A few minutes later, Kael and Zoey split up.

There was no reason for them to stick together when they had different things to accomplish. Most of Kael’s supplies had already been prepared beforehand, leaving only transportation to arrange, while Zoey still needed to purchase the remaining necessities for the expedition.

With a brief exchange, the two headed in different directions.

Zoey disappeared into the bustling street while Kael made his way toward the transportation quarter.

Just like the Marsh World Rift, the Sand World Rift possessed virtually no aerial threats. The dangerous creatures inhabiting it were entirely ground-based, making flying mounts the safest and most efficient methods of travel.

In fact, it was arguably even safer than flying over the Marsh World. There, ranged attacks from certain mutated slimes could reach surprising heights, occasionally posing a threat to aerial beasts. The Sand World lacked such dangers altogether.

Before long, Kael arrived at his destination.

A massive stone building stood before him, several stories tall and decorated with banners displaying various flying creatures.

After entering, he found himself inside a spacious hall that resembled a marketplace.

Rows upon rows of stalls stretched into the distance.

The difference was that nobody was selling goods.

They were renting beasts.

Kael walked leisurely between the stalls, his eyes drifting across the various creatures on display.

There were flying horses with feathered wings.

Massive hawks large enough to carry entire groups.

Elegant crane-like creatures with silver plumage.

Several flying reptiles.

And many more.

Some looked impressive while others looked ridiculous.

Kael ignored most of them.

Some were simply too small to comfortably carry three people.

Others looked horribly uncomfortable.

A few were rejected for a much simpler reason.

They were ugly.

Kael had standards.

There was no way he was going to fly around on a giant bird whose head looked ten times larger than the rest of its body.

Nor was he interested in riding what appeared to be an oversized featherless chicken.

Some things simply weren’t worth sacrificing his dignity for.

Aura had to be maintained.

Eventually, his attention landed on a particular stall.

A giant moth rested quietly behind the enclosure.

Its wings shimmered with faint blue patterns, almost resembling flowing currents of wind.

The creature looked surprisingly majestic.

Without hesitation, Kael changed direction and approached.

A young girl sat behind the counter.

She couldn’t have been much older than him and possessed a surprisingly cute appearance, though her nervous posture made it seem like she wasn’t particularly accustomed to dealing with customers.

Kael pointed toward the moth.

"I’m interested in renting that one."

The girl’s eyes brightened.

"Oh! Sure."

She immediately stood up.

"This is Mira."

She gestured proudly toward the giant moth.

"She’s a wind-element flying beast. She’s very fast and can create wind shields around her passengers during flight."

The girl continued enthusiastically.

"The wind shield reduces air resistance and protects riders from strong winds, making the trip much smoother and more comfortable."

Then she stopped.

Kael waited.

But the girl simply smiled back at him.

"..."

"..."

Was that it?

Kael blinked.

That had to be the worst sales pitch he had ever heard.

If he hadn’t already liked the creature’s appearance, he doubted that explanation would have convinced anyone to rent it.

Fortunately, he had already made up his mind.

"How much?"

The girl immediately replied.

"Two thousand credits per hour."

Kael nodded.

"I’ll take it."

A few minutes later, the payment was completed.

The girl handed him a silver whistle attached to a small chain.

"If you need Mira, just blow into this. She’ll come to you immediately."

Kael accepted it and stored it away.

After leaving the building, he began making his way back toward the entrance where the group had agreed to meet.

Meanwhile...

Things were becoming somewhat complicated for Adam.

Outside the fortress entrance, he found himself surrounded.

Five hunters stood around him in a loose circle.

At their center was a young man who looked to be around twenty years old.

He wore expensive dark armor engraved with intricate golden patterns. His soft brown hair was neatly styled and his blue eyes carried a faint arrogance that suggested he was used to getting his way.

Adam immediately recognized him.

His expression darkened.

"Marcus."

"I don’t want any trouble."

Marcus smiled.

The smile wasn’t friendly.

"Trouble?"

His voice carried obvious amusement.

"You were looking for trouble the moment you decided to get close to my sister."

Adam rolled his eyes beneath his helmet.

"Who your sister chooses to spend time with isn’t your business."

Then his voice hardened.

"And what exactly are you trying to do here? Intimidate me?"

Marcus merely continued smiling.

Adam’s patience finally snapped.

"Do you think I’m afraid of you?"

A massive war hammer suddenly appeared in his hands.

The heavy weapon slammed against the ground with a dull thud.

"Fight me if you dare."

Behind the helmet, Adam’s eyes burned with challenge.

Marcus might be stronger.

Much stronger.

But Adam wasn’t a coward.

He never went looking for trouble, but neither did he run from it.

Besides, no matter how unreasonable Marcus could be, there were limits to what he could do.

After all, provoking Adam too severely would inevitably attract the attention of Adam’s father.

Marcus, however, seemed delighted by the challenge.

As though this was exactly what he had wanted.

With a casual motion, a sleek silver sword appeared in his hand.

The blade gleamed under the sunlight.

Marcus pointed it directly at Adam.

"Then come on."

The mocking smile never left his face.

Adam didn’t need a second invitation.

He exploded forward.

His armored figure charged across the ground as he swung his massive hammer directly at Marcus.

The weapon cut through the air with tremendous force.

Yet Marcus remained completely calm.

Clang!

The silver sword met the hammer head-on.

To the shock of several onlookers, Marcus blocked the attack without moving an inch.

The difference in strength became immediately apparent.

Normally, blocking a heavy weapon with a sword was foolish.

Dodging or redirecting the strike was the correct choice.

Unless...

The difference in power was overwhelming.

And in this case, it was.

Adam was Level 12 while Marcus on the other hand was Level 45.

The gap was enormous.

Marcus grinned.

"Is that all you’ve got?"

His voice dripped with disappointment.

"If it is, then I’m honestly underwhelmed."

He tilted his head.

"You hit like a sissy."

"Fuck you!"

Adam roared.

He lifted the hammer again and swung with even greater force.

This time Marcus didn’t bother blocking.

He simply stepped to the side.

The hammer missed by mere centimeters.

The resulting gust of wind rustled Marcus’s brown hair.

Adam’s attack struck nothing.

Frustration flashed through him.

Before he could recover—

PAH!

A sharp sound echoed through the area.

Marcus casually slapped the side of Adam’s helmet.

The motion looked effortless but the force behind it wasn’t.

A visible dent appeared on the metal helmet.

Adam’s entire body stumbled sideways before crashing heavily onto the ground.

Clang!

His armor slammed against the stone.

Pain shot through his head, briefly dazing him.

Meanwhile, Marcus calmly walked forward.

There wasn’t a hint of urgency in his movements.

He was enjoying this.

By now, several nearby hunters had gathered around to watch.

Whispers spread through the crowd.

Some watched with amusement.

Others with curiosity.

Marcus clearly noticed the growing audience.

And clearly loved every second of it.

Stopping in front of Adam, he lowered his sword.

The tip hovered dangerously close to Adam’s neck.

Marcus smiled.

"See?"

"A weakling like you doesn’t deserve to hang around my sister."

But just as the final words left his mouth—

Clap.

A slow clap suddenly echoed from the crowd.

Everyone turned.

The spectators instinctively parted as a figure stepped forward.

At the same time, a calm voice drifted through the silence.

"That was a nice speech."

The voice wasn’t loud.

Yet for some reason, it immediately drew everyone’s attention.