said as he took a knife from his dimensional storage and walked over to the wandering snake. ''''Yes, let''s move quickly, the point difference is huge, maybe if we go to that big ind, we''ll be able to find and kill the mobs faster.''''Another rabbit man spoke as he approached the islet''s shore. ''''Transform: Water Turtle.'''' As soon as the rabbit man activated his skill, his body began to change. Over the course of a second, his body grew and turned blue; then, a green shell began to appear on his belly and, eventually, on his back; and, finally, in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a 3-meter-long blue turtle with a green shell. ''''Transformation-type skills are really helpful. I''m also a charisma build item holder, but I''ve spent the majority of my time honing control-type skills.''''The white rabbit woman, who had just a few moments ago been holding the wandering snake with the branches protruding from her wand, sighed. ''''Don''t be discouraged, we kill mobs so quickly thanks to your control-type skills.'''' As he slowly entered the water, the rabbit man, who had just transformed into a turtle, said. He called out once he was in the water to the rabbit-man who had finished dismantling the snake. ''''Come on, hurry up, let''s get to the next islet as soon as possible.'''' When they heard their teammates, they jumped onto his shell and prepared to leave. *Swosshh* ''''Aghhg '''' As the group was about to move, something ck from the sky crashed into the white rabbit woman, tearing the head from her body and then cutting off the arm of the gray rabbit man standing next to her before sputtering into the air in ck smoke. ''''What was that? What''s going on? '''' The sudden aerial attack terrified the rabbits, who yelled and frantically searched their surroundings to figure out what had happened. *BANG* Meanwhile, another Spirit Wave came and split another rabbit-woman in half before crashing into the turtle''s shell with a crashing sound and dissipating again. The rabbits were too stunned to react and activate their defensive skills. ''''Fur Coat. '''' When a rabbit man realized they were being attacked, he immediately activated his defensive skill, and his fur grew longer and took on a metallic color. ''''Ear Armor. '''' When the other rabbit-man activated his skill, his long ears fell to his shoulders, where they transformed into a helmet and then, from the neck down to the waist, a suit of armor. *Swoshh* Raydon, who had alreadynded on the ground, used his cooldown-ended skill once more to sever the rabbit''s exposed legs while transforming his ears into body armor. ''''Agghhh '''' Then, he wasted no time in using his movement-type skill and charging headlong into the other rabbit wearing fur protection. ''''Carrot sword. '''' To defend himself from Raydon''s sword, Rabbit-man grabbed a carrot and transformed it into a long sword with his skill, but it was already toote. ''''Gaghh. '''' ''''Oh, your fur looks sturdy. '''' He looked at the rabbit-man''s neck, which he couldn''tpletely cut with one sword stroke, and aftermenting, he struck the second sword blow and killed him as well. ''''Gaaghh¡­ Help!!! '''' Thest remaining rabbit yelled for help as he attempted to jump into the water while crawling on the turtle''s shell without legs. Unfortunately, all that awaited him was another Spirit Wave. ''''Hey, you''re not going anywhere, either,'''' Raydon said to the turtle, who was finally reacting to the events and trying to escape by diving into the water. He ced his palm on the spot where the Sprit Wave had previously crashed and broken its shell. ''''me Burst. '''' The turtle died in agonizing screams as ck mes from Raydon''s palm encroached into its shattered shell. "This transformation skill seems to be very useful, but it appears that your reaction time and speed have been significantly reduced," He said as he looked at the rabbit-man''s body, which had burned from the inside out to turn into turtle soup in the water before dissipating into a beam of light. [Lv.9 Long Ear(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 8 points.] [You gained 80 experience points.] And in a matter of minutes, Raydon had wiped out the entire enemy team. *** Sorry for thete chapters, I''m a little busy these days. I will also publish the bonus chapter for the power stone goal during the day. --- 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. --- Chapter 118 [Bonus ] Non-Stop Hunting *Ssh* Raydon lost his footing when the tortoise''s body vanished, and he toppled into the water. Then he gathered everything that had fallen into the water, tossed them into his dimensional storage, and returned to drynd. While brushing wet hair off his face, he shifted his attention to the big ind in the distance. ''''I still have two hours to go, and I only have to kill the region boss, '''' Raydon eximed. Within an hour, he killed nearly a hundred monsters, and just now he also added the entire enemy team to that body count. There was only the Region Boss left on his to-kill list. He wasted no time in using his me Burst skill once more and immediately began plotting a route to the main ind by selecting the islets with the most mobs. ¡ª ''''Whew, I''m finally here. '''' Raydon finally made it to the big ind after a half-hour of jumping. Including the earlier ones, he killed a total of 183 wandering snakes during this period. ''''Hmm, it appears that I still have plenty of mana left. It was a wise decision to increase my stamina. I suppose I should raise my stamina to 60 and then unlock another sub-skill when I''ve gained enough experience. '''' Raydon''s hunting efficiency was greatly enhanced by his ability to use his skills frequently, which also enabled him to make the most of an F-Rank match. ''''Now let''s see where that big boy is. '''' He muttered and began looking around, activating his Despise skill. Despite the fact that this ind is thergest in the region and is densely forested, his 400-meter vision range was sufficient to locate the creatures in almost every corner of the ind. ''''Heh, there you go.'''' Raydon spotted the Region Boss not far away and began dashing in that direction. He had only been running through the forest for a few minutes when he came across a ck snake with yellow horizontal stripes, curled up next to a massive rock. Using assassination techniques, Raydon approached this snake stealthily after retrieving his sword from his dimensional storage. His footsteps on the dirt, grass and branch-lined path could not be heard over the sound of swaying leaves in the wind. Without making a sound, Raydon crept up to where the four-meter snake''s head was and swung his sword. ''''Spirit Wave. '''' *BANG* ''''Tssss¡­'''' The sword wave, which looked like it was made of ck smoke, mmed into the snake''s head at high speed, cutting it deeply enough to wake it up hissing in pain. ''''Of course, you''re not going to die in a single attack.'''' Raydon chuckled and made the next move. ''''me Burst. '''' ck mes erupted from beneath his feet as he leaped toward the snake''s writhing head. He took out the great sword from his dimensional storage and sank it deep into the center of the wound he had just created with the Spirit Wave. ''''Tsssss¡­ '''''' *Tut* [Lv.10 Lone Serpent(E-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 100 points.] [You gained 1000 experience points.] [Congrattions; at the conclusion of the match, you will receive your reward for killing the region boss.] The snake gave its final, agonized death cry, then fell to the ground, blood pouring from its head. Raydon withdrew his great sword from the serpent''s head, drenching himself and the ground in its gushing blood. ''''Man, I guess there''s no fun in F-Rank matches anymore.'''' While staring at the snake''s dead body, he sighed and said. There probably wasn''t anyone in the F-Ranks who could stand up to him. As a result, Raydon began to wonder if even E-Rank matches were actually that challenging. ''''Anyway, if I can''t find any challenges, I''ll go and mess with my family,'''' He joked. He then pulled the dismantling de out of his dimensional storage and started dismantling the lone serpent. He also made sure to get its meat in the meantime. Raydon looked at the remaining time in the match after he had finished dismantling and said. "Heh, it seems I have a lot of time yet. '''' And he set out to find other mobs on the ind to hunt. ¡ª Meanwhile, while Raydon was having a wild time on the main ind, four girls were attempting to walk on the ice formed by their skill on the water. They moved slowly and smoothly from one islet to the next, as if they weren''t in the middle of a match and were simply visiting the other islet out of curiosity. ? [Your team gained 1 point.] [Since you made no contributions to the battle, you won''t gain any shared experience.] ''''Here is another system message.'''' One of the girls calmly said. She must have grown ustomed to the system message that has beening constantly ever since Raydon left them. ''''First, he went and wiped out the enemy team; then he went and killed the region boss; and now he''s spending the rest of his time ughtering. Who exactly is this terrifying man?'''' In horror, one of the girls uttered. Every time Raydon was mentioned, she remembered the look on his face as if he was about to devour them. ''''I''ve never seen or heard of him before. He has to be around our age. I can''t believe such a person hasn''t been heard in the academy. As you can see from his level, even after so many massacres, he is still at level 1. He probablyes from a grand family, maybe even a super-family and the title he has is just as strong. '''' Another girl eximed in awe. All of them were both terrified and in awe of Raydon after witnessing his relentless ughter and might. The girls argued over which super or grand family Raydon belonged to after they finished wondering why he wasn''t the subject of any rumors. After all, only an extraordinarily powerful and well-established family could have produced such a genius. ''''I have no idea who he is, but I have no doubt that his fame will quickly spread. I should let my family know as soon as I can. '''' Looking off into the distance, the girl who once fantasized about teamwork exercises with Raydon said. Simrly, the other girls showed their agreement by nodding their heads. They, too, had begun to form their own fantasies about Raydon in their minds, and it was clear that his name would start to spread slowly but surely among other item holders after this match. Chapter 119 Shadow Messenger (Part 1) While Raydon was speed-running his fourth match and setting new records, a figure dressed in all ck was slowly making his way out of the shadows and into the light of the neighborhood, murmuring something. ''I shouldn''t sneak around; if that high-ranking item holder is nearby and suspects me of being hostile, I''ll be dead before I even know how. '' Then, cautiously but openly, he started to make his way over to Raydon''s house across the street. ''Why did the master assign me such a task? I''m definitely going to die of a heart attack, even if that high-rank doesn''t kill me. '''' He pondered this as he approached the entrance to Raydon''s apartment building and made his way up the front steps. He was trembling and looking around him with each step. This was the shadow messenger that Fang had previously asked to investigate Raydon''s family background. And now he had sent him to Raydon''s house to deliver a message. Normally, Fang could simply wait and speak to Raydon at the item shop where he regrly goes to sell his items, but since he believed Raydon to be the apprentice of a high-rank, he decided it would be best to formally send a message to him. If he secretly requested Raydon''s assistance, it would be disrespectful to the high-ranking individual behind him, and Fang didn''t want this misunderstanding to ur. He also couldn''t ignore his own reputation bying here personally because, although he wasn''t a high-rank himself, he was also very close to being one. So he decided to send a shadow messenger in the hopes of getting the attention of that imaginary high-rank item holder and, if possible, using Raydon as an intermediary to meet with him. The shadow messenger cautiously ascended the steps and approached Raydon''s front door. ''Man, I haven''t knocked on doors as a shadow messenger in a very long time. I''ll always carry this shame with me. '' The shadow messenger sighed and knocked on Raydon''s door in shame, knowing that he was always operating in the shadows where no one would ever suspect his presence. ''''Hm? He''s not at home? Should I wait? '''' After knocking on the door several times and receiving no response, he thought to himself. The Shadow messenger was standing still and contemting when he was suddenly alerted by his senses; he spun around and caught the knife that had been hurled at his head with two fingers. ''''Who are you and why are you attacking me? '''' He yelled at the young man with the red hair who was standing in the middle of the street just in front of Raydon''s apartment. ''The knife was thrown at me before I even knew he was there. Despite his youthful appearance, he has excellent concealment skills. '' The Shadow Messenger pondered. Even though he saw the tattoo on his hand that read "2" in gray color and knew that he was actually much weaker than he appeared, the fact that he could approach and attack him so stealthily was impressive. ''He is not the man my master instructed me to deliver the message to. Why is there another item holder here?'' Shadow Messenger had not expected toe across another item holder in this region besides Raydon and the High-Rank behind him. ''From what I can see, I think he lives around here. He''s probably one of those who got lucky and became an item holder by ident. '' Shadow messenger thought. He could tell he wasn''t a member of a family or organization based on the clothes he was wearing and the fact that he didn''t have any items on him. Aside from those who normally awaken by learning the techniques that big families and organizations hold in their hands, it was an extremely rare event for a person to awaken their potential and be an item holder, but it was not impossible. Experiences such asing face to face with death may allow people to discover and awaken their inner potential. ''A very impressive young man. I believe I can take him to the master. He can join the Trade Organization if he demonstrates his worth.'' In the split second it took the shadow messenger to process all of this, the young man looked at him, grimacing, having watched as he caught the knife he threw with all his strength. ''''Who are you? What are you doing there? '''' "I''m just here to deliver a message, I''m not here to cause any trouble. " Shadow Messenger spoke the truth. Even though he was aware that this young man was a weak item holder, he still didn''t want to stir up trouble in this vicinity. ''''You are not here to cause any trouble? So tell me, what are you doing outside that door, masked and dressed in all ck? Do you think I''m stupid? '''' Dan let out another loud shout. Yes, this red-haired young man was Dan, who had recently be an item holder thanks to Raydon and had justpleted his first match and reached level 2. After Herman''s death and what happened at the factory, Dan and the others dered Raydon a god and began to address him as master. Further, they misunderstood Raydon''s true nature and believed that he was a hero fighting for good against evil organizations, so they were willing to do anything for him. Not knowing how to help him, the first thing that came to mind was to find Raydon''s house and stand guard around it, ensuring that the neighborhood was safe and that no one would interfere with Raydon''s life. And as a result of all of this, even though Dan didn''t exactly know where Raydon''s house was, he still acted right away when he saw a man in all ck and wearing a mask standing in front of one of the houses'' doors. Dan thought that this person was definitely not normal. ''He is unquestionably an item holder and probably much more powerful than I am. Did hee here to assassinate the master? '' Chapter 120 Shadow Messenger (Part 2) Dan pondered, his gaze fixed on the man in ck. He was certain that this man hade to the slums for sinister reasons, and he knew that Raydon was the only person worth killing here. ''''Boss, what happened? We heard you yelling. Is there someone who is causing trouble?'''' Dan and the Shadow Messenger were standing silently and looking at each other when Fatty Sami''s voice broke the silence. ''''Don''te here! He is strong. '''' When Dan saw Fatty Sami, Karan, Pana, and the others approaching him, he yelled and tried to stop them. ''''Who is he? '''' Despite Dan''s warnings, Pana dashed in, looked at the Shadow Messenger, and asked. ''''Is he an item holder? '''' Karan followed close behind, frowning. Since Dan was now an item holder, he was significantly more powerful than the average human being. That''s why Dan''s use of the word "strong" raised Karan''s suspicions. "Yes, and more powerful than me." Dan gravely said. Meanwhile, the shadow messenger was facepalming as he looked at Dan and the others. ''Damn, I forgot to take off my mask, and now they''re causing an unnecessarymotion. '' ''''Hey, stop making a fuss before you offend anyone, okay? I really don''t want to cause any trouble for anyone. '''' While nervously scanning his surroundings, the Shadow Messenger said. ''''You think we would believe a man who hides his face, '''' Pana eximed. ''''If you don''t want any trouble, why don''t you just leave? We are not afraid of you, so if a fight is what you seek, by all means,e. ''''After positioning himself behind Dan, Fatty Sami raised his fists in a defiant gesture and said. Hearing what his friends were saying made Dan break out in a cold sweat, but he was powerless to stop them. Dan''s newfound assurance as an item holder,bined with Raydon''s presence, may have made them forget just how ruthless item holders can be. The Shadow Messenger''s eyes twitched as he watched the drama unfold in front of him. ''Do they have brains? Don''t they know I can kill them all in a matter of seconds? They would all be drowning in their own blood right now if I hadn''t known about the existence of that high-rank. '' He simply wanted toplete the assignment given to him without causing any problems, but the morons in front of him kept getting in the way. After observing these idiots for a while, he wondered if Raydon was no longer residing in this area. ''Perhaps he has moved somewhere else. I wouldn''t want to live in such a noisy neighborhood as well. It''s likely that the high-rank item holder is also not present. ''In addition, he thought it was absurd that a person of such power would be staying here. After using his investigation-type skill to survey the area and determine that no immediate danger existed, he heaved a sigh of relief and said angrily. ''''That''s enough, you''re running out of patience. '''' He lifted his hand and chanted. ''''Shadow Bind. '''' ''''Huh? '''' ''''What are these? ''''Damn, I can''t move. '''' Shadow hands suddenly materialized from each person''s own shadows and seized them as the Shadow Messenger used his skill. ''''Be quiet. Don''t force me to kill anyone,''''he repeated in an authoritative tone. Everyone, including Fatty Sami, wentpletely silent at these words. It was clear that the enemy was extremely powerful. Dan, in whom they had ced their trust, was also frozen in ce next to them. In the sudden stillness that followed, the Shadow Messenger began to mutter to himself while rubbing his temples. ''''It seems like I came here for nothing. Most likely, they no longer reside in this area. Anyway, I cannot risk killing someone, but if I bring this young item holder with me, at least I won''t be returning empty-handed. '''' Instead of using the stairs again, the Shadow Messenger jumped straight down and approached Dan when he finished thinking aloud. ''''All right, youe with me quietly.Don''t worry, if you don''t cause any trouble, no one will suffer. In fact, one day in the future, you will probably remember this day and thank me many times for taking you with me today. ''''With augh, the Shadow Messenger stated. He considered Dan''s opportunity to join the Trade Organization to be the best thing that could happen to him. "Wait, where do you intend to take the boss?" When Karan heard that the Shadow Messenger was going to kidnap Dan, he screamed. ''''Karan, it''s okay. '''' Dan met Karan''s gaze steadily and said.''''Just let the master know when he returns. Please inform the master that I am fine and that he does not need toe looking for me.'''' He had witnessed Raydon bury an entire region into nothingness thest time he came to save them, and he did not wish to waste Raydon''s time by asking him toe to save him again. No matter what, he had to figure out a way to survive on his own and get away. Shadow Messenger was about to grab Dan by the arm, but he stopped when he heard what Dan had said. ''Master? '' ''''No need to worry, boss. When the master finds out about this, he will surely wipe this idiot out of existence just like he did that freak item holder''s territory. '''' Sami said. His tone suggested that there was no big deal about Dan being taken away by the Shadow Messenger. ''Who is the master they are referring to? Which territory was wiped out? Wait¡­ No way, right? '' As the Shadow Messenger struggled to make sense of what he was hearing, he deactivated his skill, and the shadow hands that had been holding Dan and the others vanished. "Who is this master you''re talking about?" He asked in a voice that was shaking and hoped it wasn''t what he was thinking. "It''s none of your business. You''re going to die soon anyhow.''''Sami said it again in a matter-of-fact manner. When the Shadow Messenger saw Sami speaking so confidently, he froze. He turned to look at the others and noticed that they were equally at ease. At that precise moment, he only had one thought in mind. ''I''m fucked up, right? '' --- 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. --- Chapter 121 Shadow Messenger (Part 3) ''There can be only one exnation for why they seem so assured and at ease. '' Shadow Messenger thought. "Could the master you mention be connected to the item holder who resides in that apartment room?" He raised a trembling hand and pointed to Raydon''s house, whose door he had just knocked on. ''''Our master probably lives there,'''' Karan confirmed with a nod. ''''Hell, even our enemy knows more about our master than we do.'''' Spitting on the ground, Fatty Sami said. They were aware that Raydon lived in this neighborhood, but they had not conducted a thorough investigation in order to avoid tension and panic. Besides, it would be impolite to question where his house is behind Raydon''s back; he would have told them if he wanted to. There was an increase in the intensity of the Shadow Messenger''s trembling body. ''So it''s not his apprentice Raydon but rather himself who is residing in this apartment? Are you kidding me? Did I just knock on the door of a high-ranking item holder and, on top of that, attack his other apprentices on his doorstep? '' The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became. He had onlye to see Raydon to deliver a message, and he had believed that he was the only person who lived here, so the news he had just heard had plunged him into a pit of despair. But he didn''t know, he got everything wrong. He assumed that the person referred to as master by Dan and the others was not Raydon, but rather the high-rank item holder behind Raydon. He consequently believed that this high-rank item holder was not only Raydon''s master, but also the master of Dan and the others who were in front of him. *Plop* The Shadow messenger suddenly copsed to the ground and started kowtowing and shouting in front of everyone''s shocked eyes. ''''My apologies, please forgive me, I had no idea you were his apprentices. I came here specifically to deliver a message to him. I swear I didn''t mean to cause any trouble. '''' Shadow Messenger was shouting as loudly as he could as though he was trying to get someone''s attention. He knew that what he had done waspletely unforgivable. He was well aware of the egotistical superiorityplexes that high-ranking item holders had, and they would kill anyone without hesitation to protect their reputation. Dan and the others gaped in confusion as they continued to stare at the Shadow Messenger for a while. Just moments before, this incredibly powerful man had rendered them all defenseless with a single skill, but now he was kneeling before them and pleading for forgiveness. ''Isn''t Master far too powerful? The mere mention of his name is sufficient to strike terror into the hearts of all who hear it. '' Everyone''s awe for Raydon''s might has increased once more. "Heh, where has your superior air gone now? A short while ago, you were threatening to kill us. Gaghg¡­ '''' Fatty Sami approached the still-kneeling Shadow Messenger and was about to kick him when Dan grabbed him by the cor. ''''You just stated that you were here to deliver a message to the master. Is this true?'''' Dan took a step forward and inquired. He reasoned that since he shuddered in terror at the mere mention of Raydon''s name, he absolutelycked the guts to attack him. ''So, we really misunderstood him, huh?'' Dan thought with a sigh. ''''Y-yes, I''m definitely just here to deliver a message, and p-please believe me, I have no bad intentions.'''' When the Shadow Messenger saw the hope that the misunderstanding would be resolved, he immediately lifted his head and began to exin himself. ''''So that was the case. Since you were wearing a mask and looked suspicious, we assumed that you hade to assassinate the master. '''' Karan said. ''''Assassinate a high-rank? Me? No, no, no, no. '''' When he heard these words, he immediately shook his head and frantically denied them. ''''High-rank?'''' Fatty Sami inquired, raising his eyebrows. They were familiar with the general information about item holders, but they had no idea what high-rank meant. ''''Isn''t your master a high-rank item holder? You guys are his apprentices, right? Don''t you know what rank he is? '''' Shadow Messenger inquired oddly. Because they were so few in number, high-ranking item holders did not need to conceal their levels or ranks. That''s also how Raydon was able to find out Fang''s rank and level in the item shop before since he wasn''t wearing a glove. ''''Huh? We''re his apprentices? '''' Pana was surprised and turned to look at Dan for an answer. Although Raydon had trained them, they believed he had only done so out of empathy. They questioned whether he saw them as his apprentices. ''''I believe we are, but I''m not sure. It''s only been a few days since he started training us, and I''m the only one who has be an item holder.'''' Dan said after some thought. Karan and the others hung their heads in shame as they heard Dan''s words. They med themselves and felt worthless because, despite Raydon''s training, they were unable to awaken as an item holder. On the other hand, the Shadow Messenger was in shock, in contrast to their current feelings. ''''You became an item holder in just a few days? What the hell? '''' he eximed, stunned by what he was hearing. What he had believed a while back, that Dan had gotten lucky and awakened by releasing his own limited potential, seemed more usible to him. Because there was a great difference between those who were trained and awakened by learning a technique and those who awakened themselves by unleashing their limited potential during life-or-death situations. Given that titles are determined by a person''s potential and character, the title obtained as a result of awakening by using all of their limited potentials without any training or learning techniques would be the weakest. That''s why, in Raydon''s previous matches, his teammates thought it was impressive that he became an item holder despiteing from the slum, but they also thought his title was useless and he was weak. Chapter 122 A Gift From Fang ''Normally, it takes months or even years for a person to learn even the most ineffective technique and unlock their potential. However, has this person learned the technique in a matter of days and achieved the potential for awakening? '' ''I can only assume that the technique he''s mastered is connected to his recent sneak attack on me. Compared to my medium-quality technique, that was unquestionably a much higher-quality technique. '' The Shadow Messenger was shocked by how much better Dan''s shadow assassin technique was than his own, but he also couldn''t believe how quickly Dan had picked it up and awakened. ''What kind of power does this high-rank item holder possess? He''s teaching apletely ordinary person a high-quality technique in a matter of days. What is his purpose? I must immediately report this to my master. '' He thought. Dan''s quick learning of technique wasn''t just because he was a genius. Without the proper guidance, not even the world''s greatest genius could have aplished it. Dan and his team were looking at Shadow Messenger, thinking he was just a peasant who couldn''t understand how mighty someone like God Raydon could be, and they didn''t care why he was surprised by this. After all, Raydon''s power was also beyond theirprehension. When the Shadow Messenger noticed he was being looked down upon, he gathered his wits and asked. '''' S-So, do you know when your m-master will return? There''s a message from my master that I need to deliver. '''' ''''We have no idea. Master onlyes to check on us. And when we need help.'''' Dan finished his sentence with a low voice and embarrassment. ''''Who is your master? You can tell us what the message is, and we''ll forward it to our master when he returns.'''' '' Fatty Sami chimed in. Shadow Messenger paused for a moment to consider his options. His task was to deliver Fang''s message to the apprentice of the mysterious high-rank. Since the people in front of him were also his apprentices, he decided it was okay. "My master has been known by the name Fang the Butcher. He is a mid-rank item holder from the Trade Organization who will soon to be a high-rank item holder. '''' Shadow Messenger finally found something to boost his self-esteem and eximed with his head held high, emphasizing the word ''''soon to be high-rank'''' ''''Soon to be high-rank? So he''s just like any other item holder? Tch, and I assumed he was someone significant. Just tell us the message. '''' Sami said. With twitching eyes, the Shadow Messenger rose to his feet, reached into his dimensional storage, and held out a silver box to Dan as he said. ''''This is a small gift from my master. If your master grants my master the opportunity, he wishes to see him.''''The Shadow Messenger bowed and held out the box in his hand, saying respectfully. ''''He wants to see our master with only a small gift? A mere mid-rank item holder? Try your luck next time with a bigger gift. '''' Sami looked at the small box with disdain and said. ''I was trying to be modest by saying "small gift," but that is actually a blue-grade item, you idiot. '' Shadow Messenger thought, but he refrained from saying it aloud. ''''Okay, we''ll forward the message, don''t worry. '''' Dan took the box and ced it in his own dimensional storage without opening it. ''''Ehm, then my mission ispleted. Take care. '''' He bowed again, and as he was about to leave, he heard Fatty Sami''s voice once more. ''''Wait. '''' ''''Y-yes? '''' Shadow Messenger got goosebumps whenever he heard this voice. He had never been so disgusted with anyone in his life and would have killed Sami right here if he could. ''''If I recall correctly, you mentioned bringing the boss to your organization, and he would be grateful. I wonder why that was?''''Fatty Sami asked confusedly. ''Shit. Ipletely forgot I said that.'' Shadow Messenger muttered as he broke out in cold sweat. ''''I-I just realized he doesn''t have any items, and y-you know how helpful our organization is, so maybe I thought they could give him one or two items. He-heh'''' Right away, Shadow Messenger started looking for an exnation. If that high-rank had discovered that the Trade Organization was attempting to seize his apprentice, Shadow Messenger would be the only one who would suffer as a result. ''''Ohh, what a kind Organization. I thought he was just trying to kidnap you, boss, so you should follow him,'''' Fatty Sami eximed. Realizing what he was attempting to do, Dan and the others smiled. "I always thought this fat guy was stupid, but when ites to cunning and training, he''s a genius," Pana thought with a sigh. And as Sami had anticipated, he received what he desired. "N-not really necessary. I-? just realized that I have some things on me that I''m not using. Simply ept them from me. '''' Shadow Messenger said hastily. ''I swear to God, I''m going to kill this guy someday. '' And he thought, reaching for his dimensional storage reluctantly. ¡ª ''''Spirit Wave. '''' Raydon used his skill to sh at the Wandering Snake that was approaching from two meters away; the sheer wave of ck smoke split the monster''s head in two before dissipating and disappearing. [Lv.1 Wandering Snake(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experiences.] ''''I think this was thest one,'''' He said, looking around with his Depise skill. Ever since Raydon arrived on the ind and killed the Region Boss, he has been on the hunt nonstop. In fact, he was almost out of mana right now and had finished off every Wandering Snake he could find on the ind. ''''My total kill count reached 522. It was a good farming session,'''' Raydon said with a satisfied smile. He had umted over 6000 experience points, setting a new record based on his previous matches. ''''But it''s still not enough.'''' He sighed as he considered the experience he still needed to reach the next level. ''''But maybe that''s sufficient to raise my stamina to 60. I''m really curious about what the next sub-skill will be. '''' Opening the title panel, Raydon eximed enthusiastically. Chapter 123 Another Sub-Skill Immediately after spending an additional 2579 experience points to increase his stamina from 57 to 60, Raydon received the anticipated system sound. *DING* ''''Awesome. '''' When he heard the system sound, it was like music to his ears. He eximed with joy and checked out his new sub-skill right away. [Title]: Master of All -Experience points can be used to boost the stat points of your choice. Currently avable stat(s): -Stamina -Life Regeneration (sub-skill): Doubles the body''s rate of healing and enhances the effects of healing skills used on the body based on the stamina stat. -Damage Reduction (sub-skill): Ignores 50% of all received damage. -Minor Element Resistance (sub-skill): Body resistance tomon elements is increased by 50%. -Greater Health: HP is increased by 1000. -Reinforce Items: Increases the durability of bound items by 200%. ''''Hmm, it''s not bad. At least I don''t have to worry as much now when I use my me Burst skill,'''' Raydon reflected. He preferred a skill that increased his maximum HP capacity, or increased HP regen which was halved by Ashen Heart, but this skill wasn''t bad either. Also, whenever he used me Burst with his foot or hand at close range, his items would take damage, so this sub-skill woulde in handy for him. Raydon was now the equivalent of a level 30 F-Rank item holder with the amount of stamina he currently has, and with the extra sub-skills his title confers, he was well above this level, even if only in terms of defense. He forced himself toe out of his thoughts and looked at the time remaining in the system. Relieved to see that it was only seconds, he stored the sword in his hand in his dimensional storage before his body was quickly engulfed in light beams and vanished. [The match has ended.] [Winner Team: B7890-D4850] [¡­Based on the contribution, rewards are calcted.] [You gained gold coins: 248] [You gained item blueprint: Earring(White)] [You gained crafting material: Liquid Snake Spine(Green)] [Win streak: 4] As soon as Raydon returned to his dusty room, he checked the system messages and frowned upon seeing the match rewards. ''''There is no body enchantment this time? And what is this crafting material? '''' In order to examine it, Raydon took the 1-meter snake spine with the consistency of blue slime from his dimensional storage. He stared at the material in his hand, which was firm to the touch but otherwise appeared as though it could run out of his fingers like water at any moment, and murmured. ''I believe this is a water-type material. Anyway, it shouldn''t be worthless because it''s green-grade, so I''ll keep it for the time being.'' Raydon then examined the items that had been dropped from the Long Ears race. There were three trash items, four white-grade items, and one green-grade item. Raydon carefully inspected the green-grade by returning the trash items and white-grades to his dimensional storage. ''''Isn''t this the turtle transformation skill that rabbit used?'''' [Shirt] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Transform: Water Turtle The user''s genes will mutate rapidly, giving them the appearance and abilities of a Water Turtle. The rate of adaptation to the transformed species varies based on the charisma stat. The duration of the skill depends on the stamina stat. -Mana cost: 50 -Duration: 15 minutes. -Cooldown: 10 minutes. ''''It looks really great how this transformation-type skill works. But regrettably, it doesn''t fit with my attribute and skill set. '''' It was the first time he had encountered an item with this skill-type since arriving in this world, and the prospect of transforming into various monsters appealed to him. Unfortunately, ording to the information he obtained from Herman''s books, transformation-type skills mostly required charisma, which Raydoncked. ''''Anyway, for the time being, I''d better concentrate on what I have. This looks like a good item and is probably worth around 10,000 gold coins. '''' He performed the calction.Since he now knew so much background information about the items, he was able to estimate a rough value for them. After cing this item into his dimensional storage in order to sell itter, Raydon, feeling hungry, retrieved the region boss''s meat that he had previously fried with the me Burst skill and began to consume it. ''''Wow, this is much more delicious than those wandering snakes,'''' He eximed as he devoured the meat. Surprisingly, after consuming only 1 kilogram of this meat, he feltpletely satisfied. ''''Huh? Even though I had eaten about 15 kilos of wandering snake meat previously, I still felt hungry, but I am nowpletely full with 1 kilo.''''Raydon pondered for a moment before realizing it had something to do with the mob''s rank. The previous wandering snake he ate was F-Rank, and the region boss was E-Rank. ''''That''s good to know. At the very least, I won''t have to spend time every day eating hundreds of kilos of meat to satisfy my hunger. Perhaps if I can find D-Rank mob meat, I''ll be able to reduce my need for meat even further. ''''He considered. He obviously couldn''t satisfy his hunger by eating normal food anymore, and he wasn''t sure if he could even eat a normal meal after satisfying his hunger with mob meat, so the next time he went to the item market, he decided to see if there was meat belonging to D-Rank mobs. He removed his items, changed into regr clothes, and left the house to go to the item market afterpleting all of his routines. When Raydon opened the door, Dan was standing there, his back as straight as a spear, ready to greet him. ''''M-m-master you are back? '''' ''''Huh? Why are you here? Something happened? '''' Raydon questioned while strangely ncing at Dan, who had fiery hair and was wearing the stylish all-ck ninja outfit that made him quite charismatic. In fact, in addition to what he was wearing at the time, he also had a mask and gloves that were akin to those the previous Shadow Messenger wore, but he was not wearing them at the time because he felt it would be extremely disrespectful to do so in front of Raydon. Also, there was another reason why he wasn''t wearing his gloves. --- 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. --- Chapter 124 Greeting The God 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 urate, huh?'' Raydon had been piecing together the memory fragments this body had since his first match and hade 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, atst,e 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 eximed 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 wee this god. ''''Wee 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 somemon 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 ourck 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. ''''Wee 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. ''''Wee back, master. '''' As Raydon gazed in wonder at the people kneeling before him, he had no idea that this greeting would be 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 toe, 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. ¡ª ''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 theirmitment.'' Raydon murmured, massaging his temples with his hand. Unaware of the misunderstandings going on behind his back, he epted 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 ufortable with the adoring gazes of the group. "Master, I have a message to deliver. '''' Raydon was contemting 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. --- 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. --- Chapter 125 Blue-Grade... ''''I apologize, master, for not doing a thorough investigation. '''' Dan immediately fell to his knees and begged for forgiveness. They believed Raydon would recognize this mid-rank item holder, so it was of little concern to them who this person was. Additionally, they were less familiar with item holders and organizations than Raydon was. But they realized their error, and everyone shared the same thought in response to Raydon''s perplexed query. ''Of course, we cannot expect a god to recognize amon mid-rank item holder.'' "Don''t worry, forget about it." As Raydon said, he started to reflect. ''Trade Organization? Could it be the B-Rank old man I met at the item shop? '' In addition to understanding that B-Rank is middle rank, he also assumed that Fang belonged to the Trade Organization. Raydon decided to ask himter after a few more attempts at putting the puzzle pieces together. ''''So what''s the message? '''' Dan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Raydon''s disregard for the situation, but vowed to himself that he''d do a better job the next time. Dan rose to his feet once more and retrieved a box from his dimensional storage. Then he mimicked the Shadow Messenger from before, bowed low, and respectfully handed Raydon the box. "The messenger said that his master, Fang the Butcher, wants to meet you and sent this gift as a token of his goodwill." ''''What? '''' Raydon eximed in surprise. He was unable toprehend the situation. He was aware of the differences in rank between item holders. Herman, who was recently killed by Raydon, was a low-rank item holder, and probably the weakest of all of them. On the other hand, Raydon had some idea of the potential power of someone like Fang, who is a B-Rank item holder. ''Why is someone so powerful requesting a meeting with me? Moreover, he sent a gift to express his goodwill. This situation is extremely suspicious.'' He cast a quick nce at Dan and the others before picking up the box and carefully inspecting it because he didn''t want to confront this insane cult with questions. Not that he would learn anything useful from them, either. When he opened the box, he saw a ck sapphire ball with specks of ck smoke floating in it. ''Is this storage expansion orb? '' Raydon was enthralled and curious. It had the appearance of a storage expansion orb, but it was slightlyrger than Raydon''s most recent green-grade one. [Storage Expansion Orb.] -Grade: Blue -Quality: N/A -Skill: Enchant By using this item, users can increase the capacity of their dimensional storage by 8 square meters. * -Mana Cost: None -Duration: None -Cooldown: None ''Wow, it really is. But why did he give this to me as a gift? I can''t even use this with my current dimensional capacity. '' Raydon was well aware that this item was extremely valuable. In fact, it would be the most expensive of all the blue-grade items he could find. After killing Herman, however, he realized the truth from the books he discovered after using his green-grade storage expansion. If Raydon used this item right now, it would be aplete waste, as dimensional storage can only be expanded beyond a certain size with a higher-grade dimensional storage orb. With a white-grade expansion orb, he could now increase his dimensional storage up to 100 square meters. However, in order to expand from 100 square meters to 3000, white-grade would no longer work and he would have to use green-grade dimensional storage expansion orbs. And the requirement was blue-grade after 3000. The green-grade expansion orb that Raydon used to expand his dimensional storage from 4 square meters to 7 square meters waspletely wasted. After selling one green-grade dimensional storage expansion orb, he could likely purchase dozens of white-grade orbs. Consequently, Raydon''s only options for this item at this time were to keep it for future use or sell it for gold coins. ''''Okay, thank you. '''' Raydon said as he ced the expansion orb in his dimensional storage. Raydon noticed that everyone was still staring at him and felt obligated to say something. ''''You can now continue your training on your own. Now that Dan has mastered the technique, he can demonstrate the second phase. '''' ''''Yes, master.'''' Then he turned and walked away from these lunatics, not looking back. ''Something is going on that I''m not sure about. Well, I''ll find out sooner orter. '' Raydon pondered this as he walked down the street. Dan and his group''s behavior were more exaggerated than he had anticipated, and he found it intriguing that a mid-rank item holder would request a meeting with him in this manner. But he didn''t dwell on it much. In the end, his main goal in this world was to have fun while climbing to the top of the rankings. To that end, he would naturally make the most of any and all resources he came across. Raydon quickly found a driver and proceeded to the item market. In addition to selling the items in his possession, his goal this time was to find the person who sent him the gift and to determine the reason. After some time, he arrived at the shop bearing the recognizable ''''Other World Antique'''' sign. ''''W-w-w-hat a p-pleasant surprise, s-s-sir! '''' Surprisingly, the shopkeeper was already there when Raydon walked in, and the old man ran over to greet him as soon as he saw him. When Raydon turned to face the shopkeeper, he noticed that he was looking more anxious than ever. He had begun to wonder if the disappearance of the men he had found at Raydon''s request for the mission was the cause of his anxiety before he heard the voiceing from the waiting seats next to him. "Hehe, I found you. No one can rip me off and then disappear. '''' When he turned to investigate the source of the noise, he saw a muscr man whose upper torso waspletely bare and whose pale skin was missing in ces. Additionally, it appeared as though the skin had beenpletely torn off of one side of his face, exposing his skull, and the right side of his breastbone and the still-beating heart behind it could be seen. ''''Hm? Who ripped your dick off? '''' With a grin on his face, Raydon asked the zombie stall owner where he had previously purchased the earring that had the Despise skill. *** *Changes to the term about the capacity to dimensional storage. YxY ¡ú Y square meters. (I saw that the old term was confusing because it was thought through the rubik''s cube example, and I decided to fix it like this. I will edit the previous chapters when I find time, unfortunately, there is nothing I can do at the moment because I do not have an editor.) Chapter 126 Zombie Generals Tomb The response from Raydon caused Zombie to pause for a moment of reflection, after which he yelled angrily. ''''Are you trying to make fun of me?'''' Raydon sneered again at the zombie''s slow response, "I guess your brain is just as rotten as your body, huh? '''' ''''Do you think I can''t kill you? '''' The already enraged zombie said through clenched teeth in response to Raydon''s taunting. "I don''t even think you can attack me here, hahah," Raydon said with augh. Raydon knew why he was here because the zombie had identally sold an earring to him for a very low price, so he was trying to provoke the zombie even more. If the zombie had any guts, he would have tried to kill him by now instead of talking, so Raydon knew he could safely ignore the zombie''s stupidity and continue talking to him within the Trade Organization borders. It was clear that the zombie''s heart, which was already pounding furiously inside his ribcage, was beginning to beat more quickly than ever as Raydon mockingly weed his threads. He had been looking for Raydon and had finally tracked him down to this antique shop, which served as one of the main points of entry to the item market. He came here a day ago because he didn''t know where Raydon lived and has been sitting here ever since. The shopkeeper''s apprehension stemmed from this very situation. Without so much as an introduction, the zombie arrived, sat in the waiting chair, and waited for Raydon for an entire day. ''''I''m unable to attack you here, but what will happen if you leave? '''' The zombie, whose brain had long since stopped working, hade up with a n and said so, grinning slightly to keep his wrath under control. ''''You''re really stupid, aren''t you? I''ll just take another exit from the item market,'''' Raydon replied with a shrug. After a brief moment of thought, the zombie became frozen once more. There were probably a few hundred, if not a few thousand, hidden entrances and exits to the item market. The item market is sorge and busy that it would be difficult for the zombie to keep up with Raydon until he left, and so it''s likely that the zombie would quickly lose track of him there. "Give me back the earring and double the gold coins you owe me," When he was at a loss for what to do next, the zombie said. ''''What the hell? Given that you were the one who originally sold me the item, why should I return the gold coins to you for twice as much, plus the earring? If you hadn''t been an idiot to begin with, you wouldn''t have sold. '''' Raydon said with a surprised expression at the zombie''s unbelievable demand. ''''Stop calling me stupid. Do you really believe I can''t kill you? '''' ''''I said you can''t¡­ Ehh¡­ nevermind. I''m leaving. Just sit here and rot some more. '''' Raydon decided he didn''t want to deal with this mindless zombie any longer and went to the VIP entrance. ''''Y-You! You forced me to do this. '''' Raydon''s behavior had finally pushed the zombie to its breaking point. From his expression, it was clear that the zombie was hesitant, but he eventually reached into his dimensional storage for a green cube. "Hey, I don''t think you should get into a fight here. If the organization finds out. '''' ''''Shut up!!! '''' The old shopkeeper tried to step in, but as soon as the zombie shouted, he bolted away. The female employee who was next to him was already unconscious on the floor. The zombie''s words must have piqued Raydon''s interest, as he turned to look at him. ''''Huh? What is that? You finally made the decision to attack me? '''' In a mocking and provocative tone, Raydon asked. He actually wanted the zombie to attack him. Though he could see that the zombie was powerful, he didn''t believe that it would be too much for him to handle. ''''You should feel proud of yourself for making me use this valuable item on you. With this, I can kill you and keep it a secret from the Trade Organization,'''' Zombie said with a boomingugh. ''What is he up to?''Raydon was intrigued by Zombie''s confident demeanor. His defense was very strong because of his increased stamina and sub-skills, but there were still many things in this fantastically filled world that he didn''t know or understand. ''''Now pay the price for deceiving me. '''' The zombie yelled once more as he raised the mossy green cube he had been holding and pointed it at Raydon. ''''Participate. '''' "You moron, it was you who was trying to deceive me in the first ce," Raydon eximed nervously as he looked at the object being held up to him. After the zombie activated the item, it caused all the lights to suddenly dim. A green, foul-smelling fog began to cover the surroundings, and Raydon felt a chill as he watched the high-quality tiles beneath him slowly turn into dried earth that quickly spread around him. Raydon watched as the fog gradually lifted and everything he could see took on the appearance of a dreary, ancient tomb. The wind blew cold, and the air was thick with the smell of decay. The only sounds he heard were the rustling of dry leaves and the creaking of old, twisted trees that added to the gloomy atmosphere. ''''Cool. '''' Despite the eerie, otherworldly nature of the ce, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of excitement as he realized he was trapped in this fantastical ce. His enthusiasm was amplified by the system message he received shortly after. [You have entered an inheritance.] [Inheritance name: Zombie general''s tomb. (F-Rank)] [Time until Inheritance ends: 2:59:59] [Caution!!! In this ce, death is permanent.] ''''Holy fuck!!! This is incredible.'''' Raydon couldn''t contain his excitement after seeing the system message and burst outughing. However, he wasn''t the only one who was enthusiastic. ''''I will make a tomb here for you.'''' He was apanied by the zombie. Chapter 127 Ash Attribute Raydon looked into the eyes of the zombie who was speaking to him and, after a brief pause, expressed his appreciation. ''''Many thanks for allowing me to enter this inheritance. '''' Raydon had just identified the item used by the zombie, and he was now aware of his exact location. His prior understanding of inheritances and the details he discovered in Herman''s books led him to believe that this was a dimension where a powerful item holder created his legacy and name to pass on to subsequent generations. In general, items that opened the door to these inheritances could be found inside rifts. The item used by the zombie should also havee from one of the rifts that opened to other fallen worlds at different times in this world. When powerful item holders knew their world was ending or they were about to die, they often sealed off a small portion of their dimensional storages in order to preserve a remnant of their possessions and the knowledge they had gained over the course of their lives. Although the inheritance dimension Raydon was in was only F-Rank, he knew without a doubt that whoever had left it had been an extremely powerful item holder. But no matter how powerful the item holders were, they couldn''t seal and leave all of their dimensional storage behind, and the inheritance they left behind may also deteriorate over time, causing it to fall in rank. ''''Are you still mocking me?'''' When the zombie saw Raydon sincerely thanking him, he realized he was still taunting him. p¨¤§ád¨¢-¨¾?¦Í¨º¦É.§ã¨®§® Even though Raydon was still teasing the zombie, he wasn''t entirely fake when he expressed gratitude. After all, he had been given the opportunity of a lifetime, and he eagerly epted it. ''''Yes, fine, whatever. So, what exactly do we have to do to get our hands on this inheritance? It appears that you have attempted to use this inheritance before, but failed toplete it. '''' Raydon said with a shrug. After the inheritance item was used and the inheritance was sessfullypleted by obtaining all the items, the inheritance key would disappear. Additionally, if it failed, the user would have to wait a certain amount of time before using the item and reentering the inheritance again. ''''You just need to defeat the swarms of mobs to get to the next tomb. Also, after numerous attempts, I was only able to reach the first tomb and obtain this body enchantment. Don''t even think about reaching the second tomb in three hours. Wait¡­ Why am I telling you this? I will kill you anyway. '''' The Zombie started to exin, getting distracted for a second by Raydon''s chill attitude. ''That''s the first tomb, I guess; I have no idea how many mobs there are. '' Raydon surveyed his surroundings thoughtfully. He couldn''t see any mobs nearby because they hadn''t yet started moving from where they were, but when he turned to look in the direction the zombie was pointing, he could make out a ruined ck tomb. ''''In any case, I''m not here to take the inheritance test this time. Just die. '''' Finally, remembering what he used this item for, the zombie yelled and lunged at Raydon, but was stunned by the system message he heard. [An ipatible element has been detected.] [The dimension is incapable of amodating the detected unknown element.] [Time and space are altering to make up for ipatibility.] [Adaptation to the unknown element has beenpleted.] [Time until inheritance ends: 71:59:59] ''''What the¡­!!! '''' The zombie screamed in shock as he observed the sessive system messages. ''''What the fuck attribute do you possess? '''' Since it was not his first visit, he assumed Raydon was the cause, so he turned to him in surprise and questioned. He knew that generally, people with certain elements could not enter certain inheritances. For instance, a fire element item holder could not inherit a water element inheritance because he has an anti-element and the inheritance would reject that item holder in order to maintain the stability of the dimension. However, this is the first time he has ever witnessed an inheritance dimension adapting to the element of an item holder. Also, as if that weren''t enough, it altered the time concept to adapt, increasing the inheritance period from three hours to three days. Raydon was simrly perplexed as Zombie questioned the situation in bewilderment. ''What in the world is this? What kind of attribute is this ash? '' Raydon was aware that this inheritance belonged to a death element item holder. He was also aware that his ash attribute was associated with death, but system messages had persuaded him that his ash attribute was not so ordinary after all. ''''Hey, I''m asking you. What is that attribute you have? It''s so stinky and ufortable. '''' The zombie enquired out of curiosity even though he could still not stand Raydon''s odor. No matter how bad the smell, if it was something that would help him, he would want to have it for himself. "This is not your concern. Also, it appears that we have three days to finish this inheritance. Do you really wish to spend your time fighting with me? '''' Raydon asked calmly. He estimated that the zombie was extremely powerful, but despite his strength, he could only reach the first tomb within three hours. Raydon had no idea how many tombs there were, but he had a good idea that even with the F-Rank inheritance, it would be difficult for just two people to reach the final tomb. ''''You mean? '''' Zombie''s stupidity didn''t prevent him from understanding what Raydon was getting at. ''''Now that you''ve brought me here, I should point out that this isn''t the kind of inheritance that can be finished by just one person. Moreover, as a result of me, we now have three days to finish this inheritance. I don''t believe you can kill me, and I likely cannot kill you either. Therefore, it is foolish to spend this time fighting. '''' Raydon spoke calmly and persuasively. ''''How do I know that I can''t kill you? '''' Raydon''s aura told the zombie he wasn''t weak, but he still thought he could kill him because he was unaware of his defense. ''''I''ll then give you a change. Use your most powerful attack on me. '''' Raydon grinned and opened his arms wide, inviting the zombie to attack him onest time. --- 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. --- Chapter 128 Getting The Inheritance (Part 1) The zombie was taken aback when he saw Raydon confidently waiting for his strongest attack. In fact, what Raydon had just said made sense to him. He could only use this item once a month, and despite having it for three years, he could only progress to the first tomb. As he did not trust anyone, he did not feelfortable asking for assistance. If word got out that he was in possession of this item, others might try to take it from him by any means necessary, including a sneak attack. So it might be a good idea for him to try his luck with Raydon while he''s already here. ''''I ept your offer. We''ll work together as a team if you can withstand this attack. If you cannot endure it regardless, you are too weak to assist me. '''' The zombie uttered and readied his most powerful attack. He was determined not to hold back in this attack because he needed to express his rage against Raydon in some way. He may even be pleased if he dies as a result of this assault. As the zombie readied himself a green mucus-like substance began to umte on his head, chest, arms, and legs, and it soon hardened into what appeared to be green armor. ''He didn''t chant the name of the skill? '' When Raydon saw the body armor on the zombie he questioned. The zombie reached into his dimensional storage and retrieved a massive ax with a head nearly as big as himself. The ax''s handle was over a meter long and made of red wood, while the de was a sharp metallic gray with what appeared to be red bloodstains embroidered on it. ''''Now prepare yourself. '''' When Zombie noticed Raydon still standing by with his arms wide open and doing nothing, he grumbled. By cing the ax on his shoulder, he assumed the attack position and used his second skill. ''''Dpose. '''' The head of the ax began to puff out yellowish steam, and Zombie leaped at him, smashing the ax into his helpless-looking body with incredible speed. *Bamm* Raydon''s body was thrown backwards with a jolt from the impact of the blow. *Creack* Only after a few meters was Raydon''s backward-flying body stopped when it mmed into the dry tree trunk and split it in two. After his attack, the zombie rested his massive ax on his shoulder and regarded Raydon''s still healthy body that was lying inside the tree''s broken trunk. ''Tch, he was right. What kind of defense is that? '' Astonished, the zombie muttered. Raydon slowly started to emerge from the tree''s trunk. His jacket appeared to have been ripped open in the front, and a yellow liquid was oozing out of a faint cut in his chest that ran from his left shoulder to his right hip. ''What the fuck was that attack? It caused me more harm than I anticipated.'' He said under his breath as he examined his quickly closing wound. He had believed that he wouldn''t sustain any injuries from the zombie''s attack. ''''Yo, what level are you? '''' After this attack, the zombie appeared to havepletely forgotten their previous animosity and inquired. Although he didn''t know Raydon''s level, he could infer that he was an E-Rank item holder. ''''21 '''' Raydon smiled as he lied. If he were a regr E-Rank item holder, this would most likely be his current level. ''''21? That''s far too low. Even though I''m level 29, I couldn''t kill you with this attack. You should also have a stamina build.'''' The zombie expressed surprise. ''So it''s the power of a 29-level E-Rank item holder, huh?'' Raydon considered. It was clear that the zombie was much more powerful than Herman, who was a level 24 item holder. Actually, Herman wasn''t particrly powerful because of his advanced age and the fact that he spent most of his time researching and developing body enchantments to extend his life expectancy rather than honing his fighting skills. ording to Raydon''s newly discovered E-Rank information, when an item holder advances from F-Rank to E-Rank, all their stats increase by 10 points. Furthermore, once they reach E-Rank, the stat points they receive per level increase from 2 to 4. This means that if the zombie became an E-Rank at level 10 and advanced to level 29, he would gain 76 stat points for the 19-level increase. This was a massive power boost on top of the +10 stat point boost he received for all of his stats. ''Shit, if I didn''t have my title''s sub-skills, he''d really treat me like a toy. '' He mused with a frown. He was still unsure of whether his title was a blessing or a curse. "I''m Fehim; what about you?" After walking up to Raydon, the Zombie held out his hand and said. His previous hostile and angry demeanor hadpletely dissipated. ''What a simple-minded zombie.'' Raydon thought. The zombie recognized Raydon''s strength and subsequently became friendly. There was a proverb in this world stating that great warriors make best friends after great battles, and it appears that this zombie was one of those warriors. ''''Raydon. '''' He likewise introduced himself by stating his name. ''''That is a good name, hahaha. Then we''ll be in this together. We have plenty of time, but I''m not sure if it will be enough, so we need to get started right away.'''' Fehim said as he patted Raydon on the shoulder. ''This idiot has great strength. '' Raydon reflected as his feet sank deeper into the ground with each p. Although Fehim imed to have a high stamina stat like Raydon, he also had a high strength stat. ''''Yes, you know the way, so go ahead and start, and I''ll follow you until we get to the first tomb,'''' Raydon said. Fehim was the only one of them to have been here before, so he was the one he picked to be the frontier. Also, Raydon still didn''t see any mobs or know where they woulde from. ''''Naturally, just stick close to me. The first tomb''s monsters are rtively weak, but there are a lot of them. That''s why I spent so much time in my previous attempts to get rid of them,'''' Fehim exined. ''''All right, then, let''s get started. You can count on me to keep your back safe,'''' Raydon said with a smile. Chapter 129 [Bonus ] Getting The Inheritance (Part 2) Fehim began to move while still sporting the green armor, ncing up at the massive, seemingly nearby ck tomb. "Don''t be deceived that our target appears to be close; I''ll likely be there in 30 minutes running at my pace, even if there are no mobs to obstruct me." He turned to Raydon and said. Raydon nodded, then retrieved his sword from his dimensional storage and awaited him. ''''They will begin to emerge from the ground after a few meters. Be cautious and do not let them catch you, or you will be buried before you even realize what is happening. '''' After issuing his final warning, Fehim began running with all his might. Then, without dy, Raydon closely followed. *Crackle* *Crackle* *Crackle* *Crackle* Raydon and Fehim ran a few meters until, exactly as he had said, skeletons began to emerge from the ground around them from all directions. A lion''s head popped up from the ground right where Raydon was about to put his foot, and the monster pounced on him, trying to bite off his foot. ''''me Burst. '''' He activated his skill just as his foot was about to enter the skull''s razor-sharp mouth, and the jet-ck mes that erupted from beneath his feet shattered the skull and set it aze. [Lv.1 Skeleton ve(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 10 experiences.] "Cool, they''re generous with XP ." Raydon eximed with joy as he leaped forward, rising three meters into the air from the impact of the skill, and he caught a clear glimpse of his surroundings for the first time. ''''What the heck is this? They''re all experience points, right? '''' White skeletons could be seen as far as the eye of Raydon could see. Beasts like dogs, wolves, lions, cats, humans, elephants, and even... ''''Fuck, birds!!! '''' ''''Spirit Wave. '''' Without even understanding how it was still able to fly, Raydon smashed the skeleton birding towards him with his skill. Soon after Raydonnded on the ground, Fehim shattered the five skeleton beasts that appeared in front of him with a single swing of his ax, turned his head, and said. ''''This is only the start. We won''t even have room to swing our weapons when they surround us. So watch out that they don''t get too close to us. '''' Raydon agreed by nodding. In dealing with the skeletons in front of them, they must move quickly because, as Fehim warned, if they slowed down even slightly and fell backwards, they would find themselves in a heap of bones. While Raydon and Fehim are still fighting their way through the skeletons, Raydon has quickly assessed the situation and decided to use his depart skill. -Skill: Depart Locks onto a target and increases the user''s speed by 25% until the target dies, vanishes, or the skill expires. If the target dies before the skill expires, the user gains 5% extra speed and +30 seconds to the skill duration, which can be stacked up to 5 times. p¨¤§ád¨¢-¨¾?¦Í¨º¦É.§ã¨®§® The duration of the skill increases depending on the stamina stat. -Mana cost: 6 -Duration: 5 minutes. -Cooldown: 7 minutes. With the additional movement speed he would gain, he would be able to react quicker to skeletons that suddenly emerged from the ground and swing his sword more quickly. Additionally, as long as he maintained his mana and kept killing the monsters, Raydon could keep using his skill without taking a break while he was among this army of monsters. He followed closely behind Fehim, his sword shing as he parried and shed at any skeletons that got too close, and Fehim charged forward with his massive ax, crushing the bones of the monsters with each swing. As the skeletons closed in on them, Raydon unleashed a me Burst thatpletely engulfed the area in mes, destroying the white bones and clearing the area on all sides. He shed his way through the fray, dodging and shing at the skeletons that got in his way. With each kill, he felt a surge of energy as his Depart skill was further enhanced, allowing him to move even more quickly. ''''Hook, '''' Finding an opening, a tiger skeleton leaped onto Fehim''s right leg and tried to bite it before Raydon drew it with a hook and shed it in half with his sword. ''''Sword Wave. '''' And with a wave of ck smoke sh, he sliced through three more approaching skeleton humans. He tried to run faster by using his depart skill and step techniques, but despite his best efforts, he could only keep up with Fehim, who had a higher agility stat than him. ''''You have excellent area of effect attacks.'''' After witnessing Raydon use his skills to sessfully clear all approaching skeletons, Fehim remarked. ''''It''s just so-so. Your axe is more effective than my skills. '''' Raydon stated the obvious. He shattered at least 5 skeletons at once every time he swung the massive ax in his hand. He also hadn''t seen Fehim use any skills other than the armor he was wearing since they began running among the skeletons. Fehim merelyughed and continued running, stomping on the skeletons in his path like a tank. Clearly, Raydon''s presence had greatly eased his restricted movements when he was alone, and he could now only concentrate on what was in front of him. ¡­ .. . After Fehim and Raydon fought and ran for another half an hour with Raydon in the back and Fehim in the lead, he finally let out a jubnt shout. ''''This is incredible. We did it in just an hour. '''' When Raydon heard Fehim''s words, he looked up, snapping out of the trance he had been in caused by his constant umtion of experience points. He saw that the ck tomb, whose apparent proximity had been an illusion until now, was actually only a few meters away. ''We finally made it to the tomb, but I can''t even be happy about that. '' Looking at the rapidly umting experience points, Raydon sighed. Despite having a high stamina stat, fighting for an hour had worn him out, and his mana was almostpletely depleted. He knew that if he fought like this for another ten minutes, he would eventually have to give up and allow himself to be buried between the bones. ''But still, I have enormous gains. '' Raydon beamed as he looked at his umted XP and decided that reaching level 2 wouldn''t be all that difficult. Chapter 130 Getting The Inheritance (Part 3) Fehim swung his axe and killed thest eight human skeletons guarding the rusty iron bars surrounding the tomb. ''''Hurry, get inside. '''' He shouted at Raydon and then threw himself toward the tomb, which was oddly calm and quiet despite being surrounded by a sea of skeletons. Raydon also rushed behind Fehim while gasping for air, using his quick reflexes and dexterity to avoid the attacksing from behind. *Crackle* *Crackle* *Crackle* *Crackle* As soon as Raydon and Fehim set foot in the tomb, all the skeletons stopped moving, sank to the ground, and disappeared into the earth. A few secondster, the chilling silence had returned, as if there had never been a sea of white bones there. ''''Does that imply we havepleted the first stage? '''' Raydon asked as he caught his breath and turned to stare at the enormous tomb behind him, which was at least three times asrge as a typical tomb. It exuded a foreboding ck splendor and a ruined air. "Yes, the first stage reward was inside this tomb, but well." Feeling guilty, Fehim rubbed his head and said while pointing at the broken stone lid of the tomb. Obviously, he was the one who broke the lid, and what he found inside was the body enchantment he is currently using. Raydon took a good look at Fehim. His appearance was that of a zombie, and he couldn''t see anything except being stupid as a side effect. ''Actually, I think he''s stupid, not because of the side effects, but because he''s stupid in general. '' Fehim''s reflexes and speed were exceptional for a zombie. His stats are also impressive, and his strength is still astonishing. In conclusion, even though it was only the reward from the first tomb, the body enchantment he used seemed pretty good in general. Seeing this, Raydon started to get excited about the other things they might find here. ''And I already got a very big reward, '' Looking at his experience points, Raydon grinned. [Experience]: 103.913/ 1.000.000 ''I still have a ways to go for the next level, but still, maybe I can get much more on the next stages. '' He had used every ounce of his strength to the absolute limit and wiped out countless skeleton monsters. If the uing stages were like this one, moving on to the next level didn''t seem too difficult. ''''So, what will the next stage be like? Any idea? '''' Raydon inquired while checking his remaining mana. He had depleted all of his mana and would require an average of 20 minutes to fully recharge. ''''Actually, the next one won''t be as difficult for us as this one,'''' Fehim said as he ced his ax in his dimensional storage. In the following stage, he obviously didn''t require it. When Raydon saw this, his face fell. There were no mobs to gain experience points if there were no weapons. ''''The reason I couldn''t get to the next tomb on my previous attempts was that I didn''t have time because I spent too much time on the first tomb. If you have a strong body, the next stage is pretty simple,'''' Fehim said as he began walking out of the tomb''s other exit. Raydon patiently watched as he attempted to understand Fehim''s words. He intended to begin the next stage after resting and restoring his mana, but he soon realized that it was not necessary. *Put* Fehim had taken a few strides forward when an arrow made of bone struck his body from an unknown location. ''''As I previously stated, this stage is not challenging if you have a strong body. Although I''m not sure how much the arrows'' power will increase as we move along, I believe both of our defenses can withstand them. '''' Fehim came to a stop, and he looked at Raydon. Meanwhile, he was struck by two more bone arrows, which broke and fell to the ground. ''This stage appears to test one''s reflexes and speed, but I believe we are slightly cheating with our outstanding defense. '' Raydon chuckled and started to follow Fehim. He took a small step forward, and an arrow came at him, struck his body, and bounced back, just as it had done with Fehim, but in a slightly different way. Raydon''s skin is more stic, so arrows that would have broken against Fehim''s skin actually bounced off of him. ''''Do you know where these arrows areing from? '''' Raydon asked despite knowing he would not receive a satisfactory response. In fact, while looking around, he was thinking aloud. There was nothing but the sound of their footsteps as they made their way across the dry gray ground in the deadly silence. Not even the arrows'' piercing sound could be heard as they zipped through the air. It appeared as though the arrows were materializing out of thin air. Raydon wasn''t attempting to unravel the mystery, to be honest. He was thinking about the experience source from which these arrows wereing. He could maximize his earnings by gaining experience by finding mobs he could kill in this stage. ''''You don''t need to waste time trying to figure out who shot the arrows. It''s a space-type skill. Since I don''t know much about this rare skill type, I don''t know how it functions,'''' Fehim said as he continued walking. ''''Space-type skill? Wait, who is using a skill in this forsaken ce? '''' Raydon asked curiously. Only mobs had the ability to use skills, which was made possible by their life cores. Due to theck of a life core, item holders can only craft items using the body parts and life cores of other monsters, allowing them to create items with skills and use them themselves. That''s where Raydon''s surprise came from. The skeletons he had just killedcked life cores as well, indicating that they had been crafted by an item holder. If there is someone using skills right now, it was either a mob or an item holder who was still living here. Chapter 131 Getting The Inheritance (Part 4) ''''Of course, no one is using it. Are you dumb? It''s an item formation left behind by the previous owner of this dimension. '''' Fehim paused for a moment, looked at Raydon strangely, and resumed walking. ''It''s you who is the fucking dumb. There was no information about this in any of the books I have.'' Raydon jerked inwardly. ''So, when you be a very powerful item holder, you can use skills even after you die, huh? '' Even though Raydon didn''t fully grasp how this formation functioned, he thought it was pretty amazing nheless. He was nowpletely unfamiliar with the concept of item formations. Based on the information contained in his memory fragments, he was aware that some objects were operating independently using only life cores. In fact, some vehicles functioned as items and used the mana that life cores supplied, but he didn''t think this technology could be applied in such a way as formations. ''I suppose I should get myself a life-core powered car in the future. I can''t afford to take a taxi all the time.'' Raydonughed to himself as he continued to walk carefree through the hail of arrows. ''''Arrows bing stronger. '''' Fehim said after removing a bone arrow that was lodged in his arm. The intriguing aspect is that as soon as he removed the arrow, the wound instantly healed as if it had never existed. ''''At least they deal only physical damage, not elemental damage. Hey, your defense is really incredible,'''' Fehim murmured before turning to Raydon and saying so. Even though Fehim''s wounds healed instantly, the arrows still bounced back off Raydon''s skin, despite his skin appearing much softer than Fehim''s. Sometimes there was nothing but a tiny scratch. In response to Fehim''s apparent surprise, Raydon simply shrugged. He wasn''t in the right frame of mind to be pleased with how effective his defense was at the moment. He was keeping an eye out for a mob that he could kill to earn more experience. ''''Hey, I think we can pick up the pace. '''' Fehim said after they had walked for a while to rest and replenish their mana. He also reactivated his body armor because arrows were now damaging his skin. ''''Sure. '''' Raydon agreed. They had a lot more time, but since they didn''t know what was going to happen next, it made sense to get through the stages as quickly as possible. After another half an hour of running, the arrows raining down on them had increased in number and strength, and even Raydon was beginning to take visible wounds. "How much longer do we have to run? It''s unbelievable that the normal duration of this inheritance is just three hours. Is this really F-Rank? '''' Fehim shouted angrily. Raydon was also aware of how challenging inheritances would be, and that an inheritance like this would likely require the participation of at least ten people. But even so, finishing it in 3 hours seemed insurmountable. ''''It''s likely that this wasn''t an F-rank inheritance, to begin with. It must have degraded and be F-Rank over time. Maybe there are still some stages like this that are harder than regr F-Rank. '''' Raydon provided the only logical response. ''Damn, it doesn''t matter how much damage these arrows do to me, but at this rate, my items will be damaged.'' Raydon thought as he looked at Fehim out of the corner of his eye. The armor on him had now beenpletely transformed into full body armor, which also covered and protected all of his items. Raydon''s items would have been severely damaged if he hadn''t had a sub-skill. ''In the future, I should consider their durability when crafting items.'' He considered. ''''Hahaha, there it is, the tomb. '''' Raydon looked ahead when he heard Fehim shout excitedly. He couldn''t see anything at first because of the fog and distance, but after a little more running, he saw the ck tomb in the rusted iron bars just like before. ''Damn, this zombie has better vision than I do,'' Raydon grumbled. He pulled his sword from his dimensional storage a few meters before they reached the tomb and began to parry and dodge the rushing arrows. ''''Wow, I thought your primary technique was for increasing physical endurance, but I believe you''ve mastered swordsmanship techniques.'''' Fehim was unable to conceal his astonishment when he observed Raydon wielding a sword with perfect dexterity. As a stamina-build item holder, the technique he learned before awakening was about increasing body toughness, and when he saw Raydon''s defense, he assumed he had mastered a technique simr to his. ''''Well, I have a lot of techniques that I''ve mastered.'''' Raydon chuckled as he dodged the bone arrows raining down on him. ''Many techniques? I think this person has a pretty solid background. '' Fehim thought. In the midst of the sea of skeletons, he had also previously seen Raydon use step techniques. Families with multiple techniques at their disposal, particrly high-quality techniques like the sword technique Raydon was currently employing, were undoubtedly very powerful. Fehim came to his senses after a brief moment of reflection, realizing that his previous rage at Raydon had nearly cost him his life. ''I''d rather have him as a friend than an enemy. '' At this point, Fehim''s zombie mind appeared to have reached a reasonable conclusion. While Fehim deliberated, they made it through the rusty iron-barred doors of the second tomb, but not before his cracked and arrow-riddled body armor finally gave out. "Damn, I thought this would be easier. It will be some time before I can use this skill again. '''' Fehim observed the shattered armor and deactivated his skill. ''''Yeah, we can restter; for now, let''s check the reward. '''' Raydon smiled and said, pointing to the tomb''s lid. ''''Yeah, I''m curious, too,'''' Fehim added, rubbing his hands together and staring at Tomb as he waited. ¡­ .. . After a moment of awkward silence, Raydon turned to face the still-waiting Fehim, sighed, and then said. ''''Can you just go ahead and break the lid? '''' It was clear that Raydoncked the physical strength to break the tomb''s lid, which was made of what felt like solid stone. Chapter 132 Getting The Inheritance (Part 5) ''''Oh, oh right. '''' Fehim awoke from his daydreams about the contents of the tomb, retrieved his massive ax from his dimensional storage, and proceeded to the tomb. *BANG* Deep cracks appeared on the lid after a single strike from him. *BANG* Then, with the second strike, it was split down the middle, revealing the contents. ''''Heh? What is this? '''' Fehim returned his ax to his dimensional storage, peered inside through the broken lid, and asked with a frown. Simrly excited, Raydon walked up to the tomb and noticed that it was filled with variously shaped pieces of ck bone. He picked one up and started to inspect it curiously. ''''The system message did not appear, and since there are so many of these things, it must be crafting material,'''' Raydon stated confidently. ''''Eh? How can the second reward be just some crafting materials when the first reward was a blue-grade body enchantment? '''' Fehim said, scratching his head. He clearly had little knowledge of crafting and believed it to be useless. ''What the fuck!? Blue-grade!? '' Raydon''s eyes grew wide as he stared at Fehim in shock. He was aware that the body enchantment he discovered was of high quality, but he had not expected it to be blue-grade. ''''Ehm, it''s only natural. Many powerful item holders, I''ve heard, put their best items as the first prize when creating their inheritance to motivate those who find it. '''' Raydon immediately covered up his expression of shock and made up the most usible lie he could. ''Holy crap. If the first item was a blue-grade, these crafting materials should be extremely rare, right? ''Excitement filled Raydon''s mind. ''''Oh, so that was the case. I didn''t hear anything like that, though. It appears I have already acquired the best item. '''' Fehim expressed his belief in Raydon''s bullshit without hesitation and with a look of shame on his face. "It''s alright. You should naturally get the best item since this inheritance was originally yours. Also, the second reward is usually the worst, perhaps the subsequent rewards will be better than this, '''' imed Raydon. ''''Oh, I had no idea about that either. So we shouldn''t be disheartened. By the way, I thought you didn''t know much about inheritances, but it looks like you know more than me,'''' Fehim said, perplexed. He had assumed Raydon was ignorant of inheritances based on his previous behavior, so he was taken aback to discover that he was now confidently discussing such minute details. ''''Although I don''t usually care about things like this, I gave my grandfather some assistance because he was also nning an inheritance for himself. '''' Raydon continued to lie as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. ''I knew it, hees from a powerful family. Given that his grandfather is already making ns for his inheritance, he must be very powerful. '' Fehim epted Raydon''s absurd lie with no hesitation. In order to seal their own dimensional storage and ensure that it would continue to exist without fragmentation after their death, an item holder needed to be extremely powerful. Attempting to convert a weak dimensional storage into an inheritance would be more difficult than constructing a cotton candy castle in the middle of the ocean. As a result of Fehim''s stupidity and his newly acquired trust in him, Raydon now had an imaginary grandfather who was more powerful than his imaginary high-rank backer. ''''Even though it is worthless, I can add it to my stock of crafting materials. You never know what you''ll need next when you''re crafting something. '''' Raydon began gathering the materials one by one and storing them in his dimensional storage. He slowly and methodically collected them, giving the impression that he was doing so reluctantly. "That''s great. Don''t worry; perhaps we can find something that interests you at the next stage. '''' Fehim expressed this in a tone of self-me, thinking that he is taking the materials even though they were useless so as not to make him feel bad. After all, Raydon had been forced toe here by Fehim, and despite their best efforts to reach the second tomb, the prize they discovered was wholly useless. ''What a good man.'' Fehim thought. Raydon simply replied with a nod and a smile. He asked after he had finished gathering the materials, "How long will it take for your defensive skill to be ready to use again? '''' ''''It should only take another ten minutes. Actually, it''s not an item skill. It''s abination of my title ability and my body enchantment''s side effect.'''' After some thought, Fehim said. Normally, an item holder would not reveal even the smallest detail about their title and items, but he was attempting to appear sincere to Raydon. ''Combination of title ability and the body enchantment''s side effect? What sort of idea is that? '' Raydon was surprised to hear that. As far as he is aware, item holder titles have always been passive, simr to body enchantments, because theyck an active life core. Fehim''s body armor also appeared to him to be a skill. In reality, Fehim''s title ability consisted of hardening dead cells in the body, thereby protecting his organs and skin with ayer of a hard substance. As a result, Fehim''s skin was as hard as stone. Additionally, as a result of the body enchantment''s side effect, Fehim was required to remove the umted toxins from his body on a regr basis through perspiration; otherwise, the toxins that remained in his body for an extended period of time would cause him to rot. He had mastered this side effect and was able to umte and remove toxins from his body at will. Since these toxins are typicallyposed of dead cells that umte in his body, the moment he released them, they transformed into a hard, green stone body armor. It was not surprising that Fehim created a skill in this manner, as item holders frequently createbinations with their title abilities by selecting synergistic items and body enchantments, but it was surprising that someone like Fehim could havee up with the idea. If Raydon had known about it, he most likely would have been quite surprised. Chapter 133 Getting The Inheritance (Part 6) While they awaited Fehim to produce enough toxin for his full body armor, the two took some time to rx. "All right, I''m ready. Anytime you want, we can move. '''' Fehim stood up gradually and spoke. ''''We don''t know what the next stage is, so let''s be cautious. The difficulty of this inheritance appears to be greater than we believed. '''' Raydon said as he moved toward the exit leading to the next stage. With their weapons at the ready, the two of them began to make their way slowly out of the tomb. And after moving a few meters forward, as in the first two stages, they eventually realized what the next obstacle was. With a sigh, Raydon said, "I hope you have a flying skill." In front of them was a bottomless pit, the other side of which was obscured by fog. In an effort to get a glimpse of whaty ahead, Raydon and Fehim cautiously walked up to the edge of the pit. However, all they could make out were the rocks floating in the air, appearing to be suspended over an endless void. "If we fall from here, we''ll likely end up nowhere," Fehim looked down into the depths of the pit, but all he saw was ckness. ''''I think we should cross over by jumping over the flying rocks ahead,'''' Raydon said, looking at the nearest rock, which was about 8 meters away. ''''I have an ability that allows me to fly for a short period of time. I can move forward by jumping over stones.''''He regarded Raydon thoughtfully for a while. Since his ability only allowed him to fly briefly, he had to fly a maximum of 10 meters, gain the necessary eleration over a rock, and then leap to the next flying rock. He could have carried Raydon in a princess grip, but that wouldn''t have been a pretty sight. ''''There is no need; I have my skill to assist me.'''' Raydon firmly stated. With his me Burst skill, he could easily jump over flying rocks. The only drawback was that his skill had a cooldown of 1 minute. But instead of jumping over the rocks, he had a different n. ''''Despise. '''' Raydon used his investigative skill to search the area. He could detect a monster if there was one, but he couldn''t see anything other than Fehim standing next to him. ''Hmm. Given that this dimension is owned by a death-type item holder, there is a chance that non-living monsters are present. '' He thought. ''''Use your investigative skill. '''' And then he said to Fehim. Fehim nodded and chanted. ''''Infrared Vision. '''' After giving the area a good long look over, Fehim dered his findings. ''''Nothing in sight. I think this stage will be easier than the previous ones. '''' Raydon stated after some consideration. ''''You go ahead and look around to see if there is any danger. I have a feeling there is more to this.''''He rested his hand on his chin and continued to look around. The first two stages were more difficult than this one, and his intuition was telling him that there was something more dangerous here. ''''Okay. '''' Fehim said this, and huge bat wings appeared on either side of his back in an instant. ''Huh? He didn''t use any skills? '' Raydon was taken aback when he noticed Fehim wasn''t using any skills. ''''Haha, it''s cool, right? It''s the ability of my body enchantment. The name of my body enchantment is zombie soldier''s wings. So its primary ability is actually flying. But there''s a catch: I can''t actually fly, only glide.'''' Fehim said this while showing off his huge but too-small wings to support his heavy body. Additionally, he had holes in his wings, which significantly reduced his ability to fly. ''''Okay, I''m going ahead. '''' He said, and without having to use any other skills, he instantly leaped 8 meters, spread his wings, and began to glide toward the closest rock. Fehim was about tond softly on the rock when he heard Raydon call out to him. ''''Watch out, above you! '''' After hearing Raydon''s warning, he looked up and immediately felt terrified by what he saw. A horde of dark ghosts descended upon him from on high. ''''Shit, what are those. '''' ''''Dissolving Shield. '''' Fehim quickly released a cloud of yellow gas, which acted as a shield between himself and the evil spirits. *H?ss* *H?ss* The monsters retreated with the yellow smokeing out of the barrier, indicating that they were damaged after touching it ''''Shit. '''' Before he could celebrate the sess of his shield, he missed the rock he intended tond on and began to fall into the void. ''''Hook. '''' Just as Fehim wasmenting the fact that hecked the skill to save himself from this fall, he was pulled towards Raydon by a rope wrapped around his body. ''''Thank you. '''' As soon as he set foot on solid ground once more, he threw himself to the ground with the relief of evading death and expressed his gratitude. Raydon looked at the ck spirits that had drifted away and disappeared back into the darkness of the sky and said. ''''I guess they don''te here. '''' ''''They were extremely swift. Even if I had known they wereing, I probably wouldn''t have had much time to defend myself. ''''Fehim got to his feet and said. It seemed impossible for them to cross using this method if these things came and attacked every time they jumped to the next rock, as the attack was very sudden. Raydon and Fehim understood that they required a strategy. For Raydon in particr, the situation would worsen because hecked a skill like Fehim''s that would allow him to float through the air. "I had another n from the start than to jump, but I''m hoping the stones are floating in ordance with my logic. '''' Raydon said, looking at one of the nearest stones. ''''Spirit Wave. '''' He used his skill on the rock to test whether his theory was correct, and when the ck wave hit the rock, the impact pushed the stone forward. ''''Good, it''s as I thought. '''' Raydon smiled, pleased. Chapter 134 Getting The Inheritance (Part 7) "Hey, how long can you maintain your shield?" Raydon asked after some deliberation. ''''It only requires 40 mana to activate it, but after that, each time an enemy attacks, it uses up extra mana to fend it off. I can keep the shield open for as long as there are no enemies touching it. '''' Fehim began detailing his defensive-type skill as soon as he realized Raydon was considering a strategy. ''''With my current mana regeneration, I can probably hold 50 of them per minute, as just now, two of them briefly touched the shield and only used 2 mana. '''' ''Damn, he also has more mana regeneration than I do. '' Once more, Raydon muttered while grimacing. ording to what he stated, when one of these dark souls touched his shield, he only expended one mana. Since he had enough mana to fend off fifty of them per minute, he had at least fifty mana regeneration per minute. This was an enormous differencepared to Raydon''s current average mana regeneration of 8 mana. ''''All right, can you jump on that rock once more and pull a few of them? I want to see if I can kill them with my skill. '''' Raydon continued while indicating a nearby rock. ''''Okay, but you need to use that skill to pull me again, '''' Fehim said. Without using a defensive or an offensive skill, he was unable to avoid the ck spirits that would attack him shortly after jumping onto the rock. He spread his wings once more and jumped in the direction of the stone after seeing Raydon nod. The same thing happened again while he was in midair and his foot had not yet made contact with the rock. From the depths of the night sky came a swarm of ck spirits that suddenly sped down upon him. ''''Hook.'''' Raydon started to pull him with his hook skill before the spirits attacked him, and he then attacked with his second skill. ''''me Burst. '''' Jet ck mes from his hand, fueled by his stamina, erupted with perfect pressure on the spirits 10 meters away, engulfing them in mes. Then, Raydon heard his favorite music from this world ying in his ears. *DING* [Lv.1 Spirit ve F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 10 experiences.] ¡­ [You gained 10 experiences.] .. [You gained 10 experiences.] . [You gained 10 experiences.] He killed all five spirit ves in the group with his 30-second-long skill in just 5 seconds. ''''Awesome. '''' When he saw that his skill had a deadly effect on the spirits, he eximed with joy. ''''You have a really good skill there. However, the smell alone is enough to give me a headache each time you use it. '''' Raydon''s me Burst skill smelled far worse than his own odor to Fehim. He ignored Fehim''s remark and said. "It seems like my farming n will go off without a hitch."'' ''''Farming? '''' Fehim didn''t understand what Raydon meant, so he asked, but his question went unanswered. ''''Hey, get back up on that rock and get your shield ready. I''ll be following you, '''' Raydon said. ''''Uh¡­ Okay. '''' Fehim epted Raydon''s n without hesitation and jumped once more onto the rock that could amodate two people. ''''Dissolving Shield. '''' This time, however, Fehim was prepared for the arrival of the spirit ves and immediately activated his defensive skill. The spirits that were attacking him made contact with the shield and withdrew, leaving puffs of yellow steam in their retreat. This time, Fehim was able to ce his foot on the rock. ''''Stay steady. '''' Raydon called out and chanted. ''''Hook.'''' Fehim nced at the hook circling his body and maintained his weight in ordance with Raydon''s instructions. This time, instead of attempting to pull Fehim towards him, Raydon began to pull himself toward him by taking advantage of his heavy body. Raydon yanked himself quickly towards Fehim and joined him on the rock. He looked at the spirit ves who were still trying to attack them by crashing into Fehim''s shield and said, "Keep them away." He then reached into his dimensional storage and took out his great sword, thrusting it with all of his might into the rock. It was quickly stabbed on it due to its sharpness and the fact that the rock wasn''t all that hard. ''At least I had enough strength for this. '' Raydon snorted. He would need to ask Fehim for assistance if he was unable toplete this. Then he leaned back against the great sword, which was stabbed into the rock and remained fixedly in ce, and chanted while opening his palm forward. ''''me Burst. '''' ck, pressurized mes started to shoot out of Raydon''s hand. ''Yes! '' Raydon eximed internally. The oue matched his expectations. Under the influence of the mes from his hand, the rock, which had been floating in the air as if it had no weight, began to speed up and move forward. ''''Hahahah, that''s it. Keep your guard up and watch the other rocks to make sure we don''t run into them. '''' Raydon yelled with delight and informed Fehim, who was stunned. ''''Sure. You must be a genius, I suppose. '''' Fehim, who was speechless from shock, said. The method employed by Raydon was significantly more effective than their jumping from stone to stone. The speed of the stone, which was elerating, soon surpassed that of the spirit ves. Seeing Raydon and Fehim, the spirit ves descended from the sky to attack them. However, because of Fehim''s shield, they were unable to attack directly from the front and instead had to go around behind them, where they met their deaths in the back by Raydon''s still-active mes. [Lv.1 Spirit ve F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 10 experiences.] ¡­ [You gained 10 experiences.] ¡­ .. . ''''Now, this is true farming. '''' Raydon said gleefully as he watched every spirit ve that had descended from the sky to attack them and foolishly followed behind them perish in the mes. The system''s messages kepting in nonstop. Fehim turned his head to look at Raydon and realized what the farming he had just mentioned meant. He was gaining all the experience points, but Fehim merely sighed in response. ''I feel like he is using me for his farming. '' Fehim thought. He couldn''t share their experience points because he wasn''t dealing any damage to the spirit ves, and there was nothing he could do. Chapter 135 Getting The Inheritance (Part 8) ''''Eh, duration is over,'''' Raydon said. Even though the me Burst skill duration had ended, they continued to advance without losing much speed because the rock they were standing on had sufficient momentum to carry them forward. Raydon greedily eyed the experience points that followed them as they continuously descended from the sky and added new ones as he waited for the skill''s cooldown to end. ''''me Burst. '''' When the skill was avable again, Raydon used it. His only thought at the moment was that he hoped this journey would be lengthy. This was the easiest experience point farming he had ever performed sinceing to this world. [Lv.1 Spirit ve F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 10 experiences.] ¡­ .. . ¡ª ''''How is your mana doing, by the way? ''''After nearly an hour, Raydon finally asked Fehim, who was positioned behind him and holding up his shield. In a somber tone, he said, "I don''t have much left." His shield had been active the entire time they had been moving forward in this manner, which had taken them almost an hour. And the floating rocks that asionally obstructed their path rather than the spirit ves striking the shield were the real issue. Fehim lost a great deal of mana each time they collided with another rock at their current speed. ''''Can you see the other side? '''' The news made Raydon''s face gloomy. If Fehim''s mana ran out and they collided with another rock at this speed, there would be nothing to stand on and nothing but a bottomless abyss awaiting them. Furthermore, even if they could somehow jump onto another rock, they would be unable to move forward due to the countless spirit ves who would constantly attack them, and they would fight until they were exhausted, only to be met with the bottomless abyss once more. ''''No, all I see ahead is dense fog,'''' Fehim said. His voice conveyed the gravity of the situation. ''''Shit. We need toe up with another n,'''' Raydon said as he killed the spirit ves piling up behind them by reactivating the me Burst skill, which had reached the end of its cooldown. Raydon had previously believed that his body''s high defense meant he didn''t need a defensive-type skill, but now he realized how important it could be in a situation like this. ''''We should probably just go around those rocks instead of trying to block them with your shield. '''' Unwillingly, Raydon admitted. They had no other means of maneuvering other than Raydon reorienting his me Burst skill. However, it meant that he could target fewer spirit ves approaching from behind each time he aimed his skill in a different direction to alter the rock''s direction. ''Damn, I''ll have to slow down my farming progress. '' Raydon was having a depressed thought until Fehim''s words finally convinced him to act. "My mana will bepletely spent if we hit another three¡­ no two rocks." ''''Shit. Fine. Just concentrate on the approaching spirit ves, and I''ll make sure to maneuver to avoid hitting any other floating rocks. '''' With clenched teeth, Raydon said. ''My precious experience points. '' And in this manner, Raydon changed directions by adjusting the position of his skill each time a floating rock appeared in front of them, and he looked longingly at the spirit ves who weren''t on the path of me Burst skill and were left behind due to theirck of speed. ¡ª ''''I can see the opposite end of the abyss.'''' Following a four-hour journey through this chasm, Raydon heard Fehim''s cheerful voice. Raydon turned his head, seeing thend that had begun to appear in his field of vision after some time, and said. ''''My farming ends here huh? '''' Soon after, among the recognizable rusted iron bars, one of the ancient ck tombs reappeared in his vision. ''''Okay, we should now slow down. '''' Since they were rapidly approaching the tomb, Raydon thought it was time to take action. Raydon said, "Leave the frontal attacks to me while you defend the rear and back," and he and Fehim switched positions. ''''me Burst. '''' Raydon activated me Burst in the opposite direction from how he usually uses it to increase their speed, and they began to slow down. Meanwhile, spirit ves who had descended from the sky to attack them continued to burn to death. After continuing in this manner for some time, they eventually slowed down significantly. ''''Prepare for impact,'''' Raydon said as he measured the impact distance of the fast-moving rock, despite the fact that they had been significantly slowed down. ''''Jump!'''' Following Raydon''s instruction, they leaped over the rock and to the cliff''s edge. *BOOM* Raydon and Fehim, due to their high rate of eleration following the jump, rolled around on the ground for a while before finallying to a stop as the rock they had been riding crashed into the cliff face. Raydon halted his roll after a few meters when he turned around and saw the hundreds of spirit ves who had been following them no longer doing so and instead ascending back into the sky. "Phew, we made it, hahaha. '''' He was in a great mood because he was having a great time on this adventure and because he had earned more experience points than he had on the first stage. ''''Yes, and now we can check the next reward. '''' Simrly, Fehim would have enjoyed this adventure, he said while grinning with his half-exposed mouth. Even though, in light of what Raydon had previously stated, he believed that this reward would not be as valuable as the body enchantment he discovered in the first stage, the thought of the unknowable reward for theirbor was still enough to make him excited. ''''Yeh, let''s check it. '''' ''I hope this reward is also very valuable and also something this stupid zombie wouldn''t want, '' Raydon had already started making ns for himself to get this reward as well. He got to his feet and brushed the dust from his clothes before walking over to the tomb. He then looked at the amount of experience points he had gained and decided that the effort had been well worth it. Chapter 136 Item Set: The Command Of The Flying Zombie Soldier? [Experience]: 243.913/ 1.000.000 ''This looks great. It raises my hopes.''Raydon pondered the XP he had amassed in such a short amount of time and muttered under his breath. Even the most beautiful woman in the world couldn''t give him the pleasure of a fine experience farming. *Bang* In the meantime, Fehim rushed to the tomb without waiting for Raydon''s direction and smashed his massive ax into the tomb''s lid. *Bang* The middle of the lid was shattered with his second blow, revealing the tomb''s contents. Fehim inspected one of the ck sapphire balls he had discovered inside the tomb and dered, "Now this is a genuine tressure." [Storage Expansion Orb.] -Grade: White -Quality: N/A -Skill: Enchant Using this item, users can increase their storage capacity by 1 square meter. -Mana Cost: None -Duration: None -Cooldown: None ''''There appear to be 23 white-grade and 15 green-grade expansion orbs here.'''' Raydon said as he picked up one of the ck sapphires that looked a little bigger than the one Fehim was holding. ''''Looks like the numbers are not even. '''' In order to make up for the previous round, Fehim decided to give Raydon 12 white-grade expansion orbs and 8 green-grade expansion orbs because the numbers were not divisible by two. In fact, he was aware that they had only gotten here because of Raydon''s ingenious n, but when he saw the treasure in front of him, he didn''t want to give up. Even if he were an idiot, he was aware of the value of dimensional storage expansion orbs. ''''Okay. '''' Raydon epted. He realized he had no way to trick him in this circumstance by telling a lie. While Fehim and Raydon were collecting expansion orbs, they discovered a very old-looking book with a ck leather cover underneath them. "What is this?" Fehim inquired. Before Fehim could reach it, Raydon grabbed the book and began studying it. ''''Apparently, these are notes on how to craft magic equipment. '''' He said with a scowl, but his inner thoughts were racing. ''What the heck? These are some guidelines for making aplete set of magic items. All 5ponents of the set and how to make them are detailed. '' As Raydon read the notes, his eyes widened. It was very challenging to find aplete set of items in an inheritance. Despite the fact that the book in his hands did not cover body enchantments and contained instructions for creating magic items rather than the items themselves, it was nheless of great value. ''More priceless even than the items themselves. Even if I am unable to use these items, I can still make a fortune selling them if I can craft them. '' Internally, Radon eximed. ''Themand of the flying zombie soldier? Is this the name of the set? Wait, it appears that this set is for charisma-build item holders. Are you serious? '' Raydon cursed as he studied the name of the set further. Simr to Herman''s prior item set, this set appeared to be aboutmanding an army. This also required a charisma build because it falls under the control-type skill category. Raydon pondered while briefly observing Fehim''s half-exposed mouth, bulging eyes, unkempt ck hair, and discolored face. ''I can''t imagine how this ugly thing would look with a high charisma stat. '' ''''So what is it about? '''' When Fehim noticed Raydon cast a curious nce in his direction, he enquired. ''''It''s about crafting a magic equipment set. And it appears to be exining how to make the entire set. '''' Radon stated truthfully. ''''What? What type of set is it? Is it for stamina build? Please say it''s for stamina build. '''' Fehim became eager after hearing Raydon''s words and began impatiently asking. ''''Yes, it''s stamina. '''' Raydon told a lie. ''''Really? Are you sure? '''' Fehim inquired again after being shocked by what he had heard. He was staring at the book with a hungry gaze. "Yes, but it seems difficult to craft even if it''s only green grade. There probably aren''t many people in the society of item holders who are skilled enough to craft this set. '''' Raydon said, acting thoughtfully. It was true that the set was only green grade, but he actually had no idea how difficult it would be to craft. ''''Is it really that difficult? But it isn''t impossible, is it? I mean¡­ You''re from a supreme family, right? Someone in your family must be able to craft this, right? '''' Fehim excitedly approached Raydon and bombarded him with questions. His pulsating heart, which could be seen through the openings in his rib cage, appeared to be about to burst. ''Supreme family? Heh. '' When he heard this, Raydon let out a chuckle. The Demugen family was just one of the many big families with ate Mid-Rank family head, simr to Fang. It was humorous that someone believed this family to be one of the supreme families when theycked the High-Rank item holders necessary to qualify as such. ''''What do you think? Obviously, there is someone capable of this. '''' Raydon said smugly. ''''Then? '''' Fehim anticipatedly asked as his excitement grew. It was very obvious what it was that he desired. Despite hisck of experience with item crafting, he was determined to acquire this magic item set, as he believed it might be an integral part of the body enchantment he had previously used. "Since we are now friends, I can ask a family elder to craft it for you. However, there is an issue,'''' Raydon stated with a sigh. ''Friend? ''In the excitement of the moment, his blood was rushing from his dry veins to his rotten brain, and the way Raydon spoke to him made him feel something. ''He sees me as a friend?'' Since he didn''t have many friends in this harsh world of item holders, where being a zombie put him at a disadvantage, hearing the word "friend" from Raydon''s mouth meant a lot to Fehim. Furthermore, Raydon appears to havee from a very influential family, so knowing that he had a friend like that had a profound effect on him. Chapter 137 Need Of Meat ''''What exactly is the issue? If you are unable to find someone to craft it, that is okay. Don''t put yourself in any difficult situations because of me. We can just find someone else,'''' Fehim said in a much softer tone than before. He was touched by Raydon''s eagerness to help him craft the item set. If his dry eyes were capable of producing tears, they might have already done so. "No, no, it''s not that. If I ask him, he will undoubtedly help me out. Just he does not craft the item if someone else already possesses it. I mean that he only crafts unique items. You understand what I mean, right? '''' Raydon uttered this with an air of remorse. Fehim scratched his head and stated, "I don''t understand." ''''I mean, he usually crafts things that arepletely unique here on this. If he finds out that someone else has the recipe for the item set, he won''t waste his time crafting it. Therefore, he''ll ask for this book so he can add it to his collection before crafting the set,'''' Raydon made up. "Oh, I see. That was the issue. Bro, that''s only natural, right? He must be an item expert if he can craft a set like this, right? An item expert deserves our respect. '''' Fehim stated matter-of-factly. The quality of the item changes during the crafting process depending on the crafter''s skill, and the item''s skill is also strengthened. Therefore, some talented individuals have developed themselves in this direction in order to craft items of a higher quality, and those who are able to craft items of an excellent and higher quality are given the title of item expert. Among other item holders, item experts are regarded with the greatest respect. That''s why when Raydon brought up the item expert, Fehim automatically assumed that whatever was bothering Raydon was actually the norm. ''This guy believes everything I say. Whatever, I can craft him somethingter. '' Raydon realized the value of Fehim''s trust in him and nned to exploit it in the future. He chose to craft another item set for Fehimter on because the set he had was for the charisma build. Fehim would want a share from the book because he knew it had a high value if he had stated up front that it was a charisma item set. Because of this, Raydon had to con him into believing that he would craft the item and give it to himter. ''''Alright, then. It may take some time because, as you probably already know, item experts are usually quite busy. '''' Raydon spoke and contemted internally. ''At least until I figure out how to craft items. '' He had started reading Herman''s books on crafting, but he hadn''t put what he''d learned into practice yet, so he didn''t know what his current proficiency was. Now that he had discovered this book, he could put his skills to the test. ''''It''s all right, I can wait,'''' Fehim said with a smile. His grin widened as he anticipated receiving aplete stamina set from his new pal. "How long until your mana refills?" Raydon questioned. ''''Roughly twenty minutes would be fine,'''' Fehim said as he sat down. ''Roughly 20 minutes? Does he really have 50 mana regeneration? What the hell gives this guy such high mana? Is it yet another function of his body enchantment? '' He was once again caught off guard when he encountered another area in which Fehim outshone him. "Are blue-grade body enchantments really so OP?"He nced at Fehim and thought. "Want to eat?" Fehim reached into his dimensional storage for arge b of raw meat, held it out to Raydon, and asked. "Is this mob meat?" Raydon asked and epted it after feeling like he was bing hungry as well. ''''Of course, it is.After all, regr food cannot satisfy my hunger. By the way, it''s death-type.''''Fehim looked at Raydon as if he had asked an odd question and said. ''''Eh? Why? '''' He was taken aback by the peculiar gaze he received and asked again. ''Is eating mob meat a requirement for zombies? '' Raydon thought. ''''Obviously, this is due to my body enchantment. Don''t you have a blue-grade body enchantment as well? Your defense can''t be solely due to your stamina stat or title, right?'''' Fehim said, giving him another odd look. He believed that Raydon''s high defense could only be exined by the presence of a blue-grade body enchantment. ''''True, but what does this have to do with consuming mob meat? '''' Raydon made no effort to rify the misunderstanding and lied instead. ''As a result of my body enchantment, ''''Ashen Heart,'''' I am also required to consume monster meat, but isn''t this merely a disadvantage? '' He thought to himself. ''''What are you talking about? Don''t you know that eating mob meat is one of the side effects of body enchantments of the blue-grade and higher? Don''t you also have to eat mob meat?" Fehim asked in shock. He briefly considered that his body enchantment might not have any side effects because Raydon is from a supreme family, but he quickly rejected the notion. ''A body enchantment without side effects? I''ve never heard of one. Especially blue-grade and above. '' Fehim started to have self-doubt. ''''Haha, I''m kidding, of course. '''' With another quick lie, Raydon dismissed it. ''Shit. The books didn''t mention it. So mob meat is needed for body enchantments of the blue and higher grades. How does this rte to my white-grade body enchantment, then? '' Raydon thought curiously. Normally, body enchantments of blue grade and above required a lot of energy and had a lot more properties than those of green grade and below. Only by feasting on monster meat was it able to sustain itself. In fact, this was identical to the desire of a normal person''s body to consume food. When the body needs energy, it desires food, and when it consumes food with adequate nutritional value, the sensation of hunger disappears. These nutritional values could only be found in mob meats for body enchantments. Chapter 138 Getting The Inheritance (Part 9) Raydon searched his mind for a potential cause but came up empty-handed. The seller from whom he purchased the "Ashen Heart" imed it was an inheritance item, but it was still a white-grade body enchantment, and it didn''t appear to be as powerful as a blue-grade body enchantment. ''Well, whatever. I''m still not knowledgeable enough about body enchantments. I''ll look through itter.''He decided it was pointless to dwell on the issue at hand and ate the meat he had been cooking with the me Burst skill. ''''Oh, you have a body enchantment associated with death as well, huh? It is a good idea to cook with these fires and increase the death element,'''' Fehim said with approval. ''What? So, since my body enchantment is death-type, I can only eat mob meat with a death-type? God, this is gettingplicated. '' Raydon''s confusion increased as he gained more knowledge. Additionally, the meats he consumed previously were of the water-type, and by eating them, he was able to control his hunger. ''Is it because I used my mes to grill them? '' The only exnation Raydon coulde up with was that it was probably the reason. ''''Do you want me to grill yours as well? '''' He asked Fehim to thank him for providing him with so much information. ''''No, no. My meat is going to stink. I don''t want. '''' Fehim made a disgusted face and quickly hid the raw meat in his hand. The odor of Raydon and his fire disgusted him greatly. ''''I prefer to eat my meat raw anyway. '''' He said this as he began to devour the meat. After eating 2 kilograms of meat, Raydon realized he waspletely full and asked. ''''Hey, what''s the rank of this meat?'''''' ''''It''s an F-Rank. '''' Fehim pulled another piece of meat from his dimensional storage and started munching on it once more. Raydon noted that with this, he consumed 8 kilos of meat. ''F-Rank? It''s probably because this is death-type that I got full so quickly. '' He pondered. The F-Rank meat he had obtained from his previous match required him to consume kilograms of meat each day to fill him up. He was probably able to eat them and satisfy his hunger because he was cooking with his me. When he ate real death-type meat, he got the energy he needed faster. ''It appears that there are still far too many things in this world for me to learn.''Raydon sighed, but the thought excited him at the same time. Knowing there was more to discover heightened his sense of adventure. ''''All right, if you''re ready, we should get started. We still don''t know how many stages are left,'''' Raydon said as he stood up. Fehim''s mana must have been restored after the twenty minutes of rest. Fehim nodded and stood up, and then the two of them cautiously advanced from the tomb''s entrance to the next stage while carrying their weapons. When they started walking again, they believed that after moving a few meters, like in previous stages, they would be able to see what the next stage was about. However, this time, even after walking for a few tens of meters, they were unable to see anything other than the fog. "What''s going on? Why is there nothing?'''' Fehim asked, his tension rising as he moved forward. Raydon replied, "I don''t know. '''' ''''I sense that something extremely dangerous is approaching. What is this? '''' Raydon wondered. He had the uneasy feeling that something powerful enough to threaten their lives was watching them from the fog. ''''Watch out. I feel like this stage will not be as easy as previous ones,'''' warned Raydon. His instincts, which he had honed through years of ying games, had never failed him, and he knew he could not be mistaken now. Hearing Raydon''s warning, Fehim became even more anxious and assumed a defensive stance with hisrge axe in hand. The fact that he said this stage would not be as easy as previous ones made him feel even more uneasy, as he did not believe previous stages had been easy in the slightest. ''''Are you sure? I still can''t see anything. '''' ''''Ughhh'''' Fehim had been walking for some time and still couldn''t see anything; he decided to check with Raydon, but just as he was about to do so, a metal barbed ball attached to the end of the chain came quickly, striking him in the stomach and sending him flying back several meters. "What the hell was that?" When Raydon observed that Fehim''s body had been flung several meters by the attack, he cursed and turned his attention to where the chain had vanished into the mist. "Hey, if you''re still conscious, get up right away. '''' He said to Fehim, without taking his gaze off of whatever was emerging from the mist. ''''I think this fight will be very difficult. '''' Raydon remarked as he saw the zombie approaching out of the mist while decked out in a suit of heavy, all-ck body armor. The zombie had covered its entire head with a ck helmet, revealing only the mouth area and blood-red glowing eyes. And as Raydon stared into the crimson orbs that emerged slowly from the mist, he knew that this foe was the most formidable he had ever faced. "I''m good." Fehim sprung to his feet in a hurry, ran back to Raydon, and said. ''''He looks he strong.'''' Fehim also stated that by enteringbat mode, he must have felt the power of the enemy. The wounds caused by the barbed ball that had just struck his stomach had already begun to heal, but he was healing more slowly than usual. ''''He is not the only creature whose presence I feel. '''' Raydon shifted his focus away from the zombie soldier and peered into the fog surrounding him, but he found nothing. Raydon questioned, "Can you handle him?" Fehim turned on his green body armor and said, "Yeah, I think." He, too, had doubts, but Raydon''s words had convinced him that the zombie in front of them was not their only threat. Chapter 139 Getting The Inheritance (Part 10) Raydon said, drawing his sword, "I''ve got your back." Fehim entrusted his back to him without a word and began running toward the zombie that was still dragging its chain. "Show me what you''ve got!" With a mighty war cry, he activated his skill. ''''Dpose. '''' The ax started belching yellow smoke as soon as the skill was activated. Despite the rtive quiet, a hissing sound echoed through the air, as if the smoke''s dposing effect were robbing the air of oxygen. ''''Boost Muscle. '''' Immediately after that, Fehim used his second skill. His running speed elerated at the same time that hisrge muscles, which were akin to those of an orangutan, started to swell even more. He was running, leaving deep tracks on the hard, dry ground with each step. ''''Raaargghh.'''' He leaped at the zombie, which was standing still and slowly retracing its chain, and swung his ax over its head. With incredible speed and reflex, the zombie, who had been collecting its barbed ball by pulling its chain until the veryst second, swerved to the side mere centimeters before the ax split its head in two, and thus avoided being hacked in half. *BANG* ''''Shit. '''' When the ax lost its intended target, it delivered a powerful blow to the ground that instantly turned the stone and earth into yellow smoke. ''He is fast. '' Fehim paused to consider his next move, and as he was about to raise and swing his ax once more, he was knocked off bnce and thrown to the side by a blow to the right side of his stomach. ''''You damn zombie. '''' Fehim pulled out his bat-shaped wings after sliding sideways a few meters on his feet, gritted his teeth, and stared at the ck-armored zombie. Not only did the zombie''s speed shock him, but so did its incredible strength. ''''I''m going to kill you for fucksake. '''' He once more raised his ax and assumed an attacking posture before multiplying his speed by pping his wings and charging the zombie. Fehim used the power of his wings this time tounch an attack much faster than he had previously. However, the ck-armored zombie was still significantly faster than him, and he retreated a few paces before the ax reached him. *BANG* Fehim shouted infuriatingly, "Damn, he''s like a fish; I can''t catch him." His eyes scanned the area for Raydon, but he was nowhere to be found. ''Where did he go? '' ''''Gughh. '''' Fehim was distracted for just long enough for another barbed ball to hit him in the chest, sending him reeling backwards. ''''Damn. I''m really pissed off. '''' Fehim continued, voicing his rage. ''''Let''s see if you can get dodge this as well. '''' Fehim positioned himself in an offensive stance, hefting his massive ax behind him. With a powerful p of his wings, he took a giant leap forward, rocketing himself straight at the ck-armored zombie. ''''Helix Strike. '''' Fehim''s ax grew to twice its normal size and the yellow smoke that was rising from it intensified as he used his skill. It was clear that an extremely powerful area-of-effect attack was about to be released. When the zombie anticipated Fehim''s horizontal attack, it threw itself back with all its might to try and avoid it. And right at that moment, as its incredible speed was taking it out of range of Fehim''s ax, the zombie ran into an unexpected obstacle from behind. ''''me Burst. '''' With his hellish mes, Raydon, who had been unseen for some time, appeared at the precise moment and location to thwart the zombie''s escape. The pressurized ck mesing from Raydon''s hand not only stopped the zombie from retreating but also pushed it in the direction of Fehim''s attack core. *Swishh* Yellow smoke billowed out of the zombie''s body as its armor and midsection were torn to shreds by the disintegration attack, which hit it like a horizontal wave. [Lv.31 Zombie Soldier ve(E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 336 experiences.] p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® ''E-Rank and level 31? '' Raydon was surprised to see an E-Rank creature, and even more so to learn that it was Level 31, after having battled nothing but F-Rank monsters outside of the Region Bosses up until this point. ''This is most likely another creature the owner of this dimension''s item holder has crafted. But I had no idea that these things could level up. '' Raydon muttered. He was still unsure of the precise methodology used to determine the mob levels in matches. All he knew was that E-Rank Region Bosses were level 10, and F-Rank mobs were level 1. ''Theck of a life core indicates that this creature is a crafted monster. So it''s not about life cores. Or is the system simply determining their power level and assigning them a level based on that? '' Raydon considered it but gave up when he couldn''te up with a logical conclusion. He wasn''t nning on crafting any monsters anytime soon, so this question might go unanswered for a while as well. ''''Wow, this guy almost got away from this attack as well. You''re a great supporter, aren''t you? '''' In a cheerful tone, he said to Raydon, looking at the thousands of experience points he had gained from this fight. Hepleted most of the work, so he also umted the majority of the experience points. As a supporter, Raydon only receivedpliments. ''I never enjoyed ying the role of the supporter. '' Thinking about all the experience points he had missed, Raydon spat on the ground. ''''Don''t let your guard down. There are still more. '''' Due to the fact that his Depise skill didn''t function on dead bodies, he was unable to see anyone nearby, but his senses alerted him to the fact that things weren''t over yet. ''''Yes, I can feel as well. '''' Fehim added while maintaining a serious face. Though it was possible for him to take out the armored zombie on his own, doing so would have been very taxing. He could handle two of them at once, but three would be too much for him to handle even with his high defense and fast healing. After waiting for a while and still not seeing any monsters, Raydon concluded, "I think we need to keep advancing for them to show themselves." Chapter 140 Getting The Inheritance (Part 11) ''''Okay, but let me refill my mana first. The mana cost of thebo I used was quite high. '''' Fehim said while nodding. Although the zombie''s armor appeared to be durable, he was able to kill it with hisst skill, which was extremely destructive but also consumed a lot of mana. ''''Fine. '''' Raydon said and proceeded to inspect the zombie''s remains, which had been cut in half. ''I wonder if I can make some gold coins out of this. '' He was ruminating once more about how to utilize a stage to its full potential. Under Fehim''s strange gaze, he collected the zombie soldier''s remains and ced them in his dimensional storage. ''He must have every crafting material imaginable in his collection, '' Fehim thought. He believed Raydon''s behavior was a result of his passion for collecting crafting materials. ¡­ ''''My mana is full again. '''' After a period of rest, Fehim said. "That''s good, we can begin to move," While indicating for Fehim to take the lead, Raydon said. His defense against sudden attacks was also quite good, but it was evident that Fehim''s HP regeneration was significantly superior. Without opposition, he took the initiative and began to walk ahead. As the two moved forward, their field of view shrunk and more fog descended upon the region. Fehim frowned, "This fog started to make me nervous." Unfortunately, his investigative skill was simr to Raydon''s in that he could not see the location of undead bodies, and he struggled with the uncertainty of not knowing from where his enemies would strike. ''''How much further do you think we have to walk? I suppose it seems like there is no other enemy nearbyaghhh '''' *BANG* When Fehim turned around to talk to Raydon, an arrow struck him in the chest, sending him flying backwards once again. ''''Hook. '''' Unlike him, who let his focus wander, Raydon used his skill in the direction the arrow came from, hoping to pull the enemy. In the end, his expectations were met. Instantly sensing a target, he began to pull on his Hook. p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® "Quickly gather yourself." Fehim, who had arge hole in his chest, was slowly rising from the ground when Raydon yelled at him. ''''Spirit Wave. '''' Raydon immediately swung his sword at the zombie that was being pulled towards him through the mists, dressed in identical ck armor as the previous one, but this time holding a bow. *CLANG* The zombie used the sharp end of the bow in its hand to sever Raydon''s hook skill''s rope and then used the small shield on its arm to block the oing wave of ck sh. ''''Damn, they all have a high agility stat or what?'''' Fehim cursed the zombie''s lightning-fast reaction. The hole in Fehim''s chest, who had alreadye running to Raydon and was ready to attack with an ax in hand, was beginning to close. "I think we can try the same strategy we used before. What do you think?" Fehim suggested that they use the same method that they had just used to kill thest zombie soldier. Like the other zombie soldier, this one seemed to be quick and had good reflexes. With the aid of its bow, it could also make long-range attacks. ''''Hey? '''' After waiting for a while for a response to his query, Fehim turned around and noticed that Raydon was not present. "What kind of skill or technique is this guy using? " Fehim couldn''t hold back his surprise. The person who had been standing next to him just a few seconds ago was no longer anywhere in sight. "Come to your daddy, baby zombie." Knowing he could rely on Raydon''s abilities, Fehim pushed aside his surprise and began running towards the zombie soldier, taunting it for appearing to be of his own race. This time, Fehim was running towards the zombie soldier with all of his might and using his wings right away because he knew how powerful and quick it was, but the zombie soldier''s archery was just as quick. *BANG* *BANG* Since he was prepared this time, he did not fly backwards as the first arrow struck him, but his movements slowed with each arrow hit. ''''Dude, If you don''t intervene, I''ll be a cheese with lots of holes. '''' Fehim screamed as he examined the wounds the zombie soldier had carved into his body with each arrow he had failed to dodge. ''Damn, why hasn''t he acted yet? '' He murmured. His body was beginning to run low on the toxins required to regenerate the green armor he wore. ''''I can''t wait for him. '''' Fehim decided to use his defensive-type skill. He understood that he would be unable to use his attack-type skills against the zombie soldier unless Raydon came out to block the zombie soldier''s arrows. He knew that if he waited any longer for Raydon, his body would be full of holes. ''''Dissolving Shield. '''' In front of Fehim, a pentagonal shield of vapor that resembled the yellow steam from his ax formed. *BANG* ''''Shit, what a power. '''' As soon as the shield was in ce, the iing arrow mmed into it with devastating force and then disintegrated into a puff of yellow smoke. Fehim was not physically harmed by the blow, but he did take two steps back and lose a great deal of mana. ''''Really, this fight won''tst long if you don''t do something about it,'''' He yelled again anxiously. Initially, he believed he could handle three zombie soldiers at once, but he was now incapable of facing even one. *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* While arrows were still being shot at his shield, Fehim kept yelling for Raydon to offer some hope. ''Damn, these arrows use up more mana than the impact of earlier floating rocks,'' he muttered. *BANG* ''''GAAAGHH¡­'''' Fehim was standing still and thinking when he was knocked off his feet by another arrow from behind. He was suddenly confronted by a second zombie soldier who appeared from the mist behind him with a bow in hand. Chapter 141 Getting The Inheritance (Part 12) ''''Damn! Couldn''t handle the first, so here came the second? '''' Immediately after taking a moment to regain hisposure, Fehim reactivated his shield, blocked the iing arrows, and cried out in terror as he stared at the other zombie soldier behind him. As his shield was insufficient to protect him from the arrowsing from behind, he prepared to evade them when Raydon unexpectedly entered his field of vision. "You''ve finally revealed yourself," Raydon said as he appeared next to the zombie soldier. He grinned as he swung his great sword, puffs of gray smoke emerging from the corners of his mouth. *BAMM* The zombie soldier was so preupied with Fehim that it was caught off guard by this sudden attack; the sword blow it took caused it to drop the bow in its hand, and its body took off running. ''''What in the world is this guy?'''' As he looked at Raydon, he noticed that his normally white and pale skin had begun to turn a bright red. The blood red around his gray pupils made him look less human and more demonic. However, it wasn''t his outward appearance that surprised Fehim the most. ''''Isn''t this the Lionheart Family''s technique? He even mastered this?'''' Fehim immediately recognized this well-known technique. Since he had already seen all of Raydon''s skills, this was unlikely to be a skill unless he had a way to increase the skill slot. He also believed that his title had something to do with defense and endurance; so it never urred to him that it might also have something to do with the title. ''What sort of super family is this guy from? Even forced a grand family like Lionheart to impart their technique to a stranger? '' Fehim was certain that he was descended from a super family, and he was even more fascinated to see him employ the technique of the Lionheart family, who are now renowned for their honor and war lust. "Hey, why do you keep daydreaming? Hurry use yourbo attack. '''' When Raydon saw the zombie soldier, whose armor had taken only a dent from the blow, slowly stand up, he yelled at Fehim. ''My power is still insufficient even after entering Berserker mode.'' He grimaced and muttered. ''''Hook. '''' He used the hook skill to entangle the feet of the slowly standing zombie soldier, who was still dazed from the previous blow. The zombie soldier fell to the ground after suddenly losing bnce with the rope that held its feet in ce. Without the bow in its hand or any other tool to cut the rope, it attempted to rip it with its hands. ''''Dpose. '''' ''''Boost Muscle. '''' ''''Helix Strike. '''' Fehim seized the opportunity and deactivated his shield skill, ignoring the arrows that were raining down from behind him, before using hisbo skills to charge the zombie soldier who was iling on the ground. *Snap* Even though it had been reinforced by Raydon''s stamina, the zombie soldier tore the rope attached to his foot with his own strength and tried to make a quick move to evade the attack, but the wave of ck smokeing in front of him stopped him. ''''Spirit Wave. '''' With its final attempt at escape blocked by Raydon''s spirit wave skill, the zombie''s head separated from its body as yellow smoke puffed from the severed sections as the huge ax smashed into its neck. [Lv.31 Zombie Soldier ve(E-Rank) has been killed.] ''''Dissolving Shield. '''' As soon as Fehim realized the zombie soldier was no longer a threat, he activated his shield once more to protect himself from the onught of arrowsing from behind. Even during the brief period that he wasn''t blocking arrows, he had developed numerous new holes in his back. "Can you use yourbo skills again?" Stepping behind Fehim''s shield, Raydon inquired. It was clear that thebo attack he used would use up a lot of mana at the same rate that it dealt out a lot of damage. ''''If I don''t waste too much mana on the shield, I can use it again, but only once,'''' Fehim said before continuing. "Can''t you use the same technique to get closer to it?"'' There was only one zombie soldier in front of them, and if Raydon were to distract it with a sudden attack, as he had done with the previous ones, Fehim would be able to use hisbo once more to kill it. Unfortunately, the response he anticipatedpletely dashed his hopes. p¦Á§ád¦Á-¨¾?¦Í¨º|¡¤§ã¨®§® "With its entire focus on us, I can''t escape from its sight. Of course, it is not difficult if you have something to divert its attention, even for a split second. '''' Raydon stated. He didn''t have the ability to make himself invisible; instead, all he had was an illusion that tricked his enemy. Therefore, the target of this technique must not be focused on Raydon in order to be sessful. With a guilty tone, Fehim said, "Well, I don''t think I have anything to distract that thing." He was attempting to approach with his shield open, but with each step he took, the arrow he had been shot at pushed him back. ''''Actually, there is nothing that needs to be done. Simply close your shield and reserve your mana for thebo attack. His arrows are about to run out, so we can attack when that urs,'''' Raydon said calmly, pointing to the fifty or sixty arrows hanging behind the zombie in a bag. The zombie possessed no skills, and its arrows were made entirely of the bones it carried in a bag slung behind it. In addition, the potency of the arrows was solely due to the strength of the zombie and its bow and arrow. ''''Do you want me to close my shield? Don''t you see what those arrows did to me? '''' Fehim asked, referring to the holes in his body that were still healing. ''''It doesn''t matter; I''ll block the arrows. All you have to do is support me from behind. '''' Raydon, unable to withstand the impact of the arrows that were powerful enough to cause Fehim''s body to blow away, told him to stand behind him and prevent him from flying. Chapter 142 [Bonus ]The Fog *BANG* "Ouch, it still hurts. '''' Raydon winced as he examined the barely visible scar left on his chest by the arrow that had shattered on impact. ''''I saw it before, but your defense still amazes me,'''' Fehim said. Before, he had used all of his strength to attack Raydon without using his helix attack skill, but he had only managed to leave a single cut. Now, even if he was attacking with abo with the Helix skill, he didn''t think he could inflict anything but a little big wound from just a cut. Raydon said glumly, "Just be sure to hold me in ce, this attack really can make me fly." Being a human shield for a zombie was embarrassing enough, but knowing that he would fly like a ball with an arrow attack because he had nothing but stamina made him even more embarrassed. ''''Don''t worry,'''' Fehim replied. From the outside, it must have looked hrious to see Fehim''s body, which was a full half a meter taller andrger than Raydon''s, holding him from behind and bending his head as he tried to take cover behind him while Raydon blocked iing arrows with his body. Raydon clenched his teeth and said, "Shit, can''t you just fire those arrows faster?" The zombie saw that its arrows weren''t doing much damage, but it kept firing them at the same rate anyway. It seems likely that its brain was only functioning well enough for basic fighting strategies, and that itcked the foresight to devise a cunning n to sneak past Raydon''s defense and then just sit there and keep firing arrows until the enemy is defeated. Over time, he began to count the arrows in the bag on the zombie''s back, ignoring the redness caused by the arrow strikes on his body. ''''Prepare for the attack. '''' Raydon remarked to Fehim as he observed that the zombie, which had rained arrows down on them without thinking like a machine, had few arrows remaining. *BAM* "Now!" He yelled when he saw the zombie shoot its final arrow. In response to Raydon''smand, Fehim immediately activated all of hisbo skills and began running towards the zombie. ''''Dpose. '''' ''''Boost Muscle. '''' ''''Helix Strike. '''' Fehim pounced on his enemy with the ferocity of every new hole he had so far received in his body. When the zombie, who was out of arrows, saw Fehiming at it, it realized that this attack posed a threat, so it retreated and made an effort to avoid it. However, another attack was hiding behind Fehim''s body. Raydon''s hook skill, which he used at the same time as the Fehim began his attack, surprised the zombie soldier, tangled in his feet, and prevented him from escaping by jumping back. *Swhissh* With great speed, Fehim''s ax, which was spewing yellow scattering fumes, mmed into the helpless zombie soldier in front of him, severing it in two. [Lv.31 Zombie Soldier ve(E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 468 experience points.]please visit ''''Fuck! Are you serious??? All this time, I was the one who took all the fucking blows. '''' Raydon became enraged when he saw the system message that appeared after the zombie soldier died and began swearing. ''''Shit. So I have to deal more damage to get a bigger share of the experience points? Fuck this nonsense,'''' Raydon swore. ''''What happened? '''' Fehim approached with his ax on his shoulder and inquired after observing Raydon''s outburst. ''''Tch, nothing. Let''s rest until your mana is full. '''' Raydon said this, and then he went and kicked the zombie soldier''s body. He then put it in his dimensional storage in case he could sell itter for some gold. While Fehim was resting, Raydon frowned and looked around at the thickening fog. His vision was deteriorating to the point where he could see no more than 15 meters ahead of him. ''And what is this feeling? It''s as if the number of eyes watching us from the fog is growing. '' He muttered. They had already exhausted nearly all of their resources in order to kill two zombie soldiers earlier. They might be able to handle the next wave of attack if there are only three zombie soldiers, but any more than that could be disastrous. Raydon''s biggest concern, meanwhile, was the abundance of watchful eyes he sensed on him at the moment. He couldn''t pick just three or four, and it seemed like hundreds, if not thousands, of terrifying creatures were waiting for them in the mist. "Surely that can''t be true. This is merely an F-Rank inheritance. '''' He made an effort to dismiss the idea from his mind. "Are you sensing it?" Raydon, his mind deep in thought, looked up at Fehim, who was sitting on the ground and calling to him. ''''Sensing what? '''' Raydon was confused and asked him to rify. "The ground seems to be trembling." He spoke while sitting there with his hands on the ground. Raydon, who found this peculiar, knelt down and ced his hands on the ground, where he felt vibrations emanating from the dry, gray earth. ''''It''s very strange. The ground has never trembled before, as far as I can tell. '''' They had sat on the ground many times before for rest, but never before had they felt the vibration. "Hey, the shaking is growing," Fehim said in a quavering voice. He jumped to his feet, activated his green body armor once more, and positioned himself defensively with his ax. "Look at the mist. Keep close; there''s definitely something going on. '''' Raydon noticed that the fog, which had been growing thicker and thicker around them up until this point, was finally starting to thin out. Additionally, they were no longer required to ce their hands on the ground in order to feel the ground''s vibration. The fog cleared more quickly and the field of view grew wider as the ground vibration grew. After a short while, the ground started to shake so violently that it started to crack, making it difficult to even stand upright. By this time, the fog was dissipating more quickly, exposing what it had been hiding on the inside and confirming Raydon''s earlier fears. ''''Who the fuck said this is only an F-Rank inheritance?'''' Fehim said, his voice shaking as much as his body. All hope of survival appeared to have been extinguished by what the mist had revealed. --- 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. --- Chapter 143 The Zombie General Raydon and Fehim stood side-by-side with their weapons drawn and a nervous looks on their faces as they scanned the area. While the ground continued to tremble, what they witnessed was considerably more terrifying than the army of skeletons that had surrounded them in the first stage. There were hordes of zombie soldiers surrounding them, all dressed in ck with full body armor and staring at them with red glowing eyes that could be seen through the cracks in their helmets. ''''Can you tell me if there is a way to get out of an inheritance before the time runs out? '''' Fehim asked, a glimmer of hope in his voice. A hundred of these soldiers were more than capable of killing them, but now they were surrounded by thousands. Raydon didn''t bother to respond to his inquiry. Even if he did know something about inheritances, he probably knew less than him. ''''How long do you think we canst? '''' Fehim enquired once more. Now that he knew he was going to die, he resolved to at least fight valiantly until the very end. He waited a few minutes for a response from Raydon, but when he didn''t get one, he went on. ''''Your defense is stronger than mine, so you can probably hold out longer. '''' After some silence, he turned around to find Raydon waiting patiently behind him before continuing. "I guess we can kill a few before we die, what do you think? '''' ... .. . ''''Hey, why are you keeping quiet? '''' After a few more minutes, Fehim asked, as he could no longer bear the eerie silence. ''''It''s weird. '''' Raydon finally spoke. He took no action, offensive or defensive, and simply stood there, staring at the horde of zombies that had surrounded them. Fehim probed, "What is weird?" Although his thoughts were moving slowly, Fehim did find it odd that the zombie army had not yet attacked. The fact that the ground was still trembling made him think that more might be on the way. "Take a look at them. They don''t have any weapons,'''' Raydon said, pointing to the zombie soldiers. ''''Huh? Oh, I just realized, they don''t have any weapons at all.'''' Finally, Fehim had picked up on the crucial detail. ''''They don''t appear to be nning an attack on us either. They are moreparable to soldiers awaiting orders,'''' Raydon stated. Without any weapons in their hands, the zombie soldiers appeared to be standing in front of theirmanders awaiting their next orders. "What exactly are you trying to say? So, you''re saying that we''ve finished this inheritance, and for our efforts, we get this zombie army as a reward? Are they now under ourmand? '''' Fehim eximed with the tion of a sudden realization. Each and every one of these zombies were nearly as powerful as he was, and with thousands of them under hismand, he would have unimaginable strength. ''''I can evenpete with a big family, '''' Fehim put down the ax with which he had been waiting to attack, stared with glowing eyes at the horde of zombies, and began to daydream. ''''I don''t believe it is what it seems to be. They appear to be awaiting something else. '''' With his sentence, Raydon crushed his hopes and dreams. He didn''t anticipate receiving such a massive reward, despite how challenging this inheritance was. Besides, Raydon would rather have all these soldiers killed and gain experience points than be theirmander.please visit ''''And the trembling has lessened a bit. I suppose we will find out what they are awaiting soon enough. '''' Raydon said, waiting patiently while maintaining a steady gaze on his surroundings. Fehim agreed, and he joined him in waiting. Even though he was disappointed that the reward wasn''t this zombie horde, he knew that it was still preferable to stay alive in this ce. After a few minutes of tense silence apanied by the sound of the earth crackling, the trembling finally ceased entirely. ''''So, what now?'''' ''''Damn¡­ '''' After a few seconds ofplete calm, Fehim asked, and the ground immediately began to shake even more violently than before. The zombie army seemed unaffected by the situation, standing immobile while Raydon and Fehim struggled to keep their feet on the ground. As Raydon wondered how long this quake wouldst, a deep rumbling noise erupted all around them, and golden bars began to rise. ''''This is? '''' Fehim eximed in disbelief as he took in the now-familiar sight of the imposing gold iron bars. "Yes, these gold fences resemble the rusty ones enclosing the earlier tombs." As he had suspected, Raydon spoke up to confirm his thoughts. In this gloomy and ck and gray atmosphere, gold fences shone with all their splendor, giving the surroundings a lively and regal appearance, but eventually stopped rising. ''''I believe the next one to appear will be the tomb.'''' When Raydon realized the tremor was getting worse, he made the statement. As if to prove his point, the ground beneath their feet began to slowly split apart, and a golden tomb began to rise from the ground alongside the golden bars surrounding them. Raydon and Fehim immediately stepped aside to observe the emergence of this extravagant golden tomb. ''''I believe we''ve cleared the final stage?'''' Fehim eximed, unable to remove his gaze from the golden tomb that had risen in front of them and was adorned with dazzling embroidery. *THUD* There was a deafening thud from beyond the bars, and Raydon and Fehim looked out to see the zombie soldiers, who had been standing perfectly still until then, now crouching with their heads bowed. ''So this tomb is owned by their general, huh? '' In his thoughts, Raydon recalled the name of the inheritance he had read about in the system messages. ''I hope he''s already dead. '' Raydon mumbled as he stared anxiously at the slowly opening lid of the golden tomb. Even though he couldn''t be sure, he assumed that the owner of this dimension was buried inside this tomb because the zombie soldiers outside were kneeling like they were greeting something, and the thing in front of them was obviously a tomb. While they were wondering what was inside the tomb, a golden skeleton hand slowly lifted itself up by grasping the edge of the tomb. The already quiet and dark air seemed to be even more so as a heavy, mysterious pressure settled over the area. And like thunder, a voice of authority and sadness shattered the stillness. "By the might of the gods, how many moons have passed since my mortal frame departed from this universe, that my resting ce hath grown feeble and frail?" Chapter 144 The Undead Flying Commander Aureus As this golden skeleton''s voice reverberated through space, it was as if all other noises vanished and time stood still. The sheer force of its utterance appeared to shake the very fabric of reality, causing even the most resolute beings to tremble in its wake. Raydon and Fehim were terrified by the overwhelming pressure it exerted. The sheer power emanating from the being appeared to permeate every molecule of air surrounding them, rendering them both awestruck and helpless in its might. When they looked up at the skeleton''s empty eye sockets, they felt as if they were staring into the very essence of power as they fought to keep their feet on the ground against its oppressive presence. The golden skeleton''s gaze appeared to prate their very souls, exposing all their fears and doubts in a single, withering look. For a moment, the two mortals felt as though they were entirely exposed before this immortal, divine creature, utterly at its mercy. "Verily, it has been an unfathomable span of time since I sought to surmount the thirteen trials, from which I sought to emerge victorious ere my mortal demise. Yet lo and behold, this is all that remains. Nevertheless, I mustmend thee, for thou hast ovee these very same obstacles despite the frailty of thy mortal vessels. Thy fortitude and resilience are truly worthy of praise." Looking at Raydon and Fehim, the golden skeleton spoke. ''What the hell is this shiny skeleton saying? '' Fehim was unable toprehend his words due to the pressure on his head and brain, which caused every word to feel like needles were being pierced into his dry brain. But unlike him, Raydon had been able to get some of the unanswered questions out of his mind. ''Oh, so there were previously 13 stages to this inheritance? I have no idea how powerful this thing was when it was alive, but the pressure I felt even from its dead body is evidence that it is more powerful than an F-Rank. '' How the golden skeleton maintained consciousness was beyond Raydon''sprehension, but if his words were to be believed, he had died so long ago that the dimension he had left behind had been unable to survive the ravages of time and had thus fallen to F-Rank. As Raydon and Fehim continued to fight off the pressure, the voice of Aureus that had been eating away at their minds echoed once more in their ears. "Though time''s unyielding march has left me as nothing more than a mere skeleton, with only a handful of possessions to my name, I take sce in the knowledge that my legacy endures. Remember me as The Undead Flying Commander Aureus, and let it be known that even in death, my memory lives on. And if perchance thou shouldst find thyself in thend of my birth, ***** let it be, ensure that my name is spoken once more, that I may be honored and remembered for all eternity." After the golden skeleton had finished his sentence and realized the name of the world he had uttered waspletely soundless, a glow redder than blood burned for a moment in the eye sockets that had been empty until now, and then he lowered his head and continued, but this time in a sad tone rather than a nostalgic one. "Since thest time I treaded the worlds, even my sovereign, to whom I pledged my loyalty, has sumbed to the ravages of time. My home has sufferedplete annihtion, leaving no trace of its once thriving existence. Regrettably, there is no longer a ce in the universe where my name can be uttered, for my world has been erasedpletely and mercilessly." As he finished his sentence, the space around him began to bend and crack. The tremors that had stopped a while ago have also resumed.please visit ''What nonsense this skeleton is spitting out. Does he want to kill us as well because he is upset about the end of his world? '' Raydon cursed to himself, but he did not dare speak out loud. It was evident that the general was saddened by the fact that his entire world had vanished. While Raydon and Fehim feared that the dimension would copse and bury them in oblivion as a result of Aureus'' momentary grief, all anomalies ceased and everything returned to its previous state of silence. "Let the past be buried and forgotten, for there is no use in lingering on it any further. The obliteration of my beloved home renders this inheritance I bequeathed pointless, yet I feelpelled to recognize your fortuitousness and perseverance." Aureus said as he lifted his hand to point at Fehim. ''Hell yeah. Will I finally receive my reward? '' Despite the fact that Fehim had notprehended the skeleton''s words up until this point, his idiotic instincts led him to conclude that the skeleton would reward him for his hard work in reaching this point. "Behold, it appears that thou haste into possession of a fragment of my corporeal being, which once fought valiantly alongside me in the many battles of my youth. Thus, it is only fitting that I bestow upon thee the other fragment,pleting the set and endowing thee with the full measure of power that was once wielded by my former self." Aureus must have noticed Fehim''s use of body enchantment since he mentioned it. He extended his golden glowing skeletal hand and opened his palm, at which point a ck withered bat wing materialized on his palm and began to float towards Fehim. "Receive my gift." Fehim took the object that was presented to him by Aureus, examined it, and then cried out in delight. ''''Yes! Another blue-grade body enchantment. '''' Raydon''s excitement increased when he heard this. He stared impatiently into the empty eye sockets of the golden skeleton, disregarding the pressure on him and the needles prickling his brain. Finally, Aureus spoke while directing his attention to him. "By the power vested in me, it is clear that thou dost carry a weighty sin in thy heart. Beyond the offerings within my possession, even thy ruler, were he to be present, would struggle to find a worthy rpense for thee." Raydon, who was waiting impatiently for his reward, reflected on Aureus'' words. ''Can''t you just stop talking and give me the reward? I have no idea what you''re talking about. '' Chapter 145 Farewell To The Great General When Aureus mentioned his heart, Raydon wasn''t sure if he was talking about his own greedy heart or the body enchantment Ashen Heart. All he desired at the moment was something of equal or greater value than Fehim''s reward. ''''May this one quell the turmoil within thy spirit, oh mortal. '''' Aureus extended his golden bone hand once more, and a heart engulfed in blood-red mes and still beating materialized in his palm before gliding slowly in the direction of Raydon. When Raydon saw this, he was hesitant to take the ming heart that was offered to him. He didn''t feel any warmth from the mes, but he did get the impression that his entire body would be consumed by fire and reduced to ash if he touched it. ''''Hearken, mortal, and be wary, for the inferno that resides within thy being is a greater threat than any ze without. Receive it willingly, and allow it to engulf thee, for only then shall thou be absolved of thy transgressions. '''' Aureus encouraged him to take the item. ''What sin has he been referring to all this time? '' Even though Raydon was perplexed by Aureus''s words, he decided to take the item anyway. After all, he could probably erase his entire existence from this dimension without so much as lifting a finger if he wanted to harm him. He extended his hand and took the heart, which was still beating and engulfed in mes. When he first touched the heart, he expected his hand to burn, but he did not experience any warmth or even coldness. ''These mes appear to be entirely harmless. However¡­ '' He muttered. As he stared at the mes, he felt something stirring inside him that he couldn''t put his finger on. Then he checked the system message to see what this thing was. [Ember Heart] -Grade: Blue -Quality: N/A -Skill: Body Enchantment A divine fire ignites in the person''s soul, purifying them from head to toe and empowering them to achieve heights beyond their own race, as well as granting them +2000 MP and +2000 HP of the pure fire type. ''''Damn! This is so good, right? '''' He eximed in delight and surprise. Even gaining merely 2000 HP was worth 200 stamina points. It wasn''t as great as directly gaining 200 stamina stats, due to the fact that it only increased the HP regeneration rate rather than providing a high defense like the stamina stat, but it was still a huge improvement. Furthermore, this was a blue-grade body enchantment. It had many hidden features, maybe some of which were superior to the ones the system disyed. ''But why must the body enchantment be of the heart variety? '' Raydon''s expression suddenly darkened as he considered this. His heart had been reced by the Ashen Heart body enchantment he had used before, and he had no idea how to use this one. ''However,pared to Ashen Heart, this one is so much better. If I have to remove my heart from my chest to do it, I will. '' Raydon said this as he ced Emberheart in his dimensional storage. He had given up on the Ashen Heart that was currently beating in his chest. Aureus continued speaking after observing Raydon''s eptance of the item and subsequent determination to use it. "Hark, this bony husk, once a vessel for my great power, now serves no further purpose. As thou art the final witness to my existence, I bid thee continue thy own journey whilst I embrace my demise. Farewell, mortals."please visit After he had reclined on his tomb, the golden lid was once again closed and sealed. Soon the tremors resumed, and with a resounding thump, the golden tomb,plete with golden bars surrounding it, slid back into the earth from whence it hade, disappearing into the eerie silence that followed. ''''Does this mean it''s over atst? Oh man, he was just babbling on and on. '''' With a silly expression of satisfaction and a grin on his face, Fehim looked around and remarked. But just as they thought it was all over, with another loud noise, the zombie soldiers around them, who had been kneeling the whole time, stood up at once. ''''What the¡­They''re not going to attack us now, are they? I was just kidding, okay? '''' Fearful of the sudden movements of the zombie soldiers, Fehim pulled his ax from his dimensional storage and took a defensive position. But, contrary to Fehim''s fears, something unexpected happened, surprising even Raydon. "Hail to thee, mighty one!" "Hail to thee, mighty one!" "Hail to thee, mighty one!" All of the zombie soldiers gave a final salute to theirmanders. Their voices were so dry and coarse that the ground itself groaned in response to the zombie army''s screams. The loss and respect they felt for their fallen general came through in their distorted voices, which Raydon and Fehim could sense. "In the ancient tongue of our forefathers, we bid thee farewell. Rest well, our great general." With a final cry, the undead soldiers mmed their right fists against their chests three times, and then they slowly dissipated into thin wisps of ck smoke and vanished into the night sky. Fehim, who was watching with shock and awe, said. " They just spoke? They were able tomunicate? Shit. I didn''t think they could speak. '''' ''You are also able to speak, moron. '' Without uttering a word, Raydon red at the zombie Fehim and muttered. "So, what''s next? Seems like everything ended. '''' After giving some thought to the vast nothingness around him, Fehim rubbed his chin and said. "I think we''ll soon be out of this dimension," Raydon said. The inheritance should have beenpleted now that Aureus and his soldiers were gone. But after 10 minutes, they realized they couldn''t get out of here before the time ran out. ''''There doesn''t appear to be any way out of here. The system indicates that there are more than 40 hours until the timer expires. What will we do during this period? '''' Fehim inquired as hey on the ground. After giving it some thought, Raydon grinned and muttered. ''So I guess I can go back and keep farming. '' Chapter 146 Family Meeting At the same time that Raydon was trying to figure out what to do with his remaining hours in the inheritance¡ªfor which he had already won incredible rewards¡ªa group of seemingly powerful and wealthy people were gathering in a room. The walls of the grand room are adorned with intricate carvings and gold leaf, glistening in the light cast by the chandeliers that hang from the high ceiling. The floor is made of polished marble, reflecting light like a mirror. In the middle of the room, arge table is situated, capable of amodating 7 people, with 4 chairs already upied. The chairs are crafted from the finest wood and embellished with velvet of varying shades. The upants, dressed in regal attire, are bedecked with finely crafted jewelry on their fingers and necks. The head chair, which is noticeablyrger and more ornate than the others, remains unupied. Its intricate carvings depict scenes of great battles and triumphs, a testament to the owner''s power and wealth. Despite the grandeur of the setting and its upants, there is an air of solemnity and anticipation. It is evident that this is not an ordinary meeting, and that the absent upant of the head chair is a figure of immense importance and respect. ''''Cael, have you informed the family head that this meeting is critical? '''' The middle-aged woman, whose blond hair glistened like gold in the dim light of the room, inquired, her emerald eyes fixed on the man seated in the chair to the right of the head chair. ''''Of course, Thalia, my dear. However, you are aware that our father is preparing for his next match. You understand that for our Demugen family, his match is just as crucial as our current problem, so I won''t bother him any longer. ''''A sigh escaped the lips of the charismatic middle-aged man with neatlybed ck hair and dark brown eyes. A disapproving expression appeared on Thalia''s face as she listened to her husband''s words, suggesting her displeasure. Despite his advanced age, the family head they are referring to has been working hard for advancement to the next rank for a very long time. Obviously, being a high rank was not something that could be achieved solely through effort, and the fact that this individual failed despite all his efforts cast a shadow over the Demugen family''s future. ''''Where are Zephyr and Seren, if I may ask? Since the family head has been absent for some time, they have begun doing as they please. '''' Carl didn''t notice her wife''s dissatisfaction and scowled at the vacant seats at the table. ''''Brother, remember that after their son has been promoted to E-Rank and they have found a sponsor for their son at the uing rift event, they will now have more authority in this family than we do. Watch out, he may even take your seat next time. '''' The man, whose eyes glowed green in the light and whose hair was jet ck, sneered at Carl. It was evident that he was ying a word game to aggravate his mood further. ''''When did you start bragging about the aplishments of others, Arden? Your son has been an E-Rank for quite some time, but because of his cursed body, he hasn''t even been able to leave his room, much less find a key to participate in the rift event. '''' Thalia said with a loudugh. ''''Better than your crippled son, at least. '''' Arden''s wife, the second woman at the table, said calmly as she sipped her red wine from the crystal ss in her hand. ''''You! '''' Thalia looked at this woman with her eyes bulging out in anger because she had brought up the thing that made her the most angry. At that moment, the room''s doors opened, and a couple came in, holding hands. "Hahaha, better watch what you say next, ra, because you know the boy you''re talking about isn''t a cripple anymore." The man with ocean blue hair and eyes said sarcastically as he walked through the door, his stunningly beautiful wife on his arm. ''''Also, keep in mind that the high-ranking item holder behind Raydon, the boy you described as crippled, is our main focus right now. If you continue to behave so impolitely outside and offend this potential ally of our family in any way, you will suffer severe consequences. '''' "Zephyr, you''rete for the meeting, and you''re trying to lecture my wife on ethics. I believe you are the only impolite person in the room. '''' Arden said through gritted teeth. This individual, whom he had just praised in an attempt to provoke his brother, had seeded in making him lose his temper. ''''I have no intention of lecturing anyone, little brother. I just hope that everyone sitting at this table where we make important decisions about the future of our family will gain a little more insight. '''' Zephyr shrugged, then sat down in the chair to the left of the head chair. Carl spoke up as Arden and Zephyr exchanged furious nces, clearly on the verge of starting another verbal fight. ''''That''s enough. Let''s begin now that everyone is present.'''' ''''Actually, brother, there was no need for this meeting. Is Raydon not your son? Why not simply summon him back to the mansion? So we ask him who his high-ranking backer is and ask for a meeting. '''' Zephyr said while cracking up. "Mr. Zephyr, we are trying to solve problems, not make them worse." Thalia understood what he was attempting to do and responded with a disapproving expression. ''''There would be no difficulty in resolving this issue if you had not created it in the first ce. '''' Zephyr said in an annoyed voice. Then he took the ss of wine in front of him and drank it in one gulp. Before leaning back in his chair, Zephyr continued speaking quietly but audibly enough for everyone in the room to hear clearly. ''''Once ashamed of their own child, the parents are now attempting to take advantage of him. It''s disgusting.'''' Chapter 147 Sinister Plans "First off, do we have any idea how close the person we suspect is this high-rank item holder is with Raydon? " Thalia asked, ignoring Zephyr''s words. ''''All we know is that Raydon has been spotted in the area after Herman Ashskin, a member of the blood organization, was killed and hisnd waspletely destroyed. Also, ording to the avable information, it has not been long since Raydon became an item holder. These two events are far too suspicious to be unrted. '''' Carl said somberly as he regarded those seated at the table. It seemed utterly illogical to them that Raydon had been a cripple until recently and had suddenly awakened as an item holder. This is only possible with the help of a very powerful item holder. Moreover, they had ess to the source of the most urate information. Belicia could not have lied to them, as they had learned every detail of Raydon''s recovery. ''''We wouldn''t have to go through these estimates if we could do a thorough investigation of the situation with the resources at our disposal. '''' ra spoke, taking another sip of her wine. ''''ra, you already know that isn''t an option. If you want to get involved in a high-rank''s personal issue, do it by yourself; don''t drag the entire family along with you. '''' Thaliashed out. ra was about to retaliate angrily when her husband Arden cut her off. "Well, you don''t have to do any digging to figure out what the situation is. Clearly, this high-ranking item holder made his way to the area, where he spotted Raydon by chance and assisted him in awakening as an item holder. '''' Arden nced at everyone''s face and, observing that all eyes were on him, continued. ''''Also, keep in mind that Raydon isn''t the only kid from the slums who has been spotted near the scene of the incident. Maybe they''re connected to this powerful item holder, too.'''' He was obviously referring to Dan and his gang, who had been spotted in Herman''s area. ''''Yes, I thought it was odd as well. In other words, not only Raydon but also another group of young residents of that region have a rtionship with this person. '''' Carl reflected. "Still unable to see? The evidence is present and clear. '''' Zephyr, who had been silent up until this point, took the ss from the maid who had just refilled it, drank it in one gulp, and then continued. ''''Even though I''m not yet sure of his motivation, it is obvious that this high-rank is a member of one of the organizations¡ªwe just don''t know which one¡ªand that he wants to seize this region for himself. Perhaps he is a newly ascended high-rank who has chosen the region to start his own family. On top of that, he''s probably helping any young orphans hees across in the area so that he can win their loyalty and recruit them to serve in his future family. '''' Zephyr spoke with certainty. Even though he was just guessing, his guesses were the most likely to be correct. Those who are not born into a ruling family often aspire to join the established social order by creating their own families so that they, too, can have a say in the hierarchy set up by the ruling families. Further, no one could ignore a family established by a high-ranking item holder, so he could easily integrate into this familial social order, leaving behind the shadows of organizations. It was always advantageous for powerful people to work toward the same goals in the same social environment, and no matter how powerful the item holder was, there were always others just as powerful around them. After all, one day these powerful item holders could also face dangers from others and risk dying. After giving Zephy''s words some consideration, the others at the table ultimately came to the same conclusion. Thalia scowled, "So right now we have a high-rank who chose our neighboringnd to start a family for himself, and he chose Raydon as a servant to him without knowing that he is one of our family members." She had previously believed that this high rank had selected Raydon as an apprentice due to his potential, but she was now depressed after realizing that this high rank had only selected Raydon as a servant. Carl became aware of Thalia''s concern and began to speak. ''''It makes no difference if he is an apprentice or a servant. The family that this high-rank will establish will automatically be a grand family, a family that is significantly stronger than ours. We also benefit from the fact that it will settle on nearbynd and be our neighbor. Giving Raydon to them as a servant won''t be a huge loss if we can establish good ties with the soon-to-be-established grand family. '''' In order to acquire a potential ally, Carl was willing to sell Raydon, whom he had long ago expelled from the family and left to die in order to conceal his existence because he believed it would bring shame to their family name due to the fact that he was crippled. ''''I think we can aplish this. In this way, we can also show our support for the new family that will be formed,'''' ra said as her eyes lit up. ''''That is correct, but we must summon Raydon back to the mansion first. I believe that we can send Belicia to retrieve him. I''ve heard that she''s been taking care of him the whole time, and I have no doubt that he will return to her arms if she so requests. '''' Astutely, Arden voiced his thoughts on the matter. ''''We can''t risk sending Belicia. The family head was the one who instructed her to care for Raydon. Otherwise, you know, Raydon would have been dead by now. '''' ra said. ''''That is correct. It would be preferable if our father knew as little as possible about this situation.'''' Carl nodded in agreement. Carl and the others did everything they could to make sure Raydon died a lonely death outside the mansion, but it was the Family Head who ultimately decided Raydon would live. There was a chance he would object if he heard about their ns for the individual whose death he was so opposed to. "Yes, let''s y it safe." Thalia turned to one of the maids standing behind her and said, ''''Call, Tika. '''' Chapter 148 Fangs Worry ''''It''s been a day since I sent the message, and he still hasn''te here. Are you certain the correct person received the message? '''' Fang questioned, looking at the Shadow Messenger who was on one knee in front of him. He was aware that Raydon usually stopped by this store every two days to sell his items, but this time he waste. "Raydon was not present, but I ryed the message to a young man who, like him, is an apprentice of that respected item holder. I''m confident that they''ve already delivered the message. '''' Shadow Messenger asserted with assurance. Fang frowned and began to contemte after hearing this. Aside from Raydon, why bother training anyone else? Is that what I''m thinking? He intends to establish a family there? '' After some consideration, he reached the same conclusion as the Demugen family some time ago. In Fang''s estimation, if this high-ranking individual had only helped Raydon awaken, he would have recognized his potential and desired to mentor him. But when Dan and the others were also involved in this scenario, all Fang could think about was how this person was attempting to find future loyal servants for his family by finding and training young people who had the potential to awaken, make them strong, and serve his family. ''I have no idea what that person thinks of the others, but I highly doubt that anyone could ever view Raydon as just an ordinary servant. '' As he pondered, the lines on his forehead deepened. Although he had no idea of Raydon''s current strength, he was well aware of his tremendous potential. In addition to defeating the region boss in almost every match he participated in, his other loots were evidence of his strength. Moreover, just by looking into his eyes, Fang could tell he was not an ordinary individual. ''''He may even consider making him a family member, but unfortunately, that monster already has a family named Demugen. '''' Fangughed when he thought about it. He knew that the Demugen family had excluded Raydon from the family, though he did not know why, and he believed that if they knew all of these details, they would beg him to return to the family. ''''Wait. '''' While contemting, Fang had a sudden realization and eximed. ''''Don''t tell me? Has his family already learned all of this andpelled him to return to the family? '''' He began to clench his teeth as he considered why Raydon had not yet arrived to meet him. Fang didn''t even think about the fact that Raydon didn''t know who he or the Trade Organization was. The high-rank behind him also had no reason to stop him froming here. After all, Fang had gone to the trouble of sending a gift in addition to his purely formal request for a meeting, so that high-rank owed it to Fang, no matter how high his level, to send Raydon here in order to respond. He, therefore, assumed that Raydon''s absence was due to the Demugens. "Master, do you want me to look into it?" The Shadow Messenger asked right away after observing his master''s rage. ''''No need. There is nothing we can do, even if they force him back to their mansion. There is nothing even someone of that rank can do. We cannot interfere with the internal affairs of any family, regardless of our strength. '''' Fang took a deep breath to calm himself before speaking. ''''I suppose I will have to see for myself. '''' He said before turning around and leaving the shop. This event was extremely important to him, and he had to take action to resolve the issue. ¡ª ''''Who knew that my foolish young master would be an item holder and serve a grand family? '''' Tika murmured, crossing her milky-white legs in the spacious back seat of the ck, opulent car as she peered out the window. About a day had passed since the Demugen family meeting when they finally decided that the time was right to send Tika to bring Raydon home. She had her doubts when she saw that Raydon had recovered before, but she couldn''t hold back her shock when the family revealed the truth to her. ''''Tch, from a crippled young master of a big family to a servant for a grand family. What a huge leap. He has surpassed me at this point. '''' Her expression grew more displeased as she continued to consider the situation. She was merely the battle maid of a big family, and the distinction between a big family and a grand family wasparable to that between heaven and earth. A big family could be ssified as a grand family with the help of just one high-rank item holder. This was the ideal illustration of how strong and influential high-rank item holders were in themunity. ''Anyway, at least I was told I could use force to get him back if necessary. Hopefully, that will make me feel a little better. '' Tika felt better after having the thought and grinned slyly. The vehicle soon entered dirty and dark alleys and came to a halt in the middle of a familiar street. The driver, who was dressed impably in a suit, jumped out and ran to open the door for Tika. ''''That''s why I try to avoiding here as much as possible. The atmosphere itself is irritating. '''' She got out of the car and immediately covered her nose with a handkerchief she had taken from the pocket of her maid''s uniform. "Go and knock on his door. If he is home, bring him downstairs." Turning to her driver, Tika said. She did not wish to climb those rusty-looking stairs by herself. ''''Yes, Miss. '''' The driver said and started to head for the stairs when he was interrupted by a voice. ''''Hey, what''s this fancy car doing over here? Someone again came for the master? '''' When Tika and the driver turned and looked in the direction of the sound, they observed a person emerging from one of the side streets and running towards them. ''''Who is this pig? '''' Tika remarked as she watched the man run, his overly plump cheeks bobbing along with every extra piece of meat dangling from his body. Chapter 149 Tika ''''Stop! Who are you? '''' The driver moved in front of Fatty Sami, stopped him, and asked him in a stern manner. ''''You are not required to know who I am. You tell me, who are you?'''' Sami asked with an eyebrow raised. ''''Boy, go mind your own business, don''t get into trouble by sticking your nose into things you don''t know,'''' Driver said menacingly, snapping his fingers. In response, Fatty Sami also snapped his fingers and said, ''''This is my business. Don''t act cool if you don''t know where you are." The driver turned to face Tika upon observing Sami''s determination and bravery. "Get rid of him; I don''t want to stay here any longer than I have to." Tika said indifferently. ''''Boy, you really have no idea with whom you are dealing. '''' The driver remarked, assuming that Sami was a backstreet idiot who knew nothing, and in a sudden and swift motion, he delivered an uppercut to his chin to render him unconscious. ''''Huh? '''' He aimed for the chin of Sami, who appeared to be standing motionless in front of him, but his punch missed. ''Did I get the distance between us wrong? '' Driver, doubting his own sanity, raised his arm again and this time punched Sami in the face. ''''What? '''' But, just like before, his fist sailed wide and halted a mere centimeter from Sami''s face. ''Am I getting insufficient sleeptely? '' He thought. ''''I''ll just kick you to death. '''' The driver said, taking a deep breath and concentrating before he measured out his distance and got ready to give Sami a rotary kick. The driver took a fighting stance with his left foot forward and his right foot back. He raised his right knee towards his chest, keeping his foot flexed and his toes pointed downwards. As he did this, he rotated his hips to the left and pivoted on his left foot, turning his body towards Sami''s fat body to his left. With his body now turned towards the target, Driver extended his right leg outwards, aiming for the target with the ball of his foot. His kicking leg is fully extended, and he kept his toes pointed towards the target to increase the power of the kick. As he finished the kick, he rotated his hips back to their starting position and returned his right leg to the ground. He then returned to his fighting stance with his left foot forward and his right foot back, ready for any further attacks or movements. Overall, the driver''s rotary kick is smooth, powerful, and well-executed, demonstrating a high level of skill and technique in martial arts. But there was a massive problem¡­ ''''How? Why in the hell am I unable to hit you??? '''' He yelled out in shock as he stared at Sami, who was still standing in front of him with that irritating grin on his face. ''''Uncle, it looks like your eyesight is failing you, you must be getting old, '''' Sami looked down on him pityingly. ''''I''m old? I''m only 32 years old, and even if I were 70, I''d still be able to beat a punk like you. This is just my mind messing with me. I must have gotten sick from breathing in this dirty air. Don''t worry, I''ll definitely break your neck with my next kick. '''' He became enraged and yelled,pletely losing control of himself. Tika''s voice came from behind as the driver was about to strike again. "That''s enough, he''s just ying with you." The driver paused abruptly after hearing Tika''s words, acknowledged the truth, and lowered his head in shame. He was not an ordinary person, despite the fact that he was a driver. He had been humiliated by a slum dweller years younger than him, despite having received the best martial training the Demugen family could provide to ordinary people. ''''Who are you? It seems you know how to fight. '''' Tika asked curiously. She was surprised to see someone fighting with such good techniques in such a ce. Of course, because Sami wasn''t fully utilizing the shadow assassin technique, she assumed he had only trained in standardbat techniques. Fatty Sami said smugly, "Sister, who I am doesn''t matter. If you want to get to know me better, you can talk to this handsome man in a quieter ce, but here it''s not allowed." ''''The fact that you have some talent seems to have made you arrogant. '''' She suddenly appeared in front of Sami, as though the distance between them had never existed. ''''Gaghh.'''' Sami was thrown backwards like a bale of straw by a palm p to the chest. Why are you still here waiting? Go bring him downstairs. ''''Tika turned around to face the driver and said. ''''Yes. '''' With the excitement of seeing the power of an item holder with his own eyes again, the driver dashed towards the stairs leading up from the outside of the apartment. ''''Wait! '''' When Sami saw the driver running towards the stairs, he quickly got up and shouted in panic. Even though the blow to his chest hurt like hell, he still managed to breathe enough air into his shaken lungs to yell. ''''Intruder!!! '''' ''''Is your mind still functioning? It''s interesting that those things on your body don''t seem to be just fat. '''' Tikaughed and said. Even though she hadn''t meant to kill Sami and didn''t want to start amotion, she was shocked to find that the blow hadn''t knocked him out. ''I guess it''s okay if I kill some annoying slum rats. '' Tika muttered. Since item holders typically don''t care too much about the lives of regr people, she didn''t think it would matter if this fat annoying person died, despite knowing there was a high rank associated with this region. In addition, Tika''s family had sent her here in her role as a battle maid. *Pow!