CHAPTER 55: RESPECT AND HATE

The moment the Moon Wolf collapsed and the adrenaline coursing through his body finally began to fade, Vlad felt it, a creeping pressure along the back of his skull.

It was a cold ache that started behind his eyes and spread like frostbite through the folds of his mind—the aftershock of pushing himself too far.

His body was fine, battered but mostly fine, but his mind had been forced to operate in a state that was previously unknown to it. The results had been spectacular in combat, but the price came now, exacted with quiet violence.

His vision blurred slightly, his focus wavering. It took all his strength just to walk, and with the dungeon reset countdown having only a few minutes left, Vlad kept silent and made his way out.

He didn’t speak to anyone as he passed the edge of the barrier and didn’t glance at the other players watching from afar. But just before logging out, he sent a quiet message to Elisha through party chat.

’Tell the stream that one only needs the cores of the two unique bosses to summon it. Nothing else.’ Elisha did as she was told and relayed the message live.

By the time the battle ended, the stream had crossed over one hundred thousand live viewers, and after she revealed the truth about summoning the hidden boss, tens of thousands rushed to follow her profile, thinking she had some connection with V.

Vlad earned recognition because, until now, his name, while famous, had existed in a strange space. He was the player who stopped a world event, but no one knew the whole truth.

They knew the event was linked to a forced beginner village quest that required killing a monster an entire Rank higher, an impossible feat for anyone except someone with a very high-ranking trait, which Vlad did not possess.

Some praised him, while many dismissed it, calling it a lucky instance. But now the world saw that Vlad not only had great skills for his Rank, but he even had a king, if not a higher-ranked spirit companion.

He had not used any flashy ultimate skills, no high-grade items, no tricks, just control, precision, and a dominating execution of skills.

Everyone present confirmed that his trait was of A rank. If the words of Sky Lions guild members were to be believed, then his trait was a utility trait called Inhuman instincts, which was not a good trait by most standards.

Praise for Vlad’s achievement was high, but so was hate, as many called him a deceiver trying to gain fame by pretending to be not special, and many such baseless allegations to drag him down.

But Vlad could care less about what the world thought about him.

After quickly finding an out-of-sight place, he logged out. The simulation faded, and the silence of his pod wrapped around him like ice. His breath came sharp and unsteady, and the pain in his skull only felt stronger, like needles pushing behind his eyes.

The pod hatch slowly opened, and Vlad’s room lights came on, turning dim and calm. He climbed out, dragged his body to the bedside table, and took out a secure capsule from within the drawer.

He took one dose of a Class II neural stabilization compound, a colorless injection straight to his neck, and without a moment wasted, collapsed into bed, not caring he was half naked.

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After a good sleep, Vlad spent time in the gym and some with family and after a cold shower, he returned to the world of Ascension.

Vlad returned to the world of Ascension with a flash of cold wind on his face, the warmth from his armor comforting him against the frigid mountain air.

He was exactly where he had logged off, just beyond the mist wall that sealed off the Frostveil Expanse. Snow drifted down in quiet flakes, and the sky above was blanketed in soft gray clouds.

He pulled his hood over his head and began the slow descent toward Skyreach. The city lights flickered far in the distance, their faint golden glow breaking the gray as he navigated the uneven paths down the mountain slope.

There were still a few hours before Noemi returned from the palace, and feeling hungry after all the work he had done, Vlad decided to visit a restaurant in the outer city to satiate his hunger.

It was a modest three-story building nestled in the outer rings of the city. The place had earned a quiet reputation for its specialty, a dish called Elk Roash.

Vlad found a corner table, away from the chatter and bustle, and slid into his seat. He placed his order without much thought, Elk Roash, of course.

While the kitchen prepared his meal, he decided that now was as good a time as any to check the rewards he had received from defeating the Moon Wolf.

He had only glanced at them before logging out, but now, he examined each in turn.

The first was Frost Fang, a massive and heavy two-handed labrys with a shaft of silver steel and twin blades etched with glacial runes. The most striking feature was the silver wolf’s face, forged into the core between the blades, cold and elegant.

The second was the Howl of the Moon, an epic skill tome. A spirit call that summoned two temporary spectral wolves for thirty seconds on the first Rank.

The third was more interesting: the Heart of the Ice. It has a crystalline core about the size of a clenched fist, clear and filled with deep blue veins.

A legendary-quality crafting material that Vlad could think of a few ways to use, but for the time being, it was just an expensive ingredient.

Then came the Frigid Star, a beautifully made falchion blade, currently sealed since it was a class transition item. According to the quest it offered, the reward unlocked a unique class called Frostveiled Hunter.

Vlad had no use for the class, and while he could sell it for a hefty price, he decided it was best to save for the future.

And finally, the last and the most valuable reward.

Frostbane Spirit Shard.

A sovereign-ranked spirit shard, broken and incomplete like all sovereign-grade spirit shards, and yet it was far more valuable than even a legendary ingredient like the heart of ice.

It was a pale white crystal, jagged and cold to the touch. While broken, it could still create one of the highest-quality mana cores, enhance an existing one, or offer a new skill and a great deal of strength to an ice element spirit.

He closed the inventory, and the hot meal arrived last. The smell of the steaming bowl of broth layered with braised storm-elk meat was amazing, and even the thick slices of warm stone bread served alongside were nothing short of perfection.

Vlad had spent years on the battlefield, where meals were nothing more than energy synthase, nutritionally perfect and enriched with the finest artificial flavors. However, no matter how well they were made, they were still just a gooey paste.

There was no texture, no warmth, and knowing you were eating something that had no soul to it, like real food, it wore on you.

That was why Vlad savored real food whenever he had the chance.

After his meal was finished, Vlad considered what he could do to kill the few hours he had. He considered creating a problem for Noemi that he could solve to make her indebted to him as planned but decided against it.

Similarly, he thought about using the time he had to find more information about Celestyn Aetherwing, Captain Alric, or the Duke, but he knew it would not lead him to anything he already did not know.

There was still no response from Angela Zane, but Vlad knew she would soon make contact because he knew the type of woman she was. If he was not wrong, then all of the people who betrayed her were already dead or wounded.

She would currently be investigating every individual who held even some authority in her guild and would obviously try to find everything about Vlad.

Vlad did not wish to go hunting to level up since leveling up was the least of his priorities for the moment; any hunting he did while going around was more than enough.

So, with nothing else to do, Vlad decided to do deep research on the current state of the guild, the top-ranking players, and anything of importance he could find.

He already knew about the state of both worlds, which was very peaceful, the calm before the upcoming storm that was going to decimate the world of Ascension and, later, the Milky Way galaxy.

While Vel went to sleep after feeding on the Elk Roash and poison law crystals, Vlad spent the next few hours learning every little detail available about the top ten major guilds and a few others who will rise to power in the upcoming chaos.