Morning had barely settled over the capital when the streets began to pulse with life.
Vendors called out from their stalls, metal clanged somewhere in the distance, and the smell of fresh bread drifted lazily through the air. It was a city that never truly slept—only shifted between rhythms.
Kael walked at a steady pace, hands tucked loosely into the pockets of his coat. His gaze moved—not in awe like before—but in quiet observation.
He was adapting.
Beside him, Lyra matched his steps, her posture composed, though her eyes occasionally drifted toward him as if checking that he hadn't disappeared.
Nyx, on the other hand, walked slightly ahead, spinning one of her small potion vials between her fingers with practiced ease.
"So," she said, not bothering to turn around, "you've been staring at everything since we got here."
"I'm observing," Kael replied calmly.
"You're gawking."
"I am not."
"You absolutely are."
Lyra covered a small smile with her hand.
Fufuin trotted quietly at Kael's side, his four eyes scanning the surroundings with constant vigilance.
"Your attention is too dispersed," the wolf muttered. "You are in a hostile territory."
Kael exhaled softly. "Yeah… I know."
And he did.
Because even in the noise of the city, there was something else.
A feeling.
Like invisible threads pulling tighter around him.
They reached it soon after.
The Adventurers' Guild.
It stood larger than any building nearby—wide, solid, alive with movement. Voices spilled out from within, layered with laughter, arguments, and the dull rhythm of boots against wooden floors.
Nyx stopped just before the entrance.
"This is where everything gathers," she said quietly. "Information. power… trouble."
Kael stepped forward without hesitation.
"Then let's go inside."
The moment they entered—
The noise hit them first.
Then the silence.
It spread slowly.
Like ink bleeding through water.
Eyes turned.
One by one.
Conversations halted.
Something shifted in the air.
Kael felt it immediately.
Fufuin's fur bristled slightly.
"…Master."
"I see them."
Across the guild.
At a table near the center.
They were there.
The four summoned heroes.
And beside them—
The woman in white armor.
And the towering figure in orange steel.
Everything stopped.
Not by command.
But by instinct.
Dylan Carter leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing as he took in Kael's presence.
"…Well," he muttered. "Looks like we found him first."
Vanessa Vale's lips curved slowly, her gaze locking onto Kael with sharp curiosity.
"So that's the one…"
Arthur adjusted his glasses, though his attention was far more focused than before.
"…His mana presence is abnormal…"
Elena… froze.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…He's… the one…?"
Seraphine Drakmor stood.
Not abruptly.
But decisively.
The subtle shift of her movement alone was enough to pull the entire guild deeper into silence.
Her gaze met Kael's.
Cold.
Measured.
Unwavering.
"…So," she said, her voice calm but carrying effortlessly through the room, "you chose to walk into the center of the hunt."
Lyra instinctively stepped closer to Kael.
Nyx's fingers twitched near her staff.
Fufuin let out a low, warning growl.
Kael didn't move.
Didn't look away.
"…I didn't come here for you," he replied.
A faint pause.
"…But I guess this saves time."
Brakk Ironveil rose next.
Slowly.
The weight of his armor seemed to press against the floor with each movement.
His eyes studied Kael—not with hostility.
But with interest.
"…So you're the anomaly."
Vanessa stood, brushing a strand of hair from her shoulder.
"Well," she said lightly, though her eyes gleamed with something far more intense, "this just got interesting."
Seraphine stepped forward.
The distance between them closed by a single step.
But the pressure in the room doubled.
"You are identified," she said.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
"The unauthorized summon. The irregularity."
Her hand rested lightly on the hilt of her sword.
"The King has issued direct orders."
The words fell like a blade.
"…You are to be eliminated."
The air broke.
Nyx moved first.
Her staff appeared in a flash of yellow flame, the orb at its tip igniting instantly.
Lyra raised her hand, divine light gathering instinctively around her fingers.
Fufuin stepped forward, his small form trembling—not in fear.
But in anticipation.
Kael exhaled.
Slowly.
"…Yeah," he murmured. "That sounds about right."
Dylan stepped forward with a grin.
"Finally," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Something worth hitting."
Arthur took a step back, already analyzing the situation.
Vanessa tilted her head, eyes never leaving Kael.
Elena hesitated—but didn't retreat.
Seraphine didn't raise her weapon.
Not yet.
"…Capture if possible," she said.
A pause.
"…Kill if necessary."
That was enough.
The First Clash
The floor cracked.
That was the first thing that happened.
Because Kael moved.
Not forward—
But through.
A blur of motion as mana surged violently through his body, his presence distorting the air around him as he closed the distance in an instant.
Dylan barely had time to react.
Their fists collided.
The impact exploded outward, sending a shockwave across the room that knocked chairs aside and shattered a nearby table.
Dylan's grin faltered.
"…What the—?!"
Kael didn't stop.
His second strike came faster, sharper—forcing Dylan to block with both arms as his feet slid backward across the floor.
"Not bad," Dylan muttered, forcing a smirk. "But you're not the only one with power—!"
A flash of light cut between them.
Arthur.
A spell formed instantly—compressed mana firing toward Kael like a focused beam.
Kael twisted his body mid-motion.
The attack grazed past him—
But it tore through the wall behind, exploding outward into the street.
The guild erupted into chaos.
People scattered.
Shouts filled the air.
"Fufuin!"
The wolf responded instantly.
His body expanded mid-leap, fur stretching, bones shifting—his true form emerging in a surge of overwhelming presence.
The massive wolf landed between Kael and the others, four glowing eyes locking onto the heroes.
"Stay close," Fufuin growled.
"I always do."
Vanessa moved next.
Her magic wasn't explosive.
It was subtle.
Her fingers traced through the air, weaving something unseen—
A distortion.
A pull.
Kael felt it immediately.
His movements slowed.
Not physically—
But perceptually.
"…Interesting," she whispered. "Let's see how you handle this."
"Don't look at her!"
Nyx's voice cut through the noise.
Her staff slammed against the ground.
A pulse of magic disrupted Vanessa's effect, snapping Kael free.
"Focus, idiot!"
"Yeah, got it!"
Elena hesitated—
Then forced herself forward.
Her hands trembled slightly as mana gathered around her.
Light magic.
Pure.
Unstable.
She fired.
Kael raised his arm—
The blast hit.
And exploded.
He was pushed back several steps, the impact cracking the floor beneath him.
Silence flickered for a split second.
Smoke rose.
"…Did I—?"
The smoke parted.
Kael stepped out.
Unharmed.
His eyes sharper now.
More focused.
"…You're strong," he said, looking directly at her. "But you hesitate."
Elena froze.
Dylan charged again.
This time faster.
Stronger.
Both fists swung in a rapid sequence—
Kael met him head-on.
Each collision rang through the room like metal striking metal.
Neither gave ground.
Not anymore.
Behind them—
Fufuin clashed with Arthur's spells.
Biting through constructs of mana, tearing apart projectiles before they could fully form.
Nyx and Vanessa exchanged magic—fire against illusion, force against manipulation.
Lyra stood behind Kael—
Supporting.
Watching.
Her hands trembled slightly.
"…This is…"
Her heart raced.
"…This is war…"
At the edge of it all—
Seraphine watched.
Still.
Silent.
Measuring.
And beside her—
Brakk Ironveil smiled.
Just slightly.
"…Now this," he muttered under his breath, "is worth watching."
The guild was no longer a building.
It was a battlefield.
And this—
Was only the beginning.