---
I observed the woman in the air with great interest as she stood on the menacing black eagle. I had recognized that huge eagle from clips I had seen in the past.
My heart was still pounding from the battles that had just finished while watching the sad figure of Admiral Chekhov move away
I wasn't remotely sorry for the death of Andrei. He came after me, knowing full well the Death Match would result in death. He was okay with this, his people were okay with this, and those that cleared and issued the deathmatch were okay with this. They just got wrong which person would be dying.
The thrill of withstanding the destructive damage of [Frigid Impermanence-Unstable and destructive ice elements erupt in a specified 5-meter area] and then gaining the skill myself was hard to describe. The fact that this skill dropped and not the one that turned his body golden meant it was at a higher level than the usual rank A skills
Back then, I was even skeptical of being able to withstand the power of the Admiral that had decided to come to the city to watch his son. Did he really think I would stop in the middle of the match just because he said so? If it was me from a few days back who still held a few rank C skills, maybe I would have stood down.
But I knew my power would near if not rival a rank A with all the boosts I was receiving from skills and had also received many rank B skills that emboldened me to make the gamble of obtaining another rank A skill by taking out Andrei, and it worked.
The Admiral's attacks were ferocious and damaged the [Scale Armor], and after bypassing [Arcanist's Sphere of Protection] and [Golden Halo], they could barely just leave cuts and bruises on my body, similar to the devastating damage of [Frigid Impermanence]
I was curious about the skill that allowed the Admiral to form those spiked fists and swords, but that would have to wait as I watched the woman turn her attention to me. She spoke in that melodious voice of hers that demanded attention
"I'll be the first to congratulate the newest rank A hunter of The Blessed Empire, Mr. Noah Osmont. I'm known as Elizabeth, but you can call me Liz"
I tried not to get taken in by her cadence as I smiled and said, "Thanks for stepping in, I wasn't sure I could hold on any longer"
Her figure shook as she let out another laugh and said "Really? You seemed inexhaustible, like you could go on for an entire day"
I shook my head at these words and looked at the coming Vice Admiral that was shouting directions to members of the regiment to help those who were injured and calm the chaos around the arena
"Oh, you have little Magnar to thank for my appearance here today, he called in a favor from long ago and used it for you" She said as she watched him come over
I looked towards Magnar. I was actually very thankful for the continued help from this Vice Admiral, and was planning on doing my best to bolster his forces in the coming days. I flew down as the huge eagle also descended to meet the Vice Admiral that was looking towards us with a delighted expression
Chapter 37 - Calmness
Magnar was happy that he had gained someone with rank A battle power as his ally, and couldn't hide it as he talked to me and the rank A hunter with the huge beast that had stepped in to end the fight
If the fight had continued, I was pretty confident of coming out on top, but it would have taken quite some time. I could keep on casting my newly gained rank A skill until the Admiral was tired out, but the chance was gone. I also wasn't planning on going around and making it a habit taking down famous hunters everywhere I go
I knew there was a grudge between me and the Admiral now, but I wouldn't go out of my way to kill him for it. He was a peak powerhouse of the Empire, and would be needed for the battles of the future with these unknown enemies. Unless I could become strong enough to be able to do everything by myself, I won't go around snuffing out others with similar power to me. If he ever comes for me again though, that is a whole different matter
The rank A hunter Elizabeth left after we spoke for a few minutes, saying she now had to go deal with other matters that popped up because of this, and that she would come by when she was free. My gaze lingered on her slightly as she flew away on the black eagle
It was now nearing the evening, and more soldiers and hunter medics were on the scene helping those that were injured from the aftermath of the battle. I wasn't sure when the Coliseum would be open for business after this
After giving out orders and leaving someone else in charge, I left with Magnar in tow back to the military sector. I was planning on spending the remaining hours of the day diving in [Mangrove Swamp], feeling more pressed to clear the dungeon and luckily obtain other rank A skills
Going to the highest-ranked Dungeon at the empire's capital, Blessed City, wasn't an option as a team of A rankers led by Steel Mikhail was clearing it. Unless I rapidly increased my power to be able to rival multiple rank A hunters, I wouldn't touch that dungeon alone as of now
Farming rank B dungeons for the possibility of a rank A skill dropping was the safest and most efficient way, as I would also pay back Magnar by giving him the items and skills I wouldn't need while grabbing some from their inventory.
