At the main teleporter of the CGA branch, Branch Manager Lilia and Vice Manager Darian stood waiting, their expressions unusually tense. They were preparing to receive a guest no one in their right mind would dare to offend.
The visitor was none other than a guild executive from the Ashen Nest Guild—a na that might sound modest at first, but only until its global rank was revealed.
Ranked 57th in the Ceruleth Global Guild Rankings, Ashen Nest was no ordinary guild. It specialized exclusively in fla-based classes—only those who wielded fire or fla-related powers were allowed in. Those with B-rank or higher fla-related classes were practically guaranteed admittance, making it one of the top guilds in the world for fire-path Hunters.
And today, an especially important figure from the guild had arrived.
Caius Dawnfield—son of the guild master, a guild executive, and the heir apparent to the position of Vice Guildmaster. A Tier-3 Hunter with an SS-rank fla-specialized class, he was recognized as a global prodigy.
He wasn't alone. Accompanying him was his younger sister, Lyra Dawnfield—Lucas's forr classmate. She had recently returned from her family's main house after intensive training to master her newly awakened class. Her return had sparked nurous rumors, the most notable being that Ashen Nest was looking to recruit talented Hunters from District City-23.
Needless to say, the CGA was abuzz. The opportunity to be scouted by such a high-level guild was the stuff of dreams—equivalent to having one's future instantly secured.
The teleportation circle began to glow as mana surged through it. Monts later, two figures erged.
The first was Lyra, eyes gleaming with anticipation as she stepped into her old city once more.
The second was Caius Dawnfield.
He had a tall, well-built fra packed with explosive strength. Crimson red hair, piercing ruby eyes, and a presence that seed to ignite the very air around him. If soone told you he was a top-tier idol or world-renowned hero, you'd believe it without question.
His class—Pyroclast Warlord, an SS-rank, fla-based combat class—was revered in battle. It earned him the title of a "true warlord of the battlefield," known for unleashing devastating fla-based skills with terrifying precision.
Lyra was practically bouncing with excitent, clearly eager to show Lucas her growth. But there was sothing else in her expression—an emotion far more personal and joyful that she tried to keep hidden.
"Lyra, please don't ruin my reputation in public," Caius said sternly as he stood beside her.
Lyra instantly straightened, acting like an obedient student. To outsiders, it would seem like her brother was extrely strict.
"Sorry, brother. I got too excited being back. It won't happen again," she replied, though her mischievous grin betrayed how much she was doted on at ho.
"Mr. Caius, we welco you on behalf of the entire CGA branch," Lilia said, stepping forward with a bouquet in hand.
"Thank you, Miss Lilia. But there was no need for such formality. My sister and I are just here to walk around and maybe recruit so promising talent," Caius replied politely.
Lilia offered a courteous smile and stepped aside.
"Lyra, go et your old classmates. Contact once you're done," Caius instructed as he followed Lilia and Darian toward the inner eting rooms.
"Got it, brother. I'll call you when I finish up here," Lyra responded, walking off with a light smile, unaware that several high-rank Hunters had been secretly assigned to guard her from the shadows.
Caius and the others soon began discussing recent developnts happening outside the city—matters too sensitive for ordinary ears.
anwhile, outside the Forsaken Crypt Dungeon, new Hunters bustled in and out. Among them, soone familiar erged—Evan.
He had just cleared the dungeon boss and was preparing to leave, still unaware that a particular visitor—who could spell trouble for him—was already inside the CGA branch.
The dungeon's entrance was now crowded, so Evan slipped away and made his way to the main building. He was debating whether to leave or dive into another dungeon—until he spotted sothing.
At the far corner of the CGA building, where only a few Hunters were lingering, he saw Lucas with his crew—laughing and chatting. And standing with them was Lyra.
Evan instinctively turned away, hoping not to get involved. But fate had other plans.
Lyra's eyes casually scanned the room—and locked onto him. Her smile froze for a mont as recognition hit her.
His appearance may have changed slightly, but she couldn't forget that face.
One of the very reasons she had co here… was now standing just a few feet away.
"Evan, is that you?" Lyra called out, rushing toward him. Lucas and the other girls followed closely behind, curiosity flickering in their eyes. Lucas, in particular, had been trying to find a chance to et Evan again, and this unexpected encounter felt like fate.
