The origin of the rankings began with the Valhalla Empire.
Situated at the southernmost part of the continent, they created their own culture in a harsh and isolated environment surrounded by tropical jungles.
Valhalla, known as the holy land of warriors, was a place where people risked their lives to reach the afterlife, which was said to bless those who died honorably in battle.
Particularly, the children of the Valhalla Empire underwent coming-of-age ceremonies where they faced monsters, regardless of gender, and their parents would rejoice at their victories, even if it meant they could become disabled.
Valhalla.
They always wished to prove their martial prowess.
It was not enough to simply claim victory; they meticulously recorded the results and left behind documents stating who was the strongest.
This was the very beginning of the rankings.
Initially, it was a culture unique to Valhalla, but as the Valhalla Empire expanded its influence, the rankings spread across the continent as a cultural phenomenon.
The rankings were overseen by Valhalla, which organized them based on clear evidence, and the Cairo Kingdom also listed the top 100 strong warriors.
The 49th ranked, Homeros.
His appearance was naturally shocking.
"Valhalla sends a wandering swordsman to face a great warrior?" Count Lawrence displayed a face filled with despair.
The wandering swordsman.
There was no one in Cairo who did not know of his reputation.
Homeros, like Berge, was a former A-rank mercenary, but unlike Berge, who built his fame as part of a group, Homeros was recognized for his individual strength.
He was called a wandering swordsman because he roamed the kingdom, enjoying battles against strong opponents.
As a 3-star swordsman, Homeros fought countless duels, building his reputation and achieving the feat of ranking 49th.
If his story ended there, Count Lawrence would not have been so despondent.
Recently, Homeros had faced a 4-star swordsman known as the 30th ranked gatekeeper.
Although he lost that duel and showed the limitations of a 3-star swordsman, he gained enlightenment from the battle and advanced to a new level.
The realm of 4 stars.
News of Homeros swept through the kingdom.
Everyone coveted the chance to recruit a 4-star swordsman, and Homeros's value soared day by day.
Such a being now appeared in the battle of the great warriors.
Even if it were the past Homeros, people would have sensed defeat at the mention of his name, but the current Homeros was an invincible swordsman with no rivals in the northeastern region.
The atmosphere, once filled with certainty of victory, chilled in an instant.
People, without anyone instructing them, found themselves simultaneously checking one person's face.
Roman Dmitri.
They were curious about his expression.
The great warrior who would face Homeros was essentially a dead man walking.
Naturally, people thought that Roman Dmitri would raise the white flag and declare his surrender in this duel.
Roman did not know who Homeros was.
However, regardless of the people's reactions, just facing Homeros's imposing presence made it clear to him that he was a strong opponent.
"Interesting."
A smile crept onto his face.
This is why life is unpredictable.
Roman had investigated Valhalla's movements through the information guild and discovered that they had borrowed money from the Golden Bank to hire the Berge mercenary group.
That was all the information that had come to light.
With his current abilities, Roman could not ascertain the 30% of power that Valhalla had hidden, and thus the day of the decisive battle dawned.
And now.
Valhalla displayed more than 30% of their strength.
No one expected that they would not only mobilize Flare but also hire a 4-star swordsman.
"If I had faced the cunning serpents of the Demon Cult with such information warfare, I would have likely lost my head without even being able to fight properly. But against Valhalla, that would not happen. Just as they hid their strength, they also could not grasp what kind of being I am."
Before the war, Roman made thorough preparations.
Even if he encountered the strong ones described in books, he would be ready.
He hammered steel countless times in the furnace's flames, training himself to compensate for his lack of information.
Therefore, it was rather enjoyable.
It was an opportunity to fight against a strong opponent.
If a warrior could pale people's faces, then he was undoubtedly suitable as a standard for this world.
"I am..."
Just as he was about to introduce himself, someone suddenly grabbed Roman's wrist from behind.
"Surrender."
It was Flora.
Like Count Lawrence, she realized the moment she confirmed Homeros's presence that they had fallen into a trap.
"Your opponent is Homeros, ranked 49th. Moreover, he is not just a simple ranker; he is evaluated as a strong warrior who may rise above the 30th rank after entering the realm of 4 stars. Do you really think you can defeat such a person? This plan has completely gone awry. You forced Lawrence's sacrifice, and now it is our turn to pay the price for the variables. So step back. Surrender and preserve your life, and pray that Lawrence's knight secures the second victory in the next duel."
Flora.
Her feelings as she looked at Roman were complicated.
She found Roman, who selfishly sought only his own gain, repulsive, but she could not let the only person who had helped Lawrence die, regardless of his motives.
This was a fight that was clearly destined for defeat.
Homeros had no reason to spare Roman's life, so Flora realistically hoped he would choose to surrender.
Her words were correct.
Even if Roman raised the white flag and surrendered, no one would blame him due to Homeros's reputation.
But.
"I refuse."
He shook off her hand.
And as he tried to walk away again, Flora urgently shouted, "You'll really die! This is clearly Lawrence's matter. You have no reason to risk your life in a fight with no chance of victory!" He stopped in his tracks.
Roman did not look back at Flora but gazed at Homeros.
It was as if he had the attitude of an absolute being.
Looking down at the people, Homeros ignited Roman's desire for victory since the moment he first laid eyes on him.
"This is my decision. I don't want to explain myself to you, so from now on, don't get in my way."
He spat out the words.
He did not check Flora's expression.
Their relationship ended here.
Roman moved forward.
Facing Homeros, who looked at him with interest, he said, contrary to people's expectations, "I am Roman Dmitri of Lawrence."
