Aside from the young female mage, the rest of the group consisted of both men and women, most of them in their late twenties to early thirties. Their attire, weaponry, and bearing made it clear—they were no ordinary wilderness hunters.
One man in particular stood out: a middle-aged warrior carrying a massive two-handed greatsword strapped to his back. His presence was like molten lava buried deep beneath a mountain—heavy, searing, and dangerous. Though his exact level couldn't be discerned, Jensen's instincts as a seasoned fighter told him with near certainty that this man was at least Level 20 or higher.
With a lineup like this, they clearly weren't here to collect beast materials. More likely, they were escorting a newly advanced prodigy from some powerful family—bringing them to the Stonelands for training and leveling in preparation for the upcoming Grand Trial.
After a brief moment of thought, Jensen recalled Nyx into his pet space.
It wasn't humility that drove the decision, but caution. In the wilds, revealing his trump card—a dragon-type pet—without knowing the other party's identity and strength was hardly wise.
Originally, his plan had been to wait for them to leave before retrieving the treasure.
Out here, unnecessary contact with strangers usually meant trouble.
But the group didn't seem in any hurry to move on. Instead, they lingered, resting where they stood, speaking to each other in low tones.
Jensen's patience thinned. Without further hesitation, he stepped down from the rocky ridge, deciding to grab the loot and get out.
—
At the foot of the ridge, the young female mage gripped her staff, frustration and disappointment etched into her features.
Her name was Fiona. The deep blue robe she wore outlined her tall, graceful figure, and the gemstone-set staff in her hands gleamed coldly under the sunlight.
"Baxter," she said, her voice tinged with unwillingness, "are we just going to stand here and watch such a perfect opportunity slip away?"
The middle-aged swordsman she addressed—Baxter—was the very same high-ranking warrior Jensen had noticed earlier. He was the anchor of the party, the strongest among their guards.
With a wry smile, Baxter ran a hand over the rough stubble on his chin.
"My lady, it's not that we don't want to… we simply can't. That 'Hidden Realm of Fortune' requires a minimum of eight people to enter. We only have seven, and the barrier won't let us through."
Fiona frowned in thought, then turned to a lightly armed woman beside her.
"If we send you back to City to find someone…"
The leather-armored woman—Zelda—shook her head, cutting her off without mercy.
"Impossible. Even if I sprinted the whole way, the round trip would take over a day. And this isn't a dungeon—it's a hidden realm. It appears randomly out here in the wilds, and if no one enters within the time limit, it vanishes completely… reappearing somewhere else."
She paused, her gaze drifting toward the swirling void vortex not far away.
"The energy fluctuations here are already unstable. At most… half a day before it disappears."
"…I see." Fiona's words caught in her throat.
Hidden realms might look similar to dungeons, but they were an entirely different matter.
Dungeons had existed for years, swept clean by countless adventurers. Even if they still dropped equipment, anything truly rare was almost impossible to come by.
But a hidden realm was like a miracle birthed by the earth itself. The loot inside far surpassed any dungeon, and there was even the chance of finding a destiny-altering artifact… or a legendary skill scroll.
Stumbling upon a hidden realm in the wilderness was like spotting a crown wedged between the stones of a barren plain—so close you could almost touch it, yet forced to watch helplessly as it dissolved into nothing because you lacked the numbers to claim it.
Baxter noticed the disappointment clouding his lady's expression, and his tone softened.
"My lady, there's no need to dwell on it. With your strength, first place in the Grand Trial is practically guaranteed. Even across the entire province, you'll easily place in the top twenty. And with a hidden class like yours, entry into one of the Ten Great Academies will be a certainty. When that time comes, the academy will grant you access to higher-tier, far safer hidden realms to challenge."
"I know…" Fiona forced a faint smile. "If fate doesn't grant it, there's no need to force it. Since we can't enter, let's just consider it… a brush with fortune."
Before Fiona could reply, Baxter's expression suddenly shifted—his instincts as a warrior flaring like a drawn bowstring. His palm slammed onto the hilt of his sword, eyes sharp as blades.
"Who's there?!"
The rest of the guards reacted instantly. Steel rang as weapons were drawn, forming a tight wall around Fiona in the center.
Jensen hadn't expected them to be so quick on the uptake, but he didn't panic. His steps remained steady as he approached, his voice calm and carrying across the clearing.
"No need to get worked up. I'm just passing through."
"Passing through?"
Baxter and the others exchanged wary glances as the unfamiliar young man strode straight across the open ground, coming within twenty paces of them.
He paused for only a heartbeat—without so much as a flicker of interest toward their group—then continued on toward the hidden realm, as if their presence meant nothing to him, as if he were merely walking along a path laid out for him alone.