Within the Red Jade Valley, countless heroes converged, fiercely battling each other to lay claim to the red jades.
With each passing moment, lives were lost, but simultaneously, many leveraged the power of the red jades to dramatically enhance their abilities.
This, in turn, fueled the fervor of those heroes even more.
Before such enticing rewards, human greed knows no bounds.
Especially within the chaotic confines of the Red Jade Valley, people's darkest desires were laid bare.
"Kill him and take the red jades he's holding!" Several heroes cornered one of their own, who, realizing he was outmatched, hurriedly surrendered the red jades he had fortuitously acquired, begging for mercy.
But mercy was in short supply: his pleas were met with the cold steel of a broadsword, severing his head cleanly. Blood spurted violently.
"Ha ha ha ha!" The group of heroes erupted into triumphant laughter, relishing the brutal act as if it was a cause for celebration.
A short distance away, Mia, having witnessed this cruelty, couldn't contain her horror.
"Do they possess not a shred of compassion? That man had already handed over his red jades and begged for his life, and yet they still took it!"
"Mia, calm down." Ethan's face was a mask of stoic calmness, restraining Mia who seemed poised to intervene.
Sherry glanced at Mia, her voice somber.
"In the tundras, food is a rare commodity. "
"When you secure a morsel there, it doesn't signify a feast awaiting you but rather signals the onset of the most perilous moment. "
"Those deprived will fixate on you. The slightest lapse in vigilance, and they'll pounce like savage wolves, using any means necessary to snatch away what you possess."
"And most of the time, that signifies death," Sherry remarked with an air of detachment. Mia, however, was deeply shaken by these words.
"Mia, you're fortunate. With Ethan by your side, you've been shielded from many of the world's cruelties. "
"But the world isn't just the part you know. Beyond your understanding, there's so much more - hunger, riots, greed... These shadows are very much part of the world too."
As Sherry spoke, Mia listened intently.
Ethan didn't interrupt Sherry; these were truths he should have shared with Mia himself, but now Sherry had spoken them for him.
Yet, realizing the weight of these revelations on Mia, Ethan quickly reassured her,
"Mia, don't worry. Though the world can be brutal, I'll always stand between you and its darkness."
"Lord Ethan..." Tears of gratitude welled up in Mia's eyes.
Feeling a twinge of jealousy, Sherry playfully remarked, "If you two keep this up, our prey might just slip away."
Ethan sheepishly scratched his nose, glancing in the direction of the group of heroes. Mia, in turn, lowered her head, blushing slightly.
"Let's make our move," Ethan commanded.
So, as the band of heroes gathered their red jades, preparing to leave, they found their path blocked by Ethan and his companions.
"Kid, what do you think you're doing?" One from the hero squad stepped forward, challenging Ethan's group with a mix of anger and suspicion.
Ethan was direct in his response, "I've taken an interest in those red jades of yours. I'm offering you a chance to live: hand them over and leave."
"You expect me to give up the red jades? Never!"
That Hero responded with indignation.
A smirk crept across his face as he let out a strange chuckle, full of confidence. "Naive boy, do you even know who I am?"
"I don't," Ethan replied.
Relieved by Ethan's answer, the man tossed the bag of red jades to him, maintaining an air of self-assuredness.
"Hmph! Ignorant... Well, I find you all somewhat likable. Consider this small bag of red jades a gift of acquaintance."
With that, he signaled to his teammates, "Let's go!"
This bewildering turn of events left Ethan and his group momentarily stunned.
"Should we chase them?" Sherry, twirling a dagger in her hand, looked towards the retreating figures.
Ethan shook his head, "No need. We have the red jades now. Let's find our next target. We aim to gather five hundred pieces by today."
...
Elsewhere, the fleeing band of Heroes panted heavily.
Noticing the absence of Ethan's group behind them, they finally stopped, hands on their knees, catching their breath.
"Captain, there were only four of them. Why did we run?" One of the members grumbled, clearly displeased.
They had worked so hard for those red jades, only to hand them over so easily.
The leader of their small band, the Hero who'd initially confronted Ethan, snapped back, face flushed with anger, "You dim-witted fool! I just saved your lives!"
"Do any of you understand the true strength of those people?" he continued.
After a momentary silence, one member muttered, "They didn't seem that formidable to me. Maybe the big guy is a bit of a challenge, but I think I could handle the rest on my own."
