The Order of the Crimson Veil was extremely far away, yet Richard reached it in a short time, even while traveling at a relaxed pace.
The crimson mountain still towered high as ever, with a massive city spread out beneath it.
Though it was still night, the place was bustling with activity.
It seemed that the sudden opening of the World of Death had attracted many forcesânot just from the Eastern Region, but from all regions of the Land of Humans.
Of course, those from other regions would arrive later.
Just as Richard arrived, a group of giant humans suddenly appearedâeach of them standing nearly a hundred meters tall.
They were bare-chested, revealing their muscular bodies.
Their auras were overwhelmingly ferocious, causing the surrounding mountains near the crimson peak to tremble.
The cityâs residents shuddered when they saw the giants.
"Theyâre the Ancient Barbarian Tribe..." some people recognized them.
"So they still exist?"
"Of course. They rarely leave their territory. Thanks to their long lifespans, many of them spend most of their time in deep slumber."
"We canât underestimate them. Even if theyâre somewhat simple-minded, theyâre true beasts. Their strength can surpass even top-tier geniuses."
"Are they really that strong?"
"Yes..."
"Why are they here? Looking for treasure?"
"They grow naturallyâthey donât need treasures since those are useless to them. Perhaps theyâre searching for their lost ancestor."
"Oh? Did their ancestor disappear in the World of Death?"
"Yes, that happened in the past. I heard this is the Barbarian with the strongest bloodline. But Iâm confused why they only came now. The World of Death has opened several times since their ancestor vanished, yet they never showed up."
"There must be a reason."
"..."
The Ancient Barbarians immediately tried to enter the city after arriving.
However, the cityâs formation suddenly activated, blocking them.
"What is the meaning of this, Lord of Crimson Veil? Are we not allowed to go to the World of Death?" their leaderâa middle-aged man covered in scarsâshouted loudly.
At the same time, a man in his thirties appeared, with dark blond hair and a crimson coat.
His face was handsome but cold, perfectly matching the chilling aura he exuded.
It was none other than Ethan Holystar.
His poor reputation in the Holy Star Kingdom did not hinder his success within the Order of the Crimson Veil.
He remained indifferent even in front of the giants, calming the uneasy citizens.
"Barbarian King, wait until the World of Death opens," he said.
"Why canât we enter the city?" the Barbarian King asked.
Peopleâs expressions turned strange upon hearing that question.
Of courseâit was because they could cause massive destruction.
But even the Barbarian King wasnât particularly sharp.
"Just wait outside!" Ethan said, clearly unwilling to explain further.
He disappeared again.
BANG!
The Barbarian King struck the cityâs formation, only to be repelled.
Even so, the impact caused the entire city to tremble.
"Peak Ruler!" people realized his realm.
Even with such power, breaking the cityâs formation was impossible.
It was backed not only by a Peak Ancient Sovereign like the Crimson Ancestor, but also by three Grand Sovereigns of the Order of the Crimson Veil.
"Hmph! Hmph!" The Barbarians snorted in frustration.
In the end, they could only retreat to another mountain to wait.
Richard paid them little attention.
He entered the city through the gate, wearing a hooded robe and, of course, paying the entrance fee.
With no particular plan in mind, he wandered around, observing his surroundings.
It didnât take long before he spotted a familiar faceâa young man with light brown hair, somewhat slender, yet fairly handsome.
His appearance hadnât changed much despite the seven years that had passed.
It was Lukeâa young master of the Order of the Crimson Veil, and the grandson of the youngest Ancient Sovereign of the faction.
Of course, only his appearance seemed unchangedâhis strength had grown significantly.
He had reached the Lord Realm, even advancing to the mid-stageâhigher than Richard.
As a genius backed by the resources of the Order of the Crimson Veil, this was nothing unusual.
The young man sat alone in a teahouse, occasionally glancing outside, clearly waiting for someone.
Sure enough, not long after, a blonde woman arrived.
She looked elegant in a modest dress that still couldnât hide her captivating figure.
Elena...
She looked the same as before, seemingly unchanged.
Though that was only Richardâs guess.
When Elena reached Lukeâs table, instead of sitting down, she pushed the table over, stunning everyone watching.
Luke froze at her sudden action.
"Can you stop sending me invitations to meet?" Elena said, her brows furrowed.
With just those words, Luke instantly became the center of gossip.
Everyone knew his noble identityâyet even with that, he couldnât win over the woman he wanted.
"Elena, why do you keep rejecting me?" Luke asked, his tone rising.
Perhaps he was angryâher actions had humiliated him in public.
Even if she wanted to refuse him, she could have done so without drawing attention.
"This isnât because of Gray from the Order of Peak World, is it? That bastard already has many loversâdo you want to become one of them?" Fueled by anger and hurt, Luke lost control, his words turning harsh.
"Thatâs none of your concern," Elena replied indifferently.
"You only need to know that youâre not my choice."
After saying that, she turned and walked away swiftly.
Watching all of this, Richard was momentarily stunned, wondering whether Elena had also fallen for Grayâs charm.
"Have you accepted reality now?"
A soft yet cold voice suddenly echoed through the surroundings.
An orange portal appeared out of nowhere in front of the teahouse as a young woman stepped out, followed by several other young women.
She had long, wavy orange hair, her fair skin carrying a faint rosy tint, and a figure so alluring that its curves flowed perfectly from top to bottom.
The crowd could only stare, captivated by her beauty.
The young woman looked at Luke, as if she wanted to mock his misfortuneâbut in the end, she held herself back, shaking her head lightly.