Chapter 5 Guild

Chapter 5 Guild

The receptionist led Rael and Vhal'Zar into a spacious, reinforced private chamber. The walls were lined with heavy gray barrier stones designed to absorb stray magical impacts. In the center of the room stood an elderly guild proctor wearing a sharp monocle, flanked by two primary testing apparatuses. a large, ornate pedestal holding a pristine mana-measuring crystal, and a massive, enchanted iron anvil meant for testing physical striking power.

"Welcome," the proctor greeted them, his voice dry and professional. "The guild aptitude test is divided into two phases: Mana Capacity and Physical Strength. Who wishes to go first?"

"I'll go," Rael stepped forward.

The proctor gestured to the crystal pedestal. "Place your palm on the crystal and channel a brief pulse of your mana. Do not overexert yourself; the crystal will automatically calculate your baseline capacity."

Rael took a deep breath. After incident at the main gate, he was hyper-aware of his max-level status. 'Okay Rael, you already wear the ring but I’m not sure it can falsing the entire mana, but just in case.’ Rael gulped ‘Just a tiny, drop of mana. Imagine a single thread. Hold it back... suppress it...'

He gently pressed his palm against the smooth crystal and released what he believed to be the weakest, most pathetic sliver of his magic.

For a split second, the crystal glowed a faint blue. Rael internally celebrated. 'Yes! Perfect! Just like a normal-'

CRACK.

Before he could even finish his thought, a spiderweb of violent purple fractures tore through the center of the measuring device. A deafening shattered sound echoed through the room as the high-grade mana crystal completely exploded into fine glittery dust. The protective barrier stones on the walls groaned under the sudden, invisible pressure wave.

The proctor’s monocle popped right out of his eye, his jaw dropping “T-The... the reinforced capacity crystal... shattered?! That device can withstand up to A-rank grand mages!"

Rael quickly pulled his hand back, sweating bullets. "Ah! Haha... wow, what a fragile crystal. Is it old? It must be defective, right?"

The proctor stared at Rael like confused and shock at the same time, frantically scribbling something down on his clipboard. “hmm maybe it is old I guess” the proctor tried to think logically.

And then the guild assistant brought the new crystal again. “okay maybe that was an error so you must to try again”.

Rael then learn from his mistake ‘this time don’t channel the mana… I don’t care if I’m branded as person who has no mana’. Again he took the test again and this time he doesn’t let a single drop mana in to the crystal.

But suddenly he didn’t expect the crystal glowed faint blue but now the crystal didn’t shatter ‘nice even though I didn’t single drop my mana’.the proctor see it “ah yes maybe other crystal is already old hahaha!!!” rael just smiled awkwardly ‘what the hell I even didn’t pour any mana on it’

Next, Rael rushed over to the second test-the physical striking anvil. 'okay like before. I need to tank my physical score right now, or we're going to get dragged into some royal investigation.'

"Moving on to the physical test!" Rael declared. He raised his fist. He relaxed his muscles entirely, delivering a limp, make real punch gesture but actually incredibly weak tap against the enchanted iron anvil.

Tink.

The anvil vibrate a little. A small magical counter above the machine flickered and displayed a pitifully normal number.

The proctor blinked, looking back and forth between the obliterated mana pedestal and the pathetic physical score. "Uh... Physical Strength: Level low. Based on your... bizarrely mismatched results, you are officially granted an E-Rank adventurer plate."

Rael let out a massive sigh of relief, happily accepting the low rank. 'Perfect. E-Rank is just right.'

Turning around, Rael quickly approached Vhal'Zar before step up. He leaned in close, utilizing their private mind-link once more.

[Sound Transmission]

'Vhal, listen to me very carefully,' Rael hissed mentally. 'You saw what just happened. My suppression wasn't enough. When you do the mana test, you need to suppress your core even harder than I did. Lock it down completely, bottle it up, and do not let a single drop slip out, understand? Do not break that machine again like I did!'

Vhal'Zar’s expression turned solemn noded. 'Understood, Master. I shall compress my primordial mana essence to the absolute limit.'

