After redirecting Baron's attack, Rogelio thought he could stop him again with the power of the ring. He braced himself for the next attack, but Baron, thinking Rogelio was stronger than expected, dashed toward him with all his might. Disappearing in a blur, Baron was too fast for Rogelio to see, and before he knew it, Baron had already appeared behind him. Baron then released a powerful blow to Rogelio's side, sending him crashing into the wall.
"F**k, that hurts! What's up with this crazy guy beating up a newbie? And why didn't the ring work?" Rogelio said, gritting his teeth.
Baron, smiling at him in amusement, replied, "For someone who's hurt, you look fine to me."
Rogelio then realized that he wasn't hurt at all—not even a scratch. It dawned on him that it must have been the ring's power that made him durable.
"Get up, there's still plenty of time before nightfall," Baron said, and continued to beat him up until the night rose.
Moments later, while Rogelio lay on the ground, exhausted, Sara arrived and approached Baron.
Sara: "How's the newbie?"
Baron: "He lacks skill and experience, but he's pretty durable."
Sara: "For someone that durable, don't you think he might be a prince?"
Baron: "Maybe, but I doubt a prince from the ancient kingdoms would be hanging around in the Foreign Lands."
"Still, put him in D-rank. That should be good for now," Baron added.
Sara approached Rogelio. "Congrats, Rogelio. You're now a D-rank adventurer. Please come back tomorrow morning to receive your official card."
Rogelio smiled weakly and replied, "So, more beatings?"
"Hey, don't make it sound like I'm a bully," Sara said, grinning. "You can go home now, kid."
Baron walked away, still amazed by Rogelio's resilience. Rogelio then remembered what Jay had said: "If you need a place to stay, come back anytime."
Rogelio walked back to the bar, and as he entered, the patrons stopped talking and stared at him, noticing his battered appearance.
A girl's voice called out, "A young man in a black robe... you must be Rogelio. I heard from my father you'd be coming back."
"Father?" Rogelio replied, confused.
Jay then appeared. "That's Letty, my daughter. She helps me out here at the bar. What happened to you?"
"I got beat up by Baron until nightfall," Rogelio said, exhausted.
Jay laughed. "For someone who got beaten by a B-rank, you're still moving."
Letty glanced at Rogelio's ring and muttered, "That must be it."
"What?" Rogelio asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing. You should head upstairs and wash up. Your room is on the right," Letty said.
"But I don't have any money," Rogelio replied.
"Don't worry. I'll put it on your tab. You can pay it later when you start earning from the Adventurers' Guild. By the way, did you get accepted?" Jay asked.
"Yeah. I'm D-rank. They'll give me the official card tomorrow," Rogelio said.
"Congrats, then. You should wash up now," Jay said.
Rogelio went upstairs, removed his clothes, and sat in the bathtub.
"At this time of night, I'd usually be turning on my PC and playing," Rogelio said, remembering his life back on Earth.
After washing up, Rogelio changed clothes and looked out the window, gazing at the town lights. He opened the window and said to himself, "This is my world now. I should get used to it."
Letty's voice called from downstairs. "If you're done, come downstairs. Your food is ready."
Rogelio went downstairs and started eating at the bar. While eating, he asked, "I noticed you two seem to know something about my ring. Do you know anything about it?"
They exchanged glances, and Jay said, "Well, I've seen something similar to it."
"Where?" Rogelio asked.
"The Ring of the Valorian King, Valter," Jay replied.
"So, you worked in the Valoria Kingdom?" Rogelio asked.
Letty nodded. "My dad was a former Valorian knight."
"Wow, a former knight? What happened? How did you end up here in the Foreign Lands?" Rogelio asked.
Jay sighed. "Well, I couldn't keep up with the younger ones, so I retired and started this bar with Letty."
Letty then spoke up. "Rogelio, have you ever heard the story of the ancient kingdoms and how they were formed?"
"No, can you tell me about it?" Rogelio asked, intrigued.
Letty began the story:
"A long time ago, the common people were oppressed by the first ancient kingdom in the west—the Fireland Kingdom. They conquered almost the entire continent of Zandora and enslaved all the commoners they captured. But then, a mage appeared. He took pity on the common people and created three rings. He gave these rings to three worthy individuals, each granting them the power to be more durable than any other human. The first ring was the Ring of Nature, said to give its holder the power to control anything on land. The second was the Ring of Solidity, which granted superhuman strength, speed, and the ability to fly. The third was the Ring of Thunder, which gave its holder the ability to control and produce lightning. With this power, the common people united and fought back against the Fireland Kingdom, successfully repelling them."
"The Fireland Kingdom, on the brink of extinction, attempted to fight back by creating their own ring. The king of Fireland used the bodies of thousands of soldiers to create a pool of blood, into which he threw a ring, calling upon the darkness for power. The darkness answered, and the ring gained the ability to summon an aura of anger and hatred, making its holder more durable. With this new power, Fireland launched a counterattack, but with less force, forcing them to retreat and hide in the west."
"After the war, the mage left, entrusting the three ring holders to keep the rings in case Fireland returned. The people thought peace had come, but the three kingdoms soon fought for leadership, leading to the Second War between them. The common people split into three groups, founding their own kingdoms. Thus, the four ancient kingdoms were born: Arcadia in the north, Valoria in the south, Lumira in the southeast, and Fireland in the west. Eventually, Fireland returned, stronger than ever, but the three kingdoms formed a truce to stop the war. Though they didn't trust each other, the four kingdoms kept a wary peace."
"Many people in each kingdom grew tired of the constant tension. These people united, regardless of their origins, to form their own organization in the center of Zandora. This became the Central Kingdom, Eclipsia, ready to fight Fireland's army and maintain the peace we have now."
"So, you're saying this ring is capable of doing all that?" Rogelio asked.
Jay nodded. "I don't know for sure. But we've never heard of a fifth ring before. Where did you even get it?"
Rogelio hesitated. "An old man who called himself the Sage of Time gave it to me. But I haven't been able to use its power."
Letty pondered, "Then I guess the ring still doesn't think you're worthy to use its power."
Rogelio looked down at the ring, feeling a pang of sadness.
Jay patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Rogelio. Since you were chosen, I'm sure the ring will recognize your worth one day. Just give it time."
"Thanks, Jay," Rogelio replied. "So, only ring holders have magical abilities?"
Letty nodded. "Originally, yes. But the descendants of the holders or the prince and princesses of each kingdom are rumored to inherit powers from their ancestors. For example, the Prince of Valoria is said to have superhuman durability and strength, while the Princess of Arcadia is rumored to have the ability to heal herself."
Rogelio smiled and thanked Letty for answering his question.
Jay added, "Just be careful. Don't mention the ring to anyone. Others might try to steal it from you."
Rogelio nodded in agreement. After hearing the story, he said goodnight and went to his room. Lying down, he stared at the ceiling and asked the ring, "What should I do to be worthy of you?"
Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a familiar voice calling his name. Shocked, he opened his eyes and saw the Sage of Time standing before him.
"Old man??" Rogelio blurted.