Belle's breath caught in her throat.
Her body tensed involuntarily, muscles coiling like a spring. How does he know about the dragon? Did he see Aetherion? No—that shouldn't be possible.
Kai noticed her reaction immediately. His crimson eyes gleamed with amusement. "Wait... I was just kidding." He let out a chuckle. "Even an S-Rank adventurer would think twice before going near a dragon. It'd take at least ten of them just to attempt a fight. And even then, they wouldn't stand a chance."
Belle exhaled, forcing herself to relax. He doesn't know. That was just a careless joke—but it still rattled her. She wasn't ready to talk about Aetherion. Not when she barely understood what had happened herself.
Kai, oblivious to her inner turmoil, pointed a finger at her. "No offense, but you'd be dead in less than a second. You'd never stand a chance against a dragon."
She shot him a sharp look. I already survived one.
Sensing the tension, Gale cleared his throat. "Anyway," he interjected, "Joining the guild is simple. You register at the front desk, take a basic evaluation, and get assigned a rank. Most people start at F-Rank. From there, you take on requests and work your way up. The higher your rank, the better the missions and rewards."
Belle took in the information carefully. "You said knights work with the guild. Does that mean they're connected?"
"Not officially," Gale explained. "The Adventurer's Guild operates independently from any kingdom or government. That's why adventurers have more freedom, but it also means they aren't bound by the same laws we are. The guild enforces its own rules, but…" He hesitated for a second before finishing, "Not every adventurer follows them."
Belle frowned. "So there are bad adventurers?"
Kai chuckled. "Oh, definitely. You've got the noble hero types, the money-hungry mercenaries, and the ones who'd sell their own grandmother for a few gold coins. But that's what makes it fun. You never know what kind of people you'll run into."
Gale shot him a look. "That's not exactly a good thing."
Kai shrugged. "Hey, danger keeps things interesting."
Belle mulled over the information. So the guild was essentially a mercenary hub. A place where people with power could thrive—but also abuse that power.
She glanced ahead and finally caught sight of something beyond the dense treeline. Buildings peeked through the gaps—wooden rooftops, stone walls, and the faint movement of people in the distance.
The first town she would step into in this world.
Dawnstead.
As they neared, the air changed. The quiet rustle of trees gave way to the distant murmur of civilization—voices chattering, metal clanking, the scent of something savory drifting through the air.
Belle slowed her pace slightly, her fingers brushing against her dress. It was an unfamiliar feeling—standing on the edge of a place where people belonged.
Was she ready to enter?
She had no choice.
A deep, resonant horn blared in the distance, its sound cutting through the air like a warning. The eerie silence that followed only made it more unsettling.
Gale's expression darkened instantly. "Tch. That's the emergency signal. Something's happening at the gate."
Kai's excitement reignited like a spark to dry kindling. "Perfect. I was getting bored."
"Do NOT start anything reckless," Gale warned, his voice firm. His sharp green eyes flicked to Belle. "If you're curious about the guild, I suggest you follow us. But if you'd rather stay out of trouble, this might not be your scene."
Belle hesitated. Rushing into a potentially dangerous situation wasn't exactly a great idea, especially when she still didn't fully understand this world. But if this was tied to the Adventurer's Guild, she might learn something valuable. And besides... her instincts told her to move forward.
"I'll come," she said, matching their pace.
Kai grinned, falling in step beside her. "Atta girl. Stick with us, and you'll never have a dull moment."
Gale sighed. "That's not necessarily a good thing, Kai."
As they quickened their pace, the trees lining the dirt road thinned, revealing the outskirts of Dawnstead. The town's walls came into view—sturdy, well-maintained, with a reinforced iron gate at the front.
The closer they got, the more apparent the commotion became. A group of armored guards stood at the gate, weapons drawn. A handful of civilians—merchants and travelers who had been waiting to enter—were backing away cautiously. Some pointed toward something just beyond the gate, their faces etched with fear and confusion.
"Looks like trouble," Kai muttered, cracking his knuckles.
