Nathee was wearing a set of light armor styled after medieval European warriors. With his clean appearance and refined features, he looked like a noble-born knight from an aristocratic family.
Beside him stood a tall, heavily built man clad in full heavy armor, complete with a knight's helmet with a liftable visor. Judging solely from his equipment, it was clear that this man intended to develop into a tank-type class.
Behind them walked two young women. One wore lightweight, agile clothing and had two short daggers strapped at her waist. The other wore a white robe with a long skirt, resembling a priest class from a famous RPG game.
Their roles were obvious—one was a speed-based damage dealer, while the other was a healer.
The equipment worn by Nathee and his companions was beautifully crafted and shimmered like gemstones when it caught the light.
Even at a glance, it was clear that these artifacts were far from ordinary—at the very least, they were premium-grade items.
Just a single piece of equipment like that was worth several times more than the money Nawa had borrowed.
Normally, only high-rank Players could afford such gear. For low-rank Players, even one piece was far beyond reach. Yet Nathee and his companions were only Rank D and still managed to outfit themselves entirely in artifacts of this level.
That alone spoke volumes about their background. If they weren't children of the elite, then they were undoubtedly backed by powerful financial sponsors.
Above their heads floated glowing titles:
(New Rising Genius)
It was widely known that this title was awarded only to exceptionally talented rising stars—individuals so rare that only one in ten thousand could obtain it. Anyone who bore this title was practically guaranteed to become a top-tier high-rank Player in the future.
Because of that, they were surrounded by a crowd—some eager to join their party, others merely hoping to introduce themselves so they could be recorded in the system.
After all, knowing someone of this caliber meant future opportunities and enormous benefits.
However, Nathee and his group paid no particular attention to anyone. They didn't even bother adding people to their system friend lists.
They had entered The Oneness using the special privilege granted by the New Rising Genius title, which allowed them to choose their login location for their first entry.
Unfortunately, among all the students from the Asashi Institute who passed the test that year, only these four had received the title.
As a result, their party lacked a long-range damage dealer. They had already spent half a day searching, yet still hadn't found a suitable candidate.
Watching them, Nawa felt a twinge of envy. He only wanted to find a single hunting companion, yet even that was difficult. After all, who would pay attention to a Rank E Player wearing nothing but the Association's free-issued gear?
Nawa decided to quietly move away. The closer he stayed to a group like this, the slimmer his chances of finding a party became. But just as he was about to leave, one of the girls from Nathee's group hurried toward him.
"Excuse me… you're the person who took the Player test with us the other day, right?"
She spoke with a bright smile. She looked about eighteen or nineteen years old and was dressed like a priest from a well-known RPG.
"Yes, that's me,"
Nawa replied.For some reason, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity toward her.
"What a coincidence, meeting you here!"
She beamed, then turned and called out to her teammates.
"Hey! Don't you remember him? He took the test with us and got the New Rising Genius title too! Let's invite him to join our party!"
The moment she shouted that, murmurs erupted throughout the area.
Top students from the Asashi Institute were inviting a Player dressed in nothing but cheap Association-issued gear—and even claiming he held the New Rising Genius title?
"That's enough nonsense, Ploy! You're saying this trash got the New Rising Genius title? He's just a cheater who used artifacts during the test! Someone like that isn't even worthy of being a Player!"
The man in heavy knight armor stormed forward angrily. His name was Somchai, one of Nathee's companions.
"How dare you say I'm talking nonsense! Didn't you see that he made it into The Oneness? If he cheated, why would the One Association give him a Player device?!"
The priest girl snapped back without backing down.
Somchai clearly feared her somewhat. He chose not to argue further and instead turned to glare at Nawa.
"Hey! If you're really that capable, prove it! If you can make me, Somchai, take even one step back, I'll allow trash like you to join our team!"
His words, gaze, and gestures were filled with blatant contempt.
Nawa had no intention of accepting such a challenge. In fact, he didn't even value such meaningless provocation. Fighting just to satisfy one's ego was childish.
Before he could respond, Ploy interrupted.