This was also what some of the rank A hunters spent their day doing, clearing rank B dungeons repeatedly in the Empire's capital and other core defense cities. Every now and then a rank A skill would drop, and this was the case for the [Flight] skill that Lightning Hand was holding on to.
Why he did what he did by giving it away still eluded me, but I would find out in time now that my power was matching his. Whether it was with malicious intent or out of the goodness of his heart didn't matter now that it allowed me to get another one so fast with the rapid progression of events. The events these past few days played in my head as I asked myself if there was actually a conspiracy, or just unintended effects from one man's actions
The Vice Admiral went to handle communications for the incident today and I went into [Mangrove Swamp] once again.
My speed at clearing the dungeon had increased even more with the advent of [Frigid Impermanence] as it cleared droves of alligators the moment it was cast. This area of effect skill exploded with a destructive blast of ice elements that completely destroyed anything in their range. Something that was noteworthy of mentioning was the [Adept Staff] that I took from Andrei, as it slightly boosted the damage of skills when it was equipped
After using [Frigid Impermanence] for a while, my mind was filled with ideas on how to improve its damage even more after I recalled some rank B skill books I had seen in the military inventory that I read through before
The idea floating in my mind was to find support skills that were providing boosts specific to the skill type to further increase the damage. An example was a [Lightning Penetration] skill I had seen before that amplified damage dealt by lightning type skills. If I could absorb and keep active cold type support skills, it wouldn't be too far of a dream for the [Frigid Impermanence] skill's power to exceed rank A. As for the rank beyond A...well nobody knew of this as of right now
I was able to clear the dungeon rapidly, making the number of times I've dived into it 18 times in the last 6 hours. It was nearing midnight so I was planning on calling it a night. The rate at which I was clearing the dungeon was still kept hidden as I only turned off [Shadow Veil], [Stealth], and [Camouflage] after every hour, making it seem as if I had cleared the dungeon only 6 times
This was still an unbelievable clear rate that every time I visibly transferred in and out, the soldiers standing guard would cheer.
I gained a variety of [Skill]s, [Item]s, and a ton of [Core]s, but I wasn't lucky enough to get anything of higher rank from the dungeon. The useful skills I could learn reduced, as many were either weapon-specific for Knights or Berserkers. Some support skills like [Giant Strength] and [Windrider] had even dropped again, giving me duplicate skills that I couldn't absorb
Only two usable rank B support skills came out of these 18 runs, one being [Emboldened Ferocity- An imposing pre
sence emanates from you, granting increased damage to affected foes] and [Eagle Eyes-Focus your eyes to view as far a mile around you]. The remaining were rank B [Item]s that fully upgraded me from the lower-ranked items I had been wearing.
