Alex returned to the forest, exhausted and wounded. Monsters attack you head-on, but humans—humans stab you in the back. That's why Alex sought refuge back in the forest, his safe zone where he'd lived for over three years.
He climbed the tree near the river in the yellow zone, the spot he always used, and leaned back against the trunk, closing his eyes.
His thoughts swirled around the massacre caused by the monsters in the outer zone. The most shocking part was that no one made any effort to protect the weak. They left them to die. What's the point of having strength if you can't protect those who need it?
Alex's mind snapped back. Who am I fooling? I'm not strong enough myself.This is a cruel world—if you're not strong, it will eat you. Stop thinking about it,he thought.
He hadn't made much progress in his cultivation of dark and wood elemental powers. He was still stuck at 3 circles in dark elemental and 2 circles in wood elemental. What was going on? He had even gone to the cave again and spent some time there, but there was no progress. The only thing he had mastered was controlling the poison in his dark elemental power.
He had been practicing the spear for three years, but it felt like there was a wall he couldn't break through with just practice.
I need to join the Elemental Excellence Academy to become stronger, like my father once said.
The Great Sage's secrets are ancient, but they don't seem enough to make significant progress.
But to join the academy, he'd have to step into enemy territory. He needed to be careful. First, I should gather information about the exams and the academy. I'll visit the city in two days.
After two days of rest, Alex prepared to go to the city. He tied his hair in a ponytail and wore a straw hat. A lot of people had seen him during the monster storm, and he didn't want to be recognized.
He reached the outer gate of the city, where no one was present. The walls were still broken. Scattered hunters were gathering the remains of their fallen comrades. As Alex walked through, he saw dried blood and rubble. He reached the center of the outer zone, where the bodies had been gathered. Donning a white cloth to mask the smell, Alex began helping the hunters collect the bodies. As the sun set, painting the sky in red and gold, and darkness slowly overtook the land, the bodies were gathered at the center, and fires were lit to send them off. Alex bowed deeply, he muttered, "I'm really sorry."
He had lost his family to monsters, just as these people had lost their lives. No one had come to save his family, and no one came for these people either.
Alex moved toward the middle gate and entered, showing his hunter badge.
Everything felt unchanged, as though he had stepped into a different world. But one thing was obvious—the overwhelming sadness. He entered the hunter guild, made his way to the dark corner, and placed his bamboo spear down before sitting.
He raised his hand, and the waiter came over. Alex ordered a steak and a jug of milk. A growing boy must always drink milk.
After finishing his meal, Alex kept his ears and eyes open.
One hunter at a nearby table slammed his wooden beer glass down. "Those bastards from the 10 clans! They say they protect us, but all they do is take taxes from us. Where the hell was their protection?" Another person warned him, "You're drunk, idiot. Don't talk about the 10 clans like that." He then whispered, "You know what will happen to you if they hear us." The first hunter shuddered and sobered up immediately.
From another table, someone muttered, "They should've come to protect the outer zone. It's not fair. They all got massacred right in front of us, and we couldn't do anything. If that masked man hadn't come, we would've all died. The monsters this time were different. They were relentless—they wouldn't stop even if they died."
"Yeah," another hunter agreed, "those monsters were insane. Thank God that man showed up. Did you see how he rode that wild thunder eagle? And the way he wielded those spears? What kind of power was that?"
The conversation came to a sudden halt. All eyes turned to the door.
Standing tall with an air of authority, Emilia Aurelwyn from the White Phoenix Clan, one of the 10 clans, entered. She was the leader of the White Phoenix Killing Squad. Commanding and striking, she had long, sleek silver-white hair that cascaded over her shoulders, contrasting sharply with her piercing crimson eyes—eyes that radiated unwavering confidence. Her expression was calm but stern.
Her uniform was regal yet militaristic. She wore a form-fitting red and black military jacket, adorned with gold trim and buttons. A gold-plated shoulder guard rested on one side.
She wore tight white shorts, paired with asymmetrical legwear—one leg fully covered in black with golden accents, the other left bare except for a gold-trimmed piece of armor above the knee.
In her right hand, she gripped a long, crimson-hilted sword, its scabbard gleaming with polished gold.
She walked up to the hunter guild receptionist counter and leaned over it, placing her hand on the surface. Aisha, the receptionist, immediately bowed at a 90-degree angle. "Hello, Miss Emilia Aurelwyn. What can I do for you?"
"Oh, Aisha, how are you?" Emilia said casually, her tone light and friendly.
"I'm good, Ms. Aurelwyn," Aisha replied.
"I'm just here to investigate the recent monster storm. Romania city falls under our jurisdiction, so we need to know what happened."
A drunk hunter stood up, pointing a finger. "Oh, you're early, miss. You people say you protect us, but where were you when the attack happened? Now you come when the blood's dried, claiming to protect us?"
Emilia Aurelwyn was from the main White Phoenix Clan. She was considered a prodigy, but those in power feared her, so they made her handle tasks like this. She knew she was often sent to cover up the clan's incompetence. Despite her pride as an Aurelwyn, it hadn't gotten her far. The 10 clans, originally formed to protect humanity, had become corrupt long ago.
She sighed and said nothing, scanning the room, seeing faces full of dissatisfaction and anger. Her gaze then fell on a peculiar person sitting in the dark corner, wearing a straw hat, sipping milk, and appearing uninterested.
A smile tugged at the corners of Emilia's lips, but she quickly suppressed it. She walked over to the table in the dark corner.