Chapter 171 – Forbidden Comparison Between Guilds (And Awkward Silence)
Blackstar crossed his arms, observing the massive HQ building hastily reconstructed.
— "The situation in the guild has improved."
Liora raised an eyebrow, interested.
— "Good."
Blackstar nodded.
— "Lysandra also asked me to pass along her greetings. And… her thanks for preventing the situation from getting even worse."
Liora made a small gesture with her hand, humbly:
— "It was nothing. Besides… we have to help each other between world guilds."
Elyon, scanning the surroundings as if it were potential territory to conquer, frowned slightly.
— "Still strange. Don't tell me there weren't other hunters in your guild? A world guild, no less…"
Blackstar sighed softly, then shrugged.
— "Of course there were. A world guild must meet certain criteria to be recognized. Yours is perfectly within the standards too, by the way."
He gestured toward the building.
— "You've got… the most powerful human alive."
He looked at Valen in the distance, yelling at Naël not to order the entire menu at once.
— "The divine hunter… Valen."
Then at Naël, counting how many desserts he could technically eat without dying.
— "The transcendent-rank hunter: Naël."
He continued, listing precisely:
— "You, Liora. Arthur. And Drake. All three SSS rank."
Drake, in the distance, was still being scolded by Beatrice for some unknown reason.
— "Ethan, Marie, Annabelle, and Beatrice, SS rank."
Annabelle was already making Valor do fifty push-ups.
— "And finally… Lya, Valor, Nova, and Ryn: S rank."
A small silence settled.
Blackstar nodded, impressed:
— "…Honestly, you're a completely absurd team."
Liora smiled:
— "See? And that's not even counting Elyon… and Zarion."
At those words, Blackstar's left eye glowed faintly, like a cosmic scanner.
— "Interesting…"
He looked at Liora with much more attention.
— "You're stronger than you were. I'm very shocked you're officially SSS rank."
He narrowed his eyes.
— "You're way stronger than that."
Then tilted his head.
— "And who is Zarion? I don't know him."
Liora answered simply:
— "He's new to you… because he's not human."
Long silence.
— "…Ah. Okay."
Blackstar accepted that far too easily.
Elyon crossed his arms, slightly vexed:
— "And you? Aren't you going to tell us the hunters you've got in your ranks?"
Blackstar smiled softly.
— "You want to know? Fine, I'll tell you."
He straightened, taking an almost dramatic tone.
— "The Northern Pantheon is composed of 11 main members."
He raised a finger:
— "Me: Kaelo 'Blackstar' Rynn — SSS rank, Astral-Resonant hunter."
Then a second:
— "Lysandra — SSS rank, control of psychic and dimensional flows. You already know her."
Third finger:
— "Kronn — SS rank, reinforced biological Titan. Sleeps 20 hours a day but when he wakes up… nobody talks."
— "Veyra — SS rank, gravitational acceleration. She can send you to the Moon if she's in a bad mood."
— "Oris — SS rank, runic hunter. Tattooed a spell on his own heart. Yes. It's as stupid as it sounds."
Elyon blinked:
— "Why?"
— "We asked him too. He answered: 'For the art.'"
Blackstar continued:
— "Harlan — S rank, dimensional trap specialist. He even traps his own teammates."
— "Nyss — S rank, absolute camouflage. In theory… she's been here with us since the beginning."
New silence.
Elyon stepped aside.
— "I don't like that information."
— "Kae — S rank, energy support. Without her, we'd all be dead at least four times a week."
— "Dervan — S rank, close combat. But he cries during romantic movies."
— "Seline — S rank, harmonization song. She even calms monsters."
Then he finished:
— "And finally…"
He looked at Elyon.
— "…our last official member. Unknown. Rank: Undetermined. He appeared, signed, and left. We don't even know if he still exists."
Liora:
— "Charming."
Elyon frowned:
— "Your guild is weird."
Blackstar replied simply:
— "So is yours."
Small silence.
Then he smiled.
— "That's why we're world guilds."
Suddenly, a huge noise echoed from inside HQ.
BOOM.
Valen shouted:
— "NAËL! I SAID NO CHOCOLATE BOMBS!!!"
