Everyone was on high alert. The questions to their competence and legitimacy were getting louder and louder. Things had to be done. Patrols had tripled, enchanted weaponry quadrupled. Every single adventurer had been called to every Trial entrance in Sector Three. A single team of eights held each of the entrances that weren’t in leveled sectors.

  Just in case Artigan got cheeky and tried to sneak through a non leveled zone.

  Sector Three was enormous. The size of two continents on Earth, there were far more than one leveled zone, and the full scale mobilization had been The costs were well into a hundred million dollars–

  Information lockdown doubled and tripled again. [Rogues] were sent throughout every leveled zone with drones. Both to check for movements of beasts and to find Artigan.

  There hadn’t been a trace of the blacklister for ten days, yet nobody believed he would keep away any longer. They would stay mobilized and make sure Artigan didn’t make it a step beyond realm three. The Leafstalkers had rallied–a group of militant Realmers that liked to call themselves Trialist slayers, known for their ruthless pursuit of any blacklister or suspected Earth operative operating below realm four.

  …Almost every group of Leafstalkers had been kicked out of the adventurer operated outposts. Adventurers and the Leafstalkers did not get along. But that was fine for them. They scattered around the perimeter, creating a blockade of their own. Giving every single adventurer a glare and demanding they identified themselves.

  Ryan sat on top of Cerul, high, high above them all. Chuckling at the sight of a couple of adventurers arguing with a group of leafstalkers. They started gathering and were mouthing off at each other. Not that he could hear or really see their lips from how high Cerul was gliding.

  It was moments like these that made him appreciate just how much his body had changed. His eyes were almost comparable to the zoom on Felsley’s phone. Better, in cases of being able to track quick movement.

  Naturally, he was recording the spectacle and his own face.

  “What’s up, it’s your boy Artigan–No, no that’s not right.”

  Ryan immediately stopped the recording and deleted the video. Then he looked around in embarrassment. He coughed, ignoring the fact that Gamielle had appeared and was recording him.

  He turned on the recording on Felsley’s phone again. [Aura of Self-Momentum] covered a small area around him, quietening the wind so he wouldn’t have to shout over it.

  Dastardly arrogance, that’s what Artigan was.

  “It’s been awhile everyone. I’m sorry for not keeping you all updated, I have been busy lately, holed up in a cave and getting stronger. Though I must admit, I have been paying attention to realmnet reactions in my spare time, and I’m really thankful for all of your support. Thanks to all your contributions, my bounty has reached a whopping forty eight thousand realmcoins! Wow! When I first started I couldn’t even imagine having money like that.”

  Ryan put a heartfelt hand on his chest.

  “While I am truly flattered, I must admit that I’m at a bit of a loss. Someone out there pretends she doesn’t know me, and I think that’s just . Witch Tyrant, I’m calling you out.”

  This was a delayed response to the Witch Tyrant’s video after Lazhen–where Gamielle, pretending to be her mother, so arrogantly pretended to not know him.

  Gamielle’s own camera dipped halfway as she whisper-hissed into his ear.

  ”

  Ryan’s grin went wider. He was using Gamielle’s own appearance against her mother.

  “Witch Tyrant! We all know you trawl through both realmnet and the internet, hexing anyone that talks ill of you. Yet you pretend to not know I exist! I, Artigan, who’s topped the trending charts twice now. I, who used to be one of your biggest fans, am disheartened by your refusal to acknowledge me.”

  He turned to the camera, his expression shifting into something almost sincere. A lot of it was truly coming from the heart after all. Gamielle didn’t quite let out a sigh of relief just yet.

  Ryan shrugged, he gazed down in humility.

  “But maybe that is fair enough. After all, it wouldn’t be sporting to attack someone a third your junior. No… I’m certain that’s not it. I bet you want proof. You who set up the foundation of the adventuring system desire nothing more than to have your own creation validated. You want to see someone stop me and rise as an adventurer. But I’m here to prove you wrong. The Adventurer’s Guild you created is worthless.”

  Now this was a little trick. First Ryan was making it sound like the Adventurer’s Guild was something the Witch Tyrant wanted to succeed. Something she had called a rebrand to hurt his feelings. By making it sound like he wanted to tear it down it ensured people would rally for it instead.

  After all, everyone loved to rally against an arrogant self-important prick. They wouldn’t let him succeed.

  Ryan thought it was a masterclass move, he just wasn’t sure why Gamielle was shaking her head.

