The morning glow spread a golden brilliance, enveloping the vast training ground.

On the training ground, a young boy was bare-chested, the golden sunlight adding a golden edge to the faintly emerging fiery red fighting aura.

Battling fiercely against the boy were three robust mercenaries, whose coordinated efforts and seasoned combat skills were evident. Their punches and kicks were fierce, and they all displayed a determination to fight to the death. What was more daunting was that all three were third-level warriors, their combined strength enough to overpower, or even exceed, a fourth-level warrior.

Despite facing three opponents, the boy on the field still had the upper hand. He moved with a ghost-like agility, weaving freely between the fierce attacks of the three men. His punches were as fast as lightning, and his kicks as swift as a whip, creating a snapping sound in the air with each movement. Even more peculiar was that his moves had no fixed pattern, yet each strike aimed directly at the vital points of his opponents, forcing them into a desperate defense.

At the edge of the training ground, Kains stroked his golden beard, barely concealing the smile on his face. Beside him, Randal remained expressionless, his sharp gaze not missing any detail of the battle.

Suddenly, the tide of the battle shifted. Arthur made a move, closing the distance to the mercenary in front of him with a leap, aiming a punch at the mercenary's face.

The mercenary stepped back, crossing his forearms to block Arthur's punch, while the other two mercenaries attacked from both sides to aid their companion.

Arthur's punch, initially thrust forward, suddenly stopped halfway, his clenched fist opening into a palm, from which a water ball the size of a human head shot out.

A first-level water magic "Water Ball Technique"!

Though not strong in attack, the water ball forced the mercenary to close his eyes and lean back. Seizing the opportunity, Arthur leaned forward and shouldered into the mercenary, sending him flying backward, unable to rise again.

"This little rascal is using that trick again?" Kains muttered, though his tone could not hide his admiration.

Randal, however, snorted coldly, "Hmph, taking shortcuts!"

With only two mercenaries left, they were no match for Arthur. Within two moves, Arthur kicked one in the chest, sending him tumbling, while the other simply lay on the ground, refusing to fight.

Arthur turned, slightly lifting his chin, and gave Kains and Randal a somewhat smug smile.

What he received, however, was Randal's roar, "What was that kick just now? Soft and lacking in strength. You are to kick the ironwood stakes a thousand times, no food until you're done!"

"Oh! Haha!" A schadenfreude cheer erupted from the mercenaries around, especially loud from the three who had been defeated by Arthur.

Time flies, and Arthur's growth in the mercenary group over the years could only be described as terrifying. Not yet fifteen, he had already reached the pinnacle of a second-level warrior. Had Randal not insisted on solidifying Arthur's foundation, he could have stepped into the threshold of a third-level warrior at any time.

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Though still at the second level, no mercenary below the rank of warrior within the group could stand one-on-one against this young boy, much to the chagrin of these seasoned mercenaries. Not only in the mercenary group, but Arthur had also become the little tyrant of Hua O'Res City, with mercenaries from Blood Spike and Grey Wolf Fox having to walk around him. Although there had been no major disputes among the three mercenary groups in recent years, minor frictions continued unabated, with Arthur having fought several times with mercenaries from the other two groups.

Initially, the mercenaries didn't take this young member of the Blue Charm seriously, thinking his victory over Tristy was just luck. However, after several fights, no mercenary below the third level could defeat Arthur, and provoking him invariably ended with them being knocked to the ground. Even warriors hesitated to challenge Arthur, partly because it was dishonorable to bully the young and partly because Arthur was always seen with Tony and Angus, making anyone think twice before messing with him.

Therefore, it was rare to see Arthur at a disadvantage, and now they had found an outlet for their frustration.

As the saying goes, fortune may hide in misfortune. Before they could enjoy their moment, Randal's roar followed, "You, you, and you, three grown men beaten by a kid, and still have the face to cheer? Go kick the ironwood stakes, 500 times each, no food until you're done!"

The surrounding mercenaries quickly scattered, fearing Randal's anger might turn towards them.

Kains couldn't help but shake his head, "Aren't you being a bit too harsh on him?"

"Being harsh now is better than dying on the battlefield later."

"The battlefield?" Kains sighed deeply, "It feels like a thing of the past. Do you really want to send him to the battlefield?"

Randal's gaze lingered on Arthur, who was kicking the ironwood stakes, and murmured, "Don't tell me you don't think the same? The unfinished business of our past, I'm afraid, now lies on this child."

Kains remained silent for a long time...

"Have you decided to take that commission?" Randal suddenly asked, seemingly out of the blue.

"Yes, the client offered a sum we couldn't refuse."

"Are you sure? That place is strange, no one has been there for many years, and it's likely to be more dangerous than not." Randal's tone unusually contained a hint of worry.

Kains gave a bitter smile, "We mercenaries earn our living by risking our lives, and it's precisely because of the danger that the client is willing to pay such a high sum."

Randal hesitated, "Maybe we should just let it go. We're not young anymore, past the age for taking risks."

"One last gamble. If we've decided to let Arthur fulfill our unfinished dreams, we should start preparing him early."

"So you've decided?"

"Yes, the two of us can train soldiers alright, but teaching a magic and martial arts prodigy..." Kains shook his head, stopping mid-sentence.

"Have you found a way?"

"With so many debts of life owed to us, there must be a few who remember their gratitude." Kains looked off into the distance, seemingly lost in thought.

Randal let out a rare deep sigh, "That's going to require a lot of money. It looks like we have to take this commission, ready or not."

The two men stood in silence, their long shadows stretching out under the sun...

...

The Pansas Orc Wasteland, the Lalos Canyon.

The strong wind blew through the rugged stones at the mouth of the canyon, making a wailing sound, rendering the entire canyon desolate and silent.

This was one of the ten most dangerous places in the orc territory, inhabited not only by unawakened ferocious beasts and magical beasts but also rumored to be the resting place of an ancient magical beast that survived the divine-demonic wars at the end of the canyon.

Several orc-led exploratory teams had once attempted to hunt down the ancient magical beast, all of which ended in failure, with no one returning alive.

As the sunset cast its lingering glow into the deep canyon, two tall figures appeared at the entrance – an elderly man with disheveled white hair, a broad nose, and imposing eyes that were sharp and intimidating. Beside him, a young orc with soft golden hair, robust and upright, carrying a huge two-handed sword on his back, his face unable to hide the fierce killing intent.

"Go, Leon, do not return until you've broken through to the third level and become an orc warrior!"

The young orc nodded, turning and walking into the canyon without looking back.