Chapter 44: Winning Before the Match (1)

In the wide streets of Ashvarn, a peculiar Hunter wandered beneath the dark winter sky, an iron shovel resting across his shoulder as though it were a knight’s greatsword.

Every step Ethan took drew eyes.

Part of it was the shovel .. an absurd tool for someone bearing the title of Hunter.

The other reason was far more recent.

He had become famous.

Ethan let his gaze drift lazily from face to face. People whispered behind half-covered mouths, stealing glances filled with layered meanings.

Some were curious.

Others regarded him with thinly veiled pity.

But most…

Most looked at him with open mockery.

Seeing it all, Ethan merely smiled.

“It seems the Elders have already announced my duel. I’ve become the city’s favorite topic overnight.”

Maria’s Reckoning was a celebrated tradition .. a spectacle. To many, it was nothing more than refined entertainment. What could be more thrilling than watching two Hunters clash at the edge of death, wielding powers far beyond human limits?

Overnight, Ethan had become a performance.

His foremost role?

To entertain.

“I suppose this is humanity’s true nature,” he murmured as he drifted away from Ashvarn’s brighter districts and into its dim outskirts. “As long as the show is good, no one cares if the performer dies. In fact… they might even consider it part of the act.”

He wandered for a while, scanning the ground, the terrain, the structures around him .. searching.

“It won’t be easy to find the right spot. My memories of Ashvarn are… hazy.”

He paced back and forth like a metal prospector sweeping the earth again and again, narrowing his search zone inch by inch.

Hours passed.

Eventually, he found himself beyond Ashvarn’s immediate boundary, near its outskirts.

A few guards warned him not to stray too far. He dismissed them without a second glance.

Then, after further searching, Ethan reduced the area significantly.

He activated his ability.

“Wise Crow’s Insight.”

His crimson eyes ignited.

The world sharpened .. layers peeled away details revealed themselves beyond mortal perception.

This ability had become his most frequently used tool. Again and again, it had proven invaluable.

Even if the price was steep.

Even if each use stole a fragment of his future sight.

Within minutes, he stopped.

A slow smile curved across his face.

“Found you.”

He stood not far from Ashvarn .. its walls and lights clearly visible behind him.

The ground beneath his boots was a barren plain, dotted with withering vegetation slowly dying from proximity to the curse’s influence.

Fortunately, he had not strayed beyond Lord Vessel’s protective domain .. the same effect as a bonfire’s blessing.

In other words…

No monsters would attack him here.

“Perfect,” he said with quiet excitement. “Now… all that remains is digging.”

He drove the shovel deep into the earth.

Soil flew behind him.

It had taken hours to find this place, but daylight still lingered. He had time.

Plenty of it.

He dug with a strange happiness, a faint smile never leaving his lips.

“Just like the old days… Feels like I’m back on a construction site.”

A bitter expression briefly surfaced .. memories surfacing with it.

The first days after he had lost everything.

After his father had thrown him out.

Back then, he had not yet started streaming. He had survived by taking whatever harsh labor he could find.

“Who would’ve thought those miserable days would prove useful?”

He laughed softly at himself and continued digging .. efficiently, almost professionally.

Soon, the pit deepened.

His body gradually disappeared into the growing hole.

What caught his attention during the process was the strength of his mechanical arm.

“I don’t feel tired at all… and this arm grants me an additional force I can’t quite explain.”

He lifted the shovel high with his Legion Arm and studied it for a moment before opening the Player Interface.

Something caught his eye.

—

[The Legendary Weapons Master]

– Executioner’s Sword –

Ash of War: Telekinesis

—

Legion Arm – Level 1

Souls required for next level: 1000

Current progress: (0/1000)

Grappling Hook: An unbreakable cable launched from the arm. Can retract or pull in either direction.

– External weapon detected –

Stat bonus when wielding a weapon with Legion Arm:

+5 Strength

—

The moment he read the final line, Ethan’s smile widened into something almost unsettling.

“So the weapon’s output differs depending on which arm wields it.”

If held in his ordinary human hand .. nothing unusual.

But if gripped by the Legion Arm?

It granted five additional points in Strength.

And five points…

At his level… Was not a small increase.

Not at all.

“This makes sense… it is a mechanical arm, after all.”

It was a remarkable discovery .. one that significantly increased the Legion Arm’s value in Ethan’s eyes.

“Perhaps the bonus points will increase if I upgrade it to the next level…”

If that proved true, it would be an enormous advantage.

He was only Level 5.

Yet when wielding a weapon through the Legion Arm, his effective damage would rival that of someone at Level 10.

“Every time I stumble upon a hidden feature of my abilities, I can’t help but wonder… what else am I still unaware of?”

As he studied the long list of his Blessings, Ethan realized just how many secrets remained buried.

The most unsettling example was the eighth ability .. the one that continued to appear as nothing but question marks.

[???]

He disliked that mystery.

It meant he did not yet understand what he had gained from that deal… or what he had lost.

“I’ll deal with that after the duel.”

He closed the interface and returned to work.

Digging.

And digging.

And digging.

Until a towering mound of soil and gravel rose beside a massive pit so deep that Ethan himself vanished within it.

Covered in dust and grime, he finally paused after several hours, steadying his breath.

When he looked up ..

Night had already fallen.

Time had passed faster than he realized.

“Night already… and I’m still not exhausted.”

He clenched his fist tightly.

Despite hours of relentless labor, he felt energized.

Vibrant.

The Demonic Body was truly extraordinary .. capable of enduring far beyond ordinary human limits.

“At this rate, it won’t be long before I reach my goal.”

A faint smile appeared on his face.

But it slowly faded.

He sensed it.

Another presence.

“Waaah… impressive! Would you look at the size of that hole?”

The voice came from above.

Ethan raised his head.

The stranger had appeared without a sound.

A young man .. perhaps slightly younger than Ethan. Thick, messy crimson hair. Sharp scarlet eyes.

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