The Herb King



Among the participants on the stage, the person who exhibited the most fearsome skill was someone from a small empire. He was wearing a tattered vest over his uniform and his main weapon is a crescent-shaped blade. His eyes were cold and filled with ruthlessness, making his opponent feel uneasy. 

This person was a peak stage Level 3 Esper! He was even stronger than Zion Empire's William Holt! 

At this moment, he hasn't even pulled out the weapon strapped on his back. He casually evaded his opponent's strikes without being hit! 

"Isn't that the guy we saw during the registration for the martial arts competition?" Janrose who was watching beneath the stage muttered with a serious look. 

Alec nodded his head solemnly. "That's him. I sense this bloodthirsty killing intent in his aura. For him to produce such dense killing intent, he must be someone who had killed a lot of people." He thought that the only person they needed to be wary of was the crown princess of the Azure Phoenix Empire. They had underestimated the young elites of the other empires!

"He won. He didn't even use his weapon." Janrose muttered in surprise when he saw how easily the guy won. 

"If you meet him on the stage, use your full strength immediately." Alec warned her. 

"I understand." Janrose nodded her head. Even without Alec's warning, she wouldn't dare to underestimate that person. 

Soon, Alec's name was called. 

"Good luck." Janrose said and gave him a thumbs up.

Alec chuckled as he jumped to the stage.

His opponent was someone from an empire called Radiant Sun Empire. It was a big empire that has a high chance of being listed in the next Holy Rankings. 

"Alec Ward? I haven't heard of you." His opponent smiled contemptuously. This guy sported a buzz cut and with average facial features. The clothes he wore were embedded with precious gems. From this alone, one could safely say that he came from a rich household. 

Alec remained calm in the face of his opponent's contemptuous smile. His hand slowly reached out for the hilt of his sword. 

Seeing that Alec had remained silent, the guy thought that Alec was boiling with fury. "Are you angry? Then co-" 

Before he could continue speaking, Alec abruptly moved! He tapped his foot and smash the guy's nose with the handle of his sword, sending a few pieces of his teeth flying into the air. As for the man in question, he was already lying motionless beneath the stage.

Alec stared at his defeated opponent with a calm look and muttered. "Your mouth stinks so bad that I had no choice but to eliminate you quickly..." He then left the stage under the crowd's stunned gazes. 

"What an irritable young man! Hahaha! But I like his style!" 

"He deserves it! He was basically asking for a beating!" 

Not long after Alec's victory, Janrose's name was also called. Her opponent was an early stage Level 3 Esper who was proficient in the sword. However, the moment their battle started, Janrose showed superior swordsmanship and it didn't even take long before she kicked her opponent out of the stage. 

The first day of the martial competition ended. Both Alec and Janrose only fought once today and they advanced to the next round. 

***

Irithel led a convoy to the Northern Region. She was riding on top of a Level 4 Gryphon. 

Suddenly, a black-clothed man riding another Gryphon flew next to her and asked. "Madam Irithel, to which location in the Northern Region are we headed to?" This guy was Zachary who was formerly known as Fast Sword. Now he was the third strongest expert among the Shadow Guards! His strength was only beneath Aenwyn and Einar. 

Irithel glared at him and said. "Didn't I tell you to call me 'Miss Irithel?' Do you want another beating?" 

Zachary urged his Gryphon to move back a bit after seeing her glaring at him. He smiled awkwardly and hurriedly corrected himself. "Yes, Miss Irithel." 

Irithel nodded her head and smiled gently. "Good, kid. You're teachable. Anyway, here's the first location." She threw a map to him which he quickly caught. 

Looking down, Zachary saw an area on the outskirts of the Northern Region that was circled on the map. It was labeled with the number '1', indicating that it was the first stop. There were also other places circled on the map. 

"There is a small Barbarian tribe in that place. Your boss told us to create a Transportation Rune in those circled locations. Do you understand his intentions now?" Irithel chuckled lightly. She was shocked when she first heard this from Aethelwolf. That guy was actually planning to take in all the Barbarian tribes in his territory! It was madness! She could already imagine the repercussions it would cause once someone hears that he took in the Barbarians. 

Zachary's expression hardened as he realized what Aethelwolf's plan was. "This... This is going to be complicated..." He muttered while scratching his head. 

The Barbarians were disdained by everyone because of their skin color and their inability to absorb world essence. During the earlier centuries, it was said that the Barbarians were laborers and slaves. Since they couldn't control world essence, the only job they could do was manual labor. They were also sent to the battlefield to become cannon fodder. In short, they possessed the lowest of the low status a long time ago. Even at present, the majority of the people still believed that the Barbarians were slaves.

"That's why I like your boss. He doesn't care about everyone's opinion." Irithel giggled seductively. 

Zachary immediately covered his ears. He didn't dare listen to her words, afraid that he might hear something that he shouldn't hear. 

After distancing himself from her, Zachary stared at the map once more and muttered with a smile. "Perhaps King Aethelwolf is the only person who dares to do this..." 

Soon, the convoy arrived at the outskirts of the Northern Region. Their arrival scared the Barbarian tribe in the vicinity.