The Regional Ranking Competition wasn’t like the usual tournament that the guys from Sacred Church and the Adventure Guild organised every cycle in Darkhold City. No. This was much, much grander.

The prizes that had, more than once, made Seth drool in his dreams were… great. But no, what really made this competition grand were the opportunities that come with it if you manage to make a name for yourself.

That is where the real prize lay.

Anyway, the tournament per se was organised by the most influential powers of the Southern Border, meaning the Sacred Church, the Adventure Guild, the House of Blades and many others that Seth didn’t even know about. He was rather ignorant about the actual structure and details of the tournament, aside from the basics, but he did know that this was an opportunity he couldn't and shouldn't waste.

That’s why he had devised a plan.

The rules were clear; to begin with, before even thinking of giving the tournament a shot, he would need to be at the Orange Core Stage—which was easier said than done. With barely two hundred days left to advance an entire level, Seth already knew he didn't stand a chance of making it in time. Or at least not by following the usual approach.

Seth felt a bitter taste in his mouth as he remembered his line of thought from a few weeks ago, he had been a little… naive.

There were a few methods by which one could force an advancement, neither of them being painless and much less cheap. However, at the time, he hadn’t seen a problem in acquiring them even if the supply was scarce. He had the money. But again, it wasn’t a problem of money.

Fortunately, Lucas had managed to convince his father to sell him the Four Vessels Glaucous Elixir—with a special discount on top of that. If not, his chances of getting something similar before the deadline would have been practically non-existent.

It seems I'm getting more and more favours from them, Seth thought, smiling wryly.

In any case, even after that, he didn’t believe he had the slightest chance of securing a spot. Yeah, he was strong, but not enough to fight toe and toe with the elites of Darkhold City. Not due to an issue of skill or talent. But resources.

He didn't have the luxury of having a clan, family or empire backing him or providing him with tools to promote his advancement. He was alone, and with that, unfortunately, there were more disadvantages than advantages.

Seth’s partnership with the Adventure Guild couldn't be counted as he wasn't an official member. The main difference lay that neither he nor the guild could demand anything from the other, he still had access to the quests released and many facilities under their name, but only after paying a fee.

But such a line of work wasn’t unusual.

The Sacred Church and most households in Darkhold City employed equivalent systems, not as lax as the Adventure Guild, but they were there. But in the end, he chose the Adventure Guild as it suited him better.

It wasn't as though he had never considered joining them as an official member in the future, he had the talent, but…

Whatever, he thought, pushing the thought away, what I need to focus my time on is on getting my core to the peak of the orange stage rather than worrying about my future. And no—

As Seth was lost in his thoughts, Olivia finished assimilating the elixir.

Getting up and nodding in their direction, the trio exchanged a few more words before they took a path on their right—heading towards the last chamber.

*

Olivia let out a deep sigh as her physique finished assimilating the elixir, letting thin wisps of energy flow naturally towards her core as her body instinctively sucked mana from the atmosphere. Everything without needing her to employ an ounce of her attention.

Opening her eyes, Olivia's gaze was forcefully drawn to the mess around her, making her aware that she had gotten a bit too carried away by her impulses. Roland’s stare did help a little bit too.

Looking inwards, she had wasted nearly a quarter of her mana pool in wiping out the disgusting beasts, which was quite a good achievement in regards to her conservation and distribution of mana. And it helps to vent a bit of the frustration accumulated, she added.

After exchanging a few more words with Roland and Seth, they immediately headed towards the last chamber. There was quite a distance separating the queen’s chamber from the rest of the nest, but neither of them was in a hurry. They took it easy.

As the minutes passed, Olivia’s black eyes couldn't help but fall onto Seth’s figure.

He was an… odd guy.

She had seen him battle during the examinations at the Adventure Guild’s halls and had left her with a good impression, his skill, not his character.

Anyway, his mastery over the sword and his body were astonishing, Olivia wouldn't put it at the level of a genius, but as far as she knew, he wasn't far from it. His advancement wasn't too bad either, he was around her age and already at the Orange Core Stage. Yeah, the use of an advancement elixir was evident, but the issue that had managed to get one of them—in the first place—already spoke of his prospects.

But his aspect… that was the real deal.

It held certain similarities with the fire of a certain race of lizards she and her clan despise, but more than that, what had made her head spin was the intent she had caught during his sparring against the rector.

Hunger. Cold and wild hunger.

The image of his flame clung to his blade like a child following his parent's instruction had been deeply imprinted in her mind, making her wonder about its true nature. It was much different compared to a regular elemental aspect, not just on the surface but deeper.

Oliva’s thoughts come to a stop when they reach the end of the tunnel, her gaze falling onto the three-meter long… insect? that stood in the middle of the room while three gruesome creatures pace around it. There were also a group of crackers and a few dozen eggs inside, but neither she nor Roland nor Seth were interested in them.

The Stoneaters looked like the supercharged versions of the Crackers, bulkier, uglier and stronger. Tall enough to rival the height of the average grown-up human male, they stood with imposing power as their Orange Core Stage auras made it clear they were not going to be easy prey.

Their gazes shifted in the direction of the bizarre worm resting at the centre of the chamber. It looked like a caterpillar but the size of a small elephant; it was completely yellow with thin, navy-blue streaks decorating its abdomen, a pair of stag-like-antlers sticking out from what Olivia presumed to be its head and long, dark-green spike-like hairs that covered its soft body.

It was…. gorgeous.

However, the exquisite exterior did little to shield its aura.

“Peak of the Yellow Core Stage,” Roland said in a whisper, his brows shaped into a frown, “This changes the plan a little bit,”

Olivia didn’t need to hear that to understand things would get a bit more complicated. She exchanged a few glances with Roland and Seth, the former pulling out a communication crystal from his pack. He instructed them to rest their hands on it while pouring some mana, as they did so, Olivia heard Roland’s voice in her head.

“Yeah, I know this is getting a bit out of our hands but I don’t think it’s impossible either. We still have the almond on our side.”

Seth, instead, was more pessimistic, “Can we even hurt it? I mean, that’s a peak yellow core beast. The almond would definitely weaken it, but it wouldn't lessen the venom’s potency.” he paused, clearly imagining himself being pierced by it as how concerned his face looked. “I don’t know you but I would definitely not make it out of here if that thing struck me, so either we come up with a good battle plan or I’m out of this.”

Olivia couldn't blame him.

Looking at the thin barbs on its abdomen, even she had her doubts of surviving a direct hit from those things. But they were already here, and she needed those venom sacks.

Backing out wasn't an option.