In front of him were ten men standing before him, d in thick leather armor. Their boots, also of leather, thudded heavily on the ground. Each man held a weapon – a gleaming metal sword in one hand, and the others are an axe.


    Their eyes, narrowed with greed and were fixed on Alexander figure. He couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows in surprised. This world, he thought that it was going to be different.


    He''d imagined the inhabitants would be green skinned, with six hands and oversized eyes. Instead, he was facing a group of men who looked surprisingly like the people from his world.


    "Kid, if you want to live, you better give us everything you have and we''ll let you go," the big man growled, his axe pointed menacingly at him.


    Alexander narrowed his gaze, with a smirk ying on his lips. Is this guy an idiot.


    "Can''t you see I''m not carrying any bags? I don''t even have anything valuable on me. What am I supposed to give you if I have nothing in the first ce?" he replied, enjoying the man''s frustration.


    Alexander, with no hint of panic in his eyes, raised his leg and delivered a powerful kick to the man''s abdomen. The impact reverberated with a sickening crunch, as if flesh had collided with iron. The man''s face turned ghostly pale, his expression frozen in shock, as if the very soul inside him had been knocked loose.


    His body shot through the air like a broken kite, mming into a nearby tree with a bone-jarring thud. The force of the impact caved the trunk slightly, pinning him in ce like a torn poster on a wall. His eyes were dull and lifeless, blood streaming from his nose and mouth.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The fabric of his clothes, where Alexander''s kick hadnded, was shredded, hanging in tatters as he remained motionless, a grim testament to the overwhelming strength he had just tooked.


    "A warrior?" Alexander pondered, wondering what he was talking about.


    Alexander shifted his gaze to therge man wielding an axe. The instant their eyes met, terror gripped the man, his bravado crumbling. His aplices, sensing the danger, fled without a second thought, they are desperately trying to distance themselves from the monster in front of them.


    The big man with the axe was no different, his instinct screamed at him to run. But before he could take a single step, Alexander vanished from sight.


    A cold shiver ran down the man''s spine as he realized the kid was no longer where he had stood. His heart pounded violently in his chest, panic wing at his mind as he felt a presence behind him.


    With a wild grunt, the man stepped back and swung his axe in a wide arc, twisting his body with all his strength to gather momentum. His muscles bulged as the axe cut through the air, aimed to cleave Alexander in two. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    Alexander watched as the massive de of the axe swung toward him with deadly force, but with a casual flick, he raised his hand and caught the axe between his two fingers.


    The man stared in disbelief as Alexander smiled and quipped, "Oopsies."


    Panic gripped the big man. His fingers trembled as he released the axe, abandoning it to flee for his life. He spun on his heel, desperately trying to run. Alexander who was unfazed, crouched down and picked up a small pebble.


    With a rxed yet calcted movement, he ced the pebble between his fingers, aimed as if holding an invisible gun, and let out a soft ''phew''.


    The pebble shot through the air like a bullet, striking the back of the man''s head with a sharp thud. The man stumbled forward, his legs giving out beneath him, before crashing face-first into the ground.


    A smirk tugged at the corner of Alexander''s lips as he admired his handiwork. He never expected his aim will be that good.


    "Is this the effect of dexterity?" he mused deep down, his voiceced with curiosity as he approached the fallen man with slow and steady steps, while his fingers brushing against the heavy axe that nowy at his arms.


    "Don''t move, or I''ll kill you right here, right now," Alexander warned, his voice was cold and unyielding. This time, his killing intent was fully focused on the man.


    "Please, don''t kill me! I''m sorry if I offended you. I will never do it again," the big man with the axe whimpered, his voice breaking between sobs.


    Tears streamed down on his face, mixing with the snot running into his mouth as he choked on his words, utterly consumed by fear.


    Alexander stared at the man, momentarily speechless at the pathetic disy of surrendering. He sighed, his hand still casually gripping therge axe.


    "You''re already a big man. Stop crying, or I swear I''ll drop this axe and chop you in two," he warned, his voice was cold butced with a hint of exasperation.


