Chapter 85
Han stood in stunned silence as Silver Wing’s words hung heavy in the air. The proposal was bold, almost reckless—disband the Silver Guild and rge it into the Tryst Guild. The very idea was difficult to swallow.
At first, it sounded tempting. The Silver Guild was powerful, arguably the largest and influential guild on the Northern Continent, but it had been severely crippled during the attack. If Han took them under his wing, his own guild would beco more powerful. But there was a catch—a risk so large it gnawed at his conscience.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about inheriting such imnse influence and responsibility. Accepting Silver Wing’s offer would bring the combined guild to a level of prominence that would attract dangerous attention—exactly the kind of spotlight Han wanted to avoid. They’d beco a beacon for every rival faction, hero guild and even the anti heroes.
Han was already ready to reject the offer outright. His hand was mid-air to voice his refusal when Clara’s steady voice cut through his hesitation.
"This could be the best move for both of our groups," Clara said calmly but firmly.
Han’s eyes flicked toward her, searching for more than just empty reassurance. She continued without hesitation, explaining her reasoning carefully.
"Look at the reality of the situation," she said. "Both our guilds share a painful history. We’ve both been targeted by the cursed organization. We’ve both suffered terrible losses. The Silver Guild lost about four hundred mbers—four hundred brave souls who might never return. Many of the survivors are considering abandoning heroism altogether. Their morale is shattered, and the guild will never be what it was before."
Han’s jaw tightened. The sheer scale of that loss was difficult to grasp. Four hundred mbers... it was almost an entire army.
Clara pressed on. "Joining forces ans better security. It ans pooling our resources and manpower to not only protect ourselves but to strike back. If we stay divided, we’ll be picked off one by one. But if we unite, maybe... just maybe, we can find a way to completely wipe the cursed organization out."
Han looked away, thoughtful. He imagined the strength of his own guild bolstered by the seasoned warriors of the Silver Guild. The combined forces would be formidable. The promise of enhanced security and revenge weighed heavily on his mind.
He mulled over Clara’s words for what felt like hours, the silence between them stretching. Finally, Han gave a slow nod, the decision settling in his chest like a heavy stone.
"Alright," he said quietly. "We’ll bring the Silver Guild into the Tryst Guild."
A wave of relief washed over Clara’s face. She smiled, her earlier seriousness lting away just a little.
---
The day wound down with Kael, ever the generous host, deciding to treat everyone to a celebratory al. It was ant to be a simple gathering—just Han and his core team. But Kael hadn’t anticipated that Silver Wing and the rest of the Silver Guild mbers would be joining them, all clad in the freshly issued Tryst Guild insignia.
What surprised Kael the most, however, wasn’t the size of the party—it was the insatiable appetites of Aiden and Ron.
"More beef... and bring the wine!" Aiden called out cheerfully after finishing his sixteenth plate.
Kael’s face went pale. He stared, wide-eyed, at the endless stream of food disappearing at the table.
Before Kael could recover, Ron, not to be outdone, ordered two more servings—then three more.
Kael’s shoulders slumped, a desperate look creeping into his eyes as he realized his savings were vanishing faster than he could count.
"Please... stop," Kael begged in a cracking voice, holding up his hands like a man surrendering to a force greater than himself.
Aiden grinned and raised a hand in mock surrender. "Yo, you know I’m not your enemy, right?"
Kael looked at him incredulously. "Then why do you want to bankrupt ?"
The room exploded into laughter, the tension broken by the camaraderie and the absurdity of it all.
---
A Few Days Later
Han awoke with his body aching in every muscle. The soreness wasn’t surprising—over the last week, the guild had been relentlessly focused on rebuilding Serenya, the city still reeling from the last cursed organization attack. Everyone was determined to fortify their defenses so they would never suffer such devastating casualties again.
Han and his clones had been the backbone of the rebuilding effort, tirelessly working on the front lines. His clones acted as an unstoppable force—multiplying his strength and speed to cover vast amounts of ground.
At one point, Han summoned Ifrit, the blazing fla spirit, hoping the fiery entity would lend its power to the task.
But Ifrit seed uninterested, wandering aimlessly without direction. Han furrowed his brow, wondering if the fla spirit was simply lazy or disinterested.
With a sigh, Han dismissed Ifrit and summoned Thunderwrath instead—the lightning spirit was lively and eager as usual, moving quickly to do whatever tasks Han assigned.
Han couldn’t help but smile. He was starting to like Thunderwrath more and more—there was sothing about the spirit’s energy that was infectious.
His smile was short-lived.
A sudden scream ripped through the air, pulling Han’s attention.
Rushing toward the source, Han found several workers lying unconscious, shocked and sprawled across the ground. Thunderwrath stood nearby, clicking his tongue in disappointnt.
"These people are weak..." Thunderwrath muttered.
Han’s face twitched in irritation. "Return," he commanded, and Thunderwrath vanished in a flash.
Han glanced at the roughly thirty workers still staggering about, realizing it would be so ti before they could resu work. That ant Han himself had to cover the shortfall.
He sighed, frustration building.
The most aggravating part? Apart from Nathan and a handful of others, the elite guild mbers barely lifted a finger. Clara was absorbed in her mysterious project, Aiden was constantly away—claiming he was clearing dangerous portals—and Ron had been spending more ti with his wife lately.
Sotis, judging by his carefree attitude, Han would forget that Ron was actually the oldest among them—and that his wife was already pregnant.
Ronan helped out whenever he could, but he spent most of his ti with Kira.
Han sighed. It was monts like these that made him wish he wasn’t the City’s young master.
But then they arrived—his newest subordinates, the forr Silver Guild, now donning the colors of the Tryst Guild. Their presence brought much-needed support. With their help, Serenya gradually recovered... and eventually beca even stronger than before.
Back to the Present
Han completed his daily routine, finishing off his quests and claiming the usual rewards. Then he made his way toward the weapon forge. There was sothing he needed to follow up on—specifically, the throne artifact he had left with Nathan several weeks ago.
When he arrived, the place was even busier than usual. Sparks flew, and the clanging of tal echoed through the forge. The reason soon beca clear: Nathan was spearheading a massive project—to create a custom armor set for every Tryst Guild mber.
This would significantly boost their collective strength. With a surplus of beast cores and several expert forgers from Preston City now working under Nathan, the plan was ambitious but achievable.
It would take ti... but it was already in motion.
To be continued...
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