"Just you?"
"Rune, did you get water in your brain, or do you simply not have one?" The captain's voice was laced with both fear and anger.
"The strength of those individuals is comparable to Luke's, perhaps even stronger. Especially the young leader among them. "
"His power sent shivers down my spine; it felt like facing an ancient colossal dragon!"
Rune, the chastised one, responded defiantly, "Captain, you're exaggerating. Even if they're formidable, how could they possibly match Luke?"
"That's right," another member chimed in, "After absorbing the red jade, Luke ascended from a Rank A Hero to a Rank S Hero."
"And just yesterday," yet another voice added, "there were rumors that Luke's power has grown once again. He supposedly faced two newly promoted Rank S Heroes and emerged unbeaten. How could those few be any match for him?"
"Ugh, why would I lie to you?" The captain scoffed, clearly not in the mood to debate further.
In recent times, Luke had become a sensation in the Red Jade Valley.
Almost every Hero who entered spoke of him.
That's because Luke was the first to transform into a Rank S Hero by absorbing red jade.
And, astoundingly, after achieving Rank S, Luke's power still seemed to be rising terrifyingly.
Many were envious of Luke's fortune but dared not approach him.
Luke's temperament was notorious, and it worsened after his promotion to Rank S.
He slaughtered over a hundred Heroes just to steal the red jades they possessed.
Such brutal acts instilled immense fear in others, but it also gave them a clearer understanding of the magnitude of Luke's power.
"So, Captain, are we just going to let it go?" A defiant voice inquired.
After being questioned repeatedly, the captain finally lost his temper. "You bunch of dimwits!" he roared.
"My power sensing ability is one of the rarest, and it has never failed me! If you want to march to your deaths, be my guest! As for me, I hope to never encounter those individuals in my lifetime."
With the captain's decree, the rest fell silent.
But amidst the silence, curiosity brewed.
If Ethan and his group were truly as formidable as claimed, what would happen if they clashed with Luke?
Their questions remained unanswered.
After several more skirmishes and robberies, Ethan had amassed enough red jade from the fallen Heroes.
"We have enough for now. Let's rest," Ethan proposed to Sherry and the others.
Sherry nodded in agreement, also longing for a break.
Her tight-fitting attire was smeared with the blood of enemies, a sensation that left her deeply unsettled and in need of cleansing.
Mia and Pale Wolf were in similar states.
The only exception was Ethan.
His prowess far surpassed the rest.
With the mastery of unique skills like the Thunder-Language of Nature, foes were struck down before they could approach.
Electric arcs launched from his fingertips pierced through their chests.
The group settled in a relatively clean spot for their respite.
"I'll find a place to clean up," Sherry said, taking her dagger as Mia followed her.
Pale Wolf seemed indifferent, believing the bloodstains on him were a testament to his might.
Meanwhile, Ethan refrained from hastily absorbing the red jade and waited patiently for Sherry and Mia.
It wasn't long before the two returned, both visibly upset.
"What happened?" Ethan inquired.
Concern etched on his face, Ethan inquired, fearing the two had quarreled.
Sherry, with a mix of frustration and defiance, pulled out a few pieces of red jade and tossed them to Ethan.
"Those Heroes have lost their minds," she grumbled. "Mia and I were ambushed by a team of Heroes right after we cleaned our clothes and prepared to return."
"Of course, they met their end. And they even 'donated' some red jade in the process. But after all the effort I took to clean my clothes, they're stained with blood again. "
"I wish those Heroes had been like the first batch, simply dropping the red jade and fleeing. It would have spared us all this trouble."
Hearing Sherry's complaints, Ethan couldn't help but chuckle.
"Alright," he said, "the Hero team that fled probably possessed some kind of detection ability. Such skills are exceedingly rare, so don't be too hard on them."
"Next, I'm going to absorb the red jade. Keep a close watch on our surroundings. If anything happens, just call out to me," Ethan instructed Sherry, Pale Wolf, and the others.
While the process of absorbing red jade can be interrupted, any disruptions waste the stone and result in an uncomfortable sensation.
Mia had discovered this during one of her own absorption sessions.
Currently, only Ethan had yet to take in the stone's power, and the quantity he required was substantial.
"Now, let's see just how much this red jade can enhance my abilities," Ethan murmured to himself, picking up a piece of the radiant stone to begin the absorption.
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