The old man continued walking through the bloodstained streets while the flames reflected against his black clothes.
The monsters finally approached him.
Dozens charged toward him at once from the dark alleys.
But…
The old man never stopped walking.
He did not even glance toward them.
And in the very next moment—
The monsters' bodies suddenly split into halves.
Blood exploded throughout the street while corpses collapsed one after another before anyone could even understand what had happened.
Even Ethan himself…
Could not see the strike.
The Hunters froze in place.
The old man finally stopped before the nearest bonfire.
Then slowly raised his crimson eyes toward the Hunters.
And amidst the complete silence—
His calm, deep voice echoed throughout the entire city.
"Tonight…"
"Asterion shall join the hunt."
...
...
...
Out of nowhere, an additional Hunter appeared within the Legacy dungeon known as…
Old Ashvarn.
Merely a thin old drunkard who did not appear powerful in the slightest, dressed in worn hunting clothes abandoned by time itself, garments that should have been discarded long ago.
And perhaps the only thing about his entire appearance that did not seem worn down…
Was his sword alone.
His weapon had never lost its brilliance.
Asterion had joined the hunt.
And his presence alone overturned the battlefield within mere seconds.
The monsters were split apart one after another, dying endlessly.
The Hunters stood frozen in place, incapable of understanding what was happening.
From their perspective…
It looked as though the monsters were simply being cut apart by nothingness itself.
But the truth—
Was that his sword moved at such an absurd speed that they could not even perceive it.
And perhaps Jackson Heart was the only person capable of barely catching a glimpse of it, causing his expression to freeze completely in astonishment at the terrifying speed of that blade.
With every single step Asterion took forward, dozens of monsters collapsed upon the ground in clean halves while blood and flesh scattered everywhere.
The terrifying old man hid his face beneath a black leather hat, making everyone incapable of seeing his eyes.
Yet they could still glimpse his calm smile.
The smile of someone who viewed the hell of Old Ashvarn as nothing more than a casual stroll.
And before long—
Every monster had died.
Then the uncrowned Emperor finally arrived before the Hunters themselves.
They stared at him silently, their eyes carrying a strange mixture of hope and overwhelming exhaustion after months of endless hunting.
"Grandfather…"
Moon was the first to speak, approaching him with heavy steps while exhaustion covered her face alongside blood.
The blood of monsters mixed with her own.
Asterion stared at her briefly before his smile widened slightly, his hand rising to rest atop her head as he gently patted it.
"There is much I wish to say…"
"But I shall settle for this for now."
"You all did well."
He spoke while exchanging glances with everyone around him.
And almost immediately, most of them rushed toward him, surrounding him completely after hope had finally arrived.
They had obtained the greatest support possible—
The legendary figure whom they had never personally seen fight before, knowing him only through stories and myths.
Ethan remained behind.
Watching from a fair distance without approaching alongside the others who nearly collapsed emotionally upon seeing him.
Asterion noticed him clearly.
And gave him a meaningful look, as though praising him for surviving and remaining alive for this long.
Meanwhile, Jackson approached from behind Ethan, stopping beside him while seriousness covered his face.
"So this…"
"…is the Hunter all of you were relying upon."
Jackson's eyes never left Asterion for even a moment.
He had begun evaluating him from the very instant he appeared.
The old man standing before him was the person they had fought for months to summon into this city, placing all of their hopes upon him.
Naturally, Jackson could not remain calm after finally seeing him.
He wanted to know whether this man could truly contend against the mighty Golden Dawn Knight.
"Yes…"
"This is the uncrowned Emperor in the flesh."
Ethan spoke quietly in an exhausted voice while allowing his weapons to return to the Legendary Weapons Master's storage.
Then, with heavy steps, he too approached the old Hunter, joining the others.
Asterion was completely occupied with his granddaughters Moon and Luna, ignoring the others at first.
Yet the moment Ethan approached, the old man finally gave him his attention, greeting him with a friendly nod.
"It's good seeing your face again, boy."
He spoke casually, using the tone one would use toward a friend rather than a student.
Ethan smiled in response before nodding as well.