  Keeping the phone steady and pointed at his face. Then he turned on phase two of Artigan’s theme song. He jumped off Cerul’s camouflaged back. Headfirst.

  The wind rushed past his face, flapping his robes behind him as he plummeted to the ground at terminal velocity.

  Halfway down, the adventurers started to notice him. They pointed, then their eyes went wide, shouting out. A full red alert was turned on in seconds as the first adventurers started to take aim–and fired.

  Ryan spun in midair, dodging the first bullet from an adventurer. A mounted machine gun pointed and started firing, the bullets tracking his movements in midair. Two more machine guns started, the bullets converging on him

  [Aura of Self-Momentum]

  DUN-DUDUDUN-DUN-DUN DUN

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  The drums from the song started blaring out, drowning out the sounds of bullets while he fell. The trail of bullets missing him entirely. A sniper round fired again, this time with perfect accuracy–and from a location he’d missed. It slowed around the condensed aura, giving him enough time to flick the projectile with an aura tendril.

  Ryan was flying at the cleared out perimeter of the Trial entrance.

  The Trial System didn’t allow its entrances to be blocked off. There were even more restrictions on these than the System Portals. Permanent structures could not be established above or directly around the entrance and Ryan was coming in from above.

  Though temporary cutoffs were allowed. Four [Mages] rushed out to form a [Combination Hexagonal Barrier]. This was no amateurish combination [Barrier] performed by panicking [Mages]. They had clearly drilled and prepared thoroughly. A low leveled [Volatile Antimagic Throw] would do nothing to this one.

  Ryan grinned. His [Arm of the Aura Tyrant] was fueled by momentum and fear. A blazing orb of red descending from the sky.

  Then he punched.

  The hexagonal barrier shattered under the weight of an enormous red fist. The four [Mages] staggering back, having to deal with the magical backlash–but more importantly? They faced a monstrous presence as a tidal wave of red aura spread through the outpost.

  Ryan stood up, ignoring the fleeing [Mages]. The music was about to reach its peak.

  It wasn’t perfect, the music coming out of Felsley’s phone didn’t sound the greatest. He would need to get a better speaker. Despite that, it was still damned satisfying.

  The first [Mage] fled, a second [Mage] dropped to the ground.

  Ryan shook his head in disappointment.

  A [Warrior] charged him from behind, his mind lost to the primal fight or flight response. Ryan waved his hand an a tendril of aura wrapped around the [Warrior’s] waist and flung him back over the wall surrounding the entrance.

  A good adventurer needed to know when to run.

  One of the teams scrambled and picked up the fallen [Mage] and headed towards the gate. They ran outside then slammed it behind them.

  Ryan shook his head in disappointment. He took a step towards the portal. Aiming for the strongest point of the [Barrier] had thrown off his aim and he was standing near the edge of the circular wall.

  Then the latin started to play, a loud sonorous voice echoing throughout the outpost.

  “Hostes fracti, regnum aeternum!”

  Ryan had no idea what it meant, but even he had to admit that it was too much right now. Especially when it was just him by himself and staring at a portal. He turned off the music.

  “No, no, I was enjoyin’ that. Turn it back on.”

  A gruff accented voice called out from behind the entrance portal. A dwarven woman stepped into view. With fully enchanted armor and an enchanted battleaxe in hand. Ryan didn’t recognize her amongst any of the adventurers he knew.

  “Well now, look at that. Ye’ve gone an’ made yerself predictable. Though I weren’t expectin’ you to fly outta the sky like tha’.”

  The strong accent gave it away. This wasn’t an adventurer, nor a modern day Realmer.

  “A Trialist Slayer. .”

  "Eh, affiliate.” Then the dwarf let out a booming laugh. “I’d pay good coin t’see their ancestors' faces now–after what their leafstalkers ‘ave turned to.”

  Then she wielded her oversized battleaxe.

  “Come now little Trialist. Today’s a fine day to die as any other.”

  Ryan wanted to ask more questions to the dwarf, like her name and her backstory. But it seemed she had enough of talking to the blacklister that was making a mockery of their world. She charged forward, the magic in her battleaxe spinning forward as she swung.

  He leapt over the enchanted wave of magic. The wave continued backwards until it smashed into the wall behind him–tearing it apart and continuing forward. The destruction was far too much, either it was an artifact or–

  He didn’t have more time to think, the dwarven woman took out an oddly shaped gun–far quicker than any realm three adventurer could move. The barrel spun and Ryan [Instant Dodged].

