Successful

Ragnar stood in opposition to Zara, with Darian positioned behind her, locking eyes with both of them.

Zara did not flinch, even as she sensed the overwhelming strength radiating from Ragnar, fully aware that he was stronger than her.

Backing down was simply not in her nature—she refused to be anyone's prey to oppression, no matter how powerful they appeared, especially when that person was of the same age as her.

The crowd stared excitedly at the two groups, eagerly awaiting a fight to break out to at least entertain them.

Even the guards responsible for protecting this area did not intervene; it was already a normal sight here for arguments and fights to erupt between groups.

The only time they would intervene was when the fight turned bloody, escalating into a life-and-death battle.

"You dare block my path!" Ragnar's voice boomed, its force causing weaker onlookers to stagger back. His mere presence was enough to intimidate most.

"Who do you think you are? Acting like the overlord of this place," Zara confronted, her eyes revealing not an iota of fear as she fired back directly.

The tension was palpable in the air between them.

While all this unfolded, Alden's heart burst with excitement. This was the moment he had been waiting for; finally, he would have the chance to test his skills.

The moment he selected yes. [You need to make physical contact with the character to complete this.] The requirement window appeared.

He frowned, pondering how to do it. Before he could devise a plan, another text popped up.

[Note! The character must willingly allow you to touch them.]

"This!" he nearly shouted aloud.

This made matters more challenging. He couldn't simply sneak in and touch his target—he had to ensure they allowed it willingly. But how? With their groups standing opposed to each other, one wrong move would only exacerbate the situation.

Ragnar stepped closer to Zara, his voice both loud and angry. "You think you can challenge me? I could beat nine years out of your life."

Zara did not back down. "Stop spewing nonsense from that disgusting mouth of yours. If you want to fight, then bring it on!"

Chuckles rippled through the crowd as Zara spoke, clearly enjoying the escalating violence.

Ragnar took another step forward, his presence intimidating. However, before he could move any further, Darian stepped in front of him.

Darian's simple action made it clear that he was not going to stand by any longer.

Storm tightened his grip on his weapon, his eyes locked on Ragnar's group, ready to strike at any moment.

"You really think I can't do anything to you just because you're with your team?" Ragnar's voice dropped to a low, menacing tone.

His group behind him shifted, equally prepared to clash head-on if things escalated.

"Why don't you try? Being stronger doesn't mean we're afraid of you," Storm shot back, his voice sharp with anger.

Alden, watching from the back with Ember, knew he had to act fast. If the fight broke out now, it would only make matters worse for him.

"Sister Zara, as always, never backing down," Ember chuckled, unsurprised. She was used to it.

Ragnar was about to face off against Storm when a voice sliced through the tension.

"Senior, what is there to be so arrogant about?"

The crowd turned, surprised. Who dared to speak to Ragnar like that?

"Showing off or what?" the voice continued.

Heads turned toward the back.

Alden stepped forward, his expression calm and composed.

"If you want to show off your strength, why do it here? Why not in another area where you can meet your match?"

Ragnar's glare darkened as he saw yet another weakling standing up to him. "Who do you think you are to speak to me like that?" he scoffed. "Your group is just a bunch of loudmouths with no real strength to back it up."

His eyes gleamed with malice as he scrutinized Alden's team.

Alden turned to Darian. "Brother Darian, I have an idea. Instead of wasting time fighting with them, why not settle this with a fair challenge?" A faint smile played at the corner of his lips.

Darian stared at him with interest, eager to see what he was up to.

Ragnar snorted. "A challenge?"

"I'm an A-rank talent awakener," Alden said. "So this challenge would be between me and your brother, Drakon, who is also A-rank."

The people around were struck with surprise—another A-rank talent awakener... unexpectedly.

Even Darian and the others were surprised. They had not bothered to ask about Alden's rank before, assuming he was merely a low-tier awakener.

"A challenge from you? Don't make me laugh," Drakon sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "Just because you're A-rank doesn't mean you're worth my time."

"Then why are you hesitating?" Alden met his gaze. "Unless… you're afraid of losing."

The crowd gasped once more, and Drakon's face turned red with anger. Alden smirked slightly. "We're the same rank, the same level. That makes it fair."

Drakon clenched his fists, clearly eager to lunge at Alden immediately.

"He accepts!" Ragnar snapped, speaking on behalf of his brother.

"Then—" Alden began, but Drakon cut him off.

"Wait!" Drakon said, his voice sharp. "Why don't we use the training ground for this? Let everyone witness it."

Alden nodded, seizing the opportunity. "Even better."

Drakon crossed his arms. "In five days, we'll settle this. We'll see who's stronger."

Alden said nothing but nodded in agreement to the challenge.

Many in the crowd were excited. They could not wait for the day to come, eager to see the fight.

Drakon stepped forward, holding out his hand to seal the challenge. This was what Alden had been waiting for, so he immediately reached out and grasped Drakon's hand.

Drakon, seizing the opportunity, tightened his grip on Alden's hand, a smirk playing on his face.

As soon as their hands touched, his intentions were immediately revealed.

[Host successfully fulfilled the requirement.]

[You can now merge with the character .]

Alden was satisfied. His goal was achieved. He pulled his hand back.

"Don't slack off, or I'll crush your bones on that day," Drakon said arrogantly.

"Drakon, let's go," Ragnar called out.

Even though Alden was an A-rank talent awakener, Ragnar still looked down on him.

Ragnar, his brother, and the three others began to walk away.

"Next time you stand against me," Ragnar said, a dark grin forming on his face, "I'll make sure you don't leave here in one piece."

He did not stop to say more, continuing to walk forward with his group. The crowd quickly moved aside, afraid to get in his way.

Alden no longer paid attention to Ragnar or his group; his focus remained on the faint glow ahead of him.

[Host has successfully merged with the character .]

[You received 5 Cp reward.]

[Character profile view created. You can check out merged characters' info.]

[TALENT SKILL: Character Merge NUM [1/3]↓ ]

Before Alden could check the details, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"That was amazing," Ember's playful voice drifted to his ear. "An A-rank for real?"

"You're now the highest talent rank in our group."

"Why didn't you tell us about it from the start?"

She kept asking questions, almost knocking him off balance with her enthusiasm.

"Come on, Ember, let him breathe," Darian called from a distance. He and the others were already heading toward the dungeon.

Ember sighed but followed, still chatting with Alden as they walked.

Alden decided to put the system notifications aside for now; there would be time to check them later.

Their group reached the dungeon entrance, a dark circle surrounded by strange energy.

"Stay close to us," Storm instructed Alden and Ember.

Together, they stepped into the dungeon, the energy enveloping them as they passed through.