Outside the Sunset Fortress, in a secluded wooden house.
A handsome, fair-skinned young man sat at a round table, positioned at the head of the table. This was Yuri Stark.
Beside him sat seven burly men in armor, wearing felt hats or helmets, each with a massive sword or axe leaning against the table. They all stared intently at the young man.
"Ten gold coins per person? Too little, at least twenty," said a middle-aged man in the center, with a bulging belly, a thick beard, and a ruddy face, shaking his head slowly.
"You're just killing a squire. Ten gold coins is already quite high," one of the men commented.
"In Rhine County, you could spend twenty nights in a tavern, and even hire three prostitutes in one night, if you had the means."
The group of burly men laughed at the remark. As seasoned patrons of brothels, they exchanged knowing glances.
The bearded man laughed heartily and then fixed his sharp eyes on Yuri, his gaze cold and intense.
"Kid, do you not understand the situation? Right now, you're asking us, the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group, to do you a favor. If you don't agree, I'll sell the information about you to that little brat you're planning to kill. Might be worth more than this."
The other men bared their teeth, their eyes glinting with bloodlust, as if they were wolves about to pounce on their prey.
These desperate men were willing to risk their lives. Yuri shrank back slightly, showing a hint of fear, and trembled as he replied, "Fine... Okay, twenty gold coins each."
"Good. As per the rules, pay 50% upfront. Let's see... Ah, that would be..." The bearded man stopped suddenly, unable to calculate the amount yet.
"Boss, that's 70 gold coins in total," one of his men said.
"Do I not know that? No need for your chatter!" The bearded man slapped the speaker on the head and then grinned as he stretched out his hand.
Yuri's face darkened. Seventy gold coins... almost a third of his savings. But to kill him, it was worth it. He gritted his teeth and pulled a large cloth bag from under the table, dumping it onto the surface.
The sound of coins clinking echoed as a golden pile quickly spread across the table.
The bearded man's eyes lit up, and he eagerly slid the coins toward himself, then handed ten to each of his men—fair and square.
"By the way, what's that kid's name?" he asked as he turned to leave.
Yuri hesitated for a moment, then his lips twitched as he replied, "Gian! Gian Stark."
"Got it. Brothers, let's go!" The bearded man shouted with excitement, grabbing his axe and longbow as he strode out the door.
Yuri watched them leave, suddenly filled with doubt. These guys... they really didn't look very reliable.
---
As the morning sun rose, Gian began his journey back. Draven, as usual, was nowhere to be seen. According to him, "I'll appear when the time is right."
Vikaya was cold year-round, with its frigid climate and constant snow. The weak sunlight was the only thing that made it slightly warmer.
After a night's rest, Gian's arm injury was healing, and it was no longer a major issue. With that, his mind began to settle somewhat.
Looking around, Gian started to think about his future.
It had been over three months since he crossed over here. He was now a senior knight, but lacked official recognition—he still needed the knighthood ceremony.
His father was likely no longer alive, so next, he'd have to deal with the inheritance issue. He had no interest in this barony, and besides, Jiwading was a war-torn region, unstable and dangerous.
Thus, he needed to get away from here, find a suitable place, and rely on his talent to slowly grow stronger and ensure his survival.
However, a bigger problem emerged: to become a Grand Knight, he needed a special potion called the "Essence of Life." This was too far out of reach, unrealistic for now.
Another option was the path of the wizard.
But this mysterious and elusive profession was something he knew little about, and there were no clear recommendations. According to Draven, even a Grand Knight could only be an assistant to a wizard. This showed just how insurmountable the gap was between knights and wizards.
The peak of a knight's power barely compared to a wizard's starting point.
At this thought, Gian's desire to grow stronger intensified.
Forget it, I'll not think about this now, Gian shook his head and decided to focus on completing the knighthood ceremony first.
After a short while, Gian walked into a dense forest, filled with towering sycamore trees. The thick undergrowth obscured his vision.