* This time, as Tika approached Sami with murder in mind, she heard a voice behind her, and upon turning, she saw her driver writhing on the ground, holding his stomach. She then shifted her focus a little further and noticed a person standing there who waspletely in ck, including a mask and gloves. ''''Who are you? '''' **** Monthly Goals Every; 300 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter(Max 5) -- 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter(Max5) -- Magic Castle = 1 extra chapter(N/A) Chapter 150 Maid Issues Tika asked with narrowed eyes, "Who are you?" ''''Why does your maid costume seem familiar? '''' Dan asked his own question instead of responding to the one that was posed to him. ''''Hey, what''s going on?Another visitor? '''' In the meantime, Karan, Pana, and the others responded to Sami''s call by rushing over. They were dedicated to guarding the perimeter of Raydon''s house, always training in the immediate vicinity and leaving one person to spy on the area. ''''Wait! Who is this sister? That uniform resembles Sister Belicia''s uniform. '''' Pana approached Sami, who was still lying on the ground and inquired with suspicion after observing Tika''s uniform. Sami said, getting to his feet with Pana''s assistance. "Now that you said it, I just realized, isn''t it really the same costume as sister Belicia?" ''''You know that Bic¡­ Belicia? '''' When Tika overheard this, she inquired. ''Do they have ties to the young master? Otherwise, they wouldn''t be familiar with Belicia, would they? '' Tika pondered. She had no idea Belicia had a sibling living here, and knowing Raydon had only recently recovered, she was specting on the nature of her rtionship with them. ''Wait a second. Do they also have something to do with that high rank? The fat guy looks like he has good fighting skills, and the man in ck obviously has excellent stealth skills. '' Tika began to put the pieces together in her head as she pondered the situation. Before arriving, she had heard from the Demugens that Raydon had awakened with the help of a high-rank item holder, and that there may be others here as well, though this information was sketchy at best. ''So, most likely that high-rank also chose them to be his servants. '' Tika grimaced as she thought this. She was about to kill one of his servants without knowing it. As Tika realized this before it was toote, she sighed and opened her mouth. ''''There is apparently a major misunderstanding. I''m Tika, and as you probably guessed, Belicia and I both work as battle maids for the same family. I came here as well to speak with my young master. '''' Tika spoke as sweetly as she could while grabbing the ends of her skirt and making a properdy''s greeting. She now appeared to be the sweetest maid in the world and there was no longer any sign of disgust on her face. ''''Oh, so that''s how it turned out, haha.I never would have guessed that someone as lovely as you woulde here to cause trouble. Obviously, this knucklehead misunderstood beforeunching his attack. '''' Pana pped Sami on the head and said, "Quick apology from her.". ''''Aww, that hurt, but I wasn''t the one who started it, all right?Plus, what exactly does "battle maid" mean? And why are you so powerful? '''' Fatty Sami asked, holding his throbbing head. ''''She is strong?'''' Pana and Karan asked simultaneously. ''''Yes, even more, powerful than the boss. I didn''t even have time to figure out what it was before she threw me several meters with a single touch. '''' Sami expressed it honestly. ''''Well, it''s clear that the dummy is making an exaggeration once more. '''' Karan and Pana rolled their eyes. Because Fatty Sami has a history of making things up, they didn''t believe him. *BANG* ''''Of course, I am strong. After all, I am an item holder. Have no idea what a battle maid is? '''' Realizing that everyone was looking at her with suspicion, Tika stamped her foot to intimidate them, leaving a small crater in the old, already cracked asphalt. As soon as Tika demonstrated her strength, everyone began to have faith in her. After all, it was impossible for a girl with such a delicate-looking body as hers to simply stamp her foot on the asphalt and cause destruction. ''''Battle maid? Item holder? So sister Belicia is an item holder? '''' Fatty Sami asked with his mouth agape. The others were the same. They were all so shocked by what they heard that they had to swallow their tongues. Only Dan appeared to have a look of sudden understanding on his face. ''Why do they seem so taken aback by this? '' Tika didn''t understand the expressions of shock on people''s faces, so she kept talking. "Anyway, if you''ll excuse me, I have to see my young master right now." Tika decided she had had enough of wasting time with these people and made her way to Raydon''s ce. ''''Wait. Master is not at home. You can either wait here or leave your message for us to forward.''''Dan came to a halt in front of the stairs once more and said. ''''Master? All I want is to see my young master Raydon.'''' Tika corrected it, thinking it was yet another misunderstanding. ''''Yes, as I previously stated, he is not at home.'''' Dan answered without noticing Tika''s confusion. ''Did they establish a hierarchy of servants among themselves? '' Tika thought it was odd that one servant addressed another as master, but she didn''t question it too deeply because she didn''t know much about the culture of the people who lived in the slums. ''''Do you have any idea when he''ll be back? '''' Tika asked. "We don''t know," Dan answered. ''''Then I can wait inside the house,'''' Tika said. "No, we can''t let that happen. Feel free to stay in our ce if that''s more convenient for you. '''' Dan firmly declined. It was their responsibility to maintain Raydon''s tranquility, and this unidentified suspicious person now referred to Raydon as the young master and wanted to go inside his home to wait for him. ''''I have to see my young master right now, and I can''t stand around waiting. Just let me wait here in the young master''s home for now. Could you just step aside, please? '''' From the outside, Tika appeared to be incredibly loving and kind, but on the inside, raging volcanoes of resentment were erupting. ''Where did all these dumb peasantse from? I didn''t even want to be here, and they''re inviting me to their garbage heap? '' "Hey, I''m really confused. She does not appear to be lying, but why does she refer to our master as the young master? '''' Pana asked Karan in silence who was standing next to her. ''''She stated that they are serving the same family as Belicia.I wonder if the master has any connection to that family. '''' With a thoughtful expression on his face, Karan also whispered. ''''No no, you are all wrong. Look at how eager she is to enter the master''s residence. She must have met the master at some point and been so taken with his charisma that she fell instantly in love with him. It''s kind of like the stereotypical yandere maid in love with the head of a multibillion-dor corporation. '''' When Sami overheard them, he chimed in with his own thoughts on the subject. While the three of them talked in silence, thinking that no one could have heard them, Tika''s perceptive elven ears were listening in on all of their conversations, particrly the most recent remark from Fatty Sami. ''That''s enough. As long as I don''t kill them, I guess it''s alright if I just break a few bones. '' Tika muttered while grimacing and gritting her teeth in a fit of rage. Sami brought his hand to his chin and whispered again as he observed Tika''s clenched fists, trembling body, and angry but still pretty face. ''''Look, she became enraged because the boss refused to let her in. Because of this, she''ll probably attack us soon. I told you she''s a yandere maid. '''' And it happened exactly as Sami predicted, with Tika expressing a strong desire to kill. ''''I will definitely kill you. '''' Even if the real reason is different from his guess. *** I won''t be ying any April Fools'' jokes on you, but I do wish you a wonderful day. May your pranks be clever, harmless, and bring a smile to everyone''s face. And may you also be able to take a good joke or two in good humor. Chapter 151 Running Back To The Family ''''Hey, you don''t have to be mad, alright? He''ll be here before too long, I''m sure of it. What about some herbal tea while waiting? It''s said to rx the nerves. '''' Afraid for his life in the presence of Tika''s murderous re, Fatty Sami raised his hands to appease her. ''''Water whip. '''' Tika held out her hand to Fatty Sami and activated her skill, which caused a string of water to flow from her hand and encircle Sami''s body, luring him closer to her. ''''Gakh.'''' After yanking Sami with the skill, Tika grabbed him by the throat and lifted his feet into the air with one hand, despite Sami''s weight of over 100 kilograms. "Hey, what''re you doing?" Finally able to respond to this rapidly developing situation, Dan rushed forward to save Sami. ''''Water Whip. '''' Tika used the same skill once more, and this time the water rope encircled Dan from head to toe and covered his mouth to render him speechless and immobile. Why are you acting this way? We just told you to wait a bit,'''' Karan yelled helplessly. "Let them go now; we can talk this through." When another youth saw Sami''s distressed expression, he spoke in a hurried tone. ''''Do you really believe that the master would approve of you hurting them? Let them go right away. '''' Pana, at a loss for what to do, finally uttered Raydon''s name as ast resort. She hoped that the power of this name, which had worked so well the first time around against Shadow Messenger, would hold true this time around as well. ''''No matter whose servants you are, I don''t care. I''m here because the Demugen family told me to, and anyone who stands in my way and tries to stop me from doing my duty will be put to death. '''' When Tika noticed the terrified expressions on everyone''s faces, she grinned with pleasure and tightened her grip on Sami''s neck. ''As if such a strong person would be concerned about the lives of a few useless servants. '' Tika thought. The sight of Sami''s writhing body and purpling face horrified onlookers. The woman who had fooled them into thinking she was an angel hadpletely changed into a demon and was now coldly killing their friends in front of their eyes. And despite all their efforts, sacrifices, and Dan''s eventual awakening into an item holder, they were still very weak and innocent bystanders to the deaths of their friends. ''We haven''t changed a bit. We''re helpless to even try and save our friend. Dan, tears in his eyes and unable to speak, looked up hesitantly at Sami''s body, which was slowly ceasing movement. ''Man, it''s been a long time since a woman touched me, and already I feel like I''m going to die.'' Sami was thinking about hisst moments as he gradually lost consciousness and prepared to die when he heard a voice inside his head. In fact, it reverberated throughout the entire street in addition to his mind. ''''Your behavior, young girl, ispletely impolite.'''' ''''Ahhhh!'''' Tika stepped back and let out a hoarse cry of pain. Her arm, which she had been using to hold Sami, was sliced cleanly off at the shoulder and dropped to the ground. ''''Cough, cough¡­ '''' Sami''s throat was released from the steely hand, and he copsed to the ground, breathing freely once more. "Sh*t, my training is finally paying off." Sami gave the training he had immersed himself in the credit for his ability to hold out for so long without losing consciousness, and when he looked up, he saw Tika clutching her arm and frightenedly scanning the area. ''''Who are you? '''' Tika had no idea where the attack or voice came from, which filled her with dread. She stared in horror at the arm that had been ripped from her shoulder and then at the mangled remnants on the ground. ''No blood was drawn even though my arm was cut off. My arm also doesn''t seem to be able to heal itself. Just who is behind this attack? It''s impossible, right? That person can''t be here. '''' Tika feared that her actions had angered the individual she feared the most, and said. ''''I-I am here on the family''s orders as a simple battle maid. I had no intention of causing trouble. Nothing that happened w-was my f-fault. '''' ''''Neither your origins nor your motivation matters to me. Just letting you know that what you''re doing is not a thoughtful act, youngdy. Don''t forget, this is not your home. '''' Everyone heard the previous voice ringing in their ears once more. It seemed as though the person speaking had not just severed the arm of a pretty young woman, and it had the air of a grandfather instructing his grandson in morality. ''''I''m sorry for how I behaved. Just now, I temporarily lost myself. My only goal is toplete the mission that my family has assigned to me. '''' Even though Tika wasn''t sure where the sound wasing from, she bowed respectfully in a direction. All she could hope for right now was that she wouldn''t be killed by this person in a fit of rage. ''''I am aware of your purpose for being here, but it appears that the person you came to meet is not present at this time. Why not leave now and returnter? '''' Once more, the voice spoke in a calm voice. ''''Yes, I''ll juste backter. Thank you for your understanding.'''' Tika relieved that she was no longer in immediate danger, bowed her head even lower as she expressed her gratitude; she then took her driver who still watching the unfolding events with a shocked expression, and sped off in the vehicle they had arrived in. ''I didn''t think he''d be here, and I certainly didn''t expect him toe and interfere with me personally just for a servant. I must ry this information to the family. '' Tika pondered in the backseat of the vehicle as she clutched her arm, which showed no signs of healing. Even if the family''s orders were the reason she came here, and even if the family rules protected her despite her actions, she still could have lost her life in the presence of such a powerful individual with just a moment of anger. Chapter 152 Hidden Seniors ''''Are you okay? '''' Karan hurried over to Sami and asked. ''''I''m okay. Just, man, women are scary,'''' Sami uttered while cing his hand over his throat and ncing sideways at Pana. She was not the meanest woman he had ever met, contrary to what he had initially thought. Pana ignored Sami''s gaze as she approached, surveyed her surroundings, and inquired. ''''Who was the person that helped us? Do you think he''s still around? '''' With eager eyes, everyone searched for the source of the voice, but they were unable to locate him anywhere. ''''Do you think that person might be our master? Perhaps he came to help us and then left. '''' One of the group''s young members inquired. In his mind, there was only one person who could wield such immense power. ''''Are you an idiot? The voice had the tone of someone who was more senior. He can''t be our master, but I do know who he was. '''' Sami, who had recovered from the initial shock he had experienced some time ago, said cockily as he crossed his arms over his chest. ''''Hm? Then please enlighten us as to the identity of your savior. '''' Karan questioned Sami, who was beaming with arrogance, with skepticism in his eyes. Sami, realizing that everyone was waiting for him to speak, quietly congratted himself on having aplished his goal and said. ''''Of course, he is an apprentice of the master, just like us. You didn''t think we were his only apprentices, did you?'''' Sami said, treating those around him as if they were aplete moron. Everyone had been waiting for Sami to say something ridiculous again, but they stopped to consider whether or not these words made any sense. And, it did not take long for them to believe what he said. ''''Wow, master has such a strong apprentice, huh? Well, when you think about it, it''s actually quite normal. '''' One of the youths spoke up, picturing Raydon''s power, which he had never witnessed before. ''''So this person is probably out there somewhere guarding the master''s house and only appears when needed? '''' Another young man chimed in, his eyes shining. It urred to him that this same person had been present during the first shadow messenger incident, but that they hadn''t shown up because Raydon''s name had already been used to solve the case. ''''Naturally. There are almost certainly more out there, and they are probably not making themselves known to us because we are not yet good enough to meet them. '''' Sami sighed. Upon hearing these words from Sami, everyone''s excitement multiplied dramatically. The effects of this had a profound effect on everyone, and as a result, everyone was thinking exactly the same thing. ''Damn, our seniors are so strong. As expected from the master. '' ''''Thank you, senior, for defending our master''s home and us,'''' Sami suddenly bowed in a random direction and said in a respectful way. After observing Sami''s actions, the others began to imitate him and expressed gratitude to their imaginary seniors because they once again believed his bullshit wholeheartedly. ''''Thank you, senior, for defending our master''s home and us.'''' .. ''''Thank you, senior, for defending our master''s home and us.'''' . ''''Thank you, senior, for defending our master''s home and us.'''' There wasn''t much time before they were joined by Karan, Pana, and even Dan. The fact that they had such formidable seniors and that they, too, were Raydon''s apprentices filled them with pride and joy. And they swore that one day they would be strong enough to be able to meet them. ¡ª While Dan and his group were greeting their made-up seniors, a charismatic man with white hair and a white beard stood on the roof of a house far away from them and looked at the clouds moving by. ''''It appears that Raydon''s family was not the reason he did not stop by the shop. But it turns out that I was right, and his family sent a battle maid to bring him back, '''' Fang murmured, recalling events from some time ago. The reason he came here was to figure out why Raydon hadn''t visited him, and when he stumbled upon Tika, he knew the reason wasn''t rted to his family. ''''It also appears that that high-rank item holder is not present. I believe they went somewhere together,'''' Fang spected. While he was here, he wanted to meet with that person if possible, but he was unable to do so. He also aided Dan and the others because, despite how insignificant it may have been, he wanted to express his goodwill to that high rank. ''''But that youngdy must be incredibly dimwitted. Even if she was sent here on the orders of her family, it is still uneptable for her to attack the apprentices of a powerful item holder. She would have been killed by now if I hadn''t intervened, '''' Fang reflected. He saved the life of the Demugen family''s battle maid, which was a favor not only to the high-ranking item holder but also to the Demugen family. Tika wasn''tpletely stupid, either; she mistook Dan and the others for servants rather than apprentices and naively assumed a powerful figure of that high rank wouldn''t hold her responsible for the deaths ofmoners. ''''However, I suppose I can return and wait a few more days. If his family gets involved in this process, I will have to go talk to them. '''' With a sigh, Fang said. He just wanted Raydon to help him with his task. Therefore, it was irrelevant with whom he had to coborate in order to gain his support. ¡ª In a deste, dark dimension where not even the sound of the wind could be heard, Raydon was yelling nervously into the void as the string of unannounced misunderstandings continued behind him. ''''What the heck is this, a joke? If I can''t make the most of these three days, then why the hell was I given them in the first ce? '''' --- 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. --- Chapter 153 Next Match "Calm down, you know there''s nothing to do," Raydon was yelling and ranting when Fehim cautiously approached him to try and calm him down. "Shit, all right, I''m cool. Damn, I was so hopeful. '''' Frustrated, Raydon sat on the ground and started to consider his options. He sincerely believed he could reach level 2 here, but his hopes were dashed. Since the golden skeleton gave them their reward and vanished with its soldiers, it had been more than a day. When Raydon realized that the dimension was not disappearing and that they would have to wait for the remaining time to get out of here, he reasoned that he could gain more experience during this time by returning to the previous stages and finding and killing the ve skeletons and ve spirits. ''''I never expected them to vanish as well,'''' Raydon sighed. He went through the trouble of returning to the first stage only to discover that there was not a single creature he could gain experience from. Additionally, the fact that the initial 3-day period given to him waspletely wasted really pissed him off and disappointed him. "Shit, if I had known I couldplete this inheritance in less than a day, I would have moved slower and focused on gaining more experience. " He had calmed down for a while, but thinking about it made him angry again. ''''When do you have your next match? '''' After some more time to collect himself, Raydon considered another issue and turned to Fehim to ask. There were only hours left before the next match, and he had no idea if he could even participate while stuck in this dimension. ''''There are still a few hours. Do you think we can ept the invitation to the match while we''re here? '''' Fehim asked. If they don''t ept a match invitation within a certain amount of time, the invitation bes invalid and they have to wait another two days before they can receive another one. As a result, neither of them wanted to miss this one and have to wait another two days for the next one. "I''m not sure, but I hope we can ept it. I don''t want to spend another day in this nothingness. ''''As hey down on the dreary, gray earth, Radon remarked. He was unable to even sell the items he had discovered during the previous match. After that, he was eager to learn how to use the body enchantment he had discovered and to get started making the green-grade item set he had discovered. Of course, he needed to leave this dimension and visit the item market in order to do these things. Raydon thought about all this and decided to wait patiently rather than give up hope. After a few long, sleepless hours, He, atst, received the system message that would partially restore his mood. [The next match is ready to begin. Do you want to join?] Without a word to Fehim, who was snoring next to him with a peaceful expression on his face, Raydon epted the system invitation and vanished from the dimension he was in. ¡ª After regaining his sight, Raydon found himself in a volcanic area, where the scorching heat of the ground was immediately apparent. Additionally, the ash that clouded the sky made it hard to see very far. He took a moment to observe his environment and noticed the smallva rivers flowing between thenes. He also noticed his teammates were doing the same thing, staring around at the area. As the rumbling of the volcanoes filled his ears, he took a deep breath, his heart racing from the rush of adrenaline. He recognized that he was experiencing a higher level of happiness and calm than in any of his previous matches. He looked around at his teammates and spected that he felt this way because he had finally escaped the inheritance, but then he realized there was another exnation. ''It seems like the weather in this area is just too hot for them. '' As his teammates stepped onto the ground, Raydon could tell they were feeling the effects of the heat. And even though he didn''t feel a thing, sweat was beading on their foreheads. ''Does this indicate that my body enchantment ispatible with this region? '' he pondered further. Even in the death-type inheritance he was in not too long ago, he felt perfectly at ease. In fact, Fehim had a death-type body enchantment and was also good with the atmosphere there, so he was unable to determine whether or not it was disturbing to the average person. With the additional energy he felt, Raydon overcame the frustration and boredom he had been experiencing recently and took immediate action to locate his first mob, without waiting for his teammates. He moved forward, sensing the danger of the smallva rivers below him, but he was able to cross them using the natural stone bridges that had formed. Even though he knew theva wouldn''t hurt him much even if he touched it, he decided against taking the chance and saving his boots. Shortly after, Raydon discovered his first source of experience points. It was a ferocious red mob that looked like a fox. When examined closely, yellow sparks could be seen sporadically jumping through the red fur on it. It appeared that someone without fire resistance would suffer severe burns if they engaged in melee with this thing, but Raydon not only had fire resistance, but also didn''t need to get close to it in order to kill it. ''''Spirit Wave. '''' Before the fox had a chance to react, the ck smoke from Raydon''s sword swing had already made contact with its body, causing instant death. [Lv.1 Lava Fox(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 10 experience points.] Raydon read the system message and chuckled to himself. ''''I guess it''s time for another speed run.'''' And without dy, he initiated another massacre in an effort to surpass his previous record. Chapter 154 Back To Antique Shop [Lv.10 Burning Giant(E-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 100 points.] [You gained 1000 experience points.] [Congrattions; at the conclusion of the match, you will receive your reward for killing the region boss.] ''''Heh, I made it on time. This time the region boss turned out to be more challenging than I thought. ''''Looking at the four-meter-tall giant that was lying in front of him with its big, three-eyed head separated from its body, Raydon remarked. Even though the enormous boss was dead, sparks asionally flew from its red hairs and vanished into the air. Actually, Raydon''s challenge was not that this monster was more powerful than other region bosses, but rather that it had a fire attribute. Raydon was only able to use me Burst as a movement-type skill in this fight, and it was difficult to cut off the monster''s head by damaging its thick skin under the red hairs because of hisck of strength. After a 15-minute battle, however, the berserker technique proved sessful once again, and the giant was killed. It also took a considerable amount of time to locate the region boss beneath the magma heap where it was sleeping, but he eventually did so thanks to his despise skill. "Let''s see how much time I have left." [Time remaining until the end of the match: 00:03:15] ''''Time is almost up, and there are no more mobs nearby to kill anyway,'''' He eximed gleefully as he reflected on his three productive hours. During this time, Raydon tracked down and eliminated the entire enemy team of five. Furthermore, he killed 612 mobs, which was more than the previous match''s total of around 500, setting a new record. This meant that, excluding the Region Boss and the opposing team, Raydon had killed nearly 4 mobs per minute. Of course, his despise and depart skills were the main reason he was able to kill so many mobs. By using his despise skill, he was able to locate the areas with the highest concentrations of monsters, and by continuously dispatching them, he was able to maintain a full stack of his movement-type skill, allowing him to move to the next mob slot and dispatch them once more before the depart skill''s effect wore off. "These two skills really made a goodbination," Raydon said, grinning as he checked his umted XP. [Experience]: 252.203/ 1.000.000 ''''Damn, I still have a long way to go before reaching 1,000,000! '''' He was fuming again after recalling with regret all the experience points he had failed to earn from the inheritance. ''''It looks like I won''t be able to level up quickly until I hit E-Rank. The alternative is that I''ll need to find another inheritance. However, I don''t believe finding inheritance keys is that simple. '''' Raydon snorted. While he was deep in thought, the match ended with a system message, and his body faded away into the glimmering light. [The match has ended.] [Winner Team: B7890-D4850] [¡­Based on the contribution, rewards are calcted.] [You gained gold coins: 328] [You gained item blueprint: Earring(White)] [You gained crafting material: zing Skin(Green)] [Win streak: 5] ¡ª "What am I going to do? Should I tell the organization? But if I do that, that zombie will surely kill me the next time he returns. But if I don''t report it and word gets out, the organization will kill me for real this time. What am I going to do? What should I do? '''' The owner of the antique shop, who was slumped on the couch, muttering with a white face. The redness of his eyes and the puffiness of the skin under his eyes were telltale signs that he hadn''t slept in a very long time. ''''Pleasee up with an idea, boss. Let me live a little longer, please. '''' The woman working in the shop was standing over the old man, holding a fan above his head and forcing him to concentrate. Two days ago, after an argument, Fehim and Raydon mysteriously vanished, shocking the old man and the female worker. There has never been a fight between item holders within the territory of the Trade Organization before. Furthermore, if this was just an ordinary fight, the organization would hear about the event in a short amount of time regardless of whether or not the shop owner reported it. But things were different this time around. Both Fehim and Raydon mysteriously vanished. The store owner would be at fault for failing to report the incident to the appropriate authorities if the organization learned of the incident and determined that it urred in his shop. However, if the shopkeeper went to report the incident and the zombie who caused itter returned and found out that the shopkeeper had ratted him out, the shopkeeper would still suffer a horrible death. Naturally, the shopkeeper wouldn''t be the only one affected by this, as the employee who witnessed it would as well. ''''Boss, you must find a way out of this situation. You are old and wise, so please exert a little bit more effort. '''' The female worker hadn''t slept for two days straight, and she was so worn out that she couldn''t even hold the fan correctly. ''What the heck are they doing? '' Upon returning from the match, Raydon was taken aback to find himself back in the antique shop rather than the inheritance dimension, and he was even more baffled by the sight before him. ''Oh, I guess they were worried when we disappeared. Had they been waiting here like this for two days?'' He realized what was going on after oveing his initial confusion. ''''It was great to be back in this world after all that time in that dimension. I didn''t want to waste another day in that nothingness,'''' Raydon sighed in relief. ''''Y-y-you are back? '''' Raydon had said what he believed he was thinking from the outside due to the happiness and relief he was feeling, and he had attracted the attention of the shopkeeper and the woman. ''''Yes. Don''t mind me, I know the way. '''' Raydon remarked, then turned around to head to the item market. He was about to open the door to the item market when he abruptly turned around and said to the bewildered eyes staring at him. ''''Also, if you tell anyone about what urred here, you will die.'''' Then he turned and walked out the door. Chapter 155 Meeting With Fang Raydon hurriedly descended the long staircase and made his way through the dark passageway until he finally reached the item market. Returning to the bustling, noisy scene gave him the impression that he had been away for quite some time. Without a doubt, this was his favorite location in this world to spend time. Without wasting any time, Raydon headed straight for Fang''s item shop. As soon as he entered, he was greeted by a space filled with shelves and furniture that was already familiar to him. ''''You finally made the decision toe, huh? Haha. I was looking forward to seeing you again. '''' When Raydon walked in, he was expecting to see the same salesman he had seen on previous visits, but instead, he was greeted by a charismatic-looking man with white hair and a white beard, the same man Raydon had seen on his first visit. Of course, this person was Fang. As soon as Raydon entered the item market, Fang, who had been patiently awaiting his arrival for a while, realized this and immediately left whatever he was doing and rushed here. ''Why was this old man waiting for me? '' Raydon was taken aback by Fang''s upbeat demeanor. For what possible reason would a person of his stature and influence be anticipating his presence? After some thought, Raydon recalled the message Dan had forwarded to him. ''Trade Organization, huh? So this was the person who sent me the message and wanted to talk to me. But why? '' While internally processing, he walked up to the counter and said. ''''Some unexpected things happened, so I''m a littlete,'''' Raydon said with a troubled expression. After giving some thought to inquiring as to who Fang was and why he was waiting for him, Raydon ultimately decided to y it cool. It was unclear what Fang was expecting from him, but the blue-grade dimensional storage expansion orb he had sent him was genuine. That''s why he had so many doubts about him. ''Could it be because of my family? Is he attempting to get in touch with them through me because he wants something from them? '' Raydon spected. ''''I''m sorry to hear that, but I guess whatever the issue was has been taken care of now that you''re here. Of course, you are the apprentice of a high-rank item holder, and as a genius, you shouldn''t encounter any problems you can''t solve. '''' Fang said again,ughing heartily. He began speaking directly about the high-rank, demonstrating that he did not wish to prolong the conversation. ''Apprentice of a high-rank item holder? '' Raydon didn''t mind being called a genius because he knew it was true; he was simply confused by his description of himself as the apprentice of a high-ranking item holder. This time, Raydon was unable to conceal the surprise on his face, which was seen by Fang and caused him to immediately continue speaking. ''''Don''t get me wrong, I didn''t tail you or conduct a secret investigation. But given recent events, it would be foolish to fail to realize that. I am aware that thest time you visited this shop, the items you sold belonged to that blood organization member who died and whose territory waspletely destroyed. '''' Fang started out by exining how he discovered that he has a high rank behind him because he was worried about Raydon''s misinterpretation. ''So they find out I killed that item holder. This is understandable, but what does it have to do with a high rank? '' Raydon was trying to make sense of it all with Fang''s exnation and quickly figured out all the misunderstanding. ''Wait¡­ ''''Completely destroyed territory,'''' he said. So he thought the damage was done by a high rank, and he deduced that I had a connection with that high-rank item holder, huh? If that''s the case, it also exins why Dan and the others have been so overdramatic in their treatment of me. '' After Raydon killed Herman, he hadn''t given much thought to the harm the corrosive, sticky slime had done to the environment. In fact, it had also removed any possible traces of him having been there, even if he didn''t care too much about that. But he didn''t think it would cause such a big misunderstanding. "It doesn''t matter to me, and I don''t think my mentor cares either. By the way, he did get your message, but he sent me instead ofing himself because he was unable to. '''' Raydon started following along, as he didn''t even stop to consider clearing up the misunderstanding. Because of this circumstance, which he was previously unaware of, he was able to acquire a very valuable blue-grade item, and now that he is aware of everything, he has realized that he can use this misunderstanding to acquire more than that. ''''It''s all good. Obviously, someone with his level of authority cannot always devote time to others. ''''If you let me know when he is avable, I would love to visit him in person one day. Additionally, you were the one I needed to speak with. '''' When he heard his response, Fang eximed with joy. Now, he could approach Raydon without causing conflict and request his assistance. ''''Let''s go to my study first, where we can converse morefortably. '''' Fang said and invited Raydon to the second floor. ''This old man can''t be having nasty thoughts, can he? '' When he realized that what he really wanted was himself rather than his family or the imaginary high rank behind him, he got goosebumps. He could not help but suspect there was something suspicious about Fang''s initial kindness and special attention, but he continued to follow him. When Raydon went upstairs, he exited into a corridor, and after passing through a wooden door at the end of the corridor, he entered a study that was still quite spacious, albeit smaller than the downstairs. Fang gestured for him to sit in one of the two opposite chairs, and after he did so, his normally upbeat expression changed to one of seriousness as he began to speak. ''''I''m sure you''re aware of the uing rift event, right? '''' Chapter 156 Rift Event ''''I''m sure you''re aware of the uing rift event, right?'''' Fang didn''t waste any time and got right to the point. ''So the event will take ce soon. '' Raydon thought. He was aware that the Rift event was a phenomenon that opened gates to other fallen worlds at specific times, but only those who possessed the key could predict when and where these gates would open. As Raydon nodded, Fang continued. ''''Before I request your assistance, I must inquire about something else. Did your mentor or anyone else provide you with a key to ess this rift event? '''' Again, Fang enquired. This key was only in the possession of a small number of people because it is much harder to find a key to this rift event than it is even to find a blue-grade item. Also, finding this key was not solely a matter of strength, but rather of luck. As a result, those who are qualified to take part in this rift event should possess a key, which they should acquire with the help of those who already possess the key. Understanding what Fang would want from him, Raydon felt a sudden surge of excitement, but he quickly quelled it and said calmly. ''''The reason my mentor didn''t give me a key to the rift event is because he told me I didn''t need to participate. '''' Raydon once again told the first lie that popped into his head. ''''Wait. You were told by him that it is not necessary for you to take part in this event? You did say you were an F-Rank, right? '''' Fang asked in surprise. Depending on the size of the world in which they urred, these rift events were normally restricted to ranks, just like inheritances. The uing rift event was an F-Rank rift, making participation restricted to those with either an F-Rank or an E-Rank item holder. Fang had to ask Raydon for help because he couldn''t take part in the event on his own because the event dimension couldn''t handle the power of a B-Rank item holder like him. ''Even I make an effort to attend this event, so why is his mentor telling him he doesn''t have to? What opportunities does that crazy high rank provide for this young man, making him think that this F-Rank event ispletely unnecessary? '' Fang pondered in disbelief. If he really stated that this rift event was unnecessary for an F-Rank, it meant two things. Either that high-rank had ns for Raydon that exceeded what a F-rank rift could provide, or Raydon was significantly more powerful than an E-rank item holder and doesn''t need this rift to get stronger. After giving it some thought, Fang decided that either choice was ridiculous. ''I guess I still underestimated that high rank and this young man,'' Fang sighed. ''''Well, if your mentor says that this event will not benefit you, then that should be the case. Actually, I have a key in my hand, and I wanted you to attend this event in my name. '''' When Raydon heard these words, he immediately felt uneasy. He was aware of how difficult it was to locate this key, and he began to worry that his earlier careless lie would destroy this opportunity. ''''Actually. '''' As Raydon prepared to concoct yet another lie to convince Fang to hand over the key, Fang took something from his dimensional storage and continued. ''''I am aware that the rift event will not be of interest to you; however, if you agree to take part in it on my behalf, I will give you this body enchantment as payment. Also, if you participate in the event while using this body enchantment, I am confident that the experience points you will earn will be more valuable than anything you find inside,'''' Fang said as he handed Raydon the white ball of light. When he saw this white sphere of light, Raydon paused for a moment. ording to Fang''s statement, the item he gave Raydon was of equal or greater value than this rift event.¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á `n?¦Í?| §ãom He carefully examined this item, which may be even more valuable than an F-rank rift. [Spirit of the Wisp] -Grade: White -Quality: N/A -Skill: Body Enchantment Wisp, a symbol of mana and evolution, fortifies the soul, and 100% increases the experience gained from killing enemies. ''Holy mother of all fucks. Is this thing real? '' Raydon''s hands shook with excitement as soon as he saw the features of the item. ''If only I had this before entering the inheritance of that golden skeleton. '' Raydon couldn''t help but reflect. When he found out that this item could double all experience points gained, he knew it was something that experience farm maniacs like him would risk their lives to obtain. ''''And it''s only white grade, you know. '''' Raydon mumbled under the influence of his ongoing state of shock. Fang observed Raydon''s shaky frame and, upon hearing the sentence he had inadvertently uttered, continued speaking on the assumption that Raydon was unsatisfied. p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® ''''While it is true that this item can only be of white grade, its value far exceeds even that of a blue grade dimensional storage expansion orb.'''' Fang immediately retrieved another item from his dimensional storage when he observed that Raydon was not listening to him and was still examining the item he was holding. ''''Of course, my offer to you does not end there; I will also give you this item in addition to the body enchantment. What do you say? '''' When Raydon heard the word item once more, he finally removed his gaze from the body enchantment he was holding and looked at the other item Fang was giving him. ''Holy crap! There are more? '' Raydon immediately threw the white light in his hand into his dimensional storage and grabbed the other item Fang had extended. ''Dude. You have got to be kidding, right? I don''t know what gives this old man the urge to give so much. He won''t really ask my still-virgin body for all of this, right? '' When he looked at this additional item that Fang had given him, he couldn''t help but think. An extremely rare body enhancement on top of the F-Rank rift event key and now this. Undoubtedly, it wouldn''t be inexpensive to pay for everything. But Raydon was willing to do whatever it took to get it all. Except for the part where he has to give his body to some crazy old man''s fantasies. Chapter 157 Great Opportunity Slowly, Raydon''s heart began to race as he examined the white marble-shaped object Fang had given him. [Inheritance Dimension Key] -Grade: White -Quality: N/A -Skill: Participate This key grants the user ess to The Granite King inheritance. Participation is limited to entities of F-Rank only. The event is limited to a single participant at a time, and the key will vanish once the inheritance is sessfullypleted. ''This¡­ '' Raydon was fighting with every ounce of his being to contain his excitement. A short time ago, he had dreamed of finding another inheritance; now, not only has that dreame true, but he has also received a body enchantment that will double the experience points he earns. Likewise, he threw this item right away into his dimensional storage. He was worried that if he held this beauty in his hands and looked at it any longer, he wouldn''t be able to control the urge to use it right now. "Hahaha, good thing you epted them." Fang took note of his expressionless face, which gave the impression of being carved from a single block of wood, as Raydon made a valiant effort to hide his emotions. He had no idea what Raydon was thinking but assumed he had epted the items since he had ced them in his dimensional storage. Raydon used all his shamelessness toe up with this phrase, "Yes, it''s not bad, it might be somewhat useful for me." "Good, good. Rest assured that what I will ask of you won''t be too difficult. At least, I do not believe it will be challenging for you. '''' Fang was relieved that he had attracted Raydon''s attention and realized that he would aid him. Seeing that Raydon was listening without saying anything, Fang continued to speak. ''''Perhaps you know this impending rift will open up to a world that has been vanquished by a cmity with a blood attribute. '''' ''Blood attribute? Cmity? '' Raydon reflected on his newly acquired knowledge. He was well aware that the fallen worlds where these rift events were taking ce had been shattered by external forces. But he didn''t understand well what happened to turn them into fallen worlds. Raydon briefly started to go over the knowledge he had acquired from his memory and Herman''s books. There could be a number of causes for the end of the world. It is possible that an item holder who lived there in his time and attained godlike power destroyed their own world with their own hands, or that other extremely powerful item holders invaded and attacked that world from other dimensions, or that they did not have enough powerful item holders to stop the monsters that emerged from the world''s rifts. These were all potential causes of the destruction of the world. However, there was a final stage in which a world was considered fallen and became a location for a rift event. A catastrophe had to be dispatched by the system to that world so that it could be broken up, shrunk, and transformed into a rift dimension. In addition, each of these cmities would have a distinguishing attribute. Depending on the nature of this cmity, the world where the rift urred might have a different attribute. ''So, the disaster that caused this world to be a fallen world had the blood attribute, and this rift that will open will also have the blood attribute, huh? '' Raydon pondered the limited and iplete information he possessed, but because hecked sufficient knowledge on the subject, he decided not to continue in the hopes of acquiring more informationter. But he still nodded at Fang as though he were an expert on the subject. Fang paused and looked at Raydon''s reaction before continuing when he saw Raydon nod. ''''As I previously stated, the world in which this event will ur is a blood type, and I am searching for the inheritance of this blood type. Although the inheritance I''m looking for originally belonged to a fire type, it became a mix of blood and fire type as a result of this catastrophe. In other words, this is an inheritance associated with the elements of fire and blood. '''' Once again, this new information stunned Raydon. ''So, the characteristics of the inheritances left behind after cmity change and be a hybrid? '' Raydon waspletely perplexed before remembering his and Fehim''s joint inheritance of the golden skeleton. Fehim informed him that the arrows that were falling on them in the second stage were a space-type skill. p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1~§ão§® ''So it was actually a death-type inheritance, but it acquired the space attribute after being affected by a space-type catastrophe? Aghh¡­ My head hurts from thinking too much. I''ll just continue to nod as if I already know this. '' Raydon paused to consider, then nodded calmly in response to Fang''s words. When Fang realized that Raydon knew everything there was to know about the rifts, he felt a great sense of relief. Normally, the formation of fallen worlds and rifts was a closely guarded secret, along with many other aspects of the system, and was known only to the most powerful families and item holders. Therefore, he was surprised that an F-Rank like Raydon had ess to so much information. ''If he even knows andprehends such information, he must be an absolute genius. I''m curious about which attribute he chose for his future path. '' Fang thought. Normally, an item holder''s attribute is not so hidden and can sometimes even be deduced based on the item holder''s appearance; however, Fang was unable to determine which attribute Raydon had chosen for his future path after much thought. ''''I also have an item that can detect the location of the inheritance key I''m looking for. So it won''t be difficult to find. '''' Fang finally told Raydon to demonstrate how simple what he needed to do was. ''So I''m only going to find him one inheritance key for all of this? '' Raydon saw a fantastic opportunity and spoke hastily, without giving it another thought. ''''Deal. '''' Chapter 158 Selling Items ''''Good, good, good. So we agreed. However, do not forget to inform your mentor of this. Then, if he gives his consent, I''ll give you the key and the item you need to find what I''m looking for,'''' Fang said with a cheerfulugh. Even after epting Raydon''s word, he desired the approval of the high-ranking item holder who stood behind him. Also, item holders would normally use a special skill to seal the agreement between two parties, but even though Fang did not know Raydon very well, he did not offer to do so, instead relying on the reputation of the high-rank behind him. Having gained so much as a result of the fictitious high rank behind him, Raydon happily shook Fang''s extended hand. ''''You probably have some from thest match that you want to sell, so I won''t hold you up then. You''ll get assistance for that from my friend down there. Take this as well; you can use it to get in touch with me; you don''t need to return here to tell me how your mentor responded. '''' Fang got to his feet and said as he headed out the door. From his dimensional storage, he pulled out a silver ring and gave it to Raydon. ''''Yes, thank you. Later, when I receive my mentor''s response, I will let you know about it. See you. '''' Raydon took the ring, put it on his finger, and then turned around to head back down the stairs. [Ring] -Grade: White -Quality: Excellent -Skill: Call Selecting the frequencies that thismunication device is already paired with allows for instantmunication. To use it, it is not required to be bound. Avable contacts (1/100): -Fang the Butcher -Mana cost: - -Duration: - -Cooldown: - ''Excellent? This is the first time I''ve ever seen quality like this. I''m curious as to how much this item costs. '' As he descended the stairs, he looked at the ring and gave it some thought. He was not surprised to learn that item holders didn''t use regr cell phones for regr phone calls, but it was still surprising to see that items could be used for such purposes. ''''You look happy huh? '''' Raydon saw the shopkeeper who always takes good care of him waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. When he noticed Raydon''s smile, he must have assumed he was in a good mood. ''''Yeah, I want to sell a few things. '''' He said, without losing his cheerful demeanor as he approached the man. He had a lot to sell, but more importantly, he wanted to learn about a few things. "Sure, show me what you''ve got this time," The man inquired with evident curiosity in his voice. It had been a while since Raydon had been here, and he was curious about his progress given that he should now be selling two match worth of items. Before he started to unload his dimensional storage, Raydon showed him an item he found in the fourth match and asked. "How much is it worth?" [Shirt] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Transform: Water Turtle The user''s genes will mutate rapidly, giving them the appearance and abilities of a Water Turtle. The rate of adaptation to the transformed species varies based on the charisma stat. The duration of the skill depends on the stamina stat. -Mana cost: 50 -Duration: 15 minutes. -Cooldown: 10 minutes. This was the transformation-type skill used by one of the rabbits Raydon met in the 4. match. Although he wasn''t entirely certain, he believed it to be a rare skill. ''As expected, again, he killed someone from the opposing team.'' The man wasn''t even surprised that Raydon was selling items he had dropped from the enemy team. ''''Hmm, a transformation-type skill. It is difficult to craft items with such skills as they are usually moreplex. But I know Water Turtle, and it''s a transformation type that only works in specific match regions, so I can only offer 11,000 gold. '''' After some thought, the man stated. Raydon was taken aback by the high cost, given his earlier assessment that this form of transformation serves no practical purpose. He was also well aware that this species'' onlynd-based ability was defense, so it probably wouldn''t fare too well in a non-naval match environment. In addition, he saw that the rabbit''s reaction time and speed decreased dramatically after using it in the previous match. Not to mention the movement speed. So, despite the fact that it had so many ws, such a high price was quite surprising. ''''Deal. '''' After selling this item, Raydon disyed a different item that was the reward for the fourth match. It was a snake spine with a watery appearance. When Raydon received it as a match reward, he read that it was called Liquid Snake Spine and that it was a green-grade crafting material. However, he was unable to verify this information from the system at the time. "Hmm, this is a green-grade material for crafting. Although not particrly umon, it is worth 900 gold coins. You can probably make three to four items with this if you want to craft something that is water-type. '''' Since he was aware of Raydon''s personality, he gave him every piece of information he might have needed without his asking first. Given that it is not particrly rare and is of the water type, Raydon has decided to sell it as well. Later, he disyed yet another green-grade zing skin crafting material he had won from his fifth match, and having discovered that it was not particrly rare, he decided to sell it, too. Even though Raydon had increased his own dimensional storage from 7 square meters to 19 square meters by using white-grade dimensional storage expansion orbs from the golden skeleton''s inheritance, he still didn''t want anything he didn''t need taking up space. After Raydon learned what he needed to know about the items he needed to learn about, he began unloading his dimensional storage in front of the man''s bewildered eyes, including the items he had acquired in the fourth and fifth matches. Chapter 159 Buying Crafting Materials (Part 1) ''This young man is absolutely a monster, right? '' As he considered the items stacked in front of him, the shopkeeper said. The magic equipment piled up in front of him was sufficient proof that Raydon had wiped out the enemy team in both of his matches. ''And what are these crafting materials? ''The man could no longer conceal his shock. He had never seen anyone in an F-Rank match take out so many monsters. Raydon looked at the little mountain in front of him and said, "Well, that''s all." The mob pieces were stacked so high that they nearly touched the ceiling despite the shop''s high ceiling. Additionally, Raydon included some of the items to be sold this time with low-grade blueprints and even his glove with the reflect skill that he was no longer using. He wanted to clear as much space as he could for his future ns by selling all the useless items in his dimensional storage at once. Since Raydon''s dimensional storage was significantlyrger than it had been previously, he was able to collect more parts from mobs, and some smaller mobs that he didn''t bother dismantling were still intact. "Well, this is going to take some time." The man stated, and by activating his skill, which was evidently a skill rted to inspection, he quickly began to calcte by reviewing the mountain of materials. After a few moments, the man turned to Raydon and said, "Well, my offer for all magic equipment, including transformation-type item, is 33,900 gold coins. For all materials, including some in excellent condition, I also offer 14.300 gold coins, and for life cores, including those belonging to Region Boss, I offer a total of 18.300 coins. '''' When he finished, the man paused to gauge Raydon''s reaction. His total offer price was 66,500 gold coins, which is extremely high even for an E-Rank item holder. Nheless, for someone like Raydon, who was already carrying priceless blue-grade items, this amount was nothing, and so he epted the offer without hesitation. In addition, he did not sell the death-type materials he unearthed from the golden skeleton''s inheritance. Probably, even they alone would have yielded more gold coins than he sold at this time. Moreover, as he had previously learned, even the death-type and blue-grade crafting materials he acquired from Herman cost at least 100,000 gold. Raydon epted the offer, bringing the total amount of gold in his dimensional storage to 225,544. ''''Well then, I''m certain you''ve saved the best forst. '''' The man said with augh. ''''Actually, that''s all, I have nothing else to sell,'''' Raydon said, catching the man off guard. ''''There are a few things, however, that I would like to learn more about if you could. '''' Though he appeared a little disappointed to learn that Raydon had nothing else to sell, the manughed. ''''Well, if it falls under my knowledge, I can answer.'''' "I used a body enchantment to strengthen my heart, but now that I''ve found a better one, I want to change it. However, it turns out that this particr body enchantment also works to fortify the heart. '''' Without mentioning a grade, Raydon posed his query. ''''This is the question? This is in fact consideredmon knowledge among item holders. '''' The man asked Raydon with doubt in his eyes. Raydon was obviously not a regr guy, so the question seemed out of ceing from him. Of course, what he did not know was that Raydon had only been on this for about 10 days. The knowledge he gained during this time period consisted of only a few fragments of memories from this body and Herman''s books. Also, Raydon has always been the type of gamer who prefers to discover on the fly rather than overthink and research, so he did not bother asking others for information that was not immediately relevant. He found it more engaging to gain knowledge as he progressed through the levels of a game. Naturally, this entire universe was merely another game for him to y, just like all the others. The shopkeeper realized Raydon was serious when he saw that he was waiting for an answer without responding. ''''The removal of a body enchantment from your body can be done in one of two ways. The first is an extremely costly item. Actually, this item is a body enchantment as well, and regrettably, it has no grade lower than blue. This expensive body enchantment can be used to reverse the effects of another body enchantment, restoring your body to its original state. Upon doing so, you will lose both body enchantments. In addition, this blue-grade body cleansing enchantment is only effective against blue-grade and lower body enchantments. Due to the high cost of this, item holders typically choose their body enchantments with great care and consideration. '''' The man did not forget to give Raydon advice while he was providing information. ''''Then, what is the second method?'''' Raydon asked, hoping that the second method would be more affordable. He had some inkling that removing the body enchantment from the body would be very expensive, but at this point, he didn''t even believe that the gold coins he had would be sufficient to purchase the blue-grade cleansing body enchantment. The man started tough once more and said after noticing Raydon''s optimistic gaze. ''''Don''t worry, this method is more practical and less expensive for you. You are fortunate that the body enchantment you wish to use has the same type of heart as the one you wish to change. If, as you stated, the body enchantment you wish to use is of a higher grade than the one you are currently using, there is no additional action required. Once you use this body enchantment, your previous body enchantment will be automatically removed and reced with this one, which is of a higher grade. The only drawback is that your previous body enchantment willpletely disappear. '''' --- 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. --- Also, an extra chapter for the monthly goal will being today. I will publish 1 extra chapter each day. Chapter 160 Buying Crafting Materials (Part 2) At this, Raydon exhaled a sigh of relief. Due to his title, he had no other option but to use body enchantments. No matter how skilled he was as a gamer, he could not handle every situation simply by increasing his stamina. Naturally, as he discovered more powerful body enchantments, he would have to change the older ones. He was fortunate in that the body enchantment the golden skeleton gave him was a heart, saving him the extra expense, and he didn''t care whether or not the ashen heart was destroyed. In any case, it was a white-grade body enchantment. ''I don''t need to worry about losing the ashen attribute since it was obtained from Eye of the Ice Gnome. '' Raydon thought. Because of the urrences in the golden skeleton''s inheritance, he was aware that the ashen attribute he possessed was a hybrid and not an ordinary attribute. Therefore, he might have been a little disappointed if he had lost this attribute. ''''Thank you for your response. '''' Raydon thanked him for the relief and happiness he was currently experiencing. "It''s not significant. You didn''t even ask a difficult question. Do you have any other questions? '''' When he observed Raydon looking around, the man questioned. Raydon said, "Actually I want to buy a few things for magic item crafting. '''' Now that he had the instructions for a set of magic equipment he had discovered in the Zombie General''s inheritance, he was eager to start crafting. ''''You are unquestionably in the right ce then. You can find any crafting material here unless it''s blue-grade, I promise. '''' The man spoke with assurance. After hearing this, Raydon was pleased and started to consider what he need. Raydon asked, "First of all, how much is a green-grade magic equipment blueprint? " In this world, a blueprint is necessary before one can craft any item. Even though Raydon had won blueprints in prior matches, all of them were white-grade, not the green-grade set he was trying to create. Though he knew he should have started with white-grade item crafting, he was so confident in his skills that he skipped that step and went straight to green. ''''Green-grade blueprint? The price is a hefty 250 gold coins. '''' This request from Raydon caught the man off guard. Raydon didn''t appear to have much experience with crafting, what with his young appearance and the fact that he was an F-Rank item holder. ''I believe he will ask an item expert to craft items for him. '' The man considered. "Okay, I''d like to buy 30 pieces," Raydon said. Due to the difficulty of crafting an item, particrly a green-grade item, the likelihood of sess was simrly low. If an item crafting attempt failed, the blueprint would be obliterated, and some or all of the materials used would be unusable. Even though Raydon was confident in his own abilities, he still wanted to get his change and give himself a few more opportunities to refine his skills. ''''What kind of equipment are you looking for? '''' The man re-asked. There was a different blueprint for each type of equipment. The blueprint for a pair of pants, for example, could not be used to craft a ring. ''''Breastte, sabatons, pauldrons, gauntlets, and greaves. '''' Raydon counted all the set pieces. Without a helmet, it will likely resemble the ck armor worn by the zombie soldiers he had encountered in the inheritance. ''''All right. '''' The man took 30 rolled-up scrolls from one of the boxes beside him and handed them to Raydon, saying. ''''Each of them cost 250 gold coins, making the total cost of 7.500 gold coins. '''' After throwing the scrolls into his dimensional storage, Raydon continued. ''''Additionally, I need 30 sets of ck iron metal. '''' ''''Oh, I suppose you want to craft a death-type of body armor. '''' The moment the man heard the phrase "ck iron," he said, went to another box, took out 30 ingots of ck iron, and gave them to Raydon. ''''Also, 30 sets of shadow blood. '''' Raydon threw the ck iron ingots into his dimensional storage and went on. ''''Young man, why don''t you say everything in one go? '''' The man scowled at Raydon before getting what he wanted anyhow. Raydon was acting simrly when he sold his items, and he was acting simrly now that he was purchasing them. ''''Here. Anything else? ''The man disappeared into the next room for a while, then returned with a box containing ck liquid in transparent tubes, which he handed to Raydon. ''''Thanks. Add 40 E-rank death-type life cores, 30 Ironshell Turtle shells, 30 Shadowfang Wolf ws, 30 Nightshade Panther leather, 30 Venomous Serpent venom, and.... '''' Raydon added, counting a few more materials that contained various elements. ''''I really hope these are thest. '''' The man murmured and left for the adjacent room, emerging momentster carrying a number of boxes stacked on top of one another. ''''Is that all? '''' After putting the boxes on the counter, the man inquired with a weary tone. "Yes, thank you; how much for everything?" Raydon questioned. He had assumed that his gold coins would be sufficient before cing his orders, but now that he had received them all, he realized that the price he would pay would not be low at all. ''''To be exact, 95,050 gold coins'''' The man had already done the math before Raydon asked, so he gave the answer immediately. "Even though they are all green-grade materials, it is not thought to be too much," Raydon sighed with relief. The materials he had on hand would have allowed him to create two sets in total, and he would only have needed to spend 48,000 gold coins on one set, assuming all of his attempts had been sessful. ''Of course, I did not purchase the most expensiveponent, the elemental material. The inheritance materials I will likely use for crafting will be more expensive than all of this. '' Raydon reflected. Since he was going to craft a death-type item, he also needed to use a support material with a high death element. However, he didn''t need to purchase another one because he already had the materials he discovered through inheritance. He also possessed the stone containing the element of death that he discovered at Herman''s ce. Chapter 161 [Bonus ] The Cult After dumping all the items in his dimensional storage and paying the gold coins, Raydon said, "Thank you for your service," and hurried out of the shop. He was eager to get back home and get started on all of his ns as soon as possible, not just because he was excited about the crafting but also because he was excited about the body enchantments he would use. He quickly retraced his steps out of the item market and into the antique shop. Upon entering, he saw the shopkeeper and his employee slumped over the sofa, both fast asleep after a two-day stretch of no sleep. He was going to inquire as to whether or not Fehim had returned, but he doubted they would have noticed in their current condition. ''''It''s probably for the best if I don''t run into that zombie for a while. I''ll have to make up an excuse if he starts questioning me about the item set. '''' After some consideration, Raydon headed back home from the antique shop. ¡ª "These fes are really....," Shortly thereafter, Raydon returned to his neighborhood, where the sight of the neighborhood in front of his apartment building caused his head to begin to ache. ¡­ "Hey, you''re kneeling on both knees, that''s not right. You have been selected as the master''s apprentice. His servants were the only ones who would kneel on both knees. Look at me carefully; you will get down on one knee, ce your right hand on your chest, and say, ''''Wee back, master.'''' '''' Fatty Sami demonstrated for the audience in front of him by bending down to one knee while carrying his extra weight. Looking at the group in front of him, Samimanded, "Now say with me at the same time." Besides the ten people Raydon picked, everyone in the warehouse was there to learn how to properly greet their master from Sami. "Wait a minute, grandpa, what are you doing? Why are you down on one knee? You are not his apprentice. '''' Sami was about to utter the greeting phrase when he saw the senile old man leaning on one knee and putting his right hand on his chest at the front of the crowd. ''''What do you mean I''m not his apprentice? Of course, I am his apprentice; I am about to awaken and be an item holder. '''' Without any teeth left in his mouth, the old man yelled. ''''Let the old man do as he pleases. Just keep your cool, old man; we don''t want another spike in your blood pressure. '''' On her knees in the back row, one of the aunts calmly appeased the senile old man. "Damn, you''re messing up the whole thing. Boss, say something to the grandpa. '''' Sami turned around to tell Dan indignantly. Dan, who had been sparring with Karan and Pana in the background, sighed and stopped training. ''''Sami, don''t you think we might be going a little overboard here? Plus, don''t you think the master will be annoyed if he sees us all gathered in front of his house like this? '''' Sami took a moment after hearing these words before responding with augh. ''''What the hell are you talking about, boss? We owe it to our divine and generous master to demonstrate our devotion to him in some way. And really, what else can we do? When our seniors are present, we can''t even take on the responsibility of guarding this location; at the very least, let''s do the weing. '''' Everyone paused and started to think in response to Sami''s words. Everything he said was correct. There was nothing left for them to do after theirst encounter with Tika, as they had found that Raydon''s other apprentices were present and guarding the area. The only thing left for them to do was to work hard to awaken as an item holder or to wee Raydon home. Due to the fact that only Dan has been an item holder up until this point, they have continued their arduous efforts while also looking for new ways to serve Raydon. "Okay, we''re going to do it again. This time, everyone should follow the rules, and you, old man, should at least move to the back so you don''t embarrass the master.'''' Sami turned once more and yelled to the group after observing that Dan remained silent and nodded. ''''Okay, when I count to three, you all say the greeting phrase at the same time,'''' Sami said, beginning to count. ''''1¡­ '''' ''''Wee back, master. '''' When Sami said 1, everyone got down on their knees and shouted at the same time. ''''Are you all idiots? I only said 1. You will do it when I say 3. Putting aside the old man, why are you all getting down on both knees? '''' Sami''s temper red, and he began to shout again. This time, the old man did it right, but everyone else messed up. After a while, however, he started to have doubts when he realized that nobody was listening to him and that they were still kneeling. ''''Are you guys just trying to rest because you''re tired? '''' Sami thought that everyone was ignoring him so they could get some rest, and he was about toin to Dan again when he saw Dan, Pana, and Karan all kneeling down and looking in the same direction. ''''Wait¡­ Don''t tell me? '''' As Sami began to process what was happening, he turned around and looked back at Raydon, who was standing there and watching them with aposed expression on his face and deep gray eyes. ''''Wee back, master. '''' As soon as he saw Raydon, he knelt down on both knees to greet him. ''''Yes, you may now lift your head. '''' Raydon said coolly, but secretly he was cursing. ''Have these morons be a full-fledged cult atst? Before my sanitypletely copses, I think I should get out of here as soon as possible. '' Even though Raydon intended to use Dan and his crew for errands and intelligence gathering in the future, the sight of them gave him the creeps. "Master, if you''ll excuse me, I''d like to report on what urred while you were absent." As Raydon nned his escape from this cult, Dan stepped forward, knelt once more, and said. *** Monthly Goals Every; 300 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter (0/5) (1 will being.) 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter (1/5) (1 will being.) Chapter 162 [Bonus ] Using The Body Enchantment (Part 1) ''''Report? What happened?'''' Raydon inquired with curiosity. Atst, he was relieved to see that this cult was actually fulfilling its original purpose. ''''During your absence, a battle maid named Tika, who works in the same household as sister Belicia, came to inquire about you. However, because the master was not present, she caused a bit of amotion, and with the help of a senior, she finally stated that she would leave and returnter,'''' Dan exined. ''Tika? Belicia stated that it would take her at least two weeks to obtain the necessary permission and return. Or was she sent so quickly because of misunderstandings behind my back? '' Radon pondered. He was certain that the attention and misunderstandings that affected Fang''s attitude towards him had also affected his family since Fang was also a mid-rank item holder. ''''All right, keep up the good work.'''' Raydon didn''t seem to mind and continued on his way home. Although he would have preferred waiting until he was stronger before meeting his family, the situation was not terrible. For him, this would be just one more obstacle to ovee. It was like he was thrust into the game''s final boss fight right at the beginning. ''''Do you believe Master is acquainted with my sister? '''' After Raydon had climbed the stairs and entered his home, Rayn quickly turned and questioned the others. He was most shocked to learn that Belicia is an item holder and is referred to as the battle maid. ''''I don''t know why, but Master didn''t seem too surprised to learn that a maid by the name of Tika hade here. Master probably expected her to show up. '''' Karan said thoughtfully. ''''Well, there''s no need for us to discuss it amongst ourselves. We will be able to learn everything from Sister Belicia when she returns. Instead of wasting any more time, pay attention to your training. ''''After speaking, Karan turned to face Rayn and continued. ''''As I previously stated, Rayn, your sister must have hidden the fact that she is an item holder in order to keep us safe. We won''t know the specifics until she arrives, but we shouldn''t judge her unfavorably now. '''' After Tika, who wore the same maid costume as Belicia and worked for the same family, attacked them, there were many unanswered questions in everyone''s minds. Still, they did not wish to have negative thoughts about Belicia. Rayn simply nodded his head in agreement upon hearing those words. He was hurt that his sister had lied and hidden things from him for so long, but he knew that if Belicia hadn''t had a good reason, she wouldn''t have done it. ¡ª ''''I can at longst find some peace of mind.'''' Raydon sighed as he walked into his dusty house. Although it had only been a short while since he hadst seen his home, he felt as if he hadn''t seen it in a very long time because of everything he had been through since he had left. ''''They ought to at least clean the house if they have that much spare time. '''' Raydon pondered as he observed the shabby room that Belicia hadn''t been to in a while. Then he wondered whether he should tell Dan and the others to keep his house tidy. ''''Anyway, I''ll think about itter. I''ve got a lot more important things to do.'''' As he spoke, Raydon reached into his dimensional storage and pulled out several pieces of meat that had been grilled with his ck mes. Using the two blue-level body enchantments he had was at the top of his to-do list. However, he suppressed his appetite beforehand to prevent his body from being overloaded by these body enchantments. Raydon has switched to eating fire-type meat from his most recent match, and he has found that it works just as well as death-type meat in preventing him from overeating. He also enhanced this effect by cooking them with his ck mes. "I wonder if using the Spirit of the Wisp body enchantment Fang gave me will change the amount and type of meat I need. '''' Radon pondered. Right now, he wasn''t even sure what element this body enchantment belonged to. After consuming kilograms of F-Rank mob meat once more, Raydon was able to finally sate his hunger. He then removed the wisp-like object from his dimensional storage. Raydon wasn''t sure what element this body enchantment belonged to, but he assumed it wouldn''t hurt him because Fang hadn''t given him any warnings about anything to watch out for when using it. ''''Could it be a soul-type thing? In many games I''ve yed before, soul and death have been introduced as two distinct elements, so this makes sense. In the end, the soul is thought of as a form of life, right? '''' Radon wondered. He could not think of any type that the soul could be ipatible with; however, if this were a death type, it would have an opposing effect with elements such as holy and light types and harm the body. ''''I guess I''ll have to do some research on these rare elementster.'''' Raydon stated as he began to remove his clothes once more in order to use the body enchantment. This time, he also put a nket he found in his house underneath, which he didn''t want to deal with if he had to vomit on the floor as he had before. ''''Well, up until now, this is the most valuable thing I''ve ever owned. I really hope you won''t let me down. '''' Looking at the wisp in his hand, Raydon eximed with excitement. To him, the XP was more valuable than anything else. Raydon took a few deep breaths to calm his frenzied anticipation before chanting. ''''Body Enchantment. '''' Then, feeling an overpowering exhaustion in his spirit, his eyes grew heavy and he copsed on the nket he had spread out on the floor. *** Monthly Goals Every; 300 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter (0/5) (1 will being.) 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter (2/5) --- Regr chapters will arrive within the day. Chapter 163 Using The Body Enchantment (Part 2) Raydon slowly opened his eyes and stood up from the ground, not knowing how much time had passed. "Damn, that was so unexpected," he grumbled. There was no sudden pain in his head or feeling of dizziness that caused him to pass out. In contrast, the instant he used the body enchantment, he felt as though his entire body had rxed and he fell into a rapid and deep sleep. "I feel amazing like I haven''t slept this well in a long time," Raydon said, looking around with gray eyes that seemed to shine even brighter than before. He was experiencing a surge of euphoria and vitality. His senses were heightened, and he noticed every detail around him with newfound rity. The air felt charged, and he could see even the tiniest specks of dust floating in the light filtering through the window. Colors seemed brighter, sounds clearer, and every texture more distinct. He felt as if he could process information faster, and his mind was more alert than ever before. It was a state of heightened awareness and focus that he had been in many times before, but only when he was using his techniques. Even then, it was more powerful than ever this time. ''''It feels absolutely incredible. In order to get into such a focused state normally, I have to exert a lot of mental energy. So I guess I was right to assume it was a soul type. It appears that my spirit has grown stronger. This must be the hidden feature of this body enchantment,'''' Raydon said. He realized that his senses had improved, so he checked his character panel, only to find that all of his statistics except stamina were still showing as 1. When he had previously used the Ashen Heart body enchantment, he had a simr sensation that his body had grown stronger, but his stats had not improved. The fact that his stats hadn''t changed despite his clearly improved physical condition surprised him, but he knew the reason for this. Normally, the system would automatically evolve the bodies of all newly awakened people to level 1 in all stats, regardless of their preexisting conditions. For instance, even if the person had a disability, the system wouldpletely restore their physical health and fix all of their physical ws, equating it to 1 stat point. Therefore, if a cripple and a bodybuilder both awaken at the same time and be item holders, they will each possess the same power. In addition, those qualities will improve even further with the addition of a single point to each stat. An item holder with 10 points of stamina, for instance, would have 10 times more resilience than a recently awakened item holder. However, those who had body enhancements experienced a different oue. Each stamina stat point gained by someone who had a defensive body enchantment was significantly more powerful than stamina points gained by someone who did not have a defensive body enchantment. ''''Even its hidden feature is amazing, as one might anticipate from a blue-grade body enchantment. '''' With joy, Raydon said. Because of this body enchantment, his original spirit was further developed, and if he added extra stat points to the spirit in the future, each stat point he added would be more effective than an ordinary item holder. ''''So, other than eating meat, what''s the drawback? '''' He stopped thinking about the advantages and started thinking about the disadvantages when he heard a rumbling sounding from his stomach. "Am I already hungry? I recently consumed kilos of meat. '''' Raydon reflected. He worried that he had been out for a much longer period of time than he had realized, but when he checked the time on his phone, he saw that he had been unconscious for only 15 minutes. Then, believing that the stored energy in his body had been depleted because he had just used the blue-grade body enchantment for the first time, he took the meat that he had previously fried with ck mes from his dimensional storage and began to eat it. After a while of eating, he realized that he had consumed exactly 10 times the amount of meat that would normally be sufficient for him, and he could do nothing but suppress his hunger. ''''Is this a normal urrence? Fehim also had a blue-grade body enchantment, but after consuming half of what I consumed, he appeared satisfied. '''' Raydon found it odd that his appetite for meat had increased so drastically after using only one blue-grade body enchantment, but he soon realized why. ''''Damn, Is this rted to the heightened senses I am currently experiencing? Because I''m constantly in full focus mode, am I using up more energy than I should? ''''After giving it some thought, he understood that this was a consequence of this body enchantment. ''''Well. Anyhow, I can tolerate it just fine. It appears that I will need to increase the amount of gold coins I spend on my daily rations. '''' He said. His stomach had be a genuine ck hole. Even if he consumed kilograms of meat, he would not be satisfied and his belly would not even swell. After convincing himself that the few extra gold coins he would spend in the future wouldn''t make a dent in what he got, he checked the mirror to see if his appearance had changed. With the exception of an additional glow that appeared in his deep-set gray eyes, everything appeared as it had before. Everything about him looked the same: his hair was still ck with some shade of gray and messy, his skin was still white but healthy-looking, and the tattoo-like ck veins on his chest that extended from his heart to his neck and left shoulder were still there. Raydon pulled out a heart-shaped object still burning in crimson mes from his dimensional storage and said, "I wonder what kind of changes this body enchantment will cause on me. '''' Every time he used a body enchantment, it gave him great satisfaction to observe the positive effects on his appearance and strength. Each time, he felt as though he was modifying his favorite car. Chapter 164 Using The Body Enchantment (Part 3) While holding the Emberheart he had been given by the golden skeleton as a reward, Raydon closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and chanted. ''''Body Enchantment. '''' When the body enchantment was activated, the crimson mes grew rapidly and soon covered the entire room in fire. ''''Shit, These mes aren''t going to burn the building, are they? '''' Raydon, who was in the middle of the mes and was observing the sight of the blood-red mes raging inside the room, could not help but think that this would start arge fire even though he himself felt no heat. The mes that had previously filled the entire room, however, abruptly began to pour in from his mouth and nose, leaving him no time to worry about burning his house. As the smoke and mes entered his mouth and nose, Raydon, who had previously felt no heat from the fire, began to experience a sensation simr to melting. He dropped to his knees suddenly, unable to move or even remember to breathe because of the searing pain that spread through every nerve in his body. In the meantime, as he tried to take a deep breath to cool off, smoke began to rise from the ck spot on his chest and the veins leading from it. As the ck spot continued to burn, it started to spread to other parts of Raydon''s body. After starting at his neck, the veins made their way to his face and spread across his cheeks and forehead. Then it started to spread across his chest, first taking over his left shoulder and arm, then moving down to his right shoulder, waist, and hips. He experienced a sensation simr to that of having hot irons held to his skin the entire time as the ck veins spread across his entire body, belching out gray smoke as they did so. Slowly but surely, these veins covered Raydon''s entire body. After some unknowable amount of time had passed, his entire body was eventually covered in this dark thing from head to toe. The appearance of Raydon''s veins had vanished, and the thing instead looked like a ck, burning metal that melted on his entire body. He was unable to utter a single sound because the pain had rendered himpletely mute. He was hunched over, kneeling down, and just stood there. It was as if his human form had been reced by a statue of ck metal. *Crack* *Crack* As time passed and the metal-like substance on his body continued to burn, the smoke gradually lessened and eventually vanished. Then, little by little, pieces formed and poured off Raydon, removing his outermostyers of skin and revealing his original, wless whiteness. ''''AAAGGGHHHH¡­ '''' Now that the ck matter on him had drained to the ground and turned to ash, Raydon let out a scream he had been unable to utter before due to the intensity of the pain he was experiencing. Then,pletely exhausted, he copsed to the ground,nding on the ash that had fallen from him. ''Shit¡­ '' He cursed in his mind. All he could do at this point was think because he had expended all of his mental strength trying to endure the pain. If not for the body enchantment he used a short while ago to strengthen his spirit, he most likely would have already fallen unconscious. After resting on the floor for a while, he slowly got to his feet. ''''Fuck this. I certainly hope the suffering was worthwhile. '''' He cursed and began to observe internal changes. ''''I feel like my body is stronger and more resilient than before, but is that all?'''' Raydon muttered. Even after using Ashen Heart, a white-grade body enchantment, he could tell that his strength had increased, but he wasn''t noticing a significant boost right now. Having spent some time trying to feel the differences in his body and having failed to do so, Raydon decided to move to the mirror on his closet to examine his new outward appearance. But he only took one step onto the nket before he felt a strange sensation beneath his feet, and smelled burning, and quickly took his step back. ''''What the hell is this? '''' Right where Raydon had just stepped, there was a burned footprint on the nket that was still steaming. "What the heck is going on? " When he examined the nket, he saw that it had been burned in a perfect footprint and even that some of the stone underneath it had been reduced to ash. When he realized that his foot was to me, he lifted it into the air to prevent burning another area, and this time he felt the same sensation he had just felt under his other foot. "Are you serious? Is everything I step on going to burn? '''' Raydon started bouncing around, knowing full well that the stone and anything else he stepped on would instantly turn to ashes while belching out gray smoke. He was afraid that if he stayed in one spot for too long, he would break through the stone and crash to the ground below. "Dude, doesn''t it have a switch or something to turn it off? I can''t even wear shoes like this. '''' He felt helpless in the face of his predicament. He wouldn''t even be able to carry on with his normal life as a result of this. While Raydon was thinking, he was leaving ash footprints all over his house as he avoided standing in one ce for too long. And he soon recalled that his foot hadn''t been burning the ground before he took his first step. ''''So this is something I can control. I just need to determine the cause,'''' he thought as he stopped all movement and the bouncing. As he closed his eyes, attempting to recall his emotions just moments after using the body enchantment and determining what had sparked the fire, the stone floor beneath his feet continued to turn to ash. And shortly thereafter, the smoke ceased to emanate from his feet, and the ground ceased to burn. ''''So that''s how to control this thing, huh? Damn, it looks like the side effect of this body enchantment will get me into trouble. '''' While he did figure out how to stop the burning effect, he also realized that the cause was very tricky to control. Chapter 165 [Bonus ] Emberheart? Raydon spent a considerable amount of time attempting to quell the burning sensation in his body before he finally figured out that it was connected to his feelings. ''''So, apparently, my eagerness is igniting these mes? Dude, this might be a serious issue for me, '''' He murmured to himself. Raydon was normally adept at controlling his emotions, and he had mastered a variety of techniques. However, being able to control his emotions at will does not imply that he wishes to control them all of the time. He was an enthusiastic gamer who relished life with a sense of wonder and anticipation. And among these feelings, eagerness¡ªthe one he had experienced the most frequently over the course of his life and the one he had enjoyed the most¡ªhad now be his kryptonite. Eagerness was a strong feeling of excitement or anticipation for a certain event, activity, or result. It is characterized by a strong desire to start or begin something new, as well as a willingness to face challenges or take risks in order to achieve a desired goal. When doing something, Raydon, who was always eager, frequently feels a sense of urgency or impatience and may find it challenging to wait or dy gratification. He also did most of the things he did in the past without thinking about the consequences for this reason. Overall, he found that excitement was a motivating and empowering feeling that, when he aplishes his goals, can bring about a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. Raydon''s eagerness, which is typically apanied by physical symptoms such as an elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, and heightened senses, was now also apanied by a burning effect of his body. ''''Damn, I need to get this under control as soon as possible. '''' He gave his thoughts some more time to settle, after which he made the decision to look in the mirror to see if anything had changed. But just as he thought he had his emotions under control, the gray smoke began to rise from beneath his feet with the first step he took once more, and he stopped and swore. ''''Fuck this shit. '''' Raydon''s eagerness to check out his improved appearance in the mirror triggered his body''s burning ability. He regained hisposure and took a step forward once more, but this time he didn''t put any expectations on himself and instead began to consider it as any time he looked in the mirror on a daily basis. And it seeded. When Raydon could finally walk without any problem, he stood in front of the mirror. When he examined his reflection in the mirror, he did not observe any significant changes to his appearance. However, the ck spot on his chest and the ck veins radiating from it hadpletely vanished, leaving only a pale tattoo with a pattern resembling gray crocodile scales thatpletely covered his chest. ''''It looks like dragon scales,'''' He said, running his finger along the speck that covered his chest and extended to his neck. When touched, all he felt was his own smooth skin. This pale gray design looked and felt just like a tattoo. Raydon looked him over carefully for a while and concluded that there was nothing else outwardly different about him. "All right, let''s check out the character panel and see what''s new." After saying this, he quickly regained hisposure, having realized that his body''s burning effect had once again been activated. While he was aware of this body enchantment''s drawback, he was still unsure of its hidden feature and hoped to find some answers in his character panel. ]: B7890-D4850 [Race]: Human [Name]: Raydon Demugen [Title]: Master of All [Level]: 1 [Rank]: F (Grey) [Experience]: 252.203/ 1.000.000 [HP]: 3600 (Attribute(s): Ash) [MP]: 2210 (Attribute(s): Ash) [Strength]: 1 [Agility]: 1 [Stamina]: 60 [Luck]: 1 [Charisma]: 1 [Spirit]: 1 [Magic Equipment(s)]: 5 / 5 -Sword(Bonded) (Skill: Spirit Wave) -Gloves(Bonded) (Skill: me Burst) -Earring(Bonded) (Skill: Despise) -Vambrace(Bonded) (Skill: Hook) -Boots(Bonded) (Skill: Depart) [Body enchantment(s)]: 3 / 5 -Ashen Heart (Green) -Eye of the Ash Gnome (Green) -Spirit of the Wisp (Blue) ''''Ashen Heart? Green? What the hell is going on? What happened to the Emberheart? '''' Raydon was astonished by what he saw when he examined his body enchantments. There was no sign of the blue-grade body enchantment that should have been there, and the name was still written as Ashen Heart instead of Emberheart. He then took a look at his newly improved HP and saw the Ash attribute sitting right next to it. ''''Wait. Howe Ash is now a part of my HP too? It''s supposed to acquire the attribute of fire, right? Has Ashen Heart actually absorbed Emberheart? '''' ''''A divine fire ignites in the person''s soul, purifying them from head to toe and empowering them to achieve heights beyond their own race, as well as granting them +2000 MP and +2000 HP of the pure fire type. '''' In his mind, Raydon repeated Emberheart''s earlier description of the system''s disy. ording to the same system, he appeared to have gained 2000 MP and HP, but there was still a great mystery remaining. Even the additional +200 mana granted by Eye of the Ash Gnome, which he had previously used, appeared to be included in his original mana. ''''ording to the shopkeeper, since Emberheart is blue-grade, it was supposed to rece Ashenheart, which is White-grade. However, why is it the other way around? Ashen Heart has also been upgraded to the "green" grade. '''' He looked for a rational exnation but came up empty. He reasoned that this body enchantment''s secret feature had something to do with the fact that the +200 he had written next to his MP was now a part of his MP itself. Raydon concentrated on the system''s body enchantments section in the hopes of seeing Ashen Heart''s features once more. True to his expectation, the system actually disyed to Raydon the newly updated features of Ashen Heart. ''''Man¡­ Now this is a huge surprise. How is this a green grade body enchantment? '''' When he found out about the updates to Ashen Heart, he could hardly contain his excitement. *** Monthly Goals Every; 300 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter (0/5) (2 will being.) 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter (3/5) --- Regr chapters will arrive within the day. Chapter 166 Item Crafting (Part 1) [Ashen Heart] -Grade: Green -Quality: N/A -Skill: Body Enchantment Mortal beings wielding the heart, which was licked by the same ck mes of death that torment the souls of gods, can transcend their own race and ascend to a higher ne of existence, gaining +2000 HP and +2000 MP in the ash attribute, as well as a 100% increase in HP and MP regeneration. ''''So Ashen Heart absorbed Emberheart after all, huh? The previous MP regen feature has also been modified. '''' Raydon stared at the new body enchantment skill attributes in disbelief. In addition to the +2000 HP and MP that Emberheart granted in its original form, even Ashen Heart''s previous ability to double regeneration has been altered and improved. Before this upgrade, Raydon had to use some of his HP each minute to provide additional MP; however, this side effect was also eliminated. ''''And you''re telling me it''s only green grade? Why is this body enchantment so special, I wonder. '''' Even though he personally knew little about blue-grade body enchantments, he could still infer that these features were unusual. "That witch stall owner would probably be trying her hardest to kill me right now for buying this body enchantment if she knew it had such a special ability," Raydon chuckled. Nevertheless, it was a nice upgrade all in all. Now I can spare some time for item crafting. '''' He said happily. Even though Ashen Heart''s new disadvantage bothered him, he could eventually control it with a technique and use it to his advantage. Additionally, he was still unsure of the ash attribute his HP had acquired and its hidden features, but he could discover them with time. Raydon pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind, opened his Dimensional storage, and walked into the enormous room, where the crafting supplies were stashed away in a far corner. ''''Well, crafting takes time, but I''m hoping I can make 1 set before my next match. '''' With that, he moved to the center of his dimensional storage and began gathering the necessary materials and tools. Now that his dimensional storage was bigger than his own room, he made the decision to use it as a workshop for crafting. Since the entrance of the dimensional storage cannot be closed while the user is inside, item holders typically don''t spend a lot of time inside in case of an attack; however, Raydon judged that there was no danger in the area right now, so he began his crafting session here out of convenience. Before using the blueprint scrolls, he first started gathering the materials he would need for crafting. There were a total of five types of ingredients needed to craft an item. The first of these was the mob blood required to ensure that mana flowed while the item was being created. Raydon''s was death-type shadow blood, which he bought from the market. As he didn''t need to perform any additional procedures on it, he set this aside. The following substance was death-type life-core. This was the ingredient that allowed the item to retain the skill and gave users of the item ess to the skill. He put it aside as well because he didn''t need to do any additional work on it. This time, he took one of the 16 ck bones from the golden skeleton inheritance that he had found. ''''Damn, this thing is a blue-grade material like that obsidian stone. ''''ording to the notes left behind by that Golden Skeleton, I can craft at least one set with one of these.'''' Raydon muttered. He sighed when he realized that even with a material worth at least 100,000 gold, he could only make 1 green grade item set, despite knowing that this set could only be made from a pure death-type material of blue grade. If he was lucky and never failed throughout the process, creating this item set with this material would cost him approximately 150,000 gold coins in total. He grumbled, "Damn, this set better be good and earn me good gold coins." He didn''t even know what skills the items would have because all that was written in the notes about the set was how it would be crafted and that it had amand-type* skill set. Additionally, since this set is intended for an item holder with a charisma build, he had no interest in using it himself and instead only wanted to trade and sell it in order to increase his gold coin earnings. Raydon moved on to the skill-required part and took 1 ck iron ingot after putting this expensive material aside. When he picked up this material, he realized it weighed nearly 10 kilos. Then he walked to the forge in the corner of the storage, which appeared to be made of gray stone. The forge consisted of a firepot, which was arge hole in the middle that resembled a bowl and was filled with charcoal that was dark and shiny. There was also a bellow there, which was used to blow air into the firepot and increase the intensity of the mes. Surprisingly, however, there was no chimney above the firepot to vent the poisonous fumes and smoke. Raydon, however, was unconcerned; he knew that a chimney was unnecessary for this forge. ''''Ignite.'''' He threw a death-type life core into the forge''s shiny coals, and after saying the skill''s name, the coals spontaneously burst into me. The mes inside the forge, strangely, did not produce any smoke, werepletely ck, and did not produce any heat; rather, they were giving off a chilling sensation. Without using any additional tools, Raydon put the metal in his hand into the mes. It seems these mes do not harm me,'''' he said. The reason he didn''t use any additional equipment was so he could gauge his natural resistance to mes. *** *Command-type: (I''ve been using the term "control-type" for it, but mand-type" seems more appropriate now.) Controlling other creatures as soldiers is the main characteristic of this skill set. Chapter 167 Item Crafting (Part 2) He had previously learned that Ash was rted to the elements of fire and death, and after applying the new body enchantment, he reasoned that since his HP had also acquired Ash attribute, he might have gained greater resistance to these elements. And he was right in what he believed. Even though the ck mes were meant to harm him, he couldn''t help but feel like they were healing him. Raydon waited until the ck metal had turned gray, and then he removed it from the fire with his bare hand once more. With the hammer in his hand, he set it down on an iron block next to Forge and began to pound on the gray metal. What he was doing was the traditional approach to making armor out of iron. As a means of shaping the iron, he was forging it. He continued to hit the gray metal until it began to turn ck and harden once more, at which point he ced it back into the fire, waited for it to turn gray again, and continued the process. After some time, Raydon split the ck iron, which had transformed into a t te, into two pieces and started to shape the two separate tes by striking them once more with the hammer he was holding in his hand. Four hourster, after he had repeatedly carried out this process, two unfinished ck gauntlets stood in front of him. These gauntlets, however, were made up of numerous pieces that weren''t yet assembled and ready for wear. ''''After so much work, I''ve only reached the halfway point. '''' Raydon sighed and began assembling the gauntlet''s iron pieces with a piece of ck leather, this time with another death-type mob material. After he finished working with the leather, he was left with two pairs of ck gauntlets that were ready for use. However, his work was not yetplete. The materials used to craft an item yed a significant role in determining whether or not it would gain a skill. Which parts of the mob were used and which elements of the materials were used had to be adjusted and added to the item very well during the crafting process. This time, he reworked the shells of an iron shell turtle in a fire and shaped them with a hammer to add to the gauntlets. He then attached ws from a Shadowfang wolf to the fingertips of the gauntlet and used the red venom from a Venomous Serpent to draw designs on them. ¡­ .. . ''''Well, it''s finally finished. '''' After Raydon had finished, a total of nine hours had passed, and he was now in possession of a pair of gauntlets that werepletely ready to be worn. "But they look really ugly," he said, looking at the ck gauntlets with white and red ws and greenish scales. Raydon did an excellent job, and the gloves themselves were works of art; the only problem was that, unlike the gauntlets, they weren''t practical for everyday use and would be better suited for disy in a museum. ''''After all the procedures are finished, I really hope these be something people actually want to wear. '''' Sighing, he brought the gauntlets back to the center of his dimensional storage. He put the unfinished gauntlets to the side and took a blueprint scroll. After taking it out of its wrapping, he unrolled it and ced it in the middle of the dimensional storage. ''''Activate Formation. '''' Almost immediately after Raydon''s words, the entire blueprint vanished, leaving behind only the form of a star. This star shape grew and morphed into a formation that bore mysterious symbols as it expanded. He picked up the gauntlets once more and positioned them on the upper left of this star. After that, he inserted 1 death-type E-Rank life core into the top right corner. On the left end, he put the ck bone he had recovered from the Golden Skeleton''s inheritance, while on the right end, he put a wide variety of parts from various mobs and elements. And when he was satisfied that everything was in its proper ce, he took the shadow blood and began pouring it on the upper part of the star-shaped formation, which was empty and still in need of cement. As Raydon poured the ck blood from the transparent bottle in his hand, the blood began to slowly disperse by flowing evenly from one end of the star to the other, making contact with the materials at each end and connecting all the pieces. ''''The rest, I suppose, is up for observation. '''' Once the vial was empty of blood, he stood back to observe. After the materials in each of the star''s four corners came into contact with this ck blood, they started to take on a liquid form and quietly began to dpose into this ck blood. This process urred very slowly and inplete silence. Raydon had been watching this slow process for two hours when all the materials, including the gauntlets Raydon had made earlier, hadpletely disappeared, leaving only the ck liquid, which was now slowly beginning to gather towards the center. This dark fluid umted in the center of the star and began to take form. Before his eyes, the star shape on the ground suddenly vanished as the ck blood took the shape of a pair of gauntlets. It had also transformed from a liquid state into the appearance of jet-ck metal. After taking a good look at the newly crafted item, Raydon proimed, "Now this is something I would definitely wear." These gauntlets now appeared to be covered in dragon scales made of dark but shiny metal, and the underside was entirely made of fine leather, making them look very different from what Raydon had previously created. Most significantly, it no longer had the ostentatious ws that were present in its previous form. "I hope it was a sess." As the gauntlety on the ground, he excitedly walked over to it and picked it up to inspect it. Chapter 168 Success? [Gauntlets] -Grade: Grey -Quality: Outstanding -Skill: None "Damn, I''ve wasted one set of materials. And you have got to be fucking kidding me. What the hell is outstanding? What will I do with an outstanding trash item? '''' While cursing, Raydon threw the gauntlets to the ground. Although he processed the item with top-notch craftsmanship on his first attempt, something obviously went wrong, and by bad luck, the desired skill was not processed into the item. However, the fact that his first attempt at craftsmanship was of outstanding quality was inconceivable and demonstrated his talent for craftsmanship. *Ding* [Congrattions, you have crafted an item of outstanding quality.] [Assign a name to the item.] The system message showed up in front of Raydon as he wasmenting his lost materials. "Fuck, make it your mother''sst name. Do you really think I''ll name this garbage? '''' The system message doubled Raydon''s already frayed nerves. *Ding* [Item''s name updated.] [Your Mother''s Last Name] -Grade: Grey -Quality: Outstanding -Skill: None When the system message came up again, Raydon froze. ''''You have got to be fucking kidding me, right? Change the name. Just don''t give it a name. With such a name, how am I supposed to sell this? '''' Once more furious, Raydon requested that the item''s name be changed through the system, but received no response. The fact that item holders have a need for trash items means they may still purchase this item. Additionally, being of outstanding quality would imply that this item was much more durable than a typical trash item and that it could have been sold for a much higher price than usual. However, because of the item''s name, it may now be difficult to find a buyer. He attempted unsessfully for a few more minutes to restore the item''s name. Raydon said with a sigh, "My luck must be awful today." ''''Well, at least I gained the required experience, and I''m confident that the next item I create will be sessful,'''' Raydon murmured and then motivated himself again. It had taken him approximately 10 hours to craft this item, but now that he was more familiar with all the procedures, he could reduce this time. ''''Well, the issue must stem from the materials of other elements that I added after processing the ck metal. I suppose I should also reconsider the materials I included in the crafting formation. '''' Raydon reexamined the notes in his hand, pondered, and retrieved a new piece of ck iron before resuming his efforts. After some time, the ck metalponents of the gauntlet were once more positioned in front of Raydon. ''''This time, the process took significantly less time than before. '''' After creating the item once, Raydon was able toplete the process more quickly through sleight of hand. This time, Raydon moved on to phase 2 and beganbining these metal pieces with other substances to create a fully wearable gauntlet. This time, he paid more attention to the procedure and followed the handwritten notes precisely, without adding his own interpretation to the artwork he created. A few more hours passed, and Raydon regarded the finished product with contentment. "Well, this time it appears to be better. At least it doesn''t look as shy as it did before. '''' Raydon remarked as he examined the gauntlets in front of him, noting that they were less impressive in appearance than those he had previously crafted. "All right, let''s advance to the next level." After grabbing the gauntlets, he returned to the center of his dimensional storage, where he grabbed another blueprint and turned on the crafting formation. This time, he carefully considered his cement of the materials on the lower right end of the star and made sure that everyst element was bnced. "I really do hope this time it will be a sess." ''''Fuck. Not now. '''' But as soon as he realized that his body was beginning to burn once more from the intense anticipation he was experiencing, he immediately made himself rx. Soon after he was able to calm himself down, Raydon began pouring ck blood onto the star''s upper end using the ss bottle he was holding. The same as the previous time, ck blood began to evenly and slowly spread from the top end of the star to the other four ends. As soon as it touched the objects, it began to liquefy them and slowly disintegrate each one. Afterward, this liquid gathered in the center of the star formation and solidified, taking the shape of a pair of gauntlets. ''''Hm? The appearance is simpler this time. '''' Raydon noticed the inferior quality of the new gauntletpared to the other one. The low quality was apparent even in the ck metal stamps that adorned it. Raydon assumed this attempt had also failed and examined the gauntlet. [Gauntlets] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Rusty Chain When activated, the user''s aura morphs into a rusty chain of death that, if touched by an opponent, curses them and severely restricts their movement. Durability and range vary based on the user''s stamina stat. The effect of the curse varies based on the user''s charisma stat. -Mana cost: 30 -Duration: 5 minutes. -Cooldown: 1 minute. ''''Well, it seems... Normal? '''' Raydon pondered as he observed the skill. It appeared to be a control-type skill, and it was obvious that he had higher expectations for this item set. ''''Wait. It has a 5-minute duration. So, am I able to use this chain actively for five minutes? In other words, can I use it to attack or even take the ce of the hook skill I always use? '''' Raydon contemted the item for a moment before deciding to wear it, bind it, and test the effectiveness of the skill himself. If it was as effective as the hook skill he always used, it was time for him to switch his control-type skill. Although the hook skill had stamina support, Raydon saw that the skeleton soldiers he had encountered in Golden Skeleton''s inheritance could tear the rope without resorting to weapons. Thus, he was already thinking about switching out the hook skill for a more versatile control-type skill. Chapter 169 Trying The New Skill [Binding process takes 3 hours, during which you cannot use the item skill.] ''''Yeah, yeah whatever. '''' In order to try the skill, Raydon bound the item to himself. He began working on the following set piece while he waited three hours for the skill to be usable. This time, he went back to the forge and used a ck iron to craft greaves. Simr to the previous procedure, he processed ck iron once more, and afterbining it with the necessary elemental materials, hepleted the product that would be ready to integrate the skill. Meanwhile, it had taken slightly over 4 hours toplete all these steps, which was significantly less time than the previous ones. "It''s all good, I''m picking up the speed. '''' Raydon was proud of his progress up to this point, and now that he could use the Rusty Chain skill, he decided to give it a try before moving on to thest phase of the crafting process. ''''Rusty Chain'''' The moment he activated the skill, a gray cloud of smoke emanated from his gauntlets and rapidly condensed into a ck chain that measured about 1 meter in length. The most notable aspect of the chain was its appearance, which resembled mes burning on it, albeit gray mes. Raydon regarded the chain in his hand and remarked, "Doesn''t it seem to be a little too short in length?" It was stated in the skill description that the chain''s attack range varies ording to the user''s stamina, but with Raydon having 60 stamina, it seemed absurd that it only had an attack range of 1 meter. ''''Well, let''s test it. '''' Without picking any specific targets for himself, he continued and simply swung the chain into the open area in front of him. *Bang* ''''Fuck.'''' He had anticipated that the chain would only extend one meter in front of him, but it unexpectedly extended several meters in that direction as he swung and collided with the wall of his dimensional storage. ''So that''s how it works, huh? '' When Raydon pulled the chain back, it reverted to its original height of one meter, as if it had never touched the wall of the dimensional storage a few meters away. ''''I''m curious how far it can go. '''' After giving it some thought, he got out of his dimensional storage to try again. It was important to him that nothing inside was unintentionally damaged. Then, holding the chain in his hand, he unlocked his house''s door and stepped outside. "If any normal person saw me like this, they would probably run away in fear," Raydon said, staring at the chain in his hand that was engulfed in a gloomy, horrifying gray me. Luckily, no one was outside to see him, as the neighborhood was well aware that an item holder resided there and ordingly avoided the area. Evidently, Dan and his cult were not in the area either. He paused for a few seconds on the stairwellnding, staring out the window at the street below. After a while, he noticed a trash can that was so full that trash was spilling out onto the ground around it. "The distance should be about 25 meters. Let''s give it a try," Raydon said as he swung the chain. When the chain swung free from his grasp, it headed straight for the trash can and began to encircle it, eventuallying into contact with the container and setting fire to everything. ''''Damn¡­ '''' He tried to yank the chain back quickly out of fear that it would set the neighborhood aze. In his eagerness to test out his new skill, he neglected to think about the possibility that the chain''s mes might actually start a fire. However, his fear was unfounded, as the fire quickly extinguished itself after the mespletely consumed the trash can and reduced it to ash. It only left behind arge amount of ash. ''''Is this the curse effect described in the skill''s description? '''' Following some reflection, Raydon came to the conclusion that it wasn''t. Given that this item is of the death type, it is most likely that the ash attribute he possessed increased its curse effect, and it is most likely from there that this burning feature originated. "Wait, I doubt that just the attribute I possess has the power to alter a skill in this way. Is it because of my new body enchantment? " He pondered. Alone, the ash attribute was unable to ount for this burning effect. For a brief period, Raydon closed his eyes and made an effort to exert more control over the emotions that had caused the burning sensation in his body. When he opened his eyes once more, the chain he was holding had no me on it; instead, it appeared to be a regr 1-meter-long ck chain. "Holy crap, this is good. Now that I have this burning effect, I can use any skill as an attack skill, right? '''' Raydon was overjoyed that he had discovered Ashen Heart''s hidden feature atst. If the same intensity of heat that he felt in his body was also reflected in his skills, he might be able to use that to his advantage when using his skills inbat. It appears that the advantages and disadvantages associated with Raydon''s enhanced Ashen Heart body enchantment were the same. ''''I suppose I can find better skills tobine with this abilityter,'''' He said, and he decided to find a new skill-set that he could use with his body''s new ability, so he returned inside and then to his dimensional storage. He picked up the partially finished greaves and activated a crafting formation to finish the crafting. When it came time for the final step, he poured ck blood once more and began to observe the remainder of the procedure. When thest of the procedures had beenpleted, the star-shaped formation had vanished, leaving behind only a pair of greaves. ''''Let''s see if I wasted another set of items or not,'''' Raydon said as he picked up the item and began to examine it. Chapter 170 [Bonus ] Magic Equipment Set Is Completed [Greaves] -Grade: Grey -Quality: Outstanding -Skill: None ''''Damn. WHY?! '''' Raydon became enraged and once more threw the trash item on the ground when he realized that he had created another outstanding piece of garbage. "Just, I don''t get it. Why did the previously sessful item I created only have good quality, whereas the trash item I craft is always outstanding? '''' His mind started to ponder. ''''I think it happens because I put more importance on the quality of the equipment when I make it. I must be missing something while I''m focusing on quality. '''' Raydon started to reflect. A simr thing happened with the first one; when he concentrated on the item''s quality, it became outstanding; however, it also failed in skill processing. He came to the realization that there was a thin line between the item''s quality and its design for skill processing, and that if he could grasp that, he could create an outstanding green grade. He pondered, "I hope I get this problem solved before I waste all the materials I have. '''' If he was doing everything wrong, no item woulde out of the crafting, and not all of the materials would be used. Therefore, even if the crafting process had failed, there was still a chance that some of the materials could be salvaged. However, Raydon was wasting all the materials because he was always able to craft something, even if it was garbage. "Well, I don''t have a lot of time. It has already taken me half a day to craft two items. Before my next match, I''d like to make at least one set. '''' He said, picking up another piece of ck iron and returning to his work. ¡ª ''''Very good. This time, I finished the craft in just 5 hours,'''' Raydon said happily, looking at the item on the floor. ''''The quality appears to be lower than the previous one. I believe I am sessful in skill processing, but the quality has dropped yet again.'''' He could now tell what the oue was at a nce, but he eagerly took the item and checked it. [Greaves] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Death Sense By activating this ability, the user enters a centuries-old pact with death and gains the ability to determine the number of health points (up to a maximum of 1,500 HP) possessed by all living creatures within a 150-meter radius. Duration and range vary based on the user''s stamina stat. The maximum amount of HP that can be seen varies based on the user''s charisma stat. -Mana cost: 55 -Duration: 20 minutes. -Cooldown: 30 minutes. "Damn, that''s pretty good; it looks like it might be better than my despise skill. And this one also has stamina support.'''' Raydon gave the item skill full points this time. It was an investigative-type skill, and it was unquestionably superior to his own. Due to the fact that the Depise skill only allowed him to locate living creatures, he was unable to use it to locate monsters within the golden skeleton''s inheritance. Nheless, this skill could pinpoint the location of all creatures with HP, regardless of whether they were undead or spirits. Being able to see an HP bar from 150 meters away was a great investigative skill. Even just seeing how much health an opponent has would give him a good idea of how strong they are. When you factor in Raydon''s stamina and the ash attribute, his already impressive 150 meters of range and a maximum of 1500 HP would be even more impressive. ''If the entire set is this good and has stamina support, I guess I''ll end up wearing this set rather than selling it. '' He thought. He did not want to sell the same type of equipment that he himself was using. Actually, selling it to someone else wouldn''t have had a negative impact on him, but once again, his gaming spirit led him to make this choice because he always preferred to have a unique character skin in a game he was ying and wouldn''t want to see it on anyone else. "Well, once I''ve seen the rest of the items, I''ll be able to decide," Raydon said, before beginning work on the set''sst three pieces. ¡ª It had been 22 hours since Raydon finished making the greaves, and he sighed, "This really tired me out." With drained eyes, he observed all the items arranged in a line in front of him. Aside from the five sessful set pieces, four outstanding trash items could be seen thrown in a corner of the dimensional storage. His high stamina wasn''t enough to prevent him from bing mentally and physically exhausted after a day of nonstop crafting. This exhaustion also led him to spend more time crafting, a process he had previously sped up in the final stages. ''''Only a few more hours until the next match, shit. I think it''s time for me to rest. '''' Right after he said that Raydon shut the door to his dimensional storage and copsed onto his bed. No matter how exhausted he was, he was sure he would win the next match. However, if he wanted to maximize his efficiency and break his previous record by speedrunning, he would need to be at peak performance. In order to replenish the energy he had lost while crafting, Raydon ate a few kilograms of meat before going to sleep. ''This flying zombie soldiermand set is as good as I thought it would be, and selling it would likely save me millions of gold coins. '' As he slowly drifted off to sleep, he anticipated that he would have a dream about swimming in a pool of gold. After crafting and checking the set''s skills, it convinced Raydon that it could fetch a high price at auction, and he ultimately decided to sell the item rather than put it to use himself because the set was of themand type and relied on charisma support, whereas Raydoncked the necessary charisma. *** Monthly Goals Every; 300 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter (1/5) (2 will being.) 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter (3/5) Chapter 171 Checking The Skills ''''Whew, I slept like a log. I had no idea that crafting would be so taxing on my mental and physical energy. '''' When Raydon awoke from a dream in which he was swimming in a pool of gold, he noticed how rxed his body and mind had been. He then jumped out of bed with great joy. Even though he had only slept for a short while, surprisingly, it was enough to give him the feeling of renewed energy. After all, a typical item holder would experience mental exhaustion even after crafting just one item. This was primarily due to the fact that the items they crafted were not made with ordinary materials, but rather with the elements thatprise this world''sws. It was a phenomenon that these seemingly unrted and iprehensible materials could be processed and brought together to form a whole. ''''Fortunately, thanks to my high stamina and enchanted spirit, I was able to craft a set before my next match started. '''' Raydonughed, then went back to his dimensional storage to retrieve the newly crafted item set, which he then began to examine once more. Even though he was already familiar with all of the skills, he couldn''t help but feel envious as he looked at them again because he knew he wouldn''t be able to use this set for himself. [Gauntlets] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Rusty Chain When activated, the user''s aura morphs into a rusty chain of death that, if touched by an opponent, curses them and severely restricts their movement. Durability and range vary based on the user''s stamina stat. The effect of the curse varies based on the user''s charisma stat. -Mana cost: 30 -Duration: 5 minutes. -Cooldown: 1 minute. [Greaves] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Death Sense By activating this ability, the user enters a centuries-old pact with death and gains the ability to determine the number of health points (up to a maximum of 1,500 HP) possessed by all living creatures within a 150-meter radius. Duration and range vary based on the user''s stamina stat. The maximum amount of HP that can be seen varies based on the user''s charisma stat. -Mana cost: 55 -Duration: 20 minutes. -Cooldown: 30 minutes. [Breastte] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Dark Arsenal The user of the skill can turn the controlled death-type entities into weapons with a necrotic aura and additional body armor. The durability of the weapon and armor varies based on the user''s stamina stat. The destructive power of the necrotic aura varies based on the user''s charisma stat. -Mana cost: 60 (A set amount of MP is used up every time the body armor takes damage or necrotic aura is activated.) -Duration: None -Cooldown: None ''''Man, this skill is so cool. '''' Raydon remarked with admiration as he examined the chest armor that matched the rest of the set and was covered in metallic ck dragon scales. ''''For the first time, I''ve encountered a skill that has both offensive and defensiveponents.'''' Raydon stated this after carefully examining the skill. This skill''s ability to change into armor demonstrated that it was a defense type skill, and the fact that it could also change into a weapon and add the necrotic aura feature demonstrated that it was an attack type skill. Despite not fully understanding what this necrotic aura was, Raydon was aware that it was a form of corrosive damage. In addition, not only was there no cooldown, but there was also no duration, so item holders could use the skill as often as they liked for as long as they had mana. ''''Even just these three items are superior to everything I''ve had so far. '''' Raydon said with a sigh before examining the remaining two items. [Sabatons] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Phantom Blitz The user''s movement and attack speeds are increased by 15% once the skill is activated, and by an additional 0.5% for every additional death-type entity they control, up to a maximum of 30 stacks. The duration of the skill varies based on the user''s stamina stat. The number of stacks varies based on the user''s charisma stat. -Mana cost: 120 -Duration: 10 minutes. -Cooldown: 15 minutes. [Pauldrons] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Dark Conduit The user can effectivelymand up to 50 creatures of the death type by forming a mental link with them, expending some of their MP as the creatures take damage, and regenerating some of their health. The controlled creatures'' toughness varies based on the user''s stamina stat. The number of death-type creatures that can be controlled varies based on the user''s charisma stat. -Mana cost: 200 -Duration: None -Cooldown: 5 minutes. ''''Man, this set looks absolutely fantastic, and it is supported by stamina and charisma. The only issue is that the skills consume a lot of mana,'''' Raydon muttered to himself before pausing for a moment. "Hold on a sec. I have a lot of stamina already, and if I can upgrade my title in some way, I can probably gain ess to the second stat as well. It can''t be a coincidence that I discovered the entire set,'''' Raydon pondered. He reasoned that this magic equipment set must be some kind of cosmic sign or hint that was meant for him specifically. He had no idea how to unlock another stat by upgrading his title, and he had no idea which stat to unlock next, nor did he know whether he would choose it himself or it would be random. But despite hisck of knowledge, he decided not to be too surprised if the next stat to be unlocked was charisma. ''''Actually, I hope the following stat is agility because it better fits my fighting style.'''' Raydon had a thought, but he abandoned it quickly. To top it all off, he hadn''t even expected to make it to this world; now he had a sneaking suspicion that his next unlocked stat would be somethingpletely out of the blue. Chapter 172 6. Match (Part 1) *Ding* [The next match is ready to begin. Do you want to join?] ''''Finally here. '''' Raydon was getting antsy as he waited for the beginning of his next match when he got the system message in that voice that sounded like music. He didn''t give it a second thought and epted the invitation, which caused a sudden clouding of his vision. *Ssh* ''''Blurb¡­ Blurb'' Raydon lost his vision shortly after epting the invitation to the match, and while he was waiting for it to return, he suddenly found himself in the water. He quickly swam upward from the direction he had fallen into the water, bringing his head out. ''''Cough¡­ cough¡­ D-Damn, I wasn''t expecting this. '''' He came up for air and, in a startled moment, coughed up the water he had just ingested. It looked very different from the previous matches he had yed in, in which he had unexpectedly found himself in a difficult environment. ''''Well, obviously this is a sea region, right? '''' As Raydon looked around, he could see nothing but an endless expanse of blue. The ocean stretched out before him, as far as the eye could see, with no signs ofnd in sight. The sun beat down mercilessly, casting a zing heat across his face and making the air shimmer. The water was calm and clear, with small wavespping gently against his skin as he floated. Despite the beautiful scenery, Raydon couldn''t help but feel a sense of unease. He had faced a simr match region before, but this time he had nond to step on, and probably the mobs of this match were also in the water. After a moment of searching, he found three of his teammates doing the same. From the looks on their faces, it appears that theyck the necessary skills and experience for this region. ''''And one of them has died already, huh? Hahahah'''' When Raydon realized that he was missing one of his teammates and could only see three, he naturally assumed that the fourth had died already. ''''Why are youughing? Do you have anything that might be of use to us? '''' When one of the men heard Raydonughing out loud, he frowned and asked. He also realized that one of his teammates was missing, and the idea of an item holder simply drowning in water didn''t seem very believable to him, so he was feeling pretty anxious about the situation. ''''Nothing. '''' It took Raydon a while to realize that he wasughing aloud. ''''Hey, something touched my foot. '''' ''''Water Shield. '''' ''''Gaagghhblurgblr¡­ '''' ''''Hey, what was that? '''' ''''Escapguhblub¡­ '''' Raydon watched impassively as, one by one, his teammates were attacked by whatever was lurking beneath the surface of the water and dragged them under. ''''Hmm. It seems the first one was killed by them as well, '''' Raydon concluded. He stood by and watched as his teammates were killed in quick session, all the while contemting how he could best put his skills to use in such a difficult region. In the meantime, Raydon was able to think so calmly because the bubbling water all around him and the smokeing from him prevented the mobs from disturbing him and his train of thought. He had turned on the body enchantment''s side effect and was now observing how it worked. Having the ability to incorporate the burning effect into his skills was a distinct advantage, and it sparked yet another idea for him. He could turn this weakness into an advantage by learning to use his own body as a weapon, and this sea region would be an ideal testing ground. Raydon had his n ready after he had thought about it for some time and gathered the items his fallen teammates had left behind. ''''Death Sense. '''' He used his newly acquired investigative skill, one of the two skills he reced with the old ones. When he activated his sill, he did not experience the same changes in his eyes as when he used his despise skill, nor did he feel disgusted for the living. "This skill is unquestionably much better. '''' [60/60] ¡­ [60/60] .. [60/60] . [60/60] . By looking at the ocean''s depths, Raydon said. Around him, he could make out countless green numbers that extended up to an average distance of 600 meters. The best part, apparently, was that this skill could also ignore obstacles while locating creatures, allowing Raydon to detect even mobs in the depths of the ocean that his eyes couldn''t see. ''''Rusty Chain. '''' This time, he used his other newly gained skill, and a ck chain measuring one meter materialized in his hand. ''Let''s find out how effective the elongation feature is when attacking underwater. '' He pondered before diving into the water. This chain normally only moves in the direction of Raydon''s swing, rather than leaping out of his hand and traveling in a straight line like his previous hook skill. Therefore, he intended to utilize the chain''s elongation feature, as he did not believe he had the strength to effectively swing the chain underwater. He first activated the burning effect on the chain and on his body, at which point ck mes appeared on the chain even while it was submerged in water and began to scorch and evaporate the surrounding water. He then threw the chain at a nearby mob that measured one meter in length and resembled a piranha. The chain jumped out of Raydon''s hand and began to move straight ahead, gaining momentum from the boiling water. After a while, it began to stretch and elerate, and before the fish realized what it was, it boiled from the heat the chain was emitting before the chain even touched its body. [Lv.1 Irontooth Razorfin(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 20 experiences.] As he predicted, the vulnerability of the fish to the fire element yed a significant role. ''''Ni-blub¡­ Ce-blub. '''' He realized his attack had worked exactly as nned, and he tried to shout his satisfaction, but since he was underwater, all that came out of his mouth were meaningless sounds and bubbles. Chapter 173 6. Match (Part 2) After Raydon''s strategy was sessfully used to eliminate the mob, he reemerged from the water and eximed. ''''Nice, my other body enchantment is working as well. '''' Looking at the experience point he had earned, he said. ''''Well, while I''m fighting, I think I can hold my breath for about an hour. '''' In preparation for the uing farming season, which he would soon begin, Raydon once more began nning. Due to his high stamina, he could typically hold his breath for hours at a time. However, while fighting, this time would decrease, and the burning aspect of his body enchantment would also make it difficult for him to do so. Fortunately, though, his n didn''t require him to hold his breath for very long. Raydon prepared himself, took a deep breath, and chanted as he dove into the water holding his burning chain. ''''me Burst. '''' He activated the skill of the gloves he wore under the gauntlets and began moving like a torpedo in the water, making use of the skill''s 30-second duration. As Raydon moved through the water, he activated the chain''s elongation feature, and the 1-meter-long chain in his hand suddenly reached its maximum 35-meter-long length and began to drift behind him, igniting the water and causing it to evaporate. [Lv.1 Irontooth Razorfin(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 20 experiences.] ¡­ [Lv.1 Irontooth Razorfin(F-Rank) has been killed.] .. [You gained 20 experiences.] . [You gained 20 experiences.] He just kept swimming straight in the direction of the most fish,pletely ignoring the fish that came his way. The chain he was holding in his hand was enough to cause the water around him to boil, which would kill any fish he passed. A considerable amount of time had passed as Raydon descended into the ocean''s depths, boiling every monster in his path. Then, just as his me Burst skill was about to run out, he changed his course and headed back towards the water''s surface. After a while, the duration of his skill ran out; however, thanks to the momentum he had already built up, he was able to return to the water''s surface without having to slow down. He looked at the number of experience points that were awarded to him for the dozens of fish that he had killed in a matter of seconds and said, "Good, it really works very well." There was only one issue with this strategy, and that was the fact that Raydon couldn''t activate it by simply uttering the name of the skill while he was underwater. Because of this, each time before the me Burst skill ran out, he had to immediately begin swimming upwards toward the surface. ''In any case, the cooldown of one minute isn''t very long. I believe that if I kill a school of fish every minute, I will be able to increase my record for the number of mobs I have killed in previous matches. '' He gave it some thought, and then, while he was waiting for the cooldown of his skill to end, he used the Death Sense skill to determine the location of the next group of fish to attack. ¡ª ''''Finally, I found them. '''' After Raydon had been fishing for almost an hour, he finally spotted five HP bars a little further ahead in the ocean. These bars were different from the [60/60] HP bars that he had seen up to this point. [20/20] [80/150] [37/40] [30/30] [84/90] "Fortunately, the other team was not as useless as my team, and they managed to survive until now," he said with a wry smile. As soon as Raydon realized that he was able to use his me Burst skill once more, heunched an assault on the opposing team in the same manner in which he had eliminated the previous mobs. When he got close enough, he saw the opposing team of five fighting two Irontooth Razorfin. This time, he observed that the foe was green, had pointed ears, and stood no more than one meter tall, and he reflected on this. ''''Aren''t they goblins? '''' And the response came to him very quickly. Raydon moved through this group of five green foes who had only just noticed him, and he scalded them all with his chain of ck mes in the same way that he had done to the fish mobs earlier. [Lv.9 Gob-Man(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 9 points.] [You gained 180 experience points.] ¡­ [Lv.8 Gob-Man(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 8 points.] [You gained 160 experience points.] .. [Lv.6 Gob-Man(F-Rank) has been killed.] ''Gob-Man? What a terrible sense of naming.'' He thought as he saw the name of the race. He was also pleased to see that his body enchantment doubled his experience of killing the opposing team. After eliminating everyone from the opposing team, Raydon went back to the location where they had been killed and collected the items before making his way back to the surface. Due to the fact that it would take so much time, he decided to leave behind a good number of the fish that had been killed earlier, which resulted in the match not producing a significant amount of loot for him. He ced a high value on the gold coins that could be obtained from the loot, but in light of the fact that he could double the number of experience points that he obtained, he made the decision to focus all of his efforts on gaining more experience points during this run. After collecting the items and returning to the surface, he continued his search for his next target, the Region Boss. And fortunately, without having to look very hard, he quickly located the HP bar at the bottom of the ocean, which most likely belonged to Region Boss. [1300/1300] ''''It appears that in an F-Rank match, my current HP is higher than that of the Region Boss. '''' *** Sorry guys, I''ve been a little busytely and haven''t had time to write. I will release an additional bonus chapter in the uing days to make up for the regr chapter that was absent yesterday. Thank you for your understanding. Chapter 174 Use It Or Not? [Lv.10 Algae Whale(E-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 100 points.] [You gained 2000 experience points.] [Congrattions; at the conclusion of the match, you will receive your reward for killing the region boss.] ''I think this was the easiest boss fight I''ve ever had. '' Raydon thought, looking at the huge body floating lifelessly before him. Its once vibrant green skin is now looked dull and lifeless. The long, sharp spikes that jutted out from its back and sides were surrounded by patches of decaying moss. The Moss Whale''s jaws were locked open, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth and a cavernous throat, that now lookedpletely ck because the fires burned it when it tried to eat Raydon. It didn''t take much for him to y this huge beast. While swimming towards this monster, the monster also tried to eat him as soon as it spotted him, but its sharp teeth couldn''t even hurt him because of Raydon''s current incredible defense, and it was instantly killed by being scalded from the inside out by the mes and rotting and burning under the curse of the ck mes. This time, Raydon started to swim slowly to the surface, holding the tail of the lifeless whale so that the boss''s body would not be wasted. The size of his existing dimensional storage was enough to contain this gigantic beast, but he didn''t want to risk flooding his storage by opening it underwater. After some effort, he finally returned to the surface with the whale''s body, and then, with some more effort, he crammed the whale''s entire body into his dimensional storage and continued his hunt. With the enemy team and now the Region boss out of the way, he could now focus entirely on farming experience. ¡ª [The match has ended.] [Winner Team: B7890-D4850] [¡­Based on the contribution, rewards are calcted.] [You gained gold coins: 313] [You gained item blueprint: Hat(White)] [You gained crafting material: Moss Veins(Green)] [Win streak: 6] ''''In the end, I was not able to beat my previous record. '''' A sigh escaped Raydon''s lips as he sat morosely on his bed in his dusty room, which was made even dustier by the sunlight streaming in through the window. Because of the presence of the ocean, he was unable to move through this region quickly enough and, as a result, was only able to defeat fewer mobs than he did in his previous match. Nevertheless, in spite of everything, the experience points he gained were greater than ever before because of his new body enchantment. ''''It''s not bad. I got 15.930 experience points. '''' Raydon grunted with glee. This happiness was not, in fact, due to therge number of experience points he had just acquired. In point of fact, these experience points were not sufficient for him to advance to the next level; however, the knowledge that they had been doubled made him happier and more optimistic about the future. ''''I hope there are as many mobs in this inheritance as possible. '''' Raydon remarked as he examined the inheritance key he had received from Fang. If there were anything that could help him collect the experience points necessary to level up right now, it would be his body enchantment and this inheritance that he was holding right now. These two thingsbined would be the best bet. [Inheritance Dimension Key] -Grade: White -Quality: N/A -Skill: Participate This key grants the user ess to The Granite King''s inheritance. Participation is limited to entities of F-Rank only. The event is limited to a single participant at a time, and the key will vanish once the inheritance is sessfullypleted. Raydon''s train of thought led him to wonder, "Should I use this now or wait until I get stronger?" Compared to the inheritance key Fehim had previously used on him, it was clear that this inheritance was inferior. First of all, only F-Rank item holders could take part in this inheritance. Even though Fehim was an E-Rank item holder at the time, he was still able to take part in the previous inheritance. Another distinction between this inheritance and the other is that it is intended for a single participant. With these two differences in mind, he believed this inheritance would be considerably simpler. ''''This time, however, there is a possibility that the time I can remain inside will not be extended. '''' Due to Raydon''s ash attribute, the duration of the previous inheritance was prolonged. Apart from the fact that it was caused by his ash attribute, he had no idea why this change had urred, and there was no guarantee that it would happen again in this inheritance. Raydon believed that he possessed the ability and experience necessary toplete this inheritance; however, the real problem he had in mind was that what he really wanted was to get the full benefit from it. He hoped to make the most of any opportunities to gain experience that might have been present inside. ''''This does not negate the fact that I am still an item holder focused on stamina despite the fact that my attack power has significantly increased thanks to my new skill and body enchantment. '''' Raydon waspletely confronted with a difficult choice. His logic told him to wait until he had made more preparations before using this key, but his sense of adventure as a gamer told him to get everything inside as soon as he could without waiting any longer. After a moment of serious and hard reflection, he gritted his teeth and muttered. ''''What the fuck am I thinking, anyway? If this doesn''t get me to the next level, I''ll look for another chanceter. '''' He finally decided not to wait any longer and uttered the required words to activate the inheritance. ''''Participate. '''' And right at that very instant, the marble-like object that was in Raydon''s hand abruptly disintegrated into a cloud of bare dust, transforming into a dimensional portal, and it closed by vacuuming Raydon''s body like a roll of toilet paper thrown into the toilet hole. Chapter 175 The Granite Legacy [You have entered an inheritance.] [Inheritance name: The Granite Legacy (F-Rank)] [Time until Inheritance ends: 2:59:59] [Caution!!! In this ce, death is permanent.] "Wow, this ce looks totally different." Raydon took a few moments to take in his surroundings before speaking. He was in the middle of a room that was quiterge, very bright, andpletely made of a kind of marble that was gray in color. There was an entrance in each of the room''s four walls, but the only thing he could see when he looked through any of them wasplete darkness. ''''Do I have to decide now which of these doors to go through? '''' Raydon pondered as he examined each of the four identical doors. Initially, he assumed that it was some kind of scenario in which only one of the doors was correct and the others were incorrect; however, he eventually let go of that notion. ''''There doesn''t appear to be any sort of puzzle that would require me to figure out which door to pick. It looks like I have to go to every room and im the reward within the next three hours. '''' Based on his previous gaming experiences, Raydon made his guess. It is likely that the previous owner of this inheritance hid a reward behind each of these doors, and in order for him to im these rewards, he will need to ovee the challenges that are hidden behind the doors. Assuming that this assumption was correct, he picked a door and started walking in that direction immediately. He was now standing right in front of the door, but all he could see was pitch ckness on the other side of it. ''Probably only once I''m inside will I be able to see what''s inside. '' After some consideration, he proceeded through the door. *BAM* As soon as Raydon went through the door, he heard a very loud noise behind him, and when he turned around to look, he noticed that the stone door that he had just gone through was now closed. He mumbled, "Looks like I won''t be able to get out of here until the time is up or I''m past this stage," and he turned once more to face what awaited him. Raydon stood at the threshold of a mysteriousnd, which was a vast expanse of yellow sand. In the far distance, he could make out a single marble pedestal resting on firm ground. The stand was adorned with intricate designs, elegant curves, and patterns, etched with great care and attention to detail. Perched atop the pedestal was arge and imposing chest, crafted from the same marble material as the stand. The chest had a tightly shut lid, its surface smooth and polished to a high shine, reflecting the surrounding sand and sky. Standing alone in the midst of the yellow sand in, there was nothing else in sight except for the endless stretch of sand dunes. Not even the sound of the wind could be heard. Raydon felt anticipation and curiosity well up inside of him as he took in the scene. ''Looks like my reward is inside that chest. '' He murmured and concentrated on the sands that made up the path to his goal. It appeared as though there was no danger around, and he could simply walk up to the chest and open it. However, Raydon was aware that the peril of this stage would originate from the vast amount of sand that was in front of him. ''So, as soon as I step into this sand, will the sand turn into monsters and attack me? '' He muttered once more before taking his first step with a great deal of apprehension. He was willing to take on any kind of monster so long as he could gain the experience he needed. However, despite the fact that he had high expectations, those expectations were dashed the moment his foot made contact with the sand. "Damn, what kind of shabby stage is this? Where is the horde of sand monsters that are supposed to attack me? '''' When Raydon noticed that the sand was too soft and was drawing his feet in like a swamp, he began cursing. It was obvious that the obstacle he needed to ovee in this stage would be to find a way to get past the soft sand and make his way to the stone chest that contained the prize. "So, how am I supposed to get over this sand now?" He forced himself to ignore his disappointment and instead started to think of a solution. Hecked a skill that would allow him to fly over the sand, and it was clear that even if he tried to jump using me Burst, he wouldn''t be able to reach the distant hard ground. "Wait a second. Isn''t this sand? If this works, I can make a road for myself,'''' Raydon reasoned. He then chanted while pointing his hand toward the sand. ''''me Burst. '''' The intense heat caused by the ck mes that were being expelled from Raydon''s hand caused the sand to start burning and melting. He was able to see, despite the thickening cloud of smoke, the sand melting away piece by piece until it was transformed into a brilliant glow. ''''It looks like this method will work. '''' Raydon''s face lit up with satisfaction as he continued to use his me Burst ability for a full thirty seconds. He watched the transformation of the sand in front of him into a structure that was shiny and transparent with eager anticipation. The smoke that had initially filled the air was now dispersed, revealing the beautiful ss structure thaty beneath it. Raydon had sessfully used his me Burst skill to turn the sand into ss. He walked out onto the sand, which hadpletely transformed into ss in front of him. When he stood on it, he observed with satisfaction that the newly formed ss did not dissolve into the sand. ''''Now that I know how to cross the sand safely. However, it appears that getting to the chest will take some time. '''' Chapter 176 Second Stage Even though Raydon''s me Burst skill had been improved thanks to the newly upgraded Ashen Heart, he anticipated that this stage would take a lot of time for him toplete because the distance he needed to travel was so great. Additionally, after the sand had melted and been molded into a solid form, he had to wait for it to cool down before proceeding further. ''If I had some sort of ability that would enable me to fly, I wouldn''t have to put in as much effort. '' He said while heaving a sigh. Unfortunately, having only five magic equipment slots prevented him from acquiring every skill he needed. Since there was nothing else for Raydon to do, he continued to advance while using his me Burst skill to burn the sand. ¡ª ''Finally, I''m about to finish this boring stage. '' Raydon said as he surveyed the stone floor and the stone chest that stood only a few meters away from him. It took him 20 minutes to get here, even though he didn''t stop moving the whole time. Raydon, disheartened that he had wasted so much time but had not gained any experience points as a result, eventually took a step onto the stone floor. "I really hope the reward is something that''s going to be worth my time." He took a wary nce in all directions to determine whether or not there were any other potential threats nearby. After determining that there was nothing that could put him in harm''s way, he approached the stone chest. ''I really hope that I won''t have to smash it in order to get it open. '' He thought. He extended his hand, grabbed the lid of the chest''s sides, and lifted it. Fortunately, there was no lock on the chest, so it wasn''t necessary to break open the lid. The lid slowly creaked open, revealing the treasures inside with a deep rumbling sound. As he took in the contents of the chest, Raydon''s eyes grew wider. ''''Apparently, the trouble was worthwhile. '''' Heughed as he said this while looking at the five storage expansion orbs that were contained inside the chest. As their size would suggest, all of them were white-grade, but Raydon could not have cared less about that fact. Even though he already possesses eight green-grade expansion orbs, in order to get the most out of them, he had to first bring the total capacity of his dimensional storage up to one hundred square meters. He tossed them into his dimensional storage with a contented grin on his face before getting ready to proceed to the next stage. "Do I have to return the same way I came?" Raydon wondered as he looked ahead at the stretch of ss road that had been awkwardlyid out on the sand and was glowing in the dim light. Returning would take some time even if he didn''t have to build the road from scratch. *Rumble* As he pondered whether the door that had closed behind him when he arrived was now open, a jolt on the ground and a noise behind him startled him. ''''Huh? '''' He was taken aback when he turned in the direction of the rumbling sound and discovered that a door that appeared to be the same door he hade through was located exactly where the chest had been moments earlier. ''''Now that is a generous move. '''' With a grin on his face, Raydon stepped inside. Despite the fact that he once again had no idea whaty beyond the door other than ckness, he was confident that this was the door that would lead him to the next stage or back to where he started from, and he was relieved that he wouldn''t have to backtrack his way. And everything went ording to his expectations. As soon as he walked through the door, he found himself in the same room he had been in when he first arrived at this inheritance. Raydon gave the room''s four walls another thorough inspection and discovered that the door to the stage he had most recently finished wasn''t where it was supposed to be. ''''It seems I was right in my assumption. There are still three stages for me to go through, and I have just over two and a half hours left. '''' He muttered, and without wasting any time, he chose a door at random and continued. As soon as Raydon stepped through the door, he discovered that he had been transported to an entirely new location, just as he had done in the earlier stage. He looked around and noticed the walls were lined with glistening crystals that were both sharp and jagged. As he cautiously made his way forward, he became aware of thebyrinthine structure that was ahead of him,plete with winding corridors and dead ends. Raydon murmured, "Is this a maze?" as he explored the dungeon. The air was filled with a musty smell, and he could feel the coolness of the damp stones under his feet. As he progressed, he heard the sound of dripping water echoing through the tunnels. ''''What, all I have to do is follow the correct path and receive my reward? '''' Raydon said grumpily, noticing the stillness of his surroundings and the fact that the only challenge he faced was the confusingyout of the hallways. As was the case in the stage before this one, it appeared that there was no experience point source nearby in this stage. ''''What a disappointment. '''' Raydon said this and continued walking to locate the correct corridor. However, he soon became aware of something and stopped. ''''What is this sound? '''' He eventually came to the realization that the sound of reverberating drops of water and the biting wind that was blowing through thisbyrinth were not the only things that made up the lively aspects of this maze. The sound made him think of a handful of stones being thrown onto the ground and rolling around. Raydon stopped to investigate the source of the sound that was drawing nearer and nearer to him, and soon he realized that the source wasing from the direction of the corridor''s end. Chapter 177 Finally Some Experience Points ''''What the hell are those? '''' Rolling rapidly towards Raydon from the opposite direction were five boulders that appeared to be crystals simr to those covering the walls. He observed the crystal balls rolling towards him side by side and realized that the only way to avoid them was to turn around and run, as the corridor was too narrow for him to dodge to the left or right. ''''I don''t believe that a few crystals rolling toward me will be enough to cause any harm. '''' Following his statement, Raydon pulled his shortsword from his dimensional storage. ''''Spirit Wave. '''' He activated his skill and swung his sword at the crystals that were rolling towards him. The wave of ck smoke that emanated from his sword quickly collided with the crystal ball in the middle, and it then dispersed into the surrounding air. "They appear to be quite sturdy." Raydon mused to himself when he observed that his skill did not deal any damage and did not even slow down the target. He dered, "I have absolutely no intention of going back." ''''Rusty Chain. '''' Raydon, standing still, swung his one-meter-long chain that looked ordinary and rusty onto one of the crystal ledges to his right and tied it securely, before doing the same with the other end and attaching it to a crystal bulge on his left. As he waited patiently for the crystal balls toe rolling towards him, gaining speed with each passing moment, he made sure that both ends of the chain were securely anchored to the crystals on his right and left. He had made the decision to use his own body to stop these crystal balls; however, his strength stat was insufficient for the task, so he would use the chain to support himself so that he would not be thrown back by the blow from the crystal balls. Raydon believed his defense was sufficient to stop these balls, and he had no desire to run back all the way. Moreover, he could simply lie on the ground and wait for these balls to pass over him if he relied on his defense; however, there was another crucial factor that led him to confront them head-on with his chains. As these crystal balls drew nearer, Raydon¡ªwhose Death Sense skill has been active from the very beginning¡ªmade a startling discovery. The HP bars on these crystal balls. His skill normally allowed him to see the HP bars of all living things while ignoring obstacles, but the HP bars didn''t appear until the rolling balls got close to him. ''I believe that in this dimension, the application of investigative-type skills is constrained. '' He thought. He was relieved to have atst located a source of experience points. Raydon prepared for impact by gripping the chain with both hands as the crystal balls came closer. As the balls got closer and closer, he could feel the ground shaking beneath him. The ball''s momentum was picking up speed with every second that went by. *Crash* The balls mmed into Raydon''s body and the chain with a deafening thud, sending a shockwave through his system. The force of the impact shook him to his very core, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to hang on. The weight of the ball caused the chain to stretch, but it managed to maintain its integrity, preventing him from being thrown backwards by the impact of the blow. Because Raydon has such a high level of stamina, the chain was able to withstand the impact without breaking; however, the crystals to which the chains were attached came dangerously close to shattering; fortunately, they maintained their hold as well. He eximed, "Whew, this blow shook me," as he looked at the five crystal balls that appeared to berger than himself and had finally lost all momentum and stood still in front of him. His body had taken the blow like a champ and continued to function normally. During the time that Raydon was congratting himself on the robustness of his body, the shape of these crystals that resembled balls began to gradually shift. Initially, as the crystal balls emitted a cracking sound, they began to tremble and shake as if they were attempting to escape their rocky exterior. Cracks started to show up on the surface of the crystals gradually but surely. After that, first the arms, then the legs, and finally the head emerged, and the crystalspletely transformed into golems made of crystal. ''''Ah, so that exins why they have HP bars.'''' Raydon mused as he stood in front of them and observed the crystal golems exercising their muscles and examining their joints to ensure that everything was operating as it should. After a brief moment of observation of the golems, heunched the first attack before allowing the golems to have their turn. A burst of ck mes engulfed the chain in his hand, and the already-cracked crystal spikes gave way to allow the chain to fall free. After aiming at one of the golems, Raydon swung his ming chain straight at it. The chain became entangled with the head of one of the golems, and the crystal head, apanied by ck mes, first darkened, then developed cracks, and finally shattered. ''They''re not very sturdy, it seems. '' When Raydon realized his assault was sessful, he reflected on it. In fact, the reason his attack was sessful was not because golems had a poor defense; on the contrary, golems had a high defense; however, the curse and dark mes of Raydon''s chain lowered their defense, which eventually led to them being easily shattered by the heat of the mes. [Lv.1 Crystal Golem(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 20 experience.] He checked the number of experience points he had gained on the system message before quickly defeating the remaining golems in the same manner. ''''I really hope that there will be more of these. '''' Raydon said as he gathered the shattered crystals from the ground and ced them in his dimensional storage. He needed more than just 5 monsters to reach his main objective of gaining experience points from this inheritance. Chapter 178 Diamond Form After finishing the assignment of collecting the crystal shards, Raydon continued along the corridor in the direction that he had been heading. In the meantime, there were two more stages that needed to bepleted, and time was running out, so he was running forward at full speed when he suddenly stopped when he heard a voice that was familiar to him. After a period of time during which he was only hearing the noises, Raydon eventually noticed the crystal balls and remarked, "Nice, more experience points are rolling in." Knowing that his Rusty Chain skill and his ck mes were highly effective against the seemingly solid bodies of these monsters, Raydon dispatched these crystal golems quickly using the same method. ''It''s likely that these monsters wouldn''t perish so easily if they were E-Rank. ''As he gathered the broken pieces from the floor, Raydon reflected. It would appear that these monsters were designed from the ground up with a focus on their defensive capabilities, as evidenced by the fact that they have exceptionally high defenses for an F-Rank enemy. As he progressed further into the maze, he continued to consciously head in the same directions from which the crystal golems had attacked him. It was the only thing in thisbyrinth that indicated or pointed in the direction that should be followed. ¡ª "Damn, It shouldn''t have ended so soon." Raydon had been walking through a series of narrow corridors for the past half an hour when he finally emerged from one of the corridors and into arge chamber that was very different from the corridors he had been walking in. There appeared to be no way in or out of this chamber aside from the corridor he hade from, and in the very center of it, on a white crystal tform, was a chest made of crystal that was bluer and brighter in color than any crystal he had seen before. This chest''s discovery by Raydon signaled the end of the stage. Actually, he was relieved to havepleted that stage because there were two more stages after this one, and he had already spent almost forty minutes on this one. However, the unfortunate thing was that during those forty minutes, he had killed more than two hundred crystal golems, and he wasn''t sure if he would be able to face that many monsters in other stages. As he got closer to this area, the number of crystal golems began to increase, and they began attacking more frequently as well. Eventually, Raydon was able to take out a significant number of them. ''''Anyway, if I want to level up, I''ll have to fight off a lot more monsters than this inter stages. '''' Raydon sighed and approached the chest. This time, he proceeded directly to the chest and opened the lid because havingpleted the first stage, he was aware that there was no other danger. ''''This looks fancy. '''' When he saw what was inside the chest, he spoke while raising his brows. It was a bright, diamond with a bone-like shape. ''''Let me guess¡­ This is a body enchantment, right?'''' Raydon chuckled, confirming his prediction with the system message that appeared as soon as he picked up the diamond bone. [Diamond Form] -Grade: Green -Quality: N/A -Skill: Body Enchantment The bones and muscles of a person develop a gem quality, toughening up to the level of diamonds, and gaining 100% more power and endurance. ''''Isn''t this very good? '''' He eximed with surprise. Even though it was only green grade, it was fantastic that this body enchantment feature doubled the user''s strength and stamina. In order to significantly improve their overall stats, body enchantments were essential for item holders. The enhancement in the user''s strength and stamina brought about by the gem quality in their bones and muscles did not involve a doubling of their total number of stat points but rather a doubling of the impact of their stats. It was actually the same as having twice the strength and stamina of their core body, and this was before taking into ount any additional stat points that they had acquired through leveling up. The fact that Raydon''s core body strength and stamina were also factors that affected his stats, however, meant that the doubling effect would also make each point of Raydon''s strength and stamina stats twice as effective as they had been before. This indicated that even though the amount of his strength and stamina stats would remain the same and not increase, Raydon''s overall strength and stamina would be significantly boosted, which would result in great strength prowess as well as stamina. The fact that Raydon currently possesses only one strength stat means that this enhancement won''t have much of an impact on him, but due to the fact that his stamina stat is quite high, he will receive the benefit of having at least twice as much durability on his body as he did before. For item holders, body enchantments were crucial because of this. The stats of item holders are strengthened by body enchantments, which also increase the potency of their stat-based skills. He mumbled, "Even though my defense is already quite high, it wouldn''t hurt to increase it even further. However, I would rather use a blue-grade body enchantment." The only blue-grade body enchantment he''s ever used was Emberheart, which was absorbed by Ashen Heart and downgraded to green-grade after use. ''''I wish I had at least 1 blue grade item. '''' He said dejectedly. A cane that he discovered during one of his previous matches was the only blue-grade item that he owned in addition to the blue-grade materials, and the cane did not have a skill that was suitable for Raydon either. ''''Anyway, I suppose what I currently have isn''t too bad. Additionally, I can choose my next item set in ordance with whether I can unlock another stat after leveling up. '''' Raydon murmured as he stared at the stone door emerging from the ground in front of him. Chapter 179 Farming Experience Points After going through the door, Raydon found himself back in the room he had been in previously. The room, which had a total of four doors before, now only has two of them. ''''On the whole, I have about two more hours. 