"Yo, Yo, Yo, Youuuu, you bastard, you killed Eleazar," The muscular bandit roared in horror, stumbling back as his body trembled uncontrollably.
"Our group leader is a Chosen, a system holder, and you just killed his brother. He will hunt you down to the ends of the earth." The taller bandit to his left roared as he shot two rapid arrows at Draven while the other rushed at him with his shield held high.
Draven knocked the arrows away as he swiftly bridged the distance to the skinny bandit, slicing his right arm off in one slash before thrusting his sword right through his face and ending his life.
The last bandit stopped in his tracks, his face twisting in fear as the realization of his fate became clear, and while he wished to run, he knew with Eleazar dead, his leader would not leave him alive, and death at his hand would be anything but easy.
So, gritting his teeth, he rushed forward, aiming to slam his shield into Draven, only to feel blood-crudling pain from his side, and before he could even process the strike, the pain vanished, replaced by cold darkness that slowly engulfed his senses.
Nero spectated everything in the first-person view, not closing his eyes for even a moment, fearing he might miss something, and to say he was impressed would be an understatement.
He saw his own arm literally vanish, achieving speed that he could never imagine, not with his weak body, yet what impressed him the most was not the speed but how Draven had no wasted movement, as his every action worked to achieve the perfect end result.
"Collect their heads, and when you reach the city, collect the bounty before buying a common-grade mask, a robe, a set of good-looking dark clothes, and a rare-grade crystal-tip Rune pen," Draven's cold voice sounded in his mind as Nero regained control over his body.
Nero looked to his side, seeing the decapitated corpse lying at his feet before looking around to see the other two dead bandits, and while it was not his first time seeing corpses drenched in blood, it was still not a pleasing sight for him.
He took a few deep breaths after closing his eyes, and once he opened them, he felt no nausea, fear, or shock. Holding his sword firmly, he moved to the archer whose neck was still intact, swinging his blade with all his weight, decapitating him in one fell swoop.
He calmly emptied his ration bag before picking up and placing the head inside, then moved on to the next one and then the last.
Nero did think of searching the bodies and even taking away their weapons, but since he was not asked and did not want to get all bloody, he decided it was best to leave.
He left the canyon and, after a short distance, reached the main road leading to the city, and less than an hour later, he stood at the gates of Verdora.
The city of Verdora sat on a flat stretch of grassland. At its back loomed the towering rugged peaks, which also formed the boundary of the ancient Elderwood Forest, dark and imposing, sheltering the city from the beasts of the forest.
The massive city walls, nearly thirty meters in height, circled it all around, and they were made from hard marble mined from the elder wood mountain chain, their surface gleaming faintly under the sun.
In front of the city, a vast expanse of rich, fertile soil stretched for kilometers, meticulously cultivated for agriculture. Fields of crops extended far beyond what eyes could see, forming a patchwork of greens and golds.
Verdora itself sprawled across several hundred hectares, housing a few thousand people, and with the presence of rich soil and the Elderwood forest, the city was a bustling hub for both agriculture and adventurers.
'I hope I don't find any trouble this time in the city,' Nero thought, remembering the incident from four years ago when, for the second time, he nearly lost his life.
"NEXT"
The guard's roar brought Nero back to reality, so he quickly moved to the window of the gate station and handed over two silver coins since he was not a resident of the city.
"What is in the bag? It? It gives off a strong smell of blood," The guard asked after looking at Nero for a few seconds, ensuring he did not match one of the wanted posters.
"Three decapitated heads of a few low-life bandits I found on my way to the city," Nero answered, not surprised he could smell blood since he was a second-stage ascendant, as the two-star badge on his chest proudly displayed his strength.
In the world of Tessrak, most people could use mana to wield the elemental magic they had an affinity with, and those with talent could also use magic to walk the path of ascension.
The path of ascension was divided into seven ranks, each rank requiring the person to meet certain conditions. With each advancement, one would undergo a transformation, making one's strength and limits grow significantly.
Nero, like most of the public, knew only about the first three of the seven Ranks. The rest was not common knowledge that one could find in normal libraries, not because the people in power kept it to themselves but because 99% of the people never needed it.
The first three paths were the same as climbing a mountain of swords or swimming through a sea of fire, and even those with great talent and resources on top of proper guidance needed years to progress, but the real challenge came with the latter Ranks.
It was known from stories that a Seventh Rank ascended could level cities with a flick of his wrist and erase entire battlefields of thousands.
While such tales could easily be exaggerated as they could not be proven given the relative peace of the human continent, they were still within the realm of possibility, especially considering the immense power even those of the Third Rank could wield.
The guard waved him through without another word, and Nero stepped into the city. The streets were lined with small, tidy houses built from wood and stone, compact and efficient, each only a few dozen square meters in size.
The houses took up a mere tenth of the land compared to the sprawling homes in his village, reflecting the high price of land in the bustling city, and it was no surprise, as safety and access to resources came at a steep cost.
The roads were smoothly paved with stone, a stark contrast to the dirt paths he had gotten used to. In the distance, towering stone mansions could be seen, their intricate designs reflecting the work of magic and the worth of the people who lived inside.
Nero took in the busy beauty of the city, a smile spreading across his lips, realizing that he was finally back, back on the path of growing into something from a nobody.
The sight of the city made Nero remember his grand dreams, but he calmed his boiling emotions and suppressed both his happiness and fear, knowing he had yet to even take the first step.
He quickly asked for the direction of the adventures guild and made his way to it, a grand building made purely of dark marble, standing tall with ten floors, a massive insignia made of eleven equally bright stars arranged in the form of a Haider, a beast of old, resembling a lion but one with a much grander and mythic appearance.
'Let's hope no one recognizes me this time,' Nero thought, pushing his dark thoughts aside as he entered the building.
The floor was alive with energy, a chaotic but organized hum of activity. The large hall stretched out before him, filled with adventurers of all kinds, from seasoned veterans clad in armor to fresh-faced recruits who looked like they had not yet seen a proper battle.
The air was thick with conversations, some in hushed tones as adventurers discussed their next jobs, while others laughed and joked, celebrating victories or nursing their bruised pride.
Four long lines stretched before the counters, taking nearly half of the room, where guild workers efficiently confirmed new quests or processed the completed ones and handed out the reward.
The walls were adorned with notice boards filled with papers pinned haphazardly with job postings ranging from lowly fetch quests to dangerous monster hunts.
The floor, made of polished wood, echoed faintly with the footsteps of the adventurers moving back and forth. While one would expect to smell the horrible stench of blood, sweat, and other things, the air smelled fresh, and even the floors were spotless—all thanks to the magic array covering the entire building.
Nero paused for a moment, taking in the steady rhythm of a place where people sought glory, fortune, or simply the next meal. He had always dreamed of working as an adventurer, rising through the Ranks and growing in power, and now that he was on the path to achieving it, the feeling was surreal.