novelnext Chapter 159 - 157 — Once Again Toward Sunrise City
Chapter 159 - 157 — Once Again Toward Sunrise City
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"The streets feel less lively."
I whispered as I walked deeper through the Guild Street.
Several weeks had passed since the last time my feet stepped into Sunrise City. After the deal, I wanted to rest and think things through more carefully... but the system had other ideas.
In the middle of the night, a different notification appeared.
{ Remaining hidden quests: 9 }
{ To ascend to the second level of hidden quests, at least 6 quests must be successfully completed }
It was a normal notification. I had expected it ever since the hidden quests first appeared.
But the notification that followed was the real reason I was here.
{ Failure to succeed will result in the closure of hidden quests }
I didn’t know whether "closure" meant losing this category of quests permanently... or merely a temporary lock that could later be reopened somehow.
Either way...
I wasn’t prepared to gamble.
My steps stopped in front of one of the shops.
Only moments later, hurried footsteps rushed toward me from inside.
"Fiona."
I whispered with a faint smile.
Her pleasant fragrance reached me before she did.
Then my eyes drifted toward her short hair.
She noticed.
"Do you like it, my lord? I decided to cut it when I heard you’d be returning."
she whispered in her beautiful voice while brushing strands behind her ear.
"It looks good."
I said while observing her for a few seconds.
Her hair was shorter than before, barely reaching her shoulders, but it made her features appear clearer and more vibrant.
Fiona smiled openly, then walked a little closer beside me.
"It really seems your absence was long. Even the city changed a little."
I raised my gaze toward the street again.
The shops were less crowded.
Fewer Lords were visible.
Even the voices of merchants and adventurers were quieter than usual.
"That’s expected."
I said calmly.
Fiona sighed softly as she walked beside me.
"The Sunset City tournament pulled away many Lords. Some went to participate, while others went to watch or gamble. Because of that..."
She paused briefly, then leaned closer and whispered,
"Sales here have dropped, and Rank Three Lords have started searching for special resources."
"What kind of resources?"
"Special Rank Two and Rank Three resources."
"It’s difficult to obtain things like that through normal markets."
I whispered.
"That’s exactly what I’m saying."
Fiona answered quickly, then smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
"But enough about that. Tell me about the tournament, my lord. Was it fun?"
I laughed softly.
"Fun? Of course it was. Most of the participants were monsters disguised as humans."
Her smile widened immediately.
"If you’re talking about yourself, then I agree."
This time I laughed out loud.
Damn...
I had missed conversations like this.
No conspiracies.
No dangerous deals.
No Lords hiding intentions behind smiles.
Just a quiet street and a normal conversation.
But of course...
The system refused to leave me alone.
{ Hidden Quest }
{ The Girl Who Waits }
{ Maintain your relationship with the ally of Sunrise City }
{ Current Progress: 72% }
My eyes froze for a moment.
"What the hell is this..."
I cursed inwardly.
Fiona immediately looked toward me.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
I answered quickly.
But the system wasn’t finished.
{ Long-term relationships affect the user’s future paths }
"Damn you..."
I muttered inwardly in annoyance.
Now it was turning human relationships into quests too?
Fiona noticed my distraction.
She stopped walking and tilted her head slightly toward me.
"Did something bad happen? You look more tired than usual."
I looked at her for several moments before sighing softly.
"It’s just... things are starting to become more complicated than they should."
I said while lifting my gaze toward the long street ahead.
"How long will you stay here, my lord?"
Fiona whispered quietly while walking beside me.
"Just long enough to win one match... then I’ll leave again."
I answered.
"I see..."
Fiona murmured softly.
It looked like she wanted to say something else, but ultimately held herself back.
Later...
We went to eat together.
Then headed toward the arena.
I carried the Accumulation Cutter Sword.
Inside Sunrise City, I was only a Rank Two Lord in everyone’s eyes.
There was no need here to reveal the blades, the armors, or any of my true cards.
It didn’t take long before I entered the arena.
The audience could practically be counted on fingers.
It felt somewhat amusing after the Sunset City tournament.
There, the stands trembled from screaming and pressure.
Here?
Even the announcer looked like he wanted to finish the match and return to sleep.
My opponent stepped forward gradually.
He carried a long silver sword and light leather armor.
His steps looked far more confident than they should have.
The man smiled faintly.
"I heard you have a good winning streak."
"Exaggerated rumors."
