Even though the initial blow had been a surprise attack, it didn't change the brutal reality of what had happened. To kill an Expert Rank warrior with just two attacks... it was insane. Unbelievable.
There was a saying etched deep into the bones of this world: To match the strength of an Expert Rank, you had to at least be an Expert Rank yourself. It was a universal truth.
No amount of talent, no clever tricks, no overwhelming courage could substitute for the sheer gap in power that existed between an Expert Rank and anyone below it. It was a line carved in blood and history.
And yet, Max, a youth who hadn't even stepped into the Seeker Rank, who should have still been struggling against lower-tiered enemies, had crossed that line as if it didn't exist. He had shattered it beneath his feet, leaving behind nothing but a crater, dust, and a silence that spoke louder than any war cry.
