The whispers didn't go unnoticed.
Darin's ears twitched, his sharp gaze flicking toward the adventurers hunched in the corner.
Something about the way they spoke in hushed voices—like they were hiding something—set his blood boiling.
Garron cracked his knuckles. He wasn't a patient man, and the more he stood here getting vague responses, the more his irritation festered. They were being mocked.
"Alright," he said, his deep voice slicing through the tension like a blade. "I've had enough of this little game."
The adventurers stiffened as Garron strode forward, his heavy boots thudding against the wooden floor with deliberate weight.
They tried to look anywhere but at him.
But it was too late.
Garron grabbed the nearest one—a wiry man in his mid-thirties—by the collar and yanked him out of his seat with terrifying ease.
"Speak." His voice was low, dangerous.
The adventurer paled, his hands gripping Garron's armored wrist. "A-about what?"
Darin chuckled, stepping beside him. "Don't play dumb. We know something happened. We know there's no one in this town stronger than us, so how the hell did that mission end so fast? Not to mention, there's no damage to the town as well." His hand ignited with fire again, burning brighter this time, more dangerous. "And why is everyone acting like it never happened?"
The adventurer swallowed hard, sweat forming on his forehead. "I-I don't know anything—"
Wrong answer.
Garron didn't even let him finish before slamming him against the nearby wooden support beam.
The impact was loud.
Loud enough to make people flinch. Loud enough to make Alina rise to her feet behind the reception desk.
"Garron, that's enough!"
She received no response.
The adventurer coughed, struggling to regain his breath. Garron didn't let go.
"Let's try that again," he growled. "Who did it?"
The man wheezed. "I—I don't—"
A boot slammed into a nearby chair, shattering it into splinters.
Lena had done it.
She was smiling, but her eyes were cold. "It's rude to keep secrets," she murmured. "If you just told us, none of this would be necessary."
The man's breaths came out ragged, his body shaking. He wasn't a coward—he had faced monsters before, had survived dungeons and countless battles.
But this?
This was different.
Garron's grip tightened.
"I—"
A hand clamped down on Garron's wrist.
Not hard enough to be a threat. But firm enough to demand attention.
Garron's gaze snapped sideways, locking onto a senior adventurer—one of the few still willing to step forward. His face was lined with age, his expression calm yet unyielding.
"That's enough," the older man said evenly.
A heavy silence fell over the guild.
The entire room waited, breath held, to see what Garron would do next.
Darin grinned, tilting his head. "Oh? And what exactly do you plan to do if it's not?"
Lena sighed. "You old guys never learn."
Then, without warning—Garron swung.
His fist crashed into the senior adventurer's stomach, folding him in half.
The man crumpled, barely catching himself before hitting the ground.
Gasps filled the guild hall.
Someone shouted. Someone else stood up.
But it didn't matter.
Because in that moment, a terrifying truth settled over them all.
Trinity Blade wasn't just frustrated anymore. They weren't just throwing their weight around. They were looking for a fight.
And now, the guild had to decide—would they stand against them? Or would they endure?
Because Trinity Blade wasn't stopping until they got what they wanted.
The tension in the guild hall was unbearable.
The older adventurer groaned, clutching his stomach as he knelt on the floor. The room was deathly silent except for his strained breathing.
Garron rolled his shoulders, shaking the impact off like it was nothing. He looked down at the crumpled veteran with nothing but contempt.
"See?" he scoffed. "Even the so-called seniors here are worthless."
Darin snickered, stepping forward. "Maybe we're expecting too much from these people." His eyes scanned the room, filled with nothing but cowering adventurers. "Guess this whole place is just filled with a bunch of weaklings."
A flick of his wrist—a fireball shot toward the ceiling, exploding in a burst of heat and smoke. The wooden beams darkened, embers raining down.
No one moved. No one dared to.
Because they all knew—if they so much as twitched, Trinity Blade would set their sights on them next.
Lena smiled. "Honestly, this is getting boring." She turned her cold gaze toward Alina, who stood frozen behind the reception desk. "I thought the adventurer's guild had rules. But I guess they don't apply when there's no one here to enforce them."
Alina's hands clenched into fists beneath the desk.
