Free Web NovelChapter 471: Chapter 468 – Hydra and the Rank S Promotion
The horse carriage sped up along the wide, smooth main road leading to the capital of the Helios Empire. The centuries-old stone road was marked with carriage wheel tracks and horse hoofprints, yet it remained sturdy enough to withstand the heavy traffic. The towering nine-meter-high city walls were now clearly visible on the eastern horizon, their dark granite stones gleaming under the afternoon sunlight. Reddish-golden imperial flags fluttered proudly atop the guard towers, their rising sun emblem seeming to symbolize the empire’s eternal glory.
The air grew busier. The creaking of carriage wheels, the neighing of horses from merchant groups, the shouts of vendors offering warm bread and cheap wine, and the mixed scents of dust, sweat, and spices from temporary roadside markets blended into the capital’s distinctive symphony. Sylvia sat relaxed in the coachman’s seat, her slender yet powerful body leaning slightly back. Her right hand held the reins loosely, while her left hand occasionally stroked Sol’s soft fur as the kitten lay comfortably in her lap. The pitch-black kitten purred softly, its ears twitching occasionally to catch the sound of the wind.
In the back, inside the comfortable carriage with silk cushions and thin curtains, Alicia hugged the Qilin, who was currently in the form of a small silver-furred deer. The Qilin curled affectionately in the girl’s embrace, its eyes half-closed as it enjoyed the carriage’s swaying motion. Stacia, sitting across from her, occasionally peeked out through a gap in the curtains while burying her nose in a thick fantasy novel she had recently bought in the previous city. She smiled faintly from time to time when reading the story’s climax.
"We’re almost there," Sylvia murmured without turning around, her voice calm yet full of authority. "The capital feels... different this time. Maybe because we’re no longer ordinary hunters."
Alicia nodded slowly from inside the carriage. "After Greywood, the world feels too small. But still, I’m a bit nervous. Many eyes will be on us."
Stacia closed her book with a soft sound. "Let them. We’ve already proven ourselves. That Hydra... isn’t an opponent easily forgotten."
The two zombie horses ran with tireless spirit. Their faintly glowing red eyes were no longer frightening to the three sisters, but rather a symbol of proven loyalty. They passed through the capital’s second gate without hindrance. The gate guards who recognized their carriage emblem simply nodded respectfully.
Upon entering the city center, the bustling crowd greeted them like a wave. Sturdy three-to-five-story stone buildings stood in neat rows, their windows decorated with colorful flowers. The large market along the Main Road was filled with merchants from various races, humans, elves, dwarves, and even a few beastmen. Majestic statues of the Human Emperor stood at intersections, their right hands holding the sword of justice and their left hands holding the book of law. The scents of toasted bread, grilled meat, and expensive perfume mingled in the air.
They didn’t waste time. The carriage headed straight for the Hunter Guild at the heart of the city. The guild’s vast building, with its classic architecture featuring tall towers and a crossed sword and shield emblem above the main entrance, was visible from afar. Its black stone roof gleamed like dragon scales under the sunlight.
When the carriage stopped right in front of the guild entrance, the two zombie horses neighed proudly, as if they knew their masters had accomplished something extraordinary. Sylvia dismounted first with graceful movements. Her simple yet high-quality black cloak fluttered gently in the wind, with Sol perched on her shoulder. She was followed by Stacia, who neatly stored her novel, and Alicia, who carried the Qilin in her arms, the small deer looking both cute and elegant.
The moment the three of them stepped into the guild’s vast, high-ceilinged building, the previously noisy atmosphere filled with hundreds of hunters, some shouting to take missions, some laughing while drinking beer, some negotiating with staff suddenly fell silent like a graveyard.
All eyes turned toward the three of them.
Soft whispers began to spread, like wind blowing through dry leaves. Several senior hunters who had seen their faces before, especially those who witnessed the dramatic incident with Baron Veldor at the Merchant Guild some time ago, unconsciously stepped back. The path to the reception desk, which was usually filled with long, noisy lines, suddenly opened wide. The hunters instinctively made their way, as if the three girls carried an invisible yet oppressive aura.
Sylvia walked at the front with calm and steady steps, her head held high, her gaze straight ahead. Stacia and Alicia followed behind, naturally forming a triangular formation. Behind the reception desk made of beautifully carved mahogany wood, the middle-aged female staff member who had served them before stood straighter. Her usually friendly face now smiled nervously, her hands trembling slightly as she organized documents.
"Welcome back... Rank A Hunters," the staff greeted in a slightly shaky voice, trying to maintain her professionalism. "How may we assist you today? Is there a special mission or...?"
Sylvia placed their three Rank A gold cards on the desk with a smooth motion. Her voice was flat but clear, echoing in the silent room. "We have just returned from the Greywood Labyrinth Dungeon. We wish to report the complete exploration results and submit proof of total completion."
Those words immediately triggered a reaction. Several hunters near the desk slowly moved closer, curiosity overcoming their initial fear. The receptionist nodded quickly, her hands moving nimbly to record in a thick, large book.
"Greywood... a high-rank dungeon that was recently opened for large-scale expeditions by the guild alliance. What were the results? How much of the area did you manage to map? Were there any important discoveries?"
Sylvia answered without hesitation, "We successfully cleared the entire area. Including the giant ant nest on the middle floor and the final guardian in the core chamber."
