"W-Walking? You can't be serious," the man said, eyes wide.
"Just shut up and-" Boros started-
Then stopped.
His steps slowed. His gaze shifted back toward the island.
'That bastard's going to want proof...' he thought. 'No way he just takes my word for it.'
"...What's wrong?" the man asked.
"Wait here."
And before he could respond-
Boros was gone.
.......
The soft chirping of crickets filled the night air.
A cool breeze drifted through the trees, rustling leaves in quiet waves.
But inside the Guild compound-
There was nothing quiet about it.
It was packed. Unusually so.
At this hour, most adventurers would've been home-resting, preparing for the next day.
But today, almost every member of the White Tigers Guild was present. Because today was the day an insanely new recruit was meant to return from his suicide mission.
"Do you think he's okay...?" Akeno whispered.
Kinuko placed a hand on her shoulder.
"He's fine. Don't start doubting him now-he'll be back."
"My, my..." Adam chuckled, glancing at his watch. "Thirty seconds to midnight."
A pause.
"That'll mark the end of the tenth day."
Silence swallowed the room. Every eye fixed on the doors.
Every second dragging.
"He ain't comin'," Griffin muttered, rising from his stool.
"Wait!" Akeno snapped. "It's not time yet!"
"Yeah-you can't just leave!" Kinuko added.
A faint ring cut through the air.
Adam tapped his watch.
"Ya hear that? It's time and yer boy ain't back yet." Griffin said as he walked towards a door in the back.
Murmurs began to spread. People shifted. Some sighed. Others shook their heads.
"...Shiro..." Akeno whispered.
Then-
Silence.
Sudden. Absolute.
The air changed.
"My, my..." Adam's grin widened.
"What a terrifying Nexus."
Griffin stopped.
"...What kind of monster is standing outside those doors?"
SLAM!!!
The doors exploded open.
Footsteps echoed.
Slow. Heavy. Deliberate.
Something dragged across the floor-
Black blood trailed behind it, streaking across the ground.
And then-
He stepped in.
In his hands-
Two massive severed heads.
He walked straight toward Griffin.
Didn't stop. Didn't look at anyone else.
THUD.
He dropped them at Griffin's feet.
The sound echoed through the hall.
Silence.
Boros tilted his head slightly.
A faint grin forming.
"...Guess who's the Guildmaster now."
The silence that filled the room was… unnatural.
It wasn't just because he came back.
It was the Nexus surrounding him now.
Heavy. Suffocating. Different.
Griffin's eyes dropped to the severed heads at his feet.
'Just the carcasses… and they still carry this much residual Nexus…'
His gaze narrowed slightly.
'…I'm sure they were formidable opponents.'
Then he looked up at Boros.
"…Seems I've lost this bet."
"My, my…" Adam chuckled, a grin stretching across his face—one that made it impossible to tell whether he found the situation amusing… or unfortunate.
Around them, the room stayed quiet.
But the expressions said everything.
Disbelief. Shock.
And underneath it—
Disappointment.
Not in Boros.
But in what this meant. Griffin was respected. And now… he wasn't their Guildmaster anymore.
Griffin exhaled, then rolled his shoulders.
"Alright then. I'll show ya to yer office tomorrow—walk ya through how things work around here."
"There won't be any need for that."
Griffin paused. "…Oh?"
"A deal's a deal," he said with a small grin. "Ya held up yer end. Only fair I do the same."
Boros shook his head slightly.
"I know my strengths."
A pause.
"If I wanted to be a Guildmaster, I would've built my own guild."
His gaze didn't waver.
"I'm not taking someone else's position over a dumb bet."
A brief silence.
"Just give me the ranks I asked for."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
Confusion. Surprise.
Some of them couldn't believe it—turning down the Guildmaster position of a guild ranked as high as theirs?
Most would've taken it without hesitation.
Griffin stared at him for a second—
Then laughed.
"Very well!"
He turned to the crowd.
"Alright, ya damn bastards—show's over! Get movin'!"
He waved a hand dismissively.
"And someone get the new IDs ready!"
The room began to stir again, voices rising as people started to move.
Then Griffin glanced back at Boros.
"…Want rank updates for yer little friends too?"
"Yeah."
"Good." He let out a short laugh.
"Before any of that though—you look like hell. Go get patched up."
At his signal, a group of medics rushed forward, carefully escorting Boros away.
Griffin watched him go for a moment—
Then turned.
"You two," he called, gesturing toward Akeno and Kinuko.
"Follow them. We'll sort out your ID updates."
Akeno blinked.
"…H-He didn't even talk to us…"
Her voice trembled slightly.
"Kinuko… do you think he forgot about us?"
Kinuko sighed softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't be ridiculous. Things were just tense."
She gave a small smile.
"He'll talk to us later."
Akeno sniffed, nodding as she wiped her eyes against Kinuko's chest.
Then Kinuko gently pushed her back.
