My words made enough of an impact that none of the reporters dared to say anything. They were just waiting for this so-called historical announcement.

Cameras stayed locked on me, lenses twitching, waiting for the next word.

I didn't say a word, and that only made them more confused.

Without a word, I stepped away from the podium.

My actions threw them off.

Whispers broke out but they still maintained their professionalism.

Before long, another figure walked onto the stage.

A middle age man in his 50's

He had graying hair, but his broad shoulders spoke volumes about how well he had taken care of his body.

I passed him the mic without ceremony.

Then, I turned, walked back to my seat, and sat down leisurely. One leg crossed over the other. Then—slowly—I put on a pair of sunglasses.

In the crowd, most of the reporters whispered, recognizing him.

"Hey… isn't that Michael Buff? What's he doing here?"

"Did DEGEN Guild hire him? I heard he costs tens of millions."

"I mean, the guild leader of DEGEN is known for just throwing money around, so this isn't really surprising."

That last comment stung more than I wanted to admit. It painted me as just another spoiled rich kid, recklessly draining my inheritance with one bad financial move after another—which, painfully was true .

Mr. Buff inhaled once, steady and controlled, and brought the mic to his lips.

"I'm honored to be here today," His voice boomed across the plaza—deep, rich, and attention grabber.

The kind of voice you hear before championship fights—the one that fills arenas when he bellows, "Let's get ready to rumble!"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he boomed, voice carrying like thunder across the plaza. "Are you ready for the moment you've all been waiting for?!"

The crowd leaned in, buzzing with anticipation.

"Today... marks the beginning of a new era!"

A pause.

Then, louder. Fuller.

"Presenting DEGEN Guild's core members!."

He stopped, letting the silence stretch for maximum dramatic effect.

"The blade that never misses its mark."

"The maiden with both beauty and deadly skill… the one and only!Alexa Lee, the Phantom Blade Dancer!"

Everyone's eyes were glued to the stage—but no one appeared.

No Phantom Blade Dancer. No Alexa Lee. Just an empty spotlight cutting through drifting smoke.

Then—

She just appeared out of the blue.

No flash. No warning.

She stood dead center beneath the light, body calm and perfectly balanced, a short katana resting loosely in her hand, ready to be drewn any time.

Her suit clung to her like a second skin, sleek and fitted. Subtle patterns ran along its surface—elegant lines and markings that hinted at its eastern origins, old-school craftsmanship blended with modern tech.

It stopped at her legs, leaving the rest bare, an intentional design choice that only made her stand out more.

click!

She drew her blade, and made a single effortless swing.

WHUM.

The air screamed as it split, a razor-sharp pressure ripping outward.

Half a second later, the sound caught up.

Behind the crowd, the massive artificial pillars—steel-reinforced, decorative structure shuddered.

Then slid.

Cleanly.

The plaza went dead quiet , and just as they thought they seen enough the screen on the stage showed her official rank . S RANKS,

"No way… she's an S-Rank? And she has the same power as Hai-Yen?" One of the reporter spat out.

"Wait—you noticed that too? They can both teleport! And… wow, she's also really pretty. Man, DEGEN Guild really hit the jackpot with her."

"Oh my god… this is huge! How did DEGEN Guild even hide someone like this?"

This was expected—Alexa had never registered as a Seeker before, so the press had no information on her whatsoever, unlike the other girls.

I leaned back slightly and smiled. This reaction—was exactly what I been waiting for.

Michael, look at me before continuing.

I gave him the nod to proceed.

His voice rang out again, carrying just enough drama to make every head in the plaza snap toward him. Not gonna lie—he was really good at it.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he paused to let the suspense build, "if you thought that was amazing then get ready for what's coming next."

People tilted their heads up as something strange appeared in the sky.

A faint blue glow shimmered in the air.

Then—boom!

The sky erupted in blue flames, crackling and dancing across the air without burning a thing. It was like watching fireworks come alive.

And there she was.

Flying above them, hair blazing red, wings made entirely of ethereal azure flames stretching out behind her. She floated effortlessly, moving as if the air itself was carrying her.

The contrast between her fiery red hair and the ethereal flames only added to her presence. The media couldn't stop snapping photos—her entrance was spectacular, and her face was just as captivating as Alexa's.

