It's been about five minutes since our escape from the Abandoned Mines, and here I am, scanning the surroundings for the assailant who nearly took us down.

As I step out of the Transport Gate, my eyes sweep the distant landscape, poised for a potential attack.

Despite Durandal's legendary traits and abilities, I opt to use Kaleidoscope since I'm uncertain about the opponent's strength.

Kaleidoscope's unique trait, Disparity, would complement the status adjustments I need, especially when paired with Oblivion.

I tighten my grip on the hilt of my sword, ready for a possible assault.

Dodging an arrow, which moves at a more manageable speed compared to a sniper's bullet, seems more plausible, given my status build, primarily focused on strength and agility.

The HEO status system categorizes attributes into five types: Agility, Dexterity, Intelligence, Strength, and Vitality.

AGI (Agility) enhances mobility and attack speed, while simultaneously improving the player's base stamina.

DEX (Dexterity) increases projectile range damage, such as that from arrows and daggers.

INT (Intelligence) boosts spell damage and expands players' mana pool.

STR (Strength) amplifies melee damage and the player's physical strength, enabling them to wield heavier weapons.

Lastly, VIT (Vitality) increases Health Points and Defense.

Despite the tempting benefits of VIT, I've chosen not to allocate points to it for my character and rely solely on my defensive equipment.

One reason for this decision is that in both Arcadia and HEO, certain skills can reduce, negate, or even reflect damage, such as Fighter's Sword Parry, Brawler's Counter, Shielder's Guard, Mage's Mana Shield, and more.

The saying "offense is the best defense" holds true, especially in HEO where we move with our bodies.

Increasing AGI enables players to move swiftly, outmaneuvering and even outrunning monsters and opponents.

This opens up numerous possibilities, particularly for those who practiced martial arts in the old world.

Strength, on the other hand, grants players increased physical strength, allowing them to handle a heavy sword as if it were made of wood.

The ability to effortlessly swing a substantial weapon is likely a dream for every warrior, and when combined with extreme mobility, it transforms into an unstoppable force.

Mastering this skill may take time, but for those with extensive combat experience, it becomes a different tale altogether.

A bluish light flashed in the sky as I momentarily looked up, sensing an intense bloodlust.

Arrow Barrage, the level 55 skill of the Advanced Class Ranger, lit up the sky.

This skill enables rangers to unleash dozens of arrows in a smaller AOE.

Compared to the Archer's Arrow Rain, it is more compact but comes with increased piercing damage.

Dodging it would be easy, but my instincts warned me that this might be exactly what the attacker wanted.

Swiftly sheathing my sword, I anticipated the incoming arrows.

Just before they struck, I executed one of the Blade Dancer's skills, Blooming Moonflower.

This level 55 skill releases sixteen slashes in a short distance, creating a flower-like dome for a few seconds.

The Arrow Barrage collided with the Blooming Moonflower, instantly engulfing the surroundings in dust and forming a smokescreen.

Seizing the opportunity, I activated Dancing Moonlight and swiftly moved towards the assailant.

Dancing Moonlight is a level 60 buff that enhances the user's mobility and attack speed by 20% and grants access to Flash Step for the buff's duration.

Flash Step, similar to Dash, is a mobility skill but covers a greater distance and renders the user invincible during its activation.

The only drawback is that it consumes more stamina compared to the Dash skill.

It appears the assailant has caught on to my intentions; the unidentified Ranger initiated the use of Quick Shot while simultaneously retreating from me.

However, it proved ineffective, and within moments, I closed the gap between us.

The mysterious Ranger is now just a few meters away.

A single Flash Step is all it takes to close the distance.

Without hesitation, I assumed a stance ready for drawing my sword and executed Flash Step.

In the blink of an eye, I stood before the hooded Ranger, prepared to unleash Blooming Moonflower.

However, I noticed a subtle smirk on the Ranger's lips, almost as if they were anticipating my approach.

The Ranger swiftly cast Somersault, canceling my skill, and followed it up with Gale Kick.

Despite my attempt to block using Sword Guard, the knockback effect sent me a few meters backward, creating a considerable distance between us.

Sword Guard is an enhanced version of Sword Parry inherent in the Blade Dancer base skill set, capable of blocking all damage but with a 15-second cooldown, which decreases by a second each time an attack successfully connects with an enemy.

The Ranger proceeded to unleash two Quick Shots, both of which I swiftly nullified by employing two Swift Slashes.

After our encounter, the hood concealing the Ranger's face was removed, revealing a blonde female with an eyepatch and a bluish eye.

"Dia, is that you?" I exclaimed.

"Asriel?!" she responded.

"Who else! Miss Diana Eisenhawk," I replied.

She rushed toward me, embracing me tightly, as if we hadn't just been trying to eliminate each other moments ago.

"Long time no see, Riel," she whispered.

Dia is a member of the group I was part of during my time as an active military asset of UNION, short for Unified Nations International Operation Network. UNION is a global organization comprising 156 countries, serving as a collaborative framework for worldwide military cooperation under the rule of the Six Council.

Our elite squad, known as Genesis, was specifically tasked with safeguarding and retrieving relics from the past.

Union’s commander, General Andrei Eisenhawk, was not only my grandfather's best friend but also his teammate.

I first met him during my grandfather's funeral, where he shared information that contradicted what the media had reported.

Contrary to the publicized story of two robbers killing Grandpa, it was actually a group of individuals with the intention of collecting all the world relics, including the legendary sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi that was under my grandpa's care.

This revelation prompted me to accept the invitation to join Genesis, disguising my true motive as that of an exchange student.

My goal was to retrieve the sword and seek revenge against those responsible for my grandfather's death.

My family is unaware of the true nature of my involvement, and the details remain confidential.

"First of all, what are you doing here, Dia?" I inquired, gently extricating myself from her tight embrace.

"I missed you, that's why I came to visit," she replied sarcastically.

"The real reason, Dia," I stated, aware that her visit had a more significant purpose than simply missing me.

"It's true! It's one of the reasons, Riel," she replied defensively.

"And the other reason?" I probed. "Reichsschwert, the Imperial Sword of the Roman Empire, and Joyeuse, the Coronation Sword of France, were both stolen," Dia disclosed.

"Weren't Reichsschwert and Joyeuse under the sixth and seventh branches of Genesis?" I asked, perplexed, as each branch of Genesis was supposed to be heavily guarded.

"The sixth and seventh branches are gone," she said with a sorrowful tone.

"Gone?" I echoed, still trying to grasp the situation.

"Gladius, the cult that we thought was wiped out a few years ago, killed everyone in the sixth and seventh branches," she explained, a tear beginning to fall from her eyes.

"Including Mom and Dad," Dia continued, sobbing into my chest.

"So Uncle Seth and Aunt Helen are gone..." I whispered in disbelief.

Uncle Seth, General Andrei's son, was the Head of the seventh branch, and Aunt Helen, his wife, worked as a historian and researcher on world relics.

"It seems that a lot is going on," I said softly.

"You should accompany me to Maceria, and there we can talk about it," I suggested.

"Sure, I'll accompany you, since I also need to apologize to your friends," she agreed as she pulled away from me.

Dia's eyes were still a bit red when we arrived at the Abandoned Mines’ Transport Gate.

I invited Dia to my party, then I commanded, "Transfer: Maceria."