Using his Hawk Eye vision, Gian suddenly felt a strong sense of danger, his sixth sense sharply alerting him.
Without thinking, he instinctively crouched and leaned forward.
Whoosh—
An arrow shot toward him, grazing his scalp before embedding into the sycamore tree behind him.
A surprised "Huh!" came from nearby.
Gian leaped to the left, dodging another arrow. His eyes locked forward, and his heart sank—there was an ambush!
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
Three arrows came from different directions, moving too fast to dodge.
With a metallic sound, his knight's sword was drawn, gleaming with cold light.
Gian spun his sword in a Spiral Slash, the blade rotating at high speed, buzzing like a windmill, shredding the incoming arrows with clattering noises.
Taking advantage of the momentary lull, Gian activated his Hawk Eye vision and used his Keen Touch skill to enhance both his sight and hearing. In an instant, he spotted a burly man hiding twenty meters to the south behind a large tree.
Without hesitation, Gian charged toward him, weaving through the arrows with swift side steps and jumps.
Finally, he spotted the man— a muscular, red-haired brute, holding a massive axe. The man dropped his longbow and gripped his weapon with both hands.
"Yah!" the red-haired giant shouted as he swung his axe with tremendous force.
As a senior knight, Gian was unafraid. He blocked the strike with his sword, the impact sending the giant stumbling backward. Before the man could regain his balance, Gian swiftly sliced through his throat.
The giant's eyes glazed over, his body stiffened, and the axe fell to the ground as he collapsed.
"Lois!" a sharp shout rang out, and soon six more massive men emerged from the trees, all wielding swords or axes. They surrounded Gian.
"Kid, you're not leaving today. Surrender and die," the leader, Sain, growled, raising his axe high.
Gian remained calm and immediately activated his system: "007, display information."
"Sain: Mid-tier Knight, Strength 2.2, Agility 2.6, Mental 0, incredibly strong."
"Izer: Mid-tier Knight, Strength 2.1, Agility 2.6, Mental 0."
...
Five mid-tier knights and one low-tier knight. In Rhine County, they were quite a formidable force.
But that was all.
---
Fifteen minutes later, except for Sain, who had been injured with a few cuts, all the members of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group were dead.
Gian, his leather armor covered in blood, walked up step by step, looking down at Sain, his sword pointed at the man's throat.
"Who sent you?"
Sain's eyes filled with fear, his throat struggling to speak. "If I tell you, can you spare me?"
"You don't have the right to make demands."
Gian pushed the sword forward, piercing Sain's skin. Fresh blood dripped from the blade as Gian's voice grew icy cold, like a fishmonger who'd killed for years.
"It's... it's Yuri, Yuri Stark."
Sain's voice trembled as he gave up the information.
"Good." Gian nodded, then suddenly smiled, a wicked thought crossing his mind. He turned his back to Sain.
"Want to live?"
"Yes! Yes!" Sain hurriedly agreed.
"Then follow my instructions."
With a cold laugh, Gian began to beat him senseless. He stripped all the gold from the mercenaries and collected any valuables they had, tossing them into a large bag.
Sain stared at him, dumbfounded. "Damn it, this guy is more like a bandit than us Wild Wolf Mercenaries."
---
Inside the dark, damp underground chamber of Sunset Fortress, a middle-aged fat man with disheveled hair, his upper body bare, his wrists bound by rope, hung from a beam. His body was bruised and covered in blood.
This was Hulk, the fat man who had been friendly with Gian Stark!
Opposite him sat Yuri, holding a bloodstained whip, his face dark with anger.
"Hulk, tell me, what were you doing with the knights Feimon and Kodo?" Yuri's voice was grim.
"Haha, you can beat me to death, but I won't tell you anything," Hulk spat blood, laughing coldly.
"Then you'll wait for Gian Stark to avenge you," he said defiantly.
"Your master? He won't be coming back," Yuri said coldly, walking up and raising the whip.
With a swish, the whip cracked across Hulk's chest, and the sound of breaking air echoed.