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Chapter 38: The Return of the Sword Demon

“Kiddo, wake up! We’re not inexperienced rookies; we’re A-Rank Adventurers! There’s no way we’re going to mess up before even entering the Forest of Eternal Darkness!”

“Sorry, but rules are rules. With an A-Rank already missing and no clear intel on the monsters’ strength, unauthorized entry is prohibited!”

Roy actually understood the guild’s predicament. Adventurers were precious resources; without detailed intel on the enemy, charging in recklessly would just waste manpower.

Unfortunately, not all adventurers were inclined to think from this perspective.

The man in black was evidently quite disgruntled. He slammed his hand down on the wooden reception desk and glared at the receptionist with a cold snort, “To hell with your rules; by the time you finish your investigation, we’ll be…”

“Joe! That’s enough!”

Hex intervened, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t make it hard for her.”

Upon hearing this, the adventurer named Joe finally calmed down, leaving with a sulky expression.

Hex seemed less impulsive than before.

Roy recalled that the so-called “Warrior” used to be quite the hot-headed fighter, and now he had grown remarkably composed.

After watching the commotion, Nia and Natasha once again had their minds twisted about how to proceed.

Natasha analyzed, “If even two A-Ranks aren’t allowed through, it seems the situation is really serious.”

“How about we just sneak by?”

“The guild’s adventurers aren’t pushovers. If we get caught sneaking away, things will get even messier.”

Just when the two were feeling troubled, Roy smiled mysteriously. “Don’t worry; leave the permission to me. You two just go rest.”

Nia appeared a bit uneasy: “Hey, didn’t you say we can’t expose the Dragon Slayer Knight identity?”

If he revealed his high-level extraordinary power, he could pass through freely, but it also meant facing the risk of an ambush from “All Things Wither.”

Roy confidently replied, “I have my ways.”

That night.

Once Nia and the others had fallen asleep, Roy quietly sneaked out of the tent, activating his “Phantom Mask” to transform into his previous appearance.

There were quite a few adventurers stationed here, and the receptionist had been working non-stop, so she naturally felt fatigued.

However, sensing the ominous shadow approaching, radiating an inexplicable heavy aura, made the yawning receptionist suddenly snap to attention.

The presence of a strong individual was more eye-catching than a flame in the dark. In fact, ever since that black-clad swordsman stepped into this place, the previously noisy adventurers had fallen silent, which spoke volumes about this person’s extraordinary nature.

The receptionist felt a headache coming.

The more powerful the adventurer, the more unruly they tended to be, just like that A-Rank from the morning, who had made her very uncomfortable.

The swordsman’s face was obscured by the dim light, and his figure cloaked in an ostentatious hooded robe. Being stared at by such a person always left her feeling a bit uneasy.

“Excuse me, sir, what business do you have?”

“There are fierce monsters ahead; until the guild confirms their intel, no one is allowed to pass. Please consider taking on another task,” she warned preemptively, hoping to avoid any trouble.

“Can’t even I pass through?” the swordsman asked as he casually tossed out an identification badge.

Even the receptionist, known for her professional smile, couldn’t help but twitch a little.

“Who are you? Just because you adventurers have a bit of skill, you think you can pull rank? If it weren’t for the guild’s rules, who would care about your lives?”

It wasn’t just her thinking this.

The surrounding adventurers were inwardly chuckling as well.

It didn’t matter if you were A-Rank or anything else; under the rules, everyone was treated equally. Everyone was stuck waiting here, so why should they make exceptions for you?

Adventurers didn’t care about aristocratic nonsense; it was all about strength!

While everyone clearly sensed that this swordsman was no ordinary fighter, it was still amusing to see the A-Rank adventurers who usually lorded over them in a fix, ending up in the same predicament as everyone else.

Just like that adventurer from earlier!

However, when the receptionist caught sight of his identification badge, her pupils constricted, and her expression instantly changed.

A-Rank Adventurer, “Sword Demon.”

Being the backbone of the guild, A-Ranks were not uncommon.

But she was very clear that the information on this identification badge was outdated.

Because no adventurer was unaware that the most legendary adventurer recently, the one who perished battling the traitors of the Cassandra Family, was none other than the legendary adventurer, “Sword Demon”!

The Academy City held a grand funeral for him, and in recognition of his bravery, “Sword Demon” had also been posthumously elevated to the highest rank in adventuring history.

S-Rank.

But… wasn’t “Sword Demon” dead? So who was this person standing before her?

Looking at the flamboyantly dressed figure, yet with an obscured face, resembling a darkling swordsman from myth, the receptionist fell into confusion.

She looked ghastly, her lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

“My team will be passing through the Marshwood tomorrow. Can I get special permission?”

“Y-yes, of course.”

S-Rank represented the guild’s highest combat capability—no matter how dangerous the monster, it all boiled down to calling an S-Rank to handle it. Now that an S-Rank was personally stepping in, what could she possibly worry about?

That was a hero facing the Demon Race!

Moreover, if this S-Rank got angry and took issue with the guild, she would not want to deal with the consequences!

The adventurers initially gearing up for some entertainment witnessed this fellow easily obtaining passage and suddenly forgot about their beers and snacks, all dumbfounded.

Wait a second, two A-Ranks were denied passage, so why did it change for him?!

“Hey, hey, hey, could that guy be connected?”

“Idiot, where do adventurers get connections? I bet he’s probably just a powerful fighter!”

“Even the A-Rank from earlier was turned away; how high can this guy be…?”

Halfway through, their words abruptly halted. All the adventurers trembled at the same chilling thought.

There was only one level higher than A-Rank.

And recalling, in recent years, the only adventurer to rise to S-Rank that fit his description had to be one!

Hex, holding skewers, got drawn over by the murmuring crowd.

He locked eyes with the distant shadow, his eyes widening in astonishment, and the skewer he held slipped from his hand—he too wore a “seeing a ghost” expression.

Knowing that others were just hearing rumors, he had personally participated in the grand funeral for “Sword Demon”!

“Brother Sword Demon… he… he resurrected?!”

Ignoring the commotion around him, Roy strode into the darkness, sneaking a contented smile.

This was the kind of commotion he desired.

Compared to the Dragon Slayer Knight of the Lionheart Kingdom, “Sword Demon” wouldn’t gather “All Things Wither” attention.

“Sword Demon” becoming famous—what did that have to do with him, Roy?