"Please don't mind him. I believe in you. Our team is missing a long-range attacker, and a skilled mage like you is incredibly rare. Even at the Asashi Institute, no one could use fire magic that powerfully without artifacts!"
Nawa smiled faintly. He didn't know why, but he felt especially fond of her. Still, he planned to refuse.
"Thank you, but your friend is right. I'm just a Rank E Player. I'm not suitable for your team. There are plenty of higher-rank Players around."
"Our group doesn't care about meaningless things like rank."
Nathee suddenly appeared behind Nawa, studying him intently.
He closed the distance in an instant—even wearing that armor? Looks like I underestimated them.
Nawa frowned slightly.
"What do you mean? There are even Rank C players around here, so why did you invite a mere Rank E like me to join the team?" Nawa said.
"Pfft, rank only tells you basic stats. That kind of stuff can be increased just by eating monster meat. It's combat techniques and skills that truly measure a player's strength,"
Somchai interrupted with a disdainful tone.
"Shut up, Somchai! Our team is currently lacking someone with long-range attack skills. And this big brother is a rare mage; even at the Asashi Institute, no one has ever been able to use fire magic that powerful without relying on artifacts,"
The girl in the priestess outfit immediately retorted.
"Tch… fine. I'll accept him—if he proves he didn't cheat."
"I agree," Nathee said calmly.
"This is our first hunt. We can't afford mistakes. If someone lacks real ability, the whole team is endangered."
Aside from Ploy, it seemed like the others didn't want Nawa in the team. They suspected that he had secretly used some kind of item or artifact during the association's test.
Nawa didn't bother defending himself, as he no longer had any desire to join this group either.Even though Nawa wanted to reduce the risks of hunting monsters alone, his primary reason was to gather information and understand the conditions of this city.
Although Natee's team was strong, they were merely rookies; Nawa didn't see much benefit in joining them.As Nawa was about to walk away, he noticed the young girl named Ploy—the one who had invited him—crying and throwing a tantrum like a little child.
"Do you all think I'm a kid?! H-Hic…"
For some reason, Nawa couldn't walk away.He stepped forward, gently patting her shoulder.
"You're an adult now. Have a little confidence in yourself."
Ploy looked up at him, suddenly feeling as if she were seeing a long-lost relative.
"You—!"
Nathee exclaimed, his gaze turning sharp.But before he could speak, Nawa did.
"Honestly, I wasn't going to get worked up over such a trivial matter. But seeing this young girl who believes in me so much, I can't just let it go."
Nawa pointed his finger at Somchai and said.
"I challenge you. If I lose, I'll never show my face to you again. But if you lose, all of you must bow and apologize to her."
"You insolent bastard! Do you know who I am?! I'm one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Asashi Institute! You'll pay for this arrogance!"
Somchai cursed out in a rage and was about to charge at Nawa immediately, but Natee stepped in to block him and said..
"Stop right there. If you want to fight, you should use the player device's PK system."
"There's no need to make it so complicated, Natee. A piece of trash like him would go down with just one hit from me," Somchai shouted in disagreement. However, his attitude soon changed after Natee walked up and whispered something into his ear.
"Hahaha, fine. We'll settle this with a duel through the PK system," Somchai said with a satisfied, mocking grin.
The PK system is a feature designed to facilitate duels between players without fighting to the death.
Players can set specific rules before the duel starts—for example, whoever's HP drops below a certain limit, whoever runs faster, or even whoever hunts more monsters. Naturally, rewards can also be set as stakes for the duel.
Another advantage of the PK system is its fairness. If either side breaks the rules or tries to cheat, the system within the player's device—which is linked to their mind—will detect it and immediately declare that person the loser of the duel.
Nathee proposed the rules: no weapons or items. The winner would be whoever reduced the opponent's HP below 50%.
And this was the reason Natee suggested using the PK system for the fight; it would prevent Nawa from using any hidden items or weapons, as doing so would violate the rules. Beyond just winning, he wanted to expose the other party's cheating.
'Are you sure you won't be using any weapons?'
Nawa asked again, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Somchai
"Tsk... Quit playing dumb. The only reason you want us to use weapons is so you can pull the same tricks you used at the Association, right? Don't think everyone else is stupider than you. A trashy Rank E player like you, once you can't use your tricks, is nothing more than a punching bag. Haha!"
