"Sir, I was blind! I didn't recognize who you were! It turns out you're such a powerful Hunter!"
"I'm sorry! I give up! Please stop!" Shawn begged, one knee on the ground.
After losing so much face, he no longer had the courage to attend the banquet.
Plus, with his sword broken, all he wanted was to find a hole to crawl into.
At that moment, all the onlookers, including the two guards from earlier, were completely stunned!
"Can I go in now?"
Ed turned his head, his expression cold as he glared at the two guards.
"Yes, of course! Please, go ahead!" The two guards dared not breathe a word, quickly stepping aside and gesturing for him to enter.
Ed couldn't be bothered to argue with these two, snorting in disdain as he walked into the hotel.
The hotel's decor was filled with aristocratic charm, with not only a lavish banquet spread out but also a dedicated band providing music.
At that moment, a large crowd of guests, looking like high-society figures, were gathered, clinking glasses and chatting happily in small groups.
Just as the two guards had said, there were indeed many high-ranking officials present.
"Sir, you must be the Hunter who's come to challenge, right?" As soon as Ed entered, a very respectful female server approached him.
It was his attire that had caught her attention, as Hunters were the most esteemed guests at this banquet!
"Please, follow me to the VIP section reserved especially for Hunters. The banquet will begin shortly!"
Ed nodded and followed her.
Once seated, several waiters attended to him personally, and the food and drink on the table were available for him to indulge in freely.
Ed took a sip of wine and ate a slice of apple.
"It seems that in this world, Hunters have quite a high status," Ed thought to himself.
It was completely different from his previous impressions, where they were seen as outcasts by everyone.
Soon after Ed sat down, the banquet officially began!
More than a dozen Hunters, clad in armor, entered and walked toward Ed's table.
Ed observed that these Hunters appeared to be in their thirties.
In reality, their ages were unknown. Due to their unique constitution, even a Hunter who was over a hundred years old would still look like they were in their thirties!
Moreover, they all had badges on the chest area, each with a different design—some were flowers, others shields, and some depicted the head of a griffin.
"That's the Hunter badge I heard about earlier. It must signify that they belong to different associations," Ed mused.
In addition to the badges, they wore cloaks.
The design on all the cloaks was identical, featuring a short sword.
Most of the short swords had two runes carved on them, though some had one or even three runes.
Ed could understand this; the cloak likely indicated that they were Hunter Apprentices.
"Shawn had this too."
"His had three runes. Only one of the ten here has three runes. So, third-level Apprentices are that rare?"
Ed raised an eyebrow, silently wondering.
"This is strange. The banquet has started, but why hasn't Shawn come yet?"
At that moment, someone noticed his absence and started looking around.
"Hey, where did this young kid come from? How did you manage to sneak in here?"
"You don't even have a cloak or a badge. You're wearing armor, but you don't really look the part!"
At that moment, Ed was noticed by the group of Hunters, immediately drawing a wave of chatter.
"Is my appearance really that eye-catching?" Ed thought to himself, feeling a bit helpless.
Fortunately, once the group saw that Ed had already entered, they didn't ask too many questions and quickly turned their attention elsewhere.
The main event, however, was about to begin!
"The representative from the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association has arrived!"
A shout came from the stage at the front of the hotel.
Immediately, all the guests in the room widened their eyes, and a group of Hunters eagerly rubbed their hands together.
"They're finally here! Damn it, the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association is getting more and more arrogant. The youngest apprentice ever to join their ranks is daring enough to send someone out for us to challenge!"
"Don't underestimate them. I heard that their apprentice came from another world. Their talent might far surpass ours!"
"Hmph, so what if they're from another world? They've only been training for less than a month, if we're being generous! I've been a Hunter for ten years!"
An old Hunter with a rough beard clenched his fist.
Ed couldn't help but lean in, asking in a neutral tone:
"Excuse me, sir. If someone were to defeat the representative of the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association, what kind of benefits would they get?"
Upon hearing this question, the old Hunter furrowed his brows:
"You don't know that? So you're just here to watch the show!"
Although he was somewhat dismissive of this "fake" Hunter, the old man still explained:
"A Hunter, as the name implies, is someone who helps eliminate monsters. So, making money depends on both strength and fame!"
"And the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association is one of the top Hunter associations in all of Dorey City, and even in the entire North. Their team boasts the best Hunters and produces the best apprentices! Furthermore, their challenges have never been defeated."
"So, if you manage to win their challenge, you'll become a legend! Not only will your worth double, but you might even be hired as a noble's personal Hunter!"
After listening, Ed understood the situation better. He nodded and said:
"Thank you for the explanation, senior."
"It's nothing," the old Hunter shrugged, clearly uninterested in the thanks from this rookie, his gaze still focused on the stage.
"The Moon Eclipse Hunter is coming out!"
The moment that everyone had been eagerly awaiting had arrived!
Just his appearance alone was enough to shock everyone. Unlike the large group of middle-aged Hunters seated below, the representative of the Moon Eclipse Hunter Association was extremely young!
Only just over eighteen years old!
Instantly, the guests sitting below and the Hunters waiting for their challenge all widened their eyes in astonishment.
In their eyes, there was a clear sense of awe!
"He's that young!?"
There were other young Hunters in the crowd, but their reactions now were completely different from when they first saw Ed.
The person on stage was from the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association, a symbol of immense strength!
After appearing, this young man wore a proud expression. He didn't speak a word to the esteemed guests or the veteran Hunters below. He didn't even glance at them.
This disregard was a clear display of his arrogance!
But after this person appeared, it wasn't just the others who were shocked—Ed's expression also changed dramatically.
His focus was different from everyone else's. After the initial shock, Ed's brows furrowed tightly:
"It's him… Brown!"
This was his classmate!
Ed vaguely remembered that this guy's talent was likely rated C, and that one of Arya's team members had taken him as an apprentice.
Now, seeing him again, he had suddenly become so impressive!
"Ladies and gentlemen! Let me introduce to you!"
At the front of the stage, a man dressed in a suit, the host of the banquet, smiled and addressed the crowd:
"This is Brown, from the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association!"
"If anyone can defeat him in the challenge, the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association will reward them with one hundred gold coins!"
"Plus, a B-rank meditation technique!"
As soon as the words "B-rank meditation technique" were spoken, the Hunters below immediately erupted in excitement!
The host smiled again:
"I know, everyone is thrilled. The B-rank meditation technique is a rare treasure, and only the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association in all of Dorey City possesses it."
"Perhaps this is the reason why their apprentice is able to cultivate at such a rapid pace!"
"Now, please take a look!"
On stage, Brown said nothing. He merely turned slightly and showed his cloak to the crowd below.
Ed noticed that the design on his cloak was different from the other Hunters seated around him!
The Hunters around him all had short swords on their cloaks, but Brown's cloak displayed a black longsword!
The longsword had a prominent rune mark on it!
Instantly, the Hunters below were in an uproar!
"My God! A Black Iron Hunter!"
"How is this possible? What the hell is the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association doing? How did someone who's only been training for less than a month become a Black Iron Hunter??"
"Damn it, how are we supposed to defeat someone like that?"
It was important to note that many of the people sitting below were still only Level 2 Apprentices, and some were even Level 1 Apprentices. Level 3 Apprentices were already quite rare!