The crisp morning air greeted The S-Rank Star as he stepped out of the guild building, the lingering tension from his confrontation with Akira still crackling in the air like an unspent storm.
His polished white suit remained unblemished, his movements carrying the ease of a man untouched by the worries of those beneath him. But beneath that composed exterior, something flickered in his sharp green eyes.
Intrigue.
Sylara followed him outside, arms crossed, her usual composed expression barely hiding her own thoughts.
The morning sun cast a soft glow on her silver hair, but her gaze was locked onto the S-Rank hunter before her, waiting for what he had to say.
The S-rank suddenly chuckled—a low, amused sound that held more weight than simple amusement.
He tilted his head slightly toward her, curiosity evident.
"Who is that kid?" His voice was casual, but the question carried a distinct weight, a rare seriousness that Sylara didn't expect.
She blinked. Akira?
Even she wasn't sure what to make of him. He was…different.
Sylara exhaled, shaking her head slightly.
"I don't know how to explain him but trust me when I say this—you're going to hear about him a lot in the future."
The S-Rank's grin widened, his interest deepening.
Then, unexpectedly—he laughed.
A deep, genuine laugh.
Not mocking.
Not dismissive.
Just… entertained.
"Interesting. Interesting."
His green eyes gleamed as he straightened his cufflinks, his voice carrying the tone of someone who had just stumbled upon a rare, exciting gamble.
"Great. Then I'll look forward to it."
Turning away, he raised a hand in a casual wave, not even glancing back.
"See you around, Sylara."
And just like that, he was gone.
Back inside the guild, the tension hadn't entirely faded.
Grido and Cha-Jong had pulled Akira aside the moment the S-Rank was out of sight, their expressions shifting between exasperation and outright panic.
"Are you insane?!"
Cha-Jong hissed, keeping his voice low, even though half the guild was still pretending they hadn't just witnessed what happened.
"Do you have any idea who that was?!"
Grido, usually the calmer one, had his arms crossed, his brow furrowed.
"Lester Grodin," he muttered. "One of Korea's S-Rank STARS. A man who could single-handedly wipe out a city if he wanted to."
Cha-Jong clenched his fists.
"You didn't just stare him down—you disrespected him outright.
"That kind of thing gets people killed, Akira!"
Akira looked utterly indifferent.
Akira watched them panic, but their fear didn't reach him. Why would it?
"I've already seen worse. That homeless man I met was far stronger than that S-Rank. If an S-Rank is a threat, then i simply have to become stronger. Nothing else matters" - He thought
Akira's black eyes didn't waver. He held their gaze for a long moment, then exhaled—calm, unwavering.
"So what?"
"If I bowed my head every time someone stronger than me appeared," - He said, his tone calm but laced with something dangerous,
"Then I wouldn't be standing here today, would I?"
Cha-Jong tensed.
Grido frowned.
But neither could argue with him.Akira's black eyes flickered with something colder.
"If power alone decides who deserves respect," - He continued, his voice quieter but heavier,
"Then that means when I surpass him, he should bow to me too, right?"
Silence.
Cha-Jong let out a sharp breath.
"That's not the point, Akira—"Akira cut him off with a dismissive shrug.
"It is for me."
Before either of them could respond, Sylara's voice cut through the tension.
"You only cause trouble, you know that?"
Akira barely glanced at her, his expression as unreadable as before.
"I didn't do anything." - Sylara's brow twitched.
"You defied an S-Rank in front of an entire guild."
He shrugged.
"I just answered his question."
A short silence.
Then, unexpectedly, Sylara smirked, shaking her head slightly.
"Akira Shoto , you really don't give a damn about consequences, do you?"
Akira didn't respond, and she didn't expect him to.Instead, she moved the conversation forward.
"So?"
"What are you doing here today?"
"You don't normally show up unless you're called."
His answer was immediate.
"I need a high-level dungeon. I can't find one on StarNet."
With a small nod, she turned.
"Cha-Jong, go to Imon and see what you can find."
Cha-Jong hesitated, clearly wanting to keep talking to Akira, but a single sharp glance from Sylara sent him moving.
"On it."
Then, her eyes flicked toward Grido
"Go with Cha-jong i have a person i need to meet"
Grido straightened.
"Yes , Guildmaster."
Inside Sylara's office, the tension hadn't fully left. She sat down, fingers tapping against the desk in thought, before exhaling.
A knock echoed through the office. Steady. Firm.
Sylara exhaled.
"Enter."
The door creaked open, revealing Victor, freshly recovered from his injuries.
He looked sharp, standing tall in his hunter uniform, but there were still faint traces of exhaustion beneath his eyes.
The kind that didn't come from battle wounds—but from something deeper.
Sylara leaned back in her chair, her silver hair catching the soft glow of the office's dim lighting. She studied him for a moment before speaking.