  The shot never came. The dwarven woman grinned under her helmet and put the gun, handle first, towards her face.

  “Just lockin’ on.”

  She bit down on the handle of the gun as it started firing. Continuous streaks of magic–all of them swerving and flying towards him at speeds that far exceeded anything a realm three could cast.

  Ryan had landed on the ground and dodged the magical streamers that flew at him. From the corner of his eye he saw that they swerved backwards, flying back towards him. They were homing.

  Then the dwarf charged forwards, battleaxe in hand, wand in mouth. She spun her battleaxe ready for another swing. Ryan moved faster–his hand slammed down on the haft of her weapon, stopping her strike completely. Her eyes went wide as she realized that his one arm was stronger than she was. She tried to wrestle with it, gave up, then grinned.

  [Aura Condensation]

  The wand exploded out another projectile at him while the homing projectiles spun around to hit him in the back. Ryan expected the projectiles to have been a distraction, they were too fast and too magical to also have insane penetrating power while being restricted to a realm three grade.

  Yet apparently that wasn’t all that they were.

  Glowing red splatters stuck to his aura, they started sizzling, eating away at his aura… about a foot too far away from his body.

  The dwarf’s eyes went wide, surprised at how ineffectual her trickshots were. Then she attempted to slam her forehead into the hand that was holding onto her battleaxe. The dwarven Realmer went cross-eyed when the impact damaged her head more than his aura condensed arm.

  Ryan frowned, more interested in the red splatters eating away at his condensed aura.

  “What is this?”

  The dwarf woman spat out her wand at his face. It froze in midair before it clattered to the ground. She looked at Ryan’s face nervously.

  “Mana imbued plasma propelled by an outer layer of enchanted magical shell.”

  “I think I’ve heard of plasma doing that. Didn’t realize magical technology had advanced so far with it. Are you an artificer?”

  The curious calm tone seemed to unnerve the dwarf more.

  The magical plasma was melting into his aura, burning away and trying to sink in. Unfortunately it was still a good foot away from touching him. From the rate his aura was replenishing it would probably be a good couple minutes before it had a chance to touch him.

  “Apparently not quite as well as I’d ‘ave hoped. Ahaha, ye’ve been leveling.”

  [Aura Command]

  Ryan’s aura shifted around, lifting the spreading plasma and flicking them to the ground. It was easier than expected, just isolate the sections and cut them off. Definitely easier than a [Aura Slash].

  The dwarf’s eyes bulged at the maneuver. Then she sighed. Finally Ryan’s [Dangersense] went off.

  “Shite, well I–”

  Before the Realmer could do anything else, Ryan threw the dwarf over the walls–battleaxe and all. He took one glance around at the walls enclosing the Trial entrance. Hoping that an actual adventurer would step up to try to stop him.

  Then he noticed his own aura. It billowed out, blazing red and threatening. Ryan had a thought.

  Only idiots would come after him now.

  He stepped up and into the portal.

  Trial scaling 1/8

  –

  “I hate being late. Stupid Kenheart, what the hell were you thinking Zedart?! You almost killed each other!”

  Valee chastised Zedart while they pushed through the circle of adventurers gaping up at a dwarven Realmer that was ordering them about.

  “He wasn’t trying to kill me. We were both holding back, him more so than I.”

  “What? Shit maybe we should’ve brought him along, explained everything to him.”

  Despite punching him in the gut, Kenheart had kept the secret that she’d only punched him after he gave intentions that he wanted to kill Artigan. If he’d pursued action, she probably would have ended up getting blacklisted. She did owe him for that.

  Zedart glanced back and shook his head.

  “I don’t think he wants to move on from realm three.”

  “Huh, weird guy.”

  There was a dwarven woman in fully enchanted gear, she was guarding the portal. Valee had gotten better with her [Tremorsense] skill lately and she could tell, the dwarven woman was strong. She was barking orders at the adventurers and they could do nothing but listen.

  The dwarven Realmer saw Valee and Zedart make their way to her and shook her head.

  “You two. You can’t go, Artigan has exceeded the fifth Realm in strength and it’ll take a lot more than you two to take him down. You’ll be just be feeding his achievements. Leave him to the Fourthers. Blast it all, I’ll ‘ave to find someone with a stronger aura to test things on.”

  Zedart and Valee looked at each other. Then stepped forward.

  reon is

  23 chapters ahead!