Chapter 30 – Trial of the Ten Thousand Dark Cockroaches

After leaving the Kingdom of Velyra, Zareen followed the dusty road toward the next major city. The evening air felt light, but his mind remained restless. His victory against the King of Lies had proven that he could outwit cunning enemies—but deep inside, he knew every mission was only growing more dangerous.

He stopped at a roadside inn for a meal. As he sipped his hot soup, his ears caught a conversation from the next table. Four adventurers sat there, their outfits and accents marking them as foreigners.

“By the gods, that mission with the ten thousand dark cockroaches is impossible!” one of them groaned, slamming his cup on the table.

“We haven’t even reached halfway and we’re already out of strength,” said another.

“That quest is for veterans. Even a full, experienced party rarely completes it.”

“If we fail again, our Guild’s reputation will be in shambles.”

Zareen kept his head down, pretending to focus on his food, but his ears stayed sharp. *Ten thousand dark cockroaches?* It sounded disgusting, but hardly worse than fighting giant beasts or a kingdom’s false ruler. Yet from the tone of their voices, this was clearly no simple task.

When the group left, Zareen leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. *If even they failed, then perhaps this is my chance. I’m not tied to any Guild—if I fail, I lose nothing. But if I succeed… I’ll prove that I can conquer challenges that even veteran parties fear.*

---

### Into the Dark Forest

The next morning, Zareen set out for the forest mentioned in their conversation. It lay at the edge of a shadowed valley, reeking of decay. As he went deeper, the sound of skittering legs and wings filled the air.

Sure enough, the dark cockroaches appeared. Each one was as large as a human forearm, with dull black wings and glowing crimson eyes. There were thousands—perhaps tens of thousands—crawling among the trees.

Zareen gripped his staff and exhaled slowly. “Ten thousand, huh? Then I’d better get serious.”

He planned carefully. Charging recklessly would get him overwhelmed. Instead, he would cull them in waves, conserve his energy, and keep track of every kill by collecting the crystal cores left behind—their so-called “heads.”

---

### Seven Days of Endless Battle

The fight stretched on for days.

**Day One** – Zareen unleashed consecutive fire spells, burning through swarms of cockroaches in great sweeping arcs. Each time a cluster closed in, he invoked **Ignis Storm**, creating a fire vortex that incinerated dozens at once. But the spell drained him quickly, forcing him to rest often and gulp down mana potions.

**Day Two** – He switched tactics, using wind magic to slice off their wings, grounding them before finishing with smaller, energy-efficient fire blasts.

**Day Three** – His arms were scratched and bleeding. A few cockroaches had bitten through his sleeves, their small fangs leaving stinging wounds. Fortunately, he still had healing potions, though each sip felt increasingly precious.

Every night, he counted the black crystal “heads” he had collected.

2,000 on the first day.

3,000 on the second.

2,500 on the third.

The numbers kept climbing, but so did his exhaustion.

---

### The Breaking Point

On the fifth day, Zareen nearly gave up. His hands trembled, his supplies were running low, and every muscle ached. But when he saw the growing mound of black crystals he had gathered, the faces of those he had met along his journey flashed through his mind—Gino, Rina, Arven, Dario, and Gifa who had believed in him from the start.

“No… I can’t stop here,” he whispered. “If I can’t finish this, how can I hope to face the Black Ice Dragon one day?”

With renewed resolve, he changed his approach. Instead of fighting large swarms head-on, he lured them into smaller groups, set traps from sticks and enchanted fire, and eliminated them systematically. Every kill brought him closer to his goal—and strengthened his will.

---

### The Final Kill

At last, on the seventh day, just as the sun dipped below the horizon, Zareen held the final crystal in his hand. He counted again. **Exactly ten thousand.**

He collapsed to the ground, chest heaving, sweat and dirt clinging to his clothes. But despite the exhaustion, a faint smile spread across his face.

“It’s done… finally done.”

---

### The Guild Hall

Several days later, Zareen arrived in a large city where a massive Guild Hall stood proudly at its center. The building’s tall banners displayed crossed swords and shields, and adventurers of every race bustled in and out.

Inside, the hall was alive with chatter. Zareen approached the registration desk, where a polite female clerk greeted him.

“Welcome to the Guild. Are you here to register as a member?”

“Yes,” Zareen replied simply.

The process was quick. When he presented his pitch-black identification card, the clerk froze for a moment, surprised, but quickly recovered and explained the Guild’s rules, ranking system, and mission board.

When everything was complete, Zareen asked, “I heard about a mission involving ten thousand dark cockroaches. Can you tell me more about it?”

The clerk’s expression turned grim. “Ah, that one. It’s one of the Guild’s most difficult extermination quests. Even veteran parties often fail. Killing them isn’t the problem—it’s the sheer number. Most adventurers give up before reaching half the required total.”

Zareen’s gaze remained calm. “If someone actually completed it, how would they report it?”

“Normally, by presenting proof—their crystal heads,” the clerk said. Then her eyes widened. “Wait, surely you haven’t—”

Before she could finish, Zareen set a massive sack on the counter with a loud thud. He loosened the ties, revealing a pile of black crystals glowing faintly.

“Here’s your proof,” Zareen said in a level voice. “Ten thousand dark cockroach heads.”

The hall went silent. All conversation stopped. Adventurers turned their heads, staring in disbelief.

“Did he say ten thousand?”

“That mission’s for veterans! No one completes it in a week!”

“Who *is* this guy?”

Even the clerk’s jaw dropped. “You… completed it *alone*?”

Zareen gave a faint smile. “Yes. No party. Just me—and my staff.”

The room erupted in whispers, the story spreading like wildfire. Within minutes, everyone in the Guild knew the name Zareen—the mysterious adventurer with a black card who had completed the impossible.

And thus began the legend that would set him apart from all others—not just for his strength, but for his audacity to face the impossible on his own.