A lot had changed within him after the defeat he suffered at the hands of the Lunaris. That change was further cemented when his own father, praised as a powerhouse and the savior of humanity, was beaten into a coma by the same race.

As a result, he devoted every bit of available time to booking and raiding danger zones, moving constantly alongside paid parties without rest.

He did not even bother returning to the Hunter Academy with his peers, as his newfound duty consumed all his time and left no room for anything else.

He became so deeply invested in this path that he did not even realize his own father had already recovered.

Inside a dense forest filled with unfamiliar trees and unsettling sounds, a group of five people could be seen.

Four of them lingered around the area, some resting on tree branches while others sat quietly on the ground beneath the trees.

Only one among them was different.

A young man with blond hair, clad in a black, body fitting battle suit, was engaged in intense combat with a massive bipedal beast that possessed eight elongated arms shaped like swords.

Gripping a longsword in his right hand, Drever swiftly blocked two of the blade-like arms as they plunged down at him.

Lightning energy surged through his sword, sending a brief jolting effect into the beast. It let out a low growl of irritation before swinging two more arms toward him.

Drever moved instantly, evading the strike and landing on the opposite side of the monster. Without hesitation, he attempted another attack.

The remaining four party members, whom he had hired merely to gain access to the danger zone, watched the fight with expressions that ranged from boredom to mild interest.

"How long has this fight been going on?" one of them asked while sitting on the branch of a tall tree not far from the battlefield.

"About twenty minutes," another replied before adding, "The Bladefiend is a mini-boss. It should be at least ten levels above him. For him to last this long on equal footing without taking a single injury is impressive."

The first hunter sighed. "I am not saying it is not impressive. But do you realize how long we have been inside this danger zone already?"

"Two days? Maybe more. I stopped keeping track once we entered. Especially in a portal type zone like this evil forest."

"It has been three days and over six hours. And we still have not reached the boss lair."

"Do not worry about it. He paid us more than enough. The least we can do is be patient."

"I guess you are right."

The two hunters turned their attention back to the battle. From their perspective, the fight continued at the same steady pace.

Not slow. Not fast.

Just two beings continuously exchanging attacks and defenses.

If Drever had not paid them as much as he did, they would have already broken their agreement and ended the battle themselves. After all, they were only bound to intervene if his life was truly in danger.

However, Drever was not an ordinary client.

He was the son of Norian Sterling and the nephew of Crimson Sterling. None of them dared to go against his wishes.

On the battlefield, Drever's eyes narrowed.

"Found it."

After nearly an hour of fighting the Bladefiend with ease, a monster known within the evil forest for its impenetrable defense and troublesome attacks, he had finally located what he was searching for.

Clang!

He blocked another strike and moved in close. While shifting his position, he retrieved a dagger from his inventory and channeled lightning energy into it.

With precise control, he sent the dagger flying toward a specific point on the monster's abdomen.

The blade pierced through the air, crackling faintly with lightning before striking its target.

A small smile appeared on Drever's face.

The Bladefiend let out a blood curdling shriek as its body began to stagger uncontrollably.

"Heh."

The onlookers frowned in confusion.

"What happened?" one of them asked.

There was no answer.

Even those who had been watching closely could not immediately understand what had just occurred.

As the Bladefiend writhed in pain, its weak point, or rather its power point, having been struck, Drever stepped into its range.

His sword moved.

In the next moment, his blade swept through the air at terrifying speed.

Seconds later, the massive body of the Bladefiend split apart into several cleanly cut pieces that collapsed onto the ground, blood pooling beneath them.

[ You've slain Bladefiend, EXP +1100 ]

[ Level up ]

[ You've reached a Breakthrough Moment ]

[ Your second breakthrough trial will now begin ]

[ Please select the difficulty of your Breakthrough Trial ]

Drever did not make a selection immediately.

Instead, he turned toward the party members who were now staring at him with visible curiosity and calmly issued instructions on how they should proceed with the remainder of the raid.

He also informed them of his breakthrough.

"What?" one of the hunters exclaimed as he jumped down from the tree and landed nearby.

"Were you not only level nineteen when we entered this danger zone? How did you level up this fast?"

"It is a long story," Drever replied.

He had no intention of explaining the bonus he had unlocked at the start of the raid, one that granted additional experience for every kill within the evil forest. He had used it carefully, and now it had brought him to a crucial moment in his growth.

"I want two of you to stay here while I take the breakthrough trial. The rest of you can locate the boss lair, but do not clear it. I will handle that myself."

He repeated the order to make it clear.

Although they had many questions, none of them argued.

In the end, they had no choice but to comply.

Yet they were curious.

"What level of difficulty are you going to attempt?"

Drever did not respond.

He turned to the notification in front of him and scanned all the available difficulty and then his eyes suddenly furrowed with confusion.

"What?" One of them asked, confused as to his sudden change in demeanor.

"For unknown reasons, there are only four level of difficulties, the 5-star one has disappeared."

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