"I'm sorry but you can't join"
"I'm sorry?" Asked Raven very confused.
"Exactly what I said" Said the receptionist of the newly formed guild.
"Wait... why!?" Asked Raven now offended, did they find out about her past criminal life or something?
Fuwa who was on the other counter looked at her surprised, they hadn't denied her.
"Because your class is trash" Said the receptionist "Look, it's not personal, we just got hired for this, but we have a list of trash classes that can't join, and clown it's clearly on the list"
Raven growled anger sitting in, she had been discovered, those disgusting papers they used couldn't have lied, they used blood magic, just a drop and they revealed a fraction of the user stats into a paper, name, race, class, and level... just that was enough to disqualify her from joining. Thus the guild made her decision very easy because she didn't have a say in the matter, Raven slammed her hands down on the counter.
"Fuck off" She said angrily, and she was about to smack the terrified man in front of her, he might be calling her class trash, but he was just a piece of meat in front of her.
Raven remembered the conversation she had with Fuwa, maybe this was one of those tests where she won if she didn't act. She turned around and left leaving a dumbfounded clerk with a hand over his own chest, in Raven's eyes he saw his own death. As Raven was leaving two guards who looked very tough came to check, but since she didn't do anything she was able to leave without problems. Fuwa smiled and took the contract they were asking her to sign and tore it before running behind the cat.
...
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...
"Hooo..." Said a voice who was looking at the scene from an elevated position, on the second floor a man was resting leaning on the railing, his gaze following both girls as they leave the building.
"Why are you so interested in pieces of shit?" Asked a girl near him, she looked annoyed for the attention he was putting on them.
"I just had a feeling Marivelle" The man said, she couldn't see him under his mask, a white construct of an unknown material with purple glow, but he was grinning, he was covered in special armor and not a single part of his body was exposed, as he supervised the first day of the operation he had the chance of looking at many future promises for the adventuring world.
"Devon you are a freak" Marivelle near him said with a face full of disgust "Don't go thinking about funny stuff about them"
Marivelle was one of the top adventurers in this world, she had been struggling in this place since it was discovered and saw many people come here and never return, the dungeon destroying their dreams and hopes with an unexpected coldness after washing them with blessings and good fortune, she had been stuck at level six for over three decades and didn't matter how much she struggled she wasn't able to reach the seventh level... but Devon near hear... "And don't forget for a moment that it was for your own rules that people like that cat thing didn't got to join, you called some classes trash and denied them access"
"Did I?" Devon said, she didn't knew if he was messing with her or if he was being honest, did he really forgot about his own rules? "That doesn't matter" His grin grew even wider "Today I have seen so many people, we are entering the endgame"
Marivelle couldn't understand how a monster like him, a demon crawling in human skin could get the idea to make this happen, he alone could sustain the resources of this guild, but even so, he had reunited many different factions to join it. She believed it was a plan to not raise alarms between the strongest clans, Devon wasn't interested in political crap, and in her eyes, he was surrounded by the toxic aura of the dungeon, like if he himself was part of the dungeon. Devon himself, was the only person in this world who had reached level 8.
"I just had a hunch, that her journey will be full of blessings and curses" He said and began laughing as he turned back towards his office.
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...
As Raven stormed out of the guild, her heart was pounding, a mixture of frustration and something else she couldn't quite put a name to. She clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms, trying to suppress the rage building inside her. She was a clown after all... that was the second biggest deception of her life when she found out about her class. Yet the damn blood magic on the form allowed them to know about this. That receptionist, the guards, the people in the guild... they had no idea who they were messing with. She could have ripped them all apart, but... something held her back. She wasn't sure if it was Fuwa's influence, or maybe she just didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing her lose control.
Raven shot her a sidelong glance, still simmering with anger "Barely. I wanted to wipe that smug look off his face. He's lucky I didn't..."
"A clown huh..." Said Fuwa whistling "Maybe it's symbolic? Like, you hide behind jokes and sarcasm or something?"
"Fuwa if you keep talking trash I'm gonna..."