I answered calmly.
The man smiled and raised his sword.
"Let’s see."
The battle began quickly.
I smiled.
That Lord...
Was attacking with wind blades emerging from his sword.
"What nonsense..."
I mocked inwardly.
They were nothing more than dozens of weak blades.
Even the method used to form them felt painfully primitive after everything I had recently witnessed.
After seeing:
The Wind Lord,
The Ice Lord,
The Lord of Seven Steps,
And the Second Flame Lady—
This level felt like children fighting.
Quickly, I advanced and avoided the blades.
I intentionally made the match appear far more difficult than it truly was.
I stepped back once.
Then twice.
Allowed several blades to pass near my robe.
Even the small audience began believing the battle was actually close.
But the truth?
I was barely concentrating.
My mind was still occupied with Core Armors and the Equipment Path.
"Damn..."
I muttered inwardly.
"Even while fighting, I’m still thinking about that."
My opponent attacked again.
This time attempting close combat with his sword.
I slowly raised the Accumulation Cutter.
The swords collided.
Then—
Swoooosh...
The accumulation-cutting strike surged forward.
My opponent’s eyes widened immediately.
He retreated violently.
But he didn’t surrender.
Instead, he attacked again.
Then again.
And with every strike...
I released another accumulation-cutting slash.
Until his breathing became unstable.
And the movement of his sword weakened.
Only then...
Did I stop attacking.
I held my sword against his neck.
Silence filled the arena briefly.
Then—
The man sighed and lowered his sword.
"I surrender."
he said in obvious frustration.
I smiled faintly and pulled my sword back.
The announcer declared the result with complete boredom.
As for the tiny audience...
They offered only scattered applause.
I quietly exited the arena.
And the moment I passed through the stone corridor...
I exhaled deeply.
"I adapted way too quickly."
I whispered.
In the past...
Battles like this used to make me nervous.
But now?
I had started feeling...
As though I was fighting people from an entirely different world.
Afterward...
I headed toward the guild.
And just as expected...
It looked empty.
Only a handful of adventurers sat near the wooden tables, eating or exchanging dull conversations in low voices.
Even the employees looked lifeless, as though the entire city had entered a temporary state of stagnation.
The few people present turned their eyes toward me.
Some looked at my face.
Others at the sword.
But no one cared enough to continue staring.
I walked step after step toward the quest wall.
My eyes scanned the hanging missions.
Hunting quests.
Caravan escorts.
Killing weak beasts.
Gathering herbs.
I sighed softly.
I looked through quests suitable for my rank.
All of them were pathetic.
After all, I was still merely a beginner adventurer within Sunrise City.
"Time to leave."
I whispered, then turned toward the exit.
Suddenly—
A heavy pressure struck my body.
My steps froze.
An overwhelming weight...
As though a mountain had fallen upon my shoulders.
My pupils shrank immediately.
"What is this?!"
I cursed inwardly.
Even breathing became difficult.
At that same moment—
"So here you are."
A powerful voice echoed inside my mind.
Female.
But terrifyingly sharp and steady.
I immediately turned around.
No one was there.
The guild remained unchanged.
The adventurers remained the same.
No one even looked at me.
"Ivory Mask Lord... so you’re here."
the voice whispered inside my mind again.
I quickly looked left and right.
No one.
But the pressure...
Was real.
It felt as though something was pressing directly against my soul itself.
"Who are you?"
I whispered inwardly with caution.
No direct response came.
Only—
"My eyes will remain on you."
Then...
The voice disappeared.
And the pressure vanished.
In a single instant.
I slowly gasped for air.
Breathing returned to my lungs.
But my eyes...
Continued scanning the guild cautiously.
No one.
Not a single person showed any reaction.
"Haa..."
I whispered inwardly.
"That wasn’t a Rank Four Lord."
Even powerful Rank Four Lords...
Had never made me feel something like that before.
That pressure...
Wasn’t physical intimidation.
But something deeper.
Something that made me feel...
As though my life had rested between someone else’s fingers for a brief moment.
I stood silently for several seconds.
Then—
My eyes slowly shifted toward the guild’s open entrance.
"My eyes will remain on you."
The sentence echoed inside my mind once again.
My hand clenched unconsciously.
"Have I been watched this entire time?"
I whispered inwardly.
And only then...
Did I truly begin to feel it.
That entering Sunset City...
Was never merely joining a tournament.
But rather a step into an entirely different world.