Naël, from the kitchen:
— "TECHNICALLY IT WAS AN EXPERIMENT!!!"
Blackstar looked at Liora, very serious:
— "…Confirmed. You're worse than us."
Liora, proud:
— "Maybe. But at least we're having fun."
The sky vibrated once again above them.
And Blackstar sighed:
— "I have a bad feeling about this alliance."
Elyon smiled faintly for the very first time:
— "You'll get used to it."
And in the distance, something laughed…
Chaos had just found new friends.
Chapter 172 – Shadow is Born, and Blackstar Hands Out Cosmic Slaps
Elyon sighed, arms crossed:
— "Despite all those hunters you have in your ranks… none came to help, not even a little. That's pretty suspicious for a world guild, isn't it?"
Blackstar raised an eyebrow, unimpressed:
— "Oh really, you've got the nerve to blame us when you're literally the cause of at least 80% of recent problems? And that's me being generous.
And don't forget, I was absent. Lysandra even served as a vessel for you, so you should already be grateful she isn't asking you for spiritual child support."
Elyon shrugged:
— "I admit I was at fault. But still… none of your hunters tried anything. Okay, you were absent… but the others?"
Blackstar grimaced:
— "Honestly? No idea. But I'm willing to bet they were somewhere staring into a mirror saying:
'Oh, I'm so strong… the world should thank me for existing…'"
Elyon tilted his head:
— "So… arrogant idiots?"
— "No.
Certified, diploma-holding, decorated idiots."
Liora immediately cut in:
— "And just to clarify, in the 'we' who solved the problem… you weren't part of it, Elyon.
You were the threat, not the savior."
Elyon grinned like a kid caught red-handed:
— "Yeah well… technical detail."
Blackstar suddenly released his aura. The air vibrated throughout HQ, several walls cracked slightly, an alarm went off, then stopped when it realized it was pointless.
— "You're right, Liora. It's unacceptable.
I'll deal with this personally when I return to the guild."
— "You're going… to talk to them?" asked Elyon.
— "No.
I'll give them a PowerPoint presentation. With live ammunition."
Liora sighed:
— "As long as you don't destroy another building."
Blackstar thought for a second:
— "No promises."
---
Lya, Ryn, and… Shadow
The Duplicator — or rather the ex-Duplicator — still crossed his arms, not convinced by his new style.
— "Seriously… a hoodie with chains? I look like I'm going to a concert every day."
Ryn gave him a pat on the back:
— "Brother, you're super stylish now. People will fear you just because of your vibe."
— "I didn't ask to be a walking billboard…"
Lya put a finger on her chin, observing him with exaggerated fake seriousness.
— "As promised… I'll give you a name."
The Duplicator sighed:
— "Yeah, yeah… I can feel something humiliating coming."
Ryn, excited:
— "Go on, give him a super cool name!"
Lya smiled slowly, as if savoring the moment for a long time.
— "How about… Kaïrox… alias Shadow.
Shadow in reference to me, since I altered your essence…
And Kaïrox for the classy, mysterious side.
But we'll call you Shadow."
Ryn's eyes widened:
— "Honestly… that's insanely cool."
A silence settled.
Then Shadow felt something shift inside him.
His energy stabilized. His mind calmed. His new essence vibrated differently.
He thought:
*Wait… how does a mortal giving me a name make me so happy?
…And why do I feel stronger?*
He lifted his head toward Lya:
— "Fine… I accept. It's a super cool name.
But only because I have good taste… not because you're cool."
— "Liar," she replied with a slight smile. "You adore me."
— "In another life, maybe."
— "We'll see, pirate version."
Ryn burst out laughing:
— "Welcome officially to the team, Shadow!"
— "Yeah… I've made worse choices."
---
Valor and Annabelle
Valor was meditating, sitting calmly on the floor.
Annabelle circled him, arms crossed:
— "This is my technique to avoid mana burnout.
For a mage, it's vital."
Valor opened one eye:
— "I still don't see the point. My mana regenerates super fast, I have an enormous amount, and aside from things like Zarion's Void Orb draining me instantly, I don't really struggle."
— "You're insufferable, you know that?"
— "Yes."
Annabelle sighed, then spoke more seriously:
— "My technique is to absorb the mana of worlds.