The proctor cleared his throat, and seeing vhal’zhar with great hope because his figures already tell that he is strong "Alright... next applicant, please step forward."

Vhal'Zar walked up to the pedestal like an imposing monolith. Closing his eyes, he executed his master’s orders with absolute, rigid perfection. He clamped down his mana, He suppressed his power far more intensely than Rael had.

Slowly, Vhal'Zar placed his heavy gauntlet onto the fresh crystal.

The crystal violently shuddered. It groaned under the immense, dense pressure of the suppressed energy, but thanks to Vhal'Zar’s control, the glass managed to hold together without breaking. However, the sheer density of the magic couldn't be completely hidden. The crystal began to emit a blinding, deep crimson radiance that filled the entire chamber, humming with a terrifyingly high power reading.

The proctor gasped, his hands trembling as he checked the gauge. "M-Monstrous... even while heavily restricted, the mana density is off the charts!"

Rael watched from the side, wiping sweat from his forehead. 'Well, at least he didn't break it. Good job, Vhal.'

"Next... the physical test," the proctor stammered, pointing a shaky finger at the iron anvil.

Vhal'Zar turned toward the massive slab of enchanted metal. He remembered his master's instruction to suppress his mana. But unlike mana test for the physical his master didn’t order to surpress it so he just punch like ordinary usual.

Standing before the anvil, Vhal'Zar casually threw a basic, straightforward right hook.

BOOM—!

The sound was like a cannon going off inside the enclosed room. The enchanted iron anvil didn't just register a high score; the entire heavy metal apparatus exploded backward, tearing itself off its reinforced floor mounts and crashing violently into the back wall, shattering the gray barrier stones into pieces.

Dust and debris rained down inside the testing chamber.

Vhal'Zar calmly pulled his fist back, completely unbothered, and turned to look at Rael with an innocent, confused expression, as if asking, 'Did I do it right, Master?'

Rael stood frozen in place, his soul practically leaving his body as he stared at the demolished wall. 'I told you to hold back, you rock-headed block of calcium!

Vhal’zhar then with worry expression ‘master I’m sorry I tought you mean just mana test and not physical test’

Rael just sighed ‘haaah…..you alredy spilled the milk so it is what it is’

The elderly proctor dropped his clipboard entirely, his eyes bloodshot with pure shock as he stared at the giant knight. He didn't even need a measuring gauge to calculate that level of destruction.

"S... S-Rank..." the proctor whispered, his voice cracking in sheer terror and awe. "An absolute, monstrous S-Rank powerhouse has just walked into Greenvale!"

Staff guild then remind the proctor “S tier can’t be given trough this test alone, he must complete the A rank quest alone or S rank with party so we give him A-Rank” the proctor then argue “but his strength just exceed A-Rank why would he be give the A-Rank-“

Seeing an opportunity to lower their profile, Rael stepped forward with a polite smile. "There's really no need to argue, sirs. Vhal'Zar does not mind receiving an A-Rank status at all, so please don't worr—"

"Excuse me, who are you again?" the proctor interrupted abruptly, turning his head with a sneer. He looked down at Rael, his tone dripping with elitist arrogance. "Can you please not butt into a high-level conversation between guild officials? Know your place, E-rank."

Rael’s smile twitched slightly, but he kept his composure. He understood all too well that rank discrimination was deeply rooted in this world's culture. On one hand, he was glad his E-rank status kept him off the radar, but on the other hand... 'Damn, that old man is really asking for a slap.'

Before Rael could even process his irritation, a sudden, suffocating wave of pure killing intent flooded the room.

It came from Vhal'Zar.

Hearing his supreme master insulted by a mere mortal, the ancient undead completely snapped. Vhal'Zar’s chiseled, incredibly handsome human face instantly contorted into an expression of pure, demonic malice. His aristocratic features tightened, his sharp jaw locking as the faint blue rings within his human pupils flared like dying stars. He glared down at the proctor, a low, guttural growl vibrating from his chest as he prepared to smash the old man's head straight into the stone floor.

"You dare...!" Vhal'Zar’s baritone voice boomed with terrifying, unbridled fury.

