"Tell me—what exactly did you and your team fight that left you in this state… and yet let you walk out alive?"
Dante wasn't offended by Radiant Striker's question.
His teammates were injured, and he himself was in rough shape, yet he understood the necessity of this conversation.
In situations like these, protocol came first—Striker needed full intelligence on the situation before making any decisions.
So, despite the exhaustion weighing on him, Dante steadied himself and explained everything.
How they had been battling a group of Lesser Gobkars when the alert about the Duality Pit's abnormal rank increase came through.
And how after recognizing the danger, they had begun to retreat—only for a Greater Gobkar to emerge before them.
That was where Striker's curiosity deepened.
A Greater Gobkar was no ordinary threat.
None of Dante's team had the strength to take one down. The fact that they had survived meant something unusual must have happened.
Striker's thoughts sharpened.
Was it a Dread Beast with abnormal traits? If so, this mission might be more dangerous than expected.
But Dante's next words shattered his suspicions.
"I thought all hope was lost," Dante admitted, his voice steady despite the weight of his memories.
"The monster took down Alden, Reo, and Garrick. I was still conscious, but I couldn't move. It was about to kill Elara… and then, he appeared."
Striker's brows furrowed.
He let Dante continue.
"The way he handled the beast…" Dante hesitated, exhaling slowly. "I don't want to say this, but… it made me feel sympathy for it."
A cold chill ran through Striker.
Sympathy?
A Greater Gobkar was a ruthless killer, yet Dante—who had watched his team get brutalized—felt sympathy for it?
There was only one explanation.
Absolute dominance.
The Gobkar must have been so thoroughly, one-sidedly crushed that even a battle-hardened warrior like Dante felt a sliver of pity.
Striker's mind raced. To dominate a Greater Dread Beast, one had to be at least a level higher than it.
And if they were the same level, then their mastery over their abilities had to be exceptional.
Striker's instincts screamed at him—whoever this was, they were far beyond ordinary.
But then Dante added something else.
"I don't know if this is important, but… the hero told me he was an E-Rank. And he looked 18."
Striker's eyes widened slightly.
Not because of the E-Rank—that was almost certainly a lie, a simple way for the young hero to avoid unnecessary attention.
But his age.
If this hero was truly 18, defeated a Greater Gobkar, and walked away alive…
That meant he had awakened as a high-ranked hero—perhaps even an A-Rank or higher—and had the potential to become one of the strongest of this generation.
Excitement thrummed through Striker's veins.
This mission had changed.
He quickly issued orders, leaving one of his heroes behind to oversee Dante and his team's recovery.
Then, without hesitation, he led the rest of his squad deeper into the den.
Now, this wasn't just about clearing the Duality Pit.
There was a high-priority candidate inside—one that might just be a future powerhouse.
And Radiant Striker intended to find him.
So He could recruit him to join his clan.
****
The ground was mired with corpses, the remains of Greater Gobkars scattered like discarded refuse.
The once-ferocious beasts lay broken, their twisted bodies a silent testament to the massacre that had unfolded.
At the center of the carnage stood Ethan.
Four Greater Gobkars surrounded him, their grotesque forms taut with tension.
Their black blades dripped with the blood of past kills, yet they had not dared to make a move.
Because they knew.
They had seen it.
The way Ethan had torn through their kin, not with desperation, not with struggle—but with ease.
Like a god of slaughter, he had reduced their numbers to nothing, his movements effortless, his power absolute.
And that realization had seeped into the core of their being, embedding a fear deeper than the instinct for survival.
They were prideful creatures, the Gobkars. Foolish, perhaps—but never cowards. And yet, none of them dared to be the first to attack.
Because there were things worse than death.
To be slaughtered like an insect without even being taken seriously—that was worse.
Ethan exhaled, his patience waning.
"If you won't come to me—"
His body tensed.
"—then I'll come to you."
And in the next breath—he moved.
A surge of energy erupted from his form as he lunged forward, his presence turning from a waiting predator to a storm of destruction.
The Gobkars, forced to react, finally tried to strike. Their bloodlust ignited, but it was too late.
Ethan was already upon them.
He pounced on the closest Gobkar, driving an uppercut straight into its brutish chin.
Unlike before, he didn't concentrate the force—he let it expand, sending a shockwave through the beast's skull.
Its entire body lifted off the ground, soaring into the air, stunned.
Ethan's hand shot out, grabbing its thick leg before it could react.
Then, with brutal efficiency, he swung—
Using the massive Gobkar as a battering ram, he slammed it into another.
The impact was catastrophic.
Flesh tore. Bones snapped like twigs.
Their combined mass imploded, crushed by the sheer force of the blow.
A thick explosion of green blood painted the cavern walls, pieces of bone and sinew scattering like shattered glass.
And yet—not a single drop touched Ethan.
Now, only two remained.
The moment their stunned gazes met the ruin before them, all pride dissolved.
Survival overtook instinct. They turned and ran.
Their black blades were thrown away, discarded in blind panic.
But Ethan did not allow them the luxury of escape.
His eyes flickered to the discarded weapon, one of the slain Gobkars' wicked blades lying nearby.
Without hesitation, he reached down, gripping the hilt.
Then—he crouched.
His stance shifted—blade by his waist, body tensed like a coiled spring.
For a brief moment, there was only silence.
Then—
He erupted.
The air split apart as Ethan shot forward, his movement akin to a meteor tearing through the atmosphere.
His body became a blur, his form cutting through the cavern like a streak of death itself.
He passed between the escaping Gobkars—
And in the same breath, he spun.
A single arc of black steel sliced through the air—
As Ethan landed several meters ahead—the blade once again at his waist, his back still turned.
The Gobkars came to a sudden halt.
Then—
Their heads slid from their shoulders.
As a fountain of green blood erupted into the air from were their heads had previously been, spraying wildly for a moment before stopping.
As their bodies collapsed.
Lifeless.
Ethan didn't spare them a glance.
His gaze remained forward, deep into the darkened depths of the den.
His path was clear.
He would eradicate every beast that stood in his way.
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A/N will release an extra chapter if I get 50 power stones.
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