"Victor. How are you feeling now?"
"Good," he replied without hesitation.
"Recovered and ready. Just waiting for your orders, Guildmaster."
Sylara waved a hand dismissively.
"Let's leave dungeons aside for a moment."
Her sharp violet eyes locked onto his. "I want to ask you something."
Victor straightened. "Yes, Guildmaster?"
"You were with Akira at the C-Rank evolved dungeon."
Her voice was steady, but there was something else laced within it—something Victor immediately caught onto.
She was interested.
Not in a casual way.In the way that meant something deeper.
Sylara tapped a finger lightly on her desk, her gaze unwavering.
"What do you think of him?" she asked.
"As a fighter."
For the first time since stepping into the office, Victor hesitated.
She's asking about that brat?Even the Guildmaster is interested in him now?He exhaled slowly, thoughts racing.He had intended to meet Akira soon anyway—to thank him properly. But this?
This solidified something. Akira had caught Sylara's attention.
That alone meant he was something far beyond just a reckless newcomer.Finally, Victor spoke.
"Honestly?""Yes," Sylara nodded, her expression unreadable.
"Explain."
Victor crossed his arms, his jaw tightening as he thought back to that raid.
"He's reckless—but at the same time, calculated."
Sylara's brow lifted slightly.
"Hm. Explain that contradiction."
Victor exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I base this on what I saw during the raid. At the start, he was cooperative—perfectly calculated. Didn't make a single mistake. He even saved us from a long-range attack from one of those Aqua Variant Werehyenas—noticed it before anyone else did."
Sylara nodded slightly, silently processing.
"But then-"
Victor continued, his voice tightening,
"He changed completely. Became reckless. Stopped cooperating. He started fighting alone. At first, I thought it was arrogance—but no. It wasn't that simple."
Victor's fingers curled slightly, his voice dropping lower, as if trying to grasp something intangible.
"He even stepped into the water—fought them in their own territory.
"Who does that?" His eyes narrowed slightly.
"And the worst part? He let the boss, Thermos, eat him alive—just to destroy it from the inside."
A short silence followed.
Sylara leaned forward slightly, fingers interlocked beneath her chin.
"He doesn't give a damn about his life, does he?"
Victor shook his head.
"Sometimes, you think he's protecting you.That he's looking out for others. And then you realize—no. He's just using you for his own benefit."
"He's… unpredictable. I don't understand him at all.
Sylara's violet eyes gleamed with something unreadable.
"And?"
Victor exhaled.
"His potential to grow is insane. No question. But right now? He has zero experience compared to real STARS."
He scoffed slightly, as if realizing something absurd.
"Like most STARS, he has no proper technique. He just has brute strength, overwhelming speed, and monstrous attributes."
He clenched his fists.
"The only reason he survives is because of how he reacts to danger."
Victor's eyes darkened slightly, and he finally put it into words.
"He's the kind of guy who, when facing unavoidable danger, doesn't step back."
His fingers twitched.
"He steps forward."
He exhaled sharply, his voice lowering.
"It's like… imagine a knife is coming at your throat."
Sylara's eyes narrowed slightly.
"If you step back, you live," - Victor continued, his voice almost distant.
"But he doesn't step back."
"He steps forward with the intent to kill the one holding the knife—even if it means getting stabbed himself."
A deep silence filled the office.
Victor exhaled, shaking his head slightly.
"That's why he's dangerous."
His voice was final.
"If trained properly, he could reach terrifying heights."
He looked up at Sylara, meeting her gaze.
"That's my conclusion about Akira Shoto, Guildmaster."
Sylara didn't speak immediately.
Her fingers tapped the desk once—twice.
Then, finally, she exhaled.
"...I see."
For the first time, something unreadable flickered behind her golden eyes.
Something akin to realization.
Something akin to intrigue.
She leaned back, her lips curling slightly.
"That boy…" she murmured, almost to herself.
Victor said nothing.
Because he could already tell.
She had made her own decision.
"Guildmaster…" He hesitated, then asked, "Has he done something again?"
Sylara chuckled, shaking her head slightly.
"Yeah," she said, a small smirk playing on her lips. "He's done a lot of things."
Sylara leaned back in her chair, violet eyes gleaming with something dangerous.
"I plan to put his name at—"
She stopped herself.
But Victor had already caught on.
His breath hitched slightly, his mind clicking into place.His expression stiffened.
"For real, Guildmaster?"
Sylara's smirk deepened, but she said nothing—just gave him a slow, deliberate nod.
Victor exhaled, running a hand through his hair.
"I see."
A brief pause. Then he nodded again, sharper this time.
"Thank you for telling me. I'm going now."
With that, he turned on his heel and left, the door clicking shut behind him.