Child of Destiny

Looking around, the group could not help but appreciate the uniqueness of Marble Oasis City.

Despite the harsh environment surrounding it, the capital remained remarkably prosperous.

It was certainly not as advanced as the capital cities of the other major kingdoms and empires. In fact, it had not even reached the minimum requirements to become a Royal Rank City, which was generally considered the basic standard for the capital of a wealthy and powerful kingdom or empire in the current version of the game.

However, when it came to sheer scale and activity, Marble Oasis City was still a notch above most ordinary Capital Rank Cities.

More importantly, its military strength appeared to be considerably greater than that of most other capitals.

This was clearly reflected in the average levels of the NPC Guards patrolling the streets.

Even the players throughout the city seemed to have a slightly higher average level compared to those in the major kingdoms and empires.

”Tsk, tsk! There sure are a lot of experts around,” Owen commented as he looked around.

For now, they did not have anything else to do.

Shin still needed some time to make the necessary preparations, while a few elites from Deicide would also be joining them for the operation.

This was a raid against an enemy’s main base, after all.

It never hurt to be overly cautious.

There was also a possibility that they might encounter a peak Ascended Being or even an Epic Being NPC who was already on the verge of breaking through into the Enlightened Being Realm.

They had to be prepared for anything.

Shin was also taking the opportunity to acquire various potions, tools, and magic gadgets from the Hand of Midas, particularly those that still needed to undergo field testing.

In addition, the Hand of Midas would be sending several experts in business and territory management.

They wanted to determine whether establishing a branch within the Green Marbly Kingdom would be profitable.

”It is only natural that there are so many experts around,” Alucard added.

He glanced toward the distant city walls before continuing. ”After all, the environment here is practically perfect for training, especially with two High-Level Neutral Regions neighboring the kingdom.”

Owen also nodded. ”That’s right. The constant wars have made the people of this kingdom inherently stronger.”

”There are also the powerful monsters lurking within their respective territories. The harsh environment has caused them to become much stronger than ordinary monsters as well.”

He then grinned and turned toward the paladin beside him. ”Brat, you’re in luck. You’re about to experience another form of training.”

”Fighting Demonic Creatures and Demonic Players in the Dark Cloud Kingdom is good for helping you understand the main antagonists of the current patch. But facing a completely different type of enemy will further broaden your combat experience.” He patted the younger paladin on the shoulder.

Samael nodded his head earnestly. ”I’ll do my best.”

He was constantly surrounded by a group of monstrous players, which made him look relatively weak by comparison. Yet, ironically, that was also the reason he had developed a rather unusual tolerance for powerful opponents.

He rarely felt intimidated when facing other experts.

After all, compared to the Monster Trio of the Empyrean Talons, the opponents he encountered elsewhere hardly seemed frightening.

Even when facing powerful enemies, he rarely faltered under their pressure.

Regular sparring sessions with those three monsters had already given him a completely different standard for what constituted a terrifying opponent.

Meanwhile, Alucard suddenly turned toward Diablo. ”Isn’t the Desolate Land one of the major territories dominated by the Pandemonium Descendants?”

He paused for a moment before continuing. ”Especially the Desolate Wasteland at its heart.”

”Should we cause them some trouble while we’re here?” he asked as a faint grin appeared on his face.

It was rare for them to appear in their enemies’ territory.

Since they had already come this far, they might as well make the most of their time here and do something a little more ’productive.’

Diablo thought for a moment before pursing his lips. ”Let’s wait for the Vice Commander first before deciding what to do.”

He then added, ”Though, I doubt they’re still operating there in significant numbers.”

”After all, they’ve already begun relocating their main operations to the Hell Realms following the opening of the demonic portal in the Dark Cloud Kingdom.”

”Given the merits they’ve accumulated, establishing a foothold in that dimension shouldn’t be particularly difficult for them.” His tone carried a confidence that came from firsthand knowledge.

After all, he had once been a major part of the organization himself, so he was incredibly familiar with their operations.

Felix and Felicia, who had been following behind them, silently listened to their conversation while also taking in their surroundings.

