Chapter 475: Marshal Okaz

Entering the backyard and looking up at the starry sky, Rod couldn’t help but think of his life in the Lance Empire. In Fire City, he and Sambik Kambi and their group had led carefree lives, longing for greater strength. That was the happiest time of his life. But when his dreams came true and he truly became strong, he realized he didn’t actually like such a life! Greater strength meant heavier responsibilities and more tasks to handle—he had never had a moment’s ease in those years.

Thinking of Fire City, Rod inevitably thought of his other brother, Jerome. Back then, in Fire City, he had reluctantly sided with the young city lord, and Sambik and the others even regarded him as a traitor. But Rod knew he had done it entirely for their sake. If not for his efforts, he might not even be alive today—the young city lord would never have let him go.

After they left Fire City, Rod heard that Jerome had joined the reformed Windswift Mercenaries, where he still had old comrades. Today, the Windswift Mercenaries were a renowned and powerful mercenary group across the continent. Their hard work hadn’t been in vain. Thinking of them, a faint smile appeared on Rod’s lips. It was time to go back and see them—after all, he was also a member of the Windswift Mercenaries!

Footsteps behind him made Rod stop in his tracks, his thoughts interrupted as his expression turned somewhat strange.

“It’s been a long time!” came a familiar voice—ethereal and beautiful. But Rod wasn’t in the mood to appreciate such a captivating voice. With a wry smile, he turned to look.

“Indeed, it’s been a long time. It must be six or seven years since I left the Lance Empire!” Taking a deep breath, Rod spoke with a hint of nostalgia. The group before him was none other than the representatives of the Lance Empire: Marshal Okaz and Lucia and their companions.

After seeing Rod leave the banquet, they had followed him, intent on finding him.

Seeing those familiar figures, they all felt as if they were in a dream. Upon meeting again, he was no longer the petty thug he used to be, nor the lowly mercenary who sold his blood and life for money. He was now a true man—a formidable warrior whose reputation had spread throughout the entire continent.

That demon boy who was once pursued has now transformed into a leader of the Source of Darkness, possessing unimaginable strength that makes even superpowers like the Wolf Emperor and Dragon Emperor bow before him. Even any emperor of an empire would have to treat him with respect now. Behind him lies the entire Source of Darkness, a sea of invincible warriors capable of destroying any nation.

“Over these years… have you… been alright?” Looking at Rod, Lucia’s expression kept changing, her feelings extremely complex—she didn’t know how to face Rod. She had abandoned him when he needed help the most, and now, upon reuniting, she found a huge gap between them. Though he stood right in front of her, he seemed so distant, as if separated by worlds!

His cold gaze made Lucia’s heart ache inexplicably. Such a look directed at her—perhaps that incident had truly hurt him too deeply. Not only Lucia but also Kiro and Alice beside her had complex, shifting expressions. Only John was filled with excitement. After years apart, his boss had become someone he admired greatly. He remembered the days when they fought side by side. Now, John had even more reason to boast—“I was once a comrade-in-arms of Rod!”

“Boss!” As the atmosphere cooled down, John stepped forward in front of Rod at the right moment.

“Not bad. A quasi-saintly level of strength—those years weren’t wasted. The Holy Light Academy truly is the best institution on the continent!” Seeing John, Rod’s expression improved significantly, and he smiled slightly, his icy demeanor melting momentarily to reveal his gentle side.

“Hehe… I wouldn’t dare compare myself to the boss. By the way, where’s that guy, Viski? Why isn’t he here? How is he now?” John asked Rod, filled with excitement and anticipation. Back then, he had been crushed under Viski’s dominance, but now that he had reached the quasi-saintly level, they should be able to compete.

“What, still not convinced?” Could Rod not tell what his comrade was thinking? He asked jokingly.

“Of course not. Hehe, I need to give this kid a good lesson. That guy actually ran off to see you without telling me. He said we’d go together!” John pouted, annoyed by Viski’s betrayal.