Noticing the immediate danger, Rael panicked internally, frantically opening their mind-link. [Sound Transmission] 'What the hell do you think you're doing?! Vhal, calm down right now!'

Vhal'Zar’s fury completely overrode his restraint. 'I cannot, Master! He dared to speak to you as if you were dirt! The absolute least I can do is skin him alive and make him suffer. I will lock him in a dungeon, let flesh-eating insects consume his body, and use my high-tier magic to repeatedly heal him just to keep him conscious. He will beg for the sweet release of death, but I will never allow it. I will make his existence a living hell!'

The proctor suddenly felt an eerie, bone-chilling cold wash over his entire body. Shivering violently under Vhal'Zar’s terrifying gaze, the old man quickly looked away, sweating profusely as he tried to continue his argument with the guild assistant, desperately trying to ignore the monster standing before him.

Seeing that Vhal'Zar was actively defying a direct order for the second time, Rael's internal panic shifted into genuine, cold fury. He was tired of the reckless slip-ups.

'Calm. Down. I said!'

Stepping in, Rael forcefully drove a sharp punch right into Vhal'Zar’s stomach.

Thud!

The sudden, heavy impact caused the two arguing guild staff to freeze in their tracks.

At that exact moment, Rael’s raw, untamed irritation peeked through his mental walls. For a split second, his calm golden human eyes violently flashed back into their true, horizontal draconic slits. The [Ring of the Mortal Mirage] on his finger gave a sharp, high-pitched hum, violently vibrating as it groaned under the sudden, monumental pressure of a Level 5,129 Primordial Sovereign.

The ring couldn't contain it all. A microscopic sliver of Rael's true, world-crushing aura leaked into the room.

The effect was instantaneous and nightmarish. The temperature in the testing chamber plummeted to absolute zero. The air became so heavy and dense that the proctor and the assistant felt the oxygen stripped from their lungs, their knees buckling as an instinctive, primordial fear of death gripped their hearts-even though Rael's back was turned to them.

But no one felt the weight of that leak more than Vhal'Zar.

To the black primordial, that tiny sliver of leaked aura felt as if the entire heavens had just collapsed directly onto his soul core. The terrifying, murderous giant instantly deflated. His imposing posture vanished, and his handsome face paled in absolute, overwhelming terror. Dropping his head, Vhal'Zar let out a pathetic, quiet whimper, trembling uncontrollably like a severely reprimanded dog. He was utterly terrified of his master's true wrath.

Sensing the catastrophic leak, Rael immediately clamped down on his emotions, forcing the aura back into his core. The suffocating pressure vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the room in a stunned, breathless silence.

Turning back around to face the trembling, wide-eyed guild staff, Rael wore his perfectly harmless, polite smile once more.

"We are incredibly sorry for causing a disruption," Rael said smoothly, his voice pleasant and completely contrasting the invisible terror from a moment ago. "An A-rank plate is absolutely fine for him. We will be waiting outside in the lobby until the IDs are fully processed. Have a wonderful day."

Without waiting for a response, Rael grabbed the shivering Vhal'Zar by the shoulder and promptly led him out of the ruined testing chamber, leaving the two completely paralyzed staff members staring at the door in absolute silence.

the proctor and his staff assistant simultaneously collapsed against the intact wall, clutching their chests as they desperately exhaled heavy, ragged breaths.

"D-Did we..." the proctor stammered, his face still slick with cold sweat. "Did we just anger that S-rank juggernaut? I thought I was going to be erased from existence!"

The staff assistant wiped his brow, shivering slightly as the residual chill in the room began to fade. "Sir... with all due respect, I don't think that terrifying pressure came from the giant."

The proctor blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I think that aura... it came from the guy with the E-rank" the assistant muttered, his voice full of lingering dread.

Even now, the proctor’s ingrained elitism refused to let him believe it. He scoffed, trying to rationalize the impossible. "Nonsense! I refuse to believe that! Do you honestly think a pathetic E-rank nobody can compare to the raw might of an S-rank powerhouse? It’s a statistical impossibility! That suffocating pressure absolutely came from the giant."