The declaration of the great warrior.
He had finally crossed the river of no return.
The flag fluttered, signaling the start of the duel.
There was no enthusiasm like in the first match.
Both Homeros and Roman waited calmly for the other to make a move, not rushing in.
"I can't believe I have to deal with such a small fry."
Homeros had no interest in this duel.
He had heard the rumors about his opponent.
Once mocked as Dmitri's fool, he was now evaluated as someone who had completely changed after defeating Blood Fang and intervening in this battle.
Knowing that he had the destructive power to destroy Flare indicated that he was at least a 2-star aura swordsman, but that alone did not capture Homeros's interest.
"If it weren't for personal reasons, I would challenge Fernando right away."
Fernando was a 4-star swordsman, known as the 30th ranked gatekeeper.
After losing to him, Homeros had climbed to the 4-star realm with a heart full of determination.
Now, he had the strength to face Fernando.
Homeros was preparing for the ranking battle, but he temporarily postponed it at the request of his mercenary guild.
"Homeros. For participating in the battle of the great warriors, you will receive a hefty sum. I know you are looking forward to your duel with Fernando, but please consider our position this time. Your opponent is from the Lawrence family, a remote clan that doesn't even possess a 3-star swordsman, and this will be a very easy fight for you."
There was no justification to refuse.
Since obtaining the A-rank mercenary badge, Homeros had not received a proper mission.
He had been busy roaming the kingdom, battling strong opponents, and the funds for that were entirely covered by the mercenary guild's support.
It was a give-and-take situation.
Homeros got to do what he wanted, and the mercenary group built their reputation through him.
As a 4-star swordsman, he could not ignore the guild leader's request.
Truly, it was a dull moment.
The fact that he had to face someone he didn't even know in such a remote area showed on his face.
"Let's finish this quickly."
He had no intention of going all out.
Just enough to get paid.
Homeros lightly kicked the ground and swung his sword toward his opponent.
Whack! It was fast.
While it was merely a 'light' level in Homeros's standards, to the average person, it was incomparably faster than Chris and Janson.
The rankers were from another world.
People thought that Roman would not be able to withstand Homeros's attack and would lose his head in one blow.
But.
Clang! He blocked the attack.
As Homeros immediately stepped forward and launched a follow-up attack, Roman did not retreat but responded.
Clang! Clang! In an instant, they exchanged blows.
Homeros thought that with his 3-star aura, he could easily overpower his opponent, yet even when their aura-clad swords clashed, Roman showed no signs of being pushed back.
It was an astonishing scene.
Roman's sword emitted a weak aura that made one doubt if it was even an aura, yet he was blocking the attacks with that meager aura.
"Look at this."
It was strange.
An unexpected situation.
Curiosity sparked.
Roman's method of manifesting his aura intrigued him, and for testing purposes, he decided to raise his 3-star aura to its peak.
He did not go all out.
He judged that with this level of strength, he could easily overpower his opponent.
Boom.
The inside roared.
The power of mana surged, and the aura exploded from his sword, and the skilled 3-star aura seemed poised to finish Roman off.
It was on a different level than Janson's aura.
While Janson had barely reached the 3-star level, Homeros had honed his skills and ascended to 4 stars, making him a being of a different dimension.
One strike.
People widened their eyes.
With Homeros's overwhelming presence, they thought this time Roman would surely evade.
At that moment, "Hey."
It was a fierce voice.
When Homeros turned his gaze, Roman looked down at him with cold eyes.
"Try blocking this."
In a flash, his vision blurred.
That was Homeros's last memory.
The duel with the 4-star swordsman.
He was excited.
His blood boiled, and Roman thought he would finally have a proper duel after a long time.
However, reality was different.
Homeros was not proactive in this duel and displayed a condescending attitude, failing to grasp his opponent's level.
"Does he think I'm an easy target?" He understood during his fight with Chris.
His reputation had warranted it.
But even after showing a different path from the past recently, he encountered people who ignored him and displayed a reckless attitude.
They were a type of person Roman could not comprehend.
In a situation where one risked their life in battle, how could someone show such blind confidence without knowing their opponent?
He felt deflated.
He had made thorough preparations for this duel.
He had laid the foundation for the Heavenly Demon Art with the Flame Demon Art and could now use the initial three forms of the Heavenly Demon Sword Technique.
Yet, he was still lacking.
In a situation where he had not even recovered 10% of his original strength, Roman continued to push himself to grow.
Homeros looked down on him.
He did not come here to seek others' recognition.
He wanted to fight Homeros as a swordsman, and his ultimate goal was not to gain attention but to take revenge on Valhalla.
Thus, he changed his thoughts.
If his opponent looked down on him, there was no reason to prolong the duel.
"Hey."
He drew up his mana.
It was different from his opponent's method.
The mana rising from within, like gentle waves, wrapped around his sword and fiercely absorbed the surrounding mana.
"Heavenly Demon Sword Technique, Initial Form."
The Heavenly Demon Sword Technique has no fixed form.
It is wielded according to the wielder's heart.
It becomes an unpredictable attack that the opponent cannot anticipate, and its power increases exponentially based on the forms used.
A martial art that conquered the martial world.
He went all out.
If his opponent could withstand this attack, he would acknowledge Homeros's confidence and be willing to fight for his life.
"Try blocking this."
In a flash, he swung his sword.
That was the end.
Homeros could not even react.
He remained aware that he was attempting to attack, but his sword and body split simultaneously, and blood gushed forth.
Wham! In one strike.
Just like with Berge, this time the outcome was decided in the blink of an eye.