"Oh, it is you, brother! I've been wondering where you disappeared to lately," Lucas grinned as he approached. Evan turned toward them with a small sigh.
"Evan Ravenfall… I can definitely tell sothing major changed about you," Lyra said, circling around slightly as if analyzing him.
"Yes, I've changed a bit due to stat shifts. Nothing else. So, if you'll excuse , I'd like to go ho and rest. It's been a long day," Evan replied firmly, making it clear he had no intention of chatting.
"Wait, you're leaving already? We just t! You're not going to sit down and talk with your schoolmates after so long?" Lucas said, stepping forward with a friendly gesture.
"No, I'm really tired right now," Evan replied, brushing Lucas's hand off his shoulder. "Rather than sit and chat, I'd prefer to rest."
Lucas tried again, "Co on, man. Let's go to a restaurant or sothing—food helps you relax and regain energy."
Ilya, clearly irritated by Evan's tone, stepped in. "Lucas, why force soone who doesn't want to be here? Let him leave if he wants. It's better than ruining our mood."
Evan seized the opening. "She's right. If I stick around, I'll just drag down your little reunion."
"Wait—" Lucas instinctively grabbed Evan's shoulder with more strength than he ant to. Just as he realized his mistake and was about to loosen his grip, Evan brushed his hand off easily.
"Lucas, don't push . I'm really not in the mood. Let's talk another ti. Just don't bother today." And with that, Evan turned and walked away, clearly not wanting to get entangled further.
Lucas stood there for a mont, stunned, then suddenly smiled a little.
"Geez, that guy is really rude," Ilya huffed. "Refusing an invite like that? Just because he had a bad dungeon run? Not cool. Lucas, I don't think you should bother with soone like him. Honestly, he doesn't seem all that impressive."
Lucas chuckled. "Don't worry. He's not usually like this. Probably just a rough day. Bad moods don't send warnings before they show up. He said he'll join us next ti. And Ilya—don't be so quick to judge. That 'average guy' might be a gem... soone who could rival even the best of us."
As he said that, one of Lucas's eyes glowed faintly—he was using his talent to observe Evan's status.
"You're not slipping away, Evan. Whether you like it or not, you're going to end up on my team."
He turned to Lyra, who stood quietly, a complicated mix of emotions written across her face.
"I didn't get half of what you just said," Ilya muttered, and the group moved on, eventually heading out to eat elsewhere.
anwhile...
Evan sat in a taxi, holding his shoulder, the one Lucas had grabbed. Beneath his shirt, the area was slightly swollen.
'Ouch… That fool used way too much strength. If it was anyone else in my place, they'd have dropped to the ground crying.' He muttered as he gently rubbed the area, trying to ease the pain. Still, there wasn't much he could do until he got ho and used a skill he couldn't activate in front of others.
After a few minutes, the taxi pulled up to his apartnt building. He paid the fare, quickly took the stairs to his floor, and unlocked the door to his unit.
Inside, Evan stripped off his tattered shirt—worn and damaged from the dungeon fight earlier. A large swelling on his shoulder was clearly visible in the mirror.
anwhile, in a nearby restaurant near the CGA, Lucas and the three girls were gathered at a table, enjoying a delicious al.
"Wow, the food is amazing here," Ilya said, eyes wide. "I never knew such good restaurants were this close. I've never eaten here before. Thanks for the treat, Miss Tess!"
"Oh, don't ntion it, Ilya. I'm just glad you're enjoying it," Tess replied with a warm smile. "Lucas and I co here often. We love the food, so we thought we'd introduce you—and our guest, Lyra—to sothing special."
"Wait, so you and Lucas have been coming here together for a while?" Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. I always suspected sothing back in school."
"Oh! It's nothing like that!" Tess waved her hands quickly. "Lucas's sister and I have been friends for a long ti. Since she's away from ho, I just help take care of him."
But Ilya and Lyra exchanged glances—clearly not convinced. The way Tess spoke… the way she looked at Lucas... it told a different story.
Lucas noticed the pressure building and decided to change the subject. "Alright, alright. Let's not get sidetracked. Lyra, earlier, you were about to tell us sothing before you saw Evan. What was it?"
"Right." Lyra's face turned serious. "I ca here for two important reasons. First... Lucas, I'm here with my brother regarding a critical issue. Sothing's about to happen in this city, and very few people in the Association know about it—at least, not until the eting concludes today. Once it does, the entire city will be alerted."
