Building The First Adventurer Guild In Another World

The ruined city had finally fallen silent. Not complete silence, of course; the distant sounds of collapsing buildings echoed faintly, while flames continued to consume the shattered ruins.

Thick smoke drifted endlessly through the air, and blood flowed quietly through the broken streets like tiny rivers. The battlefield, once alive with roars, explosions, and screams, had calmed after a terrifying clash. Corpses lay scattered throughout the devastated city, broken weapons, shattered armor, severed limbs, and pools of blood marked nearly every corner.

The war was over. Or at least... most of it.

Far from the main battlefield, in the deepest part of the ruined city, a gigantic crater stretched across the land like a wound carved into the earth itself. Entire sections of the city had vanished during that horrific fight.

Giant cracks spiderwebbed through the ground as chunks of shattered buildings floated within the crater like broken mountains. Red and black energy still lingered in the air from the violent collision between two formidable powers.

At the center of this desolation stood Valeria in silence. Her crimson hair fluttered gently in the wind as blood dripped slowly from her sword onto the cracked ground beneath her feet.

Her armor bore heavy scars, cracked in multiple places and traces of blood stained her abdomen where she had been wounded. Though her breathing was steady, it carried a roughness that hinted at how hard-fought this battle had been.

Several meters away from her... Riven knelt on the ground. Blood poured continuously from his mouth as his remaining arm trembled violently with exhaustion.

His black clothing was nearly shredded, deep wounds covering his body from head to toe. One side of his chest had nearly caved in from Valeria’s earlier attack; blood stained almost every inch of him. Even his black sword lay beside him, badly cracked.

The difference between them was unmistakable: Riven had lost —completely.

The wind whispered softly over the desolate crater for a few moments before Riven let out a weak laugh.

"Heh..."

Blood trickled from the corner of his lips as he lowered his head slightly.

"I really lost..."

Valeria remained silent, her cold crimson eyes fixed on him without a word.

Riven slowly lifted his head again, looking at Valeria with an odd smile.

"You’ve really changed..."

His voice was now fragile, a stark contrast to the arrogance he had shown earlier.

"But I suppose I should have seen it coming."

Even in this moment of defeat, there was no fear in his eyes, only bitterness and madness. Riven coughed up another mouthful of blood before continuing.

"You know..." he murmured quietly, "the Clan was right about you."

Valeria’s expression didn’t waver.

Riven chuckled weakly once more. "Dangerous..."

"The moment you defied the Clan... they knew you would become a threat one day."

Still, Valeria offered no response. She stood calmly as blood dripped from her sword.

Riven narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You hate them that much?"

At last, Valeria spoke.

"Yes."

Her answer came swiftly, devoid of hesitation, simple, cold, direct.

Riven stared at her for several moments before laughing again weakly.

"You still don’t get it..."

He pushed himself up slightly using his sword for support.

"Everything you have today... your strength, your combat skills, your blood techniques, your survival, all of it came from the Clan."

His tone grew colder with each word.

"If the Clan hadn’t raised you... you would have perished long ago like trash."

Valeria’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly at his words. Riven noticed and smiled faintly.

"That look... You still can’t accept it."

He shook his head slowly.

"The Clan gave you purpose. They forged you into a weapon." He paused for effect. "And now you dare to turn that weapon against them?"

His voice became increasingly icy as he continued.

"You should be grateful."

"Do you think ordinary people can achieve this level of strength? Do you believe power simply falls from the sky?"

"No." He emphasized each point with conviction. "Power demands sacrifice."

Riven raised his trembling hand slightly.

"The Clan sacrificed countless things to create monsters like us." He sneered at her pain. "So what if your mother died? So what if your brother died? They were weak."

"Emotions make people weak," he declared coldly. "The Clan merely eliminated unnecessary elements."

Valeria felt the Mana around her surge violently, a cold pressure enveloping her as cracks spread beneath her feet. Riven, blood streaming from his mouth, noticed and grinned wider.

"There it is..." he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "That anger. That hatred. Those emotions. That’s exactly why the Clan deemed you incomplete."

Valeria tightened her grip on her sword, determination etched on her face.

Riven continued, unfazed by his own suffering. "You know what’s funny? You thought you escaped."

He paused for effect, letting the weight of his words settle in. "But the truth is... you never left the Clan at all. The techniques you wield... the blood coursing through your veins... your very strength... they all belong to the Clan."

An oppressive silence fell over the crater, thickening the air around them.

Meanwhile, Sage and the others had finally reached the edge of the devastated battlefield after their own battles. The sight before them was shocking; entire city blocks had vanished without a trace. Just how fierce had this clash been?

Mina swallowed hard as she took in the destruction. "Big sis really went crazy..."

Gregor narrowed his eyes as he watched Riven kneeling in the distance, his grip tightening around his sword. The hatred he felt for that man was palpable, everyone shared it. Caelis had lost an arm because of him. The Guild had been attacked because of him. Countless lives were lost due to his actions. Even Sage had nearly destroyed himself, splitting his soul to save Mina.

Yet, oddly enough, no one intervened. They sensed that the confrontation between Valeria and Riven transcended mere revenge; it was deeply personal.

Back inside the crater, Riven lowered his head before speaking softly. "You really think killing me changes anything?"

Valeria’s voice cut through the tension like ice. "No."

A slow smile crept across Riven’s face. "Exactly."

"The Clan will still come for you," he continued.

"No matter where you run."

"No matter how strong you become."

"They will drag you back eventually."

Riven’s eyes darkened as he spoke with conviction. "You belong to the Clan."

"Your future was decided long ago."

Valeria fell silent, but the pressure surrounding her intensified steadily.

Riven let out a weak laugh. "You can kill me here today... But nothing changes. The Clan will still find you. They will still chain you. And eventually... you’ll kneel again."

The air around them turned icy in an instant. Even Sage and the others, standing at a distance, could feel the oppressive force emanating from Valeria now.

Mina instinctively stepped back, seeking refuge behind Sage.

"Scary..." she whispered.

Sage frowned slightly as he observed Valeria. Her expression remained mostly unchanged, yet that calmness felt far more menacing than any display of anger.

Riven struggled to stand upright, using his sword for support as blood pooled beneath him. It was clear he was nearing his limit, but he still managed to smile. "Honestly... I pity you."

Valeria’s crimson eyes finally focused on him fully. Riven continued with a steady voice, "You’ve spent your entire life trying to escape the Clan."

He paused for effect before adding, "But in the end... you’ve become exactly what they wanted."

Silence hung heavily in the air.

Then Valeria moved, just one step but it sent tremors through the entire crater from the sheer pressure of her presence. Riven’s smile began to fade as a flicker of danger sparked in his eyes for the first time.

Valeria slowly raised her massive crimson sword, her voice remaining cold and unwavering. "I’m done listening."

In an instant, the surrounding Mana erupted violently.

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