[Noah Osmont][Occupation: Hunter]
[Vitality: 250+40]
[Focus: - ]
[Strength: 250+60]
[Skill(s): [F][E](D-Flames of Torment-100)(D-Safeguard-57)(D-Danger Sense-100)(D-Rough Skin-100)(D-Fleeting-100)(C-Arcanist's Sphere of Protection-100) (C-Camouflage-100) (C-Aura of Haste-100)(C-Explosive Rune-100)(C-Life Essence-100) (C-Increased Penetration-100) (C-Regeneration-100) (C-Whirlwind-95) (C-Smite-98) (C-Gracefulness-100) (C-Precision-100) (C-Adamant-100) (C-Sharpen-100)(C-War Cry-100) (C-Retaliation-100)(C-Kings Rage-100)(C-Military Tactics-100) (C-Unpredictable-100) (C-Elemental Damage-100)(B-Giant's Strength-88) (B-Stealth-77) (B-Miniature Tornado-45)(B-Golden Halo-33)(B-Doom Bolt-37) (B-Lightfoot-23)(B-Windrider-23)(B-Rigorous-22)(B-Shadow Veil-22)(B-Wild Heart-21)(B-Emboldened Ferocity-3)*(B-Eagle Eyes-3)*(A-Flight-11)(A-Frigid Impermanence-5)*]
[Equipment: (3x C-Ring of Storage)(B-Scale Armor)(B-Adept Staff)*(B-Dual Coated Boots)*(B-Striking Cap)*]
The addition of items besides the staff was a helm that was in the form of a baseball cap and heavy boots that shone a dark green color. Both provided increased defenses and protection
I carried the rest of the [Core]s, [Item]s and [Skill Book]s in my storage rings and went to the Vice Admiral's castle. I thought about everything he had done for me before deciding to trust him a little bit more about my strength
When the door of the office was locked and it was just me and him, I took out more than 20 things that were filling up the space in my rings along with a glistening pile of stones. These were a collection of items, cores, and skills from today's dives and yesterday's. The Vice Admiral looked at the items in shock as he gave me a questioning look
"I clear the dungeon much faster than what I am currently showing. I continue to want to keep the extent of my strength a secret though, so I will be counting on your discretion as we go forward. This is also my way of thanking you and giving back for what you've been doing for me recently"
Magnar looked at me with an unreadable expression before he got up and bowed his head towards me. I reached out to stop him as he began talking
"You are somebody that has already surpassed someone of my rank, thank you for treating me the same way even now" He kept his head down as he continued
"Just the resources you have taken out right now surpass what our department usually gets in a week. This may not seem like much to you, but it is a tremendous help to us and will enable us to raise multiple rank B hunters. Confidentiality is a must, so you can be sure that nothing about this will come to light, and everything will be distributed discreetly"
I listened to the older man that was bowing in front of me before I pulled him up. I smiled and said to the Vice Admiral, "We're all in this together. We'll face the approaching enemies together and make sure lives are not senselessly lost like when all of this began"
I was saying this more to myself as I was reminded of the deaths of my parents and many more people at the hands of these beasts. I reminded myself once more that I was doing all this to never experience the feeling of cowardice and powerlessness again. If continuing to grow my strength was the way to do that, then I will continue rising until I reach an unshakable position
Magnar gave me a light smile as his sight turned to the many things I had taken out, shaking his head in an amazed expression as he laughed and said, "It's been a tiring day for you, go ahead and relax. I'll order for even more food and...other delicacies for you to enjoy back in your quarters."
I shook my head with a smile as I heard this and said "I'll also need your help acquiring specific skills that may still be in your inventory"
I let him know of the skills I saw before that I wanted to grab now, and also told him to keep a lookout for any other cold type support skills that other hunters brought in. He nodded boisterously that he would have everything for me tomorrow morning and for me to go take a break for now
I left the Vice Admiral's office and went to relax after a very long day.
Chapter 38 - Irreversible changes
The night was a hazy blur and passed by in a blink. I woke up the next morning feeling invigorated as I saw the sight in front of me while feeling the colors and boosts of multiple activated skills that seemed to fill my body with inexhaustible power.
If I didn't have [Stealth] and [Shadow Veil] activated at all times, people would just see a mass of colors and defensive layers surrounding me at all times
I freshened up and left the living quarters to start this day early, planning to be holed up in the [Mangrove Swamp] for the remainder of the day to see exactly how many times I could clear it before a rank A skill would show itself
I flew through the clear skies and arrived at the huge monolith, which seemed to have turned to a shade of light blue after I cleared it so many times.
