Etherion Village, nestled at the base of Mount Etherion, was home to the Clawford Tribe.
Looking at the village from above the sky, it did seem shaped like a giant claw. Alex thought that the name fitted Cairo's tribe perfectly.
"Those disembarking at Etherion Village, please get ready," announced the captain of the airship. "We will be landing shortly."
Cairo tapped his disciple's shoulder, reminding the young man to follow him to the back of the airship, where the doors would be opened shortly.
"Are you ready to go, Dim Dim?" Alex asked the Dim Sum God, who was currently perched on top of his head.
"Dim Dim~" Dim Dim nodded happily.
A few minutes later, the airship landed at its designated spot, where passengers would descend.
Just like Cairo, there were a few other Catkins from the Town of Thaloria returning to their respective tribes.
A few of them had decided to evacuate, fearing that they would be swept up by the monster outbreak that might indeed happen and endanger their lives.
Cairo had thought that Alex also planned to escape to safety and was using the excuse of looking for a place where he could fight Rank 1 Monsters.
However, after observing the young man's demeanor, the Catkin could tell that Alex wasn't trying to escape.
He seemed serious about getting stronger within a short period of time before returning to the Town of Thaloria.
"Master, I plan to use this opportunity to get a Job Class. That's why I need to fight monsters to gain some battle experience."
When he heard those words from his disciple, Cairo realized Alex wasn't someone who ran away from danger unless it was absolutely necessary.
The courage he had shown to save some of the hostages from the Goblins proved that he was willing to take risks, even in the face of danger.
"This place is just like how I imagined it to be, Master," Alex commented. "The houses are built from wood, and they look really nice."
"I'm glad you like it," Cairo replied with a smile on his face. He felt proud that his disciple was impressed by his hometown. "Now, follow me. I'm bringing you to my home. You'll also meet my grandfather. Just remember that he's a very strict person, so make sure to behave yourself."
"Yes, Master." Alex nodded. "Let's behave, okay, Dim Dim?"
As the two strolled along the streets of the village, the young man noticed that people bowed in Cairo's direction when he walked past them.
The Catkin had no reaction whatsoever and simply continued to walk as if he was already used to this treatment.
The young man, who was quite curious why this was happening, decided to ask his master a question.
"Master, why are they bowing to you?" he asked.
"It's because I belong to the Hartwell Clan," Cairo replied. "My great-great-grandpa founded the Clawford Tribe, and he's also a hero recognized by everyone. I'm just basking in the limelight of my predecessors."
"I see." Alex nodded.
Although the Catkin downplayed his background, the young man understood that his master was akin to royalty in the Clawford Tribe.
This made him very happy. It was a good thing that his master was a true bigshot.
Not only was Cairo a future Heaven's Sword, the title given to the strongest Swordsman among the Catkins, but he was also a prince.
Knowing that he had skills and wealth to back himself up, Alex decided to shamelessly hug the leg of his master, as that would make things easier for him in the Kingdom of Avalon.
"We're here," Cairo announced as he stood at the foot of a stone staircase, which led to a high ledge overlooking the entire Clawford Tribe.
By Alex's estimation, it would take anywhere between eight hundred to a thousand steps just to reach the residence of the Hartwell Clan.
The two then began their climb in silence.
Truth be told, the climb wasn't difficult. After all, Alex had been running every day, carrying a basket filled with stones on his back.
But while the climb was truly no big deal to him, by the time he and his master reached the halfway mark, he was surprised to find himself breathing heavily.
"Starting from this point, all the steps you take will make you feel as if your body is getting heavier, albeit slightly," Cairo explained. "The members of the Hartwell family need to take this trial once. But after completing it, we no longer have to do it again.
"Those who wish to have an audience with my clan must climb these stairs and prove that they are worthy. Take your time climbing. In the meantime, I'll inform my family about you.
"It doesn't matter if it takes you a few days to reach the top. I'll ask some of our servants to give you food and water whenever you need it."
Cairo then lightly tapped his disciple's shoulder to encourage him to do his best before climbing up the rest of the staircase as if he was just taking a casual stroll.
Alex gritted his teeth and took as many steps as he could.
However, after climbing a hundred more steps, he felt as if he could no longer lift his foot.
The young man then looked at the gate in the distance with a frown.
According to his estimation, he would only need around three to four hundred more steps to reach his destination.
"Dim Dim, do you think you can reach that gate if you go alone?" Alex asked the Dim Sum God.
"Dim." Dim Dim pondered before jumping off Alex's head.
The little one then started to jump on the stairs as if there was nothing that could stop it from reaching its goal.
Dim Dim stood proudly at the top of the stairs and looked down at Alex, making the young man smile wryly.
"Let's try this," Alex muttered as he used his hand to grab his right leg and used all of his strength to lift it up.
He managed to lift it high enough to make it land on the next step.
Using that opportunity, he repeated the same for his other leg and succeeded as well.
But when he tried to pull off the same move, he was unable to lift it high enough to cross the next step.
After many trials and errors, Alex deemed that he could no longer do it.
Panting for breath, the young man decided to sit down and recalled his master's words.
"It doesn't matter if it takes you a few days to reach the top. I'll ask some of our servants to give you food and water when you need it."
'Days?' Alex blinked. 'It might take me days to reach the top?!'
After remembering that this trial of the Hartwell Clan was something he had to pass no matter what, Alex felt as if he was about to suffer a headache.
Even as he sat, he could feel a pressure descending on his body, preventing him from taking the next step.
But just as the young man was contemplating what to do next, he heard a notification sound inside his head, followed by a small blue window screen appearing in front of him.
The young man froze for a bit after seeing the notification window.
A moment later, a devilish smile appeared on his face before he laughed out loud.
Cairo and his grandfather, who were observing Alex from the main residence, saw the young man laugh out of the blue.
"Did your disciple lose his mind already?" Cairo's grandpa, Ramza, asked with a look of contempt on his face.
"No," Cairo replied. "That's not the laugh of someone who has lost his mind. It is the laugh of someone who seems to have struck gold."
"Really?" Ramza asked doubtfully.
"Maybe?" Cairo shrugged. "Anyway, it will probably take him a few days before he reaches the gate. I'll go and tell the servants to bring him food and water later."
The Swordsman left his grandfather's room, leaving the Patriarch to observe the young human, who was laughing as if he had found a bug in the game that he could exploit to his advantage.