Aaron couldn't believe his eyes, and the reason was the lucky bag he had just obtained. After all, he truly believed that he had "luckily" acquired it, and to top it off, what he had obtained from this bag was something extremely valuable—a "Supreme Dragon Egg."
And his surprise didn't end there. He had gained less experience points from defeating the high-ranked orc than he had expected. He knew that the difficulty of gaining experience points would increase with every 25 levels, but it was not possible for it to increase this much. After all, the monster he had slain was not an ordinary one, even though its rank was D. It was a High Ghost. Aaron realized that he had encountered a truly strange occurrence.
After checking the notification, Aaron turned to the group and spoke:
"We're heading to a safe zone immediately, and then I'll part ways with you."
"We don't understand, sir. Have we done something wrong?" Pule asked.
"It's not about that. In the place i am going, you won't be able to survive for more than 5 minutes. So, while I'm gone, focus on leveling up."
"Only 5 minutes?" April said.
"Yes, the place I'm going is extremely dangerous. Even I can die if I'm not careful. But I have to go. If we want to completely cleanse Leeds, that entity in the place I'm going has to die."
Upon hearing this, the group collectively swallowed and then Camelia spoke:
"We understand, sir, but could you tell us what kind of entity it is?"
"Of course, but first, let's go to the safe zone. Our priority should be getting there. I saw it on the map while checking earlier, and it should be nearby."
The entire group nodded their heads, and Aaron opened the map again to check. After a short while, he noticed the safe zone he had seen before and took the lead, guiding the group towards the safe zone.
After a brief period, Aaron and his group arrived at the safe zone they had set out for. It was a market, and as a result, the shelves and the entire market were filled with food, drinks, and even clothes. Knowing that these items were safe, Aaron grabbed a drink for everyone and had them sit around the table inside the market. The group sitting around the table had eyes filled with curiosity, which only increased with each passing second. Eager to satisfy their curiosity, Aaron took a sip from his drink and began to speak:
"The entity I'll be fighting... It's powerful, and even in my current state, I'm not entirely sure if I'll come out unscathed." The group couldn't hide their astonishment after hearing these words. They had witnessed the young man they considered their lord displaying his strength with their own eyes, and now he was admitting that even with that power, he might get hurt. How could they not be surprised?
"If I'm careless, there's even a chance of me dying. That's why I don't want you to come with me. We have no chance against that entity except to face it one-on-one with my current power." The group was taken aback, and their surprise quickly turned into worry. Learning that the person they regarded as their lord was willingly stepping into such danger was not a comforting situation for them.
"As for what that entity is..." The entire group focused their attention on Aaron, increasing their curiosity.
"It's a Constellation. These entities are truly powerful beings. The reason those two small boss monsters I killed in the past few days were so strong is because of them. Normally, with my current state, those small boss monsters wouldn't even be able to inflict any damage on me. Yes, they were beings of a much higher level, but it shouldn't be possible for them to be this strong at this level. Maybe in the future, when their ranks increase, they could potentially harm me, but not now. It's impossible."
"These creatures are truly demonic. Only a few of them are well-intentioned and do not aim to harm humans. The rest, however, desire and crave to destroy any living beings that come in their path, especially humans." The entire group trembled at once.
"If the system allowed them to deviate from their designated ecosystem, the human population would have been reduced to zero by now. The higher-ranked ones among them could potentially wipe out entire regions with a single attack, eradicating their own ecosystem."
Aaron wasn't lying about this matter. There were exactly 88 Constellations, at least in his previous life. 44 of them resided in the Northern Hemisphere, while the other 44 were in the Southern Hemisphere, and 23 of them had already been slain during Aaron's previous life.
The remaining 65 had made agreements with humans, promising not to harm them as long as the humans entering their ecosystem refrained from causing them harm. That's why 65 Constellations were still alive.
In the world, there were many X-level hunters who refused to abide by this rule, and there were those who sought to hunt them down. However, there were also powerful X-level hunters who personally protected them to maintain the balance. Aaron was one of them.
"I believe the Constellation I'm about to attack is of low level, so there's no need to worry. If you're concerned, focus on strengthening yourselves while I'm away," Aaron said, and the group nodded in unison.
After these conversations, he suddenly stood up, took his drink from the table, raised it to his head, then approached the door and turned back to speak:
"If your intention is to stay by my side, no matter what you do, strive to become stronger," he said, and swiftly exited through the door, distancing himself from the market.