That day, I spent my entire time diving and I was able to clear the dungeon more than 40 times. Forty. That number did not seem realistic, and something like this had never occurred in the past. Nobody had the unending stamina to do what I did repeatedly for an entire day
One good thing came out of it, as I was finally able to receive a rank A skill from this dungeon. My next rank A skill was [Guardian Light-A light that cures injuries, ailments, and diseases descends down]. It wasn't a defensive or movement skill that I was thinking about, but it was an amazing skill nonetheless. Its usefulness would be even more apparent whenever the time comes where I get injured again
Also, besides my original three rank C [Ring of Storage], I was able to get an additional drop of these rare rings, this one even being rank B and holding a much larger space that was now holding a ton of [Item]s, [Core]s, and [Skill Book]s from the past 40 dungeon runs
I was leaving the dungeon for the last time today to sift through the useful skill books and those that I would be giving away. Most of the items that dropped were duplicates of [Scale Armor] or the other items that dropped in this dungeon before
I placed my hand on the green crystal and transferred to the outside world once more. I nodded to the guards and was about to head towards the Vice Admiral's office when I felt the ground start shaking
The tremors were emanating behind me and I turned back to see the huge dungeon monolith that was now a light fade of blue... had cracks spreading out from the middle.
Oh shit
The cracks expanded as the tremors got even stronger, and the huge monolith began trembling before an explosion ran out
BOOM!
A huge blast was sent out as I was flung away and any hunter soldiers that were near were heavily injured. I had watched the huge monolith of the [Mangrove Swamp] expand with cracks and then implode. When the dust cleared, there was an empty space where the monolith used to be, only a small shimmering crystal lying at the center
I looked at this with my mouth wide open. What the hell did I do now?! I was trying to calm my emotions as I went forward to observe the shimmering crystal that remained from the monolith when I was suddenly met with a searing headache
AAH!
I screamed out loud as I clutched my head and felt this pain that threatened to make my head explode. In my agony, a few faint words rose up in my mind that I could barely make out
[...Move...Faster…]
---
An hour after.
Tumultuous waves were spreading throughout the empire. News had just been transmitted to all the leaders and governments of various cities of an incident where a dungeon...had completely disappeared
This was the first-ever change to occur since they first began appearing. New dungeons could appear at any time, but there was never a case of them ever disappearing unless a dungeon break occurred. The more shocking news that was coming out was that...a hunter was involved in causing this!
Leaders from all over were scrambling to find the authenticity of these news. If any of this was true. If any of this could be replicated...Higher-ups who understood the current world were trembling in anticipation for the possible future
---
In a grand palace at the center of Blessed City.
There was a large hall lined with guards wearing golden armors. At the forefront was a striking throne that shone with a purple light. A person was sitting on this throne looking at the Admirals kneeling down below the steps
A feminine voice rang out in the large hall
"I want a thorough report about all the events surrounding that dungeon. By the end of the day, I expect to be briefed with all the information about that hunter as well."
The voice paused after this was heard before continuing
"Treat the hunter very carefully, he might just be what we have been waiting for"
On the throne was a figure fully covered from head to toe. A royal mask was hiding the face and an exquisitely defined crown lay atop their head.
---
A man whose body was crackling with lightning was just transferring out of a rank B dungeon when his phone began blowing up. He pulled the phone out in annoyance as he read to see just who would dare to bother him so much
There were multiple texts and missed calls from people he didn't wanna talk to all, but the things he was reading were giving him a shock.
"Get back to base soon" (Admiral X)
"What is your connection to the rising hunter of Star City?" (Amiral XX)
"Call me back. Now." (Admiral XXX)
Nothing he was reading from the texts was making sense. A name kept popping up that he didn't recognize, Noah Osmont. He was busy clearing dungeons and didn't even get the news of the deathmatch he inadvertently caused this same day. After reading some more and seeing a lot of the questions were revolving about the event a few days ago where he handed the winner of an impromptu match a rank A skill, the name and person came together
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