Somchai said with a mocking attitude, his face clearly showing utter contempt.
In reality, the reason Nawa suggested using weapons was that a Tank-class player without a weapon has their combat effectiveness reduced by more than half. But since his well-meaning suggestion was misunderstood, Nawa had nothing left to say.
When both of them accepted the challenge through the PK system, dark blue names appeared above their heads. Next to their names were red bars representing their health (HP), which were visible only to other players.
During the duel, if any uninvolved player interferes, that player is subject to a system penalty in the form of a fine. The rate of the fine is determined by the system but is at least 50 silver coins.
For this reason, the players in the area began to clear out, moving away from the two until an open space was formed with Somchai and Nawa standing in the center.
As the 10-second countdown ended and the signal to start the PK appeared on the system window, Somchai immediately charged at Nawa.
He didn't even use any skills, knowing well that Nawa's basic stats were barely different from an ordinary person's. Compared to himself, a mid-tier Rank D, it was like a full-grown lion against a lamb. Even without using any skills, Somchai was confident he could crush his opponent in an instant.
But what happened was not as expected. Before he was even halfway there, a small fireball was fired from Nawa's palm, heading straight for his face.
Somchai was so stunned he nearly forgot to breathe. Even though he suspected the other might use another trick, he never imagined it could be deployed this fast.
Despite his shock, his quick reflexes kicked in; Somchai raised his arms to form a guard, managing to block the incoming fireball just in time.
BOOM! A loud explosion erupted.
A high-heat explosion appeared right in front of Somchai, and the force of the blast instantly forced his arms apart. However, Somchai managed to maintain his balance.
It seemed the destructive power of this particular fireball was weaker than the one Nawa used back at the 'The One Association'.
Combined with Somchai's defense stat, which was over 200, and his premium-grade armor set, the damage he received was minimal. His Health Point (HP) bar dropped by less than 5%.
But that didn't make Somchai feel any better. The system window showed no notifications of any rule violations, which meant the opponent in front of him could truly use the Fireball skill without relying on any artifacts.
"Not bad. Even without a weapon, you can use magic skills at this level. But regardless, a Rank E player like you has limited Mana.
After using an attack skill just once, your Mana must be nearly exhausted. Having you on the team would only be a burden to us..."
Before Somchai could finish his sentence, his eyes widened once more. A fireball, even larger than the previous one, had already reached him—and this time, he didn't even have a chance to defend himself.
BOOM!
A more powerful explosion than before rang out. Somchai's massive frame was sent flying over ten feet through the air before hitting the ground and tumbling several more times.
Not only was Somchai unable to believe what had just happened, but the surrounding onlookers couldn't believe their eyes either.
A Rank E player wearing a basic starter set from the association was able to use a Fireball skill—without relying on any artifacts—to blast a player equipped in premium-grade armor flying.
However, Somchai wasn't severely injured; his HP was still above two-thirds. It didn't take him long to get back on his feet.
"Damn it... don't think a piece of trash like you can defeat the great Somchai!"
As he shouted, Somchai's body released a yellow aura that enveloped him entirely.
This was 'Detection,' a Rank C skill, the same rank as 'Blade Skill.' However, unlike the offensive focus of a blade skill, this skill centered on significantly boosting the user's defense.
Somchai decided not to be careless anymore. Even though he suspected that the previous fireball was his opponent's last resort, he activated his skill at full power.
His HP was now nearing the 50% mark; if he took another hit like the last one, he would lose. But as he looked ahead, the fireball in Nawa's hand was already larger than before and was continuing to grow in size
"It's impossible! He's just a Rank E player, how can he have this much Mana?"
Somchai exclaimed, cold sweat pouring down his face as more than half of his confidence vanished.
"Surrender, unless you want your life as a player to end right here,"
Nawa said calmly, releasing a powerful killing intent—the same kind he had used at the Association. At this moment, Somchai felt as if he were facing a high-level monster or a legendary demon.
In truth, with his premium-grade armor combined with the activated Detection skill, Somchai could have withstood this attack.
