George and Tyler were now in the streets of Lyria. There weren't many people about, but as they got closer to the large building, Tyler noticed the village was getting noisier. The cart slowly pulled over to the side of the dirt road, and George said, "This is my stop."

"Oh," Tyler said. He jumped out of the cart. "How much?"

"Five copper," George replied.

One gold and Five copper coins shimmered into existence in Tyler's hand. George raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. He simply took the coins. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about Grone, kid. I just really had to keep my promise."

Tyler sighed. "It's fine. I'll find him on my own."

"Well, maybe he doesn't want to be found," George said. With a click of his tongue, the horses turned, heading back the way they came. "I'll see you around, kid!" he called.

Tyler waved, "Thanks for the ride!" He turned and looked at the large building ahead. It was massive, almost three stories tall and wide, partially obscured by the smaller buildings nearby.

Tyler decided to head towards it. As he moved, he noticed that some of the villagers were watching him. Some looked directly at him and started whispering to each other. Two women were smiling as they did so, which made him feel uneasy.

"What's up with them?" he thought, glancing at the villagers. *Is it because I'm B-ranked?* He realized that his necklace was in plain sight. Tyler quickly stashed the pendant deep within his armor and continued walking. *I don't even know where Lyria's Hunter base is,* he thought. *But I'm guessing it's that building. There's some noise coming from there, too. Or is it a bar?.*

He noticed some small roads leading between the houses, primarily for pedestrians. He decided to use one of them, cutting across. He soon emerged into a wider, more open space. The village houses weren't crammed together like the ones in Veridia; now, there was a significant distance between them and the main building.

As he approached the building, he saw a craven. The blue bird was pecking at something on the ground. It looked like seeds, but he couldn't quite make out what they were. *Oh, it's a pet,* he thought. *So they must allow pets here.* He paused. *Now that I think about it, this is the second craven I've seen. I've never seen them in any monster zones. Are they rare, or something?*

Tyler moved around the building to the front, and to his surprise, he found a bustling scene. Several Hunters were milling about, talking and laughing. The building was open, with two doorways wide enough to drive a cart through, reminding him of the Guildhall, but smaller. Noise spilled out: the murmur of conversations, the clatter of activity, even bursts of laughter.

Outside the Hunter base, a man was eating meat while talking to another Hunter. A crimson wolf sat nearby, watching the man intently, wagging its tail as if anticipating a treat.

As the man continued talking, Tyler thought, *A crimson wolf? It has to be another pet*

The man tossed the piece of meat towards the crimson wolf, which caught it in mid-air, and began chewing it.

Tyler thought to himself, *This is more like a guild hall than a Hunter base.* He remembered Rome telling him it was bigger than the Crossroads base. *Well, it's certainly bigger than that tent,* he thought.

He walked towards the building, then paused, glancing left. In the far distance, he saw what looked like a forest. *That must be the monster zone. I wonder what kind of monsters are in there.*

He continued walking and entered the building. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he saw tables and Hunters on either side. Some were eating, others drinking, but the drinks didn't smell like booze. It didn't reek of alcohol. The floor was stone, worn smooth from use. In front of him, there was a large counter. Two men stood behind it.

In the middle, there she was: Serena. Her fiery red hair cascaded down her back, slightly curled this time. She was wearing a black and white dress, a mix of leather and another fabric, tied at the waist. A male Hunter was leaning on the counter, talking to her. Serena looked annoyed by the short, brown-haired man's advances. He had a wide grin on his face, and a soft voice as he said, "Come on, the drink's on me."

Serena said, "No," her voice barely concealing her annoyance.

The Hunter persisted, "Come on, why not?"

Serena didn't answer. She simply looked down, avoiding his gaze. The man continued, "I'm C-rank plus. I can buy you anything you want."

Serena muttered under her breath, "Just...the problem is...you're a Hunter."

"Huh?" The man said. "What's that? You afraid I'm gonna die or something?" He straightened up, puffing out his chest. "Listen, I'm the best C-rank Hunter in the area, alright? I'm nearing B-rank! Just one more level, and I'll be taking on even tougher monsters, making even more money!"

Serena looked at the man. "Sir, I'm not interested."

The man's friendly facade crumbled, replaced by a mask of anger. "Stupid bitch! You think you're special or something? A C-rank Hunter comes to you, offering you a chance at a better life, and you say you're not interested? I swear, all you dumb village skanks are so stupid."

