The Primordial Core glowed brightly in the center of the dark underground cavern. Kaelen stood before the giant crystal, preparing his small team for the surface world.

Wearing his tattered black cloak, he activated the Weaver’s Shadow-Ring. Instantly, his sharp jawline softened and his glowing violet eyes shifted to a dull brown, disguising him as a weak, unremarkable swordsman.

Seraphina stood behind him in heavy silver chainmail, a brown traveler’s cloak pulled low over her head to completely hide her golden hair and eyes.

Finally, Lyriel stepped out of the hallway. The Elven Royal Assassin wore a skin-tight black leather suit from the armory. With the Blood Curse completely destroyed and her soul bound to the Abyss, her body was perfectly restored. Her Level 60 agility had returned, and dark void mana pulsed warmly in her veins.

"Listen carefully," Kaelen said with a commanding voice. "The moment we step out of this dungeon, we are in enemy territory. If the Church Inquisitors recognize either of you, they will send an army to kill us."

"We understand, Master," Seraphina answered softly.

"What are our roles, my King?" Lyriel asked, her silver eyes filled with submissive adoration.

"My name is Vane, a Bronze-rank mercenary," Kaelen explained. "Seraphina, you are Sera. You are a silent warrior. You do not speak to anyone."

Seraphina nodded silently.

Kaelen turned to the Elven woman. "Lyriel, your name is Lyra. You are my hidden scout. When we enter the capital, you will stay completely hidden in the shadows and watch us from the roofs. You are the unseen blade that protects my back."

Lyriel smiled darkly. "I will not fail you. My daggers belong to you."

"System," Kaelen commanded. "Open the Abyssal Waypoint."

A massive purple rune carved itself into the stone beneath their feet. The void magic erupted violently, dissolving the cavern into a fast blur of purple streaks. When their vision cleared, they stood inside the hidden cave on the surface world.

The bright morning sun shined through the trees. Lyriel took a deep breath, savoring the fresh forest air.

They walked quietly through the woods until they reached the massive white stone walls of Aethelgard. Because Kaelen now possessed an official Bronze-rank guild badge, the corrupt city guards did not harass him like a beggar. They simply checked his shiny token and waved them inside.

The city streets were incredibly loud, packed with thousands of busy merchants and nobles.

"Go," Kaelen whispered without looking back.

Lyriel didn’t hesitate. She used her restored passive skill, Shadow Step. Channeling a drop of void mana, she instantly teleported from the sunny street into a dark alleyway, then scaled the side of a building. She moved like an invisible ghost across the clay roof tiles, following Kaelen and Seraphina from high above.

Kaelen walked directly to the mercenary district and pushed open the doors of the Crimson Aegis Guild. Up on the roof, Lyriel slipped through an open window into the dark attic, crawling silently across the thick wooden rafters to look down at the massive tavern below.

The guild was packed with hundreds of dirty mercenaries drinking ale and arm-wrestling. Kaelen and Seraphina ignored the noise and headed toward to the registration desk.

The curvy, red-haired receptionist went completely pale the moment she saw Kaelen approach. She remembered exactly how effortlessly this man had crushed an Iron-ranked warrior’s wrist just a day ago.

"S-Sir Vane," she stammered, standing up quickly to bow respectfully. Her hands trembled as she organized her papers. "Welcome back. How can the guild serve you today?"

"I have formed a new party," Kaelen said calmly. He pointed to Seraphina. "This is Sera. I want to register her as my official party member. And I need a dangerous quest."

Before the nervous receptionist could hand him the parchment, heavy footsteps echoed behind them.

"Move out of the way, rookie," a rough voice barked.

Kaelen slowly turned around. Three heavily scarred men in shining silver armor stood behind him. Their boots were covered in fresh, thick mud. They had clearly just returned to the capital from a long expedition, which meant they had completely missed Kaelen’s terrifying display of power yesterday.

The scarred leader sneered at the Bronze-rank badge pinned to Kaelen’s cloak. "We just returned from hunting a troll. We are Silver-rank veterans, which means we get priority at the desk. Step aside, little rat, before I break your scrawny arms."

The moment the scarred leader threatened Kaelen, a strange thing happened.

The entire Crimson Aegis Guild went dead silent.

The mercenaries sitting at the tables nearby instantly stood up, grabbed their drinks, and backed away in pure terror. They all remembered what the man in the black cloak had done yesterday. Nobody wanted to be standing close when the blood started flying.

The Silver leader looked around, confused by the sudden silence. He looked back at Kaelen, and then he noticed Seraphina standing quietly behind him. Even under her heavy cloak, he could see the beautiful curves of her body.

"Hey, beautiful," the ignorant leader smiled greedily, taking a step toward her. "Why are you following a fresh Bronze-rank rat? Leave him and join a real man’s party."

The ugly man reached his dirty hand forward to grab Seraphina’s hood.

Up in the rafters, Lyriel’s glowing silver eyes narrowed with pure anger. She gripped her steel daggers, ready to teleport down and slice the arrogant man’s throat. But she stopped as Kaelen sent a quick mental command through their Mana-Binding connection.

’Stay up there, my shadow. Let me play.’

Kaelen didn’t yell or draw a weapon. He simply moved his hand.

Moving faster than the human eye could track, Kaelen grabbed the scarred man’s thick wrist right before it touched Seraphina’s cloak. Using a tiny fraction of the terrifying Level 85 physical strength he had stolen from his Vanguard, Kaelen squeezed his bare hand tightly.

CRACK.

The sickening sound of thick bones snapping echoed across the silent tavern. The scarred Silver leader screamed at the top of his lungs, his crushed wrist bent backward at a terrible angle. He fell to his knees in blinding agony.

"Kill him!" the other two Silver mercenaries shouted in shock, drawing their heavy steel longswords.

Kaelen sighed in boredom. He stepped forward smoothly and punched the first mercenary directly in the chest. His monstrous raw strength shattered the thick silver armor like cheap glass. The man flew backward ten feet, crashing heavily through an empty wooden table before fainting on the dirty floor.

The last mercenary roared, swinging his sharp steel sword directly at Kaelen’s head.

Kaelen didn’t dodge. He simply raised his bare left forearm. The heavy steel blade hit his magically dense arm with a loud clink, exactly like hitting a solid iron anvil. The sword didn’t even scratch his skin.

The mercenary’s eyes widened in absolute horror. Before he could pull back, Kaelen grabbed him by the throat, lifted the heavy man high into the air with one arm, and violently slammed him face-first into the solid stone floor. The stone cracked loudly like a spiderweb, and the man stopped moving completely.

The regular mercenaries in the tavern just swallowed hard, their fears completely confirmed.

Up in the dark rafters, a deep shiver ran down Lyriel’s spine. Her core felt incredibly warm. Seeing his raw, brutal physical dominance against Silver-rank elites on the surface world made her respect and loyalty for him grow even stronger. He truly was a monster.

Down below, Kaelen casually stepped over the bleeding bodies. He turned back to the trembling receptionist as if nothing had happened.

"My party is officially registered," Kaelen said smoothly. "Now, give me that quest. It’s time to hunt."