1 hour for each stage,'''' Raydon said, and without wasting any time, he headed towards one of the doors to proceed to the next stage. As he walked through the door, a heavy smell of mud greeted him, its earthy scent filling his nostrils. When he looked up ahead, he saw that the walls and floor of the long corridor thaty before him were covered in a thickyer of mud. It was difficult to see very far ahead due to the dim lighting and the thick air that smelled musty and had a feeling of being damp. "This ce seems very gloomy," Raydon said as he peered down the murky, low-lit passageway. Even if there hadn''t been an unpleasant odor present, the feeling of the breeze on his skin would have been sufficient to induce a normal person to tremble. He took a few cautious steps into the muck, feeling the squelch of the mud beneath his boots. As he made his way down the silent corridor, the only sound that could be heard was the squelching of the mud under his feet. The ceiling was so low that it was only a few centimeters above his head, and the walls were uneven and rough, giving the impression that they had been carved directly out of the earth. "This mud seems like it will be a problem," Raydon was moving slowly and carefully because his steps were getting stuck in the mud. Moreover, as he made some headway, he observed that the mud was bing heavier and stickier, thereby increasing the difficulty of movement. "I think now is the right time to turn my disadvantage into an advantage. I hope it works. '''' He chuckled to himself, and the mud at his feet started to dry as it darkened and smoke rose. Due to the fact that it followed the same logic as a skill, the heat that emanated from Raydon''s body did not cause the boots on his feet to be damaged. After all, if the skill used by the item holders caused damage to the item to which the skill was attached, then the majority of items would be destroyed after only a single use of the skill. Therefore, Raydon''s use of his skills did not cause him any harm, nor did it cause any harm to the items that were bound to him. After the mud had dried and turned to sand, Raydon was able to easily pull his foot out. ''''If I don''t count the smoke, my movement will be easier,'''' Raydon said, inhaling the foul-smelling smoke that had filled the narrow corridor. However, he had little difficulty with this smoke. If he wanted to, he could continue to hold his breath; in addition, it wasn''t thick enough to obstruct his vision. He was making his way down the corridor much more easily at this point when he started to notice movement in the mud in front of him. At first, he thought it was just the asional ripple of the bubbling mud, but then he saw the mud slowly rise and take a shape. After only a short period of time, the mud in front of Raydon underwent a dramatic transformation, transforming into monstrous mud creatures that stood approximately one meter in height each. They were short and stocky, with lumpy bodies and beady eyes, and they moved through the mud at an extremely sluggish pace. Even though Raydon''s Death Sense skill was always active, he was unable to see the HP bars until the mud monsters had fully formed. Obviously, there was indeed a strong barrier blocking Raydon''s investigative-type skill. But that didn''t really matter to him, and nothing could bring him down from the high mode he was currently in. ''''Finally, something that will allow me to gain experience. '''' He said in a cheery manner and used his skill. ''''me Burst. '''' In an instant, ck mes engulfed the corridor ahead of Raydon, setting fire to the mud monsters. [Lv.1 ycreeper(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 20 experience.] ¡­ [Lv.1 ycreeper(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 20 experience.] .. [Lv.1 ycreeper(F-Rank) has been killed.] . [You gained 20 experience.] ''''This is perfect. '''' When Raydon saw the system messages after his 30-second mes had gone out, he let out a shout of joy. In that short amount of time, he had eliminated 40 ycreepers. ''''There must be more where thesee from, right? '''' He observed in the corridor that the mud had beenpletely transformed into ck sand as a result of the fire. His mes were so powerful that they obliterated several meters of mud in front of him and even killed the ycreepers before they had even formed. Raydon had to hold his breath this time as a result of the smoke, and the smoke''s increasing density further hampered his already limited vision. Despite this, he kept moving forward in the same direction. He began to engulf the corridor in ck mes once more after a minute had passed and his me Burst skill had turned on. ''''me Burst. '''' [Lv.1 ycreeper(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 20 experience.] ¡­ [Lv.1 ycreeper(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 20 experience.] .. [Lv.1 ycreeper(F-Rank) has been killed.] . [You gained 20 experience.] ''''Now this is farming in the truest sense, hahaha. '''' As he observed the 52 ovepping system messages, Raydon eximed with delight. ''''Cough¡­Cough¡­ '''' ''Perhaps it''s best if I express my joy silently.'' He began coughing from inhaling the thick cloud of smoke that filled the entire hallway. Thankfully, he had the stamina to run for hours without stopping for breaths of oxygen. And right now, all he wanted was for this stage to go on as long as it could. Chapter 180 Last Stage ''''me Burst. '''' [Lv.1 ycreeper(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 20 experience.] ... [Lv.1 ycreeper(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 20 experience.] .. [Lv.1 ycreeper(F-Rank) has been killed.] "Good, with these, my overall kill total has reached 2438 at this stage." Raydon thought happily. He had been walking down this narrow corridor for nearly an hour while holding his breath, and now he had even closed his eyes because the thick cloud of smoke that covered the entire corridor had obscured his vision to the point where he could no longer see the tip of his own nose. His entire strategy consisted of using me Burst to torch everything in his way, then continuing on his way until he could use the skill again. ''I hope the chest is sturdy enough to withstand my mes,'' Raydon thought. Without frontal vision, he had no idea if he was getting close to the chest, and if he did, the chest would likely be burned by his mes. ''''me Burst. '''' [Lv.1 ycreeper(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 20 experience.] ... [Lv.1 ycreeper(F-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 20 experience.] ''I only killed two? '' Raydon was taken aback to learn that he only received the system message twice. '' Maybe I''ve finished the stage and gotten to the chest.'' Previously, every time he used the me Burst skill, he would kill at least 50 ycreepers. The fact that he is now only killing 2, however, can only have one cause. Raydon had sessfullypleted the stage and was now inside the chest room. As soon as Raydon came to this understanding, he started walking in a dejected manner, and he soon came to a stop when he encountered an obstruction in his path. ''''Fuck... cough... this is really the chest...Cough....cough. '''' He used his hands to get a sense of what was obstructing his path, and then he muttered a curse. By the time he reached the chest, he had killed so many ycreepers in an hour that he became depressed upon realizing that the farming was over. He opened the chest, scooped up whatever he couldn''t see, and tossed it into his dimensional storage, all in the hopes of gaining more experience in the next stage. *Rumble* After he heard the sound of the chest being removed and the door being raised in its ce, he moved forward and eventually emerged from this smoke-filled area. When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the room where he had started. Raydon exhaled deeply and announced with a sigh, "There is only one stage left now." "Let''s see what I gained from this stage." And before proceeding, he decided to take a look at what he had won. When he reached into his dimensional storage, he found that his arm waspletely ck. Then he noticed that the smoke from earlier had left a ck residue all over his body. The smoke had even stained his face, which he couldn''t see at the moment. ''''Well, once I get out of here, I guess I''ll need a good shower. '''' As he spoke, Raydon took the previous stage''s reward out of his dimensional storage. [Earth Guardian''s Breastte] -Grade: Green -Quality: Excellent -Skill: Guardian''s Wall The user controls all mineral types in the environment, fortifying and transforming them into defensive barriers. The durability of the barrier varies based on the user''s stamina stat. The duration varies based on the user''s spirit stat. -Mana cost: 400 -Duration: 1 hour. -Cooldown: 10 seconds. He remarked, eyeing the y-like breastte in his hand, "Wow, this skill looks good." This skill was clearly of the defensive type and appeared to be excellent for shielding groups. Given that Raydon does not require a defensive skill at this time, particrly for group one, he naturally tossed it into his dimensional storage before proceeding to the final door in order to move on to the subsequent stage. ''''Only one more hour remains; I guess it will be enough. '''' Raydon entered the door with great anticipation. He had only amassed a hair over 50.000 experience points up to this point, and he was still in need of a significant amount of experience in order to advance in levels. If he was unable to obtain what he desired at this stage, he would have to continue looking for it at ater time through other inheritances or other means. When he arrived at the location of the final stage, he looked around and eximed with excitement. "I really hope theye to life and attack me." The sight of hundreds of stone soldiers standing in a perfectly straight line was the first thing that caught his attention. Each individual soldier wore armor that was uniquely designed, some of which featured spikes while others featured intricate etchings. The armor was made of stone, but it looked like it had been crafted by the finest cksmiths. Their weapons were also made of stone, but they were as sharp as any metal weapon Raydon had ever seen. Some held swords, while others wielded spears or axes. The stone soldiers werepletely motionless, but Raydon could sense a certain level of power emanating from them. Despite their stone appearance, he could see that they were crafted with great care, each one perfectly symmetrical and proportionate. Their faces were expressionless, yet they gave off an intimidating aura. It was clear that these stone soldiers were not mere decorations, but rather a formidable force to be reckoned with. He tried to use his Death Sense skill to see the HP bars of these soldiers, but it did not work. It seemed like his investigative-type skill was ineffective in this stage as well, just like in the previous ones. He averted his gaze from the motionless soldiers and turned his attention to the wide staircase thaty ahead behind the soldiers. It was a massive structure that resembled a pyramid, and the staircase seemed to be the only path forward, at the very top, Raydon could see a chest that shone in a brilliant gold color. Chapter 181 Getting Stronger With A Combo After giving the soldiers a moment''s worth of his attention while they stood immobile, Raydon started to think. ''They will probably attack as soon as I start moving. '' He could only currently see the soldiers in front of him as the only obstacle. It appeared that the only thing he needed to do was get around the stone soldiers and make his way to the treasure chest that was located behind them. Naturally, Raydon''s objective was not merely to acquire the chest; rather, he sought to eliminate all of these soldiers and rue experience points. ''''Rusty Chain.'''' As he stood still, he activated his skill. After observing that the soldiers were continuing to stand perfectly still, Raydon made the decision tounch the first assault. His goal was to verify whether or not these stone soldiers were truly as sturdy as they appeared. First, he activated the mes on his chain and threw it at the stone soldier closest to him. *Rumble* *Rumble** "Yes, wake up and hand over all your experience points." When Raydon''s chain reached the stone soldier and wrapped around its body, he saw that the other soldiers suddenly began to move with a loud rumbling. When he saw this, he knew his assumption was right, and he let out a delighted shout. The excitement, however, did notst. ''''Are you kidding me? '''' He watched as all of the stone soldiers gradually came to life and made their way towards him in slow movements; however, this was not the reason that he was taken aback. The thing that shocked Raydon was when the stone soldier bound by his ming chain grabbed the chain and began to pull it away from its body as if it were a piece of string. He was unprepared for the soldier''s strength and resilience, and he quickly realized that he would need a new approach if he was going to be able to defeat these stone soldiers. ''''Even the crystal golems I''ve previously encountered were not as resilient as these. What are these? '''' Raydon said as he pulled back on his now-loose chain. The only damage that was done to the stone soldier was a slight darkening of the stone body caused by the mes and curse effect, as well as a few small cracks where the chain had be entangled in the stone soldier''s body. Raydon''s strongest attack power at the time was this chain, but it was clearly insufficient to defeat these things. ''If I want to defeat a stone soldier using this strategy, I will most likely need to attack the same location multiple times. However, the process will take a long time. '' He kept thinking as he evaded a stone arrow that was aimed at him. *Bang* With a loud crash, the closed door behind Raydon was struck by the stone arrow, shattering it. Evidently, the arrow''s power wasn''t sufficient to harm Raydon, but it would be sufficient to shake his frail body. ''Still weaker than those from the Golden Skeleton''s inheritance. '' Raydon evaded a second arrow while he contemted the approaching soldiers. The soldiers were very slow in their movements. Obviously, this stage does not necessitate anybat with these soldiers, as the objective was to avoid them and open the gold chest. However, he had already begun formting a n to eliminate these stone soldiers, which it appeared would be impossible for a normal F-Rank item holder to do. He started running away from the stone soldiers who had gotten very close to him while he tightly gripped the end of the chain in his right hand and started wrapping it around his arm. With great care, Raydon wrapped the 1-meter-long chain around his hand and shoulder, making sure it was firmly secured and wouldn''t slip. He took his time to ensure that the chain would stay in ce throughout his battle. After that, he set the mes on the chain and the burning effect on his own body into motion. ''''Wow, I think I look cool. '''' Raydon chuckled. The chain, which waspletely wrapped around his right arm, was burning with ck mes, and Raydon''s every step now left ash footprints behind him as he kept running. ''And I need more strength in order to be certain that my attacks will be sessful. '' After giving it some thought, he decided to use the strategy he had sessfully employed in the past against opponents who outmatched his strength. As Raydon continued to run and avoid the weapons that were being swung at him, his heartbeat quickened and became so intense that it was now audible from a considerable distance away. His previously white skin gradually darkened into a grayish hue over time. His crooked grin was apanied by a puff of ckish steam from the gaps in his tightly closed teeth, giving the impression that he was on fire from the inside out. Shortly after that, dark mes started to emerge from his body as well. His hair stood on end and writhed in a way that resembled a living mass of ck fire that danced with every movement he made. As the mes surged and licked at the air, they produced a menacing aura that enshrouded him like a cloak of darkness. ''''What the fuck is going on with my body?'''' *BANG* Raydon took a moment to pause, dumbfounded by the rapid changes that were urring in his body, and was then knocked away by a sledgehammer. As a result of the force of the blow, Raydon''s body ricocheted off the ground a few meters away beforeing to a stop. He got back up after being knocked down and mumbled, "Shit their strength is also very high," as if the blow had no effect on him. After that, he focused his attention once again on himself. He was attempting to make sense of the change that had taken ce in his physical form. ''''Is this a result of using the berserker technique? My body enchantment and techniquebined? '''' Chapter 182 [Bonus ] Granite Soldier ''''Is this a result of using the berserker technique? My body enchantment and techniquebined? '''' At the time, Raydon was unable to think of any other possibility other than this one. Also, his right arm, which was wrapped with the chain, was burning so intensely that it seemed as if it was getting the fuel it needed from his body. He murmured with a gleeful expression on his face, ''I think I unintentionally discovered a newbo, '' and he smiled widely. In the end, he formed abo bybining the enchantment on his body with his skill and technique, just like all of the other powerful and veteran item holders do. "Let''s put its strength to the test," Raydon said as his enthusiasm for this newly discoveredbo grew. He shifted his focus to the stone soldier, who was moving toward him at a speed that would be considered fast by a normal person but was actually quite slow for an item holder. He then wrapped his right fist in a ball of ck mes that were intertwined with chains and lunged forward tounch an attack. Raydon tried to dash forward with a sudden thrust of his right foot, propelling himself with all of his body weight. But... ''''Shit... '''' His attempt to lunge forward was interrupted when his weighted foot unexpectedly shattered and melted the stone floor. As a result, Raydon lost his bnce and was forced to stagger in order to stop his attack. "It seems that the stone that makes up the floor cannot withstand the heat of my body,'''' Raydon snorted. Given that the berserker technique is apletely primitive and brute force fighting style, Raydon did not use a different movement technique and moved only on his instincts to smash. However, when this brute force was added to the already destructive power of his body, he realized that he had to act more thoughtfully, thinking in a way that would not be appropriate for a berserker. The feeling of impulsive attack and destruction that was given to Raydon as a result of his berserker technique was repressed by him, which resulted in his technique bing somewhat calmer. When he adjusted his technique in this way, the mes on his body and on his arm gradually diminished in intensity by about half. As he watched the power of his mes dwindle, he sighed and said, "If my agility were slightly better, I wouldn''t need to nerf my technique." As of right now, his body was able to withstand the power of his newly formedbo form because he had a high stamina stat; however, because he did not have the speed and flexibility to control this power, he was forced to reduce it to half in order to move more bnced. Raydon uttered, "Anyway, I hope this will still be enough," and then he once more assumed an attacking stance, attacking the stone soldier who had already gotten close to him. This time, his dash to the stone soldier was wless because he was able to better control his bnce and cause less damage to the ground with his step. By ducking his head, Raydon was able to avoid being hit by the stone soldier''s slow sword attack. He then mmed his right fist into its exposed stomach. *Bang* After Raydon''s ck-med fist collided with the stone soldier''s stone armor, the mes radiated outward, causing the stone soldier to be thrown backwards while its stone armor was shattered and charred. ''Evidently, a single blow will not suffice. '' When he realized that his technique, which required him to reduce its strength by half because he couldn''t quite control it, wasn''t enough to kill the stone soldier with a single blow, he felt disheartened. However, he quickly gathered himself because even this blow had surpassed his expectations. Raydon observed the stone soldier, who was just beginning to rise from the ground, and then deftly sidestepped the attacks of the other soldiers surrounding him beforeunching his second assault. *Bang* He punched the stone body beneath the already shattered stone armor with the same force as before, and this time he got the system message saying that his attack had killed the soldier for good. [Lv.12 Granite Soldier(E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 2400 experience points.] ''''Holy... 2400 experience points? '''' Even though Raydon had a good idea that these beings were E-Ranks, he was still taken aback by the number of experience points he was awarded. *Bang* As he looked at the system message with surprise and joy, he swept away once more, this time with a powerful sword blow from his back. ''''Damn... Come...I swear I will destroy you all until I reach the next level. '''' After being knocked off bnce, Raydon quickly got back on his feet, retook an offensive stance, andughed in a devilish manner. He mentally added up the potential experience points he could earn. With over a hundred of these stone soldiers surrounding him, Raydon would undoubtedly level up right now if even one of them gave him 2400 experience points. ''''Depart. '''' He didn''t waste any time and immediately activated his movement-type skill, which would give him greater control over his attacks and movements by increasing his speed. After a quick check of his remaining time on the system revealed that he still had plenty of time, his grin widened even more as he lunged at the stone soldier charging at him with a spear. Raydon avoided the stone soldier''s thrusting spear and instead mmed his right fist into its left nk with devastating force. *Bang* His attack was more well-rounded and targeted this time, and the Granite Soldier took more damage as a result; however, it still, wasn''t enough to bring it down with a single blow, so he charged in once more before the soldier could even recover from the first. *Bang* [Lv.12 Granite Soldier(E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 2400 experience points.] "Hahahaha, today is the day that I finally reach the next level." *Bang* Again, Raydon''s excitement caused him to momentarily lose focus, and an arrow to the back of the head sent him tumbling forward. *** Monthly Goals Every; 300 Power stones (on a weekly basis)= 1 extra chapter (1/5) 75 Golden Tickets= 1 extra chapter (4/5) *The rest wille in the next few days.* Chapter 183 *DING* [955/2800] Raydon checked the HP of the Granite Soldier, who had been knocked to the ground by his ming fist, in order to assess the extent of the damage he had done. As soon as the Granite Soldiers began to move, Raydon''s formerly ineffective Death Sense skill began to fully function once more. However, despite the fact that it was once again functional, it was no longer useful to use it as an investigative type of skill in order to locate the monsters. Instead, he was attempting to determine how much destructive power his newly discoveredbo possessed. ''As I had anticipated, both their defense and HP are quite high. It''s highly likely that a single attack from me right now will be sufficient to take out the region boss in the F-Rank match. '' While deliberating, Raydon delivered a second fist blow, killing the soldier as he struggled to its feet. [Lv.12 Granite Soldier(E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 2400 experience points.] ''''Nice. '''' He eximed triumphantly and proceeded to the subsequent granite soldier. Thanks to the soldiers he killed, Raydon had now fully stacked his Depart skill, and with the additional attack and movement speed he now had, he was able to farm much more quickly and efficiently. ¡ª [Lv.12 Granite Soldier(E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 2400 experience points.] *DING* ''''This is what I''m thinking? '''' Ignoring the granite soldier that was lying on the ground in front of him with its head smashed, Raydon let out a sudden cry of excitement when he heard the voice of the system, which was different from the voice he had always heard. This system message could only have one meaning, and it was the one he had been waiting for ever since he first arrived on this. ''Have I leveled up? '' While avoiding the iing mace attack, Raydon thought. *Bang* After he used his fist to knock out the granite soldier who was attacking him, he made the decision to look at the character panel. ]: B7890-D4850 [Race]: Human [Name]: Raydon Demugen [Title]: Master of All [Level]: 1 [Rank]: F (Grey) [Experience]: 1.000.124/ 1.000.000 [HP]: 3600 (Attribute(s): Ash) [MP]: 2210 (Attribute(s): Ash) [Strength]: 1 [Agility]: 1 [Stamina]: 60 [Luck]: 1 [Charisma]: 1 [Spirit]: 1 ''''What? I''m still level 1? '''' Raydon was taken aback when he discovered that his level was still 1. This was especially the case after he checked his experience points. *Bang* He delivered the killing blow to the granite soldier, who he had just knocked to the ground with his fist, while he was checking the character panel at the same time. ''There''s something wrong here. Or do I need to raise my level manually? '' Raydon thought. He then made the decision to open the system messages and view the most recent message. And when he saw the message that the system had given him, he understood that what he had been thinking was not entirely incorrect. ''So it''s about my title again, huh? '' [Congrattions! The requirements have been met. Check the title panel to proceed.] As the remaining Granite Soldiers attacked him, Raydon decided to check the title panel after he had finished off the rest of the enemies. He knew his time in Inheritance was running out and he couldn''t afford to waste it while he still had experience points to gain. As Raydon anticipated the surprise that was waiting for him, he grew impatient and began an impatient assault on the remaining granite soldiers. His objective was to earn as many additional experience points as possible, obtain the contents of the golden chest, and examine the title panel. ¡ª ''''T-There are o-only a few more t-to go,'''' Raydon said while breathing heavily. The fact that his face was showing signs of exhaustion was a dead giveaway, and it appeared as though the mes that had been emanating from his body and arm had nearly extinguished themselves. Raydon had been at this stage for half an hour at this point, and he could feel his body reaching its limit as he continued to kill the remaining granite soldiers using his newly discoveredbo. It appears that even with his current level of stamina, he will not be able to maintain this form for very long. As heunched an assault against one of the four granite soldiers that were still standing in front of him, he mused to himself, "Huff-huff... I-I really wonder what the full potential of thisbo is." It now takes at least four hits from him, up from the previous requirement of only two hits, in order to kill a granite soldier. He was already using up half of its power due to the fact that his agility was not up to par, and the power of thebo had now decreased even further due to the fact that even his stamina was unable to keep up with the load that was being ced on his body. He continued to kill the granite soldiers despite beingpletely drained of strength. [Lv.12 Granite Soldier(E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 2400 experience points.] ¡­ [Lv.12 Granite Soldier(E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 2400 experience points.] .. [Lv.12 Granite Soldier(E-Rank) has been killed.] . [You gained 2400 experience points.] ''''F-Finally¡­st o-one. '''' Raydon started his assault on the final granite soldier, despite the fact that he was so exhausted that he felt like he was going to pass out. In addition to the exhaustion he was feeling, he was also experiencing a tremendous hunger. If he had known that he could satisfy his hunger by eating the stones that were left over from the bodies of the granite soldiers, he would have done so immediately. *Bang* *Bang* ¡­ .. . *Bang* [Lv.12 Granite Soldier(E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 2400 experience points.] ''''Huff-huff¡­ F-Finally. '''' After a grand total of nine hits, Raydon was finally sessful in putting an end to the life of the final granite soldier, and he copsed to his knees out of exhaustion. Chapter 184 New Stat Unlock ''There is no possible way for me to rest here. '' Raydon mumbled, struggling to get off the floor after beingpletely drained of strength. After that, when he had gotten back on his feet, he checked the remaining time that was disyed on the system. ''''All right, I have some time left. '''' When Raydon checked the time and saw that he had a little more than 10 minutes left, he reached into his dimensional storage and pulled out an item. After that, he began to move, using the blue-grade cane he had pulled from his dimensional storage to steady his unsteady frame. He exerted all of his willpower to move his body, but he stumbled in a direction that waspletely unexpected, not in the direction of the treasure chest made of gold. Raydon approached the granite soldier''s body that he had just killed, put down his cane, and opened his dimensional storage. ''''Nghhhhgaarrhhh¡­'''' Then, with an unexined burst of power, he lifted the body from its resting ce and threw it inside his dimensional storage. Raydon, panting heavily, muttered, ''I have ten minutes to collect my loot,'' and picked up his blue-grade cane from the ground, setting off in the direction of the next stone body. ¡ª ''''D-Damn¡­Huff¡­ Huff¡­ I-I didn''t even manage to gather up half of them. '''' Raydon grumbled as he made his way up the stairs to the location of the golden chest. In spite of his previous state of fatigue and exhaustion, he now looked like an elderly man in his final days with the cane in his hand. Because time was running out, he had to part with the majority of his other valuable loot¡ªthe stone soldiers¡ªin order to open this golden chest and im his reward. After having a difficult time making it up the stairs, Raydon eventually arrived in front of the golden chest and then opened the lid of the chest with great effort. ''Well, It''s not that bad. '' He sighed as he took a look at his much-anticipated reward. There were three green-grade gold satchels stuffed to the brim with a total of 300,000 gold coins each inside the chest. ''''A grand total of 900,000. I guess that means I''m rich now. '''' He said with a chuckle, and as soon as he had received the gold satchels, even though there were still a few seconds left for the end of the inheritance, Raydon suddenly found himself back in his dusty room. All of Raydon''s recent stress and exhaustion overcame him the moment he returned to his small, shabby, but safe room, and he promptly copsed onto the bed on his back. *Growll* He, drowsy fromck of sleep, closed his eyes, only to snap them open again at the sound of a rumbling in his stomach. "Damn it, I just can''t go to sleep until I check my title panel." Raydonpelled himself to get out of bed, and once he did, he opened the door to his dimensional storage, took a few pieces of meat out of it, and then began to eat it. ''I will soon be out of meat.'' When he noticed that his supply of meat was beginning to run low, he muttered under his breath. ''''Anyway, I''ll deal with this problemter. '''' Raydon continued to eat his meat as he spoke and checked the information on his title panel. ¡ª [Title]: Master of All -Experience points can be used to boost the stat points of your choice. Currently avable stat(s): [+1 / Cost: 957 XP] -Life Regeneration (sub-skill): Doubles the body''s rate of healing and enhances the effects of healing skills used on the body based on the stamina stat. -Damage Reduction (sub-skill): Ignores 50% of all received damage. -Minor Element Resistance (sub-skill): Body resistance tomon elements is increased by 50%. -Greater Health: HP is increased by 1000. -Reinforce Items: Increases the durability of bound items by 200%. [Congrattions, you have met the requirements to unlock a new stat.] [1,000,000 experience points are required to unlock the stat.] [Would you like to proceed with unlocking?] [Y/N] [Note: once you select [Y], the experience points cannot be reimed.] [Note: once you select [N], the experience points will be automatically used to level up.] ¡ª When Raydon essed his title panel, arge amount of text popped up in front of him. ''''So, this is how it works. '''' His voice broke into an excited murmur as he checked the information. It bothered him a little that the new stat to be unlocked was chosen at random, but he didn''t give it much thought. In fact, he experienced a different kind of excitement due to the fact that the new stat point he will receive is entirely random. ''''Looks like I''ll have to hold off on leveling up a little longer. '''' Raydon considered his umted experience points and deliberated after realizing he had to choose between the two options. [Experience]: 1,036,252/ 1,000,000 ''''Nevertheless, I do not believe that being level 2 is more important than upgrading my title. '''' He heaved a sigh and continued. ''''Yes.'''' He didn''t notice any changes in himself after he epted the offer to unlock the new stat; however, he did notice that the texts in the title panel had suddenly changed. ''''Well, this is definitely unexpected. '''' Raydon looked at the new information on the title panel and chuckled when he saw the newly unlocked stat. [+1 / Cost: 7 XP] ''''I genuinely believed that agility or charisma would be my next stat. '''' He would have preferred these two stats instead of the spirit stat, but he realized that the spirit stat would be more fun and decided to stop worrying about it. "But why is the cost so high? It only requested 1 experience point when I received the first stat for stamina. '''' Raydon pondered when he saw the number of experience points required to increase one stat point. "It appears that improving my spirit stat will cost me more experience points. Anyway, this was to be expected,'''' He remarked, and with thest of his experience points, he chose to increase his spirit stat. His sole concern at the moment was whether or not this stat, like stamina, would grant a sub-skill after every 10-point increase. Chapter 185 [Bonus ]New Sub-Skills ''''Let''s see how many spirit points I can gain with the remaining experience points. '''' Raydon made a remark, and then he started putting thest of his experience points into his spirit stat. [+1 / Cost: 7 XP] [+1 / Cost: 16 XP] [+1 / Cost: 28 XP] [+1 / Cost: 41XP] ''Is there a pattern that this is following? It''s almost like it costs four times as many experience points as the stamina stat does. '' He muttered as he observed the detail. Additionally, whenever Raydon improved his spirit stat, he had the sensation that his spirit grew in size, as if it were a physical thing, and his perceptions became sharper. He experienced the sensation of having a heightened sense of intuition in addition to an increased awareness of his surroundings. He felt as though he was more in tune with the world around him. It was almost as if his consciousness had progressed to the point where it had be more attuned to the energies of the world. He also discovered that he had improved in terms of his mental fortitude, which is the ability to withstand mental stress. He was feeling like he could maintain his focus and concentration for longer periods of time, and he felt less affected by the mental and emotional stress he was under because the tiredness and mental fatigue he had been feeling a while ago hadpletely disappeared. [+1 / Cost: 234XP] *Ding* When Raydon set his spirit stat to 10, he heard the sound from the system that he had been waiting for with great anticipation, and he continued to raise his stat happily. ¡­ [+1 / Cost: 406XP] .. [+1 / Cost: 743XP] . [+1 / Cost: 1690XP] *Ding* As soon as Raydon heard the system sound again, he checked the most recent cost, and then he came to aplete stop. ''''It is likely that the remaining experience points I have will not be sufficient to raise my spirit stat to 30. '''' He said as he was keeping an eye on the remaining 26,000 XP. It would appear that in the future he will need to find other ways to gain more experience points than what he has been doing so far. "Anyway, in addition, the amount of experience points required for my next title upgrade is high enough to cause a heart attack in a normal person." He inhaled deeply and spoke while studying the character panel. [Experience]: 26,182 / 100,000,000 As was to be expected, Raydon will remain at level 1 for the foreseeable future as a result of the increase in the number of experience points required to advance to the next level that came along with his title upgrade. His mood began to worsen as he focused on the number of experience points he required, so he made the decision to lift himself out of his gloom by checking his new passive skills. [+1 / Cost: 1690 XP] -Mana Attunement (sub-skill): Increases mana regeneration by 100% and decreases the cost of all item skills by 20%. -Damage Amplification (sub-skill): Increases the speed and damage of all attack-type item skills by 100%. ''''Fuck¡­ This is just too awesome. '''' When Raydon saw his passive skills, he waspletely taken aback, and he was unable to hide his surprise. Stamina''s passive skills were also very good; however, with these new gains, he was now able to double the power of his attacks, just as he had doubled the power of his defense. ''''Now I need to think of a ss for stamina and spirit stat build. '''' He scratched his chin thoughtfully. He had spent a lot of time gaming in the world he lived in before, and he considered a great number of hybrid sses. The items he finds in the future will, of course, influence his decision regarding which ss to enroll in. "Perhaps I can be like an Arcane Pdin? " One ss from his previous life came to Raydon''s mind. The Arcane Pdins were devout warriors who channeled the power of light to increase their strength and infuse their attacks with divine fervor. They also had the spiritual power to heal themselves and their allies with divine magic and to cast out evil spirits. ''''No, this is more of a team ss. I don''t want to team up with some noobs. Maybe an Elemental Champion? '''' He came up with another ss. Elemental Champions focused on harnessing the power of the elements in order to improve their physical abilities by using their endless supply of mana. They could also imbue their weapons with elemental energy, causing them to deal massive damage. ''''I already have fire and death elements, so this may be appropriate for me. However, with the death element, I can also choose Soulbreaker.'''' Raydon mused, recalling a different ss he enjoyed ying. The soul-breaker ss''s primary objective was to break the will of their opponents while preserving their own physical strength. They typically resorted to using dark magic and cursing their opponents in order to sap their opponents'' willpower and diminish their ability to fight back. In addition, they have high stamina, which enables them to continue fighting for an extended period of time and wear down their enemies. ''''Nope, this is also a support-type ss and hard to y as a solo yer. In any case, I''m sure I''lle up with something usefulter. Right now, all I want to do is sleep. '''' He has made the decision to take some time off for the time being, and he will deal with the difficulty of deciding which ss to attend in the future at ater time. Because of the meat he had consumed and the spirit stat he had previously increased, he had regained some of his energy. Nheless, he went to bed thinking that quality sleep was the most important factor in living a long and healthy life. Actually¡­ Truth be told, he still struggled to break old habits and enjoyed sleeping, but he was not the confessional type to admit it. Chapter 186 Unexpected Encounter A new day had already begun when Raydon awoke from his long sleep. He had just gotten out of bed and was on his way to the bathroom to start his day when he paused to look at himself in the mirror. ''''Oh shit¡­ I forgot this. '''' As he gazed at his reflection in the mirror, he noticed that his body was still smudged with soot from the intense smoke of the third stage, where he had been grinding for experience points. Turning his attention to the bed behind him, he saw that it too was stained ck with the residue. ''Well, I suppose it''s time for me to do some housework. '' He thought. When he was rich in his previous life, he had servants who cleaned his house for him. However, when he was poor, the thing that he detested the most was having to take the time to clean the house himself. After having these thoughts, Raydon first took a shower, then cleaned his items, and then finally left his dirty and dusty house. ''''G-Good morning, m-master. '''' As soon as he stepped outside, he was greeted by a young member of his cult who was standing not too far from his front door and appeared to be keeping watch. Raydon merely gave the young man a polite nod of acknowledgment in response to his greeting and then proceeded to take the keys to his home out of his pocket and hand them over to him. ''''Clean the house. '''' Then he began walking away immediately to avoid attracting the attention of other cult members. ''''Yes, master. '''' The young man said as he looked at Raydon''s retreating back, holding the house key in both hands as if it were the key to a treasure chest. ''''So, Master wants us to clean his house? I must notify others immediately. '''' In a state of shock, the young man muttered before turning around and sprinting. ¡ª After handing over the responsibility of cleaning his home to the young man, Raydon went back to the antique shop to visit the item market. As soon as he entered the antique shop, he heard the voice of the owner of the antique shoping from the waiting area not very far away. "Sir, do you want anything to upy your time while you wait? If you would like, we would be happy to serve you our coffee, which was specially crafted by us using coffee beans that are over a thousand years old. '''' Raydon observed that the shopkeeper was being as modest and polite as possible to the person he was speaking with. However, when he mentioned coffee made with 1,000-year-old coffee beans, for some reason, his voice abruptly broke. It was obviously an expensive drink, so he was apparently offering it reluctantly. ''I really hope this isn''t Fehim. '' He elerated his steps and moved toward the door to the item market because he recalled the previous time he had encountered Fehim here and assumed that this person was that zombie. He owed Fehim a stamina-build item set and wasn''t in the mood to deal with it right now. The problem, however, is that as soon as Raydon entered the shop, the person the shop owner was speaking to had already seen him and was aware of his presence. ''''Oh, you are finally here. '''' Raydon instantly realized it wasn''t Fehim when he heard this young voice. When he turned his attention in the direction of the sound, he saw a young man with blue hair, blue eyes, and a big smile on his face waving and smiling at him. ''Hm? What is he doing in this ce? '' When Raydon saw this person, his body''s memories told him right away who this person was. He was his cousin Galen Demugen, another young master from the Demugen family. Raydon came to a halt as he watched Galen approach him with a happy expression on his face, and he said. ''''Do you need something? '''' Raydon asked. Actually, he had a good idea of why he was here¡ªit couldn''t have just been a coincidence, after all. Obviously, members of other organizations and wandering item holders were not the only ones who frequently visited this illegal market. Even though the item markets that were outside of the authority of such families were of a lower quality than the item market in the central city, they asionally contained very valuable items, and of course, the prices were much lower. Because of this, there were times when families would even send their men to these item markets in order to collect valuable items and even order them to participate in VIP auctions. But it was abundantly clear that Galen did not have such a mission today, and his actions suggest that he came here in order to find Raydon. "I truly cannot believe it. It turns out that what they told me about you being healed and even bing an item holder was true. '''' Galen spoke while giving Raydon a thorough look. ''''I hate to seem like I''m stalking you, but I had good reasons for not visiting your house. Haha,'''' Galen said,ughing awkwardly. What he was implying was what had happened to Tika a while ago. They sent Tika to bring Raydon back, thinking he was just an ordinary servant, but Tika returned without an arm. In a normal situation, even if the other person was a high-rank item holder, no one could stop a family from sending a battle maid and recalling a member of their family. As a result, they realized that Raydon was more than just a servant to the individual who had attacked Tika by preventing her frompleting her mission. In this world, the traditions and customs of families were unquestioned, and everyone was required to abide by these rules. Despite this, a high-ranking item holder went so far as to attack the battle maid that a family had dispatched on a mission, which caused the family to be suspicious about something. Of course, they were not aware of the real reason. First of all, it was not a high-rank who attacked Tika; rather, it was Fang, and the reason why Fang attacked Tika and destroyed her arm was that Tika had attacked this high-rank''s apprentices. But of course, these people, who think too much as is their habit and are afraid to investigate the specifics of the event, thought that this fictitious high rank was the reason for everything once again. Chapter 187 Offer After hearing from Dan what had happened to Tika, Raydon instantly understood what he meant and responded without even attempting to clear up the misunderstanding that had been created. "Don''t worry about that, it''s fine. And I''m sorry, but you will be disappointed if you came here to ask me toe back. '''' Raydon said it firmly. Raydon had already guessed that his family would call him back, and he didn''t really have a problem with that. In the end, Raydon''s family would prove to be a challenge for him, but at the same time, he would have to rely on his family in order to aplish some of the things he desired in this world. He just didn''t need them at the moment and didn''t want to waste time with his family. ''''Can you listen to what I have to say before rejecting it outright? '''' Upon observing that Raydon did not care and was about to turn around and leave, Galen spoke immediately. Raydon stopped and stared at him after hearing this. From what Raydon could remember, he knew that Galen was different from the other people. When he was still living in the family mansion, there were only a few people who were kind to him, despite the fact that everyone else, including his parents, was cruel to him and looked down their noses at him. And Galen was considered to be one of the good ones. He thought back to the time when they were both much younger and Galen had treated him almost like a brother during that time. Even though Galen distanced himself from him as they got older and tended to mind his own business, his brotherly behavior never changed, and he never treated him badly or held him in low regard. Raydon chose to listen to Galen because he had no animosity or resentment for him and believed that what he had to say might also be of interest to him. "Good, should we take a seat?" Galen continued, realizing Raydon had no intention of taking a seat and having a lengthy conversation. Galen said sincerely, "I know you''re aware of everything that''s been done to you up to this point, and you don''t want to return to our family. Actually, if I were you, I definitely wouldn''t go back either. However, if you ept their offer ande with me, I''m sure it will be to your benefit. '''' He didn''t know how much Raydon remembered about his previous experiences in the family mansion, but he did know that just knowing that he had been kicked out of the mansion and left to die in the slums was enough to make him despise his family. Raydon was curious and questioned, "What kind of benefit?" He was prepared to take advantage of any chance that presented itself to further his own power. ''''To begin, you can join the academy and obtain your item holder ID. '''' Galen said. If an item holder in this world did not have sufficient power and authority, they were required to enroll in this academy established by Families in order to obtain an official item holder identification card. There were a lot of benefits that came with joining the academy and getting an official item holder license. The most important of these was the authorization to enter Central City. Thergest item market was just one of the advantages Raydon could gain from Central City, which served as a hub for item holders. Raydon''s expression conveyed ack of enthusiasm as he asked, "Anything else?" Although he was aware of the many opportunities that Central City and the academy presented, he also knew that his greedy family had much more to offer. They would need to give more to convince him, which would be difficult given that they believed there to be a high-ranking individual behind Raydon. When Galen realized that he was unable to convince Raydon, he let out a sigh and then started talking. "Look, you''re probably aware of this as well, but the main reason they want you back is because of your mentor," Galen stopped for a second to observe Raydon''s response, and when he saw that Raydon nodded, it prompted him to think. ''So that high-rank item holder is really his mentor, huh? What a lucky fellow. '' Galen thought, feeling a little jealous. ''''That''s why they want to use you to get close to your mentor. So they can give you whatever you want if youe back and bargain with them. '''' Seeing the serious look on Raydon''s face, Galen decided to take a moment before ying his final card. ''''Look, they assigned me the task of trying to persuade you. They are going to have a feast the following week to celebrate my promotion to E-Rank, and if I can persuade you toe back by then, they are going to give me 100 green-grade storage expansion orbs as a reward from the family treasury, and your father has promised to give me an E-Rank inheritance key. If you agree toe back by then, I will receive both of these rewards. I am in desperate need of these expansion orbs, and if you are willing to help me out, I will give you ten of them and also let you keep the inheritance key. '''' ''''What the fuck?! '''' Raydon was taken aback by what he heard. ''Are those fools really giving him all of that stuff just to try to persuade me to return? I would have returned if the idiots had given me all this. '' Raydon thought. It didn''t matter to him if he was angry or resentful toward his family; he ignored those emotions. At the end of the day, he would return to his family if it was going to turn a profit for him. In addition, contrary to what his family believed, he did not have a high-ranking item holder as a mentor. Raydon started considering his options once he realized how seriously his family was taking the predicament. Raydon only needed to take advantage of this misunderstanding to empty the treasure chest that belonged to his family. ''I think I might go visit my family sometime. '' Raydon''s face suddenly shed an evil smile. Chapter 188 Selling Items Raydon stated, "I will visit the mansion when the timees, but first I want the inheritance key as an advance payment." The most important thing for him to do right now was to rack up experience points, and having this inheritance key would be a huge help to him in doing so. Moreover, ording to Galen, there was still time to celebrate his promotion to E-Rank. Therefore, Raydon still had time to return to the mansion. During this time, he has the opportunity to gain even more power and rise to the E-Rank, both of which will serve him well in the eventual bargain he will strike with his family. After all, despite having a high rank behind him, the most important thing was still Raydon''s own strength. When Galen saw that Raydon had epted, he was ecstatic and immediately responded. ''''Consider it done. Before youe, that is, before I finish my task, they will not give me the inheritance key they promised me, but I can ask my father for another one. '''' In reality, he couldn''t care less if Raydon came back or not. After all, he had only spent a fraction of his childhood with him, and their rtionship was strained at best. Galen, like any other item holder, was only interested in himself, and the mission of persuading Raydon toe back was very important to him. "Well, it seems as though you have some work to do, so I won''t take up too much of your time. I will bring the inheritance key to you in two days, andter someone wille to get you before the celebration banquet. You don''t need toe any earlier, but if you''rete, my mission will be considered a failure. '''' As Galen walked out of the antique shop, he gave Raydon a fist pump and said. As Raydon watched Galen leave the store, he found himself engaged in some deep thought. ''So the celebration of his promotion to E-Rank is just a stage for me, huh? '' Raydon chuckled. There was no mystery as to why Raydon''s family wanted him back for the celebration day. Since the day he was born, Raydon had a reputation as the family''s "lost" child. It was widely known to other families on the day he was born and given the surname Demugen. After all, families were at odds with one another, and everyone knew pretty much everything that had ever happened. Because of this, Fang was able to investigate Raydon''s ancestry and learn that he was a member of the Demugen family. Even if they were to destroy every record of Raydon''s past, they couldn''tpletely hide the fact that he was born into a family with the surname Demugen. Raydon had not been seen in the social circle for a considerable amount of time due to the fact that his family hid him in the mansion all the time because of his mental illness andter cast him outside of the mansion. Therefore, the Demugen family needed to find a way to remind other families of Raydon''s existence as the heir to the Demugen family once again. And the best way to aplish that was to use the uing celebration. During this celebration banquet, they would call their friends and other family representatives they were close to. After that, they would reintroduce Raydon to everyone as an heir to the family, thereby establishing an indirect connection with the high-ranking item holder, who serves as Raydon''s imaginary mentor. ''''I have no doubt that they have already begun spreading rumors about this high-rank and me.'''' Raydon muttered to himself as he made his way toward the entrance to the item market while wearing an evil grin on his face. He knew exactly what was going on in his family''s minds, including their desire to show other families that they had a high rank behind them as well as their ambition to be a grand family. ¡ª ''''It was about time you showed up. Haha,'''' The shopkeeper greeted Raydon with a genuine bellyugh as soon as he walked through the door. ''''Hello, how are you today? '''' Raydon replied with a smile. ''''How am I? Since you never ask how I am, I can only assume that you are in an especially good mood today. Hahaha '''' The man had another goodugh when he saw that Raydon was having a good day. "I''m looking to make some trades and purchases." Raydon dismissed the man''s observation and hastily started clearing out his dimensional storage. Actually, he was more impatient than happy right now because he wanted to find a new item set. Because of this, he couldn''t wait to finish his work as quickly as possible so that he could explore the stalls outside to look for new skills that werepatible with his newly revised stat build. "Well, you quickly returned to the person I was familiar with. '''' The man sighed and then began inspecting Raydon''s sixth-match spoils. Despite looting his own teammates'' items, Raydon still only earned 17,000 gold coins from the match. After that, Raydon started selling the items that he had acquired from the Granite King''s inheritance. These included the body enchantment he discovered inside as well as the bodies of stone soldiers that he collected during the final stage of the inheritance. Although Raydon believed the body enchantment to be adequate, he preferred to wait a little longer and find a blue-grade body enchantment as opposed to using another green-grade one. In the end, it was also a very expensive process to separate a body enchantment he used from his body. ''I guess I''ll have to find something else to rece the Eye of the Ash Gnome at some point," Radon reflected. This body enchantment was actually quite useful, but now that he had the Ashen Heart, which had just been upgraded, he had no need for it anymore. As of right now, both his HP and MP have the ash attribute, and since the +200 mana that is bestowed upon him by the ''''Eye of the Ash Gnome'''' is already ounted for in his own mana, it serves no other purpose for Raydon at this time. Chapter 189 Getting New Set Of Items ''''Well, I can pay a total of 473,000. '''' Following a thorough examination of the items and materials stacked in front of him, the man stated. He gave off the impression that he was going to question Raydon about something, but he appeared to hold back his curiosity. ''''473.000 gold coins? '''' Raydon was simrly taken aback by the fact that the price was so high. His calctions showed that the body enchantment could have a maximum value of 17,000 gold coins, and he was confident that the outstanding-quality green-grade item would not cost more than 40,000 gold coins as well. ''''You are aware that these bodies have a great deal of value, right? Despite the fact that they are nearly destroyed at the moment, they are E-Rank crafted soldiers and have the potential to be used once more after being repaired. '''' The man exined. He was also perplexed as to where Raydon had gotten so many specially crafted E-rank soldiers. ''I guess it was all worth it in the end. '' Raydon was pleased with himself for recovering some of the Granite Soldiers he destroyed in thest stage of the match. Although he had exerted himself to the limit, he had only managed to collect a portion of them; nheless, his hard work was finally paying off. ''Damn, if I could collect them all, it would be several million. '' Raydon wondered in disbelief. The fact that they were E-Rank ounted for their value, but he still wasn''t prepared for it to be so high. ''Should I keep them? '' Raydon thought for a moment. He did not yet have the charisma stat required formand-type skills; however, if he were to somehow manage to control an E-Rank army, he would be able to gain experience points more quickly by killing more monsters and going through matches more quickly. In addition to that, he had picked up some of the knowledge necessary to fix them from Herman''s mysterious book. But then Raydon gave it some more thought, and he realized that fixing them wouldn''te cheap, and besides, these Granite Soldiers were too slow and wouldn''t be of much assistance to him. On top of that, these soldiers were in the earth element, and Raydon had no idea whether or not the Ash element he already possessed would bepatible with the earth element they possessed. Then, without hesitating, he made the decision to sell all of them. ''My total amount of gold coins has now surpassed 1.5 million thanks to this. '' Raydon''s thoughts were filled with joy. He could purchase at least one piece of blue-grade mid-quality magic equipment with that amount of gold coins, and possibly even a body enchantment as well. ''Of course, I need to find a ce that sells them first.'' He frowned once more, thinking. It was necessary for him to achieve E-Rank and take part in the auction held in the VIP area in order for him to be able to buy and sell blue-grade items. ''''Is there anything else that you require? '''' After making the payment in gold coins to Raydon, the shopkeeper said. Raydon''s expression, which was constantly shifting between happiness and depression, caused him to wince. He had a fleeting thought about disying the E-Rank set that he had just crafted and at the very least obtaining information about its price, but ultimately he decided against doing so. Even so, he had an approximation of the price in his head, and he was aware that he would not be able to sell it in this location. He was only able to sell the green-gradeplete set of magic equipment at auction for the price that he desired. Raydon responded with, "Yes, I would like to purchase some E-Rank fire and death-type meat." His daily requirement for monster flesh had significantly increased due to the fact that he was currently maintaining two body enchantments that required it, despite the fact that they were not of blue grade. He chose to get E-Rank instead of consuming a lot of F-Rank meat because of this. After spending 20,000 gold coins and purchasing enough meat tost at least a week, he left the store. ''Why the hell is it so expensive? '' Raydon thought dejectedly. If he continues to spend that much every week on body enchantments that aren''t even blue-grade, even the 1.5 million gold coins he has right now might not be enough for him when the timees for him to use a blue-grade body enchantment in the future. Raydon, who not long ago had the impression that he was wealthy but who now understood that he was in fact very poor, started to aimlessly wander through the stalls. ¡ª Raydon mumbled to himself as he inspected the five items that were stashed away in his dimensional storage. "Although not exactly what I want, this set will do the job for now." He had spent a significant amount of time looking for a set that he could use for his new stamina spirit build, and he had finally located something, despite the fact that it was not the most suitable one. Raydon did not rece the investigative-type Death-Sense and the attack-control-type Rusty Chain because he could not find better ones, but he did find new ones in ce of the remaining three skills. [Boots] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Explosive Stride Activating the skill, the user''s first step causes a tiny explosion in the air that propels them forward in one direction and grants an additional 30% attack and movement speed boosts for 20 seconds. The increase in movement speed varies based on the user''s spirit stat. The force of the explosion varies based on the user''s stamina stat. -Mana cost: 250 -Duration: - -Cooldown: - This was the movement-type skill that he selected to take the ce of the Depart skill in his arsenal. This skill had a high mana cost, but it did not have a duration or a cooldown. Additionally, the mana cost will be reduced to 200 with the addition of Raydon''s new title sub-skill. Chapter 190 New Item Set Due to the total of 2410 MP that Raydon currently possesses, he has a regeneration rate of 24.1 MP per minute. This mana regen was increased by 100%, bringing it up to 48.2 thanks to the mana regen that Ashenheart bestowed upon him. Additionally, once more, this mana regeneration was increased to 72.3 thanks to the additional 100% increase that came from his new sub-skill. In addition, as Raydon''s spirit stat increased, his mana regeneration would increase to much higher levels. This would give him the ability to use this skill whenever he pleases in the future. He mumbled, ''Probably the best green-grade movement-type skill for spirit and stat build item holders.'' The fact that it was soparable to the me Burst skill was what thrilled him the most about it. As a result of the fact that it had the same effect, he could also use it to leap to high ces or long distances. The me Burst skill, which is an attack type but that Raydon primarily used as a movement type, was another skill that he changed in addition to the movement type. [Earring] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Explosive Swarm The user gives up some of their fire element and calls forth 40 mindless fire wasps that attack and then self-destruct after hitting the first target they see. The cooldown of the skill varies based on the user''s stamina stat. The damage of the self-destruct varies based on the user''s spirit stat. -Mana cost: 400 -Duration: 30 minutes. -Cooldown: 10 minutes. Raydon selected this skill as an attack type, and the intention behind it was to enable faster mob kills during matches. Although this skill was simr tomand-type skills, there were significant differences between the two. To begin with, since he couldn''t rely on his charisma to control the entities he called forth, they werepletely out of his control and could only attack by destroying themselves. This skill''s other distinguishing feature is that rather than relying on crafted soldiers, it makes use of the user''s own fire element. This was yet another reason why Raydon decided to go with this skill. Using the user''s fire element, the skill was of the stamina support kind and could be used more frequently as the user''s stamina increased. He believed that this would have an additional effect and hoped that it would reduce the amount of time it took for his skills to cool down even further because his MP and HP both contain the Ash element. ''Well, I''ll check this out in three hours. '' Raydon thought. Even though he had already bound the items to himself, it wouldn''t be for another three hours before he would be able to use them. The final piece of equipment that Raydon selected was a skill that, surprisingly, would create abo whenbined with the Explosive Swarm skill. And in exchange for this, he gave up his Spirit Wave skill. [Pants] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Grim Blessing The user activates and imparts their death aura upon their allies, increasing their movement and attack speed by 1% for themselves and their allies, up to a maximum of 20 times for each ally. The duration of the skill varies based on the user''s stamina stat. The number of stacks varies based on the user''s spirit stat. -Mana cost: 400 -Duration: 20 minutes. -Cooldown: 15 minutes. This item possesses a skill that, under normal circumstances, had the potential to be aponent of a set of skills reserved formander-type item holders. Despite this, Raydon chose this skill so that he couldbine it with Explosive Swarm. The fact that the mes that make up Explosive Swarm will be Raydon''s ck me means that they will also have the death type, making this skill''s death aura more useful than it would have been otherwise. Additionally, the maximum number of stacks that can be umted with his spirit stat would increase, which would grant Raydon and the wasps that he summoned additional speed and enable him to move through the match region at a faster rate. ''I believe that these will work. '' After beginning the process of binding all of the items, Raydon shut the entrance to his dimensional storage. He had only considered the functionality of the items when he was choosing them, and since he did not know how much of what he had imagined woulde true without practice, he needed to finish the binding process and then test out his newly acquired skills in the next match. Despite the fact that Raydon was unable to put his knowledge to the test at the time, he had faith in his prior experience and the conclusions he had drawn from it. After spending 56,000 gold coins on recement items, Raydon decided to hold on to his old items for the time being rather than try to recoup some of his investment. If there was even a remote possibility that these items wouldn''t work, he could always revert to using his old ones. He smiled broadly as he said goodbye to the item market and made up his mind to head back home after sessfully purchasing the new item set. While he had some free time, he actually wanted to travel around the world where he had just recently arrived and had yet to see much of. However, he had a bad feeling about it because he had given the cleaning of his home to that crazy cult, so he wanted to return as soon as possible to check on them. ¡ª Raydon eventually arrived back in his neighborhood after a brief drive, where he noticed that it was cleaner, quieter, and more tranquil than before. ''There is something unusual about this ce.'' As he walked down the unusual-looking street, he observed that the trash cans, which were normally stuffed to the brim with waste, were now devoid of any debris, and even the cans themselves glistened with pristine cleanliness. There is hardly any dust on the sidewalks, and he had even seen flowers in pots in some parts of the sidewalks on the street, where there had not been a single shade of green to be found up until now. ''This isn''t what I''m thinking, is it? '' Raydon sped home out of concern that someone hadmitted an insane act once more. Chapter 191 Karan The Second Captain ''''Hey, take it slow and steady, up and down. Take a look, that area doesn''t seem natural, does it? Like you''re putting sunscreen on your girlfriend''s back, slowly and carefully. '''' Fatty Sami was standing in front of an old building that had four stories and was yelling instructions at the people who were painting the building with red paint in their hands. "But, third captain, I don''t have a girlfriend, so I don''t know how to do it," The young man to whom the instruction was given responded with a dejected tone while lowering his head. "Are you stupid? Do you believe I have a girlfriend waiting for me at home? Make one up in your head and act on it. It shouldn''t be that difficult. Move aside, let me show you how to do it. '''' Sami stormed forward in a furious manner and snatched the brush out of the boy''s hands. He then started to paint the wall in a delicate and artistic manner. "Wow, brother, you have such talent." The young man said in surprise. ''''He is very talented even at this, as one would expect from the third captain,'''' said another young man admiringly. ''''I wish you could use that talent of yours to lose those extra pounds and find yourself a girlfriend. '''' With a sigh, one of the aunts who had been sweeping the floor in the back said. ''''Gagh. '''' Fatty Sami had his eyes closed and was painting the wall with all of his concentration as if he were meditating, but all of a sudden he felt as if an arrow had been stabbed in his back by what he heard, and he dropped the brush. ''''Aunty, stop joking. I doubt anyone would look at this shameless guy even if he lost weight.'''' As Pana left Raydon''s house carrying a rag and a pair of cleaning gloves, she joined the conversation. ''''Geaghh. '''' In pain from the second arrow on his back, Sami whirled and yelled. ''''Could you please stop mentioning me and concentrate on your work? Who also requires a girlfriend? When I awaken as an item holder, they''ll all be lining up at my door, pleading to be my lover. '''' ''''I don''t want to break your heart, Sami, but there isn''t a line of people waiting at my door. '''' As Sami and the others carried on with their drama, a young man with a skinny build and blond hair strolled down the street''s entrance and joined in. ''''The second captain is here. Greetings, second captain. '''' As Karan approached them, one of the young men in the painting quickly turned and saluted him in a military fashion. ''''Greetings, second captain. '''' ... .. . ''''Greetings, second captain. '''' Karan was then greeted by the others as well. As Karan approached them, a slight smile on his face and a serious intensity in his eyes, everyone greeted him and then gazed admiringly at the gray 3 tattooed on his hand. ''''A bunch of idiots. Even though I''m the third captain, you''ve never treated me so respectfully. ''''Sami muttered, spitting on the ground as he observed everyone''s expression of admiration. Pana said sarcastically, "Fatty if you awaken as well, of course you will get the respect you deserve. " However, she also couldn''t hide the impatient expression on her face. Karan had recently be the second person to awaken, following in Dan''s footsteps, and this provided everyone with additional motivation to awaken as item holders. Also, another reason for everyone''s impatience to awaken as quickly as possible was that they had made the decision to give the title of captain to the first three people who had the first awakening. Karan received the rank of second captain because it was decided to dole out titles after he became an item holder. The first captain title naturally went to Dan, who was previously everyone''s boss and the first to awaken. As the position of third captain was open at the time, Sami volunteered to fill it. Naturally, by convincing everyone with his loud mouth. ''''It''s only a matter of time. I feel as though something is missing; once I find it, I will soon awaken. '''' Sami narrowed his eyes at Karan and remarked. Even though they all learned the same technique, the timing of their awakening and the titles they were given were determined by factors such as their potential and the qualities that made up their personalities. As a result, once they had reached their full potential using the technique that they had learned, the final obstacle that stood in the way of their awakening needed to be located and conquered. ''''Dan''s awakening urred when the Master showed him how to use the technique, so it was inevitable. But you know, it wasn''t simple for me. More practice is required, Fatty. '''' Karan said. ''''Hmph, I know. Don''t worry, I''ll be the third one. '''' Sami spoke before turning to resume painting the wall. ''''By the way, do you think First Captain is capable of demolishing these surrounding buildings? From the Master''s home, they obstruct the view of the outside. '''' Fatty Sami remarked as he took in the surrounding structures on the street. Even after they had finished fixing up the structure where Raydon was housed, they decided that a God shouldn''t have to call it home. ''''He can, but it would take a long time given his current strength. Perhaps we can locate a few machines andplete the task. '''' Unexpectedly, Karan concurred with Sami and proposed an alternative solution. "Yeah, and this ce is still as dull as ever. Perhaps we could nt some flowers and make a small garden for Master to look out on while he rxes at home. '''' After some thought, Pana added. After Raydon wiped out Herman and his gang and Dan awakened as an item holder, there were no rival gangs left to stop them from ruling the area. They also moved the residents of this and all of the streets surrounding it so that they wouldn''t bother Raydon, and they made it their primary objective to transform this neighborhood into a ce where Raydon could live in peace and quiet. Chapter 192 Dimensional Break (Part 1) ''What the hell are they doing? '' As Raydon made his way back to his street and overheard his cult''s conversations, he frowned and thought. Not even Raydon had considered the full extent to which their actions could go. It was only his intention to have them clean his house and make it more livable, but now the individuals to whom he had delegated this responsibility have begun cleaning not only the interior of his house but also the surrounding street as well. ''Nevermind. Maybe it''s not that bad. ''Raydon spent some time taking in his surroundings before reflecting. Helping Dan and his crew was done with the intention of taking advantage of them toplete tasks that he either did not wish toplete or did not have the time toplete. For the time being, Raydon decided to see the bright side and ept that they were still doing their job, albeit with a touch of overkill. Raydon emerged from his hiding ce and began to approach his house; as soon as the other people in the group saw him, they ran to give him a warm wee. ''''Wee back master. '''' ¡­ .. . ''''Wee back master. '''' Raydon acknowledged the greetings with a smile and a head nod, and then he continued on his way home. ''As expected. ''After all that Raydon had witnessed outside, he entered the front door of his home and was no longer taken aback by anything he saw inside. The first thing that Raydon observed was that the Inside seemed to have significantly increased in size since the time he had left it. The house of Raydon, which previously had only one room, now had a total of three rooms. ''They smashed the walls down and joined the other house rooms together, huh? Clever. '' Raydon walked into his houseughing. Raydon''s old room, which had only a bed, closet, and a few other necessities, was decorated to look like a bedroom in a newlywed''s house. It appeared to have been thoughtfully decorated, from the carpeting on the floor to the framed paintings on the walls, in addition to the brand-new double bed andrger closet. "They even got me a TV. '''' Raydon peered into a newly added room and noticed arge television set opposite some ck leather armchairs. It was the second electronic device Raydon had seen in this world after his cell phone. In general, item holders used life-core-powered items rather than everyday electronic gadgets, whereas ordinary people continued to use electronic gadgets in the same way that they did in Raydon''s old world. Naturally, the level of development of these electronic devices was not as advanced as it was in Raydon''s previous world; in fact, the television that was sitting in front of him could be considered a very old model. Since Raydon didn''t have a lot of things to do, he decided to turn on the television and see what kind of shows were avable in this world. *Chime* "You are looking at the ce in the middle of the city where the F-Rank dimensional break urred not too long ago. They came here mere minutes after the break and stopped the hundreds of monsters you see behind me, saving the city. '''' When Raydon turned on the television, he discovered that there were only three channels, and, interestingly, all three channels were simultaneously broadcasting the same news. There was what appeared to be a news reporter holding a microphone, and in the background he disyed what appeared to be hundreds of dead blue wolves scattered across the rubble of copsed buildings and broken roadways. ''''Dimension break huh? '''' Raydon thought. A dimensional break was simr to a rift event, but on a much smaller scale and with much higher frequency. Dimensional breaks would happen every day or two, and they can happen anywhere on Earth, whether it''s in the middle of a busy city or in the middle of a desert. A dimensional rip would cause a portal to open in the sky, releasing hundreds of monsters into the area before closing again in an instant. If these monsters were not stopped in time, of course, they would wreak havoc on the area, destroying everything in it and attacking anyone they came across. However, the world''s item holders had safeguards in ce to ensure that this wouldn''t ur. A small number of families, particrly those affiliated with the academy, possessed item holders with the ability to foresee the location and size of dimensional breaks. They would use this information to dispatch a response team ahead of time, stopping the event before it could cause widespread destruction. ''For this very purpose, I can attend the academy, '' Raydon muttered. He had previously decided it was too soon to enroll in the academy, but after seeing this, he began to change his mind. Typically, these dimensional breaks urred at the F-E or D-rank, and very infrequently at the C-rank. Of course, there were also those with significantly higher ranks, but even more so than the rift event itself, these breaks were extremely umon. Because of this, not long after it was discovered the locations where these dimensional breaks would take ce, the Academy chose a group of individuals to undertake the mission of traveling there and killing the monsters. This was due to the fact that new item holders, particrly those who were young and held promise, were given the opportunity to gain more experience points and gold coins. Joining the academy would provide Raydon with an additional opportunity for experience farming if he were granted the permissions necessary to be sent to these dimensional breaks. In the fraction of a second that it took Raydon to go through all of these thoughts, the reporter who was giving the presentation of the news suddenly shouted excitedly while pointing somewhere. ''''Look, look our heroes are here. '''' The camera quickly made its way to the location that the reporter had indicated, and it captured a young group of five individuals slowly making their way through the bodies of dead wolves while carrying magnificent and attention-grabbing equipment. Chapter 193 Dimensional Break (Part 2) They were walking with the pride of knowing that they had just stopped a destruction that would have been caused by an F-Rank dimensional break, and each of their looks, movements, and expressions were filled with an abundance of self-confidence. "She seems familiar." Raydon looked at the 5 people being zoomed in by the camera and wondered about the girl walking in front of the group. The woman''s hair cascaded down her back like snowkes, shimmering with a pristine white hue that appeared to glow in the light. Her silver body armor clung to her like a second skin, emphasizing the delicate curves of her figure and, in some ces, revealing her skin. Her skin was as silky and wless as the rest of her body, and her items provided the necessary protection while also highlighting her beauty. ''''Wasn''t this my teammate from my first match? Her hair was ck though.'''' Raydon''s mind started to wander. It was clear that it was the same person he had met in his first match, Seraher Warden, with the title of Ice Quinn. ''''Oh, she''s there too. '''' Behind Seraher, he had also spotted the adorable Leas, who had blonde hair and was dressed in a green robe. In contrast to Seraher''s aloof and superior attitude, Raydon was more taken with Leas'' sweet expression. Everyone else looked down on him during his first match, but Leas was the only one who made an effort to assist him. Raydon was watching these five people when he heard the reporter''s excited voice again. ''''This is unbelievable. This person is in fact Seraher Warden, a member of the Warden family. After she was promoted to an E-Rank, this must be the very first time that she has ever been caught on camera. '''' The reporter moved closer to the group of five people while the camera followed in his footsteps. It had been only minutes since the incident had happened and the battle had ended, so with the excitement and luck of being the first news crew to arrive on the scene, he approached quickly and asked for a quick interview. ''''To begin, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to you on behalf of myself and everyone else who resides in this city. If you have a moment, I have a few very quick questions for you, if that''s okay. '''' His expectation, however, was not met, as the group of five people continued walking towards the ck jeeps that were not too far away without so much as a nce in his direction. ''''It won''t take long, please. Seraher Warden, you''ve only been an E-Rank for a short while, but there have already been rumors spreading about you. Is it possible that these rumors are true? '''' Finding a sudden surge of courage, the reporter pursued them and inquired. Since item holders are regarded as celebrities in this society, such interviews weremon and covered topics that the general public was interested in. As Seraher continued to walk with a stony expression on her face, she suddenly came to a stop, turned around, and asked in a natural tone. ''''Rumors? '''' The cold and somewhat menacing gaze that Seraher directed at Reporter caused him to suddenly freeze, and he began to tremble all over, but this time it was from fear rather than excitement. However, he was able to gather his courage for a brief moment and ask his question. ''''I-It has been said that despite the fact that not much time has passed since you were p-promoted to E-Rank, you are already one of the top three strongest E-Ranks in the power rankings in the item holder academy. I-Is this true? '''' After being momentarily expressionless, Seraher''s brows knitted together and a new expression appeared on her face when she heard the question. After what seemed like some time of reflection, Seraher responded, "Yes, that''s true." The reporter seemed to anticipate Seraher''s response and nodded ordingly. Since Seraheres from a grand family, everyone knew about her power even before she attained the E-Rank. She being at the top of the power rankings was therefore not a surprise. However, Leas, who was standing by her side, must have had a different opinion because she muttered so that only Seraher could hear while grinning mockingly. ''''Till hees. '''' Seraher remained silent after hearing this, turned with a sigh, and joined the other 3 who were waiting for her before getting into ck jeeps and leaving. *Beep* Raydon turned off the TV when he realized there was nothing interesting on it and made the decision to go outside and find something to do while waiting for his next match. ¡ª When Raydon eventually emerged from his home, he discovered that Sami and the other people were still there, and that they were sprucing up the ce in rtive silence. ''These guys are really putting in a lot of effort. '' Raydon exhaled a sigh of thought. He was happy with the work they did even though they slightly exaggerated it. After all, who would want to live in a dirty, noisy and smelly ce? ''''Ahem. '''' When Raydon saw that everyone was equally quiet and focused on what they were doing, he cleared his throat to get everyone''s attention. ''''O-oh Master is here. '''' The first youth to spot Raydon shouted to the others and alerted them. ''''Greetings master. '''' ¡­ .. . ''''Greetings master. '''' After that, everybody quit what they were doing and hurriedly gathered together in front of Raydon''s house to greet him. Raydon, who had gradually be ustomed to their mannerisms, disregarded their custom and instead addressed Karan. ''''Congrattions on your awakening. '''' After hearing Raydon''s words while he was kneeling on the ground, Karan''s voice cracked with emotion as he expressed his own profound gratitude. "I owe it all to you, master." Everyone else present was ovee with gratitude as Raydon stood before them, but theycked the words to express it. Since Raydon arrived, everything has improved tremendously. First of all, they hadpletely cleared this dangerous ce where they had always lived with Herman''s presence, and they had turned it into a ce where even their young children could now y safely on the street. Also, as a result of Raydon''s efforts, the second person awakened and became an item holder, and it appeared that it was only a matter of time before the remaining people did the same. Since they didn''t live in a major city and knew the real dangers that other people like them face every day, they now felt safe knowing that there were other item holders to look out for them. Chapter 194 New Additions ''''Where are Dan and the others? Call them all. '''' Raydon scanned the group and inquired when he realized that not everyone was there. "Dan and the others are currently training in another location," Karan said, and after getting confirmation from Raydon, he went to gather the others. In spite of the fact that the group prioritized Raydon''s requests and spent the majority of their time in the neighborhood of his home, they still made it a point to keep up with their training and chose a different location for it because they didn''t want to cause a disturbance in the neighborhood. ¡ª ''''Do not be impatient, and do not let fear control you. Every ache and pain you go through now will serve to fortify you in the days toe, and maybe... No, I do not doubt that you will one day awaken as an item holder if you continue with this training. '''' Dan remarked as he took in the audience of eighty individuals in front of him. These eighty individuals were all fresh additions to the group; all of them were drenched and appeared to be in a terrible state of exhaustion due to the pallor of theirplexions and the dark circles that surrounded their eyes. These people, like Dan and others, used to be a part of another group that suffered under Herman''s tyrannical rule. They had spent their entire lives in the slums, where they witnessed the daily execution of friends, family members, and acquaintances in the name of iprehensible experiments and forms of torture. They had no freedom outside of the rat holes in which they hid, and they lived in constant fear for years. However, one day, a ray of hope shone through their hopeless eyes in the form of unbelievable news. They heard that Herman and his entire gang, who had persecuted them up until this point and made their lives a living hell, had been destroyed by a group living not far from their location, with a mysterious item holder leading them. They were initially skeptical of the information and suspected that it was an borate hoax; however, they eventually worked up the courage to investigate the matter and were taken aback by what they discovered when they visited Herman''s headquarters. Neither the abandoned vige nor the abandoned factory that Herman had been using as his base of operations were there any longer. There was nothing to see but a vast expanse ofnd in every direction. Just like the rumors they had heard, it looked like they had all been wiped off the face of the earth. On that day, hundreds of people gathered close to Herman''s former home, which is now his tomb, tomemorate their liberation from oppression. As they stood in front of this cemetery, a range of emotions overtook the group. Some spat on the sacred ground and cursed it, while others bowed their heads and offered prayers for their departed ancestors. And then there were those who wept uncontrobly, mourning not only the loss of their loved ones but also the peace that had finallye after enduring years of unimaginable hardship. Although everyone responded in their own unique way to this urrence, everyone shared a simr thought. They were to seek out and express gratitude to whoever freed them from this persecution. But before they could find the people who had saved them, Dan and his team had already approached them and made them an offer. Dan and his team, who were already a gang, made the decision to further expand their authority in this region with their newly acquired power. As a result, they began to add all of the people living around them to their gang in the entire region in an effort to bring a new order to the entire slum. ''''B-Boss¡­ I-I mean, first captain. Is it really guaranteed that this training will lead to our awakening? '''' Dan was questioned with skepticism by one of the young people who had just lifted his tired body off the ground. When he looked at Dan, he did so with a profound sense of reverence and respect, but at the same time, he was skeptical about the efficacy of the training they were receiving at the moment. Dan turned to face the person who had asked the question and smiled as he thought. ''How naive were we back then? '' When Raydon first started training them, he too had reservations about how sessful they would be. How could they have possibly benefited from participating in a training that appears to have been both pointless and ineffective? At that very moment, Dan and the others were in a position where they had no other choice but to believe in Raydon''s training. As a result, they obeyed every order that was issued to them without raising any questions. And it took them a while to acknowledge how limited their perspective of the world was. A seemingly mundane and pointless but also challenging training program was all it took to break them out of their fragile shells and reveal the immense potential thaty dormant within. ''''How do you think I managed to be an item holder, I ask you? '''' Dan removed his glove and disyed the tattoo with the number 6 on it on the back of his hand to inspire the young people in front of him. Raydon was the one who initially taught Dan and the other members of his gang the technique, and Dan wanted the new members of his gang to learn it so that they can be as strong as he is. Dan didn''t believe that Raydon would say anything unfavorable about him teaching this technique to others because, in his eyes, Raydon was already a divine being with incredible powers, and he believed that this technique, which had incredible wonders for them, was unimportant to Raydon. Additionally, the main reason he taught the technique he had learned to others was not for his own selfish reasons anyway. Chapter 195 Revealing The Title As soon as he saw the tattoo on the back of Dan''s hand, one of the young men eximed with wide-eyed enthusiasm, "First captain is truly incredible." "I still find it hard to believe that we have an item holder as our boss," Another youth muttered, still in disbelief. The young man who had earlier posed the question said while bowing his head and saying. ''''I''m sorry, captain. I am a simple plebe whocks the education to distinguish between right and wrong. '''' He was experiencing intense exhaustion and impatience, and his mind was cloudy as a result of these conditions, so he felt guilty about having questioned Dan during that time. After all, the person in front of him was an item holder with incredible powers, and he was aware that under normal circumstances, confronting such a person and even speaking face-to-face with them would shorten his lifespan. Dan looked at them solemnly and said, " The only thing that matters is that you finish your training and be an item holder so that you can get stronger in the future. And all I ask of you is to serve the person with all your being, the one who gave you all these opportunities and saved your lives." After hearing Dan''s words, everyone was stunned into a profound silence. They were well aware of who he was speaking about when he mentioned serving. Even Dan''s status as an item holder was beyond theirprehension. However, ording to the tales Sami and others told them, behind them and their true leader was a much more powerful item holder, a godlike figure. As everyone marveled in admiration of the enigmatic figure whose immense power eluded their grasp and drew boundless inspiration from Dan''s rousing speech, a new arrival caught their attention. In unison, they all rose from the ground and respectfully weed the neer. ''''Second Captain. '''' Karan, out of breath from his haste, ignored the people who had just greeted him and said it to Dan. "The Master is calling us. '''' Because Karan had rushed here at full speed as soon as he received themand from Raydon, he was out of breath, which fatigued even his awakened-strengthened body. ''''Master? '''' Dan said in surprise. Since it was the first time Raydon had called them, he couldn''t help but be anxious about what might be the reason. "There is no time to catch your breath; let''s move quickly." Dan told Karan, who was still panting heavily with his hands on his knees; he turned around to run, but Karan interrupted him. ''''Wait. The Mastermanded me to call everyone. '''' Karan said, indicating the people who were intently listening in on their conversation. The group had been getting excited just talking about Raydon and imagining his incredible power, so this news came as aplete surprise to them. They were all thinking exactly the same thing. ''Is this imposing figure summoning us to his presence? '' Because of Sami''s consistent brainwashing, each and every one of them had, unbeknownst to themselves, already be worshipers of this newly established cult and Raydon. Dan took a brief moment to pause after receiving this new piece of information; then, swiftly seizing control of the situation, he turned to the group and yelled out. "Hurry up and gather together; the master is calling for us. '''' The group suddenly became aware of their predicament as a result of Dan''s ear-splitting scream, and they made haste to get ready to leave as soon as they did so. ''''We can''t afford to keep the master waiting. Let''s start moving. '''' Dan said this, and he took Karan with him as the rest of the group, who had been on the verge of passing out from exhaustion but were now brimming with energy due to their excitement, followed behind and started walking toward Raydon''s house. ¡ª Soon enough, Karan returned with Dan and the others, and after greeting Raydon, they all lined up in front of him. After spending some time observing the crowd in front of him, Raydon eventually became aware that there were new people who had joined their ranks. In particr, in addition to the ten individuals that Raydon had chosen and instructed in the shadow assassin technique in the past, many more individuals who appeared to be young and had a great deal of potential had joined them. ''They must have taken control of other regions because there was no other gang topete with them for dominance. '' Raydon was thinking deeply as he watched the eyes that were looking at him with a mixture of reverence, admiration, and fear. Since Raydon understood the misunderstanding after identally destroying Herman''s territory, he understood this group''s extreme attitude towards him. In addition to that, he did not pay any attention to the new members of his sect because he suspected that there were othermunities that were being persecuted in this area. After all, the quantity of them didn''t matter to him in the slightest. It was sufficient for him to have a few useful ones among them because Raydon had always been self-reliant and had never been one to rely on others. In front of Raydon, there was now a group of ny young people, with the exception of the elderly people, children, and people with disabilities who were lined up in the back. Raydon first maintained an awkward silence while he took an in-depth look at everyone else, and then he questioned Dan. ''''What title did you receive upon awakening? '''' Raydon inquired without showing much concern for the other people around them. ''''My title is called The Phantom''s Vengeance. It enables me to increase both my movement speed and my attack speed as I challenge myself to perform better under pressure. '''' Dan responded immediately and without hesitation, despite the fact that it was a bad thing for item holders to expose their title abilities in public or in front of other people. In particr for Dan, when his enemy is aware of his title ability, which can put him at an additional disadvantage. Chapter 196 Teaching New Technique (Part 1) ''''Is there not a limit? '''' As soon as Raydon found out about his title ability, that was the first thing that popped into his head. ''''The description does not indicate that there is a limit of any kind. '''' After double-checking the information in the title panel, Dan stated. ''It''s an ability that has a very high potential. '' Raydon squinted his eyes and pondered. It was incredible that he was able to increase both his movement speed and his attack speed without being subject to a specific limit. This indicated that even if Dan were to face an adversary who was more powerful than he was, if the fight went on for a sufficiently long period of time, he would eventually outpace his opponent''s speed and be more powerful than them. After pausing for a short while, Raydon then told everyone in a solemn tone. ''''Y''all forget what you just heard. '''' ''''Yes, Master. '''' Everyone responded to Raydon''s words by getting down on their knees and shouting at the same time. They were also aware that Dan could be in trouble if word of this leaked to other item holders. Dan''s war strategy could be severely hampered if the enemy discovers his ability to grow stronger as he fights if he ever faces an opponent stronger than himself. Raydon gave a satisfied nod after he had observed the responses of everyone else and then turned to ask Karan. "And what is your title?" Raydon probed once more. It wasn''t because Raydon had faith in the others and thought they wouldn''t tell an outsider about Dan and Karan''s title specifications. In point of fact, Raydon couldn''t have cared less. He only cared about the titles Dan and Karan received, so he was only interested in gauging the effect his teachings to them had on those titles. "My title is Night Ranger. '''' Simr to Dan, Karan said it without any hesitation and continued to give details. ''''Every skill I use without being seen bes 100% stronger.In addition, until I enter the enemy''s line of sight, all of my skills that are rted to movement will receive an additional 200 percent boost. '''' ''Wow, this one is very good as well. '' Raydon thought. This ability was tailor-made for the assassin ss. ''''Okay, y''all forget this one as well. '''' ''''Yes, Master. '''' The group responded once more withplete seriousness. After obtaining all the information he required, Raydon began to scan the group before turning his final attention to Sami and speaking. Raydonmanded, "Find a sword." ''''Yes, Master. '''' Sami responded immediately and was about to start running to find a sword when he paused, barely realizing the task that had been assigned to him. ''Sword? Where can I find a sword? '' Sami contemted for a moment, his forehead beginning to sweat. If Raydon had been looking for a knife or a stick, he would have had no trouble finding one. There were even some guns they found earlier, but where was he supposed to find a sword? Why would a normal person use a sword anyway? ''''If it is useful, Master, I have one. '''' When Dan saw that Sami was having problems and was beginning to sweat like a pig, he immediately took a short sword out of his dimensional storage and said. Sami was concerned that he wouldn''t be able toplete the assignment that had been given to him, but his eyes lit up when he suddenly saw Dan retrieve a sword. He turned to Raydon with hopeful eyes, waiting for him to respond. ''''That will do. Hand it over to him. '''' Raydon said, pointing at Sami. While Sami was wondering what Raydon had in store for him, he grabbed the sword and stood in front of him. ''''Attack me. '''' Raydon said nonchntly. With the exception of the neers, Sami and the others felt an overwhelming surge of excitement upon hearing Raydon''s words. Thest time they got in line in front of Raydon like this and heard those words, their lives had changed. ''''Hey, he doesn''t have a weapon? '''' One of the group''s neers asked quietly to the person standing next to her, but Karan''s enhanced hearing picked up on it, and he answered without masking his excitement. ''''Master doesn''t require a weapon to train us. If you don''t pay close attention now, you might be sorry forever that you missed it. '''' ''Training? ''As soon as the person who asked the question and the others heard this, their level of excitement skyrocketed. They had a solidprehension of Karan''s meaning behind the word "training." It was the legendary training that awakened their first and second captains as item holders. And at this point, they would be able to see it with their own eyes. While everyone''s excitement was at its peak and they were giving their full attention to this training by pushing all their limits, Sami made his first move. ''Not bad. '' Radon thought. Raydon saw Sami''s foot techniques and realized that he had grasped the shadow assassin technique that he had taught earlier. Despite the fact that Sami had never wielded a sword before and that his stance and sword grip were terrible, Raydon was still impressed by Sami''s ability to apply the technique to his fight. Despite his overweight physique, Sami only took one step forward when he suddenly appeared in front of Raydon and swung his sword. ''''The third captain is amazing. '''' All of the new members of the group as well as anyone who saw Sami fight for the first time were taken aback by his effortless and silent yet lethal attack. The following scene, however, was enough to make them hundreds of times more amazed than they had been previously. ''''What the¡­ '''' Despite the fact that Sami''s inexperienced sword swing had the potential to rip a normal human''s head from their neck, Raydon was able to stop it with just one finger. Sami was unsurprised when he discovered that his sword could be easily blocked, so he simply retreated a few steps and resumed his defensive stance. Chapter 197 Teaching New Technique (Part 2) "Your movement technique isn''t bad, but your use of the sword is totally wrong," Raydon said. ''''I apologize, master. '''' Sami lowered his head in reply. He was overjoyed by Raydon''sment on his movement technique, but he continued to feel guilty because he had failed to live up to his expectations. ''''The way you hold the sword is not suitable for you. Hold the sword the same way you held the brush when you were painting the walls a little while ago, and as you attack, let your movements be as delicate and cautious as if you were applying sunscreen to your girlfriend''s back,'''' Raydon said with a grin. He didn''t try to hide the fact that he had overheard what Sami had said while he was giving instructions to others some time ago. ''''Y-yes master. '''' Sami replied. The fact that Raydon had repeated his words from some time ago didn''te as a surprise to him. After all, he was under the impression that Raydon was an all-knowing god who was aware of his every move. Sami loosened his grip on the hilt of his sword in order to allow it to rest morefortably in his palm after taking into consideration the new instructions. He temporarily shut his eyes in order to concentrate on the weapon''s weight and how it bnced in his hand. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and took a step forward, his body moving with the grace and fluidity of a dancer. This time, instead of charging at Raydon all at once, he took his time and proceeded at a more leisurely pace. As he got closer to Raydon, Sami''s sword shone brightly in the sunlight, attracting the attention of the people who had gathered nearby. And then, with a sudden burst of speed, he lunged forward, his sword arm extending with lightning-fast precision. To the surprise of everyone watching, this time Sami''s attack was not the brutal, bone-crushing strike they had been expecting. Instead, it was a delicate and intricate sword technique, the likes of which they had never seen before. This time, Raydon did not block the oing sword but instead used his finger to slightly alter the direction of the sword, which enabled Sami tounch a second attack without having to retreat. As if Sami''s body had gotten the assignment from Raydon''s move, he gracefully shifted the direction of his sword and swung it a second time toward Raydon''s neck. Sami was forced to deliver the third blow after Raydon again effortlessly deflected the iing sword attack on his neck. And fourth, .. .. . And eleventh, Before Sami even had a chance to process what had urred, he had alreadyunched the eleventh sword attack against Raydon. With each move, Sami''s sword seemed to dance in the air, weaving an intricate web of steel that left everyone watching him with gaping eyes. And as his attacks wore on, it became increasingly clear that Sami''s rxed and fluid movements were improving, allowing him to make his next attack more swift and flowing like water. "What exactly is this? He gave the impression of moving so slowly while at the same time being so quick. '''' When one of the younger people finally broke free of the hypnotic effect that the fight in front of him was having on him, he questioned what exactly was going on. ording to his logic, Sami was making faster attacks with each sword swing, but to the untrained eye, it appeared that he was sluggishly moving. "From what I can see, the Master adjusts his movements each time he reflects his sword, and Sami now swings the sword with a greater sense of synchronicity than his previous attacks. Because of this, the sword appears to be moving slowly, despite the fact that it is actually gaining speed,'''' Dan said without taking even a moment to take his eyes off Sami''s sword. Watching Sami''s sword in motion, Dan was reminded of the wheel of a speeding car on a straight road. As the car picked up speed, the wheel would eventually appear to stop, defying all logical exnations, and even appear to start turning backward. Dan experienced a phenomenon that was simr to this as he watched the movements of the sword. It was as if the sword was moving with such speed and fluidity that it defied the logic of their minds and created an illusion. Dan was spellbound by the mesmerizing sight, unable to take his eyes off the ethereal movements of the sword. However, in contrast to the other people, he did not lose hisposure in spite of all of this. He made a vow to himself that he would never again allow himself to be shocked by anything Raydon did in the future, not even the astounding fact that Sami, who had never even held a sword in his life before, became a perfect swordsman in just seconds. Dan and the others watched as Sami became more and more proficient with each swing of his sword. Each movement was like a brush stroke on a canvas, precise and deliberate, forming a beautiful masterpiece in the form of a sword fight. Dan and others couldn''t help but feel mesmerized by the beauty of the swordy, even as they watched Sami''s exhaustion start to take its toll. The fact that Sami''s breathing became erratic and heavy as time went on was a dead giveaway that he was beginning to tire out. ''''That''s enough,'''' Raydon finally said as he stopped the final sword blow, this time by absorbing the impact rather than deflecting it. Sami was finally able to stop his body, which had been acting against his will, and he copsed to his knees, grunting heavily with the exhaustion he felt. ''''T-Thank you, m-master. '''' Sami uttered. ''How in the world was I able to pull that off? Unbelievable. '' Sami pondered as he rxed on his knees on the ground and made an effort to control his breathing. Chapter 198 New Force Rising The more Sami tried to remember his previous experience with the sword, the more perplexed he became. Even though he knew that Raydon was directing his every move, he was unable toprehend how this flour sack body could move with such grace. ''''Remember your prior experience and continue to train. You can teach this technique to others once you have mastered it. '''' With this casual remark, Raydon returned to his home. ''''Yes, master. Thank you for the training. '''' While everyone else was still under the influence of the trance, Sami quickly bowed his head and responded. It dawned on him that what he had just experienced was a technique simr to the shadow assassin technique he had previously learned, and the mere act of realizing this multiplied his astonishment by a factor of one hundred. ''''If you have had sufficient rest, you should continue to practice while your body still remembers the moves. '''' Dan approached Sami and advised him. ''''Hey, Karan, do you have a sword? '''' He then turned to Karan and inquired. Now that his only and primary weapon, the sword, is in Sami''s possession, Dan is in need of another sword so that he can continue his training alongside Sami. ''''Not exactly a sword, but I do have a long dagger,'''' Karan said, removing a long knife with a cheap appearance from his dimensional storage. Because he awakenedter than Dan, he was unable to attend many matches, and the only item he found so far was this trash dagger. ''''Okay, not bad. Later, we''ll need to find some cheap weapons,'''' Dan said, taking the dagger. Ordinary weapons were useless and easily broken or damaged while item holders were practicing between them, so gray-grade items, also known as trash, were always ideal for practice. Belicia provided Raydon with the information he required about the item holders, but there was no one to assist them, they were still unaware of the existence of the item market, and they could only earn a limited amount from their participation in matches. Nheless, Karan''s discovery of an item in a match was a remarkable feat. ''''Okay, let''s go back to the training ground. '''' Dan said as he took Sami by the arm and started pulling on him to get him up off the ground. He had the urge to continue practicing at this very moment, but he pushed the thought aside out of concern for disturbing Raydon''s rest. ''''What I saw wasn''t an illusion, was it? '''' One of the new members of the group muttered absentmindedly. ''''At this moment, if I had a sword in my hand, I believe that I would be able to defeat all of the enemies thate my way.'''' Another young person spoke up while pretending to swing an imaginary sword in his hand and mimicking Sami''s sword move from just a moment ago. Not only did Sami benefit from the training, but so did everyone else. Even though everyone who was watching him was aplete novice, they all had the impression that they could wield a sword deftly if someone were to hand one to them right at this very second. "It only took one finger to turn the third captain into a swordsman and give us insight. I can''t imagine what would happen if Master used two fingers,'''' said one of the girls. ¡­ ''''What? '''' ''''What? '''' ¡­ .. . ''''What?'''' ''''You filthy-minded fools! '''' She thought that the men in the group had misunderstood what she had said, so she blushed and ran after Dan and Sami to join the training. ''''Huh? Why did she be so angry? '''' Confusion was evident on the face of one of the men as he asked the question. The realization that Raydon had performed this miracle with just one finger was the real cause of everyone''s reaction just now. "Master is truly a godly being," When another girl said it, everybody nodded their heads in unison. For those around Raydon, the ease with which he could grant them power and even transform them into item holders was evidence of a divine power that only a god could possess. "Anyway, let''s follow them, and let''s keep up with our training. In order for us to be able to serve that mighty being, we need to get stronger. '''' Then, with their newly found determination to do a better job of serving God Raydon, the entire group quickly made their way toward the training area. Raydon''s actions on this day were nothing more than a way for him to kill time and alleviate his boredom; however, he had no idea that those actions would have significant repercussions for him in the near future. At the time, nobody was aware of it, but a formidable force was rising in the slums, which would eventually cause the world to plunge into chaos. This new power was an emerging establishment that would disrupt the existing bnce of power among the ruling families and organizations. ¡ª ''''I''m bored. '''' While he was seated in front of the television, Raydon heaved a sigh and said. In point of fact, his primary issue was not one of boredom but rather impatience as he awaited the start of his next match. He wished for the time to go by rapidly so that he could test out the new skill set he had developed in the uing match. In addition, every hour that went by without him gaining experience points was like an eternity of torment for him. "I guess that makes me an addict." Raydon let out a chuckle before making the decision to kill time until his next match by eating and sleeping. After getting a few hours of sleep, Raydon woke up in his immacte and spacious home and checked the system. He saw that the time until his next match was only a few hours away. While he waited for the countdown to finish, he ate some fried meat from his dimensional storage to get the necessary amount of nutrients for the day, and then he got ready to take a hot shower after he finished eating. While turning on the water and removing his clothes for a shower, Raydon said as he inspected his reflection in the mirror. "Now it''s like I''m totally starting to look like a fitness model. '''' Chapter 199 Trying New Skills Raydon had be aware of the alterations that had taken ce in his body following each unnecessarily extended period of sleep. Despite the fact that he already had a lean physique and the body of a young and healthy athlete, he now appeared to bepletely morous and well-built. He even became aware of the fact that he was a few inches taller than he had been previously. "It seems as though my body is still adjusting to my stats. It is really true that the body''s greatest need for renewal is sleep. '''' He chuckled before continuing his daily routine. After some time had passed and he had satisfied all of his needs, he decided that he was mentally and physically prepared for the next match. He looked at the time again, and when he saw that there were only minutes left, his excitement and anticipation grew. But this time, fortunately, as Raydon had fully realized using the side effect of his body enchantment, the heat emanating from his feet did not burn the carpet on the floor. Raydon was able to fullyprehend the workings of his new body enchantment because he possesses numerous techniques for regting his emotions, as well as because the passage of time and the experience he gained enabled him to gain a thorough understanding of the operation of his new body enchantment. Because of this, he was able to add a new mental switch to it, which prevented this ability from being activated by the excitement and anticipation that he was feeling at the time. Regardless of the feelings that Raydon was currently experiencing, the burning feature of his body would not activate unless he specificallymanded it to, and it would no longer cause him any problems in his day-to-day life. After waiting patiently for a few more minutes, Raydon once again heard the perfect music ringing in his ears. *Ding* [The next match is ready to begin. Do you want to join?] ''''Yes.'''' Raydon did not waste any time in responding. After that, his vision darkened for a brief moment, as it normally does. When he regained his vision, he opened his eyes to find himself in an entirely new location. As he looked around at the densely wooded area that surrounded him, he thought, ''This ce reminds me of my first match region. '' The tall trees were a towering presence above him, their branches stretching upwards toward the sky like fingers reaching out to touch it. The only sounds he could make out in the forest were the rustling of the leaves and the chirping of the birds, but other than that, it waspletely silent. But of course, it was Raydon''s teammates who were the ones to finally break the tranquil silence. ''''I love such regions. Just right for me. '''' A skinny guy who was holding a bow and wearing all green, including his hat, was one of them, and he said. Raydon squinted his eyes for a second and mumbled as he turned to look at this individual. ''Why does this person look so familiar? '' After giving it some thought, Raydon was able to figure out why this person seemed familiar to him, and he checked the information about the team stored in the system to confirm his suspicions. [Time remaining until the end of the match: 02:59:17] [Team B7890-D4850] -Forest Walker (Lv.9) -Unfortunate (Lv.7) -ster (Lv.5) -Quick Finisher (Lv.5) -Master of All (Lv.1) Current points: 0 [Team L6726-X3244] -N/A -N/A ¡­ .. . Current points: 0 "Just as I had thought." Raydon thought when he saw the title, "Forest Walker." It was Falco, one of his teammates, who was the first one to fall to the enemy team in his first match. "Why are you looking at me like that? '''' After noticing that Raydon was looking at him, Falco asked with a frown. He was unable to recognize Raydon due to his altered appearance. Also, despite the fact that the items he was wearing at the time still appeared to be a little mismatched, he most certainly did not give the impression of being a resident of a slum when considering his gray eyes, his morous white skin that appeared healthy and clean, and his distinctive ck hair that featured gray highlights. Instead, he gave the impression to anyone who nced at him that he was a powerful young master from a noble family. Raydon''s powerful presence had convinced Falco that he was dealing with someone formidable, so he turned his attention to the rest of his team. ''''Master of All? That''s a pretty fancy title for a level one. Who is this? It sounds familiar. '''' When Falco found out he had a level 1 teammate, he grimaced and turned to look at the other three people before asking. ''Seems like he hasn''t changed one bit, '' Raydon thought. While his teammates were suspiciously eyeing each other to determine who this lv. 1 item holder was, Raydon made the decision to ignore them and practice his new skills. ''First, let''s try what these little guys are capable of. '' Raydon muttered while he examined the skill that he had chosen to test out first. [Earring] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Explosive Swarm The user gives up some of their fire element and calls forth 40 mindless fire wasps that attack and then self-destruct after hitting the first target they see. The cooldown of the skill varies based on the user''s stamina stat. The damage of the self-destruct varies based on the user''s spirit stat. -Mana cost: 400 -Duration: 30 minutes. -Cooldown: 10 minutes. ''I have high hopes for this. '' Raydon muttered and used the skill. ''''Explosive Swarm.'''' Raydon observed a brief increase in his body temperature, and shortly thereafter, ck mes began to emanate from the bee-shaped earring that he wore in his right ear. These mes quickly dissipated, and within a matter of seconds, they transformed into pitch-ck bees that buzzed noisily and measured approximately 20 centimeters in diameter each. transformed. *Bzzz* *Bzzz* ''''Nice. '''' Raydon eximed as he couldn''t help but stare at what appeared to be a dangerous but adorable little army. However, the subsequent event that he witnessed rendered him incapable of further expression. *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* "Damn it, I couldn''t have seen thising." Chapter 200 Farmer Bees *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* Raydon gasped, "Damn it, I couldn''t have seen thising," as he turned to face his fellow item holders, who had all been instantly killed by the enormous explosion brought on by his bees. As soon as Raydon activated his skill, the bees that had been created by his ck me swarmed in all different directions, just as an agitated hive does when it is disturbed. Without any sense of direction or purpose, they careened towards the first target they stumbled upon, which unfortunately happened to be Raydon''s own teammates. Within seconds, four of the bees collided with his unsuspectingpanions and erupted into a devastating explosion, taking their lives in a single deadly blow. He heaved a sigh as he said, "I guess this is the reason why this skill does not count as amand-type skill." Except that the bees did not attack Raydon, they had no connections to him, and he was unable to exert any form of control over them. For Raydon, however, this was hardly a drawback. It was possible that he would get in troubleter on if he continued to kill his teammates in every match by ident, but for the time being, he chose to ignore that possibility because gaining experience points was the only thing that mattered to him. In addition, the fact that a single bee was all it took to kill a single teammate demonstrated how high the damage that these bees inflict, and it is likely that a single bee would have been sufficient to kill a mob in this match other than the Region Boss. ''''They also appear to be fairly quick. '''' Raydon observed his bees diving, vanishing into the trees, and scattering into the forest with incredible speed in search of a target. ''''The skill cooldown was lowered to 6 minutes, which is the best part. '''' He eximed as he read through the description of the skill. As a result of his high stamina, the skill cooldown of ten minutes was greatly reduced, and he was now able to use this skill up to thirty times over the course of the match, whichsted three hours. Because of his high mana regen, he was also able to almostpletely replenish the mana that he used up during this 6-minute period; as a result, he was able to use this skill without any issues at all once every 6-minute period. [Lv.1 Thorned Boar (F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 20 experience.] ¡­ [Lv.1 Thorned Boar (F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 20 experience.] .. [You gained 20 experience.] . [You gained 20 experience.] ''''Hahahaha. From now on, this is my favorite skill. '''' Despite the fact that only a few seconds had passed since he had used his skill, Raydon couldn''t help but let out a giddyugh as he observed the system messages that were suddenly ovepping. The bees that swarmed the forest appeared to have located their prey and begun killing them. After a short while of contentedly watching and following the system messages, Raydon was presented with the 36th system message after only two minutes had passed. ''It seems that I did, in fact, kill one monster for every single bee in just two minutes.'' Raydon pondered. With the exception of the four bees responsible for the deaths of his teammates, the remaining 36 bees had eliminated 36 mobs. With this knowledge, Raydon started a quick calction right away. ''''If I kill 40 monsters every six minutes by calling 40 bees, I will be able to use this skill to kill 1200 monsters by the time the match is over. My previous best for the most mobs taken out was somewhere around 700. I believe that by utilizing this new skill set, I will be able to easily surpass the record I set previously. '''' Following thepletion of this calction, Raydon''s sense of humor was at an all-time high, and he began to make his way through the woods while he waited for his skill to be avable once more. His bees would take care of the mobs while he went in search of the Region Boss himself. Of course, he would increase his kill count if he was able to kill mobs in addition to the ones his bees killed while searching the Boss. As he made his way through the jungle, he made the decision to put his movement-type skills on hold for the time being. After all, his bees were moving rather quickly at the moment, and he had an abundance of time to locate the Region Boss. Right now, he wanted to save as much mana as possible for the Explosive Swarm skill, and he nned to use the Grim Blessing skill only after he had eliminated all of the monsters in his immediate vicinity. This would allow the bees to travel further and take out more monsters more quickly. [Pants] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Grim Blessing The user activates and imparts their death aura upon their allies, increasing their movement and attack speed by 1% for themselves and their allies, up to a maximum of 20 times for each ally. The duration of the skill varies based on the user''s stamina stat. The number of stacks varies based on the user''s spirit stat. -Mana cost: 350 -Duration: 20 minutes. -Cooldown: 15 minutes. He double-checked his skill specifications and deliberated over his n. Through the use of this skill, Raydon was able to increase the speed of movement for both himself and his bees. In addition, because of his spirit stat, the maximum number of stacks that could be umted increased from 20 to 24, and Raydon was able to boost his movement speed by an additional 24%. ''Damn, just unlocking the spirit stat allowed for a significant increase in my farming efficiency. '' Raydon murmured and began to fantasize about farming experience points with an army under hismand the next time if he could unlock his charisma stat. Chapter 201 Finding The Region Boss As Raydon made his way through the middle of the forest, he chuckled to himself and said, "The little bastards didn''t even leave me a mob to kill." Even though he had been walking for the better part of an hour, he had not yet encountered any living mobs in the area. It shoulde as no surprise that the reason for this was that the bees that he summoned with his Explosive Swarm skill had eliminated all of the monsters in the area before he could even see them. ''I can''t even find all the bodies.'' He proceeded a little further and reflected as he got closer to the body of a dead boar that had arge hole in its stomach from which smoke was stilling out. It would appear that one of Raydon''s bees was responsible for the death of this boar not too long ago. Due to the fact that Raydon''s investigative-type skill only enables him to locate living things, and since he was unable to see the health bars of the enemies when they died, he was required to search for the bodies of dead boars in order to collect his loot. After taking the mob''s body and putting it in his dimensional storage, Raydon checked to see if his Explosive Swarm skill was ready to use again. ''''Explosive Swarm. '''' While watching the bees dash into the woods, he thought. ''It looks like I switched to the logistics item holder build. '' Raydon thought that all that was left for him to do at this point was gather the loot that his bees had left behind, but when the subsequent system messages started to appear, he realized that this way of thinking was not entirely incorrect. [Lv.9 Snow-Man(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 9 points.] [You gained 180 experience points.] ¡­ [Lv.7 Snow-Man(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 7 points.] [You gained 140 experience points.] .. [You gained 100 experience points.] "Fuck, in what direction are they?" As soon as he realized that his bees had located the opposing team, he hoped that the entire enemy team had not yet been eliminated. He then immediately activated the Death Sense skill and started to investigate the surrounding area. His bees were capable of traveling great distances in a short amount of time, and Raydon had not been able to locate the opposing team because he had not used the Death Sense skill in a while due to the fact that it had a cooldown and because he wanted to save as much mana as possible. Because of this, his bees were able to locate the enemy team before he did. ''''Thank goodness. '''' [Lv.8 Snow-Man(F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 7 points.] [You gained 160 experience points.] ¡­ [You gained 120 experience points.] Raydon was relieved that he is now able to find the dropped items more easily because he was able to locate the final two enemies before they died. ''It looks like I''ll have to make some adjustments to my investigative skill as well. '' As he made his way to the spot where the enemy team had been killed, he reflected on the situation. Even though the vision range of his Death Sense skill was quiterge, it was still woefully inadequate for such arge region. In addition, he was unable to use the skill consecutively and had to wait for the cooldown period, which was a few minutes each time. Raydon arrived at the location not long after the death of the opposing team, and fortunately, he was able to locate the items without much difficulty. "1 green-grade, a few white-grades and trash items, but still a very profitable match with what I loot from my own team." He delightedly let out a chuckle. Raydon still had two more hours until the end of the match, and all he needed to do was find and eliminate the Region Boss. ¡ª [1350/1350] ''''Haha, you were hiding here, huh? '''' In the course of Raydon''s search for the Region Boss using his Death Sense skill, he finally came across an HP bar that was significantly higher than what would be expected of a typical F-Rank mob. Additionally, he was fortunate that the bees he had summoned a while ago to killmon mobs hadn''t discovered the Region Boss so he wouldn''t have wasted them. ''To defeat this Region Boss, it will most likely be necessary for me to give up three, and possibly even four, of my bees. '' He gave it some thought before beginning his trek toward the cave with therge entrance, which was the location of the Boss''s hiding spot. When Raydon approached the entrance to the cave, he immediately began employing thebo that he had created recently. ''''Rusty Chain. '''' After activating his chain and wrapping it around his right arm, he began to use the berserker technique. As Raydon performed his technique, the chain that he wore on his arm began to glow with the intense heat of the ck mes, which caused the air all around him to sizzle with energy. He mped his eyes shut and took a few deep breaths as the dark mes wound their way around him like a living thing. As the rate of his heartbeat increased, the sound of it began to reverberate inside the cavern like the beating of a war drum. Simultaneously, a sudden surge of heat caused the mes to burst into smoke, enveloping him in a thick haze of darkness. The smoke that was all around him whirled and twisted, taking on the appearance of a writhing vortex of ck fire that seemed to pulse with a life of its own. The mes licked at his skin, fanning his hair and causing it to dance erratically in the raging wind caused by the mes. As Raydon basked in the power of his own creation, his eyes suddenly opened wide, revealing gray pupils that shone with a ferocious intensity. Chapter 202 Power Of The Combo Raydon stood there, a sudden and overwhelming sense of power washing over him like a wave, as his body was being consumed by the scorching heat of the mes. He noticed that his mes appeared to be stronger and more potent than they had been in the past and said, "Damn, its power increased again with my increased spirit stat?" In addition to this, he was able to have a very clear awareness of the fact that the blood that his heart pumped through his body rushed through his veins, thereby providing him with an additional boost of strength. The impact that the Ashen Heart had on Raydon''s HP led to the ash element bing infused in his bloodstream as a side effect. Because of this, Raydon felt an augmented surge of energy permeating his entire being. This was probably due to the fact that the spirit stat has the ability to bolster the Item Holder''s elemental properties. ''''However, it appears that my body won''t be able to maintain its ability to withstand the increased strength for very long. '''' Raydon felt the power pouring into his body, but he also noticed that he was bing extremely tired, both mentally and physically. He reasoned that in no more than ten minutes he would have used up all the strength in his body and would have been lying on the ground unable to even move his fingers. "Whatever the case may be, a couple of minutes would be sufficient for me." He smiled, but it was a crooked smile. The terrifying appearance of his smile was amplified by the fact that ck mes were rising above him and gray smoke was emanating from his mouth at the same time. ''''ROOAAARRR. '''' When Raydon was getting ready to enter the cave, the forest''s predator that was already inside must have sensed his presence because it began to roar, and shortly after that, the echoes of something galloping began to be heard inside the cave. "All right,e to daddy.'''' As soon as Raydon realized that the creature was getting closer, he abandoned his n to go inside and instead waited for the king of this jungle to make his appearance. The sound of hooves reverberating through the cave grew louder and closer within a matter of seconds, and Raydon soon caught sight of what appeared to be this beast. The monster stood at a height of two meters and resembled a boar, right down to its thick, shaggy, dark fur. It''s snarling, drooling jaws protruded menacingly, exposing its razor-sharp tusks, and its eyes glowed with a ming red light that seemed to burn with an otherworldly intensity. The enormous muscles of the beast rippled beneath its fur as it moved, and the ground shook with each heavy footfall that it took. Its breath was like a st of hot air, and as it charged towards Raydon, the very air around it seemed to shimmer and warp due to the immense power that it possessed. Boar Boss let out an angry snort as it dashed out of its cave and continued to make its way towards Raydon. Raydon decided to not try to evade the charging boar by moving out of the way and instead stood his ground and assumed a position of attack. ''''Let''s see how strong you are. '''' Raydon said with a grin. In point of fact, if it had been a different kind of monster other than the boar that was now perceiving the presence and power of Raydon''s emanation, it most likely would have chosen to run away rather than attack him. However, it was obvious that this boar had been the Boss of this region for a considerable amount of time and had lived its life with arrogance. As a result of this, it continued to charge Raydon, who appears to be a devil in his ck mes, as a result of having lost its animal instincts and being blinded by the rage it felt at being disturbed. Raydon stood there with his right fist ready, and when the boar finally got close enough to him and prepared to strike with its tusks, Raydon quickly slid off the boar''s tusks and mmed his right fist into the boar''s nose, which is burning with intense ck mes. *BOOM* [Lv.10 Jungle ck Boar (E-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 100 points.] [You gained 2000 experience points.] [Congrattions; at the conclusion of the match, you will receive your reward for killing the region boss.] As soon as Raydon''s fist and the boar came into contact with one another, an incredible amount of energy was released, and the force of the impact caused Raydon to be thrown backwards and then fly away. *BANG* With a deafening crash, he collided with a nearby tree, and the sound of splintering wood filled the air. The impact was so strong that the tree disintegrated into kindling-sized pieces as a result of the force of the collision, sending splinters of wood flying in every direction. ''''It looks like this will cause a forest fire.'''' As Raydon pulled himself to his feet and brushed the dirt and debris off of him, he became aware that the tree that he had just crashed into was now on fire. The mes, which radiate from his very body, licked at the bark and branches, consuming the tree with a voracious hunger. ''''Oh well, whatever. '''' Raydon started walking indifferently in the direction of the spot where he had collided with the boar. During this time, he turned off hisbo, and he immediately felt the exhaustion that came over him as soon as the mes that were contained within his body were extinguished entirely. ''Its power is truly incredible, but the burden it ces on me is just as significant as its power. Given my current level of stamina, it''s likely that I won''t be able to use thisbo at full power for more than two minutes.'' Raydon muttered and kept walking. Chapter 203 Spirit Or Stamina? [Lv.1 Thorned Boar (F-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 1 point.] [You gained 20 experience points.] ¡­ [You gained 20 experience points.] .. [You gained 20 experience points.] . [You gained 20 experience points.] ''''I''m in love with this skill.'''' Raydon was still deep in the woods looking for the bodies of the boars when he looked at the iing system messages and let out an happy shout. It had been close to three hours since the beginning of the match, and he had already eliminated the opposing team, the Region Boss, and even his own team. In addition, he had eliminated more than a thousand monsters from the map. As a result of all of this, he had already surpassed his previous best performance in the matches that he had taken part in up to this point. ''''It would appear that there is currently no way for me to increase the number of bees that I can summon, but I can further reduce its cooldown by increasing my stamina,'''' Raydon thought as he checked the skill description once more. [The cooldown of the skill varies based on the user''s stamina stat.] [The damage of the self-destruct varies based on the user''s spirit stat.] Since a single bee in an F-Rank match could easily kill a mob with the help of Raydon''s spirit stat sub-skill, the bees didn''t need to increase their explosion power at the time. All that was required of Raydon was to figure out how he could make better use of this skill. ''''It was sufficient to reduce the 10-minute cooldown to just 6 minutes with the 60 stamina stat that I have. My cumtive experience points will be very close to 60,000 after I finish this match and add those points to the ones I already have. With that many XP, I''m curious how much my stamina can improve. '''' Raydon''s mind started to wander. At this point in time, he needed 957 experience points in order to increase his stamina by 1 more, and if he spent all of his experience, he would probably be able to increase his stamina by at least 30 more. ''''How much, if at all, will the additional 30-40 stamina stat reduce the skill''s cooldown, though? '''' He entered a state of deep thought. The cooldown of the skill was cut by 4 minutes due to his stat total of 60 stamina, but as far as he understood, this ratio was not something precise and exact. Therefore, even if he were to increase the total number of points in his stamina, bringing it up to 120 altogether, the cooldown would not be reduced by 8. ''''Wait¡­What happens if I raise my spirit stat even higher? In essence, isn''t it a stat that''s closely rted to skills? Man, it''s aplete gamble, but...'''' Raydon was suddenly struck with an idea as he was thinking. However, before he could give any further thought to the matter, the iing system message caused a momentary dimming of his vision, and he found himself back in his room. [The match has ended.] [Winner Team: B7890-D4850] [¡­Based on the contribution, rewards are calcted.] [You gained gold coins: 428] [You gained item blueprint: Earring(White)] [You gained crafting material: ck Boar''s tusk(Green)] [Win streak: 7] ''''There is no body enchantment? Oh well, never mind, the experience points I gained more than makes up for it. '''' Due to the fact that Raydon had already amassed a total of 25,710 experience points as a result of the match, the rewards that came along with winning the match were of less significance to him. ''''If I go back to the previous topic. What should I do? '''' Raydony back in hisrge leather chair, which was quitefortable, and continued to think. Actually, he didn''t want to spend experience points by increasing his stamina more to reduce the cooldown of only 1 skill, as his defense was quite high right now. ''But by increasing my stamina stat, I can also use mybo longer and more effectively. Nevertheless, increasing my spirit stat can make my overall attack damage more effective. '' Raydon muttered, staring at the ceiling. Actually, he was more interested in learning which sub-skills he would acquire by raising his spirit stat. Additionally, he was feeling more excitement due to the uncertainty of whether the sub-skill he desired would appear. If he increased his stamina, the results would be obvious; if he increased his spirit, the results would be entirely random; but if he were to seed, increasing his spirit would have even more significant effects. ''''What to do¡­ What to do¡­ '''' He began to believe that the decision he was about to make was the most important and difficult of his life. It seemed like his gamer brain was thoroughly rotten. "I suppose I should get some fresh air," Raydon, upon realizing that his thinking was causing him headaches and that he was unable to decide between options, came to the conclusion that he needed to give his mind a rest. He eased himself up from thefortable armchair he was sitting in, stretched his arms, and then made his way to the window. As he opened the window, a fresh breeze from the slums blew in, and he prepared to take a deep breath of the stale, contaminated air. However, he was unable to because he was taken aback by what he saw in the street. "What in hell is he doing?" A multitude of people were busy cleaning the street with hushed determination, but amidst them, Raydon''s attention was caught by a peculiar figure. The striking blue hair of this stranger and the upscale clothing he wore stood in stark contrast to the ragged clothing that the other people living in the slum wore. Despite this, there he was, holding a simple brush in his hand and working diligently to sweep the dust off of the cracked and uneven asphalt. Interestingly, this handsome and regal-looking man was the Demugen family''s young master and Raydon''s cousin. Chapter 204 Galens Visit When Raydon looked at Galen, his thoughts turned to the question, "Would he be here to bring the inheritance key he promised?" When they had theirst conversation and came to an agreement at the antique shop, Galen told him that he would get an inheritance key from his father and that he would bring it to him two dayster. In any case, the strange thing was that, in addition to the fact that it had not even been exactly 2 days since they hadst spoken, Galen was now cleaning the street with a broom in his hand in an extremely serious manner. Raydon stopped thinking about how strange the situation was and, with the enthusiasm of a child who had just been given a new toy, he made the decision toe downstairs to talk to him. ¡ª "Haven''t you ever held a broom before? The master will be unhappy if you keep up this poor performance. '''' The old senile man was watching everyone''s work intently from the sidelines and said when he noticed Galen''s clumsiness. ''''Actually, this is my first time doing this. '''' Galen smiled awkwardly in response and continued sweeping while attempting to focus his attention even more than he had before. "Hey there, you old codger. " With a tray of drinks in hand, one of the aunts went up to the old man and whispered in his ear. ''''What? '''' "Aren''t you taking things a tad bit too far here? This person is obviously not ordinary. What if he is an item holder? '''' She said this as she observed Galen''s peculiar appearance and the expensive-appearing clothing he was wearing. ''''Hmmm¡­ '''' The old senile man gave Galen a close inspection. The way Galen''s hair moved in the breeze made it look like the ocean, and interestingly enough, anyone who got close to him could smell the salty air of the sea. It was also as if there were a peaceful sea inside his pupils, one that was deep and provided a calming effect to anyone who looked at them. Everyone who looked at him understood right away that he was not an ordinary person, but this elderly senile man obviously didn''t care and shrugged in response. ''''So what? There are three item holders here as well. It''s not something unusual. '''' ''''What 3 are you talking about? Old bastard, I am aware that you are insane, but you cannot count master as one of us. '''' Aunt remarked while making a face. Even though they had epted Raydon as one of their own quite some time ago, after everything that had taken ce and after seeing the power that he possessed, the idea that he was just a regr person appeared to them to be an absurd thought. Since this time, everyone hase to view Raydon as a divine being, and the aunt''s reaction to hearing this was one of outrage because she considered it sphemy for the crazy old man to even entertain such a notion. ''''Woman, what are you talking about? Obviously, I''m referring to myself. '''' The old man red at her as he raised his hand to demonstrate the crooked writing of red 99 paint that was on it. ''''Your mental health deteriorates with each passing day.'''' The woman stated this while staring in disbelief at the writing that the crazed old man had written in his own hand with the paint that they had just finished applying to the walls. ''''Whose health is deteriorating? I''m still¡­ '''' The old man was about to deny thement about his health when he noticed Raydon approaching them and immediately stopped and kneeled. ''''Master. '''' ¡­ .. . ''''Master.'''' Everyone who suddenly noticed Raydon kneeled down to greet him, while Galen, who was overly focused on his work at the time, noticed the situation and said with his head bowed while giving a royal greeting in the direction where everyone else was kneeling. ''''Greetings, sir. '''' ''''What are you doing? Have you brought the item? '''' Raydon inquired in an enthusiastic manner right away, paying no attention to his behavior in the slightest. ''''What? You? I thought you were that venerable item holder. '''' When Galen looked up, he couldn''t believe his eyes when he saw Raydon standing in front of him. After a cursory examination of his surroundings, Galen heaved a sigh of relief when he was unable to identify the individual he had confused Raydon with earlier. He didn''t want toe here because he believed there was a high-ranking item holder living here from the beginning, but because he didn''t want to send anyone else for his deal with Raydon, he chose toe here in person and hand over the inheritance key to him. However, unfortunately for him, the group that was still cleaning the street was the first to see him as he walked to the street in a state of tension and nervousness. Knowing what had happened to Tika thest time she was here, he asked the group as politely and respectfully as possible where Raydon was, but all of a sudden, in a way that he didn''t understand, everyone started talking about their Master, and a god with a great deal of power. He tried to exin that he came here only for Raydon and not for their master, but everyone kept talking about a divine being, and he wasn''t able to exin himself to these crazy people. In the end, Galen found himself in a bizarre situation where he waspelled to clean the streets and listen to the instructions of the old man. ''Damn, they said their master is currently resting in his home and can''t disturb him, and I need to clean the streets while waiting. However, why are they referring to him as the master? '' While Galen continued to be perplexed, he gave Raydon a careful examination, sighed, and