An adventurer in full battle gear stepped out from the crowd. His unruly black hair and hard eyes marked him as someone who had experienced the rigors of deadly battles. His gait was steady, his back straight. From his waist hung an ornately designed scabbard and sword.

Murmurs arose in the crowd. Someone near Eldon identified the man out loud: Leon Strider, the Blue Bird Adventurers captain and a renowned A-Rank abnormal.

Strider stopped and looked them both over. “You Campers never learn. So many of your comrades died just last week, but you two are already causing trouble again. Are you tired of living?”

“Hey, isn’t that Lindon’s boss?”

“Hey, it is! I bet the commotion will come to an end now. Lindon told me...” The girl suddenly stopped and placed a hand over her mouth.

“What?”

“It’s supposed to be a secret. Lindon told only me. I can’t go around telling everyone.”

“Wow. Just wow. This Lindon really is full of himself. You too. Since when couldn’t you tell me a secret, huh?” She said, pulling her friend’s ear.

“Okay, okay. I’ll say. I’ll say.” She rubbed her red ear with a sullen expression but still whispered. “This is supposed to be top secret, but Captain Leon Strider has turned in a Rating Appeal.”

“Don’t tell me...!”

“Yep. He’s about to become an S-rank!”

The girl’s voice was quiet, but to the many abnormals around, she might as well have whispered in their ears.

The rumor quickly spread through the crowd, causing an uproar. Scoffs of disbelief and cheers of excitement filled the air. The adventurer stood straight with a half smile, looking from Debra to Tickle.

He’s looking for death... That was all Eldon could see. Others might not be able to tell, but he could see Strider’s vital energy level, and standing next to the two real S-ranks, it was like a firefly next to the moon. The Blue Bird Adventurer captain was more than a little misguided on the abilities of an S-rank if he thought he was near their level.

“One move. Here I come!”

The best result Leon could hope for happened. The duo ignored him, but that only made his face fall. He took great strides until he was between them.

“Are you ignoring me? Listen, if I cut you down now, the authorities will turn the other way. Do you understand? Until the Guards arrive, I can easily determine your life or death.”

“Those Guards?” Zachary whispered and pointed at a nearby building. Eldon followed his gaze to see uniformed Guards motionlessly standing in the shadows, watching. He thought he saw some of them shivering, but it might just have been a trick of the shadows.

“What’s this?” Skinner asked, cocking her head.

“I have no interest in males. Scram before I split your skull.”

Leon’s expression darkened further. “Alright.” He slowly unsheathed his sword. “I see you refuse to repent your ways. I will humbly perform my duty as a law-abiding citizen of the—”

“Huh? Nice sword!”

“It’s mine!”

Before Leon or anyone could react, two weapons descended on him. The axe compressed the air as it moved faster than sound, causing sonic booms to burst forth. The curved blade was swift and silent, arriving at Leon’s neck.

Leon did not even have time to scream before his skull was split in two and his head decapitated. Eldon sucked in a breath. After murdering the Adventurer captain, the duo engaged in another heated scuffle over who gets to keep the sword. This time, everyone wisely and quietly waited for the Guards’ arrival.

A shadow was suddenly cast over Whispering Plaza. An enormous metal hand exuding dense, suffocating pressure hung over the crowd like the hand of God.

“Fucking hell,” Zachary couldn’t help but curse out loud. “What the fuck is that?”

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

No one could respond to him. Under that hand, few in the crowd could even think, let alone speak.

Then, a powerful voice rolled over the plaza. “You unruly kids. Why must you always cause trouble?”

As the voice said so, the hand descended onto the plaza. A few people had regained their senses and recognized the voice.

“It’s Commander Revel!”

The words were like a charm. Eldon sensed the tension drain from the crowd, anticipation arising in its place. Even he was not an exception.

Commander Revel was an S-Ranking Commander of the Reclaimers’ Legion — the conquering army of the Government. When he made waves in the world, most of the fifteen S-ranks weren’t born yet.

“To think Captain Leon died so easily.”

“My heart nearly popped out of my chest. Thankfully, Commander Revel is here to settle things. Those must be peak A-ranks to kill Captain Leon so easily.”

“Captain Leon was facing two equal opponents by himself. It’s reasonable that he couldn’t match up.”

“Yeah...”

“What a day.”

While the crowd leisurely discussed the outcome as though it was set in stone, the two continued to clash, disregarding the enormous hand descending on them.

Well, not entirely... Their battle became increasingly heated. Each one tried to grab the dead man’s sword while the other prevented them from taking it.