They barely knew what kind of territories existed beyond the borders of the Lesser Kingdom of Juron.

Their operations had always been centered around that small kingdom, so despite possessing powerful combat abilities, they had relatively little experience traveling to distant regions.

”The climate here is a bit too humid,” Felicia complained after walking through the city for a while.

As a member of the Siren Race, she was naturally accustomed to aquatic environments. This place, however, was almost the complete opposite of what she preferred.

The heat and dryness were far from ideal for her, and she could already feel how much the climate was restricting her overall abilities.

It was making her extremely uncomfortable.

Felix, on the other hand, had it slightly better.

His race was one of the rarer hybrid races—a half-human, half-Naga—so he possessed a certain degree of tolerance toward such environments.

Though even he could barely endure the heat, his forehead was also sweating.

Felix glanced toward the massive oasis nearby before grinning mischievously. ”Should we jump into the oasis and soak ourselves for a bit?”

He chuckled at his own suggestion.

Diablo immediately shot him down. ”That would be a terrible idea.”

He pointed toward the massive body of water. ”That oasis is the primary source of water for the entire city.”

”Not only is it protected by a powerful magic formation, but simply approaching it without authorization can land you in jail for several months.”

Felix’s expression stiffened. ”That serious?”

Diablo nodded calmly. ”Very.”

The group continued chatting idly as they walked through the streets of Marble Oasis City, taking in the various sights along the way.

They were particularly interested in the city’s trading hub.

It resembled a massive bazaar from the real world, with countless stalls displaying all kinds of goods and unusual products.

But the stalls were not the only attraction, as they offered far more than simple trading.

There were even several small arenas where players could freely challenge one another—or occasionally test their skills against NPCs.

Other stalls offered stranger forms of entertainment.

Some hosted arm-wrestling competitions, while others held drinking contests.

There was even a booth dedicated to eating competitions, where players competed to see who could consume the most food within a limited amount of time.

The sheer variety of activities made the entire trading hub feel less like an ordinary marketplace and more like a massive festival.

These stalls were drawing surprisingly large crowds.

The group could not help but find the entire place fascinating.

”Damn! This place is lively!” Owen exclaimed excitedly.

They had never encountered anything quite like this in the other cities they had visited. Not even Divinity City, the bustling capital of the Divine Empire on the Awakened Continent, had this kind of festive atmosphere.

”Should we try a few of them and have some fun?” Owen asked, already eager to test his abilities.

Hearing this, Samael could not help but turn toward the group. Only then did he realize just how unusual their lineup was.

He himself was a Conqueror, the Epic Race evolution of the Human Race obtained after completing the Tier 3 Promotion Quest.

As for his class, he had recently undergone another promotion after accumulating a tremendous number of merits during the battles in the Dark Cloud Kingdom.

His former Paladin of the Sun and Moon class had evolved into the Eclipse Judiciar, a special hidden class.

Then there was Alucard.

He was a Dhampir possessing Noble Vampire blood. So unlike ordinary vampires, he did not fear sunlight.

His bloodline originated from Dracula himself, the Primogenitor of the Vampire Race branch that had emerged in the Frozen Kingdom.

He even possessed a unique class that he had personally created.

Diablo was an Underworld Elf—a Transcendent Being in his own right. That alone was enough to speak for his strength.

His class had also undergone several transformations as he continued to inherit and assimilate various powerful legacies.

Owen, on the other hand, was already a fully awakened Ascended Being—a Sacred Neanderthal.

Unlike players who possessed Ascended Classes but were still struggling to transform their bodies into true Ascended Beings, Owen had already completed that transformation with his Ancient Protector Ascended Class.

He had even awakened his Ascended Abilities.

Samael was still unfamiliar with Felix and Felicia, having only met the twins recently. However, even he could tell that the two possessed powerful abilities and extraordinary backgrounds.

Samael turned his attention back toward the lively competitions.

For a moment, he felt a strange sense of unfairness.

The average level of the players and NPCs here was certainly high. But after spending so much time around the monsters of the Empyrean Talons, their strength did not seem particularly impressive to him anymore.

If they actually joined those competitions...

Wouldn’t that basically be bullying?

......