Chapter 23
The elder stared quietly at Han. The boy—no, the man—before him had carried burdens that would have crushed others. Yet, not once had he broken. Not once had he run. Everything about Han reminded the elder of soone.
Troy... wherever you are, I hope you're watching. Your son has grown into a fine man, the elder thought, then spoke.
"What I an is... what's your plan for those who chose to follow you?"
Han blinked. "Follow ?" he repeated, confused.
Laura stepped in to explain. According to her, Han had been unconscious for five days. During that ti, Nathan and the other survivors from the last yellow portal clearing had chosen to follow him—without question. In fact, they had grown surprisingly close to the people of Serenya.
Laura went on to describe the changes that had happened in just a few days. Most of them, she said with an impressed tone, were thanks to Clara. The way she spoke about Clara sounded like soone praising a legendary tycoon.
Is she really that rich or influential? Han wondered.
"They'll be waiting for you in the Pri Hall," the elder added. "Once you're ready, head over." With that, he walked off. Rin and Xin followed soon after, leaving Han alone with Laura.
She hesitated for a mont before asking, "Is it true? Did you really defeat a yellow portal boss... alone?"
Han scratched the back of his neck and gave a wry nod, unsure of how to respond.
"No one in their right mind would believe soone with just an E-rank skill could pull that off," she said. Han braced for skepticism, but instead, Laura smiled.
"I see... So you're strong now. That's good."
Then she turned and walked away, leaving Han slightly bewildered.
What got into her? he thought. Is she always this unpredictable?
He let out a sigh and muttered to himself, "To be honest... I almost died in every battle."
From Velmora's city monster to the mutated Webmaster and the throne goblin—it had been a nonstop ride of near-death experiences. Thinking about the throne goblin reminded him of sothing important.
He quickly summoned the system.
The familiar, enthusiastic voice of Navi chid in.
"It's good to see you back to full health, hero!"
"Thanks, Navi," Han replied.
"No need to thank ," Navi answered with a mix of humility and pride.
Han navigated to his inventory, and sure enough, the rewards from the dark goblin were still there. Taking out such a powerful foe had earned him a lot: Evolution Points, Creation Points, and an artifact.
But the artifact... was cursed.
[Necklace of the Forgotten]
Active Skill – Forgotten Surge: When activated, it gathers the energy of the fallen—friend or foe—and channels it into the user's body.
Curse Effect: Halves the user's lifespan upon activation.
Han stared at the description. The power was tempting—but the cost? Far too steep.
No thanks, he thought.
He scrolled to the next item. A small, dark orb shimred faintly.
[Dark Soul]
Can be consud for a power boost or nurtured.
If nurtured, will eventually evolve into an Oga Dark Goblin.
Han raised an eyebrow. The boost was appealing... but the idea of raising an Oga Dark Goblin was far more exciting. Based on how strong the throne goblin was, this one could easily rank in the S-tier. The thought of having an S-rank underling sent a chill of anticipation down his spine.
I'll save it for later, he decided. With the surplus of Evolution and Creation Points from the last clearing, he had ti to plan ahead.
After taking a deep breath, Han cleaned up and put on his favorite outfit: a long blue jacket over black trousers.
Han stepped outside and imdiately froze.
"What the... when did Serenya beco this beautiful?" he blurted out.
Everywhere he looked, things had changed drastically. Sleek cars humd quietly down paved roads, houses were now modern and refined, and the entire district glead like a mini utopia. It was almost unrecognizable.
Clara...? he thought, stunned. Just how much money would all of this even cost?
He wandered through the city, awestruck. It had only been five days since he'd fallen unconscious, and in that short ti, Serenya had transford into sothing out of a sci-fi novel. As he approached the City Hall—now resembling a luxurious four-star manor—he gawked at the polished walls and elaborate architecture. It was practically glowing.
Stepping inside, the upgrades continued. The lobby sparkled, and individual training rooms had been set up for the residents. Han spotted a wave and instinctively returned it. Aiden smiled, thinking it was ant for him... only to realize Han had actually been waving at the new security caras lining the ceiling.
Aiden's smile cracked. Then shattered.
Han finally noticed the group and strolled over.
"Hey man, not cool," Aiden grumbled. "I've been waving forever."
Han gave him a sheepish shrug. "My bad."
Once the group settled, Han's eyes moved to Clara, who sat with poise and grace, like a queen surveying her court.
