"Slash..."
Noah blocked a strike from the metal dummy with great difficulty, his breath hitching with each movement.
The numb feeling in his hand holding the metal sword was nothing compared to the unbearable bone pain.
Noah had to change his grip on the sword multiple times. Being ambidextrous helped him maneuver the sword perfectly with both hands.
The defense training was excruciating, as one needed to face an opponent with the same amount of strength as the defense points they wanted to improve.
So here Noah was, facing an attack power of 30 strength points.
The opponent golems were no joke. Noah had a hard time dealing with them.
Another strike came his way, and Noah decided to meet it head-on.
Avoiding strikes would never benefit him, as his purpose now was to improve his defense, not his agility.
After fighting continuously for a few hours, his body felt a sudden weightlessness as Noah felt an invisible aura surrounding his skin.
The next strike from the golem met his body but didn't move him an inch. Instead, the golem took a few steps back.
"Finally..." Noah breathed, feeling the powerful sensation emanating from his body. Without essence or mana, he had upgraded his attributes to a range of 30.
It was surprising, even unheard of in the world of runners. But Noah, through immense hard work, had achieved something few could.
Noah went to pay the bills, and after paying, he exited the Runners' Hall and walked to the food street a few kilometers away.
His movements were swift, like running, but he hardly felt fatigue. The increased attributes boosted his confidence, as no Tier 1 runner here would be his match.
Most Tier 2 runners would be in Tier 2 dungeons on nearby planets, striving to reach Tier 3 and undergo their second awakening. That would grant them permission to enter high-level planets, so most of them had no time to waste on this planet.
This practically made Noah a little powerhouse here.
Noah was proud of himself.
Entering the restaurant, his eyes met Master Evlin, who seemed intoxicated by alcohol.
He was surprised for a moment before sitting next to Evlin.
"Uncle Chen, the usual, please..." Noah shouted, making Evlin glance up at him.
"Oh, you're here..." said Evlin, looking deeply at Noah with drowsy eyes. "Improved again? Good..."
Master Evlin had no aura of a runner or Rift Walker, but somehow he seemed to know whenever Noah improved his attributes. Noah had asked about it multiple times, but all Evlin said was, "Just a simple trick..."
Noah was sure that there was something mysterious about Master Evlin, secrets best left unknown.
So, Noah stopped asking about his background, but they often had conversations about simple things happening around them.
One time, Master asked him, "Why would you want to become a Rift Walker?"
Noah answered at time, "For revenge..."
Then came the question, "What after the revenge?"
Noah had talked about becoming a Legend and saving the world from Rift breaks, which made Evlin scoff at him with that usual indifference.
"Perhaps, Master is not found of that idea..." Noah thought after that day.
However, most of his conversations with the Master improved his worldview, which Noah wholeheartedly accepted.
Today was the first time Noah had seen the Master in this condition, seemingly faint at any moment.
Noah dripped an ice cube into a glass, mixing it with Red Chilies, a famous alcohol in the city. He took a sip and grimaced.
"This is fire! Uncle Chen, did you perhaps add something today?"
"Haha, boy, take it as a treat from me..." came Uncle Chen's voice from behind the counter.
Noah fanned his mouth, but the feeling of spice quickly disappeared, leaving a sweat taste on his tongue.
This was the main reason Red Chilies were so popular in the city: the exhilarating sensation of burning and then cooling.
Suddenly, the restaurant door burst open, and a group of people walked in arrogantly. The leading man had a sharp aura that made the nearby tables creak.
Noah frowned, sensing that they were newly upgraded Tier 2 runners.
The leading man must have a talent related to swords.
"You also sense that, right?" Evlin asked disdainfully, breaking his silence.
Noah was taken aback.
Wasn't it obvious from the sword marks on the table?
Evlin seemed to read his mind and laughed. "A true Rift Walker is silent, like mana." He then pointed at the young man, "He, a fool, naively showing his weakness..."
Noah's eyes followed the Master's gaze, locking onto the table with the sword scratches.
There sat a team of four people with lackluster expressions, but Noah noticed their body language was anything but.
The huge guy in the group even had one hand on his shield.
Evlin fell silent, leaning back in his chair and enjoying the unfolding drama.
The leading young man jumped to the water fountain in the middle and took out a shining golden orb from his hand.
Instantly, the aura in the restaurant solidified as every pair of eyes locked onto it with stunned expressions that quickly turned into something sinister.
Some stood up in shock, most of them already summoned their weapons.
Even Noah was stunned, but he quickly shook off his feelings and cursed internally.
'This fool...'
Awakening a talent at Tier 1 might grant someone a skill, but it wouldn't be an active skill suitable for combat.
Skill shards solved that problem. Skill shards contained skills that could be directly implanted into a runner's spirit when absorbed.
The quality of a skill shard was determined by its color (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet in ascending order).
The skill shard in this man's hand was of a higher quality than any of these...
'A Golden skill shard...
A Divine-ranked skill...
And it's a broken shard, meaning there might be a Divine weapon or Divine skill associated with it.'
Noah had no intention of staying and watching the drama unfold.
A Divine-ranked skill appearing here meant a bloodbath was imminent. Even Tier 3 runners would be drawn to it.
Noah cursed the perpetrator and looked around for an escape route.
Divine-ranked or not, no skill would be useful to him.
He had no idea if he curse or praise his talent in this situation.