I left the association association shortly after. My next destination was another dungeon—a B-rank one. Since there was only one A-rank dungeon in cobalt city, my only option was the B-rank dungeon.
Clearing it wasn't my main objective. My true goal is to acquire a specific skill that would prove invaluable for the journey ahead. The B-rank dungeon was just a stepping stone, but the skill I sought to obtain could be a game-changer.
-Hunters Association-
"Mr.Chairman, you specifically decided that you'd only grant him the option of leaving the Association in the contract, but why the sudden change?" Ethan asked, his confusion was evident as he tried to understand the chairman's abrupt change in decision.
The chairman's expression hardened, and he fixed his gaze on Ethan. "Tell me honestly, how long has it been since he became an awakened? And I dare you say that he has been an awakened only for a few days," the chairman said in a heavy voice that made the atmosphere inside the office tense.
Ethan hesitated for a moment, startled by the chairman's intensity. "Yes, Mr. Chairman, you're absolutely right. It's only been a few days since he awakened as a hunter."
"Is... is there something wrong?" he stammered, his voice faltering under the chairman's stern gaze as he couldn't understand what had triggered such a sudden shift in chairman's calm demeanor.
The sudden shift in chairman's demeanor was palpable. Ethan noticed that something was a miss here.... something he couldn't see except for the chairman.
"Since you're not a hunter, you might not have noticed it," the chairman began, his voice steady. "But after seeing him upclose, I can tell you this with utmost certainty that his aura was monstrous, even compared to other S-rankers. Frankly speaking, I'm not sure if I could come out unscathed in a one-on-one battle with him," he admitted, his expression both serious and resolute.
He paused for a moment. "We're fortunate to have secured a deal with him. Tomorrow's tournament will be nothing more than child's play for him. With him on our side, victory in the upcoming tournament is practically guaranteed." His voice was calm and confidant, as if he knew everything.
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I arrived at the entrance of the dungeon, noticing a decent crowd gathered around the gate. Upon closer look, I realized they weren't just hunters—they were reporters.
"What's with this crowd of reporters?" I asked one of the guards stationed nearby.
The guard leaned in slightly, lowering his voice as if revealing some sort of secret. "There's a rumor going around that a high-ranking hunter is expected to show up and clear all the dungeons nearing their break point."
"Are they insane?" I thought, glancing at the ominous red glow emanating from the dungeon gate. "The gate is clearly in the red zone, and they're here chasing news?"
I shook my head in disbelief. "Well... not my problem," I muttered to myself, dismissing the unnecessary drama.
I stepped into the dungeon, feeling the presence of many eyes and cameras on me, though their attention was of no concern. This time I had set aside my usual oath of keeping a low profile.
"I'm practically an unofficial S-ranker, who would in their right mind try to mess with me?"
"After clearing this dungeon and achieving my objective of obtaining a particular skill, I'll come out even stronger," I thought, a surge of anticipation fueling me as I prepared to rip apart this whole dungeon.
"I need to focus on the task at hand," I reminded myself, pushing aside any lingering distractions. As I crossed the gate, the familiar world vanished behind me, replaced by a completely different dimensiona.
This was a field-type dungeon, one of the rarer types of dungeons. Nearly all of these dungeons center around a single, powerful boss monster. The boss of a field-type dungeon is significantly stronger than the boss of a floor-type dungeon of the same rank. However, the trade-off is that the other monsters in a floor-type dungeon are generally stronger than those found in a field-type dungeon of the same rank. It's some sort of delicate rule that maintains the balance between them.
There are three main types of dungeons: floor-type, field-type, and normal dungeons. The last dungeon I raided was a normal one. In normal dungeons, both the boss and the mobs are evenly balanced in strength. In contrast, field-type dungeons have stronger bosses, while floor-type dungeons are known for their powerful mob monsters.
I activated [Flight], and immediately, my body began to float as I soared to the sky, my speed far faster than before. I located the monsters and used [Shout]. The piercing sound echoed throughout the dungeon, and the monsters came flooding toward me, drawn like moths to a flame.
With a mere thought, I conjured three [Spiral Spheres] and hurled them toward the approaching horde.
Booom!!!!!
The impact was devastating like a nuclear missile. Each of the [Spiral Sphere] exploded with immense power, and when the dust settled, a massive crater, about 300 meters wide, marked the spot where the monsters had once gathered.
[Ding your level has risen by 1]
I descended onto the barren land below."Now, it's time to acquire the most important skill."
This skill was the very reason I was trying to obtain the skill related to every element.
I scanned the area, searching for an object strong enough to withstand the crushing force of many skills combined. The skill I was about to learn would be a game-changer, and I needed the perfect target to harness its full potential.
I spotted a boulder towering about 25 meters in height, the perfect target for my pent-up power. Without hesitation, I activated [Graviton] on it, watching as the massive rock began to shift under the overwhelming force. After a few seconds, while [Graviton was activated, something caught my attention, I noticed that [Graviton] didn't have a limited duration. As long as I fed it mana, the skill would keep going.
"That's not a problem for me," I thought, knowing my mana reserves were strong enough to handle it.
"Now, let's begin the cooking, shall we?"
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