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The insult stung, but her eyes and mouth widened as she saw Tyler approaching, right behind the man.

She suddenly darted to the side, around the counter. The man shouted, "Hey! Where are you going?"

She ran, as some of the other Hunters and staff members looked at her with curiosity. A man behind the counter yelled, his voice deep with concern, "Serena!"

Tyler saw Serena running towards him. She quickly reached him, throwing her arms around him in a hug. "Tyler! You're back! You're safe! I was so worried!"

The Hunter watched them, his face a mask of annoyance and something else...recognition. *So that's why,* he thought.

Tyler embraced her back, smiling. "Yeah," he said softly. "Told you I'd come back. I always do, right?"

Serena pulled back, looking him in the eyes. "Don't ever do that again. Why did you take so long? I thought you were dead."

The man from the counter stormed towards them. "Hey!"

Tyler looked at the man, who said, "You think you can just waltz in here and take my girl?"

Tyler was taken aback. "What?" He quickly stepped away from Serena, holding his hands up. "Your girl? No, that's not what you think."

Serena said, her voice sharp, "What? That's not true, Tyler. I don't even know this guy. He's been bothering me for days since I got here."

Tyler said, "Oh, really?"

The man kept walking until he stood a few feet away from Tyler, his face contorted. "You think you're something, huh?" He then glanced at Serena. "So what? You think he's not going to die? You think you're stronger than me?" He tried to catch a glimpse of Tyler's necklace, but the pendant was hidden inside Tyler's armor. *He doesn't look that tough,* the man thought, a grin spreading across his face. *You know what? I'm going to humiliate him in front of his girl.*

The male staff member came from behind the counter and said, "Sir, you can't fight in here. Please calm down."

"I know we *can't* fight in here," the man said, sneering. "That's why we're going to take it outside."

Tyler said, "What?"

The Hunter challenged, "You heard me. I'm challenging you to a duel."

Some of the other Hunters, energized by the sudden drama, stood up and began cheering, which surprised Tyler. In the sudden chaos, a Hunter yelled, "Hey! He's challenging him to a duel!" Another voice called out, "Yeah! He's gotta accept!"

Serena thought, *A duel?* She remembered how Tyler had fought before, the speed and power he'd displayed against those other Hunters who'd provoked him. They hadn't stood a chance.

Tyler held his hands up. "Uh, no, sir. We can't fight. It's just a misunderstanding."

Serena interrupted, her hands curled into fists, looking at Tyler with determination. "I believe you can beat him."

Tyler heard the conviction in her voice and understood. *She's basically telling me to teach this guy a lesson.*

The man glared at Serena. "What? You think this guy can actually beat me?"

Tyler said, "Alright, I accept. But let's make a deal. If I win, I don't want you anywhere near this girl."

The man grinned. "Huh. It's a deal. And if *I* win... I don't want you anywhere near her." He chuckled, "Not that you'll even be able to walk when I'm done with you."

Tyler said, "Alright."

The men passed Tyler on their way outside. The other Hunters cheered, and followed them out.

Serena thought, *Why did I say that? I'm just getting Tyler into more trouble, aren't I?*

One of the staff members, the one who had called her before, stood beside her. "You know you were causing trouble, right?"

Serena bowed her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't know this was going to happen."

The man smiled at Serena. "Don't worry about it. Honestly, it's been quiet around here. Haven't seen a duel in a while."

The man went outside. Serena, after a moment's hesitation, followed.

Upon exiting, Serena saw that Tyler and the man were a few meters apart. The Hunters had given them space.

Tyler looked at the Hunter. The man wore leather armor similar to his, but slightly different. The armor at the abdomen was sculpted to look like abs. Tyler found it a little amusing but kept his expression serious. The Hunter also had metal gauntlets tied to his belt. He put them on, grinning at Tyler. "With your armor," the Hunter said, "I'm thinking you're a fighter, like me."

Tyler said, "Well, actually, I'm an assassin."

A murmur ran through the crowd.

The man said, "Huh? An assassin? Why are you wearing fighter's armor, then?"

Tyler answered, "It's comfortable. Now let's just get this over with, shall we? I didn't come here for this. You're wasting my time."

The man grinned. "You just want to die sooner!"