thought. ''''Just ignore them. Do you have it with you or not? '''' Raydon ignored Galen''s question, who appeared to be even more perplexed than before, and then he asked again. Chapter 205 Wave Titan ''''Yes. Should we talk somewhere else? '''' While making the suggestion, Galen cast a nce in the direction of the building that was located behind Raydon. In spite of the fact that he was still having troubleprehending the situation in its entirety, he was unable to dispel the idea that the high-rank item holder was currently resting inside that house. ''''What do you want to say? Don''t worry, we can talk here.'''' Raydon spoke in an impatient tone. After observing Raydon''s adamant demeanor anding to the conclusion that there was no issue, Galen slowly retrieved an item from his dimensional storage and showed it to Raydon. ''''This is the key to the inheritance. I''m not sure if you realize how important this is, but my father purchased it for me at a great price. And now I''m handing it over to...'''' Without waiting for Galen to finish his sentence, Raydon grabbed the item from his hand and started inspecting it. This thing appeared to be a drop of frozen water about the size of a fist, and it had an incredibly clear appearance. To such an extent that even the light of the sun that was shining on it waspletely transparent to it and did not cause any reflection. [Inheritance Dimension Key] -Grade: Green -Quality: N/A -Skill: Participate This key grants the user ess to the Wave Titan''s inheritance. Participation is limited to entities of E-Rank and lower only. The event is limited to a single participant at a time, and the key will vanish once the inheritance is sessfullypleted. ''Yes!!!An actual E-Rank inheritance. '' When Raydon read the item description, he couldn''t help but get excited, even though he wasn''t sure if the fact that it was green-grade had anything to do with the fact that it was avable to E-Rank item holders. It was obvious that the key he was holding was an E-Rank key because only F-Rank item holders were permitted to take part in the previous inheritance that he took part in. ''But I suppose it''s a water element. '' Raydon managed to contain his excitement at the time and made an inference based on the name of the inheritance and the shape of the key. The information that he had at the time suggested that Raydon''s ash element included the elements of death and fire. Since he was about to inherit the water element, there was a chance that the elemental difference would cause his power to diminish. In a normal situation, Raydon wouldn''t mind having such a disadvantage, but this inheritance was reserved for E-Rank item holders, and despite the fact that he had full faith in his own capabilities, he was aware of how challenging the stages would be. "Are you hearing me?" Galen inquired with annoyance. He had been going on and on for a while about how significant this inheritance was to him, as well as the trust he had in giving it to Raydon and everything else, but Raydon hadn''t listened to any of it, and that infuriated him. ''''Oh, yeah. Don''t worry about it, I wille when the time is right.'''' Even though Raydon wasn''t paying attention to what he was saying, he was able to make an educated guess and responded by waving his hand while keeping his focus on the key he was holding. ''''Okay, I will believe you. '''' Galen said with a sigh. This inheritance was purchased by his father as a reward for him achieving E-Rank, and in order to im it, he had to pay a significant amount of gold coins and other items. However, in order to retrieve Raydon, he had to part with this key. The green-grade dimensional storage expansion orbs that he was going to receive as a reward were significantly more valuable to him than the key itself. Galen let out another sigh after observing that Raydon was still not paying attention to him, and then he made the decision to depart without giving himself any further hugs. ''It is ridiculous for him to get so excited about a thing that he will not be able to use in the near future at the very least. I sincerely hope that he is not an idiot and that he will not attempt to use it with the strength he presently possesses. '' Galen was thinking as he was walking away. Since he believed that Raydon had only recently awakened as an item holder, he believed that it would take him a significantly longer amount of time to reach the necessary level of strength to use this inheritance key safely. On the other hand, seeing how excited he was, Galen was concerned that he might make a foolish move and end upmitting suicide by using the key. In the unfortunate event that Raydon were to pass away while inside, not only would he lose the priceless inheritance key, but he would also be deprived of the rewards that would be provided to him indirectly by Raydon. However, there was something very significant that he was unaware of, and it should not be overlooked. To begin, even though Raydon was still an F-Rank, he was significantly more powerful than a typical E-Rank, and he was also no longer the mentally ill individual that he had been in the past. ¡ª ''Well, this came much sooner than I had anticipated. Now all that''s left for me to do is decide whether I should work on increasing my spirit or my stamina. '' Raydon mumbled to himself as he started to make his way back home. Before he could use this key, he had to make a decision about which stat to improve in order to make the most of the opportunities that awaited him inside. ¡­ "I believe it would be to my advantage if I waited to use it until after the next match." Raydon had already arrived home and was currently sitting in his favorite chair while engaging in some reflective thought. He had finally made up his mind about which stat he wanted to improve, but he chose to wait until his next match to see how this decision would affect him. Chapter 206 Stat Increase ''Right now, I have somewhere around 50,000 experience points. That''s probably enough for me to go ahead and increase it by 10. Hopefully, I''ll be able to acquire the sub-skill that I want. '' Raydon muttered solemnly while furrowing his brows. He chose to increase the stat point for the spirit. He came to the conclusion that improving his attack power was the most important thing for him to focus on right now, despite the fact that doing so required more experience than boosting his stamina. Because of the increase in his Spirit stat, both the bees and hisbo would be more powerful, allowing him to eliminate the monsters that he might face in the E-Rank inheritance more quickly and effectively. In addition, if he came across a defensive monster, such as E-Rank stone soldiers, that he had previously been unable to kill in a single hit, he would now be able to do so thanks to the enhancements made to his elemental power. By increasing his stamina, he could continue using hisbo for longer, though the damage it dealt would be unaffected. On the other hand, if he were to raise his Spirit stat, the elemental damage that each attack would deal would go up, but he would only be able to use hisbo for a shorter period of time as a result. As a direct result, Raydon opted for a stronger but shorterstingbo. After all, he could only remain in inheritance for a predetermined amount of time, and it would be a strategically superior way for him to use hisbo for a short time and make it stronger than it would be to use it for a long time if he wanted to maximize its effectiveness. Therefore, he has the option to reserve the use of hisbo for situations in which he is faced with enemies that his bees are unable to kill. Aside from that, Raydon''s true anticipation centered on the new sub-skill that he would acquire. ''''It''s undoubtedly a gamble, but... Isn''t that where the real fun is? '''' He said with a grin on his face while simultaneously beginning to raise his spirit stat. [+1 / Cost: 1690 XP] ¡­ [+1 / Cost: 2520 XP] .. [+1 / Cost: 3360 XP] . [+1 / Cost: 4910 XP] *DING* ''''Fuck, it cost me more than 30,000 to increase it to only 10.'''' When Raydon did finally hear the voice he had been looking for, he was so anxious that cold sweat began to run down his forehead. Even for a brief second, he entertained the idea that his experience points would not be sufficient, but fortunately, he only used up slightly more than half of them. ''Please let it be the sub-skill I want or else I will probably need more than 50,000 experience points to get the next sub-skill. '' He muttered under his breath as he opened the title panel with hands that were shaking. ''''Please¡­'''' ''''Please¡­ '''' ''''Please..'''' ''''Pleas..FUCKKK'''' While Raydon was in the middle of his prayer, he saw his new sub-skill and cursed in exasperation. [+1 / Cost: 5420 XP] -Mana Attunement (sub-skill): Increases mana regeneration by 100% and decreases the MP cost of all item skills by 20%. -Damage Amplification (sub-skill): Increases the speed and damage of all attack-type item skills by 100%. -Greater Mana( sub-skill): MP is increased by 2000. ''''Damn. It''s not so bad, but it''s certainly not what I was hoping for. '''' Raydon slouched in his chair, clearly frustrated. When he saw his first two sub-skills, he mistakenly believed that this stat was directly rted to the skills. As a result, he ced a wager on the possibility of acquiring something that would reduce the cooldown rate of his skills. "I guess I''ll have to work harder to earn more experience points in my next match. '''' Raydon looked at the remaining experience points he had and realized he would need to perform at least twice as well as he did in his most recent match in order to collect the necessary experience points to increase his spirit by another 10. ''''But, aside from that... '''' He temporarily forgot the dissatisfaction he was experiencing as he thought about the mental and spiritual shifts he had just gone through as a result of increasing his spirit stat. Unlike every time he increased his stamina, he felt his body changing and his vitality increasing, but this time the change he experienced was very different. In addition to noticing more details, such as dust particles in the air, as he observed the material world around him, Raydon felt his spirit materializing within his body, now that he had raised his spirit stat to 30. When he used his skills in the past, he was unable to feel the mana he used, which seemed to have been generated by the system out of thin air so that item owners could employ their skills. But now he was able to sense, albeit very faintly, where this mana wasing from. Along with the sensation that his soul was taking on physical form, mana was something Raydon perceived to be a part of his soul. "So this is why this stat is called spirit, huh?" Aftering to the conclusion that his soul was responsible for storing and possibly even producing this mana, Raydon closed his eyes and tried to focus more intently on his spiritual self. "I remember this feeling from a ss I yed before," Raydon murmured after taking a moment to reflect on the mana he perceived as being stored in his body and soul. He got out of his seat, sat down on the floor with his legs crossed, and started concentrating more intently on the nagging sensation that he was experiencing. Raydon cleared his thoughts in order to concentrate solely on his soul and the minuscule mana particles that were moving around inside of it. In a matter of mere seconds, he had entered a state of profound trance, and his entire being had be devoid of any feelings. Chapter 207 New Technique As Raydon sat there and meditated, an observer looking at him at this moment might get the impression that his body was as lifeless as a tree stump as if it had been motionless for centuries on end. As he concentrated on his soul, he noticed that his inner world contained a reflection of his soul. However, the representation of this soul that he saw in the form of an avatar was entirely dark and appeared to be engulfed in a fire of the same color. "Could it be due to the ash attribute that I have?" Raydon was under the impression that the ash quality of his mana was responsible for his soul having this appearance. It would appear that the ash attribute of his HP was responsible for the mes and burning effects that manifested in his physical body, whereas the attribute that was present in his MP was the factor that led to the transformation that urred in his soul. He opened his eyes slowly and said with a smile after he had spent several hours carefully examining his inner self. ''''I knew what this feeling belonged to. '''' Raydon was finally able toprehend this sensation by utilizing a different technique he had learned and mastered in video games. The mana that Raydon could only faintly sense was very simr to the qi that was utilized in the majority of the martial arts sses in his previous world. "Unfortunately, it does not appear that I will be able to increase my mana through cultivation or meditation." The technique he used to sense his mana was a cultivation technique, but it did not help him increase his spirit stat or mana. But after realizing that at least this mana possesses qi-like qualities, he came up with another technique. He once more shut his eyes and started to concentrate. After what seemed like only a few seconds, incredible energy started to radiate from all over Raydon''s body. His body suddenly began to emit a ck ominous aura, which quickly formed a barrier over his entire being and surrounded itpletely. However, this aura did not stop there, and the shadowy aura that was emanating from the barrier started to spread throughout the entire room. *Crack* *Crack* Fractures appeared in the house''s walls and floor as Raydon''s aura spread outward from him. *Crash* The vase nearby suddenly disintegrated into fragments, *Shatter* And eventually, the aura that had been prating his windows shattered them with a resounding crash. "I believe that this is a good time for me to stop." When Raydon noticed that his house had been harmed and that even his TV screen was cracked, he made the decision to stop. ''''But man¡­This technique for releasing the aura is actually effective, hahaha. '''' When he realized that his technique was sessful, he couldn''t contain his glee and burst outughing. What Raydon did was simr to what a martial artist would do by releasing qi, or internal energy. Since it wasn''t a skill and was instead the result of his erged soul brought about by the materialization of his mana, he didn''t have to expend any of his mana to aplish it. However, even if he could use his aura to cause damage to his room, even if it were powerful enough to cause injury to an average person, it would be ineffective against other item holders. ''''With this aura, I can only scare off my weaker opponents or dampen their will to fight. On the other hand, as my spirit stat rises, the destructive power that it can unleash has the potential to grow even further. And who knows? There might be another way I can use this technique to boost my elemental strength. '''' As Raydon''s spirit stat grew, he pondered the new options and techniques he could employ. "But unfortunately, regardless of how well I can control my mana, it appears to be impossible for me to use a skill without relying on items. '''' With a sigh, he said. He made the startling discovery that he was able to sense the mana that activates the skills in the items and had some degree of control over it. Unfortunately, because item holders did not have a life core in their bodies, they were unable to incorporate these skills into their own bodies and could only use skills via the magic equipment they possessed. ''Perhaps in the distant future, even if I don''t have a life core, I''ll find a way to infuse these skills into my soul so that I don''t need magic equipment to use them. '' Raydon became lost in deep thought. "Oh well, I guess that''s that. I doubt I will be able to aplish that anytime soon, even if it is technically feasible. '''' Heughed and got to his feet. His life had already be more enjoyable simply due to the fact that everything was the way it was now. And he made the decision to consider it at ater time when he was stuck and required additional development for his power. That he was able to apply yet another technique he had picked up from his earlier life in this world was enough to make him pleased. The berserker technique was the one that created his newbo, and it was also the one that was the most useful of the techniques at the moment. Through the use of this technique, he was able to quicken the rhythm of his heart, which sped up the rate at which blood was pumped throughout his body. Additionally, he was able to exert more control over his adrenaline levels, which enabled him to stimte the cells in his body and increase his physical strength by removing his body''s limits. And in addition to this berserker technique, which is for his physical body, he now also possessed the aura technique, which was for his soul. And the potential of the aura technique was even higher than the potential of the berserker technique, which he thought he could even use in the future to strengthen his skills and elevate the amount of elemental damage they dealt. Chapter 208 Future Plans ''It turned out that raising my spirit stat wasn''t such a bad idea after all. ''After getting over the initial disappointment of not getting the sub-skill he wanted, Raydon made his way towards the front door of his home. Since he didn''t have much to do while he was waiting for his next match, he made the decision to go on a little bit of a walk around the area while he was waiting. He was living in one of the slums that were located outside of the city at the time, and his goal was to investigate thewless neighborhoods that were located in the surrounding areas. ''Perhaps there are other item holders, like Herman, who have territories in the surrounding area. '' Raydon thought. Herman, a member of the Blood organization whom he had eliminated some time ago, was just one example of the rogue item holders who upy an ownerless ce and use it as their home. Like him, a great number of item holders had built up tiny kingdoms for themselves outside of the cities. The previous time Raydon had killed Herman, he had unexpectedly gained a lot of experience points and loot from him, and now the idea of finding others like him was enough to get him excited about the prospect of hunting them down. ''Because of the previous misunderstanding, the blood organization hasn''te after me yet, but I''d better be more careful with my next target. '' Raydon took a moment to pause and think. ording to the information that he had previously obtained from Belicia, the Blood Organization, which Herman was affiliated with, typically consisted of members who operated on their own and was even an organization whose members regrly fought and killed one another within themselves. In spite of this, and despite the fact that they didn''t have many rules, whenever someone who wasn''t a part of their organization attacked or killed one of their members, a revenge call would be made, and a reward would be ced on the head of the person whomitted the attack. Because the rumor that the person who killed Herman was to be a high-ranker spread so quickly, even arge and powerful organization like the Blood Organization was unable to ignore these rumors. As a result, no one has yete for Raydon''s head. ''''Despite the fact that the rumors are circting, I don''t think it will be too much longer before theye after me. Until then, I had better try to build up as much strength as I can. '''' Raydon smiled as he walked out of his home after opening the door and stepping outside. Raydon was well aware of the potential threats and hazards thaty ahead, but the potential rewards in the form of experience points and loot were so alluring that it was difficult to pass up the opportunity. Furthermore, he found a strange sense of enjoyment in the chaos and obstacles he faced. The chaos he would unleash and the obstacles he would face, along with the powerful item holders who mighttere for his life, all presented another challenging phase in his game-like life. ¡ª It had been exactly two days since Raydon had left his house to go on an investigation, and everyone in the neighborhood was watching intently as a ck car of the most recent model made its way slowly up the street to where his house was located. After parking his brand-new car in front of his house, Raydon emerged from the vehicle with a broad grin on his face and said, "It''s almost time for the next match." After leaving his home, the first thing he did was go to the item market. There, he sold the extra items and materials he had brought with him and exchanged some of the gold he had for cash that he could use among regr people in this world. Later on, he used this money to purchase this ck sports car, which is quite pricey for regr people. ''It''s really surprising that I only paid 150 gold coins for this vehicle, '' he thought. Raydonughed as he recalled the previous time he had attempted to purchase a sandwich for one gold coin. In this world,mon goods had no value to an item holder. Even an item holder who has only recently experienced an awakening and has only recently won their first match is able to use the gold they have earned to buy themselves the most recent model car. After being greeted by several young people, Raydon handed the keys to his car to one of them, told the young person to take care of the vehicle, and then entered his home with a big smile on his face. The fact that he was only minutes away from his next match was one of the factors that contributed to the broad grin that was stered across his face. However, the most significant aspect was the things he had discovered over the course of the previous two days in otherwless ces close to where he lived. When he was conducting research in the surrounding areas, he paid particr attention to slums that are located a significant distance from the regions where the families, or the regions where item holders belonging to other organizations, are located. Raydon also reasoned that there were lots of ces with strong item holders nearby during the course of this research. Once an item holder had reached a certain level of strength, they were able to select an ownerless region for themselves and make it their home. They did not have to worry about any problems during this time because these regions were frequently slums that families or organizations ignored. He already had a good idea of where he wanted to look, and he used the information he gathered from his investigations to guide him to many of the potential locations. Even though Raydon found a few F-Rank targets, the majority of the targets he found were E-Rank, and even two of them were D-Rank item holders. Chapter 209 Increasing The Spirit Stat Once Again ? ''''I wonder how powerful D-Rank item holders are. It''s likely that Belicia is also an E-Rank," Raydon spected in his head. Raydon had met a lot of powerful people during his time in the item market, but the most powerful of the people he had seen fighting was only E-Rank. And he spected that Tika and Belicia, who was probably almost as strong as a top low-ranker, were the strongest of them all, despite the fact that he had never seen either of them engage in a serious fight. Raydon started counting down the remaining seconds until his next match and said, "Anyway, those are things I can think aboutter." *Ding* [The next match is ready to begin. Do you want to join?] And with that, Raydon began his eighth match with the intention of finishing with a new record. As Raydon''s vision started toe back, he found himself stepping out into the zing heat of the sun, which was beating down on a destendscape that was cracked and parched. Heat and dryness pervaded the atmosphere around him. It was difficult for Raydon to make out anyndmarks or distinguishing features of the surrounding terrain as a result of a hazy heat wave that shimmered in the distance. The only thing that he was able to make out in front of him was a never-ending in of dry and barrennd that stretched out as far as the eye could see. After conducting an in-depth analysis of the region he was in, Raydon promptly put his skill to use,pletely oblivious to the presence of the other members of his team. ''''Explosive Swarm. '''' *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* Raydon went around collecting the items of his fallen teammates, all of whom had been eliminated by a single explosion each brought on by his bees. Following that, he observed as his bees dispersed themselves across these drynds and began searching for a new target for themselves to attack. ''''Grim Blessing. '''' Raydon made use of his second skill as well, as he did not believe that this would be sufficient to earn the necessary amount of experience for him to once again raise his spirit stat. [Pants] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Grim Blessing The user activates and imparts their death aura upon their allies, increasing their movement and attack speed by 1% for themselves and their allies, up to a maximum of 20 times for each ally. The duration of the skill varies based on the user''s stamina stat. The number of stacks varies based on the user''s spirit stat. -Mana cost: 350 -Duration: 20 minutes. -Cooldown: 15 minutes. As soon as Raydon activated his skill, a very faint glint appeared in his gray eyes, and he felt the strength in his body begin to increase. ''''Good. It looks like it''s working," Raydon said as he attempted to move around a little bit, assuming that his increased speed had increased by 20%. In addition to this, the most noteworthy aspect was the fact that his bees also received the 20% eleration boost. Raydon hadn''t made extensive use of this skill in the match before because he needed to be more careful with how he used his limited mana reserve. However, now that he had increased his spirit stat and gained a new sub-skill, he was able to use his skills without having to worry about running out of mana. ''''Explosive Stride. '''' After that, Raydon did not waste any more time and immediately activated his third skill. Then, after determining which route have the fewest bees, he started running in that direction. As soon as Raydon took his first step, a miniature explosion urred beneath his feet, which propelled him forward at an incredible speed. Because of this momentum, Raydon was able to throw his body forward several meters in an instant, and the additional 30% speed from the skill was added to the previous 20% buff, which assisted him in traveling many meters in a short amount of time. Raydon didn''t want to use his bees to carry out the killing this time, nor was he interested in picking up dead bodies. This time, he decided not to pursue the loot that woulde from killing mobs and instead focused on maximizing the amount of experience points he could earn. ¡ª [The match has ended.] [Winner Team: B7890-D4850] [¡­Based on the contribution, rewards are calcted.] [You gained gold coins: 425] [You gained item blueprint: Breastte (White)] [You gained a body enchantment: y Skin(White)] [Win streak: 8] ''''Hahaha. A new record has now been set.'''' Raydon, who had already returned to his room after the match was finished, looked up at the system panel andughed happily as he saw the amount of experience points he had gained. ''''I gave up all of the loot, but at least I was able to acquire a body enchantment. Not bad. '''' Raydonmented as he took a look at the match reward. With the experience points he earned in this match, he increased his current total experience points to almost 80,000. As a result, he was unable to obtain any loot other than the slime-like body of the region boss. In addition to this, he eliminated the members of the opposing team, but he was unable to obtain any loot from them because he was unable to locate the items that had fallen from them. "Let''s see what the next sub-skill will be," As he spoke, Raydon opened the character panel and began to increase his spirit stat. [+1 / Cost: 5420 XP] ¡­ [+1 / Cost: 6950 XP] .. [+1 / Cost: 10155 XP] . [+1 / Cost: 11300 XP] *DING* "I don''t think I can raise the spirit stat for a while, even if this sub-skill is not what I want." Raydon let out a sigh as he took a look at the required number of experience points for the next increase. After setting his spirit to 40 with all of his experience points, he decided it would be better to focus on increasing his stamina from here on out. Chapter 210 World Of Giants ? Raydon muttered, "Well, I hope that I was sessful in getting what I wanted this time." He then opened the title panel to check his new sub-skill. -Spellbound Swiftness (sub-skill): All magic equipment skills with a current cooldown of 10 minutes or less now have further cooldown reductions of 50%. ''''Yes!!! '''' Raydon was unable to contain his excitement when he finally saw the skill he had been looking for, and he let out a loud cry. ''''This is even better than I anticipated, '''' he eximed. Raydon was prepared to ept a rate as low as 20%, but when he saw that it was so much higher, he immediately began making calctions. While he was eagerly calcting the effect of a fifty percent reduction in cooldown time for all of his skills, he suddenly had the realization that, due to the excitement he felt at the time, he had not fully read the description of the skill. "Current cooldown of 10 or less? It doesn''t seem to be a problem for me. '''' All of Raydon''s skills had a cooldown of ten minutes or less, with the exception of his investigative skill, Death Sense, which had a cooldown of thirty minutes. Therefore, he had no objections to the restriction in any way. Also, the thing that was most important to him was the Explosive Swarm skill, and with this sub-skill, the cooldown time for that skill, which is normally somewhere around 6 minutes, would now be reduced to 3 minutes. He muttered to himself, "I guess I''ll have to remember to take into ount this sub-skill when choosing new skills in the future." Raydon came to the conclusion that he could not afford to ignore this sub-skill because it had the massive potential to be an essential passive support skill. This was especially true when taking into consideration the other skills that he intended to pursue in the future. After all, there was a significant gap between using a skill every 10 minutes and using it every 5 minutes. After retrieving the key from his dimensional storage, he remarked, "With this now I think I can try my luck at the inheritance." In a normal situation, it would be suicidal for an F-Rank to participate in an E-Rank inheritance; however, this was not the case for Raydon, and he believed that his current strength was sufficient. In addition, the time he had promised Galen was drawing nearer, and he was working toward the ultimate objective of amassing as much power as he could before meeting with his family. ''''Participate. '''' As soon as Raydon uttered the enchanted word, the frozen drop of water key that he had been holding in his hand melted away and transformed into a hazy entrance in front of him. In a matter of moments, the door sucked Raydon inside and then closed securely behind him. ¡ª [You have entered into an inheritance.] [Inheritance name: Blue Titan (E-Rank)] [Time until inheritance ends: 5:59:59] [Caution!!! In this ce, death is permanent.] Raydon''s expression of awe as he took in his surroundingspelled him to exim, "Wow, this ce looks fantastic!" He took the time to carefully examine his surroundings and was immediately struck by the sight of the trees rising up into the sky like mountains, reaching so high that they disappeared into the clouds. And the most incredible thing about these trees wasn''t their height but the waterfalls that poured down from their crowns as if they originated somewhere above the clouds. Numerous waterfalls descended from this incredible height, and their deafening roars shook the ground and shattered the soil and rocks, forming wide rivers that epassed everything in their path. ''This rumbling noise, '' The constant boom of the waterfalls was like a thousand bombs going off in his head, and it was starting to get to him. As Raydon took in his surroundings, he became aware that there were other types of vegetation present in addition to these enormous trees. The enormous mushrooms, which were the size of houses with two stories, were the first thing that caught his attention. Even the tiniest flower he observed was the same size as a typical tree in his own world. "I feel like an ant in this ce," muttered Raydon, feeling dwarfed by the colossal surroundings. Everything in this forest, he concluded, was enormous inparison to the norm. "Blue Titan, huh? "I think the item holder who created this inheritance was a giant," he mused as he began to walk and observe this world for signs of giant inhabitants. Thankfully, the ground was free of any grass, and his field of view was quite wide, allowing him to take in the enormity of this forest. ''It seems unlikely that I will be able to easily locate any monsters, if any exist at all. '' While Raydon was using the Death Sense skill, he looked around, but he didn''t see any health bars, so he assumed that there weren''t any monsters within close proximity to his position. It would not be easy for him to find what he was looking for in this region because it appeared to be evenrger than the regions in his previous matches. Raydon continued his observations and scanned the area for the necessary stages to finish this inheritance as he made an effort to leave the noisy area close to the waterfalls. ''At least I have 5 hours to work with this time. I believe the reason for this is due to the fact that this inheritance is an E-Rank. '' This time, the system provided a time that was five hours, as opposed to the times it had previously provided in previous inheritances. Additionally, simr to the previous inheritance, it appears that the ash attribute he possessed would not lengthen the inheritance this time either, so he had five hours to determine what his target was. Raydon used his Explosive Swarm skill to first release his bees in order to expedite his research. Then, in an effort to get away from the ear-splitting noise of the waterfalls, he activated his skills increased his speed, and began to run with all of his strength. Chapter 211 Blue Titan Raydon had just begun to run when, ten minutester, he stopped and muttered to himself. ''I suppose there''s something nearby.'' He was getting further and further away from the waterfalls when he first became aware of a new sound. It wasn''t like the waterfalls'' continuous roar; rather, it was more of an intermittent sound. The fact that the ground would ever so slightly shake whenever the sound was produced is evidence that it was something powerful. Raydon couldn''t help but feel curious when he heard this strange sound, and he began to move in the direction that the sound wasing from. The enigmatic sound that was getting louder and louder drew him forward and kept him moving. In addition to the loud boom that he could hear, the shaking in the ground that he could feel was also elerating at the same rate. ''''What the hell? Do you really expect me to kill this thing? '''' In the end, he was able to get to the location where the sound wasing from, and what he saw stunned him. In front of him stood a gigantic humanoid being that was easily the size of a mountain and had skin that was as blue as the sky. The ground trembled terribly with each step, and the resulting footprints looked like miniature craters. Raydon watched in astonishment as the titan moved, causing the ground to tremble beneath him with each step, andter released something else. A few of the bees that he had called forth some time ago could be seen hovering close to the feet of this enormous titan. ''''What are they doing?'''' He pondered as he observed the bees'' peculiar behavior. These mindless beasts would normallyunch a suicide attack on the first target they saw, but now they were hovering meekly around this giant''s feet, like bees circling around a honeb. Even if the bees were to attack this giant, it was highly unlikely that they would be able to cause any damage. However, the fact that they were simply flying around and not looking for other targets inspired Raydon to consider another possibility. *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* And it didn''t take him long to figure out what was happening when six of the bees suddenly blew up with a deafening bang, followed by the message from the system. [Lv.10 Water Slime (E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 2000 experience points.] Before his bees attacked, he noticed a bubbling of watering out from under the blue skin of the giant. Soon after, this bubbling took the form of a water-shaped slime, and when his bees saw this, they immediately attacked and destroyed this monster. Raydon had the following thought: "Looks like I found myself the experience source, but¡­" He was relieved to have found something that would allow him to gain experience points, but his happiness was cut short when he realized that killing even one slime would cost him six bees. ''It appears that this giant is connected to the inheritance reward, but how? '' Raydon''s mind was racing with the possibilities of what this giant''s role in the inheritance might be. Every inheritance had rewards left behind by the item holder who created it, and Raydon suspected that this seemingly invincible giant was the key to reaching that reward. Lost in thought, his eyes wandered up towards the sky, and that''s when he noticed something shining above the giant''s head. It was a glimmering object, almost touching the clouds. ''''Are you kidding me? '''' Raydon gave this object a closer inspection, and as he did so, he noticed that it appeared to be something contained within a water bubble. The inheritance reward, it seems, was floating above the giant''s head in a water bubble. He did end up finding the connection with this giant, as well as the reward; however, there was a significant challenge that needed to be ovee. "How in the fuck am I going to get there? " He let out a frustrated yell as he looked up at the head of the giant, which was towering above and almost touching the clouds. He had no means of flying, and climbing the colossal creature would take too much time. In addition, the slimes that would asionally materialize on the giant''s skin did not give off the impression of being weak monsters that he could easily dispatch. Because water is one of the elements that make up the slime, even his bees seemed to have less of an impact when trying to kill it. Also, almost all of Raydon''s attack skills were based on fire, and it was obvious that physical attacks wouldn''t do much damage to these slimes. ''''By the way, what rank is this creature? '''' Raydon was contemting alternative methods for acquiring the reward when he suddenly posed a new query. In spite of the fact that this inheritance is ssified as E-Rank, the strength of the living beings that make up this inheritance was only supposed to be E-Rank. On the other hand, it was clear from the giant''s outward appearance alone that it possessed a power level significantly higher than that of any E-Rank creature. Furthermore, even when the slimes appeared on its skin, which Raydon could see the HP bars of thanks to his Death Sense skill, he was unable to locate the HP bar of this blue giant, making it an even more mysterious presence. ''''Do I have a chance of killing this thing? '''' He scratched his chin thoughtfully while thinking. While he was just nning how he was going to climb on it and get the reward on its head, he was now thinking about how he was going to kill this giant and gain extra experience points. "Well, I can''t know without trying." With a mutter and a greedy look in his eyes, Raydon approached the terrifying and towering giant. The giant''s presence didn''t seem to be intended as a mere obstacle to be killed by the participants. However, it was also evident that the item holder who created the inheritance didn''t anticipate the arrival of a greedy individual like Raydon who would be tempted by the potential rewards. Chapter 212 Climbing The Giant ? Raydon''s awe at the massiveness of the giant grew as he got closer to it, whose heavy footsteps shook the ground with a deafening rumble. He, who was now examining this humanoid creature in greater detail, remarked that it appeared as though this individual was simply wandering around aimlessly. The only notable features of this gigantic creature were its blue skin and shiny, hairless head. Additionally, he waspletely naked, with the exception of the white boxers that he was wearing. If this weren''t the case, the sight of a massive, unmentionable thing jiggling around between the giant''s legs as he walked would definitely be unpleasant for anyone to witness. But there was something else that caught Raydon''s attention about this giant''s behavior, and that was the fact that he was walking around with his eyes closed, as though he were walking in his sleep, and paying no attention to anything that was going on around him. On asion, he would even run into a tree, but he would simply keep walking in a different direction. "I guess the water slimesing out of his body will be the only obstacle for me to climb this thing." After Raydon had gotten within striking distance of the massive creature, he reasoned that he could be sure it wouldn''t attack. Raydon could also see what appeared to be water bubbles asionally rising to the surface of this giant''s skin before vanishing again, but he did not see any slime. Because of this, he concluded that slimes only made an appearance whenever they sensed a possible enemy was nearby. He pulled his short sword from his dimensional storage and began running towards one of the feet of the giant, who was moving slowly but steadily. Raydon activated his skill as soon as he was close enough to his target. ''''Explosive Stride. '''' And as he leaped, a miniature explosion urred beneath his feet, which caused him to rocket upwards by a number of meters all at once. ''I hope that his skin isn''t as tough as it looks. '' After giving it a fleeting thought, Raydon thrust the short sword into the giant''s foot with as much force as he could muster. ''''Nice. '''' He was delighted to observe that the sword had no trouble prating the skin. It appeared that this thing, despite its enormous size, had rtively weak defenses, and even the spot where Raydon had stabbed it with the sword did not appear to be showing any signs of healing. ''It probably doesn''t have any other powers other than its enormous size and the ability to produce E-Rank slimes from its body. '' He thought. Even with these characteristics, this giant is an extremely dangerous foe; in fact, if it were even more powerful, the scope of this E-Rank inheritance probably wouldn''t be enough to contain the power of this thing, and it would fall apart as a result. Raydon took the dismantling knife from his dimensional storage and stabbed the giant''s leg a little higher than where he had just stabbed the sword. He then continued to work his way up the giant''s leg in a methodical manner. The fact that Raydon could not even reach the giant''s ankle despite having jumped approximately 8 meters earlier demonstrated how tall this thing was. "My experience points finally started to show themselves." As he continued to climb, he noticed that water bubbles were beginning to appear a little higher up, and soon after, those water bubbles transformed into slime and began to slide towards him. ''''Explosive Swarm. '''' *BOOM* ¡­ *BOOM* .. *BOOM* . [Lv.10 Water Slime (E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 2000 experience points.] As was the case previously, Raydon had used a total of six bees to eliminate this slime. The remaining 34 bees, on the other hand, must have had some kind of intuition that their next target was going to show up because they started searching their immediate surroundings rather than dispersing themselves all over the ce. ''It''s weird that they have such instincts,'' he thought. He had been under the impression that the reason they hadn''t attacked this enormous giant was because they didn''t consider him to be a target; however, it was really strange that they were waiting here knowing that a slime would soon form. [Lv.10 Water Slime (E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 2000 experience points.] They quickly took out another slime and then moved on to the location where they expected to find the following one. Each time the bees eliminated a slime, they advanced one level higher, and each time they were able to locate the following slime before it even spawned. Raydon reasoned that it was due to the fact that bees possessed some sort of instinct and that their behavior was also rted to the fact that their element contained fire, while the enemy possessed the water element. It urred to him that the natural opposition between the fire and water elements could endow them with a heightened sense of intuition. ''''Perhaps if I follow them I will be able to find a weak spot on this giant.'''' He pondered the situation and then proceeded to climb while following his bees. Even if the worst-case scenario urred and he was unable to locate the giant''s weak spot, the fact that he could locate the slimes'' spawn points and gain experience points was sufficient motivation for him to continue following his bees. ¡ª Raydon was able to climb almost all the way up to the thighs of the giant after approximately two hours of climbing, and his bees were sessful in killing more than 200 slimes along the way. ''''Hahahaha. Man¡­ I can''t believe I''ve already umted more than 500,000 experience points.'''' During the productive two hours that Raydon spent farming, he couldn''t even begin to count the number of times that he cried out inughter. He had already earned half a million experience points as a result of his body enchantment, which caused his experience points to be doubled. Chapter 213 Farming In The Hole ? This was the second most experience points he had ever earned in such a short period of time, and it was only surpassed by the stone soldiers he hade across on his previous inheritance. As Raydon continued to climb up the giant''s leg, he continued to use his Explosive Swarm skill every three minutes. And when he did finally see the location where his bees were going, he halted his ascent and muttered while frowning. "Are these insects actually bees, or are they horseflies looking for feces?" When he observed that the bees had begun to forage around the giant''s ass, he was at a loss toprehend the reason behind their actions. Since Raydon did not have any other ns and it took him two hours just to get up here, he started climbing towards them and increased his speed to find out what his bees were up to. After what felt like an eternity, he made it to the location where his bees were furiously swarming with excitement. They even ignored the additional slimes that had appeared in front of Raydon along the way, forcing him to use hisbo skill to get rid of them. As a result of the obstacle, he had lost half an hour, which had doubled the time it would have taken him to get here if he hadn''t encountered any slimes. ''''It has taken me three hours to get to this point. I really hope that I didn''t make a fool of myself by following you guys. '''' Raydon scowled at his bees and shed at the giant''s boxer with his sword. ''''Why the fuck are you guys so impatient?'''' He had only made a tiny hole in the fabric when, all of a sudden, the bees started to rush inside. Raydon peered through the opening and spected that whatever was on the other side must be very intriguing; however, the surroundings were too dim for him to make out much detail. Because they were entirelyposed of ck mes, the bees unfortunately did not offer much illumination. ''Where have they gone? '' While he was thinking, Raydon was going to activate the Death Sense skill to check if there was a monster inside, but suddenly, he was stunned by the booming sounds inside and the repeated messages from his system. [Lv.10 Water Slime (E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 2000 experience points.] ¡­ [You gained 2000 experience points.] .. [You gained 2000 experience points.] . [You gained 2000 experience points.] After he opened a hole in the boxer, exactly 40 bees swarmed in and quickly dispatched 7 water slimes. ''''Holy¡­ '''' While looking inside the hole, Raydon eventually activated his Death Sense skill and saw the health bars that he had not been able to see from the outside up until this point. And the number of health bars that he saw left him speechless. He had a hard time seeing anything inside because it was so dark, but he could make out that the number of HP bars he saw was in the hundreds or even the thousands. In addition to this, they had all congregated in the same location and were standing very close to one another. If this were a real MMORPG, the location Raydon just discovered would undoubtedly be the best ce for a yer to grind experience points. "And I find this spot inside a giant''s asshole," he muttered with a sour expression on his face. This would be a first for him in his long career as a professional gamer, as he had never before been required to farm experience points in such a peculiar ce. With eerie emotions, Raydon erged the hole in the boxer and crawled inside. Up until this point, the only way the slimes had attacked was by using the acidic qualities of their bodies to harm their prey. However, due to his high defense, this acidic feature did not constitute a threat to his life. As a result, he was able to enter this slime-filled location without fearing for his life. [HP -1] ¡­ [HP +1] ¡­ [HP -1] ¡­ [HP +1] ''I don''t have to worry about my health bar going down, but how can I eliminate all of these slimes? '' As soon as he entered, he felt a nearby slimee and attack his body, and he thought when he saw that his HP was only gone by 1 and soon regenerated and returned to full again. Raydon''s health point regeneration rate is currently somewhere around 140, which means that even if all 140 of these slimes attacked him at the same time, his body''s regeneration rate would prevent him from suffering any damage to his health. Additionally, it appeared that he did not need to worry too much about his items because the acidic properties of slimes seemed to be more effective against organic matter and did not do much damage against his empowered items thanks to the sub-skill that came with his title. Because of all of these factors, Raydon did not have any issues with his defense; however, he was unable to use his bees to eliminate all of those slimes in the allotted amount of time before the match ended. Since he couldn''t keep hisbo going for very long and couldn''t take out every slime with a single blow, it wouldn''t be enough, either. "If the fire were the only element I possessed, it''s highly unlikely that I could even kill them." Raydon came to this conclusion on the basis of the fact that these slimes possess the water element, which is strong against the fire element, and on the basis of the fact that their water element appeared to be of higher quality. After giving it some thought, he made the decision to use the experience points he had earned to boost his spirit stat in order to further increase the power of his elemental attacks. At the very least, if his fire and death elements became more powerful than the water elements that these slimes have, he would have a much easier time killing them with hisbo and his Explosive Swarm skill. Chapter 214 Sub-Skills ? ''I think I should increase it by 10. It also makes sense for me to use the remaining experience points to increase my stamina in order to be able to use mybo for a longer amount of time. '' Raydon reflected for a moment, and after some deliberation, he began investing the experience points he had umted up to this point toward the prospect of gaining additional experience points in the very near future. ''Let''s see how many experience points it will take. '' He murmured and increased his spirit stat by ten points. *DING* ''''133,150 experience points gone like this. '''' Raydon let out a sigh, and then, before checking out the new sub-skill, he began to increase his stamina stat. *DING* ¡­ *DING* ''''This is how it should be.'''' He was amused to discover that he had only used 39,110 of his avable experience points in order to gain an additional 20 stamina points. ''Should I aim for 100? '' When he saw that, even with his stamina set to 80, he still had a lot of XP, he thought. He was also curious as to whether or not, once his stamina reached 100, he would unlock something new and special. He said, "Let''s try it out," and continued to raise his stamina until it reached a total of one hundred. *DING* *DING* ''''What? '''' Raydon yelled out in shock when he saw that he couldn''t see the cost for the next increase after he had spent an additional 122,570 experience points and heard the system sounds of the +2 sub-skill he had received. ''''Is there a limit to how much more I can add?... Why? '''' When he suddenly realized that he couldn''t increase his stamina any further, he felt a sudden sense of rm. It seemed as though he could bring any one of his stats up to a maximum of one hundred by using his experience points. "Also, there''s no bonus for hitting 100?'''' Raydon felt a sense of disappointment as he realized that setting his stamina stat to 100 didn''t seem to unlock any additional benefits beyond the two sub-skills he had already acquired. It would not be enjoyable for him if there was a cap on the amount that each of his stats could be improved, because then there would be no room for growth. ''Whatever the case may be, I''d better give it some thoughtter. '' When he noticed that an increasing number of water slimes were beginning to gather around him, he began to think and eventually came to the conclusion that he should check the sub-skills he had acquired before taking any action. [+1 / Cost: 18620 XP] -Mana Attunement (sub-skill): Increases mana regeneration by 100% and decreases the MP cost of all item skills by 20%. -Damage Amplification (sub-skill): Increases the speed and damage of all attack-type item skills by 100%. -Greater Mana (sub-skill): MP is increased by 2000. -Spellbound Swiftness (sub-skill): All magic equipment skills with a current cooldown of 10 minutes or less now have further cooldown reductions of 50%. - Twin Cast (sub-skill): Upon activation of a skill, there is a 10% probability of triggering it once again. ''A multicast sub-skill? Wow, this is even better than the decrease in the cooldown. But does it use mana once more for the skill that is automatically triggered? '' Raydon grumbled as he read the description. Every time he used a skill, there was a fantastic 10% chance that he would seed in performing a double cast. In particr, if Raydon used his Explosive Swarm skill to call forth 40 bees, and with the 10% chance that this sub-skill would be triggered, then he would be able to call forth 80 bees all at once. The only issue that remained was determining whether or not the second activation also needed mana. He gave it some thought, and after a while, he came to the conclusion that the answer might havee to him during the course of the fight. He then made the decision to look at the sub-skills he had earned for his stamina. [+1 / Cost: N/A] -Life Regeneration (sub-skill): Doubles the body''s rate of healing and enhances the effects of healing skills used on the body based on the stamina stat. -Damage Reduction (sub-skill): Ignores 50% of all received damage. -Minor Element Resistance (sub-skill): Body resistance tomon elements is increased by 50%. -Greater Health (sub-skill): HP is increased by 1000. -Reinforce Items (sub-skill): Increases the durability of bound items by 200%. -Self-Repair (sub-skill): Bound items gradually repair themselves over time, with the speed of repair increasing based on the user''s stamina stat. -Counterstrike (sub-skill) : Returns a fixed amount plus a percentage of your stamina after sessfully countering an attack. -Damage Conversion (sub-skill) : Whenever you take damage, 20% of that amount will be returned to your health. -Die Hard (sub-skill) : HP regeneration speed is multiplied by four when HP falls below 50%. -Aura of Life (sub-skill) : Each chosen ally within a 1000-meter radius receives 25% of the user''s HP regeneration. ''''Wow¡­These seem pretty awesome. '''' Raydon was pleased with his newest sub-skills. He was not only enhancing his defense with his increased stamina and new sub-skills; concurrently, the newly acquired sub-skills were almost as good as an item skill and versatile, with the possibility that they were even better. ''Man¡­Isn''t my title a cheat? Despite the fact that these are only passive skills.'' Raydon was forced to reflect. Even though he was an F-Rank, the skills he possessed as a result of his title alone were superior to those possessed by a typical F-Rank with the assistance of magic equipment. [1953/2000] [1953/2000] [1973/2000] Raydon, using his Death Sense skill, looked at the health bars of the three slimes that were trying to attack him and said. '''' I am capable of inflicting damage without even making an attack. Hahaha '''' At this moment, even with just his Counterstrike sub-skill, he could kill them if he stood still, did nothing, and allowed them to attack him. Chapter 215 Killing The Giant ? Raydon watched the water slimes as they attacked him and watched as the health bar on each of the water slimes gradually decreased. ''''This would take a very long time. Now it''s time to see how much I''ve improved.'''' Raydon shed a grin before activating hisbo. ''''Rusty Chain. '''' He called forth the chain, but instead of wrapping it around his arm, he simply held it loosely in his hand. Then, intense ck mes erupted from both his body and the chain. Raydon took a look at the water slimes that were still trying to attack him and noticed that their bodies were beginning to bubble and evaporate as a result of the ck mes that he was using. After that, he whipped the chain around him in a circle, imitating the action of cracking a whip. After observing that the slimes had lost even more moisture and shrunk in size, he whipped the chain once more. [Lv.10 Water Slime (E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 2000 experience points.] ¡­ [You gained 2000 experience points.] .. [You gained 2000 experience points.] "Now two strikes is enough." When Raydon realized that he had sessfully eliminated all three slimes with his second attack, he let out a sigh of contentment. With his increased spirit stat, not only did his attacks have more skill power, but they also had more power of his two elements, which made them more effective against water slimes. ''''Explosive Swarm. '''' After Raydon confirmed that he was once again able to put his skill to use, he once more called upon his bees. Even though the new 10% chance of the sub-skill associated with his Spirit stat didn''t get triggered and he only summoned 40 bees, Raydon didn''t let his mood drop. Instead, he waved the chain in his hand and dove into the horde of water slimes to make another massacre. He was attacking blindly because it was still dark around him and he didn''t have a lot of vision. He was swinging the chain that was in his hand towards the only thing he could see, which was the HP bars. In addition, the only type of attack that he was employing consisted of spinning the chain around him in a circle at a high rate of speed, dealing random damage to the slimes and to the environment that he was in. ''''Explosive Swarm. '''' ''''Nice. '''' The water slimes that approached and attacked him were quickly and easily killed, and after a while, he used his skill once again and noticed that the number of bees he had summoned had increased to eighty from forty. The fact that he didn''t use any mana to trigger the sub-skill also made him realize how awesome it was. With the motivation and excitement of his new subskills, Raydon kept farming experience points. In addition, even though it might look like Raydon is just swinging his chain around aimlessly, he was actually doing so with a specific goal in mind the whole time, and it wasn''t just to kill the slimes. Every time Raydon swung his chain, he dealt damage to the giant he was in, in addition to the damage he dealt to water slimes. He had realized some time ago that Giant''s defense and HP regen was weak, and now he was attempting to increase his attack range in the hopes that he could damage Giant from within and possibly even kill him. His first n involved climbing to the giant''s head and attacking it there, but when he realized how long that would take and how much he liked the spot he was in for farming right now, he changed tactics. While Raydon couldn''t see the extent of the damage he was currently doing, each blow of his chain had already begun to light the flesh around him on fire, creating vast slits in the flesh walls. Additionally, it blew up with each bee that was called forth, and it started filling the interior of the giant with a raging inferno. It would appear that even the water element of the giant was unable to withstand the enhanced death and fire elements that Raydon possessed right now. ¡ª ''Dude, even I am beginning to feel the heat at this point. '' It had been more than an hour since he had begun killing the water slimes when he suddenly became aware that the surrounding area was nowpletely engulfed in mes. Even though he was still swinging his chain and attacking, he did not receive a message from the system informing him that he had killed a water slime for a while now. ''It''s likely that I annihted all of the water slimes. '' When Raydon checked his experience points in the system, he discovered that his total umted experience points had already exceeded 4 million. Despite this, he did not cease his assaults at any point. He still had time for Inheritance''s time to run out, so he decided to try his luck at killing the giant instead of attempting to get the item from the top of the giant''s head. ¡­ ''I think it started to show its effects.'' After half an hour, Raydon felt a jolt from the giant and thought. Because of his improved stamina and newly acquired subskills, he was able to keep using hisbo, and he never once ceased his onughts until now. As a consequence of this, he started to form the thought that the damage he had caused up to this point ought to have already had an effect on the giant. And it ended up that Raydon was right all along with his assumptions. Even though the giant kept walking with his eyes closed and pretended like nothing had happened, the area around his waist was alreadypletely covered by the smoke and ck mes that wereing out of his ass, and they were continuing to spread further. It seemed as though it was only a matter of time before the mes would consume the gigantic creature. Chapter 216 Item Drop From The Giant ? *RUMBLE* As Raydon''s attacks continued to cause destruction inside the giant and set fire to it, the copse that Raydon had been waiting for finally began to take ce, and he soon realized that the giant had copsed to the ground with a resounding crash. ''Finally,'' he thought to himself with joy. Despite the fact that he was trapped inside the giant while it was engulfed in mes and crumbling like a skyscraper, his defenses ensured that he didn''t take much damage. Nevertheless, the non-stop attack using hisbo still wore him out, and he was about to be forced to forcefully dispel hisbo form. There was also a second reason for Raydon''s happiness, and that was because of the system messages that he was now receiving. [Lv.10 Water Slime (E-Rank) has been killed.] [You gained 2000 experience points.] ¡­ [You gained 2000 experience points.] .. [You gained 2000 experience points.] It was obvious that these water slimes had another spawn center other than where Raydon was right now, and as the mes engulfed the giant''s body, Raydon began to receive system messages that his mes were killing these slimes at another location. And these messages kepting in at such an incredible rate that, at one point, they had already surpassed the number of slimes that Raydon had killed in the location where he is now. On the other hand, he had not received any message from the system indicating that the giant had been sessfully killed. Raydon finally came to a stop after what seemed like an eternity of being tossed back and forth inside the copsing giant. He didn''t waste any time and started looking for a way out of the giant''s ass. Because the fire had already consumed such a significant portion of the giant''s body, fortunately, getting out was not difficult. After making his way through the charred flesh and skin, he was finally able to break free into the fresh air where he could breathe more easily. When he turned around, he saw the giant''s body, which looked like a mountain that had been engulfed in mes. He let out a chuckle as he said, "Well, that was fun." As Raydon admired the masterpiece of destruction that he had created and read through the numerous notifications of his kills, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of pride and satisfaction. He merely stood there, taking everything in, and reveling in the acim that came with his victory for a brief while. After waiting for a little while longer, he started to be curious about the reason why he had not been informed of the death of the giant by the system. When he looked over at the giant''s body, he saw that the ck mes had almost entirely consumed it, giving the impression that it waspletely dead. ''''It appears that besides the water slimes, there won''t be any other kill messages. Is this giant also some kind of item formation? '''' The fact that there are no more system messages led him to believe that this giant was merely an item formation that functioned as a home or manufacturing facility for water slimes. During the inheritance of the golden skeleton, which was Raydon''s first time taking part in an inheritance, Fehim told him that an item formation of some kind was the reason for the hail of arrows that fell upon them during one of the stages. And considering that information, as well as the fact that the items could bebined to producemunication tools and even vehicles, he became convinced that the concept of the giant being nothing more than a machineprised of various items was urate. Raydon pondered as he moved closer to the body of the giant, which was almost entirely consumed by the dark mes. "I guess I will need to acquire additional knowledge about this item formation thing in the future." He had gained some knowledge about soldier crafting from Herman''s book, but it was clear that this giant was not of the same type as those soldiers. Obviously, creating item formations was a much moreplex process that required a deeper understanding of the mechanics involved. ''It looks like there won''t be any more loot to be found. ''As Raydon made his way closer to the giant''s head, he couldn''t help but reflect on the sight of the creature''s body consuming itself and dissipating into thin air with every passing second. Unfortunately, the water slimes he had killed had also vanished without a trace. ''''Hmm¡­ What''s that? '''' He was initially looking for the water bubble that he had seen on the giant''s head and believed to be the reward for this inheritance. All of a sudden, however, his attention was drawn to something glowing inside the giant''s burning body. Raydon ignored the mes and started to walk toward the glowing thing. ''''Is it dropped from the giant?'''' As he approached this thing, he saw that it appeared to be a blue crystal about the size of a regr pearl. Additionally, it was fascinating to observe that the ck mes appeared to be moving away from the object, and not even sparks wereing into contact with it. Raydon realized that this was not the reward in the water bubble that he saw initially due to the location of this thing. Thinking that it was loot dropped by the giant, he excitedly took it and checked it out. [Frostborn Eye] -Grade: White -Quality: N/A -Skill: Body Enchantment Gradually, the person''s eyes freeze with an icy chaos, granting them amanding gaze possessed by only the most powerful monarchs, boosting the effectiveness of theirmand and control-type skills by 5%. ''''...'''' When Raydon discovered that the item he had been so hopeful for was a white grade body enchantment, he was rendered speechless. ''''Didn''t I aplish the impossible and kill that giant? Is this the reward for all this? '''' Raydon remarked while making an unpleasant face. At the very least, he wouldn''t be quite as disheartening if it was a green-grade body enchantment. Chapter 217 Double Element ? In a fit of frustration, Raydon was about to throw the item into his dimensional storage when he stopped himself. ''''Wait. This description sounds familiar. '''' He stated and then read the item description once more. ''It''s obviously an ice element body enchantment, but what exactly is this chaos that it''s mentioning? '' When Raydon gave this description some more thought, the first thing that came to mind was another white-grade body enchantment called "Ashen Heart." ''The person''s heart starts to ze with ferocious ck mes of death, burning 1% of their HP per minute and turning half of that amount into MP. '' Raydon mumbled, trying to recall the item description for Ashen Heart before it absorbed the blue-grade Ember Heart. When he first purchased Ashen Heart, it was a white-grade body enchantment as well. Heter discovered, to his surprise, that it contained two elements and possessed the mysterious power to absorb even his most recently used blue-grade Ember Heart. ''''Is this chaos another rare element, like death?'''' Raydon murmured, lost in thought. He was aware that skills and body enchantments that contained rare elements were difficult toe by. In most cases, rare elements can only be found in items of a higher grade than green, and they are never found in white-grade items. Therefore, possessing dual elements, especially when one of those elements is a rare element, has always been regarded as an exceptional quality. It''s possible that when the seller was selling Ashen Heart to Raydon, she didn''t pay much attention to the description of the item. Since she believed this to be only a white grade, she reasoned that it could not have a rare elements such as death. Instead, she believed that it only had a fire element. And Raydon didn''t want to be the type of person to ignore the possibility of making the same mistake at this very moment. "I don''t know if this chaos is another element or not, but I think I need to look into itter." He carefully ced the body enchantment that he was about to toss into his dimensional storage in the copper chest that had previously belonged to the Eye of the Ice Gnome, and he positioned it in the valuables corner of the storage. After that, Raydon kept marching forward in the direction of the giant''s head. "Hmm, where should it be?" Soon enough, he arrived at the head of the giant, which was still engulfed in mes. Upon realizing that the water bubble and the items that were contained within it were not in the immediate area, he started looking for them around. ''''Found it. '''' While Raydon was searching for items that he believed were the reward of this inheritance, he came across a water bubble that was shining in the sunlight in the middle of a long grassy field, a little distance away from the corpse of the giant. After making his way through the overgrown bushes, he was finally able to reach the water bubble that was two meters high, two meters wide, and filled with a variety of objects. ''''It certainly appears to be the reward for this inheritance.'''' *Pop* Upon realizing that his prediction was correct, Raydon extended his hand towards the bubble, which then burst with a loud pop, scattering the items inside. [Time remaining until the dimension copse: 00:02:59] ''At least they give me some time to collect the items. '' As soon as the bubble popped, he looked at the system message that he had just heard and said. After that, Raydon made a hasty effort to gather all of the items and hurled them into his dimensional storage with the intention of inspecting them at ater time. It took him some time toplete this task because the majority of the items consisted of life cores and gold coins that were strewn about, but in the end, he was sessful in gathering everything up before the allotted time expired and he found himself back in his room. ''''Phew¡­It was extremely fruitful. '''' He chuckled to himself as he rxed into his plush leather chair and examined the items in his dimensional storage as well as the sum of his experience points disyed on his character panel. "I believe I can now max out my spirit stat as well," Raydon said as he took a look at his overall point total for the experience. [Experience]: 16,820,420 / 100,000,000 Towards the end, when the giant waspletely engulfed in mes, Raydon was unable to keep track of the system messages and was unaware of the number of water slimes that perished in the mes. However, after looking at the number of experience points he had, he was able to determine that the number was in the thousands. Raydon''s extraordinary performance far surpassed that of an E-Rank item holder, who would have struggled to defeat even a hundred water slimes in this inheritance. Even the person who had originally owned the inheritance would have probably been shocked at what he had aplished. ''''The vast majority of them areposed of E-Rank life cores as well as gold coins,'''' Raydon said, counting the spheres of blue crystal first before beginning to set them aside. After he finished counting the life cores, he saw that there were 10,250 in total. "I don''t think these will be useful for me right now, but they should all be worth somewhere around one million gold coins in total." He said and started counting the scattered gold coins by filling them into the gold satchels he had bought earlier. ''''And 4 million gold coins. If I didn''t know the price of the mob meat I need to eat monthly to get the nutrition my body needs, I might think I''m rich right now. '''' Raydon exhaled deeply as he pushed the gold coins to the side and continued his inspection of the other items. These included 9 white-grade dimensional storage expansion orbs and a magic equipment set that seemed to have the water element but was of no use to him. After quickly increasing the capacity of his storage space to 33 square meters with dimensional storage expansion orbs, Raydon examined the one item that was still left. Chapter 218 5 New Sub-Skills ? [Frost Eye] -Grade: Green -Quality: N/A -Skill: Body Enchantment Gradually, the person''s eyes freeze, granting them amanding gaze only possessed by kings and queens, increasing the effectiveness of theirmand and control-type skills by 20%. ''''It''s strange. '''' Raydon was taken aback when he read the item description and discovered that it has almost the exact same description as the Frostborn Eye as well as the same trait. ''''Only this one''s percentage is higher, and the description makes no mention of ''''Chaos'''' anywhere in it. In addition, the word "monarch" is reced with "kings and queens." He gave the differences a little bit more thought, and as he did so, his presumptions that the Frostborn Eye body enchantment was not really an ordinary item started to be more usible. Raydon, being aware of how exceptional his Ashen Heart is, had the intention of making use of the Frostborn Eye body enchantment right this moment in order to verify that his hypotheses were correct. However, due to the fact that it is an ice element body enchantment, he thought that it would be a bad idea, and he reluctantly decided to forget about it until he collected more knowledge about it in the future. It didn''t matter how much he wanted to find out what would be the oue or how much he enjoyed gambling; he knew for sure that he possessed the fire element, and he also knew that if he used this body enchantment, his body would definitely be damaged by the two anti elements'' sh. ''''Well, I guess I should maximize my spirit too. '''' He eximed with glee. He made the decision to maximize his spirit stat because he had no other choice since he had already maxed out his stamina stat and, despite having arge amount of experience points, they wouldn''t be enough to allow him to level up or upgrade his title. Additionally, it bothered him that he could only improve his stats up to a maximum of 100 points. Raydon pondered the possibility that the limitation would be removed once his spirit stat reached the maximum level of 100. ''''It''s also possible to increase the limit by upgrading my title once more. '''' He murmured and chose to pursue the only course of action avable to him at the time. He opened the character panel and began working on increasing his spirit stat. *DING* *DING* *DING* *DING* *DING* "It seems like 100 is really the cap for the moment." Raydon let out a sigh of frustration when he realized that he could no longer increase his spirit stat after spending almost 5 million experience points and bringing it to the maximum value of 100. He said, "I hope when I upgrade my title againter, this cap will go up," and then he began checking his newly acquired sub-skills. [+1 / Cost: N/A] ¡­ .. . -Elemental Infusion (sub-skill): Increase the elemental attribute of the user''s attack skills by 50%. -Extended Influence (sub-skill) : Increases attack and control-type skills'' effective range by 200%. -Extended Reach (sub-skill) : Increases investigative-type skills'' effective range by 100%. -Common Elemental Assimtion (sub-skill): The user''s mana attribute has a 10% chance of adapting to allmon anti-elements, neutralizing their opposing features. -Aura of Dominion (sub-skill) : Increases the user''s skill effects by 100% on all targets within a 1,000-meter radius. As Raydon examined his newly acquired sub-skills with awe, he thought to himself, "This is really incredible." He felt his strength grow in both his body and his soul whenever he improved his stats or acquired new sub-skills, but it was always enjoyable for him to see this power grow specifically as statistics. Following his progression through the system gave him the greatest thrill and pleasure, and he believed he would never grow tired of it. He stifled the joy he felt from the empowerment he felt in his soul and started looking more closely at his sub-skills instead. "The first three subs-kills are really incredible, but what exactly is Common Elemental Assimtion?" Raydon didn''t give them much thought because he believed that the descriptions of the first three skills were very clear. However, he believed that there was significantly more to this sub-skill than what was stated in its description. It is possible that if his fire element had a 10% chance to adapt to other anti elements, it would give him a significant advantage in both attack and defense. ''Because of this, there is a ten percent chance that I will be able to easily defend myself against an attack that utilizes the water element by making use of my fire elemental skills. Simrly, I can break through a water elemental defense by using my fire elemental attack. '' He thought. This was definitely a game-changing ability, but that is not the main reason Raydon thought that this sub-skill is so amazing. ''''There is a 10% chance that it will not harm me if I use an anti element skill or even a body enchantment? I might even get the chance to change my element into a new hybrid element by incorporating other elements. '''' Raydon''s thoughts began to race as he considered the myriad of oues that could ur, and he immediately recalled the Frostborn Eye body enchantment that he had found quite some time ago. If this body enchantment was equally as mysterious as his Ashen Heart and had the ability to grow by absorbing more powerful body enchantments, then he would be interested in making use of it. However, the 10% chance was not enough to warrant optimism. ''''Additionally, it shows that only my mana is capable of adjusting to anti-elements. My HP will not be able to adapt," Raydon mumbled as he frowned. It was not sufficient for him to simply adapt the body enchantment of the ice element to the mana of the fire element that he possessed. If the ice element and the burning aspect of his body came into conflict with one another, there was a high probability that he would kill himself. Chapter 219 10. Match ? ''''This subskill has a lot of hidden features, and it''s just as difficult toprehend. I''ll have to figure out what I can do with itter. '''' Raydon stated and chose to examine his final sub-skill. "It has the word "Aura" again, like thest sub-skill for my stamina stat." He pondered as he observed his Aura of Dominion passive skill. Because of this skill, Raydon was able to make twice as much of an impact with all of his skills. Thankfully, it wasn''t just a support skill like Aura of Life, and it was an incredible increase that also increased his attack-type skills by 100%. Heughed contentedly, saying, "Now, both my defense and attack power have increased to incredible levels." Even taking into ount the fact that he only had a total of 200 stat points, he possessed the power that is equivalent to a 100 level F-Rank item holder. And the difference would be muchrger than could be calcted with simple math when his sub-skills were taken into ount. ''''An E-Rank of level 100 is probably not going to be able topete with my power at this point. I am curious to know how strong I am inparison to D-Rank item holders. '''' He shifted his focus to D-Rank item holders because he no longer considered any E-Rank item holders to be his opponents. Even though he did not know what kind of power boost an item holder would get when they rose to D-Rank, he did not believe that it would be too difficult for him to fight an ordinary one with the power he currently possessed. "My power still shouldn''t be enough to hold my ground against my family, but I can at least won''t let myself be controlled by them with the help of the high rank behind my back." Raydon cracked a sly grin as he started making preparations for when he would see his family again, which wasing up very soon. By utilizing all of the cards he had in his hand, he nned to maximize the benefits he received from them as much as possible. In the end, he was not yet powerful enough to get what he wanted in this world that was ruled by these families and organizations, and he required additional experience points to be even more powerful. In order for him to aplish this, he had to make the most of every opportunity that came his way. ''I still have one goal left. '' He reflected on the final two matches he needed to win to move up to E-Rank. When he reached E-Rank, he needed an absurdlyrge number of experience points for each level, so it didn''t make much sense to him that the number of free stat points he would get for each leveling up would increase from 2 to 4. However, once he reached E-Rank, even the additional 10 stat points that he would get for each stat would be sufficient to increase his power by a factor of several times. Because both of his strength and agility stats are still at 1, hisbo with the Berserker technique is still rtively weak. However, if he were to increase either of these stats by 10, he would experience a significant increase in power. Raydon got over the frustration of not being able to raise his stamina and spirit stats at the moment and focused on his ascension to E-Rank four dayster. "I''d better find something to pass the time while waiting for my next match. '''' After saying this, Raydon made the decision to leave his home and go see Dan and the others. He entertained the idea of teaching them his super-evasion technique because he could not afford to lose any of them to an unexpected attack because it would render his investment in them null and void. Raydon had already put more time and effort into teaching them two different techniques than necessary, but he was beginning to feel that the loyalty he had earned in return made it at least partially worthwhile. Because of this, in addition to using the time to distract himself from his boredom, he reasoned that it might be beneficial in the long run to make them more powerful. ¡ª ''''Explosive Swarm. '''' He activated his best skill, which is for farming experience points, and then his bees, which are formed from his ck mes, began to swiftly fly around in search of prey. It''s also worth noting that Raydon''s bees appear to have grown in size and speed, exuding a more aggressive vibe. *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* Raydon muttered to himself after the fourth explosion as he looked over the items his teammates had left behind. ''''I''ll run into issues down the road if I keep killing my teammates. '''' ''''Whatever, I guess. '''' After that, he gathered the items, and then he hurled them into his dimensional storage. After four days, he had already finished his ninth match while instructing Dan and the others in a new technique, and he had just begun his tenth andst match in order to achieve the E-Rank. Raydon sat down and rxed his shoulders as he watched his bees take flight and begin their work. Given that this was going to be hisst match as an F-Rank, he was eager for it to be over with as soon as possible. There was no longer any real challenge in the fights, and they had grown dull and routine. Because his power was so great at this point, he didn''t even have to bother moving. He desired a challenge that would put his skills to the test because the F-Rank matches had nothing more to offer him. ''''I wonder what the concept will be for E-Rank matches. '''' While thinking about this, Raydon enjoyed a bite of braised meat from his dimensional storage while indulging in the salty breeze that carried the scent of the ocean. At this point, all he could ask for was for his next match to be more challenging. Chapter 220 E-Rank ? [The match has ended.] [Winner Team: B7890-D4850] [¡­Based on the contribution, rewards are calcted.] [You gained gold coins: 529] [You gained item blueprint: Hat (White)] [You gained crafting material: Water Sack (Green)] [Win streak: 10] ¡­ *Ding* [You''ve won 10 straight matches in a row.] [Congrattions! You have met the hidden requirements for a rank up.] As soon as Raydon finished his tenth match and went back to his room, he was greeted by a dinging sounding from the system and messages shing before his eyes. ''''Hidden? What the fuck is hidden? I think this ismon knowledge among all item holders. '''' The messages continued to go back and forth while he was amused by the one that came from the system. [You ranked up: F¡úE] [You gained stat points (White) (Activated): All stats +10] [You gained level enchantment (White) (Activated): +2 Free Stat Points per level up.] [Time remaining for the next match: 47:59:30] ''''H-Hah? '''' When Raydon read the system messages he had received, he opened his mouth to scream in delight at having advanced to the next rank, but that was the only sound that came out of his mouth because the rewards he got were nothing at all like what he had anticipated at all. Actually, he knew what reward he would receive; however, the manner in which the system bestowed it was unexpected. ''''I gained stat points? White grade? Activated? '''' He was so surprised by what he read that he repeated it. "And what exactly is this level enhancement? Wait¡­ '''' Raydon had a sh of insight when he realized what that meant. When he opened the character panel, he noticed that all of his stats, which had previously been set at 1, were now set at 11. ''''So what the system gave me were also some kinds of items?'''' It would appear that the system did not grant him any stat points in a direct manner. It was a reward in the form of items, and all that the system did was give them to him and then make it so that he had no choice but to use them automatically without any other options. ''''Are you saying that there are other items that we can use to increase our stats? And this level enchantment¡­ '''' Raydon took a seat in his chair and immediately started processing the new information that he had just obtained. He was already shocked by the fact that the body enchantment he received from Fang increased the amount of experience he gained by a factor of two; however, he was taken aback even more by the fact that there are items from which he can gain additional stat points. Raydon was under the impression that the only way to improve one''s stats was to advance in level and rank. This was themon knowledge he had learned about item holders from the books he had acquired from Herman, as well as the information stored in his memory. Also, Belicia, whom he had previously consulted about ranking up, didn''t mention this detail. ''There is definitely something odd about this situation. '' Raydon ced his hand on his chin and pondered. It seemed unlikely that item holders in this world were unaware of the existence of such items. There was no question that body enchantments were the most fundamental and important items for any item holder to have. This was primarily due to the fact that body enchantments had an immediate effect on the stat points of the item holder, which in turn had an immediate impact on the item holder''s power. The greater the body enchantment''s power, the greater its effect on stat points. And stat points had a direct impact on the item skills. The greater the number of stat points, the more powerful the item skills will be. Because of this, stat points are the foundation of an item holder''s power. As a result, he believed that every item holder would strive to acquire resources that would allow them to increase their stat points, as this was the primary way to gain more power. However, it was unexpected that there was a rumor and falsemon belief that the only way to earn stat points was through the system. ''Perhaps in this world, it is still not possible to acquire these items through other means. Or maybe it''s just families or other powerful and influential item holders hiding and distorting this information. '' That was the only possible exnation that Raydon could think of at the time. It is likely that only extremely powerful families or even high-ranking item holders would have been aware of the locations of such items'' points of origin. ''When I really think about it, this doesn''t seem all that strange. '' He thought. It was perfectly normal for families to withhold or distort certain vital pieces of information, just as they were expected to keep the techniques that were necessary for a person to awaken as an item holder. In every possible world, information is power, and no one would ever want to give up this advantage to others. ''''Fortunately, I have a title that grants me additional stat points, so I''m not currently in desperate need of supplemental items. I can naturally learn more about this in the future as my strength increases. '''' With a sigh, he said. ''''Hm? Who is this? '''' Raydon''s train of thought was broken when there was a knock on his door, and he murmured with a frown on his face. When he got up and opened the door to see who it was, he discovered that it was one of the young people who always stood guard at his door. The young man saluted Raydon with a bow and then directed his attention to the sleek ck vehicle that was parked below as he continued speaking. " Master, there''s someone asking for you." Dan and the rest of his gang would never have disturbed him no matter who came looking for him; however, they now had the guts to go up to his house and knock on his door because Raydon had told them a few days earlier that he was expecting someone and that they were obligated to let him know if anyone inquired about him. ''He is a little bit earlier. '' Raydon muttered, looking down at Galen, who was standing in front of the vehicle, waving at him with a big smile on his face. Chapter 221 Visiting The Family Mansion Raydon had the expectation that the people who were going to pick him up from his ce would arrive on the day that the celebration that had been nned was going to take ce. However, to his surprise, Galen had arrived not only one day earlier than anticipated but also in person. He thought this was interesting, so he went down to check it out. ''''Hey, cousin. How have you been since west spoke? '''' Galen weed Raydon with open arms and a warm smile. Dan and the others would have been shocked to see Galen refer to Raydon in such a casual way as his cousin. Thankfully, everyone was elsewhere working on their training, and there weren''t many people around. And, these individuals were so intimidated by Raydon''s aura that they refrained from even ncing in his direction, let alone attempting to eavesdrop on their conversation. Raydon remarked, with a wry smile, " I thought the big day was tomorrow." ''''Ehm, about that. '''' Galen cleared his throat and continued, averting his gaze. ''''They said they have a few things they want to talk to you about, so I just came to ask if you coulde a little early. '''' He had previously exined to him that he was only required to appear during the celebration, and he had managed to persuade him that there was no need for him to show up any earlier. Raydon had ultimately epted this call from his family for his own benefit, and it was unreasonable to expect him to go back to the house where he had previously been exiled just because they were rted. In addition to this, it is not in the best interest of the Demugen Family for them to coerce him into returning to the mansion. Because Raydon responding to their call was already a positive development for them, they decided to send Galen back to try and persuade him once more. ''''I''m not sure what they want to discuss, but... '''' While Galen was trying to exin the situation, Raydon cut him off. " Don''t worry, I know very well the reason. '''' Then he opened the car door, climbed in, and settled in. ''''Let''s go. '''' And said. ''''Uh, okay. '''' Galen was taken aback by Raydon''sck of concern and rxed demeanor; nevertheless, he didn''t squander any time and hurriedly got into the car. ''So, they have some suspicions, huh? '' As the car started to move, Raydon thought to himself as he looked out the window of the vehicle. It was a big deal for the Demugen Family to introduce him publicly again as a member of the family, and before they do that, they needed to understand how much his importance is to them. The likelihood that someone like Raydon or Dan, who theyter learned, would awaken as item holders without anyone''s assistance was less than one in a thousand, so they already knew Raydon had a high-ranking item holder behind him. Also, killing a member of the blood organization and erasing the entire territory from the map required the authority and power of a high-ranking item holder, as even a family like theirs would hesitate before attacking a member of this infamous organization. Therefore, Raydon was sure that the source of their suspicion was not the existence or nonexistence of the high-ranking item holder in question but rather the proximity of Raydon''s rtionship to the individual in question. ''All I have to do is prove my worth to them, right? '' As Raydon continued to think, he noticed his own twisted grin reflected in the window. ¡ª After a leisurely hour''s drive, the vehicle carrying Raydon finally came upon arge iron gate adorned with intricate embroidery, allowing them entry to arge garden that was surrounded by high concrete walls and iron bars. As they drove along the meticulously crafted granite path and passed by a colorful array of red flowers lining the way, he could not help but take in the magnificent surroundings. At the end of the path stood a magnificent structure that resembled a pce, whose splendor and beauty would mesmerize anyone who beheld it. Raydon had the thought, ''They really know how to show off their wealth. '' The building exuded an air of wealth and prestige thanks to its use of the highest quality materials throughout its construction, as well as the intricate designs and artistic flourishes that adorned its interior and exterior. Its walls were towering and painted in a pristine white color, while the golden pirs and ornate decorations hinted at the family''s vast fortune and power. As they approached the mansion''s entrance, Raydon noticed arge crowd of people standing on either side of the road leading up to the mansion. It appeared as though the individuals, who were all dressed in maid and servant uniforms, were waiting for them to arrive. They stood in straight lines, their expressions stern and professional, creating an imposing sight for anyone entering the Demugen family''s abode. It appeared as though the servants had been waiting for some time because they had arranged themselves into neat rows and columns, demonstrating an impressive level of discipline and organization. If someone other than Raydon were to see this, they would probably be ovee with awe and intimidation as they took in the vast number of people who had gathered to greet them. ''Moreover, they exude a strong aura. Are they also item holders? '' Raydon had a thought as he observed the hundreds of people milling around dressed in mundane servant garb. He was able to sense the powerful aura that emanated from all of them, albeit not to the same extent as that of Belicia and Tika. It would appear that the Demugen family had been looking forward to Raydon''s arrival for some time and had prepared a low-key wee for him in an effort to intimidate him. Even though he didn''t care about their little show, the sight of it still surprised him. The fact that even a small family could wield so much influence and power was a significant indication of their position and authority in this world. The servants made a show of respect and deference by bowing their heads in unison as the car approached the entrance to the building. ''This is really something representing a true power, '' Raydon mused. All of these people were likely F-Rank item holders, but the fact that they all bowed their heads in respect and greeted another F-Rank item holder was evidence of the great power that was responsible for making them do this. Chapter 222 Head Maid ? "d to have you back home. Ehm¡­ " Galen chuckled awkwardly, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "If you''d like, you can rest in your room for now. The family elders will send someone to summon you to the meeting room when they''re ready." Raydon gave a slight nod before opening the door to the vehicle and stepping out. The interesting thing was that Raydon had to open his own door even though one of the maids rushed to open Galen''s door. ''They''re just ying a silly game, huh. '' Raydon cast a brief nce at the multitude of servants surrounding them, and a realization dawned upon him. He couldn''t help but notice that, moments ago, the person these servants had greeted with the utmost respect was not him, but Galen. The deferential gazes directed at Galen contrasted starkly with the disdainful nces he himself received. He did not care that he was being treated differently. After all, it''s likely that they were instructed to behave in this manner, or else they were led to believe that Raydon was still a worthless child of the family. In the end, each and every one of these servants was a person who was bought and raised by the Demugen family when they were very young and eventually became an item holder as a result of the family''s efforts. Because of this, each of them had been subjected to brainwashing almost from the moment they were born, and as a result, they no longer thought of themselves as mere servants of the family but rather as loyal members. These people, who could have sacrificed their lives at the Demugen family''smand with a single order, seemed to be purposefully working in unison to diminish Raydon''s sense of importance, all under the instruction of the very same family. Raydon paid no attention to these family puppets as he and Galen, apanied by the two maids who had greeted them, proceeded towards the gates of the mansion. "Wee back, young master. '''' Inside, they were greeted by a middle-aged woman who stood out among the other maids because she was dressed in a traditional maid''s uniform that covered her entire body in addition to a long skirt. ''She is strong. '' When Raydon saw this person, that was the only thing that went through his mind. ''''Hello, Miss Diam. '''' Galen said timidly. He appeared tense, and one might even say that he appeared intimidated by the presence of this person. Raydon was well aware of the identity of this woman and the reason that Galen was behaving in this manner. After the family head and family elders, this person held the third position of authority. This person served as the family''s head maid and was in charge of all the household''s servants and battle maids. Due to the fact that she is the head of the Battle Maids, she holds a very significant position within the family. Due to the fact that being an item holder was not sufficient to qualify a maid as a battle maid, not every item holder servant was eligible for the title. The battle maids were an exclusive groupprised solely of women, meticulously selected from a vast pool of candidates. Only the most skilled and refined individuals were chosen among the hundreds and even thousands. These young women underwent rigorous training, serving as personal attendants and advisers to the family''s children, who represented the future and legacy of the household. It was even anticipated that their young masters would keep them as lifelongpanions throughout their entire lives, and at some point in time, they would bear their children, thereby continuing the family lineage. To take things one step further, the young masters that these battle maids served might one day be their spouses, at which point they would assume the role of family elders. Because of this particr reason, the head maid, who was entrusted with the responsibility of nurturing and guiding the family''s future leaders,manded an enormous amount of respect, not only from the members of the household. There was no doubt in anyone''s mind that this was a pivotal role, as the incumbent would shape the family''s legacy and fortunes for generations toe. Diam''s icy demeanor remained unchanged as she directed her attention towards Raydon. With a slight bow of her head, a gesture reserved for showing respect to the young masters of the family, she conveyed her message in a monotone voice. "The council awaits your presence in the meeting room." Raydon couldn''t help but notice the cold attitude Diam, like the other servants, showed towards him. However, he was aware that the icy disposition she disyed was not a reaction to him in particr. It was just her standard approach to dealing with everyone, and it had nothing to do with Raydon on a personal level. "Oh, I assumed you would have some free time to rx or explore," Galenmented sheepishly, realizing that he had underestimated the urgency of the elders'' desire for the meeting. Raydon, upon realizing that Galen sincerely felt sorry for him, could not help but smile in response. In point of fact, for someone as impatient as him, the earlier the meeting could take ce, the better, and he didn''t care all that much about it. "Apany your young master to the meeting room." Diam remarked icily, without waiting for Raydon to respond, as she red at the eight girls who were standing in a line at the back. These eight individuals were all female, and they appeared to be top models for this world in terms of their appearance. In addition, the fact that they were lined up wearing maid costumes, all of which were simr to one another but featured distinctive particrs, contributed to the attractiveness of the group as a whole. Nevertheless, it was not solely their breathtaking beauty or enchanting allure that captivated onlookers about this group; rather, what truly captivated them was the profound aura that emanated from each of them individually. It was obvious to anyone with an observant eye that these women were not ordinary item holders. Contained within their fragile frames was immense power that was just waiting to be released. Chapter 223 Fruitless Effort ? These were the battle maids that the Demugen family painstakingly raised with their refined teachings and techniques that they had developed over the course of the many generations that have passed since the founding of the family. While Raydon was examining these eight people, his eyes were suddenly drawn to the glowing eyes of Belicia. ''Why is she staring at me like that? '' As Raydon''s gaze met Belicia''s intense and radiant eyes within the group, an unexpected unease coursed through him, causing a ripple of difort to settle in his core. Throughout the course of their interactions, Belicia had always treated him with warmth, simr to how an affectionate older sister might treat her younger brother. Her gaze frequently conveyed a mixture of fondness and sympathy toward him, as if she felt sorry for the circumstances he was in. But now, as Raydon continued to delve deeper into the depths of her unwavering gaze, he perceived a change in her typical demeanor. Even though the tender affection was still there, the previously present undercurrent of pity hadpletely vanished, making way for apletely different feeling. Raydon had a hard time articting the precise nature of this new expression, but "adoration" seemed to be the most appropriate word for it. While Raydon was attempting to make sense of this change in Belicia, another battle maid from the group deftly advanced forward, bowed elegantly, and addressed Diam in a tone that was respectful. ''''Yes, Miss Diam. '''' Raydon''s expression turned sour as he recognized yet another familiar face. This person was none other than Tika, with dark hair pulled back into a ponytail to expose pointed ears resembling those of an elf, which added extra allure to her already stunning appearance. Raydon''s sharp eyes also caught sight of Tika wearing something other than her usual maid outfit. A striking garment that resembled a cape hung down from her right shoulder all the way to her waist. ''Apparently, her arm hasn''t fully recovered. '' Raydon realized that the additional garment served a purpose beyond aesthetics; it concealed the remnants of her previously severed arm that had yet to fully heal. Because Dan had previously reported the incident, he was aware that Fang was the one who had attacked Tika during her previous visit. In a world where item holders could regenerate even the most grievous injuries within minutes, seeing Tika''s continued struggle to heal days after the attack served as a stark reminder of the immense power that was behind Fang''s attack. ''Was it a unique ability that prevented the healing effect from taking ce on the body, or was it due to the elemental effect? '' Raydon pondered. As he continued to increase his spirit stat, he became increasingly aware of how beneficial the elemental attribute was. The more potent an item holder''s element, the more potent the skills that be of that element when they use it, and even different effects will manifest themselves depending on how powerful the element is. The most illustrative example of this can be found in Raydon''s ck mes. As a result of the ash attribute he possesses in both his MP and HP, he was even able to kill the blue giant, which was an aplishment that seemed impossible in the previous inheritance. "Okay, then I will see you aroundter. '''' Galen gave Raydon a reassuring pat on the shoulder before saying and then hurriedly leaving. After that, Diam also left, heading down another corridor, and the other battle maids, with the exception of Tika, followed behind her like baby ducks following their mother duck. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á---n?¦Ía| §ãom Immediately following Diam''s departure, Tika''s expression changed to one of disgust. ''''This way. '''' Tika was no longer constrained by the need to wear a fake smile, so she was able to express her genuine feelings towards Raydon. Tika was filled with a profound sense of annoyance and disgust at the mere thought of serving a seemingly insignificant and powerless young master like Raydon, despite the fact that she possessed an incredible amount of power and was regarded as a formidable battle maid. If it weren''t for the stringent rules that the family insisted on enforcing, she would have left him a long time ago in search of a new young master who would be more deserving of her devotion. s, such a possibility was firmly out of reach, as she was bound by a lifelongmitment to serve the very master chosen for her¡ªRaydon, her inescapable destiny. Raydon chose to disregard her behavior and began to follow her instead. "You must think you''re quite the big deal now, don''t you?" Tika remarked, her words dripping with sarcasm as they strolled along the long, expansive corridors. Raydon did not respond and continued walking as he observed the expensive-appearing portraits that were hanging on the walls as well as the flowers that were ced in vases on the tables. Tika furrowed her brow and then continued speaking after realizing that she had been ignored. ''''Being lucky doesn''t change the fact that you''re weak. Even now, nobody cares about you; all of their attention is focused on your new master. '''' The tone that Tika used was filled with derision and contempt with every word that she spoke. Her carefully chosen phrases and the deliberate way that she spoke appeared to be a practiced technique, the aim of which appeared to be to provoke a reaction from Raydon and unsettle hisposure. However, when she realized that her words had been ignored once more, she gritted her teeth and made the decision to give up her fruitless efforts because she did not want to embarrass herself any further than she already had. Tika''s annoyance was palpable as she muttered, ''Tch, he was insufferable even in his crippled state, and now he has be an even greater eyesore. '' She regained herposure and continued to walk quietly as they made their way down the hallway. She realized that she had failed toplete the mission assigned to her by the elders, which was to destroy Raydon''s confidence prior to the meeting. Chapter 224 Meeting ? As Tika led the way, with Raydon trailing behind in silence, they eventually reached a spacious area where the corridor widened. Tika walked to the end of the corridor, where there was a grand wooden door, and gave it a light knock before taking a step back and going into a waiting position. ''''Come in. '''' A hushed and subdued voice could be hearding from the other side of the door. The resonance of the voice was intriguingly low, yet it continued to resound in both of their minds like the distant rumble of thunder. Tika eased the door open with a light push and indicated for Raydon to go inside. Just as she was about to close the door from the outside, she heard the same voice again. "Tika, stay and apany your young master." Tika was stunned for a moment by themand and didn''t understand the reason for it, but she didn''t show the difort she felt on her face. Instead, she followed Raydon in a manner befitting her poise and elegance, deftly shutting the door behind them, thereby enveloping the room in a cloak of peaceful istion once more. When Raydon first walked in, he was greeted by a room that was not as big and imposing as one might anticipate, but rather a routine and formal room with very little ornamentation. The most striking items in the room were the oval table in the middle of the room and the 7 chairs with embroideries on them that represent magnificent and detailed power. The six chairs all had the same design, and all of them were taken, with the exception of the most impressive chair in the room, which was located at the head of the table and exuded a level of splendor that was unrivaled by the others. ''I think my supposed grandfather is not here. '' Raydon pondered, his eyes fixed on the throne-like chair that was vacant, as he came to the conclusion that the family''s patriarch had decided against attending the gathering. In actuality, Raydon''s grandfather was not even aware that this meeting was happening, in contrast to what Raydon thought. Instead, he had isted himself in order to concentrate on the matches that were in front of him so that he could work his way up through the ranks and be a high-rank. ''''It''s a good thing that you''ve finally decided toe. '''' The man seated to the right of the head chair frowned, observing Raydon''sposed demeanor as he casually surveyed the room, seemingly indifferent to the presence of those gathered around the table. This dapper gentleman with slicked-back ck hair and dark brown eyes was Cael, Raydon''s father. ''It would seem that we should no longer consider him to be an ordinary boy. '' Cael and the other five people seated at the table contemted while watching Raydon''s behavior. In the beginning, they thought of Raydon as a typical, innocent, and naive young boy whocked both self-assurance and general life knowledge. After all, they believed that his sheltered upbringing as a result of his crippled mind had left him emotionally and intellectually undeveloped, a mere empty vessel. Since Raydon''s arrival, they have painstakingly devised a series of psychological games for him with the goal of increasing the strain on his already fragile mind, rendering him more susceptible to maniption, and ultimately making it simpler for them to exert their authority over him. However, to their utter astonishment, Raydon stood before them with an aura of serenity and self-assurance, seemingly unaffected by the presence of these influential individuals who held the power to shape his destiny with a mere utterance. In addition to this, one needs only catch a fleeting glimpse of Raydon''s eyes to recognize the resolute determination and unyielding strength that radiated from the very core of his being. ''He also appears to have altered his body with a body enchantment. He must have received it as a gift.'' Cael thought. It was clear that Raydon was no longer a malnourished teenager based on the appearance of his body, which was no longer emaciated and instead appeared to be healthy and athletic. In addition, the fact that both his hair and eyes have a pattern that is a shade of gray is evidence that he has altered his body through the use of a body enchantment. However, regardless of how closely Cael and the others examined Raydon, they continued to believe that the body enchantment was a present from his high-rank master. They did not believe that Raydon was capable of defeating a region boss in an F-Rank match or collecting enough gold coins to purchase one. In fact, item holders of Cael and others'' caliber possessed the instincts to discern the strength that resided within other item holders merely byying their gaze upon them, and they should have felt the immense power emanating from Raydon''s elevated stats and his title''s formidable sub-skills. Yet, who was Raydon? He was an individual who had achieved mastery over all sses in the realm of VRMMORPGs during his previous existence. Having honed his techniques across various sses and acquired unparalleled expertise, he had garnered the esteemed title of "God of the Game World" from the entire globalmunity. Thus, he possessed the inherent ability and technique to conceal the immense power that surged within him from the discerning senses of others. Aside from that, the technique he had developed to control his aura was another reason why he was able to subdue and conceal the power that was emanating from his body. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á---n?¦Ía| §ãom Raydon was able to sense and control the mana that flowed through his soul and body thanks to his aura technique. This gave him the ability to hide or materialize his presence at will, which meant that he could now even hide his presence from someone who was more powerful than himself. Naturally, he was unsure of how effective this technique would be against item skills that could gauge his strength, but no one in the room would bother or need to use such an item skill on someone who had only been awakened as an item holder for a little over a week. Chapter 225 Futile Attempts ? ''''First of all, congrats on your awakening as an item holder. That''s a huge aplishment for someone in your situation. '''' Cael adjusted his seat to a morefortable position after realizing that his earlier authoritative demeanor was not going to be effective whenmunicating with Raydon. He then extended his hands in a sincere gesture of congrattions to Raydon. ''''I was just lucky. '''' Raydon eventually turned his attention to Cael, who was talking to him and responded with a grin. The manner in which Raydon responded appeared to be rather humble; however, everyone could tell that he was being sarcastic from the smile on his face and the tone of his voice. ''Has he found out that we summoned him for the high-rank item holder? '' Cael pondered, recognizing that Raydon had understood their true motive for summoning him¡ªa desire to ess the high-ranking item holder backing him. ''''There is no need for you to be humble. Bing an item holder requires more than mere luck; it demands talent and exceptional potential, especially for someone who has battled with illness as you have," Thalia, Raydon''s mother, interjected, her emerald green eyes gazing at Raydon through strands of her blonde hair. Although it was their intention to undermine Raydon''s self-confidence, they werepelled to personally demonstrate to him that this was not the case and express their familial regard for him. In the end, they required Raydon to return to the family and, as a result, werepelled to show that they cared for him. In addition, if they epted Raydon''s response, it would be clear that they don''t really care about him and that their only goal was to make contact with the high-ranking individual who is behind him. They were concerned that Raydon would use this desire to advance his own interests and strengthen his position in the bargain. I mean, when you put it that way, you''re absolutely right. Wow, I guess I''m actually an unparalleled genius,'''' Raydon said with augh. Thalia was taken aback by his response and went into a state of stunned silence. Since the beginning, their attempts to undermine Raydon''s sense of self-worth have beenpletely ineffective, and she has now given him more self-confidence by admitting that he does have exceptional potential. Not only Thalia, but also everyone else, including Tika, was taken aback by the fact that Raydon had won the mind game that they had been ying on him with such ease. e¦Áglesnovel`c,om Initially, they perceived him as a naive teenager, believing that a disy of affection and attention would be enough to win him over. However, they now saw the situation with newfound rity. ''Is this really the same person that we believe it to be? '' Thalia was speechless. "Hahahaha, you have every right to be proud of yourself, brother. My hat is off to you for raising such a fine young son. '''' Zephyr, who had been watching in silence up until this point, said with a roar ofughter. These words caused Cael and Thalia to frown and feel embarrassed, but they kept their mouths shut. They had already discussed and nned every aspect of this meeting, including how they would convince Raydon, and they believed that everything would go off without a hitch; however, they had forgotten one important aspect. And that piece of information was that Raydon wasn''t really the impression they had of him¡ªa naive and impressionable teenager who had no prior life experience. "Hey, Raydon, do you recall me? I''m your uncle. We haven''t seen each other in a very long time.'''' Zephyr got up, walked over to Raydon, and patted him on the shoulder as he spoke while he was wiping the tears ofughter from his eyes with the back of his hand. Raydon said to the person with the ocean blue eyes and hair. "I think I remember." Because of the person''s hair and eye color, Raydon was able to determine that this individual was Galen''s father. And while he was still living in the mansion, he had seen him a few times before in the past. Both Zephyr and Galen shared the same personality traits; they were generally quite outspoken, and Zephyr was one of the few people who didn''t look down on him because he was disabled. However, Raydon was actually more concerned with his uncle''s strong oceanic odor than he was with his personality at the moment. ''I believe the body enchantment they use is the cause of their hair and eye colors. '' Raydon looked at Zephyr''s wife, who was sitting quietly with a small smile on her face and was looking gently at him, and he saw that she, too, had the same blue hair and eyes as he did. As he had experienced this same ocean scent from Galen in the past, he suspected that it wasn''t just a result of their shared genes. ''I believe that Galen also inherited the character of his parents, as well as possibly a title that is associated with the water element. '' After that, Raydon turned his attention to Arden and his wife, and noticed that both of them had bright green eyes and jet ck hair that glowed brightly like phosphor. Loran, their son and Belicia''s young master, appeared to have the same physical characteristics as he recalled. ''If I remember correctly, their element and title had something to do with poison or toxins. '' As he nced at his supposed mother and father, Raydon noticed that, despite their dissimr physical features, both possessed an ambitious and cunning character. After observing all three pairs, Raydon couldn''t help but think to himself, ''They all seem to be a perfect match for each other. '' Raydon was deep in thought, trying to make sense of the titles and elements, when Cael''s voice jolted him out of his reverie. "Very well, let us return to the matter at hand," Cael dered, resuming his authoritative demeanor to mask his underlying embarrassment. "You seem to possess enough intelligence toprehend the reason behind your summoning, which simplifies our task." He came to the conclusion that they could no longer get what they desired at an affordable price and that they would have to negotiate with Raydon. Chapter 226 Mutual Bargaining (Part 1) ? ''''Well, to begin with, could you tell me how strong the esteemed item holder is? '''' Beforeing to an agreement with Raydon, Cael posed the most significant query that was on everyone else''s minds. They wanted to establish a connection with a high-ranking individual, but before doing so, they wanted to find out as much as they could about that person''s full power and determine how much of an advantage they could expect to gain from this transaction. "How strong?" Raydon murmured as if he were thinking about it. He cast a cursory look around the room, taking note of everyone, including Zephyr, who had already sat down in a stealthy manner and was staring at him in anticipation along with the others. Raydon didn''t know a lot about power structures and ranks, but from what he did know, he understood that the B-Rank was the end of the mid-rank, and the A-Rank was the beginning of the high-rank. After that, however, he was unsure of how the power scale operated, which meant that he could not reveal himself by stating a level or rank at random. As everyone felt their bodies bing rigid from the tension and waited for the answer with their full attention, Raydon broke the silence. eaglesnov?1,§ão§® ''''He is very strong. '''' With great seriousness, he said. ''''...'''' They were all caught off guard by Raydon''s assured and cool response. In that instant, a simultaneous thought crossed their minds, ''Is he this stupid, or is he ying with us? '' They were aware that the person was a high rank item holder and knew that even the weakest possible high rank had the potential to elevate their family to the respected position of a grand family. But their main curiosity was the exact rank this person had. Even among the mid-rank item holders, there was a significant power gap between each rank, and they were curious as to where this person stood in terms of power among the high-ranks. ''''Naturally, we know that he is powerful. Do you know precisely what rank this esteemed item holder holds? '''' Arden, who up until this point had maintained hisposure, found himself unable to resist breaking his silence and asking. His eyes were starting to shine more brightly than they had before, which was a clear indication of the excitement and anticipation he was feeling. Also, the fact that he was aware that this person was a high rank item holder was all that was required for him to use honorifics when speaking about this individual. ''You know shit¡­ '' Raydon couldn''t help but find it amusing as sarcastic thoughts crossed his mind. How could they have such assumptions and spections about someone who didn''t even exist in reality? Those who ran prestigious andrge families or organizations like them had lost their ability to see most things in a simpler way due to their tendency to overthink things, which had now led them to believe Raydon''s absurd lie. Their tendency to overthink and oveplicate things, which ismon among people who run powerful families and organizations, clouded their vision and made them more likely to believe Raydon''s crazy lie. They had given in to their ownplicated ways of thinking and lost touch with how simple the truth was. However, there is no one who could fault them for having these thoughts. In the end, all of the happenings at hand and all of the evidence that was right in front of their eyes made them think that way even more. To such an extent that even if Raydon were to say that there is no such person at this time, they would consider this thought to be ridiculous and believe that he was intentionally lying to them. "I didn''t ask because I felt it would be impolite to, so I''m not exactly sure. '''' Raydon said with a shrug of his shoulders. ''''Of course you did the right thing; it is none of our concern. It suffices to know that this honorable person is a high rank. '''' Thalia spoke with caution and restraint, but her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear her. She felt uneasy even just discussing the power of this person. "You are absolutely right, continuing this discussion would be extremely impolite. '''' Zephyr gave a fake cough as he spoke. While it was natural for him to be curious about the topic, Zephyr, being aware of themon understanding among item holders, made the conscious choice to shift the conversation, deeming it inauspicious to discuss such matters behind a powerful being like that. ''''However, I have a strong curiosity about something. '''' After taking a sip from the bottle of wine he was holding, he continued. ''''What exactly is your connection to this senior? '''' Zephyr tried to sound as normal as possible when asking the question, but even someone like him, who always spoke his mind in a bold and careless manner, didn''t know which approach would be right when asking this question. The room was filled with heightened attention and curiosity, with even Tika''s normallyposed demeanor revealing a slight blush and twitch on her elf-like ears, as well as an undeniable sense of eagerness. This question was of the utmost importance to everyone present, as it had the potential to shape their family''s future. Raydon gave this question a brief moment of thought before responding, at which point he said it with a carefree smile on his face. ''''Is this really important? '''' Again, nobody was able to find the words to respond to Raydon''sid-back demeanor and response. The question they posed was as ordinary as it was vital. All they wanted to know was what role Raydon ys for this particr individual. ''He began to bargain, huh? '' Zephyr thought with a smile. Raydon was standing in front of them as Cael and the others interrogated him, and they did so while seated in their regal chairs and disying all of their authoritative stances. From the outside looking in, the interaction did not appear to be a two-way deal at all. But in the end, Raydon did not provide an answer to their question and instead reminded them that they were not the only ones in control and that it ought to be a deal that benefits both parties. Chapter 227 Mutual Bargaining (Part 2) ? Cael started talking again after there was a brief pause, having realized that Raydon was not going to provide an easy response to this question. ''''Tomorrow, we will officially announce that you are one of the family heirs. '''' Finally, he made his offer. ''''Should I be impressed by this? '''' Raydon simply scoffed. To begin, Cael''s offer worked out better for them than it did for Raydon, which was in line with what they wanted to aplish anyway. By epting Raydon into their family in any case, they set out to build a rtionship with the person they regarded as high-rank. ''''You are aware that there are a great number of people in this world who would sacrifice everything to be a member of a ruling family, are you not? '''' ra, Arden''s wife said with a frown. Raydon couldn''t help butugh at this."I wonder what you sacrificed as one of those people." ra was unable to keep her cool in the face of this response, and she let out an angry shout, "Who do you think you are speaking with me like this?" She was one of those battle maids who had been brought up by the family, and it goes without saying that she made many sacrifices in order to sit where she is right now. However, the manner in which Raydon struck her in the face involuntarily provoked her anger. ''''We''ll let you select one blue-grade item from the family''s treasure. '''' After Zephyr had endured the foolishness of the others for a certain amount of time, he decided to make an offer of his own. Raydon was already a legal heir and a member of the family because he already bore the Demugen surname. It would only serve to strengthen him in the socialmunity of item holders if he were to be introduced to the public again, but that didn''t even bother him in the least. After all, Raydon was about to be a member of an imminent grand family, and it was foolish to care about the feeble Demugen family at that point in time. ''''Blue-grade item? Are you kidding? '''' ra suddenly turned around and let out a startled cry. "How many blue-grade items are in the family treasury that you could offer one like that? Even on you, there shouldn''t be more than three blue-grade items, right? '''' Thalia voiced her displeasure. Blue-grade items were extremely rare and valuable, and a family treasury as small as theirs would have only a small handful of blue-grade items at most. "Zephyr, you are aware that you are not permitted to simply take something from the family treasure and give it away without first obtaining our authorization, correct?"Cael said with a frown. He was still under the impression that he could trick Raydon with empty offers, but Zephyr''s action rendered all of his preparations useless in an instant. eaglesnov?1,§ão§® "Brother, you may be an idiot, but you can''t look at everyone as an idiot just like yourself. You are aware of how significant our goal is for being here, right? Aside from that, the ridiculous offers you make only serve to make my nephew despise his family more. '''' Cael muttered, "Tch¡­ You are just showing him how desperate we are. '''' They could even get another mid-rank item holder to join their family by giving them a blue-grade item. But now they were in the position of having to use such a valuable item as an investment for a n that they weren''t evenpletely confident in. During this time, the members of Raydon''s family were engaged in a debate with one another, but Raydon was silently giving his uncle Zephyr a thumbs up in his heart. In any case, his objective was to never settle for anything lower than a blue-grade item, but he couldn''t help but acknowledge how much simpler his uncle''s assistance had made his work. ''''Okay, we will give you an item of the blue grade that we have chosen. But first, you will need to demonstrate your value to us.''''Cael finally said with a sigh. The thought of sacrificing such a valuable item solely to obtain an answer to a question weighed heavily on him. However, now that he hade to know Raydon, he understood that anything less than this would fail to sway him. ''Will he be the one to make the selection of the item? Well, it''s still a blue-grade item, '' Raydon reasoned. He was confident that Cael would select the least valuable item possible to give to him, but he made the decision not to be concerned about it. After all, even the one with the least amount of value was tens of times more valuable than an item of green quality. In addition, even if this item was not suitable for him, Raydon could now sell it by taking part in the auction in the item market and use the gold coins he would earn to purchase a different item that would be more suitable for him now that he had achieved an E-Rank. ''''Deal. '''' Raydon said this with a big smile on his face, not hiding his happiness. ''''So, how close are you to the esteemed item holder?'''' Cael asked the question again as soon as he heard Raydon''s response. ''''Very close. '''' Radon gave a casual response. ''We''ve only been talking for a short while, but I already want to kick this kid out of the family again," Cael grit his teeth and muttered angrily. "I believe that should suffice as an answer, don''t you think?" Zephyr observed everyone''s escting rage and chuckled as he said. Unlike the others, he seemed to be enjoying himself. "Okay, why don''t you show us which technique you learned?" Cael chose to ignore his brother''s remark and, after taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he asked. After hearing what Cael had to say, others nodded their heads in unison to show their agreement. It was highly likely that Raydon had learned a profound technique from this esteemed high rank if he had truly awakened under his guidance. The quality and significance of this technique would indicate how much this individual values Raydon. ''''Sure. '''' Without objecting, Raydon epted. He was more than happy to show one of the techniques he had. The only issue was deciding which one he was going to demonstrate. Chapter 228 Domain (Part 1) ? ''This technique should be enough to convince them.'' Raydon deliberated before deciding on the technique he would demonstrate. Because he didn''t really have a high-rank item holder behind him and there was no other way to prove his worth to his family, he needed to convince them of his worth by showing them his strength. In light of the fact that Raydon''s current performance had the potential to earn him another priceless item, there was no reason to hold back. Raydon paused for a fleeting moment, his eyes gently closing as he took aposed breath. His eyes opened again in what seemed like a fraction of a second, revealing a mysterious hint of power. "This?" Thalia muttered under her breath. e¦Áglesn?¦Íel ''''He was concealing his strength, huh? But still¡­ '''' Zephyr started to detect an increase in the presence that he felt emanating from Raydon and said. ''''What kind of concealment technique is this that has even seeded in fooling us? It must be at least a technique of the middle tier. '''' Arden eximed, unable to contain his shock. They realized that Raydon was using a technique to hide his power when they suddenly started to feel his power that they had not been able to feel a little while ago. The fact that this technique was able to fool even them, despite the fact that they were significantly stronger than Raydon, demonstrated how potent this technique was. ''Who is this high rank? He appears out of nowhere and teaches a mid-tier technique to a crippled child he has never met. '' Arden couldn''t help but ponder the reasoning behind this action. Even though they were a ruling family, they only possessed two techniques. Even the technique of which they were most proud and which propelled them to the position of the ruling family was only of a mid-tier, and the other technique was only of a low tier. Yet, somebody is teaching this technique to other people based on his own whims, as if the techniques were nothing more than trinkets. This was not eptable in any way. ''''It seems that you are more than just amon servant to the esteemed item holder,'''' Cael said. No matter the family, they would never teach a mid-tier technique to amon servant, so Raydon''s position was crystal clear. ''''At least we didn''tpletely waste the blue-grade item. '''' With displeasure in her voice, ra said. The technique that she possessed and was proud of was only of a mid-tier as well, and the fact that Raydon possessed a technique of the same quality bothered and made her jealous of him. Everyone was envious and dissatisfied when they saw someone like Raydon, who had beenpletely useless not too long ago, now using a technique that was considered to be of a mid-tier, but at the same time, they were overjoyed that the likelihood of their future ns being sessful had increased. But very quickly, any traces of these emotions were swiftly overshadowed by the breathtaking spectacle that was taking ce right in front of their very eyes. *Crack* *Crack* Cracks started to reverberate through the air around Raydon, resonating with an intense sense of foreboding. The ever-increasing presence that Raydon was exuding became even more intense, whirling with observable energy and projecting a shadowy wave that emanated from his very being. ''''W-What is this? '''' na, who was envious of the mid-tier technique she believed Raydon to be employing at the moment, could not believe her eyes when she witnessed this new development. The presence that she had been sensing emanating from Raydon had abruptly taken the form of a dark energy that had suddenly materialized around him. This energy was even interacting with the material world, as evidenced by the cracks that were beginning to appear in the wooden lining beneath Raydon''s feet. *Crack* *Crack* The ck wave of energy didn''t stop at its initial appearance; instead, it continued to spread throughout Raydon''s body, gradually tearing apart any wooden coverings it came into contact with. The sounds of crackling continue to reverberate throughout the room as it expanded and spread. And very quickly after that, it made contact with the table in front of Raydon and began to rip apart the surface of the table as well. Then it spread even further and began to form cracks on the seats where ra and Seren were sitting, as they were the ones closest to Raydon. ''''Ah'' '''' ra was still staring at Raydon in disbelief when the chair that she was sitting on suddenly shattered because it was no longer able to withstand the steadily growing cracks in it. Watching as this wave of energy spread throughout the room, Seren was equally as shocked as everyone else. However, she was fortunate enough to notice her broken seat in time to get up and avoid embarrassing herself like ra did. The energy wave continued to propagate to the other seats, but to Raydon''s surprise, it was unable to cause any damage to any of them; not even the tiniest crack appeared on any of them. "So it wasn''t merely a concealment technique," Zephyr said with a forced smile on his shocked face. ''What kind of technique is this? It reminds me of¡­It just can''t be true. ''As Zephyr watched the shadowy wave being stopped by a transparent blue barrier that gave the impression it was made of water, his mind was filled with shocking thoughts. Zephyr was certain Raydon wasn''t using a skill, in which case they were able to sense the item activation. But in addition to that, he had never witnessed such a technique being used before, and the only thing that came to his mind was something that Raydon could not possibly be capable of doing. Zephyr had convinced himself that what he was thinking was impossible, but clearly, he was not alone in this line of thinking, as the exact same thing was urring to another person. ''''How is it possible for you to have a domain? What level are you? No¡­ There''s no way to exin this with level. What rank are you? '''' Thalia could not take it any longer and confronted him with her questions in a state of shock. Chapter 229 Domain (Part 2) ? ''Domain? '' When Raydon saw the unexpected shock disyed on everyone''s faces and heard Thalia''s words, he was just as surprised as everyone else. Raydon''s spirit stat was still at 70 when he first used the aura technique, and he noticed that the strength of his aura had increased after increasing it to 100. ''And I believe I am capable of expanding the range of my aura even further. Is this because of my sub-skill? '' Raydon reflected on his ck aura, which had now filled the entire room. He reasoned that it must be due to his sub-skill because a mere increase of 30 points in his spirit stat wouldn''t have that much of an impact on its overall effectiveness. -Aura of Dominion (sub-skill) : Increases the user''s skill effects by 100% on all targets within a 1,000-meter radius. When Raydon first read the description of this sub-skill, he mistakenly believed that it was only useful for item skills. However, it turned out that it was a good match for his aura technique. ''Even though it has a wider range, it looks like it still does not do much damage. '' Raydon pondered as he realized that his aura had done nothing but cause damage to the things around him and, interestingly enough, hadn''t harmed anyone other than Seren and ra''s pride, who had been caught off guard by the event and lost their chairs. ''And what skill are they using? They did not even chant the skill''s name. '' Raydon looked at Cael and the others, wondering what kind of skill they were using, as different kinds of power manifested all around them and effortlessly blocked his aura. Although Raydon was confident that his aura wouldn''t hurt them even if it touched them, he was intrigued to see that each of them had defensive skills that appeared on their own without them having to do anything. Raydon then turned to face Tika to see how she was faring, and when he saw the predicament Tika was in, he understood that this technique wasn''t entirely useless. It appeared as though Tika was only using her physical body to put up a fight against the force that was exerting itself on her. Tika didn''t appear to be in a difficult situation, but despite this, she had a frown on her face to go along with her shocked expression, and despite the fact that she didn''t appear to be suffering any serious injuries, the ck wave that rushed into her body seemed to bother her quite a bit. ''''No, it''s obviously not a domain. '''' As he considered the scope and power of his aura technique, Raydon turned to Cael at the sound of his voice. ''''Without a doubt. Unless he''s a high-rank item holder. '''' Zephyr looked at Raydon with an ufortable grin on his face. ''''What is the domain? '''' Raydon decided to inquire because he was unable to understand what they were saying. "So you don''t know what a domain is. That''s to be expected. '''' Zephyr let out a sigh of relief when he realized that Raydon had no knowledge whatsoever regarding a domain. ''''Domain is a power that can only be held by high-rank item holders. They can alter and change all thews in a specific area around them by using the elements they possess and have mastered to create a battlefield. '''' Zephyr began to exin as he observed the surrounding ck wave return gradually to Raydon''s body. ''''Your technique resembles this phenomenon in many ways. It appears that you possess the death element, correct? '''' Zephyr asked inquisitively. Raydon nodded, thinking to himself, ''It''s notpletely wrong. '' His element was actually a hybrid element consisting of fire and death, but it seems as though everyone thought he only had the death element, so he didn''t feel the need to correct anyone''s misconceptions about him having only the death element. Zephyr continued in a hearty tone after seeing that Raydon had nodded his head. ''''It is extremely incredible that you are using a very rare element, and it is even more incredible that you appear to be able to make use of this element easily without the assistance of any skill. Obviously, yours wasn''t powerful enough to create a battleground, as we can''t even call it a domain, but it''s astounding that you even possess this level of elemental control. I can honestly say, this is the first time I have ever encountered a technique that is capable of replicating a domain with this level of uracy. '''' Without masking the impressed look on his face or the tone of his voice, Zephyr attempted to exin it to him in detail. ''I''m curious what a domain looks like. '' Raydon couldn''t stop himself from thinking. He also realized that the aura technique he was employing had greater potential beyond its current manifestation. He understood that as he further increased his spirit stat, it would yield different effects and unleash even more remarkable powers. However, upon learning that this phenomenon was referred to as a "domain" in this world, he couldn''t help but feel a surge of excitement coursing through him. ''I wonder how many spirit stats I need to create a domain? '' Raydon pondered. He didn''t give much thought to the element control that Zephyr also mentioned because he realized that as he increased his spirit stat, his element control increased even more, and on top of that, the additional sub-skills he received indirectly increased his elemental power. "But it made me even more confused now. '''' With Raydon lost in thought, Zephyr scrutinized him carefully and said it with a scowl. ''''This technique is well beyond the level of a mid-tier. I even think this is a s¡­ '''' Cael cut Zephyr off before he could finish his sentence and said. "Now that we know he taught you a high-tier technique, there''s no reason to talk about how valuable you are to him. '''' Zephyr frowned and cast a sidelong nce at his brother, but when he saw his peculiar expression, he decided to keep quiet this time. Chapter 230 Another Request ? ''''I don''t believe there is any purpose in carrying on this meeting any further. Go get some rest. Later, I''ll send the blue-grade item to your room. '''' Cael said. As he continued to speak, it was very interesting to observe that his authoritarian behavior from earlier hadpletely vanished. The look on his face gave the impression that he was both worn out and engaged in some serious reflection. A simr observation could be made about Raydon''s mother, Thalia. She remained disconnected from Raydon and even those around her as she allowed herself to be lost in her thoughts. Others, including Zephyr, had also noticed this, but they chose to keep quiet about it for whatever reason. ''I think I went a little too far in demonstrating my potential.'' Raydon reflected, noticing the oddness in everyone. ''''Fine. '''' Raydon has also made the decision to bring an end to the meeting. He believed that he had more than demonstrated his value to them, which meant that he had already aplished his goal. Additionally, the blue-grade item he won today was just the start for him; he could carry on this dealter. It would be more reasonable for him to drain the family''s treasury slowly by asking for an item in return every time his family wanted something from him, rather than asking for everything all at once. As Raydon turned and made his way towards the exit, he caught a glimpse of Tika following him. He furrowed his brow and thought to himself, ''Is this annoying girl nning toe with me? '' Tika was still his battle maid regardless of the situation, and it was her responsibility to apany her young master inside the mansion, despite the fact that she appeared reluctant to do so. So for Raydon, their interaction appears to be unavoidable. Raydon usually brushed off Tika''s provocations and paid little attention to her words, but having her constantly by his side, with her annoying presence, still managed to get on his nerves. As Raydon contemted the headaches this maid would inevitably cause him, he halted his steps and turned around to face the council again. ''''I have another request. '''' ''''Say it. '''' Cael said. Raydon said in a nonchnt manner, pointing at Tika, "I don''t want her." When Tika heard Raydon''s unexpected request, her eyes grew wide as she reacted in surprise. She did not want to serve Raydon either, and if she had the opportunity, she would have already reced the person she served; however, she found it insulting that Raydon was asking this question of the family in such a casual manner right now. However, after witnessing Raydon''s remarkable performance a while ago and realizing that he was no longer the crippled child she had once perceived him to be and that he now even has the authority to be able to bargain with the family elders, she chose not to speak and instead simply bowed her head in silence while she awaited the family''s response. ''''I see. '''' Cael, upon hearing the request, showed no sign of surprise. On the contrary, it seemed as though he had been anticipating it. e¦Áglesn?¦Íel Zephyr and the others must have anticipated Raydon''s request as well, because they didn''t show any surprise either. Having witnessed Tika''s consistent failure to fulfill her duties as Raydon''s battle maid, along with her frequent disys of hostility and disobedience, Zephyr and the others were well aware of her shorings. Moreover, as Tika had always been under themand of Cael and Thalia, they were not oblivious to her unfavorable attitude and animosity towards Raydon. While everyone agreed that Raydon''s request was reasonable and could easily be granted, they were all taken aback by Cael''s response. Cael said, "Unfortunately, we cannot ept this as it vites family rules. '''' Zephyr cast another sideways nce at his brother and thought. ''What are you up to again? '' The rule that Cael mentioned was, in fact, valid. The bond between a battle maid and the young master she serves is typically forged from the very outset and is intended to remain unbroken, except in exceptional cases where significant issues arise. However, there was in fact a significant issue, and Raydon had every reason to want to change his battle maid; therefore, it was pointless to adhere to this rule in this particr circumstance. When everyone was wondering what Cael had in store for them again, he resumed his previous line of discourse. ''''This change is not possible unless there is a major issue, and both the person the battle maid serves and the battle maid herself are still alive. '''' ''So that''s why you insisted on having her attend this meeting as well. You truly are going to great lengths,'' Zephyr finally grasped Cael''s intentions and, letting out a sigh, chose not to interfere further. Raydon retorted with a chuckle, "Unless there is a major issue?" ''''Isn''t it a major issue that she ignores her responsibilities, like taking care of me, and leaves me to die by myself in the slum? '''' Raydon''s voice unintentionally grew louder as he spoke, anger bubbling up within him. The memories of his body''s past hardships surged back, causing his blood to surge with heightened intensity. "But you are still alive, right?" Cael said it in an eerilyposed tone. Raydon felt his long-repressed feelings rising to the surface as he observed Cael''sposed demeanor. Apanied by the rage that Raydon was experiencing, the dark aura involuntarily began to emerge once more from his body. Although it had been a very long time since Raydon had been affected by such emotions, this wasn''t the first time it had happened to him since he had entered this world. After enduring betrayals in his previous life and confronting the memories of betrayal in his current body, Raydon had carried aplex mixture of emotions for some time. The wall he had constructed to contain those feelings was now on the verge of crumbling, and the seething rage hidden beneath the surface threatened to consume him. Chapter 231 Anger ? Raydon had an insatiable greed for a life of unrestricted freedom, and in his previous life, the betrayals of those he held dear were what limited his pursuit of such freedom. However, he was also unlucky in the sense that, as a member of the socially inclined human race, it was impossible for him to lead an entirely solitary life. As a result, he viewed the challenges he faced as a game in which he had to prevail in order to achieve his goals. Therefore, in this new life, he had only one expectation from the people he had with him, and that was another reason why he continued to help Dan and the others. Loyalty. It was uneptable for him to be in thepany of a person who was not loyal to him. "So it looks like I won''t be able to get what I want as long as she''s still alive, huh?" '''' Raydon said with a twisted smile on his face. And along with that smile, intense ck mes erupted from his body, and gray smoke emanated from the corners of his mouth. Finally, he let his anger take over. ''''Wha¡­? '''' Tika''s heart skipped a beat as she sensed the foreboding aura emanating from Raydon. Instinctively, she turned her gaze towards Cael and the others, seeking their guidance and reassurance. ''What are they thinking? '' Her eyes widened when she realized that they were simply watching in silence without any intention of interfering. There was even an extra look of surprise and wonder on their faces, as they watched Raydon use yet another technique. ''''What do you want? '''' Tika was forced to retreat involuntarily as soon as she turned her attention back to Raydon because he greeted her with a pair of eyes that radiated with the intent to kill. ''He wants to kill me. '' The thought of the answer to her own question filled her mind with fear. If Tika had been confronted with Raydon''s wrath some time ago, it would not have been enough to frighten her. However, now that she has seen Raydon''s strength, she cannot help but be terrified of him. And when she saw that the family had no ns to help her, the tension she was feeling got even worse. ''He should still be an F-Rank. He should not have the power to harm me. '' She made an effort to calm herself down by persuading herself that Raydon''s apparent strength was only an illusion created by the technique he possesses. e¦Áglesn?¦Íel ''''Shield of W¡­ '''' As Tika witnessed Raydon''s menacing intent and anticipated his impending attack, she instinctively attempted to activate her defensive skill. However, before she could do so, a hand engulfed in ck mes swiftly gripped her mouth, preventing her from using her skills. It was a stroke of bad luck that her defensive type skill had such a long name, to begin with, and it only got worse from there. Despite Tika''s impressive strength as an E-Rank item holder, Raydon''s recent boost in agility, coupled with the berserker technique he was employing, granted him exceptional speed. Caught off guard by his sudden eleration, Tika found herself unable to react in time to his lightning-fast movements. "You thought you were quite a big deal in front of me, didn''t you? " Raydon said as he stared into Tika''s terrified eyes and her face, which he had started to burn with his dark mes. It was the same sentence that Tika had said a while ago because she continued to believe that Raydon was a weakling. She was able to temporarily block out the shock and pain that was written all over her face, and she quickly reached into her dimensional storage to retrieve a short blue dagger, which she then swung at Raydon''s neck. In that critical moment, Tika couldn''t be certain if the attack would prove fatal, but she knew it would inflict severe injuries on Raydon. However, she had no time or inclination to ponder the consequences. Survival became her sole focus, consuming her thoughts as she fought to save her own life. Unfortunately for Tika, the knife thrust that was supposed to kill or at the very least seriously injure Raydon did not even seed in making him feel the slightest bit of difort when itnded on his throat. ''''Rusty Chain. '''' During the time that Tika was once again taken aback by Raydon''s unexpectedly high defense, Raydon took advantage of the gap and utilized his skill. Raydon, using movements that were both swift and precise, swung the chain that was aze with ck mes, which quickly entangled itself around Tika''s body. The hellish shackles were wrapped so tightly around her that she was renderedpletely immobile and unable to break free. ''I will die. '' As she became aware of how desperate her situation was, tears started to fall from her melting eyes, but they were immediately extinguished by the heat of the ck mes. Tika, who was now as helpless as a fish caught in a and was staring death in the face, turned to look at Cael and the others for onest glimmer of hope. However, when she realized that they were just watching and wouldn''t interfere, she understood that she hade to an end. She had just begun to ept her impending death when Raydon''s icy voice echoed in her head. ''''Being lucky doesn''t change the fact that you''re weak. '''' It was her luck that the family took her from the slums and turned her into a battle maid. ''''Even now, nobody cares about you; all of their attention is focused on me. '''' These were the words Tika had said to Raydon a while ago. She emphasized the fact that Raydon was still a nobody and that his master was the primary focus of the family''s attention. But now, hearing this sentence again, she understood. She was the one who is weak and unimportant now, and the family has already dismissed her as a sacrifice to calm Raydon''s anger for the sake of the family''s own interests. Chapter 232 I Changed My Mind ? ''''I changed my mind. '''' Raydon looked over at Tika, who was writhing in his mes, and said while pulling back his mes. With the release of his hold, Tika''s charred body fell to the ground. Her once alluring face, which had the power to captivate the attention of whoever looked at it, now bore the horrifying marks of severe burns. The skin adhered tenaciously to her skull, while her nose and eyelids melted away, leaving her eye sockets empty. Nevertheless, in spite of her disfigured state, there was still a peculiar sight to behold: her chest rose and fell in an erratic manner, which was evidence of the slender thread of life that struggled to exist within her. While they waited for Raydon to finish his sentence, everyone in the room stared at Tika''s body, which was the kind of thing that would give an average person nightmares. Raydon gave Cael a snide grin before speaking to him. "I will keep her as my maid, but I also want another one." ''So it seems that he is not going to ept my sacrifice. '' As Cael considered the fact that his proposed resolution had been shot down, a frown formed on his face. Cael saw an opportunity to use Tika as a scapegoat for all the injustices that had beenmitted against Raydon. By doing so, he hoped to alleviate some of the pent-up resentment and negative emotions that Raydon held towards his own family. However, Raydon''s choice to spare Tika''s life and even ept her as his battle maid thwarted Cael''s intentions. It was Raydon''s way of demonstrating that he would not use Tika''s life aspensation for the wrongs inflicted on him by his family. e¦Áglesn?