Her tone dropped as she leaned in, her voice lowering to a whisper. "The city is in grave danger. Everyone's lives may be at risk."
"…What kind of danger?" Ilya asked impatiently.
"Sothing bigger than a dungeon break or a natural disaster," Lyra said grimly. "This is a full-blown Beast Raid. And not just any raid. We're talking about three Tier-2 Lord-rank monsters attacking simultaneously."
"What?!" Tess, who had been silently listening, gasped and spoke louder than intended.
Nearby patrons turned their heads, overhearing the shocking statent.
"Miss Tess, have you lost your mind?! That's exactly why I was afraid to tell you! If people find out before the Association announces it, I'm screwed!" Lyra hissed, visibly upset.
"I'm sorry," Tess muttered, embarrassed. "I was just… surprised."
"Just don't do it again."
Lyra continued, "The raid is tied to that dungeon incident that happened a few days ago. Maybe you have also heard of it. So hunters outside the wall confird that the dungeon's aura, which was leaked, is now attracting the monsters, which are gathering unnaturally. That was the first clue."
"I knew it!" Ilya exclaid. "I was near that dungeon when it happened. The aura… it was terrifying. Like I was a rabbit in front of a lion—completely helpless. I blacked out. And when I woke up, it was like nothing happened... but that fear? It never left ."
She glanced away briefly, then added in her thought, 'And... I felt sothing similar today—from Evan. It's like he carries the sa energy I sensed back then. I don't know why, but I just… don't like him.'
Lyra nodded. "That's why Miss Lilia requested our guild's help. In return, we're discussing establishing a new branch here in the city."
Lucas leaned forward. "So what's the second reason you ca here?"
"Well," Lyra smiled mysteriously, "I was going to ask both you and Evan. But seeing as Evan's not here, I'll ask you first. And he's definitely going to regret missing this before."
She took a breath.
"Lucas, I'm not asking you as a friend. I'm asking you as a temporary executive of the Ashen Inferno Guild: Would you like to join our guild as a Hunter?"
She paused for dramatic effect, then continued:
"I'm not offering so low-rank position. The mont you join, you'll be assigned as a Team Leader—you'll form your own team by my request, recruit your own mbers, and receive special privileges: access to elite dungeon raids, Nexus usage, purchase rights for rare elixirs, stat-boosting items, enchanted gear, pets, bloodlines—even skill books and more."
The table fell silent.
No sane person could refuse such an offer. Even Lucas was tempted. His heart wavered.
But then… he thought of his sister.
A monster beyond any genius or hunter he'd ever heard of. His dream wasn't just power. It was to reach her level, to stand beside her.
"…Lyra, I agree the offer is tempting—one that nobody in their right mind could turn down," he said calmly. "But you know . So with all due respect, I—"
His words were cut off as Lyra's phone buzzed.
"Hold on—sorry!" she said and quickly answered. "Hello? Yes, brother… okay. I'm coming. I'm with friends—can they co too? Alright."
She ended the call, her face darkening.
"What happened?" Tess asked, noticing her expression.
"Bad news," Lyra said. "The raid… the one that was supposed to happen in a few days? It's been moved."
"Moved?"
"It's happening tomorrow night. Informants outside the city walls have confird unusual monster movent. The three Lord-tier beasts are planning a surprise night raid, likely aiming to tear down the base walls before we're ready."
Everyone froze.
Ti was no longer on their side.
The storm… was almost here.
"So what should we do now?" Ilya asked, trying to lighten the tense mood just a little.
"We must first head to the Association. My brother will explain the current situation and the defense strategies," Lyra said seriously. Without wasting a second, the group quickly got up and left the restaurant, rushing back to the CGA Headquarters.
anwhile…
Evan, who had been deep asleep for a few hours, finally stirred awake. He was completely unaware of the chaos unfolding outside, having cut himself off from the world during his much-needed rest.
The first thing he reached for was his phone, which was vibrating endlessly. Irritated by the constant ringing, he frowned as he grabbed it.
But the mont he unlocked the screen, his expression changed instantly—from annoyance to wide-eyed shock and utter confusion.
- To Be Continued
What just happened? Is everything truly going to be alright? What did he see that left him both shocked and confused? If you're curious to uncover the truth, join us on this thrilling journey—you won't want to miss what lies ahead!
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