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The Wind and Thunder Spell Spear ignited with red runes as Luca twisted his body, pivoting on his waist and unleashing a powerful strike. The spear, now engulfed in flames, rained down on Curtis's vital points like a storm of fire and lightning.

Turbulence!

The attack was swift as a thunderbolt and fierce as a falling star, cutting through the air with a sharp whistling sound.

Just as the Wind and Thunder Spell Spear was about to pierce Curtis, a blood-red greatsword swung down.

BANG!!

The clash of their weapons didn't produce the typical metallic clang but rather a deep, resonant thud.

Fiery embers and thick blood aura collided, sending shockwaves in all directions. The sheer force of the impact caused the roof beneath them to crack, tiles and debris scattering with each pulse of energy.

"You've got some skills. No wonder you're so arrogant!" Curtis muttered, surprised by the strength behind Luca's attack.

Even among warrior classes, it was rare to see someone possess such raw power.

Despite being a Demonic Rune Mage, Luca had somehow boosted his strength to a formidable level—a freakish feat for his class.

"But with just that, you think you can survive against me? Not nearly enough!" Curtis sneered, his aura flaring as he unleashed more blood energy, violently repelling Luca's spear.

With a swift motion, Curtis swung his blood-red blade toward Luca's neck, aiming to decapitate him with a single strike.

If that blade connected, no matter how talented Luca was, he would lose his head in an instant.

But Luca had already anticipated Curtis's counterattack. After missing his initial strike, Luca swiftly withdrew, dodging the blade by a hair's breadth as it sliced past his face without leaving a scratch.

Curtis pressed his advantage, unleashing a flurry of strikes with his blood blade, each one more vicious than the last.

Luca deftly weaved between the attacks, refusing to meet them head-on.

Through this exchange, Luca gained a better understanding of Curtis's abilities. The man hadn't risen to his position without reason—his strength was impressive, putting him among the top fighters in the mid-tier ranks. If Luca didn't use some special tactics, it would take a considerable amount of time and effort to bring him down, especially given the level gap between them.

Luca glanced toward the deeper parts of Pure River Town and frowned. He needed to find the node and assess the situation before Anna arrived. Now wasn't the time to waste energy on Curtis—he needed to end this quickly.

Luca took a step back, his eyes filled with cold killing intent.

In an instant, his mind activated.

Thunder Rune!

Purple lightning erupted, covering his entire body in the blink of an eye.

The dark Wind and Thunder Spell Spear in his hand rapidly shifted into a blinding shade of violet.

As the magical runes enveloped his form, Luca's aura began to rise at a rapid pace.

But it wasn't enough.

A feral gleam flashed in his eyes, and the silver magic runes across his body began to turn blood-red.

Runic Frenzy!

In the next moment, the full power of the Thunder Rune was unleashed.

The atmosphere trembled as waves of energy rippled outward, with lightning coalescing around Luca.

The very air around him warped from the intensity of his rising power.

"An enhancement skill?" Curtis's eyes narrowed with wariness.

He had heard stories of Luca's remarkable performance in the Trial Tower, even surpassing Luna's achievements.

But Curtis hadn't paid much attention back then.

After all, Luca was just a boy—how dangerous could he really be, no matter how talented?

Now, however, Curtis realized he had greatly underestimated him.

The strength Luca was displaying now placed him among the best even within the mid-tier ranks.

Curtis's eyes slitted in thought as a cautious retreat crossed his mind.

Luca's abilities had far exceeded his expectations, and even if Curtis could kill him, it wouldn't be without attracting attention from Luna and the others.

At that point, Luca's powerful backers would never let him walk away unscathed.

It seemed wiser to withdraw for now and look for another opportunity later. There had to be a moment when this boy was alone.

As Curtis was planning his escape, his expression shifted slightly as he began looking for an exit route.

"You think you can run now? It's a bit too late for that," Luca said with a faint smile, his words sending a shock through Curtis's mind. He couldn't understand how Luca had seen through his intentions.

Before Curtis could react, Luca's Wind and Thunder Spell Spear began to surge with condensed lightning. The raw energy gathered in one place, radiating a terrifying pressure as bolts of crackling lightning violently thrashed around.

With a flash of blue light, Luca activated Wind Walk, causing his speed to skyrocket as green energy enveloped his body. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a blur and dashed directly toward Curtis.

"You're courting death!" Curtis, realizing his escape was impossible, let out a savage growl.

He prepared to draw upon every last drop of his blood energy to crush Luca and make the boy pay dearly for challenging him.

But what happened next made Curtis's eyes go wide in disbelief.

