"Do not kill him, and do not inflict any permanent injuries on him. He's an ally."
Asterion listened to Ethan's words, causing his expression to stiffen automatically.
"So I'm supposed to play with him then?"
The old man spoke while drawing the same sword he had used earlier against the monsters.
Meanwhile, Jackson's muscles swelled as his eyes glowed with a dangerous crimson light while he growled,
"Pay no attention to what he says."
"Do not you dare hold back against me."
"You'll regret it later if you do."
Jackson was completely serious.
His words carried genuine weight.
Yet Asterion did not seem affected whatsoever. He merely let out a light sigh while extending his hand and gripping his sword.
It was a medium-length, single-edged blade with nothing particularly remarkable about its appearance.
Asterion pointed the sword toward Jackson before casually flipping it around, reversing the sharp edge and the blunt side while a broad smile spread across his face.
"I'm ready."
"Come whenever you wish."
He spoke lightly, while Jackson's expression gradually darkened.
"Are you mocking me, old man?"
He growled furiously, considering what Asterion had just done an insult.
But the old man clearly did not see it that way.
Looking first at Jackson, then at his own sword, Asterion pointed toward the blunt edge and said,
"I'm completely serious."
"I'll fight you using the dull side."
"That way, you definitely won't suffer any fatal injuries."
This was Asterion's way of sparing Jackson's life, just as Ethan had requested.
The latter ended up laughing lightly the moment he witnessed what had just happened.
"The blunt side of the sword…"
"Against Jackson of all people…"
True, he had asked Asterion not to injure him too badly.
But what the old man had just done was something Ethan had never expected whatsoever, causing him to laugh unconsciously.
Unlike him, tension was visible on the faces of every other Hunter present.
Moon, standing beside Ethan, kept looking back and forth between her grandfather and Jackson, then toward the nearby Cathedral, repeating the motion several times while worry covered her face.
"This isn't the right time or place for us to fight among ourselves."
"What if we get ambushed?"
She voiced her thoughts aloud.
Ethan replied while keeping his eyes fixed upon Asterion and Jackson.
"There's no need to worry."
"I doubt any monster will attack us anymore unless we enter the Cathedral itself."
The moment he said those words, Ethan activated Wise Crow Sight, granting him a clearer view of Asterion and the aura surrounding him, something the others could not perceive with their own eyes.
"No one will attack us…"
"…as long as he's here."
The pressure surrounding Asterion was anything but normal.
He possessed that threatening aura—
An aura humans might fail to sense, but monsters instinctively could.
Ethan turned his gaze toward Jackson this time, whose body overflowed with the power of his golden Aura Armor.
'Jackson… I know he isn't stupid.'
'He already realized Asterion is stronger than him.'
'But he still wants to fight him anyway…'
'Just to see whether he can truly contend against the Golden Knight.'
Since they belonged to the same generation, Ethan realized Jackson had likely fought the Golden Knight before, or at the very least witnessed him upon the battlefield multiple times.
As a result—
There was probably no one alive who understood the true extent of the Golden Knight's strength better than Jackson himself.
By fighting Asterion now, he would learn whether the old drunkard could truly stand against the Golden Knight.
Which made the duel about to begin far more important than everyone else realized.
"They're about to begin."
Luna, who had been silently observing until now, finally spoke.
And indeed—
The battle started barely a second after her words.
Jackson was the first to move.
He rushed toward Asterion, erasing the distance between them in a single leap.
The giant Hunter inhaled deeply until his lungs swelled and his chest expanded before throwing a punch forward with all his might.
Golden aura wrapped around his fist in overwhelming quantities while strange cracking sounds echoed from his clenched hand loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear.
And mere moments later—
The giant's punch exploded against the spot where Asterion had been standing, creating a deafening blast.
Jackson had come within inches of striking his target.
Yet his serpent-like eyes widened when he suddenly found the old man standing to his left instead of directly before him.
Asterion remained calm.
Despite nearly receiving that catastrophic punch moments earlier.
His body now glowed with crimson-red Aura Armor.
At first glance, it appeared inferior to Jackson's golden aura—
But any sane person would immediately understand such a thing was impossible.
The Aura Armor of a King could never compare to that of someone who had reached the rank of High King.
"That was a good punch."
"There's no way that power comes from Aura Armor alone…"
"You…"
Asterion's smile widened further.
"You possess a physical blessing, don't you?"
The old man exposed Jackson's blessing almost instantly.
Jackson immediately retaliated with a backfist toward his left side.
