The only sound in the store was the buzzing lights and Brak’s careful handling of the items dropped.
"I have only one goal right now, and it’s to run more dungeons."
"I’ve... talked... with the director of operations. There won’t be any more issues with the dungeon assignnts. Their difficulties will match what is displayed on your phone."
"Like I could—"
"Trust them?" said Sunder, finishing his sentence. "Don’t worry, you can also steal any dungeons from any other guilds, nobody will be opposing you."
"Steal? They would never agree to this," said Alexander, shaking his head.
"Instead of calling it stealing, they’ve created a new feature specifically for you. Solo is now a ’Priority Guild’ in the system."
Sunder’s expression was as serious as it could be despite the smile still present to brighten the mood.
Alexander sat back in the couch, contemplating his situation.
"The damage has been done."
"That, it has," replied Sunder.
A short mont of silence filled the room, before being broken by Sunder.
"Revenge could be an option. You could grow stronger and get revenge on all those who wronged you, maybe I’d even help."
Sunder offering help for revenge wasn’t sothing he anticipated, it truly ca from nowhere, which confird there had to be so deeper lecture down the line.
"As my ntor, shouldn’t you try to persuade from getting revenge? Stay away from things that could draw closer to being the cultist I am?"
Sunder laughed while slapping his knees repeatedly, his voice booming through the small space they sat in.
"ntor? Now we’ve gone full circle."
"What do you an?"
"Your father was my ntor, when I started as a dungeon runner. Back then the bar was extrely low, and we knew nothing of this new world. Dungeon running, magic, cores... so much was unknown, but your father helped through it. I wouldn’t be the dungeon runner I am today without him."
Alexander rembered Sunder previously ntioning his father. It was happiness that filled him, hearing soone positively talk about him couldn’t feel any better.
It felt as if he was the last person who rembered him, but it was now clear he had left lasting impressions on others as well.
But despite how good that feeling was, he couldn’t help but wonder why his father kept him in the dark.
How could there be people who years later still rembered and respected him for things he knew nothing about. People whose na he never heard.
"So, why would you help get revenge despite all this?" asked Alexander.
"An eye for an eye is sothing I believe in. They tried to kill you, it’s only fair if you did the sa."
Alexander nodded while frowning, hesitation underneath the surface.
"Still..." Sunder said, his tone shifting.
There it is, thought Alexander. The lecture.
"Becoming stronger to get revenge won’t fix anything. You’ll get revenge, they’ll hate you, they’ll hunt you down, if you survive it’ll be your turn to hunt them down... you see the pattern?"
"This was your great speech? You want to break the cycle? Beco the better man? Turn the other cheek?"
Sunder burst in laughter once more, slapping the table. Brak who was also chuckling as he heard Alexander’s comnt beca sour the mont his table was hit, leaning forward to keep the stuff from falling from the edges.
The death stare he sent Sunder’s way was sothing he would avoid provoking for himself.
"No. Like I said, I don’t mind if you choose revenge. I just think it’s a little weak-minded. Being strong enough for revenge is sothing anyone can do. You know what everyone can’t do? Becoming strong enough that it just doesn’t matter anymore. So powerful that organizations such as the Adventurer’s Guild can’t contain you—let alone tell you what to do. So far ahead that you can rewrite the rules as you wish."
Brak was smiling once more while inspecting the dungeon cores, silently listening in on the conversation happening beside him.
The conflict inside him was chaotic. It felt like he did several back and forth, his purpose still unclear.
But what Sunder said wasn’t so wrong.
He fought against the top S-tier guilds, holding them off with a grin so he could access his inner path. He had them integrate him, a cultist, as a dungeon runner. He had them create a completely new status for guilds, turning Solo into a priority guild.
Sunder was the embodint of free will.
And if Sunder’s class was a cultist one, it wouldn’t have changed anything.
Freedom through power.
Seeking revenge was a shallow goal, one that showed how close-minded he had been.
Alexander finally nodded, brightening Sunder’s expression even more.
"That’s a goal I can get behind," said Alexander. "Maybe then I wouldn’t need to rely on you so much. But if you want to get stronger, why keep from clearing dungeons?"
"The Dungeon Setters."
Alexander narrowed his eyes while slightly tilting his head.
"The... Dungeon Setters?"
"You never heard of it?" asked Sunder truly confused.
"Yes, everyone knows. They put on a big show twice a year, we see S-tier guilds competing against each other to win the first place prize in the tournant. Sothing Gilded Order has achieved several tis. There’s no way I can win."
"Indeed, you’re not there yet. Everyone follows the S-tier Dungeon Setters event, but there’s also events for tiers below."
Alexander glanced at Fae who seed completely out of the conversation, lost in his eyes while with the world around him muted.
He instinctively started playing with her hair while talking to Sunder.
"Then why should I stop my progress? This won’t award any experience, so I won’t level up. I’m not even sure if there’s money to be made, nobody ever watches the events happening under the S-tier."
"True, nobody really watched the tournants for lower tiers. For that reason, the prize-pool is fairly small. Still, you would make 10 000$ if you won first place. How much money does he have now?" asked Sunder to Brak.
"On his black card? About 500$."
"Confidentiality?????" said Alexander.
"500$, you’re a brokie. That prize is usually split between an entire guild, but since you’re alone in yours, the entire thing would go to you."
"I don’t need money, I need to level up."
"True, but you also need to show the world what you’re capable of. Show everyone that you’re strong and not insane and doors will open for you without needing to force them. Also, it will be good training. You’ve got experience with monsters, this will hone your skills against dungeon runners."
Alexander sighed. "Let guess, you’ve already registered my guild?"
"Yup."
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