¦Íel ''As was to be anticipated, his greed will be a problem for us. '' Cael pondered as he observed Raydon''s mocking smile. He understood that the death of a battle maid would not be enough to make him forget what had happened in the past because Raydon desired more than that. ''''Okay, we''ll send her back to you once she''s been healed, and I''ll let you pick another battle maidter, '''' Cael said. This time, he hadn''t even brought up the family rules, and he''d even given Raydon the freedom to pick whoever he wanted. He was forced to grant his wishes since he was no longer in a position to y the game. "Well, I guess I''ll go with Belicia then. '''' Raydon said without much thought. The Demugen family only had a total of eight battle maids, and he didn''t have to give it much thought because she was the person he knew best and was closest to. "That''s not possible. She is the battle maid for my son. You should choose ano¡­ ''''As soon as Raydon made his decision, Arden attempted to disagree, but Cael raised his hand and signaled for him to shut up. ''''Fine. '''' ''''Wha¡­ '''' Arden, who was infuriated by this decision, attempted to voice his disapproval once more; however, Cael''s nce at him caused him to bepelled to keep his silence for the moment. ''''Anything else? '''' Cael asked as he turned his attention back to Raydon. ''''That is all for now. '''' Raydon was puzzled by the sudden change in attitude, and decided it would be best not to push his luck too far at this time, so he made the decision to leave. As soon as the door had been shut behind Raydon, Arden asked the question in a furious tone. "What was that? Why did you suddenly decide toply with his requests when just a short while ago you were trying to create all kinds of obstacles? Aside from that, Belicia is already serving as my son''s battle maid. What gives you the right to make that promise to give her to someone else? '''' ''''I agree with Arden. He has every reason to despise us, especially his parents, but giving in to his demands so easily will only encourage him to act more brazenly. I''m sure it will end up costing us a lot more in the long run when the timees and we ask him to set up a meeting with the respected high-rank behind him. ''''Interestingly, Zephyr''s wife agreed with him that Cael made the wrong choice. ''''Seren, you don''t get it, do you? The high rank behind him isn''t that important anymore. '''' In contrast to the upbeat and bouncy demeanor that he typically exudes, Zephyr spoke with an extremely solemn tone. Following that, he questioned while looking at Cael and Thalia. ''''Unless you want to make fools of us, you two need to start exining the truth. '''' ''''What do you mean?" Seren asked in a perplexed tone. She and the others noticed that these two were behaving in an odd manner, but they attributed it to the fact that they had finally realized the mistakes they had made in the past against Raydon and were consequently experiencing negative emotions as a result of this. However, the truth seemed to be quite different. Zephyr addressed the confused eyes that were watching him and asked, "Didn''t you see the technique he used?" ''''The second technique he used? Right, I thought it looked familiar too. Wait¡­ That technique was very simr to what the Lionheart family uses. '''' ra, Arden''s wife, expressed her surprise after some pondering on the matter. ''''Huh? This can''t be true, can it? I''ve previously witnessed members of the Lionheart family use their techniques. However, none of them were able to radiate their element from their bodies.'''' Arden remarked on the ck mes emanating from Raydon''s body while he was using the berserker technique. They realized that Raydon already possessed the elements of death and fire, and possibly even a hybrid element; however, the fact that he possessed these elements was not as surprising to them as the fact that he had a high level of control over them. Therefore, the fact that he was able to integrate his elements into the technique he used demonstrated his true talent and provided evidence that the technique he used was of a high tier. Chapter 233 Supreme Tier ? "Besides, who could teach Raydon the techniques of a Grand Family? " Arden asked. He found it even more unbelievable that this technique was part of a Grand Family than he did the fact that Raydon''s master had taught him a second high-tier technique. Zephyr exhaled deeply before responding with a sigh, "Well, that''s another mystery, but I''m not talking about that." ''''I''m referring to the first technique he demonstrated to us. ''''As he spoke, he looked at Cael before continuing. "It wasn''t just a high-tier technique, right? '''' Cael finally opened his mouth and said, "That''s right." ¡­ ''''It wasn''t a high tier? So, what tier was that? '''' After a moment of silence, Arden questioned with suspicion. Because the most powerful technique they possessed was a mid-tier, and because the only information they had about techniques of the higher tier came from techniques used by other families, they were unable to fullyprehend the power of the technique. However, they were also aware that the technique that Raydon utilized was far too powerful to be ssified as a mid-tier one. This brought only one answer to their minds. ''''Don''t tell me? It was a supreme tier? How? '''' Arden had finally reached an understanding of the situation and responded in a state of shock. Cael was the focus of everyone''s attention, including Zephyr''s, as they held their breath and awaited his response with bated breath. "That''s right, without a doubt, it was a supreme-tier technique. '''' ''''Are you kidding me? Do you mean to tell me that someone who isn''t even 20 years old and who has only been an item holder for 20 days uses a supreme technique? This is a load of bullshit. '''' ra lost all control of herself and mmed her fist onto the table that was already loaded with crack, causing it topletely copse. "You two made a secret agreement, didn''t you? And now you''re ying with us," Seren eximed, herposure slipping away. ''''We are no longer able to exin this by the fact that he has a high-rank master because this is not something that can even be learned through the instruction of another person. '''' ''''That''s right. And that is also the reason why I said that the important one is not his master anymore but rather he himself. '''' Zephyr got to his feet, reached behind him, and grabbed a bottle of wine. Then, he downed the first half of the bottle in one gulp before continuing. "He has the potential to be a high rank. No, it''s not just potential; I''m sure he will reach it. '''' Everyone now had a heightened awareness as a result of Zephyr''s words. If the technique that Raydon employed was, in fact, a supreme technique, then they ought to do whatever it takes to keep him in the family. Even if it means handing over the entire family treasure as well as the rest of the family if that is what it takes. The only exnation that made sense for how Raydon was able to use a supreme tier technique, which was not something that could be learned through the normal channels of instruction, was that he had the ability to create it on his own. And being a genius wasn''t enough for an item holder to develop a supreme-tier technique. For instance, Raydon was able to discover the technique that they referred to as the Domain by first employing a meditation technique that enabled him to feel his soul, then employing a cultivation technique that enabled him to take control of his manabined with the ash element that was contained within his soul, and finally employing the aura technique that enabled him to release this mana by materializing it. Raydon utilized three different techniques, each of which was considered to be of a high tier in this world; however, as a result of himbining all three of these techniques, he was able to create a supreme-tier technique. Also, it was not enough for Raydon to know only three different high-tier techniques in order for him to be able to create this supreme-tier technique; rather, he had to have mastered each of these techniques to the highest possible level as well. It was possible to learn a high-tier technique quickly or slowly, depending on the skill of the person teaching it; however, fully mastering a high-tier technique was not something that anyone could do in just twenty days. Techniques were of critical significance for item holders. After all, in order to advance in rank as an item holder, one had to do well in matches that were held at specific times, and in general, especially in theter ranks, the items and body enchantments that everyone had in these matches were of the highest quality. As a consequence of this, the difference in power was typically determined by their respective titles and techniques. The best illustration of this can be found in the time when Raydon was still an F-Rank and he used the berserker technique to defeat the region boss by himself. Another example is that even though Herman was an E-Rank item holder, he was still able to kill him with the berserker technique. The current leader of the Demugen family was unable to reach the high rank for a number of years because he was unable to make a difference in power with only his title and a mid-tier technique in B-Rank matches, where everyone has aplete set of items and stat builds. Because these are matches in which even a minor increase in strength can make a significant difference in the oue for item holders with simr strengths. After weighing all of these factors, Zephyr and the others came to the conclusion that Raydon''s worth was unquestionably significantly greater than the high rank they had been aiming for all along. Due to the fact that Raydon possessed such potential, it was certain that in the future he would definitely reach the high rank that the head of the Demugen Family has been working toward achieving for a number of years at this point. In addition, Raydon already possessed their surname and was considered a member of this family, in contrast to his master, who is an absolute stranger to them. Chapter 234 Hidden Secret(Part 1) ? ''''Sustain Life. '''' Tika''s health was dwindling, and she was lying still on the ground when Seren reached out her hand to her. At that precise moment, a brilliantly clear water bubble expanded from Seren''s hand and engulfed her entire body. Tika, who appeared to be writhing in pain and having difficulty breathing for a while, finally stopped movingpletely in this bubble of water as it surrounded her. "I am going to be in charge of her healing. The element he used to attack her seems to be quite potent. '''' Seren remarked as she observed the ck tar-like substance that had been expelled from Tika''s body and was now mingling with the water in the bubble. Because Raydon''s ash element is rare and he has a high spirit stat, his already rare element had an even stronger effect, and even Seren, who is a C-Rank, said that she couldn''t heal her right away. ''''But at least her body will heal quicker than her missing arm. '''' Seren said this while casting a nce at the ming red substance, which, in contrast to the dark substance, is rather subtle and hard to spot unless one looks at it very closely. This was the blood element that had remained in Tika''s body and was still preventing her arm from healing. It was obvious that this blood element belonged to Fang, who had previously been responsible for destroying her arm. ''''That is nice to hear. '''' Arden continued, "I will also go and tell Belicia that she is now serving a new young master. " "You were just getting all worked up saying that she is your son''s battle maid. You seemed to have a very easy time changing your mind. '''' As he made fun of Arden''s abrupt change of heart, Zephyr appeared to have returned to his cynical self. ''''Zephyr, stop joking. You are well aware of how critically important it is to produce a high rank within our family. '''' After expressing his displeasure with a frown, Arden continued with a sigh. Besides, there isn''t a whole lot of time left for Loran. I''ll make up for Belicia''s ceter for him, and in the meantime, I''ll find something else to upy his time with. '''' When Zephyr heard this, the sarcasm that was previously visible on his face vanished, and he said this in a solemn tone. "His cursed body is about to copse, huh? It is possible that he harbors resentment toward him because Herman was killed. And now this... Just be careful, and try to prevent him from causing Raydon any problems. '''' Arden did not respond verbally, but rather only nodded with an expression of unwavering resolve in his eyes. Because of a significant problem that had been present with Loran''s body since birth, he began working in secret with Herman to contribute to his research in the hopes of finding a solution for his body. Although Loran believed their coboration remained hidden, his family was fully aware of their endeavors. Despite this, they decided to keep quiet because it was in both of their best interests to find a solution to Loran''s problem. The predicament that the family found themselves in was that they were unable to openly cooperate with the Blood Organization. As a consequence of this, they pretended not to be aware of the fact that Loran and Herman were working together, and they allowed him to continue along his own course in the search for a solution. But of course, his problem was not something that could be easily solved, and after years of waiting, when he got the news that Herman had died, it was quite possible that his mental bnce would copse, and he would me Raydon for everything and even try to do something to him, seeing everything as Raydon''s fault. "By the way, I recall that there were other apprentices residing in the same ce as Raydon, all of them under the guidance of esteemed high-rank item holders like him. It''s possible that they have formed friendships with Raydon. Perhaps we could extend invitations to them for tomorrow''s celebration, which would make Raydon feel more at ease," ra suggested after pondering for a moment, sharing her own opinion. Previously, ra held a rather negative attitude towards Raydon and firmly believed that his best course of action would be to align himself with the Demugen family. However, her perspective had now shifted, and she was actively contemting strategies to foster a stronger bond between Raydon and his family, aiming to make him view them in a more favorable light. After all, she was aware of Raydon''s capacity to achieve high rank at the present time and was even certain that he would achieve high rank in the future. When that day arrived, the Demugen Family, which was nothing more than a big family, would have no significance for him, and he would be free to start over and create a new grand family with his high rank. ''''Damn, Cael. If you hadn''t made things so difficult from the beginning, we wouldn''t be forced to put in as much effort as we are right now. '''' Zephyr expressed his displeasure to Cael after noticing that everyone, including himself, was attempting so hard to repair Raydon''s strained rtionship with the family. Cael, who had been silent up until this point and appeared to be engaged in serious contemtion, inhaled deeply and then stated. ''''You do not understand. I had to do this. '''' ''''What is it that I do not understand? What exactly am I supposed to understand about your decision to cast him aside from the family and leave him to fend for himself on the streets simply because he was born with a disability and you were afraid that he would bring shame on the family name? '''' When Zephyr saw that his brother continued to maintain this perspective, he felt his anger rise to a new level. The peculiar demeanor he exhibited and the pointless obstinacy he disyed became even more perplexing. Chapter 235 Hidden Secret(Part 2) ? In fact, they were all people who would even sacrifice their children for the future of the family, but what Zephyr failed toprehend was that the very act of casting Raydon aside and leaving him to die would bring even greater shame to the family than his disability ever could. It was true that when other families learned that a child with a disability was born into this family, they might think that their future is not bright because they believe that the perfection of the family''s genes has been lost. But for Zephyr, such rumors were of no consequence, as he would have been even more troubled by the rumors that other families were spreading behind their backs, saying that they were ashamed of their children and had murdered him. ''''It''s not what you really think, Mr. Zephyr. As he mentioned earlier, at that point in time, we considered it to be the most viable option. Even after all this time, I still don''t know whether it''s a good thing or a bad thing that he''s still alive. '''' With much hesitation, Thalia spoke up. ''''What are you saying? Naturally, the fact that he is still alive and even has the potential to reach a high rank is good for our family. '''' Seren continued while ring at Thalia as if she were an idiot. ''''I had no idea how farsighted our family leader was until now. He must have seen the potential in Raydon regardless of the fact that he has a disability, and despite your best efforts, he saved the future of our family by keeping him alive. '''' ''''It''s true that he wanted to keep him alive because he recognized the potential that was contained within him. But there''s more to it than that. '''' Cael said in a heavy tone. "What on earth are you two trying to conceal from us?" Zephyr''s realization that something was amiss led to impatience as he posed the question. The behavior of these two had changed noticeably since the start of the meeting, and their intentions were now shrouded in mystery, making it difficult for others toprehend their thoughts. ''''Cael, you know how important this is to us, and whatever you''re hiding from us, you have to tell us right now. ''''Arden stated, finally reaching the point where he could no longer withstand the mounting tension and secrecy. They had finally found the ideal resource for their family''s future, and he didn''t want to risk losing it due to the stupid secrets that these two idiots were keeping. Cael briefly caught Thalia''s gaze and then spoke in a solemn tone as soon as he noticed that she was nodding her head. "What you don''t know is that it wasn''t because he was disabled that we decided to kick Raydon out of the family. '''' "Then, why?" After contemting for a moment under the watchful gaze of curious onlookers, Cael rose from his seat and spoke up. "I had hoped to handle this issue independently, but it appears I made a grave mistake. It is evident that this matter is no longer within my control, and we must seek our father''s input." After that, he exited the room in order to finally inform the head of the family, leaving everyone else to upy themselves with their own questions. ¡ª "Where the fuck is my room?" As Raydon explored the vast hallways of the enormous mansion, he reflected on his surroundings while looking around. When Raydon came out of the meeting room, he realized that there was no one to apany him in this mansion. He didn''t want to return to the room to ask for another maid because he was the one who made Tika, who was supposed to apany him, unable to walk. Therefore, he would look like an idiot if he went back inside and asked for someone to help him. Despite the fact that Raydon was able to recall the majority of his experiences from his time spent in this mansion, he was having trouble finding his room because the building was sorge and many things had been altered over the years. Even so, he had no idea whether or not the old room he had upied in this building still belonged to him. ''In addition to that, the attitude of everyone is beginning to grate on my nerves. '' Raydon mused this to himself as he observed that the servants he had encountered had ignored him and had not even looked at him. He had tried to inquire with at least three different maids about the location of his room, but none of them reacted to him in any way, making it appear as though they were blind to his presence. Raydon had the thought, "If I didn''t know they were doing this on purpose, I would really think that I''m invisible," as he watched another maid pretend not to see him while she cleaned the floors. ''''Why do I have to continue to put up with this? If you choose to ignore me, I will show you something that you simply cannot ignore. '''' Raydon''s patience had reached its breaking point, and dark mes began to swirl menacingly around his body. However, his attention was abruptly diverted as a cold voice pierced through the air, calling out to him from behind. ''''Looks like you''re lost, young master. '''' As Raydon turned around, his gaze met the figure of Diam, the head maid, who stood at the end of the hall in her usual maid attire, approaching him with determined steps. ''At longst, I''ve found someone who doesn''t ignore me. But I guess I would have preferred it if she had ignored me as well, because for some reason I get nervous every time I see her. '' Raydon thought, feeling a sense of relief. However, a peculiar sensation of unease washed over him whenever he encountered Diam. He couldn''t quite put his finger on why, but there was an undeniable tension between them that made him uneasy. Chapter 236 Diam (Part 1) ? ''''You shouldn''t be so quick to lose your patience just because a few people ignored you, right? '''' Diam walked up to Raydon and said in a t tone. Raydon attempted to deny it, evading the judgmental gazes fixed on him. "Losing my patience? Not at all," he asserted, his wordsced with a touch of defensiveness. Diam addressed Raydon with an unusual tone thatbined firmness with a tinge of exasperation, while maintaining her customaryposed and emotionless demeanor. ''''So you''re telling me you don''t n on burning this whole building with these mes? '''' ''Oh shit, I forgot this. '' When Raydon became aware of the barely perceptible dark embers rising above him, he immediately took control of them and drew them into his body. Even though these mes were a side effect of his body enchantment, they were nowpletely under his control. However, the anger that he had just felt, in addition to the excitement of engulfing his entire family''s living space in mes, had made him momentarily lose control. "Of course, there is no way that I would ever do something like that. I am a person who is considered to be very reasonable. Hehe '''' Raydon said right away, denying that he had any such intention. Surprisingly, the way Diam had reprimanded him made him feel ashamed. "I''m not entirely sure about that." She must have thought it was pretty funny as she said it because, for the first time in her usually emotionless face, a smile broke through. Oddly, Raydon was familiar with this smile. At that very instant, a flood of memories rushed through his head, and he suddenly recalled the reason why he had always experienced an innate sense of unease when he was around her. ''Her behavior toward me was always different and meaningless. '' Raydon thought. Even though Raydon''s mental state rendered him incapable of coherent thought while he was residing in the mansion, Diam never treated him as if he were devoid of consciousness. On the contrary, she consistently showed him the kind of yful affection that one would save for a child who is known to be mischievous and spirited. It didn''t make sense to treat a kid who couldn''t even take care of his own daily needs. Despite this, it became clear that Diam was ignoring Raydon''s mental disability on purpose. What made it even more intriguing was the fact that Diam appeared to be there whenever Raydon needed to be reprimanded or corrected, regardless of whether or not it was Raydon''s fault.. For instance, whenever Raydon was lost and wandering aimlessly through the halls of the mansion by himself and tripped and fell, there was always a hand holding him from behind, and she would raise him to his feet and say: "You''re not going to me the floor for tripping you, are you? If you want to avoid falling over so easily, you will need to learn how to put more force into each step. '''' Or, to give a different illustration, whenever Raydon was made fun of by his cousins or even the servants, Diam would mysteriously appear by his side. With a serene yet resolute tone, she would impart her wisdom, saying, "Not everyone is obligated to like you. Just let them enjoy themselves. However, if earning their respect is your goal, it should not be too difficult." When Raydon considered it, he became aware that urrences simr to this took ce on a daily basis at that time, and he recalled Diam''s reprimands in addition to the guidance that she had provided to him each and every time. When Diam spoke to Raydon, she did so with a smile on her face, even though the tone of her words often gave the impression that she was being critical. It was her smile that gave him the impression that she wasn''t simply reprimanding him but rather directing him to make improvements. Despite the fact that he is unable to think for himself and it is unknown whether he understood what was being said, she would always point out his shorings and offer advice on how he could improve himself, but Raydon never got the impression that she was trying to harm him. Instead, he believed that Diam had his best interests in mind and was genuinely interested in assisting him in bing a better person. And the main thing that perplexed Raydon was that. Because no one else paid him this level of attention, he was taken aback by how Diam typically interacted with him. As a result, he developed an interesting respect and affection for her as a result of this behavior. ''I get the impression that she knows me really well and is influencing my thinking. '' As Raydon contemted this, he couldn''t help but wonder if Diam possessed some kind of mind-altering ability. When Raydon contemted this, he wasn''t thinking about the body he was in at the time; rather, he was thinking about the soul that was at the center of his being. The way she seemed to understand him so well and subtly shape his thoughts gave him the impression that she had a deep insight into his true self. Each and every sentence Diam had spoken to him up until this point was analogous to a sentence to his primary personality. Diam proceeded to lead the way down the hallway while saying, "We had better find your room before you go for another tantrum." ''This again. '' Raydon pondered the meaning of the word for a moment before beginning to trail behind her.. They had only been walking for a short while when Diam said, pointing to a door. ''''Have some good rest. '' After that, she told him while opening the door, but as soon as she saw inside the room, her brows furrowed. The room, though quite spacious and seeminglyfortable for an ordinary person, evoked a frown from Diam. It was simr in a manner that was reminiscent of a plush hotel room,plete with a television and a double bed. However, the fact that the room was in a state of disarray was the reason why she was concerned. It appeared as though someone had been living there for a considerable amount of time, but no effort had been made to keep the ce tidy or perform maintenance. Chapter 237 Diam (Part 2) ? The bedsheets were stained and torn, the sofas and coffee table were rearranged in a haphazard manner, and even the wastebasket in the corner was groaning under the weight of a variety of different types of garbage. In addition, the room was covered in a substantialyer of dust, and the stale air gave the impression that it had not been cleaned or ventted for a considerable amount of time. "Have they ever bothered to clean this room?" Diam said. It was clear that this was the room that Raydon had upied in the past; however, no servant had made the effort to enter the room and clean it in quite some time. Raydon said in an indifferent manner, "If I just crack open a window and find some clean sheets, that will be sufficient." Raydon, who normally would not have epted such treatment either, said it right away when he saw Diam making an unusually angry disy at the time. In another interesting turn of events, Raydon discovered that he had developed a peculiar familiarity with the ambiance of the room. It seemed strangely familiar to him. After all, he was ustomed to sleeping in simrly untidy surroundings due to the fact that he himself was frequently careless andzy when it came to cleaning his own room. The room''s disarray somehow reflected his own personality and made him feel at ease. "I suppose that they must have been so busy that they forgot to clean the room. You don''t need to be concerned about this. Let''s find you another room.'''' Diam said while ignoring his words and resuming the calm demeanor that she had previously disyed. She was aware that it wasn''t simply a case of forgetting to clean the room, but she continued to refrain from pointing the finger of me at the other people in front of Raydon. Raydon''s room was in this condition because, of course, his parents were also to me for it; however, this was before the meeting took ce and they became aware of his potential. But s, they had already forgotten about this, and they did not have time to alter or even think about the preparations that they had made for him in advance because they did not have enough time. Raydon simply nodded his head and resumed his pursuit of Diam without making any furtherment. And soon enough, they arrived at the entrance to another room that was not too far from his. ''I have no doubt that this room will meet all of your needs. '' Again, Diam stated it with a chilly demeanor; however, Raydon''s eyes picked up on the jovial smile that was hidden behind the chilly demeanor that Diam was disying. ''Why do I have negative feelings about this room?'' As Raydon picked up on her attitude, he had this thought go through his head. But soon, when Diam opened the door, he realized that this bad feeling was not for himself but for someone else, given what he saw inside the room. ''''Miss Diam. '''' The person, who appeared to have just stepped out of the shower, had purple hair that was wet and was wrapped in a white towel. As she caught sight of Diam standing at the doorway, her purple eyes widened with surprise. Despite the unexpected encounter, she quickly straightened up and greeted her with the utmost respect. Nevertheless, as the surprise was taking ce, she lost her grip on the towel, which resulted in the exposure of her stunning, naked body, which was adorned with a wless physique. ''''Ah! '''' She initially didn''t pay much attention to the towel falling off because she didn''t have anything to be embarrassed about in front of Diam because she had already been exposed to her numerous times. But a deep blush quickly spread across her previously wless white skin when she saw Raydon standing next to Diam, watching her with interest. She scrambled to pick up the towel from the ground and quickly wrapped it around her body in an effort to protect her dignity and privacy. ''''Young master? '''' ''I must admit. It was a pleasant and wee surprise. '' Looking at Belicia''s reddened face and hurried demeanor as she attempted to cover her body with a towel, Raydon muttered. He now realized why Diam had been acting so cunningly earlier. "Belicia, the young master needs a room to rest. You have 2 minutes to prepare.'''' Diam said this before shutting the door once more, preventing her from giving a response. ''What is her purpose? '' Raydon had this thought as he watched her patiently wait as if nothing was wrong with the situation. It was obvious that Belicia was the owner of this room, and despite the fact that there were plenty of other tidy and vacant rooms in this enormous mansion, it was also obvious that she had specifically chosen this room for him to rest. Not much longer after that, the door to the room opened once more, and Belicia came out wearing her maid''s uniform while she still had a red face. She gave Diam ady''s bow and said. ''''The room is ready, Miss Diam. '''' She couldn''t understand why Diam had suddenly decided to let Raydon sleep in her room, but since she was powerless to object, she turned to Raydon and said. ''''I apologize for the embarrassing scene that urred earlier. I hope you have a good rest, young master. '''' As she spoke, Belicia also gave Raydon a gentledy bow; the only difference was that, despite already having a flushed face, it appeared as though her cheeks were getting even redder with each passing second. "Don''t worry about that, I haven''t had a chance to see much." Raydon shrugged and began to walk inside the room. ''''Yes. '''' Belicia responded, but it was unclear whether she was relieved or disappointed to hear this. ''''But I must say, purple really suits you. '''' Raydon pointed to Belicia''s waist and said, smiling slyly, before shutting the door. "Thank you, young mast..." Belicia began to respond, but her words trailed off as a moment of realization washed over her, leaving her stunned and speechless. "What purple? I wasn''t even wearing my panties," Belicia eximed, her face turning crimson. Her embarrassment was so intense that it seemed like smoke was about to billow out from her head. Chapter 238 Long Wait ? Diam said to Belicia, who was gazing at the ground with flushed cheeks and a lowered gaze, ''''It''s a pity he didn''t insist on having you apany him. '''' Since she was the head of the battle maids, it was also her other job to match the family heirs and the battle maids, and it was pretty clear what she was trying to do at the moment. "What are you saying, Miss Diam? " Belicia''s face flushed further as she grasped the underlying meaning of Diam''s words. With a mix of embarrassment and resignation, she replied in a hoarse and disheartened tone, "My fate is already intertwined with another young master. " Diam pondered, paying close attention to Belicia''s emotional state. ''As expected," she thought to herself, "his presence has already started to make its impact. '' Diam spoke, her voice carrying an air of absolute certainty. "I don''t think that a simple and fragile fate can stand a chance against greed." Those words made no sense to Belicia, and she looked up at Diam''s expressionless face for rification. ''''What do you m¡­ '''' And just as she was about to ask what she meant, she was interrupted by a voiceing from behind her. ''''Miss Belicia, I finally found you. '''' Someone who appeared to be dressed as a maid could be seen making a hasty advance toward them from the opposite end of the corridor. It was obvious that the person in question was not a battle maid due to the fact that the individual''s maid''s costume appeared to be the same as those worn by the other maids working in this mansion and was also quite standard. "Ah, Miss Diam," the maid eximed upon seeing her, respectfully bowing her head. Then, with a sense of urgency, she turned to Belicia and ryed the message. "Miss Belicia, Master Arden has summoned you to the meeting room." ''''Master Arden? '''' When Belicia heard this, she was momentarily taken aback. Generally, the family elders didn''t require much interaction with the battle maids, as they entrusted the affairs either to their young masters or to Diam. Therefore, it came as a surprise to Belicia when she was summoned to the meeting room, where the entire family council would convene to make important decisions. ''''Miss Diam. '''' After saying her farewells to Diam in a respectful manner and observing her node, Belicia turned around and hastened as quickly as she could to the meeting room. She did not dare dy this call. After that, the maid who had just arrived also bowed her head and said her goodbyes to Diam, and she followed behind Belicia while attempting to keep up with her quick pace. As evidenced by her hurried steps and the sweat drops that had already formed on her forehead, it appeared as though being in close proximity to Diam for a protracted period of time was making her very anxious. Diam did not pay much attention to the fact that all of the servants acting this way around her, as she remained motionless and kept her gaze fixed on the corner of the corridor where Belicia had disappeared. However, her focus soon shifted to the door that led to the room where Raydon was currently located. Her previously emotionless countenance underwent a remarkable shift, albeit one that was only subtly noticeable. The cid smile that she frequently wore when Raydon was present widened, and the eyes that had previously appeared to be detached from her expression glowed with an evidently newly discovered zeal. Her hands, which had been resting behind her back, began to tremble ever so slightly. In a voice tinged with a tremor of excitement, she softly murmured, ''For 18 long years, I have eagerly awaited your awakening. I wonder what your presence will bring to this world. '' Witnessing Diam in her current emotional state would undoubtedly startle anyone unfortunate enough to be present. The startling contrast between her typically calm and emotionless demeanor and her current manifestation of childlike anticipation were truly fearsome. It was clear that something big was going to happen in this small family, something that would change their lives in an unknown way. ¡ª Raydon said to himself as he looked around, "It looks simpler than I thought." The fact that the room appeared to be very simr to the other standard rooms in the mansion is a strong indicator that Belicia did not put much thought into decorating it. It appeared as though she had not put in much effort to personalize the area, as there were no distinctive characteristics or thoughtful decorations to be found in the room. "There is still time before my next match; how should I spend this time?" Raydon started to reflect as he sat in the armchair next to the window. In point of fact, he did not require any rest at this time; however, he chose to remain in the room because he had made the decision to wait for the blue-grade item that Cael had promised him. For the time being, he ced a higher priority on finding out what kind of item he will obtain as quickly as possible than on aimlessly exploring the mansion. When Raydon considered how he ought to spend his time, his stomach began to rumble, and he frowned as he thought about it. ''''It''s been a while since I''ve eaten. I wonder if they have room service here. '''' Raydon had gone without eating for a while because he was so busy, and when the voice from his stomach reminded him of this, he started to wonder if he could ce an order at his family''s kitchen and get the food for free. However, he soon changed his mind about doing so because he was having trouble even locating a ce to rest, and the idea of someone bringing him food seemed like a pipe dream. Instead, he retrieved some E-Rank meat from his dimensional storage and began to eat it. ¡­ "It looks like my daily food cost went up again, and now E-Rank meats won''t be enough." After a while, Raydon muttered under his breath with a frown when he noticed that he was not full, despite the fact that he had eaten more than he normally does in a single meal. Chapter 239 Promised Items ? Raydon contemted the situation and pondered. ''Seems like my daily food expenses have risen once more, and relying solely on E-Rank meats won''t be enough. '' The blue-grade and higher body enchantments that item holders used typically resulted in an increase in the amount of energy they needed to obtain from the daily mob meat they consumed; however, in the case of Raydon, this requirement has nearly doubled despite the fact that he is not currently using any new body enchantments. ''I don''t think it has anything to do with the fact that my stats have improved. Is it due to the fact that my title? '' Raydon pondered. ording to his understanding, the rising stats of an item holder enhanced their bodies in a simr way that body enchantments did; however, unlike body enchantments, the rising stats of an item holder did not have the same negative side effects and did not require any additional energy to function. Consequently, as Raydon pondered the reason behind his increased need for energy, a realization started to take shape in his mind. He began to have a sneaking suspicion that this change might have something to do with his title. It was something that had piqued his interest, especially taking into consideration the fact that, in contrast to the titles of other item holders, his title had been consistently awarding him additional sub-skills, bringing the total number of sub-skills he possessed up to 20. Because of the striking simrity between these sub-skills and body enchantments, he reasoned that, just like the body enchantments, these sub-skills probably required additional energy. ''While I cannot confirm if there are others have the ability to upgrade their titles or acquire additional sub-skills like I can, there is no doubt that the title I possess is truly unique. '' Raydon pondered. It looked like the pieces of the puzzle were going toe together, which would provide a reasonable exnation for his increased energy consumption. Raydon appreciated the continuous acquisition of new sub-skills bestowed upon him by his title, considering it a remarkable feature. However, he started to feel anxious about the ever-increasing price of the food that he needed to consume on a daily basis. If his need for sustenance continued to grow at this rate or faster, he was going to have a problem, and it had the potential to be a serious one. ''''I suppose I''ll have to find a solution to my food crisis. '''' Exactly two hourster, Raydon thought to himself, realizing that after eating the kilograms of meat he had prepared for at least several weeks, what was left in his dimensional storage would only be enough for him tost for one more week. In addition to this, the fact that he consumed such arge quantity of food caused him to waste both time and gold coins. While Raydon was trying toe up with a solution to this issue, he suddenly turned his attention to the sound of the door opening and looked at the person who hade in. Galen greeted him by saying, "Cousin, I finally found you," as he entered the room with a broad grin on his face. ''Doesn''t anyone knock when they enter a room in this mansion? '' Raydon thought. ''''Man, it''s been a whole hour since I started looking for you. I had to resort to asking the dreaded head maid about your whereabouts. '''' Galen said with tension in his voice. Finding Raydon had proven to be a rather straightforward task, as Galen realized. Each person he had approached for information had mistakenly directed him to Raydon''s old room. Galen continued his inquiries, unconvinced that anyone would choose to upy such a filthy space, unaware that only two people were aware of Raydon''s current location. Fortunately, he happened upon Diam by chance, and despite his apprehension towards her, Galen summoned the courage to ask for guidance. Thanks to this encounter, he was able to locate the correct room and sessfully find Raydon. ''''So, why were you looking for me?'''' Raydon stood up and asked out of his natural curiosity. The grin that was stered across Galen''s face indicated that he was quite content, and the fact that he had gone to such great lengths and persisted in searching for him suggested that the motivation behind his actions might be intriguing. Galen''s voice resonated with excitement as he delivered the news. "My father has given me the items that they had promised, and in ordance with our arrangement, I have brought your share of these items here." The happiness etched across his face intensified with each passing moment. ''''And? '''' When Raydon responded, his tone was riddled with suspicion because he was certain that there was something else responsible for his happiness. Galen''s words were filled with astonishment as he continued, his excitement palpable. "I don''t know what you did, but they unexpectedly decided to give me double what they initially promised." As he spoke, Galen retrieved a satchel from his dimensional storage, revealing 40 green-grade expansion orbs nestled inside, and handed them over to Raydon. Due to the fact that his reward had been increased, he was now providing Raydon with twice as much as he had initially promised. ''''So you got 200 thanks to me, huh? '''' Raydon chuckled as he took the expansion orbs. "Haha, I would love to give more, but these are really valuable to me, so perhaps another time," Galenughed awkwardly, realizing the implication behind Raydon''s words. "So, what about the inheritance key?" Raydon inquired, reminding Galen of their agreement that, in addition to the 10% share of the expansion orbs, Galen would also provide him with another inheritance key. "Oh, it''s here too," Galen replied. "Sadly, they didn''t double it, but they reced the water element inheritance key that was originally intended to be a reward for me with this one when my father learned that I was going to give it to you." Galen retrieved another object from his dimensional storage, presenting it to Raydon. Chapter 240 Training Ground (Part 1) ? "But seriously? You''re using the death element? Aren''t you still an F-Rank? Why did you decide to start with such a rare element?" Galen said as he handed Raydon a ck finger that had dried out and be rotten. After aplishing the task of bringing Raydon back to the family, they would normally reward him with an E-Rank inheritance key with the water element. However, after he told his father about his deal with Raydon and that he would give this key to him, they gave him a death element key instead of the water element key. So Galen also thought that Raydon''s element was Death. Since Death is a rare element, it would be much more difficult to control and master than ordinary elements, and he believed that because of this, it was not an element that would be appropriate for just a newly awakened item holder. Typically, item holders enhance their knowledge and mastery by initially selecting moremon elements andter expanding their repertoire to include rarer elements that can bebined with their chosen element. Galen''s title was associated with the water element, and his parents'' background also inclined him towards water-rted skills. Nevertheless, in spite of these considerations, he made the decision to concentrate on and learn the second element, which was the ice element, only after he had reached the E-Rank. In the end, elements were thought of as the substances andws that make up the world, and the characteristics of each element were different from those of the other elements. Because the element they choose affects their skills and their bodies, they need to have an aptitude to this element, and if they want to be even stronger, they need to master their elements and learn how to control them in the most effective way possible. ''Is his titlepatible with the death element, and does he have a high aptitude to this element? Is it possible that he is a genius? '' He reflected on that while watching Raydon''s joyful reaction to receiving the inheritance key. Galen spected that Raydon''s choice to focus on the death element was not driven by his ownck of knowledge, but rather influenced by the guidance of his high-ranking item holder master. Therefore, he came to the conclusion that if Raydon''s master hadn''t noticed Raydon''s talent with the death element, the rmendation to specialize in that particr element wouldn''t have been made. ''Sigh, he is already using a rare element, I should also focus more on my second element. '' Galen felt a tremendous weight suddenly resting on his shoulders after noticing his cousin''s talent and deciding he should work harder. While Galen was thinking about this, Raydon was staring intently at the system message that had recently appeared in front of him. [Inheritance Dimension Key] -Grade: Green -Quality: N/A -Skill: Participate This key grants the user ess to the Lich King''s inheritance. Participation is limited to entities of E-Rank and lower only. The event is limited to a single participant at a time, and the key will vanish once the inheritance is sessfullypleted. As Raydon read the item description, he couldn''t help but notice the reference to the Lich King. It became evident to him that this inheritance was indeed closely tied to the death element. In addition to this, the fact that the key was shaped like the finger of a corpse provided further evidence of this assertion. The inheritance descriptions do not explicitly state which element they are rted to, which is unfortunate. However, item holders were able to figure out which element the inheritance was by paying attention to these two properties. "Hey, would you like toe with me to the training ground?" Galen said when he saw Raydon smiling, still staring at the finger in his hand. Because he still believed he was an F-Rank, he didn''t think he would use the key now, and there was still one day left for the celebration, so it made him feel a little bit bad to see his cousin living all by himself in this enormous mansion. Raydon pondered for a moment, gazing back at Galen. "Sure," he finally responded, epting the invitation. He was indeed curious about the contents of the inheritance and had the urge to use it immediately. However, when Galen mentioned the training ground, Raydon thought it would be a good opportunity to postpone the inheritance and explore the family''s training ground instead. ''I guess they can find me and deliver the itemter. '' As he left the room, Raydon pondered. After all, it was a blue-grade item, and he reasoned that he didn''t need to wait in his room because they could locate him anywhere in the mansion when they prepared the item. ¡ª After following Galen for a while through a maze of winding corridors, Raydon eventually descended a flight of stairs that brought them to a massive cavernous space below ground. "This ce is even bigger than the mansion itself," Raydon remarked in surprise as he observed the surroundings. The cavern deep underground was truly enormous, and its walls were constructed of polished white stones. Even though it was underground, it was brightly lit by an unidentified light source, making it appear almost as if it were daytime. Raydon was taken aback by the scene as he took in the vastness of the underground area and observed how it appeared to stretch on forever. The area was brimming with different pieces of apparatus and training grounds for the item holders. Even the existence of cultivated fields suggested that unique resources suited to the needs of the item holders were being grown there. ''''I guess it''s your first time here, isn''t it? '''' Galen asked when he saw Raydon looking around curiously. Even though he had previously participated in some trainings and learned some techniques, his family had never deemed it necessary to bring him here for training because they believed that he was in a fragile state both mentally and physically. "So this is where item holders get their practice in, huh? Being a wealthy family is really something else. '''' Raydon chuckled. Chapter 241 Training Ground (Part 2) ? In the past, whenever he bought a new item, he was required to wait until his next match to test his skills as a means of preventing damage to the environment. If only he had ess to a dedicated training ground from the beginning, where he could continuously practice and experiment with his item skills andbinations, it would have greatly facilitated his progress. In fact, he could even create the next item set more easily here, where there is no time limit, and test out all of the skills and their variousbinations, as opposed to the matches, where he would only have three hours to do so. ''''Since you are a member of this family and an item holder, you have full ess to this training ground. Feel free to use it in any way you like. Additionally, there is no need for you to be concerned about causing damage because everything that you see here is made with at least C-Rank materials. '''' Galen exined as he started to give him a tour of the training grounds. ''''Also, the white walls that take up all of the space you see are covered with scales from the well-known for its defense white-scaly worm that my grandfather specifically found himself from a C-Rank inheritance. Because of this, there is no need to be cautious when trying a new skill, as it is very difficult to cause damage to these walls, even for a B-Rank item holder. '''' Galen bragged proudly. Raydon cast another cautious nce towards the white walls, which, to him, appeared to be made of smooth stones. ''Seeing mob parts being put to good use in ways other than item crafting is very smart. '' ''''He must have had to kill quite a few of these white-scaly worms in order to find sufficient material to cover this entire space,'''' Raydon said after calcting the size of this enormous underground training ground. "No, no. I''m certain that the chances of my grandfather being able to defeat even one of them would have been extremely slim, let alone two," Galen chuckled, dismissing the idea and continuing, "All of this materiales from just one worm, and it was already dead when our grandfather found it, so he didn''t even have to fight it himself. Although I cannot say for certain, I believe that it was ced there as a reward for the inheritance. '''' ''Does all of this material originate from just one? '' When Raydon heard it, he thought with a touch of surprise in his mind. In light of the fact that all of these walls are covered in the same material, this worm ought to have been evenrger than the blue giant that Raydon fought in the previous inheritance, despite the fact that it was only a C-Rank mob. In addition, Raydon was aware that his grandfather was a B-Rank, but he came to a new understanding when he witnessed Galen confidently stating that he couldn''t possibly be able to kill this C-Rank worm by himself. ''I suppose it''s not just for item holders that the difference in power-up increases as rank increases. I''m curious how strong the D-Rank region boss will be in the E-Rank match.'' As Raydon reflected on the growing power gaps that came with advancing ranks, he couldn''t help but wonder about the power level of the D-Rank region boss. And as he considered the formidable opponents that awaited him in the higher ranks, curiosity increased in his mind. "I thought there were a lot of item holders that serve the family but this ce looks pretty deserted." As Raydon continued to look around but didn''t notice anyone else in the area, he posed the question. ''''Because the training for each rank is at different times of the day. At this time, the training area is restricted ess to only E-Rank item holders. The only people you can see right now should be the battle maids. '''' Galen said. When Raydon first heard this exnation, he believed it to be perfectly reasonable. Even though there was no possibility of identally damaging the surroundings while training because all of the materials around were of high durability, there was still a possibility of identally injuring or even killing other item holders of a lower rank than them. ''Oh, you''re in luck! It seems like one of them is training her movement technique at the moment," Galen remarked, chuckling at the sound he heard in the distance. Intrigued, Raydon hurriedly followed Galen as he headed towards the source of the voice. "Movement technique? If I recall correctly, that was considered a mid-tier technique within the Demugen family, '' Raydon thought to himself. He was eager to witness andpare the power of his own techniques with those in this world. After a short while, they made their way forward, and a vast field of dirt came into Raydon''s view. At the center of this area, a woman caught his attention as she effortlessly evaded stones that were being shot at her from all directions, employing precise and subtle body movements. ''She is a battle maid huh? '' Raydon thought, looking at this woman. It was the very first time he had ever seen a battle maid dressed in anything other than the special maid uniform they wore. ''Oh, I''ve also seen onepletely naked,'' he thought to himself, recalling his previous encounter with Belicia. Raydon reimed his attention after a brief diversion and started to observe her. She seemed to be adorned in a second skin, for her workout attire was impably tailored, tracing the contours of her body with exquisite precision. The fabric embraced her curves, entuating the subtle sway of her hips, the graceful arch of her legs, and the gentle curve of her waist. Her lustrous blond locks radiated with brilliance, meticulously styled and gathered in an artful bun atop her head, further enhancing the allure of her graceful features. The mesmerizing beauty that emanated from her form had the power to captivate anyone who cast their gaze upon her. However, Raydon''s attention was not currently focused on the captivating allure she exuded at this very moment. Instead, he focused on the remarkable technique she employed to avoid the stones that suddenly materialized around her and sped towards her with rming velocity. Chapter 242 Training Formation (Part 1) ? While Raydon continued to observe the battle maid deftly dodge the stones with minute body movements despite the stones multiplying and speeding faster, Galen began to speak. "What do you think? Pretty impressive, isn''t it?" Galen remarked, pointing to the screen at the back that disyed the difficulty level of the training, which read "Level 2." "Even though it''s already at level 2 difficulty, she can still effortlessly evade the attacks," he added, his voice filled with admiration. ''''Level 2? What does that imply?" Raydon asked. ''''This actually refers to the degree of difficulty. Every 60 seconds, it increases by one level, resulting in more stones being thrown at a faster speed," Galen replied. "Oh look, the difficulty has increased to level 3. ''''After observing the text on the screen progress from level 2 to level 3, Galen said. Upon noticing this, Raydon turned his attention to the stones and started thinking. ''I believe that this formation isparable to the one I came across in golden skeleton''s Inheritance, despite the fact that this one upies a much smaller space. '' Raydon recalled stage 2 of the golden skeleton inheritance, in which he and Zombie Fehim participated. There too, arrows appeared out of thin air and began to descend upon them at an ever-increasing rate and level of force. The difference, however, was that the area of effect of the formation here was obviously much smaller and focused on just one small spot, in contrast to the one in inheritance, where all of the arrows would rain down on arge area, making it impossible to run away from being a target. Raydon had the thought, ''It is most likely that the objective here is to improve the evasion technique that they use. '' When he looked at the stones more closely, he noticed that in addition to increasing in both number and speed, they were also forming more quickly. Furthermore, as they were thrown, the friction of the air decreased, which reduced the amount of interaction the stones had with their surroundings, which resulted in a reduction in the amount of noise that was produced. Evidently, the Demugen family''s technique was designed to help them evade the impending attack by enhancing their ability to perceive movement and sound in the area around them. The battle maid, whom Raydon observed, employed a technique that involved detecting the location of the stones formed around her by perceiving the disturbances they created in the air. Furthermore, she relied on her acute hearing to discern the sound of the stones as they moved through the air while also being attuned to the subtle disruptions they caused around her body. Because of this heightened sensory awareness, she was able to urately calcte the origin of each iing attack and swiftly avoid each of them. ''However, she still has a lot of shorings. Actually, it''s not her; rather, there are many ws with the technique. '' Raydon thought. The technique that Raydon was observing bore a striking resemnce to one of the assassination techniques that Raydon enjoyed using the most. The technique that he had learned in his previous life required entering a state ofplete focus, in which a person is able to make use of all of the sensory capabilities that their body possesses. They were able to urately determine the direction of an impending attack as well as the potential severity of its impact by fine-tuning themselves to detect even the most minute movements and irregrities in their surroundings. It was a technique that enabled heightened awareness and precise anticipation, thereby allowing swift and effective defensive maneuvers to be performed. Even though the two techniques at first nce appeared to be extremely simr, Raydon noticed that the w in the technique she was using was that she paid more attention to the stones than she did to the environment around her. She was using all of her senses to concentrate on the stones that were being thrown at her, and as a result, she was unable to maintain a healthy bnce in her intuition. Therefore, if there were toe another attack, other than the stones, it would be very difficult for her to detect it and dodge it. ''With such a significant w, it is not surprising that this technique is still considered to be mid-rank. '' Raydon chuckled as he thought. After observing this, he concluded that the best technique his family had ever possessed was merely an imitation and not particrly impressive. ''''What''s the highest level of difficulty? '''' Raydon questioned, pointing to the screen where the level 3 designation was still visible. ''''As far as I know, 6 is the highest level achievable with this technique. My father mentioned that there might be levels beyond 6, but he also exined that surpassing that threshold with a mid-tier technique like this would be highly unlikely,'''' Galen responded after pondering for a moment. ''''Look, it''s already reached level 4. At this point, she''ll probably need to utilize her secondary technique to keep up with the increasing difficulty,'''' he remarked, pointing towards the screen that now disyed the updated level 4. And as he predicted, following the level increase, the battle maid swiftly retrieved a dagger from her dimensional storage. Instead of evading the stones, she began deflecting them skillfully using her weapon. It was evident that this was the extent of her movement technique, and she had to resort tobining it with her mid-tier attack technique, enhancing her overall defensive capabilities. Battle Maid, through the use of the attack technique, which is obviously rted to the use of a dagger, passed the 4th level in a short amount of time, despite the fact that it was a difficult challenge, and reached the 5th level in a short amount of time. When Galen looked at the battle maid, who had reached level 5 and was having trouble fending off the stones that charged at her, even with her dagger, he said, "And that''s the limit." And then, as soon as a stone impacted her body, all the stones in the air vanished in an instant as well, and the formation came to an abrupt stop. Chapter 243 Training Formation (Part 2) ? When Galen looked at the battle maid, who had reached level 5, and noticed that even with her dagger, she was having trouble fending off the stones that charged at her, he said, "And that''s the limit." And then, as soon as a stone impacted her body, all of the stones in the air vanished in an instant as well, and the formation came to an immediate halt. "At level 5, she was able to maintain her resistance for the full seven seconds. It''s very impressive," Galen remarked with a smile on his face. ''''So, what is the highest record? '''' Raydon inquired. "Loran holds the highest record among E-Ranks with 55 seconds, followed by me with 43 seconds," Galen said. ''''What about those with ranks higher than E? '''' Raydon didn''t even care about the F-Rank''s record because even the best of them couldn''t reach level 3, so he was curious about other higher-ranked people like family elders. ''''Naturally, since they are all capable of reaching the fifth level but unable to pass it, they don''t have a record among one another. However, ording to my father, the only person who managed to endure the 6th level was my grandfather, and even then, he could only sustain it for 30 seconds using solely the movement technique. After that, he couldst an additional 10 or 20 seconds by incorporating his dagger technique,'''' Galen exined. ''''Oh, young master, I didn''t realize you were here,'''' the blond-haired battle maid eximed as she approached, wiping the sweat from her face with a towel in her hand. ''''Given how much of your focus you devote to your training, it''s only natural. It''s impressive that you''ve managed to surpass your previous time and improve yourself. It seems like you''ll catch up to me soon,'''' Galen said with genuine happiness in his voice. Afterward, he said, turning to face Raydon. ''''Oh, by the way, I don''t know whether you remember her or not, but allow me to reintroduce her to you. She is Mell, my battle maid. '''' "Young master, may I ask whether you are aware that it is against the rules to bring an F-Rank here during our training time? What if he identally gets hurt while we''re training? '''' Without waiting for Raydon''s response, Mell spoke while disying an irritated expression. When Galen noticed the change in Mell''s demeanor, he said, "Haha, don''t worry Mell, I''m here to keep an eye on him, and also I don''t think he is any ordinary F-Rank, so he won''t be hurt so easily. '''' He understood that the way everyone in the mansion treated him stemmed from their perception of him as weak, not worthy of the title of the young master. So, in an effort to lighten the mood and prevent Raydon from feeling offended by Mell''s words, he spoke up; however, he quickly realized that this is not the end of the situation. "I believe that she is correct, Galen," Raydon said in a calm voice before continuing with a smile on his face. " She has to focus all of her attention just to avoid a few stones, and she didn''t even realize we were watching her. Herck of awareness appears to be so bad that she might even identally attack her teammates during matches, let alone hurt those who are close to her during training. '''' After Raydon spoke up, he had a sudden realization about his teammates, some of whom he had unintentionally killed in the past. However, he swiftly pushed the thought aside, telling himself that it wasn''t the same thing. After hearing Raydon''s response, Mell''s frown momentarily appeared, but it disappeared just as quickly and was reced by a smile on her face. "It seems that Young Master Raydon has discovered his self-confidence now that he has be an item holder," she remarked. "Why don''t you give the training a try yourself? Who knows, perhaps you might even reach the third level." ''''Mell, this training formation was created for our techniques, so I don''t think it''s a good idea,'''' Galen said, immediately interjecting himself into the verbal argument that was taking ce between the two. He didn''t even know if Raydon knew any movement techniques, so he didn''t want to watch him embarrass himself in the formation that was designed to help their families improve their techniques. "Why not?" Mell responded with a tone that contained an undercurrent of humor. After that, she turned her attention towards Raydon as she continued speaking. "There is no need to be concerned; this training formation possesses a special ability thatpletely negates the effect of stat points. It is solely concerned with evaluating and improving the level of mastery of the technique that you use. Therefore, regardless of your rank, it is an equal ying field in which to evaluate your techniques and master them. '''' ''''Still¡­ ''Due to the fact that she was being so obstinate and demanding, Galen desired to make another intervention; however, Raydon broke his silence before he could. ''''Sure. At the very least, I am confident that my technique is superior to the half-assed technique that you have. '''' Raydon said as he made his way to the middle of the formation. After observing that they took pride in a technique that was so rudimentary and riddled with ws, he made up his mind to demonstrate what the actual technique ought to look like to them. ''''Half-assed technique? Don''t you think you''ve gone a little too far? ''In response to Raydon''sment, Mell''s anger red up. To hear this from someone who not long ago could not even feed himself was deeply offensive to her. "Cousin, I think it''s best if you refrain from saying such things," Galen interjected, his disapproval evident in his tone. Knowing that Raydon had received training from a high-rank master, Galen contemted the possibility of him possessing superior techniques. However, he firmly believed that it was uneptable for him to mock the techniques that his family cherished and in which they took great pride. Chapter 244 Restriction On Stat Points ? Disregarding the disapproving murmurs from behind, Raydon confidently stepped forward, his feet sinking into the ck earth of the circr training ground. As he stood in the center, he noticed dozens of white-colored rocks positioned around the perimeter, their surfaces emitting a faint luminescence. The very presence of these rocks signaled the activation of the training formation. ''Are these all items? '' Raydon muttered to himself as he observed these peculiar-looking rocks. Even the number of these rocks alone was in the tens, which made it abundantly clear that this formation wasposed of a great deal more items than just these. *Ding* After another brief period of time had passed, a holographic system message presented itself to Raydon. [You have entered a training ground.] [Training name: Evasion Technique] [Time until next level: 00:00:60] [Caution!!! During practice, all stat points will be set to 1.] [Do you ept?] ''Oh? I wasn''t expecting to see the system message here.'' Raydon was taken aback by these system messages. Even though he was aware that an item holder had been the one to create the formation, he found it odd that the system itself recognized and interacted with the formation. ''''Yes. '''' As soon as Raydon acknowledged the message that the system had given him, he abruptly felt his power flowing into the dark ground that he was standing on. This sensation was the exact opposite of what he had experienced in the past, which was that each time he increased his stats, his body became stronger. Now, however, he felt as though his body was bing weaker. Yet, what made it even more peculiar was that this process was not imposed upon him forcefully. The only thing the formation did was instruct him on how to ce a boundary on his own body, and he hadplete control over when he decided to put an end to the process. Without resistance, Raydon chose to embrace the gradual withdrawal of power from his body, fully aware that it posed no harm to him. He was aware that the process could be reversed, and that he could always put a stop to it in order to regain his strength as well as the stat points that he had lost. In addition to this, he was aware that finishing this procedure was an essential step that had to be taken before he could start the training. *Ding* Raydon soon heard the system message once more. [Restriction on statspleted. Training will begin in 3 seconds.] ''''What? '''' Raydon let out a cry of surprise when he noticed a peculiar issue. [Strength]: 1 - (11) [Agility]: 1 - (11) [Stamina]: 100 - (110) [Luck]: 1 - (11) [Charisma]: 1 - (11) [Spirit]: 100 - (110) He looked at the character panel, and after doing so, he was certain he knew what the issue was. Every one of Raydon''s stats was reset to 1, with the exception of his spirit and stamina stats, which both remained at 100. ''''Stop. '''' Raydon quickly reimed his lost power after removing the restriction on his stat points. [Restriction on stat points removed. ] Another message from the system caused the stones that surrounded the training area to lose their luster, and the formation came to an immediate andplete halt. "Don''t worry, the formation won''t cause any harm. It''smon for everyone to panic during their first time, fearing the loss of their power. You can give it another try," Galen reassured Raydon, misunderstanding that his panic stemmed from the fear of permanently losing his stats. "You''re just an F-Rank anyway, so losing a few stat points shouldn''t bother you," Mell chimed in with a dismissive tone. She never really acknowledged Raydon as a young master, and the fact that she saw something that she interpreted as cowardice only added fuel to her already existing discontentment towards him. Raydon chose to disregard their misunderstanding and start thinking instead. ''Why did the training begin before putting restrictions on all of my stats?'' The restriction that the formation ced on Raydon only applied to the ten additional stat points that he had obtained after reaching the E-Rank. It excluded both his basic 1 stat point per attribute and all the extra stat points he had acquired due to his title. ''It cannot detect the stat points that I have gained through my title? '' Raydon pondered. It was interesting that the training began while his spirit and stamina were still at 100, even though he was aware that in the normal course of events it wouldn''t start until all of his stats were brought down to the basic 1. ''I have no idea why this is happening, but it''s a problem. '' Raydon was thinking as he made his way out of the formation. It was important to him to evaluate the efficacy of his technique, and in order to do so, he had to go through this training in the exact same manner as everyone else. If his stats were not restricted, the training would prove too effortless for him, a circumstance he vehemently wished to avoid. ''''If you''d like, you can give this another shot at ater time. I am aware that for someone who is experiencing it for the first time, the sensation of having power sucked out of their body is not exactly a pleasurable one. '''' When Galen saw Raydon emerge from the formation with a frown on his face, he voiced his opinion. He clearly didn''t want him to feel bad, despite the fact that he had just looked down on his family''s technique. ''''It''s alright, I''ll try again. '''' Raydon said, and then he went back inside to reactivate the formation for a second time. [You have entered a training ground.] [Training name: Evasion Technique] [Time until next level: 00:00:60] [Caution!!! During practice, all stat points will be set to 1.] [Do you ept?] The identical system message appeared once more as soon as Raydon came to a stop in the middle of the training ground, and he promptly epted the stat block. Chapter 245 Watching Eyes ? Raydon gradually started to be aware of the power leaving his body once more. "I guess I can''t justpletely leave my stat restriction processes up to the formation." Raydon pondered the sensation of having his strength drained from him and tried to feel the process. Curiously, in his previous life, Raydon had never encountered a technique that involved deliberately restricting one''s own power. However, drawing inspiration from techniques he was familiar with, such as the aura technique that concealed one''s true power, he began to craft a new technique. Incorporating the sensation of his stats decreasing at the moment, Raydon embarked on the path of developing another technique that would allow him to consciously limit his own strength. He closed his eyes and focused on the sensation of his power being drawn from his body down through his feet into the dark soil. ''It does not appear to be all that difficult. I only need to elerate the processes. '' After that, he gradually started to release more and more power while simultaneously forcing the formation to draw it out of his body. ''''Hm? '''' After Raydon had closed his eyes, Galen was taken aback when he noticed that the dark soil on the training ground had started to tremble very slowly. "What is happening? Has the formation broken? '''' Mell was aware of this vibration as well, and as she watched it grow stronger with every passing second, she spoke hastily. "I really have no idea. But I think we should stop it. '''' Galen hurriedly remarked before rushing to get Raydon out of formation. ''''Wha¡­ I-I can''t move. '''' But he hadn''t gone more than a single step before his entire body went rigid and he lost his ability to move. ''''Young master? '''' When Mell saw him in such a precarious situation, she was taken aback, and she wanted to help him. However, at that precise moment, she realized that she, too, could not move. ''''This? '''' She exerted every ounce of her strength, but she was unable to move her body. Shortly thereafter, she became aware of something and let out a startled cry upon realizing what it was. ''''Miss Diam? Why are you stopping us? '''' Mell was aware of the identity of the possessor of the power that had rendered thempletely immobile, and despite the fact that she was unable to move even her head, she cast her gaze in all directions in the hope of locating the individual who was responsible for this. ''''Head Maid? Oh, is she here? Something odd is happening to the training formation, Miss Diam. You need to do something about it.'''' Galen, although not to the same degree as Mell, was used to this power, and it did not take him very long to figure out who the person was. He had no idea what the issue was with the formation, but he reasoned that as long as the Head Maid was around, he had no reason to be concerned about it. ''''Eh?'''' However, contrary to his expectations, Diam did not appear, and instead, his body moved beyond his control once more, causing his head to turn towards Raydon so that he could look at him. "Miss Diam? I''m fully aware that bringing him here at this time was a bad idea, but I''ve always been a good boy, right? How could you punish me in such a way that I would have to witness the destruction of my cousin and this priceless formation? '''' Galen''s voice trembled with a renewed sense of panic, his earlier apprehension resurfacing once more. Unfortunately, Galen''s desperate pleas fell on deaf ears as both he and Mell remained trapped in their immobilized states. Powerless to move or intervene, they were forced to watch in dismay. ¡ª In the meantime, Mell and Galen were frantically trying to figure out what was going on as, behind one of the white walls of the training area, a group of people was watching them from behind transparent ss. ''''What''s going on, Diam? Why did you call us here?'''' Arden asked, confused by what he was seeing on the screen in front of him. ''''Following in the footsteps of Cael and Thalia, Diam has begun behaving in a mysterious manner as well. If no one takes the time to exin what''s going on to me, I''m really going to go nuts," Zephyr said as he stood with the wine bottle in one hand and his other hand on his temples. A few hours ago, when they were having their meeting in the meeting room, Cael had excused himself to go and get the family head rather than providing an exnation for the strange events that had been taking ce, but as of yet, he had not returned, which caused the group to be in a state of restlessness. After that, while they were waiting for him toe back, Diam brought them here and told them that they needed to see something very important. "Diam, we should have waited for the family head to exin everything about him," Thalia remarked with a sigh. She seemed to understand what Diam was trying to demonstrate. ''''What does the family head have to exin? Will you stop ignoring us now? '''' ra, Arden''s wife, asked in the hopes that maybe she could get an answer to her question. "I couldn''t agree with you more, Mrs. Thalia. However, at this point, it would be most beneficial for them to witness it with their own eyes. '''' Without taking her gaze from Raydon''s silhouette in the training formation, Diam said. After that, the corners of her mouth turned slightly upward as she continued speaking. ''''Besides that, I''m sure you know what he''s going to do next, and you don''t want to miss seeing it as well. '''' ''''Hey! '''' When ra noticed that she was being ignored once more, she became enraged and stamped her feet. Thalia kept her eyes glued to the screen in front of her while remaining silent in response to the words that were spoken to her. It was clear that she was looking forward to what was going to happen as well. Chapter 246 Origin Stats ? "But I don''t get it. What''s he doing? Why is the formation acting in such an odd manner?" Seren, Zephyr''s wife, questioned. She came to the conclusion that she would not obtain answers to the mysteries that surrounded Raydon, so she made the decision to investigate the lesser details. Zephyr responded, "He is likely to be sealing his origin stats." ''''Origin stats? '''' When ra heard this, she was taken aback for a brief instant, but her surprise quickly faded. Sheughed as she looked over at Diam and Thalia, and then she continued. '''' In addition to knowing another technique that enables him to limit his own stats, he also has a title that is quite special, which is to be expected. These two have produced so many mysteries that I am no longer surprised by this. '''' Not only ra but when everyone else in the room heard this, after a moment of surprise, they all thought it was only natural for him to have a special title. When all item holders first awakened, there were many different titles, each of which granted the owner a different set of abilities. These titles were determined by the item holders'' characters and the increasing potential they had with the techniques they possessed. Of these titles, the ones with the feature that increased one''s stat points were considered to be the most powerful and the rarest overall. After all, having more stat points was a direct route to increasing one''s power as an item holder. In addition, the stat points obtained through the title had a different nature than the stat points obtained through leveling up and advancing in rank. These stat points were considered to be basic stats, such as the one stat point that an item holder received for each attribute when they first awakened. Because of this, system-rted things that restrict stats, such as the training formation that Raydon is currently using, were unable to restrict these stats. Despite the fact that no item holder knew what other benefits these stats had based on the information they had avable, they chose to call the stats earned with the title "origin stats" because of their simrities to basic stats. ¡ª Meanwhile, as curious eyes watched him, Raydon was nearing the end of restricting his stats. When Raydon was finishing up the process of sealing his origin stats, he was pushing the formation with such force that the ck sands on the ground had already moved on from the vibration stage and were beginning to rise into the air as a result of the power they were interacting with. ''''If this thing were to explode, would we be able to survive? '''' Galen questioned nervously as he observed the formation make an effort to absorb the energy Raydon''s body was emitting. ''''I don''t know for sure, but I think Miss Diam won''t let us get hurt. '''' Mell uttered it with a tone of uncertainty. Not only did Diam haveplete control over their bodies, but she also prevented them from using any of their skills, rendering them incapable of employing any kind of self-defense.. Galen was not in the least bit relieved by what he heard and continued to watch the formation. After some time, hemented that he noticed a difference. ''''It appears that formation is returning to its normal state. '''' ''''Yes. '''' Mell exhaled a sigh of relief as she also observed that the vibration of the ck sands had lessened and that they were beginning to slowly descend towards the ground. After what seemed like an eternity to Galen and Mell''s praying eyes, the sand copsed back to normal, and Raydon opened his eyes slowly. ''''Hey, are you okay? Quick, get out of the formation.'''' Galen shouted. ''''Why? It''s just getting started. '''' Raydon noticed themotion and responded with a smile. Even though he was unaware that what he had done would cause such a stir, at least he had seeded in his objective. [Strength]: 0.9 - (11) [Agility]: 0.9 - (11) [Stamina]: 0.9 - (110) [Luck]: 0.9 - (11) [Charisma]: 0.9 - (11) [Spirit]: 0.9 - (110) ''Well, I overdid it, I suppose. '' When Raydon checked his stats in the character panel, he discovered that every one of his stats had been fixed to 0.9. He went a little too far in his attempt to get all of his stats down to 1, even lowering his stats below the basic stat, which is 1. [Restriction on statspleted. Training will begin in 3 seconds.] 3¡­ ''''Nice. '''' After receiving the notification from the system, Raydon let out a sigh of relief. 2¡­ "Let''s see now how challenging this thing is. '''' 1¡­ While Raydon was giggling and waiting for the training to start, the first stone suddenly materialized silently behind him and shot in his direction. Mell said, "He didn''t even focus as expected he will fail from the start." when she saw hisck of concentration and grin. Exactly the same thing was going through Galen''s mind, and he doubted that he had even noticed the stoneing towards him from behind. However, the oue waspletely different from what either of them had anticipated it to be. Raydon didn''t appear to be paying attention to his surroundings and instead appeared to be waiting for a friend to meet in the middle of the park; however, curiously enough, he managed to avoid the stone that was fast approaching his head from behind, only by tilting his head a little to the side. ''Was this luck? '' When Galen saw this, the thought urred to him. However, when he saw that the second and third stones were simrly materialized out of Raydon''s line of sight as they were thrown at him, he avoided them as well with no difficulty, and Galen realized that it had nothing to do with luck and everything to do with skill. ''''What technique is he using?'''' Mell couldn''t help but inquire while she watched him deftly avoid the stones. ''''I can''t say for sure. But it looks like our evasion technique. '''' Galen gave a hesitant response. Chapter 247 Is This Really Our Technique? ? Raydon appeared to be oblivious to the materialized stones surrounding him, and with each deft evasion, it seemed as though he was moving his body in an ordinary manner, rather than intentionally dodging the stones. This gave the impression to onlookers that he was merely lucky enough to narrowly avoid being struck by the stones. But as Galen continued to observe him, he realized that this was not the case and that he was employing a technique that was simr to the one used by their family. "But how is it that he seems to be so natural?" Galen was speechless. ''''It will soon be 60 seconds. '''' Mell said after a while, her eyes fixed on the screen behind Raydon. Soon after, level 1 on the screen was reced by level 2. ''''Let''s see if he can also keep up with this.'''' At level 2, the number of stones and their speed increased, while their interaction with the air decreased as they spawned and were thrown, making them more difficult to decipher and evade. However, it was evidently still insufficient. ''What am I watching? '' Mell thought as she noticed Raydon avoiding stones at level 2 as naturally as he did previously. It should have been nearly twice as difficult to avoid the stones this time, but Raydon managed to do so just as easily as before. ''I can''t stand how his grin annoys me. '' Mell grumbled at the annoying smile that had never left his face since the training began. "Cousin, don''t you think it would be best to start paying attention to the stones? 60 seconds are almost up.'''' Galen made the suggestion in response to his nonchnt demeanor. ''''Hm? But I''m already paying attention. '''' Raydon gave Galen a look before responding to him as he continued to avoid the stones. "It doesn''t seem like that, though," Galen said with a grimace. The continual appearance of Raydon narrowly and seemingly luckily dodging the stones served as evidence that hecked the necessary focus. In addition, the fact was demonstrated by the way he diverted his attention and responded to the question that was posed to him. ''''Hmph¡­ Let him be. I''m sure he will fail at level 3. '''' Mell said. But, s, she was let down, and after a while, despite the fact that the text on the screen indicated level 3, he continued to avoid the stones as if nothing had changed for him. After Galen and Mell witnessed this, they were rendered speechless and began to focus solely on watching. Despite Raydon''s apparentck of ability and concentration to consistently advance to the next level, he continued to dodge the stones in the same manner, surprising everyone each time. And in the same manner, he was able to pass level 3, and then, in front of everyone''s shocked eyes, Raydon had also passed level 4, and he had now reached level 5. ''''How? I don''t understand. How are you doing this? '''' Mell was finally unable to take it any longer and asked. A little while ago, she was able to maintain level 5 for seven seconds by using a second technique, but now Raydon is able to maintain it with the same ease as if he were at the first level. This question was not only on the minds of Mell and Galen. Watching his performance from a room behind the white walls, Diam and the other family elders looked even more shocked than they were. Thalia scowled as she announced with a frown, "He is obviously using our technique." Even if Mell and Galen couldn''t see it, they could see Raydon''s incredible concentration as he dodged the stones. They were also able to see very clearly that the only movement that he was making with his body was the minimal amount of angling that was required to avoid the stones. This is why it appeared as though he was barely dodging the stones. ''''It is obviously the technique that we use, but it seems as though he is able to predict where the stones wille from before they are even formed. How is that even possible? '''' Arden said in a shocked tone. Because of the technique that they possessed, they were able to quickly calcte all of the factors in their heads after the stones had been formed. This enabled them to predict the angle at which the stone would hit their bodies as well as the force that it would cause, and as a result, they were able to avoid being hit by the stones. However, despite the fact that the technique Raydon was currently demonstrating to them was simr to theirs, it seemed as though he could foresee the future and already know where stones would form and be thrown at him. ''''Shit¡­ He is using our technique, right? I''m not blind, so it must be our technique, right? He''s fucking using our family technique right now, right? '''' Zephyr abruptly lost hisposure, threw the bottle of wine on the ground, and began yelling. All he wanted was confirmation that Raydon was indeed using their Demugen family technique right now. The room fell silent as a result of his question, but he soon received the answer he was looking for from Diam. "Unquestionably, this is the mid-tier movement technique that has been in the Demugen family for generations," Diam said with a voice that was slightly shaking. ''''I knew it¡­ I know and can see that he is using our family technique¡­ But why the fuck does this technique, which we''ve been using for years as a mid-tier technique and taking pride in, now seem to be a high tier when he uses it? '''' Zephyr raised his voice and asked the question that everyone present had been pondering for some time but no one had the courage to directly address. Because they were all aware of the answer, even if they didn''t want to admit it. This technique, which they had possessed for many years and worked tirelessly to improve using all of their resources, had by this point been elevated to the status of a high-tier technique in Raydon''s hands. Chapter 248 The Flaw Of The Demugen Familys Technique ? "He really advanced to the sixth level. I can''t believe this. '''' Galen remarked while staring at the screen that disyed the number 6, his eyes filled with shock. He had never witnessed anyone else reaching level 6 with his own eyes before, and the only reason he was aware of its existence was that his father had told him about it. ''''His proficiency with the technique is already on par with that of the family head? '''' Mell, judging from her muttering, has also heard the rumors. Although no one witnessed it firsthand, it wasmon knowledge among them that the head of the Demugen family had been the only one to achieve level 6 in this technique, the highest attainable level for this mid-tier technique throughout the long history of the Demugen family. ''''Hey¡­Do you think that he will be able to beat the family head''s record of 30 seconds? '''' As Galen posed the question, there was a clear indication of the anticipation on his face. The fact that the family head had managed to endure at level 6 for 30 seconds by relying solely on the movement technique loomedrge in his mind. Mell hesitated for a moment, her initial response leaning towards deeming it impossible. However, as she reflected on what she had witnessed thus far and observed Raydon''s seemingly unaffected demeanor in the face of level 6''s difficulty, she found herself uncertain. "I don''t know," she finally admitted, acknowledging the possibility that Raydon might indeed surpass the family leader''s record. With wide eyes and stunned silence, everyone began counting the seconds as they watched Raydon avoid the stones thrown at him on level 6. ''''10 seconds have passed, '''' Galen murmured. With an extraordinary level of focus, he began observing Raydon''s every action, determined to capture every detail. Simultaneously, he forced himself to keep track of the passing time, fully aware that Raydon''s results today had the potential to reshape his entire perspective as an item holder. And he wasn''t the only one who shared his line of thinking. --- ''''20 seconds have passed. '''' Diam spoke with a quavering voice, no longer feeling the need to conceal her excitement in any way. The only thing that she cared about knowing at that moment was whether or not this technique, which had been a mid-tier up until this point, could go on for longer than 30 seconds and be legitimately ranked as a high tier. ''''25 seconds. He will really seed," Thalia muttered, her expression alternating between excitement and nervousness. After Thalia''s remark, everyone suddenly stopped breathing, and an incredible silence fell around them. They started counting thest five seconds, which seemed like an eternity to them. And after those final five seconds had passed, Zephyr finally broke the silence with a voice that was full of both joy and amazement. ''''30 seconds have passed. He truly surpassed the record set by my father. And¡­ '''' "And that''s still not his limit," Diam finished his iplete sentence, her voice filled with awe. She continued, "This is the limit of our mid-tier technique, but apparently not for him. I''m sure everyone already knows what this means." As everyone considered what Diam had said, they all swallowed. They had a profound understanding of what this indicated, and something that they had just recently realized to be true but were unable to articte was now made abundantly clear to them by this new record. "There can be no more uncertainty. Our technique, which has remained mid-tier for a long time, has been elevated to a high tier," Seren dered, her voice hoarse with emotion. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as she continued, "I wish the family head could have seen this." ¡ª ''''How did you do this? '''' Mell asked the same question she had earlier. Her voice no longer held the disdain she had shown towards Raydon earlier. Instead, she asked in a hushed and respectful tone, careful not to distract him. The fact that Raydon had brought this technique, which she had learned over the years, to this level in front of her eyes deserved her most sincere respect. "Because the one I''m using is not that half-assed technique with a major w that you used a while ago. '''' Raydon said as he carried on dodging the stones. "Then... I apologize for my foolishness, but what exactly is the difference?" This time, Mell wasn''t bothered by the fact that he referred to their technique as "half-assed." She was aware that the technique she had been proud of seemed utterly worthless in the presence of the man standing before her. ''''Difference? Hmm¡­ '''' Raydon started to think. ''''It''s actually not about differences, '''' He finally said. ''''Then, what? '''' When Galen saw his response, he became very excited and asked again. Regardless of what his response may be, he has the potential to increase his level of mastery in the technique as a result of the information and inspiration he would receive. ''''It seems as if your technique is just crudely and forciblybining two different techniques by imitating them. '''' Raydon said. ''Oh, it has already reached level 7 difficulty? '' In the meantime, he observed an increase in both the number of stones and their rate of movement and saw the new difficulty level. Everyone else who was watching him at the time, including Galen, was aware of this as well, but they didn''t seem to care any longer. Now, more than ever, the words of Raydon meant more to them. Everyone who was watching from the room above prayed silently to themselves that Galen would continue with his question, and their prayers were answered when Galen continued with his question. ''''Two different techniques? What are those? '''' "The names of the techniques?" Raydon began pondering as if he had encountered a very challenging question. "Ah, my apologies for the rudeness of my young master. You don''t need to exin the techniques. We simply wanted to understand the shorings of our own technique," Mell quickly interjected, realizing that Galen''s question might havee across as disrespectful. Chapter 249 The Name Of The Technique: Player Instinct ? In this world, the most fundamentalponent that families and organizations were built upon was their techniques. They were the crucial elements that allowed individuals to awaken as item holders. It was considered the gravest offense and the utmost disrespect that one could possiblymit to asking for detailed exnations of these techniques. Techniques were to be revered and protected with the utmost secrecy and respect; this was an unspoken rule that everyone followed. However, fortunately for them, Raydon was not the one who was concerned about this fact. Observing the misunderstanding, Raydon said. ''''Ah well, it''s not that important. It''s just¡­ '''' ''I don''t even think that these techniques have a name. '' Raydon thought. In point of fact, everything that people in this world referred to as a technique was nothing more than the professions that belonged to the yer sses he had yed in his previous life, and these professions did not have names that were specific to them. He even made up a name for the technique he had previously taught Dan and the others, calling it the shadow assassin technique. However, this was nothing more than a yer''s own skill that emerged as a result of them ying the assassin ss for a significant amount of time and having mastered this ss. For instance, Raydon had also mastered the archer ss in the games he yed in his previous life and had a variety of techniques, including the breathing technique and those that were rted to using a bow. However, each of these techniques emerged from his experience as he yed this ss professionally, and he never found it necessary to give a name to any of them. After giving it some thought for a second, Raydon eventually said, "Well, I guess we can call the technique I''m using now yer Instict." ''yer instinct? '' Everyone who heard the name muttered it in their heads repeatedly. "So what makes this yer instinct technique and our family''s technique so simr, but at the same time their powers are so different? " When Galen observed Raydon''s carefree attitude toward the technique, he mustered the courage to inquire. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him, and he wanted to increase his knowledge of this technique by taking advantage of every avable chance. "The difference, and the reason I said your technique is just an imitation andbination of two techniques, is actually your technique''s main w." Raydon began to exin, living up to everyone''s anticipations. "While you are using the technique, you focus too much using your mind, and as a result, your body is unable to react quickly enough." Raydon identified the most significant w. The primary objective of the Demugen family''s technique was to utilize their heightened bodily senses to swiftly process iing attacks in their minds and enable them to respond effectively. However, despite their ability to perform these calctions swiftly, there was a significant dy in their minds issuing themand to their bodies to dodge or react, resulting in ag in their response time to the iing attacks. "Therefore, instead of putting this burden on your mind, you need to trust your body and your reflexes more, and you have to leave this calction work to them. '''' ''''It is also the primary cause for why you are unable toplete level 5. '''' Raydon said to Mell as he looked at her, "You put too much weight on your mind, and as a result, you get mentally tired quickly. After a while, this causes you to lose focus, and ultimately, you fail." In Raydon''s previous life, the technique that he now refers to as yer instinct was something that was possessed by almost every professional yer. After all, when fighting a boss, not all bosses would announce their next attacks before making them, and there wasn''t always time to think about how to avoid those quick attacks. Because of this, they had no choice but to rely on the instincts and reflexes that they had honed over the course of their lives and which their bodies were equipped with. In Raydon''s previous world, there were a lot of bosses in games that the yers had never faced before and didn''t know the patterns of their attacks, but they were still able to avoid getting hit by those bosses'' attacks as long as they reacted quickly enough. ''Actually, this training makes me think of those boss attacks when they''re in rage mode. Unpredictable as well as unrelenting. '' As Raydon continued to avoid the stones, he thought with a chuckle, remembering the good old days. He couldn''t even remember how many times he had died while fighting the bosses that the rest of the game world considered to be the most difficult bosses for a single yer to defeat. However, in the end, he gained this natural instinct, and his body would naturally react to the attacks of these stones now thanks to the experiences he had gained. ''''So, we need to stop using and training our minds for this technique and instead focus on improving the natural instincts of our bodies so that we can allow our bodies to do the calctions and react to it on their own. '''' Mell mumbled as she considered what Raydon had said. Although there were no virtual bosses in this world, where it was not a problem to die and where they could improve this ability by fighting continuously, the training formation that they were standing in front of now would be sufficient to rece this and give them the experience necessary to gain this insight for their bodies. "Damn, the mind, which we believed to be the most important part of this technique, is actually its biggest w, huh? No wonder we couldn''t improve it any more than this until now.'''' Inside the room behind the white walls, Zephyr grasped the exnation and said it in amazement. This technique, which they had inherited from their ancestors, was not originally their own creation, but rather one discovered in a fallen world. Now, however, he realized that this technique was wed from the start and that they had never been able to elevate it to a high level because they had focused on what they believed to be the most important aspect: mind concentration. ''''But the most amazing thing,'''' said Arden, "is how he discovered the w of this technique so easily." Chapter 250 Getting More Serious ? As Zephyr and the others came to the realization andprehension of the w in their technique, a wave of excitement washed over them because they now had the newly discovered hope that their technique could be improved now. However, their focus swiftly shifted to the transparent screen before them, as Galen''s voice echoed from the training room, raising yet another question. ''''You stated that our technique was in fact abination of two different techniques. I believe that I have a grasp on what yer instinct is, and that it is a technique that is based on agility. But what about the other technique? Is the other technique rted to the spirit? '''' When Galen understood that the w in their technique was mind focus, and when he believed that the original technique was Raydon''s yer instinct technique, which he is currently using, this question arose in his mind. To the best of his knowledge, the yer instinct technique had nothing to do with the mind; on the contrary, it was an agility-based technique. However, for some reason, his ancestors misunderstood this technique and thought it had something to do with spirit; as a result, it had this significant w. "An agility-rted technique? Ah, yes, that''s correct," Raydon replied, momentarily taken aback by the question. ''Damn, I had no idea techniques were ssified in that manner.'' Raydon had a fleeting moment of self-awareness and thought. For Raydon, techniques were simply the natural oues of his umted fighting experience. He had never viewed them from a technical standpoint or consciously thought about the various techniques he had employed thus far. ''So my recently acquired domain technique can be thought of as a technique rted to the spirit, and the berserker technique is the stamina? '' Raydon gave it some consideration and then came to the conclusion that he would be able to make better use of his techniques in the future thanks to this newfound awareness. ''''Good, you are very intelligent. Yes, the technique I use at the moment is a technique rted to agility because it involves the reflexes and natural reactions of the body. And the other technique is a spirit-rted technique, as you guessed, due to the fact that it involves mind and focus. '''' Raydon said, acting as though he was already aware of this. "Now it all makes sense. Our technique was nothing more than a haphazardbination of two fundamentally different and unrted techniques," Mell muttered, a realization dawning upon her. "In other words, the entire foundation of our family has been built upon a falsehood all this time," Galen said, his voice filled with a sense of dejection. The reality of the situation hit them like a ton of bricks when they found out that the movement technique, which they had long believed was connected to spirit, was actually connected to agility instead. As it was widely known, the backbone of families and organizations was their techniques. The Demugen family had primarily concentrated on developing their minds and spirits because they thought their technique was based on spirit. Consequently, a sizable portion of the family was made up of item holders with a spirit build. Even their titles were spirit-rted as a result of this wed technique, and the items they selected were all spirit-supported items. As Raydon surveyed the dejected countenances of Mell and Galen, a realization dawned upon him: ''No wonder the family has never produced a high-rank item holder since its establishment. '' Raydon had spent some time thinking about the close connection between techniques and titles. Because of this, he questioned Dan and Karan about the titles they had obtained when they had awakened as item holders after learning the shadow assassin technique. Because the shadow assassin technique is fundamentally concerned with agility, the titles they received were, not surprisingly, all associated with agility. Dan''s title, in particr, demonstrated how much potential he has in the long run because it enables him to gain an unlimited amount of movement speed and attack speed while he is engaged inbat. However, the Demugen family''s reliance on the wed technique had profound implications for their future. By mistakenly building their foundation as spirit-based item holders with an agility-rted technique, they inadvertently limited their potential for growth, preventing them from surpassing mid-rank status in the long run. Mell''s voice trembled with a sense of mncholy and dejection as she mustered the courage to ask, "If you don''t mind, may I ask about something?" ''''Hm? Go ahaed. '''' Raydon replied. Mell looked up at Raydon with pleading eyes as she asked, "If it''s not too much trouble, could you show us the other technique?" She was utterly disheartened when she learned that the technique they had been relying on up until this point was, in fact, ipatible with them; however, she did not give up hope. The fact that the other technique that went into making their technique was a spirit-rted technique gave her reason to maintain her optimism, and she desperately wanted to believe that all of her hard work had not been in vain. After hearing this request, Galen turned his eyes to Raydon with a hopeful expression on his face. He had no idea how Raydon had be so knowledgeable about these techniques, but based on everything he had said and exined up to this point, he began to believe that he was the only person who could correct the problem that the Demugen family had been struggling with for many years. Having the realization that using the yer instinct technique with their spirit builds would not be sufficient. It had the potential to significantly boost their power if they were able to master the other spirit-rted technique that Raydon had mentioned, one that had the possibility of aligning with their current build. And the thought of this fresh opportunity sparked a newfound resolve in them. Raydon gave the request some thought for a while as he stared at the screen behind him, which disyed the level of difficulty. ''About to move up to level 8. I believe that it is time for me to start taking things a little more seriously as well. '' Raydon mumbled. Chapter 251 Another Blue Grade Item ? Even though he was still able to easily sidestep the stones that were being thrown at him, the increased speed and number of stones were beginning to make it more difficult for him. In the end, even if he managed to avoid them by using his reflexes and by calcting the direction in which the stones would hit his body, at the next level, with the agility he now had, his body wouldn''t be able to find enough speed to avoid them. So he had to solve this speed problem with his next technique. ''''Sure. '''' Raydon said. ''''Really? '''' Mell began to worry that her wishful request would not be granted when she did not receive a response from him for some time. However, she suddenly let out a joyful cry when she heard his response. ''''However, I''m going to need to borrow your dagger. '''' Raydon spoke again. ''''Ah, yes, yes, of course. '''' Mell eximed with tion as she frantically reached for her dimensional storage in an attempt to retrieve her dagger. ''''But¡­ M-Miss Diam? '''' However, when she realized that she still had no control over her body, she spoke in a tense tone. Mell was about to call out once more, wondering why Diam was still restricting her movements at such an important moment, but the following scene that yed out in front of her caused her to hold back her words. ''''What''s this? '''' Raydon remarked as he watched as a sudden plume of ck smoke flew in his direction and arrived in front of him. This ck smoke came to a stop in front of Raydon, ignoring the stones that were still flying around, and all of a sudden began to transform into a pitch ck dagger. ''''What the hell? It''s cool. '''' Raydon''s eyes widened in awe as he beheld the dagger before him. Its unique design captivated him, featuring a pitch-ck handle seamlessly melded with a de of the same color. The mysterious allure emanating from the weapon enticed him, and without hesitation, he extended his hand and swiftly grasped the dagger, feeling its weight and bnce in his grip. And not long after that, Cael''s voice could be heard reverberating throughout the entire training room. ''''I want to show our appreciation for the technique you showed us by giving you this gift. '''' Raydon''s eyebrows raised in surprise as he examined the dagger in his hand. "A gift? So, besides this, there''s still another blue-grade item you owe me," he remarked, noting the grade of the dagger. ''''Yes. Don''t worry, I promise on behalf of the Demugen family that from this point forward, you will never again be mistreated in this family. '''' Although Cael was nowhere to be found, the solemn tone of his voice continued to reverberate throughout the training room. ''Did this guy hit his head somewhere or something?'' When Raydon saw his attitude, he couldn''t help but wonder. The individual who seemed to suffer even when he had promised Raydon only one blue-grade item some time ago was now giving him another blue-grade item out of the blue, even though Raydon didn''t ask himself for it. What Raydon did was simply exin the ws in the technique that they were using, and then he showed them the correct technique. This wasn''t even a big deal for him because he didn''t even teach them the technique. ''Well, whatever the reason is. '' Raydon shed a grin as he examined his new item and murmured to himself. ''''Now that I''ve beenpensated for this insignificant task, I should take things a little more seriously. But first, I must state that this is not a movement technique, which is why you''ve been using it incorrectly all along. '''' Raydon said as he prepared to use the technique. ¡ª ''''Not a movement technique? What on earth were we learning and teaching all this time? And why does he have so much knowledge about this? '''' Arden said as he looked at Cael, who hadn''t been around for a while but had suddenlye to give Raydon a blue-grade item and had started to watch him without saying anything. ''''Cael, where is family head? '''' After noticing that Cael was maintaining his silence and felt something wrong, Thalia questioned him. "My father''s match has just ended, and he is currently resting in his room. I''ll exin everythingter, so don''t worry," Cael assured them, his tone serious. He continued, his gaze fixed on Raydon, "For the time being, all I ask is that you simply focus on him. You may not get this opportunity again." As soon as they picked up on the extremely solemn tone that Cael was projecting, they came to the conclusion that they should stop asking questions about it and instead direct their focus back to Raydon, who was getting ready to use the technique. ¡ª "This technique actually has the potential to be ssified as an attack technique. '''' Raydon said. With each passing second, Raydon''s previous smile became less noticeable, and the once bright gray eyes that he had appeared to be losing their light and bing darker. "And the name of this technique is." Gradually, all signs of emotion vanished from his countenance, leaving his face devoid of any expression. His gray eyes seemed to possess an uncanny maism, as if they were two ck holes, drawing in the surrounding light. ''This is incredible.'' Mell couldn''t help but be in awe as she witnessed this remarkable transformation before her eyes. Mell and Galen experienced an overwhelming sense of vulnerability when they were confronted by those two emotionless eyes. It was as if their deepest, darkest secrets were exposed before those prating orbs. In that moment, the weight of their concealed burdens became palpable as the masks they wore crumbled before the relentless gaze. Everyone held their breath as they waited with bated breath, their curiosity and attention fully piqued by Raydon. Everyone''s attention was on him as they waited for him to reveal the name of this transcendent technique that had captivated them. And then, at longst, Raydon said. ''''Godlike focus. '''' Apparently, this was just another name he made up on the spur of the moment. Chapter 252 Combining Techniques ? In point of fact, "Godlike Focus" was not something that Raydon came up with on the fly. It was a term that originated in his previous world, coined by millions of people who had witnessed his unwavering concentration and exceptionalbat prowess while solo-killing powerful world bosses. The term became widely used to describe Raydon''s extraordinary ability to maintain an unparalleled level of focus during intense battles. There were many game bosses in Raydon''s previous world that were considered impossible to kill solo. Nevertheless, from time to time, some professional yers appeared and were able to kill these bosses solo by disying superhuman abilities. And when it came to these professional yers, Raydon was without a shadow of a doubt the one who was most well-known and famous for possessing these superhuman talents. And this technique, which millions of people refer to as Godlike Focus, was arguably Raydon''s most well-known. yer instinct is undeniably a talent that every professional gamer possesses, and it is what enables them to navigate the unpredictable and unrelenting attacks of bosses during intense battles. However, there are certain situations where the boss''s attacks are either too fast or possess area-of-effect skills that make evasion impossible, regardless of the yer''s instinctual abilities. In a simr vein, as the level of difficulty increases, the rate at which stones are thrown at Raydon will increase, eventually reaching a point where his speed will no longer be able to keep up with it. Because it was impossible to avoid these attacks under any circumstances, an alternative strategy needed to be implemented in order to defend against them. And this was the strategy that professional yers used: if you are aware that the next attack will be one that you are unable to avoid, you should simply disrupt it and stop it from happening. And this is where the ''Godlike Focus'' or the technique known by its alternative name, ''Disturb,'' came into y. ''''He got to the 8th difficulty level,'''' Galen said, looking at the screen. Now, the speed and quantity of stones at this level were undoubtedly too much for someone with just one agility stat to avoid. ¡ª ''''It''sing. '''' In the room above, Cael muttered. This level was now even beyond what was possible for a technique of a high tier to pass, and he wondered how Raydon would deal with this level. And as soon as everyone saw Raydon''s quick dagger move, they all froze in shock. Zephyr muttered, "Is this even possible?" After reaching level 8, the first stone was still forming in the air, but Raydon''s ck dagger somehow, with a perfectly timed stab move,pletely stopped the stone from forming, causing it to vanish before it had even had a chance to take shape. Then, just as before, he used a dagger move to eliminate the second stone before it even had a chance to form. And third¡­ Fourth¡­ Fifth¡­ Raydon moved with the dagger in his hand with the grace of a dancer, disying an extraordinary amount of flexibility and concentration. In a sh, he shattered the stones that were gathering into projectiles, thereby preventing them from being hurled in his direction. ''''He made the decision to destroy the stones before they were thrown after realizing he could no longer outrun their increasing speed. But how is he aplishing this? This level of concentration is absolutely terrifying,'''' ra eximed in shock. She was captivated, almost in a trance-like state, as she observed Raydon''s mesmerizing movements with the dagger. As everyone in the room attempted to imagine themselves in Raydon''s position, a collective realization dawned upon them: they couldn''t replicate what he was aplishing at that moment. While it was feasible to parry stones with the dagger, as Mell had demonstrated earlier, the concept of anticipating their formation and striking their precise origin point before they even materialized seemed utterly impossible. Everyone up until this point believed it was impossible because they had seen the family head attempt to do the same thing to pass level 6 multiple times in the past, and some of them had even tried it themselves. In most cases, when they used their weapons to make a move in an attempt to stop the stones from forming, they were only able to seed in doing so for a maximum of one second. After that, the stone continued to form and was thrown again in a fraction of a second, regardless of the disruption. But what Raydon did now waspletely destroy the stones before they were even formed. This formation was not as simple as it first appeared, and it is even something that a high-rank item holder can use to train their techniques, as there should not be any ws or bugs in it. Raydon, on the other hand, had some way of discovering the weakness of this formation, as evidenced by the fact that he was able to locate the focal point of the stones before they formed and destroy them at the exact right moment. ''''I see. To aplish this, he isbining the techniques. And I think the fact that he is employing a high-tier dagger technique is also something he is purposefully doing in order to try to show us something.'''' Arden said in an excited tone. It was evident to all observers that Raydon''s current dagger technique was high-tier as well. With each move he made, he wlessly adjusted the grip of the dagger to suit his next attack. This ensured that he was able to continue his chain attacks in a fluid manner without any hint of strain or awkwardness. His actions were marked by an impressive sense of naturalness and dexterity, as he effortlessly switched the dagger from one hand to the other during the course of his movements. In fact, at times, he created an illusion for the onlookers, appearing as if he wielded two identical daggers in both hands rather than just a single weapon. Arden continued after taking a few moments to inhale deeply. ''''To begin, he identified the w in our technique and demonstrated that it is in factposed of two distinct high-tier techniques. With the help of the yer instinct technique, he keeps track of where the stones are. Then, using Godlike Focus to find the formation''s weak point, he locates the area in which the mana is concentrated as the stones form. Finally, using the dagger technique, he interrupts the mana gathering at the ideal angle and moment, destroying the stones before they can form. '''' Chapter 253 It Is Not Merely A Combination. ? He then excitedly said as he turned to face Cael. ''''And he is aplishing this by employing all the techniques we are familiar with. Don''t you think this is the perfectbination for our Demugen Family? I believe we now owe him more than just two blue-grade items. '''' Arden''s query went unanswered, not because of objections, but rather because everyone shared in his excitement. Raydon had shown them some time ago that their technique was wed, just when everyone thought that the time and effort they had spent on this wed technique over the course of all these years was wasted, and now he was presenting apletely perfectedbo of techniques by adding a dagger technique that the Demugen family was familiar with and had been training in for years. Thus, Raydon offered them the perfect solution. The only thing that was required of them was to independently master these two high-tier techniques, which were used to create their wed technique, and then add the dagger technique on top of it. And most importantly, because they had already spent years learning the fundamentals of these techniques, it would not be overly difficult for them to master andbine them as they already had a solid foundation to build upon, making the process of integrating these techniques much smoother. "All that you have mentioned is indeed urate. However, there is more to it. This is not simply a matter ofbining three techniques," Cael replied, his voice carrying a tone of significance. ''''Just as I had thought. He just created another supreme technique, right?" Zephyr asked. "Supreme technique? Yes, it does make perfect sense," Arden nodded, his expression reflecting a mixture of understanding and eptance. These three techniques appeared to be such a perfectbination that if he had not seen the creation of this supreme technique with his own eyes, he could not say that Raydon is currently using three different techniques. "And the most incredible part is that this supreme technique is a technique that even we can use. '''' And then he added. He was doing everything in his power to hide his excitement at the moment, but everyone could see his trembling body. Everybody understood that a supreme technique has much greater power than a high-tier technique. However, the true challengey in the fact that supreme techniques could not be taught or transferred to others. Individuals had to personally grasp and master the intricacies of the technique on their own. In Raydon''s case, finding the weak point of the formation and preventing the stones from being thrown was the same as disrupting the bosses'' attacks in the games he yed, and he had achieved this technique through long-developed reflexes and instincts. And for the Demugen family, they had already learned these techniques, even though they were wed, from a very young age, and they had already grasped the basics and fundamentals of these three techniques. Now all that was required of them was to improve their mastery of these three techniques to the high tier and then obtain the technique that Raydon had shown them that was of the supreme tier. It was like a custom-made supreme technique for their family. Indeed, while not everyone could easily grasp the nature and essence of the technique, the individuals in the room had already proven their exceptional talents by bing C-Rank item holders even with a wed technique. They possessed a certain level of genius, and with Raydon''s guidance and instruction, they believed they had the potential to make this supreme-tier technique their own. ''''A family where all elders have supreme techniques. No one in this world, I''m sure, can even imagine it, but this young man alone offers it to us. '''' Serena murmured. ''''Cael, we''ve seen enough. Let''s head out right away to see dad. I have to learn everything there is to know about this young man, or I''ll lose my mind. '''' After hastily uttering the words, Zephyr dashed for the exit of the room. ''''Wait father is resting¡­. '''' Just as Cael was trying to stop him, Zephyr shouted angrily. ''''Wait for what? Cael, you''re all keeping something very important from us, and I won''t wait any longer to find out. Who exactly is this young man? What was the reason you kicked him out of the family and left him to die years ago? Why was our father so adamant about keeping him alive? '''' ''''That¡­ '''' Thalia opened her mouth as she looked into Zephyr''s eyes, which had a tinge of red in them; however, Zephyr cut her off again before she could say anything. ''''No more bullshit. Nothing can be exined any longer by the presence of a high-rank master behind him. I just need an exnation as to how someone with 20 or fewer days as an item holder can be so talented and knowledgeable. '''' As Zephyr yelled in a fit of rage, the force of his voice was so strong that it caused the furniture in the room to shake. Zephyr came to a startling halt as he bellowed angrily like a bull and then turned to Cael while clenching his teeth. "Cael, I''m not a fool, and I don''t even think there is anyone else in this world who can create and use two supreme techniques like they were nothing, much less that someone like him is your son. Hell, even if someone were to say that he is not from this world, it would note as much of a surprise anymore.'''' Cael was speechless for a short while as he looked at him after hearing these words, and then he said while heaving a sigh. ''''Indeed, he is not my son. '''' ''''I knew it. A remarkable individual like him couldn''t possibly be your biological son. '''' After hearing one of the truthse from his mouth, Zephyr finally seemed to have regained hisposure, and he said this while giving himself a facepalm. ''''So who is his real famil¡­ '''' Then, just as he was about to ask another question, he heard Diam''s words. ''''And, Indeed he is not from this world. '''' With a faint smile on her face, she said. Chapter 254 Call Of The Family Head (Part 1) ? ''''Stop kidding Diam, I''m serious. '''' Zephyr frowned, red at her, and then continued talking. ''''Wait... Don''t tell me. Is he the emperor''s illegitimate child? You kidnapped the Emperor''s illegitimate child, didn''t you? Shit... Shit... Shit... Now, everything is clear. You abducted the Emperor''s child, felt remorse, and concealed his existence from everyone, fearing the Emperor''s wrath. Then you banished him from the family mansion and hoped he would die in the slums to erase any trace of him. '''' Zephyr suddenly started pacing back and forth, his face filled with concern. ''''...'''' Cael was at a loss for words after witnessing his manner and hearing his words. When Zephyr realized his silence, he abruptly slowed down his pace and continued muttering to himself, wearing a pensive expression. "Hold on a moment, that doesn''t add up. Even if he is the Emperor''s child, and even if the Emperor is the strongest item holder in this world, I doubt he knows more than four high tier techniques. Moreover, even the Emperor himself possesses only one publicly known supreme technique. Besides, as foolish as my brother may be, and despite our family''s troubled status, he wouldn''t be foolish enough to kidnap his child. That would be a one-way ticket to hell for our family." "Zephyr, are you out of your mind?" Arden couldn''t tolerate the nonsensical wordsing out of Zephyr''s mouth and stepped in. "Do you honestly believe that a mere C-Rank item holder would stand a chance at kidnapping the child of an S-Rank? The instant he even entertained such a thought, he would have died without knowing how." "Finally, someone who speaks sense," Cael sighed in relief. However, little did he know that his momentary relief would be short-lived. "Perhaps he is the son of the leader of the trade organization," Arden spected, his confidence evident in his voice. "I''ve heard that the trade organization has extensive connections in the upper dimension, which means they likely possess more high-tier techniques than anyone else. It''s possible that Raydon''s supposed master is also a high-rank item holder from the trade organization." The upper dimension was a realm that could only be entered through the use of a unique and difficult to locate item. It served as a central hub for item holders from different worlds all over the universe, primarily for the purpose of trading items and services. Within this realm, a person could find almost anything they desired, provided that they had sufficient gold to pay for it. This included high-tier techniques. As a consequence of this, he believed that the reason behind Raydon''s extensive repertoire of techniques could be attributed to the fact that he is affiliated with the trade organization, which allowed him to acquire these techniques from the upper dimension. "Enough already!" Cael''s patience wore thin as he couldn''t tolerate the continued spections. "That''s why I told you to wait for our father to provide the exnation. This endless conjecture is pointless." Cael''s frustration was evident in his tone as he expressed his displeasure. ''''Also, as Diam said, he is not from this world. So stop making assumptions about his family,'''' Cael added. Zephyr''s astonishment was palpable as he stared at Diam, his eyes wide with disbelief. "What the fuck? I thought she was joking," he eximed, unable to contain his shock. Cael asked while massaging his temples, "When was thest time you see her joking about something?" Looking at Diam''s face, which was expressionless other than for a small smile, Zephyr and Arden concluded that it was true. They had never even seen that smile before, and it finally dawned on them that someone who seemed to take things so seriously couldn''t possibly be joking. Zephyr muttered, "But really, the idea that you kidnapped an S-Rank''s child makes more sense than he is from another world. '''' He had previously remarked that he wouldn''t be surprised if they imed that he was from another world, but that was only a passing remark, and now he finds it difficult to believe what they are saying. Arden spoke with a very solemn expression on his face as he questioned, "So... He is an invader?" His body began to emit a killing intent that suddenly permeated the entire room. After Arden''s statement, the others also turned their attention to Cael with the same level of seriousness and intent to kill, waiting for his response. "No, of course not! You''ve witnessed him growing up in this world, and he even awakened here. How could he possibly be an invader? Please, let''s put an end to these baseless spections before things escte any further," Cael eximed, sensing the rising tension and hostility in the room. In point of fact, the desire to kill that they demonstrated was perfectly normal. Because they were well aware of the meaning of the term "invader." It was the moniker given to item holders who used some other method to infiltrate other worlds. Encountering an invader in their world was a rare urrence, but the consequences were severe. It called for the unity of all item holders to swiftly eradicate the threat, for invaders harbored a singr objective: to plunge the world into chaos and destroy it entirely. ''''Also, another misunderstanding and another fact that I just learned is that he does not have a high-rank master or anything. So he awakened naturally in this world and had no connection to anyone. '''' To make them feel even more at ease, Cael said. Despite the fact that he knew where Raydon came from, he still blindly believed there was a high-rank item holder behind him in light of the events that had transpired, and he desired to work with Raydon for the sake of his family''s future. However, after speaking with the head of the family, he was finally enlightened to the facts and came to terms with the realization that Raydon''s potential and knowledge had surpassed even his wildest imaginations. ''''I still don''t understand. How did a human child cross worlds and arrive in this world if he is not an invader and was not even an item holder when he came to this world? '''' ra enquired while disying a bewildered expression on her face. So far, Cael''s words had caused more confusion than rification. Chapter 255 Call Of The Family Head (Part 2) ? "I know that it seems impossible, and if I hadn''t seen it with my own eyes all those years ago, I wouldn''t have believed it either. Because of this, all I ask of you is to have a little bit more patience. When the family head is ready, he will call you and exin everything himself. '''' ''''Dear, you said that he is currently resting. Why does it take the family head so long to call us?'''' Thalia pondered this question after bing aware of something. Cael sighed, noticing that this detail had not escaped his wife''s notice. ''''After the match, he is taking the time to stabilize his power. '''' ''''He is stabilizing his power? For what? OH!! Did he finally win the match and advance to the A-Rank?'''' Arden thought of the one and only reason that came to his mind, and he asked with great enthusiasm. The Demugen family was already at the bottom of the social hierarchy among the ruling families, and they desperately needed a high rank to hold this position as soon as possible and to rise even higher. It was a great joy and relief for him that the family leader could finally be a high-rank after many years of hard work. However, his excitement and joy werepletely extinguished by Cael''s subsequent words. ''''No. He lost the match. '''' ''''Why does he need to stabilize his powers, then? '''' Thalia rephrased her question as her unease increased. ''''Because¡­ '''' Cael''s demeanor changed to one of solemnity, and his voice took on an air of sadness tinged with anger. "Other families betrayed us, and during the match, our family leader... he died. '''' ''''No way! '''' When Thalia realized her worst fears had been realized, she cried out in agony. ''''Damn, they just couldn''t wait any longer and finally made their move, huh? Shit¡­ Shit¡­ Now, there is no longer any chance that my father will ever achieve a high rank in his lifetime. '''' After hearing the news, Zephyr said while punching the wall in frustration. Dying during a match did not mean that an item holder would actually die, but for a B-Rank item holder like the family leader to die during the match was the worst thing that could happen, and with that death, he lost so many things, and his dream of bing a high-rank waspletely destroyed. "What are we going to do now? It is only a matter of time before wepletely lose everything at this point. '''' Seren''s voice was filled with gloom as she said it. The fact that the head of the family, who had been working hard for many years, had suddenly lost everything caused her a great deal of grief. Additionally, it was only a matter of time before their family lost their status as a ruling family, and with that came the loss of everything they had worked on up until now. Suddenly, Raydon was no longer the center of attention; rather, everyone''s attention was riveted on the anxious consideration of what they could do to prevent this catastrophe from befalling their family. While everyone was thinking gloomily in sadness, a deep sigh echoed throughout the room, jolting everyone out of their reverie. ''''It is very disheartening to see everyone in such a state of despair. '''' ''''Father? '''' Cael looked up as soon as he heard the weary voice speak. Even though the head of the family was nowhere in sight and his voice was the only thing that could be heard in the room, everyone else, with the exception of Cael, Arden, and Zephyr, was kneeling down to pay their respects. ''''Gather everyone in the underground room. '''' ''''Yes, Father. '''' Cael bowed his head in acknowledgment of the order. "And do not forget to bring my grandson with you," the voice uttered one final time, its toneden with weariness. Then, in an instant, all echoes ceased, as if the voice had never existed at all. Cael was taken aback for a split second by the other order that was given. After that, he turned his head and looked at the figure of Raydon, who had already reached level 10 and was continuing to destroy the stones with the same level of performance. ''''Yes, Father. '''' ¡ª ''''I can''t believe this. I didn''t even know that the formation''s maximum difficulty level was 10. '''' When Galen noticed that the formation hadpletely stopped and that no new stones were forming, he muttered. ''''It''s a good dagger,'''' Raydon said as he slowly left the formation, tossing his dagger into the air and catching it. ''''Young master. '''' After stowing the blue-grade dagger in his dimensional storage for future examination, Raydon turned his attention towards the direction of Mell''s voice. ''''Oh, thanks. '''' Raydon was taken aback when he noticed Mell bowing her head and respectfully offering him a towel with both hands. The restraint Diam had ced on their bodies had already been removed, but they had been staring fixedly at Raydon''s performance with all of their attention up until this point, without making a sound or moving an inch. Mell eventually snapped out of the trance she had been in when the formation came to aplete stop. She realized she had regained control of her body, and as soon as she noticed the sweat running down Raydon''s brow, she dashed to get a towel. The reason for her behavior was not to apologize to Raydon for her previous behavior or to make him forgive her. It was a natural phenomenon that developed purely out of the incredible respect she felt at this moment. When Mell heard Raydon thank her and saw that he epted the towel, she wanted to thank him too, but she couldn''t manage to utter a word. All she could do was raise her head a little and take a quick nce at his indifferent-looking face. Gone was any trace of contempt or disgust that may have lingered in her eyes before. In its ce, there dwelled a deep reverence and respect¡ªa reverence that surpassed her regard for other young masters or even esteemed elders, perhaps even surpassing her reverence for the family head. Chapter 256 Innate Skill (Part 1) ? ''''C-cousin? '''' Galen called out as he hesitantly approached. Both his facial expression and his tone of voice suggested that he was at a loss for words regarding how to address him. ''''Yes? '''' Raydon, observing that he was acting strangely, gave his response. ''I seem to have gone a bit overboard again, '' he chuckled to himself, reflecting on the situation. It was reminiscent of what had transpired earlier with the elders in the meeting room. Upon witnessing their technique and reflecting on his own, he came to a realization. It was indeed strange how someone who had been considered to be disabled and mentally unstable up until this point could acquire such remarkable talent and knowledge in such a short amount of time. In point of fact, he did not fully understand why a family with such a long history had such a poor technique, and on top of that, why the techniques he learned and developed from the games in his previous world were so much more advanced than theirs. However, there was one truth: he knew that he was now regarded as a genius and an anomaly in the eyes of everyone. He was also aware that after disying his abilities to such a degree, his cover story of possessing a high-rank master that he had used at one point in the past would, in due course, be exposed. ''Oh well, I don''t care. I''m not the kind of person who can fake being weak to fool other people, anyway. '' Raydon could not have cared less about the consequences. He would go to any lengths in order to obtain what he desired, but due to the fact that he is typically an impatient person, it would be a very challenging task for him to achieve his objective by concealing his power and identity for a considerable amount of time. Since he was always forthright and self-assured in his own capabilities, it was never entertaining for him to submit to the will of others by pretending to be weak and talentless. Also, if he wasn''t going to flex his abilities and powers, then what was the point of him having them in the first ce? Heroes and viins are the only ones who are known to conceal their skills until the time is right, patiently building up their power in the shadows so that they can eventually use it to achieve their goals. Raydon, on the other hand, did not consider himself either a hero or a viin, and the only thing he wanted from this world was to have more exciting experiences. ''At the very least, it''s a lot more enjoyable this way. '' He thought this as he observed the peculiar and amusing expressions on Mell and Galen''s faces. Galen gave Raydon an odd look for a moment before finding the right words to say, but he was cut off by another voice. ''''It''s really interesting to see that this formation only has ten difficulty levels. I guess we''ll have to get you another formation capable of testing your limits. '''' ''''Father? Were you watching? '''' Galen said as he turned around and looked at Zephyr, who had suddenly materialized beside them. "Kids, I know there''s a lot you want to talk to him about, but right now I have to take him for a while for an important meeting. '''' Looking at Mell and Galen, Zephyr said. He had experienced a sense of relief earlier when the family head finally summoned them to provide an exnation. However, when the family head specifically requested that Raydon be brought along, he couldn''t wait any longer. Filled with impatience, he decided to personally fetch Raydon himself, without waiting for Cael to apany him. "Family head has some things to say, and I''m sure that it will interest you as well. '''' Because Zephyr did not want to give the impression that he was taking him against his will, he made the decision to ask for his permission by stating it first. He continued once Raydon nodded in agreement. "Good, don''t resist it will only take 1 second. '''' Then, without making a sound and moving very quickly, a cloud of water materialized from underneath Raydon''s and his own feet, enveloping both of them. It then vanished along with the two of them in an equally quiet manner, leaving not even a single drop of water behind it. The only thing left was the echo of Zephyr''s voice in Galen and Mell''s minds. ''''We''ll exin everythingter, so don''t tell anyone what you''ve seen here for the time being. '''' ¡ª As Zephyr had said, after only one second had passed, the wall of water that had been obscuring Raydon''s vision vanished suddenly, and he found himself in an entirely different location. ''What the hell was that? '' Raydon was wondering what kind of skill this was when he noticed Cael and the others around him looking at him strangely. ''''All right, I brought him. Can we leave right now? '''' Looking at Cael, Zephyr said impatiently. ''''Yes. '''' Cael responded. "Hahaha, well, if that''s the case, we''ll be waiting for you there. Don''t be toote. '''' As soon as Zephyr finished his sentence, the water vapor that had earlier engulfed him and Raydon swallowed them both up once more, and they disappeared once again. ''''Tch, he is showing off his movement skill. '''' Arden muttered, his toneced with annoyance. ''''Anyway, we should hurry as well,'''' Cael said, and suddenly a pair of ck wings appeared on his back, and he flew out of the room at an incredible rate of speed. After that, the others followed him without saying anything else, using their own movement type skills. ¡ª ''It took a bit longer this time, '' Raydon remarked as he observed the dissipation of the water wall that had obstructed his view. He became aware that he had been moved to a different location once more, and that this time it had taken a little longer than before. ''''Hm? What''s wrong? " Zephyr questioned him when he saw Raydon staring at him with eyes that appeared to be slightly perplexed. Chapter 257 Innate Skill (Part 2) ? ''''What was that skill? I didn''t hear you chanting any name while you were using it," Raydon asked with a hint of curiosity. He couldn''t help but notice the striking simrity to what had transpired earlier in the meeting room when he showcased his mastery of the domain technique. As the destructive power of his domain engulfed the room, he witnessed the emergence of mysterious barriers that formed around Zephyr and the others, effectively shielding them from the presence of his aura. ''''What? Are you telling me that you don''t know what an innate skill is?" Zephyr questioned, taken aback by his inquiry. Considering all of the high-tier techniques that Raydon had shown them, as well as the two supreme techniques that he possessed on it, he was surprised to find out that hecked such basic information. ''I''m bing more and more intrigued by the mystery surrounding this young man. '' Zephyr was even more perplexed after realizing from his expression that he wasn''t joking. Then he started to exin, hoping that he would soon learn everything. "This is one of my two innate skills. When an item holder advances to the D-Rank, they unlock a new ability that is referred to as an innate skill slot. When you have this skill slot, you can choose an item skill and detach it from the item, so that you no longer need the item to use it. The skill I just demonstrated is a movement-type skill that I chose as my innate skill. '''' While Zephyr was talking, all of a sudden he broke out in a sly grin and continued. ''''I don''t want to sound like I''m bragging, but my movement-type skill is the best of all the members of this family. It''s a blue-grade skill that lets me and one additional person quickly teleport between locations I''ve been to. I do, of course, have a daily usage cap and other limitations, but it''s still a great skill to save my ass in difficult situations. Hahaha. '''' While Zephyr was delightedlyughing, he said to Raydon. ''''Oh, by the way, the dagger''s skill that was just gifted to you is better than mine, and it also has the element of death other than space, so from now on, I suppose I''ll be known as the second-best in terms of movement-based skills within our family. '''' When Raydon heard this, he immediately recalled the item description that he had read a while ago, and a smile broke out on his face without his conscious effort. With the new knowledge about innate skills and the new skill he would acquire once the binding processes were finished, he thought it would be really cool. In particr, one that was simr to Zephyr''s skill, which he liked very much. "And when you reach C-Rank, you will be able to obtain another innate skill slot. " When Zephyr sensed his excitement, he spoke further while widening his smile. He carried on speaking as a flimsy blue barrier suddenly materialized around him. ''''This is the other innate skill that I have chosen for myself. You are free to choose however you see fit, but the vast majority of item holders, including myself, go with the defensive type.'''' After observing his demonstration, Raydon indicated his agreement with a nod. It made perfect sense to select one of the two innate skills for movement and the other for defense. ''''What about higher ranks? How many innate skill slots do they get?'''' Raydon inquired. "After C-Rank, B-Rank item holders get 4 innate skill slots and higher than B-Ranks. '''' Zephyr paused and sighed before continuing. "Well, they are just monsters so I''m not even sure what their limit is. '''' Raydon was at a loss for words when he learned this. He was also aware that there was a huge difference in power between a mid-rank and a high-rank; however, now that he was observing Zephyr''s demeanor, he realized that the difference in power was even greater than he had anticipated. ''''Oh, it seems like this is the end of our small talk. They are finally here. '''' Zephyr looked at the end of the dark, torch-lit corridor and said, as he saw Cael with his ck wings approaching at an incredible speed. After Cael came to their side and folded his wings, it wasn''t long before a green gas began to seep through therge stones that formed the walls of the corridor. It gathered in one spot beside them, and Arden began to take shape almost immediately afterward. ''''As always brother, you are third. '''' When Zephyr saw Arden''s displeased expression, heughed and said. ''''We are not here for a childish race, Zephyr. We have an important meeting to attend.'''' Arden said this while turning his head and looking at the other people who were approaching. Thalia was making a hasty approach from the end of the corridor. She had wings that wereparable to Cael''s but were significantly smaller than his and white in color. In a rtively short distance behind her, Seren was rapidly approaching on a blue water wave, and ra was simrly approaching on a green water wave. "Only one person is missing. '''' Cael, who could see that everyone had gathered, waited for Diam, who was still hidden from view, and soon enough, she too appeared at the end of the corridor. "This woman truly does have a natural talent for making people fear her," Zephyr said as he looked at the enormous centipede that was racing towards them, drop by drop of yellow liquid that dripped from its colossal, menacing jaws that sizzled upon contact with the ground, emitting a sinister hiss, and at Diam, who was standing on its head calmly without any emotion on her face. "Well, it seems that we have all gathered now. " Seeing that everyone had finally gathered, Cael said as he turned to face the massive 6-meter wooden door that stood behind him, giving off an air of antiquity and being decorated with mysterious and dazzling shapes. After carefully studying the door, which he hadst crossed many years ago, Cael''s voice took on a serious tone. "Behind this door," he said, "lies the long-awaited answer to all of your questions." Chapter 258 Unknown Presence (Part 1) ? ''''Man, I have stood in front of this door many times before, but I''ve never seen it open, this waiting really is making me on edge. '''' As he awaited the door''s opening and invitation to enter, Zephyr remarked. ''''Don''t worry, we share the same sentiments as you. After all, the only people who are permitted to enter the training room of the family head are Mr. Cael and Miss Diam. '''' The same ecstatic feelings could be heard in Seren''s voice. They were aware that this underground room served as the training room for the head of the family, but none of them had ever looked inside. Now they were just waiting for the door to open for them so they could see what was inside. *Creak* Everyone was getting increasingly tense and excited as they waited, and these feelings were amplified when they realized that the door was finally beginning to open. A wave of anticipation swept through the group as the ancient and enormous wooden door began to creak open and the sound of its opening reverberated through the stone corridor. They leaned forward, eager to catch a glimpse of whaty beyond the widening gap. However, instead of revealing the interior, the opening gap unleashed an overwhelming presence, a force that pressed upon them with incredible weight. Instantaneously, the atmosphere became oppressive, and apprehension rapidly spread throughout their bodies. ''''What is this? '''' Arden clenched his teeth as he asked. His entire body began to tremble as soon as he sensed this pressure, both from the weight that was ced upon him and from an instinct he was unable toprehend. "What is this unpleasant and unsettling feeling?" '' ra also said while wearing a frown and disying a tense expression on her face. The oppressive pressure bore down on her, though it wasn''t overwhelming for a C-Rank like her. Yet, inexplicably, she began to feel a sense of powerlessness creeping over her. Sweat beads formed on her forehead, trickling down her face and dripping from her chin, betraying the unease she felt deep within. ''''This? '''' Zephyr experienced the same emotions as everyone else, but in contrast to the others, he felt that the pressure was oddly familiar. He and the others fought against the urge to kneel down and sumb to the overwhelming presence, resisting the instinct to wee whatever entity this presence belonged to. As the door continued to open, the pressure that was emanating from within the room continued to crash over them like a wave with increasing power, and at the same time, a word started ringing in everyone''s ears. ''Submit¡­ '' ''Submit¡­ '' ''Submit¡­ '' "I can''t take this any longer." ra, who was experiencing a great deal of difort as a result of the pressure, used her defensive skill when she could no longer take it. Others, including Cael and Diam, quickly followed suit and decided to iste themselves from this pressure by activating their own defensive skills. After Zephyr had activated his defensive skill, when he felt that all of the pressure that had been on him was lifted and the troubling emotions that he had been experiencing left him, he took a deep breath with a sense of peace in his mind, and at that moment, Raydon came to his mind and turned to look at him. ''What this guy? '' When he saw the look on Raydon''s face, the thought that crossed his mind was one of astonishment. The expression that the others had shown was quite different from the look that Raydon had on his face. He appeared calm as if the pressure hadn''t affected him in any way, but Zephyr had observed one more very clear detail. Raydon''s eyes were filled with a deep sense of disgust as he directed his gaze towards the door. Unlike the others, who were overwhelmed by the pressure and feltpelled to yield, he stared at it with a piercing look, as if it were a loathsome insect deserving of contempt. After giving this awkward situation some thought for a while, Zephyr eventually decided to expand his blue flimsy defensive skill so that it could epass Raydon as well. ''He won''t be grateful to me, will he? '' Zephyr chuckled as he observed Raydon continuing to fixate on the door in the same manner as before, seemingly unaware of the defensive skill defending him. After that, he turned his attention back to the door, which at that point had been opened nearly all the way. The interior appeared to be extremely spacious, and simr to the corridor, the walls, which were made of brown stones, were adorned with flickering torches that cast dancing shadows. Contrary to everyone''s expectations, there was no indication of item formation or training tools inside. The only thing that gave the impression that the room was full was a sizable ck stone door in the middle of the space that resembled an old, decaying castle entrance. ''''Father? '''' After giving the ruined structure a cursory look for a moment, Zephyr drew everyone''s attention to the person who was sitting cross-legged in front of it with his eyes closed. The individual whom Zephyr referred to as Father had short hair that was entirely white, as well as a white beard that was neatlybed and reached all the way down to his neck. The fact that he was dressed in a white robe and something that could pass for pants, along with the serene and peaceful expression that was present on his face, contributed to the overall impression that he was an experienced and knowledgeable old wise man. ''''Father. '''' All three of them, including Cael and Arden, showed him the utmost respect by bowing their heads as they greeted him. ''''Family head. '''' Others showed their respect by kneeling. Raydon was still gazing in his direction with the same expression as before as the old man slowly opened his eyelids to reveal the deep ck pupils behind them. He said with a sincere smile, ignoring everyone else''s greetings. "It''s so nice to finally see you so full of life. '''' Chapter 259 Unknown Presence (Part 2) ? Shifting his focus away from the dpidated structure behind the old man, Raydon directed his smile towards him and responded, "It''s good to see you too. Though I can''t say the same about being full of life." Raydon recognized the familiar face before him. It was Samuen, his grandfather, and the head of the Demugen family. Despite the fact that his memories of the time spent with him were hazy and he could only recall it through his memory in this body, he didn''t harbor any negative feelings toward him. Unlike his parents, Samuen had always treated Raydon as a true grandfather would. He never distinguished him from his other grandchildren or children, and in fact, he had been actively involved in Raydon''s life, much like Diam. Their bond was one of genuine care and connection within the family. When Raydon saw his frail face and heard his frail voice, he even felt a little bit of sadness. Raydon harbored no ill will toward the people who had shown himpassion and unconditional love throughout his life. In fact, one could argue that he felt genuine goodwill and empathy towards such individuals. They were a rarity in his previous life, and even in this new world, they could be counted on just a few fingers. After everyone heard Raydon''s carefree demeanor and thoughtless response, they all cast sidelong nces in his direction out of the corner of their eyes; however, it was clear that Samuen didn''t care about this as he said with a sincereugh and slowly stood up. ''''You can tell, huh? It was just a little misfortune that happened to me in myst match, so there''s no need to worry about it. '''' ''Just a little misfortune? '' When they heard what he said, everyone heaved a sigh of resignation and made the conscious decision to keep quiet. ''''Alright, you cane inside. We can''t let this thing spread throughout the mansion and frighten everyone. '''' Samuen called out to everyone and motioned for them toe inside. He was clearly referring to the pressure of the presence emanating from the ruined structure behind him. Everyone entered the room with quick steps, ovee with awe and surprise, and then the door quickly shut behind them, isting the room once more from the outside world. ''''Father, what is this? It''s like¡­ I''m sure I''ve seen something simr somewhere. '''' Arden approached and inquired about the ruined structure. It dawned on him that the ancient ruin of dark stones that stood in the background of the old man was the source of the pressure. ''''It''s a rift. A gate to a fallen world, though it appears to have been closed a long time ago. '''' Zephyr spoke without waiting for Samuen to respond. As Arden listened to these words, he became surprised and examined this structure more closely. As he did so, he came to the realization that what he had said was urate. He had witnessed a significant number of gates being opened and closed throughout the course of rift events. However, inparison to the other gates, this one appeared to be unique. It exuded an odd pressure, and its appearance was distinct from that of any other closed gate he''d encountered. "There is one thing that I just don''t get." Zephyr continued to speak. '''' What is this familiar pressure emanating from it, and more importantly, why is there a gate under our family mansion? '''' This was another reason they didn''t notice it was a gate at first. Rifts could be opened pretty much anywhere in the world, but they were always opened in a location where it was easy for everyone to notice them. But what they were observing at this very moment was located in a peculiar underground room, which was on top of the fact that it was beneath the family mansion. Additionally, a gate that had been sessfully closed would typically leave nothing behind but the dusty residue, and more importantly, an extremely potent presence such as this one wouldn''t spread out into the surrounding area. "I know there are so many questions you all want answers to. '''' Samuen finally removed his gaze from Raydon and began speaking while staring directly into the interested and perplexed faces of those around him. "If I have to answer the first question, you all know what this presence you feel actually belongs to, and that all of you must have felt it once upon a time a very long time ago. '''' After that, he continued while once again focusing his gaze on Raydon. ''''You in particr need to recall very clearly that it has not been all that much time since you saw and felt the presence of this being. '''' After hearing these words, Raydon did not show any sign of surprise and immediately turned his attention back to the structure. Actually, he didn''t need the old man''s words to remember this because he had remembered it from the moment he felt it. ''Why does the presence of that thing is here? '' Raydon vividly recalled a ck eye that had appeared in a dark void while he was awakening to be an item holder a few weeks ago. Because his body was still quite frail at the time, the pressure that was applied to him caused him to have the sensation that all of his bones were going to break and that needles were pricking his entire body. However, he was unable to sense them at this time because his body had be more resilient and the pressure was lower than it had been previously. Also what truly intrigued Raydon was not just the destructive effect that the presence had on his physical body, but the deep sense of disgust it invoked within him. Despite not feeling any pain or pressure at the moment, this entity managed to grate on his nerves in an inexplicable way. ''''This is something I can''t ept. '''' Raydon scowled and spoke with annoyance and anger. ''''What do you mean? '''' Samuen asked confusedly. Raydon continued as he raised his hand and pointed to the blue barrier that surrounded him. ''''Remove it. I don''t need anyone to shield me from the presence of this lowly creature. '''' Chapter 260 Higher Being (Part 1) ? ''''Remove it. I don''t need anyone to shield me from the presence of this lowly creature. '''' ''''...'''' As Raydon''s words reverberated in their heads, everyone in the room wentpletely still. ''Lowly creature?'' Was Raydon really calling this existence, which possesses a presence that shakes everyone''s body and soul, a lowly creature with a look of disgust on his face? If this is a lowly creature, then why were they so frightened at its mere presence? ''''Wait¡­Now I recall where I previously experienced this feeling. '''' As everyone turned their attention to Raydon inplete astonishment, Seren spoke up aftering to a sudden realization. "Yes, I remember it as well. How am I supposed to forget about this overwhelming pressure anyway? '''' When ra thought back to the day she had first awakened, she spoke with a tone that was filled with awe and fear. ''''That''s right. It''s the Observer. '''' Cael said, confirming everyone else''s thoughts with his statement. With unwavering certainty, they recognized the overpowering pressure radiating from the ruined structure in front of them as belonging to the same horrifying and colossal ck eye they had encountered within the depths of the dark dimension. It held a profound significance, for it was the very entity they had beheld when their item holder powers were first awakened, etching asting memory in their minds. "But why is the presence of the Observer emanating from this gate? Don''t tell me¡­ So, this is actually a gate to the realm of a god or something like that?" asked Arden. No one among them possessed the true name of the entity they now referred to as the Observer. Its name was merely assigned based on its role in aiding the awakening of item holders and overseeing their progress. The item holders'' system still held many mysteries for them, and some of them believed that the entity tasked with granting its power to all of the item holders in this system was actually a servant of god. Others went even further and believed that the entity itself was a god. But regardless of what anyone thought, everyone shared a single conception of this being, and that conception was that this being unquestionably possessed a great deal more power than even the most powerful high-ranking item holder. Suddenly, Samuen startedughing and said. ''''The realm of the gods? No, of course not. To be honest, I am not entirely certain if there is a location of this kind, but I can say with absolute certainty that this gate does not lead to this kind of location. This gate actually opens into a fallen world just like any other ordinary rift. '''' ''''Fallen world? Then, what exactly is the connection between this fallen world and that being? '''' Arden asked again. Samuen paused for a moment before slowly speaking as he turned to face the gate. "Because it was the Observer itself who caused this world to be a fallen world." ''''What? Was the cmity of this world the Observer?'''' Arden asked this in disbelief. Everyone was as shocked as Arden at what they heard. At that moment, a single question echoed in everyone''s mind: ''What kind of world is this that has brought forth the Observer as a cmity?'' The shock that gripped them stemmed from their deep understanding of what it truly meant for a world to be a fallen world. They had a good understanding of the prerequisites that must be met before a world can be described as a fallen one. If the item holders residing within the world could no longer safeguard it from external threats, were unable to seal the rifts that periodically opened, and failed to produce powerful item holders, it signaled the world''s decline. Eventually, as the culmination of this decline, a cmity would be unleashed upon that world, serving as the ultimate test. If the item holders of that world were unable to stop this cmity, which was highly unlikely, then any remaining item holders in that world would be wiped out by this catastrophe, and the world would be a fallen world as a result. As Arden and the others considered the situation, they were aware that the severity of these cmities could vary greatly depending on thebined power of the item holders living in that world. However, none of them had ever considered the possibility that the Observer would personally descend as a cmity and directly orchestrate the transformation of a world into a fallen one. "Are you absolutely sure that you want to face the pressure of this being?" Zephyr asked Raydon in a very serious tone of voice as he turned to face him. After gaining a deeper and moreprehensive understanding of everything, he found Raydon''s request to be even more absurd. Arden understood that his own willpower, as a C-Rank, should have been sufficient to withstand the immense pressure they were facing, but what chance did Raydon have as an E-Rank? "Listen to him. He will be alright," Samuen urged, his smile calm and reassuring. ''''Also, all of you stop using your shields and feel the pressure. If you want to have a better understanding of what I''m about to say to you, you need to first understand why this presence has such a significant impact on you. '''' Zephyr was taken aback for a brief moment by what he heard, but rather than utter a word, he simply nodded and removed the shield that was covering both Raydon and himself. ''What exactly are they talking about? '' Raydon was thinking to himself as he watched Samuen and the others act in a peculiar manner. He had no idea what was going on, particrly because of Samuen''s odd demeanor and the way that he was looking at him. Even though he was aware of what the Observer was, he was perplexed as to why he felt an unreasonable annoyance toward it. However, he believed that everyone felt the same way about it. After all, there isn''t a single person on the who wouldn''t be annoyed if something demanded that they submit themselves. Chapter 261 Higher Being (Part 2) ? In the midst of Raydon''s efforts to make sense of what was taking ce, he was once more confronted by the pressure that he had experienced earlier. It was as though a tumultuous wave had washed over him. And at that precise moment, the words that appeared to originate from the deepest parts of his being started going through his mind in a loop like a tape yer. ''Submit. '' ''Submit. '' ''Submit. '' ''This thing really pisses me off. '' Raydon gave a contorted expression as he took another disgusted look at the broken gate. "It''s not even here, and yet it can create such pressure just with the aura it left behind through a closed gate. How powerful is this thing really? '''' Zephyr clenched his teeth as he spoke. He, too, kept hearing the word "submit" in his head, and he was exerting all of his willpower to resist the urge toply with it. "Not bad," Samuen chuckled, his gaze sweeping across the troubled expressions of everyone present. "You are all able to stand firm and resist your natural instincts in the face of this formidable being." His words carried a touch of admiration, acknowledging the strength of will disyed by them. He was not using any defensive skills to protect himself from this pressure, and he also felt it in his soul. However, because he had been training in this room for so long and had be ustomed to this pressure, he was not as troubled as the others. ''''Father, what is this exactly?'''' Arden inquired. He had to use a lot of willpower to prevent himself from falling to his knees and epting the submission. "It is normal that you can''tprehend what it is because you''ve nevere across another higher being other than this thing. '''' Samuen said. ''''Higher being? '''' Zephyr asked. ''''Yes, as you are well aware, there are an extremelyrge number of races in this universe. Moreover, some of these races are inherently superior to others due to their innate characteristics. '''' Samuen said. When everyone heard what was being said, they all nodded their heads in agreement. Raydon was also aware of this fact. Hepeted in matches against item holders of a variety of races, each of which possessed their own distinct advantages. For instance, the wing-man race he encountered in his first match naturally had wings and did not require any skills to fly because of this. In addition, when the item holders from this race first awakened, they would get more stat points, not just one point, for all of their stats, in contrast to the human race. Samuen continued speaking once he saw that everyone was paying attention to what he had to say. ''''And in addition to these races, there is also another group that is referred to as higher beings or high races. These entities, or individuals, can be seen as the nobility of the universe. Naturally, they are superior to other races, and they are also much stronger. '''' Then he pointed to the broken gate behind him and continued. ''''The Observer is considered to be one of them. You can tell this thing is a higher being simply by looking at its presence, even though I''m not sure if it''s exactly a race or something else entirely. And in the presence of this superior being, a lower race such as us arepelled to submit to it due to the fact that it is in line with our natural instinct. '''' ''''Damn¡­ So that was the case. '''' Zephyr uttered in a furious tone while clenching his fists. After he discovered that the human race to which he belonged was a lower race, and on top of that, after learning that there were people out there known as higher races who could subdue them just with their presence, he felt like he waspletely helpless. ''''Wait¡­ Now I understand why the presence of this being affects us to such a great extent. But what about him? Is he also from a high race? '''' ra asked in a moment of sudden realization as she turned her gaze to Raydon, who was still standing still and unruffled. ''Hm¡­ Yeah, what about me? '' Raydon, like everyone else, was curious about the response to that question. Up until this point, he had been working to solve the mysteries while quietly observing what was happening all around him as though he were inside a game. When Raydon was on his way here, he had the assumption that the head of the family would reward him for the few techniques he had demonstrated, but now things had taken a very different turn, and he found himself in the middle of a mystery in which he was the central figure. Samuen seemed to know things about him that not even he himself knew, but to tell the truth, this did not bother him as much. On the contrary, he began to enjoy the event. ''Don''t tell me. Am I also a higher being? No, I''ve got to be a god reincarnate, right? '' Excitement filled Raydon''s mind. However, very quickly, all of his expectations were dashed by Samuen''s words. ''''High race? No no. He is actually a human like us. '''' Samuen chuckled as he said. ''Fuck human. How could I possibly belong to a race as lowly as humans? '' Raydon muttered in a frustrated manner as all of his heightened expectations vanished in this manner. He didn''t care about the human race at all; in fact, he thought it would be more interesting for him to be a more intriguing and advanced race. Again, with a sideways nce in the direction of Raydon, Zephyr questioned, "Then why?" ''Yeah, why? '' Raydon thought this with a glimmer of hope that still resided in him. "Well, despite being human, he is anything but ordinary. It''s highly probable that his existence rivals that of the Observer, considering his unique creation. After all, he was brought into existence with the grand objective of birthing a god," Samuen said, acknowledging the extraordinary nature of Raydon''s origins. Chapter 262 Mysterious Fallen World (Part 1) ? ''''Was he brought to life with the intention of creating a god? What does this mean? And what does it have to do with this gate? '''' Seren inquired, her confusion evident in her voice. ''''I think I got it. '''' After pausing for some reflection, Zephyr asked Cael, "You said he wasn''t from this world, right?" ''''Yes. '''' "As I thought, that''s where he came from, the fallen world this gate is connected to, right? " ''''Yes. '''' ''Oh, this body is also from another world, huh? '' Raydon, who was simrly taken aback by this information, kept on listening. ''''I see. This exins why he is so skilled in a wide variety of techniques. Just like organizations and families do in our world, but on a much wider scale, they tried to create the strongest item holder by uniting the whole world,'''' Zephyr muttered under his breath as he contemted the situation deeply. When the others heard about his inference, it jolted their awareness into higher gear. His assumption was not in the least bit imusible. In their world, the mighty establishments, including their own family, shared a striking simrity. Their shared objective was to nurture the heirs of families and organizations in the most effective manner, aiming to cultivate item holders of increasing power with each sessive generation. To ensure that future generations have the best possible gic inheritance, painstaking efforts were put into cultivating exceptional battle maids by making use of all of the resources that were at their disposal. The families would carefully select promising and high-potential offspring to be paired with these exceptional battle maids. This would ensure the most advantageous gicbination for the next child to be born from the pairing of these two individuals. In addition to this, the child would undergo rigorous training in all of the avable techniques, which have been painstakingly handed down from generation to generation, with the end goal of outperforming their ancestors in terms of potential. Zephyr reflected on the extraordinary endeavor that had been undertaken by all item holders in Raydon''s world, where they had united under a single order in the pursuit of creating the most powerful generation. Those who adopted such a strategy in this world, on the other hand, were regrettably divided into numerous families and organizations instead of uniting as one. ''''If what you''re saying is true, that''s incredible.'''' Arden was astounded by the idea, which appeared to be a utopia, but he eventually agreed to it. Because of the inherent selfishness that pervaded their own world, the item holders were unable to realize this concept and instead chose to split up into various families and organizations. Consequently, rather than creating the single strongest generation, this fragmented approach led to the production of numerous wed generations. ''''But there is something else I don''t understand. '''' Zephyr snapped out of his reverie, looked at Samuen, and inquired. ''''If I''m not mistaken, he was still a human when he arrived in this world andter turned into an item holder. How did a human baby survive the cmity in the fallen world, and then you managed to bring him into this world? '''' Zephyr had exhausted all of the reasonable options avable to him, but this one didn''t make sense ording to his reasoning. To be more specific, item holders were the only ones who could use a gate and travel between worlds. A normal person''s body, much less a baby''s, is not designed to withstand this kind of pressure, and they would certainly perish as soon as they were ced inside a gate. Aside from that, he didn''t fullyprehend why the Observer had turned that world into a fallen world; however, he reasoned that the mystery would be solved on its own if he discovered how Raydon had survived in a fallen world and made his way into this world. ''''Good, good. Understanding this fundamental truth will pave the way forprehending the entirety of the events that have transpired. '''' Samuen said with satisfaction. It had been his intention from the very beginning toy the groundwork for them to be able toprehend what they will see and hear before telling them all about it, and now that he could see that they were all prepared to hear about these unbelievable urrences, he felt a sense of relief. As he moved behind the broken gate, Samuen started toy out everything. ''''First of all, contrary to what you believe, this underground room was not created by me for training purposes. Instead, this ce was mysteriously formed thirty years ago without my knowledge or power. '''' ''''What? '''' The revtion left everyone in a state of astonishment. They had long been aware of the existence of the underground chamber, but their assumption was that the family leader, being a B-Rank at the time, had personally created it, deeming it necessary to have a training space separate from the rest. Even for people who are used to living in a world that is full of mysteries and fantastical phenomena, the fact that these vast corridors and the enormous room had mysteriously and spontaneously materialized was truly astounding. Samuen proceeded, oblivious to the expressions of shock on the faces of those who were following him. ''''To be honest, I didn''t understand why a ce like this suddenly existed beneath our family''s mansion back then. I investigated this mystery for ten years, and during that time I kept it hidden from everyone by iming that I built this ce as a training ground for myself. '''' When everyone heard what Samuen had to say, they had no reason to feel resentful toward him for the decision he made. After all, he was the head of the family and the most powerful individual among them, so it was only natural for him to keep this information to himself in order to prevent any unrest among low-ranking item holders like themselves. They were aware of the gravity of his responsibilities and respected his choice to keep the secret hidden until it could be deciphered. Chapter 263 Mysterious Fallen World (Part 2) ? ''''After devoting ten years of my life to unraveling the mystery of this room, I came up empty-handed in my search for answers, and I was on the verge of giving up. '''' Samuen paused briefly, directing attention towards the ruined gate. ''''But then this thing appeared.'''' ''''Of course, when this gate first appeared 20 years ago, it didn''t look like this. Instead, like every other newly opened gate, it was fully operational and ready for me to pass through and explore the fallen world it was concealing. '''' Zephyr interrupted him and questioned, "But if this is really a rift, didn''t creaturese to this world from within?" Under normal circumstances, new life forms would emerge in the fallen world after its final cmity wiped out all of its inhabitants. These mindless monsters would take shape using the elements that the cmity possesses. And normally, when a rift first opened, item holders would not immediately enter the