Rylan blinked.

It makes sense for rumors about me to have spread outside the kingdom, but…

He hadn't expected to be recognized instantly. More whispering reached him.

"Holy shit, it's him," said a female voice.

"The continent's greatest genius? Here?" replied a male voice, sounding incredulous.

Rylan raised an eyebrow.

The continent's greatest genius?

It was a hyperbolic title that he felt no desire to claim. Of course, given his age, his combat ability was incredible, but he didn't doubt that there were others even more talented than him, especially because he didn't know how big the continent even was.

But if people are calling me that, there must be a reason.

He shook his head and continued on. The whispering continued.

"Hey, captain, go ask him if he wants to join us. We can't let this opportunity pass by."

"Yeah, go do that already. He can defeat a Sixth Circle Mage! What are you waiting for?"

"Shut up, both of you. The moment I take even a single step forward, everyone will follow."

From the other side.

"Isn't he handsome? I know he's very young, but…"

"I get you. Still, I'm not brave enough to approach him. You do it."

More and more voices could be heard as Rylan continued to get closer and closer to the Gate's location. The closer he got, the higher the number of Mages, all in the Fifth Circle. Rylan paid close attention to their attire. He recognized a few from Ceotha, ones he'd become familiar with after defeating the Imperial Mages, but others were clearly from other kingdoms.

I wonder if there are a few from Mar.

It was unlikely, given how far away the Kingdom of Mar was, but it was on his mind because of the conversation he'd had before leaving Ceotha.

Meanwhile, a group of people started to follow him. It started out with only a few people, but as he drew closer to the Gate and encountered more, the number of stares he attracted increased, and the group grew larger. Of course, the whispering only increased in magnitude. By the time he got within one kilometer of the Gate, there were dozens of people following while also clearly trying to maintain some distance, talking excitedly to one another as if they had met a famous artist.

Alright, that's enough.

Rylan abruptly sped up, circulating his mana. After a few yelps of surprise, the group tried to keep up with his pace. After glancing over his shoulder, he sped up even more. Each step on the earth underneath his feet was as light as a feather, but his speed never even wavered. He leaped over large tree roots and easily avoided all obstacles in his way. From behind, he could still hear some voices.

"How is he so fast? It's Mana Cultivation!"

"What the fuck? It can make him that fast?"

"Shut the fuck up and follow him! We need to ask him about it!"

Rylan couldn't help but frown. It was a natural consequence of telling Ceotha's Mages about it, but it was still a bit concerning to see that the existence of Mana Cultivation had become common knowledge, at least among the Fifth Circle Mages.

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If the knowledge is this widespread, why isn't the Empire making a move?

His frown deepened. Once he returned to Ceotha after clearing the Dungeon, he would talk to Damian and his family about it.

For now, let's just Level up.

Rylan sped up even more. Each step crossed several meters with relaxed ease. After a short while, the group following him had been left behind entirely. He looked at the ground. It had changed – there were now traces of golden sand in the brown earth. The number of trees around him had decreased, with the few that remained looking a bit withered.

As expected, the Dungeon's existence has changed the environment a bit.

It was a sign that Arid Wasteland surpassed both Golem Haven and Frozen Sanctum in terms of mana and, consequently, in difficulty. Some Dungeons could affect the world around the Gate to a varying degree, and those were usually considered greater.

Nodding to himself, Rylan marched on. Soon, he arrived before the Gate. It was golden in color and larger than all other Gates he'd come across in this life. There were dozens of people around it and more than ten guards in front of him. The noise created a veritable cacophony as conversations superimposed each other. Some discussed the Dungeon's difficulty, while others were only about having the necessary resources before delving into it. A few of them discussed the enemies inside the Dungeon, from their weaknesses to their strengths. Rylan took all of this in with a smile. He quite liked this atmosphere.

He took a few steps forward, meeting the stare of one of the guards who was talking to a group. The man froze and gaped, making the group he was talking to look over their shoulder. In the group, the eyes of an ordinary-looking, brown-haired woman went wide.

"Oh gods, it's Rylan Flameheart," he could hear her say to the purple-robed man next to her. He snapped toward her.

"Rylan Flameheart?" he replied in surprise, almost shouting.

The conversation around him ceased as he followed her gaze, as did the people nearby. This created a chain reaction as more and more people reacted in surprise. After only a few seconds, all the dozens of people were staring straight at Rylan, who rubbed his neck.

"I'm Rylan Flameheart," Rylan said loudly and firmly as he stepped closer to the Gate. The group of people in front of him parted to make way, looking a bit entranced. The next group followed suit, as did the group after them, until Rylan was standing right in front of the guards. The guard before him blinked twice before stepping to the side.

"Please return to deal with the formalities once you're done, sir," the guard said.

Rylan nodded at him with a grin and walked past him, then stepped into the Gate. The world around him shifted and spun, the colors becoming incomprehensible before it abruptly stopped. He looked around.

He stood in the middle of a large desert. Endless fields of sand and dunes spread as far as he could see, and the blazing sun in the sky shone upon him mercilessly, making the sand glisten.

This one's limits seem to be looser.

It truly looked like an enormous, seemingly boundless desert. It was another sign that it was a higher-level Dungeon, even though it was still on the level of parties of Fifth Circle Mages. The greater and larger the world inside a Dungeon was, the higher its level.

Rylan slowly spun in place, gathering his bearings, before his gaze focused on an area that was different from the others. A small lake stood among the dunes, with a few palm trees around it, all surrounded by green grass.

An oasis.

He decided on his next destination. For now, he should head toward it and see if there were any rewards to be found there.

It was then. The sand under him vibrated. Without missing a beat, Rylan drew Silver Twilight.

Here they come.

He lowered his center of gravity and waited, circulating both his mana and his Aura. Both Mana Core and Aura Heart throbbed powerfully, sending waves of power coursing through him. His senses amplified, allowing him to clearly sense the existence rushing toward him from the underground.

It's big.

It continued to get closer, approaching faster and faster. Rylan remained unmoving. Once it was within twenty meters, he finally reacted and jumped straight upward, then stepped on the air to go further up.

Falling Snow Steps: Snowfall.

Both his mana and Aura roared within him, making him reach speeds that were unprecedented in this life. Meanwhile, the sand beneath his previous position veritably exploded as a worm-like creature burst out of it. Its head was a gaping maw filled with dozens of rows of sharp fangs, while its body seemed to be made of thick, brownish flesh covered by a brown carapace. The maw alone was ten meters in diameter, while the emerging body seemed to be more than forty meters long. Rylan looked down at his enemy.

Giant Sandworm, huh?

He stepped on the air again, shooting to the side as the monster continued to rise and try to keep up with his movement. Its body continued to emerge from underground, seemingly endlessly, but Rylan didn't even blink. The creature would die all the same if he injured it enough. The only rule he needed to follow was to stay in the air. There was no merit to fighting while stepping in sand, creating an absence of even a solid surface.

The monster's maw turned toward him, as if it were looking at him. He narrowed his eyes.

They moved at the same time.

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