Markus was still at daze about what just happened, as he glanced towards Karn who was walking back towards the Cecil family.
"Was I just challenged ?" Markus questioned, he didn't really feel anything offensive about the challenge per say, but what actually surprised him was his opponent, who still had such vivid fighting spirit, despite knowing, he is facing a 4th Circle Magician.
'He looks younger than me, what the hell was he thinking?." Markus though inwardly.
Although Markus can't be considered an era defining genius, or a prodigy of Ignis Academy, but the mere fact that he was capable enough of attending such an esteemed place, means he is an extraordinary talent.
Just mentioning that one point, his opponent's give up despite being at the same Rank as him, but here he witnessed a complete opposite reaction, and from someone obviously younger and weaker than him, this made Markus curious about this young Knight he was talking to,just a while ago.
But this two individual's, were completely unaware that there were another pair of eyes and ears, that heard the entire conversation that procured between the two of them.
Today's Banquet contained almost half of the powerhouses, of the entire Helos Kingdom, they could catch even a slightest bit of noise, kilometers away from their current place, let alone a conversation happening in the same room,and just so happens two such entities peeped in, on the entire conversation that took place between Markus and Karn.
"Did you heard that Marchioness Ideeal ?." An old man with grey hair and long beard said, glancing towards, a silver haired lady standing beside him with a cold and aloof expression.
"That Knight is very strong for his age, I'm afraid his identity is not that simple." Irene Ideeal said, while glancing towards the old man beside her, who also happens to be an '8th Circle Archmage of the Helos Kingdom.
"I can see that as well and but it appears he is walking a path of a swordsman." the old man said with a sorrowful tone "there are only three people in the entire continent, who managed to reach the Rank of 7 star Swordsmaster, maybe he is related to one of those three."
Irene ideeal didn't give much of a retort, as she merely said "Everyone has the right to walk their own path, we have no right to criticise that." She paused for a second, giving Karn one last glance before saying. "But his origin indeed seem suspicious, later we should send someone to check his background."
"Well, that's for later,now I still have something to do." Saying so, the Old man teleported and appeared in the middle of the Auditorium.
"Hello Everyone, I'm Archmage Gusete, I'll be the one responsible for guiding you to the hunting ground'
Archmage Gusete introduced himself, although it seem completely unnecessary, as Everyone in the Helos Kingdom would already know who he is.
Gussete Grabbed his long wooden wand, and drew a large Magic circles in the air, that looked like some kind of complex diagram.
Soon the Magic Circle was complete, and a large blue portal appeared right in the middle of the banquet "
"This portal will drop you in random parts of the hunting ground, and each monsters, you kill will be tallied in here, and the top 3 family will receive a present, personally handed out by King Helos."
"What about the point system, how is it exactly gonna be tallied." One of the nobles questioned.
"The Beasts inside the hunting ground are Ranked from E to A Rank, for those who still have doubts, look over the instructions written here."
Archmage Gusete merely flicked his hand, and a large black banner with something written on it was summoned midair.
'Magic sure is convenient' Karn thought,before glancing at the large banner in front of him.
E Rank ----- 1 Points
D Rank ----- 10 points
C Rank ----- 100 points
B Rank ----- 1000 points
A Rank ------10000 points
The instructions, were quite clear, the one who earns most points in a span of an hour, will win this hunting competition.
Karn couldn't help but frown at the foremention of an A Rank beast, with his current strength, attempting something so bizarre is akin to committing suicide.
While the rest of the noble families, seem to agree with Karn's sentiments and decided to completely ignore that existence of an A Rank Magical Beast.
"Archmage Gusete what is the meaning of this, an A Rank beast, how would Markus..... I mean the other families suppose to defeat such a thing."
King Helos whispered with a hint of concern.
"They can't" Gusete said with a smile on his face.
"Then..."
"Relax, your Majesty, if you hold Markus back from any sorts of challenge, you might halt his growth."
King Helos immediately stopped talking, Markus was his youngest and most talented child, he didn't want to do anything that might block his son's futute path.
"Now each family will, choose one representative and enter inside the portal."
Soon each noble family seem to have chosen their representatives for participating in the hunting festival, while there were few following the suit of Ideeal Family, choosing not to participate.
"Sir Karn, you don't need to do this, we can choose not to participate." Baroness Cecil suggested.
Karn immediately shook his head and said.
"I want to do this, this is a unique experience, that might be helpful in my growth."
After leaving his last greetings, Karn charged in towards and the portal along with rest of the participants.
As soon as he entered the portal, he seemed to have been thrown in a large abandoned plain, with no other person appear to be seen.
"I guess the portal threw everyone in different random places." Karn said, while looking around, as he found no other contestants, who entered along with him.
Karn decided to stride forward, as he only one had hour to hunt as many Magical beasts as he could.
As he rushed forward for five minutes straight he but couldn't find, a single Magical Beasts in this desolate plains.
"What the hell ?, Why is this place so isolated ?." Karn frowned.
Honestly, he just had to get out of this place and start hunting at some other place. But Karn could instinctively tell there is something off about this particular place.
"Darn I don't have much time, I need to start hunting." Karn murmured before dashing forward as fast as he possibly can.
He decided to leave his concerns behind, and leave this place, as the general goal of this competition was to hunt monsters, not to investigate the reason why this place was completely empty.
~Thud~Thud~Thud~
The ground under Karn's feet began to shake, and as if answering to the question that karn had in his mind , a Large beast completely covered with black fur all over his body appeared in front of Karn.
A figure tens of meter long, with a red ferocious eyes and a face that had a visible grin, as if it's looking at a bug, that he can kill with a mere swat of his hand.
"Fuck, how can I forget, how territorial Magic Beasts are." Karn cussed inwardly.
He felt stupid, as he forgot the very basic thing when it comes to magic beasts, whenever there's a completely isolated land, it means a very strong beast have already occupied that place.
The reason why there's no other Magical beast in here, is because this thing in front of him has already occupied this place, and no other beasts dared to challenge this new owner of this place. and their is a very good reason for that.
"A Rank Magical Beast, Elder Ape" Karn murmured as he glanced towards the giant figure in front of him.
Descendants, of a Centinnal Rank 'Titan Ape', thanks to such a strong bloodline, they are gifted with strong physic and strength, right from their birth.
"Hahahaha, Jeez I feel like fate is making fun of me." Karn whollowed.
He came here to investigate about the undeads,but he keeps getting challenged, by things several times stronger than him.
He has been doing everything else except for what he came to do.
Soon the Elder Ape, flicked his hand towards Karn, as if he was merely swatting an annoying bug that appeared in front of him.
Karn immediately dashed sideways, barely managing to avoid that large hand charging towards him.
Soon the Elder Ape realised, that he missed his target, as he raised his hand again and charged in.
Karn noticed a large palm shaped pit imprint embedded deep on the ground, he knew, with just one hit from this beast and not even his body would be left to found.
Karn Immediately gritted his teeth, while barely managing to dodge those barrages of attack from the Elder Ape.
Seeing his opponent, dodging his attack, the Elder Ape turned furious, as he felt humiliated, by the fact that he had to put so much effort just to squash this one tiny bug in front of him.
The Elder ape soon started pounding his legs on the ground, to create aftershocks and mess with Karn's posture.
Soon the ground began to shake wildly, as Karn fell on his back due to those huge aftershocks.
While he glanced towards the Elder Ape, he saw a wild grin appearing on it's face, as it raised its hand high up in the air, ready to pounce and squash Karn into a meat paste.
"Fuck" Karn cussed, as he helplessly saw a large palm charging right toward's him.