Not my internal mana… the external mana, the one floating in reality itself."
Valor opened both eyes this time.
— "You're literally daydreaming."
— "Watch closely."
Still standing, Annabelle spread her arms slightly.
The air around her began to vibrate. Fine luminous particles, invisible to normal humans, converged toward her as if drawn by a soft but irresistible force.
The wind shifted direction.
The temperature fluctuated slightly.
The ground beneath their feet barely trembled.
— "I don't absorb a person's magic," she explained calmly, "but that of the worlds themselves. Like a universal breath."
Valor stayed silent.
— "Now, try it."
— "Seriously?"
— "Yes, Mister 'astronomical amount of mana.'"
Valor closed his eyes. Concentrated.
And against all odds…
The surrounding mana responded instantly.
An invisible current began to circulate around him, then within him.
Annabelle's eyes widened:
— "…Wait, what?!"
Valor opened one eye:
— "You just wanted to tire me out with your weird push-ups.
Looks like it wasn't worth it."
— "SHUT UP.
And it's not over."
She grew serious again:
— "For now, you can only absorb it in meditation.
I can do it continuously, in motion, in combat."
She crouched in front of him.
— "You must create a catalyst inside yourself.
And an internal space to store the mana of worlds, gather it, channel it, and use it."
— "Like a… dimensional reservoir?"
— "Exactly."
She smiled slightly:
— "This power is extremely strong.
Don't play with it."
Valor nodded, serious for once:
— "I'll remember. Thank you… Annabelle."
She blinked, surprised, then looked away:
— "Don't get used to it."
---
Back to Liora and Blackstar
Blackstar adjusted his astral coat:
— "Alright, I'm going to deal with this."
Elyon turned to his mother:
— "He looks angry."
Liora watched the direction he had disappeared.
— "No.
He's disappointed. And that's worse."
Elyon smiled nervously:
— "Good luck to them…"
A silence passed.
Then Liora gently placed a hand on her son's head.
— "And you, avoid provoking other cosmic incidents for at least… the next three days."
— "…No promises."
She sighed.
— "I figured."
In the distance, a massive explosion echoed from the direction of the Northern Pantheon guild.
Elyon pointed at the sky:
— "Was that him?"
Liora closed her eyes, resigned:
— "Yes…
And he hasn't even started talking yet."
Chapter 173 – When Blackstar Arrives at the Guild… and Everyone Regrets Breathing
Northern Pantheon – Main Hall
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
The guild's main door exploded… even though it was already open.
The hunters all turned, alarmed — or at least, those not too busy staring at themselves in a mirror, sipping celestial coffee, or comparing their muscles with captured monsters.
A tornado of astral energy swirled, then abruptly stabilized.
Blackstar had arrived.
He walked through the smoke, hands in his pockets, aura compressed to the maximum… but even so, it still created small gravitational singularities as he passed.
— "Hello… geniuses."
Everyone froze.
Veyra, sprawled on an anti‑gravity couch, groaned:
— "Oh no. He's back. Why does fate hate me?"
Kronn opened one eye. Just one. Then went back to sleep.
Oris, the runic mage tattooed all the way to his heart, jumped up in panic:
— "Why are you radiating cosmic murder aura?! I didn't do anything this time! I swear it wasn't me, it was—"
Blackstar raised a finger:
— "Shut up."
Oris fell silent instantly. Even the runes on his skin stopped pulsing.
Harlan tried to turn invisible by pressing himself against a wall:
— "Maybe he won't see me…"
Blackstar immediately pointed in his direction:
— "I see through walls, dimensions, AND desperate attempts."
Harlan raised his hands:
— "Okay I confess! But I don't even know to what!"
Nyss, the chameleon hunter, appeared right next to him:
— "Me too? Should I confess? Just in case?"
Blackstar inhaled deeply.
Then…
He grabbed a chair.
Placed it in the center of the hall.
Sat on it backwards like a deadly serious high school teacher.
His gaze turned cold, methodical, calm… which was even more terrifying.
— "I'll ask a simple question."
The members of the Northern Pantheon collectively swallowed.
— "Where were you…"
He gestured vaguely, but with aura heavy enough to crush.
"…when Elyon was threatening to destroy part of the world?"