rift, but would instead wait for the creatures that would emerge from the rift to invade their world and eliminate them first. ''''Yes, you are correct. Therefore, I reasoned that it was time to reveal this information to another person in the hope that they will assist me in putting a stop to the creatures that are capable of entering this world from within. '''' Samuen turned to face Diam, who was following behind them. ''''Miss Diam? Howe you didn''t tell us but her?'''' Arden frowned. It would have made more sense to inform his sons, who were already C-Rank item holders at the time, about this risk rather than Diam, who was a D-Rank item holder. "Hahaha, Who else in the family could I ask for assistance? '''' A sudden fit ofughter erupted from Samuen as he stated, "She is the only B-Rank member of this family other than me." Zephyr couldn''t believe what he was hearing. "B-Rank? Her?" he eximed, ncing back and forth between Diam and his father, who was chuckling with amusement. "Why would I joke? Go ahead and ask her," Samuen replied. "Miss Diam?" Arden uttered it, his skepticism lingering. He turned towards Diam, seeking confirmation, only to be met with a haunting sight¡ªa pair of piercing purple eyes emanating an eerie glow. ''''W-What the fuck? '''' When Arden suddenly found himself unable to move, he panicked and cried out. "Hell... She really is a B-Rank," Zephyr eximed, his voice tinged with astonishment as he came to the realization as he attempted to move his body, only to discover that he waspletely immobilized. Diam was currently using the same skill on them that she had previously used on Mell and Galen, but this time the target of this skill was a group of C-Ranks. "Miss Diam, we believe you. Could you please release us?" ra pleaded, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and awe. As a former battle maid, she was trained and raised as an item holder by Diam. Yearster, when she once again felt the same control over her body, her old memories resurfaced. She was taken aback when she discovered that Diam was in fact a B-Rank; however, she and Seren were able to more readily ept this revtion because their admiration for Diam had never wavered over the course of years. ''Damn, I can''t believe this old monster fooled us for so many years. '' As soon as he felt the restriction on him being lifted, Zephyr immediately averted his eyes and thought. The fact that she was able to conceal her abilities from them did not surprise him, given that she was a B-Rank and because of the nature of her item holder build. Even though she still appeared to be a charming middle-aged woman, no one knew Diam''s true age. All they knew was that when they were children, she was already a member of their family and yed a significant role in their upbringing, as their mother had perished in a rift event many years ago. Therefore, not only the battle maids but also all the family elders endeavored to show her respect. "Well, now that this secret has also been revealed, I can continue where I left off. '''' Samuenughed as he continued walking. ''What a trusting family. '' Raydon was amused by the situation and continued to trail behind the old man. "As I said, as every item holder would anticipate, the first thing that crossed my mind when I first saw this gate was that creatures would emerge from it and invade this world. So Diam and I took turns standing watch by this gate for a considerable amount of time. We had no idea how strong the monsters from within were, or whether we would be able to stop them all, but at least we had made all the arrangements for the family to be evacuated in case things got out of hand. '''' Samuen said. Normally, the rank of the fallen world and what element it had could be understood by looking at the gate itself. However, there were so many differences regarding this gate that it became impossible for them to understand. Aside from that, Samuen didn''t want to approach any other families for assistance because he believed that this gate would be a boon for their family and he didn''t want to split any potential benefits with any other families. Also, despite the fact that normally the Academy and other high-rank item holders have skills that allow them to find opened gates and rifts, it is interesting to note that nobody noticed this gate and came here to investigate it. Samuen believed that the reason for this was because the mysterious room was keeping its radiating energy hidden from the outside world, so it was only natural for him to keep the existence of this room a secret from the rest of the world. ''''However, despite the fact that we were on standby for a considerable period of time, no monsters or any sign of life emerged from within,'''' Samuen said so solemnly. "We waited for two long years just to be sure, and atst we mustered up the courage and decided to go inside. '''' Chapter 264 Impending Doom (Part 1) ? ''''When we finally gathered enough courage and stepped inside, we were greeted by a world that was quite different from what we anticipated.'''' After a prolonged period of walking, Samuen eventually arrived at a stop in front of something that was concealed with a dark cloth. "A world in which it seemed as though the earth hadpletely deteriorated, enveloped in an imprable darkness, with not even a glimpse of sky." Samuen''s face contorted into a heavy frown as he reminisced about those harrowing scenes. ''''Nothing could be seen in the area. No monsters, no signs of life¡ªonly an expanse of ck and gray. Also, the Observer itself was not present; however, the existence that it had left behind was crashing against us like a violent wave in that broken world covered in nothingness. '''' As he continued to speak, his voice, which had been exhausted for some time, seemed to lose even more energy. The anguish that he felt at that moment was clearly visible on his face. Samuen tried to settle his roiling emotions by taking a few slow, deep breaths before continuing. "Diam and I set out on a journey through that vast expanse of nothingness in search of anything that might help our family, even in the slightest way. '''' At that very moment, Samuen was willing to settle for any reward, regardless of its size. It''s also possible that this is just an orange-grade or even a purple-grade item. After all, this strange room and the gate that suddenly appeared within it couldn''t be anything but extraordinary. It had to give them something in exchange for the time they spent waiting and the effort they put in. ''''And after days of suffering and exhaustion, we were finally able to discover something. '''' Samuen''s scowl vanished in an instant, and he said it with a smile while looking at those who were attentively listening to what he had to say. ''''In this world of nothingness, where there is not even a single stone, we have discovered, unbelievably, a building that is still standing. This building appeared to be a tall and imposing skyscraper, which waspletely out of ce in that fallen world; however, my best guess was that it was miraculously the only survivor of the cmity that had befallen the world. '''' Samuen directed his attention once more to the thing that was covered up by the dark cloth. "Considering that this building emerged unscathed from the cmity that had ravaged everything else, we deemed it a ce of significance," he exined, his voice tinged with intrigue. "Without giving it much thought, we came to the conclusion that we should go inside. As we had anticipated, there was something within, something that the Observer was unable to eradicate or something that the Observer may have purposefully left behind despite destroying the entire world. '''' With a sense of anticipation hanging in the air, Samuen slowly lifted the ck shroud, revealing to the curious onlookers what they had discovered within the confines of that enigmatic building. Arden''s voice betrayed ack of awe as he questioned, "Huh? What is that?" Zephyr, puzzled by the peculiar device before him, voiced his confusion, "Is it some kind of baby srium device? " He struggled toprehend the true nature of the object. Cael, with a hint of exasperation, responded, "Are you an idiot? It''s clearly an item formation." The group stood in silence, unsure of how to react to this. Even though they had high expectations, they couldn''t find the words to express how they felt. It was undoubtedly an item formation, but to their surprise, it was incredibly small in size. "Indeed, this is an item formation," Samuen confirmed with a smile, his gaze shifting to Raydon, who wore a look of sheer disbelief. "It seems you are familiar with this," he remarked, noting the shock etched on Raydon''s face. Raydon''s face was frozen in the same expression of disbelief that it had been in when he first arrived on this world. He recognized the object before him, and that recognition held him captive in a state of astonishment. ''''How the fuck is a gaming capsule here? '''' he muttered, his voiceced with a mixture of surprise and confusion. The gray, oval-shaped pod before Raydon was no ordinary gaming capsule. It was one of the most advanced and renowned gaming pods from his previous world. Though its size seemed tailored for a baby, Raydon knew without a doubt that this was the same gaming pod he had spent countless hours immersed in. The familiarity of its design and features left no room for doubt; as a professional gamer, it was his most cherished and frequently used device. Raydon walked up to the gaming pod and lightly touched a blue touch button on it. As the device''s cover slowly lifted into the air to reveal its interior, Raydon''s shock grew. Raydon''s mind whirled in disbelief as he gazed at the gaming pod from his previous world. ''Shit¡­ This is real. How? '' he pondered, his eyes fixed on the white silicon-like structure within the pod and the ample space perfectly suited for a baby. Raydon''s expression twisted into a frown as a sense of unease washed over him. ''Damn... I have a bad feeling about this,'' he muttered under his breath. ''''What is that? '''' After quickly getting over the shock of Raydon''s knowledge of this item formation, Zephyr noticed an old and frayed-looking file on the silicone pad of the pod and asked about it out of curiosity. The reply came from Samuen. "This is the piece of the puzzle that exins everything about his existence and how we learned everything. '''' After that, he picked up the file, gave it to Raydon, and then said. ''''After reading it, you will understand everything. '''' Raydon, who was taken aback, epted the file, and his eyes immediately fell upon the red text that was engraved on the paper that was hidden beneath the transparent cover. Raydon''s thoughts churned uneasily as he grappled with the unsettling truth. ''I suppose, contrary to my initial assumption, my arrival in this world is not a mere transmigration. '' Chapter 265 Impending Doom (Part 2) ? Raydon started to read very carefully after opening the file that contained information about his past, which he probably didn''t even know about himself. ''So this is a diary, huh? '' After reading the first sentence that greeted him, Raydon thought for a moment before continuing to read. "The horrendous eye he''s referring to... could it be the Observer?" As Zephyr read the file over Raydon''s shoulder, his voice filled with astonishment. ''''Yeah, probably. '''' Arden uttered those words while maintaining a terrified expression on his face. Even though he did not yet know who had written this diary, the fact that the person mentioned that he had lost his system after the Observer came into the world was enough to fill him with dread and cause him to tremble in fear. Raydon, who had noticed this particr fact, grimaced as well and continued to read in a more inquisitive manner. "Looks like this guy is actually having fun, being thest person standing in his world," Zephyrmented with a chuckle. "Ehm... Guess I better get back to reading," he said, noticing the looks he was getting for breaking the silence and interrupting their reading. At first, the announcement that someone had attained the S-Rank for the very first time caused many of us to feel an overwhelming sense of joy. As you might have guessed, a lot of us were also jealous of this person''s sess. Of course, I was delighted to hear this news as an A-Rank at the time. Ah¡­ Okay, I''ll admit that I may have felt a tiny bit jealous, but that didn''t stop me from being happy because this news gave us all hope, as up until that point, we had all given up hope that we would ever be able to achieve S-Rank. On the other hand, we finally have reason to believe that we can achieve this goal. After a while, though, we understood that the happiness or envy we had been feeling was merely a meaningless emotion, and these feelings were quickly reced by the urgency for all item holders. Within a mere 100 years since the birth of the first S-Rank, we have observed a staggering rise in the number of portals and rifts opening in our world. The frequency of these interdimensional gateways surged, unleashing hordes of increasingly powerful monsters upon us with each passing day. As time went on, the situation grew increasingly dire, leading to the loss of millions of lives, both among ordinary people and item holders, due to the relentless monster invasions. The scale of devastation was unimaginable, resulting in the loss of three-fifths of our world. In order to ensure our survival, we were forced to establish smaller settlements where we could gather and fortify ourselves against the ongoing threat. The monsters that emerged from the rifts and portals gradually became more powerful over time, eventually reaching a point where A-Rank item holders were no longer able to keep up with them. However, with the assistance of our lone S-Rank item holder, we were able to defend the small amount of ground that was still in our possession. But as more time passed, it became more and more obvious to us that relying on a single S-Rank item holder would not be enough to protect our world from the impending threat. And in a rtively short period of 100 years, it became abundantly clear to us that achieving S-Rank was no longer a mere aspiration, but an absolute necessity for our very survival. > "Holy... Father, are all of these things true?" Arden eximed, unable to believe what he was reading. "Apparently so," Samuen replied after a moment of contemtion. "How long has it been since the Emperor attained S-Rank?" Seren asked with a grave tone. "If the dates are correct, there''s less than a year left until it reaches exactly 100," Thalia replied. "And even if our situation isn''t as dire as the one depicted in this diary, our world is already beginning to experience these problems," Samuen stated with a grave expression, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation. It was evident that their current world didn''t have much time left either. Chapter 266 Impending Doom (Part 3) ? "Fortunately, the Emperor must have recognized this issue long before anyone else did," Samuen continued his awe and respect for the Emperoring through loud and clear in his words. "He had the foresight to establish the Academy as a proactive measure. '''' Actually, the Emperor was just a name they gave to the item holder who is the most powerful and only S-Rank in their world, and of course, he wasn''t a real emperor. A very long time ago, when there was still no S-Rank in the world, the logic of family and organization still persisted, and then, after this person named Valir finally became S-Rank, he used the power and authority he had to at least connect all of the families in Central City, which is the capital of the world. In addition to this, he established the Academy with the goal of imbuing future generations with greater knowledge and potential. And not long after that, the entire world began to view him as an independent, authoritarian leader who was not connected to any family or organization. Due to the fact that he held the title of Fire Emperor, he was given the name Valir the Emperor. Samuen continued by eximing with a sigh, "But s, in spite of all his efforts, we were ultimately unsessful." Unfortunately, the Emperor was still unable to stop the selfish behavior that all families are unable to give up, and despite all of his efforts, no other S-Rank item holder has emerged in their world over the past many years. ra''s voice was tense as she asked, "So what will we do?" If what was written in the diary they were reading turned out to be urate, then the impending dangers that their world would soon face were going to be much greater than the Emperor could handle on his own, and it wouldn''t be long before the chaos would ensue. ''''What will we do?'''' Samuen murmured as he rephrased the question. After that, he stated it while maintaining a slight smile. "Continue reading, and you will find the answer to this questionter on by yourselves." With these words, everyone returned their attention to the diary Raydon was holding. It was true that the only way to find out how to save their world from the impending threat was to scour the historical records of another world that had dealt with the same threat in the past. ''''wed techniques? '''' When everyone had finished reading these lines, they turned to look at each other in a moment of sudden awareness and shock. They had no idea about this until Raydon brought it to their attention, and they were astounded to find out that the same issue had manifested itself as a problem in another world as well. Armed with this newfound information, a sense of heightened awareness dawned upon each of them. They began to contemte the possibility that not only their family but all item holders in their world might be using wed techniques. After being confronted with this reality, they decided to pay careful consideration to what was being said once more in the expectation of gaining insight into the reason. ''''Father? '''' Arden eximed in disbelief, his eyes widening as he searched for a rational exnation for what he had just read. ''''This is true. '''' Samuen said in a low voice while pulling a palm-sized white glowing crystal from his dimensional storage and disying it. ''''Hm? '''' Raydon was drawn to this crystal, and he assumed it to be the same one described in the diary. ''''Oh, you probably have no idea what it is. Take a look. '''' Samuen smiled and handed the crystal to him. [Wisdom Crystal] -Tier: Mid -Skill: Use Wisdom -This crystal contains knowledge of a particr movement technique. ''Is this how they learn their techniques?'' Raydon pondered as he read the description of the item. ncing at the expressions on the faces of the others, he quickly deduced that they were all well-acquainted with this particr item, leading him to believe that they had all used it before. ''''Use it,'''' Samuen said. Raydon, who was simrly interested in discovering what kind of item it was, made the snap decision to use it right away. ''''Use Wisdom. '''' Raydon suddenly felt lightheaded for a short while after saying the name of the skill that will activate the item, and he realized that there was a flow of information from the crystal to his brain. ''Oh, this looks like their half-assed movement technique, but this one looks even worse. '' Raydon thought. Chapter 267 Impending Doom (Part 4) ? In a matter of seconds, Raydon swiftly reviewed the information he had acquired, and a realization struck him. The Demugen family''s evasion technique was merely a slightly enhanced version of this technique. ''''This Wisdom Crystal was discovered by the previous family head of our family from a fallen world many years ago, and he built our current family by using this technique as a foundation during that time. However, over the course of many years, we naturally attempted to enhance this technique in a variety of different ways. But as you can see, this is just a fragmented knowledge of a few techniquesbined, and because we never had the base techniques, we were unable to improve it any further, and it has remained a mid-tier technique up until now. '''' Samuen shed light on it for Raydon. Because the fallen worlds were entirely obliterated by the cmities, no written sources or technological advancements were able to survive in those worlds. Therefore, the only way for the item holders to discover the techniques is through these wisdom crystals, which contain the information regarding the supreme technique that the item holders left behind after they passed away. ''''Honestly, I had no idea until I read this diary that these crystals only contain supreme techniques, not basic ones, and that they also have iplete information. So it has caused us to use a wed technique from the very beginning all these years," Samuen said as he took the crystal Raydon had handed back to him and ced it back into his dimensional storage. Supreme techniques were not designed to be used by anyone and everyone; rather, item holders were the ones who typically created them bybining multiple techniques to meet their individual requirements. Furthermore, with the addition of the missing information in the crystals, it became evident that the techniques learned by everyone in this world through these crystals were wed. "I observed you while you were demonstrating the techniques thatprise this supreme technique in the training room. You named them ''yer Instinct'' and ''Godlike Focus,'' right? Hahaha, I won''tment on your naming sense, but I can certainly recognize that these two are genuine high-tier techniques that, as far as I know, no one else possesses in this world," Samuen said with a hearty chuckle. In fact, it was a waste of time and effort for them to try to improve this technique for many years. What they should have done instead was to locate the base techniques that make up this supreme technique and learn them separately. However, this was not a simple task, and in fact, until Raydon showed it to them, they were not even aware that there were two separate techniques thatbined to form this upleted supreme technique. ''Looks like he is more familiar with my past than I thought. '' Raydon scowled thoughtfully. He was taken aback when he discovered that Samuen was aware of the fact that he had made up the names of these two techniques based on his previous life. "I think I may have said too much," Samuen admitted, noticing Raydon''s suspicious gaze. "I suggest you continue reading before we delve any further into the matter." Raydon wentpletely silent as he refocused his attention on the diary. He was starting to get an idea as to what exactly this fallen world had to do with his previous life, but before he thought about it any further, he wanted to make sure that his assumption was correct. Because of the arrival of this second S-Rank, the pressure that was ced on us was significantly lessened, and in a rtively short amount of time, we were even able to reim some of thends that we had previously lost. With this as our impetus, we continued tomit more time and energy to the process of discovering additional high-level techniques and passing them on to subsequent generations. Fortunately, all of our efforts kept paying off. We have been sessful in producing 3rd, 4th, and even 5th S-Rank item holders in a rtively short amount of time by teaching many high-tier techniques to the new generations. Because of this, they have be item holders with greater potential and better titles as a result. The number of S-Rank item holders on our world finally reached hundreds after more than a century, and with the resources these new S-Rank item holders brought to our world from other fallen worlds, A-Rank item holders who had previously believed they had no chance of advancement¡ªincluding myself¡ªbegan to advance to S-Rank. We had regained all thends we had lost in our world, and we believed we were prepared for any other threats from the outside thanks to the hundreds of powerful S-Ranks and high-tier techniques at our disposal. Ourbined strength quickly reached new heights with the quick rise of SS-Rank item holders, surpassing the already formidable S-Ranks. They overcame the limitations of their forebears by fusing high-tier techniques and discovering original supreme techniques. Our progressive policies and the unifying power that propelled the world to steadily increasing levels of strength were the fuel for this incredible progress. And finally, at the pinnacle of our aplishments, a SSS-Rank item holder stood, a symbol of unparalleled mastery and the pinnacle of our collective strength. With the appearance of this new SSS-Rank item holder and the demonstration of her power, everyone began to believe that we had finally created a god... However, our illusions were shattered once again when the system introduced a new concept known as "world wars." But it wasn''t until after we had fought in the First World War that we realized the harsh reality of our ignorance. We were under the impression that the SSS-Rank was the highest possible, but in reality, it wasn''t even close. > Chapter 268 Impending Doom (Part 5) However, when we witnessed her tense voice and slightly trembling body as she uttered these words, the hope that had just begun to blossom within us withered away at the same rapid pace. In spite of the fact that we were keenly aware of the staggering imbnce of power, we refused to give in to hopelessness. We were a strong force, having once prevented the end of the world and persevered in the face of insurmountable odds. Our unwavering faith and hope have always been our greatest source of strength as human beings. Even in the face of a certain defeat, we resolved to give our all and fight in this war, refusing to retreat without leaving a trace of our valor and determination. With these thoughts, we were trying to regain the will and courage to fight when a voice emerged from the middle of the enemy item holders. ''''This is fascinating. The lowly human race was thest thing I expected to see here. '''' The owner of the voice confidently made his way through the Draconians while dressed in striking ck and metallic body armor that marked him as the group''s leader. Half of his face was covered in silver scales, giving him an air of power and authority that drew our attention. But what really left an impression on us was not how powerful this draconian appeared to be; rather, it was the way that everyone waspelled to instinctively submit to his extremely powerful existence. Confronted with such a formidable presence, none of us could deny beingbeled as mere humans, for it was evident that in the presence of this superior race, our own race stood as nothing more than the feeble human species at the bottom of the hierarchy. On that fateful day, our army of thousands of human item holders faced off against eighty Draconians. But in the end, there was only one Draconian that we fought against. Only one Draconian had annihted our entire army without breaking a sweat, under the scornful gaze of the remaining 79 enemies. The war was over in a matter of hours, but by the time it was over, we had lost more than half of our army and our sole SSS-Rank member to their true deaths. That day began as the day I felt the most pride in my life, but it also turned out to be the day I felt the most hopelessness. Unfortunately, the humiliating defeat was just the beginning, as we realized the true extent of our loss when we returned to our world with only a few hundred survivors from the thousands who had participated in the war. When we first returned to our world, we were not greeted by terrifying monsters or buildings that had been destroyed; rather, the situation was much worse than either of those things. Chapter 269 Impending Doom (Part 6) ? Within the span of just one day, we were able to determine that a significant number of the regions that had been present on our map up until that point had vanished entirely. Geography had undergone aplete transformation, with many geographical features, including oceans, deserts, and even some cities, having vanished. At that moment, we came to terms with a harsh reality: as a result of our defeat in the war, we had not only lost arge number of item holders, but we had also lost a portion of our world. The magnitude of our misfortune exceeded any expectations we had. And this only happened after one world war. But what would happen in the aftermath of the second or third world war? We had no time to be sad over our loss. Even though we had no idea when the next world war would start, we had to make preparations for it nheless. We had previously rescued our world from the brink of oblivion, and now we needed to be like a phoenix and rise from the ashes once more. We needed to be a lot more powerful than before. After the previous battle, in which our entire army was eliminated by a single Draconian, we came to the conclusion that the number of our forces was no longer relevant. The image of the smiling face of Dragonian, who easily killed ourrades and defeated us alone in a humiliating way, and the words "lowly humans" kept ringing in our ears for a long time while we were making ns again for the future. We had toe up with an item holder that would ensure that our species would never again be referred to as "lowly humans." We began by concentrating on the initial shorings of our race inparison to those of other races. Our minds went to the imprable scales that the Draconians possessed as well as the inherent power that came from their ancestry and ran through their veins. With all of this, we needed to develop a human being with a physical structure that could absorb all of our techniques from birth until they were awakened as an item holder. We faced the challenge of creating a formidable and resilient body that possessed the strength we needed. However, it was essential that this body remain human, even though we couldn''t rely on natural means for its creation. Keeping this in mind, we collected the necessary gene samples from residents of our world who possessed exceptional physical qualities. After that, we began the process of creating the human body we desired with these genes by constructing a formation with all of the resources at our disposal and an orange-grade item as its core. After a significant amount of time and arge number of failed attempts, we were finally sessful in achieving our objective. We were finally sessful in our attempt to create a human baby. Despite the fact that the body we created was still not as good as the bodies of the high races, it had the potential to be the most powerful body the human race has ever produced. At the very least, it was a body that could handle the techniques that we were going to teach without being an item holder, and that was enough for us. However, following this sess, we were confronted with a new challenge. We were able to construct a human body, but this body was still missing a soul. In contrast to the manner in which we constructed this body, we were unable to produce the soul by collecting gene samples from arge number of individuals. We also were not able to take the soul of any individual and transfer it to this body because the item holder that we were trying to create required a unique soul. Ultimately, the title that an item holder will attain upon awakening is not solely determined by the growth of their potential through learned techniques, but also by the individual''s character. Therefore, the spirit of the person ys a crucial role in shaping their title. Due to the nature of this issue, we were unable to move forward in our search for a solution for many years. During this process, we were fortunate enough to avoid having to take part in yet another world war; however, we had the impression that we did not have very much time left. Fortunately, we didn''t have to wait much longer to find the solution we had been seeking. During our relentless pursuit, we stumbled upon the sale of a crucial item at an auction in the upper dimension¡ªthe realm that had always remained under our radar. The moment we realized that this item was going to be auctioned off, our entire world was thrown into a state of sudden excitement and tension. We were acutely aware that if we missed this opportunity to acquire the item, our chances of acquiring it in the future would be extremely slim because this item was a golden-grade item that rarely appears even in the upper dimension. Thankfully, we were able to acquire the item, despite having to pay an exorbitant price and even selling several high-tier techniques. [Pendant] -Grade: Golden -Quality: Masterpiece -Skill: Soul Descent It reaches across time and space to call forth the spirit of one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Spirit''s response to the call varies based on the user''s spirit stat. Spirit''s response to the call varies based on the user''s stamina stat. Spirit''s response to the call varies based on the user''s charisma stat. Spirit''s response to the call varies based on the user''s strength stat. Spirit''s response to the call varies based on the user''s agility stat. Spirit''s response to the call varies based on the user''s luck stat. -Mana cost: 999999 -Duration: - -Cooldown: One-time use. Now, with this item, the only thing that remained for us to do was put together the essential item formation. > Chapter 270 Impending Doom (Part 7) "I wonder if there is a golden-grade item in our world," Zephyr murmured in awe. "I don''t think so. We probably wouldn''t be able to afford one even if we sold the entire world," Seren responded. People frequently view golden-grade items as being extremely valuable due to their singrity and rarity in the universe. If a person were to attempt to craft the same item using a recipe, the crafting process would unavoidably fail unless the original item was either destroyed or rendered incapable of being used in some other way. Due to the fact that they are one-of-a-kind, these items cannot be replicated, which further contributes to the rarity and value of the items in question. Because of this, it is normally impossible for a poor world like the world mentioned in this diary to be able to purchase an item of golden grade. They were, however, fortunate enough to be able to do so because a lot of people did not want this item because it has a limited usage area, is only limited for single use, and does not have a sess rate of one hundred percent. As a result, the price of this item decreased, which allowed them to purchase it at a reduced cost. The reason why the skill did not guarantee a 100% chance of sess was due to the uniqueness of the seven souls that could be summoned through the item. Each of these souls was one-of-a-kind, with only one existing in the entire universe. If all of these souls were already bound to other bodies, it would be impossible to reach them and summon them, even with the power of the item. In addition to this, one of the dangers that came along with using this item was the fact that the owner of the item had no way of determining in advance which of these seven souls they would call forth when they used it. However, it didn''t seem to matter much to them which one woulde, as they were obviously confident in the fact that they were all exceptional souls. To put it more sinctly, even if Lust had appeared, at the very most he would have established a harem for himself out of all the women in their world. Therefore, every characteristic that belonged to these seven souls had some sort of deficiency, but as long as they contributed to the advancement of their world and the human race, that deficiency was of no consequence to them. As Zephyr continued to read, he cast a curious nce in Raydon''s direction and muttered with a voice brimming with interest, "I wonder which one they managed to summon in the end." Because of this, our initial thoughts regarding the project''s ethical implications were called into question. What attributes define someone as belonging to a particr racial group, such as the human race, and what attributes define someone as a true human being? Are human beings distinguished solely by possessing human genes in their physical body, or is it the connection of their soul to the fundamental essence of humanity? In the face of limited time and urgency, we set aside debates about such philosophical questions and swiftly made the decision to utilize the soul without dwelling too much on the matter. And finally, we reached the consensus that souls transcend racial boundaries and acquire their own distinct identity once they inhabit a physical body. As a formation master and the bearer of a heavy burden of responsibility, I moved swiftly to make use of the golden-grade item as the core in order to construct a formation that would make it possible for the summoned soul to be transferred into the body. And at that point, all that was left to do was activate this formation and watch to see which soul would incarnate within this body. The activation of the formation, which contained a golden-grade item at its center, was in point of fact a challenging task. All the item holders in our care had to work together to make it happen. We persisted for an entire year in order to activate the formation, and we were ultimately sessful in doing so thanks to the sequential transfer of their mana and the utilization of arge number of life cores. Up until that day, we had never seen the activation of a skill that belonged to a golden-grade item. As we beheld the unfolding spectacle in front of us, we were left speechless, our tongues held captive by awe and wonder. In a matter of seconds, depressing dark clouds spread across our entire world, and we could feel the world quaking all the way down to its core. We had a brief moment of panic when we realized that the very world that we had worked so hard to protect could be taken away from us by our own hands using this skill. Even though I''ve seen a lot of different summoning skills in the past, this one was definitely unique. What we sought to summon was undeniably extraordinary, and fortuitously, the soul we desired was anything but ordinary. After enduring six months of enveloping dark clouds and pervasive vibrations resonating from every corner of our world, we were on the verge of conceding our failure and contemting halting our efforts to prevent further harm to our world. However, just as we were about to give up hope, a momentous event yed out in front of us: all of those ominous ck clouds gathered into a single point in the sky, where they formed a whirling ck rift. Chapter 271 Impending Doom (Part 8) ? As soon as the rift appeared, we had the realization that we had at longst achieved our goal, and the soul had responded to our summons. At that precise instant, a resounding confirmation of our efforts echoed through the system, reaching the ears of every item holder who had yed a part in activating the formation. The confirmation of our earlier convictions sent a surge of tion through us, instilling a profound sense of aplishment and satisfaction. [Summoning sessful.] [In response to your beckoning, Greed descends upon your world.] And very quickly, a ray of light originating from within this rift, illuminating the whole world with its radiance as brilliant as the sun, entered the body that we had previously created, whichy in the middle of the formation. We were finally sessful. Using every avable resource, we were able to create a human with the potential to lead the human race. In addition, we felt an extra measure of happiness due to the fact that the soul that responded to our call was Greed, which was also in ordance with our objective. Despite the fact that the soul arrived with no memories, we recognized the enormous potential in cultivating and channeling this infant entity''s greed in the right direction. It had the potential to be the ultimate weapon for our world and our race if it was taken care of properly and guided in the right direction. All that remained for us to do was raise him using all of our knowledge while patiently waiting for him to reach adulthood. However, just as things seemed to be progressing smoothly, an unexpected situation arose. We received a system message that informed us we did not have the luxury of time to allow the baby to grow and develop into a full-fledged item holder. We learned that the impending world war was approaching much sooner than anticipated, leaving us with only a few years to nurture and train this child into a formidable item holder before the next world war. While we could elerate the physical growth of the child using time-based skills and formations, imparting all our techniques and knowledge posed a significant challenge. We had to strike a delicate bnce between teaching him while also ensuring he gained valuable life experiences. Moreover, we had to carefully prevent any premature awakening, desiring him to be an item holder only when he had fully reached his potential. And taking into ount all of these challenges, we came to the conclusion that one more item formation was necessary. We have established a new formation that has allowed us to create an alternative world. This world will allow for a different flow of time than in our world, and it will ensure that his development is sessful. In this manner, even though only a few months would pass in our world, he would have lived in the alternative world that we created for a considerable amount of time. To prevent the child from prematurely awakening, we imposed restrictions on his real physical body, ensuring that he would not experience elerated growth during this crucial period. Additionally, in order to solely concentrate on his character growth and force him to give all of his attention to the techniques we teach him through this world, we made the conscious decision to create a world devoid of item holders and special powers, a world where ordinary people prevailed. And once everything was ready, we started the process of formation and began our roles as gods to observe and shape his destiny in this world for his development. To begin, given that his character possesses the trait of greed, we felt obligated to make the most of its potential. ordingly, we chose to bring him up in a typical orphanage under the guise of an orphan who has never had a family. The oue was exactly as we had anticipated, and as a normal human child, his initial greed was to be the center of attention from those around him. He was not an incredible genius, but only because of his desire to attract the attention of those around him did he begin to achieve things that were incredible for his age. First, he learned to walk when he was very young, then he picked up speaking, and finally, he taught himself how to write. However, as a result of our interventions, these things, which in normal circumstances would shock everyone and lead them to believe that he was an incredible genius, failed to attract the attention of anyone. As a consequence of this, when he realized that he was not going to be able to aplish his objective, he began making even more of an effort. He began helping out around the dorm by performing tasks that, for someone his age, would be an extremely difficult burden to bear. He began assisting the staff in the dorm by preparing meals and doingundry. In the mornings, he would rise early and write lyrics and poems in the hopes that they would be noticed by someone, and in the evenings, he would clean the entire dorm room using nothing more than a simple cloth. Desperate to prove his worth and capture attention, he resorted to extreme measures, attempting to set fire to the entire dormitory multiple times, but his actions only resulted in further indifference and disregard from those around him. Sadly, despite his efforts, he remained devoid of the desired love and attention from others, to the extent that he wasn''t even given a name until he reached the age of six. When we saw him putting in so much effort just to get the attention and love that he craves, it deeply shocked all of us, and of course, it caused some of us, including myself, to feel sad. Despite this, we persisted with the project by closing off our emotions and convincing ourselves that all of these things are essential for his future as well as the future of our world. It was essential for us to impart the understanding that in life, regardless of one''s efforts, there would always be unforeseen circumstances leading to failure. It was imperative that we ensure that he never gave up, just as it was imperative that we ourselves never gave up despite the fact that our world was in danger of being destroyed over and over again. At the end of it all, when he was 6 years old, we made the decision to present him with an award to at least demonstrate that all of his hard work hadn''t been in vain. Then we decided to give him a name that would one day carry the weight of his extraordinary destiny and resound throughout the entire universe.> Chapter 272 Impending Doom (Part 9) ? ''''Fuck you. '''' Raydon cursed as he kicked the gaming pod, which he had previously discovered to be an item formation. ''I''vee across theories saying that our existence is nothing more than a simtion, but I never thought it could actually be true,'' he muttered with a mixture of anger and disbelief. Raydon was left with a sour taste in his mouth aftering to the realization that his previous life had been nothing more than a simtion that had been painstakingly designed to resemble reality. He had believed in its authenticity until now, unaware that his entire existence had been under constant observation and maniption by unknown forces. He felt disillusioned and uneasy as he realized that his entire life had been a lie. ''Damn, I had to figure out right away that something was wrong when I got this weird title instead of a golden finger,'' Raydon grumbled. Even though his previous life had been a simtion, there were a great number of novels and video games based on reincarnation and transmigration. In these stories and games, whenever the main character dies and wakes up in a different world, they are endowed with extraordinary abilities that no one else in that world possesses. But when he arrived in this world, the only thing that was different from normal was the peculiarity of his title. Because of the absurdly high requirement for experience points, he was unable to level up and could only improve some of his stats and gain passive skills. This problem even asionally led him to question whether his title was more of a burden than a help. Given the high potential of his title, it was only natural that the required number of experience points to advance in levels would also be substantial. However, it was a nuisance that the already high number of experience points necessary to upgrade his title and level up continued to increase even further. Andter on, when he found out that he couldn''t increase his stats by more than 100, things became even more frustrating for him than they had already been. Although there was undoubtedly a way to get around this maximum stat cap, his enjoyment of the game¡ªand thus, of life¡ªwas being hampered by his ignorance of it. "Shit... Whatever... At least I''m still enjoying it," Raydon muttered, attempting to calm himself as he massaged his temples. He enjoyed life and epted the contentment that came with being alive despite the circumstances. In addition, it seemed that he was no longer able to exact revenge on anyone for the hardships he had been made to endure, as noted in the first few pages of the diary, the world of his creators had already been utterly destroyed. Without a means of retaliation, he realized that his only option was to carry on living and make the most of the life he had. As Raydon''s erratic behavior unfolded through his rants and mood swings, the onlookers watched him with wide-eyed astonishment. Finally, they learned about his origins, which can be traced to this fallen world, and they understood the motivation behind his creation. They were rendered speechless and unable to articte the myriad of emotions that were flooding their hearts at that very moment as a result of the weight of this revtion, which left them in a state of profound shock. They were also still confused about the reasons behind the Observer''s descent into the world, the cause of the world''s destruction, and how he managed to survive amidst the ruins; however, despite all of this curiosity, they decided to wait for Raydon to calm down for a while, even though they were impatient to read the rest of the story. And finally, after Raydon had cleared his head and epted the reality of his circumstances, he made the decision to continue with the rest of the story. "Yeah, I found out that there was a much bigger world, a universe, you fuckers," Raydon said it angrily and continued reading, ignoring the tense looks the others were giving him. After all, we still haven''t fully recovered from the defeat we suffered in thest world war that we participated in, and the thought urred to us that the system, recognizing that our world was in a fragile state, eventually sent a cmity to test us. But it didn''t take long for us to realize that this wasn''t a cmity. To begin, the instant that thing manifested itself in the sky, a potent presence the likes of which we had never before encountered descended upon our world. To such an extreme that even the most powerful SS-Ranks among us suddenly found themselves on their knees, helpless in the face of the pressure that was being exerted by this presence. This oppression wasparable to the racial superiority oppression we experienced during the world war with the Draconian race; however, there was a significant difference between the two. The pressure was one million times greater than it had been at that time. Also, the realization that this entity, whatever its nature, remained suspended above our world without any movement or deviation from its position, was a clear indication that it was no ordinary cmity. In an effort to relieve ourselves of the burden imposed by its overwhelming existence, we made an effort to gain a deeper understanding of this mysterious being. Thus, we were able to understand its true nature. This entity was not unfamiliar to us; even the weakest of item holders recognized and understood its presence. The ck eye, a mysterious entity, had always been a silent observer as item holders underwent their awakening processes. But what really had us on edge was the fact that this thing, which was now observing our world from above, looked much bigger and more menacing than it had before. At first, we were unable toprehend why this thing suddenly manifested itself in this manner; however, one particr aspect drew our attention. The eye did not appear to be intending to attack or destroy our world; rather, it appeared to be watching us in a curious manner. Despite itsck of hostile intentions, the entity''s presence alone inflicted harm upon our world, causing the ground to crumble and corrupt with each passing second. That''s why we made the decision to eliminate this unknown threat that posed a danger to our world. I don''t know what we were thinking at the time or why we made this decision, but we decided to attack in order to destroy this thing that we knew was much stronger than us. And it didn''t take us long to figure out that this was, by far, the worst choice we''d ever made in our entire lives.> Chapter 274 Impending Doom (Part 11) ? Even though I didn''t know what would happen to him after I passed away or after my entire world was destroyed, I at least wanted to see it through to the bitter end. Due to the fact that I had lost my connection with the system, I gradually started to lose my powers over the course of time; however, thanks to the assistance of life cores, I was still able to use the formation, and I, therefore, carried on with the project by myself. Surprisingly, despite my persistent interference with the formation, the eye did not im my life as it had done to the others. It appeared that simr to myself, the entity was also curious about the oue, pondering what would transpire next. At first, we considered changing our ns because of our worries about Raydon''s potential transition from greed to sess to greed to enjoyment. These ns, however, were rendered meaningless when I lost everything that we had worked so hard to construct. I waspletely unattached to them at that point. If Raydon''s pursuit of fun through the trials he faced could contribute to his growth and fortitude, I made the resolute choice to wholeheartedly embrace and provide him with that experience. As a concluding test, I decided to put him up against something that, no matter what he did, he would never be able to conquer. Raydon had never been the patient or brilliant type to devise long andplex ns, and he had ovee every challenge he had faced thus far purely through his boundless desire to seed for the sake of enjoyment, so I was eager to see how he would ovee this next impossible challenge. And in the end, much to my astonishment, he was able to prevail over this obstacle as well, despite the fact that it resulted in the loss of his own life. By sacrificing his own life and embarking on a final, suicidal mission, Raydon seeded in defeating the seemingly unbeatable final boss. To tell you the truth, it made meugh when I realized that his insatiable desire for pleasure had finally reached this level, which meant that he was willing to disregard even his own life. I''m hoping that if he can find a way out of this dying world, his fun-loving nature won''t shorten his life. With Raydon''s death in the world, we had crafted, the project came to an end, and the formation was sealed. However, the inhibitors we had ced on his body to prevent premature growth and awakening still remained. If someone in the future finds him and decides to raise him after epting all of the risks he may bring to your world in the future, it is likely that he will live like a vegetable until he awakens as an item holder and all of these memories return to him. So if someone does actually discover him and reads this diary, I want to say that even though I don''t know whether the person we created will bring about abundance or destruction in the future, at least I can say that the project was sessful. > Chapter 275 Remorse ? "Damn, now all the pieces are in ce," Zephyr muttered, rubbing his eyes. Everyone felt weighed down by the weight of all the new information they had learned, both physically and mentally. As theyprehended the purpose of the eye''s descent to that world being connected to Raydon and witnessed the subsequent destruction of the entire world, their stress reached new heights. They couldn''t help but specte that the presence of the eye was responsible for Raydon''s survival in that world and the mysterious appearance of the gate beneath the family mansion. "So that''s why you wanted to hide his existence and exile him from the family. I have to admit, if it were me, I would have made the same choice," Seren said with a sigh. When Samuen and Diam first came across Raydon, they had no idea what the future held for their family. Despite this, once they became aware of the extraordinary potential he possessed, they made the decision to bring him up as one of their own. In doing so, they had to keep his backstory a secret, concealing the fact that they had found him in a fallen world. They introduced Raydon to everyone as the child of Cael and Thalia. But unfortunately, while Cael and Thalia reluctantly epted this order, they did not fullyply with it. At first, they were uncertain as to whether or not Raydon was, in fact, a sessful project, and they were even skeptical that he might awaken as an item holder at some point in the future. And the fact that he was the sole reason for the destruction of the world was sufficient for them toe to the conclusion that they should not expose their family to this danger. Therefore, in defiance of Samuen''s wishes, they came to the conclusion that the only way topletely sever Raydon''s connection with their family was to expel him from the mansion and abandon him to die in the slums. And because it was never their responsibility to look after him in the first ce, they wouldn''t have anything to do with the threat that he might pose to the rest of the world. But even though Samuen and Diam respected their decision, they couldn''t bear the thought of leaving Raydon to die in such a manner. If they couldn''t bring him back to the family, they were determined to ensure he wouldn''t perish in the slums. "But there is something else I don''t understand. If you knew about his past, why didn''t you oppose the decision to wee him back into the family?" Zephyr asked, his confusion evident. Everyone believed Raydon had a high rank behind him when he awakened as an item holder despite all the odds against him, so they decided to take advantage of this by having Raydon return to the family. And, interestingly, Cael and Thalia were the first to ept this decision. "Because initially, we also believed that it was a high rank that triggered his awakening," Cael replied. As remarkable as Raydon''s background was, they still believed that he would not be able to awaken on his own in his vegetative state. "That''s why it was such a great opportunity for us to establish connections with this high-rank, as our family has been losing strength for many years. So, even if he brings misfortune to this world in the future, the responsibility would fall on his high-rank master rather than us," Thalia exined. In the beginning, they intended to conceal all of their family''s ties to Raydon; however, they were forced to seize this opportunity in order to preserve their family, which had started to deteriorate and fall apart over the course of the years. In the event that something ultimately went wrong, they would have this high-rank item holder, who is also Raydon''s master, to ce all of the me and responsibility on. "But then, as you witnessed his talents and learned that there was no high-rank item holder behind him, you had to ept that what was written in this diary was true and that he was indeed a sessful project," Zephyr said helplessly. Even if Cael and Thalia''s every scheme had failed to materialize, Zephyr could not condemn them for the actions that they had taken. After all, they did it all for the sake of their family''s future. "We are truly sorry. Hold us ountable for everything you experience in this world," Thalia suddenly said, bowing her head to Raydon. They had initially abandoned him to his death because they feared he would bring harm to their family. Subsequently, however, they tried to use him once more in order to plot the advancement of their family, which was hical in the eyes of everyone. "My father is not to me for what you have been through, so we take full responsibility for all that has happened," Cael said apologetically, bowing his head slightly. "In fact, I can say that while he initially had the idea of utilizing your potential, heter came to see you as his grandchild and genuinely wanted to raise you." Cael and Thalia had alreadye to terms with the fact that Raydon had experienced numerous betrayals in his previous world. Now, they deeply regretted subjecting him to simr experiences in this world and felt genuine remorse for their actions. "We do not expect your forgiveness. If the same opportunity presents itself once more, we will probably try to use you for the benefit of our family''s future. However, at this point, we are willing to ept any punishment that might offer you even a tiny bit of relief and change the way you feel about this family," Cael said earnestly. He understood that Raydon''s exceptional potential would propel him to great heights in the future, and as a consequence, he was determined to make sure that Raydon did not hold any resentment towards the Demugen family. And just as he had previously decided to sacrifice Raydon for the future of the family, he was now willing to sacrifice himself for the same cause. Chapter 276 Punishment ? ''Wow, they look resolute,'' Raydon observed, noting the seriousness reflected in Cael and Thalia''s eyes. They had done this before with the intention of appeasing some of Raydon''s wrath by sacrificing Tika, and what they were doing now was not dissimr to that. Only this time, rather than risking the life of an E-Rank battle maid, they were risking their own lives, which was a much more valuable asset. "What are your levels?" Raydon pondered for a moment before asking. Everyone was taken aback, including Samuen and Diam, as they were unsure of why Raydon had asked this question. "I''m level 42, and she is level 41," Cael responded, not quite grasping the relevance of the question. "Hmm. C-Rank and level 42," Raydon observed the two of them intently, deep in thought. After a moment, he asked curiously, "How many experience points can I get from you two?" ''''...'''' When they finally understood Raydon''s intention, everyone was left speechless, unable to find the right words to respond. Thalia and Cael had epted responsibility for their actions, and now Raydon was contemting the potential experience points he could gain by killing them. Additionally, based on the expression on his face and the seriousness with which he was calcting, it appeared as though he was more interested in the experience points he would get than in exacting revenge. ''''You can obtain around 800,000 experience points if you eliminate them, and there''s a possibility of acquiring fragments of their dimensional storage as well, '''' Diam, who had been patiently waiting without speaking up until this point, spoke with the same emotionless demeanor as usual. ''Miss Diam, why are you encouraging him? '' Zephyr thought tensely upon hearing her intervention. "Wait, you shouldn''t decide so quickly. I don''t think this will give you the full benefit you want. I''m sure someone as talented as you can gain more experience through a few inheritances. Moreover, the dimensional storage fragments that would be dropped from them would only be a small fraction of what they possess, and the rest would be destroyed," Zephyr said nervously and hastily, trying to dissuade him from his thoughts. "That''s right. I''m sure if you ask them directly, they can give you more valuable things." Seren also intervened, hoping to change his mind. Even though Arden and ra didn''t say a word, the look on both of their faces conveyed the shock and anxiety that they both felt. Despite their usual shes within the family, they recognized the importance of standing together and couldn''t allow their family elders to sacrifice themselves in such a manner. In spite of this, however, Raydon was the one who found himself in the most unexpected position. ''What the fuck? Are these people for real? '' In reality, Raydon was only testing the waters and wasn''t serious about what he said. First of all, even though the people in front of him did not have the same potential as him, they were still much stronger than he was. Furthermore, they were not ordinary people to whom he could casually ask for their lives, but elders who served as the backbone of this family. However, Raydon was beginning toprehend the gravity of the situation now, seeing that Cael and Thalia did not object after he had expressed his will, and to top it all off, the others were trying desperately to dissuade him as if if he insisted they really wouldn''t have any other choice but to let him kill them. ''They''re really weird,'' Raydon thought. In some respects, he was able to empathize with them and see things from their point of view. He was aware of his own egotistical nature, which led him to be willing to put others in harm''s way in order to aplish his goals. However, he noticed a significant difference. Even though these two acted selfishly, they were more concerned with the sess of their family than with advancing their own personal interests. ''Ahh, whatever. Even with the body enchantment I have, I would still most likely be able to gain 1.6 million experience points. '' Raydon momentarily entertained the thought of killing them, but he quickly changed his mind when he checked his character panel and saw that he had millions of experience points still waiting for him. At this point, he needed much more to level up or re-upgrade his title, and on top of that, he couldn''t increase his stats any further by using these experience points. With all these thoughts swirling in his mind, Raydon voiced his decision. ''''Whatever. I will decideter. '''' When he saw that they hadpletely epted the punishment, he lost interest in the matter as well. If they had offered even the slightest hint of resistance, it would have been slightly more entertaining. After hearing this, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. They were uncertain about how Samuen, the head of their family, would have reacted if Raydon had insisted on carrying out the punishment. However, observing Cael and Thalia''s behavior, it was clear that the oue would not have been favorable. ''''Well, we can discuss thister. '''' Samuen said with augh, his tone easing the tension in the room. He continued, ''''However, there is still something else very important that you need to see. '''' ''''Hm? '''' Raydon turned his gaze to Samuen, his curiosity piqued as he looked at him suspiciously. He had just discovered that his entire life had been built on deception, and that the world he was born into had been destroyed as a result of his existence, and now there was something even more important for him to see? ''Don''t tell me. Is this life also another simtion? '' Raydon thought, his eye twitching with suspicion. "Don''t worry, while this thing is important, it''s not all that shocking... Probably," Samuen added, observing Raydon''s expression. However, it was clear that even he wasn''t entirely certain. "But before that, can I take that diary?" Samuen asked, pointing to the file that Raydon was still holding. Chapter 277 Trial Of The Gods (Part 1) ? Raydon didn''t understand why he needed it, but since this file was no longer important, he gave it to him without asking. ''What is he doing? '' Raydon wondered as soon as Samuen received the file. To his surprise, the entire file suddenly transformed into grains of sand and vanished. "Ah, I understand that these are the only memories left from your original world, but we need to do this," Samuen exined. He then turned to Diam and nodded. As soon as Diam caught sight of this sign, a gaping hole measuring three meters in width suddenly appeared behind her. ''Is this her dimensional storage?'' Raydon pondered, taken aback by what he was witnessing. What astonished Raydon was not the size of the entrance to the dimensional storage, which he could have effortlessly replicated in his own dimensional storage; instead, it was the sight that awaited him inside. Inside, it appeared to be significantlyrger than Raydon''s dimensional storage, and it resembled a wondrous miniature world that was bursting with vibrant life. The ground was covered in soil that had an organic appearance to it, and it was embellished with grass, flowers, and trees that grew to great heights. There were beasts roaming thend, munching on the lush grasses, and there were also monsters in the air that were soaring through the sky in search of prey. As Raydonid his eyes upon the scene, he couldn''t help but feel that what he was seeing resembled a small world rather than a dimensional storage. His focus was quickly drawn to a peculiar sight, which was a green slime that had emerged from the dimension storage and was slowly making its way towards him. But it moved quickly past him, and it moved with purpose, leaving behind a trail of sticky mucus as it approached the gaming pod that brought Raydon into this world. The pod was entirely encased in slime after it was consumed by it. "Wait... Why are you doing this? Isn''t this formation supposed to be extremely valuable?" Zephyr''s voice echoed with panic as he witnessed the green slime engulfing the gaming pod. At first, Raydon was confused as to why he was acting so frantically; however, he soon came to the realization that the gaming pod that was afloat in the green slime was beginning to disintegrate. Raydon asked simrly, frowning, "What is the reason for this?" Even though the formation may not have an immediate use for anyone at the moment, Raydon believed that the items within it held immense value for the family and possibly even for the entire world. There was a chance that it could contain a rare and highly coveted orange-grade item. "We can''t take the risk," Samuen said, his tone serious and resolute. "While it may seem unlikely, it cannot be a mere coincidence that your world was destroyed while this diary remained intact. My theory is that the Observer intentionally erased all evidence of your creation, but left this gate open for us to discover you. Simrly, this diary was likely left behind as a means for you to somehow uncover the truth." After hearing this exnation, Raydon was speechless and had nothing more to add. In point of fact, Raydon''s presence had already triggered the danger of the Observering to this world and destroying everything in the same way as before. At the very least, Samuen was attempting to minimize this possibility by destroying other evidence of his creation in the hope that the Observer wouldn''te back to kill other witnesses as well. Raydon couldn''t help but shed invisible tears as he witnessed the gradual disappearance of the gaming pod, knowing that it potentially held valuable items. However, when he saw the resolute determination in Samuen''s eyes, he realized that he had no power to change the situation. Raydon asked, "Then, what is the other thing you want to show me?" in the hopes of at least partially mitigating the damage caused by his loss. "To tell you the truth, I have no idea what it is either," After another burst ofughter, Samuen reached into his dimensional storage and withdrew a small, pitch-ck ball. Raydon''s frustration grew as he heard Samuen''s response. "You don''t know? Then why did you im it was something important?" His eyes twitched once again, a mix of disappointment and annoyance. The glimmer of hope that had briefly emerged within him has now dimmed. "All right, there''s no reason to be so angry. While I don''t know exactly what it is, there is a significant reason why I believe it''s quite important," Samuen reassured Raydon, handing him the ck ball. He continued to borate, "We discovered this object alongside you in that fallen world. I believed that in a world where everything has been destroyed, something still standing would be extraordinary. '''' Samuel stated with a grin. Aside from Raydon, even the diary they discovered there was extraordinary. "There was no mention of this object in the diary. From what we know, even the sole gold-grade item they possessed was destroyed. Yet, the items connected to you managed to survive the cmity unscathed. Based on that, I can only surmise that this object is something the Observer left behind for you," Samuen exined. ''That disgusting eye left it for me? '' In response to his theory, Raydon scowled. If Samuen''s assumption was correct, this thing couldn''t be ordinary. However, Raydon couldn''t help but harbor a lingering irritation towards the Observer, which dampened his optimism about the object''s true nature. But as Raydon examined the ck ball more closely, all his preconceptions were swiftly reced. The seemingly ordinary ck ball suddenly revealed its true nature as its eyelids parted to reveal a pitch-ck pupil hidden within. Then a series of red-colored system messages started to appear in front of Raydon one after another. [Anomaly detected.] [System error detected.] [Rebooting the system.] [Rebooting failed.] [Insufficient authorization.] [Required permission is pending...] [Permission granted to initiate the Trial of the Gods.] [Do you wish tomence the Trial of the Gods?] [Y/N] ''''What the hell? '''' Raydon''s voice trembled with surprise as he stared at the perplexing system messages and the ck eye, resembling a miniature version of the Observer. Chapter 278 Trial Of The Gods (Part 2) ? ''''What is that? '''' ra asked, taking a nervous step back as the ck object transformed into an eye. The presence that they felt emanating from the eye was not as powerful as the one that they sensed emanating from the gate, and they did not perceive any immediate threat. Nevertheless, the fact that it looked so much like the Observer was enough to make everyone nervous. ''''Dad, why did you bring it into this world? '''' Zephyr asked nervously, ready to unleash his skills if necessary. Samuen had been working very hard to remove any traces of Raydon''s creation from the fallen world because he was afraid that the Observer would bring its destruction to this dimension as well. On the other hand, it was iprehensible that he would have brought something that resembled the Observer into their world. ''''Calm down. I don''t believe it is the Observer itself. '''' Samuen made an effort to reassure everyone, but it was clear that he was the one who was most anxious. He then turned to Raydon and asked him, "Can you understand what is that?," in the hopes of eliciting a response that would satiate his anxiety. ''''I don''t know, but it appears to be some sort of inheritance key. '''' Raydon responded thoughtfully. Looking at the most recent system message that had been disyed in front of him, he further reasoned that this object wasn''t the Observer itself and believed it to be a key to an event. ''Should I ept this invitation? '' Raydon pondered. Even though his feelings toward the Observer had not changed, he continued to be repulsed by the publication, and he began to wonder if the invitation was actually a ruse to trick him. ''Why am I hesitating so much? '' Raydon chuckled inwardly. If it wanted to hurt him, it could have already done so with the power it possessed, and even at this point, Raydon was probably no more than an ant inparison to this thing. However, that did not alter the fact that there was still a chance that this thing posed threats to his life. Nevertheless, Raydon had already made up his mind. Regardless of what awaited him, he was determined to unravel this mystery and would not shy away from any challenges along the way. "I think that man''s prediction might actuallye true, '''' Raydon said with a childlike smile on his face. ''''Hm? What prediction? '''' Diam interjected, a frown etching across her face, filled with a sense of foreboding. Raydon opened his mouth and recollected one of the final words written in the diary. ''''That is... My love for excitement will shorten my life.'''' And then, with all of the excitement that was building up within him, he said it. ''''Yes. '''' And at that precise instant, he experienced a total loss of vision and the sensation of his mind being drawn into abyssal obscurity. ¡ª "Why on earth am I back here again?" Raydon found himself standing in an empty space that waspletely engulfed in pitch ckness. Even though he could not see anything, his eyes continued their instinctual search for the anticipated being that was concealing itself within the darkness. ''Where is that eye?'' he muttered to himself. The location that Raydon is in now is the same one in which he experienced his awakening as an item holder. However, thest time he came here, it only took him a single nce to locate the enormous eye, which was even darker than the gloom that surrounded him, and after that, an incredible pressure began to bear down on him, causing him to experience difort and pain. But now that a few seconds had passed, he was unable to see anything other than pitch ckness all around him. Raydon kept looking around in the hopes of finding something when all of a sudden he felt something touch his back. He quickly turned around to avoid whatever it was and then looked at the thing. ''''What the hell? '''' When he saw what it was that had touched his back, he waspletely taken aback, and he was unable to hide his surprise. It was, in fact, the Observer; however, there was a significant difference in that it did not radiate any existence and was only the size of a palm. It was the miniature Observer he had been holding earlier. "Now, what are you nning? " Raydon muttered with a frown as he looked at the Observer, who was flying around him in an inquisitive manner and even managed to look kind of cute. ''''Hey, stop bothering me!'''' Raydon scolded, swatting the Observer with the back of his hand and tossing it away like a ball. However, it didn''t take long for the Observer toe back and stand motionless before Raydon, this time avoiding eye contact and remaining still. ''''Are you kidding me? What''s with this behavior?'''' Raydon was taken aback by the sudden change in the Observer''s demeanor. It no longer buzzed around energetically but instead seemed somber, fixating its gaze on the ground. "Is it because I hit it that this thing is upset? " Raydon had this thought as he watched the thing floating there, looking dejectedly at the ground. This thing, which had the capability to destroy an entire world, was absurdly behaving like a scolded child right at this moment. ''''It looks like you''re having fun. '''' Raydon was attempting to make sense of the situation and was wondering what he was supposed to do with this thing when all of a sudden, he heard a voice inside his head echoing with a chuckle. ''Who? '' Raydon turned his head in search of the origin of the lilting voice of a woman that he had just heard, but all he could see was a vast expanse of darkness. ''''It''s pathetic that the one we''re waiting for turns out to be a mere human. Unable to resist their emotions, they resort to violence to solve even the smallest problems,'''' a hoarse male voice resounded within Raydon''s mind this time. And another voice chimed in, ''''Hmm, it may be premature to analyze his character. Unfortunately, having one of those seven problematic souls could pose a challenge.'''' As Raydon listened to the voices reverberating in his head, he noticed that the Observer was fixated on a particr spot within the darkness. He turned his attention toward that focal point and gradually discerned figures materializing within the abyss. Twelve colossal thrones stood aligned in the darkness, and though not entirely distinct, someone upied each throne, leaving only one seat unimed. ''Who are they? '' Raydon was incapable of concealing his astonishment in the face of this sight. Aside from the darkness that was still obscuring his vision, these people imbued him with a distinct sense of mystery as well as an incredible power. ''''Oh? He has noticed us. How intriguing,'''' a voice remarked, filled with curiosity. ''''Who are you?'''' Raydon repeated his question, determined to elicit a response. ''''You don''t need to know that. However, I can tell you that we are the creators of that thing you just pped away, the one that brought you here,'''' another voice replied,ced with a hint of anger. ''They made this disgusting thing? ''Raydon remainedposed as he thought, casting a nce over at the Observer who was floating next to him. ''''If you continue to address our creation in such a manner, you may genuinely provoke some of us. Creating it was no easy task, after all,'''' another voice expressed, sounding slightly indignant. "Irritation towards those parasites is only natural, given that we utilized their materials while constructing the system," the sweet voice that Raydon initially heard interjected, attempting to diffuse the tension. ''System? Parasites? '' Raydon contemted, trying to make sense of their conversation. However, it became apparent that these individuals could hear his thoughts, and an answer soon followed. ''''Knowing our identities is of little consequence at this moment. What truly matters is why you are here," one of the voices responded. "Yeah? Then tell me why I''m here," Raydon inquired. But this time, there was no immediate response to his query. The gentle voice eventually resumed speaking after there was a brief pause. ''''You are here because the system we created is not suitable for you. It needs to be altered," the voice exined. ''The system is not suitable for me? '' Raydon contemted with curiosity. "That''s correct. Your potential has surpassed the purpose for which the system was created. Therefore, we will bestow upon you the original one," came the response. With those words, an overwhelming pressure descended upon Raydon, reminiscent of the very moment he awakened as an item holder. He had the sudden sensation that needles were pricking him all over his body and that his flesh was being pulled away from his bones. Raydon''s body contorted and writhed in response to the searing pain, while the voice echoed onest time, now infused with an unmistakable urgency in its tone. "Time is limited. May our paths intertwine once more." Chapter 279 High Being (Part 1) ? ''Damn, what the hell is this? '' As Raydon knelt on the ground, his body contorted in agony, and his mind raced as it attempted to make sense of the searing pain that was ripping through him. The memory of his previous awakening as an item holder shed through his mind, but the torment he was experiencing now felt very different, leaving him confused and disoriented. When he had experienced painparable to this in the past, it was due to the fact that he was awakening as an item holder. However, what did this pain mean for him this time around? "This better be worth it," Raydon muttered, his wordsced with frustration. He epted the invitation and arrived here, knowing full well that this would not be a simple task and risking his life in the name of adventure. However, because there weren''t any terrifying monsters to vanquish or exciting adventures to take part in, he couldn''t help but wonder if this ordeal was just a test of his stamina. As Raydon fought through the excruciating pain, it seemed as though time had lost all of its relevance. His body repeatedly gave the appearance ofing apart and then putting itself back together, and the time that passed seemed like it went on for an eternity. Another thing that was frustrating for him was that, as a result of the pain he was experiencing, he was unable toprehend precisely what kind of change was urring in his body. As a consequence of this, he arrived at the realization that the suffering he waspelled to endure served only one purpose, which was to torment him rather than provide him with the strength he was looking for. And finally, just as he wasing to the end of both his physical and mental strength, he had the sudden sensation that all of the pain was quickly leaving his body. Raydon felt a wave of relief rush through his veins, and he was finally able to let out the breath that he had unknowingly been holding for what seemed like an eternity. ''Damn. '' Raydon murmured, his voice trembling with exhaustion. As he gave in to exhaustion and sought a brief moment of relief, his eyelids began to droop and flutter shut. However, the brief reprieve he had was cut short when he heard a concerned voice and felt someone ce a caring hand on his shoulder. ''''Are you okay? '''' Samuen''s voice carried a blend of concern and curiosity. When Raydon eventually opened his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of the familiar underground chamber, which was illuminated by the warm glow of flickering torches. Samuen was there, standing in front of him with a worried look stered all over his face. ''"I am... back?" Raydon''s voice shook as he struggled to lift his battered body off the ground and uttered the first words he had been able to muster in quite some time. "It seems you were pulled into another dimension, but what happened there? Are you alright now?" Samuen''s voice conveyed both relief and worry as he assisted Raydon in rising. Raydon had only been out of their sight for a fraction of a second, but when he reappeared, they noticed that he had returned to them in such a weakened state that they realized his brief disappearance was not simple. In the realm of matches that took ce across different dimensions or involved inheritances, the passage of time within the system remained synchronized with their own world. For example, if an item holder participated in a match thatsted three hours in another dimension when the match ended and the item holder returned to their own world, three hours would have passed in their own world as well. This was the established norm, and the system maintained control over the flow of time. But when they saw that Raydon had vanished for just a second before reappearing in this state, they found it impossible to believe that he had be like this in such a short amount of time. Instead, they came to the conclusion that the location at which he had vanished must have been outside of the system''s ability to control the passage of time. Samuen, who was incapable of containing his astonishment, scrutinized Raydon intently while his expression conveyed a mixture of awe and joy. ''''I don''t know what you''ve been through, but it seems like you''ve gotten an incredible reward in return. '''' He eximed, his smile reflecting his genuine wonder. "What do you mean?" As he struggled to recover from the mental toll of his recent experience, Raydon asked, startled. When he looked at Samuen''s face, he could tell that there was a great deal of surprise hidden behind the genuine smile. He cast a quick nce in the direction of the others, all of whom were staring at him with wide eyes, the level of shock on their faces clearly visible. "Has something happened to my appearance?" Raydon inquired, his curiosity piqued as he gradually regained hisposure, unaware of the changes that had urred in his own body. Zephyr, his mouth agape, responded, "Hell, something definitely happened to your appearance... but it goes beyond that." ra trembled as she added, "Am I hallucinating, or has his presencepletely transformed?" Seren chimed in, "No, I sense it too. It''s as if he is no longer the person he was just seconds ago." Diam, her shock intermingled with an unmistakable excitement, dered, "He''s undoubtedly the same person, but I can say with certainty that he is no longer an ordinary human being." ''What the hell they are talking about? ''As Raydon observed the responses of those around him, his curiosity grew to an even greater degree. He turned his attention inward, making efforts to regain his sense of self, and eventually, the changes that had urred in his body became noticeable. "Shit... I really feel stronger," Raydon eximed as he began to move his body, sensing a newfound power that had been absent just moments ago. Chapter 280 High Being (Part 2) ? His skeletal structure had, without a shadow of a doubt, be more robust, and he had the overarching impression that his body had be more nimble. "Have my strength and agility stats increased?" Raydon pondered, contemting the changes he could perceive. He felt an overwhelming surge of vitality throughout his entire body, and he had the distinct impression that his mental capacity had also increased at the same time. In spite of this, the transformation that had the most significant impact on him was without a doubt the increase in his physical strength. "Water Mirror," Seren invoked a skill, capturing Raydon''s attention before he could inspect his character panel. "Take a look for yourself," Seren urged. This was normally a defensive skill with the ability to reflect back attacks, but it was clear that she frequently used it for other purposes, and when she saw Raydon''s curious expression, she wanted to help him see his reflection in a mirror. "Thanks," Raydon, who was also perplexed as to why everyone had been so taken aback by his appearance, looked into the water mirror in front of him and began curiously examining himself. ''Holy¡­. I look pretty handsome,'' Raydon muttered, momentarily surprised as he caught sight of his reflection. In fact, his appearance hadn''t changed all that much inparison to how it was before, but each and every feature on his face had be wless as if it had been meticulously crafted. Alongside his wless and vibrant fair skin, Raydon''s silky hair cascaded with shades of gray, gracefully framing his face and adding an alluring touch to his already perfect features. However, the most captivating featurey within his eyes. Deep within his dark pupils, a smoky gray cloud seemed to be churning, as if it were yearning to break free and envelop his adversaries. Those who were there couldn''t help but get the impression that they were looking at an ancient immortal being rather than a simple human being. The most noticeable change, however, was in Raydon''s physical appearance, particrly his body. The once unremarkable white T-shirt was now clinging to his body, drawing attention to the carefully sculpted muscles that were nowmanding everyone''s attention. Every detail was entuated, showcasing their remarkable prominence and revealing the incredible strength that resided within him. In a simr manner, his blue casual jeans, which used to fit loosely but now clung tightly to his legs, highlighted the powerful muscles thaty beneath them. It was obvious that not only had his newly discovered strength altered his physique, but it had also enhanced his physical capabilities. The shapes of dragon scales that he had obtained through his body enchantment remained the same, and they were hidden beneath his T-shirt. They covered his chest and neck like an entrancing light gray tattoo, looking like exquisite embroidery. Raydon muttered, "Looks like I''ve grown a little taller too," when he realized that he had also gained a few inches in height and that he now stood just slightly taller than six feet in height. "Did you notice the other change?" Samuen inquired, addressing Raydon, who was deeply engrossed in his reflection in the mirror. "The other change?" Raydon finally shifted his attention from the mirror to Samuen, eager to understand. And the moment he saw Samuen pointing at the broken gate, he had an immediateprehension of what Samuen had intended to convey. "The presenceing from the gate has disappeared?" Raydon was taken aback when he realized that the unsettling presence of the Observer, which had been emanating from the gate earlier, was no longer there. "When you vanished and reappeared, the presence that had been emanating from the gate dissipated in an instant. But..." Samuen hesitated for a moment, his eyebrow raised in thought. "Now, another presence simr to that has filled the environment." "Another presence? Wait... is iting from me?" Raydon gave himself a momentary pause, and then, after some reflection, he realized what was really the cause of everyone''s shock. "Indeed. It is not the same as the presence of the Observer, and in contrast to that presence, the presence that is emanating from you does not bother us in any way. However, I can confidently say that it is no weaker than that entity," Diam confirmed. They didn''t consider the pressure they felt from Raydon to be oppressive or bothersome in any way, and unlike the pressure, they felt from the Observer, it didn''t wash over them like a wave. Instead, they perceived the pressure that Raydon exerted as being more like a light breeze, which bestowed upon them feelings of ease, safety, and trustworthiness. "It seems you have truly be a high being," Samuen eximed, his delight evident in hisughter. After reading the diary, which details the history of how Raydon was created, he, too, experienced some uncertainty and did not unquestioningly believe everything that he read. But as he considered Raydon''s aura, he understood that he had indeed evolved into a high being, fulfilling the reason for his creation. They were ovee with an even greater sense of joy and contentment when they realized that the reason Raydon''s presence had a calming and reassuring effect on them was due to the fact that they were of the same race. ''I''ve be a high being? '' Raydon was taken aback by this revtion. Even though he had no idea what other advantages came with being a high being beyond the natural pressure he exerted on members of other races, it was still pretty cool to have the feeling that he was unique. ''Oh, I should check my character panel. '' After finally oveing his confusion and mental stress entirely, Raydon made the decision to get out of his fantasy world and do the thing he needed to do at the beginning: open the character panel to see what changes had been made. "Holy shit..." he eximed in awe, realizing the extent of his transformation. With a wide, childlike smile on his face, he said, "Now everything is starting to get more fun." Chapter 281 Inner World (Part 1) ? ]: B7890-D4850 [Race]: High Human [Name]: Raydon Demugen [Title]: Master of All [Level]: 1 [Rank]: E (White) [Experience]: 0 / 1,000 [HP]: 3100 [MP]: 3300 [Strength]: 110 [Agility]: 110 [Stamina]: 110 [Luck]: 110 [Charisma]: 110 [Spirit]: 110 [Magic Equipment]: 5 / 5 -Sword (Bound) (Skill: Grim Blessing) (Support) -Gloves (Bound) (Skill: Explosive Swarm) (Attack) -Earring (Bound) (Skill: Death sense) (Investigative) -Vambrace (Bound) (Skill: Rusty chain) (Attack) -Dagger (Bound) (Skill: Shadow Passage) (Movement) [Body enchantment]: 3 / 5 -Ashen Heart -Eye of the Ash Gnome -Spirit of the Wisp [Innate Skill]: 0 / 1 - [Elements ofw]: -Fire: %1 -Death: %1 -Ash: %1 [Inner World]: x1 ''''Wow¡­ It really says High Human.'''' Raydon could not contain his excitement when he saw that the system had also updated it as a high race as he looked at the race section. Being recognized as a High Human in the system was already a noteworthy achievement for Raydon. Even without any tangible benefits apanying this unique race designation, he had always been the type of yer who enjoyed standing out and distinguishing himself from others. In his previous gaming experiences, he would make purchases of character skins for the sole purpose of distinguishing himself from other yers, even if the skins did not provide any additional advantages in the game itself. That''s why being the only unique high human in the world was enough for him to show off to others. ''''In addition to that... I can finally level up normally. Hahahaha!'''' Raydon burst intoughter, drawing puzzled looks from the others. Prior to this point, his leveling process had been hampered by the astronomical amount of experience points required, and his options for distributing his experience points was restricted by his title. However, now he was thrilled to see that the experience points needed for leveling had returned to a reasonable range. ''''And as I suspected, my other stats have also increased... It''s as if I''ve been reawakened, right?'''' Raydon''s attention turned to his stat points. Raydon couldn''t help but notice the significant increase in his stat points. The +10 stat points he had gained by advancing to E-Rank and the stat points he increased through his title were still intact, and the fact that all of his other stat points were also at 110 was the one that surprised him. It was a stark contrast to when he first awakened as an item holder, when his stat points were a mere 1, reflecting his status as an ordinary human in the eyes of the system. However, now that he had undergone his reawakening as a High Human and with his E-Rank, all his stats had been boosted to a base value of 100, with the additional +10 points. Later on, Raydon discovered that he had a slot for the innate skill, despite the fact that he was an E-Rank, and he also discovered that his HP and MP, both of which had previously had the Ash attribute in separate sections, were now consolidated under a different section. ''What is this ''%1? '' Raydon couldn''t make sense of this difference and looked to the next section for rification. ''Inner world?'' he muttered with confusion. Then another detail caught his attention, and he panicked. "Wait a minute... Where is Dimensional Storage?" Obviously, the dimensional storage he previously owned had now evolved into the inner world. But what really rmed him was the size¡ªonly 1 cubic meter. Praying to all the gods he knew, Raydon immediately opened his dimensional storage to check. ''''FUCK!!'''' And he was met with the sight he feared. His dimensional storage, which had previously upied tens of cubic meters, was now back down to its initial volume of one cubic meter. "What the fuck is the inner world? This is just the same as before... Are you fucking kidding me? Where are my items?!" Raydon cursed and frantically looked at his tiny dimensional storage, which now contained only a few items and gold coins. It would appear that as he went through the process of re-awakening, his dimensional storage lost all of its enhancements, transforming into the inner world. As a result of the space being reduced, it is highly likely that the majority of the items contained within were irreparably lost. And what truly devasted Raydon was the realization that this one cubic meter inner world looked exactly the same as the dimensional storage in terms of appearance. "Damn, they could''ve at least warned me about it. My loot lost after all that hard work..." Raydon said it tearfully, getting down on his knees. This was the most damaging blow he had experienced since arriving in this world. If it had been physical damage, his HP would have been depleted by now, and he might even be dead. ''"What happened?" Seeing him in this state, Samuen asked hastily. "I lost my dimensional storage and all the loot inside," Raydon dejectedly replied. "What? How?" Samuen was also surprised to hear this. He hadn''t heard of anyonepletely losing their dimensional storage before, and on the contrary, he was confused to see Raydon''s distress over a loss when he was supposed to gain incredible upgrades. "I don''t know. Dimensional storage is gone, and in its ce, it says something called Inner World. But all the space is gone, along with the loot inside," Raydon exined. In fact, he had thought that his dimensional storage had been upgraded in some way, but there was no visible difference, and losing the loot inside after its size shrank was enough to make him feel depressed. "Inner World? Are you sure it''s Inner World?" Samuen asked in surprise and shock. The others, including Diam, also seemed surprised, their faces reflecting the astonishment. "Yeah, why? It doesn''t seem any different from my previous dimensional storage. Do you know where all my loot went after its size reverted to 1x?" When Raydon noticed the shocked expressions on everyone''s faces, he held onto a glimmer of hope that maybe he could retrieve the lost loot. Chapter 282 Inner World (Part 2) ? "No... I mean, I don''t think you can get back your belongings... Inner World... You really have Inner World?" Samuen muttered in shock. ''What is this old man bbering about?'' Raydon had given up all hope when he discovered that he couldn''t get his lost items back, but when he saw Samuen babbling absentmindedly, he thought that maybe his loss wasn''t that big of a deal inparison to what he had gained instead. In addition, the bound items were still present, as was the blue-grade cane that he had discovered earlier alongside the eye that he had discovered within the blue titan''s inheritance, the value of which he was still unsure of. "Can you tell me what this Inner World is, then?" Raydon asked, getting back on his feet, hoping to at least learn the details of this new phenomenon. "I can''t believe you have such an advantage so early. I suppose that''s the advantage of being a high race," Samuen sighed and continued. "I guess I''ll have to exin it by showing you." And then he opened his own dimensional storage, making it visible to everyone. The dimensional storage that Samuen possessed was very simr to the one that Diam had; it had a capacity that was almost asrge, and its walls and ceiling were primarilyposed of ck obsidian. To Raydon''s astonishment, the ground of Samuen''s dimensional storage, like the ground of Diam''s, was covered in sand that appeared to have a natural appearance. There were mountainsposed of rocks and sand, in addition to fields filled with a myriad of nts and flowers. Additionally, many different kinds of creatures had made this space their home, thereby contributing to the formation of an ecosystem within it. ''It looks a bit chaotic inside, '' Raydon muttered as he surveyed the interior. Raydon had seen Diam''s dimensional storage before, and although not all monsters appeared to bepletely at peace there, it appeared that they had established their territories and were living peacefully within them. On the other hand, inside Samuen''s dimensional storage, all of the monsters looked like they were prepared to fight each other at any moment. There were many huge monster bodies that seemed to have died recently, and thends were heavily damaged, with farms and fallen trees. "Because I lost myst match, I lost a significant portion of my dimensional storage. Moreover, losing a few levels has been a big nerf to my power and stat points, which are impossible to rece in a short time. As a result, the monsters I previously had control over are now even stronger than me and are disrupting the ecosystem by creating chaos," Samuen exined in response to Raydon''s questioning gaze. He then turned to Diam and said, "I may need your help before it''spletely destroyed inside." Diam nodded, opening her own dimensional storage. She summoned a huge and terrifying-looking centipede, a 6-meter-tall red mantis-like creature, and a 4-meter ho-like monster, sending them all into Samuen''s dimensional storage. "These should suffice for now," Diam said with a bow. Raydon, who was watching the situation with great interest, noticed that the monsters Diam had dispatched immediately began to attack and fight against the monsters that had lost control of themselves. As a result, the disorder and destruction that had been urring in Samuen''s dimensional storage were brought under control. And within a very short amount of time, Diam''s monsters defeated the monsters that were bossing around inside and took them under their control. As a result, peaceful air returned to Samuen''s dimensional storage, albeit temporarily. "She has a charisma build as an item holder and is much better than me at subduing monsters," Samuen exined with a satisfied smile, observing the swift oue. "So, this is an inner world?" Raydon inquired. He also believed that having such arge space in which he could store his loot was beneficial to him, but he did notprehend what the benefits were of cultivating an ecosystem by providing food and water to a variety of monsters that were located within the space. "No, no, we all just have regr dimensional storages," Samuen chuckled in response. "Show him how your dimensional storages look as well," Samuen instructed Cael and the others. Following Samuen''smand, each of them took turns opening their dimensional storages and revealing them to Raydon. ''This is interesting. '' Raydon thought. He started by inspecting Zephyr''s dimensional storage, and despite the fact that it was not nearly asrge as Diam and Samuen''s, an ecosystem that was very simr to theirs had been created within it. On the other hand, in contrast to other ecosystems, the majority of this one was made up of water, and the creatures that called it home were aquatic monsters. After that, he turned his attention to the dimensional storage that Arden had, which was shrouded in a thick cloud of what looked like a dangerous-looking green gas. There were strangekes scattered across thendscape, each with waters that could pose a threat to any life forms, and there were also rivers that were corrosive and would erode the soil as they flowed over it while also releasing steam. Raydon observed the dimensional storages of everyone present and noticed that each one had an ecosystem associated with a particr element. Turning back to Samuen, Raydon awaited an exnation for the significance of these diverse ecosystems. "As I mentioned earlier, these are regr dimensional storages, unlike the unique inner world you possess. Currently, developing our dimensional storages in this manner serves no purpose other than allowing us to farm materials for gold-making. However, each of us ces great significance on expanding and cultivating ecosystems within our dimensional storages, aligned with our familiar elemental affinities, beginning from the time we awakened as item holders," Samuen exined, pausing briefly before continuing with a smile as he noticed Raydon''s curiosity. "We are all preparing ourselves for the day when we ascend to high rank and acquire the inner world," Samuen concluded. Chapter 283 Title (Part 1) ? "So normally, the only time you''ll be able to evolve your dimensional storage into an inner world is when you reach high rank," Raydon said after giving it some careful consideration. He was under the impression that his inner world, which had apparently not changed other than receiving a new name, was not particrly impressive. If, on the other hand, this is something that can only be aplished by achieving a high rank, then it should most definitely be more advantageous than it appears to be. Also, ording to Samuen, the fact that each one of them began developing their dimensional storage from the very moment they awakened as an item holder and prepared for the day that they would one day be high-rank and obtain the inner world was clear evidence of how much they cared about it. "That''s correct. One of the major factors contributing to the increase in power for high-ranks lies within their inner world. The more advanced and developed their inner world is, the greater their proportional increase in power," Samuen exined before posing a question. "You should be able to see the elements you currently possess in your character panel, right?" Raydon turned his attention to the character panel and verified that there were elements of fire, death, and ash present. He responded, "Yes." "These are the elements you are currently utilizing, learned through items, body enchantments, and personal understanding. Their progress is likely to be rtively low at the moment. Nevertheless, you can make further progress and strengthen these elements by cultivating your inner world in a way that is aligned with them. This will directly increase the power of any skills you possess that are associated with those elements," Samuen rified. Raydon''s excitement grew as he grasped the advantage at hand. "Wow, that''s pretty good. Therefore, if I make it to the point where I have made 100% progress in a particr element, the power of my skills that are associated with that element will be increased by 100%. And if I get it up to 300%, it will be three times as strong?" ''''You got it right. The cultivation of one''s inner world is not a simple endeavor, as it calls for a significant investment of one''s time, energy, and gold coins, in addition to other resources. Because of this, the moment item holders awaken, they immediately start working on developing their dimensional storage. Naturally, just like you, when an item holder reaches high rank and their dimensional storage evolves to the inner world, during this process, dimensional storage loses all space developments and returns to its initial size. However, so long as they make the necessary preparations for this, at the very least, when the evolution process is finished, their inner world space and all the things contained within can be kept safe. So they don''t lose all of their development or storage space,'''' Samuen exined. During the process of evolution, Raydon was unable to keep any of his space enhancement, and as a result, he was unable to keep any of the items that were stored within it. Any other item holder who, over the course of the years, has invested a significant amount of time and effort into cultivating their dimensional storage would consider this a loss that cannot be tolerated. "But, to your good fortune, the short amount of time that has passed since you awakened as an item holder means that your dimensional storage most likely hasn''t undergone much development anyway. Don''t worry, we will provide all kinds of assistance as a family to help you develop your inner world," Samuen reassured him with augh, trying to ease his concerns. Raydon didn''t pay much attention to his words because, after all, he wasn''t the type of person to rely on other people for his own personal development. However, after losing most of his possessions, he was willing to make the most of any opportunity that presented itself, so he didn''t object to any kind of free assistance that was offered to him. ''I''ll have to find other ways to earn gold coins. Trusting this impoverished family doesn''t seem like such a good idea,'' Raydon thought, recognizing the need to seek alternative means. His initial goal was to deplete his family''s treasure room to the best of his abilities; however, with the appearance of the pricey inner world and the loss of his dimensional storage items, he realized that relying solely on his family''s resources, which were already on the verge of copse, would not fulfill his desires. ''I suppose I better start researching the market value of the item set I acquired from the zombie general inheritance, '' Raydon said, beginning to n his next steps. Although he had lost the written information about crafting the flying zombie item set due to the shrinkage of his dimensional storage, he still remembered the details and the crafting process since he had crafted the set once before. If he was sessful in selling the entire set at a price that was satisfactory in the item market auction, then he would have a reliable source of ie. In addition, as he discovered from Samuen, he was able to turn his inner world into an additional source of gold for himself while he was simultaneously developing his inner world. After going through the loss and experiencing some grief, Raydon decided to check his title panel. With the XP requirement for leveling up returning to normal, he had a feeling that the feature of his title had also changed. Additionally, noticing a decrease in his HP and MP while his spirit and stamina stats remained unchanged, he became suspicious. "Huh?" he eximed in surprise. As he suspected, the title panel, much like the character panel, had undergone a significant transformation, leaving him shocked. [Title]: Master of All All umted stats, regardless of their origin, undergo conversion into Origin Stats, unlocking additional sub-skills as each stat reaches specific thresholds. ''''...'''' "Are you serious?" Raydon''s exmation was filled with disbelief and frustration rather than joy. Chapter 284 Title (Part 2) ? - Vitality Aura (sub-skill): Grants 50% of the user''s HP regeneration to chosen allies within a 2000-meter radius. - Dominion Aura (sub-skill): Enhances the user''s attack-type skill effects by 100% on all targets within a 2000-meter radius. - Might Aura (sub-skill): Increases the user''s muscle strength by 0.5% for each target within a 2000-meter radius. - Swiftness Aura (sub-skill): Augments the user''s attack and movement speed by 0.5% for all targets within a 2000-meter radius. - Fortune Aura (sub-skill): Amplifies the user''s luck, bestowing good fortune on all targets while causing misfortune on their opponents within a 2000-meter radius. - Presence Aura (sub-skill): Projects the user''smanding presence, imbuing allies with fighting spirit or instilling fear and subjugation in targets within a 2000-meter radius. "Wait... What?... Where are my other sub-skills?" Raydon eximed, experiencing a simr shock of item loss but now with his sub-skills. Even though it was nice to have sub-skills for all of his stats rather than just spirit and stamina, losing his other super-powerful and helpful sub-skills was even more disheartening for him than losing all of his items. "Why do I always have to lose something when I gain something? Life isn''t fair at all," Raydon muttered in frustration, falling to his knees once again. In the life he had before, every time he aplished something, he paid the price by giving up something in exchange for what he gained afterward. However, that life was just a simtion, and the fact that he was reliving the same experiences now irritated him. ''''What happened now? '''' Samuen asked, massaging his temples as he looked at him in this state once more. He believed that simr to the previous time, Raydon had most likely sacrificed something but obtained something incredible in exchange. Raydon opened his mouth to respond but hesitated, realizing that there was nothing they could do to solve this predicament. Moreover, he believed that due to the uniqueness of his title, their knowledge would likely be insufficient to understand the situation. Raydon gathered himself and started to think. ''Okay, just because I lost my sub-skills does not mean that I can''t regain them. '' ording to his title description, he would gain new sub-skills as his stat points reached certain thresholds. In the past, he was able to acquire a sub-skill for every 10-point increase in a stat that he earned through his title. ''It seems that the sub-skills I currently possess for each skill are basic. I wonder if I can still gain a sub-skill for every 10 stat point increase, '' Raydon contemted. Raydon had doubts about the potential impact of his high race status on the number of free stat points he would receive upon leveling up. However, as an E-Rank, he now had the advantage of receiving 4 stat points instead of the usual 2. This increased allocation of stat points would allow him the freedom to distribute them ording to his own preferences, enabling him to level up swiftly and umte stat points at a rapid pace. The more that Raydon contemted it, the more he started to feel relieved when he began to think that this situation was actually better than what it had been. After that, he looked up at Samuen and inquired as he examined one more detail of the title description that had caught his attention. ''''What does origin stat mean? '''' ''''Origin stat? '''' Samuen was taken aback when he heard this question while he waited for another question that would blow his mind. ''''I do not have extensive knowledge on this; however, ording to what I have heard and the rumors that are circting, origin stats are the innate stats that item holders possess independently of the system. These stats are usually connected to their titles in some way. '''' Samuen paused briefly, deep in thought, before continuing. ''''The diary we discovered about your past states that after the Observer arrived in their world, everyone lost ess to the system, and as a result, their powers gradually diminished over time. My spection is that, in addition to the system, they might have also lost their stat points. '''' Raydon delved into deep contemtion upon hearing this exnation. Some time ago, while he was using the training formation on the training ground, the formation was unable to detect the increased stats that came with his title. As a result, he was forced to restrict his own stats. He also clearly understood what Samuen meant by the example he gave from the diary. ''''So, does that mean the stats gained through the system are merely borrowed power? '''' Raydon inquired, seeking confirmation. Samuen''s countenance fell as he responded, ''''I can''t say for certain, but the evidence we have unfortunately points in that direction. '''' Nobody had any idea about the system''s real history or the mysteries thaty behind it. However, they were aware that the system presented them with numerous challenges and opportunities to acquire various powers. epting the notion that these powers were merely temporary and borrowed proved difficult. It would be intolerable for them to have the fear that they would one day lose the strength that they hadbored so hard to achieve. ''Well, at least I won''t have to worry about having my power taken away in the future. '' Raydon took some time to think about the information. If Samuen''s hypothesis about the origin stats were correct, it would imply that his powers did not originate from a temporary source or were borrowed. Raydon''s mind drifted back to the Trial of Gods, where he had encountered the enigmatic individuals who proimed themselves as the creators of the system that everyone typically possessed. In addition to this, and in ordance with what they had said previously, Raydon had by this point undergone awakening and had acquired the original system. ''Ahh, this is confusing. I''ll tackle it when the timees.'' Raydon thought, rising to his feet once more. He had no idea what this entire system was or who those people were, but in the future, when he had sufficient power, he could kick their asses and force them to tell him the truth. Chapter 285 Inherited Ambition (Part 1) ? ''''You must already be an E-Rank, right? Have you participated in any E-Rank matches yet?'''' Samuen inquired. Raydon still had the glove in his hand, and due to his absurd nature, Samuen couldn''t tell at a nce how strong he was or what rank he was at just by looking at him. However, taking into consideration his incredible potential and the amount of time that had passed since he had been awakened as an item holder, he believed that Raydon should have already ascended to the E-Rank by this point. Raydon nodded in response to the first question and replied, "Not yet. I still have some time." "Good, good," Samuen expressed. "E-Rank matches have some differencespared to F-Rank matches. I don''t believe they will present much of a challenge for you, but I will give you some itemster that will speed up your promotion to the next rank and increase the amount of experience you gain from matches." Raydon was taken aback by this revtion. "Advancing to the next rank quickly? What are the requirements for the next rank? " He needed to win 10 consecutive matches in order to advance from F-Rank to E-Rank, and he guessed that the requirement to advance to D-Rank was naturally more difficult. But Samuen''s statement about speeding up the process confused him. "It remains the same as before," Samuen exined. "You still need to win 10 matches in a row without a loss. Also, this time, your opponents will be more numerous, experienced, and stronger than before. Nevertheless, I don''t believe they will pose any significant problems for you." Samuen could see that Raydon''s current strength surpassed that of an average E-Rank item holder. "But there''s an additional challenge," Samuen continued, his tone bing more serious. "In addition to the 10 consecutive wins, you will also need to eliminate a total of 1000 participants from other worlds who join the matches. '''' ''''You will face more enemy teams in the next match, but eliminating a total of 1000 adversaries can be a difficult task. After all, they won''t be like regr mobs that are standing around waiting for you toe and kill them,'''' Samuen added. ''It looks like this will take more time than simply winning 10 matches. '' Raydon thought. Raydon was unsure how many foes he would face in each E-Rank match, but he knew that reaching 1000 enemy kill counts in total would be a difficult task. He was well aware that the opponents he would face at this higher rank would most likely be more skilled and cautious than before, making it more difficult for him to dispose of them in a short amount of time. They were able to avoid Raydon''s attacks or run away and hide as soon as they realized they were no match for him, thereby preventing him from reaching the required number of kills. Furthermore, there were instances in F-Rank matches where Raydon couldn''t find any enemy item holders at all. If hecked proficient investigative skills, locating opponents to eliminate would be even more arduous, prolonging the time required to meet this requirement. Raydon gazed at Samuen''s cheerful and self-assured face for a few moments before he let out a sigh. He was unaware of the intricate workings of this world, and so he had been focusing on bettering himself in each subsequent match. However, with an experienced individual like Samuen by his side, he realized the advantages of having a mentor who could help him better prepare for the challenges thaty ahead. ''At least having a family still has some advantages, huh?'' Raydon thought to himself, acknowledging the benefits of having support and guidance. Because he wanted to move up the ranks as quickly as possible andpete against more difficult foes, he realized that enlisting Samuen''s assistance would be beneficial to him. ''''You must be tired. Go get some rest, and I''ll find youter so we can continue talking about your uing match," Samuen said to him with concern. ''''Okay. '''' Raydon said. Even though Raydon didn''t seem to mind it much, all of the things he learned about his past and his most recent reawakening had caused him to mentally wear out, and he needed to pull himself together by at least realizing one of his old ordinary human habits, which is getting some sleep. After that, the door to the underground chamber that had been previously sealed opened once more. ''''Young master. '''' Diam, with a graceful bow, respectfully sought permission to apany Raydon. Upon receiving his nod, she embarked on escorting him to his room. As soon as Diam and Raydon left the chamber, the door closed behind them again and sealed the room. "I still can''t believe everything that happened," Seren muttered, her gaze fixed upon the closed door. Everything they had experienced and learned today had initially seemed like a dream to them, but after Raydon left the room and the door was re-sealed, they realized it had all actually happened, with the broken gate''s presence once more washing over them like a wave. It was clear that the presence that the Observer had left behind had not vanished, and it appeared to be keeping a low profile solely due to the fact that Raydon was still present. "What should we do next?" Cael turned to Samuen and asked. Cael and Thalia''s initial goal was to protect their family from Raydon and the threats that he posed by keeping as much distance as possible between them. However, their perspective had shifted, and they now resolved to follow Samuen''s guidance. Before giving his response, Samuen paused for a moment to collect himself and then said, "This is a difficult question to answer." The upbeat and cheerful demeanor that he had disyed while in Raydon''spany had given way to a look ofplete and utter exhaustion. It was obvious that the defeat he experienced in the match earlier was weighing heavily on him, going far beyond what could be seen on the surface. Chapter 286 Inherited Ambition (Part 2) ? "The people of a whole world had the ambitious goal of creating a god for the sake of the continuation of their world and the entire human race. Their ambitions and goals are too immense for us toprehend at this moment," Samuen exined, sitting down on the ground and feeling the weight of his fatigue. "Even if they ultimately faced destruction, they undeniably seeded," Samuen continued, lifting his head and making eye contact with each person present. Mental exhaustion and confusion were reflected in their eyes. ''''He is someone who was created through the sacrifice of an entire world. And also the legacy that was left to us from that long-lost world. Do you understand what I mean? '''' The expression on Samuen''s face conveyed a gravity and resolve that had not been seen before. "So you''re asking us to take on their unfinished mission?" Cael''s voice was filled with gravity as he expressed his concerns. "This task, which led to the destruction of an entire world, is far beyond the capabilities of our small family." ''''Indeed, it''s not a simple task. It is clear that his presence will create significant problems for our family and even for our world in the future. But great passionse at great costs,'''' Samuen replied with a smile on his tired face. "We may not be his family, but we can be a guardian family," Samuen dered. "From this moment onward, our family''s priorities take a back seat. Our primary responsibility is to nurture and protect him, ensuring his well-being and growth. Even though I can''t say for certain whether or not it will result in destruction or prosperity in the future, the one thing that is certain is the action that needs to be taken right now. '''' Samuen''s body began to regain its strength, and he slowly stood up, fixing his gaze on the broken gate as the presence pounded against him like unrelenting waves. ''''We will shoulder this difficult task and, for our world... no, for all of humanity, we will humbly serve, bearing witness to the rise of the future human god,'''' he proimed. Cael and the others were deeply moved by Samuen''s resolute and powerful words, and it didn''t take long for them to fully embrace his decision. After all, Raydon wasn''t the sole legacy this fallen world had bestowed upon them¡ªthey had also inherited boundless ambition. ¡ª ''Doesn''t this woman have any other summons she can use to transport us? '' Raydon wondered, casting a sidelong nce at Diam as she continued to guide him with grace. They had been walking for nearly half an hour in the underground tunnel, a journey that had taken only a few seconds for Raydon thanks to Zephyr''s skill, and they still seemed far from their destination. Of course, Diam possessed other movement-type skills and summons she could utilize, but they had to traverse the entire distance on foot since the centipede she usually rode as a mount was stored within Samuen''s dimensional storage. Moreover,cking a movement-type skill like Zephyr''s, she was unable to carry someone with her. ''Finally,'' Raydon sighed with relief as he caught sight of daylight behind Diam after she opened thest door at the end of the underground corridor. "Huh?" As Raydon and Diam strolled along the long corridors of the mansion, Raydon was taken aback by the sight of the first maid they came across. Raydon was taken aback not because the maid was a battle maid or anything else of the sort; rather, she was just one of the ordinary maids who worked in the mansion. However, the thing that took him by surprise was the fact that the moment sheid eyes on him, she immediately dropped to her knees. Raydon''s gaze remained fixed on the bowing maid, her face pressed to the ground, as he heard Diam''s voice offering an exnation for her reaction. "Your presence is too overwhelming for ordinary people to bear," Diam exined. "Ah, I see," Raydon uttered, a sudden realization dawning upon him. Since his reawakening and transformation into a high being, only Samuen and the others have been exposed to his presence. And because even the weakest among them possessed enough strength to withstand it, Raydon hadn''t been aware of the impact his presence had until he witnessed this maid''s reaction. ''This could be a problem, '' Raydon muttered, continuing to walk as employees who had previously ignored him now instinctively dropped to their knees upon catching sight of him. As Raydon continued to walk, he watched how every worker who caught sight of him immediately dropped to their knees. This prompted him to start thinking about the implications of such a reaction in his day-to-day life and how it might affect him. The idea that people would treat him in such a manner on the streets only added to the annoyance he was already feeling, to the point where it exceeded the behavior of Sami and the other people. Raydon''s temples throbbed as he pondered a solution to his predicament. ''I need to find a way to deal with this headache,'' he muttered to himself, massaging his temples. ''Perhaps the aura technique can help me conceal my presence,'' Raydon thought. Recalling how he had sessfully hidden his power from Cael and the others using the aura technique to create his domain, he decided to give it another try, hoping it would also help him mask his presence. ''Is he trying to take control of his presence?'' Diam cast a sideways nce in his direction out of the corner of her eye and felt for a split second the presence she sensed emanating from Raydon ripple. ''I think this won''t work. '' Raydon thought. Even though Raydon was sessful in concealing his power through the use of the aura technique, he was still unable to suppress his presence. ''Wait... Maybe I can use this,'' Raydon muttered to himself. Suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind, prompting him to swiftly open the title panel and inspect one of his sub-skills. - Presence Aura (sub-skill): Projects the user''smanding presence, imbuing allies with fighting spirit or instilling fear and subjugation in targets within a 2000-meter radius. ''What if Ibine my aura technique with this sub-skill? '' Raydon pondered earnestly, and with conviction, he decided to give it a try. Chapter 287 Domain Types (Part 1) ? Raydon had previously noticed a significant expansion in both the potency of his aura and the range it epassed when he utilized the aura technique, thanks to the sub-skill he obtained upon raising his spirit stat to 100. And then, with Zpehyr''s exnation, when he realized that it was actually a domain, he believed that the spirit sub-skill was having an effect on his domain. However, up until this point, he had not attempted to test it using the aura sub-skill that is associated with his stamina stat. In spite of the fact that these aura sub-skills operated in the same way as passive skills, they were, in fact, semi-active skills that did not be active until Raydon selected a target. Now that he had gained this awareness, he made the decision to attempt tobine his aura technique with the aura sub-skill of the charisma stat that he had just recently acquired. Raydon closed his eyes and entered a meditative state, employing a technique that enabled him to delve into the inner realms of his consciousness as he slowly continued to follow Diam. Within this etherealndscape, he came face to face with his own soul, which appeared to him as a gloomy cloud containing the essence of ash. Harnessing the mana within his soul, saturated with the ash element, Raydon employed the aura technique to release it from his body. And just like before, waves of a sinister aura that was bursting with destructive potential began to emanate from his body. This wave that radiated from Raydon''s body like radiation began to shatter the ce where he had stepped, as well as the items that had been ced for decoration in the hallway. - Dominion Aura (sub-skill): Enhances the user''s attack-type skill effects by 100% on all targets within a 2000-meter radius. ''Just as I suspected, the domain I''m currently utilizing merged automatically with the sub-skill associated with my spirit stat,'' Raydon contemted upon witnessing the destructive prowess. ''This is... a domain? '' It was the first time Diam had witnessed him employ this technique, prompting her to momentarily nce back at Raydon. ''No, it''s not a genuine domain, but it''s not far from it,'' Diam was aware that Raydon couldn''t possess a natural domain as an E-Rank and recognized that he was currently employing a supreme technique. Recognizing Raydon''s motives, Diam made the decision not to interfere and instead silently made sure that everyone else nearby was safe. ''Now all that''s left for me to do is incorporate the presence aura. '' Raydon gave it some thought and then attempted to use the sub-skill associated with his charisma stat in conjunction with this technique. Raydon once again lowered his head and closed his eyes, this time concentrating on the presence that was emanating from his own body. He created his current domain using the aura technique by forcibly releasing the mana that resides in his soul. However, now he used the aura technique once more while the domain was still active, and this time he forcibly expanded and spread the presence emanating from his body and tried to add it to his domain. ''Huh? '' To his surprise, Raydon seeded, witnessing the transformation of his domain''s properties. The ominous and destructive wave of ck radiation, which had been steadily growing, underwent a remarkable transformation as it continued to grow. It was no longer malicious; all that was left was a shadowy halo that encircled Raydon''s body and surroundings. However, this newly ascended aura no longer possessed the menacing quality it once did; rather, it exuded a calming essence, much like how a soft breeze would caress the environment. "He altered the nature of his domain," Diam murmured, further astounded by what she was witnessing. As it continued to exert its pressure on her, the power that she had earlier experienced as oppressive and overwhelming transformed into a force that was reassuring and authoritative. The presence of the force provoked a response from every part of Diam''s being, reawakening feelings that hadin dormant for a considerable amount of time. ''This is unbelievable, '' Diam whispered, feeling a surge of emotions she hadn''t experienced in years. It seemed as though the materialized presence of Raydon, which took the form of a holy dark halo and encircled Diam''s body as well as the bodies of everyone else, had the mission of functioning as a shield to protect them from any potential dangers that may have been lurking. As the ethereal presence enveloped Diam, a profound transformation took ce within her. The burdens and hardships that had gued her for years dissipated into the ether, reced by an overwhelming sense of security and tranquility. It was as if she had found the safest haven in the whole wide world, a sanctuary that protected her from any harm and bestowed upon her an unshakeable calm that could not be shaken or disturbed by anything. At that precise moment, the woman who had existed for an untold number of years and possessed extraordinary powers went through lots of forgotten emotions. She was taken back to a more naive and vulnerable time in her life, one in which she soughtfort in the embrace of a caring father figure. Within the confines of this haven, she had the sensation of being a young child, oblivious to the problems and strains of the outside world, and secure in the knowledge that she was being cherished and protected in the most secure of arms. ''I can''t believe I''m being affected to this extent, '' she muttered to herself in awe as a profound sense of gratitude and affinity washed over her, and she fought back tears that threatened to spill from her eyes, repressing the overwhelming urge to get down on her knees and worship the source of this oppressive presence. Even with her B-Rank item holder status and charisma build, she was astonished by the profound impact of the domain''s power. Fearing the potential consequences for others, she grew tense and began to observe the rest of the mansion. Chapter 288 Domain Types (Part 2) ? Raydon''s domain had already epassed nearly half of the mansion, with a radius of 2000 meters centered around him. Diam consoled herself with the thought, ''At least it''s not hurting anyone, '' as she watched hundreds of workers, including numerous item holders, cease their activities and kneel silently on the floor,pletely surrendering to this mysterious entity. In the event that it had been the domain that Raydon had just utilized with his spirit sub-skill, the destructive power of the domain would have most likely caused themon employees to perish. On the other hand, the power that existed at the time coerced their submission and, in a constructive way, enchanted their wills, imbuing them with positive feelings. Raydon, too, was paying attention to this development. Even though his investigative-type skill did not provide him with the ability to see through walls as Diam did, he was able toprehend the power of his domain by observing the people who were in the hallway. ''It appears I cannot utilize both of my sub-skills simultaneously, '' Raydon contemted. The moment he activated the Presence Aura, the Dominion Aura''s influence vanished entirely. ''I wonder how the effects of the other aura sub-skills manifest, '' Raydon pondered, deciding to test the Vitality Aura of his stamina this time. - Vitality Aura (sub-skill): Grants 50% of the user''s HP regeneration to chosen allies within a 2000-meter radius. Raydon withdrew the aura technique from his presence, diverting his focus towards the life energy pulsating within his body. In that instant, Raydon''s domain underwent another transformation, aligning with his new aura This time, the spreading ck waves came to a stop all of a sudden, and they were reced by the mesmerizing sight of gray snowkes gently drifting across the entire domain. ''Is this... ash?'' Diam muttered, once again taken aback by the unexpected change. ''''... '''' Silent and awestruck, Diam struggled to find words to express what she witnessed as Raydon effortlessly altered the nature of his domain once again. Ashes gracefully descended like snowkes within the 2,000-meter radius of Raydon''s presence. "Mmmhh..." Suddenly, an erotic sound escaped the lips of a maid nearby, catching Raydon off guard. ''''What the fuck? '''' Raydon gave her a startled look. The maid continued to kneel on the ground, and with each particle of ash thatnded on her, it seemed to integrate seamlessly into her being. However, the most intriguing part was the maid''s reaction¡ªshe let out soft moans, as if every touch of the ash brought her immense pleasure. "Does this have healing effects?" Diam asked, curiosity evident in her voice. Although the healing effects had minimal impact on her own well-being, given her higher HP andck of immediate need for healing, she could sense the rejuvenating properties carried by the swirling ashes. "Yeah, I suppose," Raydon responded. Raydon was aware that his current domain bestowed those who were within its reach with a 50% increase in their HP regeneration. However, there was one aspect he couldn''t fullyprehend¡ªthe extraordinary effect of his HP regeneration on ordinary people. For item holders, the HP regeneration ability could fully restore and heal any mortal injury or even regenerate a lost limb. Therefore, regr people who received Raydon''s potent HP regeneration power experienced an indescribable level of pleasure as their bodies quickly healed from all of the visible and hidden wounds that had umted over the course of their lives. Damaged cells were repaired, and even individuals with cancer or congenital disabilities felt their bodies rapidly heal and their lifespans seemingly extend. ''This seems like a remarkable support skill. Unfortunately, it doesn''t directly contribute to my own strength, '' Raydon contemted. Because the vitality-type domain he was currently utilizing had the potential to heal his teammates during matches or any event, he would be an extremely useful support character. However, as a solo yer, Raydon found the idea of being a support for others rather dull unless he hadmand-type skills to utilize this domain on his own summons. ''''Hm? '''' While Raydon was considering how he could make use of this domain in the future, he noticed the flowers that had fallen out of a broken vase that was located nearby. Fascinatingly, as Raydon''s ashes fell upon the flowers, the flowers that had been weakened by his destructive domain some time ago were rapidly regaining their vitality. ''I believe that there are additional benefits that can be obtained from using this domain. '' Raydon had realized quite some time ago how essential it was to cultivate his inner world, and if this vitality-type domain had the capacity to positively affect nts and soil, as well as the ability to cause them to grow quickly and flourish, then it would be a significant asset for him. Raydon''s confidence in his other sub-skills grew as a result of this realization. Raydon''s mind began to churn with curiosity as he pondered the implications of fusing the Fortune Aura with his domain. ''Let''s see. '' He decided to give it a try. - Fortune Aura (sub-skill): Amplifies the user''s luck, bestowing good fortune on all targets while causing misfortune on their opponents within a 2000-meter radius. Raydon had no idea how to activate this sub-skill at this time, but he channeled his aura technique into his feelings and began releasing them while thinking about the memories that made him feel lucky. "That should suffice. Any more could bring chaos to the mansion," Diam interjected, noticing the shifting property of Raydon''s domain. Having witnessed three different domains with entirely distinct properties, Diam felt it was necessary to intervene before further chaos engulfed the mansion. The mansion was already in a state of disarray due to the mysterious forces that were descending upon it, and if this behavior persisted, the results could be damaging. "Okay," Raydon agreed, deciding to explore other domain types at ater time. After saying that, he once more activated the Presence-type domain, but this time he brought his aura back into his body rather than sending it out into the surrounding area. ''He truly has gained control over his presence in such a short time, '' Diam contemted, observing Raydon''s presence swiftly fading away. It didn''t even surprise her anymore that Raydon had devised yet another supreme technique to control his own presence in such a short amount of time. Chapter 289 Innate Skill (Part 1) ? Raydon exhaled heavily as he finally made it back to his room and sighed, "Phew, what a long day." When he finally copsed onto the bed, he took a long, deep breath to help calm his exhausted mind and body. Even though he had not participated in any matches or hunted monsters for experience points, the revtions about his past and the awakening as a higher being, along with the updating of his system, had left him feeling mentally exhausted. "Now, it''s time to rest," Raydon mumbled, his stomach growling in agreement as he contemted a well-deserved rest. ''''Wait¡­ '''' However, before sumbing to sleep, he realized he needed to satisfy his hunger. Even though it hadn''t been that long since he''d consumed several kilograms of meat, it was obvious that he had been hungry ever since he reawakened because his body required nutrients once more. "I should have asked Diam to prepare something to eat," Raydon murmured, opening his empty and deste inner world, disappointed by the absence of sustenance. Just as Raydon pondered the predicament of resting on an empty stomach and the need to find nourishment, a knock echoed at his room''s door. "Who could it be this time?" Raydon wondered. He called out, "Come in," and the door creaked open to reveal a maid pushing arge serving trolley filled to the brim with a variety of mouthwatering dishes. "Wow, this is exactly what I needed," Raydon eximed with delight, quickly springing out of bed and surveying the array of enticing food before him. "Damn, it''s been ages since I''ve had such a feast," Raydon remarked, grabbing a knife and fork and eagerly indulging in the vors of the diverse dishes. Even though the meat from the mobs that he found from matches and cooked over his own fire tasted good, he was beginning to get bored with the meals because they were the only thing he had been eating for a long time, and now these meals seemed like heaven to him. In addition to this, he observed that the meats that were used in the dishes had a higher nutritional value than anything else that he had previously consumed. It became apparent that these meats originated from E-Rank or even D-Rank monsters, at the very least. "Hm? Is there something you''d like to say?" Raydon inquired, noticing the maid''s lingering presence in the room as he skillfully maneuvered his fork and knife. "A-ah, nothing," the maid stammered, her face turning crimson. Since the moment that she walked into the room, she had been utterly bewitched by Raydon''s charm, and she was unable to tear her gaze away from his wless appearance. ''Is this really our exiled young master? '' the maid wondered in shock, admiring Raydon''s impable physique and features. Even his graceful use of utensils while eating seemed to mesmerize her, making it difficult to avert her eyes. The majority of the maids had seen Raydon while he was residing in the mansion, and even though he did not appear to be as frail and neglected as he had in the past when he returned to the mansion a while ago, Raydon''s appearance changed again after reawakening, which was sufficient to shock her. "Is there something else?" Raydon questioned, observing her continued stare. Caught off guard, the maid blushed even deeper and quickly nodded, her face filled with rm. "Enjoy your meal," she managed to utter before hastily retreating from the room and shutting the door behind her. ''''Weird. I thought I had concealed my presencepletely," Raydon muttered to himself. Because he was used to being ignored and treated with disdain by everyone who lived in the mansion, he found the behavior of the maid to be perplexing. He checked his presence once again, verifying that his concealment technique was wless. "Oh, it must be because of how handsome I look. '''' Concluding that her gaze was likely due to his striking appearance, he shrugged it off and resumed his meal. ¡ª Raydon eximed, "Finally, I''m full" after consuming several kilograms of food in a short amount of time while simultaneously enjoying every bite. He exhaled a sigh of contentment, his stomach having beenpletely filled by the meal. Raydon had a full stomach and was considering taking a nap, but then he recalled an important task that required his attention before he could rx and sleep. "I wonder how this works," he murmured, opening the character panel and directing his gaze to the section disying his innate skills. Then, he retrieved the blue-grade dagger that Cael had gifted him some time ago, which had recentlypleted the binding process. [Nightshade Dagger] -Grade: Blue -Quality: Excellent -Skill: Shadow Passage By infusing one''s body with the energy of death, one can break through the space curtain and travel a maximum of 30 meters through the underworld''s tunnel. The distance varies based on the user''s spirit stat. The speed of movement varies based on the user''s agility stat. The cooldown varies based on the user''s stamina stat. -Mana cost: 220 -Duration: - -Cooldown: 1 second. "Man... This skill is so cool. The only downside is the high mana cost," Raydon mused, admiring the remarkable movement skill before him. It should not havee as a shock that Raydon picked a movement-type skill as his first innate skill. The majority of the item holders would choose either movement or defensive skills, and having an additional movement skill would be of great benefit to Raydon in matches, allowing him to quickly kill mobs as well as members of the opposing team. The functionality and effectiveness of the skill could not be fully conveyed by simply reading the description of the skill; however, Raydon vividly recalled how the dagger had materialized in front of him in a burst of ck smoke when Cael had handed it over to him. It had made an indelible mark, which was a testament to the coolness and power that it possessed. "I suppose I should give it a try before officially adding it to my innate skills," Raydon muttered. Chapter 290 Innate Skill (Part 2) ? Although he could change his innate skill in the future if he found a better one, doing so would result in the permanent loss of the reced skill and its corresponding item. In light of the fact that Raydon had already lost the majority of his items, he was unwilling to take the risk of parting with another item, especially one of a blue grade. Raydon recited the name of the skill while standing up and holding the dagger in his hand. ''''Shadow Passage. '''' In an instant, all of the world''s colors vanished, and it became various shades of ck and white instead. ''Have I entered another dimension?'' Raydon briefly wondered, noticing the sudden shift, and he took a step towards the door of his room. "Whoa!" Just like that, he found himself at his doorstep, back in the vibrant and colorful world. Raydon eximed with ecstasy, "This skill is incredible, but I''ll need some practice to use it to its fullest" Raydon was only able to make a few steps of progress before he was pulled back out of the monochromatic realm, despite the fact that the description of the skill stated that it had a range of up to 30 meters. It became clear that this alternative dimension existed outside of the confines of normal space and time. As a result, he was able to traverse enormous distances in a single stride and move at an incredible speed. The icing on the cake was the fact that he could effortlessly move through obstacles, almost as though he were teleporting. "What''s the deal with all these maids? " While Raydon was happily pondering how useful the skill was, he was taken aback to see that there were a lot more maids in the hallway than were required. As soon as Raydon turned to face them, the maids quickly averted their gazes and pretended to be focused on the task at hand, which was cleaning the hall. However, their astonished and curious nces gave away their fascination with Raydon, who had just materialized out of the ck smoke in the corridor. Among them, Raydon also recognized the maid who had brought him his meal earlier, but he chose to disregard their presence. "Shadow Passage," Raydon uttered the words, vanishing once again into the veil of ck smoke, and reappearing in his room. "While using this skill, my movement speed is quite impressive, and it will continue to get better as my agility stat improves. The one-second cooldown is also manageable. If I can find a sub-skill that reduces the cooldown, which I had before, I can employ this skill more rapidly and efficiently," Raydon contemted, evaluating the skill''s potential. After giving it a lot of thought and performing some calctions, Raydon came to the conclusion that this skill was the one that should go in his innate skill slot. "Let''s see how it works," he said, opening the character panel and directing his attention to the innate skill slot. [Innate Skill]: 0 / 1 *DING* At a moment''s notice, a system window appeared in front of him. [Select a skill to add to the Innate skill slot.] [Warning! The item to which the selected skill is attached will be permanently destroyed.] Skill: Grim Blessing Skill: Explosive Swarm Skill: Death sense Skill: Rusty chain Skill: Shadow Passage The options of various skills attached to his bound items appeared on the screen. "Hmm, it''s quite straightforward," Raydon murmured. Raydon heaved a sigh as he acknowledged the warning that the system had given him and said, "It''s unfortunate that the item will disappear, but there''s no alternative." The dagger had an impressive design, which unmistakably demonstrated its superior quality. Even if the item did not possess any skills, the dagger would still be valuable. However, Raydon had already made his decision and was willing to ept the consequence of permanently losing the item. Then, Raydon uttered the skill''s name once more, "Shadow Passage." As he did, a remarkable transformation urred. The dagger he held in his hand began to morph, gradually turning into minuscule grains of ck sand. After existing in the air for a split second, the sand particles vanished into thin air as if they had never been there. *DING* [Innate skill added.] A notification from the system confirmed that the skill he had chosen to add to the innate skill slot had been sessfully added. [Innate Skill]: 1 / 1 -Shadow Passage And in a matter of a few seconds, he had the first skill that he could freely use without being reliant on an item in any way. "Wow, this feels... Different," Raydon murmured to himself, his voice tinged with a sense of awe. In spite of the fact that nothing about his outward appearance changed as a result of his learning the innate skill, he was overpowered by an experience that cannot be adequately described using words. It was almost as if he had been blessed with a new organ in his body that served a new purpose, such as a mouth or a nose that he could use for talking or breathing, respectively. During the time that Raydon was attempting to make sense of this novel experience, he suddenly disappeared into a cloak of dark smoke and then reemerged a mere meter away from where he had been standing, still shrouded in the same ethereal haze. "Not much seems to have changed in the skill''s attributes, except for the fact that I no longer need to chant its name to activate it," Raydon contemted. He realized that he could now employ the skill at will, as effortlessly as moving a finger, without any notable enhancements to its inherent capabilities. "Nevertheless, this is a significant advantage. In addition to that, I have gained one more active skill, bringing my total to six instead of five," Raydon eximed with glee. At this point, all that was required of him was to wait for the items Samuen had promised to deliver and fill the empty skill slot. Chapter 291 Visiting The Slum ? ''''Why is this ce so quiet?'''' Belicia could not help but mutter in confusion as she made her way down the deserted alleyway, which was lit only by a few far-off streemps. ''''It also appears to be a little different from what I remember. '''' She noticed, as she was looking around, that inparison to how things had been, everything was extraordinarily clean and well-organized. There was not a single piece of trash anywhere on the ground, and the oncemon sight of trash cans that were overflowing had been reced with nters that were filled with saplings, adding a touch of natural beauty to the area. The buildings, once worn and dpidated, now stood resplendent, as if they had undergone aplete transformation. The freshly painted sidewalks, which gave off the impression that no one had walked on them recently, gave off an air of pristine beauty. Belicia questioned herself as she navigated the streets that were both familiar and unfamiliar, ''Have I truly arrived at the right ce? '' She had been tasked, quite some time ago, with the responsibility of inviting Raydon''s friends from the slums to take part in the uing celebration, and they had appointed Belicia, the person who was most familiar with this area, to be in charge of this mission. When they made their decision back then, Raydon''s history was still a mystery to them, and they believed that there was a high-ranking item holder living in this area. As a result, while they were entrusting Belicia with this responsibility, they also came to the conclusion that it would be appropriate to extend a formal invitation, as a gesture of respect, to the high rank they believed to be residing in the area. When she first learned about this mission, she immediately felt a significant amount of apprehension because she was aware of what had previously transpired with Tika in this location. Even though her only duty was to deliver the family''s message to the high rank, she found it difficult to maintain herposure when it would require her to interact with someone who possessed such great power. ''At least I will be able to see them once I deliver this message quickly,'' She thought, her face momentarily brightening with a smile as she remembered the people she grew up with and her brother. She continued to make her way forward, striding out with her newfound assurance. Nevertheless, both her bravery and her anticipation were abruptly shaken by an urrence that was not expected. *PUT* Out of the darkness, a knife suddenly descended, embedding itself into the hard asphalt just in front of Belicia, causing her to instinctively step back. Then a quiet but threatening voice was heard. "This ce is not open to visitors. Please choose another path." ''Who is he? '' Belicia was shocked, her thoughts racing as she looked at the seemingly ordinary kitchen knife firmly lodged in the ground a few centimeters away. It was evident from its appearance that it was not magic equipment. But the thing that took her by surprise the most was the fact that she had not felt the presence of this person until he spoke to her. ''This person must be one of the esteemed high-rank''s servants,'' She surmised, her mind quickly trying to make sense of the situation. She opened her mouth to exin, ''''I am not¡­ '''' Only to be interrupted by another knife being thrown and piercing the ground alongside the first one. "Loud talking is prohibited here," the voice warned. ''This guy¡­ '' The threatening and impolite attitude caused Belicia to frown, but she quickly regained herposure after taking a deep breath and calming herself down. She realized that the person she was speaking with was most likely a servant of the high-ranking item holder to whom she hade to deliver the message. As a result, she made the decision to try a different approach. This time, she bowed her head to convey her non-threatening demeanor and respect. "I am here to deliver a mes¡­," she began, but once again, her words were cut off by another attack. ''''What now?! '''' Belicia eximed in surprise as she saw that this time, a fork had been added to the two knives embedded in the ground before her. "Oh, sorry, sorry. I thought you were going to attack when you suddenly moved," the voice apologized in a rushed and apologetic tone. ''We''re not going to get anywhere this way, '' Belicia thought, realizing that the situation was not progressing as she had hoped. Trying a different approach, she asked, "Do you know Dan? I am his friend." She decided to invoke Dan''s name, hoping that it would help alleviate the person''s caution and suspicion, given Dan''s previous role as the gang boss in this area. She had no idea where Dan was or what he was doing at the moment, but she reasoned that because he was well-known, there was a good chance that the person she was speaking with would be familiar with him. "The First Captain? Are you really the First Captain''s friend?" The voice responded with a tone of tension and rm. ''Captain? '' Belicia was taken aback momentarily. "I''m not sure if we''re talking about the same Dan. Dan, who is 6 feet tall with red hair and used to be the gang boss here," Belicia exined, thinking that there might be a misunderstanding. The person she was conversing with couldn''t be an ordinary individual; he was likely an item holder. It seemed peculiar to her that he addressed Dan as captain. "Oh, dude... She''s really our captain''s friend, right?" While Belicia was waiting for a response from the person who was hidden in the shadows, she was taken aback when she unexpectedly heard another voiceing from a different direction. ''I couldn''t even feel his presence,'' Belicia pondered, observing the person rapidly approaching her from the darkness. "Damn, I told you not to be so rude to everyone you encounter. What if you''ve offended the captain''s friend?" Another ordinary-looking girl swiftly approached from yet another direction. ''Who are they really? '' Her expression changed to one of shock as she became aware that there were in fact three people surrounding her. Chapter 292 Astonishment ? "How was I supposed to know? When I saw her in a maid costume, I thought she came here to cause trouble. '''' And then, the owner of the voice, who had been conversing with Belicia for a while, also approached her, bowing his head in front of her. "I''m so sorry. I truly didn''t know you were a friend of the captain." ''What is happening here? Do they really refer to the Dan I know as captain? '' Belicia wondered in amazement, observing these unfamiliar individuals approaching her in their in, ck attire. "Please don''t me him. We made a biased assumption when we saw you because someone wearing the same maid costume caused amotion here not long ago," exined the only girl in the group, who had short ck hair and wore all-ck clothes. Her tone carried a hint of apology. ''Are they referring to Tika? That foolish woman is causing trouble for me even here, '' Belicia thought angrily, starting to understand their cautious behavior. "So, can I see Dan? Where is he?" Belicia inquired. She was still having trouble epting the fact that Dan was in fact their captain, and she was determined to verify for herself whether or not this was all just a misunderstanding. Despite their seemingly recent awakening as item holders and their poor appearance as servants, their ability to watch Belicia through the darkness without her detecting them served as a testament to their strength. It was clear that they possessed techniques beyond what their outward appearance suggested. "Oh, certainly. The captain should be training with the others at the moment. Allow me to guide you to the training grounds," the ordinary-looking girl with ck hair offered. "Don''t worry, you can go. We''ll keep watch here," the person who had thrown the knives and fork reassured, retrieving them from the ground and stowing them away in his dimensional storage forter use. "Okay, I''ll be back in a few minutes," the girl said, receiving a nod of approval from herpanions. ¡ª ''I still can''t believe how much this ce has improved in such a short time,'' Belicia thought while following the short-haired girl, her eyes scanning the surroundings. Aside from the fact that all of the streets had been repaired and cleaned, the surroundings appeared to be very quiet, and she did not see anyone else other than these three people who were here to guard the area. ''The technique that they use is most certainly not a low-tier technique. Even a mid-tier should notpare to it. No wonder the esteemed high rank chose them as servants. These individuals must be once-in-a-lifetime prodigies, mastering such a powerful technique,'' Belicia marveled, observing the short-haired girl leading the way. Even though she was walking casually, not a single step that she took made the slightest sound, and it appeared as though she was walking on the street without even disturbing the wind that was blowing. Based on the weapons they wielded and the clothing they adorned, Belicia deduced that these individuals were previously slum dwellers who had recently awakened as item holders. That''s why she found it difficult to believe her eyes when she witnessed their remarkable proficiency in utilizing such a potent technique. Belicia had spent weeks, months, and even years honing her skills in order to achieve the current level of mastery she possessed in the mid-tier technique that had been passed down through her family. However, it was evident that the technique employed by these individuals surpassed even the mid-tier technique of the Demugen family. As a consequence of this, achieving such a level of mastery ought to have been an even more difficult task. ''''You haven''t been here for a while, have you? '''' the short-haired girl asked, noticing Belicia''s surprise and keen observation. ''''Yeah... It''s been... a few days, '''' Belicia responded. The sheer fact that this person had achieved mastery in a technique of such immense potential made Belicia question whether the passage of time itself was nothing more than an illusion. ''''Just a few days, indeed. Yet, it was enough for our Master topletely transform our lives,'''' the short-haired girl spoke with utmost respect and reverence. ''She must be referring to that high-rank,'' Belicia reasoned. Even though she had never seen a high-rank item holder in person before, just hearing about the powers that they possessed was enough to astonish her. Therefore, because of this reason, the changes that took ce here suddenly did not seem to her to be all that surprising anymore. That is until she witnessed the scene before her. "We have arrived. This is our training ground," the short-haired girl announced. Belicia was at such a loss for words that she could not respond right away. She was going through the most profound jolt of her entire life at that very moment. After giving it some thought and wondering for a while whether what she was seeing could possibly be an illusion, she came to the conclusion that it was, in fact, real. She mumbled in a tone that conveyedplete disbelief, asking, "Are you certain that only a few days have passed?" Belicia''s astonishment didn''t stem from the presence of impressive equipment or a vast training field at the site. In fact,pared to Demugen''s training ground, this ce appeared modest, resembling an empty, destend without any enclosing walls. What truly left her in awe was the sight of hundreds of people now upying the training ground. The most astonishing part was that all of them seemed to be engrossed in intense training, yet an eerie silence pervaded the atmosphere. Not even the gentlest breeze could overpower the hushed ambiance of the ce. "How is this possible?" Belicia had initially attributed the mastery of the powerful technique by the three individuals she had met earlier to their exceptional talent. However, the scene unfolding before her shattered that belief. Hundreds of people were now demonstrating the same technique with almost identical mastery, and what is more, is that they were simultaneously practicing other techniques in conjunction with the one they had already mastered. Chapter 293 Guilt ? "I can''t believe this. Are all of them item holders?" As Belicia took in the incredible scene in front of her, she could not help but ask, the astonishment in her voice reflecting the state of her mind. Among the individuals on the training ground, dressed in mismatched but all-ck attire, she recognized familiar faces. Some of them were even people she had known since she was a child, people who lived in the slums and were considered social outcasts. Nevertheless, at this point, they were diligently training with the focus and harmony of professional martial artists. As their hands were concealed by gloves or ck fabric, it was difficult to determine whether or not they were item holders at first nce. However, considering the techniques they were utilizing, it was hard to imagine them as ordinary slum dwellers. "Unfortunately, not everyone has been fortunate enough to receive the Master''s special attention, so many are still not item holders. But our captains are working tirelessly to train them, and it won''t be long before they awaken," the short-haired girl exined, her voice filled with gratitude and pride. Those who had been present during Raydon''s demonstrations and had received his teachings were able to awaken as item holders more quickly than those who had not. Their understanding of the fundamentals was deeper, which enabled them to speed up the process of bing proficient in the techniques. Clearly, the short-haired girl was one of the lucky ones who had been privileged to witness Raydon''s guidance. However, as more refugees from different regions joined their group, there were still those who had never encountered Raydon. Because Dan and the others were now in charge of their training, their advancement was slowed. ''High-rank item holders possess abilities beyond my wildest imagination,'' Belicia murmured absentmindedly. If what the young woman with the short hair imed was true, then it indicated that those individuals who were fortunate enough to receive personal instruction from their supposed master could be proficient in the techniques in an unfathomably short period of time. This phenomenon was beyond Belicia''s ability to understand, and it left her feeling awestruck. ''''Sister Belicia? '''' Belicia waspletely distracted from her thoughts as she was watching the incredible training scene when all of a sudden, she heard a voice that she was familiar with. ''''Dan? '''' Belicia was startled when she turned her head in the direction of the voice and saw the figure with fiery hair and sharp eyes walking towards her. He was dressed in an all-ck outfit that stood out from the others, resembling a remarkable item set. ''''First captain. '''' The short-haired girl bowed respectfully, addressing Dan with reverence. ''''Wee back. '''' Dan gave the girl a slight nod of the head before speaking to Belicia with a faint smile on his face. ''''Are you really Dan? '''' Despite the fact that it was abundantly clear that the individual in question was Dan, Belicia could not help but wonder if he was in fact the same Dan that she had known ever since she was a child. His outward appearance had not changed, but there had been a discernible shift in the manner in which he carried himself. Dan also appeared to have gained a few inches in height, and his once friendly and youthful expression had been reced by a cool and collected demeanor. His crimson-rimmed eyes exuded an air of unshakeable self-assurance and authority that waspletely new. In addition to this, Belicia perceived a higher level of mastery in Dan''s every step, one that exceeded even that of the girl with the short hair. If she turned her head away from him for even a second, it seemed as though he would vanish from her line of sightpletely. ''How could he undergo such a drastic change? '' Belicia was once again taken aback. She was certain that Dan had be an item holder, and although she didn''t know his rank or level, she understood that he wouldn''t be an easy opponent if they were to engage inbat, considering the disparity in their respective techniques. ''''Sister Belicia is back? '''' Another voice caught Belicia''s attention as she observed Dan intently. ''''Karan? '''' This time, it was Karan, with his blond hair, dressed in mismatched ck clothing, but adorned with a few noticeable pieces of magic equipment. ''''Haha, I bet you''re shocked to see us like this, right? Well, you managed to surprise us too with your secret, so I suppose we''re even now. '''' Despite his typicallyposed demeanor, Karan couldn''t contain his delight as he chuckled with genuine joy upon seeing Belicia. ''''Ah, yes. I''m sorry. '''' Apologetically, Belicia said. It was no surprise to Belicia that they had discovered her secret of being a battle maid, thanks to Tika, who had arrived earlier, as she immediately understood what Karan meant by his remark. ''That bitch again. I would have preferred to tell them myself,'' Belicia thought, her anger simmering. She felt guilty that they had learned the truth in this way. ''''Don''t worry, we understand why you kept it a secret,'''' Dan reassured her, attempting to put her at ease. After their encounter with Tika and Raydon''s revtion about the existence of the illegal item market, they embarked on an extensive research journey, delving into various families and organizations. They wanted to acquire an in-depthprehension of the matter at hand as their primary objective. As a result of their diligent efforts, they were able to gather detailed information about the concept of battle maids, as mentioned by Tika. In addition, as a result of their research and the fact that they were now a part of themunity of item holders, they had be aware of the intense conflicts that frequently urred between item holders. They considered it quite normal for Belicia to conceal her true identity as a battle maid in order to protect them¡ªsomething they themselves would have likely done in her position. ''''Still...'''' Belicia realized that Dan was trying to console her, but it didn''tpletely alleviate her sense of guilt. Chapter 294 Tears Of Happiness ? ''''What about my brother? Does he hate me now?'''' Belicia asked in a dejected tone. When they heard this question, Karan and Dan shared a quick nce with one another. ''''Well, about that...'''' Dan said, his smile growing wider as he pointed towards a specific direction on the training ground. ''''You can ask him yourself.'''' ''''Hm?'''' Belicia turned to see where Dan