The Guard Captain stared at Zayn intently as if trying to gauge whether the young man standing opposite him was telling the truth.

“You are a Demon Hunter?” He asked in a whisper, more to convince himself about the possibility.

It was rare to see a Demon Hunter in the kingdom, but it was also unusual to encounter demons before Spyro’s gates. If the Demon Hunter was on the tracks of the Lesser Archai Demons, his presence in front of Spyro would make sense.

The youthful-looking Demon Hunter might have broken the city’s laws, but Demon Hunters were exceptions to many rules. They were given special rights in most kingdoms to aid their holy mission: exterminate all Demons.

‘He doesn’t believe me,’ Zayn realized.

He fetched something from his pocket with a heavy sigh before showing it to the Guard Captain.

“Is that enough to convince you I’m a Demon Hunter?” Zayn grumbled in annoyance.

A small emblem showed a demon-like skull with spiderweb-like cracks that glowed white as Zayn inserted a trace of energy into them. A weak presence radiated from the Demon Hunter Emblem, but that was enough to immediately change the Guard Captain’s attitude.

“My apologies for not recognizing you, Sir!” The Guard Captain bowed deeply toward Zayn, who tried hard to control his facial features.

Demon Hunters were esteemed figures throughout the continent. They were a special organization of individuals trained with no purpose other than hunting Demons. Every member acknowledged by the Demon Hunter Association was given an emblem with a unique energy signature that could only be activated by Demon Hunters who’d practiced their special techniques.

Zayn might not have practiced one of the Demon Hunters’ special techniques in this life, but he was part of the Demon Hunters in the past. He initially joined them because their pay was the best among all organizations, yet that was not all. Demon Hunters had the strongest techniques for hunting Demons and monsters.

However, the most crucial factor about the Demon Hunter Association was that it was one of the few organizations that descended onto Earth without the intention to obliterate mankind. Without the Demon Hunters, Zayn wouldn’t have survived this long, and he wouldn’t have been able to kill the Lesser Deity at the end of the last cycle, either.

Zayn had to suppress a chuckle. Even in this cycle, they helped him a lot – their signature, to be precise. The energy signature of his Demon Hunter Emblem proved that he was a Rookie Demon Hunter. Zayn could have copied the energy signature of an Expert Demon Hunter or a higher-ranked Demon Hunter as well, but the high-ranked Demon Hunters were well-known and recorded in the ancient records of most kingdoms. It was easier to be a fake Rookie Demon Hunter who was on his first hunt than to act like a big shot when he was still so…weak.

“I’m merely a Rookie. There is no need for the formalities,” Zayn gestured to the Guard Captain, who straightened his back once again, “I would have failed to exterminate all Lesser Archai Demons without your help. I failed.”

The Guard Captain hurriedly shook his head, “You didn’t do anything wrong, Sir. My people distracted you. They should have known better to leave you alone. I sincerely apologize for their misbehavior.”

Zayn smiled inwardly, but his expression remained mindful and self-doubting.

“I was only on the trail of one of them. Maybe there are more Lesser Demons in the surroundings,” he said humbly. I haven’t heard about a demon’s attempt to invade a city either. Usually, that means something of utmost importance has been located.”

Zayn’s eyes widened in surprise, and he acted as if he remembered something.

“I recall my master telling me about the last holy war in the Magma Prairie. A Demon K–... No. We shouldn’t talk about this here.”

Zayn noticed a drastic change in the Guard Captain’s expression when he heard what he was about to expose. He approached Zayn with hurried strides and gestured to Spyro’s main gate.

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“How about we enter the city first?”

Zayn nodded but there was no ounce of amiability in his expression. He stared intently at the Guard Captain, which was enough to make the burly man sweat.

The Guards stared at the duo before locking eyes with each other. Their lips parted, but no word escaped.

“Mike, Liam…Get back to work!”

Their captain’s voice rang through the vicinity, pulling them out of their train of thought. They didn’t have to think twice before they used their spatial rings to remove the demon corpses. A moment later, the duo rushed back to the main gate, where they notified another superior about the incident and the arrival of the Rookie Demon Hunter.

