The Guildmaster was at first repulsed by Lucien's request. But then he seemed to have suddenly gotten a second thought and asked Lucien to call Adrian in on his way out.

Lucien had no idea what the two discussed or what could have made the man suddenly have a change of heart. But he was sure that the Guildmaster had his own agenda for asking Adrian to follow him along.

He wasn't sure about the Guildmaster's intentions, but he at least knew that for now, since the man needed him, he wouldn't harm him. Lucien also thought that perhaps his reasoning could be wrong, but he didn't know, and he wasn't going to shy away from being taught a lesson or two.

He went straight to the merchant guild and delivered young Valerie to the Mage Academy. When he came back, Adrian was waiting for him alongside Gaya, while the servants that served in the Guild were going around running errands.

The sky was rolling with liquid darkness, with a few thin lights in its expansive blanket sparkling occasionally. Numerous blue and cantaloupe radiance shimmered from countless buildings beneath the sky. Even on the darkest, moonless night, the atmosphere of the Civitas Ward was as glamorous as day.

Lucien entered the compound of the merchant Guild. A caravan full of strange-looking mercenaries littered the center section of the compound. He did not remember ever seeing them there, so his guess was that they most likely just arrived from a recent expedition.

That was not his business. He walked over to Gaya and Adrian, who were standing next to the lamp pole at the entrance's left side.

"You done?"

Gaya asked with a casual tone, prompting him to nod his head with a soft smile. He looked sadly despondent as he approached them.

Truth was, he had a lot to think about as he journeyed back alone after dropping off Valerie. Lady Varlyeth was wrong, but he couldn't answer to himself if what he did was right. Perhaps he acted rashly as a result of the series of events that were happening to him.

He was slightly frustrated, angered, and wasn't in a good place. Even right now, he was still angered, but his head was clearer; he knew what to do and what not to do.

And he also felt like he knew himself and what he would do.

"Yeah, I'm done."

Lucien looked at Adrian… and grinned.

"Are you glad?"

Adrian stared with a baffled expression—amusing to Lucien.

"I'm not sure if I should be… I feel a little bit angry."

Lucien smiled and nodded more.

"The fact that you are at least open about how you feel means it's not that bad."

Adrian raised a brow.

"You can't be so sure…?"

Lucien looked at him evenly, serious.

"I can."

Adrian almost felt tampered with; he frowned.

"You can't…"

Before they were going to turn their weird exchange into an unending back and forth, Gaya snapped into the conversation.

"Really? Are you two children?"

Lucien gulped, swallowing his next reply, while Gaya looked at him.

"You should say your farewell to the lady, also thank her. She provided us with three Horned Stallions."

Lucien's eyes flared.

"Oh?! I have much thanks to give then. I should indeed thank her!!"

Gaya examined him for a brief second with a reproachful expression.

"You looked like your entire life had been brought down upon your head just now, and now you are practically glowing."

She shook her head with mild amusement.

"How do you even manage it?"

Lucien flashed her a thumbs up.

"Secret ingredient."

He walked into the guild hall.

The interior of the Merchant guild hall was a stark difference from that of the Adventurer's guild hall, despite looking so similar.

The merchant guild hall rose like a cathedral of coin, its vaulted ceiling hung with banners bearing crests of caravans, ships, and golden scales.

Merchants huddled at long oak tables, their whispers sharp as blades, while scribes bent over ledgers, quills scratching like restless insects.

The air was thick with the musk of parchment and coin, cut faintly by incense drifting from brass burners. With the Adventurer's guild, Lucien had always mostly smelled beer and steel.

He walked straight to the reception table, meeting a lady with beautiful grey eyes like his, except that she had brown skin and her hair was braided into side buns.

As he walked towards her, the lady recognized him immediately. No one knew him as Player Cien, but the scar on his left eye was too poignant not to be noticed.

She smiled as he approached her desk and said to him:

"Follow me."

