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Guild Headquarters.
In the solemn front hall of the great Pantheon, dozens of statues depicting heroic adventurers and deities stood proudly, revered by the steady flow of passersby.
The grand white marble hall was wide enough to hold over a thousand people. The floor was paved with tiles inlaid with circular designs, and Guild employees bustled to and fro in a scene of constant activity.
Early in the morning, adventurers had already gathered en masse in the main hall of the headquarters.
Before diving into the Dungeon, it was common knowledge among adventurers to first check in at the Guild headquarters to stay informed of any recent major events, especially any dangers that might have arisen inside the Dungeon.
"Hey, look over there!"
With a loud shout, many adventurers turned their eyes toward the bulletin board mounted on the wall. At that moment, a Guild staff member was tearing down the previous day's notices and pinning up new parchment, updating the board with the city's latest happenings.
At the most prominent spot on the board, a portrait was freshly posted.
It had clearly been drawn by a top-tier artist, life-like and vivid, full of artistic flair. The person in the portrait had an aura of breath-stealing charm.
"Loki Familia's strongest rookie... has ascended to Level 4!"
"What? That's impossible!"
"It's official Guild information. It should be accurate..."
"But didn't he just upgrade to Level 3 like twenty days ago? How could he level up so fast?!"
"Don't ask me… I just know he also upgraded to Level 2 and 3 super quickly."
The entire hall instantly erupted.
Noisy commotion filled the vast space, unbelieving outcries and stunned voices echoed without pause. The sense of disbelief and awe quickly spread throughout Orario like wildfire.
"I bet he'll reach Level 5 before the year's over!"
"No way. Level 5 isn't something you just casually break into!"
"That's what you said when he reached Level 2 and 3 too."
"Ah... well..."
In one corner of the hall, A white-haired, red-eyed boy stared blankly at the portrait pinned high above the bulletin board. His mind was so overwhelmed, it froze his ability to think.
"I'm currently still Level 3."
The words the other had spoken just yesterday suddenly resurfaced in his mind.
"So that's what he meant… 'Currently.' Because today, he's not anymore…"
His heart grew impossibly heavy. For a time, he had treated that person as a rival, someone to surpass. But now he realized how naive that had been. In this world, the difference in innate talent between individuals is something that simply cannot be erased.
The other had taken only two months to reach Level 4. Meanwhile, he, Bell, had been an adventurer for a full month and was only somewhere in the mid-range of Level 1.
There was no comparison at all. With a heavy heart, Bell quietly left the Guild hall, melting into the crowd without a trace. Beneath the bulletin board, Raul wiped the sweat from his brow, his expression also filled with pressure and anxiety.
"Feeling nervous?" Beside him stood a girl with elegant black hair, Aki, a Catman. She glanced sideways at him as she spoke.
"Aren't you?" Raul replied.
Though Aki looked calm with her arms crossed, her fingers were tightly digging into her sleeves, clearly far from composed. The two of them were actually the ones who had come to report the intel to the Guild.
It was Raul and Aki who had delivered the news of Ryoji's ascension to Level 4.
"His speed is absurd. In just two months, he's gone from a clueless rookie to an adventurer strong enough to rival members of our Second Army…"
Aki took a deep breath to calm the turbulence in her heart.
She, Raul, and Alicia were all core members of the Second Army within the Loki Familia.
"I heard… that wasn't even all." Raul suddenly spoke again, catching Aki's attention.
"Last night… he apparently sparred with Tiona San."
He sparred with Tiona, one of the Executives?
Well, it was probably just a friendly match. But still, Aki's mind immediately recalled that moment during the expedition...
Despite being only a Level 2, when the Fomoire charged into their formation and everyone else was trembling in fear, he was the only one who charged forward fearlessly, and even ended up killing it.
That scene alone was enough to drop jaws to the floor.
"So, what was the result?"
That's why Aki asked. She even had a flicker of expectation in her heart. If he could defeat a Level 4 Fomoire while only Level 2, then now that he had upgraded to Level 4, could he defeat a Level 5?
This rookie from their Familia simply couldn't be judged by common sense.
"I don't know." Raul shook his head honestly.
"All I know is… afterward, Tiona San sat in her chair for a long time in a daze, completely still, like she was questioning her entire existence… So I'd say the outcome wasn't too optimistic, for her."
Tiona was known for being a very upbeat and cheerful person, always smiling like a sunflower, never clouded. If someone like her was left questioning her life choices, Aki already had a pretty solid guess about how that fight went.
Even though she already suspected the answer, she still couldn't help but blurt out:
"That's insane!"
"Who wouldn't say so?" Raul sighed.
Such a talented guy… so why does he have to be so infuriating personality-wise?
"Raul, aren't you worried he's gonna snatch away your spot as the successor?" Aki gave him a playful look.
"Hmm... I don't even think I should be considered a successor, to be honest..." Raul paused for a moment, then his face showed genuine confusion.
"But honestly, I don't think he'll be in the Second Army for long, he's probably going to surpass us all and become the Familia's new Executive."
Aki was stunned into silence.
He had a point.
Currently, Ryoji was being kept in the Second Army for the sake of "experience" and "tempering," according to Finn, and was being nurtured as an Executive candidate.
But let's be real, who knew how soon he'd hit Level 5?
Three months? Five months?
At that point, there's no way someone like Ryoji, a Level 5 with that kind of talent, would still remain in the Second Army. He'd definitely be promoted to one of Loki Familia's Executives.
Raul didn't have to worry at all; he himself probably wouldn't reach Level 5 this year anyway.
"By the way, where the hell is Ryoji right now?" Aki crossed her arms, accentuating her petite, well-shaped chest, and glanced around.
"I mean, reporting a Level-Up is usually something you do yourself, right? Why did Loki send us to report it?"
"No idea. Haven't seen him since this morning. He didn't even show up at breakfast," Raul replied, equally puzzled.
Just as the two were chatting idly, "Something huge happened!"
Suddenly, a young adventurer came rushing in from outside the Guild hall. His face was drenched in sweat, and his short-sleeved T-shirt was soaked through; clearly, he had sprinted the entire way.
"What's going on? Calm down, speak slowly," Half-Elf girl Eina stepped forward out of duty, trying to steady his breathing.
"...It's the Ishtar Familia... The Captain of the Ishtar Familia!" The young adventurer panted hard, but his eyes were filled with a mixture of excitement and terror.
"That Level 5 adventurer, Phryne Jamil, she's dead!"
"..."
"..."
Raul and Aki looked at each other in stunned silence. Then, at the same time, they both sucked in a sharp breath.
(End of Chapter)