The hand closed in on them slowly. Facing the pressure the hand exuded, they both became increasingly weaker until the hand captured them.

“Sorry for the inconvenience.” Commander Revel said, and the enormous hand receded into the sky until it vanished from sight.

As the spectacle had ended, the gathering dispersed after briefly savoring the experience. Eldon remained on Zachary’s back, staring at the devastated arenas and thinking about the rapid succession of events. The appearance of three S-ranks in such a short time was unprecedented. Eldon never expected it, but it forebode an approaching misfortune to him. The presence of the Commander and that metallic hand both added to this feeling.

“I guess that’s why A-ranks are normally not allowed in the Whispering Plaza’s arenas,” Zachary said. “They have dedicated dueling arenas in the city’s center area where people pay good money to come and watch. Those present today have no idea what they have been blessed with.”

Eldon was silent. He had a lot he could say and doubts to express, but he filed them all away. He stared at the sun. It had begun to fall onto the horizon. The banquet would soon begin. At that time, all of his doubts would be cleared.

Dusk. Rows upon rows of carriages shuttled to and from the Spire’s massive gates. Hundreds of Campers in Bone-embroidered Robes strode through the gates, guided by waiting servants to the banquet hall. The environs were chock full of Spire’s Guards, far more numerous than the Campers. Any errant thought that might have lurked in the heart of any Camper vanished when they saw this.

Eldon and Zachary were among the tide, pushed along by its momentum without being able to stop and observe. When they arrived at the banquet hall, the scenery held them spellbound.

The banquet hall was underground. The stone walls were ornate and majestic, covered by wriggling runes that glowed in the dimming light of day. Grand chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Rows of carved stone figures of legendary beasts lined the sides of the hall. Eldon couldn’t recognize most of them but recognized the serpentine dragon, the Chimera, the four-winged griffin, a spear-wielding centaur, and a phoenix wrought in flames, among others.

At the far end of the hall was a raised dais, faced by rows upon rows of long banquet tables upon which lay arrays of gleaming plates filled with tempting treats. Spirit fruits—fruits that mutated just like the creatures—were just one of the luxuries laid out. Mounds of garnished and elegantly placed monster meat were also available, as were all sorts of side dishes and desserts.

Never in Eldon’s life had he seen such a setting before. His initial assessment of the monster meat made him suck in a sharp breath. Not a single slice of meat was lower than D-Rank. C-Rank dishes were everywhere, interspersed by those of B-Rank.

If I can absorb enough vital energy from this feast... Coupled with the experience gained from watching Skinner battle Jerrod, I might just be able to break the barrier and reach the level of C-Ranks.

Many Campers were already in the hall, laughing and conversing, devouring the food ravenously. Eldon and Zachary navigated through the tables, searching for an optimal position.

“Isn’t that Zach?” a lively voice said. “Zach! Over here!”

The duo turned to see a slightly chubby lad waving at them.

“Aiken?” Zachary was pleasantly surprised. He led Eldon to the lad’s table and hugged him.

“Zach, man, I thought I’d never see you again.” The lad said. He pointed at three people in succession. “This is Phillip, Galen, and William. Friends I made here. They’re all B-Rank like us. Guys, this is Zachary, my guy from the Camp.”

Galen was a small man with glasses. He turned his large eyes to Zachary with a look of astonishment. “You’re also from the Robin Camp? Awesome!”

“It’s nothing much. Many of the people here are from S-Rank Camps.” Zachary replied. “This is Eldon.” He laid a hand on Eldon’s shoulder.

Eldon was uninterested in social situations, but he still spoke. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”

Aiken looked him up and down. “Damn, he looks strong. What’s his Danger Rating?”

Zachary turned to Eldon. “That’s true. You never told me.”

“I’m D-Rank,” Eldon said calmly.

Silence. Then, an awkward laugh. “D-Rank is still strong... Still strong.” The speaker was Phillip, a tall, thin guy. He coughed into his fist.

“D-ranks are stronger than ninety percent of the population, so I guess I’m technically correct,” Aiken said with a smile. Then he turned to Zachary. “Come on, sit!”

Zachary frowned. There was only one seat left unoccupied. “Where?”

“Right there— Oh.” Aiken smacked his forehead. “One second. You there!” He yelled at a Camper Eldon had not previously noticed. However, his throat constricted when he looked at the Camper, and his breath faltered.

“Give us your seat, will ya?” Aiken flashed the guy a smile. “There’s so many seats around; I’m sure you’ll find a better one straightaway.”