But Asterion evaded once again with the same terrifying speed.
A speed no one could follow.
Not even Ethan, despite using Wise Crow Sight.
From his perspective, it looked as though the old man was teleporting every single time Jackson's attacks nearly reached him.
Jackson threw blow after blow.
His fists shattered buildings and split apart the ground beneath them with every strike.
Yet he could not touch the old man even once.
And after dancing around him like a phantom for long enough—
Asterion finally began attacking as well.
His sword moved swiftly, leaving behind crescent-shaped afterimages as he struck various points across Jackson's body.
Jackson protected himself through his immensely powerful golden Aura Armor.
But Asterion likewise poured massive amounts of aura into his own weapon, completely enveloping the blade.
This was something only those beyond the Saint rank could achieve.
They possessed enough control over their aura to shape and manipulate it freely, using it offensively rather than merely defensively.
Yet Asterion's control over aura was anything but ordinary.
It was on an entirely different level.
Because he was using the blunt side of his sword, the weapon resembled an iron club more than an actual blade.
He left no cuts upon Jackson's massive body.
But bruises gradually formed everywhere after enduring repeated strikes.
The Hunters all retreated farther away as the battle descended into complete chaos, especially once Jackson began destroying everything around him in his attempt to hit Asterion.
Yet it was useless.
The damage only continued accumulating upon his own body instead.
'This damned old man…'
'How is he moving like this?'
'And how can he control his aura to such an extent?!'
Jackson inwardly marveled at his opponent.
Because despite how ordinary Asterion's actions appeared—
They were anything but ordinary.
The amount of aura coating Asterion's sword barely exceeded the aura protecting Jackson's body.
It was as though Asterion was intentionally keeping himself only slightly superior, just enough to inflict moderate damage.
The difference between them remained suspiciously small.
And if that meant anything—
It meant the old man had completely assessed Jackson's strength after nothing more than a single exchange.
Was it experience?
Or something else entirely?
Jackson could not tell.
Because his opponent was deliberately restraining himself merely to match his level.
And that fact irritated him immensely.
"Let's see how long you keep retreating!"
Jackson unleashed a deafening roar while his aura expanded violently, concentrating overwhelmingly around his fist.
Asterion's crimson eyes narrowed automatically at the sight.
The amount of aura his opponent had gathered was far from ordinary.
And thanks to Jackson's Giant Heart blessing—
Its power had multiplied at least twice over.
Jackson never retreated.
And unlike Asterion—
He fought with the full intent to kill his opponent and end the battle completely.
With a single leap, the giant erased the distance once more before throwing another punch with everything he had, unleashing every last drop of his golden power.
A tremendous explosion erupted instantly, erasing multiple buildings and blowing apart the entire street from the sheer force alone.
The giant's eyes glowed fiercely while his thoughts accelerated.
'With this…'
'He won't dare keep retreating anymore.'
'He'll finally fight seriously!'
Jackson was certain that this attack would force Asterion to reveal his true strength.
But that belief shattered immediately when he sensed a powerful presence forming behind his back.
The moment he turned around—
He found the old man standing behind him with a foolish grin spread across his face.
"My God, that was an incredible punch!! Ha ha!!"
The old man burst into loud laughter.
"If that had hit me, I definitely would've died!"
Asterion let out a relieved breath while swaying slightly in place.
Meanwhile, Jackson slowly turned toward him again, his body still overflowing with aura.
Red veins pulsed within his eyes while fury and impatience became painfully clear upon his face.
"Asterion Heart…"
"I'm fighting with everything I have here."
Jackson spoke in a heavy, cold voice while clenching his fist so tightly his nails nearly dug into his own flesh.
"Your followers claimed you were capable of conquering this dungeon."
"Stop fooling around…"
"And show me what you have already!!"
"Show me the strength you all claim can end this nightmare that has lasted for hundreds of years!!"
Jackson roared loudly enough that everyone nearby instinctively covered their ears just to endure it.
His voice was not empty shouting.
It carried the genuine emotions of a man who had remained lost for an unbearably long time.
Ethan felt it clearly.
And so did Asterion himself.
For the first time—
The old man's expression completely changed into pure seriousness, replacing the usual mockery upon his face.
"I owe you an apology, old Hunter…"
"I do not know what you have gone through."
"But I mocked it without realizing."
"So accept my apology."
Asterion spoke in a deep voice while changing his stance completely.
"I shall fight you with everything I have…"
"Starting now."
"So prepare yourself."