NOVEL WEB Chapter 962: Did I do this?
Max didn't waste a single moment in the Almond Region. The moment he stepped out of the Battle Cube, he set his sights on the massive structure that dominated the heart of the region—a towering, fortress-like spire that served as the headquarters of the Hunter Association.
Its black stone walls rose like an unyielding monolith, scarred in places as if it had weathered countless battles. Defensive arrays shimmered faintly across its surface, a constant reminder that here, danger was never far away.
As he approached, the scale of the place truly became apparent. The wide plaza before the tower was teeming with people, a constant flow of warriors moving in and out of its great arched entrance. Every single one of them radiated a sharp, cutting aura—killing intent so dense it almost seemed to hang in the air like mist.
These were not ordinary experts; these were survivors. People who had stared death in the eye on the battlefield against the Nulls and walked away victorious.
Max's gaze swept over them, quickly reading the type of fighters gathered here. 'Most of them are independent experts,' he realized. These weren't the pampered elites from major forces or noble guilds.
They were free blades—warriors without banners, who lived and died by the strength of their own hands. They were the ones who came to the Almond Region willingly, day after day, to throw themselves into the relentless war between humans and Nulls.
For these independent experts, the battlefield was both a trial and a treasure trove. Every enemy slain earned them merit points, which could then be exchanged within the Hunter Association for resources, rare items, or even techniques. By bleeding on the front lines, they carved their own paths to power.
This was what made them unique. They weren't bound by oaths to the Hunter Association, nor did they answer to its commands. Technically, they weren't even members—but their loyalty to the fight made them part of its beating heart.
In contrast, the experts from the major forces treated the war differently. For them, participation was a duty—a requirement that had to be fulfilled, often just once, before returning to the safety and stability of their factions. They fought because they had to. Independent experts fought because they chose to, driven by ambition, survival, or a hunger for strength.
As Max walked up the wide steps toward the towering entrance, he knew exactly why the Hunter Association thrived in a place where the war never ended.
The moment Max stepped through the massive arched doors of the Hunter Association's tower, the steady hum of voices inside faltered—just for a moment—before a loud, startled cry rang out from somewhere near the front desk.
"Is that… Max?!"
Heads immediately turned in his direction, and within seconds, the atmosphere shifted.
"Oh my god! That's Max! The one who bloomed nine lotus petals during his very first Divine Path Lotus phenomena!" a young man exclaimed, his voice carrying across the hall.
"Yeah, that's him—Max Morgan," another voice chimed in, sounding far too smug. "I've done some digging on this guy. He suddenly popped up in the Middle Domain a few months ago and ended up becoming part of the Great Ruler Empire under Princess Lenavira herself. Then, get this—he killed a Heaven Grade genius from the Void Soul Tower and a 3-star genius from the Thunder Monarch Hall. After that, he entered a secret domain and wiped out every single person who came after his life. The guy's a complete killing maniac—he even dares to kill Heaven Grade geniuses without batting an eye!"
"Damn, you're one hell of a stalker," another man said with a snort. "But a lot of what you said is wrong. From what I know, Max killed that Heaven Grade genius from the Void Soul Tower because she tried to kill him. I think her name was June. Apparently, she pushed him too far, and in a fit of rage, he cut her down."
"Oh, oh, I've heard a different version!" a woman joined in, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "They say Max was trying to save a dying man at the time, but that June woman was arrogant and wanted to sacrifice the poor guy as bait to lure out some dangerous beasts. Her plan was to kill the beasts afterward for her own glory. But Max—he not only saved the dying man, he also killed the beasts himself. And then, when he saw the injustice of what June had done, he couldn't stomach it and executed her on the spot."
The murmurs swelled like a tide, and in the blink of an eye, Max found himself the center of a small crowd. People were pointing, whispering, and openly discussing his exploits, each retelling more embellished than the last.
Some spoke with admiration, others with awe, and a few with barely concealed hostility. There were even those confidently sharing "first-hand" stories of events they had clearly never witnessed, weaving tales of his journey through the Middle Domain as though they had been there every step of the way.
Listening to the flood of rumors, Max felt the beginnings of a headache forming. 'Man,' he thought dryly, 'they really do make up stories for anything they want. Half of these are wrong, and the other half sound like they were ripped straight from some dramatized play.'
Still, he kept walking, letting the sea of voices wash over him without slowing his pace. If there was one thing he had learned in the Middle Domain, it was that once your name spread, people would say whatever they wanted—truth or not.
Just then, in the middle of the noisy crowd and the whirlwind of rumors, Max's gaze drifted past the circle of onlookers—and froze.
Far across the hall, through the shifting movement of warriors and merchants, a familiar figure had just stepped through one of the tall side doors. His long, steady strides, old silver hair, and the dignified but approachable air about him were unmistakable.
Max's eyes lit up instantly. Without a word, his figure blurred and vanished from where he stood, slipping away from the press of people as if he had never been there at all.
An instant later, he reappeared directly in front of the man.
It was Elder Liam—the First Elder of the Hunter Association.