*BOOM!*
With a tremor shaking the ground, Riezel kicked Gazef into the dirt, sending up clouds of dust and debris while creating a pit.
*Cough!*
Gazef coughed out all the air from his lungs, gasping as if choking, which strained his voice.
"Warrior Captain!"
"Warrior Captain!"
Seeing such a scene, the surrounding warriors were immediately alarmed, rushing to pull Gazef out of the pit.
"You okay?"
Riezel asked casually as he landed from the air, glancing at Gazef, who was being helped out of the pit created by his fall.
"I-I'm fine…"
Gazef felt a heavy pain in his chest, making it hard for him to breathe and even grip his sword.
With one hand supported by one of his warrior subordinates and the other pressed against his chest, Gazef looked at Riezel with shifting emotions in his eyes.
Not just him, but even all his subordinates looked at Riezel with completely different eyes.
It couldn't be helped.
Clearly, the whole battle situation was different from what they had predicted.
They had originally thought it would be a fairly even match or that Gazef would have a slight advantage in close combat, but let alone a fairly even match, it had turned into a one-sided battle favoring Riezel.
Against Riezel's fierce attacks, Gazef couldn't put up even a bit of resistance. Even when he went all out and reached his limit, unleashing seven Martial Arts, Riezel still crushed him with ease.
Yet that wasn't the most shocking part.
What shocked them the most was that this young man, said to be a magic caster capable of using 5th-Tier Magic, hadn't used magic at all throughout the battle.
What did this mean?
It meant that Riezel hadn't even gone all out, yet he had completely overwhelmed the Re-Estize Kingdom's strongest warrior, Gazef Stronoff!
Needless to say, this was an extraordinary situation that would cause chaos throughout the Re-Estize Kingdom and its neighboring countries if it became known!
Meanwhile, the one responsible for this extraordinary situation was now standing in front of Gazef and his subordinates, looking somewhat distracted as they met his uncertain gazes.
It was truly a helpless situation.
Seeing Gazef, who could barely stand, Riezel felt a strange sensation in his heart.
'He's so weak...'
Riezel nearly let this thought slip out of his mouth.
Was Gazef really the so-called someone within the Realm of Heroes in this world?
If he were honest, Gazef felt more like a Level 3 adventurer in the world of Danmachi who had just leveled up.
Given this, was it fair to say that the Realm of Heroes was actually a realm equivalent to Level 3 in the world of Danmachi?
Did that mean a swordsman like Tanjirou could belong to the Realm of Heroes upon entering this world?
If that was the case, he had to admit that this so-called Realm of Heroes was truly a joke.
'No, that's not right. I can't think like that...'
Riezel shifted his thinking and reminded himself that the natives of this world originally weren't strong.
For example, the adventurers in this world, who were divided into eight ranks, sounded amazing and extraordinary, but compared to the players in YGGDRASIL, their levels were actually relatively low.
Copper Adventurers and Iron Adventurers, being the lowest rank and barely stronger than regular militia, were only equivalent to Levels 1 to 7 in YGGDRASIL and could only use magic up to 1st-Tier Magic.
Silver Adventurers and Gold Adventurers were on par with regular or elite soldiers, but they only matched Levels 8 to 14 in YGGDRASIL and were only able to use magic up to 2nd-Tier Magic.
Platinum Adventurers and Mithril Adventurers were considered high-rank adventurers, equivalent to Levels 15 to 21 in YGGDRASIL, and could only use magic up to 3rd-Tier Magic.
Orichalcum Adventurers and Adamantite Adventurers could compete with those among the top of this world's countries, but they were still only comparable to Levels 22 to 28 in YGGDRASIL, with most able to use magic up to 4th-Tier Magic.
As for those within the Realm of Heroes who could use 5th-Tier Magic, they were equivalent to Level 29 and above in YGGDRASIL.
In other words, reaching Level 29 in YGGDRASIL meant entering the Realm of Heroes in this world.
Considering that the highest level in YGGDRASIL was Level 100, max-level players in this world were almost invincible, while the natives could hardly be considered strong.
Simply put, those known as heroes among mortals were merely ants compared to the players, hardly better than mobs of monsters in YGGDRASIL.
'So... the powerhouses in this world really only come from non-human races and those from YGGDRASIL, huh?'
Riezel sighed sadly at this reality.
A good example was the Floor Guardians of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
He still remembered that last night, when they silently surrounded him, he had even felt a hint of threat from them.