"M-My blood energy?! Where is it?!" Curtis stammered, utterly bewildered. He finally noticed strange crimson runes etched all over his body. These intricate markings had formed a powerful seal, locking down all of his blood energy. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't access a single drop of it.

This was Luca's secret technique, the Blood-Sealing Curse, derived from his mastery of breaking the Blood-Sealing Formation.

He hadn't had the chance to use it before, but Curtis was the perfect test subject.

A warrior without blood energy was no more dangerous than a toothless tiger. Luca's spear didn't hesitate, driving straight for Curtis's skull.

BANG!

Curtis's head exploded like a watermelon, red and white matter splattering everywhere. His powerful, now headless, body froze in place for a brief moment before collapsing.

Curtis, the once-formidable leader of the Blood Hand Mercenary Group, who had clawed his way up from Riverfall City to build a prosperous reputation in Southwind City.

Died without ever understanding how Luca possessed such a terrifying secret technique.

As Curtis's corpse fell to the ground, Luca's expression remained calm.

From the start, he had never considered Curtis a serious threat, even as the younger brother of Freeman.

With a flick of his spear, Luca cleaned the blood from its blade, then bent down to slip Curtis's Storage Ring off his finger.

A quick scan with his mental energy revealed quite a few valuable items inside.

As an underground professional, Curtis had kept most of his wealth close at hand.

Inside the Storage Ring were a variety of Gold Grade and Platinum Grade gear and items, as well as crates full of gold coins.

Luca counted about ten crates, amounting to a total of 100,000 gold coins. On top of that, Curtis's blood-red greatsword and his full set of armor added even more to the haul. All told, Luca estimated his loot was worth over 200,000 gold coins!

It seemed Curtis had indeed made a fortune during his years in Southwind City. Most high-tier professionals didn't amass wealth like this. But now, all of it belonged to Luca.

Satisfied with his spoils, Luca stashed everything in his own storage space.

Even if he found nothing else in Pure River Town, this alone made the trip worthwhile.

Of course, he wouldn't mind a little extra treasure if the opportunity presented itself.

Luca glanced back at Luna and her group, who were rapidly advancing through the town.

Not wanting to waste time, he pressed on, heading deeper into Pure River Town.

The town wasn't large, and with Jormungandr's perception, Luca easily located the node's exact position.

At the heart of Pure River Town lay the central square, now shrouded in thick black mist that obscured everything within. To truly understand what was happening there, Luca knew he had to enter and explore the area himself.

Let's hope this node has a worthwhile surprise for me, he thought.

As he leapt swiftly from rooftop to rooftop.

Cutting down monsters as he advanced toward the square.

Unbeknownst to him, not long after Curtis's death.

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A well-dressed figure emerged from a nearby tailor shop, flanked by several guards.

The man looked at Curtis's headless body and couldn't resist giving it a frustrated kick. "A mid-tier peak warrior, and he couldn't even handle a beginner from the lower mid-tier? Useless! I should have never expected anything from him," he cursed.

This was none other than Harvis.

Not only had Curtis followed Luca, but Harvis had brought his own men along as well.

When Curtis initially attacked Luca, Harvis had hoped the problem would resolve itself—Curtis killing Luca would have saved him a lot of trouble. Yet, much to his annoyance, Curtis hadn't even scratched Luca before being killed. All Harvis's anticipation had been in vain.

One of the guards hesitated, then spoke up, "Young master, that boy is unusual. His strength can't be judged by his rank alone. I think it's unwise to act rashly.

"Besides, we have the family's mission to complete in Pure River Town. If we fail, even you might face punishment from the family head."

The other guards nodded in agreement. That boy was clearly just a Gold Grade professional, yet he had taken down Curtis, a Platinum Grade warrior, with just a few strikes. He was a freak of nature.

Among the group, only the speaker was a high-tier professional, while the others were all mid-tier. If they provoked Luca and he decided to fight back, some of them might not make it out alive. No one was eager to risk their lives.

Harvis's expression darkened as he mulled over the guard's words.

His visit to Pure River Town wasn't just a casual trip. He was here under the family's orders to retrieve something important. Running into Luca had been pure coincidence.

At first, Harvis thought taking care of Luca would be a minor task, but the situation had turned out to be far more difficult than he had anticipated.

After a long pause, Harvis exhaled deeply and spoke in a low voice. "You're right. The family's mission takes priority. We'll leave him be for now."

The guard, sensing Harvis's displeasure, offered some reassurance. "Don't worry, young master. Judging by where he's headed, he's likely going toward the node.

"There's no need for us to intervene. Adrien, the madman, is guarding the node. If that boy goes in, he'll never leave Pure River Town alive!"

Harvis's eyes lit up at the mention. "I can't believe I forgot about that lunatic!"