Axton clearly understood what Guja was talking about. The man's words weren't cryptic this time — they were sharp, direct, and carried a sense of danger that most people would have hesitated to approach.

But Axton wasn't like most people as Guja had instinctively categorised him.

He showed no trace of fear or hesitation. In fact, there was an eager glint in his eyes as he listened. He wanted to get it done. The benefits he envisioned in his mind far outweighed the risks, and that alone was reason enough for him to proceed without question.

Guja, on the other hand, was precise and deliberate with every word he used while explaining things to Axton. There was no exaggeration, no unnecessary drama, just the raw truth of how brutal the path of the Demolisher truly was.

Guja knew better than Axton could imagine.

He had lived it.

He was living proof of how mercilessly difficult that class path could be. If it were easy, he wouldn't still be stuck at Level 50, no matter how much effort he poured into his training.

For a long time now, he had remained trapped at that ceiling, staring at an invisible wall he couldn't break through. It wasn't because of lack of talent, but because the Demolisher path demanded more than most people could ever give.

As a Level 50 Demolisher, Guja was already stronger than most adventurers in New Eden. But for him, that strength had long lost its meaning. He had become stagnant. Powerful, yes, but unfulfilled. That was the real reason he came to Atlas City, to see if he could find another chance, one last push to break his limits.

Yet what bothered him most was not his stagnation.

It was Axton.

"It's easy?" Guja repeated under his breath, recalling the exact words that had left Axton's lips. A dry laugh escaped him, followed by a disbelieving chuckle.

He could still remember the young man's tone.

It was not arrogant, but utterly confident, like someone stating a fact instead of boasting.

The initiation quest itself was something people would avoid like the plague. Yet Axton had brushed it off like it was some side task you could clear on a lazy afternoon.

The more Guja thought about it, the more absurd it sounded.

And yet… he couldn't help but believe him.

There was something different about that boy.

Something that made the impossible sound ordinary.

******

Following the directions Guja had left him during their discussion, Axton set out from the Black Stag Inn later that day.

He didn't bring anyone with him. No soldiers, no allies, no followers.

…Nothing.

This was something he had to do alone.

The air outside Atlas City carried a dry chill as he moved through the outskirts. He could already feel the faint pulse of mana radiating from the direction he was heading.

The further he walked, the quieter the surroundings became.

Birds no longer chirped.

Insects hid beneath rocks.

Even the wind seemed to hush itself, wary of what lay ahead.

By the time he arrived, roughly a third of an hour later, Axton understood why Guja had warned him.

The area was teeming with monsters.

Dozens — no, hundreds — of creatures prowled the dark forest clearing ahead.

Their forms were twisted and varied, scales glinting, tusks flashing, eyes glowing red in the dim light.

Many of them were Grade 4 beasts, the kind that could easily wipe out an unprepared squad.

The moment Axton stepped into their territory, they noticed him.

And just like that, the balance of the place shattered.

Predators turned toward the new presence, their primal instincts screaming prey.

They didn't wait.

They didn't hesitate.

They charged.

The ground trembled beneath the thunder of their stampede.

The air rippled with killing intent.

And Axton… stood perfectly still.

He didn't even flinch.

His arms remained folded, his expression calm — almost bored — as he watched the horde of monsters rushing toward him like a tidal wave of teeth and claws.

There wasn't a single hint of fear on his face.

Instead, he smirked.

"Let's make this quick."

His voice was low, confident.

[Hell's Knight]

Flames ignited in front of him, a massive figure rose from within the fire, its armor forged from blackened steel that pulsed with demonic energy.

The Knight of Hell had arrived.

Axton didn't even give it orders.

The knight moved instinctively as if it already understood what needed to be done.

It raised its blade, which burned with infernal light, and with a heavy swing unleashed balls of flame that tore across the battlefield.

*Boom*

A sphere of burning destruction erupted, consuming everything in its path.

Then another.

And another.

Six blazing fireballs detonated in quick succession, turning the entire clearing into a storm of annihilation.

Trees vaporized.

Rocks melted.

The shrieks of monsters filled the air before being drowned by the roar of the flames.

By the time the smoke began to settle, the landscape had transformed into a wasteland of scorched earth.

Only ashes remained.

"Told him it was easy," Axton muttered with a smirk, as if Guja could somehow hear him from miles away.

Above him, a shadow passed through the smoke. Axton looked up to see his dragon, hovering high in the sky with wings spread wide.

The beast's eyes glowed, and with a deep rumble, it unleashed its Dragon Roar — a sonic shockwave that shattered the silence and sent the surviving monsters into chaos.

The dragon followed it up with a ground-shaking Earth Wall, slamming sections of terrain together and crushing the last remnants of resistance beneath tons of debris.

The hunt was over before it had truly begun.

Axton stretched his neck lazily and checked his notifications.

His screen was practically glowing from all the rewards.

Exp. Items. Coins. Reputation points.

It was like an endless stream of loot.

When he finished scrolling, he let out a short whistle.

"Not bad," he muttered.

He had gained three Grade 4 items among the drops. But after checking them, his enthusiasm dipped slightly as none of them carried inherent skills.

Still, Grade 4 was Grade 4.

"Guess I'll sell these," he said, tossing them into his inventory with a shrug. "Ten thousand of these should make me richer than the mayor himself."

He chuckled at the thought.

Then his attention shifted to the fourth item glowing faintly in his inventory.

Unlike the others, this one had a soft blue hue, the kind that radiated cold energy even through the interface.

He tapped on it.

[Item: Frost Crystal]

The item was Grade 5 and granted him temporary access to the ice element.

Axton grinned.

"Well, now we're talking."

For someone who already commanded hellfire and demonic energy, adding ice to his arsenal was an exciting prospect. But before getting carried away, he decided to finish his cleanup and store everything first.

He still had to report back to Guja later — and maybe, just maybe, show off a little.

The last of the flames died down as he dismissed the Hell's Knight and his dragon returned to its resting plane. The battlefield was silent once again, the smell of charred earth lingering in the air.

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