Chapter 132: Respective Encounters

"I know most of you should already know this by now. However, if you don’t, and you wish to obtain the Sun Knight Class, all you have to do is obtain 1,000 EXP and trade with the Hidden NPC, Aurelius."

As soon as the voice finished speaking, a shocking scene unfolded.

A handsome young man with blond hair stood in front of an enormous serpent, large enough to wrap around entire buildings. With a wave of his hand, a ball of Sacred Flames gathered.

Then—nothing.

The screen turned white, as though a sea of light had engulfed it. Nothing could be seen.

It was only several seconds later that the image finally cleared up.

When the forest reappeared, the serpent was nowhere to be found.

Only its shattered bones and melted remains were left behind in the spot it once stood.

"I suspect Aurelius is also an owner of the Sun Knight Class! This is Solar Manifestation!" TheoryMaster69’s voice rang out.

"You must have all witnessed his power! The Sun Knight Class has incredible potential! This is a great opportunity!"

Watching his own handsome side profile and hearing these words, Aurelius nodded subtly.

Although only a scene with him as the protagonist had appeared, TheoryMaster69 had done well.

She had first built up suspense around the Sun Knight Class before revealing him at the end. This made his entrance far more shocking and memorable than if he had appeared at the start.

’Sure enough, this woman has a talent for creating this kind of content,’ he praised, ready to close the video and look through the comments.

Yet just then, he noticed that there were still several seconds remaining on the video’s timer.

Just as he was wondering why, TheoryMaster69 spoke one final time.

"Since I was fortunate enough to become the first Awakener, I feel a responsibility to give back to the player community."

"As such, I’ve decided to pick five female Players to help gather EXP! With my current strength, doing so will be easy."

"... As for the price, all you have to do is join my Fan Club when you eventually become a Sun Knight!"

--

While TheoryMaster69 was beginning to build the foundation of her future Fan Club and Aurelius was looking through the comments on the Sun Knight cinematic, word about what had happened quickly spread.

In a hot desert covered in swirling crimson sand, a team dressed in warrior armor could be seen.

They held sharp swords and long spears, battling the monsters that emerged from the sand.

Although the members of the group were all ordinary people, their seamless cooperation made them surprisingly powerful. Even when faced with monsters, they were able to fight back and even defeat them.

Boom!

The body of a Sand Worm collapsed to the ground, its head pierced by the tip of a sharp spear.

The group quickly dealt with the aftermath without needing any instructions.

Some of them dealt with the corpse, others erased the traces of the battle, while a few formed a defensive line, afraid that other monsters might appear.

The group’s leader looked at the scene and nodded in satisfaction.

He was about to step forward and talk about their next target.

But just then, the sound of hurried footsteps reached his ears. When he turned around, he saw their vice leader approaching.

"Leader," she loudly called out.

"There has been some important news on the forum! A Player has become an Awakener! They have obtained a Rare Class!" she said, much to the leader’s surprise.

Then, she handed him a piece of paper.

It roughly described the contents of the cinematic, as well as the details and abilities of the Sun Knight Class.

The leader’s eyebrows rose as he slowly read it.

A frown appeared on his face, soon replaced by a faint smile.

"Interesting... Has the first Awakener finally appeared?" he muttered in a low voice, raising his head to look toward the sky.

"It seems that the plan to obtain a Class should be put on our agenda. It’s time to explore those ruins..."

The Player summoned his panel and looked at his EXP.

Had Aurelius been here to see the number, he would have rushed toward the Amazon Jungle without any hesitation!

It far surpassed that of any other Player he had seen before, including World_Builder and TheoryMastr69. It numbered in the thousands!

Moreover, he was not alone. His companions ought to have accumulated a lot of EXP as well!

--

The sound of crashing waves rang out.

In a dark room that constantly shook, a chained figure could be seen with their back against the wet wooden wall. Suddenly, their closed eyes opened.

A complicated expression appeared on their face.

"Has a Player become an Awakener so soon?"

"Damn it! When will I be able to get out of this damned place?" they cursed loudly.

Unfortunately, their shouting seemed to have attracted some unwanted attention.

The door swung open. Two men walked in, one with a black patch over his eye and the other with a wooden leg.

"Beauty! Stop shouting! You’d better stop making trouble! As long as your father pays the ransom as agreed, we’ll let you go."

"If not... Hahaha!"

--

A mountain of corpses lay across the remains of a large battlefield.

Besides the crows perched atop it, no other movement could be seen.

Until...

"Bah!" A man climbed out of the mountain and spat, his face filled with disgust and fear. His expression only grew worse when he noticed the fresh blood covering his body.

"I almost died a second time! I nearly wasted the entire Beta Version!"

"Fortunately, I acted quickly and played dead before they could discover me."

"However..." The man stared at the mountain of corpses beneath him.

"How should I explain this to the General?"

Thinking of the fate of the native soldiers who had chosen to desert, the man shuddered in horror. Although he could revive, this didn’t mean that he wouldn’t feel pain.

If anything, his ability to resurrect only made his situation even worse.

He didn’t want to experience the punishment for desertion—indefinitely at that.

His mind wandered until he recalled the latest hot news.

"No! I must go to the Dawn Kingdom! Staying in the War Empire is no longer an option!"

"I must find the Hidden NPC!"

--

Meanwhile, in Blood Sun City, a figure slipped out of the human settlement unbeknownst to everyone.