Blood splattered as the man convulsed, his final breath slipping away.
—
"My prince… ten men are approaching."
A pause.
"That arrow… we are dealing with someone who uses shadows as well."
—
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"Null. Find that person."
A brief pause.
"I'll deal with the rest."
—
"As you command."
Null sank into the alley's darkness—gone in an instant.
—
I waited.
—
[Totality—Combat Aspect I]
—
Footsteps echoed faintly as they approached.
"Hey—wasn't Fabian supposed to be done already?" one of them called out. "He should've gotten something by now. We even sent Case to back him up… but neither of them reported back. What's going on?"
They entered the alley.
A step.
Then another.
"Boss…" one of them muttered, voice tightening. "We're… walking in blood."
The group slowed.
Their attention dropped to the ground.
Then followed the trail.
—
Fabian's body lay still.
Broken.
An arrow embedded deep within him.
—
At the far end of the alley—
Two red slits gleamed in the dark.
Watching.
—
"How…?" the leader's voice faltered. "How did a beast get into the city?"
His gaze shifted.
"And more importantly… why is Case's arrow in Fabian?"
—
The men stiffened.
Unease spread.
Some stepped back. Others tightened their grips.
Panic—quiet, contained.
—
"…It's gone."
One of them pointed toward the darkness.
"It was right there."
—
The leader frowned.
"What do you mean… it's gone?"
Thud—
"Just as he said… gone."
A brief pause.
"You'll be the same in a moment."
—
They turned.
I was already behind them.
My hand rose.
Claws extended—dark gold, glinting faintly.
"Now…" I said quietly, "who goes first?"
—
Most of them froze.
A few stepped back.
Others glanced around, searching for a way out.
Too late.
—
Another body dropped from above.
Thud.
Case.
So Null found him.
—
Null. You've dealt with him.
"Yes, my prince."
Kill anyone who tries to escape. Spare no one.
"Understood."
—
I moved.
—
A blur—
I appeared in the center of them.
My hand drove forward.
Into flesh.
Through throat.
—
Blood burst outward.
Hot.
The man choked—gurgling—
Then—
Plop.
I tore his head free.
The body collapsed.
—
…This is no fun.
—
"Who's next…?"
—
That broke them.
The leader reacted first—magic gathering in his palm.
Fire.
A spell forming.
Behind him, the others scrambled—crossbows raised, weapons drawn in panic.
"Don't just stand there—attack!"
—
I inhaled.
Magic gathered instantly.
Dark.
Dense.
Unstable.
—
Swoooh—
—
[Infernal Discharge]
—
Boom—
The blast tore through the alley.
A narrow, violent stream of force—hissing as it cut forward.
Bodies were caught in it—
Burned.
Erased.
The air itself scorched, heat rippling outward as the attack passed through the group.
—
Silence followed.
—
Only one remained.
The leader.
***
A while later, the broken voice of one man carried through the nearly empty streets.
"Ugh… just leave me. The Guild Hall is right there—you'll let me go now, right?"
The leader's voice was strained, anger barely masking exhaustion.
—
Why would I?
He tried to rob me.
Unless he was useful… he wasn't worth listening to.
—
"Understood," I said calmly. "Thank you for guiding me to the Guild Hall."
—
He froze.
Still bound in chains, he struggled harder.
"You said you'd let me go—now do it!"
—
"Tut… tut…" I tilted my head slightly. "I said I would."
A pause.
"I said I'd let you live as long as you were useful."
I stepped closer.
"You're not…
Not anymore."
—
"But—"
—
"Ah…a..aah
… no buts."
I turned slightly.
"Null. Take him."
A faint breath left me.
"Pray if you want."
….I continued
"It won't matter."
—
The man's eyes widened—fear breaking through completely now.
Tears formed
Pathetic
—
"Send him off," I added quietly. "Then hang the body."
A glance downward.
"Write it beneath him. 'Raider.' Use his blood."
—
"As you command, my prince."
Null dragged him into another alley by the street side.
The man struggled, shouting, voice cracking:
"You'll pay for this! Bloodgeon will hunt you down—you wretched Beast!"
—
I ignored him.
The living always talk.
The dead don't.
—
It didn't take long.
Muffled screams echoed through the dark evening—then faded.
—
I walked on.
—
The Guild Hall came into view.
A large, bay-colored building with a dark blue roof—more like a massive tavern than anything else.
—
(Mirror)
A replica of Null's mask formed over my face.
A cloak followed.
Then the hood—his signature shape, though without the symbol.
—
I pushed the doors open and stepped inside.
—
Noise hit immediately.
Voices.
Laughter.
Mugs slamming against tables.
Beer and ale flowing freely.
Groups gathered—talking, planning, arguing.
Guild members.
—
No one paid me much attention.
A few glanced my way.
Then looked back.
—
I walked forward.
Calm.
Steady
Although internally, my Brain was telling me why even walking in here was a bad idea.
—
Towards the reception.
"Welcome to the Guild Hall. How can I help you?"
"I want to register a guild," I said.
The man raised a brow. "A guild, hm? How many members? And the name. There's also a deposit—one silver coin."
"One member."
A brief pause.
"The guild name will be… Genesis–Order."
The words settled.
That would do.
—
"Genesis-Order it is," he said. "Now, the payment."
He held out his hand.
—
I opened my pouch and took out a silver coin—taken from the raiders earlier.
I flicked it toward him.
He caught it easily.
—
"Your current rank is F," he said. "You'll need to complete missions to advance. If you're looking for work, head to the task board."
A short pause.
"Otherwise… enjoy your night."
—
I moved toward the board.
Large. Crowded.
Requests pinned across different sections.
The F-rank tasks were filled with Tier 1 beast planes and minor outbreaks.
Useless.
—
My gaze shifted higher.
E-rank.
Tier 2… up to 2.8.
Better.
—
I reached out and took one.
—
Ding—
I paused.
…That wasn't normal.
—
Systems didn't react like that.
Not for something this simple.
—
The prompt surfaced anyway.
—
—————————————
Mission Detected: Village Remva – Minor Plane Outbreak
Tier: 2.7 → Currently escalating to 2.9
Option: Deploy Flag Bearers for rapid arrival?
—————————————
—
I stared at it for a moment.
Then let it settle.
—
…So it reacts.
—