However, his mind was wavering under the pressure of the opponent's killing intent, making him unsure if this fireball would truly be the last one
If he were to be hit by these fireballs continuously, his armor alone wouldn't be able to withstand them.
It wasn't just a matter of his HP falling below 50%; there was a real chance he could be killed. Even if he survived, he would be severely injured or, if unlucky, might even lose a limb.
Somchai's face turned pale with terror. In his mind, he was trying to assess whether the opponent's words were just an empty threat.
Ultimately, unable to withstand the pressure, he summoned his signature weapons from his dimensional storage: a massive shield and a hammer.
Once the weapons were in his hands, the fear in Somchai's heart began to fade, replaced by a surge of confidence. He lunged forward, intending to finish Nawa with a single blow.
Nawa, however, did not panic. He even dispelled the fireball in his hand.
"What are you doing?!" Somchai roared in a blind rage.
"The fight is over," Nawa said in a calm, steady voice, shifting his gaze away.
Then, Somchai regained his senses. He turned to look at the system window that had popped up to notify him of his defeat. The rules had clearly stated that weapons were forbidden; the moment he drew his weapons, Nawa was declared the winner.
"No way! How could one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Asashi Institute lose to trash like you? Let's fight again—this time, no rules!"
Somchai yelled, intending to charge back into the fray. However, he was suddenly blocked by a claymore over two meters long.
"Stop it! Don't drag the reputation of Asashi Institute down any further. If you still want to fight, I'll be your opponent," Natee said in a stern voice.
Even though Somchai's attitude remained furious, he didn't dare defy Natee's command.
"Dammit!" Somchai cursed in a rage before slamming his hammer onto the ground to vent his frustration.
"Boom!" A loud crashing sound erupted, and the ground cracked into a spiderweb pattern several feet long.
Natee only spared a glance at Somchai's actions before turning to look at Nawa contemplatively and asking:
"How did you do that?"
What Nawa had just demonstrated wasn't just using magic skills without artifacts; his casting speed was as fast as a high-ranking mage.
Above all, after using that much magic, he showed no signs of exhaustion whatsoever.
Nawa had no intention of answering the question. Instead, he asked back, completely indifferent to the other's attitude.
"At this moment, you are the ones who should be answering questions. Since the result of the duel is clear, why haven't you bowed and apologized to that young girl yet?"
"Tch..."
Natee gritted his teeth in anger, his grip tightening on his sword. Aside from his older brother and father, no one had ever dared to speak to him like this before.
"It's alright! We're friends, and I don't need any apology," Ploy hurriedly interrupted as she stepped between the two men.
"Natee, do you see? I didn't misjudge him. This big brother is truly skilled! So, you won't have any problem with him joining our team, right?"
Ploy said, but Natee did not answer. He simply walked toward Nawa, bowed his head, and spoke in a serious tone.
"We apologize."
This action by Natee surprised everyone around them, including Nawa himself.
Natee looked up and continued.
"We want to build a hunting team that can rival the teams of the three giant guilds. Because of this, we set a criteria that our members must be top-tier experts with excellent skills.
Currently, our team lacks a member with long-range attack capabilities. The skill you've displayed, combined with your title as a 'Rookie Genius,' is more than enough for us to invite you to the team."
With the skills and talents of Natee and his friends, the three giant guilds would likely welcome them with open arms, and it wouldn't be difficult for them to become a core strike team.
Yet, these youngsters were determined to form their own hunting team to compete with the giants. Nawa admired their ambition. He nodded slightly before speaking in his usual tone.
"I see. You want to start a team consisting only of members who have the 'Rookie Genius' title, right? If that's the case, I'll have to refuse—because I don't have that title."
"But why? We saw with our own eyes that you scored so high on the test. How could you not get the Rookie Genius title? Or are you still mad at us?"
Ploy said in a pleading tone, while Natee frowned, wondering what kind of joke the other man was playing.
"I don't know the reason myself, but the only title I have right now is 'The Gifted One,'
Nawa replied with an indifferent air. However, this answer caused both Ploy and Natee, who were standing nearby, to widen their eyes and hold their breath in shock for a moment.