Somewhere in Solterra…
Lancaster City was a bustling city free from the control of the Five Monarch Clans and the Ten Prestigious Families.
It was part of the Essex Kingdom, which was ruled by a Monarch of Solterra.
That day was as peaceful as always, but not until something unexpected happened.
From within the portal, a person who hadn’t been seen for many years made his appearance.
Even though it had been a long time since he was last seen in the city, it wouldn’t change the fact that many people still recognized him for the kindness he had shown.
“Long time no see, Gerald,” one of the Guards who were protecting the gate looked at Gerald with a smile. “I thought you had kicked the bucket since your injuries last time were serious.”
“It’s nice to see you too, Ryan.” Gerald chuckled as he patted his friend’s shoulder. “Tell me, have you married Susan yet?”
“… Not yet,” Ryan replied with a bitter smile on his face. “Her father doesn’t like me.”
“Then make him like you.”
“I can’t. I hate him too.”
Gerald smirked. “Well, then. Do your best to get close to that old man. I still have something to take care of.”
However, Ryan grabbed hold of Gerald’s arm, holding him in place.
“Gerald, you should go back to the Teleportation Gate,” Ryan advised solemnly. “I’m sure that by now, news about your reappearance here in Lancaster City is already spreading. It’s only a matter of time before they reach Death Wish.”
Zion’s Father smiled faintly, touched by Ryan’s sincerity and friendship.
“Don’t worry, Ryan,” Gerald commented. “I will just stay long enough to buy a few things before I go.”
“Then you better hurry.” Ryan urged. “No one escapes Death Wish twice.”
Gerald nodded and went on his way.
But instead of hurrying like he was told, he walked at a leisurely pace as if he was just taking a stroll in the town.
He visited a few places, especially the shops that sold monster parts and metals.
Although he could buy monster parts from the Leventis Family, there were certain monster parts that he needed that could only be obtained in Lancaster Town.
Everywhere Gerald went, people who knew him urged that he leave the City as fast as possible.
There was even an old lady who threatened to whack him with her cane if he dilly-dallied in his shopping.
The more he interacted with the people of Lancaster City, the more he missed the times when he explored the ruins of Solterra.
Everything came to an end the day he was targeted by Death Wish for reasons he didn’t know about.
A part of him was sad that he was forced to stop doing something he liked to do.
The other half, on the other hand, was quite thankful. After all, if not for that incident, he would have not picked up the hammer and tried his hand in Blacksmithing.
Although he didn’t want to admit it, Gerald found creating things very fun and exciting.
This new joy, which hadn’t faded over the years, only grew his desire to craft a Mythical Weapon of his own without relying on his son’s abilities.
After buying everything he needed, including a few souvenirs for Alessia and Remi, who were waiting for him back home, Gerald walked back toward the Teleportation Gate.
But as he walked the streets leading to the Teleportation Gate, he found the atmosphere had suddenly become tense.
The people weren’t walking all over the place as usual, and all of them positioned themselves at the sides of the road, looking at Gerald with varying expressions on their faces.
‘I see,’ Gerald thought. ‘They’re finally here.’
When he arrived at the Teleportation Gate, there was not even a single person standing around it.
The guards, who were usually stationed to ensure that there wouldn’t be any dangerous things happening near the Gate, were nowhere to be seen.
Gerald walked calmly toward the deserted plaza while humming a happy tune.
When he was only dozens of meters away from the Teleportation Gate, he felt countless presences charging in his direction from every direction with the intent to kill.
Knowing that the moment of truth had arrived, Gerald summoned a Giant Hammer, which he had personally forged, and swung it around.
The sound of metal clashing reverberated in the surroundings as he successfully deflected the attacks of six Assassins who had come to attack him in broad daylight.
But, they were not the only assassins who had come to take his life.
More Assassins came out of hiding and encircled their target with weapons drawn.
‘Twenty people,’ Gerald mused. ‘Four Champions, and the rest are Grandmasters. They’re really serious this time.’
This lineup was more than enough to kill a mere Grandmaster twenty times over.