"Come on."
The two of them followed the staff.
As they passed—
Griffin called one of the adventurers over.
He leaned in slightly, whispering something into the man's ear.
The adventurer stiffened.
"…Yes, sir."
His voice was firm.
"I'll make sure it's done."
Griffin straightened, eyes flicking briefly toward the hallway Boros had been taken through—
Then he turned away.
......
"Ten broken ribs… multiple fractures…" the doctor muttered, eyes scanning his body.
She paused.
"…It's a miracle your lungs weren't punctured."
Her fingers hovered over the deep bite mark along his back.
"And this…" she added, frowning slightly. "With the force behind this bite, it should've crushed your ribs—pierced your lungs… maybe even your heart."
A brief silence.
"…Must've been one hell of a fight."
An attendant nearby leaned in, eyes practically glowing.
"Was it?! Did you—"
"Shush."
The doctor dropped her stethoscope onto the tray he was holding without even looking at him.
He stiffened.
She turned back to Boros.
"Well… it's not surprising. Injuries like this aren't unusual for someone of your rank."
"D?" Boros said flatly.
The doctor paused mid-motion. Slowly—
She lifted the bangs covering her eyes and stared at him.
"…What do you mean 'D'?"
"Weren't you sent to handle the Chaos Twin Draken case?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"And I'm apparently D-rank," Boros replied casually.
Silence.
'…A rookie? What the hell is Griffin thinking?'
Her gaze sharpened.
'No one else was brought in… which means this was a solo assignment.'
Her expression darkened slightly.
'What the hell kind of first mission is that…?'
She exhaled quietly.
"…Is it gonna be fine, Doc?" Boros asked.
"Yes," she answered immediately, snapping out of her thoughts.
Then her tone shifted—more serious.
"But you're not fighting for at least two months."
"TWO MONTHS?!" Boros shot up.
"Yes. And frankly, it should be longer," she said bluntly. "But with proper treatment, you'll be functional by then."
She crossed her arms. "You're also coming in every day."
"…For what?"
"Massages."
Boros blinked.
"…Massages?"
"Yes," she said without hesitation. "The muscle strain in your back, calves, and hands is severe. If it's not treated properly, it'll cause long-term damage."
Her hand moved along his arm, pressing lightly.
"Especially here. Your arm muscles are overworked."
She glanced at him.
"…Did you lift something heavy recently?"
A pause.
"Like… a house? An elephant?"
"What? No!" Boros snapped.
"…I see."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Did you try to stop something massive with your hands?"
Another pause.
"…Like a house? An elephant?"
Boros frowned.
"No. I haven't been near any elephants."
"I did stop a Draken from biting my head off though."
Silence.
The attendant slowly turned his head.
"…Oh."
The doctor stared at Boros for a second longer.
Then sighed.
'…This is worse than I thought.'
Her gaze dropped briefly.
'If I don't treat this properly… he's going to develop Cardiovascular Stress and Fibromyalgia.'
"Lie down," she said.
Boros didn't argue this time.
She walked over to her tray, removed her gloves, replaced them with fresh ones, then dipped her fingers into a balm.
"…This might hurt a little," she added.
........
Time passed.
Outside, Akeno and Kinuko sat side by side on a bench, their new IDs in hand.
They had finished their evaluations.
Now—
They waited.
Then—
The door opened. Boros stepped out, the doctor and her attendant behind him.
He walked over without a word and dropped onto the bench beside them.
"…Tch."
"Remember," the doctor said, folding her arms, "no fighting for at least two months."
Boros grumbled under his breath like a child.
She glanced at Akeno and Kinuko with a small smile.
"He's your acquaintance, right?"
They nodded.
"Good. Make sure he sees me every day."
Then she turned, scanning the area.
"…Where's that idiot—"
"I'm here, love." Griffin's head popped out from a side doorway.
That was all it took.
In an instant—
She was in front of him.
GRAB.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?! SENDING A ROOKIE ON A SOLO MISSION?!" she snapped, yanking his ear.
"AH—! The bastard said he wanted to go! How is that my fault?!" Griffin winced.
"If you send me another corpse," she hissed, "I'll bury you with it."
She released him sharply.
Then grabbed her attendant by the ear too.
"Let's go, Toman."
"Y-Yes, ma'am—ow—!"
They walked off.
Griffin rubbed his ear, wincing.
"Veronica." he called after her, but she ignored him.
"…Tch."
Then he stepped forward, now standing in front of the trio.
"Here."
He handed Boros his ID.
"The rank's been updated. The rest—name, blood type—that'll be filled in later."
Boros glanced down.
His eyes settled on one word.
"…Apex."
A small pause. Griffin smirked.
"Congratulations."
He folded his arms.
"I'm gonna work the hell outta you."
Then his grin widened slightly.
"Welcome to the White Tigers."
His gaze shifted to all three of them.
"You're officially adventurers now."