That's when she saw him.
A man in strange, glowing white armor stood leaning casually against the railing, his masked face turned in their direction. Even though his expression was hidden, Raven felt an unsettling sensation crawling up her spine. Whoever he was, he was dangerous... far more dangerous than the receptionist or the guards. She had this strange sensation, like a small portion of the fear she felt in the presence of Undine. There was something off about him, something that made her instinctively wary.
"Who the hell is that?" Raven muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing as she locked onto the figure.
Fuwa followed her gaze, her face scrunching up in confusion "I don't know. He looks important though... and creepy. Definitely creepy"
As they continued walking, Raven felt the man's gaze follow them, his presence lingering in the back of her mind like a shadow that wouldn't leave. She couldn't shake the feeling that he had taken a special interest in them and that whatever that interest was... it wasn't good.
Both girls started walking fast to get away from the place.
Well so much for the adventurer guild stuff, Fuwa looked a little sad, but every time Raven looked at her she showed her a bright smile, which of course, confused and annoyed her more and more.
'What is wrong with this idiot' She wondered 'She smiled towards me as if she was interested in me in that kind of way, creepy'
One way or another, and for some creepy reason, looking at Fuwa soothed her, she didn't feel angry anymore, maybe she was just frustrated because her class came back at her to bite her in the ass. But then again how is it even possible to feel better by just being near that goofy martial artist, she had that dream of her shattered for being a fool and following her outside, and now she was...
"Raven... that looks delicious..." She saw her pointing at some food stall.
Raven blinked, her thoughts interrupted as Fuwa pointed at the food stall with that same innocent enthusiasm. It was like nothing had even happened back at the guild. Despite herself, Raven couldn't help but feel a small tug at her lips, something almost like a smile trying to creep through her frustration. That lighthearted, carefree attitude of Fuwa's... how could anyone stay mad around her?
"Seriously?" Raven muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm "After all that, you're thinking about food?"
"Heey! I can't help it when I get nervous I get hungry!" Complained Fuwa.
Raven rolled her eyes, trying to cling to her anger, but it slipped away the more she watched Fuwa's face light up. She let out a huff, her tail swishing behind her in frustration, but the fight in her had faded. It wasn't just that Fuwa had torn up her own contract and followed her out of the guild... there was something about the way she looked at Raven like she was the only person that mattered in that moment.
And then it hit her.
Raven found herself staring at Fuwa longer than she meant to. The way her eyes sparkled when she smiled, how her lips curled in that goofy, infectious grin... Raven's heart skipped a beat, an odd warmth spreading through her chest. Why was she noticing these things? It was weird, right? She wasn't supposed to be affected by this kind of stuff.
But here she was, feeling a soft blush creep up her cheeks. Raven quickly looked away, hoping Fuwa didn't catch her staring.
"Fine. Get your stupid skewers," Raven muttered, trying to sound irritated but knowing she wasn't pulling it off.
Fuwa beamed, practically bouncing on her feet as she hurried over to the stall. Raven watched her go, her heart still racing, and that confusing, warm feeling refused to leave.
'This is ridiculous,' she thought, rubbing her temples. 'She's just... Fuwa. So why the hell am I thinking about her like this?'
As she watched Fuwa happily chatting with the vendor, her mind wandered back to how close they'd become. Fuwa had always been there since they teamed up at Black Port, sticking by her side, annoying her one minute and then making her laugh the next. Somehow, it had started to feel... comforting. And now, after everything, there was this strange realization that made Raven's stomach twist in knots.
For a moment Raven felt really confused, and when Fuwa turned at her bathed by the last lights of the days Raven understood it, it was stupid...
'I am starting to fall for this... idiot!?' She looked like a being of light, but Raven knew she was just happy because she got her food 'I'm not gonna fall for this brute, she is just... Fuwa'
Fuwa was about to say something but Raven turned her head towards the other side again, her blush deepening.
"Rejected!" She said loudly.
"What!?" Said Fuwa confused without a hint of what was going on.