Meanwhile, Zayn and the Guard Captain entered Spyro.

“I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Pablo Zeram. I’m the captain of those helpless guards. I failed to train them properly. Such a fatal mistake won’t happen again!” The Guard Captain, Pablo Zeram, introduced himself.

Zayn waved his hand dismissively, “I’m glad that your men reacted like that. I could have been a lunatic or an evil cultist. It’s good that they were vigilant. You did a great job teaching them, Mr. Zeram!”

“You are too kind, Sir. Please call me Pablo!”

Zayn felt a little bad for fooling the Guard Captain, but acting like a Rookie Demon Hunter was the easiest way to excuse his actions before the city’s main gate while simultaneously gaining the Guard Captain’s trust.

“Pablo,” He spoke in a severe tone, “At first, I was certain it was a coincidence that the Lesser Demons’ trails led to the Magma Praire, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence anymore. I recalled my master’s teachings, and I’m fairly sure that the demons have found the ‘thing’ hidden in Spyro.”

Pablo paled instantly, his eyes flickering left and right to make sure that nobody eavesdropped on them. They were about to pass through the massive gate, but nobody seemed to listen to them. It was almost like they didn’t exist. His attention flicked to Zayn, his eyes widened slightly.

‘I cannot sense any energy fluctuations around us…but is he using a technique to shroud our existence?!’

The Guard Captain didn’t consider Zayn a mere Rookie Demon Hunter. At this point, his opinion of Zayn skyrocketed, and he considered him a full-fledged member of one of the most mysterious organizations on the continent. Pablo Zeram was certain that Zayn was doing something and that he was too ignorant and weak to sense it.

Zayn had no idea about the thoughts flashing through the Guard Captain’s mind, but that was probably for the better.

“If I’m right…more demons will try invading Spyro soon. It won’t end with Lesser Demons. Stronger ones will pave their way to their k-....”

Zayn cut the end of his sentence intentionally to observe Pablo’s reaction. The Guard Captain responded as expected. He broke into a sweat and stared at the Rookie Demon Hunter in shock.

“Are you sure? Talking about your master…who–... Right. I heard Demon Hunters are not allowed to speak about the masters who acknowledged them…” Pablo was at a loss and began talking gibberish.

“I don’t think you have to worry much. For now, increasing the number of guards and equipping your guards with Holy Water and flasks filled with fresh blood should be enough. It would be better if you could equip everyone with blessed weapons and detection scrolls, but I don’t think your funds allow such expenses. Fresh blood and holy water should be enough to discover Lesser Demons—for the time being, at least.”

Zayn’s words didn’t ease Pablo’s worries. The Guard Captain slowed down right before they took the last step to enter Spyro and unleashed a massive wave of energy into the surroundings. The energy wave swept through the enormous crowd of lined-up people, taking all of them by surprise.

‘That’s a crude way to find out if there are any more Lesser Demons,’ Zayn smiled wryly and shrugged. It was quite obvious that the Guard Captain didn’t have much experience with demons. But he was trying his best. That was good enough for the time being.

“There are no more demons nearby. That’s good,” Pablo murmured before leading Zayn inside Spyro.

A flood of notifications popped up when Zayn followed the Guard Captain.

[Congratulations! You are the first to enter a City! +25 Soul Essences]

[World Announcement → The first City has been discovered by Player Zayn.

His prestige increased drastically. Please congratulate him!]

Zayn’s name was highlighted gold and glimmered brightly in the World Announcement. That should be enough to spread his renown in all groups and forums related to Forgotten Lands. It was a great side-effect to his initial goal.

[Unique Mission has been unlocked.

You discovered and stopped the Lesser Demons before they could wreak havoc.

Your actions surpassed everyone’s expectations.

Score: Beyond Perfect.

Reward: Will be distributed shortly!]

The corner of Zayn’s lips curled upward. He flashed his white teeth and had difficulties hiding his vibrant smile.

‘I did it!!’