Chapter 44: The Fourth-Rank Powerhouse—The Gryphon Knight

After leaving Holtz in frustration, I exited through the eastern gate and headed straight toward the White Cloud Mining District.

By now, the area outside the city had already regained the bustle it had when I first entered the game. Teams of all sizes, newcomers clad in black cloth garments, and second-tier warriors gleaming in bright armor all turned their eyes toward those third-tier experts riding imposing magical beasts, admiration and longing shining in their gazes.

In this world where strength is revered, experts draw attention wherever they go.

This made me think of the fourth-tier powerhouses in the Magic Era. These top elites, rarer than one in a hundred million, could be considered treasures in themselves. If one appeared here, even those arrogant third-tier experts would likely be as awestruck as the first- and second-tier players.

Just as I was smiling at this thought and continuing on my way, I was suddenly startled by shouts all around.

Turning my head, I saw two flying magical beasts, one red and one white, soaring out from within the city. At almost the same moment, two riders burst out from a nearby third-tier team.

Looking closer, I saw that both mounts were golden lions—third-tier Bloodthirsty Lion Knights! Their mounts, the Bloodthirsty Lions, possessed the raw power of tigers and leopards. No wonder they seemed unfazed carrying two burly beastmen each; with mighty limbs, they leaped three or four meters at a time, instantly surging ahead.

But what puzzled me was why such formidable experts seemed to be fleeing for their lives.

As I wondered—

“Damn it! Didn’t that bastard log off? Shit!!”

“Shut up and focus on staying alive! Quick! Split up—we’ll enter the city from the north and south! If even one of us escapes, that’s something!”

“Got it!”

With a shout, the two Bloodthirsty Lions wheeled around sharply and bolted in opposite directions, one to the north, one to the south. One of them flashed past just ten meters in front of me—astonishingly fast!

By now, I realized the two from the city must be pursuing them.

Still… how could two third-tier experts be so thoroughly cowed? Were they truly so outmatched by just two people?

Puzzled, I shifted my gaze back to the two flying beasts. It seemed the pursuers had seen through the split, for they too separated, each one intercepting a fleeing quarry.

I finally noticed that one of the flying beasts was much faster than the Bloodthirsty Lions.

As I stared in amazement at the white flying beast streaking toward me, more cries broke out around me:

“Griffin Knight!!”

“That’s the Supreme Commander!!”

Hearing the names “Griffin Knight” and “Supreme Commander,” my heart lurched, and I suddenly understood why the Bloodthirsty Lion Knights were fleeing for their lives.

The founder of the Supreme Mercenary Corps, the Supreme Commander himself, was the first in the Knight Empire to reach the exalted fourth tier!

A fourth-tier magical beast—Griffin, with the power to rend tigers and leopards, and the ability to unleash mid-range lightning-based magical attacks.

No wonder…

No wonder the two Lion Knights had no will to resist. The gap between them was simply too vast.

Sure enough, the formidable Griffin closed the distance in less than half a minute, overtaking the Bloodthirsty Lion. With a thunderous, bestial roar, a bolt of violet lightning shot from the Griffin’s brow, striking the fleeing Lion Knight squarely.

Bang! Against the magical might of a fourth-tier beast, the Lion Knight had no chance to resist. He was sent sprawling by the surge of electricity, paralyzed on the spot.

The Griffin Knight seemed to have anticipated this outcome. Without a pause, he swooped down, his knight’s longsword flashing with dazzling golden light in the sun. With a sweep, a massive, crescent-shaped arc of energy burst forth from the Griffin’s back, grand and fierce, striking directly at the paralyzed Lion Knight.

Boom!

With terrifying destructive force, a deep trench was gouged into the earth beside the Lion Knight, who, under the onslaught of the fourth-tier skill, was instantly reduced to a wisp of white light.

The next moment, the Griffin—pure white from head to tail—began to glow faintly red under its rider, the Supreme Commander.

He had entered wanted status.

Right then, I stood frozen in place.

I quickly glanced around and shook my head in silence. It was insane! In full view of the crowd, he had killed with malicious intent, and yet not a single player dared step forward to uphold justice.

The most frightening thing was that the Supreme Commander paid no heed to the hungry eyes of the surrounding players. He turned and soared arrogantly overhead, heading off in pursuit of the second Lion Knight.

Wherever he passed, silence reigned.

Watching him cut through the crowd as if no one else existed, I was utterly dumbfounded. Clearly, the threat of being wanted only applied to us amateurs.

Just then, I overheard a conversation nearby, which answered my questions:

“Damn, if this were up north, the First Knight would be nothing. If he dared kill someone in our territory, we’d wipe him out… What are you looking at me like that for? I mean it!”

“So where were you just now? He killed someone right over your head, didn’t even glance at you, and you just stared at your shoes.”

“Hey! How is that my fault? Didn’t you see the Dragonwolf Knights? Even when one of their own got killed, they didn’t dare make a sound! After all, this is the Supreme Mercenary Corps’ turf—who’d have the guts to piss on their doorstep?”

“…”

I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. The Supreme Mercenary Corps’ turf? Was it really that exaggerated?

According to what the Poet Saint and White Valentine had told me, even the largest mercenary corps in Magic Era now had no more than two thousand members.

Frostfall City alone could easily hold hundreds of thousands of players! How could a single mercenary corps dominate it? The Supreme Commander’s arrogance was likely just because there weren’t many third-tier experts outside the city at the moment—he was seizing the chance to make a show of force.

If he dared to linger here after making such a scene, I’d truly be impressed.

Sure enough…

Half a minute later, as the news spread and players poured out of the city, the Supreme Commander and his companion had already vanished without a trace.

I smiled and continued on toward the White Cloud Mining District.