Chapter 129
When Rodent finally spotted Clayton, he paused for a moment. Clayton had always been known as a coward—though in truth, he was simply someone who exercised extreme caution.
Once Rodent was certain it was really him, he couldn’t suppress a knowing smirk. He had been waiting a long time for the chance to kill this man. But until now, he’d never succeeded—either the timing had been off, or the risk of killing someone within city limits had been too great, especially if the authorities found out.
But now, Rodent was far more confident. Ever since joining the loyalist faction of the Blood Raiders, his power had increased dramatically—he was nearing the peak of his strength. He was convinced he could take Clayton down without any trouble.
Meanwhile, Clayton felt a wave of unease the moment he sensed Rodent’s piercing gaze. His scalp tingled—like prey realizing, too late, that a predator had locked eyes on it.
He couldn’t help but wonder—what had Rodent gained to suddenly seem so threatening?
Clayton studied Rodent’s group. They looked calm, but a dangerous energy radiated from them. That unsettling feeling returned, nearly overwhelming him—until he took a deep breath and forced himself to refocus.
Once he calmed down, Clayton turned his attention elsewhere.
At the center of the area stood a towering gate—grand and mystical, stretching high into the sky. Anyone who laid eyes on it would be struck with awe. Around it, people had formed into small groups. Just a few meters in front of the gate stood a sword embedded in a stone. One by one, people lined up to try pulling it out—but so far, no one had succeeded.
The sight triggered a memory in Clayton’s mind. The sword was actually a kind of key—whoever managed to pull it free would gain ownership of the weapon, and everything that came with it. Once the sword was removed, the gate to the second trial would open, allowing either an individual or a group to pass through.
But no one had ever managed to extract it. All they could do was wait for the gate to open on its own—a process said to take an extremely long time. According to Clayton’s intel, no one had drawn the sword since the dungeon first appeared.
Naturally, this piqued everyone’s curiosity. People wanted to try their luck, eager to see what reward lay behind such a deceptively simple, yet clearly difficult, challenge.
Clayton, new to the scene, simply watched in silence.