A thousand years ago, the ancestors of Schrade Village crossed the West Dragon Sea to reach the New Continent, where they settled and flourished.
According to legend, the powerful and prosperous Old Kingdom of Schrade was attacked without warning by the Black Dragon, Fatalis.
Eventually, the kingdom split into two parts: East and West.
There are even rumors that the Black Dragon still occupies the Old Kingdom of Schrade to this day. The Hunter's Guild has dispatched powerful hunters to investigate many times, but most were never heard from again.
The occasional survivor who returned safely looked as if they had seen hell itself, refusing to speak of it with anyone.
As the years passed, an ancient prophecy continued to circulate within Schrade Village on the New Continent—
"When the Red Star burns through the night, humanity shall reclaim its ancestral lands and restore the kingdom's glory."
Years later, this prophecy, long forgotten in the dust, was suddenly reawakened in the arena.
As Leon fought beyond human limits, his demonic aura burning fiercely before the crowd, the high-ranking officials of Schrade Village felt as if they were seeing a hope lost for a millennium.
—This boy might be the one to defeat the Black Dragon.
***
The arena tournament concluded, but the night in Astera was anything but peaceful.
Both Leon and Retos were invited to the Commander's office, where the Vice-Chief of Schrade Village was also present.
He wore silver-gray beast furs, his hair graying and his beard scruffy. His eyes were as sharp as blades, and though he was clearly aging, his physique remained sturdy and imposing.
The Vice-Chief was the first to break the silence, asking, "Your name is Leon? Where do you come from? The Old World? Or..."
"I apologize, but I cannot explain where I came from. However, I have no intention of harming anyone," Leon answered calmly, meeting the man's gaze without hesitation.
This was the same answer he had given the Commander when he first arrived at Astera.
Hearing this, the Vice-Chief did not respond. He simply studied Leon, as if weighing something in his mind.
The Vice-Chief was a cautious man. Although Leon had demonstrated a Demon Mode beyond that of an ordinary person in the arena, he was unlike the other village officials who blindly applied legends to every situation.
After all, the Red Star was prophesied to defeat the Black Dragon, and the Leon before him clearly lacked that kind of power.
The Commander cleared his throat and got straight to the point. "The result of the arena tournament is clear: Retos lost. It's time for both parties to reach a settlement."
Retos glared, gritting his teeth. "He killed three Schrade villagers. Is the Research Commission not going to punish him?"
Facing the baseless accusation, Leon said calmly, "If I hadn't fought back, we would be the ones dead."
"Enough!" the Vice-Chief suddenly barked, slamming his palm onto the table and causing the teacups to rattle.
He glared at Retos and snapped, "Don't think I'm unaware of your little games. You were the one who proposed the arena tournament. Now that you've lost, what more is there to say?"
The atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing.
Then, the Vice-Chief looked at Leon and asked, "According to our prior agreement, the winner has the right to demand punishment. How do you want to handle Retos?"
"I said it before—" Leon's gaze turned cold, and he spoke without hesitation. "I want his life."
As the words fell, Retos's face changed drastically. He lurched to his feet, shouting, "How dare you—!"
"I won, why wouldn't I dare?" Leon watched him with cold eyes and continued, "You set up a fake emergency quest, intending to wipe us out during the hunt. Since that was the case, I won't settle for something as simple as an apology."
The Commander frowned deeply, his voice heavy. "While Retos is in the wrong, according to the Hunter's Guild regulations, he can only be sentenced to imprisonment. If you insist on this demand, I cannot guarantee..."
Facing the Commander's obvious attempt to smooth things over, Leon cut him off with a cold sneer.
He stared straight into Retos's eyes and mocked, "This is between us and our wager, and the Sword Master and many others can testify to it. Is Schrade Village nothing but a bunch of greedy, death-fearing cowards?"
"You..." Retos naturally didn't want to give up his life. He turned to look at the Vice-Chief.
However, the Vice-Chief remained silent, simply staring at Leon as if to see whether he would back down.
At that moment, the door was suddenly pushed open.
Flora walked in quickly, her face pale and her eyes filled with anxiety and worry.
She glanced at Leon, then at Retos, whose face was ashen. She took a deep breath and bowed deeply to the Vice-Chief and the Commander.
"Vice-Chief, Commander, please allow me to plead for Retos's mercy."
Hearing this, everyone was taken aback.
Especially Leon. His brow furrowed as if he couldn't believe his ears. He asked for confirmation, "Flora?"
Flora ignored him and continued on her own, "It is true that Retos was at fault first, but we also accidentally killed three hunters from Schrade Village..."
She looked at Leon with a complicated expression and continued, "Leon, I know you have your boundaries and your pride, but please... for my sake, spare his life."
The Commander and the Vice-Chief said nothing, simply turning their eyes to Leon.
Leon fell into silence. He didn't understand why Flora would plead for Retos. She had been seriously injured and kidnapped, yet here she was protecting them...
'Whatever...'
'I owe her one.'
His gaze swept over Retos before landing on Flora. He said quietly, "Fine. I can spare his life, but from now on, Retos is not allowed to appear before me."
Hearing this, Flora finally let out a sigh of relief.
The Vice-Chief nodded slowly and ordered, "In that case, Retos, you will stay in the village from now on. You are not allowed to enter Astera."
"This..." Retos looked up sharply, his face as white as a sheet, but he no longer had the right to say another word.
"Good, this matter ends here," the Commander said, clapping his hands. "As the Vice-Chief said, Retos, Flora, you may leave now."
Before leaving, Flora looked at Leon. In her resolute eyes, a hint of tenderness flickered.
Her expression was complicated and difficult to describe.
The Commander watched Retos and Flora depart, and the Vice-Chief followed. The moment the door closed, peace finally returned to the room.
He sat back in his high-backed chair, stared at Leon for a moment, and spoke slowly. "Leon."
Leon looked up.
"Your performance has far exceeded the scope of an apprentice hunter. I have never seen a newcomer capable of such a display..." The Commander's tone was no longer as formal as before; instead, it held a note of gravity.
"Therefore, I have decided..." The Commander paused for a long moment before saying seriously, "Effective immediately, you are a full-fledged hunter. You no longer need to undergo an assessment."
Leon was slightly stunned by the news.
"Ha! We finally reached this part," the Sword Master's raspy voice interrupted their conversation.
In the next instant, the Sword Master vaulted through the window.
He took a glowing red star-shaped branding iron from the fireplace and said, "Hey, kid, I promised to brand your star. Hurry up and bring out your Hunter's Notes."
Leon took out his Hunter's Notes and handed them over.
*Clap!*
With a soft sound, the red-hot iron was pressed firmly onto the cover of the Hunter's Notes.
Immediately, a flash of fire erupted.
*Sizzle—*
The dry beast-hide let out the sound of roasting, followed by a scent of charred leather mixed with tobacco.
A star appeared on the cover of Leon's Hunter's Notes. He looked at it, feeling as if he were witnessing a quiet turning point in his fate.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+40 chapters) patre0n.c0m/Royal_ink]