The group watched him leave, filled with a mixture of anticipation and determination.
-----
Aaron had swiftly distanced himself from the safe zone and immersed himself in his thoughts. He didn't know what kind of Constellation he would be fighting against. If he had to battle a high-level Constellation like Orion, it would surely result in his certain death. Most Constellations were excessively powerful, and if he encountered a friendly Constellation, he could make a pact of death with it and borrow power from the Constellation or seal the Constellation within his own body, allowing it to reside within him. This was an event that had taken place with one of his friends in his previous life.
However, he desired to fight against a Constellation because he had never fought against any of them in his previous life, and Aaron's warrior spirit had reached a level where it would explode. He had risen to a point where he was willing to engage in battle and endure serious injuries if necessary.
Some Constellations were disproportionately powerful, even surpassing the other six great sins, except for Lucifer. At least that's what was said. This was the reason for his fear. He knew it would be an extremely tough battle, which was why he hadn't even used one of the 20 life potions he had obtained from the World Tower. Unfortunately, mana potions were not sold in the World Tower markets; otherwise, Aaron wouldn't be pondering so anxiously.
Mana potions were truly crucial. As long as one reached the level and class of a healer, they could perform all kinds of magic. They could even revive a person if they wished to expend their life energy, of course, provided they had sufficient mana. This was the reason why mana elixirs held such importance.
It had already been 20 minutes since he set out on the road, trying to find any clue about the Constellation. Unfortunately, Constellations were not things easily found. They were adept at protecting themselves, hiding, and launching precise attacks.
Each of them was a complete sadist.
That's why Aaron had completely concealed his dark aura and tried not to send any "energy" towards the Constellation. This way, the Constellation would be the one to notice it first, not him.
"Death," Aaron said quietly. He was very calm, his mind clear, and his energy remarkably stable. He was meditating like a monk.
The reason he said "death" was that he had already accepted his fate. If he became defenseless and died, he had already done enough to help his family, and on top of that, he had a team of seven people who trusted him excessively, which eliminated his concerns for his family.
These kids would do anything for him. Even if he felt sorry for using them, he was cunning enough not to hesitate to use them. That's why he invited them to his team and showed them his family. Aaron carefully orchestrated every move he made regarding them, just like a game of chess.
When he approached a wide area, he said out loud, "This is it." He knew that he would enter their territory just a few steps ahead, so he had to organize everything he had in his possession, use what he could use, and be thoroughly prepared for the outcome.
After a brief organization, he chose to use the only thing he could use, the "Bag of Luck," and when he opened the bag, what he received made him smile.
"Insatiable Shield (1 use)
When the user activates the shield paper, an impenetrable shield forms around them, even death cannot break it. The shield lasts for 1 minute and then dissipates.
Usage Condition: None"
This paper had a deep yellow light and was shining brightly.
"I guess the system is trying to remind me of my memories from my previous life," he said. "But this time, it really made me happy," he added, standing up. Then, with a slow step, he entered the territory—right at that moment, two notifications appeared:
"Aaron Dion, you have entered the Constellation's territory."
"SS-level Mission: Extermination of Constellation
The small Constellation, Alshain, is wandering in these lands and establishing its own territory. The user is requested to eliminate it.
Mission Reward: Constellation's Special Item, Universal Renewal.
Mission Penalty: Death."
Aaron was surprised when he read the name of the small Constellation because he knew which Constellation it was a part of.
"Alshain!!!" he exclaimed with great anger. Alshain was one of the four prominent parts of the major Constellation Aquila, and it was the second most powerful part. This major Constellation, Aquila, means "eagle" in Latin and originally belonged to the Roman god Jupiter. Aquila served the King of Gods, Zeus, and carried his thunderbolts.
The power of this eagle knows no bounds; it is a complete annihilator. Moreover, this Constellation was one of the few Constellations that were slaughtered in his previous life.
Alshain is a part of Aquila's power and is the second most powerful among these parts.
Any item or anything he would receive would be more valuable than the item possessed by his master in his previous life. Yes, his master had killed a real Constellation, but the Constellation he killed ranked 87th in the power hierarchy, and that weapon alone had caused the deaths of millions.
"Do you want to accept the mission? Once the mission is accepted, there will be no way to exit the area," a sudden system notification appeared in front of him.
"It's nice of you to consider me, system, but just like in my previous life, I have courage. There's no room for fear," Aaron said proudly, and then he accepted the mission.
The battle that would introduce him to the world had now begun.