She couldn't act. Not against them.
Not when the guildmaster was gone.
And Trinity Blade knew that. They knew no one here could stop them.
So they were taking their time, reveling in their power, enjoying the slow, crushing realization that there was nothing anyone could do.
And then—the guild doors swung open.
A rush of cool air slipped inside.
The entire hall froze. Every eye turned toward the entrance.
Two figures stood in the doorway.
Belle and Kai.
They had just returned from their quest, both still covered in dust from the road.
Kai blinked, clearly taken aback by the state of the guild. The shattered chair, the scorched table, the bruised adventurers hunched in the corners.
"…Did we miss something?"
Belle said nothing.
Her eyes quietly swept over the scene.
The injured veteran was still kneeling on the floor. The way everyone avoided looking at Trinity Blade. The fear lingering in the air.
Without a word, she stepped forward.
The silence stretched as she slowly walked past Trinity Blade—ignoring them completely.
Darin's brow twitched. Garron narrowed his eyes. Lena's smile faded.
But Belle didn't stop.
She simply knelt beside the injured older man and gently helped him up.
The veteran coughed, wincing. "I-I'm fine…"
Belle didn't respond. She just placed his arm over her shoulder and quietly steadied him.
That was it.
That single action—that quiet indifference—was the last straw.
Garron's teeth clenched. "Oi."
No response.
Darin scoffed, stepping closer. "Hey. We're talking to you."
Still, Belle ignored them.
And that infuriated them.
Garron's patience snapped.
His fist shot forward, aiming straight for the side of her face.
It should've connected.
But it didn't.
His knuckles sliced through empty air.
Belle hadn't even looked at him.
She had just… moved.
No, not moved.
She had vanished—and reappeared a step ahead, still helping the older man as if nothing had happened.
Garron blinked. Darin frowned. Lena narrowed her eyes.
Garron growled, stepping in again—this time with a direct punch toward her ribs.
But again—his fist whiffed through nothing.
From his perspective, she wasn't even moving.
One moment she was there—the next, she was slightly further away.
Again. And again.
Each time he struck, his attack slid through air, missing by mere inches.
But Belle…
She never even acknowledged it.
She just kept walking. Helping the older adventurer.
Dodging every attack without effort. Without thinking.
Like their assaults didn't even register to her. Like they weren't even worth noticing.
Garron's frustration turned into rage.
Darin gritted his teeth and raised his palm—a massive fireball formed, crackling with deadly heat.
"Let's see if you can dodge this—"
A sharp pressure suddenly filled the room.
Like the air itself had shifted.
Kai, who had been watching the entire time, suddenly exhaled and cracked his neck.
"Alright," he muttered. "I've seen enough."
His hand casually rested on the hilt of his katana.
The moment his fingers curled around the grip—the entire guild felt it.
A pulse. A pressure. A flicker of something dangerous.
And just like that—the balance shifted.
The crackling fire in Darin's palm wavered.
For the first time since Trinity Blade had stepped into the guild hall, they hesitated.
Kai had barely moved. He hadn't drawn his sword. Hadn't spoken a threat.
And yet—the entire guild felt it.
The moment his fingers curled around the hilt of his katana, an invisible weight pressed against the room.
A silent warning.
It wasn't magic. It wasn't a skill. It was intent.
A pressure that only someone who had walked the edge of death could emit.
Darin clenched his jaw. Lena's usual smirk faltered. Even Garron, whose anger had been building like a storm, didn't take another step.
But Belle…
She didn't even notice.
Or if she did, she simply did not care.
With steady movements, she continued toward the counter, carefully helping the older adventurer sit down on a bench near the side.
She did not acknowledge Trinity Blade. Did not glare at them. Did not flinch at their aggression.
It was as if they weren't even there.
The silence in the guild was deafening.
Kai exhaled, letting go of his sword hilt.
The tension loosened slightly, though the weight of the moment still lingered in the air.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned on his heel and followed Belle.
Together, they walked toward the reception counter, leaving Trinity Blade frozen in place.
Alina sat behind the desk, her knuckles white from gripping the edge.
She had been prepared for disaster. Prepared to step in if things went too far. Prepared for Trinity Blade to escalate further.