Aside from them, there was the dragon race that had once ruled this world, especially the most powerful among them, known as the 'Dragon Lords', who could threaten even the players from YGGDRASIL.
In conclusion, the so-called strongest in this world should belong to them, not to these so-called heroes among mortals within the Realm of Heroes.
Understanding this, Riezel felt a sense of relief, feeling that there was still hope.
Nevertheless, after his battle with Gazef, Riezel was sure of one thing—Gazef had clearly not fully entered the Realm of Heroes.
In YGGDRASIL, Gazef was roughly equivalent to Level 28, having only stepped into Level 29 thanks to the power of his magic ring.
'It seems that if I want to find a worthy opponent, I'll have to look for one in the Great Tomb of Nazarick... or I could go after those Dragon Lords... At worst, there seem to be one or two decent opponents in the Slane Theocracy, right?'
Riezel pondered quietly, waiting for Gazef to catch his breath.
About two minutes later, Gazef finally eased the pain in his chest, broke free from his subordinates' support, and arrived in front of Riezel.
"I lost."
Gazef admitted his defeat calmly, but the look in his eyes as he gazed at Riezel was even brighter than before.
It was the joy of seeing a height he couldn't reach, realizing that such a powerful being existed among humans.
"According to our prior agreement, since I lost, I won't mention the commission anymore." Gazef continued, looking as if he had made up his mind. "But, Sir Brynhart, may I ask you for one thing?"
"What?" Riezel asked calmly, his eyebrows raised.
Gazef immediately displayed the expression of a man ready to face death.
"If I don't survive, could I ask you to help the Re-Estize Kingdom if it faces trouble in the future?"
Gazef unexpectedly made such a request.
""Warrior Captain!""
Upon hearing Gazef's request, his warrior subordinates gasped in shock.
However, Gazef raised his hand, signaling for them to be quiet.
"With Sir Brynhart here, the villagers are safe, right?"
Gazef spoke while looking directly into Riezel's eyes.
"If that's the case, I can confidently choose to retreat. If my men and I can escape smoothly, that would be great, but if not, if we miss the best chance to leave and are caught off guard by the Slane Theocracy's schemes, then we'll have to rely on Sir Brynhart."
"Please..."
Gazef bowed deeply to Riezel.
However, as Gazef bent down to bow, Riezel pressed him back up.
"Enough, don't make it sound so tragic..." Riezel sighed tiredly. "I remember I mentioned I'd decide whether to accept your commission after seeing your strength, not that we'd drop it if you lost, right?"
Upon hearing this, Gazef was taken aback for a moment but quickly caught on.
"You mean...?"
Gazef and his subordinates looked at Riezel with surprise.
"I can accept your commission." Riezel responded calmly.
He had initially wanted to gauge the strength of those within the Realm of Heroes through Gazef, so he could assess the overall power of this world. Now that he had achieved this goal, he didn't mind helping this Warrior Captain, whom he found somewhat likable.
Of course, it wouldn't be for free.
"How about this for payment?"
Riezel pointed to the magic ring that Gazef was wearing on his finger.
"..."
Gazef fell silent immediately.
However, his subordinates reacted intensely.
"You can't, Warrior Captain!"
"It's too important for you to lose it just like that!"
"Don't do it, Warrior Captain!"
Gazef's warrior subordinates voiced these objections in succession, firmly rejecting the idea.
They had followed Gazef for a long time and understood well that if he lost the magic ring, he would no longer be able to enter the Realm of Heroes in his normal state, which would be a huge blow to him.
Gazef was also well aware of this fact.
However—
"...If I lose my life, no matter how good a magic item is, it'll just end up in the hands of those bastards from the Slane Theocracy."
Gazef rubbed the magic ring on his finger, looked at Riezel for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
"Besides, this ring was given to me by someone else, so why can't I pass it on to someone else too?"
Gazef took off the magic ring without hesitation and handed it to Riezel.
"Let's consider this a token of gratitude for saving this village."
Riezel stared at Gazef's sincere face for a moment before accepting the magic ring and examining it.
Even though he knew the magic ring was quite special, his desire for it had actually come on a whim.
At first glance, the magic ring seemed to help Gazef move from being half in the Realm of Heroes to fully entering it, and the increase in power didn't seem too exaggerated.
In reality, however, its true function was to allow the wearer, specifically with warrior-oriented job classes, to break through their limits and unconditionally increase their level.