"Did you... do all this?" he asked, still stunned.
"It's not worth ntioning," Clara replied with the modesty of soone absolutely trying to ntion it. It was a thinly veiled attempt at flaunting her wealth, but no one could deny it—Clara was loaded.
Just as she seed ready to bask in the attention, Han's gaze shifted to Nathan.
"How'd you get those?" Han asked, pointing at the sleek iron prosthetics now replacing Nathan's arms.
Nathan smiled and gestured toward Clara. "All thanks to her."
Han stared. Not only was she rich, but her technological know-how was on another level.
"So..." Han said after a mont, "what exactly do you guys want to talk to about?"
"I want to be your friend," Aiden declared proudly.
"I want to work under you," Nathan added.
"I want you as a business partner," Clara said with calm confidence.
Han blinked. His face twitched. They all wanted sothing different from him. What about the others? he wondered.
"They've already decided their paths," Clara replied, guessing his thought. "We're the ones here to clarify things."
Han fell into thought.
Aiden's was the easiest—just being friends. He'd make a good sparring partner too.
Clara... well, she had already proposed a partnership before, but he still hadn't fully decided. His ability to wield multiple skills was sothing he wanted to keep secret. The fewer people who knew, the better.
As for Nathan... he wasn't sure how to feel about a grown man working under him. What kind of job would he even give him?
"Ahem, ahem," Clara coughed, drawing his attention. "If you're worried about hiding your multi-skill ability, don't be. Everyone here has already seen you use multiple skills. We've all co to the sa conclusion."
She smiled.
"You're a freak."
Nathan and Aiden nodded solemnly.
Han's eyebrows twitched violently.
"But don't worry!" Clara continued brightly. "I've co up with the perfect solution."
The others turned to her, intrigued.
"It's simple. We form a guild—a Hero Guild."
Han and the others blinked. They clearly didn't get it.
Clara sighed and explained.
"You all know what Hero Guilds are, right?"
"Of course!" Aiden said proudly. "They recruit heroes, deal with threats, clear portals, and maintain peace!"
"Right, right," Aiden chid in. "Don't be srized by my intelligence."
Han winced. Why is he proud of saying the obvious?
Nathan nodded. "I get what you're saying. If we form our own guild and all join it, everything's solved."
"Close," Clara nodded. "But there's more."
She continued.
"Han's ability to use multiple skills would draw dangerous attention. If that gets out, it could be catastrophic. That's why he can't just join any guild. But he does need access to portals if he plans to collect beast cores."
Everyone nodded again, understanding the dilemma.
"But... creating a guild isn't that simple," she added.
"Wait, what's the big deal?" Aiden asked.
"A lot, actually," Clara replied, counting on her fingers.
"First, the guild leader must be at least a B-rank. Second, the guild needs at least fifty heroes—and E-rankers don't count. Third, it requires substantial funding and influence."
She tilted her head at Han. "Well, I can handle the funding part, so that leaves the other two challenges."
"I could do it," Han said casually, confident in his abilities. After all, he possessed a multitude of skills, so even ranked at A-level. That should be more than enough.
"No, you can't," Clara shot back without hesitation.
Han blinked. "Why not?"
Clara looked at him like he'd just asked if water was dry. "You'll have to undergo a scan to register as a guild leader. The scan will reveal every skill you possess—and when they see soone with multiple abilities, red flags will go up instantly. You're too unique. Too dangerous in their eyes."
Han nodded slowly, finally understanding the risk.
He glanced at Nathan. "Then what about you?"
Nathan smiled and shook his head. "I told you already—I'm done fighting. I just want to support you however I can... outside the battlefield."
Han rembered sothing then—Nathan had been a skilled blacksmith before awakening his ability. A spark of an idea ford in his mind. He might have a role after all.
Turning to Aiden, Han asked, "What about you?"
Aiden scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "My skill is only ranked C. Not strong enough to qualify for guild leadership."
"Sorry I can't be more help," he added with a sheepish grin.
Han chuckled and patted him on the back. "You're already my friend. That's more than enough."
Ding!
A system notification appeared before Han's eyes:
[Would you like to evolve target's skill rank?]
Target: Aiden Vire
Skill: Morph
Current Rank: C → Next Evolution requires 2000 EP
Han's eye twitched. Then slowly, a sly grin spread across his face.
He turned toward Clara, who was still deep in thought, and said calmly, "Actually... I think we do have a way."
To be continued...
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