The receptionist left her desk and escorted him through the backdoor that led to a dark hallway. After that, they entered a rectangular chamber that began to fall.

Lucien was stunned.

'An elevator in a game? Cool.'

Immediately, Lucien's eyes opened to a glittering ceiling first. The arching ceilings themselves were like glasses of blue light pouring into the large hall.

White walls reflected the azure lights from the ceiling, dampening the atmosphere of the expanse in exquisite luxury.

The glittering blue lights reflected in Lucien's eyes; his mouth fell open.

"Interesting…"

In the center of the vast chamber was what looked like a sitting room with exotic sets of chairs, practically floating above the ground with a shadow of blue light pooling beneath them.

Men in black leather armor and black masks that covered the lower half of their faces stood left and right around the chamber.

Lady Varlyeth herself was seated on one of the chairs, a lot of papers in front of her. She was ruffling through them and angrily throwing some over her head.

The receptionist that brought him down walked forward and bowed.

One of the guards that was standing towards the edge of the chair that sat close to the right-hand side moved forward.

His eyes were deep and dark and also expressionless. Lucien could read nothing in them. He looked more like a killer than a protector.

"This is Lady Varlyeth's visitor."

The man shifted his gaze over the girl and set it on Lucien.

Then he turned and walked towards the center of the room. He climbed down the three stairs and neared the lady who was visibly lost in what she was doing.

She casually took a pipe next to her and sucked it, releasing the smoke into the air before pausing to look at the man standing next to her, then her gaze moved to Lucien.

Immediately, her eyes shone.

"Savior! My savior!"

Lucien was struck with a lot of surprise. Lady Varlyeth seemed… different.

He was already questioning himself if this was the same rude, unhinged woman he had met several nights ago.

She stood up and moved towards him, her violet-colored glittering dress twisting and playing with the light that fell on it.

The guard followed her silently as she walked towards Lucien.

She gently took his hands with both of her hands, holding them warmly.

"Sir Cien… I want to properly apologize for how rude I was… Lady Gaya made me see how unfair I had acted with you and many other people."

She glanced back.

"As you can see… I have decided to be more responsible and control my mouth more, not hurt people with the things that I say, so karma won't backfire on me or most especially my daughter."

She smiled as she released his hand.

"And thank you for taking Valerie back to the Academy. She was so happy."

Lucien nodded. He was blinking as she was talking. But now, he just stared at her with a worried look.

'What did Gaya do?'

***

A leviathan turtle clad in jagged armor clamped its massive maws on the long neck of a water serpent. Three of the serpent's heads were gone, leaving two. And of those two, another one was trapped within the turtle's maws, struggling to break free.

The last head of the serpent viciously struck the back of the turtle, but it was to no avail.

The turtle's hide gleamed with a crimson undertone, as though its very skin had been tempered in molten fire.

Crimson fins jutted from its shell like serrated blades, catching the dim ocean light with a deadly sheen.

Its scales were like iron, difficult to break through. The serpent was suffering, and it knew. But it was a vicious monster that had survived this far because of its resilience and iron-clad will.

And the turtle had tasted that will so much that it knew and acknowledged it. But the turtle's own eyes flashed with a more lethal and vicious resolve, a resilience that was carved in hell.

With a roar that shook the corners of the ocean, it wrenched out the serpent's neck, throwing it into the water. Crimson blades instantly rolled out from beneath the turtle's scales, arching through the air like boomerangs. They flashed away and twirled back, slicing the surviving necks with a butcher's precision, each neck piece chopped like a chunk of meat, plummeting into the depth of the ocean.

With that, the turtle roared powerfully. At the same time, the voice of the system announced worldwide.

[Player Kaine has defeated Thamath, the King of the North Sea]

[Player Kaine has claimed title: King of the North Sea]

[All monsters in the North Sea will pay obeisance to the New King of the North Sea]

[His name is being inscribed in the Hall of Fame.]

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