บท 19: Changes

The dungeon didn't end exactly how I expected, but I was content with the way things worked. As all the hunters had left the boss room, I actually enjoyed the fact that there were fewer people around me, maybe I was just a natural loner.

I shook my head as I reached down towards the rank C cores lying down as boss. We had been splitting the cores into equal amounts as we killed the statues in the rooms until we arrived at the BOSS room, with Anderson taking most of the cores as he dealt with most of the statues.

All of the cores that he grabbed though, along with everything else he owned was now situated in my ring of storage.

I didn't feel particularly bad from taking everything from the dead man as my thoughts quickly moved forward to what I'll be doing next. I reached my hand out to identify the skill book that this C ranked TITAN dropped. Much to my surprise, it was a skill called [Smite- Pass down your ruling in the form of 10 swords of light!]

This skill gave me quite a shock as it wasn't among the many rank C skills that I have researched. I actually hadn't heard of this one before and the skill seemed to go very well with the guidelines I set for myself for the new skills I'll be learning.

So I quickly learned the skill as I was impatient to see its effects, even if it would just be for show right now as there were no monsters to test it out. And for the first time, I cast [Smite]

A marking quickly appeared on top of my head with a symbol that very closely matched that of a star. A golden light was then being released in the sky as 10 literal swords of light quickly took shape and pointed down imposingly. My eyes were shining as I watched them hover in the sky just waiting for a command to strike

I was very excited to see exactly how amazing the effects of this skill work out to be and I wanted to quickly rush into the dungeon again to test it out right away. But I knew I had to call it a day for now. It had been a long day, and I was finally not feeling pressed against time. I burned the sight of the dead TITAN and the dead hunter in my brain, and then I reached towards the green crystal, vanishing from the hall.

---

A man wearing a well-tailored suit was watching the news with his arms trembling. Something shocking was being announced as breaking news. About an hour ago in Outer Bank X, the highest-ranked hero, Cohen Anderson, had perished in the dungeon [Solael's Castle]

In an effort to save the rest of his party members, he had given his life to take down the terrifying BOSS, making sure nobody else was injured.

The man listened to the news and stood there dazed, as this was something out of his wildest nightmares. Never something that he ever felt was possible. His benefactor, the person who saved him was now dead. And as for the things they were saying?

He had given up his life to save others? Haha! He knew his master, and knew even more his personality. The butler shook his head in sadness as the face of a man who had been in his mind these past few days popped up. He thought of this man and asked himself. Could he have had anything to do with this?

As he was lost in thought, the newscaster continued "As this highest-ranking hero passed, he passed on the torch to someone else just as powerful. Someone who will continue to keep the citizens of the city safe. The message received from the Outer Bank X City's Elite Hunter Squad is that their new leader goes by the name Noah Osmont"

The sudden announcement brought back the butler's attention to the TV, his eyes turning into cold slits as his theories were verified. So it was you all along.

Anger and sadness were bubbling in the butler's heart but he quickly pushed it down until all that was left was sadness. He recalled warning his master about this man because of the many things he did not know, but he failed his job. He didn't get the point across well enough and his master paid dearly for it. He wasn't making the same mistake.

The butler walked towards the huge doors at the mansion that he had kept open, waiting for his master. But he knew that he was not coming back. And yet he still stood in the middle of the open doors, waiting for no one, waiting for nothing.

---

Noah carried his tired body over to the nearest Hunter Lodging as soon as he left [Solael's Dungeon] He wasn't really tired physically, he just felt mentally drained. Many events had occurred today, and as calm as he was there were still things that he did for the first time.

Besides the abnormally more numerous than average looks he was receiving as he walked through the luxurious hotel, nothing else seemed out of place. He did his usual ritual of grabbing a room and ordering food. As he was eating, he turned on the TV and almost choked on his food when he saw what was being reported. It was a local channel breaking the news for Outer Bank X

A glowing red title was saying that the highest-ranking hero in the city was now dead.

The things Noah heard baffled him to say least. Cohen Anderson had sacrificed himself, he had boldly taken on the boss that was endangering his teammates' lives and used all of his power until his last breath before he passed on the torch to...Noah Osmont.

Oh, come on! Noah, let out an exasperated sigh as he saw his name and picture paraded in front of the TV. He reigned in the rest of his thoughts as he continued to watch the news before agreeing with the way that Anderson's party members finished things. It was much better to let the public know this version of the story than telling them that one of the hunters just killed the other.

The officials had kept the information short and precise, one hunter was dead and another one just as powerful, if not more, took his place. There was nothing to worry about. No problems would occur. Everything is just as it was before.

A smile formed on Noah's lips as he thought of this. No. Everything was not how it used to be. Because that rank C dungeon that had given hunters so much trouble...he was about to turn it into his playground. He was planning on clearing it by himself multiple times for the next few days as most of his reservations were reduced when he confirmed his own power against Anderson.

Of course, he wouldn't suddenly make stupid decisions that could endanger his life, but he definitely had more legroom to take risks. Bigger risks gave bigger rewards. The risk he had to take these next few days is going to be watching the monolith of [Solael's Dungeon] turn from orange to blue as he cleared the dungeon multiple times, and what reactions that would receive from the powerful figures in the city, but even more so for the actual powerful figures hiding in larger cities

He wanted to take down the ten-meter giant TITAN all by himself. He wanted his strength to continue rising and his range of skills to continue expanding. He wouldn't limit himself as much anymore.

[Noah Osmont][Occupation: Hunter]

[Vitality: 150+30]

[Focus: - ]

[Strength: 150+50]

[Skill(s): (F-Fireball-100)(F-Heal-53)(E-Arctic Armor- 100)(D-Flames of Torment-99)(D-Safeguard-38)(D-Danger Sense-99)(C-Arcanist's Sphere of Protection-99)(C-Camouflage-77)(C-Aura of Haste-54)(C-Explosive Rune-61)(C-Life Essence-51)(C-Increased Penetration-44) (C-Regeneration-11) (C-Whirlwind-13) (C-Smite-1) (B-Giant's Strength-8)]

[Equipment: (E-Swift Boots)(D-King's Valor)(C-Ring of Storage)]

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Adui

Thank you guys again for all your comments and replies, and even bigger thanks for those catching any errors I missed. 2 more chaps incoming tomorrow ^.^