Valen stormed into the room, his presence commanding immediate attention. He is a young man. With long messy blue hair and piercing sapphire eyes that seemed to cut through anyone they landed on. His armor, a gleaming combination of blue and silver. A flowing blue cape trailed behind him. A regal appearance.
At the center of his chest, a sea-blue gem pulsated faintly, a testament to the immense mana he wielded. His sword, still sheathed at his side, radiated a quiet menace. On his silver shoulder pads, the symbol of his guild, Ascend—a northward-pointing arrow—was proudly displayed. This was Valen, the Rank 2 player and leader of Ascend.
He slammed his hand onto the desk, making the room tremble. His expression was one of disdain as his sharp gaze fell on Reyna.
Reyna sighed, clearly expecting the outburst. "Is this about Darius?" she asked calmly, her tone betraying a hint of irritation.
"NO!" Valen shouted, his voice echoing through the room.
"Then what is it?" Reyna replied, her voice steady but laced with impatience.
Valen leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Not only did you kill 120 of my guild members—"
"That wasn't our fault," Reyna interjected, her tone sharp.
"Listen," Valen commanded, his voice cutting through her protest. "I don't care about Darius or those guild members. What I care about is that you put my sister in danger."
Reyna froze, caught off guard. "Your sister?" she asked, her voice quieter now.
My eyes darted between them. It was only now, as I looked more closely, that I noticed the striking resemblance between Valen and Tenshi. The same long, flowing blue hair. The same sapphire eyes. Even their armor bore similarities, elegant and purposeful.
"My sister doesn't belong with a ragtag guild like yours," Valen sneered.
Reyna laughed, a bitter sound that echoed in the tense silence. "Ragtag guild? We're still Rank 7," she said with a smirk.
Valen's expression shifted, his lips curling into a wicked smile. "You're right," he said, his voice dark and full of malice. "It's your fault."
A chill ran down my spine as his laughter filled the room, sinister and unnerving.
"We trusted your low-ranking guild to handle a boss," Valen continued, his tone dripping with contempt. "And what do you do? You get players killed!"
I jumped to my feet, anger surging through me. "What?! That's not fair—"
"Sit," Valen commanded, his voice low but filled with power. It wasn't just a suggestion—it was an order laced with mana. My body froze, and against my will, I sank back into my chair. Every muscle in my body trembled as I struggled to resist. Why can't I move?
Reyna stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "We may be a low-ranking guild," she said, her voice steady and defiant, "but don't you dare command my people."
"People?" I thought, confused. She had called us her servants moments ago.
Valen chuckled, towering over her. "And what will you do about it?" he asked, his gaze cold and unyielding.
Without hesitation, Reyna snapped her fingers. A glowing rune appeared beneath her feet, casting an eerie light across the room. In an instant, Sera, Viri, and Eli materialized behind her, their weapons drawn. Tenshi, who had been silently standing behind Valen, was now inside the rune.
"Wait!" I shouted, stepping between them. My heart raced as I threw my arms out to stop the inevitable clash. "You're not going to fight here. There are NPC lives at risk!"
Valen laughed, a mocking sound that grated on my nerves. "Me? Fight them?" He smirked. "With just one snap of my fingers, fifty of my guild members will be here, and they'll burn this city to the ground."
"So much for caring about lives," I muttered, glaring at him.
"NPCs aren't human," Valen scoffed. "They're made to be used and discarded."
Reyna slammed her hands on the desk. " Valen, don't you dare threaten my city!"
Valen leaned in, his grin widening. "And what will you do?"
For the first time, Reyna hesitated. Her confidence faltered, if only for a moment. I could see the doubt creeping into her expression, a shadow of uncertainty. She was likely thinking back to the Spider Queen fight—how her strongest attack had failed to kill it. And if Sho could defeat the boss in one attack, what could Valen do?
Valen's gaze shifted to me, his piercing eyes locking onto mine. "Listen, kid," he said, his tone condescending. "This guild barely qualifies as one. If one more member dies, you'll just be another party."
Reyna clenched her fists. "What do you want, Valen?" she demanded.
"I want my sister. She doesn't belong in a guild that can't protect her."
The room fell silent. His words cut deep, striking a chord in all of us.
Valen smirked, breaking the tension. "In fact, why don't you all join my guild?" he suggested, extending a hand toward me.
I stared at him. "I would never."
Tenshi spoke up. "Why don't we make a bet?"
"A bet?" Valen raised an eyebrow. "There's no way your guild can beat mine in combat. My guild outnumbers yours 100 to one?"
"100?" I mumbled, stunned. "I thought you only had 50 members."
"Well, since it's clear we can't possibly beat you, you have no reason to decline a little wager, right?"
Valen's grin widened. "What's in it for me?"
"If you win, we'll permanently disband, and I'll join your guild."
Valen raised an eyebrow. "And if you win?"
Tenshi didn't miss a beat. "If we win, you owe us a payout of 10 platinum."
Valen blinked, muttering under his breath, "10 platinum... that's a fortune." He shook his head. "What if we can't pay?"
Tenshi tilted her head, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, is my brother scared?"
Valen scoffed, straightening up. "Scared? Hardly. I'm just covering my bases."
Her tone shifted, turning serious. "If you can't pay, then I stay with G2. No hard feelings."
A confident grin crept across Tenshi's face. "Since you're so sure of your strength, here's the challenge: the first guild to defeat the 10th Sun wins."
Valen's laughter boomed through the room. "The 10th Sun? You'd never stand a chance. You struggled with the Spider Queen, and now you think you can beat that?"
Reyna smirked. "Don't worry. We have a plan."
Valen's laughter faded slightly as he considered the proposition. "Are we allowed to ask other guilds for help?"
"Yes" Reyna answered
Valen, his grin unwavering, stepped forward and clasped Reyna's hand firmly. The tension in the room was palpable, but the deal was struck.
I glanced at Viri, who wore an annoyed expression, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She looked ready to argue but held her tongue, her sharp eyes cutting toward Valen.
Eli, on the other hand, seemed nervous. His fingers fidgeted with the hilt of his weapon, though his stance remained steady, a quiet determination beneath the surface.
As for me, I felt a weight settle in my chest. I wasn't sure what awaited us on the tenth floor or who—or what—the Tenth Sun was. But judging by the gravity of the challenge, it was nothing to take lightly.
Valen narrowed his eyes. "And what if neither of us beats the boss?"
"Then I guess you're not the best guild after all," Reyna replied coldly.
"But if neither guild wins, you'll admit our guild deserves a spot in the top ten."
"My guild's already taking on the boss on floor 7," Valen joked.
Valen released Reyna's hand and gave one last smirk before turning away.
Valen's grin faded. "Fine. Prepare to disband."
With that, he stepped forward, shook Reyna's hand, and vanished in a flash of red light.