In other words, even if they were players from YGGDRASIL, whose level was limited to Level 100, as long as they used this ring, they could exceed the game's maximum level limit and surpass Level 100.
Such an effect was pretty scary.
One should know that even in the world of Danmachi, only Riezel and the protagonist could break through the status limits and the thresholds of Falna, yet the magic ring could nearly allow anyone wearing it to achieve such a feat—truly an astonishing item.
Riezel was curious about what would happen if he used the magic ring, so without hesitation, he put it on his finger and unleashed its power.
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*Shing—*
As Riezel put Gazef's dragon-claw-shaped ring on his finger, a radiant light burst from the mysterious jewel on the ring, and he felt his power rise.
It wasn't power flowing in from outside but from within.
Because the effect of this ring wasn't to grant power to the wearer but rather to enhance the wearer's own power, it allowed the wearer to break through their limits.
For this reason, Gazef, who could only step one foot in the Realm of Heroes, was able to fully step into it, even increasing the number of Martial Arts he could use.
It was a clear advancement in level, a full-scale enhancement that directly targeted the wearer's own strength.
Shortly after feeling the surge of power, Riezel made a clear assessment.
'STR, END, DEX, and AGI—all went up by one or two ranks, but MAG stayed exactly the same...'
'My development abilities—whether it's Lightweight, Swordsman, Battle Adept, or Fast Attack—they all increased by roughly one rank too, except for Mage, which doesn't change at all...'
'Not gonna lie... this is pretty incredible...'
Indeed, the boost that the ring had given him was truly incredible.
However, one thing was sure—it clearly only affected someone with a warrior-oriented job classes.
Since only warrior-oriented job classes could benefit, his MAG and Mage didn't receive the boost, but all abilities related to warrior received the boost, whether they were basic or development abilities.
While the improvement wasn't huge, only one or two ranks at most, having all his close-combat abilities increased made for a pretty significant enhancement overall.
Especially when its wearer had already reached the limits of their current level, this could help push them into a whole new realm of possibilities.
In other words, someone like Albert Borley, who was just a step away from the realm of Sword Saint, could potentially cross that boundary with the aid of this ring's power.
If it were in Danmachi terms, when someone maxed out all basic abilities at the highest S-rank for their level, this ring might help them leap to the next rank, giving them the chance for a rank breakthrough. At the very least, it could push someone who was maxed at S-rank to SS-rank or even SSS-rank.
Such was the true power of this ring—at any level or any rank, it had the effect of helping someone push their limits and breakthrough.
Understanding this, Riezel's evaluation of the ring, which was fairly notable in the original work, had increased significantly.
'No idea how these people just hand something this precious around like it's nothing.'
Riezel thought in wonder while glancing at Gazef, who stood nearby.
From what he remembered, Gazef had gotten the ring simply because someone had gifted it to him.
In the later parts of the original work, Gazef even gave the ring away to someone else, not caring if his own strength might drop because of it.
Even though it was a precious treasure, they just passed it around like it was cheap or something.
Knowing this, he might as well keep it himself, right?
With this thought, Riezel deactivated the ring's power, letting its glow gradually fade.
Next, it was time to complete Gazef's commission.
===
As the sunset gradually dyed the sky red, a gentle glow covered Carne Village and the vast forest nearby, casting an ethereal and almost dreamlike beauty over the scene.
Under this serene dusk, however, a large group of shadows suddenly appeared on the plains before Carne Village.
"All units, prepare yourselves."
A calm, steady voice echoed across the plains.
"Since the prey has entered the cage, it's time to act."
With eyes cold and lifeless like artificial glass that gave away no emotion, the one who spoke was a tall man with an ordinary face marked by a scar, wearing a black and white robe akin to cleric attire.
He was Nigun Grid Luin, the captain of the Sunlight Scripture, one of the Six Scriptures of the Slane Theocracy.
Nigun was an elite among elites, able to wield 4th-Tier Magic and nearing the Realm of Heroes, where one could cast 5th-Tier Magic, making him the strongest in the Sunlight Scripture.
Around him stood dozens of similarly dressed individuals, each radiating an extraordinary aura.
They were the members of the Sunlight Scripture, human elites capable of using 3rd-Tier Magic. In terms of adventurer ranks, they would easily be at Platinum—a rank marking high-rank adventurers without a doubt.
Such a formidable group had gathered under Nigun's command, all gazing at the village ahead.