Belle narrowed her eyes, scanning the scene ahead. She still couldn't see the exact cause of the disturbance, but the tension in the air was thick.
"Stay alert," Gale ordered, his tone all business now.
Whatever was waiting for them at the gate—it wasn't going to be a simple welcome to town.
The tension in the air thickened as they neared the town's entrance. Belle could hear the commotion before she saw it—the sharp clanking of armor, hurried shouts, and the deep, resonant groan of the town's iron-reinforced gate struggling against something massive.
As the scene came into view, the situation became clear.
The town's defensive line stood just inside the gate, a mix of knights and adventurers gripping their weapons with tense focus. The iron gate was only partially closed, as if they had been caught off guard before they could fully shut it. Beyond it, a hulking shadow loomed—a beast, snarling and thrashing against the barrier.
Belle's eyes narrowed.
The creature was large, easily over three meters tall, with a bear-like frame and shaggy black fur marred by patches of exposed, cracked skin. Its glowing crimson eyes burned with unnatural rage, and blackened veins pulsed beneath its hide. Its claws—long and jagged like obsidian—raked against the gate, leaving deep gouges in the wood.
A few of the younger knights flinched as the beast let out a guttural roar, shaking the very air. The more experienced ones held their ground, but Belle could see it—the slight shifts in their stances, the instinctive tightening of their grips. Fear.
Kai's grin widened. "Now this is more like it."
Gale exhaled, assessing the situation with a sharp gaze. "It's been corrupted by miasma," he muttered. "That explains its aggression."
Belle's eyes flickered. Miasma… that again.
She studied the creature more closely. It was strong, but… not overwhelmingly so. Compared to the monstrosity she had fought in the Forbidden Forest—the massive mutated beast that nearly tore her apart—this one was far inferior. Its movements were powerful but lacked the unnatural speed and intelligence of those deep-forest creatures.
She understood now. This was a threat to the town, but to her? It was nothing compared to what she had already faced.
Kai cracked his knuckles. "Alright, time to show these rookies how it's done."
Gale shot him a warning glance. "Try not to destroy the gate this time."
Kai's smirk widened. "No promises."
The beast let out another deafening roar and slammed against the gate again. The wooden planks shuddered, but they held.
Gale made the first move. With a flick of his wrist, a powerful gust of wind surged forward, slamming into the creature's chest and forcing it back a few steps. A cloud of dust and leaves scattered from the sheer force of his magic.
Gasps of awe rippled through the gathered knights and adventurers.
Belle, however, remained unimpressed.
Her silver eyes stayed locked on the beast. Its movements were sluggish—still powerful, but lacking the lethal sharpness of a true apex predator. It was dangerous to the town, certainly, but she had already fought worse.
Her instincts told her that this battle would end quickly. The only question was how long Gale and Kai would take to finish it.
The battlefield crackled with tension. Dust swirled in the air as the monstrous beast loomed before them, its glowing red eyes burning with primal rage. Thick, matted fur bristled along its back, dark veins pulsating beneath the surface—miasma-infused flesh. This thing was corrupted, but not nearly as monstrous as the creatures Belle had faced in the Forbidden Forest.
Even so, it was strong.
The beast's heavy breath misted in the air, a deep, guttural growl reverberating from its throat. Its claws, jagged and as sharp as steel, scraped against the ground, carving deep trenches into the earth. Then—a deafening roar.
With terrifying speed, the creature lunged.
The knights barely had time to react before a massive claw tore through the front line. The impact sent several armored men flying, their weapons clattering against the cobbled path leading to the gate.
Kai was already in motion.
In a blur of red, he dodged beneath the beast's sweeping strike, his katana gleaming as he pivoted on his heel. With a single, fluid motion, he slashed upward, flames igniting along the edge of his blade. The strike sliced into the monster's shoulder, sending a spray of blackened blood across the ground.
The beast howled in pain, rearing back. But it didn't retreat. If anything—it got faster.
The creature's muscles bulged, its breathing turning ragged as its miasma-infused veins pulsed violently. It lashed out with even greater ferocity, a maelstrom of claws and raw power.