was pointing. Her attention was drawn to a fat figure that was caked in mud from head to toe and was standing motionless with his eyes closed on the muddy patch of ground. ''''Wait... Is that Fatty?'''' Upon seeing this person, Belicia immediately recognized him and asked. She recognized Sami as being just as rotund as she remembered, with additionalyers of fat covering his body. Despite this, she was unable to deny the fact that his appearance had changed noticeably since thest time they had met. "He looks somewhat different," Beliciamented, trying to discern the changes in Sami''s appearance. Even though Sami had not undergone that much of a transformation in terms of his outward appearance, he had acquired a certain allure. His dark brown hair, which moved gently with the wind like a river andplimented his all-ck attire, was a perfectplement to his look. His facial features had be more defined and sharper. After a brief period of preparation with his eyes closed, Sami suddenly opened them, revealing a pair of brown pupils filled with remarkable seriousness and focus. He started running across the muddy ground without any hesitation, disying agility and speed that seemed incongruous with his overweight body. "What is he doing?" When Belicia first observed his serious demeanor and focus, she assumed that he was participating in some form of training; however, when she noticed that Sami was simply running in a straight line, she questioned her understanding of the situation. "He is attempting to reach the finish line at the end of the training area while avoiding obstacles," Karan exined, a mischievous smile ying on his lips. ''''Obstacles? '''' Belicia could see the finish line a little further ahead, but what was confusing to her was the fact that there were no other obstacles besides the mud, which could only be described as slippery. It did not take long for Belicia to realize that Sami had be an item holder as well. While she was thinking that this mud would not be an obstacle for an item holder, she suddenly realized what the real obstacle was. Sami was running with all of his strength and seriousness when suddenly an arrow fell on his running path, causing him to trip and fall to the ground. *BAM* Sami was thrown to the ground with a jarring force, and his considerable body mass caused him to slide quickly across the mucky ground surface. "Hahaha, at least he managed to reach the finish line," Karan burst intoughter upon witnessing Sami''s slide and subsequent arrival at the goal. Dan and Karan found the situation amusing, theirughter filling the air. In contrast to herpanions, however, Belicia wore a look of bewilderment on her face. The fact that the arrow hadnded so precisely in Sami''s path could not have been a mere coincidence, as far as she could tell. The archer who was responsible for the incident possessed extraordinary archery skills in addition to an uncanny ability to calcte trajectories with pinpoint uracy. Furthermore, this was very different from hitting the target because it was obvious that the shooter''s only goal was to obstruct Sami''s movement, which is a goal that is more difficult to achieve than simply hitting the target. ''How many techniques has this esteemed high-rank taught them?'' Belicia wondered in awe. In addition to the movement technique that she noticed Sami using during his run, her shock only intensified as she witnessed the other trainees demonstrating a multitude of advanced techniques, surpassing what she had previously considered being of the mid-tier level. "Puh... Puh... '''' Sami struggled to stand up from the muddy ground, spitting out the mud from his mouth in the process. ''''Hell, Rayn, how can you predict every move of this Great Fatty like that? You were just lucky this time, but you can not always be this lucky." Sami eximed in frustration, his voice echoing across the training ground. Sami''s outburst urred in the middle of the silent training ground, where everyone appeared to be ustomed to this circumstance as they continued their training without paying much attention to his outburst. But with the exception of one person. "Rayn?" Belicia was taken aback and turned her gaze toward the source of Sami''s frustration. She uttered the words "No way" with a trembling voice as her eyes widened with shock and disbelief. Her attention was drawn to a young man with violet hair and the expression of a child on his face as he stood on a nearby hill while holding a crossbow. As she looked at her brother, Rayn, who had been disabled for a very long time but was now standing on his own two legs, she felt tears well up in her eyes. "H-he is?" Her voice was choked with tears, her words barely escaping her lips. She knew very well who this person was, but seeing her long-time disabled wheelchair-bound brother standing now on his legs seemed like a dream to her. Dan confirmed her thoughts, his voice firm and clear. "Yes, you are not dreaming. He is your brother, Rayn." As soon as Belicia heard Dan''s confirmation, she was no longer able to contain the tears that she had been fighting so hard to keep from falling. Overwhelmed with immense relief and happiness, she sobbed like a child. In the end, the prayers that she had been uttering since the birth of her brother were answered, and her long-cherished dream, which she had always shared with her brother, had finallye true. Falling to her knees, she wept uncontrobly. "Thank God" was all that she could muster through her tears. Chapter 295 Who Is Raydon? (Part 1) ? "Huh? What are they doing there?" Rayn put his crossbow away in his dimensional storage and then turned his attention to Dan and Karan, who was standing a short distance away. In the darkness of the night, he could not see very far because his stats were not as high as Belicia''s and he did not have any skills that were rted to the investigation. However, when he saw a figure kneeling on the ground, he felt an emotion well up inside of him that he could not adequately describe. ''Do I know this person? '' Rayn wondered, feeling a weight in his chest, and he swiftly descended the hill, sprinting toward the figure. "Hey, where are you going?" Sami, who refused to acknowledge that he had been defeated, was getting ready to make another attempt when he saw Rayn fleeing. Calling out to him, he followed closely, curious about the urgency of Rayn''s actions. As Rayn closed in, the weight in his chest grew heavier, and he began to recognize the familiar form of Belicia. ''''Sister? '''' Her distinctive purple hair became more apparent, and he realized who it was. Soon after that, he came face to face with the teary, violet eyes of Belicia, which glowed like emeralds in the pitch ckness of the night. Finally, the person Rayn yearned to reveal his awakening as an item holder, and hisplete healing was waiting before him. Rayn''s eyes began to well up with tears as he increased his pace even further. It seemed as though he wanted to demonstrate that he hadpletely recovered from his crippled state as well as demonstrate how quickly he can run at this point. "Ah..." However, living in a wheelchair for his entire life had left him unustomed to his restored legs, and in his haste, he stumbled while running at full speed. As Rayn plummeted toward the ground, a wave of intense embarrassment surged through him. He berated himself for his failed attempt to prove hisplete healing to the person who meant the world to him. Nevertheless, right before the moment of imminent impact, an unexpected urrence took ce. Instead of crashing to the ground, he found himself enveloped in a warm, supportive embrace. ''''Sis? '''' When Rayn felt these steady arms around him, he immediately assumed that his sister had caught him and prevented him from falling. And the momentary embarrassment that had begun to form in him abruptly gave way to an overflowing joy and a yearning, and he embraced the owner of these arms tightly while crying his eyes out. ''Huh... Why does it feel different? '' Rayn thought, his tears still streaming down his face as he clung to the person who had caught him. Instead of the familiar delicate and graceful body he expected to embrace, he felt the sensation of hugging a pillow. "Shhh. You''re a grown-up man, right? There''s no need to be so scared of falling while running," aforting voice said, apanied by a gentle stroke on his head. Rayn''s eyes widened in surprise, and he took a step back, disengaging himself from the embrace. The voice and the touch didn''t belong to his sister; they were entirely different. "What? You''re crying just because you were about to fall. What are you? A baby?" Sami remarked with a twitch, his voice filled with exasperation. He couldn''t help but notice Rayn''s teary, drooling snot face and the disgusted look in his eyes, realizing that his attempt at constion had not been well-received. "Wha... What?" Rayn stammered, hastily wiping away his tears, his face flushed with embarrassment. "I wasn''t crying because I was about to fall." ''''Then wha¡­. Agh¡­'''' Sami began to inquire, but before he could finish, a resounding pnded on the back of his head, causing him to cry out in pain. "You fat ass, you''ve ruined the whole family drama," Karan admonished, annoyance etched on his face. "What drama? Ohh..." Sami''s confusion cleared as he noticed Belicia''s tear-streaked face standing beside Karan. His attention then returned to Rayn. "Ahhh, I see, I see. Haha, okay, don''t mind me then. You can continue," Sami interjected, stepping aside between them. "This idiot," Karan muttered, shaking his head and facepalming. "Sister," Rayn choked out, the tears that he had wiped away earlier flowing once more. He sprinted toward Belicia, enveloping her in a tight embrace. Though they hadn''t been apart for long, the inability to share the incredible experiences and newfound abilities with his most trusted person had taken a toll on Rayn''s mental well-being. In this embrace, with his legs having fully recovered, it felt like everything had finallye full circle. "Iyk... This is so cringe," Sami muttered, wiping away the tears that had welled up in his eyes. In spite of his words, it was clear that the family reunion had a profound emotional effect on him as well. "I still can''t believe this," Belicia confessed, finally releasing her brother from her embrace and examining him from head to toe. Belicia had tried various ordinary healing skills and items on her brother in secret, but due to the congenital nature of his disability, they had proven ineffective. Because his condition was not typical of an injury and was intricately connected to his entire anatomy, it is extremely unlikely that green-grade skills will be adequate to treat him. Blue-grade skills were likely required, but the avability of such items, even within the esteemed Demugen family, remained uncertain. Belicia, being an ordinary battle maid, did not possess the means to obtain such rare and powerful healing resources. As a result, she felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and happiness now that the dream she had been pursuing had finallye true. "Yes, me too. All thanks to the master," Rayn chimed in, his eyes glistening with appreciation and unshakable respect. As soon as Belicia heard this, her admiration and appreciation for this high-rank item holder, whose power is without bounds, skyrocketed to new heights. She realized in that instant that Rayn''s awakening as an item holder must have been a simple task for their master, given his ability to awaken even Raydon. "Oh, I almost forgot," Belicia said, remembering the purpose of her visit amidst her overwhelming emotions. She turned to Dan and made her request. "If possible, I would like to request a meeting with your esteemed master. I have a message from the family that I need to convey." Chapter 296 Who Is Raydon? (Part 2) ? After a brief pause, Dan turned his gaze to the short-haired girl who had been patiently waiting nearby. "Master has not returned yet," the girl bowed and replied. "I don''t know when our master will be back, but if it''s not urgent, you can wait here," Dan suggested, hopeful that Raydon would return soon. He had never been missing for such a significant amount of time before, and they anticipated that he would soon return. "Actually, it''s not that urgent, but there isn''t much time to deliver the message," Belicia sighed, feeling a sense of urgency herself. The main purpose of the message was to invite their master to the banquet scheduled for the following day, and if she couldn''t deliver the message today, the invitation would lose its significance. Actually, in addition to the message she was supposed to convey, Belicia wanted to meet this person face to face and thank him. Before, he had helped her in a roundabout way by killing Herman and rescuing her brother and friends, and now, by assisting her brother in bing an item holder, he had healed her brother''s legs. Because of this, she desired to personally convey her appreciation for the favor, despite the fact that it was something she would never be able to pay back in her lifetime. "That''s unfortunate," Belicia said dejectedly, continuing with a smile. "Anyway, you''re invited too. I hope your master won''t be angry if you take a little break from your training." "Us? Why are we invited too?" Sami asked in surprise. They knew that Belicia worked for one of the ruling families, so it seemed natural for that family to invite their master to the celebration. But they were just regr item holders who had just recently awakened, so Belicia''s invitation did not really make much sense to them at all. "You are friends of young master Raydon, right? Since this celebration is somewhat rted to him, they decided to invite you as well," Belicia exined. "Raydon? Young master?" Dan and Karan eximed simultaneously, shocked by the revtion. "Why are you so surprised?" Belicia asked, confused by their reactions. ''They don''t know Raydon''s background?'' Belicia wondered. She was certain that Dan and the others knew Raydon, and she presumed that they were friends because they both trained under the same master. "Hm? Who is Raydon?" The young woman with short hair was taken aback by the shocked expressions that appeared on the normally dominant and self-assured faces of her captains, and it piqued her interest enough to prompt her to ask the question. "Ha? What are you asking? Of course, that''s the name of our master," Sami replied, casting a sidelong nce at her as if she were an idiot. The girl suddenly felt embarrassed by the response and lowered her head, thinking, ''How could I know? You always call him god or master.'' "Your master''s name is also Raydon?" Belicia paused for a moment and asked suspiciously. "The only person we know by the name of Raydon is our master. If you''re talking about someone else, we don''t know," Dan thought and said, frowning. "Wait a minute. The maid who came here before also referred to our master as a young master, and she was talking about taking him away," Karan recalled of the previous interaction with Tika. At that time, they had thought Tika was just a crazy, lovestruck woman infatuated with Raydon, but now they were starting to realize they had been wrong about that assumption. "Now, this is getting confusing. Can you please tell me who this sphemer with the same name as our god is?" Sami asked, wiping the sweat mixed with mud from his forehead. Sami and the others had no idea where Raydon hade from, which is why they were perplexed when they saw that Belicia now knew him after Tika and when they heard that they were calling him young master. The frown that was already present on Belicia''s face deepened as she said, "There appears to be a significant misunderstanding here." If Dan and the others were not ying a joke on her, which was highly unlikely, then the confusion was a major issue. ''The master they are talking about and my young master Raydon cannot be the same person, can he? '' Belicia pondered. Belicia couldn''t help but think about the enormous power Dan and the others'' master had disyed in not only killing Herman but also eradicating his entire territory. In addition, the person who Belicia knew as Raydon did not seem likely to have such an extensive knowledge of advanced techniques, let alone the ability to teach those techniques to others. "Can you tell me a little bit about your master?" Belicia asked. She found it hard to believe that Raydon, who had spent his entire life as a nt and had only recently awakened as an item holder, had aplished all these remarkable feats. Despite this, she was aware that anything could ur in the world of item holders; consequently, she chose to give it a chance and listen to the details regarding their master. ''''Then we can begin to talk about the time that we assaulted him in one of the side streets in order to steal his money. '''' When Karan thought back to the day they had first met Raydon, he was struck by how incredibly naive they had been. "What? We weren''t trying to steal anyone''s money, Karan. Get your facts straight," Sami quickly interjected, eager to correct the misunderstanding. "That day, when we saw the master wandering alone, we immediately sensed that he was no ordinary person. We decided to approach him, kneeling before him, and humbly request his guidance and training..." ''''Aghh. '''' Sami''s words were abruptly cut off as he fell to the ground, clutching his head in pain from a sudden blow. "Well, now that this fool is finally quiet, I can exin," Dan stated while maintaining a serious expression on his face. Since the issue pertained to Raydon, he approached it with the utmost seriousness, with the intention of, if at all possible, discovering each and every facet of the person to whom he owed his life. Chapter 297 Who Is Raydon? (Part 3) ? Dan began by describing Raydon''s appearance when they first met him, beginning with his thin physique and ending with his ordinary facial features, dark brown pupils, and ck hair. ''Is it possible that this is just a coincidence? '' The coincidence left Belicia speechless, and she could not help but be surprised by it. Raydon looked exactly like Dan described, right down to the clothes he was wearing on the same day Belicia discovered his awakening. As Dan continued with their story, he noticed Belicia''s shock growing, but he pressed on, recounting everything that had transpired. He detailed how Raydon saved them and Rayn from Herman''s men, even taking a bullet to the head without any harm due to his extraordinary defense. Dan rted the story of how Raydon made an offer to assist them in their conflict with Herman, as well as the night when Herman''s men arrived and kidnapped Rayn. "That night, using the technique our master had taught us to defend ourselves and fight our enemy, we eliminated Herman''s men and were victorious with only a few injuries. '''' Dan experienced a sudden outburst of emotion as he reflected on how, for the first time in his life, he felt strong and, for the first time in his life, he was able to use his own strength to defend those whom he considered to be his friends and family. ''''But despite having everything seemingly under control, one of the enemies managed to kidnap Rayn right before our eyes that night.'''' Dan paused, his gaze shifting to Rayn with a thoughtful expression. "Now that I reconsider, it seems the main objective of the enemy was not to attack us but rather to kidnap Rayn from the very beginning. '''' Dan remembered that the enemy had selected several hostages before absurdly adding Rayn to the chosen captives. It became evident that the other hostages had merely served as a cover to conceal their true intentions, which were to abduct Rayn. When Belicia heard that, she immediately understood why Dan thought that way. Her fury rose to a fever pitch, and she gritted her teeth before drooping her head and speaking in a voice that quavered with an overwhelming sense of loss. ''''Your guess is correct; it''s all because of me.'''' ''''What do you mean?'''' Dan asked, clearly confused. Belicia raised her head to look at Rayn and took a deep breath before continuing. ''''Herman''s men who attacked you were working for the young master I''m currently serving in the family.'''' Belicia revealed the distressing truth, exining that her young master, Loran Demugen, had discovered Rayn''s identity as her brother. Because of the resentment that Loran felt toward Belicia, he gave an order to Herman to kidnap Rayn and then experiment on him in a cruel manner. She rted the story of the day that Loran had called her over and coldly informed her of his intention to have her brother and all of their friends who lived in the slums put to death. ''''I see. Now everything makes sense.'''' Dan nodded, finally understanding why they had been attacked and Rayn kidnapped that fateful night. In fact, the attackers on that night were not Herman''s men but rather a group of mercenaries that Raydon had hired on his own. Raydon was looking for a reason to confront Herman, and he orchestrated the entire incident to give himself that reason. He also gave the order to abduct Rayn with the express purpose of gaining Belicia''s approval; he intended to rescue Rayn in the end and win her favor by doing so. Naturally, Dan and Belicia were unaware of this information, and they believed that the mercenary group was Herman''s men, just as Raydon had nned. ''''On that day, the only remaining enemy, who also happened to be the leader of the group, kidnapped Rayn and then began to flee in the direction of Herman''s territory. I was the first person to notice them, so I went after them, and fortunately, I was able to save Rayn. Unfortunately, by the time I finally located Rayn, we had already entered Herman''s territory and were surrounded by those terrifying monsters, '''' Dan recounted, his face reflecting the desperation he felt during that harrowing moment. ''''Fallen soldiers? '''' Belicia asked after understanding what he was referring to. She was aware that Herman''s primary objective was to extend the length of his life. In order to aplish this, he was constantly kidnapping people from the surrounding areas and conducting experiments on them. If the experiments were unsessful, Herman would transform the victims into creatures that he referred to as fallen soldiers. "I do not know exactly what they were, but that sick-minded man obviously transformed all of the people he kidnapped into mindless creatures and released them around his region to protect his headquarters. ''''Dan''s rage red up as he clenched his fists and imagined the fate of their friends and acquaintances who had been kidnapped and turned into those monstrous beings. Regret tinged Dan''s words as he reflected on the powerlessness they once faced, resulting in their friends falling victim to Herman''s brutal experiments. "If only we had the strength we possess now earlier," he muttered, his grip so tight that his nails pierced his palm, causing blood to trickle. "But now, everything has changed because of him," Dan said, taking a deep breath and gazing at the hundreds of people training on the grounds. They had no control over anything at the time, and only one item holder could decide their fate. Nevertheless, Raydon had given them the ability to defend themselves against their enemies. Every day, they devoted themselves to training and increasing their power to prevent a recurrence of their previous vulnerability. Belicia reflected on the challenges that they had faced together as she observed the changes in Dan''s emotional state. She was unable to help them any further than was absolutely necessary due to the restrictions that her family had ced on her. This continued to cause her feelings of guilt. "You don''t need to me yourself. I believe you''ve done everything you could to protect Rayn and us from Herman''s wrath. It''s probably because of you that we are still alive," Dan reassured, redirecting his gaze to Belicia. He had a feeling that Belicia was working behind the scenes to keep Rayn and her friends safe from Herman''s wrath and to ensure that they remained alive up to this point in the territory that Herman ruled over. The only thing that Belicia did in response was simply to nod her head while fighting back the tears that were about to spill over. After forcing herself for a moment to ovee her feelings of guilt, Belicia finally asked. "But I still don''t understand. How did your master¡­'''' Belicia paused for a moment to correct herself before continuing. '''' Young master Raydon managed to defeat Herman and annihte the entire region he ruled over for years, overnight?" Belicia''s astonishment persisted, acknowledging the shocking revtion that their master and Raydon were one and the same. On the other hand, she was baffled as to how an F-Rank item holder who had only recently awakened could aplish something of such astounding magnitude. "I don''t know why you consider him weak," Dan replied, genuinely puzzled by Belicia''s perception of Raydon. "That night, when we were surrounded by all those terrible creatures and thought we were going to die, I had the opportunity to witness the true power of our master for the first time," Dan recounted, his tone filled with excitement. "When I first witnessed his power that day, I was just an ordinary person. Now, as an item holder, I realize that what I saw and understood was probably only a fraction of the power he really possessed," Dan continued, reflecting on the immense strength he had witnessed. "There was a detail I didn''t notice that day, but it became clear to me after bing an item holder. Our master didn''t use any item skills while fighting those hundreds of creatures that surrounded us. Additionally, although his movements may have seemed too fast for our untrained eyes to follow, Iter realized that he was actually just moving slightly faster than a normal person," he exined, delving into his analysis of Raydon''s fight that day. Since Dan is an item holder at this point, he has the ability to perform a more in-depth analysis by recalling Raydon''s battle from earlier that day. He did not know what items Raydon had or how high his stats were, but the one thing he was certain of was that he had easily killed hundreds of F-Rank creatures that day by using the shadow assassin technique alone, without using any skill advantage or stat advantage. ''''He most likely restrained his strength that day to that of an average person so that he could demonstrate his technique to us. Even now, I doubt I will ever be able to use the technique he used that day with the same level of mastery. '''' Because Dan was familiar with Raydon''s extraordinarily high defense, he reasoned that all of Raydon''s other stats must also be extraordinarily high. As a result, Dan concluded that Raydon was purposefully limiting his stat advantage on that particr day. Upon hearing Dan''s exnation, Belicia paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. Then she spoke with a serious tone. "I believe you are gravely mistaken about something." Chapter 298 Fools ? "Hm? About what?" Dan asked, notprehending Belicia''s point. "He probably wasn''t restricting his stats as you assumed at the time, but rather his stats were never as high as you believed. Furthermore, the reason he didn''t use any skills might be because he didn''t possess an item at that time," Belicia stated with seriousness. "What do you mean?" This time, not only Dan but everyone else voiced their confusion simultaneously. Despite all of them being item holders now, Raydon remained an enigmatic figure, a god-like presence whose true strength they could never urately gauge. Raydon must have been even stronger than a high-rank in their estimation, and the items and stats he possessed were also of a higher quality than they could have conceived of at the time. Due to this ingrained belief, when Belicia imed that Raydon possessed low stats and perhaps no items at all, they were hesitant to ept her words. "I still don''t understand how he possesses such high-tier techniques, but one thing I''m certain of is that he awakened as an item holder at most one month ago. Forget reaching high-rank in such a short time, he might still be at the F-Rank," Belicia confidently asserted. By calcting the psed time, even if Raydon had emerged victorious in every match, he could only have achieved an E-Rank at most. Belicia had also observed the gray ''1'' tattoo on Raydon''s hand on numerous asions, making it imusible for him to be a high-ranked item holder or god, as Dan and the others believed, unless there was a supernatural power at y that she couldn''tprehend at the moment. "How do you know he awakened only one month ago?" Dan found it difficult to ept Belicia''s im without any concrete proof, though he didn''t doubt her sincerity or truthfulness like he did with Sami. "As I mentioned earlier, he is my young master, a member of the Demugen family. I served him since he was a child, even after he was expelled from the mansion for his disability. I''ve been with him throughout his life, which is why I''m certain," Belicia exined with a faint smile. "What?" Dan eximed in disbelief. "Wait a minute. It''s not hard to believe that he is a young master of the family you serve. But what do you mean by ''disability''?" Karan interjected, shocked and yet perplexed. Belicia took a deep breath, locking eyes with each person around her, their expressions filled with confusion. "Well, I suppose it''s my turn to tell his story." Then, Belicia proceeded to disclose everything she knew about Raydon, delving into his ordinary yet dramatic life in this world. Firstly, she revealed that Raydon had been crippled since infancy and had lived in a vegetative state. She exined that his family had expelled him from the mansion, considering him an embarrassment due to his condition. Raydon''s grandfather, the leader of the Demugen family, had entrusted Belicia with the responsibility of caring for Raydon outside the mansion, ensuring he wouldn''t perish in the slums. Lastly, she recounted Raydon''s recent miraculous awakening as an item holder and his subsequent recovery from his vegetative state. As Dan and the others absorbed Belicia''s revtions, they grew increasingly astonished with each passing moment. The realization that the person they regarded as limitless in power, almost godlike, had actually lived a life of helplessness and disability was an incredible shock. "I never would have imagined that Master lived such a life," Rayn expressed, his eyes welling up with tears and his lips trembling. Rayn considered Belicia to be the person on whom he could most heavily rely in this world, and as a result, he had given her his utmost trust. As a consequence of this, he took everything that she said at face value and did not have the slightest bit of doubt about whether or not what she was saying was true. In addition, Rayn had firsthand knowledge of the struggles associated with living with a disability, although his condition was confined to his legs. In contrast to Raydon, he was able to count on the unwavering support and attentive care of his older sister as well as a number of other people. Consequently, when Rayn learned that Raydon, the man who hadpletely changed his life, had previously lived a much more difficult existence, regardless of who Raydon actually was, his respect for him increased even more. Dan and Karan shared simr sentiments. In fact, learning Raydon''s true story only intensified their admiration for him. They began to perceive him as even more extraordinary. They had believed that Raydon was on their side against Herman because he felt sorry for them, particrly because they believed that Raydon had previously lived in a slum and lived a life that was either identical to or very simr to their own. It came as a relief to find out that these beliefs were not too far from the truth now. "If what you are saying is true, and our master''s recovery has only urred recently, I can not fathom his genius anymore," Dan eximed in amazement, his mind brimming with all that Raydon had aplished for them and the numerous techniques he had imparted. Belicia''s voice carried a weight of profundity as she redirected her gaze towards the individuals engrossed in their training exercises on the training ground. "I don''t believe we can simply exin it bybeling him as a genius." Belicia, being more knowledgeable about techniques than Dan and the others, couldn''tprehend how Raydon possessed such an extensive repertoire of techniques. It seemed inconceivable that despite living as a cripple his entire life, he had not only mastered them all but also possessed a profound understanding of their fundamentals, allowing him to teach others in a remarkably short time. "So, Raydon really became an item holder just a month ago? Just as I predicted," Sami said calmly, his tone in stark contrast to the astonishment felt by the others. "What do you mean, predicted? What are you talking about?" Karan questioned, puzzled as to what this moron was considering yet again. Sami responded with unwavering confidence, "You might be too ignorant to see it, but I knew it all along." "Fine, enlighten us," Dan said, raising an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. Before this moment, Raydon had been shrouded in secrecy for them, but after discovering the truth about him, he had transformed into an even more perplexing enigma for them. They did, however, wait for Sami''s words toe out of his mouth in the hope that perhaps there was some logic in what he was going to say, even if he was going to be full of bullshit. "You seem to have forgotten why we started calling him ''God'' in the first ce," Sami said, his eyes gleaming mysteriously and his voice filled with unwavering devotion. Dan and Karan looked at each other in frustration as they silently cursed at Sami''s assertions. ''We called him ''God'' because you brainwashed us into doing so,'' they thought to themselves. "We always knew he was a god, but wecked proof. Until now," Sami continued, turning his gaze to the sky and speaking with an inexplicably serene expression. "Now, we have all the evidence we need to confirm that Master Raydon is undoubtedly a god." "Enough with the suspense, Fatty. Start exining," Karan urged, growing impatient with Sami''s penchant for exaggeration. "Alright. Let me enlighten you, fools. Have you ever wondered why our master lived as a vegetable for so long?" Sami said, his eyes scanning the captivated audience before continuing. "It''s because he is the reincarnation of a god. His soul likely belonged to a god in the past, and for reasons we cannot fathom, his soul departed from its previous vessel and entered his current body. Until he awakened as an item holder, he was in a dormant state because his current body couldn''t contain his immensely powerful soul." "I can''t believe it. Master was always a true god?" Rayn eximed, sumbing to Sami''s persuasive tone and logical-sounding words, awe evident in his voice. In the past, he, like Dan and Karan, had the misconception that Raydon was nothing more than a very powerful item holder. However, after hearing what Sami had to say, he now has no such reservations. "In fact, as unbelievable as it is, what he says does make sense," Belicia interjected, surprising everyone with her agreement with Sami. "I can''t say for certain if he''s truly a god or something akin to one, but if that''s the case, it would exin his vast knowledge of techniques," Belicia continued, her expression calm but her voice and body betraying her inner excitement like waves crashing within her. Belicia had already recognized that Raydon was a remarkable individual, and now, with Sami''s theory, her previous respect and gratitude for him paled inparison to the newfound reverence she felt for his enigmatic power and identity. In the end, in a world teeming with powerful item holders, the admiration for strength and power was unrivaled and could never be reced by mere respect. Chapter 299 Accepting The Invitation (Part 1) ? ''''Sister Belicia, from what I understand, our master''s family history is not very good, and it seems that the reason for the celebration you invited us to is based on their interests. Can you please provide us with more details?'''' Dan asked suspiciously. ording to Belicia''s version of events, Raydon''s family had always looked down on him, and as a result, he was eventually expelled from the family mansion. It was quite strange that they were now having a celebration in his name. As all the puzzle pieces fell into ce, the haunting idea that the Demugen family had orchestrated a scheme to exploit Raydon for their own gain gued Dan''s mind. As soon as Belicia saw the scowl on Dan''s face, she realized he was upset and said while taking a few deep breaths. "Unfortunately, what you suspect is true. They want to entice Raydon to their side in order to win over his master, whose existence they had certain of. '''' Belicia began to reveal the ns orchestrated by the Demugen family, holding nothing back. She exined that their primary objective was to publicly present Raydon as a young master of their family during the celebration. They intended to make use of the reputation and connection with the high-rank master supporting Raydon, even if it was only in name, in order to boost the authority and influence of their family in the society of item holders. ''''So they invited us as well, probably assuming we are associated with the same master, huh?'''' Karan chimed in, his calm demeanor contrasting with the fiery anger in his eyes. While they didn''t mind being used in such a way by the family, exploiting Raydon for personal gain was a notion they could not ept. ''''Sister Belicia, you must understand this. Regardless of his family history, Raydon is our master.'''' Dan''s words were delivered with all sincerity, and his resolve shone through. ''''From the very beginning, he has selflessly helped us without expecting anything in return. We owe him our lives. And even though we may not know his true motives, he has continued to guide us and make us stronger.'''' The conviction in Dan''s voice increased as he turned his attention to the training ground. ''''As individuals who live in the slums, we know the struggle and always have the burning desire for a better life. Our yearning for peace has finally been partially sessful thanks to the power we now possess. But do you know why we continue to push ourselves to be even stronger?'''' Belicia remained silent, fully understanding the depth of Dan''s words. Normally, only an E-Rank item holder could have lived a reasonablyfortable life in such areas, but having this many F-Ranks made them invincible in this area unless they encountered a D-Rank enemy. In point of fact, one of their objectives was to achieve power and mastery over their own destinies, in addition to making certain that they would never again be subject to the authority of an individual like Herman. However, this was no longer the primary reason that drove their ambition to improve their powers. "We strive to be worthy of him and his efforts," Dan expressed with a sigh. Recognizing Raydon''s incredible power, Dan and hispanions knew that no matter how strong they became, they would never reach his level. Despite this, Raydon had shown them unwavering support and continued to teach them new techniques as they diligently worked to improve. Because of this, they had admitted that Raydon wasn''t expecting anything from them and that they were of no real value; however, he still continued to teach them new techniques when he saw how hard they were working. "Even now, we''re uncertain about how our Master sees us, but we have all pledged our allegiance to him," Dan dered firmly. "Perhaps weck power at present, but we share a singr desire and goal: to be the shadows that apany his immense existence, hoping that one day we may be of use to him." Dan then turned his gaze towards Belicia, his determination shining through. "Henceforth, be it now or in the future, whoever he chooses as a friend will be our friend, and whoever he deems an enemy will be our enemy." As Belicia met Dan''s unwavering gaze, she sensed not only his resolute determination but also a subtle hint of a warning. Dan hadn''t explicitly stated it, but Belicia understood the implication. The family she served clearly harbored ill intentions towards Raydon, and they could not be considered friends. Hence, Belicia found herself at a crossroads, needing to choose a side. On one side, there was the Demugen family, whom she had served since childhood and who had granted her the powers she currently possessed. On the other side, there was her blood-rted brother and the people she considered her true family. "Tell me your n. I will help you," Belicia dered, her gaze unwavering as she stared at her brother and the others. She had decided, even if it meant betraying the family she served. In truth, Belicia didn''t need much time to ponder. Her unwavering devotion to the Demugen family had always been driven by her desire to protect her brother and the lives of her family in the slums. She had been grateful to the Demugen family for the opportunities they had given her until now. However, in just a few days, Raydon had aplished what she had failed to do. Thus, Raydon''s worth far exceeded that of the entire Demugen family. "That''s good," Dan and the others breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing her choice. They were prepared to make enemies of the powerful Demugen family, but having Belicia on their side eased their concerns, as no one wanted to see her as an adversary. "Since their motives for inviting us are clear, it would be more logical to decline the invitation," Karan suggested. After pondering Karan''s words, Dan turned to Belicia. "What is Master''s decision?" he inquired, wanting to know Raydon''s stance before making his own choice. Chapter 300 Accepting The Invitation (Part 2) ? "I''m not entirely sure, but judging by the elders'' attitudes, it appears that he has epted the invitation to participate. Moreover, in my opinion, it would be best for him to return to the family and officially assume the position of the young master," Belicia revealed. Although she was uncertain of Raydon''s ns in this world and the extent of his power, she acknowledged that being the young master of a ruling family would undoubtedly provide him with additional advantages. "If that''s the case, then we shouldn''t make any missteps that would thwart his ns. After all, in their eyes, we also represent that imaginary high-rank master," Dan reflected thoughtfully. If Raydon had reached a deal with the family, there was a possibility that the deal would be negatively impacted by the fact that Dan and the others had now rejected the offer that had been extended to them. "So what should we do? Just ept the invitation and go along with their ns?" Karan asked, a scowl on his face. The thought of easilyplying with their requests and ying into their hands didn''t sit well with him. "Yes, we will ept the invitation," Dan affirmed. He couldn''t dismiss the possibility that their rejection might put Raydon in a difficult position. "But we won''t participate as his friends, as they believe," Dan added with a mischievous grin. "What are you nning?" Belicia inquired, her curiosity evident in her voice. Rather than answering Belicia directly, Dan responded with another question. "Can you tell me how powerful the Demugen family is?" Through their research, Dan and the others gained a general understanding of the strength of the ruling families, but theycked specific knowledge about the true power of the Demugen family. "If you''re asking about their fighting prowess, even though they are just a big family, their power far surpasses anything you can handle. After all, unlike you, they have a B-Rank family leader and several C-Rank item holders. I must also warn you that even a single D-Rank item holder would have enough power to easily defeat all of you," Belicia cautioned, aiming to prevent Dan from formting any reckless ns. "I''m not referring tobat power. They are still considered just a big family, right? I want to know about their authority within the item holdermunitypared to other families," Dan rified his question further. The public referred to the ruling families, which were located at the bottom of the hierarchical structure, as "big families." It was only when a high-rank item holder emerged from these big families that they could be elevated to the status of grand families. Currently, the Demugen family was still recognized as a big family since theycked a high-rank item holder and the corresponding authority to rival other families. However, there was a second factor that determined the authority of ruling families. This factor was the number and quality of techniques a ruling family possessed, in addition to the total number of item holders they possessed. If a family possessed exceptional techniques and had the ability to cultivate a substantial number of item holders within their ranks, it demonstrated their potential to nurture high-ranked individuals and potentially ascend to the status of a grand family in the future. "I see," Belicia finally understood Dan''s n and replied with a smile. "If we count the Family leader and elders, the total number of item holders is 107, and they only possess one low-tier and one mid-tier technique." Without pausing for a second thought, Belicia stated. Even if it were simple to find out, Belicia''s willingness to discuss this matter so openly and freely would make it abundantly clear that she has betrayed the family, but at the moment, it was clear that she did not care about this at all. "That''s all? Hahaha, how weak they are," Sami eximed with surprise, unable to contain his amusement any longer. Dan and Karan also wore wide smiles as they gazed upon the training ground. Belicia noticed their expressions but was not surprised anymore. She prepared herself for the answer she was about to receive and sighed before asking, "How many item holders do you have?" Instead of answering, Dan calmly walked toward the training ground. After a brief pause, he took a deep breath and uttered amand that shattered the silence of the night, echoing through the air, "Assemble!" She was perplexed as to what Dan was doing when all of a sudden, as she watched in amazement, everyone started to line up quickly, stopping all of their training with incredible coordination and discipline. In a rtively short amount of time, the individuals who were entirely dressed in ck lined up before Dan in unbelievable silence, resembling an army that was getting ready to go to war. When Belicia looked around at the group of people who had gathered, she could not help but be startled by the eerie silence that had seized the area. Despite the significant number of individuals standing together, there was an absence of even the faintest sound of breathing. It gave her an unsettling sensation, almost as if she were witnessing an army of the dead. While Belicia was still trying toprehend Dan''s intentions, he issued another order, his voice piercing through the darkness of the night, "Shadows, step forward." At Dan''smand, more than half of the hundreds stepped forward, dividing the group into two distinct units. "Begin the daily head count. Let''s see how many have awakened today," Dan instructed with a satisfied smile, clearly pleased with what he saw. Rayn, Karan, and Sami all stood there as the scene unfolded in front of them, but none of them showed any signs of surprise. Instead, their expressions were marked by a sense of familiarity. However, within Belicia, a storm of emotions raged. She had finally grasped Dan''s true intention. The reason Dan didn''t immediately respond to her question wasn''t due to ack of trust or a reluctance to share information. The truth was that even he didn''t have an exact count of how many item holders they had. Every day, new individuals awaken as item holders, making it difficult to keep an urate tally. Realizing this, Belicia struggled to find the right words to convey her astonishment. ''With this potential, they can put to shame even a grand family, let alone a big family like Demugen''s, '' she whispered, her voice tinged with disbelief. Chapter 301 Insufficient Gold Coins (Part 1) ? ''''First captain, with the 7 new individuals awakened today, the total count of Shadows in our ranks has reached 168." During the time Dan was waiting for the head count to be finished, a young man from the front row approached him, bowed slightly, and reported. "Only 7 awakened? Our progress is significantly slower without Master''s guidance," Karanmented. When Raydon personally guided them through their training, he was able to understand at a nce which technique might even be suitable for whom. As a result, he was able to teach the most appropriate technique to the most suitable person in an extremely time-efficient manner and quickly reveal that person''s potential. But unfortunately, the neers needed more time to train because the people who were training them now did not have as strong of a grasp on the techniques and did not have the same level of insight as Raydon. However, a hasty awakening was not necessarily a good thing in every situation. For instance, it took longer for Dan and the others to awaken than it did for this new group, which was even more difficult to maximize due to the fact that their potential was greater than theirs. Aside from that, the first time they met Raydon, he only taught them the shadow assassin technique, and not everyone was cut out for this particr technique. Because of this, Dan did not allow this to bring a damper to his mood because he believed that there may be higher potential among those who had not yet awakened. Meanwhile, Belicia couldn''t help but question the truth of what she had heard. ''7 people awakened in just 1 day?'' Even in the Demugen family, with their specially designed item formations, it would take months to achieve the numbers she was hearing now. Naturally, if a personcked potential or couldn''t grasp the taught techniques, they couldn''t be an item holder. Because of this, Belicia had a hard time believing that this group was capable of producing at least one item holder every single day. "What do you think? Is this number sufficient to impress them?" Dan turned his gaze to Belicia, seeking her opinion. "I believe it''s more than enough," Belicia quicklyposed herself and replied. "Wait a minute. Are you suggesting we attend the celebration with an army?" Karan hesitated, sensing a potential problem. ''''Of course. It is obvious that they are basing their estimation of the value of our Master on the power that they believe is behind him. So, we can also assist him by showcasing the potential of that power. '''' Dan said with a chuckle. As a result of their consensus that Raydon had struck a bargain with his family, Dan was unable to decline the invitation they had extended to them. Instead, he made the decision to embark on a course of action that would raise Raydon''s standing in the eyes of the Demugen family even further. Turning to Belicia, Dan asked, "This shouldn''t be a problem, right?" "Not at all. In fact, it''s customary for families to showcase their power in such situations. Typically, they choose item holders from the new generation, but since everyone in this group has recently awakened and can be considered part of thetest generation, it aligns perfectly with social rules," Belicia said as she examined each of the young faces. "It''s like farmers showing off their crops from thest season," Sami mused, stroking his chin. "Well, kind of," Belicia replied awkwardly. Although the example wasn''t entirely urate, the underlying reasoning was not far off. "Where is Pana? Still not back?" Dan turned to the short-haired girl who had been with them and asked. "M-me?" The short-haired girl had been waiting there silently all this time, having witnessed all the conversations between Dan and the others. She was still trying to process the shock of everything that she had just heard when she was confronted with the unexpected question that was directed at her. ''''Not you. Pana. '''' Dan did not find anything strange about her behavior and he inquired once more. The others, including Dan, had no problem with her being there and hearing everything. After all, everyone was on the same path, united by the goal of serving Raydon. Each member of the shadow group had undergone Fatty Sami''s brainwashing process, and theirmitment to Raydon was a prerequisite for joining. Because of this, keeping information about Raydon hidden from the group would serve no useful purpose. If anything, having more information about Raydon, including his mysterious and extraordinary past, even the minute details of his life, would only serve to strengthen their resolve. "M-miss Pana went to the item market to purchase training materials and hasn''t returned yet," the short-haired girl quickly replied, regaining herposure. "Hmm, I hope she hasn''t spent all the gold coins yet," Dan thought out loud, turning to Karan with concern. Now that everyone was an item holder, they needed more durable weapons for training, so they had nned to use the limited gold coins they earned from matches to buy gray-grade items. But because of the unexpected turn of events, Dan decided to change his ns and use the gold coins for something else instead. "Reach out to Pana and tell her to wait for us before she buys anything," Dan instructed Karan. Karan nodded and attempted to contact Pana using an ordinary phone he retrieved from his dimensional storage. However, his face soon dropped as he informed Dan, "Unreachable. I think the signal is not working in the item market." Realizing that Pana kept her phone in her pocket to remain reachable, Karan deduced that the unique nature of the item market was likely causing themunication issue. "Ah, we should have boughtmunication items first," Dan sighed, massaging his temples in frustration. The idea that item holders wouldmunicate with one another using regr phones wasughable, but at the moment, theycked the financial means to purchase expensivemunication items. They had made it a priority to purchase the equipment necessary for the training instead. However, at this point in time, he was beginning to regret having made this choice. Chapter 302 Insufficient Gold Coins (Part 2) ? "We need to hurry and catch her before she spends all the gold coins," Dan said, a sense of urgency in his voice. Observing Dan''s distressed expression and flurry of activity, Sami couldn''t help but ask curiously, "Why are you making such a fuss? You already have a whole set of items. Are there other things you want to buy?" In light of the fact that Dan was the only member of the group who possessed an entire set of items as a result of the items that they had acquired from the shadow messenger, Sami found Dan''s behavior to be a little bit self-centered. However, due to the fact that Sami is familiar with Dan''s personality, he realized there must be a more substantial reason behind his urgency, and he became intrigued. "Because if we go there like this when our goal is to support our Master, all we''re going to do is embarrass him," Karan pointed out, gesturing towards the group still lined up, all dressed in mismatched ck outfits. It was clear that in their haste, they had put on whatever ck clothing they could find and that a good deal of it was either worn out, torn, or patched up. "Damn it!" Sami eximed, realizing the error, and immediately started running. "What are you waiting for? We need to stop that foolish woman before she spends all our gold." "I can''t tell if this guy is a true genius or just an idiot," When Karan heard the words Sami had left behind while he was running, he facepalmed and said. "I''lle with you. I don''t think your savings will be enough for all of them," Belicia offered. She could see that Dan and the others were pitifully poor at the moment, and because she herself had been raised in a ruling family, she was aware that the number of gold coins that they would have to pay for the trash items, even if it was just for looks, would be exorbitant for them. "Thank you," Dan expressed his gratitude sincerely. The significance of this moment, which marked the first time that they could actually be of assistance to Raydon, was beginning to dawn on him. In the midst of this overpowering sensation, the fact that Belicia had offered her assistance was like finding an oasis in the midst of a desert. "No need to thank me. After all, we are now serving the same master," Belicia replied with a smile. Even though she was not entirely sure of the extent to which Dan''s n would actually help Raydon, Belicia had a strong desire to make a contribution that would be meaningful to the n. It was her way of demonstrating her loyalty and dedication to the person she had chosen to serve. ¡ª "Damn, why hasn''t anyone arrived yet?" Raydon muttered, pacing back and forth in his room within the mansion. Several hours had passed since he had returned to his room, and although he had managed to get some sleep during that time, the excitement of the promised items from Samuen had prevented him from sleeping for much longer. Now, it seemed like he was going to have to suffer through the longest wait of his life as he eagerly anticipated his arrival. "They should have given me at least a few storage expansion orbs," Raydonined, examining his disappointingly small dimensional storage. The waiting period for his next match had already passed, and he could ept the match invitation at any time. However, since he only had a limited amount of space in his dimensional storage, he did not want to lose any valuable loot in his first E-Rank match. Therefore, he came to the conclusion that the best course of action would be to wait for the old man to give him some storage expansion orbs. ''''Should I start the match? '''' But at this point, Raydon''s tolerance was reaching its breaking point. He couldn''t contain his curiosity any longer and yearned to experience the thrill of an E-Rank match. ''''But if I join a match now, I''ll have to wait another two days for the next one. '''' Raydon grumbled, feeling torn about what to do as hey down on his bed. Because this was his first match at the E-Rank, he was determined to make the most of the opportunity. Furthermore, now that his system was fixed, he could umte experience points and level up naturally. Because of this, acquiring the maximum number of experience points possible from this match was another one of his goals in addition to collecting loot. ''''What should I do... What should I do? Hm? '''' Lost in thought, Raydon suddenly heard footsteps outside his door. He jumped up from the bed in a hurry and, filled with a sense of both excitement and anticipation, dashed over to open the door. With one knock on the door, he swung it open and found himself face-to-face with the person he had been waiting for. The frown on his face instantly transformed into a beaming smile as he eximed, ''''Finally! '''' ''''I didn''t think you''d be this ecstatic to see me. '''' Zephyr chuckled, amused by the sheer joy on Raydon''s face. ''''Uh... Yeah... '''' Raydon replied awkwardly, caught off guard by Zephyr''sment. ''''Well, I know what you''ve been eagerly waiting for, so I won''t keep you waiting any longer. Family head is waiting for you at the training grounds. '''' Sensing Raydon''s impatience, Zephyr prepared to use his movement-type skill to teleport both of them to the training room. However, before he could initiate the teleportation, he was taken aback as he witnessed Raydon suddenly vanish into a cloud of ck smoke. ''''What the hell!? '''' Zephyr eximed,pletely surprised by the turn of events. ''''Did he just use an innate skill? He''s only an E-Rank!!! Damn!!! '''' Despite all that Zephyr had heard and witnessed throughout the day, he never expected to be astonished again, but witnessing Raydon unleash an innate skill took himpletely by surprise. Chapter 303 Taking Advantage (Part 1) ? ''''Hey, Mell, do you have any idea why they called us here?'''' The girl, with blond hair like Mell and wearing a form-fitting training uniform that entuated her wless figure, asked in a hushed tone, her gaze scanning the surroundings with a mix of curiosity and confusion. Mell paused for a moment, unsure of how to answer. She nced at Samuen, who stood calmly ahead with a mysterious smile on his face, and replied hesitantly, ''''I''m not sure.'''' Mell looked at the other elders who were standing close to Samuen and appeared to be calmly awaiting something or someone, and she could not help but wonder if this summons had anything to do with Raydon. When she was here with Galen and witnessed Raydon''s incredible performance on this training ground some time ago, Zephyr suddenly came and disappeared with Raydon after telling them not to tell anyone else about what they had seen here. Mell and Galen had left the training ground after taking Zephyr''s words to heart and deciding not to tell anyone about it for the time being. While they were waiting for someone toe and exin what was happening to them, Mell hade back here with the other battle maids in response to the call of the family leader. ''But where is Galen, and why have they gathered them here as well?'' Mell pondered, her gaze shifting to the other battle maids standing beside her. The family''s other six battle maids, with the exception of Belicia and Tika, had beenpelled toe here without being given an exnation, and now they were being forced to wait here. As the group waited with bated breath, a misty vapor suddenly materialized in front of their eyes. It quickly coalesced into arge water capsule, which then shattered quickly, revealing Zephyr within. ''''Why are you alone? Where is Raydon?'''' Cael questioned, raising an eyebrow. Zephyr had a shocked expression on his face and muttered as if he had not heard the question posed to him. ''''He actually possesses an innate skill.'''' ''''What are you talking about? Didn''t you go to fetch Raydon? Where is he?'''' Seren inquired, her confusion evident. ''''Ah, yes, he didn''t need my assistance, so he should be on his way here now.'''' Zephyr finally snapped back to reality, lifting his head to address the group. And soon, while everyone was still waiting, a dark cloud suddenly materialized beside them. It then disappeared just as quickly, revealing Raydon. Raydon looked at Zephyr and thought, paying no mind to the prying eyes around him. ''His skill should be better than mine at long distances. '' Even though Raydon was moving at his top speed and using his shadow passage skill to get through walls and other obstructions, Zephyr was still able to beat him. Also, after only a couple of tries on his way here, he had finally started to master his skill, and now, thanks to his high agility stat, he was able to travel almost 70 meters in a single go inside the ck and white world rather than the basic 30 meters. Additionally, his stamina stat had reduced the cooldown from 1 second to approximately 0.9 seconds, although it didn''t make a significant difference at the moment. "But the biggest issue is mana," Raydon thought, ncing at the remaining MP on his character panel. He had used his skill 11 times in total just to get here, depleting 2420 mana out of his total of 3300. "You seem to be getting ustomed to your new skill." When Raydon was deep in thought about how he could put his skill to better use, Samuen''s ragged and worn-out voice jolted him out of his musings. "Yeah, it''s a really cool skill," Raydon replied with a smile. ''Damn, of course it''s cool. It''s your fucking innate skill,'' Zephyr thought sarcastically. In fact, innate skills did not provide very many benefits. The only two benefits they did provide were an additional skill slot and the ability for item holders to use a skill without uttering its name. However, having the ability to use skills without having to rely on an item and seamlessly integrating them into one''s body had a very unique sensation. "So, where are my promised items?" Raydon asked, taking a quick nce around. Radon believed that the reason they had called him here was because they were going to finally give away the items that they had offered earlier, but he did not understand what the purpose of gathering so many people together was. As Raydon stole nces at the battle maids from the corner of his eye, he couldn''t help but wonder why they were present. At the same time, the battle maids themselves were engaged in hushed whispers, contemting the same question about Raydon''s presence among them. ''''Hey, are my eyes ying tricks on me or is this our young master who was previously exiled from the mansion? '''' A stunningly beautiful girl with blue hair and sapphire blue eyes among the battle maids asked, her voice filled with confusion. ''''It definitely has to be him, but he looks very different from before. What is happening here? '''' Another battle maid, with red hair and equal beauty and charm, responded. Whispers continued among the battle maids as they tried to make sense of Raydon''s presence and his transformed appearance. While they were all engrossed in examining every detail of Raydon''s transformed body with their eyes, contemting how such a remarkable change hade about, Samuen''s chuckle abruptly interrupted their focused scrutiny, snapping them out of their trance. Samuen assured Raydon, indicating Diam, "Do not worry, all the items I have chosen to give you are prepared." Following his signal, Diam promptly retrieved an ostentatious table from her dimensional storage. ''What the...? This isn''t the item they promised to give me, right?'' Raydon frowned in confusion as heid his eyes on the mboyant and beautifully embroidered table. While Raydon puzzled over the table''s purpose, Diam began unveiling various items from her dimensional storage, meticulously arranging them on the table. His eyes fixated on the items before him, Raydon quickly realized that the table served merely as a decorative tform to showcase the items'' value. Chapter 304 Taking Advantage (Part 2) ? ''Damn, are those green-grade dimensional expansion orbs? '' Raydon couldn''t help but mutter with anticipation as he observed Diam retrieving dozens of ck orbs and carefully cing them on the table. In addition to these orbs, there were also other, smaller orbs that gave off the impression of being expansion orbs of a white grade. As Raydon considered the prospect of increasing the capacity of his dimensional storage to almost 300 cubic meters using only these orbs, his excitement level skyrocketed. In addition to these, two other items on the table caught his attention. Both of these items were obviously pieces of magic equipment, and he was under the impression that they were blue-grade due to the allure and mystique they exuded. "Holy shit... Is that...?" Raydon couldn''t contain his excitement as Diam ced another item on the table. His voice trembled with anticipation. Although this item did not appear to be anything like the others on the table, Raydon was familiar with this category of item and could tell what it was just by looking at it. "This is a blue-grade body enchantment," Samuen confirmed, unsurprised by Raydon''s quick understanding. ''''I am not sure if this is a body enchantment that you would want to use, but unfortunately, this is the only one that we have avable. '''' "Are you kidding me? Even if I don''t n to use it, this item could fetch hundreds of thousands, no, even millions of gold if I were to sell it," Raydon thought, wiping away the drool that threatened to escape his mouth. Among the items on the table, there were a few that Raydon couldn''t identify. He was, however, so excited that even just the things he recognized were enough to heighten his curiosity and cause him to want to examine everything on the table. Raydon, whose excitement was driving him forward, took an eager step toward the table and prepared to delve into the mysteries of each individual item. However, before he could fully immerse himself in the treasure trove before him, Samuen intervened, halting his progress. ''''Wait, don''t be so hasty. '''' Raydon paused, his smile widening. He turned to Samuen with anticipation. "Don''t tell me... Is there more?" Raydon was already excited to the point that he was willing to sell his soul in order to get his hands on these items; however, when he thought that there was more to it than that, his excitement level skyrocketed. Samuen''s eyes twitched at Raydon''s reaction. "What? No," he retorted. "Almost half of the family treasure is already on this table." Confusion crept into Raydon''s expression. "So why did you stop me then?" he asked, his disappointment evident. Samuen let out a sigh, disheartened by Raydon''s insatiable greed. "You cannot take all of these items, at least not for now," he exined. ''''Ha? What do you mean, I can''t take them?" Raydon asked in utter bewilderment. Raydon''s shock was palpable. He returned his gaze to the dazzling array of items meticulously disyed on the table. To present them in such a manner, only to deny him ess, felt like a cruel punishment. It was like putting a delicious-looking feast in front of a starving person and taunting them with the delicious smell and mouth-watering presentation, but telling them they could not eat a single bite and could only watch as others enjoyed every bite. Samuen chuckled as he took in Raydon''s expression, which conveyed both disappointment and clear irritation. "As I was saying, you can not have all of them. In other words, you can choose another item in addition to the blue-grade item we promised earlier, but be aware that choosing one means giving up the others," he exined. The level of Raydon''s frustration increased, and he could not help but think, ''Damn, if you only want me to choose two items, why are you showing them all in front of me like this? '' He felt an overwhelming surge of emotions that almost brought him to tears as he stood before the overwhelming disy of desirable items. ''''Wait a minute. '''' Raydon was thinking helplessly when all of a sudden he realized something, at which point he turned back to Samuen and asked. "If I can''t have them all right now, does that mean you n to eventually give them to me? " Samuen''s smile widened as he revealed his intentions. "Of course, I selected these items specifically for you. However, if I were to give them all to you at once, where would be the fun in that?" When Raydon heard his words and saw his goofy smile, he took a few slow, deep breaths to bring himself back under control. After he had finally seeded in calming himself down, a smile suddenly broke out on his face without his knowledge, and he then asked. "Alright then, what do I need to do to have it all now?" Samuen assured him, "Don''t worry, it''s not too difficult. I believe you''re more than capable, especially when ites to you." He had already made the decision to provide Raydon with any and all assistance they could muster, but Samuen, of course, had no intention of doing so all at once while providing this assistance. Samuen was very calm as he exined, "If you wish to leave here, you can do so by selecting only two items, as I initially promised. However, if you want to obtain all the items now, you''ll need to fulfill certain conditions. I urge you to think carefully about this offer, as failing to meet the conditions means you won''t be able to acquire the other two items I promised and will have to leave empty-handed." After hearing Samuen''s offer, it was immediately obvious to Raydon what the point of the borate show was. It was a carefully orchestrated trap to entice him. Although he was still unaware of the specific conditions, the sight of the enticing itemsid out before him was enough to make him susceptible to falling into this cunning scheme. Chapter 305 Teammates (Part 1) ? Raydon stared at Samuen''s mischievous grin and the array of tempting items on the table. ''After seeing all of these items, I will not be able to leave here by selecting only two of them. '' Even though he was not yet aware of what Samuen would require of him, he had already made up his mind before learning the details. However, he maintained a facade of uncertainty as he asked, his expression thoughtful and undecided. "Alright, what are the terms?" Raydon had a rough idea of what Samuen might ask of him. Even though he had expressed his willingness to attend the uing celebration, he had not yet unequivocally epted the position of young master in the Demugen family. Before, the Demugen family only needed to see Raydon''s face during the celebration in order to introduce him to the general public. However, once they realized how valuable Raydon was, their ns shifted, and they began to make other preparations. It was no longer sufficient for the Demugen family themselves to announce Raydon as the family''s young master; instead, they required Raydon himself to voluntarily ept the position. "I believe you''ve already made your decision," Samuen remarked, hisughter genuine. No matter how hard Raydon tried to conceal his emotions, Samuen knew him too well. He was certain that Raydon would agree to the terms as long as they did not directly go against what was in his best interests. "As I mentioned earlier, I don''t think it will be too difficult for you to meet the conditions," Samuen said, slowly proceeding to exin his terms. "Firstly, you may be aware that there are two D-Rank region bosses in E-Rank matches," Samuen said. ''Two bosses? Damn, I had no idea,'' Raydon thought in surprise, though he nodded as if he had already known, concealing his astonishment. "Good," Samuen continued, "the first condition is that you must defeat those two region bosses in the next match you participate in." "What?!" The battle maids, including Mell, eximed in shock upon hearing this requirement. For them, even in an F-Rank match, defeating a single region boss with a team was an arduous and remarkable achievement. So when the family leader asked Raydon to vanquish two region bosses in an E-Rank match, it seemed like an unimaginable and audacious request. Even the elders, who had been unaware of the specific conditions Samuen would propose, were taken aback. However, their surprise stemmed from a different perspective than that of the battle maids. Like Raydon, they thought Samuen''s terms were the kind that would bind him to the family, but asking him to kill region bosses seemed utterly pointless. Frankly, they weren''t even sure if Raydon could defeat a single D-Rank region boss, but they acknowledged that it wasn''t entirely impossible given his extraordinary nature. ''''Are you sure? '''' Raydon asked, raising an eyebrow. This requirement surprised him more than anyone else, as Raydon''s objective was already to maximize his achievements in every match, including taking down region bosses. ''''Of course, this is not my sole condition, so don''t get too excited just yet. '''' Samuen remarked, noticing Raydon''s surprise. ''Here ites. '' Raydon pondered, finally expecting Samuen to present the conditions that contained his true intentions. ''''In your next match, you will face between 45 and 90 enemies. Hence, my second condition is for you to eliminate at least 10 enemy item holders during that encounter. '''' Samuen disclosed. ''''Huh? '''' Raydon was once again taken aback by a condition that he had not anticipated, and his surprise was clearly visible. ''''What? Are these conditions too challenging for you? '''' Samuen scoffed, amused. ''What is this old man up to? '' Raydon wondered, scrutinizing Samuen''s seemingly entertained expression. It is without a doubt that an average item holder will have a very hard time, if not an impossible time,plying with these conditions. On the other hand, Samuen understood better than anyone else that Raydon was not a typical item holder. He ought to have been aware that E-Rank matches would be as easy for Raydon to win as taking a leisurely stroll through the park. Thus, it didn''t make sense for Samuen to offer half of the family''s treasury and propose such ordinary terms. ''''So, what''s the third condition? '''' Raydon inquired, expecting there to be more. To his surprise, the answer was straightforward. ''''That is all. '''' Samuen replied. Samuen hadn''t imposed any conditions that would ce Raydon in a precarious situation or contradict his own interests. Moreover, these terms had no bearing on the family''s interests; they merely set goals for Raydon to exert more effort in his next match, with a corresponding reward upon sessfulpletion. What truly astounded Raydon was Samuen''sck of self-interest for himself and the family. ''Is he trying to win my favor? No, if that were the case, he would have given me all the items outright, without any conditions. '' Raydon began to search for hidden motives that eluded his perception. ''Maybe he really underestimates my power and thinks I will fail, and in the end, he won''t need to give me anything? '' Raydon contemted, his gaze fixed on Samuen''s calm, smiling face. Due to the fact that Raydon had neverpeted in an E-Rank match before, he was unsure of the precise level of difficulty that was present. However, regardless of the difficulty of the task, he believed that, as someone who had faith in his own abilities, he would have no trouble meeting Samuen''s requirements. Furthermore, following his reawakening, his total stat points have elevated him to the power level of a well-rounded F-Rank item holder at approximately 300 levels. By that logic,pared to an E-Rank item holder, he should possess the equivalent power of nearly 200 levels, signifying a substantial power difference. The highest-level individual Raydon had encountered thus far was Fang, a B-Rank item holder with a level of only 63. Therefore, the likelihood of encountering a 200-level item holder in an E-Rank match appeared to be even rarer than the likelihood of encountering a pr bear in the middle of a desert. Chapter 306 Teammates (Part 2) ? Despite exploring all possible exnations to decipher Samuen''s thoughts and intentions, Raydon failed to find a conclusive answer. At longst, he made the decision to give his response rather than continue to overthink the situation. ''''I agree to your terms. I hope you won''t regret itter when I im all the items. '''' ''''Hahaha, I knew you wouldn''t shy away from a challenge. '''' Samuenughed joyously upon receiving the answer he anticipated. ''''Very well, I am ready to start my next match. But, can I at least borrow a few storage expansion orbs before that? '''' Raydon requested it with a sigh. It was evident that he wouldn''t be able to venture into his first E-Rank match with his new items as originally nned. Nheless, he desired to increase the capacity of his inner world to safeguard the loot he would acquire during the match, even if only by a small margin. ''''Unfortunately, I cannot fulfill that request as it is included in our agreement as well. '''' Samuen replied, casting a nce at the dozens of expansion orbs on the table. ''''But don''t worry, I won''t send you into the match empty-handed. In fact, I''m confident that what I have in store for you will be even more beneficial than a few storage expansion orbs. '''' Samuen retrieved six blue-colored scrolls from his dimensional storage and began to exin, "Unlike F-Rank matches, the system doesn''t provide you with any teammates in E-Rank matches." "That''s why you need external items to form a team, and with these scrolls, you can choose teammates up to a total of nine people instead of four," Samuen rified, gesturing towards the scrolls in his hand. Upon hearing this exnation, Raydon furrowed his brows and responded, "I don''t need a teammate." Raydon was a solo yer who had never relied on his teammates in any of his previous matches, and his current skill set made it extremely likely that he would identally kill most of his teammates within the first few seconds of the match. "I understand that you don''t need them, but take a look at this before you decide. I''m certain a few teammates could provide great support for you," Samuen insisted, handing one of the scrolls to Raydon. ''Damn, is this old man nning to send them with me? '' Raydon wondered, ncing at the six scrolls and the six battle maids from the corner of his eye. In spite of the fact that his inner world was rtively limited at the moment, he came to the realization that he could bring the battle maids along with him to collect the loot he had left behind while he concentrated on grinding mobs. This support may be what Samuen had in mind when he mentioned it. However, Raydon did not know any of these battle maids other than Mell, so he was unsure whether or not they would listen to him during the match or willingly assist him. After all, individuals who were brought up with such pride would not voluntarily agree to be Raydon''s pets just for the purpose of picking up items from the ground, would they? In light of all of these considerations, Raydon''s initial n was to turn down the offer that was presented to him. However, as he reached out to take the scroll, he was taken aback by the item description that appeared in front of him. "Are you kidding me?" [Invitation scroll] -Grade: Blue -Quality: - -Skill: Add teammate Upon activation, the user can select one individual to enter into a temporary agreement. All experience points earned during this period will be shared between the user and the contracted individual based on their contribution rate. Both the user and the contracted individual will receive a 5% bonus to experience point gains. The skill effect can be stacked up to 10 times. -Mana cost: - -Duration: 24 hours -Cooldown: One-time use. As Raydon read the description of the skill, he could not contain his shock and stared open-mouthed at the words. The true benefit of the invitation scroll was not simply the option to choose a teammate; rather, it was the buff that increased the amount of experience gained by five percent. Even more astonishing to him was the fact that this buff could be stacked up to ten times. This meant that if Raydon chose ten teammates, his experience gain would be increased by an astounding fifty percent. His eyes gleaming with excitement, Raydon looked up at Samuen and asked, "It says here that I can choose 10 people. Why are there only six scrolls and battle maids?" Samuen chuckled and replied, "I thought you didn''t even want a single teammate. Are you really interested in having 10 now?" Cael let out a sigh, realizing the absurdity of Raydon''s request. "These scrolls are all blue-grade, which makes them incredibly valuable even on their own," he exined. Even he was taken aback by the sight of these scrolls. Typically, obtaining these scrolls was a challenging feat in itself, and most item holders could only use them a few times a year. Yet here was Raydon, holding six of them, all for an E-Rank match. Raydon paused for a moment, realizing that his request may have been too excessive. ''Oh right, they are pretty poor, '' he admitted, thinking about the scarcity of the scrolls. Samuen reassured him with a smile. "Don''t worry, I have a few more of these scrolls in my possession, and I''ve alsomissioned others to acquire more." Seeing the growing expectation on Raydon''s face, he continued speaking. ''''But unfortunately, there are only six E-Rank item holders avable to join the match with you right now. So, for now, you have to ept it.'''' Samuen originally wanted all the battle maids to apany Raydon, but unfortunately, Belicia was currently on a mission and Tika had not yet fully recovered. As for Galen and Loran, Samuen had his reasons for not wanting them to join this particr group, so he didn''t even call them here. Realizing that there was nothing to be done about it, Raydon agreed to ept them as his teammates and said, "Fine, I will take them as my teammates." Even if there was a risk of identally killing them during the match, in the end, their presence was not more important than the extra experience buff he would gain. Chapter 307 This Is Not A Mental Training ? ''''Hey, is this some kind of game they''re ying on us? Or maybe it''s some sort of mental training?'''' After witnessing all the conversations between Raydon and Samuen, one of the battle maids with short pink hair questioned, unable to hide her surprise. ''''It must be, I don''t know who this person is, but he certainly can''t be the Raydon we know. '''' Another one said it suspiciously. They were all very familiar with Raydon and had encountered him at the mansion at least once during his time here. It was a miracle that he had even awakened as an item holder, considering that he had always been portrayed as a disgrace to the family, mentally crippled, and unable to take care of his own needs. Therefore, the fact that he was now an E-Rank was all it took for them to conclude that it was not real. After all of the battle maids, with the exception of Mell, began an animated conversation among themselves, Diam''s nce in their direction caused them to revert to the state of silence they had been in before. ''''Are they all ready for their next match? '''' Samuen asked, looking at Diam. If they were going to join the match with Raydon, their next match should not be on cooldown as well. ''''It''s already been 2 days since theirst match. Young master Raydon can start the match whenever he feels ready. '''' Diam bowed slightly and replied. In most cases, the battle maids were required to report to Diam before attending their regr matches. This was because the battle maids'' primary responsibility was to provide support for the family''s young masters, so they almost always attended matches with Galen. In point of fact, there was another young master that they were responsible for supporting; however, due to the unique condition that Loran''s body was in, no battle maid would apany him in his matches unless it was absolutely necessary to do so. After receiving the response he had been waiting for, Samuen nodded in satisfaction and handed the scrolls to Raydon. ''Are all the battle maids like this? They all act like they''re thendlords of a run-down apartmentplex.'' Raydon pondered as he approached the battle maids after receiving the scrolls. The battle maids continued to eye Raydon with curiosity. It was as if they were looking at a rare animal in a zoo. What frustrated him, even more, was that, except for Mell, none of them showed even the slightest hint of friendliness in their gazes. Instead, they were filled with arrogance. Raydon had previously picked up on the same mindset in Tika, as well as in Belicia, and he now understood that they all shared the same characteristic. Observing their attitudes, Raydon knew he couldn''t rely on any of them for assistance during the match. However, he decided to overlook their behavior in exchange for the additional 30% experience buff. Raydon, as he was getting closer to Mell, the battle maid he knew the best at the time, extended the scroll towards her. "Add teammate," he said. After that, a notification from the system appeared in front of Mell. She bowed to Raydon with unwavering resolve, and without giving it a second thought, she epted the invitation. "ept." In an instant, the scroll in Raydon''s hand transformed into shimmering blue light and vanished. ''At least I can count on her to carry my loot,'' Raydon thought, noticing that, unlike the others, Mell regarded him with respect and reverence. Indeed, Mell had always carried herself with an air of superiority and haughtiness as well. The fact that she was able to observe Raydon''s techniques firsthand, however, put an end to any lingering reservations she had regarding his talent and potential. Regardless of his importance to the family, Mell admired his extraordinary abilities. Moving on to the next battle maid, Raydon held another scroll in his hand and said. "Add teammate." The battle maid, whose blonde hair shone like Mell''s, murmured in disbelief as she stared at the system window that materialized before her. ''I can''t believe it... This is truly a blue-grade Invitation scroll. '' Since she always used white-grade invitation scrolls and rarely used green-grade invitation scrolls, she had never seen blue-grade invitation scrolls before. ''Was everything I witnessed real? Who is this person? '' she wondered, her mind filled with confusion. "Verda, the young master may not have much time to wait," Diam''s reminder broke her trance, and Verda snapped out of her daze, gazing at Raydon''sposed and wless visage. ''''Ah¡­ Yes¡­ept. '''' Verda reacted with sudden panic to Diam''s words. ''What is happening here? Are all of these events real? '' In the end, Verda came to understand that this was not just routine mental training for them. Since the Demugen family has always ced the utmost emphasis on mental training, the battle maids were ustomed to Diam''s various illusions and mind games, often subjecting them to simr situations. However, this time, there was an undeniable sense of difference from the countless training sessions they had experienced before. Samuen and the other elders standing before them were undeniably real, dispelling any notion of it being a mere illusion. Furthermore, what surprised them the most was the noticeable change in Diam''s demeanor, a departure from her usual demeanor. Ordinarily, Diam treated everyone, including the elders, with the same level of respect and emotion, except for the family leader. But the way she looked at and interacted with Raydon now was vastly distinct, leaving them all puzzled. Undeterred by the battle maids'' bewildered expressions, Raydon proceeded to add each of them to his squad, paying no heed to their reactions. As each scroll disappeared, transforming into sparkling particles of blue light, Raydon turned to Samuen with a question in his eyes. "What should I do now?" Raydon inquired, his uncertainty apparent. The absence of system messages or a party panel left him unsure of the subsequent steps to take. Samuen, with a reassuring smile, provided the guidance Raydon sought. "Simply ept the active match invite, and they will receive their respective match invites as well. That''s all." Chapter 308 As Long As He Enjoys ? ''I guess this team-creation thing is not just for matches.''Raydon pondered, fascinated by the intriguing possibilities of the invitation scroll. Since it was stated in the description of the scroll that the team agreement wouldst for twenty-four hours, it shoulde as no surprise that this scroll was also useful for inheritances that involved more than one participant as well as for other events. "Will the extra experience boost buff still be in effect even if they don''t physically join the match?" Raydon asked, his hopes clinging to a sliver of possibility. The idea of facing the match with arge number of teammates was unsettling to him, and having only Mell present, primarily for her dimensional storage capabilities, seemed more appealing. Samuen''s response delivered a disappointing blow. "Unfortunately, the team needs to remain in close proximity to benefit from the extra experience boost. Oh, and don''t forget to stick together while ying mobs in the match," Samuen exined with a heartyugh, aware of Raydon''s concerns. ''What the hell? So if they die, this buff will disappear? '' Raydon''s expression turned sour as he processed this new information. Realizing that the presence of the battle maids meant he could no longer freely use his most efficient EXP farming skill, Explosive Swarm, in the match, a sense of frustration washed over Raydon. In the meantime, Raydon was frowning as he looked at them, and the battle maids were looking at him with frowns of their own, equally irritated by what they just heard. After everything that they had seen, they came to the conclusion that Samuen and the others had shown Raydon an extraordinary level of privilege. Despite the fact that they were convinced he was not a typical person, they were bothered by his attitude toward them. Raydon talking about them as if they were a hindrance was uneptable for prideful and arrogant people like them. However, under Diam''s watchful gaze, theycked the courage and authority to reject the task assigned to them, leaving them with no choice but to wait in silence. ''I seem to have pissed them off a little. '' Raydon mused, suddenly realizing that the shocked and curious eyes now held a tinge of hostility. Even though all he had done was ask a question, he was baffled by their outburst of anger and offense, which even he found difficult toprehend. Raydon grumbled, "Well, whatever, I will just ignore them," and opened his system panel to ept the match''s invitation. [The next match is ready to begin. Do you want to join?] ''''Yes.'''' And then, right in front of everyone, Raydon''s body just vanished out of thin air, as if he had never been there before. As the battle maids witnessed his disappearance and nced at Diam, who nodded in approval, they retrieved small gray items from their dimensional storage, each fitting in the palm of their hands. "Activate," they all chanted in unison, gripping the item in their hands. In a mesmerizing disy, various item parts materialized on their bodies,pletely recing their training uniforms. Obviously, this item allowed them to wear all their gear simultaneously, eliminating the need to put on each individual item one by one. If Raydon had been aware of this earlier, he would have certainly desired such an item for himself. Also, because he was still wearing his casual clothes and did not have any trash items to wear on himself other than his bound items, he would not have to go naked in his first E-Rank match. "What do you think? Will he be able to gain their support?" Seeing that thest battle maid had also disappeared, epting the match invitation with an annoyed expression on her face, Samuen turned to ask Diam. Diam remained silent for a moment before responding, "I have raised them all to value power and talent above all else. Given young master Raydon''s abilities, I don''t think it will be difficult for him to earn their eptance." Samuen chuckled happily at her answer, saying, "Good, good." "Father, what is your n? Why didn''t you directly provide him with the items?" Arden asked with curiosity. Although they had previously agreed to support and assist Raydon in any way possible, Samuen''s actions seemed to deviate from their initial decision. "Do you think he won''t meet the requirements?" Zephyr spected, considering the only usible reason he could think of. If for some reason Raydon was unable to fulfill the requirements, he would not be given the items that were promised to him. However, since Samuen had already made the decision to grant him the items, even in the event of failure, he would show his goodwill by giving the items. That was the first thing that came to Zephyr''s mind, but after hearing Samuen''s response, he realized that his assumption was incorrect. "Will he fail? Of course not. I am even certain that he will exceed our expectations," Samuen proimed with a small chuckle in his voice. "Then why?" Zephyr asked once again, seeking rification. "Because, as I mentioned before, it wouldn''t be entertaining enough otherwise," Samuen exined, taking a seat on the ground while awaiting the return of Raydon and the others. "Father, do you not think that this matter is a little bit too serious to think about having fun?" Cael chimed in, expressing confusion. Raydon didn''t seem to harbor friendly feelings towards them, and it seemed peculiar for Samuen to emphasize fun instead of working towards earning his trust and attachment. "You misunderstand. I am not referring to my own entertainment," Samuen rified, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Throughout his life, Raydon has always achieved his aplishments by facing various challenges, both big and small. So, regardless of how eager he may appear now, I am certain that he is more interested in oveing the challenge we have presented than in the items themselves. Whether he trusts us or considers us family is inconsequential. Our primary responsibility is to foster his growth, and we cannot achieve that by simply providing him with everything he needs. Ultimately, whether we assist him or not, he will continue to evolve and grow stronger as long as he finds it enjoyable." Chapter 309 E-Rank Match ? Hearing Samuen''s words, Cael and the others finally grasped his intentions. Samuen had no intention of manipting Raydon into seeing things from their perspective or tying him down to their family in any way. He understood that Raydon had no inherent ties to their world, let alone their family. Therefore, participating in meaningless games or attempting to exploit Raydon for their own benefit or the benefit of their world would be absurd and would, in the long run, have unfavorable repercussions for them. "It matters not whether he has a desire to assist us or our world. Even his mere presence, once he attains sufficient power, will benefit our world to an extent we cannot ignore," Diam expressed her opinion as well. Upon reading the diary, each of them discovered a world that surpassed their own in power and had faced numerous perilous situations. They gained an understanding of the challenges that were faced by the people who lived in that world and how those people were able to triumph over adversity without giving in to hopelessness. Therefore, in the event that their world was going to face an unsurmountable catastrophe in the future, the simple knowledge that they had someone within their midst who was capable of providing assistance would serve as a ray of hope for them. "Is that why you lied about the invitation scrolls? Are the battle maids apanying him part of the challenge you presented to him?" Zephyr posed a thoughtful question. It turned out that the previous assertion made by Samuen, namely that the entire group needed to be present in order for the experience buff to continue working, waspletely made up of information. In reality, even if the battle maids did not join Raydon in the match, the buffs they received would continue to be in effect for 24 hours unless they perished. The scrolls granted a 35% experience increase to each individual independently. Furthermore, even if the battle maids made no contribution to the ying of mobs, it would be a win-win situation as they would still gain 35% experience points without affecting Raydon''s share of the in creatures. "Well, that''s not entirely incorrect, but it is not the primary purpose. I simply wanted them to witness firsthand the capabilities of their young master, whom they have regarded as useless until now," Samuen exined with augh. The entire Demugen family had viewed Raydon as worthless and an embarrassment, but that perception needed to change. Samuen believed that the fastest and most effective way to achieve this transformation was for them to witness Raydon''s abilities with their own eyes. "Moreover, regardless of his divine nature, he is still fundamentally human and has been raised as such. So, it wouldn''t be a bad idea for him to have an audience while he showcases his powers," Samuen remarked, recalling Raydon''s past. Raydon, when he was a child, was constantly trying to get someone''s attention but mostly failed because of the interventions of others; now, Samuen was offering him the opportunity to do so without any outside influence whatsoever. Samuen had no doubt in his mind that Raydon had the capacity to enthrall and win the admiration of anyone and everyone who crossed paths with him in the foreseeable future. Until that time came, however, he was adamant that Raydon receives within the Demugen family the respect and acim that his aplishments deserved. He desired, at the very least, for Raydon to be acknowledged for his efforts now. ¡ª "Damn, it feels like it''s been months since Ist participated in a match," Raydon eximed as his vision returned. ''But this sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu isn''t very reassuring,'' he thought, inspecting his attire. The majority of Raydon''s non-bound clothing, including the trash items he wore in matches, was among the items that were lost along with his dimensional storage. Now, he found himself d in nothing but the ck boxer shorts provided by the system, along with ck gloves, forearm vambraces, and a single plus-shaped earring adorning his right ear. Raydon had entered the current match¡ªhis first E-Rank¡ªalmostpletely naked, as he had done in his very first match. ''Damn, that old man could have at least given me some trash items to wear,'' Raydon grumbled momentarily in frustration, but he wasted no time in surveying his surroundings. As soon as Raydon began the match, the first thing that greeted him was a gloomy and ominous environment. The sky waspletely covered with pitch-ck clouds, which prevented even a single ray of hot sunlight from reaching the earth''s surface and appeared as though they could initiate a tumultuous downpour at any given moment. However, despite the ominous appearance of the clouds, it was evident that no rain had touched thesends in a considerable time. The ground beneath Raydon''s feet looked parched and fragmented. In addition, he was epassed on all sides, as far as the eye could see, by bushes that were dry and thorny, as well as trees that had shriveled up and died. But despite all of this, there was nothing in the area that could affect Raydon physically or mentally, and this is without taking into ount the fact that his stats were currently very high. Therefore, the appearance of Raydon''s current match region was not all that dissimr to that of his previous matches. At least the difficulty level of the region did not seem to have changed much. "But this is something entirely new. Just what is that?" Raydon''s attention was immediately drawn to the structure in the sky that resembled a dome. It appeared white and transparent, spanning across the entire area, enveloping it within its grasp. Curiositypelled Raydon to turn around and investigate further. There, before him, stood a see-through wall, prompting him to approach and examine it closely. Fascinated, he uttered, "This is interesting," as his fingertips made contact with the solid and unyielding barrier. Raydon''s mind pondered the purpose behind this enigmatic enclosure, shrouding the entire region like a cage. Could it be designed to prevent the item holders from escaping their designated match area? With contemtion, Raydon concluded, "I believe its purpose is to facilitate encounters between opposing teams and ignite thepetitive spirit within them, urging them to engage in fierce battles." At that precise moment, a voice from behind him validated his deduction and offered an exnation. ''''Your guess is correct. These transparent walls keep shrinking as the 3-hour match time progresses, making it easier for all match participants to find each other and engage inbat.'''' Raydon turned his attention toward the familiar voice and saw Mell, who had her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail in a very neat and tidy manner. She was wearing a maid outfit now, which caught his attention rather than the previous thin training uniform she had been wearing. Despite the fact that this maid uniform appeared to be a standard ck and white maid uniform, Raydon noticed that she was wearing a few items that caught his attention. In addition to the iron-like breastte that she wore on her chest that coordinated with the maid uniform, she also wore additional items that appeared to be made of metal on her forearms and knees. ''It''s interesting that they really care so much about their looks,'' Raydon noticed that Mell and the other five battle maids were staring at him in an odd manner and thought about it while he was examining their garb. Although they all seemed to be wearing simr uniforms, Raydon noticed that each of the battle maids had distinct details that showcased their individuality. For example, Verda, who has blond hair just like Mell, made it clear that she had no intention of concealing her enormous and milky white breasts. There was no item on her chest, and her alluring breasts almost seemed to protrude from her maid uniform, which had the ends of itce-embroidered and had a quite open cor. Another battle maid, this time with blue hair, who had a facial expression almost as emotionless as Diam''s, was obviously very proud of her legs. Due to the fact that she was donning a very short skirt, she was able to show off her long, beautiful legs in all of their splendor. The other two lc-haired and ck-haired battle maids each wore a two-piece uniform that showed off their toned abdominal muscles and exposed their unprotected bellies. It appeared that the person with red hair was the only one who was not overly concerned with what she was wearing. Her entire body was covered with metallic protective items from head to toe, but despite the fact that she did not show any skin on her body, she was still able to attract attention due to the beauty of her facial features and body lines. While Raydon was going through the motions of carefully and rapidly inspecting each one of them, the battle maids were doing the same thing to him. "Why are you naked?" the redhead asked, her expression furrowing with puzzlement. They had the impression that Raydon must be quite formidable based on what they had seen up to this point, even though they were still unable to understand everything that had happened. But when they saw that he was carrying nothing more than four separate items, they began to wonder if he was joking or if there was something else going on. Chapter 310 Team Panel ? ''''I''m not naked, though," Raydon said, pointing to the boxer he was wearing. "Mell what''s the deal with this person?" the redhead named Elysia asked, approaching Mell with a sharp gaze fixed on Raydon. She observed that others were also perplexed and seeking an exnation. Mell, on the other hand, disyed behavior that was strikingly dissimr to theirs, and her attitude toward Raydon was clearly one of great deference. "He is..." Mell hesitated for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts as she looked at Raydon''s familiar yet altered appearance. Finally, she spoke with conviction, "Our young master, Raydon Demugen." "But you don''t seem entirely certain," Elysia raised an eyebrow, clearly detecting Mell''s uncertainty in her voice. "Elysia, I am just as confused as you are, but I have no doubt that he is young Master Raydon," Mell responded confidently. The short amount of time that had passed since she hadst seen Raydon allowed her to clearly observe the evolution that had taken ce in his current appearance; however, the degree to which he had changed did not prevent her from recognizing him. Also, because she had witnessed Raydon''s incredible talents for herself on the training ground, she hade to terms with the fact that he was an extraordinary person. As a result, there was no way that his changed appearance alone could surprise her. "Ahhh, my head feels like it''s about to explode," the pink-haired battle maid eximed, clutching her head in distress. "Alright, let''s assume he is the young master Raydon we know. But wasn''t the young master we knew crippled all his life? So, what is this I see?" Her tone conveyed surprise as she inspected the wlessly sculpted body of Raydon, which was simr to a statue that had been carefully crafted. "There is indeed a great mystery at y here. Moreover, the privileges bestowed upon him by the family seem exaggerated. I can''t fathom them using six valuable blue-grade invitation scrolls just for him," the ck-haired battle maid added, her arms crossed over her chest as she nced at Raydon. "And did you notice that he is still level 1?" The blue-haired girl chimed in, her expression calm and devoid of emotion. "It appears that he won the F-Rank matches with his team''s help and advanced to E-Rank." As far as anyone could tell, the only reason Raydon was still at level 1 was that he had failed to kill any monsters in his previous matches and had relied on his team''s victories to advance to E-Rank without contributing much himself. "So our mission is to win the match for him while also helping him level up?" Nysora, the red-haired battle maid, concluded with annoyance evident in her tone. "It seems that way. I''m not sure what value he holds for the family, but considering the resources and attention they''re investing in him, he must be more than meets the eye," Verda expressed her own opinion. The Demugen family wouldn''tvish such efforts and expenses on apletely useless individual. As a result, they reasoned that there must be another exnation for their fervent interest in Raydon. When Mell saw Raydon''s level, she, too, could not help but think with shock. ''How is it possible for a genius who possesses such powerful techniques and such mastery of them to be so unsessful in his matches? '' Mell was aware of the fact that it was extremely difficult for a person with a title that had both a high strength and a high potential to advance in levels. She was certain that someone as powerful as Raydon held a formidable title, which demanded an enormous number of experience points for each level. However, regardless of the high requirements, he should have in enough monsters to at least gain a level or two from F-Rank to E-Rank. ''Are they aware that I am able to hear what they are saying? '' Raydon watched in disbelief as the battle maids argued fervently in front of him, their gazes fixed on him the entire time. The apparentck of concern shown by the battle maids perplexed him. However, rather than dwelling on it further, Raydon chose to prioritize his own objectives. He directed his attention towards the system panel and proceeded to examine the team information, eager to gather the necessary details beforemencing his experience farming. [Time remaining until the end of the match: 02:55:27] [Team B7890-D4850] -me Protector (Lv. 25) -Shieldmaiden Sentinel (Lv. 24) -Enchanting Siren (Lv. 24) -Illusion Weaver (Lv. 24) -Spirit Whisperer (Lv. 23) -Garden Alchemist (Lv. 22) -Master of All (Lv. 1) Current points: 0 [Team T9876-L1754] -N/A -N/A -N/A ¡­ .. . Current points: 2 [Team I0866-U1434] -N/A -N/A -N/A ¡­ Current points: 1 ¡­ .. . Raydon carefully analyzed the team information presented in the system window, his focus on the levels of his fellow teammates. Observing the numbers, he wondered, ''Are they all above level 20? It seems to be the average level for E-Rank item holders. '' Although he was uncertain about the average levels for each Rank, Raydon relied on his memory of defeating Herman, who was level 23. Using this as a reference, he spected, "I suppose peak F-Rank item holders typically reach around level 10. Does that mean E-Ranks average between 10 and 25 levels?" It was a logical deduction based on his general reasoning. Raydon knew that an item holder''s rank and level were independent of each other. In particr, he considered the circumstances of the battle maids from the Demugen family, who belonged to a weaker household and had remained in E-Rank without progressing to D-Rank for an extended period. It is possible that as a result of this circumstance, their levels appear to be higher than those of E-Rank item holders who are part ofrger families. Thus, Raydon concluded that the previously assumed information regarding average levels in rtion to rank was currently unreliable. After contemting this information for a while, Raydon shifted his attention to the other teams disyed in the system window. Chapter 311 Why Waste Time With Region Bosses? ? Initially, there were only two teams in the F-Rank matches, but now the window showed ten teams, each with a different number of item holders. It caught his interest that nearly every team had a distinct number of members. Among the ten teams, only one had exactly ten members. Raydon''s team followed, boasting seven members, making it the secondrgest. Conversely, the team with the fewest participants consisted of five item holders. ''I believe that is what the old man meant when he said that I have a chance of encountering 45 to 90 enemies. '' Raydon pondered Samuen''s words. Presently, there were nine enemy teams, totaling 69 enemies. Considering the items he was promised and the requirements for obtaining them, Raydon muttered to himself, "Killing ten of them shouldn''t be too challenging." He pondered the probability of not encountering any enemies until the end of the match, realizing it was low due to the nature of the region. On the other hand, he was aware that the other enemy teams would likely fight among themselves, thereby potentially reducing the number of foes that were avable for him to kill. As this realization struck him, a surge of urgency coursed through Raydon, leading him to mutter, "I guess I''d better hurry." ''''Young master, if you''re going to choose a target, I suggest starting with the region bosses," Mell advised, noticing the change in Raydon''s expression. While the other battle maids continued their discussions, Mell was determined to assist Raydon, even though she had reservations about his ability to fulfill Samuen''s tasks. "Why?" Raydon inquired, his curiosity piqued. It did not matter much to him which target to start with at the moment, because he was thinking about beginning with the target that was the closest to him in rtion to the investigative-type skill that he possessed. Mell proceeded to exin, gesturing towards the transparent dome enclosing them. "Region bosses tend to stay within their designated areas unless they detect an enemy presence. Since the barrier does not affect mobs or region bosses, there is a risk that as the barrier narrows over time, the region bosses may already be on the other side when we locate them." Raydon''s expression shifted as he considered this exnation. "Damn, I hadn''t considered that possibility. Another reason to act swiftly," he remarked, his sense of urgency intensifying. Although the barrier had yet to begin narrowing, ording to Mell''s exnation, it would not be long before itmenced. If Raydon failed to locate the region bosses within that timeframe and they ended up on the opposite side of the narrowing barrier, it would be impossible to eliminate them unless he found a means to cross the barrier. ''''Death Sense. '''' Raydon immediately activated his investigative skill and started scanning his surroundings. [HP]: 1100/1100 ¡­ .. . [HP]: 1100/1100 ¡­ ''''Fuck, I can''t find anything like this," Raydon muttered. Despite his skill allowing him to overlook obstacles, his limited field of vision made it challenging to locate region bosses in this vast expanse. This skill of Raydon''s allowed him to see through obstructions in his line of sight, but he could only see about 400 meters away. Considering the size of the Region and the fact that he had such limited vision, it appeared as though it would take quite some time to locate the Region bosses. "Feline, Aurora, could you please stop wasting time and find the region bosses for the young master?" '' Mell swiftly redirected the others, recognizing Raydon''s impatient demeanor once again. "Region bosses? Why should we bother with them? Do you expect us to waste blue-grade invitation scrolls on region bosses we can''t even defeat?" ck-haired battle maid Aurora retorted, her toneced with skepticism. ''''I agree with her. Perhaps if Young Master Galen were with us, we might stand a chance against a region boss before the match ends. However, with just the six of us, I don''t believe it''s feasible. It would be more beneficial to spend this time earning experience points," Feline, the girl with pink hair, chimed in. "They''re right, Mell. There is no need to indulge in unnecessary daydreaming. Our purpose here is to support him, and if we want him to gain some levels, we must start by defeating mobs," added Nysora, the redhead. She then turned to Feline and Aurora, continuing, "You two, find a route with the most mobs. We need to ensure he gains a few levels at least before the match concludes, or Miss Diam will be greatly disappointed in us." ''I guess I should not have expected any help from them after all.'' Raydon was relieved to see that Mell was making an effort to assist him, but after observing that the others were uninterested, he concluded that it was pointless to spend any more time with them. "Ahh, my experience boost and loot will go to waste," Raydon sighed and turned to walk away. "Hey, where are you going? Don''t wander off! Stay close to us," Nysora frowned upon witnessing Raydon''s departure. Concerned that Raydon, being level 1, would meet his demise if he ventured alone, Nysora couldn''t bear to face Miss Diam if she allowed such a thing to happen. However, she would soon realize that her concerns were unnecessary, as a remarkable sight unfolded before her eyes. "I don''t have time to waste with you. Just focus on staying alive so I can find you after I''ve dealt with the region bosses," Raydon stated firmly, taking a step into the sudden ck smoke that materialized before him. A deadly silence fell upon the scene as Raydon activated his Shadow Passage innate skill, vanishing within the dissipating ck smoke. The battle maids stood in stunned silence for a while as they stared at the location where the smoke had dissipated, their eyes widening with shock. In the end, it was Nysora who broke the silence, and her words were tinged with bewilderment. "Did he just use the skill without chanting its name, or am I losing my hearing?" Chapter 312 Astonishing Speed ? ''''He probably said it in a way we couldn''t hear, right?" Verda, too, overcame her short-term shock and offered a logical exnation. It was always necessary for item holders to activate their skills by saying the names of the skills, and it was not unusual for skilled fighters to conceal the skill names within their speech in order to mislead their opponents while they were engaged inbat. ''''Or maybe it''s a property of his title. If that''s the case, he''s certainly not an ordinary person, as I thought. ''Master of All''¡ªI wonder what that means," Aurora added, intrigued by the shy title. Up until this point, the only people they were aware of who were able to use skills without first chanting the name of the skill were those with a D-Rank or higher, and this was because of the innate skill slot that they gained as a result of their rank. And if Raydon''s title was something that provided him with an additional innate skill slot, or even more incredible, if it was something that allowed him to use his skills without chanting the names of those skills, then it was an ability that had the potential to give one incredible advantage inbat. ''''That''s also a possibility," Nysora agreed, finding it usible. She continued, her gaze fixed in the direction Raydon had vanished. ''''Regardless, he''s still at level 1. We must find him before something happens." The battle maids'' primary responsibility had always been to provide support for their young masters, and they were prepared toy down their lives for their charges if necessary. Even though they did not yet consider Raydon to be their young master, the family had assigned them a duty, and sess was the only option avable to them. ''''What a headache," Feline sighed, her pink pupils contracting as she focused on the distance. ''''I will track him down." Raising her palm, Feline activated her investigative skill, "Pollen Tracer." Instantaneously, Feline''s palm became filled with a swarm of countless yellow pollen particles, each resembling minuscule dust particles. With a controlled exhale, she released the pollen into the air, delicately guiding its trajectory toward the precise location she had fixed her gaze upon. Under the influence of this weak but effective blow, all the pollen was suddenly propelled forward with incredible speed, swiftly soaring beyond their line of sight. In the meantime, a few pollen grains floated down andnded on the ground close by. Within a few milliseconds, each one of them bloomed into a beautiful rose that was a vibrant shade of pink. In the space of just a few seconds, thousands of these pink roses adorned thendscape for miles ahead, serving as a marker for the path that the flying pollen had taken. "I found him... But..." As Feline observed the surroundings of the roseden areas with her senses attuned to the information conveyed by the blooming flowers, she went from being serious to look surprised. Despite sessfully locating Raydon, her discovery left her bewildered rather than ted. "What happened? Is he already dead?" Nysora inquired urgently, her concern evident. "No, he''s alive," Feline responded, her voice still tinged with disbelief. "But you won''t believe it." "What is it, then?" "It''s unbelievable," Feline muttered again, struggling to find the words to convey her shock. "It hasn''t even been half a minute since he used his skill to disappear, but he''s already more than 500 meters away." "What? What kind of skill is that? Could he have a blue-grade item?" Nysora and the others contemted in awe, unable to contain their astonishment at what they heard. Raydon''s rapid distance covered in such a short time was far beyond the capabilities of a mere green-grade movement-type skill. "Well, I don''t know the specifics of his item, but it''s likely to be a high mana-consuming skill," Nysora reasoned, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. "He might exhaust his mana soon, so if we hurry, we can reach him before anything happens." The others nodded, epting Nysora''s logical exnation, and prepared to set off swiftly. However, Feline''s next words brought them to a halt once more. "Girls, I believe we need to formte a new n because contrary to what Nysora mentioned, I don''t think his mana will deplete anytime soon." "What do you mean?" Nysora squinted her eyes, a perplexed frown forming on her face. It seemed imusible for someone at Raydon''s level to possess the mana reserves necessary to sustain such a powerful skill for an extended period. "Because he''s not using his previous skill at the moment; he''s just running," Feline replied, her voice trembling with disbelief. "I can''t say for certain if it''s another movement-type skill, but the agility he''s disying is ridiculous." Feline recalled witnessing his recent use of the shadow passage skill. Her observations led her to the conclusion that it must be some kind of teleportation. Because of this, even though she could not see him through her roses, she was able to make out very clearly that he was not making use of that particr skill at this very moment. Instead, she could sense that Raydon was relying solely on his extraordinary speed, sprinting with incredible velocity. Nysora, determined to understand their chances of catching up to Raydon, inquired further. "What are our chances of catching him at our full speed?" She could not fathom how Raydon could move so quickly, but she hadplete faith in Feline''s investigative skills, so she did not bother to inquire as to whether or not Feline was correct or if she was making a mistake. Feline''s response was disheartening. "At the moment, he appears to be even faster than you. I don''t know how long he can sustain this speed, but it seems to be increasing rather than diminishing." As they attempted to understand the mystery that Raydon''s extraordinary power presented, silence descended once more over the group. None could fathom how a mere level 1 item holder could possess such astonishing speed. Chapter 313 Not Enough Mana After a prolonged pause, Aurora broke the silence with a determined whisper. "I will locate the region boss." When the others heard her decision, they silently agreed. The others nodded in unison as they came to the conclusion that their top priority at the moment must be to determine the location of the region boss before Raydon does. They were left in awe by his mysterious abilities, and theycked the power necessary to keep up with his extraordinary speed. Therefore, finding the boss first seemed like the most reasonable course of action to take in this situation. "What kind of man are we dealing with?" Nysora''s voice quivered slightly as she attempted to calm her racing heartbeat, contemting the enigma surrounding Raydon. The only thing they could ask for is for Raydon''s investigative skills to be a little less mind-blowing than his speed. At the very least, their priority was to locate the Region Boss before Raydon and personally witness his true capabilities. ¡ª ''Damn it, I knew my mana would be an issue, '' While Raydon was slicing through the wind and running with light steps across the drynd, he thought about the amount of mana that was left on the character panel. When Raydon was testing his shadow passage skill at the Demugen Mansion, he used it more than ten times in a hurry to get to the training ground. As a result, he used up a significant portion of his mana reserves in the process. Even though some time had passed, he had not yetpletely restored his mana. In addition, the fact that he had now used the skill twice more had further consumed his remaining mana, leaving him with nothing more than a pitiful amount. In addition, because he had lost his previous sub-skills, his mana capacity had decreased, and his once impressive mana regeneration rate of almost 100 per minute had dropped to a mere 33 per minute. "With my current mana regeneration, I can only cast the shadow passage skill once in just around 6 minutes. That''s definitely not enough," Raydon contemted. Because Raydon is currently employing a stepping technique, it appears as though none of the steps he takes are making contact with the ground. Instead, it looks as though he is kicking his body forward by kicking the air. And with the agility that he now possesses, his speed has increased tremendously inparison to his previous self, and thanks to this technique, his speed with 110 agility has almost tripled again. Nevertheless, in spite of all of this, his speed was not even close to beingparable to the speed that the shadow passage skill bestowed upon him. He was also making frequent use of the Death Sense skill, which is his current investigative-type skill. However, fortunately for him, this skill did not present a burden because it only required 55 mana for an average duration of 30 minutes. However, the fact remained that he did not have enough mana, and his mana regeneration was slow, so he did not have any reserve mana to use the explosive swarm skill, which is his most effective skill for grinding experience but also his skill that uses the most mana. Considering all these factors and the importance of his skills, Raydon began contemting the prospect of prioritizing the enhancement of his spirit stat and acquiring new sub-skills upon increasing it when he leveled up. ''Moreover, these flowers seem suspicious,'' Raydon pondered, his gaze fixated on the pink roses that had suddenly appeared around him some time ago. When Raydon looked up ahead, he could see that these flowers covered a veryrge area of thendscape. At first, he had the impression that someone was trying to attack him, but after a short while, he realized that these flowers did not in any way pose any kind of danger to him. However, despite the fact that he was aware that these flowers did not pose any danger to his health points, he was unable to shake the nagging feeling that someone was keeping an eye on him. This feeling started to develop within him not long after the flowers showed up, and it was due to the high spirit stat he possessed as well as the instincts he possessed at the time. "It seems to being from that direction. Are they using an investigative-type skill to track me?" Raydon paused momentarily, casting a nce behind him, deep in thought. The path of flowers extended from where he hade to his current position, leaving little doubt as to who was employing this skill. "I suppose the owner of this skill must be the one with the Garden Alchemist title. I wonder which one," Raydon mused with a smile, before turning his attention forward and resuming his swift pace. The remarkable range and speed of this investigative-type skill, which even outperformed his own Death Sense skill, astounded Raydon. However, he was also aware that there was a significant w in this skill. It would not be difficult for a foe to pinpoint the location of the user if they were to find the path created by the flowers and follow it. Because of this, it is impossible for the user of this investigative-type skill to avoid the possibility of their own location being revealed, regardless of how effective the skill might be in locating enemies. Naturally, Feline, who was the one who used this skill, was well aware of the weakness it possessed. However, finding Raydon took precedence over concealing their own location, whichpelled her to make use of this formidable skill without any hesitance. ''Regardless, it doesn''t matter as long as they don''t impede my progress,'' Raydon thought, disappointed that they were using the skill to locate him instead of the region boss. However, given that he had never counted on them in the first ce, he made the decision to ignore their presence for the time being and concentrate solely on locating the region boss. Chapter 314 Finding The Region Boss (Part 1) ? "Damn, just how big is this region?" After several minutes of nonstop running, Raydon eximed in exasperation as he came to a stop. He had already been running without stopping for more than 10 minutes, and he was more than 40000 meters away from his starting point, but he still had note across the region boss or any of the opposing teams. "The barrier seems to be slowly contracting as well," he noted, observing the transparent dome enclosing the region. The sight of its gradual movement only added to his growing inner turmoil. Also, he was not entirely sure how it worked, but it was clear that the luck stats he had were not going to be of any assistance to him. ''I suppose changing my investigative-type skill should be my top priority after this match,'' Raydon contemted, examining the description of his skill, Death Sense. [Greaves] -Grade: Green -Quality: Good -Skill: Death Sense By activating this ability, the user enters a centuries-old pact with death and gains the ability to determine the number of health points (up to a maximum of 2,500 HP) possessed by all living creatures within a 150-meter radius. Duration and range vary based on the user''s stamina stat. The maximum amount of HP that can be seen varies based on the user''s charisma stat. -Mana cost: 55 -Duration: 20 minutes. -Cooldown: 30 minutes. While his current stamina had expanded the skill''s range to 300 meters, Raydon was bothered by its limitation in detecting entities with a maximum HP of 2,500. He pondered how his charisma stat might affect this threshold and came to the conclusion that he ought to be able to detect beings with at least 5,000 or 6,000 HP because he had a high charisma stat. However, the real problem was that he did not know how many health points a D-Rank region boss had. If its HP was greater than the capacity of Raydon''s investigative skill to detect it, then the skill would be useless against them. "Searching for region bosses in this vast expanse without an effective investigative-type skill is akin to finding a needle in a haystack," he muttered, massaging his temples as he contemted alternative solutions. "This will strain my body, but I have no other choice but to increase my speed and continue searching," Raydon resolved, contemting his options. After careful consideration, he decided tobine the movement technique he had been using with the berserker technique to enhance his search capabilities. When he was using the Berserker technique, he was able to test the boundaries of his entire body to the extent that his stamina would allow, which allowed him to make at least twice as effective use of his strength and agility. But even when his strength and agility were only 1, he was putting a heavy load on his body while using this technique, and he was not sure now how much his 110 stamina can support his increased agility and strength because he did not have his previous stamina sub-skills either. After all, the process of amplifying 1 strength and agility was very different from the process of amplifying 110 strength and agility, and as a result, his body needed to be much more durable than it was in the past in order to be able to support such high stats. Furthermore,bining the berserker technique with another movement technique would impose additional strain on his muscles. Nevertheless, Raydon found himself with no other viable option. "Well, with my current stamina, I should be able to sustain a 50% amplification for at least half an hour," he estimated. Rather than utilizing the full potential of the berserker technique, he decided to employ it at a 50% increase, allowing for a longer duration. As Raydon solidified his decision, his breathing quickened, and his heart rate elerated, surpassing its normal rhythm. In a very short period of time, his normally paleplexion started to redden as a result of the surge of blood that was pumping through his veins, and his body temperature continued to climb steadily. Gray smoke began to rise subtly from his body, aided by the effect of his body enchantment. Soon, the wisps of smoke transformed into ck mes, enveloping his entire form like a delicate veil. "That''s enough for now," Raydon dered, sensing his body''s limits being shattered and a surge of power infusing his muscles. He felt a profound strength coursing through him, filling his cells with boundless energy. And then, with this newly acquired boost in power, he was about to start running again when he stopped to take in an iing system message. [Your team gained 1 point.] [Since you made no contributions to the battle, you won''t gain any shared experience.] [Bonus: You gained 35 experiences.] "What?" The sudden system messages startled Raydon, who cast a quick nce around. Despite his Death Sense skill, he couldn''t detect anyone nearby except for a few ordinary mobs. Confusion clouded his thoughts as he questioned, "How did I gain experience points?" The obvious interpretation of this message for Raydon was that it meant the battle maids had sessfully eliminated a mob. Because he did not contribute anything to the fight, he should not be eligible for a portion of the experience points that were gained. Naturally, he anticipated gaining a bonus of 35% extra experience points from the in mob due to the blue-grade invitation scroll he had used. However, what truly surprised him was that the battle maids were nowhere near him at the moment, and he shouldn''t have received these bonus experience points either. "The old man said we had to be close for the bonus to work. Did he lie?" Raydon furrowed his brow, contemting the situation. While Samuen hadn''t explicitly specified the proximity required, Raydon knew that the distance between them was too great. A strong intuition stirred within him, suggesting that Samuen had deceived him about this information. However, rather than dwelling on it now, Raydon decided to inquire about itter, when he had the opportunity to speak with Samuen. Chapter 315 Finding The Region Boss (Part 2) "Regardless, free experience points. I''ll dly ept them," Raydon muttered with a grin. [Since you made no contributions to the battle, you won''t gain any shared experience.] [Bonus: You gained 35 experiences.] ¡­ [Bonus: You gained 35 experiences.] .. [Bonus: You gained 35 experiences.] . "Wow, they''re really giving it their all," he remarked, momentarily pausing his search as three additional system messages appeared. Usually, it was Raydon who surprised his teammates by swiftly dispatching mobs in rapid session during matches. However, this time it was the battle maids'' performance that astonished him. "Why did they wait until now if they had the power to kill mobs so easily?" Raydon pondered, perplexed by the sudden change in the battle maids'' behavior. It had been 20 minutes since the match started, and up until this point, they had refrained from engaging any mobs. However, they had now abruptly begun dispatching multiple mobs in quick session. It was also improbable that the battle maids hadn''te across any mobs in the past 20 minutes. Raydon himself had encountered numerous mobs, potentially numbering in the dozens or even hundreds, during his search for the region boss. So as he was pondering why they had been so quiet up until now but were suddenly beginning to kill mobs, he was suddenly diverted from his thoughts by a light breeze that was blowing in his face and the faint aroma of flowers. When he turned his attention to the ce where the breeze wasing from, he saw a scene that was very familiar to him because he had seen it before. From a distance, he could faintly see yellow pollen floating in the air, gracefully converging and forming a path of pink roses that extended across the field. "What does this mean now? Are they trying to reveal my location?" Raydon muttered, his eyes fixated on the rapidly proliferating pink roses encircling him. He knew that one of the battle maids was using this skill, but what puzzled him was that the skill was being employed from a different direction than before. This implied that the battle maids hadn''t been tracing his steps to locate him but had continued their own separate routes. In addition, the ease with which they were able to locate Raydon once more, in conjunction with their use of this extremely eye-catching skill, suggested their intentions might not be favorable. Raydon paused to contemte their motives and intentions when he noticed a ck object descending from the sky in the same direction as the flowery path. He observed as the object drew nearer, graduallying into focus. After a moment, he could discern its true identity. "An owl? Is it a mob?" Raydon mumbled, observing the creature''s brown feathers adorned with intricate white patterns and its enormous yellow eyes. He continued to observe as the bird approached with increasing speed. Soon, he realized that it wasn''t a mob at all. After rapidly approaching Raydon, the owl made several turns, as if to demonstrate that it was not dangerous, and then attempted tond on his shoulder. However, as it approached the ck mes burning above Raydon, the owl quickly took off and continued to circle around. ''Does this bird belong to them?'' He pondered as he observed the seemingly harmless owl. It quickly dawned on him that the owl likely belonged to one of the battle maids. Raydon, who was perplexed about the role that this owl was supposed to y, decided to cancel the berserker technique. When the mes that had been covering him vanished, he raised his arm and waited for the owl tond on it. The owl must have understood his intention because as soon as the mes were extinguished, it flew to Raydon andnded on his arm. ''What now?'' He wondered as he stared at the owl perched on his arm, trying to discern its purpose. Suddenly, an image appeared in the owl''s yellow eyes, and Raydon was taken aback by what he saw. The image depicted Mell and the other battle maids engaged inbat, swiftly dispatching mobs that resembled cockroaches. [Since you made no contributions to the battle, you won''t gain any shared experience.] [Bonus: You gained 35 experiences.] ¡­ [Bonus: You gained 35 experiences.] .. [Bonus: You gained 35 experiences.] As Raydon read the system messages indicating the battle maids'' actions, he couldn''t help but be amused. ''What the fuck? Are they broadcasting it to me?'' he mused, surprised by their intentionalmunication. ''''Wait¡­ What? '''' He quickly became aware of something that astonished him. What surprised him was not that they were easily and quickly killing these mobs, but rather that there was a humanoid mob muchrger than these ordinary cockroach mobs standing there motionless not far from them. Raydon''s gaze turned towards the flower path that stretched out in the distance. ''They found the region boss?'' he muttered in disbelief *Poof* The scene that was ying in the eyes of the owl that was perched on Raydon''s arm abruptly came to an end, and the owl itself suddenly vanished into white smoke along with a small explosion. The only thing that remained was the flower-lined path that stretched for a mile. ''They found the region boss, and now they''re calling me? Why?'' He questioned their motives, finding their behavior rather suspicious. They had previously expressed that wasting time on the region boss was futile, yet now they seemed to have found it intentionally and were summoning him. ''''I am not sure what they hope to aplish by doing this, but. '' He was under the impression that it was a ploy to get his attention, but in reality, it did not really matter to him. Without pausing to consider their motivations, he immediately reactivated his berserker technique and began racing along the flower-lined path at full speed. Regardless of the battle maids'' ulterior motives, the fact remained that they had indeed located the region boss. And Raydon was determined not to waste this opportunity and was prepared to seize it. Chapter 316 Madman (Part 1) ? ''''Did you find him?'''' Nysora asked, throwing the corpse of the overgrown mutant cockroach, its charred shell glistening with remnants of the battle, into her dimensional storage. ''''Of course, who do you think I am?'''' Feline said, flipping her pink hair back smugly with her hand. ''''What about you? Did he get the message?'''' Nysora nodded in satisfaction and turned her gaze to the dark-haired Arora, seeking an update. ''''I lost contact with my spirit owl a few seconds ago. Probably because itpleted its mission,'''' Arora replied, her eyes fixed on the owl perched silently on her shoulder, simr to the one she had sent to Raydon some time ago. The skill she utilized allowed for only one-sidedmunication, preventing her from receiving a response from the other side. Nheless, her confidence remained high that the message had been sessfully transmitted, as the spirit owls boasted exceptional survivability even in the harshest and most dangerous regions. Therefore, the sudden loss of contact with the spirit owl could only mean one thing¡ªthe owl had fulfilled its purpose and self-destructed. Arora continued, "In addition, there are no enemy teams in the area, so there is no need to worry about anyone disturbing us," as she shifted her gaze to the dozens of ck crows that were flying through the sky. Because the flower path they used to find Raydon and direct him was a skill that was extremely noticeable, they had to exercise extreme caution so that they would not attract the attention of enemy teams. As a result, Arora used her skills as an investigator to conduct a thorough search of the surrounding area in order to ensure that there were no enemies hiding in the shadows. ''''Good, now all we have to do is wait,'''' Nysora expressed her satisfaction with the team''s efforts, a smile gracing her face. Although they remained uncertain of Raydon''s performance in dealing with the region boss, they had aplished their mission¡ªfinding the boss and clearing out the surrounding mobs. They were also keeping a close eye on the area for any attempts by enemy teams to infiltrate while they confronted the region boss. And at this point, all that was left to do was wait for Raydon to show up. ''''I still think we''re wasting our time,'''' Verda said, eyeing the humanoid cockroach not far from her. ''''I admit, his speed surprised me as well, but that doesn''t mean we can take down a D-Rank region boss.'''' ''''I''m not so sure about that,'''' Mell said with a serious expression. ''''I believe he is even stronger than we think.'''' Mell, in contrast to the others, had been present during Raydon''s demonstration of his technique, and as a result, she was convinced that he would be able to take down the boss using the same technique that he had shown off earlier. ''''Mell, are you still determined not to tell us what you know about him?'''' Nysora squinted her eyes. Everyone had already realized that Mell possessed crucial information, but despite numerous inquiries, she remained tight-lipped. ''''Like I said, I don''t know much either. Besides, you''ll probably see what I know with your own eyes when he arrives,'''' Mell took a deep breath and replied. She yearned to share the incredible scene she had witnessed at the training ground, but Zephyr had forbidden her from divulging any details. As Nysora and the others observed Mell''s demeanor and cryptic words, their curiosity peaked, but before they could inquire further, Feline''s voice cut through the air, startling them all. ''''What in the world...'''' ''''What happened?'''' Nysora swiftly retrieved her long dagger from her dimensional storage and assumed a defensive posture as she questioned. Following suit, the rest of the team positioned themselves defensively, assuming it was an enemy attack. However, it was Arora who broke the silence and offered an exnation. ''''Calm down, it''s not an enemy. But¡­ '''' Arora halted for a moment as she watched something rapidly approach from the pink flower road. It was leaving a trail of ck mes in its wake, and Arora''s gaze shifted to Feline with a questioning look on her face. ''''He''s the only one approaching here right now.'''' Although Feline did not have a vision like Arora, she was able to sense that Raydon was the only one who was rapidly approaching them. In addition, her astonishment was not only caused by the speed that Raydon was disying; she could also feel that her connection with her flowers was dissolving at a breakneck speed, which was an indication that something was destroying her flowers. ''''What kind of skill is he using?'''' Raydon''s demonstrated power left Arora speechless in thought. Elysia, who had been silent until now, finally sumbed to her curiosity and asked, ''''What do you see?'''' ''''Apparently, speed wasn''t his only strength, as we had thought,'''' Arora replied, her hand slightly trembling as she pointed towards the flower-lined road. ''''It''s best to witness it with your own eyes.'''' With these words, Elysia turned her ocean-blue eyes, which were as emotionless as her face and voice, towards the horizon of the flowery path. She soon became aware of the ominous sight of ck mes climbing to the sky at the end of the flower-lined road. The mes surged forward, devouring the flowers in their path, reminiscent of a wildfire spreading rapidly through a forest. The intense heat that was being given off by the mes caused the air to be warped, thereby producing an atmosphere of impending doom. ''''He''s not going to attack us, is he?'''' Elysia''s pupils widened in surprise, a hint of fear creeping into her tone. It seemed as though the dark mes were racing towards them like raging waves, with the intention of consuming them all in a matter of seconds. Nysora didn''t answer the question directly, but the doubt was evident in her response. ''''Mell, Verda, get ready.'''' Despite the fact that Mell did not think Raydon would attack them, she was unable to remain passive in the face of the danger that was drawing closer. She gave a slight nod and then reached into her dimensional storage to take out a shield. It was a small, square wooden shield with gold embroidery. Chapter 317 Madman (Part 2) Chapter 317 Madman (Part 2) ''''Sentinel''s Sanctuary. '''' In an instant, the small wooden shield expanded and transformed into an unstable-looking wooden fortress that surrounded them all. Despite its seemingly fragile appearance, the transparent golden protective shield enveloping it gave the wooden fortress an imprable aura. ''''Mirage Veil. '''' After Mell''s skill hadpletely materialized, Verda immediately activated her own defensive skill. And as a result of the effect of this skill, Mell''s wooden fortress began to shift its form once more. First, the wooden image of the small fortress underwent a profound transformation, shifting into a transparent form that seamlessly merged with the outer golden shield. The structure then grew, doubling in size, and transformed into a magnificent castle, emitting a resplendent golden glow while still maintaining its transparent nature. ''''This should suffice. I hope.'''' Verda murmured, her gaze fixed on thebined defensive skills of their two items. All eyes were now trained on the approaching mes, hoping that the defensive prowess of theirbined skills would withstand the impending test. ''''It''s truly him,'''' Nysora eximed, finally able to see Raydon clearly amidst the mes. Raydon''s figure was now unmistakable to all eyes¡ªmoving alongside the ck mes, they emanated from his body in undting waves, leaving a trail of darkness in his wake. What astonished them even more than the ck mes was the fact that Raydon seemed to be defying gravity, running a full meter above the ground. Every time he took a step, the soles of his feet pressed into the air, setting the surrounding oxygen on fire and catapulting him forward with the force of a miniature explosion. In response to this scene, Nysora reflected on the capabilities of the golden fortress that surrounded them. Concluding that it would not be sufficient on its own, she made the decision to add a defensive-type skill of her own. ''''me Guard. '''' When Nysora activated her skill, her fiery red hair caught aze, and the mes that were emanating from her body rose quickly. This created a me projector with her image, which wrapped the entire fortress in an additionalyer of protection. ''''Augment. '''' Then Elysia activated her own skill with her voice, which had always been emotionless but now transformed into a voice that was pleasant enough to cause incredible emotions to be released in the listener. The sound of Elysia''s voice quickly traveled as an invisible wave to the other members of her team, and then to the protective shields that encircled them. After that, the previously see-through gold structure transformed into solid gold, and its size almost immediately increased by a factor of two. The mes surrounding the fortress, bearing Nysora''s likeness, expanded along with it, amplifying their fiery potency. ''''Mell, if you had warned us from the beginning, we wouldn''t have had to go through all of this," Verda said in a tense tone as she waited for the expected collision, having no outside vision due to the fact that the fortress had bepletely solid gold. Mell frowned, contemting Verda''s words. How could she possibly have known the extent of Raydon''s power? She had informed them that he was not ordinary, but even she had underestimated his destructive capabilities. "He''ll be here in a few seconds. Get ready," Arora warned the others, relying on the calcted time provided by her crows still hovering in the sky. The group fell into a tense silence, mentally preparing themselves for the imminent crash they had been anticipating. However, to their surprise, the entire golden fortress began to shake, but only for a brief moment beforeing to a sudden stop. "What happened?" Nysora queried, her astonishment evident in her voice. She had expected a significant impact, or at the very least some damage to the fortress, even if it could withstand it. However, not even her own defensive skill, which was protecting the fortress''s outermostyer, had taken any damage. "He stopped," Arora stated, her voice mirroring the disbelief felt by the rest of the group. It was unfathomable how Raydon could halt himself so abruptly while moving at such incredible speed, a testament to his mastery and control over his chosen skill or technique. Moreover, the shaking they had felt within the fortress was merely caused by the trailing momentum of the mes left in Raydon''s wake, which crashed harmlessly into the fortress. "Deactivate your skills," Nysoramanded, having finallye to the realization that Raydon had in facte to a halt and that the anticipated collision would not take ce. Mell, who possesses the skill that serves as the foundation of the skillbination, nodded. The moment she deactivated her skill, the golden fortress that had been surrounding them abruptly transformed into a brilliant light and soonpletely vanished, providing those who were inside with an unobstructed view of the area beyond the walls. ''This is madness,'' echoed in the minds of every one who beheld the scene outside. It appeared as though the entire area had beenpletely burned by fire, with the exception of the location where the golden fortress had been standing, and the surface of the ground was covered in gray ashes. Even the fires that had raged along the flower path, which Raydon had traversed, were now extinguished, leaving behind a trail of lifeless gray ashes where blooming flowers once stood. As they took in the devastation left behind by Raydon''s power, their focus shifted to Raydon himself, who was standing in front of them with aposed expression. The ck mes that had once enveloped him had vanishedpletely, leaving no trace of their destructive presence. Nevertheless, the condition of Raydon''s body was the thing that left thempletely dumbfounded. It was ruined by deep wounds that were long and jagged and covered his entire body. The corners of his mouth were constantly oozing blood, which stained his lips a crimson color. The whites of his eyes, enveloping his enigmatic gray pupils, appeared as if they were filled with blood, on the verge of spilling over at any moment. As they beheld this sight, a unanimous thought resonated within them¡ªthe person who had unleashed such madness upon their surroundings was undeniably aplete and utter madman himself. Chapter 318 Fighting the region boss (Part 1) Chapter 318 Fighting the region boss (Part 1) ''''You don''t need to be so scared. '''' Raydon said with a grin, revealing his blood-covered teeth, as he stared into the eyes filled with surprise and horror. But despite his words, his thoughts couldn''t be more different. ''Damn, I nearly pushed myself to the brink of death. I guess 200% was way too much to handle.'' When Raydon checked the amount of health he still had, he became aware of how close he hade to exhausting his body to its breaking point. [HP]: 957 / 3100 Initially, Raydon believed that a 50% amplification through his berserker technique would be sufficient. He was concerned that going beyond that threshold would put too much strain on his body. However, as he was running towards his current location, he could not resist the temptation to test the limits of both his technique and his own physical capabilities. In the end, he pushed himself to the point of exhaustion, increasing the berserker technique''s intensity by an astounding 200%. By tripling his already impressive agility and strength stats of 110, he had nearly torn his muscles and veins apart, pushing his stamina beyond its limit. He could even feel the sensation of a few cracked bones in his legs, the result ofbining his movement technique with the amplified power. "Girls, I do not know about you, but he seems more problematic to me than Young Master Loran," Verda whispered to the others, her gaze fixed on Raydon''s rming appearance. ''''Looks like we''ve stumbled upon another troublesome young master. '''' Arora added, nodding in agreement. ''''Heal the young master''s wounds before we engage in the boss fight. '''' Nysora turned to Feline, paying no mind to the murmurs circting among them. ''''Uh, um... Alright. '''' The unexpected request startled Feline, but she proceeded cautiously to approach Raydon. After retrieving a short staff adorned with delicate pink flower patterns from her dimensional storage, Feline offered a small bow and said. ''''Young master, this might feel a little ufortable, but it''s my most potent healing skill. '''' ''It looks like they have decided to help me after all. '' Raydon contemted the changed behavior of the battle maids, who had now fully embraced their role in supporting him. It was also interesting to note that they started politely referring to him as a young master even though, up until this point, they had never even seen him as their young master. When Feline offered to heal Raydon, he gratefully nodded his head in acknowledgment. He was not overly concerned about his current wounds or his low health, but he did want to be in the best shape a contorted scowl. possible before taking on the D-Rank region boss so that he could get an urate read on his own capabilities. Acknowledging Raydon''s agreement, Feline invoked the name of her most potent healing skill. "Floral Rejuvenation." As the skill was activated, a jolting sensation began to travel through the numerous deep cracks that covered Raydon''s body. Unease crept over his entire body, and it showed on his face in the form of a contorted scowl. Under his severed skin, it appeared as though pieces of his flesh were transforming into worms, or, to be more precise, were transforming into ivy and tying themselves together. ''This sensation is far from pleasant, but the healing effect appears to be remarkably effective,'' Raydon reflected, witnessing his wounds visibly closing. Within a matter of seconds, the unpleasant feeling went awaypletely, and it was immediately apparent that the majority of his wounds had healed. Raydon took a quick nce at the system''s disy panel to see how much of his health had been restored. [HP]: 2446 / 3100 "I believe one more use of the skill will suffice," Raydon said, expressing his satisfaction with the rapid healing effect. ''''Huh? '''' Feline believed her skill wouldpletely heal Raydon, but when she heard his words and saw the still-unhealed wounds on his body, she was taken aback. ''What are you? Region boss? '' When Feline realized that her best healing skill was not going to be enough, she turned to face Elysia with a pleading look on her face. The skill Feline utilized was expected to have a healing potential of up to 2,000 HP. Even though it couldn''t fully replenish the HP of an item holder with aplete stamina build, it should have been able to restore at least 90% of their health. Naturally, the cooldown of the skill corresponded to its potency, standing at 10 minutes and preventing consecutive usage. That is why Feline did not want to embarrass herself by using another skill and sought assistance from her teammate. Elysia initially reacted with wide eyes as she watched the unfolding scene; however, she quickly regained herposure and utilized her own healing skill. ''''Luminous Healing. '''' Elysia''s typically emotionless voice abruptly transformed into an incredibly soothing tone as she chanted her skill''s name. In a fraction of a second, Raydon''s body went through a brief tremor, and at the same time, the wounds that were still present began to rapidly heal once more. [HP]: 2946 / 3100 ''It seems their healing skills are not as effective as I expected,'' Raydon thought, assessing the wounds on his body and observing his HP bar. "Anyway, that''s enough. Thanks," Raydon said, confident that his remaining HP would regenerate within 5 or 6 minutes due to his natural regeneration ability. In addition, the manner in which they all stared at him with expressions that were abination of fear and amazement suggested that requesting additional healing would have a detrimental effect on their mental health. ''So this is the D-Rank region boss, huh? No wonder my investigative skill couldn''t detect it,'' Raydon pondered, keeping his Death Sense skill active as he shifted his gaze towards the motionless boss standing a short distance away. Due to the fact that he was unable to observe any health bars, it was clear that the region boss had significantly more health than his skill could detect. "This guy looks strong," Raydon mused, carefully studying the humanoid creature before him. Chapter 319 Fighting The Region Boss (Part 2) ? The creature''s outward appearance wasparable to that of a cockroach, and its exoskeleton was glossy ck and gave off a metallic radiance. The creature exuded an air of menace due to the fact that it had a total of four arms, each of which was armed with razor-sharp des that appeared to be a natural extension of its body. As Raydon examined the creature, his initial thought was that it possessed a formidable defense, and based on the structure of its legs, he surmised that it was also exceptionally swift. If the creature''s speed is indeed its greatest asset, as Raydon hypothesized, then the four des that are attached to the creature''s arms will undoubtedly prove to be deadly weapons duringbat. "Young master, do you have a strategy in mind?" Mell respectfully approached and inquired as Raydon continued to scrutinize the region boss with an attentive gaze. Mell and the others did not need to engage in extensive strategizing during their previous matches while they were serving Galen because they were familiar with each other''s capabilities, roles, and strengths. However, in light of the fact that they were not aware of Raydon''s true strength and that Raydon was not familiar with their capabilities and item holder builds, it was absolutely necessary for them toe up with aprehensive strategy before engaging the boss. "Young master, if you wish, we can initiate the fight, and you can join in wherever you see fit," Nysora suggested when she noticed Raydon''s silence, aware of his goal to defeat both region bosses and the limited time they had, having already spent half an hour. She came up with this solution because she believed that talking about a detailed strategy would consume so much time. Nevertheless, she waspletely unprepared for Raydon''s unexpected response. "There is no need for you to fight. Just lend me a sword," Raydon stated with a mischievous grin, extending his hand. "What?!" Nysora eximed, caught off guard by Raydon''s words. ''Is he nning to confront the region boss alone? '' She wondered, taken aback by his audacity. "Just let me solo it," Raydon asserted, maintaining his confident smile as he continued, "All I need is a weapon. And if you wish to assist, you can help by locating the other region boss." "Young master, please understand that this is a D-Rank region boss," After observing Raydon''s self-assured demeanor and dogged determination, Nysora made an attempt to respectfully exin. After seeing Raydon''s strength, it was obvious that she did not have the kind of stupidity that would have led her to believe that he was merely an ordinary item holder. On the other hand, she had a very good understanding of the actual power that a D-Rank region boss possessed. Up until this point, while they were following Galen, they had attempted to eliminate the region boss quite a few times in the matches that they took part in with all 8 battle maids, but they had never been sessful, despite the fact that in a few of those attempts, they came extremely close to killing the boss. "Not this again..." Raydon grumbled, a hint of annoyance crossing his face at Nysora''s persistent caution. He merely desired a sword, as he was currently without any weapons, and he required assistance in locating the next region boss, as his own investigative skill had proven to be ineffective. That was the maximum amount of assistance that he anticipated receiving from them. However, the fact that he had to spend time trying to convince them of even the simplest of requests was starting to irritate him. "Wait..." Nysora abruptly interjected as she saw Raydon turning around with an annoyed expression and heading towards the region boss. ''Why is he so impatient? '' She pondered, reflecting on the previous asion when Raydon had left them behind and ventured off on his own to search for the region boss. "I don''t have a sword, but I hope these will suffice," she said, retrieving her personal long daggers from her dimensional storage and offering them to him. "Hm?" Raydon paused and turned to observe the pair of red daggers that Nysora extended towards him, noting their solid and sharp appearance. "Good, these will definitely do," Raydon remarked with satisfaction as he finally obtained what he desired, promptly picking up the daggers and examining them. [Twin Daggers] -Grade: Green -Quality: Excellent -Skill: Inferno Surge After each sessful attack, the daggers absorb the essence of me, gradually umting power within. Once they amass 20 units of me essence, they unleash a devastating explosion on the marked target. The strength of the explosion varies based on the user''s spirit stat. The mana cost of the skill varies based on the user''s spirit stat. -Mana cost: 95 -Duration: 2 seconds. -Cooldown: - Raydon also read the skill description and concluded that it was quite good. However, since he had only borrowed the item and couldn''t utilize the skill until the binding process wasplete, it didn''t hold much significance at the moment. "Thanks. Don''t worry, I''ll return them after the match," Raydon cheerfully assured her as he resumed his stride towards the Region Boss. ''As long as you don''t die, '' Nysora thought silently, observing his confident and cheerful demeanor. "Be prepared to intervene if necessary," she instructed the others, turning to address them. Despite the fact that Nysora was aware of Raydon''s formidable strength, she continued to be of the opinion that he did not have much of a chance against the D-Rank region boss. As a result, she maintained a state of readiness to take action whenever it was required, at the very least to protect his life. As they watched Raydon slowly approach the region''s boss, everyone was in agreement with Nysora and ready to step in if something went wrong. However, one of them seemed to be staring at him with wide eyes while standing in a state of absentmindedness. "Mell, what''s wrong?" Nysora questioned her after bing concerned about her strange behavior and apparent disconnection from her surroundings, in addition to her slightly trembling body. "He will use that technique," Mell muttered, her gaze fixed on Raydon without wavering. "What are you mumbling about? What technique?" Verda inquired, intrigued by her peculiar behavior. This time, rather than responding right away, Mell focused her attention on the daggers Raydon was holding as well as the stance he was taking. Mell understood the significance of his present actions because she had seen him use his dagger technique in the training formation. And this time, in contrast to the training formation, Raydon would not be required to limit his stats. Additionally, instead of facing dead stones as an opponent, this time his enemy was a genuine D-Rank region boss. "Girls, I strongly advise you to give your undivided attention to the uing battle. If you allow yourselves to be distracted and miss even a single detail, I assure you that you''ll regret it for the rest of your lives," Mell cautioned, choosing not to borate further. Chapter 320 Fighting The Region Boss (Part 3) ? Confusion and curiosity clouded the minds of Nysora and the others as they sought to unravel the enigma Mell presented. It was clear that Mell had high hopes for Raydon''s uing fight, as evidenced by the fact that her excitement and anticipation were palpable. Nysora, who was both intrigued and eager to gain insight, pressed her for an exnation in the hopes that this would shed light on her cryptic suggestions. "Mell, it seems you have witnessed something you can not tell us about, and I understand why," Finally, she was able toe to the conclusion that Mell was aware of something that she should not discuss. ''''But since we have reached this point, would you please avoid confusing us further by at least telling us what to expect from this fight? '''' Nysora questioned, momentarily taking her gaze away from Raydon and directing it to Mell. Mell''s eagerness and excitement could be picked up on all over her body, heard in her voice, and even seen in the way that her eyes were fixed on Raydon. This demonstrated that the words that she had spoken and the advice that she had given were not simply exaggerations. Therefore, it was quite clear that she had very high hopes for Raydon''s uing fight. Therefore, if Nysora and the others at least knew what to look out for during the battle, they might be able to concentrate better. Mell hesitated, torn between secrecy and the realization that it was time to reveal the truth. ''It is probably best if I let them know. '' There was no point in hiding it any longer because they would soon witness Raydon using the technique. She also understood that the fight that would unfold in front of them would serve as a profound lesson, an opportunity for them to recognize the ws in their own techniques and witness Raydon''s unrivaled skill. Mell took a few moments to gather herposure before deciding to reveal the secret. "What was the highest difficulty level you have achieved in the Training Formation thus far?" She asked, her voice carrying a sense of importance. Nysora, taken aback by the unexpected question, pondered for a moment before responding. "With my mid-tier movement technique alone, I can reach level 4. However, when I incorporate the low-tier dagger technique, I can manage up to 28 seconds at level 5. But why do you ask?" Her curiosity grew, sensing that Mell''s inquiry held profound implications. Due to the fact that she held the best record among battle maids, the others did not even bother to tell their own times, instead concentrating their attention solely on Mell and waiting for her to reveal the information that she had. Mell, relinquishing her serious demeanor, sported a sly smile as she posed a question that sent a shiver of anticipation through the group. "Do you happen to know the highest difficulty level attainable in the training formation?" She asked, her voiceced with mischief. Nysora, furrowing her brows in perplexity, responded with a frown. "As far as I know, the highest difficulty level achieved so far is 7, exclusively by the family leader." Even though they did not witness it with their own eyes, it was something that wasmon knowledge among everyone in the family. Because of this, they even believed that level 7 was the highest possible level in the formation and that there was no other level of difficulty higher than it. "Indeed, the family leader''s aplishment at level 7 is well-known. However, that is but a fraction of the formation''s true limit," Mell proimed, her sly smile widening to reveal a set of dazzling white teeth. Her voice exuded an escting excitement with each passing word. Arora, unable to conceal her annoyance, interjected with skepticism. "What are you suggesting? Is there someone who surpasses the family leader?" For her, the family leader was the strongest and most powerful member of the family. Therefore, the notion that someone might be able to break his record seemedughable to her. Mell met Arora''s skepticism head-on, asserting, "Yes, someone far more talented than the family leader." Her gaze shifted back to Raydon, who stood before the region boss, exuding calm confidence, his daggers firmly in hand. Everyone in the group realized who she was referring to as their eyes shifted to Raydon and focused on his impable posture. "By employing solely the Demugen family''s evasion technique, he effortlessly surpassed the family leader''s record, ascending to level 8 difficulty," Mell revealed, letting loose a truth that would rock them to the core. "And by incorporating the dagger technique, which you are about to witness in a moment, he stands as the sole individual who has ascended to the pinnacle of the formation¡ªlevel 10, a threshold