"This is one of the few times I've actually been happy to see your face, old man."
"Ha ha!"
"You're still rude enough to say whatever comes to your mind without hesitation!"
Asterion burst into loud laughter amidst the complete astonishment of the surrounding Hunters, all of whom were utterly shocked by Ethan's disrespectful manner of speaking toward the man regarded as the strongest Hunter alive.
Yet their shock did not last long.
Because of the seriousness of the situation.
The question Ethan asked immediately afterward dragged them back into reality.
"I see you came alone."
"Did none of the other Elders enter alongside you?"
Ethan asked the most important question directly.
Asterion shook his head calmly.
"I came alone after receiving your message."
"As for the other Elders…"
"They are stationed outside the city in case something happens to me."
The moment Asterion finished speaking, everyone immediately realized he was unaware of the city's true situation.
He still believed the curse transformed people like him into monsters.
The expressions on their faces quickly allowed Asterion to realize he was missing something important.
Moon soon stepped forward, naturally taking control of the conversation.
"A lot has happened."
"There's much you don't know about this city."
"And similarly…"
"I'm certain many things happened outside during our absence."
Moon spoke firmly while turning her gaze toward the nearby ancient Cathedral.
"Let us discuss everything…"
"But not here."
Moon proposed that they retreat to a safer location first before discussing the truth and deciding their next move afterward.
It was unfortunate that the other Elders had not come alongside him.
But Asterion was the mighty uncrowned Emperor.
His presence alone was enough to restore hope.
The old Hunter agreed to his granddaughter's proposal, showing his willingness to move alongside them and explain everything that happened outside Old Ashvarn during their disappearance while hearing the truth regarding the Legacy dungeon itself.
They were just about to retreat according to Moon's suggestion.
But every single one of them suddenly stopped in place.
Because the giant old Hunter stepped forward and blocked their path.
Moon frowned the moment she noticed him standing before them.
"What are you doing… Jackson?"
She asked.
But the giant's eyes remained completely focused upon old Asterion.
Jackson slowly opened his mouth, speaking in a heavy voice carrying genuine pressure and weight.
"I'm sorry…"
"But none of you are going anywhere."
He spoke, immediately causing tension to rise within the atmosphere.
"We spent the past several months fighting day and night…"
"Just to summon this man into the city."
"You claimed he was your strongest…"
"But all I see before me is a frail old man."
Jackson fell silent for a single second before an overwhelming amount of golden Aura Armor exploded from his body.
"Old man…"
"Fight me here and now."
"Show me what you have…"
"And do not hold back."
Jackson challenged Asterion directly, despite the latter remaining calm until now.
The old drunkard had been aware of Jackson's existence from the very beginning and had clearly sensed his strength.
Yet he had completely ignored him.
Now Jackson openly challenged him to battle, causing every Hunter to retreat away instinctively while placing their hands upon their weapons.
Everyone except Ethan.
He remained where he was, fully understanding why Jackson had challenged Asterion like this.
'I understand you, Jackson…'
'You want to confirm it yourself.'
'Whether the uncrowned Emperor is truly capable of fighting him…'
'Of fighting the Golden Knight.'
This was a crucial turning point in their hunting expedition.
Jackson would never continue fighting alongside them if Asterion proved weaker than the Golden Knight in his eyes.
The old drunkard slowly stepped forward the moment Jackson challenged him, walking past everyone else.
"The moment I saw you…"
"I became curious about you, old Hunter."
Asterion spoke while laughing lightly, completely unaffected by the immense pressure Jackson released.
From his words, the uncrowned Emperor had already realized Jackson belonged to the Heart family, even if he did not know the details.
"I have no objection to fighting you…"
"If that is what you desire."
Asterion accepted the duel.
Ethan immediately intervened, speaking toward the old man.
"Don't kill him."
"And don't inflict any permanent injuries either."
"He's an ally."
Ethan sounded utterly confident that the outcome was already decided.
But Jackson never wavered in the slightest, only increasing the pressure of his power further.
The battle was about to begin…
Between one old Hunter—
And another ancient Hunter who had lived for hundreds of years.