Kai twisted his body at the last second, avoiding a strike that would have shattered his ribs. The wind screamed past his ears as the beast's massive paw barely missed him.
"Tch—persistent," he muttered, flipping backward to gain distance. His boots scraped against the dirt as he landed in a crouch, his katana still burning with residual flames.
Then—a sudden shift in the air.
A gust of wind surged forward, faster than the eye could track. The shockwave slammed into the monster, knocking it off balance mid-attack.
Gale stood firm a few paces away, his sword raised, the air around him swirling with invisible force. Controlled. Calculated. Unlike Kai, who fought with instinct and speed, Gale moved with the measured precision of a seasoned knight.
"Try not to get yourself killed, Kai," he remarked, flicking his sword downward.
Kai smirked. "Tch, like this thing is enough to take me out."
The beast, now fully enraged, let out a thunderous roar. The pressure from its voice alone sent vibrations through the ground. Without hesitation, it charged again—only this time, it was faster.
The knights barely had time to react before it ripped through the distance in a blur, its claws flashing toward Kai like falling meteors.
Kai's grin widened. "Now we're talking."
The battlefield ignited.
Kai met the charge head-on, his katana moving in a blinding arc. Sparks flew as steel met flesh, a clash of brute strength against razor-sharp precision. Flames erupted from his blade, trailing in streaks of molten red as he weaved between the monster's furious strikes.
Belle's silver eyes flickered as she observed the battle. Kai was fast—faster than the knights, faster than the adventurers. But speed alone wouldn't be enough.
She could see it.
The monster wasn't just attacking mindlessly anymore. It was adjusting, adapting to Kai's movements. Its eyes gleamed—not with intelligence, but with something more primal. A predator's instinct.
And then—it moved unpredictably.
Instead of another straightforward attack, the beast suddenly twisted its body, using its own momentum to launch a claw strike from a blind spot.
Kai's eyes widened—too late.
The impact sent him flying.
CRASH!
He slammed into a pile of crates near the gate, wood splintering from the force of his landing. The watching adventurers gasped in shock, while the knights tensed, gripping their weapons.
Belle remained still.
Kai wasn't down.
Sure enough—before the dust could settle, a fiery glow flickered from the wreckage.
FWOOOM!
With a burst of flames, Kai launched himself from the debris, his katana now wreathed in fire. He landed on his feet, rolling his shoulder with a wince. "Heh… lucky shot." His smirk remained, but his stance had changed—now sharper, more focused.
Gale sighed. "You're getting sloppy."
Kai wiped a streak of blood from his cheek. "And you talk too much."
The monster charged again, but this time, Gale stepped forward.
He raised his sword, and the air shifted. The wind howled, picking up speed, forming a storm around him.
Then—he struck.
With a single slash, a blade of wind erupted from his sword, slicing clean through the air. The attack tore into the beast's side, carving a deep wound across its torso.
The creature reeled, stumbling backward, its roar shaking the air.
Gale wasn't finished. He raised his hand, and dozens of spectral wind blades materialized above him. The atmosphere vibrated, humming with raw energy.
Then—they rained down.
Each blade struck true, slashing into the monster's body with pinpoint accuracy. Blood sprayed across the dirt as the beast screeched in agony.
The knights and adventurers erupted in cheers.
But Belle remained still.
Her eyes narrowed.
It's not over.
The monster's breathing grew ragged, its body shuddering. But it wasn't just pain.
It was something else.
The dark veins of miasma pulsated more violently, the energy around the creature shifting. The corruption was spreading, its aura growing darker.
Belle felt it deep in her core.
Something was wrong.
Then—the monster's body convulsed.
A new, guttural roar tore from its throat, more bestial, more monstrous than before. The air turned heavy, the pressure of its presence increasing.
The miasma was taking over.
Belle clenched her fists.
She had stayed out of the fight so far. Watching, analyzing. But now…
If this thing kept evolving—she might not have a choice anymore.
End of Chapter 9