The proctor crossed his arms, pacing back and forth through the rubble. "If anything, that E-rank kid is probably just a young master from some absurdly powerful, cloaked noble family, and the giant is his personal bodyguard. That's the only reason an S-rank would whimper like a dog before him... Wait."

The proctor froze dead in his tracks, his eyes widening as a sudden, horrific realization slapped him across the face. He slowly turned his stiff neck toward the assistant.

"...Wait. Is he rich?"

The staff assistant thought back to the frantic message the front receptionist had sent to the back room just minutes ago—the one regarding a mysterious traveler who had casually dropped a flawless, legendary-grade stamina potion onto the counter just to pay for a basic registration fee.

Looking at his trembling boss, the assistant offered a dry, sympathetic smile.

"Well... you're fucked, sir."

They sit around the corner, vhal’zhar still feeling guilty and disappointment to himself he just stare down and not brave enough to look his master in the eyes. Rael seeing him then wrinkled his head with his hand “vhal’zhar am I really your master?” with firm voice.

In a small, nervous voice, Vhal'Zar immediately answered, "Of course, Master."

Rael looked at him intensely. "Then why did you break my direct orders twice today? Hmm?"

Vhal'Zar remained entirely silent, his eyes filled with profound sorrow and guilt.

Seeing his genuine remorse, Rael let out a soft, long sigh, his expression completely softening. A warm smile spread across his face as he reached out and patted the heavy shoulder armor. "Haaah... look, I understand that you wanted to protect my dignity and honor. And honestly, it makes me really happy that you care that much about me."Rael continue “ but you’re already lost your control, you may think why we pick the hard way by blend in and walk through this town right?”

Vhal'Zar opened his mouth tentatively. "Yes, Master... I mean, given your supreme power, why didn't we simply fly over these walls, or use high-tier invisibility to bypass the gates? Why not skip this entire mortal town and begin our search in the capital?"

Rael leaned forward, resting his elbows on the wooden table. "First of all, you noticed it too, didn't you? According to your old memories, this entire region used to be a desolate badland crawling with high-level calamity monsters. Now, it's a peaceful, thriving civilization. Don't you think that's incredibly strange?"

Vhal'Zar pondered for a moment. "It is strange... but could it not simply be because thirty thousand years have naturally passed?"

Rael nodded. "Yeah, of course, that's a valid possibility. But what happens if this world didn't change naturally over time? What if an extraordinary, high-level entity changed it? An entity like the final event boss, Nul'Azareth. If there is a faction or a being out there capable of completely wiping out those calamity monsters and establishing a massive empire like this, they might possess power that rivals or even surpasses Nul'Azareth himself."

Vhal'Zar’s eyes widened beneath his visor. He was completely awestruck by his master's profound, calculating foresight. Overwhelmed by absolute admiration and shame for his own short-sightedness, his head suddenly slammed his forehead straight onto the tavern table.

"I am deeply sorry, Master! I was foolish and blind! I never thought about the grand strategy! Please, grant me a fitting punishment for my ignorance!" Vhal'Zar muffled frantically against the wood.

Rael jumped in his seat, utterly shocked. "Hey, hey, hey! It's okay! Come on, raise your head right now! People are starting to stare at us!"

Pulling his head back up, Vhal'Zar’s respect for Rael reached an unprecedented, absolute peak. He finally understood that his master wasn't just hiding out of cowardice—he was moving like a master grandmaster on a dangerous chessboard.

After a long wait in the corner, the ambient noise of the bustling guild suddenly began to quiet down.

Rael and Vhal'Zar looked up as a small group glided gracefully toward their table. Walking at the front of the convoy was a young woman of breathtaking beauty. She possessed silk-smooth white skin, long flowing white hair, and striking, clear yellow eyes. She was dressed in a pristine, highly ornate sacred uniform, flanked by the very same high-ranking holy bodyguards Rael had spotted near the carriage at the main gate.

Stopping directly before their table, she offered a warm, gentle smile, her voice carrying a naturally soothing, divine melody.

"I apologize for the intrusion, gentlemen. May I have a moment of your time?"

It was the Saint herself.

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