River was halfway through another main area when the distant sound of clashing steel reached his ears.
From the rhythm of the strikes and bursts, he immediately knew—it wasn't a battle against monsters.
Humans.
River wasn't surprised. Conflict among candidates was common. But now, he was curious.
Who would be foolish enough to pick a fight during the Awakening Ceremony?
Following the sound, he crept through the foliage until the scene unfolded before him—two groups in a tense standoff. Each side had one person stepping forward from their ranks, as if ready to restart the battle at any moment.
The terrain between them was nothing short of wrecked—trees snapped in twos, deep gouges in the earth, upturned roots and soil flung aside like paper. The battlefield had clearly been torn apart by Skills, the kind that distorted the space around them.
Even without sensing Mana yet—his Awakening incomplete—River could feel it. The lingering pressure. The aftershocks. The subtle chaos in the air. Golden fire, distorted space, fractured ground… these were the traces of powerful combat.
Only seasoned Hunters could interpret the remains of a battle like this.
River could read it all at a glance.
His gaze shifted to the first group—five men in sleek, black battlesuits that clung tightly to their muscular forms. The suits shimmered faintly, despite the lack of light, a telltale sign of built-in defensive enchantments. Their posture was disciplined but their faces lack what an experience Hunter should have.
His eyes narrowed on the insignia on their chests.
"A guild…" he murmured.
Then his eyes shifted to the opposing group.
The moment he spotted golden hair, his frown deepened.
Golden hair. Golden eyes.
Too familiar.
Before either group noticed him, River quieted his breathing and slipped into the shade beneath a tree, hidden behind a curtain of leaves. He wasn't here to intervene—only to observe.
He wanted to know what caused this fight… and just how strong that golden-haired boy was.
From his hiding spot, River's eyes flicked back to the center of the standoff.
"Nolan, you f*cker! Return what you owe me—plus interest!" the leader of the guild side roared.
A middle-aged man. Short, slightly curly black hair. Sharp, hawk-like eyes that gleamed with fury. Muscles tense, veins bulging. The wind around him was in turmoil, moving with his wrath. Minor burns marked his arms, not severe—but enough to hint at the clash that had taken place earlier.
"Owe?" Nolan scoffed, stepping forward. "I don't owe you sh*t."
His voice was smooth, calm—an odd contrast to the golden flames flickering around his body like a blazing aura.
Golden hair fluttered in the turbulent air. He wore a white dress shirt under a black blazer, dark trousers, and polished shoes. His outfit screamed playboy—but it was tailored, tight-fitting, accentuating his lean, 5'8" frame.
Behind him stood five women—each one carrying herself with confidence and a touch of arrogance. Their battlesuits weren't high-grade, just the standard issue, but they hugged their model-like figures and offered decent protection. The way they stood—casual, unbothered—spoke volumes about how little they feared the opposing guild.
Nolan tilted his head, golden flames intensifying as he smirked at the furious man in front of him.
"Or do you want to go for another round, Mr. Kerst?"
Kerst didn't answer at once. His expression hardened.
They had already fought. The damage to the area said it all. Both were C-Rank Hunters, but Kerst knew the truth—Nolan had been toying with him.
That calm smile, the showboating… it was all for the women behind him.
Kerst's teeth clenched.
"Mana Absorber Ring! That's what you owe me!" he growled, fists trembling. "There's no way you forgot about that!"
"Oh, that?" Nolan raised a brow, amused. "That wasn't yours to begin with. I simply picked it up from the boss while your crew was too busy screaming like a pack of lunatics."
"That was our kill! We took down the boss, the loot belongs to us, you motherf*cker!" Kerst roared, fury overtaking reason.
In the next heartbeat, the air around him twisted—and his body launched forward like a bullet.
He appeared in front of Nolan in an instant, fist already arcing toward the young man's smug, pretty face.
But Nolan just smiled, unbothered.
A golden flame surged up like a wall, erupting between them with a roar. The impact from Kerst's punch struck it head-on, sending a shockwave through the air, kicking up dust and shards of earth in every direction.
Kerst's fist trembled against the blazing wall. He tried to force through it, veins bulging, sweat dripping from his brow. The cracking of bones echoed in the silence.
Gritting his teeth, Kerst pushed more Mana into his skill, his muscles swelling as raw strength surged through him—but the wall of flame held firm, unmoved.
"Too weak," Nolan said with a shake of his head, looking genuinely disappointed. "Trying to snatch a lion's meal? That's how you get mauled."
"That's not yours," Kerst growled, his eyes reddening from the pressure.
"You're right," Nolan grinned, wider this time. "I gave it away."
"You—!"
Before Kerst could say another word, his instincts flared with danger. He jumped back—
—but not fast enough.
Golden flame spears rained down like divine punishment, piercing into him with explosive force.
"Argh!" Kerst cried out as the spears detonated against his body, sending him crashing into the ground with enough force to carve a shallow ravine. Dirt and smoke erupted into the air, hiding the aftermath in a thick, dusty veil.
Nolan scoffed.
"The next time you challenge me," he said, spitting at the ground, "make sure your strength matches your mouth."
Cheers broke out behind him.
"Nolan, you're so great!"
"So cool! So handsome!"
"Ahhh! Following you was the best decision I've ever made!"
Nolan chuckled as the women gathered around him, their bodies pressing close. He stretched out his arms and let them cling to him, his smug smile growing.
"Haha, ladies—this? This was nothing but a warm-up."
From the treeline, River quietly shook his head.
"That Kerst guy really tried to punch a wall," he muttered.
His gaze shifted to the settling dust where Kerst's guild members scrambled to help their fallen leader. River searched his memory for anything about the man or his guild but came up empty. They must've been too minor to leave an impact in the future.
But the golden-haired boy?
Nolan…
That name triggered something.
He hadn't heard the full conversation between them—just fragments—but it was enough to understand. Nolan was playing with Kerst, deliberately hiding his full strength while showing off in front of his female entourage.
Playful. Arrogant. Flashy. A flirt.
River recalled someone like that in the future.
But the name—was it really Nolan? Or something else?
He couldn't be sure. And honestly, he didn't want to be. That kind of guy always brought trouble.
And right now, River wasn't in the mood for trouble.
As Kerst was dragged off by his guild members, River decided to take the opportunity to slip away and continue toward the Smokey Wolves.
But fate had other plans.
A sudden wave of heat washed over him—intense and fast.
Without even looking, River instinctively rolled to the side—just in time to avoid a blazing streak of golden flame that scorched the ground where he had stood.