It's been a month. I've grown used to the rhythm of life here. The bustling markets, the ever-present sound of players and NPCs chatting, the subtle hum of magic in the air—it all feels strangely normal now. The guild has been… different from what I expected. They're strong, sure, but there's something more to them.
I've learned so much. So many more enchantments.It's strange how something so precise, so meticulous, can feel like second nature now. It's satisfying, really, seeing something ordinary turn extraordinary with just a few glyphs and mana flows.
And then there's the rune.
It's always there, etched into my skin like a constant reminder. At first, I tried to ignore it, thinking it was just a lingering effect from what happened. But it doesn't let me forget. Lately, it's been pulling at me, a faint tug I can't ignore.
A faint pain, a subtle pulse—growing sharper and more unbearable with each passing moment.
I've tried to focus on the work, on improving my craft, on being useful to the guild. But no matter what I do, my thoughts always drift back to the rune.
Pulse_
Viri stormed into my room to wake me up for her challenge. Tenshi followed closely behind, looking tired and trying to pull Viri away from me. The inn was unusually quiet as I hurriedly grabbed a piece of bread from the counter, dropping a copper coin on the table. Despite my attempts to pull away, Viri was relentless.
"Why do you need me?" I yelled.
"Reyna and Eli are away," Viri replied. "And Seraphina… well, Seraphina just doesn't care."
"What are Reyna and Eli up to?"
Viri hesitated, clearly reluctant to answer, before finally speaking. "I caused some damage in the capital about a month ago. We're just paying the guild that owns the city back for the repairs."
"Really? Which guild owns the floor?"
"Right now... it's Sovereign," Tenshi replied.
"Besides, we'll see them later—we're meeting up after my challenge." Viri added.
Tenshi apologized for waking me up, and we quickly warped to floor 7. The area designated for the PvP match was about the size of a football field. It was marked with flags, and a large red and white tent was set up where Adrian could be seen talking to someone. The tent appeared to be able to accommodate a few people. Nearby, another tent was marked with flags as a boundary. It seemed like a lot of effort had been put into this setup.
Adrian, with a cocky expression, stood by the tent. A white name floated above the person he was talking with: "LV5 Crusaders Calder." He had brown hair, similar to Adrian's.
As Viri approached, Adrian's smile widened. "Are you ready?" he asked.
"I'll enjoy taking the 9th spot from you." Viri's expression remained resolute. "I'm ready."
"Well, see," Adrian smiled before continuing, "you'll have to beat Calder."
"What?" Calder screamed before whispering to Adrian, "I thought you brought me here to be a ref."
Adrian laughed. "I believe in you," he said, pushing Calder forward into the arena.
The air was thick with tension as Viri and Calder faced off in the clearing. I marveled at how they had managed to create this clearing in the forest; it hadn't been here previously. My thoughts drifted as I tried to focus on the match.
"3, 2, 1, Begin!" Tenshi shouted.
The earth began to rumble. Pillars of stone erupted from the ground. Calder quickly dodged the initial pillars, his blade flashing in the dim morning light.
Viri smiled as she raised both hands. The terrain responded to her will, and a massive rock shot up between them, cutting off Calder's path. With a powerful sweep, Calder cleared the obstacle and closed the gap in an instant, slicing at Viri.
But Viri was prepared. With a swift motion, the ground beneath Calder turned into a sinkhole, throwing him off balance. As he fell, Viri moved her hands in a clapping motion, crushing Calder between two rising stone walls. Calder reacted quickly, jumping out of the way and creating space between them.
WHOSH
Calder dashed at Viri, his blade slicing through the air just as she raised an earth barrier. The stone cracked under the force of the blow, but Viri wasn't finished. With a grunt of effort, she raised her arm, and the ground surged upward in a massive wave, knocking Calder off his feet and sending him sprawling.
As Calder struggled to rise, Viri brought both hands down, summoning a crushing slab of rock above him. With a final push, the stone crashed down, pinning Calder beneath its weight. Red seeped from his mouth as Viri allowed him to free, and Tenshi rushed over to heal him.
Adrian walked over to Calder, who was sprawled on the floor. "Too bad you lost, Calder. I guess I have to tell Ania about this."
Calder laughed weakly. "It was close."
"It wasn't close," I thought.
Adrian helped Calder to his feet. "Don't lose or Shino's never going to let you live it down," he said.
Adrian smiled as he set Calder to rest. "I never lose," he said confidently, a statement that made Viri smile.
Viri, who had just finished her fight with Calder, turned and asked, "Why didn't he use magic?"
Adrian turned toward Viri and stepped into the ring. "Our guild doesn't use magic."
"Why?" Viri asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Magic is an abomination," Adrian said, his tone firm. "Humans shouldn't be able to manipulate the world."
"Doesn't your guild make mana bombs meant to emulate magic?" Viri countered.
"True, we create mana bombs," Adrian admitted. "But it's not about manipulating the world. We use them as tools, not as an extension of ourselves."
"They are useful," I thought to myself.
Viri's sly smile remained as Adrian fumbled through his inventory, equipping iron armor that showed signs of heavy use and numerous scratches.
"Which weapon would you prefer I use?" Adrian's voice was menacing, and a chill went through the air.
"I don't care which weapon you use. The outcome will be the same," Viri replied, causing Adrian to smile.
Adrian drew his sword and shield, assuming a battle stance. Viri, remaining stationary with her arms crossed, then fumbled through her system and equipped a pair of glasses.
"3, 2, 1, Begin!" Tenshi yelled.
Viri lunged at Adrian, quickly closing the distance between them. Adrian, unfazed, allowed the attack to shatter his shield and send him staggering back. But Viri wasn't finished. With a wave of her hand, pillars of earth erupted from the ground, momentarily floating before her. She pulled an arrow-like shape from the earth and released hundreds of shards toward Adrian.
Adrian was prepared, using his sword to deflect and slice through the shards as if they were butter. The sword seemed to glow with a radiant light. After cutting through the shards, Viri spread her hands, causing a massive sinkhole to appear beneath Adrian. He fell into it but managed to jump out at the last moment, landing gracefully outside the hole.
This gave Viri the time she needed to finish her chant. "Crush him, Earth_Dragon_Lithorax!"
In an instant, a dragon made of the surrounding earth appeared. It was a towering creature with jagged, rocky scales and glowing eyes. The dragon roared and charged toward Adrian, crushing everything in its path.
As the dragon got closer, Adrian stood still, seemingly unfazed. Just before the dragon could bite him, Adrian unleashed a single, powerful slash. The energy from the slash cleaved through the dragon, causing it to shatter into hundreds of pieces.
Seizing the opportunity, Adrian dashed toward Viri. Before she could activate another skill, he placed his sword at her neck, causing a thin line of blood to seep from the wound.
With a wry smile, Adrian looked down at Viri and said, "You fought well," before recalling his sword to his inventory.
They fought two more times that day, with Viri losing each bout. Adrian helped Viri up after the third fight.
"It was close," she smiled at him.
"I have to admit," Adrian said with a grin, "I'm better with spears." His words lingered in the air, almost as if he had been toying with Viri the whole time.
We left the fighting ring, and two members from another guild stepped in to spar. Adrian invited us to his tent, which was lavishly decorated with a large table and rich furnishings, reminiscent of a king's tent. However, we declined the offer.
As we prepared to leave, Adrian grabbed a bottle of water.
"I heard you're trying to be the first to beat the slime queen," Calder said with a smile.
"If you need anything, just ask my guild." Adrian interjected.
Viri shook his hand, and we prepared to leave. Calder's voice could be heard.
"Good luck with the eighth floor," he said with a smile.