Silence.
Then, in a perfect, unified, synchronized voice:
— "WE WERE ON BREAK!!!"
Blackstar remained motionless.
His left eye began to glow.
**Astral Sight activated.**
The stellar threads revealed the absolute truth.
Blackstar closed his eyes.
— "…you really were on break."
A heavy sigh shook the entire room.
The hall's holographic screen suddenly displayed:
Official Reason:
COSMIC BREAK – Minimum 2 hours mandatory under Article 739‑B.
Oris shrugged:
— "It's the law. We had to respect it."
Veyra added:
— "I mean… if we'd known it was Elyon… we would've extended the break."
Nyss:
— "Extended a lot."
Harlan:
— "I would've gone on vacation."
Blackstar rubbed his face.
— "I'm going to kill you all."
Kae timidly raised her hand:
— "Technically you can't… you promised last time it would be the last time…"
Blackstar froze.
— "…I said that?"
— "Yes. You signed a paper."
She projected a hologram.
Signed in his hand:
*'Promise not to kill the team (accidentally or otherwise). — Blackstar'*
Blackstar blinked.
— "…I HATE what Liora did to my administrative memory."
A pause.
Then he stood up suddenly.
His aura exploded, but this time controlled. Very controlled.
Astral energy formed a gigantic luminous hand.
He declared:
— "Fine. I can't kill you. But I can correct you."
The astral hand spread wide.
Veyra screamed:
— "COVER YOURSELVES! HE'S DOING HIS 'COSMIC CORRECTIONS'!!"
Harlan ran toward a dimensional door… which refused to open.
Oris shouted:
— "WHY WON'T MY ESCAPE RUNES ACTIVATE?!"
Nyss vanished, reappeared, vanished again in panic.
Kronn kept sleeping.
Then…
COSMIC SLAP, COLLECTIVE.
The entire guild collapsed to the floor as if their souls had been unplugged for 0.2 seconds.
Blackstar calmly put his hands back in his pockets.
— "There. I feel better."
Kronn opened one eye:
— "…did I miss something?"
Everyone shouted:
— "YES YOU MISSED EVERYTHING—"
They collapsed again.
---
Back at Liora's HQ
Elyon sneezed.
Liora tilted her head:
— "Someone's talking about you. Probably badly."
Elyon shrugged:
— "Normal. I'm iconic."
Valor shouted from the training hall:
— "ANNABELLE ALMOST BLEW UP MY BRAIN WITH HER TECHNIQUE!!!"
Annabelle replied:
— "STOP COMPLAINING, YOU LEARNED IN 5 MINUTES WHAT MAGES TAKE 15 YEARS TO MASTER!!"
Liora sighed.
— "A normal day…"
The ground trembled.
Then the sky.
Then space‑time itself.
Elyon looked around:
— "Wait… this time it's not me."
Liora narrowed her eyes.
A distant but colossal astral aura vibrated… all the way into their reality.
She murmured:
— "…Blackstar just corrected his team."
Elyon, doubtful:
— "That's supposed to be normal?"
— "No. But with him… yes."
Ryn rushed in, followed by Shadow in full gothic panic mode:
— "The building shook!! Is it a threat?! A god?! Elyon again?!"
Liora:
— "No. Just a guild leader doing his job."
Shadow froze.
— "…Wait. That's work?"
Ryn burst out laughing.
Elyon smiled:
— "Welcome to the world of global guilds."
And in the distance, a faint voice echoed:
— "WHO PUT COFFEE IN MY ASTRAL ORBIT?!"
Liora closed her eyes.
— "…Blackstar isn't finished."
Elyon sighed:
— "We're going to have a rough week, aren't we?"
— "Elyon… in this guild, every week is a cosmic catastrophe."
Chapter 174 – The Calm… That Doesn't Exist With You
The HQ had regained a semblance of silence.
A semblance.
The walls still vibrated as if they had just witnessed a declaration of intergalactic war.
Elyon placed his hand against a pillar.
— "Okay… this is officially more stable."
— "No," replied Liora. "This… is less unstable. Very different."
Shadow — formerly the Duplicator — lifted his head in every direction.
— "In my world, when a structure trembled this much… it meant it was dying."
