As Liam walked toward his ho, he nearly bumped into Bianca at the entrance. She seed surprised to see him, her usual confident deanor slightly dampened by sothing.
She hesitated before speaking, looking almost... bashful?
"Liam. I was wondering if you’d be interested in partnering up for the tournant. I think we’d make a great team."
She started, shifting on her feet.
Liam blinked, caught off guard by the offer. He respected Bianca’s skills, but he had already committed elsewhere.
"Sorry, Bianca. I already made arrangents for the tournant"
He said, shaking his head.
Bianca looked only mildly disappointed but quickly recovered, tilting her head curiously.
"Really? Who did you sign with?"
Liam saw no reason to hide it.
"The Emperor Guild."
The mont the words left his mouth, he noticed Bianca’s entire expression shift. Her lips parted slightly in surprise before she quickly closed them.
Instead of reacting with admiration or curiosity, her expression softened into sothing else—pity.
"Good luck."
She said simply, nodding at him before turning to leave.
Liam frowned, his instincts imdiately on high alert.
"Wait. Why do you look so... sorry for ?"
Bianca hesitated again before sighing.
"You’ll find out soon enough. Just be careful, Liam."
She left before he could press for more answers, leaving him standing there with more questions than before.
______
The mont Liam stepped into the academy grounds the next morning, he knew sothing was off. Whispers spread like wildfire, and everywhere he walked, students stole glances at him before quickly turning away.
At first, he thought it was just the usual tournant hype, but the mont he overheard soone ntion the Emperor Guild, he realized the real reason.
"Did you hear? That guy actually got into Emperor Guild..."
"No way! They only accept the best of the best! Why would they take him?"
"I heard they’re ruthless! If he sses up even once, he’s done for."
"They say once you’re in, there’s no leaving."
Liam exhaled sharply, feeling a headache coming on. So that’s why Bianca had looked at him with pity.
The Emperor Guild wasn’t just prestigious—it was notorious.
It was a guild with a brutal reputation, known for its cutthroat thods and high expectations. Their mbers were powerful, but their training and expectations were relentless.
Liam had unintentionally stepped into a hornet’s nest.
Determined to avoid any unnecessary attention, he kept his head down and made his way toward his first class.
He was already stuck in this contract with Victor, so there was no backing out now. The best thing he could do was keep quiet, avoid trouble, and focus on the tournant.
At least, that was the plan.
But with the entire academy buzzing about his sudden affiliation with the Emperor Guild, it was clear that keeping a low profile was going to be impossible.
Liam could feel the weight of the stares on him as he walked through the academy halls.
His na was being whispered at every corner, and no matter how much he tried to ignore it, it was impossible to escape the murmurs surrounding his sudden association with the Emperor Guild.
It wasn’t just idle gossip either—so students were outright glaring at him. Others looked at him with envy, while a few seed skeptical, as if they were waiting for him to fail.
"Tch, just because he got in doesn’t an he deserves it."
"I bet they’ll kick him out before the tournant even starts."
"I heard people who don’t et their standards just... disappear."
Liam rolled his eyes. He wasn’t surprised by the rumors, but he also wasn’t interested in entertaining them.
He had no intention of sticking around in Emperor Guild longer than necessary. This was just a temporary arrangent—once the tournant was over, he would be free.
Or at least, that’s what he hoped.
As he reached his classroom, Liam noticed soone waiting outside for him. A tall, broad-shouldered young man with sharp blue eyes and a cold expression.
Elias Varen.
One of the strongest students in the academy and the current top contender for the tournant. He was also rumored to have connections to the Emperor Guild, which made Liam wary.
"You! Co with ."
Elias said, his voice as sharp as his gaze.
Liam sighed but didn’t argue. He followed Elias down the hall, away from the crowd, until they reached an empty training room.
Elias shut the door behind them and turned to face Liam, arms crossed.
"What the hell are you thinking?"
Liam raised an eyebrow.
"I’m not sure what you an."
"Don’t play dumb. You signed a contract with Victor and tied yourself to the Emperor Guild. Do you even know what you’ve done?"
Elias snapped.
Liam crossed his arms.
"I know that I got myself access to an high-class dungeon, which is more than I can say for most people here."
Elias narrowed his eyes.
"You don’t get it. The Emperor Guild doesn’t let people go. You think this contract is just for the tournant? Think again. They’re testing you, Liam. If they see potential, they’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you stay."
Liam’s fingers twitched slightly. He had suspected as much, but hearing it confird was... unsettling.
Elias stepped closer, his voice low and serious.
"If you don’t want to be trapped under them, then you’d better make sure you don’t stand out in this tournant. Lose early. Make them think you’re not worth the effort."
Liam frowned.
"And what if I don’t want to throw the tournant?"
Elias stared at him for a mont before sighing.
"Then you’d better be prepared for what cos next."
He turned to leave, pausing at the door.
"This is your only warning. Don’t say I didn’t try to help you."
Liam watched him go, his mind racing.
He wasn’t the type to back down from a challenge. But this was starting to look like more than he had bargained for.
’Dark it Victor! You always bring trouble! Why can’t you be helpful for once?’
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