unbeknownst to us until now," Mell disclosed, her voice strained with the effort of containing her bubbling excitement as she continued, striving to steady her quivering tone. ''''So pay close attention to his every move, for perhaps through witnessing his techniques, you may perceive the ws in your own,'''' She urged, her words echoing in the stunned and shocked eyes fixed on her. Having said that, she refocused her undivided attention once more on the uing fight. ¡ª ''''You arrogant motherfucker, you finally took notice, huh?'''' Raydon grinned, keeping his focus on the region boss as it at least turned its head to look at him in recognition of his presence. For a while now, Raydon has been cautiously approaching the boss, carefully assessing its strength. However, the haughty creature had paid him no mind, oblivious to his presence. Clearly, unlike the mindless mobs Raydon had encountered in the past, this boss possessed enough self-consciousness not to waste time and energy on those it deemed weak. ''''It seems like you''re different from the rest, not just another mindless brute. Finally found a worthy opponent, have I?'''' Raydon ceased his advance, transitioning from an offensive to a defensive stance. He couldn''t be certain if the boss possessed the intelligence of an item holder or if it could employ anybat techniques. But he understood that this wouldn''t be an easy opponent, given its self-awareness and undoubtedly superior stat points as a D-Rank region boss. Chapter 321 Fighting The Region Boss (Part 4) ? Thus, despite his own smug arrogance, Raydon had enough experience to exercise caution when facing this potentially dangerous enemy. ''''Hey, you ugly bastard, I''m right here waiting. Still not nning to strike?'''' He provocatively taunted the boss, all the while maintaining his defensive posture. Because he is still unaware of the true strength of the boss, it would not have made much sense for him tounch the first attack, unless it was a sneak attack. Because of this, he decided that the best way to evaluate the strength of the boss was to first take a defensive stance. Yet, as the boss continued to stare at him unresponsively, unperturbed by his words, Raydon realized provoking it wouldn''t be as simple as he had hoped. "Don''t tell me, are you incapable of understanding my words? I assumed that everyone in this universe shared amonnguage. Or perhaps you''re just a mindless creature, too dim-witted to grasp ordinary spokennguage?" Raydon asked. However, this time, it is interesting to note that his words were not intended to provoke the boss in any way; rather, they were said because he was genuinely surprised. Even though it was only on a fundamental level, he was able to detect a hint of intelligence in the eyes of the region boss as he looked into those brownish eyes. And it was surprising, considering Raydon''s previous encounters, where he hade across individuals who allmunicated in the samenguage. This included the world in which he was created and even the golden skeleton from his first inheritance. "Could it be that mobs have their own distinctnguage? Well, if you can''t understand my words, let me speak anguage you canprehend," he said this before spitting on the ground and shing a sly smile at the boss. "I spat disrespectfully on your property. What are you going to do now? Still not angry? '''' In the meantime, the battle maids watched in amazement as Raydon attempted tomunicate with the peculiar creature. Theypared his actions to those of an inquisitive human who had recently discovered the existence of aliens and was attempting tomunicate with them using their limited intelligence. "Mell, I must admit, I''m starting to question your ims," Feline remarked, raising an eyebrow. Despite initially believing Mell''s words to some extent, witnessing Raydon''s nonsensical behavior and hearing his self-talk with a serious expression shattered any remaining belief she had. "Well, just watch. I''m certain he has a battle strategy in mind," Mell responded, her confidence wavering momentarily in light of Raydon''s serious yet absurd demeanor. They had all convinced themselves that an epic battle was about to take ce in front of them, and they were waiting with incredible anticipation for it to begin. But what were they actually seeing now? With their high expectations of an epic battle gradually fading, the battle maids watched with growing skepticism, while Raydon''s patience wore thin. "Damn it! Stop behaving like an NPC and attack me already!" Raydon eximed, his frustration mounting as he concluded that the bosscked the intelligence he had initially attributed to it. Given the short amount of time remaining in the match, Raydon came to the conclusion that he could not afford to waste any more time. As a result, he made the decision to take a risk andunch the first attack on his own. Transitioning from a defensive to an offensive stance, he prepared to make his move. And just as he was about to take the first step, the long-awaited attack from the Region boss atst arrived. Moving with astonishing speed, the boss lunged at Raydon like a shadow, thrusting its razor-sharp arm toward his throat. The boss, akin to a seasoned warrior, seized the minuscule opening in Raydon''s defenses with impable timing. Its attack possessed the strength and velocity to vanquish any E-Rank item holder in a single devastating blow. Fortunately, Raydon was not your typical item holder because he was a skilled gamer who possessed yer instincts. Utilizing his gaming experience, he swiftly shifted back into a defensive stance, relying on his reflexes to close the temporary gap he had created. Then, with a nimble leap backward, he managed to evade the approaching obsidian de aimed at his neck, simultaneously parrying it with the dagger in his left hand. *ng* As soon as Raydonnded a few steps away from the region boss, he instinctively took a few more steps backward in order to maintain a safe distance between them. It did not take him long to get back into his perfect defensive stance, and a smug grin spread across his face as he said. "Heh, I knew you weren''t that stupid after all." To his astonishment, the region boss exhibited a level of talent that even Raydon had not anticipated, seizing the opportunity he had momentarily presented with only milliseconds to spare. It was a testament to the boss''s prowess and strategic thinking. However, what truly captivated and thrilled Raydon was not just the boss''s fighting ability but also its extraordinary speed. The creature moved with a swiftness that surpassed his expectations, leaving him both impressed and eager to test his own agility and reflexes against such a formidable enemy. But Raydon was not the only one who seemed surprised. ''''W-What was that? '''' In the blink of an eye, the region bossunched an unexpected and lightning-fast attack, leaving Nysora frozen in her tracks before she could even take her second step. As everyone else, including Mell, braced themselves for the sight of Raydon''s head being severed from his body, they were astounded to witness him wlessly evade the seemingly impossible-to-dodge attack. His movements were executed with such incredible swiftness that they struggled to even track them with their eyes, their gazes unable to keep up with his fast response. ''''He is really so fast! '''' Arora eximed, her mouth agape in awe. It did note as a surprise to her that the Region boss was fast; however, the fact that Raydon was able to keep up with its rapid pace did shock her. ''''It''s not just his speed. Did you see his reaction time and movements?'''' Mell interjected, her excitement palpable. While others were still grasping the significance of the situation, Mell was acutely aware of what she had just witnessed. After what felt like an eternity, the yer instinct technique, which she had be aware of some time ago, manifested itself once more before her very eyes. Chapter 322 Fighting The Region Boss (Part 5) ? ''''I have to admit, if I had been on the receiving end of that attack, I would have surely perished before I could even react,'''' Nysora confessed, struggling to contain her astonishment. As the battle maid with the highest agility and speed among them, she was well aware of the limitations of her own abilities. The speed of the monster far surpassed anything she had ever experienced, leaving her with the impression that she had no chance of defending herself. Nevertheless, it was not solely about speed; the most remarkable aspect was the reflexes required to respond to movements that were so lightning-fast. Nysora had trained for years in the Demugen family''s techniques within the training formation, honing her hand-eye coordination and focus to evade attacks even with a speed disadvantage. Nevertheless, despite the fact that she was unable to precisely follow the sequence of moves, she was aware that Raydon''s sessful parry involved more than just being focused on avoiding the attacks. "You mentioned that he is using our techniques, correct?" Nysora inquired, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on Raydon. While it wasn''t entirely unexpected for Raydon, an outcast from the Demugen family, to employ their techniques, there was an unmistakable difference in his execution. "Yes, but not entirely the same," Mell responded. When Nysora and the others heard this answer, it caused a change in the expressions on their faces. Even though it was still very early in the battle, they already had the impression that Raydon''s dagger technique and the evasion technique that allowed him to avoid the attack of the boss had something distinct inmon that they were unable to identify. "It''s too early to grasp the intricacies now. Keep observing," Mell advised. It was more important for them to see the fundamentals of the technique being performed in person rather than attempt to verbally exin. "Hey, is that all you''ve got? I know you''re better than this. Show me," Raydon taunted the region boss, locking eyes with it. They stood face-to-face, a silent challenge passing between them. Raydon was well aware that the creature had not yet demonstrated its full potential, which was even greater than the incredible speed it had already shown. "Nice," Raydon muttered with a sense of satisfaction as he observed the region bossunching another attack. The creature now recognized him as a formidable threat and was determined to eliminate him. The boss extended one of its arms, lunging towards Raydon''s chest in a swift, straight-angle attack. Even to the spectators, it was evident that this assault was visibly faster than the previous one. However, Raydon easily sidestepped the attack by gracefully shifting his body to the side, creating the illusion that he had narrowly escaped it. "Good," Raydon remarked, noticing the other des on the creature''s arms were not mere decorations. He observed the second deing diagonally from below, aimed at his head. Raydon made a subtle movement with his head, tilting it back slightly, and watched as the de passed in front of his eyes, narrowly missing the target it was aiming for by only a few inches. However, the attack that the region boss wasunching was not over yet. It swung the de on its left arm towards Raydon''s apparent blind spot, seizing the opportunity to continue its chain of attacks. "Fiery Bir¡­" In the belief that Raydon would most likely be unable to avoid this third assault, Nysora started to make her move to intervene. Nevertheless, she quickly realized that her involvement was not required. *Cling* Instead of evading the iing de, Raydon swiftly and masterfully adjusted the grip of the dagger in his right hand, perfectly parrying the de from his blind spot as if he had eyes in the back of his head. But the region boss wasn''t done yet. The creature then followed up with a fourth blow, swinging its arm in ateral direction to aim for Raydon''s torso at an angle that appeared to be impossible to avoid or parry. In spite of the fact that everyone believed, once more, that Raydon would undoubtedly perish as a result of this assault, they were unaware of the fact that he had already anticipated that this attack woulde. This time, Raydon was aware that he did not possess the agility and speed necessary to dodge or parry this 4th attack, so he utilized a different strategy. He thrust the dagger that was held in his left hand with great force into the shoulder of the Region Boss''s attacking arm. *ng* When Raydon''s dagger connected with the boss''s shoulder with devastating force, the sound of metal on metal reverberated throughout the entire area. This resulted in the boss losing its stance, which in turn resulted in the abrupt termination of its chain attack. "Hahahah, that''s not bad," Raydon remarked, taking advantage of the momentary opening to step back and create distance between himself and the region boss. Hisughter resonated with delight. The fact that the Region Boss was able to use its speed advantage to make such an effective chain attack, utilizing all of its arms so effectively and in such a coordinated manner, gave him a great deal of satisfaction. He even had to use his dagger to break up the attack and stop the final blow before it could be delivered. "He really used his disturb technique," Mell muttered in astonishment, recognizing the technique Raydon had employed to stop the boss''sst attack. She had seen Raydon use this technique for the very first time on the training ground, where he stopped the formation of stones that were being thrown at him with ease. And now, in the midst of a real battle, he had employed this technique once again in order to disrupt the chain attack that was being executed by the region boss. The exhration coursing through her veins caused her blood to rush to her brain, heightening her excitement. "What is the disturb technique? I can''t even discern how many techniques he''s using at the moment," Nysora asked, awestruck. Chapter 323 Fighting The Region Boss (Part 6) ? Nysora understood that Raydon incorporated a focus-oriented evasion technique akin to their own, along with his skillful dagger technique. However, what perplexed her was that Raydon seemed to dodge attacks narrowly, without apparent focus, yet wlessly evade them in a seemingly natural manner. Moreover, his final move to stop the region boss''s fourth attack appearedpletely calcted, as if he had predicted it in advance. It was astounding that he had halted the entire chain attack with just a single strike. Consequently, despite the fact that Raydon utilized three distinct techniques during this brief battle, it appeared as though he was only employing a single technique because all of his moves were so seamlessly integrated with one another. While the battle maids attempted to analyze the techniques employed by Raydon, Mell finally began to exin. "He has utilized three different techniques so far," Mell stated, aware that her untrained eyes couldn''t discern all the details but still able to recognize thebination of techniques based on Raydon''s exnations. The other battle maids, now captivated by Mell''s words, focused intently on her exnation. "When he evaded the first two attacks from the Region Boss, he employed the yer Instinct technique, which shares simrities with our own technique but without the inherent ws," Mell ryed, recalling the insights Raydon had shared with her. Curiosity filled the air as the battle maids awaited further rification. ''''yer instinct? '''' Arora, brimming with curiosity, eagerly asked about the difference between their technique and Raydon''s yer Instinct. She did not quite understand what the technique''s name meant, but she had experienced its potency firsthand. Mell did her best to convey what she had learned. "Unlike our technique, which relies on our minds to calcte and evade iing attacks, his yer Instinct technique frees the mind entirely, allowing it to focus solely on the body. The technique assigns the task of defending against attacks to the body''s natural reflexes." She exined that while the evasion technique used by their Demugen family required mental calctions, which resulted in a slight dy in response time, Raydon''s technique was able topletely bypass that process. Raydon did not leave any room for his mind to think while he was using the yer instinct technique. Instead, he only permitted his body to respond on its own to iing attacks by making full use of all of his body''s perceptions and elevating them to a very high level. As a result, the body was able to respond more quickly to the impending threat because it did not have to wait for orders from the brain. ''''It''s incredible. '''' Nysora, in awe of this revtion, gasped at the realization of the w in their own technique. She had always believed that training her mind further would enhance her reaction time. However, understanding the essence of Raydon''s technique made her realize that she had been mistaken all along. Mell chuckled and continued, observing the bewildered expressions on their faces. "Another technique he utilized is the dagger technique, which we are all familiar with. However, it''s clear that his mastery of the dagger far surpasses ours, likely at a high-tier level." The battle maids nodded in agreement, witnessing how effortlessly Raydon maneuvered his dagger during the fight. Additionally, until Raydon made his move, the majority of the time they were unable to even see his daggers. "Andstly, the technique he employed to halt the Region Boss''s chain attack is called Disturb," Mell revealed, pausing briefly before continuing. "Alternatively, it is referred to as Godlike Focus." A flicker of difort crossed Mell''s face as she mentioned the alternative name, but she swiftly concealed it. "Disturb? So, what is the foundation of this technique?" Nysora inquired, feigning ignorance of the technique''s alternative name. "In reality, this technique is closer to the evasion technique we employ rather than yer Instinct," Mell began to exin, her excitement evident. "While using Disturb, he engages his mind to focus. By observing and calcting, he predicts the next attack before it even urs, identifying its weak point and preemptively countering it." Mell''s enthusiasm for this technique surpassed the others, as she described it with fervor. "He managed to evade the Region Boss''s first two attacks using yer Instinct alone, then he incorporated his dagger technique to parry the third attack, most likely due to insufficient speed to dodge it entirely. However, he likely realized that his body wouldn''t withstand the fourth and subsequent attacks. That''s when he employed the Disturb technique to interrupt the chain attack and prevent it from progressing further," Mell meticulously analyzed Raydon''s every move and intention, providing aprehensive exnation to the others. And Mell''s analysis proved to be entirely urate. Raydon had easily avoided and parried the first three attacks, but he was aware of the growing threat posed by the chain attack that the region boss was using. Even with the impressive agility he possessed, he was well aware that as the chain attack continued, the speed would continue to increase to the point where his ability to avoid being hit would no longer be enough. Eventually, he would be unable to evade fast enough, leaving him vulnerable to the boss''s de strikes. ''''He is truly incredible. '''' After hearing Mell''s exnations, Nysora and the others finally had aplete understanding of everything; as a result, they experienced the most profound shock of their lives. They were so overwhelmed by Raydon''s incredible abilities that the question of how he had acquired and mastered so many techniques slipped from their minds. Instead, they started to wonder how he was able tobine these three techniques with such a high level of mastery and use them as if they were just one technique altogether. Naturally, this was due to the fact that the others, including Mell, did not know much about supreme techniques, and Raydon had already created a supreme technique ording to his own fighting style bybining these three techniques. And yet another thing that they did not know at the time was that he was not really serious until now. And now that Raydon had finished calcting the power of the region boss, they would soon finally see him use this supreme technique to its full potential. Chapter 324 End Of Region Boss ? ''''What a hard shell you have,'''' Raydon said, examining the spot where his dagger had struck the Region Boss''s shoulder. He did not put all of his strength behind this blow; however, with the 110 strength he had, he still anticipated that at least some damage would be visible as a result of it. On the other hand, the creature''s dark shell, which had a metallic sheen covering its entire shoulder, showed no signs of damage other than a minute fissure. It was obvious that the Boss''s defense was just as impressive as its speed, and it was also obvious that Raydon would not be able to pierce that solid shell unless he made an attack that was significantly more powerful. However, the weapons that Raydon held in his hands were not bound to him, and if he attempted to fortify the weapons by utilizing the burning effect that his body possessed, the mes would most likely cause the weapons to suffer damage as well. Simply letting go of the daggers was not an option, either, because his attack skill, Rusty Chain, did not correspond to his current fighting style. ''''Anyway, If one strike won''t break it, then I''ll strike again and again until it shatters.'''' He dered. With this being his first challenge in an E-Rank match, it was clear from the look on his face that he was quite excited about it. After that, he moved quickly into an offensive stance, shifting from the defensive stance he had been in earlier. As he did so, the once-excited smile on his face faded rapidly, giving way to an emotionless expression. The light in his gray eyes gradually dimmed, and the swirling mist within his pupils, reminiscent of a fierce dragon, now appeared tranquil and subdued. ''''His presence has changed,'''' Nysora whispered, observing the swift transition as Raydon assumed his attack stance. The carefree demeanor he had adopted only a few short moments ago was suddenly reced by an air of absolute concentration and self-control. Another thing that shocked the battle maids was how they felt when they looked into Raydon''s eyes. It appeared as though those eyes, which contained a cid sea of gray at the center, were divulging all of the information that was being kept hidden deep within them. Even though none of them were the primary target of those eyes, the mere fact that they were in the field of vision was enough to cause unease in all of them. They all almost stopped breathing at once, feeling as if they would be the next target of those eyes if they showed even the slightest movement. Naturally, the Region Boss, who was the primary target of those enigmatic eyes, was not exempt from the influence of this effect. The monster, which up until this point had been looking for an appropriate opportunity to strike, experienced a sense of unease when it observed the rapid change in Raydon. It moved one step forward while simultaneously raising its scythe-like arms in order to get ready for its next move. With a heightened sense of seriousness, it clearly understood that Raydon was about to unleash an assault and had already set its mind on attacking before him. The three-toed, ck, metal-armored feet of the Region Boss cracked the dried earth beneath them, sending fragments flying as it lunged towards Raydon with even greater speed and force, with the intention of ending the fight as quickly as possible before Raydon couldunch a counterattack. As before, Region Boss targeted Raydon''s chest with its sword-sharp arm, initiating its chain attack. But the exact same thing has just happened again, and Raydon was able to avoid the first attack by making a very slight adjustment to his body position. *ng* But unlike before, rather than evading Region Boss'' second attack, Raydon swiftly struck his dagger against the creature''s shoulder, creating another small crack. In just two moves, hepletely neutralized Region Boss''s chain attack. The creature, whose chain attack was stopped before it had even begun, took a step back to correct its lost stance and quickly regained its stance, and then it attacked Raydon''s neck with its left arm this time. But it encountered the same oue. Raydon effortlessly evaded the first attack, delivering another dagger blow to Region Boss''s shoulder before the second attack could evenmence, once again shattering its stance. *Skitter* *Skitter* The humanoid cockroach took a step back to readjust its posture, visibly annoyed. It moved its mouth in an angry manner, emitting noises of frustration. And then, after the attempt of its second chain attack did not go as nned, it prepared itself to jump back towards Raydon, even more enraged, and try tounch its attack once more, which did not go as nned either. Raydon swiftly struck with his dagger, denying it the opportunity to retaliate. Caught off guard by the sudden shift in dynamics, the cockroach momentarily froze before instinctively assuming a defensive stance, using all four of its arms to shield its chest and head. However, Raydon''s true objective was not the vitals of this thing from the beginning; rather, it was the shell-covered shoulder, whose cracks had now grown to their full extent. *ng* The cracks got even worse as a result of the vicious blow that his dagger delivered to the defenseless shoulder of the creature. Raydon, unfazed, continued his assault, this timeunching another strike with his own chain attack. After being knocked off-bnce by the force of the hit and taking a step back, the Region Boss noticed another blow to its shoulder and tried as quickly as it could to avoid it, but it was toote. *Crack* The shell on the creature''s shoulder shatteredpletely, and Raydon''s dagger became embedded in its flesh. *Skreeek* The humanoid cockroach let out a cry of pain as it felt sensations it had long forgotten. But the dagger''s stab was just the beginning of its torment. Instead of immediately retracting the weapon, Raydon took advantage of its sharpness by sliding it down and tearing the tender flesh connecting the arm to the body. *Skreeaaah* This time, the creature started to wave its other arms helplessly at Raydon and hit him with the pain it felt from the feeling of its arm being severed. Raydon quickly jumped backwards, putting some distance between himself and the creature as he evaded the erratic de attacks that were beingunched at him. After putting a sufficient amount of space between himself and the humanoid cockroach, he came to a halt, pausing with his attention fixed on one of the creature''s arms. A thin piece of flesh held the limb tenuously to its body, which was on the verge of separating and falling to the ground. "Tch, I couldn''t sever itpletely," he muttered, a subtle furrow forming on his otherwise impassive face. Originally, Raydon''s intention was tond another blow andpletely sever the arm before retreating. However, the humanoid cockroach''s desperate attacks in agony proved to be too swift and forceful for him to defend against at that moment, forcing him to instead avoid being caught in their path. "Alright, this time I''m going to tear off all your arms at once," Raydon dered, wasting no time as he swiftly returned to his attacking stance. Observing the noticeable regeneration and the emergence of a fresh shell on the Region Boss'' injured arm, he understood the urgency of his next move. When the Region Boss saw that Raydon was getting ready to attack again, it quickly regained its posture, and instead of defending itself this time, it leaped at him with one of its good arms in order to respond with an attack of its own. *Cling* In perfect synchronization with the Region Boss'' movements and speed, Raydon deftly altered the trajectory of the de aimed at him, using the dagger in his left hand. He effortlessly plunged the dagger from his right hand into the creature''s other shoulder. *ng* The resounding sh of metal meeting metal reverberated once more, shattering the Region Boss'' stance yet again. However, without hesitating, the monster swung the de on its other arm towards Raydon, disregarding the need to correct its stance. But Raydon, ever prepared, anticipated the attack and quickly delivered another dagger blow to the shoulder of the assaulting arm, effectively pushing it back and thwarting the attack before it even began. Undeterred, the Region Boss, forsaking any attempt to adjust its stance, continued to attack Raydon with its free arm after itsst failed attempt, driven by frustration and rage. *ng* The blow that Raydon''s dagger delivered to the shoulder ensured that this attack was also unsessful. After each unsessful attack, the region boss continued to attack him with more power. It stopped caring at all about its stance or bnce and carried on without retreating, hoping that at least one of its attacks would be sessful. The humanoid cockroach swung its des at Raydon with all its might and speed,unching consecutive attacks in a haphazard and aimless manner. However, each time its assault was met with his expertly timed dagger blows to its vulnerable shoulders, Undeterred by the increasing anger and desperation fueling its attacks, the Region Boss intensified its strikes, pouring all its strength into each swing. But with every passing moment, Raydon''s speed and agility also surged to new heights. *ng* *ng* *ng* After a while, the only sound that could be heard was that of Raydon''s daggers striking the shell-covered shoulders of the Region Boss. "What in the world am I witnessing?" Verda murmured in disbelief as she observed the relentless exchange of blows between these two monsters. The intensity of the conflict had reached a level where it was impossible for them to keep up with it, and it appeared to be nothing more than a constant back-and-forth of swinging weapons between the two sides. Soon enough, the Region Boss started to lose itsposure and bnce, gradually retreating step by step. And then, as expected, a distinct sound reverberated through the surroundings. Crack The shell on one of the Region Boss'' shoulders shatteredpletely. Crack Another one copsed. Crack And before long, thest remaining ck metallic shell protecting its final shoulder disintegrated, falling to the ground. Now that their armor had been removed, the shoulders of the Region Boss stood defenseless, devoid of any kind of covering. Despite this, Raydon did not pause for even a second before continuing his chain attack. The only thing that was different this time was that instead of stabbing with his daggers, he sliced at his target with them. "What a gruesome sight. He carves away its limbs like a butcher," remarked Nysora, her gaze fixed upon each deep cut inflicted by Raydon''s shing motions on the Region Boss'' exposed shoulders. The humanoid cockroach was rendered defenseless as a result of the deep cuts that it sustained on its shoulders, which deprived it of its muscles. It was no longer able to raise its arms to retaliate, and it was forced to take small, careful steps backward in order to attempt to free itself from Raydon''s relentless chain attacks. *Thud* With a final dagger sh, the arm that Raydon had previously severed waspletely separated from the creature''s torso, falling to the ground with a heavy thud. "One down, three to go," Raydon remarked, his once emotionless expression slowly returning to its original state. A triumphant smile crept across his face. Raydon pressed on, his relentless assault continuing. He stared into the Region Boss''s brownish eyes, now filled with fear and despair, while his own gray eyes smoldered like smoke within his pupils, resembling the relentless movement of dragons. Merely a minute had passed since Raydon started using his supreme technique, and the battle had already reached its conclusion, with the Region Boss now devoid of its arms. "All right, should I begin by cutting off your legs, or should I just go straight for the head?" Raydon mocked, hisughter filling the air as he watched the terrified Region Boss take hesitant steps backward. "Well, I guess I do not have any more time to waste with you. That is why I decided to cut your head off. '''' After a period of time during which Raydon disyed the appearance of deep thought, he then stated with a determined expression. Raydon, who did not know for certain whether or not this humanoid cockroach could survive without its head like other cockroaches, decided that this would be the easiest way to ensure that it would perish and therefore proceeded with his n. He resumed his ruthless assault, but this time he directed his blows at the creature''s neck in an effort to dismember it by separating its head from the rest of its body. And after only shing its neck four times with his dagger, which was obviously softer than the other parts of its body, the creature''s head finally separated from its body and fell to the ground. *DING* And soon, with the system message ringing in his ears, he came to the fortunate realization that this humanoid cockroach did not have as advanced a capacity for survival as regr cockroaches. Chapter 325 Level Up! ? [Lv.10 Chitinous Tyrant (D-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 100 points.] [You gained 20,000 experience points.] [Bonus: You gained 3500 experiences.] [Congrattions! At the conclusion of the match, you will receive your reward for killing the region boss.] ''Only 20,000? I thought it would be more,'' Raydon pondered as he contemted the number of experience points he had gained. Even though he had acquired 20,000 experience points, he was aware that it was due to the body enchantment he possessed. He was aware that the true reward for killing the region boss was only 10,000 experience points. The number of experience points he gained from defeating this region boss was exactly ten times greater than the amount he gained from defeating an E-Rank region boss. On the other hand, when it came to power, the Chitinous Tyrant unquestionably possessed more than ten times the power of an E-Rank region boss. Furthermore, the bonus experience points he received ounted for exactly 35%. It appeared that his body enchantment had no influence on the bonus experience points he earned. When Raydon took all of this into consideration, he came to the conclusion that the experience points he gained in rtion to the power of the region boss were undoubtedly unfair. However, for a brief moment, he was distracted from these thoughts as a translucent screen materialized in front of him and the system messages continued to reverberate in his ears. [Level up!] [Level up!] [Level up!] [Level up!] [Level up!] Raydon was stunned for a while by the messages he had received from the system, which were both familiar and unfamiliar to him. Finally, in a quivering voice, he eximed, "Holy mother of experience god! Finally..." Raydon had at longst aplished what he had been working hardest toward ever since he first arrived in this world. He had sessfully leveled up. Raydon was ovee by an unanticipated wave of relief that was coursing through his entire body. It was as if all of the difficulties and stresses that he had encountered up until this point had been removed from his mental well-being. It wasn''t due to the immediate benefits of leveling up; after all, the increase in levels had yet to empower him. He still needed to allocate his newfound stat points to enhance his powers. However, the simple realization that he had sessfully leveled up provided him with an indescribable sense of relief as well as a sense of power. Raydon, making a conscious effort to collect himself, brushed away a few tears from his eyes, savoring the tion that came with leveling up. As he prepared to ess the character panel and examine the alterations, his emotional state was abruptly interrupted by a voice emanating genuine concern and care. He shifted his focus towards the individual who had called out to him. "Young master, are you alright?" Nysora and the others, finally recovering from the shock they had been under for a while, noticed Raydon''s tearful expression and became concerned. Without hesitation, they rushed over to him, worried that something was amiss. Raydon turned his gaze from the system message to the approaching battle maids, his voice croaky and filled with sniffles as he responded, "Yeah, I leveled up." ''''What? '''' Nysora was momentarily perplexed upon learning the reason behind Raydon''s tearful state. This individual, who some time ago exuded a purely divine aura and had blood as cold as ice, and who had not shown the slightest sign of emotion while chopping off the limbs of the D-Rank Region Boss, who appeared to be impossible to defeat, was now crying because he leveled up. It was difficult for her and the others to reconcile that image with the sight of Raydon tearing up over a level-up. But little did they know that Raydon was a fervent gaming addict at heart. As the sole yer among hundreds of thousands unable to level up due to a system bug in his beloved MMORPG game, it had caused him immense despair. How could they possibly understand the gut-wrenching sense of loss that a gaming addict experiences when they are denied the exhrating feeling of leveling up, which is the very essence of the enjoyment that can be gained from ying such games? "Congrattions on leveling up, young master," Mell spoke respectfully, bowing her head upon seeing that Raydon had indeed reached level 6, a significant advancement from his initial level 1. While she also couldn''t fathom why gaining just five levels would elicit such intense emotions from Raydon, she decided to set aside any logical reasoning and offer her sincere congrattions, acknowledging the genuine happiness reflected on his face. ''''Congrattions, young master," the others chimed in, offering their respectful bows and congrattions. Raydon''s emotional outburst had initially perplexed them, but theyter reasoned that geniuses typically have peculiar personalities and unusual fixations. They thought of Raydon as a genius on a level that could not be matched, so his current emotional state did not appear to be anything out of the ordinary to them anymore. Raydon acknowledged their congrattions with a smile and a nod before turning his attention back to the character panel and continuing his observation of the changes. ]: B7890-D4850 [Race]: High Human [Name]: Raydon Demugen [Title]: Master of All [Level]: 6 [Rank]: E (White) [Experience]: 4920 / 13,000 [HP]: 3100 [MP]: 3300 [Strength]: 110 [Agility]: 110 [Stamina]: 110 [Luck]: 110 [Charisma]: 110 [Spirit]: 110 [Undistributed stat points]: 20 When Raydon directed his gaze to the character panel, he discovered that aside from his level and the newly added "Undistributed stat points" section, there were no other changes. "It seems my race has no effect," Raydon pondered as he observed the 20 free stat points he had received for leveling up five times. He knew that F-Ranks earned two free stat points per level, while E-Ranks earned four. He had expected his newly acquired high human race feature to further increase this number, but to his disappointment, it didn''t meet his expectations. Raydon also possessed 4920 experience points, including the bonus experience points obtained from previous battles fought by the battle maids. However, it was evidently insufficient for the next level. ''I wonder how many stat points D-Rank item holders gain per level,'' Raydon contemted, his mind filled with questions. He gave it some thought and realized that if the number of undistributed stat points that were granted per level increased with each rank, then it might not make much sense for him to level up while he was still an E-Rank. ''But is it possible for me to reach D-Rank without leveling up?'' Raydon questioned, contemting the possibilities. The power that he possessed at the moment was unquestionably adequate to advance him to the D-Rank; however, it appeared impossible for him to advance to the next rank without gaining any experience points, which would mean defeating any boss or enemy team. After a moment of contemtion, Raydon decided to set aside his thoughts and seek Samuen''s guidanceter to find a solution to this perplexing dilemma. In addition, he had only recently begun to take pleasure in the sense of aplishment and thrill that came with leveling up, and to stop doing so at this point was not exactly what he wanted to do. Raydon also found himself indecisive about whether to utilize his free stat points immediately or save them forter. Since he couldn''t determine which stat to enhance, he chose to postpone the decision for the time being. He wanted to see if he could use his stat points to get a sub-skill for every 10 stat points like before, but he decided that he should think more carefully about which stat to raise. Raydon''s goal was to create a build that was versatile enough to amodate his primary role as a solo yer. He was also able to double both his strength and his agility as a result of the techniques he possessed, but in order for him to make better use of them, he needed to improve his stamina. On the other hand, due to the fact that he was having issues with his mana, it was necessary for him to elevate his spirit in order to solve this issue. And finally, it did not appear to be such a terrible n to cultivate an army of monsters that could assist him in matches by increasing his charisma, just like the creatures that Diam employs. When taking all of these different possibilities into consideration, Raydon found it increasingly difficult to choose which stat to concentrate on. As a result, he came to the conclusion that he should hold off on making any definitive choices until he had the chance to examine the items that Samuen would give him. After he had finished processing all of this, Raydon checked the amount of time that was left on the system. [Time remaining until the end of the match: 02:14:15] "Damn, almost an hour has passed," Raydon eximed. In the end, it took him a little less than ten minutes to kill the Region boss; however, before that, he spent a significant amount of time looking for it. Turning his attention to Feline, he hastily asked, "Did you locate the other region boss?" ''''Region boss? '''' As soon as this unexpected question was directed at her, Feline immediately began to look at others in a confused and panicked manner, as if she had no idea what a region boss was. She did remember that Raydon had, in fact, given them the instruction to find the other region boss before he began his fight. But how could she have possibly known that Raydon would be able to take out this region boss on his own in as little as ten minutes? Chapter 326 Massive Earnings ? As the strain of being under Raydon''s scrutiny began to take its toll on her, Feline frantically searched among her teammates for someone who might be able to give her a helping hand. However, when Arora, another member of the team with investigative skills, was confronted with Feline''s pleading and concerned eyes, she immediately betrayed her by avoiding eye contact and acting as if she knew nothing about the situation. The unfortunate oue for Arora was that the words spoken by Nysorapletely undermined her efforts. While Arora hoped that Feline would bear the full weight of the pressure and tried to fade into the background, Nysora spoke up, shattering Arora''s attempt to remain invisible. "Arora, did you find the Region boss?" Nysora''s tone matched the urgency in Raydon''s gaze. She shared the same restlessness and panic as Feline, fully aware of Raydon''s impatience. It is possible that they would not have been as rmed if this had happened before they witnessed the incredible power that Raydon possessed. But things were very different now; they had all been taught by their upbringing to revere and serve those who were powerful, and they now acknowledged Raydon as their young master in his entirety. When Raydon''s attention was drawn to her with that question, Arora felt every muscle in her body tightens up. Due to the shocks that she and everyone else had experienced, she hadpletely forgotten about this task, which was unfortunate because her investigative-type skill was more effective than Feline for locating the region boss. "I''m sorry, young master. Just give me 10 minutes. No, just 5 minutes, and I will find it for you," Arora pleaded, bowing her head as low as she could. "10 minutes? That''s perfect. Sure, go ahead," Raydon responded, surprising Arora with his contented tone and demeanor. While Arora was bracing herself for the wrath of Raydon and a severe reprimand for her negligence, she was on the verge of bursting into tears. However, when she heard him, she was taken aback and surprised. ''He''s not angry? '' Arora looked up, observing Raydon''s smiling face, and pondered. It was a terrible oversight on her part to not assist her young master when she should have been performing her duties as a battle maid. She reasoned that if Loran were in Raydon''s position, would administer a severe punishment to her. Even Galen, who is generally considered to be the mostid-back member of the family, would have a difficult time keeping his cool in this situation. In spite of this, all of the battle maids were taken aback by Raydon''s modest demeanor and theck of arrogance he disyed inparison to his incredible power. But unbeknownst to them at that moment, Raydon''s true nature was that of apletely arrogant ass, much like other young masters. The apparent satisfaction and humble demeanor he disyed were not genuine, but rather a calcted facade. The truth was that if Raydon had attempted to search for the Region Boss using his investigative skills, he doubted he would even be able to locate it before the match came to an end. Arora called out, summoning the dozens of crows still soaring in the sky to her side. She opened her dimensional storage, summoning even more crows from within andbining them with the ones outside. ''''I need your help," she then turned to Elysia, silently conveying her request. Elysia nodded in response and cast a skill on the crows, her voice resonating like a melodious tune as she spoke the name of her skill, "Rhythmic Rush." The sound waves emitted from her mouth delicately crashed into the crows, causing their bodies to take on a blue hue. With their newfound enhancement, the crows'' wings pped faster and more vigorously. Taking advantage of this boost, Arora used her own skill, "Cursed Enthrallment," which further amplified the speed at which they were moving. Following the application of this skill effect, the blue hue that was previously present on the crows'' bodies began to suddenly darken, and the crows'' pping speed increased by another 100%. After that, with a wave of her hand, Arora dispersed them all so that they could search for the boss of the region in all different directions. Observing the intense effort put forth by Arora and her crows, Nysora couldn''t help but think, ''Looks like she''s giving it her all. '' She could see that the feathers on the crows'' bodies, which had previously been glossy and in good health, were bing noticeably duller, and some of the feathers were evening loose and dangling behind the birds as they flew. It would appear that Arora''s final skill had significantly boosted their rate of movement but at the expense of their longevity. The battle maids, aware of the sacrifices being made, regarded Arora with pity but remained silent. They understood the value of these crows and the financial implications of recing them once they perished. Nevertheless, in order to sessfullyplete the mission that Raydon had bestowed upon them, they had no choice but to willingly pay the price. ncing at the coborative efforts of the team, Raydon couldn''t help but think, ''Having a team isn''t all that bad.'' He recognized the power of teamwork and the effectiveness it brought to their search. Even he was taken aback by the current flight speed of the crows, as they were flying at more than twice the speed that he was capable of reaching, even when using the berserker technique in conjunction with the movement technique that Raydon employed to reach his full potential. He had also seen the condition the crows were in and believed that they would not have much longer to live, but he did not give it much thought because he was unaware of how valuable the crows were. And even if he were aware of that fact, he probably would not give a damn about it. After all, the Demugen family had sent them to assist him, and he intended to utilize their support until he could assemble his own item set. "By the way, can someone carry this thing for me?" Raydon asked, pointing to the amputated body of the Region Boss. "I will do it," Mell volunteered, stepping forward to fulfill Raydon''s request. "Do you want me to remove the life core for you as well?" she offered. Raydon didn''t reject the additional service and replied, "Sure." He watched as Mell retrieved a knife with a sharp edge from her dimensional storage. The de emanated a menacing glow as she approached the body of the Region Boss, delicately shing through its chest. Mell''s dismantling de or arms did not have the strength to cut through the hard shell of the Region Boss, but it did not take her long to cut through the flesh of the already shattered and broken body of the Region Boss. The focus of Raydon''s gaze shifted to the dark green and bloody flesh thaty beneath the brittle exterior of the creature. He wondered, "Is the meat of this thing edible?" It didn''t appear particrly appetizing, but all the mobs he had consumed thus far had been delicious. Moreover, this one was D-Rank meat, and the sheer amount present in the body alone could potentially sustain him for weeks. ''''This is an earth-type life core. '''' Mell''s words, which showed Raydon a brown orb approximately the size of a fist, caught Raydon''s attention as he was making ns for his future requirements for meat. "Hmm, what is the price of this in the item market?" Raydon inquired as he examined the life core, noting that the only difference from an E-Rank life core was its brighter appearance. "Materials of D-Rank and above usually do not have a fixed price and can vary depending on the buyer. However, I can assure you that it would not sell for less than 10,000 gold coins. This is mainly because it possesses an ordinary element. If it had a rare element, its price would increase several times," Mell exined while carefully storing the Region Boss'' parts in her dimensional storage. ''10,000 for a life core? '' Raydon raised an eyebrow, contemting the value. In general, even the green-grade magic equipment that he had purchased and sold up to this point had averaged around that price, with the best ones reaching approximately 30,000 gold coins in price. However, he understood that this was a justifiable price for such material, considering that D-Rank materials could be used in the crafting of blue-grade items. "What about the body of the Region Boss?" Raydon inquired once more. "The logic is simr to the life core, but the body is slightly more expensive. Since it also possesses the earth element, its minimum price would likely start from 15,000 gold coins. Of course, the price can increase depending on demand and the buyer," Mell exined. Even though the value of life cores could not be understated because of the significant role they y in the process of item crafting and item formation, mob bodies had an even wider variety of applications. One of their most important functions was to provide item holders with the necessary nourishment that their bodies required, making this one of their most important contributions to society. As a consequence of this, the meat of mobs and Region Bosses was almost always in high demand, and it frequently attracted a greater number of buyers than life cores. "Wow, I only killed one Region Boss and earned an average of 25,000 gold coins, huh? Considering that there are two Region Bosses in each match, I can earn at least 50,000 gold coins per match," Raydon mused aloud upon hearing Mell''s exnations. Chapter 327 Kill Stealing (Part 1) ? "In this manner, I have the potential to earn at least 50,000 gold coins per match." As he spoke, Raydon maintained hisposure and a casual attitude, but it was clear from the expressions on the faces of the battle maids that they were stunned. Even for a group of ten people, defeating a Region Boss in an E-Rank match was an exceptionally challenging objective to achieve. In order for the team to even have a shot at winning, every single member needed to be at the very top of their game and possess exceptional skills. Furthermore, even if a team managed to defeat the Region Boss, the gold earned from the loot had to be divided among all team members if they were not from the same family. This meant that individual earnings would be significantly lower. As a result, they would consider it a tremendous victory even if they won 10,000 gold coins in an E-Rank match, let alone 50,000 gold coins. But now Raydon was standing in front of them, aiming to earn 50,000 gold coins from each match as if it were normal. This was ringing in the ears of all of the battle maids as something incredible. But despite how unbelievable and impossible this may seem, they were all aware that the individual who was standing in front of them, it was in fact an extremely simple target. ''I doubt that even the young master of a grand family can utter these sentences. Where did such a person reallye from?'' Nysora''s eyes sparkled as she scrutinized Raydon''s handsome face, wondering how a person they had underestimated and considered powerless could defy theirmon sense in such an effortless manner. She pondered his true origins and marveled at the sudden revtion of his hidden capabilities. ''''I found it. '''' Arora''s high-pitched voice reverberated throughout the area as all of the battle maids stared in awe and wonder at Raydon as they pondered the unbelievable circumstances surrounding his birth. "Awesome! Where is it?" Raydon asked with delight. He had prepared himself to wait at least 10 minutes, but Arora''s quick sess was a pleasant surprise. "It''s about 130 kilometers away from us," Arora pointed in a specific direction and continued with a hint of concern, "but there is a problem." ''''What is it?'''' Nysora quickly asked, sensing the troubled expression on Arora''s face. After a few seconds of silence, Arora finally revealed the unsettling news. ''''There is another 10-person team currently engaged in a fight with the boss.'''' Upon hearing this, a small flicker of killing intent appeared in Raydon''s eyes as he asked, his voiceced with a hint of aggression, ''''Do you know how long it will take them to kill it?'''' Raydon was determined to im the kill for himself in order to secure the promised items. Even if there were not any specific rewards at stake, the idea that someone else might steal his kill was inconceivable to him. By the time Raydon embarked on this match, he had already imed two Region Boss kills as his own. The thought of someone else attempting to officially steal his kills ignited a fierce determination within him. Verda, sensing Raydon''s anger and the killing intent radiating from him, quickly interjected, her voice filled with concern. ''''I don''t think we need to worry right away. Even with a team of 10, their chances of killing the Region Boss aren''t very high.'''' What she said made sense to the other battle maids as well, and in an effort to lighten the mood, they all nodded in agreement. At the end of the day, what they were discussing was a D-Rank region boss. And despite the fact that they had witnessed Raydon be capable of killing one of them on his own, they did not let this hinder their ability to think withmon sense, and they were still aware that defeating a Region Boss was an extremely difficult task to aplish. However, their hopes were shattered when Arora''s next words sent shockwaves through the group. ''''It seems they have been in battle for quite some time. If they maintain their current performance, it looks like they will be able to kill it in approximately 15-20 minutes, at most.'''' Arora''s face grew somber, and her voice filled with a sense of despair and tension. Evidently, the only 10-person team in the match at the moment was not as average as they had assumed, and they actually possessed the strength to take out a Region Boss. ''''If we try to catch up now with our full speed, it will take at least half an hour. '''' Nysora began to reflect on the gravity of the situation and turned to Arora, hoping for a possible solution. ''''Any chance of stalling them with your spirit crows? We might still have a chance if you can disrupt their team formation until we arrive." Nysora had the presumption that Raydon would be capable of traveling that distance in an average of fifteen minutes by demonstrating his previous speed; however, by the time he would have reached there, the Region Boss may already have been killed. Moreover, after seeing how much damage Raydon had done to his own body when he reached that speed, it would have been foolish for him to join a difficult battle with a body that was worn out, regardless of how strong he is. Arora, understanding the urgency, responded firmly, "If it''s just disrupting their teamwork, I can do it." Spirit crows were typically used for surveince rather thanbat, but with the enhanced speed and abilities granted to them, a swarm of crows could potentially create chaos and distract the opposing team, buying them precious time. ''''However, it is likely that this will only save us a maximum of five minutes. '''' Arora calcted that this tactic might grant them a maximum of 5 minutes, which was not a substantial amount of time given the distance. ''''5 minutes? I''m not su¡­ '''' Nysora was about to express her concern about the limited timeframe when their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a scorching gust of wind. When Nysora felt the searing heat and saw the ck mes encircling Raydon''s entire body, she was startled and took a backwards step out of reflex. "Y-young master?" Nysora''s voice was soft, and her eyes were fixed on the smoldering mes that were gracefully dancing around him. Raydon''s voice resonated with weight as he asked, "You said 130 kilometers, right?" The mes that engulfed his entire body appeared to be serene, in contrast to the way in which they had always spread outward. However, it is interesting to note that despite only covering a thinyer of his body, the mes were hotter than they had ever been in the past. He was standing barefoot on the ground, which was rapidly transforming into ash and spreading throughout the area. The mes were so strong that they were using up all of the oxygen in the atmosphere, and as they did so, they showered Raydon with ash that fell from the sky like snowkes. The Battle Maids found themselves struggling with the rising heat and burning oxygen surrounding them, causing their throats and eyes to dry. Despite the difort, they refused to retreat from the area under Raydon''s influence. Instead, they stood still, their gazes fixed on his face. In those fiery eyes, they saw anger reflected back at them. The mes that enveloped him seemed to materialize his wrath, a manifestation of his unyielding determination and greed for the Region Boss. Chapter 328 Kill Stealing (Part 2) ? Arora, the first to regain herposure, responded to Raydon''s question with a parched voice. "Yes." Raydon acknowledged her answer, his voice filled with tenacity. "Good. I will be waiting for you there." Uttering those resolute words, he harnessed the meager amount of mana he had managed to regenerate, unleashing his Shadow Passage skill and vanishing into a swirling vortex of ck smoke. Raydon was aware that relying solely on his berserker technique and pushing his body to its new limits would not be sufficient for him to aplish his goal of reaching the destination he had set for himself. In order to im his kill, he had to make the most of his mana and try to catch up to the 10-person team as quickly as he could. The intense heat and difort that had been radiated from Raydon dissipated as soon as he was no longer there, leaving the battle maids to stand there in silence while they gasped for air. In the aftermath, Verda muttered absentmindedly, "He really didn''t chant the skill name." The realization struck her and the others with certainty. Raydon possessed the ability to use his skills without uttering their names. After Verda and the others witnessed Raydon''s innate skill for the first time, they continued to have some reservations about it; however, after seeing it again, they are positive about it. To use this skill, he really did not need to say its name at all. "How many more features does his title have?" Feline added. They spected that Raydon''s ability to use his skill without uttering its name was due to his title. And as the battle maids observed his impressive stats and mastery of techniques, despite the fact that he was only at level 1, they started to understand that his title, "Master of All," held an even greater enigma and power than they had initially presumed it would. "Arora, start disrupting their team with your spirit crows. We need to hasten our pace as well," Nysora instructed, disregarding the discussions among the others. She, too, couldn''t help but ponder the extent of Raydon''s abilities and specte about the extraordinary title he possessed. However, now was not the time to dwell on such thoughts. Above all else, knowing that Raydon was pushing himself to his limits and causing harm to his own body, Nysora had to focus her attention on how they could provide him with the best possible assistance. "Ah, I wish Belicia and even that cunning Tika were here as well," Nysora sighed, her words filled with longing. While the six of them were struggling to keep up with Raydon''s pace, she believed that if they were all united, they could offer him better support. ¡ª "My liege, I''ll handle these bothersome crows if you desire," the individual d in a crimson robe, bearing a striking resemnce to a lion, with a face featuring golden-hued hair and a disheveled brown mane encircling his head, offered in a tone filled with immense respect. This person, who typically regarded others with disdain and always exuded an air of authoritative sharpness in his dark brown eyes, now disyedplete submission and reverence as he gazed upon the figure standing before him, a massive sword resting casually on his shoulder. ''''Hmm. '''' The individual addressed as "my liege" furrowed his brow slightly, momentarily diverting his obsidian-ck gaze from his servants engaged inbat with the colossal monster before them, and turned his attention to the dozens of crows soaring through the sky. The deep scar running from his forehead to his chin gave the impression of a seasoned warrior. Moreover, standing at nearly 2.5 meters tall, his muscles, resembling hardened stone, were prominently visible through the full-body metal armor he donned, evoking the notion that he could effortlessly cleave any E-Rank adversary in half with a single swing of his colossal sword. "It''s not worth the trouble. Just concentrate on the Region Boss," the lion-man replied with a dismissive snort, redirecting his intense gaze towards the towering six-meter monster before them. "Your words are mymand, my liege," the lion-man, who had previously posed the question, bowed his head and spoke with admiration, marveling at the majestic sight of their master''s golden mane shimmering like molten gold as it swayed in the gentle breeze. The 10-member lion-man team had located the Region Boss just five minutes after the match had begun, and ever since then, they had been engaged in a grueling battle. They had no time to deal with any additional foes, so they shifted theirplete attention to the Region Boss they had fought so valiantly against, who was now covered in deep wounds and was very close to death. "My liege, the Region Boss''s health is dwindling, nearing 5%," the lion man in the red robe reported, his gaze fixed upon the grotesque figure before them. The Region Boss resembled a colossal mass of green snot, akin to a giant, writhing pudding. ''''Good, back down at 1%, '''' the leader of the lion men responded, raising the colossal sword that had been resting on his shoulder and preparing for a final strike. Up until this point, he had fought with a great deal of power and resilience, and he was now getting ready to deal the fatal blow himself, which would ensure that he would receive arger share of the experience points. "Yes, my liege..." The lion man in the red robe began to respond, but his words were cut short as he noticed movement among the flock of crows soaring through the sky. His attention swiftly shifted towards them. "Audacious!" he eximed in a voice filled with fury upon witnessing the previously observing crows nowunching an attack, just moments before the Region Boss would meet its demise. "It seems the onlookers are attempting to steal my prey," the leader of the lion men remarked, a low growl infused with pride and anger resonating in his voice. He recognized that the crows, which had been monitoring their battle for some time, belonged to an enemy team. However, he dismissed them as inconsequential, believing theycked the courage to pose a threat orunch an assault. After all, they were the only team with ten members in the match, and their natural pride as members of the lion man race made them look down on all the other teams, deeming them weak and unworthy of their attention. However, their anger surged uncontrobly at the sight of a cowardly team daring to attack them and attempting to steal their hard-earned prey. "You handle these birds and find their controller. Once we deal with this, they will be our next target," the Boss lion-man dered with a menacing growl, striding purposefully toward the battered body of the Region Boss. "Yes, my liege," the lion man in the red robe responded, his voice filled with fear as he sensed the intensity of his master''s rage and his lethal intent. Turning his attention back to the crows, he sneered sarcastically, "Your courage serves no purpose other than sheer stupidity." Had they chosen to simply observe without disturbing them, they might have survived until the end of the match. But now, their audacious behavior had enraged their master and drawn his attention, sealing their fate and dooming them to their own demise. Chapter 329 Second Region Boss? ? As the red-robed lion-man observed the frenzied onught of the crows, he beckoned with amanding gesture. "Unleash the Beasts!" In response to his call, a multitude of ordinary-looking felines emerged from his dimensional storage. They were a wide variety of cat breeds, some of which were domestic, some of which were exotic, and each of them was decked out in vivid colors and had distinctive characteristics. With agile movements, they lunged at the erratic crows, swiftly engaging them in battle. ''''Although these birds do not appear normal, they are unquestionably not predators. '''' The lion-man stared in awe as the spirit crows demonstrated their abnormally high rate of speed and acknowledged their peculiarity. Yet, he also recognized their limitations. In contrast to the crows, the beasts he conjured up were true hunters, having honed their skills through instinct. Though not as swift in the air, theypensated with impable agility, reflexes, and a profound understanding of the ground¡ªtheir natural domain. With each measured leap, the cats effortlessly intercepted the attacking crows, swiftly grounding them. Their greater numbers, which were twice as high as those of the crows, proved to be an advantage. The cats'' natural hunting skills,bined with the lion-man''s painstaking instructions, gave them a significant advantage in this fight. ''''There appears to be more.'''' However, the battle was far from over. The sharp eyes of the lion-man were able to make out additional crows flying down from the faraway sky in response to themand given by Arora. It is highly likely that Arora led her other crows to this location with the intention of reinforcing the ones that were already present. They were previously dispersed in all directions while she searched for the Region Boss, but now they were converging here in order to disturb the Lion Men team. But the lion man did not hesitate to use his skill to ensure his victory, leaving nothing to chance even though the cats appeared to still have the upper hand in this fight despite the arrival of newly arrived crows. ''''Roar of the Wild. '''' The lion-man roared in a tone that was low but deep as he raised the wooden-looking staff that was held in his hand. And right at that very second, a peculiar urrence took ce. The fur on the cats, as well as the lion-men engaged in battle with the Region Boss, suddenly stood on end, and their muscles tightened with increased tension. "It''s only a matter of time now. I must find that cowardly enemy team before our master finishes off the Region Boss," the red-robed lion-man murmured, observing the heightened speed and strength of the cats and his fellow lion-men, their attacks now infused with an additional 30% power. He did not waste a single second, and right away he opened his dimensional storage space once more and called forth another pack of cats. This time, the cats were significantly smaller in size, and their entire bodies were ck in color. The cats emerged with a soft "meow" and calmly gathered around the lion man, paying no attention to the ongoing assault from the spirit crows that were flying above them. The lion man took swift action and activated another skill by raising his wand above his head. "Wings of Courage." In an instant, wings covered in ck fur sprouted from the backs of the small ck kittens,plementing their tiny bodies. Aftermitting to memory the location from which the initial flock of crows hade, the lion man then pointed his finger in that general direction andmanded, "Go." Without hesitation, all the cats took flight, their ck wings fluttering in perfect synchrony as they moved like shadows through the air, heading towards their assigned destination. Having entrusted this task to the flying kitten squadron, the red-robed lion man shifted his attention to his other nine teammates engaged in the battle with the Region Boss. Now all that needed to be done was for the spirit beasts to pinpoint the location of the opposing team. Amidst the relentless battle, the red-robed lion man closely monitored the Region Boss''s diminishing health using his investigative skill. With a sense of urgency, he raised his voice to inform his master. "My liege, it has only 3% health remaining. At this rate, its demise will be sealed within the next 10 minutes." "Good, good," the lion man leader remarked with satisfaction, his immense sword still held firmly in his grasp. He observed the substantial damage caused by his previous attack¡ªa sweeping wave of crimson energy that tore through the Region Boss''s gtinous form, dislodging a thickyer of mucus that scattered in all directions. ''''Any news of those cowards? '''' Seeking an update on their elusive adversaries, the lion man leader inquired about the progress in locating the enemy team. "I haven''t been able to locate them yet, but it''s only a matter of time..." the red-robed lion man began to respond, but his words trailed off as his eyes widened in shock. He turned his gaze towards the direction where he had dispatched his flying cats, a perplexed expression etched across his face. "What happened? How?" The red-robed lion man''s voice echoed with a mix of concern and bewilderment. His connection to the spirit beasts, whose presence he had sensed mere moments ago, had abruptly been severed, leaving him with a sense of unease. ''''What happened? '''' Noticing this situation, the lion-man leader asked with a frown. The red-robed lion man, visibly unsettled, ryed the sudden turn of events. "My liege, I''m not sure. I have lost all connection with the spirit soldiers I dispatched to find the enemy team. It''s as if they all perished in an instant." The lion man did not have a skill that allowed him to share a direct vision with his cats like Arora did with her spirit crows. Therefore, he was unaware of what had transpired with them or the reasons why his connection had all of a sudden been severed. But there was only one exnation for this, and that exnation was that all of the spirit beasts had perished. ''How can they all die at the same time and so suddenly? '' In shock, the red-robed lion man pondered. The cats numbered in the dozens, and even if none of them hadbat abilities, their survivability must have been high since they were investigative-type soldiers. The fact that they had sumbed simultaneously indicated a significant threat¡ªone that exceeded expectations. "Send another group," the lion man leadermanded, his frown deepening. Though he harbored little doubt about his own invincibility in the match, the prospect of an enemyunching surprise attacks at such a critical juncture, when the Region Boss was on the verge of defeat, displeased him greatly. ''''Yes, my liege," the red-robed lion-man responded, his voice tinged with a mix of determination and tension. He swiftly summoned another group of ck cats from his dimensional storage, giving each of their wings with his support skill, "Wings of courage." With a renewed sense of purpose, the ck-winged cats took flight, following the path of their fallen brethren. ''I do not know what caused them all to die at once, but at least if they encounter that thing again in that many numbers, a few of them must survive, '' The red-robed lion-man held onto hope that this time, some of them would survive the encounter and provide valuable information about the mysterious threat. ''''What!? '''' However, to his dismay, within a few minutes, he lost all connection with the newly dispatched cats as well. Confusion and disbelief washed over him, leaving him at a loss for exnations. ''Could there be another Region Boss in such close proximity? '' the red-robed lion-man muttered to himself, grappling with the unexpected turn of events. He began to specte that the death of every spirit beast was due to the presence of the other Region Boss on their traveling path, but he could not be sure. "Did you locate the enemy team?" The lion-man leader inquired once more. His report to the leader, lion-man was filled with a mixture of panic and fear. "I apologize, my liege, but my spirit beasts have perished once again. I couldn''t locate the enemy team. However, it is highly likely that they encountered with the other Region Boss. If I am correct, the other Region Boss should be nearby." ''''Are you sure? I''ve never seen two Region Bosses so close together. '''' The lead lion-man inquired thoughtfully and suspiciously, briefly withdrawing from the battle. The Region Bosses have always ruled over their own territories and have never traveled outside of those regions. Additionally, due to the fact that each region boss is in charge of their own territory, the territories of the bosses, who are typically encountered in E-Rank matches, were never in close proximity to one another. Because of this, it waspletely unreasonable for the two bosses to be in such close proximity to one another. "Unforeseen circumstances may arise, and we must adapt ordingly," the leader lion-man asserted, suppressing any doubts that may have lingered. "Dispatch another group to confirm. If indeed there is another Region Boss nearby, it shall be our next target." Even though their group typically possessed the necessary strength to defeat the Region Bosses, it was frequently a time-consuming process to track them down within this enormous region. Therefore, if the other Region Boss was indeed that close to them at this moment, it was an opportunity that should not be passed up. Even the team of Arora, which he had been aiming for not too long ago, slipped his mind, and he immediately set his next target as the Region Boss. "Your wish is mymand, my liege," the red-robed lion-man responded, his voice filled with a renewed sense of determination. Observing the leader lion-man''s contented demeanor, he felt his own excitement surge within him. Without hesitation, he made the necessary preparations to dispatch another group to confirm his earlier hypothesis. Chapter 330 On time (Part 1) Chapter 330 On time (Part 1) The red-robed lion man anxiously observed as his newly summoned group of cats departed, filled with anticipation and hopes of locating the second Region Boss. With one boss already on the verge of defeat, discovering the whereabouts of the other would be a sure way for them to rack up a kill count, especially considering the ample time remaining in the match. "Huh?" The lion man eximed, his voiceced with surprise and confusion, as he suddenly realized he had lost contact with his cats once again. ''''What''s going on here? '''' The lion man cried out when he felt that he had lost contact with his cats again. This time, however, the perplexing aspect was the speed at which he lost connection. It happened far earlier than before, leaving him puzzled and searching for an exnation. And there is only one exnation that could possibly ount for that. ''Is the Region Boss getting closer? Is it actually moving in our direction? ''The lion man thought, trying to make sense of what was happening. He was certain that the entity responsible for ughtering his spirit beasts was the Region Boss, as he couldn''t fathom any item holder possessing such power and abilities in an E-Rank match. Yet, the notion of a Region Boss leaving its designated territory and venturing towards them seemed absurd. "What is it?" The leader lion man momentarily paused his intense battle against the Region Boss, now dwindling to a mere 2% HP, to approach the red-robed lion man. "My liege, something strange is urring," the red-robed lion man revealed, beginning to exin the inexplicable situation. "That is indeed peculiar. I have never encountered a scenario where a Region Boss abandons its territory to invade another''s," the leader lion man responded thoughtfully, his expression darkening with a mix of furrowed brows and a growing sense of suspicion. ''''Unless another item holder pissed it off and made ite after them. '''' Hearing this prediction, the red-robed lion man''s anger red up, his expression turning fierce. If his master''s assumption was correct and one of the enemy teams had provoked the Region Boss to target them, it meant there was a deliberate n in motion to steal their kill. "They are trying to steal our kill by distracting us with other Region Boss," the red-robed lion man finally said, realizing the true intentions of the enemy team. However, their assumptions were soon shattered as they witnessed an unexpected turn of events. The leader lion man''s attention was abruptly captured by the sight of numerous ck dots approaching from the distance, rapidly descending from the sky. It did not take him long to realize that the ck dots he saw in the distance were actually ck cats with wings on their backs with a little squinting and the help of his body enchantments. ''''Did not you say your spirit beasts were dead? '''' He questioned with skepticism. ''''My liege, what do you mean? I lost contact with all of them. So I am pretty sure they are no longer alive.'''' The red-robed lion man looked in the same direction, but he could not see far enough to understand what was being said. "It appears that there was another reason for the loss of contact. If my eyes do not deceive me, they are all alive and heading towards us with great speed," the leader lion man said. "What!?" The lion man cried out in astonishment, taken aback by the revtion that his cats were still alive. ''What could have caused the loss of contact then? '' he wondered, his mind filled with questions. As the lion man contemted this mystery, he was abruptly jolted from his thoughts by the rmed tone in his leader''s voice. "What the hell is that?" the leader lion man eximed urgently, his gaze fixed on the distant point where the cats were approaching. His once-arrogant and self-assured expression had changed to one of unease. For some time now, he had sensed something peculiar about the cats flying towards them, and now, it seemed they were fleeing from something ominous. And then he soon proved that his guess was correct as he noticed another approaching figure rapidly closing in behind the cats. Although still unable to discern the identity of this entity due to the distance, the leader lion man could perceive the engulfing ck mes emanating from its body, exuding intense heat. Moreover, the incredible speed at which it was advancing indicated that it was anything but ordinary. ''''Get ready. We will leave this ce once we have in the Region Boss," the leader lion man dered, finally tearing his gaze away from the approaching threat. Gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, he turned and moved towards the ailing Region Boss. While the red-robed lion man didn''t fully grasp the cause of his master''s unease, he chose not to question it, observing the peculiar behavior with a mix of curiosity and concern. "Yes, my liege," the red-robed lion man replied, aligning himself with his leader''s decision, despite his limited understanding of the situation. His attention then turned to the dwindling HP bar of the Region Boss, which now stood at a mere 2%. "Just a few more minutes," the lion man calcted swiftly, sensing the imminent danger approaching them. Both the sudden and unexined break in connection with his spirit beasts and the uneasy manner in which his master carried himself were sufficient to instill fear in him. While he felt increasingly uneasy on the inside, he kept his focus on the Region Boss''s rapidly deteriorating health. And when the Boss had one percent of his health left, he let out a shout. "My liege, it''s at 1% now!" Whenever the lion man engaged inbat with a mob or a Region Boss, he always presumed that his leader would want to deal the killing blow himself. After all, the final blow would not only raise the contribution margin, but it would also distribute experience points in a manner that was proportional. Thus, he was taken aback when he received an unexpected response. "Keep attacking," the leader lion manmanded. The order surprised not only the red-robed lion man but also the other eight lion men. Instead of ordering them to back off, their leader instructed them to continue their assault. This meant that their master had no intention of delivering the final strike and simply wanted to dispatch the Region Boss as swiftly as possible. The red-robed man pondered the significance of this unusual behavior. It was the first time he had witnessed his master acting in such a manner, especially when dealing with a valuable foe like a Region Boss. The fear and apprehension radiating from within him had reached an unprecedented level. ''What could possibly be approaching? '' the red-robed man wondered, his mind racing with anticipation and anxiety. Turning his gaze back to the horizon, the lion man hoped to catch a glimpse of whatever had so profoundly rmed his master. Fortunately, this time, his eyes didn''t fail him. He was able to see the very same cats that he had sent earlier, which were thought to be dead, flying through the air like dark specks getting closer and closer to them. After observing his cats'' rapid approach for a moment, the lion man noticed something else trailing behind them, skimming across the ground at an even higher velocity. What is that?" The sight that entered the lion man''s field of vision sent his unease spiraling to unprecedented heights. It appeared as a small, pitch-ck ball of fire. Although he couldn''t discern its true nature, the lion man was certain that this enigmatic entity was the cause of his severed soul ties with his cats and the source of his master''s restlessness and urgency. Quickly calcting the distance and speed of the approaching entity, the lion man ryed the information to his master. "My liege, the enemy is approximately 3000 meters away and will arrive in approximately 2 minutes." The leader lion man heard the report but offered no response. Instead, his attacks on the Region Boss grew even more aggressive, as if he aimed to conclude the battle with utmost haste. After killing the region boss, whose health had already dropped to 1% in less than a minute, they could easily leave this area with the time still left. "He is still 2500 meters away, but we only need a few more seconds," the red-robed man nervously contemted his attention split between the diminishing HP bar of the Region Boss and the advancing ball of ck fire. Regardless of the true identity of the approaching entity, everyone was confident that by the time it arrived, they would have sessfully eliminated the Region Boss and gained ample opportunity to flee the scene. But, unfortunately, their expectations were shattered as reality unfolded before them. The red-robed lion man observed hisrades engaged in fiercebat, their determination unwavering, while his mind continued to calcte the ever-diminishing distance separating Raydon from their position. 2300 meters. 2100 meters. They were on the brink of victory, on the cusp of delivering the final blow to the Region Boss. However, as the distance dwindled and reached the critical mark of 2000 meters, an indescribable sensation washed over them, an experience that would forever be etched into their memories. Chapter 331 On time (Part 2) Chapter 331 On time (Part 2) ''Just one final strike,'' the leader lion-man muttered, slowly hoisting his colossal sword from his shoulder and raising it high above his head. As the massive de ascended, a crimson energy surge emanated from him with each passing moment, exerting tremendous pressure. The force was so intense that even the other eight lion men halted their attacks momentarily and instinctively stepped back. ''Finally, our liege employs his Qi gathering technique.'' the lion men marveled, their gazes filled with admiration and reverence, witnessing their Master''s preparation for the most powerful attack in the lion man royal family''s repertoire. The mana that was contained within the leader lion-man''s body was transformed into a vibrant red aura, which was then directed into his sword through the utilization of the Qi gathering technique. The gathering aura of the sword was extremely powerful, but it came at a price. They could see their master''s imposing physique deteriorating before their eyes with each pulse of the red energy, which caused him to be weaker and weaker. After a while, even his hands that were holding the sword started to shake violently. ''My liege, giving it his all,'' aggrieved the red-robed lion-man, observing his master''s awe-inspiring might. He knew that this attack could only be executed once per week and that it carried a significant drawback, leaving the body debilitated for the following three days. Nevertheless, given the dire circumstances they faced, it was crucial to eliminate the Region Boss even a mere thirty seconds sooner, affording them additional time to evade the encroaching threat. ''''Hold the Region Boss! '''' the red-robed manmanded his fellow lion men, realizing the imminent demise of the Region Boss as it attempted a desperate counterattack. ''''Shadow Shackles. '''' ''''Frostbind. '''' ''''Mindlock. '''' ''''Gravity Grasp. '''' After receiving this warning, the lion men who possessed control-type skills quickly activated their binding abilities, which stopped the Region Boss in its tracks and rendered it unable to move. They needed only three priceless seconds for their Master tounch his powerful attack. The lion man''s colossal sword began to lose its dazzling sheen, which was an unmistakable indication that it had reached its capacity and was getting ready tounch the attack. At the same time, the appearance of the leader lion man, who had previously been adorned with mighty muscles and a mane that shimmered with royal splendor, now resembled that of an aged figure. His body had withered to its feeblest state, and his once-golden mane hung listlessly. In spite of his feeble appearance, the lion man let out a roar that was surprisingly powerful, and it echoed throughout the environment. ''''ROOARRRGHH'''' This deafening roar was an indication that the lion man''s technique had reached its pinnacle and that he was ready tounch the attack. And then, with another muffled roar, he chanted the name of his attack-type skill, which, along with his technique, forms abination. ''''zing Soul Severance. '''' As soon as the skill was activated, the crimson aura that surrounded the enormous sword mutated into raging mes that burned with a color that was very simr to blood. With the mes ignited, the lead lion man began to slowly bring down his sword, preparing to unleash these mes upon the Region Boss. As all eyes remained fixated on their master, who continued the deliberate motion of swinging his sword, anticipation mounted for the arrival of this momentous strike against the Region Boss. The atmosphere crackled with anticipation, awaiting the release of the fearsome blood-red mes. Yet, amidst this climactic scene, an extraordinary event unfolded, defying all expectations andprehension. Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure descended upon all the lion men, eclipsing the magnitude they had sensed from their master''s sword by tens or even hundreds of times. As the leader lion man slowly lowered his sword, the weight of this oppressive and suffocating pressure caused his hands to tremble. This caused him to be forced to halt his swing halfway through. The wave of pressure, like a cascading force, affected not only the lion men and the Region Boss, but even the fierce mes that had burned blood-red upon the leader lion man''s sword were instantly quenched. Simr to how a gust of wind can put out a match, the umted aura dissipated and vanished in the blink of an eye. ''What?!'' The leader lion-man''s powerful attack was abruptly halted, leaving him stunned as he stared at his sword, now devoid of its zing mes. The weight of an inexplicable pressure bore down upon him, rendering him motionless and speechless, as if his very being had been ensnared. Every single lion man that was there experienced a sensation of their bodies freezing over as they came under the influence of this mysterious force, with their movements being constrained by an unseen force. Fear swept through them, mixing with the bewilderment that they felt, as they hung motionless in a state of eerie stillness. Seconds stretched into an eternity as the lion men and the Region Boss remained trapped, locked in immobility. The atmosphere grew heavy with anticipation as if time itself hade to a standstill. Then, driven by a primal instinct to resist, the leader lion man summoned his dwindling reserves of strength, unleashing a mighty roar that reverberated through the air. ''''RAARRRGGHH '''' Summoning every ounce of his dwindling strength, his body frail and weakened, he slowly lowered his sword, turning his gaze towards the origin of the crushing pressure. And at that precise moment, as his eyesnded on the origin of this pressure, a sensation that he had never before experienced in his life suddenly materialized inside of him. A feeling that is fueled by fear, but which is much more frightening than that. The lion-man''s eyes could only bear witness for a fleeting second to the entity shrouded in ck, stagnant mes hurtling towards him. *Thud* In that instant, he lowered his head, relinquishing his grip on the sword that had been his unwaveringpanion. The lion man, a prince of royal lineage, destined for greatness and the embodiment of pride, now bowed his head in submission for the first time in his life. In this unparalleled confrontation, he surrendered to a force, unlike anything he had ever encountered before. *Thud* *Thud* *Thud* ¡­ .. . The lion-man found himself in a state of uncertainty, as he was unable to determine whether the sounds he heard were the sound of the weapons dropping from the hands of his servants or the sound of their own bodies hitting the ground as they knelt before the approaching entity. The mounting pressure weighed on him with each passing moment, leaving him paralyzed with fear and incapable of raising his gaze to seek an answer. His entire being was consumed by the desperate struggle to maintain his tattered form, to remain upright, and to defy the overwhelming urge to surrender. In this pivotal moment, there was no space for contemtion or introspection; his entire being was wholly dedicated to the singr objective of defying the urge to kneel. In the eerie stillness that had descended upon them, the lion-man leader waited with his head bowed and his eyes cast downward. He did not dare to raise his gaze because even the thought of mustering the courage to do so seemed like an impossible task. His mangled body trembled, barely managing to keep itsposure in the face of the strain. A number of agonizing seconds dragged on, each moment being pregnant with the feeling of impatience. The lion-man leader could feel the temperature of the air rising, and it was getting increasingly ufortable as it got closer to his body. But just as the searing heat reached its peak, it vanished into thin air as if it had never been there. Then, the faint sound of erratic footsteps reached his ears, each footfall carrying a sense of weariness. Before long, a hoarse and low voice apanied the steps, resonating in the stillness. ''''Looks like I arrived just in time. '''' The voice carried the weight of exhaustion, yet its mere utterance extinguished any remnants of resistance within the leader lion man and hisrades. *Thud* With his dwindling strength utterly depleted, the leader lion man''s frayed body could no longer withstand the strain. He sumbed to his knees, the final vestiges of his resolve crumbling away. The sounds of Raydon''s heavy and staggering approach could be heard all around as he peered in all directions with bloodshot eyes. He had pushed his body to its new limits to get here as quickly as possible, as his face was nowpletely bloody due to the veins bursting on his forehead, and he had evenpletely lost sight of one of his eyes, which was filled with blood and was oozing with blood from the sides. The veins in his arms and torso had also ruptured, which caused him to be covered in blood, but the most damage appeared to be in his legs. As the leader lion man mustered the courage to raise his eyes slightly, he was met with the horrifying sight of two legs, covered in blood, with exposed muscles and even bones visible. It was a grotesque image that confirmed his belief that this entity was undoubtedly a demon. Overwhelmed by fear, he quickly averted his gaze, bowing his head once more. Had the lion men dared to lift their heads and witness the state of Raydon''s body, they might have found within themselves the confidence and will tounch an attack. After all, Raydon appeared no different from a dying man in his current state. But fortunately, because he was currently using the Presence Aura, they had no desire to fight or oppose him, and Raydon did not have the strength to fight anyway. Chapter 332 Luck ? - Presence Aura (sub-skill): Projects the user''smanding presence, imbuing allies with fighting spirit or instilling fear and subjugation in targets within a 2000-meter radius. ''This aura-type sub-skill is more useful than I think,'' Raydon pondered, studying the sub-skill description in the title panel. Having previously only tested it at the family mansion, this was the first time Raydon was employing it against an enemy, and the results were quite satisfying. It was unknown how effective the skill would be against high-ranking item holders; however, the fact that it was able to stop E-Rank lion men from killing the Region Boss was evidence that it was very useful. ''And also these,'' Raydon thought, shifting his gaze to the group of winged ck cats seated quietly behind him, their unwavering eyes fixed upon him. In the midst of Raydon''s frantic pursuit of this location with all of his strength, he caught a glimpse of these cats sailing through the air. After recognizing that they were his enemies, he made the decision to test the strength of his Presence Aura on them in order to avoid an unnecessary confrontation. And even he was taken aback by the oue. After using his subskill, these cats, which were most likely the monsters with peak F-Rank power, felt afraid of Raydon''s presence as soon as they sensed him, and they started to run away instead of approaching him. However, once Raydon understood that the cats were not a threat, he stopped viewing them as enemies, and as a result, the subskill''s impact changed and started to influence them as allies. The result was that the cats were now sitting calmly and looking intently at Raydon, waiting for hismands. ''This sub-skill might prove even more valuable than I initially thought,'' Raydon contemted, redirecting his attention to the sky. There were only a few Arora''s crows left, and they were hovering in ce, barely moving other than the steady beating of their wings. "Come down," Raydon ordered, raising his hand and fixing a stern gaze upon the crows, seeking to test his theory. And unbelievably, all the crows slowly descended from the sky andnded on the ground without hesitation, affirming Raydon''s theory. "Good," Raydon chuckled, revealing his bloodstained teeth. However, he needed further confirmation, so he shifted his attention to the cats belonging to the enemy team, which had been engaged in a fierce battle with the crows moments ago. Since the overwhelming pressure of Raydon''s presence had descended upon the area, these cats had frozen in fear, their bodies trembling uncontrobly. But now, as Raydon regarded them with a newfound perception, he began to see them as potential allies. As this change took effect, the cats'' trembling subsided, and within seconds, they raised their heads and gazed at Raydon with curious eyes. They eventually worked up the nerve to approach him, moving cautiously but in a friendly manner and apanying their meows with soft purrs. "Hahahahahah, awesome!" Raydon burst intoughter, fueled by the limited energy remaining in his exhausted and battered body. The fact that he had just been awarded a free cat battalion was the primary source of his happiness. The power of his Presence Aura proved to be a formidablemand-type skill, enabling him to influence simple-minded monsters with certain power ranks and bend them to his will. Furthermore, if this sub-skill could exert its effect on E-Rank mobs as well, the advantages for Raydon would be immeasurable. In the meantime, Raydon was pleased to reflect on how useful his sub-skill was, whereas the red-robed man''s thoughts were consumed by an increased level of terror and shock. ''How could I lose connection with all my spirit soldiers like this? '' The red-robed man thought, his body trembling like a leaf caught in the wind. The fact that his spirit bond had been severed with the winged cats he had sent earlier was shocking enough, but now the same phenomenon urred right in front of his eyes, causing him to lose contact with hundreds of warrior spirit beasts and causing him to feel utterly helpless. Even more unbelievable was the fact that the entity that was responsible for this did not appear to use any skills, as it was able to easily subjugate all of the spirit beasts in a matter of seconds. ''What in the world have we encountered in an E-Rank match? '' The red-robed lion man surrendered himself to the realization that someone of this caliber should not be in an E-Rank match. The loss of his spirit beasts no longer mattered to him. All he desired now was to swiftly end this match and escape from the presence of this thing. Even though they were afraid to look up, the other lion men were aware of what was going on around them. They had been taken aback by the peculiar actions of the red-robed lion man''s spirit beasts, and their greatest concern was that this entity would also coerce them into submission in the same manner as it had done with the beasts. Fortunately, their fears did not materialize, as Raydon''s sub-skill had not yet attained the level of control required to subjugate them in the same manner. ''''Rusty Chain. '''' Since Raydon had no time to wait for his body to heal, he tapped into thest remnants of his mana to activate his attack-type skill. Initially, he had intended to utilize the spirit beasts for his attack, but soon realized that he couldn''t issue them direct orders. Or, at the very least, he discovered that they didn''tprehend hismands. Raydon was sessful in making all of the spirit beasts obey him, but hecked a control-type skill that would allow him to exercisemand over them and direct their actions. Alternatively, he could teach all of the spirit beasts and instruct them in basicmands through the process of training. But with no opportunities or time for alternative solutions, Raydon was left with no choice but to personally eliminate the lion men, who had already lost their will to fight, using his worn-out body. "At least the Region Boss doesn''t seem to have any intention of attacking at the moment. I can deal with itter," Raydon thought, briefly ncing at the disintegrated and mangled body of the Region Boss. It appeared to be on itsst legs, as it prioritized regeneration over continuing tounch attacks. Raydon, relieved that the Region Boss did not present an immediate threat, concentrated his attention on the closest lion man while wielding the chain in his hand that was aze with ck mes. He then swung his chain towards his neck. ''''Aaghh. '''' As Raydon''s scalding-hot chain tightened its grip around the lion man''s neck, thetter let out a scream of agony as it caused him a brief but excruciating amount of pain. The lion man''s cries came to an abrupt end in the blink of an eye, just as mes engulfed his neck and head, putting an end to his life as quickly as they had begun. [Lv.24 Leonyth (E-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 24 points.] [You gained 4800 experience points.] [Bonus: You gained 840 experiences.] As Raydon counted up the experience points he had acquired, he could not help but break out in a broad grin. Chapter 333 I’m A God Raydon checked the system messages with a big, happy smile on his face. Even though it was not enough to level up, the excitement he felt at the thought of the additional experience points he would earn from the remaining lion men was palpable. As soon as this lion man had been killed, Raydon cast an instant nce over at the other lionmen. ''Good, they have no intention to resist, '' he noted, observing the lion men still on their knees with their heads bowed in eptance of their fate. In point of fact, the lionmen''s greatest concern at the moment was that Raydon would subjugate them in the same way that he had done with the spirit beasts; consequently, they believed that death would be preferable for them. Additionally, this death was not a true death, and if they died during the match, they would only lose a few levels and all of the items that they were carrying with them. Because of this, they made the collective decision to put up no resistance and serenely ept their death. ''What a luck. I got an expansion orb. '' Raydon thought happily as he noticed a ck orb among the items that the lion man''s body had left behind after vanishing into the lights. ''I wonder if my Fortune Aura can help me obtain more loot,'' Raydon pondered, preparing to approach the next lion man. Raydon took a brief pause. He started by turning off his presence aura because he had not yet figured out how to use two auras simultaneously. As soon as Raydon deactivated his Prense Aura, the suffocating pressure that had been exerted on the lion men immediately vanished. However, because Raydon was a member of a high race, the natural presence that emanated from his body was still sufficient to suppress those who were in the vicinity of him, albeit not as effectively as when he was using this particr sub-skill. Next, Raydon attempted to channel his aura towards luck, employing his aura technique. ''''Damn. '''' Unfortuitously, however, it did not go as he expected, and Raydon was not sessful in activating an aura for the very first time. Thinking back to moments in his life where he had experienced good fortune, Raydon attempted to infuse his aura with those feelings, but to no avail. Raydon was activating his auras by managing the presence of his body and soul using his own aura technique, while typically using each aura-type. However, because he was unaware of the rules governing the operation of luck, he was unable to figure out how to make use of it. ''I suppose I''ll have to find another approach to activate this sub-skill, '' Raydon sighed, feeling a sense of disappointment. The initial excitement he had felt at the prospect of increasing his luck for acquiring more loot was now reced with a tinge of mncholy as he realized he could not unlock its potential. Amidst this disappointment, Raydon proceeded to attack the second lion man with his ming chain, listening to the agonizing cries that followed. ''''Gaaagagghh. '''' [Lv.23 Leonyth (E-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 23 points.] [You gained 4600 experience points.] [Bonus: You gained 805 experiences.] [Level Up!] ''At least I can still level up normally. '' Raydon continued, using this newfound happiness to soothe the recent feelings of dissatisfaction that he had been experiencing. [Lv.22 Leonyth (E-Rank) has been killed.] ¡­ [Lv.25 Leonyth (E-Rank) has been killed.] .. [Lv.21 Leonyth (E-Rank) has been killed.] . [Level Up!] ''''Nice. '''' Raydon continued his ruthless attacks, swiftly eliminating four more lion men. With each kill, he felt his experience points grow, propelling him closer to another level. And once he had finished off every single one of them, including the lion man in the red robe, he made his way up to the final lion man, who had a pale yellow mane and a frail, shriveled body. Raydon was getting ready to deliver the killing blow when the leader of the lion men''s frail voice suddenly reached his ears. "B-before you k-kill me, may I a-ask something?" With the pressure of existence easing on the leader lion-man, he finally looked up, into Raydon''s deep gray eyes adorned with blood, with the courage and willpower he found within himself, and asked. The lion man did not get an answer to his question from Raydon, but when he saw that he was waiting without attacking, the lion man asked his question, under the impression that he had been granted permission. ''''What are you? '''' The lion-man was unable to continue staring into those prating eyes, and he once more dipped his head and asked the question with a trembling voice. He had already resigned himself to his impending demise, knowing that he had no strength left to resist. Despite this, he was aware that the terrifying ordeal he had been through would always be present in his thoughts, like a persistent shadow hiding in the corners of his mind. The harrowing experience of watching himself deteriorate from a proud and powerful king to a feeble and meaningless creature would be etched into his mind for all time. That is why, as he prepared to die, he clung to a desperate desire for answers in his final moments. He yearned to know the identity of the being who had reduced him to such vulnerability and ignominy. It was a quest forprehension, ast glimmer of hope in the midst of the overwhelming darkness. Raydon didn''t immediately respond to the lion man''s question, allowing a few tense seconds to pass in silence. With a twisted smile on his face, he finally answered. ''''I''m a God. '''' With those words, Raydon swung his chain, engulfed in ck hellfire, striking the lion man''s weak and trembling body, ending his life. [Lv.19 Leonyth (E-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 19 points.] [You gained 3800 experience points.] [Bonus: You gained 665 experiences.] And the proud lion man, who was destined to be king, passed away as quietly as his diminishing pride. Chapter 334 Loot Pets ? ''''Heh, like this, I gained 2 more levels. '''' Raydon muttered to himself as he watched the lifeless body of thest lion man fall to the ground and dissolve into particles of light. Then he decided to open the character panel and assess the changes. [Level]: 8 [Rank]: E (White) [Experience]: 9,970 / 34,000 ¡­ .. . [Undistributed stat points]: 28 ''''Whew, I still need a lot more experience to reach the next level. '''' He had already umted an incredible amount of experience points before the match had even reached the halfway point. However, he was only able to reach level 8 as a result of this. Also, taking into consideration the fact that the required amount of experience points increased by such arge margin with each leveling up, it was unavoidable that his rate of leveling would eventually slow down. Considering the average level of the battle maids and the lion men he had defeated, it seemed like it would take a considerable amount of time for Raydon to reach the 20s. However, regardless of how challenging it was, the fact that he could advance in levels was sufficient for him. With a sense of satisfaction, he shifted his focus to the items scattered on the ground. ''''I don''t have enough space in my inner world to collect all of these. But leaving them on the ground can pose problems as well. '''' Raydon furrowed his brow, contemting the situation. He recalled a previous encounter where he had faced a simr dilemma. The worm-like Region Boss had seized the items on the ground and vanished underground before he could retrieve them. Determined not to let history repeat itself, he searched for a solution and turned his attention to the cat battalion. ''''Hey, while I''m engaged in battle, you guys will protect my loot. '''' Raydonmanded, pointing towards the scattered items. Raydon initially had some doubts about whether or not the cats wouldprehend his seemingly uplicated instruction, but he quickly realized that his concerns were unwarranted. The cats, who had been observing Raydon with unwavering attention, sprang into action. They swiftly moved towards the items, their feline agility allowing them to navigate through the scattered loot. Then each of them grasped an item from the ground with their mouths and turned to look back at Raydon. ''''Hahahah, good, good. Just hold onto them. Don''t try to eat them. '''' Raydon chuckled, delighted to see the cats obediently carrying out hismand with determination in their eyes. The first thing that came to his mind was the possibility that the cats would damage the items or try to eat them. However, he swiftly dismissed that concern when he recalled that cats typically handle their kittens with their mouths and have a delicate touch when it is necessary to do so. ''''Man, I might have just found myself some excellent loot pets. '''' Raydon recalled one of the most difficult obstacles that yers had to ovee in the majority of the games he had yed. During the many hours that were spent grinding for experience points, one of the tasks that required the most time was collecting items that had fallen to the ground. The fact that these cats are demonstrating such great potential as skillful loot collectors, however, means that this issue may now bepletely resolved. ''''Now I can focus on my tasks with peace of mind. '''' Having resolved his primary concern, Raydon shifted his attention back to the Region Boss. It was clear that the rate at which the Region Boss recovered HP was significantly slower than that of the Chitinous Tyrant. Its amorphous body was still in a state of dispersion, but it was making an effort to reorganize itself. However, the true challenge posed by this Region Bossy in its resistance to physical attacks, courtesy of its liquid-like form. Also, due to the fact that the mucus that made up its body appeared to be quite dangerous, he decided against engaging in closebat with the daggers that he had obtained from Nysora because his body was already injured and his health was low. ''I believe Rusty Chain is my best option for attacking. I just hope this thing isn''t immune to mes. '' Raydon thought as he intensified the ck mes enveloping his chain. In fact, Raydon possessed another attack-type skill that surpassed Rusty Chain in terms of effectiveness¡ªthe Explosive Swarm. Unfortunately, his current mana reserves were insufficient to activate it. Moreover, he couldn''t risk harming his newly acquired pets through friendly fire. The Region Boss, which had been patiently regenerating its health in a defensive stance, sensed Raydon''s focus turning towards it. It carefully manipted its enormous mucus body in order to get itself ready for the fight that was about to break out. With its mouth wide open, the Region Bossunched its first offensive move, unleashing a stream of green liquid towards Raydon. Raydon, anticipating this attack, rolled to the side to perform the most efficient means of evasion avable to him, which would also ce the least amount of strain on his already injured body. *Hssss* Narrowly dodging the attack, Raydon raised his head and muttered as he witnessed the green substance rapidly dissolve the surrounding soil. ''I need to end this quickly.'' Because of the extensive damage that had been inflicted upon his muscles and bones, he had a severely reduced range of motion. And he was well aware that if he were to miss even one of the Region Boss''s attacks, it would be enough to end his life. To ensure a swift victory, Raydon made a decisive choice¡ªhe would channel all his strength into a single devastating attack, aiming to deplete the already weakened Region Boss''s HP in one fell swoop. With resolute determination, Raydon unleashed the mana particles within his soul, shifting his aura to the type that would prove most advantageous in this critical moment. - Dominion Aura (sub-skill): Enhances the user''s attack-type skill effects by 100% on all targets within a 2000-meter radius. Upon activating his sub-skill, Raydon''s aura emanated from his body in intense, gloomy waves of ck energy. The aura rapidly expanded, starting from beneath his feet, and caused the dry earth to crack under its influence as it moved forward. ''''Meow. '''' The frightened meows of his cats startled Raydon, and he watched as they made an effort to run away from the approaching aura wave. ''''Damn, I almost forgot about them.'''' He quickly intervened and exerted greater control over his aura in order to protect hispanions from it. ''''Stop running. You''re only making it more difficult!'''' Raydon eximed with a frown as he observed the cats in a panic. The cats miraculously stopped running away as soon as they heard their master give themand, and they remained perfectly still. They obediently followed the orders of their new master, despite the fact that their instincts were telling them to flee from the harmful aura. Their submission to him was greater than their fear of what he might do. When Raydon saw that the cats had stopped running as a result of listening to his words, he let out a sigh of relief, and then he immediately began to take control of his aura. Chapter 335 Unworthy ? The task of controlling his aura became extremely challenging for Raydon when he was confronted with arge number of possible targets in the area. On the other hand, the 110 spirit stats that he possessed enhanced his awareness and focus, which enabled him to exert control over the aura as it rapidly spread within an astonishingly short amount of time. This newfound mastery allowed him to navigate around the cats without causing any harm, fulfilling his objective without a hitch. ''''Heh, that was easier than I thought... Fuck you.'''' Raydon was about to revel in his aplishment when a sudden sense of danger prompted him to roll to the side. *Hssss* As he rose to his feet, Raydon witnessed the green mucus rapidly dissolving the spot where he had stood mere moments ago, his teeth gritting in frustration. ''''You bastard, that could have killed me.'''' With his chain swirling above his head, intensified by the Dominion Aura, Raydon prepared tounch his attack. In the meantime, the ck aura that was emanating from his body had already made its way to the Region Boss, but it was clear that it was not doing enough damage to be considered significant. It is only natural that Raydon''s aura, by itself, would not be sufficient to ovee such a powerful adversary. However, the same did not hold true for Rusty Chain, the attack-type skill empowered by it. As Raydon gave his chain a few good swings to build momentum, he kept an eye out for the Region Boss, who was getting ready tounch another attack. He was adamant about not waiting any longer, so he hurled his chain with all of his strength towards the creature''s body. The swing allowed the chain to be extended several meters, at which point it was wrapped around the massive mucus body and tightly ensnared it. The region boss was quickly consumed by the ck mes that were released by the chain, which caused it to catch fire like gasoline. "Nice. It seems fire is your weakness," Raydon remarked with a chuckle, observing the region boss consumed by the intense mes. He was taken aback by an unexpected message from the system as he was anticipating the death of the boss to take a little bit longer. "Huh? That was fast," he muttered in surprise. [Lv.10 Visceral Slime King (D-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 100 points.] [You gained 20,000 experience points.] [Bonus: You gained 3500 experiences.] [Congrattions! At the conclusion of the match, you will receive your reward for killing the region boss.] [Level Up!] ''''It looks like I will not be able to take anything from it. Man¡­ Fire is so destructive. I will need to find other elements soon.'''' Realizing that he wouldn''t be able to obtain loot from the burning remains, Raydon expressed his disappointment and contemted finding alternative elemental options in the future to avoid damaging his loot. Every time he used his ck mes in his previous matches, he was also doing damage to his loot. Even if it did notpletely destroy them, it would cause their value to drop by dealing damage, and because of this, he made the decision to find a solution for this problemter on. Raydon sat down on the ground and waited while observing the body of the Region Boss being consumed by mes. Even though it had been almost two hours since the match had already begun, he decided to hold off on continuing until his health points had fully recovered. Additionally, he was waiting for them to arrive, under the assumption that Nysora and the others were also on their way. It was possible for cats to carry rtively lightweight items like expansion orbs, but it would be very difficult for them to move around while carrying dead monsters, so he could not rely on them to transport his loot. "That redhead looks pretty fast," Raydon remarked as he noticed someone approaching him with his recovered eyesight. It was the quickest of the battle maids, Nysora, who was making her way towards him. ''''Young master? Are you okay? '''' The question was posed by Nysora as she swiftly approached with a different set of daggers than the one she had just given to Raydon. There was no mistaking the concern that was written all over her face as she took in the sight of Raydon''s body, which was covered in blood and strewn with wounds. But the real source of her unease was the dozens of spirit beasts that were surrounding Raydon. Nysora approached slowly while holding her daggers in both hands and was prepared to attack at any moment. The intriguing aspect, however, is that these spirit beasts, which she had identified as enemies, did not move at all while theyy motionless on the ground. In addition to that, some of them were even dozing off, and others were engaged in a game of tag with one another while oblivious to their surroundings. ''Where did theye from? '' Nysora wondered. "Don''t worry, they''re my loot pets," Raydon reassured her, noticing the confusion and questioning expression on her face. ''''Loot pets? '''' As a result of seeing him respond in such a rxed and carefree manner, Nysora felt relieved as well. However, her confusion was not entirely gone. As Nysora inched closer and closer, she took a closer look at these cats and noticed that the majority of them had a variety of items sitting next to them. In spite of how difficult it was for her to believe, Nysora was able to read the system messages and figure out that Raydon had defeated a group of 10 enemies and that these items belonged to the group. But the thing that baffled her the most was how Raydon managed to conjure up such arge number of spirit beasts when she was well aware that his dimensional storage could not possibly amodate them all. "Just wait a few more minutes, young master. Feline and Elysia are on their way," After putting her thoughts on Raydon''s iprehensible and baffling abilities to the side, Nysora approached him and respectfully bowed to him before speaking. ''I waste. '' While she was waiting for his response, Nysora thought. She had thrown herself at his side with all of her strength, holding out the hope that she could be of some assistance. However, when she arrived, she found out that the battle had been over for quite some time, and she felt a pang of helplessness when she saw how badly Raydon had been injured. And now the absence of a healing skill to aid him made her feel inadequate in fulfilling her duty as a battle maid. ''I have failed in my mission as a battle maid, '' Nysora thought, her head bowing even lower in profound disappointment. It was beginning to weigh heavily on her shoulders that she was unable to fulfill the purpose for which she had been raised and trained. Nysora had regarded Raydon as weak and useless for what seemed like an eternity, believing him to be unfit for the Demugen family. However, in this moment of deep disappointment, a profound realization washed over her. She was the one who had deteriorated to the point where she was useless, weak, and no longer worthy of serving her young master. Chapter 336 The Growing Doubt (Part 1) ? ''What''s wrong with this girl now? '' Raydon wondered, noticing the change in Nysora''s demeanor. The person who, prior to the match, had given the impression of being authoritative and self-assured now wore a glum expression and gave off a strong sense of being unhappy. Observing Nysora still awaiting his response while bowing respectfully, Raydon asked, "Can you store the items in your dimensional storage for me? I''ll take them back after the match." As he pondered the reason behind Nysora''s shift in emotions, Raydon acknowledged that understanding women had always been a challenge for him, even in his previous life. Recognizing theplexity of their emotions, he decided not to dwell on it further, realizing that without a mind-reading skill, he would only be wasting his time. "Yes, of course," Nysora replied with a sigh, somewhat relieved that she could contribute in some way. Approaching the cats cautiously, she began to collect the items. Initially, the cats seemed reluctant to part with them, but after a single nce from Raydon, they allowed her to retrieve the items without causing any trouble. Raydon pondered their value as loot pets as he observed their behavior, wondering if these creatures could possess some form of dimensional storage themselves. He considered providing them with tools to aid in their loot-carrying abilities and resolved to look for appropriate items for that purpose. ''''Young master. '''' While Nysora was methodically gathering items and Raydon was deliberating over how to upgrade his pets, the other battle maids sped toward them. Feline and Arora did not waste any time getting started on the mission that had been given to them. They hurried to Raydon as fast as they could and used their skills to help him recover. "Floral Rejuvenation." ''''Luminous Healing. '''' Examining Raydon''s wounds as they rapidly healed, Feline couldn''t help but think, ''It seems like none of these wounds were inflicted by the enemy. '' They had finallye to the realization that there was no one else in the E-Rank match who couldpete with him. They started to believe that he was his own greatest opponent at this point. When it came down to it, Raydon''s only rival was...Raydon himself. "Well, now that I''ve achieved my primary objective, we can start farming," Raydon dered, rising slowly as his body fully healed. While he was looking at the system panel, he noticed that their team was currently in the lead, and that victory was very likely theirs. Keeping this in mind, he nned on concentrating his efforts on hunting down enemy teams in order to increase his kill count while also gaining experience points by eliminating mobs. However, there was an issue that needed to be resolved, and he sought assistance from Arora in doing so. "Can you locate other enemy teams? I also want to target some mobs," Raydon requested. In order for him to advance to the D-Rank, he needed to finish off 990 more enemy item holders while also winning 10 matches. Therefore, he relied on Arora''s investigative abilities to uncover potential targets. Unfortunately, the response he received wasn''t what he had hoped for. "Uh? Um..." Arora stammered, panic evident on her face. After scanning the surroundings, her gaze settled on a few crows lying amidst the cats, their existence seemingly iprehensible. The majority of the crows were bald, and only a few of them were barely breathing. "Are they the only ones remaining?" Nysora asked, understanding the predicament. "Yes, I''m deeply sorry, young master," Arora replied, her tone filled with regret. All of her skills, particrly her investigative abilities, relied on her spirit crows. However, she had used them all to locate the Region Boss and prevent the opposing team from killing it, leaving none avable now. "Hmm, that''s a problem," Raydon remarked, a frown appearing on his face as he pondered the situation. His attention then turned to Feline. He recalled the usefulness of Feline''s flower path skill for investigative purposes earlier. "I can try to help, but my skill isn''t very effective forrge areas," Feline admitted, bowing her head. As soon as Raydon heard Feline''s confession, he immediately agreed with her without giving it much thought. He came to the realization that Feline''s ability, the flower path, was better suited for specific and limited areas and that it was not the best option for locating dispersed enemies and opposing teams in arge area. ''That skill seems more useful for inheritances,'' Raydon muttered, reflecting on his past experiences with inheritance events. The skill would allow him to easily observe the path ahead before making any moves. However, he understood that its effectiveness was limited in arge-scale regional match like the current one. The battle maids, who were obviously embarrassed by the fact that they were unable to help in this situation, bowed their heads. They had always relied on Arora''s spirit crows for investigation, never foreseeing a situation where they would be unable to utilize them. Aware that his Death Sense skill would not suffice for the remaining duration of the match, Raydon searched for an alternative solution. An idea struck him, and he turned to Arora. "Can you use these cats in ce of your crows?" he suggested, pointing towards the cat battalion patiently waiting with their ck wings adorning their backs. Initially considering using the cats himself, Raydon abandoned the idea due to hisck of specificmand-giving skills, rendering them ineffective for investigative purposes. However, observing how Arora controlled her spirit crows, he was confident that she possessed at least one control-type skill. Upon hearing this suggestion, Arora carefully observed the winged cats for a while, her gaze shifting between them and Raydon. After considering the situation, she turned to him and spoke. "If these cats don''t have an owner, I can attempt to create bonds with them using my control-type skill," Arora began, her voice filled with a mix of determination and uncertainty. "However, if they already have an owner and resist my skill, even with the increased chances provided by my title, the probability of sessfully establishing a bond with all of them remains low. It may take lots of time." Chapter 337 The Growing Doubt (Part 2) ? The honesty that Arora possessed was readily apparent in her speech. She was aware of theplexities involved in forming bonds with spirit beasts, particrly in situations in which the spirit beasts may have had previous owners. Her ability to exert control depended on whether or not the cats were willing to acknowledge her as their new master. Because the cats had recently suffered the loss of bonds, it was possible that they would be less receptive to forming new rtionships. They were all curious about who owned these cats because it was clear that they were all spirit beasts, but Raydon''s dimensional storage could not possibly berge enough to amodate all of them, so it was impossible for these cats to belong to him. In addition to this, they thought that one of the people on the opposing team was the owner of these cats. The majority of the time, however, when the owners of spirit beasts passed away and the ties that bound them to those owners were severed, the spirit beasts would either run away or begin attacking those around them. Due to the fact that they were unaware of the subduing quality of Raydon''s aura, and due to the fact that he was currently concealing his presence, they were unable toprehend the reason why these cats were waiting here in such a cid and submissive manner. As everyone, including Nysora, was contemting how Raydon had domesticated these supposedly untamed spirit creatures, he started to speak. Raydon said, "They should not have a bond now that their previous owner is dead," but he was unaware that his Presence Aura had already forcibly broken their bounds even before their previous owner had passed away. After he had some time to think about it, he finally asked. "You said you can make your own bound quickly if they do not resist your skill, right?" "Yes, but it''s not as simple as it sounds," Arora replied, drawing on her knowledge of spirit beasts. "Given that they have recently lost their previous bonds, they may be more resistant than usual to forming new ones." However, as she observed the calm and peaceful demeanor of the cats before her, she couldn''t help but feel a glimmer of disbelief in her own words. ''What made them all so docile like this?'' Arora couldn''t help but wonder. None of these cats behaved like spirit beasts who had just lost their owners. Their calm demeanor andck of aggression were perplexing. ''''Hmm, go ahead and give it a try,'''' Raydon said, not fully understanding the intricacies of control-type skills but willing to see if Arora''s skill could establish a bond with the cats. Arora nodded silently, steeling herself for the expected resistance, and approached the nearest ck cat. Raising her hand, she activated her skill. ''''Mind Sovereignty. '''' The cat, which had been soundly dozing on the ground, was startled awake in an instant, its fur standing on end as it let out a menacing hiss. ''''Hiss.'''' Arora was not in the least bit taken aback by the cat''s response; rather, it was precisely what she had been expecting. She heaved a sigh as she turned her attention to Raydon, and she braced herself to offer an apology for the failed attempt. "Young master, I must apologize but..." But before she could finish her sentence, Raydon''s calm voice cut through the tension. ''''Stop it and ept the bond.'''' ''''Meow. '''' As soon as the cat heard Raydon''s voice, all of the menacing behavior that it had been disying in the preceding moment abruptly vanished, and it abruptly sat down, staring at Arora while meowing in a friendly manner. ''''What? '''' As Arora came to the realization that her skill had, in fact, been sessful in forming a soul bond with the cat, her eyes widened in astonishment on her face. The transformation from aggression to eptance was nothing short of remarkable. ''How? Why are they listening to his words to this extent?'' Arora stared at Raydon, her eyes filled with shock at the mind-blowing oue. She had witnessed firsthand that Raydon had no prior connection to these cats, yet he had managed to influence them without using any skills. It waspletely unbelievable. ''''How did you...?'''' Arora''s voice trailed off, unable to fullyprehend what she had just witnessed. Ignoring the bewildered expression on her face, Raydon asked with a hint of satisfaction, ''''Did you seed?'''' ''''Ye... Yes...'''' Arora nodded absentmindedly, her mind still reeling from the unexpected sess. Before ever being able to form a bond with her own spirit crows, she was required to put in a significant amount of time training alongside them. And on top of that, despite the influence of her title, it waspletely unexpected for her to bond with a spirit beast that she waspletely unfamiliar with in such a short amount of time and with such ease. ''''That''s good. Establish your bonds with all of them quickly,'''' Raydon said happily, observing Arora''s reaction. He then added, after a moment of thought, ''''I will also take back them all after the match is over. So make sure they don''t meet the same fate as your spirit crows.'''' ''''Huh? Oh... Yes... Of course...'''' Arora replied nervously, still unable to hide her lingering shock. As she continued to establish bonds with the cats, Arora couldn''t shake off the feeling of awe and curiosity about Raydon''s unique influence over the spirit beasts. The mystery surrounding his abilities only deepened, leaving her both intrigued and somewhat unsettled. ''He is absolutely not normal.'' All the battle maids began to think. They had already reached the point where they could ept and respect Raydon due to his strength and potential, which he had shown thus far. However, as they saw more and more of his extraordinary abilities, their eptance, and respect began to morph into feelings of fear and unease. They knew very little about Raydon, and like everyone else, that uncertainty was starting to bother them. Chapter 338 The Growing Doubt (Part 3) ? ''''I''m done, young master. '''' Arora turned and said after sessfully establishing a bond with thest ck cat using her skill. Then she continued, turning her gaze back to the cats. ''''Also, these cats'' wings were granted to them through a support-type skill, but fortunately, it seems that the effect willst until the end of the match. '''' She used to believe that these cats were naturally winged, but now, after forming a mental bond with them, she realizes that their wings are not inherently theirs. However, since the skill effect was still active and would persist for a considerable duration, it wouldn''t pose any issues during the match. ''''They are not naturally flying cats? '''' Hearing this, Raydon briefly disyed a hint of disappointment on his face. He had held a particr fascination with these winged cats, as he had assumed that a cat with the ability to fly would be more valuable than a regr walking cat. The fact that their wings were fake, on the other hand, dampened his enthusiasm because it led him to believe that they might not be as remarkable as he had originally believed they would be. ''''Regardless, they are still my valuable loot. '''' Raydon stated, quickly oveing his disappointment. He then turned to Arora and gave her the next instruction. ''''Begin your search, prioritizing enemy teams. '''' ''''Yes, young master. '''' Arora acknowledged, first allowing Elysia to enhance the cats'' speed with her support skill. She thenmanded the cats to scatter and investigate in different directions using her mind control. Two of the cats were also left behind by Arora. One of the cats skillfully climbed up Arora''s clothing and settledfortably on her shoulder, where it nestled itself into a cozy spot. She pointed to the other cat, directing it towards Raydon, and said, ''''Young master, keep this spirit beast with you formunication purposes. '''' Normally,munication within their team relied solely on Arora, but she was well aware of Raydon''s tendency to wander off and leave them behind. Therefore, she deemed it necessary to have a means ofmunicating directly with him. Raydon nodded, observing as the cat flew towards him and perched on his shoulder. ''Looks like I won''t be able to use my mes,'' he thought, ncing at the little cat on his shoulder as it affectionately licked his ear. Raydon would typically rely on the berserker technique to increase his speed, but he realized that he needed to abstain from using it in order to safeguard the little guy from any harm that his use of the technique could cause. Furthermore, it wasn''t necessary, as he was no longer facing a challenge that required such extreme measures. With anticipation, they all awaited the cats'' first target findings. "Approximately 40 meters ahead, there is a group of 10 earth element cockroaches," Arora reported promptly. ''She is quite detailed.'' After hearing this report, Raydon thought and then said what he had to say. ''''Skip. '''' Through the use of his Death Sense skill, he had already observed that group. Even though he could not tell what kind of mobs they were or what element they had with his skill, he did not want to waste time on the 10 mobs that were 40 meters away because his top priority was now locating the opposing teams. They waited once more, and then, after a few minutes had passed, Arora started her next report. "About 200 meters ahead, there is an enemy team consisting of 4 individuals. They appear to belong to a reptilian race. They are currently engaged in battle with a water element monster. Based on theirbat with the water element mob, it seems their race emphasizes speed, and their skin suggests a high defense," Arora ryed, analyzing the enemy team''s traits and weaknesses in detail. Without waiting for Arora''s report to conclude, Raydon interjected. ''''Okay, that''s enough. I''m going to take care of them. You keep looking for other teams,'''' Raydon threw those words away and started running in the direction that Arora pointed him in. ''''Yes... Sure...'''' Arora replied, her gaze fixed on Raydon''s retreating figure. ''''Looks like I can''t showcase my talents,'''' Arora muttered, a tinge of disappointment in her voice. Her greatest strength and contribution to the team was her analytical ability, in addition to her investigative skills. However, with Raydon''s self-sufficiency, her talent now seemed overshadowed. ''''At least you have a useful skill, unlike us,'''' Verda chimed in, a faint smirk on her face. While she possessed support-focused skills, her true prowessy in debuffing the enemy team. Yet, with Raydon''s formidable power, her abilities were rendered unnecessary. ''''I don''t understand,'''' Nysora interjected her expression a mix of confusion and contemtion. Mell approached and inquired, ''''What is it that you don''t understand?'''' ''''It seems entirely unnecessary for us to apany him in this match,'''' Nysora expressed her thoughts. ''''If the family leader had provided him with the promised items beforehand, he wouldn''t require our presence at all.'''' She was acutely aware of the fact that Raydon only relied on them due to the fact that hecked investigative skills and had a limited capacity for storage within his dimensional storage. ''''Perhaps the family leader sent us to observe him rather than to support him,'''' Elysia, who had remained quiet until now, voiced her opinion in an indifferent and detached manner. They regarded it as inconceivable that the head of the family could be ignorant of Raydon''s capabilities. While sending them here with him, he must have known that Raydon would not need their help in any case. ''''Observe for what?'''' Mell asked, her confusion evident. After a brief moment of silence, as each member pondered the question, Nysora spoke with a serious expression. ''''They probably want us to determine if he could be a potential threat to the family.'''' ''''Threat to the family? But he is the young master of the family, right? What kind of threat could he pose?'''' Mell expressed her confusion, struggling toprehend the notion. ''''Do you still not understand?'''' Verda interjected with a frown. ''''Understand what? Stop speaking in riddles and start exining,'''' Mell insisted. Chapter 339 The Growing Doubt (Part 4) ? Nysora took a deep breath, preparing to provide a clear exnation. ''''Mell, you witnessed it yourself. He effortlessly toyed with a D-Rank Region Boss as if it were child''s y, right before our eyes. And not only that, he single-handedly defeated the second Region Boss and a team of ten without us even realizing it.'''' ''''And let''s not forget these spirit beasts,'''' Arora chimed in. The fact that Raydon couldmand the enemy team''s spirit beasts as if they were his own remained a baffling mystery. ''''So what?'''' Mell retorted, still failing to grasp the significance behind these achievements. To her, they only showcased Raydon''s immense power. However, Nysora''s next words shed light on the underlying concern. ''''Don''t you find it astonishing that someone like him emerged from a humble family like ours? When was thest time you saw an E-Rank, level 1 item holder singlehandedly y a Region Boss?'''' Mell froze, her mind grappling with the implications of Nysora''s statement. ''''I doubt even a prestigious Grand Family could produce someone like him, let alone our weak family,'''' Nysora continued, her gaze fixed on Mell''s stunned expression. Raydon''s abilities went beyond what his title could adequately exin. The techniques he disyed were beyond the scope of someone raised in a small family like theirs. ''''So, what do you think? Who is he?'''' Mell finally broke free from her stupor and uttered. Nysora contemted for a moment and proceeded to share her thoughts. ''''There are only two possibilities that I can think of. Firstly, he may not have any true familial ties to our family. It is conceivable that he was created by merging the bloodlines of multiple grand families. Our family could have been entrusted with his upbringing in order to keep him under the radar until he has matured enough to avoid drawing unwanted attention.'''' ''''Holy¡­ If that''s true...'''' Mell was suddenly shocked to hear this exnation, which made sense. If this was indeed the case, it would exin all of Raydon''s abilities. Due to the fact that ruling families and organizations have always put their own needs first, the concept of undertaking such a project was unheard of in the past. But just because it wasn''t heard of doesn''t mean it couldn''t have happened. ''''In other words, if this is true, young master Raydon is the living proof of what could be achieved if all the power structures in our world were tobine their strengths and resources to create a new generation.'''' Elysia''s voice, usually devoid of emotion, revealed her excitement. After all, it was always something that was on the mind of every item holder at least once at some point. What kind of person would emerge if people from all over the world decided to pool their resources in order to produce the most powerful generation ever? ''''What is the second possibility?'''' Arora asked, leaning towards the second option. As usible as the first exnation might seem, it also seemed unlikely given the ego and self-interest of the ruling families. ''''I hope the first possibility is correct because the second one would definitely create significant problems for us.'''' Nysora''s face was filled with horror as she made this statement. ''''What is it?'''' The others echoed the same question, their expressions darkening as they sensed the fear and tension in Nysora''s voice. After a moment of suspense, Nysora spoke again with a grave tone. ''''He is an anomaly, much like young master Loran... No, I believe he is even more of an anomaly than him and poses a greater threat.'''' ''''Young master Loran?'''' Mell''s eyes widened with fear. ''''If that''s the case, it exins his high stat points and the ability to use skills without needing an item.'''' ''''Even the behavior of these spirit beasts can be exined by that,'''' Arora added, ncing at the cats surrounding them. ''''What about the techniques he used?'''' Verda asked. She was aware that Loran possessed a variety of enigmatic abilities as a result of his cursed body because she had witnessed a number of those abilities herself; however, techniques were something that could only be obtained through training. In response to this question, Nysora posed a question of her own. ''''Have you ever seen him use a family technique during a fight?'''' Upon hearing this question, Verda immediately grasped the point Nysora was making. Indeed, Loran had learned the family techniques just like everyone else, and he possessed a greater mastery of those techniques than any of them. However, the most intriguing aspect was the fact that he only learned these techniques for the purpose of demonstrating his superiority and never actually used them in a fight. Because he had no need to rely on these techniques, he developed his own technique when he was only an F-Rank. ''''I''ve heard that anomalies are always geniuses.'''' Arora had said it as apliment, but her tone indicated that it wasn''t entirely meant as one. But that observation alone was enough to exin to them how Raydon had mastered those techniques and even created his own. Of course, Loran''s technique, unlike Raydon''s, had its ws and was not a supreme technique like thetter''s. However, the battle maids were not aware of what a supreme technique entailed, so this detail held little significance to them. ''''He is about to reach the target,'''' Arora informed them, breaking the silence of their contemtion. ''''Well, enough spection. If there is something we need to know, Ms. Diam will exin it to us after the match. For now, let''s focus on our tasks.'''' ''''Keep a close watch on his fight and don''t miss any details. We will report everything to the familyter.'''' Nysora instructed Arora, and then she too started running. Regardless of their spections, they still had their mission to fulfill, which included carrying Raydon''s loot. ¡ª ''''Achoo¡­'''' ''''What the hell? Do high races catch colds too?'''' Raydon muttered as he sprinted towards his target, his naked body exposed to the elements. Perched on his shoulder was a ck cat with wings, gripping tightly to avoid falling off. Raydon had already been running for some time in the direction indicated by Arora, solely relying on his movement technique the entire time. Even when he did not make use of the berserker technique, his speed was significantly higher than that of an average E-Rank. After running for some time, he turned his gaze to the ck cat and asked, ''''Where are they?'''' Since he wanted to conserve mana and didn''t want to rely on his Death Sense skill unnecessarily, he decided to seek information from the cat, knowing that it had a mind bond with Arora and the other cats. Although he wasn''t entirely certain he would receive an answer, to his surprise, the cat released one of its paws that had been tightly gripping his shoulder and pointed in a direction with its paw, struggling against the wind and doing its best not to fall off. ''''Hahaha, perfect!'''' Raydon chuckled with delight upon realizing the usefulness of the spirit beast. He continued running in the direction indicated. ''''Hold on tightly. We''re about to pick up speed.'''' Raydon said with a smile as he elerated even further towards his target. ''''Mew¡­'''' With a intive meow, the cat clung to Raydon''s shoulder with both paws. Unlike Raydon, it was evident that the cat wasn''t particrly thrilled with the increased speed. Chapter 340 Catching The Enemy (Part 1) ? ''''Cold Bullet. '''' The individual, whose face resembles that of a crocodile and whose body is covered with light yellow scales, raised his fingernails, which were scaly and pointed, and used his skill towards the mob that was in front of him. A cold energy suddenly gathered at the tip of this Reptilian''s fingertip, osciting at a rapid speed, as it targeted the blue slime standing just over a meter tall. The skill struck the slime with the precision and impact of a bullet, causing it to freeze rapidly. ''''This was thest one. '''' The Reptilian man said to his three teammates as he looked at the slime, which began to freeze quickly under the influence of the cold bullet. ''''Good, with this we''ve already hunted close to 300 water slimes. It''s fortunate we found this spot. '''' Another Reptilian manmented, collecting the frozen slimes and cing them in his dimensional storage. Because every member of the team possessed the skills associated with the ice element in addition to the inherent advantages of their race, it was very simple for them to eliminate these slimes because the slimes were susceptible to the ice''s effects. Since there are a lot of water slimes in this area, it appears to be their territory; consequently, they were able to locate arge number of water slimes that were traveling in groups and easily kill them without having to move around in the area to find them. ''''Are there any other groups nearby? '''' One of the Reptilian men inquired. ''''Yes, about 10 meters ahead. But there''s a problem¡ªsomeone is approaching. '''' The Reptilian item holder, whose face consisted of puffy green scales and a flickering forked tongue, informed the group. ''''Someone from an enemy team? '''' The Reptilian men asked. ''''Yes. '''' ''''How many? '''' ''''Only 1. '''' ''''What''s the danger level? '''' The group''s investigative item holder squinted his eyes upon hearing this question before responding. ''''I''m not entirely certain. Perhaps around 4? '''' ''''What do you mean, perhaps? '''' A furrow appeared on the brow of one of the Reptilian men as he sought rification. Within their group, they had a system for rating the strength of their enemies on a scale from 1 to 10. Although it was challenging to determine an opponent''s exact strength with just a cursory nce, they could make a general assessment based on visual cues such as appearance, speed, and equipment. ''''It''s weird. He doesn''t seem to have any items on as he is naked. And he only has a weak-looking spirit beast with him. '''' The investigative item holder, with vertical slit-shaped pupils and no eyelids, remarked as he observed Raydon approaching them. ''''No items? Then why the hell did you rate him 4 out of 10? '''' Another team member questioned with suspicion. ''''Because he is fast. He is at least twice as fast as any of us. '''' The investigative reptilian man exined. ''''Besides, this is an E-Rank match. Why would someone join a match without any of their protective equipment? Something seems off here. '''' After hearing this exnation, the other reptilian men also found the situation to be suspicious, and they immediately began deliberating on what course of action to take. After a brief discussion, they reached a decision. ''''We''re leaving. '''' One of the reptilian men dered firmly, having stowed away thest frozen slime in his dimensional storage. To them, Raydon''s speed wasn''t the primary concern, as he likely allocated all his earned stat points to agility. The fact that he had no items made him appear weak. However, given the suspicious circumstances, they concluded that Raydon himself was likely bait, and one of the other enemy teams was setting a trap. As a precaution, they decided it was best to retreat and avoid falling into this potential trap. Moreover, their primary objective in this match was not to emerge as the victors or advance to a higher rank. Their main focus was to gather as many experience points and loot as possible. As a result, they purposely avoided engaging in unnecessary conflicts or battles with other teams. ''''Alright, I''ve just found another spot with numerous water slimes, about 600 meters away from here. Let''s head there. '''' The investigative reptilian man sang out, taking the lead as he ran towards their next farming location. ¡ª ''''Hey, we were supposed to find them by now, but where are they? '''' As Raydon continued running, unable to spot his intended target, he turned his gaze to the cat on his shoulder and inquired. ''''Meow. '''' The cat''s response was to raise its paw once again, indicating a slightly different direction from the path Raydon was taking. ''Hm? Did they notice me or are they just changing their location? '' Raydon pondered. If they were merely relocating to find another hunting ground, that wouldn''t be a problem. However, since they were fleeing upon detecting Raydon''s approach, it was evident that they were actively trying to avoid him. For Raydon, capturing a fleeing enemy would be time-consuming and not ideal. ''''Death Sense. '''' Raydon utilized his investigative skill, hoping to visually locate the enemy team. Fortunately, the enemy team had entered the range of his skill, granting him a visual of their positions. [1482 / 1600] [365 / 380] [450 / 450] [520 / 520] ''''This must be the team that the battle maid found. It appears they have spotted me.'''' Raydon thought as he observed the HP bars of the four individuals rushing away from him further ahead. ''''Fuck. '''' Raydon suddenly halted his sprint and cursed, wearing an expression of anger. Although his current speed was considerable and he felt confident in his ability to catch up to the fleeing group, he knew it would consume a significant amount of time. Raydon first considered using the Presence Aura sub-skill. However, unlike the encounter with the Lion Men earlier, this group was already in the process of escaping. If they were to sense his overwhelming and formidable presence, they would likely flee even faster out of fear. Thus, he concluded that the n would backfire and opted for an alternative approach. Gripping the cat on his shoulder by the neck, Raydonmanded, ''''Free ride is over. Just follow closely behind me.'''' With those words, he tossed the cat into the air. As it soared with its wings, he activated the berserker technique once again. Chapter 341 Catching The Enemy (Part 2) ? Raydon''s breathing rapidly elerated, and his body flushed red as blood surged through his veins under intense pressure. Subsequently, ck mes emerged from his body, apanied by gray smoke. ''''Alright, 50% will suffice.'''' He stated after adjusting the technique to a level his body could sustain and resumed his pursuit of the target. Observing Raydon''s sudden movements with curious eyes, the cat, now airborne, promptly followed suit, flying after him. ¡ª ''''Looks like he''s really after us. His speed has increased as well. It seems he''s using a movement-type skill. At this rate, he''ll catch up to us in a minute.'''' The investigative reptile man continued running at full speed, turning to share his observation. ''''This is getting quite strange, just as I suspected.'''' Another reptile man remarked upon hearing this. Initially, he had assumed that Raydon wouldn''t pose a significant threat and would eventually give up the chase. However, learning that he was persistently pursuing them gave rise to unease within him. ''''Are you certain there''s no one else nearby?'''' The reptile man inquired, still suspicious of a potential trap set by the enemy team. ''''Yes, I''m certain. It''s possible that he''s simply overconfident in his speed.'''' The investigative reptile man replied. ''''In that case, let''s stop and fight. He''s probably just an agility-focused item holder. Restricting his mobility will make the fight easier.'''' Another reptile man suggested,ing to a halt and preparing to face Raydon, who was rapidly closing in on them. Given Raydon''s extraordinary speed, they knew he would catch up to them regardless. Instead of wasting more time evading him, it made more sense to confront him head-on and swiftly deal with the enemy before resuming their water slime farming. As the reptile men came to a stop, they immediately began preparing for the impending confrontation. With their experience as seasoned warriors, they understood the importance of never underestimating their opponents. ''''Frozen Landscape.'''' One of the reptile men promptly activated his skill, transforming the 20-meter area surrounding them into a frozen terrain. ''''Arctic Breeze.'''' Another reptile man followed suit, utilizing his wind-type skill to intensify the cold effect, conjuring a small snowstorm that enveloped the vicinity. ''''If he indeed decides to attack, this will be enough to debuff his speed by 40%.'''' He dered, observing thebined effect of their two skills. The reptile team''s best hope was that Raydon, upon seeing their preparations, would choose to halt his attack and retreat. If he did decide to press on, however, the 40% reduction in his movement capabilities would pose a significant advantage for the group. The entire team then used their support-type skills before starting to wait for the enemy to approach them. "He''s getting closer. He''ll be here in approximately 30 seconds," the investigative reptile man informed the group. Soon enough, Raydon came into view, and the others could see him as well. "Hm? It appears he has the fire element. Taking into ount the element resistance, our skillbination should still be around 30% effective," remarked the reptile man who had previously used the "Frozen Landscape" skill. "But the color of that fire is concerning. Could it be the death element?" another reptile member added. Recognizing that the opponent possessed two elements, they realized he was no ordinary adversary. "Prepare yourselves. I''ll take the first hit," dered another reptile man as he retrieved a towering shield from his dimensional storage and positioned himself in front of the group. Observing Raydon''s relentless approach, they knew an attack was imminent and assumed their team formation with utmost seriousness. However, it didn''t take long for them to realize their preparations were in vain. ''''What?! '''' The ice that they believed would slow Raydon by at least 30% began to rapidly melt as soon as he stepped onto the icy terrain. Each of Raydon''s steps caused the ice on the ground to melt, rendering the snowstorm seemingly ineffective against the ck mes radiating from him. "His fire element is too formidable," cried the reptile man, who had stood ready with his massive shield, now ovee with panic. "cial Shield!" he eximed, activating his defensive-type skill. A thin, translucent frost quickly coated the surface of the Tower shield. "Attack immediately after I block the first strike," the reptile man with the shieldmanded through clenched teeth. He understood that he couldn''t halt Raydon with the ice element, but he aimed to create a brief opening for his teammates tounch their attacks. Utilizing the skill''s effect, he could reflect 30% of iing damage and slow the assant by 50% for 5 seconds. With the icy shield in hand, the reptile man watched as Raydon rapidly closed in, and finally, the long-awaited attack unfolded. Raydon pressed forward without hesitation, channeling all his momentum into a powerful punch aimed directly at the center of the tower shield. *BANG* The moment Raydon''s fist collided with the ice-covered shield, an incredible sound and surge of energy erupted. The ck mes emanating from Raydon dispersed, instantly dispelling the snowstorm and rapidly melting the ice in their vicinity. Due to thebined force of the 50% berserker technique and Raydon''s strength of 110, he experienced a powerful recoil that propelled him a few steps back. The recipient of the attack, the shielded reptile man, was unable to withstand the force and was sent flying several meters backward. [Lv.29 Serpenthian (E-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 29 points.] [You gained 5800 experience points.] [Bonus: You gained 1015 experiences.] "Phew, not bad," Raydon murmured with satisfaction, his gaze fixed on his skinned and bloodied fist, which now bore two broken fingers from the impact. "Are you kidding me?" eximed one of the reptile men, who had been caught in the shockwave of the collision. Unable to conceal his astonishment, he swiftly rose to his feet. "Is he dead? How high is his damn strength stat?" Another reptile man quickly regained hisposure and nced at their shieldedrade. He too expressed shock and horror upon seeing the motionless body. Having witnessed Raydon''s speed, they had initially presumed he was an agility-build item holder. However, now, in the face of his overwhelming strength, they were certain something was amiss. Furthermore, it didn''t take them long to deduce that he possessed enough stamina to endure such power, evident by his minor hand injury. "What the hell is he? A Region Boss?" The only conclusion the remaining three reptile men could reach was that this individual could not be an E-Rank item holder. Chapter 342 End Of The Match ? ''''Scatter in different directions!'''' After the reptile men had ovee their shock and fear at the sudden death of their friend and the disy of power by their enemies, they decided to make onest attempt to escape by fleeing in different directions. However, Raydon was not about to let his efforts go to waste. ''''There is nowhere to run. '''' Raydon said with an evil smile. ''''There''s nowhere to run.'''' Raydon''s voice echoed with a sinister smile. He activated his skill, "Rusty Chain," an attack and control-type skill, and swiftly swung it towards the nearest reptile man. ''''Aghhh!'''' The reptile man let out a pained cry as the ming chain wrapped around his neck, causing his voice to fade into silence as his throat burned. [Lv.29 Serpenthian (E-Rank) has been killed.] [Your team gained 29 points.] [You gained 5800 experience points.] [Bonus: You gained 1015 experiences.] ''''Another level 29. Not bad.'''' Raydon nced at his experience points, satisfaction evident on his face, and then pursued the other escaping reptile men with a sense of excitement. [Lv.29 Serpenthian (E-Rank) has been killed.] ¡­ .. . [Lv.29 Serpenthian (E-Rank) has been killed.] ¡­ .. . ''''Whew, four more added to my kill count.'''' Raydon swiftly captured and dispatched the reptile men who had failed to escape. As he stood amidst the fallen enemies, he took a moment to survey the loot left behind. ''''This really takes up a lot of time,'''' he thought with a tinge of annoyance, scanning the sky for his ck cat. Due to hisck of investigative ability, he was unable to locate another enemy team in the area and was forced to wait for the cat to lead him to his next prey. Additionally, in order for battle maids to collect loot from the ground, they needed to first be aware of the location of this ce. Because of these two problems, it was quite boring to wait for someone every time and spend time on it, but there was nothing to do. ''''Finally.'''' Raydon let out a sigh of relief as he noticed the ck cat wearily flying towards him. Raydon gently grasped the cat by the back of its neck, cing it back on his shoulder, and inquired, ''''Alright, where is our next target?'''' At the question, the cat paused for a moment, and then slowly and exhaustedly raised its paw, pointing in a direction. ''''Hold on tight,'''' Raydon said, preparing to start running. But before he did, he nced at the loot on the ground and asked, ''''They''reing for these, right?'''' He didn''t want to leave his hard-earned loot behind, so he needed to make sure the battle maids were on their way. ''''Meow. '''' ''''Meow.'''' The cat paused once more and then nodded, emitting a confident meow. ''''Good, hold on tight.'''' With the confirmation he was seeking, Raydon grinned and began sprinting towards his next target. ¡ª ''''What''s the situation?'''' Nysora asked Arora, who closely trailed behind her as they ran, her fiery red hair billowing in the wind. ''''He has already eliminated the four-man team and moved on to pursue his next target,'''' Arora promptly replied. ''''Were you able to observe his fight?'''' Nysora inquired further. Because they had not seen any of Raydon''s fights other than the one he had with the cockroach region boss, they did not have a very good understanding of his full capabilities. To support their theory about his simrities with Loran, they needed to witness his abilities in action. However, Arora''s response was disheartening. ''''Unfortunately, the fight had concluded by the time the spirit beast caught up with him,'''' Arora said with a hint of frustration. She had been eager to observe Raydon''s techniques and fighting style, so not being able to witness the battle was a letdown. ''''We can''t even catch up to him to observe his fights,'''' Mell added with a touch of mncholy. Theirck of skills to participate in or even observe the battles served as a constant reminder of their own limitations. ''''There''s nothing we can do. Let''s give it our best,'''' Nysora reassured them, recognizing that it wasn''t Arora''s fault. With limited options, their focus remained on gathering as much information as possible and doing their best until the match concluded. ¡ª [Time remaining until the end of the match: 00:08:15] ''''I think it''s time to stop,'''' Raydon said, ncing at the remaining time disyed by the system. The items of the most recent enemies he had defeated were all around him, and he hoped to acquire this loot by waiting for the battle maids before the match ended. ''This little guy really worked hard. '' Raydon murmured, his gaze shifting to the sky as he observed the cat wearily making its way towards him, its wings fluttering with exhaustion. Throughout the match, Raydon''s use of the berserker technique necessitated leaving the cat behind, forcing it to tirelessly chase after him. It was evident that the small creature had expended all its energy. *Tut* Just as Raydon watched the cat draw closer, it suddenly ceased pping its wings and plummeted towards the ground. Reacting swiftly, Raydon lunged forward and caught the cat in his hands, preventing it from hitting the ground. ''''You''ve done well. Rest now,'''' Raydon whispered, gently stroking the cat''s disheveled fur before carefully cing it back on his shoulder. ''''I hope the girls can catch up in time as well,'''' he muttered, now waiting for the battle maids to arrive and secure his hard-earned loot. By the end of the match, Raydon had eliminated 28 enemy item holders, including lion men, and had encountered and dispatched over 100 mobs along the way. In addition, the main reason why he was able to get so many kills was because the size of the region shrank significantly towards the end of the match, which enabled him to find more enemy teams. However, he was still dissatisfied with the oue, and because hecked the necessary skills, he was helpless. [Level]: 10 [Rank]: E (White) [Experience]: 17,515 / 89,000 ¡­ .. . [Undistributed stat points]: 36 ''''Hmm, I''m still far away from level 11,'''' Raydon remarked, checking his character panel. After the lion man team that he had defeated, he was only able to advance two levels, and at this point, he was a considerable distance away from the next level. However, the requirement of additional experience points in order to advance in level appeared to be a source of frustration. ''''Let me guess... For the next level, I need 144,000 experience points, right?'''' Raydon calcted, recognizing a pattern based on the experience points needed to reach his current and previous levels. It took him 55,000 experience points to reach level 10, and he needed 89,000 to reach level 11. With a little bit of calction, he was able to estimate the number of experience points required to meet the next requirement, although he was not entirely certain. As he couldn''t be certain, he made a mental note to verify this prediction when he eventually leveled up. Turning his attention to the approaching group in the distance, Raydon observed Nysora and the other battle maids, who appeared downtrodden and dejected. ''''Why do they look so gloomy?'''' Raydon wondered, noticing the somber expressions on their faces as they rapidly approached him. ''''Sorry, young master. We werete,'''' Nysora spoke up, stepping forward and bowing her head as the group reached Raydon''s side. However, the true reason for her despondency wasn''t merely their dyed arrival to collect Raydon''s loot. It was the fact that they hadn''t been able to witness a single instance of his fighting throughout the rest of the match. ''''It''s okay, don''t worry,'''' Raydon reassured them, waving his hand dismissively. He understood that their limitations in terms of strength and speed were beyond their control, just as hisck of investigative abilities necessitated their assistance. ming them for the situation would be absurd. Raydon nced around and noticed something amiss. Curiosity piqued, he asked, ''''Where are the cats?'''' Ever since Raydon had given Arora the responsibility of looking after the ck cats, he had also left behind the other warrior spirit beasts. Now that the match was nearing its end, he didn''t want to leave them behind and wondered about their whereabouts. ''''Don''t worry, young master. All your spirit beasts are in my dimensional storage, along with the bodies of the mobs you killed during the match,'''' Arora reassured Raydon, noticing his concern, and stepped forward to address the issue. ''''Good, good. Thank you. Now these are thest ones,'''' Raydon expressed his satisfaction, pointing to the remaining loot from thest enemy item holders he had defeated. ''''I will get them for you.'''' After providing her response as the person in charge of Raydon''s other loot, Nysora began picking up items that were scattered across the ground. Raydon reflected on his gains from the match, realizing that they were quite substantial. Among all the loot he had acquired, the cat battalion held a special ce in his heart. ''Not bad at all,'' Raydon thought to himself, pleased with the oue. The anticipation of the valuable loot awaiting him at home only added to his excitement. Then, with growing excitement with each passing second, he watched the countdown on the system. [Time remaining until the end of the match: 00:0:15] ¡­ [Time remaining until the end of the match: 00:0:11] .. [Time remaining until the end of the match: 00:0:7] . [Time remaining until the end of the match: 00:0:02] *DING* Finally, the message he had been anticipating rang melodiously in his ears. [The match has ended.] [Winner Team: B7890-D4850] [¡­Based on the contribution, rewards are calcted.] [You gained gold coins: 780] [You gained item blueprint: Gloves (Green)] [You gained a body enchantment: Chitin Skin (Green)] [You gained a body enchantment: Toxic Lather (White)] [Win streak: 1] [Enemy kill count: 28] ''''Hahaha, I actually got 2. '''' Raydon''sughter resounded when he saw the system message before his body vanished into the lights. Even he did not anticipate receiving two body enchantments in exchange for the two region bosses he defeated. It appears that his Luck stat points were not entirely ineffective. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!