The already silent atmosphere grew even more tense. Shocked murmurs began to spread from various corners of the room.
"The entire area?! Impossible... that’s a dungeon where even full elite Rank A teams need weeks!"
"What was the guardian? It must have been a high-class monster!"
Sylvia continued in the same calm tone, as if discussing the weather. "The final guardian was an Ancient Hydra. A Rank 8 monster with four adult heads. Extremely strong regeneration ability, deadly poison, and fire and acid attacks."
The word "Hydra" caused the entire guild to erupt in commotion. Several hunters stood up abruptly from their seats, eyes wide in disbelief. A Hydra was no ordinary monster. It was a legendary creature mentioned in many tales and guild historical records. Even the best Rank A teams usually avoided direct confrontation unless they had thorough preparations, special anti-poison potions, and significant sacrifices.
"Hydra?! You must be joking, Miss!"
"That’s a monster even the central guild rarely dares to send special expeditions for! In the past, a full Rank A team failed completely and lost half its members!"
Sylvia saw the clear doubt, fear, and disbelief on the faces of the dozens of hunters around her. She smiled faintly, a cold smile that rarely appeared, but always carried an impact. Without further words, she walked outside toward the open field beside the guild building, which was usually used for displaying large hunts or skill demonstrations.
A crowd of hunters followed from behind, burning with intense curiosity. Their footsteps sounded like a small rumble behind the three sisters.
In the middle of the wide grassy field, Sylvia raised her right hand. Her system storage opened with a faint blue glow. With one smooth motion, the scorched and horrifying corpse of the Ancient Hydra appeared intact. The 25-meter-long giant body landed with a heavy DUUUMMM sound that shook the field’s ground. Dust flew up. The smell of scorched flesh, dried blood, and lingering acid immediately spread in all directions, causing many people to cover their noses or step back several paces.
The Hydra’s four severely damaged heads, necks cleanly severed in several places, blackish-purple scales that had melted from the extreme heat, and clearly visible internal burn wounds became undeniable proof.
The entire guild field fell silent in an instant. Only the gentle blowing wind could be heard. People swallowed hard, stepping back several paces from a mixture of fear and extraordinary awe.
"This... this is truly an Ancient Hydra..." whispered a veteran hunter in a trembling voice. "Look at the wounds... it looks like it was hit by high-level fire magic."
"And they... were only three?! Without a support team?!"
The Guild Master, a middle-aged man named Marcus Blackthorn with a thick gray beard and a strong Rank S oppressive aura, immediately descended from the upper floor with quick steps. His luxurious guild cloak fluttered behind him. His usually calm and dignified face was now filled with unconcealed astonishment. He approached the Hydra corpse carefully, knelt down, and examined the scales, burn wounds on the body, and the shattered crystal core in detail using special measuring tools.
"Truly extraordinary..." he murmured after what felt like a long few minutes. "This is indeed a pure Ancient Hydra. The internal damage is extremely severe. Its regeneration was forced to stop completely. The attack you performed... was not ordinary power. There’s something extremely strong behind this."
Sylvia nodded once. "We did it through solid teamwork. There were no casualties on our side."
Guild Master Marcus looked at the three girls before him with a completely new gaze, a mix of respect, admiration, and a hint of concern. "You three are not ordinary Rank A hunters. Achievements like this... rarely happen in a single generation. Tomorrow, the expedition rewards will be calculated in detail and personally delivered in the VIP room. And starting today, you are officially promoted to Rank S. Welcome to the upper echelons of the Empire’s hunters. Your names will be recorded in the Guild’s History."
Those words struck the entire guild like lightning. A direct promotion from Rank A to Rank S was extremely rare. It usually required dozens of high-risk missions and recommendations from several regional guild masters. Now, these three mysterious girls had jumped straight to the top.
Baron Veldor, who was watching from afar among the crowd, turned completely pale. His old grudge against Sylvia and her group now mixed with deep fear. His body trembled slightly as he slowly retreated, hoping not to be noticed.
Sylvia only nodded casually, her expression remaining flat. "Thank you, Guild Master. We will wait for the rewards tomorrow morning."
The three of them then left the guild under the gazes of admiration, envy, fear, and speculation from hundreds of hunters. News of the mysterious group that had slain an Ancient Hydra alone would surely spread like wildfire throughout the capital tonight and possibly across the entire empire within a few days. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Outside, their zombie horses were waiting faithfully, their tails wagging slowly. Sylvia climbed back into the coachman’s seat. Stacia and Alicia returned to the carriage, the Qilin leaped around cheerfully, and Sol stretched before returning to sleep in his master’s lap.
The journey to the capital’s best inn, "The Dragon Inn," felt different this time. The same streets felt lighter, and the gazes of passersby were now filled with unconcealed respect. For Sylvia, this was just a small step in a much longer journey. But for the hunter world, today marked the beginning of a new legend that would be told again and again.
That night, in the luxurious inn room, the three sisters sat together on the balcony while enjoying warm tea. Qilin and Sol played on the floor. Stacia smiled broadly. "Rank S..."
Alicia laughed softly. "I’m sure the whole city will be talking about it tomorrow."
Sylvia gazed at the starry night sky, her eyes full of determination. "Let them talk. We still have a lot to do."
