The Guild Headquarters.
In the solemn front hall of the Pantheon, dozens of statues of great adventurers and deities stood, allowing passersby to worship them with reverence.
The vast white marble hall was spacious enough to accommodate a thousand people, with numerous circular-patterned tiles covering the floor. Guild staff bustled back and forth, creating a scene of intense activity.
Early in the morning, adventurers gathered in the main hall of the headquarters.
Before venturing into the dungeon, it had become common knowledge for adventurers to visit the Guild headquarters to check on recent major events and see if any dangers had arisen within the dungeon.
"Hey, look at that!"
A loud exclamation drew the attention of many adventurers to the bulletin board on the hall's wall.
On the wide bulletin board, a Guild staff member was removing yesterday's notices and pasting fresh parchment, promptly updating the city's major news.
At the most eye-catching spot on the bulletin board, a portrait was prominently displayed.
It seemed to have been drawn by a skilled artist, appearing incredibly lifelike and exuding an exceptional artistic quality. The subject of the portrait possessed a breathtaking allure.
"The strongest newcomer of the Loki Familia... has ascended to Level 4!"
"What? Impossible!"
"The Guild personally posted this information. The accuracy should be very high..."
"But didn't he just reach Level 3 twenty days ago? How could he level up so quickly?"
"If you ask me... all I know is that he advanced to Level 2 and Level 3 just as fast."
The entire hall erupted instantly.
The spacious room was filled with noisy chatter, incredulous exclamations, and baffled shock, spreading the news like wildfire throughout Orario.
"I think he'll reach Level 5 within the year!"
"Impossible! Advancing to Level 5 isn't that easy!"
"You said the same thing when he reached Level 2 and Level 3."
"Uh... well..."
In one corner of the hall—
A white-haired, red-eyed boy stared blankly at the portrait placed high on the bulletin board, his mind momentarily overwhelmed by the shock.
"I'm still at Level 3 for now."
The words spoken by the other party during their chance encounter yesterday resurfaced in his mind.
"So that's what he meant by 'for now'... today, that's no longer the case."
A heavy weight settled in his heart.
He had once regarded that person as his goal to surpass.
But only now did he realize how naive he had been.
The difference in talent between people was an unchangeable fact.
That person had taken only two months to reach Level 4, while he had been an adventurer for a month and was still only mid-Level 1—not even close.
With a heavy heart, Bell left the Guild hall, vanishing into the crowd.
Just below the bulletin board—
Raul wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his expression filled with the same sense of urgency.
"Feeling nervous?"
Beside him stood a cat-girl with beautiful long black hair, who glanced at him curiously.
"Aren't you as well, Aki?"
Raul countered.
The cat-girl, seemingly calm with her arms crossed, was actually clenching her fingers tightly around her arms, unable to stay composed.
The two of them had come to report intelligence to the Guild—the news of Eiji reaching Level 4 was something they had brought.
"It's absurdly fast. In just two months, he's gone from a clueless rookie to an adventurer strong enough to rival our second squad..."
Aki took a deep breath to calm the excitement within her.
Raul, Aki, and Alicia were all core members of the second squad.
"I heard that's not all."
Raul suddenly spoke, drawing her attention.
"Last night, he apparently sparred with Tiona."
He fought Tiona, one of the Familia's executives?
It must have been a spar.
However—
Aki recalled the scene from their expedition.
Back then, he had only been a Level 2. When the Formor charged into their formation and everyone else trembled in fear, he had charged forward fearlessly and even slain it.
That sight had left everyone utterly stunned.
"What was the result?"
Aki asked, even holding a hint of expectation.
Back when he was Level 2, he could already defeat a Level 4 Formor—so now that he had reached Level 4, could he defeat a Level 5?
This newcomer in their Familia completely defied conventional understanding.
"I don't know."
Raul shook his head honestly.
"I only know that afterward, Tiona was in a daze for a long time, sitting in a chair without moving, looking like she was questioning her entire life... The battle probably didn't go well for her."
Tiona was an extremely cheerful person, always smiling like a sunflower without a trace of gloom.
To make her question her life...
Aki already had an idea of the outcome.
Even with that in mind, she still had to say—
"That's insane!"
"Who isn't thinking the same?"
Raul sighed.
Such an incredibly talented person—why was his personality so infuriating?
"Raul, aren't you worried about him taking your spot as heir?"
Aki asked with interest.
"Well... I don't really see myself as an heir in the first place..."
Raul mused for a moment before looking confused.
"But honestly, I don't think he'll stay in the second squad for long—he's going to outgrow us at an incredible pace and become a new executive of the Familia."
Aki was suddenly speechless.
That was true.
According to Finn, Eiji was placed in the second squad to train and be groomed as a future executive.
But honestly, who knew when he'd reach Level 5?
Three months? Five months?
By then, if Eiji really advanced to Level 5, there was no way he would remain in the second squad. He would definitely be promoted to an executive role.
Raul had nothing to worry about—he wasn't going to reach Level 5 this year anyway.
"Speaking of which, where did Eiji go?"
Aki crossed her arms, accentuating her petite chest.
"Shouldn't he be the one personally reporting his level-up to the Guild? Why did Loki send us instead?"
"No idea. Haven't seen him all morning—not even at breakfast."
Raul shook his head, equally puzzled.
"Something big just happened!"
As they chatted idly—
Suddenly, a young adventurer ran into the Guild hall from outside.
His face was covered in sweat, and his short-sleeved T-shirt was soaked, clearly from running all the way.
"What happened? Calm down and speak slowly."
Out of responsibility, the half-elf girl Eina stepped forward to help him catch his breath.
"...It's the Ishtar Familia... their captain!"
He gasped for air, his eyes filled with both excitement and fear.
"That Level 5—Phryne Jamil—she's dead!"
"..."
"..."
Raul and Aki exchanged glances—then simultaneously sucked in a sharp breath.
***
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