Near the Border of Inhilgar Kingdom.
There was a giant line that stretched for a kilometer. These people were formidable, with the lowest level at 300 and the highest at 527. A few that were wearing luxurious and beautiful armor partnered with a well-crafted weapon glistening under the sun's light. These people were often accompanied by an entourage. These people were Knights from different regions.
The other group on the line was more ragged-looking. Some were clean, but the majority of them were covered in dirt. Their weapons looked rougher, but they were not weaker than the Knights. In fact, their looks only radiated experience. Every scar was a lesson screaming its tale, every callous their hard work. These people were the majority of the line; they were the commonly seen warriors of Avalon. Mercenaries, Adventurers, Vagabonds, those who follow their own wills and go everywhere they want without being dictated. A group that was commonly known as Freedom Seekers, or just Seekers.
But, only a few of them formed groups larger than four, and a sizable number of them were solo Seekers. These two kinds of people were not often seen together because of their conflicting views. The Seekers aim for freedom and adventures, while the Knights want to order and rigidness. They were oil and water of opposing nature.
"GIHAHAHAHA! Those bastards wanted to take me down, but I grabbed it by its neck and slammed it to the ground. I killed my seventh one, but remember that I have lost those who took the job with me by this time, and only I remained. Even if I killed one of them, I wouldn't be able to cover every direction. The Caravan was doomed. But, money was on the line, so I crushed one of the bastard's head and spread its blood and guts on my body, gathering the nasty lots' attention. The blood of their comrades was on my body, and they screeched in anger. The Black Blood Fiends were angry, enraged, and a hundred of them rushed me like a tidal wave!" An old man with red hair, black leather armor, and a single-arm said.
Those with him waited for the continuation of his tale with bated breath, "Then what happened?"
The old man smiled and motioned his body to become as big as possible, "I roared at the lot and faced them all without batting an eye: "You will not pass me, you bastards! Either I live, or you perish by the end of my ax!" I shouted and charged into the fray to give the Merchant Group I was protecting a time to retreat. Only twelve hours later, those Knights from the Town arrived as reinforcement, but all they did was clean up the now bloody road! I may have lost my left arm in that fight, but the pay and crossing level 400 was worth it! GIHAHAHAHA"
The other Seekers could not help but feel a sense of amazement and awe at the old man's story. It was an unwritten rule to respect the old. Only the strong could break the barrier hundreds of times and time again, much less the third barrier of hundreds.
"Hmph, can't you lie quieter, you big oaf? In fact, why not take that lying mouth of yours out of this place, as you clearly do not belong here." A blue-haired Knight in front of the group said with a dark and irritated expression from the back of his horse.
The old man, of course, did not appreciate his words, "You calling me a liar, brat?" His voice was not loud, but it boomed in the hearts of those who heard.
The blue-haired Knight turned his horse around and smirked, "What, don't tell you're actually claiming you have beaten a horde of Black Blood Fiends all on your own? I mean, really, Black Blood Fiends can burrow underground, have crazy speed, and they are averaging level 350. Do you want me to believe that you actually managed to kill them with only an ax, much less alone? I wouldn't even believe you killed one, much less a hundred. Why not show me how you killed them? Killing a hundred Black Blood Fiends, what utter bullshit."
The old man was irritated by the Knight with the blue hair; he wanted nothing more than to tear him apart… luckily for him, he did not have the patience to just sit back and enjoy getting belittled.
The old man suddenly twisted his body.
"What is this oaf doi-"
His words stopped as the horse he was on was suddenly eaten by the ground.
"Huh?"
Fwu!
The old man's fist stopped just before the blue-haired Knight's face like an arrow being released. He was stupefied, and the rush of killing intent from a veteran who built himself from the ground up from
"Sir Alex!"
"Alex!"
Behind the blue-haired Knight, his companion pulled their swords, but the old man did not spare them a second look.
"Burrow underground? Crazy speed? Those things were nothing to me. I am the Raging Earth. I can swing my ax faster than I throw a punch; those things don't matter to me. A Seeker worth his salt is built on dangers, experience, and skills. Levels? That does not matter in the face of absolute skill. Though I don't expect someone cuddled in their mother's tits to understand this.."
When the old man stopped talking, he just returned sitting and looked at the others behind the blue-haired Knights and asked them, "I'm here to get some extra cash. You're here to gain honor. You might prove a point by standing up for your friend, but I will make sure to break all your limbs."
The old man was not lying, and when those words reached the other Knights… they sheathed their swords. Satisfied, the old man raised the blue-haired Knight's mount from the ground and said, "Now, stop making enemies of people who mind their own business."
The old man turned his back to the stupefied blue-haired Knight and asked the awed strangers behind him, "Do you want to hear the time when I saw a Giant?"
The blue-haired Knight looked before and behind him. The people he called friends did not spare him a look, and the old man just returned to talking about his tall tales.
The blue-haired Knight had not registered what had happened all but that he was being ridiculed. He could feel it; those around him were laughing. Even if they weren't, their thoughts were leaking out for him to read without any telekinesis.
His face turned red from embarrassment and then ultimately to anger. That he was being looked down upon by those below him, 'Yo-you dare humiliate me, you bastard!?'
He forgot who it was that started the argument. Who dared taunt the old man. It was out of reason and logic, but his anger flared, 'This is all your fault!'
The Knight drew his sword and swung it against the old man without wasting any movement, "Die, you dirty swine!"
A scream unintentionally echoed.
But his sword never reached the old man. Instead, his world was turned upside down as he saw a man flip him off his horse four meters away.
With his ass over his head, the blue-haired Knight looked even more ridiculous than before. The one who did it was a dirty young man covered in grime, dirt, and blood and someone whose level was at a measly 195.
"You da-"
"That old man was going to kill you, I just saved your life, open that mouth, and I will erase your existence from this world." the young man spoke coldly.
"He's right, you know?" the old man added as he showed the blue-haired Knight his hand bulging with veins.
The blue-haired young man looked in terror, imagining what could have happened, and a wet patch appeared on his trousers. The old man just laughed as he shot the young man a look, "You don't look like someone who saves people on a whim. Is that pissy boy a friend of yours?"
"...killing him would've wasted time."
The old man kept quiet but still smiled in amusement, 'He's skilled... hmmm?'
"Hey, boy, what are you doing cutting in line!?"
The young man did not listen.
This young man who stepped in was none other than Isaac, who spent seven days reaching the Inhilgar Kingdom's Border camp. But, he was different from when he left White Wing Town.
He was now more callous, heavy-hearted, and focused solely on reaching the registration of the
Isaac cut the line, not caring about those shouting about what he was doing. He did not care about them, just like how with the blue-haired Knight. He had more pressing matters to attend to.
He saved the blue-haired Knight because if he got killed, everything might've stopped, 'Shit… I can't waste any more time.'
He said with determination as he bit his lower lip. Isaac was in pain, and he didn't know how much longer he could endure. His steps wanted to hasten, but it worsened what he was feeling.
He arrived at the registration and without wasting his time talking, showed them the insignia Yulia gave him, and then he was given a guide to which he asked, "Where is the bathroom?"
That day, the Military Camp experienced a biological attack.