Commercial City Zarbnok
Mages soared through the open skies in staggering numbers.
Magical contraptions hummed atop street corners and public plazas throughout the district. And compared to the quaint settlements we had traversed before, this place was teeming with towering architecture and modern-styled townhouses.
This was the Commercial City Zarbnok.
“Wow, now it finally feels like I’ve crossed over into an actual fantasy world. For real.”
The spectacle was so refreshing and astonishing that an involuntary laugh slipped past my lips. The arcane culture here made typical magic towers look like child's play.
“Whoa, this place is insanely wicked, Boss!”
“Indeed. One would never witness such architectural designs in the Eastern realms…”
My companions clicked their tongues in awe at the unfamiliar scenery. Since this metropolis hadn't appeared in the original game, I was just as transfixed, rubbernecking at every monument as our carriage rolled deeper into the city center.
“We have arrived!” the coachman announced cheerfully, pulling the reins.
We stepped down right into the beating heart of Zarbnok. Without hesitation, I headed straight for the inn our driver recommended and asked for a month’s lodging.
“That will be one million gold!” the innkeeper beamed.
“Excuse me…?”
“No installment plans, upfront in full!”
Damn it all.
Reserving a suite with five individual rooms to accommodate our future plans devoured an equivalent fortune. I scraped together every bit of gold and liquidated all the monster byproduct loot we had gathered up until now just to barely foot the bill. The result? Our treasury had cratered back to virtually zero.
Left with no choice, I laid out the blunt truth to the two freeloaders.
“I know running into that terrifying monster shook you both up recently… but our guild is officially broke. I’m talking financial ruin where even the foundational pillars have been yanked out and pawned.”
“I’m staaarving, Boss! What about food?!”
“Do you think gourmet dishes magically appear out of thin air when we don’t have a single copper?”
Even in the face of despair, Serena remained remarkably consistent. She complained while actively shoveling down the complimentary rations provided by the inn. As for Yeong So-so… she seemed to have caught an epiphany and sat cross-legged in the corner, deep in meditation. That meant I, the only sane person in this ragtag outfit, had to drag this guild out of the gutter and put food on the table.
Over at the Zarbnok Adventurers Guild reception, the attendant reviewed my credentials.
“It seems you’ve recently been promoted from F-rank to E-rank?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Hmm, and the rest of your party members are E-rank as well… Truth be told, standard commissions in this metropolis begin at D-rank. If you're willing to accept the risk, however, I can assign one to you.”
Starting at D-rank, huh… Zarbnok’s high standard of living evidently raised the caliber of its local adventurers. Considering that naga we slaughtered earlier was around a mid-tier B-rank monster, and I had grown stronger since then, taking a minor leap shouldn't kill us.
“Sure, that works. Please assign us a D-rank commission.”
“Understood! Your objective is to subjugate fifty monsters—any species will do—inside the B-rank dungeon, the Witch's Forest! The bounty is one hundred thousand gold!”
“Understood.”
Unlike the boorish staff back in our backwater starting town, this clerk politely handed over an orb-shaped magic tool capable of recording visual scenery, explaining its purpose with a practiced smile.
“This magic tool is utilized to prevent pointless disputes inside the dungeon and prepare for unexpected emergencies! Please note that if it is damaged or destroyed, the compensation fee will be two hundred thousand gold…”
After listening through several more procedural lectures, I returned to the inn to shake off the road fatigue.
“Good work today, everyone.”
“You too, Boss!”
“You have laboured hard.”
With those parted words, each retreated into their respective quarters. Left entirely to my own devices in the vacant silence, I immediately slipped out.
“Khaaaah—! This ale is so damn sweet—!”
I had snuck into a nearby tavern alone and was chugging cold draft beer down my throat. The Round Table, legendary knights, looming bankruptcy, exhaustion, and sheer paranoia—every drop of stress washed away in an instant. A major metropolis truly lived up to its name; the draft was so crisp and frosty that it sent a shiver straight through my skull. Even the bar snacks were so savory they nearly brought tears to my eyes. Back in that backwater town, some obnoxious thugs had ruined my drinking experience, but tipping a mug back in peace like this was pure bliss.
Clang—!
The brass bell above the tavern entrance chimed, heralding the entrance of five individuals. Their silhouettes and posture carried an oddly familiar aura…
Wait, what?
“Hey, isn't that kid over there the runt from back then?”
“Oh! He looks dead-on like him!”
“His mug looks a bit younger, but… nah, that’s definitely him, right?”
“Hahaha, looks like him indeed!”
They were the benefactors who had taught me how to survive when I was first dumped into this merciless world—the very individuals who had hammered the fear of Avalon into my bones. The members of Party [Knight] had walked right through the door. Whatever tracking instinct or keen intuition they possessed, they had pierced clean through my mundane disguise.
I set my mug down and bowed politely.
“It has been a long time. Thanks to your advice, I've managed to survive this far, so I wanted to thank—”
“Enough of that! Save the formalities!”
They waved off my stiff gratitude and pulled up chairs around my table without missing a beat.
“Bwahahaha—! To think the scrawny brat we thought would die before the week was out has already become an E-rank adventurer!”
“Reaching E-rank in just two months… isn’t that pretty decent progress?”
“Turns out he wasn't just a regular pebble, but an unpolished gem, eh?”
Their leader, a woman sporting a vibrant crimson ponytail and an athletic build, broke into a hearty, boisterous laugh before downing a tankard of liquor in a single breath. As they gathered close, I subtly cast my appraisal across the party.
An elite squad averaging level fifty, every single one of them recognized as an A-rank veteran adventurer. Now that I had awakened my own mana senses, their sheer aura pressed against my skin like a physical weight. Their prowess was either on par with Yeong So-so or trailing just slightly behind her.