He activated his skill, *Fast Step,* and immediately charged at Tyler, his fist raised at incredible speed. Some of the Hunters in the crowd widened their eyes. Tyler, however, saw him moving slowly.

A system panel appeared above the man's head: *Harrison Dan: Lv 79.* Tyler thought, *Wow, I thought this guy was B-rank or something. He's just a C-rank...and he's moving so slow.* He realized the speed increase was due to a skill.

Another system panel flashed before his eyes: *Harrison Dan activated skill: Jab of Steel.*

Tyler thought, *Jab of Steel, huh? Let's see what it does. I'm not going to parry it.*

In what seemed like an instant to the other Hunters, but to Tyler, was several minutes, the blow landed. It struck Tyler squarely in the chest. A loud *TING* followed by a thud echoed out. Serena's eyes widened, her hands flying to her mouth. Another Hunter gasped, saying, "He took it head-on!"

Harrison, *while* surprised, his fist still planted against Tyler's chest, exclaimed, "What the hell? You didn't block it?"

Tyler said, "There was no need."

The man, pulling back his fist, exclaimed, "What? How dare you!"

Tyler started to say, "You're weak," but his sentence was cut short as his armor suddenly glowed, and a system panel appeared in red letters: Armor has taken too much damage. The armor then disintegrated into blue dust and vanished. The other Hunters gasped, asking, "What happened?" Another answered, "I don't know!"

Serena was equally surprised. *What happened to his armor? Did he put it away? But why?*

The Hunter was also confused. Tyler's face contorted in anger, his eyes glowing a faint blue.

The man saw Tyler's necklace, the black pendant with the letter "B" etched into it. He thought, *Oh, fuck… he's a B-rank?*

Tyler growled, "That was the last armor I had... and you ruined

The man felt a chill crawl down his spine, a premonition of something terrible. He *felt* the raw, untamed anger radiating from Tyler, a force he hadn't sensed before. The calm facade was gone, replaced by a storm of controlled fury. Before the man could react, before he could even *think to react, a blur of motion. A fist, a *slap* descended. It wasn't a mere strike, but a thunderclap of force, a punishment delivered from the heavens. It slammed into the man's face, a physical manifestation of Tyler's rage. The impact sent him *down,* smashing him into the ground. The short grass exploded beneath him, a miniature eruption of earth and dust, and he bounced a few inches off the ground before collapsing again, spitting blood.

The other Hunters were frozen in shock, the world silent.

*Damn it,* Tyler thought. *I came here to hunt. He just had to destroy my armor…* But then again, it wasn't really his fault. This was also because of the captain back in the area.

Tyler dusted off his knees, the sudden silence making him feel like he was underwater. He looked at the man. The man had fainted, his mouth hanging open.

Tyler muttered, "This means I win, right?"

Another Hunter cheered from the crowd, shattering the stillness. The other Hunters then erupted in cheers. A smile appeared on Serena's face. *I knew it,* she thought. *He wouldn't stand a chance against Tyler.*

The Hunters began to surround Tyler. A dark-skinned Hunter with short black hair asked, "Hey, man, how'd you do that? I know you're B-rank, but still..."

Another Hunter shouted, "Hey, what happened to your armor?"

Tyler was immediately swamped by questions. He answered the first one, "Um, it's… it's a skill I used," followed by a nervous laugh.

He noticed a female Hunter with long black hair. "Are you a B-rank plus?" she asked.

"Yeah," Tyler replied.

One of the staff members then pushed through the crowd and shouted, "Alright! The duel is over. Now, everybody, return to what you were doing! And leave the poor guy alone!" The staff member clapped Tyler on the shoulder. "Thanks, man. I put a bet on you," he whispered, winking.

Tyler whispered back, "Really?"

The Hunters began to scatter. Some headed towards the monster zone, others back inside the building. Tyler saw Serena approach him.

"I knew you wouldn't lose," she said, her eyes shining. "I believed in you."

Tyler smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Let's go inside."

Serena shook her head. "No. I want you to tell me everything that happened!"

Tyler sighed. "It's a long story."

Serena grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the side of the building. Tyler was surprised by the sudden action. "Where are you taking me?"

They stopped at the side of the building. Serena said, "You can tell me all about it here."

Tyler scratched the back of his head. "Well… where do I begin?"

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