After spending more time meditating, sleep had been completely replaced for Ed.
Even without any sleep, he would still feel energetic the next day, and his waking time always matched the sunrise.
When Ed stepped out of his room, expecting to be the first to wake, he was surprised to hear the sound of a door opening next door.
"The sun's finally up!!" Viktor had been eagerly waiting.
Once the sun rose and Uncle Du got up, he started discussing the hotel's business for the day while having breakfast with Viktor and Ed.
At the breakfast table, Uncle Du shared some details about his situation.
Ed learned that Uncle Du's family was quite prosperous—not only did he own the hotel in the city, but he also ran a Hunter shop, thanks to his longstanding connections.
"Uncle Du, with all that, why do you still leave the city and go to the countryside to sell things? Isn't that dangerous?" Viktor asked curiously, stuffing his mouth with bread.
Uncle Du chuckled. "I don't sell things, I go to stock up. There are some precious materials that you can't find in the city."
"And once I get them and come back, I can sell them for a high price, even hundreds! Sigh, I didn't expect the monster population to keep growing lately!"
Ed, who had been quiet, slightly raised his head when he heard that.
He had heard something similar when he was in Viktor's village—people had been complaining that the number of monsters had increased, to the point where griffins had started attacking the village in groups.
Viktor, hearing Uncle Du's reply, asked again, "But if this job is so dangerous, why don't you hire someone to do it?"
"If you have to sell it yourself, why not hire a Hunter for protection?"
Uncle Du simply shook his head. "I'm traveling during the day, and hiring Hunters is expensive. Besides, I used to be a Hunter myself. Isn't it a little embarrassing to hire others?"
"As a retired Hunter, I still have my pride… Back then, I was also a member of a Hunter association in Dorey City…"
As he spoke, Uncle Du cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed. He had almost lost his life to a pack of wild wolves, and it was still awkward to think about it.
He felt terribly guilty about his past as a Hunter. Time had been merciless—his old association had been disbanded, and his own strength had greatly diminished.
"Hey, Uncle Du, speaking of associations, did you catch the news in yesterday's paper? The challenge at the banquet!" Viktor became excited when he heard that.
"Of course I know. Even though I'm retired, I still keep up with the news in the circle," Uncle Du replied.
It was at that moment that Ed, who had been silent until then, spoke up. He picked up the conversation.
"Uncle Du, how much do you know about the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association?"
As soon as Uncle Du heard this, he immediately responded, "What's there to ask? That's the strongest association in all of Dorey City, no doubt about it!"
"Even in the entire north, they're well-known. Like that challenge yesterday, the hype was incredible!"
"Now, the whole city is talking about that battle!"
Ed, narrowing his eyes, asked curiously,
"Even if the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association is powerful, a small apprentice wouldn't necessarily be that strong, right?"
"Why would such a small character cause such a stir in the entire city?"
Ed couldn't understand. In his mind, Brown was nothing. He defeated Brown easily without much effort.
Uncle Du: "A small character? Even if that apprentice is still weak, he is still a representative of the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association!"
"Mr. Ed, it seems you don't know much about the Hunter circle. You see, Brown is definitely a star-level Hunter!"
"For him to appear in the banquet and accept challenges in one day—it's not an easy feat!"
When Ed heard this, he was taken aback. It sounded a lot like the superstar celebrities of his previous life.
Could one appearance really be worth tens of thousands? Could it stir such a sensation?
But upon further thought, it made sense. The banquet yesterday had been attended by so many distinguished guests, which was proof of that.
Uncle Du continued to explain:
"The reason Hunter appearances are so astonishing is actually quite simple."
"It's because Hunters cannot stop training, and daylight is extremely short! Extremely precious!"
"Even if they give up just one hour of daylight, it's a huge loss. For the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association, which possesses high-level breathing techniques, the loss is even greater!"
After hearing this, Ed finally understood completely.
No wonder the appearance of a Hunter could make everyone else so amazed.
For other Hunters, daylight is their most precious resource!
Thinking about it this way, it became clear that being a Hunter in this world wasn't easy.
They have to make the most of their time during the day to train, and at night, they need to be cautious when going out to avoid being exposed to the moonlight, which could cause their cultivation to drop!
"That Brown must be training hard today, trying to improve his strength. By the way, I heard he was beaten terribly!"
"The person who fought him was reportedly a young man of a similar age! Although I'm old, I truly admire this young man!"
Uncle Du said, becoming more excited. "The Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association has always been so arrogant. Teaching them a lesson is very satisfying!"
"And that mysterious challenger, I heard he doesn't even belong to an association. He'll definitely cause a stir in every association in the city."
"I really want to meet this mysterious Hunter. He must be a future superstar. If he were to visit my shop, business would boom so much more!"
Ed frowned.
Other associations would be shaken? He was starting to understand why Henry from yesterday had been so eager to give him the address of their association.
But Ed had just taken it casually. Whether or not to join, and which association to join, would be his decision to make.
After breakfast, Viktor went out of the city again to explore, and Ed, with no plans, decided to find a place to practice his swordsmanship.
...
Meanwhile, as expected, the news of yesterday's earth-shattering battle continued to spread!
At the headquarters of the Goat Demon Association, a rapid knocking sound suddenly echoed through the office!
There was no response, so the knocking continued, without pause!
"What is it! You damned fool, it's daylight! Don't you know I'm training on the rooftop?!"
The head of the Goat Demon Association stormed out, his face full of anger!
This was extremely precious daylight time!
The subordinate outside, though scolded, urgently said:
"My lord, the footage from the stone recording device at yesterday's city center challenge has been released!"
"I thought this matter was very important, so I brought it to you right away!"
The head of the Goat Demon Association was initially very angry, but upon hearing this, his anger immediately dissipated.
"He's out? Good! Show it to me right now!"
"I need to know how this rumored challenger managed to defeat Brown!"
Then, his subordinate pulled out a small stone from his body, inscribed with strange runes, about the size of a sandwich.
He placed it on the coffee table in the room, adjusting it carefully. The runes on the stone began to glow, illuminating the wall opposite, where the footage started playing!
It was, unmistakably, the scene from yesterday's challenge!
The recording stone was an item crafted by sorcerers, designed to record video footage that could be played at any time. It was widely used for various applications!
After watching the entire battle, the head of the Goat Demon Association could no longer sit still!
"Quick! As soon as possible, get me the full details on this young man named Ed!"
"Especially his address! We can't let another association beat us to it!"
…
Meanwhile, at the Blackstone Association.
The leader, who had been meditating on a beach while sunbathing, was urgently called up by his subordinates.
He too watched the recording stone, seeing the same footage that the Goat Demon Association had seen!
In an instant, the Blackstone Association went into a frenzy!
"Hurry! Find out everything about this young man!"
…
Such scenes were unfolding across Dorey City, in every large and small association!
Leaders, captains, and vice-captains of various associations were called to attention.
A young man who defeated Brown and hadn't yet joined any association had appeared in the city!
This was an almost impossibly rare opportunity, a gift from the heavens that no one could ignore due to its immense value!
Eventually, even the top-tier Hunter association, the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association, was alerted!
At that moment, in a luxurious manor within Dorey City.
Arya was not in Dorey City, but the vice-captain, Leif, was sitting topless on the rooftop, basking in the sun.
His body was covered in powerful muscles, countless scars marking his skin, a testament to the numerous battles he had fought!
At that moment, the vice-captain was completely focused, inhaling and exhaling with great concentration!
It was clear to see that with every breath he took, the surrounding light visibly fluctuated, gathering toward him!
"Vice-captain! This is bad!!" A shout suddenly broke the silence!