— "Here," answered Ryn, "it's just Tuesday."
Shadow blinked.
— "I already regret surviving."
At the end of the corridor, a silhouette leaned against a wall as if the scene didn't concern him at all.
Calm gaze.
Light smile.
Unfathomable aura.
Zarion.
— "You're all very noisy for beings still alive."
— "YOU FELT IT TOO?" shouted Ryn.
— "The entire universe felt it. Even a dead star sent me a message."
Elyon sighed.
— "Blackstar just yelled at his guild."
— "He applied an 'astral educational correction,'" corrected Zarion.
— "That's worse."
— "Much worse."
Silence.
Then Shadow dared to ask:
— "…Is he always like that?"
Everyone answered at the same time:
— "Yes."
Shadow nodded, deeply traumatized.
— "Noted. I'll never go to his guild. Even if he promises dimensional cookies."
---
Training Hall…
A BOOM.
Then a cry:
— "ANNABELLE I'M LITERALLY SUCKING THE BUILDING'S ATMOSPHERE!!!"
— "FOCUS, VALOR!! RESET THE FLOW INTO BALANCE!!!"
Pressure shifted throughout the base.
Leaves flew.
A coffee cup floated.
Ryn grabbed it:
— "HEY THAT'S MY APOCALYPTIC MORNING COFFEE!"
Liora closed her eyes.
— "Is it going to explode?"
Zarion tilted his head, observing the invisible flow.
— "No. He's learning. And… far too quickly."
Shadow looked at his hands.
A dark mist danced around his fingers.
— "Strange… the longer I stay here… the more my power stabilizes."
— "Normal," said Lya, appearing behind him. "You went from 'fragile copy' to 'named entity.' That changes everything."
— "Shadow…" he repeated. "I like it even more now."
— "And be careful if you repeat it too much," added Lya with a dangerous smile. "I can change my mind."
Ryn whispered to Elyon:
— "She likes him, doesn't she?"
— "She likes controlling him. That's worse."
Lya threw a pen across the room without turning.
It passed a millimeter from Elyon's head.
— "I heard you, heir of chaos."
Elyon clapped slowly.
— "Fantastic precision."
Suddenly.
A tiny astral portal opened near the ceiling.
A familiar head emerged.
Blackstar.
In mini version.
Everyone froze.
— "Uh…" said Elyon. "Why is he pocket‑sized?"
Mini‑Blackstar growled:
— "Remote channeling test… Don't laugh, half‑catastrophe."
Liora crossed her arms:
— "Everything… went well at the guild?"
Mini‑Blackstar stared into the void.
— "…Let's just say they now respect the concept of 'break' like a religion."
Zarion smiled slightly:
— "Aggressive but effective teaching method."
— "I had to punch reality for the message to get through."
Shadow timidly raised his hand:
— "Is my name still accepted in your territory?"
— "Who named you?"
— "Lya."
— "Then it's validated."
Lya blinked.
— "…Thank you?"
Mini‑Blackstar looked around.
— "…Is your base a hospital for dangerous entities or what?"
Elyon spread his arms.
— "Welcome to our home."
Suddenly, another shock resounded from the training hall.
The wall blew apart.
Valor appeared in the smoke, intact, eyes glowing with energy.
— "I DID IT."
Annabelle, covered in dust, emerged behind him.
— "HE CREATED AN INTERNAL CATALYST IN 12 MINUTES."
A shocked silence filled the room.
Zarion exhaled slowly:
— "…That's absurd."
Mini‑Blackstar:
— "…That's illegal in four dimensions."
Liora smiled, proud.
— "That's my guild."
Valor gave a thumbs‑up:
— "Can someone turn off the little sun I accidentally created behind me?"
Everyone turned.
A mini‑star burned calmly in the room.
Shadow:
— "…We're moving."
Liora placed a hand on her forehead.
— "No."
She raised a finger.
The star extinguished like a candle.
Total silence.
Then Ryn declared:
— "Honestly… we handled that situation cleanly."
---
**Annabelle turned to Valor and said:**
— "You created a catalyst when you should first create an internal space to store mana.
If you absorb the mana of worlds directly… it might react, or your internal mana could reject it.
So focus, and try to create a space to store worlds' mana."