The conversation between the two of them seemed quite harmonious; it appeared they had forgotten the people around them. Those people, being sensible, did not interrupt their talk but stood aside, waiting quietly.
“Well, then you’re in for a disappointment. John has now reached the peak of the early divine level. Even with ten more like you, you wouldn’t be his match!” Thinking of Viski, that somewhat cold and reticent guy, Rod said with relief.
Bringing him out here hadn’t disappointed him after all. In just a few years, from a Golden Warrior to an Imperial-level fighter, and now to a divine-level fighter, he had almost reached the pinnacle of the continent—living up to his talent.
“What! Divine level!” Hearing Rod’s words, John jumped up as if stepped on a nail and shouted loudly! Divine level? Really divine level? That was a height everyone dreamed of. How was that possible?
Looking at Rod with an expression of disbelief, John said grimly, “Boss, don’t joke with me. Don’t I know that kid? He does have talent, but reaching divine level in just a few years… isn’t that a bit exaggerated? You’re not lying to me, are you?” Still not giving up, he kept pressing Rod for answers.
Unbeknownst to them, the few people listening nearby also wore solemn expressions, staring at Rod in disbelief, seemingly waiting for his explanation. Viski—had that guy really entered the divine realm? This made their mood even heavier. They knew Rod would never joke about such things. If he said so, it must be true.
What did this mean? The group exchanged glances, not knowing what to say. They all took a sharp breath. Divine level—in just a few years, that kid had risen from a Golden Warrior to the divine level. How vast the gap must be, others might not fully understand, but they certainly did, especially Okaz. Even after a lifetime of effort, he had only reached the quasi-divine level, and that too as one of the empire’s strongest fighters. Yet this kid—!
What kind of training and experiences had they gone through in these years to reach such a level? Their gazes at Rod turned once again puzzled and strange.
But then, thinking of Rod’s strength, they gave a faint, understanding wry smile. Monsters among monsters—something they couldn’t compare to.

“If you don’t believe me, go and try to find him. Forget Viski—any one of the 30 members of my Death Scythe Squad can knock you down!” Without that sense of distance, Rod seemed to have returned to his days in the academy, looking at John with interest as he spoke.
“How about Sambik and Kambi? You should know them—they’re also at the Saint level now! You can compete with them!” After thinking for a moment, Rod said jokingly.
“Damn it, I can’t go on! I’m devastated! Damn Viski! I get it now—no wonder he ran away all by himself; he was afraid I’d surpass him. No way, boss! I want to follow you from now on! Hurry up and tell me everything you know so I can take down that kid!” John grabbed Rod’s hand like a scoundrel and pleaded loudly.
Hearing about Sambik dealt him another blow.
On the other side, Kiro was clearly the most shaken. Sambik—this guy—he, Alice, Lucia, and the others all knew him well. They had even searched for him specifically for Rod back then. Those guys were only at the level of advanced warriors, with rather average talent. Yet in just a few short years, they had been trained by Rod to reach the Saint level. What did that mean? It was simply too absurd to accept.
These prodigies of the Holy Light Academy, who left the academy with glory and became famous throughout the empire, now seemed so insignificant. In front of them, they seemed utterly worthless. Rod’s words continued to strike them hard one after another.
“Boss, no matter what you say today, you have to take me with you! I’m not going back!” Seeing that Rod didn’t respond, John called out anxiously.
“We’ll talk about it later!” Rod waved his hand and sighed.
“Really?”
“Alright, stop talking. Find Viski and the others when you have time!” Rod stopped him from continuing and gave him instructions.
In the distance, the figures of Lucy and Nightingale appeared in Rod’s sight. Perhaps they followed him after seeing him leave, or maybe they hesitated upon seeing Okaz and the others, so they didn’t come over. The girls just watched from afar.
“Hey, Rod! What are you doing? Haven’t you seen Lord Sognar back?” A familiar voice broke the silence, causing amusement. Rod, however, showed a knowing smile. There was no one other than Sognar who could make such a voice—he didn’t even need to state his name.