    The man sobbed harder, shaking uncontrobly, but made an effort to stifle his cries, desperately trying to avoid further provoking the one who held his fate. He then raised his head and looked at Alexander with great fear.


    dimir''s eyes flickered with confusion, "Aren''t you a warrior? Why don''t you know anything about this?" he muttered to himself, afraid of offending cruel man in front of him again.


    "A warrior is a kind of person who can feel the energy in the surrounding area. They harness this energy to strengthen themselves, giving them a boost in strength and powers. For the levels, we have: Beginner Stage, Initiate Stage, Adept Stage, Warrior Stage, Battle Master Stage, Grandmaster Stage, Ascendant Stage, and Saint Stage.


    This is what differentiate a warrior by their status." dimir exined recounting the structure of this world.


    Alexander nodded, still pondering because of the system''sck of rity about his actual standing in his world. It disyed his level, but he had no real point ofparison, as it seemed detached from the rankings that governed even this world. He wondered if there were others like him, strong, hidden figures lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to reveal themselves.


    "So, if I may ask, what level am I right now?" Alexander repeated, his gaze shifting toward the big man.


    dimir, the man who was kneeling, pondered. He furrowed his brow, clearly thinking hard, before finally answering, "I—I don''t really know, Master. I''ve never encountered warriors like you before. They''re rare, the kind of people you hear stories about, but never see. And if we ever did meet one, we''d be running for our lives. Your presence and identity...


    well, they''re far beyond what a small gang like us could ever dare to offend."


    Alexander sighed, already knowing the response he was about to receive. "Alright then,st question, where is the vige of Ariana located?"


    dimir, still shaken, pointed toward a narrow path. "This road leads straight to Vige Ariana. Just keep going, and you''ll find it, but... it''ll take about two days on foot. The ce is really far, and you don''t have a carriage or even a Veil Essence Lamp to mask your scent from the beasts lurking in this forest."


    "Veil Essence Lamp?" Alexander asked, curiosity was clear in his voice.


    He felt like a newborn calf in this world, constantly needing to ask basic questions just to get by.


    dimir blinked rapidly, speechless for a moment, "Isn''t this justmon knowledge? Even a kid knows what it is..." he thought but didn''t dare voice his frustrations.


    "Veil essencemp It''s a small, ornatentern infused with special herbs and crystals. When lit, it emits a subtle mist that not only conceals the scent of the person but also masks the presence of any living beings within. Merchants used this to attach it to their carriages, ensuring a smooth journey without attracting unwanted attention from beasts.


    Its soft, glowing light is said to soothe even the most restless spirits." he exined again.


    Alexander nodded, feeling that his understanding of this world was slowly expanding. "Do you have thismp?" he asked, his gaze sweeping over dimir, as if searching for hidden treasures.


    dimir quickly shook his head, "No, I don''t. Beast attacks are rare during the day, so I keep mine at our base. We mostly use it at night when it''s more dangerous."


    "I see. Well, that''s about it. You can leave now," Alexander said, rising to his feet and turning his back on the man.


    dimir on the ground wasted no time. He scrambled to his feet, with heart racing but starting to calm down now that the danger seemed to have passed. Just as he was about to run, Alexander''s voice cut through the air once more, it was cold and sharp.


    "Also, if I ever see you involved in this kind of practice again..." Alexander''s voice trailed off as he slightly turned his head, his gaze was dark and menacing at the same time, like that of a grim reaper.


    "You''ll be the first human I kill."


    dimir stood frozen, his body trembling uncontrobly. The weight of Alexander''s words pressed down on him, the cold promise of death seeping into his bones. Without another thought, he bolted, not even daring to nce back.


    His breath came in ragged gasps as he darted into the dense forest, weaving between the trees, his heart pounding in his chest.


    "Hekk..." he muttered under his breath, nodding to himself as if to confirm that he had narrowly escaped with his life.


    Meanwhile, Alexander turned his gaze toward the long road ahead. The path stretched on, leading him toward the vige of Ariana, where his mission awaited. Without hesitation, he took his first step forward, his pace was steady and purposeful, leaving the chaos behind as he continued his journey.