At this moment, they noticed many warhorses stationed within the village, distinct from the ones ridden by the disguised knights of the Slane Theocracy. All of these were clearly splendid horses, proof that their 'prey' had been drawn into the 'trap' they had set.
"Offer your faith unto our God."
Nigun declared in a solemn tone, making everyone begin to pray in silent devotion.
It was a simplified prayer, a ritual of reverence for their god.
As a deeply religious human country, the Slane Theocracy occupied an area about twice the size of the Re-Estize Kingdom, with a population of approximately 15 million. It was the strongest of the human countries on the continent, excelling in both manpower and talent.
It was said that about six hundred years ago, six gods known as the 'Six Great Gods' descended from the heavens and founded this country in an era when humans were oppressed by other races.
Thanks to the Six Great Gods, the Slane Theocracy continued to repel the non-human races, establishing itself as a powerful nation representing the entire human race.
With their faith rooted in the Six Great Gods, the Slane Theocracy had built a rigid religious system, promoting human supremacy while rejecting other races.
In this country, the highest authority was not a king or emperor but the Six Cardinals—the leaders of six religious sects, headed by the Pontifex Maximus, who governed the entire country.
In this hierarchy, the forces directly under the Cardinals were as authoritative as those directly under a ruler of a country, and the Sunlight Scripture was precisely one of these forces.
Every member of the Sunlight Scripture had a devotion that ran deeper than that of ordinary citizens, where even on missions in foreign lands, they took time to pray, reaffirming their commitment to their country and their god.
Once their prayers ended, these members would carry out their brutal orders without hesitation.
Such unyielding resolve came from their belief that every action they took was for their country, for their god, and, above all, for the human race itself.
As a result, they saw their deeds not as sins but as necessary steps to usher in a new dawn.
"Begin."
Nigun gave the command in an emotionless voice.
"Surround Carne Village and completely eliminate Gazef Stronoff, along with that village."
With that, all the members of the Sunlight Scripture stretched out their hands and began to chant magic.
""Summon Angel 3rd.""
Angel.
It was a type of creature from another realm.
To many, especially those in the Slane Theocracy, these beings were considered the envoys of god, existing only for those with unshakeable faith to command.
Summon Angel 3rd, as the name suggested, was a 3rd-Tier Magic that called forth an angel known as Archangel Flame to vanquish the enemies of god, or so those in the Slane Theocracy believed.
As the members of the Sunlight Scripture cast this magic, magic circles appeared in front of each of them, and from these magic circles, angels with radiant, gleaming wings and bodies like polished stone were summoned.
All of these angels held swords of flame, their bodies pure white, and it was fair to call them divine-looking, as they certainly seemed holy.
Once his subordinates had finished summoning their angels, Nigun summoned his own.
"Summon Angel 4th."
As Nigun summoned his angel, the one that appeared was different from the others.
Not only did this angel have a colossal body, but it also held a mace and a round shield instead of a sword of flame. It was clearly larger than the others, radiating an aura of holiness distinct from theirs, making it clear that this angel was on a completely different level.
Summoned by 4th-Tier Magic, this angel, known as Principality Observation, was a higher-tier, stronger being than Archangel Flame.
If Archangel Flame's power was roughly equal to that of a Platinum or Mithril Adventurer, then Principality Observation's power could rival that of an Orichalcum or even an Adamantite Adventurer.
With such an array of powerful angels, even a hero of legend would be hard-pressed to escape.
Needless to say, this was the power the Slane Theocracy had prepared to crush the Warrior Captain of the Re-Estize Kingdom, and it was clearly on an entirely different level from the Baharuth Empire's knights they had previously impersonated.
With all the preparations complete, Nigun led his subordinates, accompanied by their summoned angels, toward Carne Village.
However—
"Why is it so quiet?"
As Nigun got closer to Carne Village, he began to sense that something was off.
At this range, his prey should have already realized he was surrounded and started fighting back, shouldn't it?
"Is he planning to hide in the village and hold his ground?"
Nigun muttered to himself before sneering.
"No, that won't do, Stronoff... As the so-called strongest warrior, you should face your death in a blaze of glory! Hiding like this doesn't suit someone of your status for a final stand!"
As soon as Nigun finished his words, he waved his hand.
"Use fire attribute magic to burn the entire village to the ground!"
If the prey refused to come out, then he would simply force him out.
Such was Nigun's plan.
Unfortunately—
"No, that won't do."
As soon as these words echoed from midair, control over the battlefield shifted instantly.
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