Man, I just walked in for a drink and struck gold.
The party members were pleasantly buzzed, letting their guards down. Realizing this was an invaluable benchmark opportunity, I deliberately tossed out a calculated line.
“Sometimes, I really can't tell where my own limits lie… Truth be told, I don't feel like I belong down in E-rank anymore. What do you all think?”
“………”
To seasoned veterans, hearing a rookie boldly declare, ‘Gosh, I think I’ve gotten super strong lately!’ was the ultimate bait. It was an irresistible itch waiting to be scratched. Sure enough, Ellen leaned forward with a fierce, competitive grin.
“Is that right? Well then, how about we step outside and check your stance?”
“It would be my absolute honor!”
Grinning ear to ear, we rented a private sparring ground on the spot. In the center of the ring, Ellen and I stood facing each other, blades drawn.
Realistically speaking, my chances of besting an A-rank veteran were practically non-existent. But this bout wasn't about securing a win—it was about accurately measuring the ceiling of my current abilities.
Slash—!
Before the clash even began, Ellen dragged the edge of her dagger across her own forearm.
Ellen has activated Blood Qi (A).
Fresh crimson blood seeped into the steel, coiling around her dual daggers like a sinister red mist.
“Is that Blood Qi?”
“Oh? Thought you were just a greenhorn, but you’ve actually hit the books, haven't you?”
“I pride myself on having decent eyesight.”
Though I couldn't divine the exact mechanics of the skill, my instincts screamed that taking a direct hit from that scarlet mist would end in catastrophe.
“Begin the spar—!” Harte barked from the sidelines, acting as referee.
The instant the command fell, I moved first.
Mana Manipulation (F) is active.
Empowered by the skill, my body lightened instantly. I flashed into Ellen's blind spot and drove my wooden blade forward without an ounce of hesitation.
“Decent speed. Let's see about the punch behind it, shall we?”
“……!”
Clang—!
Clack—!
Bang—!
A blinding three-hit combo exploded before my eyes. In three fluid deflections, she deflected all the muscle and momentum behind my strike, effortlessly bouncing my blade backward. In the blink of an eye, her dagger flashed toward my abdomen.
Rip—!
The tip tore through the outer hem of my tunic, parting the thin layer of protective mana beneath.
“Ho…? You actually dodged that? So there really is some talent in that scrawny frame.”
“If that were an edged blade, I would already be dead…”
“Bah, you would’ve dodged it anyway. Probably.”
It was no joke. Had she wielded live steel, my intestines would have been spilled across the dirt floor. Shaking off the cold sweat, I drew a deep breath and funneled my martial intent into the sword form.
Second Stance: Blazing Embers Consume the Enemy
Searing sparks of intense heat manifested into existence—the very technique that had charred the colossal naga into roasted meat. Against any ordinary opponent, the sight of drifting Yang flames would force them to retreat or neutralize the projectiles from afar.
“Hmm, now this is a bit annoying.”
With that casual mutter, Ellen blurred into motion.
Snick-snick-snick—!
Her daggers danced through the air, pinpointing and piercing the precise core of internal energy fueling each spark, snuffing them out one by one. It was an astonishing display of precision that required inhuman dynamic visual acuity. And she didn't break a single drop of sweat doing it.
There was only one tactical gambit left.
Whoosh—!
Allowing my own flames to scorch my flesh, I charged straight into the heat and thrust my blade forward. Caught off guard by my suicidal blitz, Ellen hurriedly crossed her weapons to intercept.
BOOOM—!
For the first time, our respective auras violently slammed against each other. But in the next second—
“………!?”
“What, surprise you?”
Her Blood Qi was actively devouring the sword energy pouring from my blade. As it gorged itself on my martial output, the red mist ballooned in size, and the moment it finished siphoning the last wisp—
CRACKLE—!
A shockwave detonated point-blank, hurtling me backward until I smashed hard against the timber wall of the training grounds. A dull, throbbing ache flared throughout my ribs, but my gaze remained locked on the trace embers of Blood Qi clinging to my chest.
Vibrant, intoxicating crimson energy.
It was such an alluring power that my fingers twitched and reached out instinctively to cup it.
Absorption (F) has been activated.
I triggered the skill without second thought, pulling every stray tendril of scarlet aura into the palm of my hand. A splitting migraine violently racked my skull, and then—
Absorption Success Rate: 5%
Absorption Successful!
Acquired Skill: Blood Qi (D)
“………?”
I had actually snatched Ellen's Blood Qi. If acquiring Regeneration had come from thoroughly comprehending a monster's anatomical structure, this breakthrough was pure, unadulterated dumb luck. And right on cue, a wicked idea flashed through my mind.
“What's the matter? Done already?!” Ellen jeered with a cocky grin. “For all that big talk, you look like a pretty ordinary E-rank adventurer to me!”
“We won't know that for sure until the match is over, will we?”
“Haha! You damn cheeky brat, I like your… wait, what?!”
Stab—!
Channeling internal energy into the wooden training sword, I gouged a chunk out of my own thigh. Ellen had conjured her Blood Qi using a minimal splash of her own blood, but at my degraded skill rank, reproducing that level of finesse was impossible. If quality was lacking, I'd make up for it with raw quantity!
Squelch—!
The puddle of fresh blood pooling beneath my feet surged upward, wrapping around my blade like a raging whirlpool. If she could weave a shroud of Blood Qi from droplets, what was stopping me from forging an entire sword aura made of blood?
Blood Qi (D) has been activated.
The spectators froze, their faces contorting in sheer, unadulterated disbelief at the monstrosity unfolding before them. Looking straight into their stunned eyes, I flashed a grin.
“Alright then, let's start round two.”
Without a split second of hesitation, I charged straight at Ellen.