I checked my phone and saw the live broadcast—comments were blowing up, the chat going absolutely wild.

The announcer's voice soared above the crowd as she touched down on the stage.

"DEGEN Guild proudly presents… our second S-Rank —Rhea Jane, the Ethereal Flame Empress!"

Just like before, the screen displayed her official rank, giving her presence even more weight and credibility.

"What the…? Two S-Ranks?!"

"Did DEGEN Guild sell all their member's soul for extreme luck or something? There's no way they got this many already. They're way too new."

"That's right. Even if DEGEN Guild has money, a top guild like Phoenix would usually be a better choice for S-Rankers—they control access to so many towers. DEGEN? They don't have that kind of resources or experience… yet."

The reasoning made sense—but only for a normal guild. It didn't apply to one like ours, where we could produce S-Ranks in large numbers.

"And I'm not done yet!" he declared." "Our third S-Rank… Faye Holmes! The one, the only… Lightning Goddess!"

crack!

The sky answered immediately. A deafening crack of lightning split the air, blinding half the audience for a heartbeat.

Air shivered under the power, the buzz of electricity vibrating through every metal barrier and camera drone.

Then, from the heart of the electrified white pillar, she appeared.

Silver hair flowed like liquid light, her shimmering silver outfit catching every flash of lightning.

Every movement radiated storm , like the sky itself had taken human form.

"Three…?" a reporter stuttered, voice cracking with disbelief. "Not just two… but three?"

"And all of them were beautiful women. Forget climbing the tower—the amount of sponsorships they could pull in alone would be astronomical."

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer's voice rang out again.

One reporter almost walked out. "Is there… a fourth? How many more S-Ranks does DEGEN have hidden?"

Luckily, instead of revealing anyone new, the announcer just reintroduced the three S-Ranks.

A collective sigh of relief rippled through the crowd. Four S-Ranks in a single day would be too much of a shocker.

"Three S-Ranks, huh… not bad for a newly established guild."

A voice echoed.

From the edge of the stage, a man walked forward. He was devilishly handsome, dressed in a sharp, expensive suit that showed he was rich and powerful.

Just his smile alone could make women melt. Calling him handsome didn't even begin to describe his face—it was something far more captivating.

The announcer's voice held a note of caution. "Who… are you, sir?"

SWOOOSH!

The new comer vanished from sight—not by teleporting, but by moving so fast.

Alexa reacted first, drawing her short katana in a flash. But before she could strike, his blackened fist collided with her blade.

The force slammed him backward across the stage like a cannonball.

In midair, she a vanished, reappearing just in time to reduce the impact of the recoil. She landed safely.

"Neutralized him!"

Rhea and Faye moved instinctively, launching attacks at the new comer—but both froze halfway, realizing the crowd made an all out attack too dangerous.

"Let's take it easy," the man said, stepping forward with a small, amused smile. "That was just my way of saying hello."

He reached into his suit and pulled out an ID, holding it up for everyone to see.

"My name is Chase Nate," I announced, revealing my identity "I'm a new S-Rank, and I'm here because I'm interested in joining DEGEN Guild if they could afford someone of my caliber."

The words hit like a bomb. Phones everywhere went into overdrive.

Livestreams spiked, social media exploded, and news outlets scrambled.

After this, not even the Association could easily reject my request. And with four S-Ranks under my belt, I could finally bid for a tower, since it only required three.

Turning around, my clone jumped from one building to another before disappearing into thin air.

Back in my original body, I stood up and faced the press.

"Mr. Chase and I will be having a private discussion regarding his interest in joining our guild , so I'll be cutting this announcement short."

"Once again. Thank you all for coming today—and rest assured, we will continue creating capable Seekers. DEGEN Guild will rise to become the number one guild, not just here, but in the entire country."

***

***

Authors Note:

Advance happy New Year, everyone! . I'm only posting one chapter today, but don't worry—it's way longer than usual.

I wanted to write more, but I spent all my time cooking, cleaning, and basically pretending I know what I'm doing in a kitchen.

For someone like me—whose usual workout consists of lifting a mouse and sitting in front of a PC for hours, this was basically a marathon event.

So, I hope you understand why I'm very tired.

I hope you'll continue to support me next year as well. Thank you for sticking with me. I really appreciate it.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.