Perhaps knowing that their prey had nowhere to run, one of the Assassins took a step forward.
“You should have stayed away from this place, Gerald Leventis,” one of the Champion Assassins stated. “No one escapes Death Wish twice.”
“Really?” Gerald chuckled. “We’ll see about that.”
After saying those words, Gerald made a mad dash towards the Teleportation Gate, prompting the Assassins to attack him at the same time.
No matter what happened, they would not allow Gerald to escape, for their reputation was at stake.
The Four Champions moved in unison and went for the kill, targeting different vital parts of Gerald’s body.
As long as one of their attacks landed, the man who managed to escape their assassination in the past, would meet his end today.
But just as their weapons collided with Gerald’s body, they heard a metallic clinking sound, making them feel as if they had stabbed something hard.
However, before they could even understand why their killing blows didn’t manage to pierce Gerald’s clothes, his hammer smashed against the face of one of the Champions, making the latter cry out in pain.
“Heaven’s Overdrive,” Gerald said in a cold tone. Soon, his strength, speed, agility, and dexterity rose drastically.
The eyes of the three remaining Champions widened in shock because they finally realized that their target was no longer a Grandmaster.
After completing the mission of Lighting the Beacon of Hope in the Valbarra Archipelago, Gerald had finally stepped into the Champion Rank.
Also, due to his contributions, he received a lot of rewards from The One, allowing him to gain enough confidence to return to Solterra and pay back the organization, who almost took everything for him.
“Together!” the Leader of the Assassins roared as the other Champions unleashed their full powers in order to fight their target seriously.
Unfortunately for them, Gerald was no ordinary Champion.
He was a Champion who was in possession of a Divine Martial Technique!
“Hammer for all Seasons Final Form!” Gerald roared as he swung his hammer, preparing to counter the combined attacks of the four Assassins at the same time.
“Fortress Breaker!”
The Giant Hammer in his hands was coated with Golden Flames, multiplying his attack several folds.
The moment his weapon and the weapons of the Assassins clashed, their daggers and swords shattered on impact.
But that wasn’t all. Gerald’s strike could already smash the defensive walls of a Fortress, so how could they possibly deal with an attack that was augmented by his berserk skill, Heaven’s Overdrive?
A loud cracking sound was heard as the bodies of the Assassins were hit directly by Gerald’s hammer.
Blood gushed out from their mouths before all of them were sent flying by the attack that could end their life.
But Gerald’s strike was still not over. Using the momentum of his strike, he swung his Hammer around and hit the Assassins behind him.
Unlike the Champions, the rest of the Assassins were just Grandmasters.
Faced with such a deadly attack, their lives flashed before their very eyes.
A moment later, all of them were annihilated—their bones and organs were crushed by the impact of Gerald’s hammer.
As if he was possessed, Zion’s Father went on a killing spree, making sure that all the Assassins that he could see died in his hands.
Even the Champions, who managed to survive his attacks the first time, weren’t able to escape it a second time.
When everything was over, Gerald scanned the surroundings and saw one more Assassin in the distance.
He was smaller than the others, which made him think that he was just a new recruit that was only sent to observe the assassination mission.
“Tell your superiors that your organization’s myth has ended,” Gerald said as he walked towards the Teleportation Gate. “Whoever said no one escapes a Death Wish twice must have been piss drunk when he said it. If you people have a death wish, come and find me. I’ll send you all to the afterlife.”
After saying those words, Gerald finally entered the portal with a smug look on his face.
On that same day, news of what happened in Lancaster City traveled far and wide.
For the first time in the history of Solterra, someone managed to survive the second assassination attempt of the most notorious Assassination organization in the world.
Not only did Gerald survive, but he also annihilated all the Assassins that came after him.
Now that the organization’s myth, stating that nobody could escape their assassination twice, had finally been broken, Death Wish lost a bit of their influence.
This news would soon reach not only the far reaches of Solterra, but Pangea as well.
Gerald’s name would once again be the talk of the town, and this time, they would not be words of ridicule but words of awe and admiration.