But instead—Belle had simply walked past them.
Kai had stopped them with nothing but his presence.
And now… they were acting like none of it had ever happened.
Kai placed a parchment on the counter.
"The quest is done," he said casually. "Monster hunt request in the northern forest. We took care of the wyvern nests causing trouble near the trade route."
Alina blinked, still processing everything.
Belle, meanwhile, simply stood beside him, waiting in quiet patience.
Not once did she turn to look at Trinity Blade. Not once did she acknowledge their presence.
The rest of the guild was stunned.
A party that had thrown the entire hall into chaos—bullied veterans. Terrorized rookies. Demanded answers through sheer violence.
And yet—the moment Belle entered, she had walked past them.
Not in fear. Not in caution. But in complete disregard.
Kai had stopped them with a single gesture.
And then—they had just gone on with their day.
As if Trinity Blade were nothing.
A realization sank into the room.
Something unspoken.
A shift in the atmosphere.
Trinity Blade had come here to prove their power. To make a statement.
But in the end—Belle and Kai had stolen the moment from them.
Without words. Without effort. Without caring.
Alina exhaled, shaking herself out of her daze.
She quickly looked over the quest details, stamping the parchment with approval.
"R-Right," she said, still a little breathless. "Everything looks good. I'll process your reward."
Kai nodded. "Thanks."
Belle simply waited, silent as ever.
The guild remained deathly quiet.
No one dared to speak. No one dared to breathe too loudly.
Everyone was waiting—to see what Trinity Blade would do next.
Coins jingled softly as Alina handed over the reward pouch.
Belle accepted it without a word, briefly glancing inside before nodding in satisfaction. Kai, meanwhile, gave a lazy wave of thanks before turning away from the counter.
The two moved in sync, their steps calm and unhurried as they left the reception desk.
And once again—they walked straight past Trinity Blade.
This time, it wasn't just indifference.
It was a dismissal.
A silent message that Garron, Darin, and Lena weren't even worth a second thought.
Kai's gaze was fixed on the quest board ahead, scanning for potential missions. Belle walked beside him, arms folded, her expression unreadable as she, too, examined the available requests.
And just like before—Trinity Blade wasn't there.
Garron's jaw tightened. His fists clenched.
The humiliation burned.
How dare they.
How dare these two nobodies—newcomers—act as if Trinity Blade was beneath them?
As if they didn't exist?
A muscle in Garron's temple twitched as his body moved on instinct.
Slowly, deliberately, he stepped forward.
One step. Then another.
No one tried to stop him.
Alina didn't move.
The guild staff held their breath.
The adventurers shrank back, unwilling to be caught in the crossfire.
He got closer. Close enough to reach out.
Close enough to grab Belle's shoulder, to force her to turn around, to acknowledge him.
But before his fingers could so much as twitch—something hit him.
Not physically. Not magically.
It was deeper than that.
A weight. A presence. A force that was there, yet completely invisible.
His breath hitched. His heartbeat staggered.
The pressure settled on him like an unseen beast, fangs hovering just above his throat. It wasn't violent. It wasn't aggressive.
It was simply—overwhelming.
For a single, terrifying moment, Garron felt as though he had been reduced to nothing.
His body refused to move forward. His muscles locked in place. His instincts screamed at him to stop. He swallowed hard, a sudden rush of unease flooding his senses.
What was that? What was happening to him?
No one else reacted. No one else seemed to feel it.
Even Lena and Darin, standing nearby, appeared completely unaware of the suffocating force pressing down on him.
But Garron felt it.
He couldn't not feel it.
His hands trembled slightly as he stared at Belle's back.
She hadn't turned around. Hadn't acknowledged him. Hadn't moved an inch.
And yet—it was her.
He knew it was her.
That crushing weight—that unseen presence—it was her.
But how?
Aura was not a thing in Eldoria.
No one had ever wielded something like this before.
And yet, Garron was certain of one thing.
Whatever force was holding him in place—it wasn't magic. It wasn't mana. It wasn't something he could understand.
It was something far greater. Something older. Something that made his entire being scream in warning. Something that made him hesitate.
And for the first time since he had entered the guild—Garron stepped back.
End of Chapter 28