Turns out the Serpent's Eye guild master is a normal-looking man. Average height, has a plain face, and even the clothes he wears aren't eye-catching. The man doesn't seem strong, dangerous, or authoritative. Yet, his level...
[Mana Harbinger - lvl ??]
Somewhere deep inside, I feel my competitive spirit rise.
So, how did we find the man? Well, we didn't. He found us.
It was late afternoon and on arriving back at our base, my luxurious house at the top of a hill overlooking the city, I see the open door.
"I hope you don't mind that we let ourselves in," says an average-looking man, seated on my couch, as we enter. He moves a bit to make himself more comfortable and continues, “Or did you think that we didn't know about your clumsy attempts at spying on us?”
Looking around I notice 12 more people spread out in the living room and kitchen, all of them over level 150.
"In fact, the lot of you were so clumsy, I would almost consider it cute. Angry Kittens indeed." He continued in a deep voice, exuding confidence and a bit of a sneer at the end.
Some of his goons seem amused by what he said, snickering even while others are carefully looking around or appear bored. They seem to not understand why their guild leader would be bothered to personally meet this group, most of whom felt weaker than them.
It isn't surprising, since I am the only one in our group over level 150.
The looks they give us are annoying.
The guild master, nonchalantly seated on my couch, props his legs on my table.
It's infuriating.
“Anyway, you must understand that I'm quite annoyed that you guys beat up my people. Twice,” he shrugs his shoulders. “And I don't know how you got the lynthari to stop sticking their noses into this but don't misunderstand. That's all they'll do. They won't care anymore, no matter what happens to you.”
The twins keep everyone connected, and they've been talking ever since we arrived. I'm the only one who hasn't joined the conversation and blocked their attempts to do so.
“Hey, you, weirdo, stop staring at me,” the man bangs the table with his boots, a big smirk on his face. When I don't react or answer, he laughs out loud. “Go on, keep hiding your mana. You might surprise some people with your immense mana pool.” As if on cue, several men who came with him giggle.
Should I just kill him right now?
“So, my offer is simple, and I would recommend you guys not refuse. It's a great opportunity,” another round of cruel laughter ensues. “Serpent's Eye will be joining Storm Brigade and going on an expedition fairly soon. You might be asking: why is he telling us this?”
The man's eyes scan each one of us, taking turns. Despite his taunting demeanor, his skill seems real. No matter how cartoonishly evil you appear, you won't become one of the most powerful people in such a large city without some skill.
“It's quite simple! Both Serpent's Eye and Storm Brigade, two of the big five,” he pauses briefly, emphasizing the fact, “can take one small guild with them on this expedition. You know, mentor some people, bring in talented individuals from guilds under them. The usual stuff. And we've decided to pick Angry Kittens.”
The way he says our guild name disgusts me to my core.
I hold myself back. The rage that keeps trying to surge to the surface is well-controlled, to the point where I almost want to smile, given how angry I am.
How dare he act like that in my house, towards my people. The man doesn't know he just signed his death certificate.
I finally allow the twins to connect me to the others, and immediately the conversation stops when they notice I've joined.
(Tess, accept his offer,) is the only thing I say before cutting off the twins' [Connection].
For the rest of the conversation, I look around and etch the face of each man present into my memory. I remember the words the guild master said. I remember the faces of the men who laughed the most. I remember their mana signatures.
Then, when the conversation ends, the guild master stands up and approaches me. He reaches out, gently tapping the top of my head a few times and then my cheek, all to the laughter of his men.
“Good boy, you're hiding your mana sooo well,” he says condescendingly, as if talking to a child. Even more people start laughing.
This time I answer, “Thank you, sir.” I feel the corners of my lips turn upwards, and I smile at the man, "Thank you very much."
The expedition the man mentioned? Well, apparently they plan to sneak into the old capital. You know, the place that is taken over by one of the four Calamities, the Living Tree.
Two out of the five big guilds of the city – oh, the city is called Virelia – so yeah, two guilds are joining forces. By using a map they recently acquired, they plan to sneak into the city and into the house of a man who used to be a Champion.
There are multiple pieces of high-graded equipment they want to get, along with all the wealth the man might have amassed.
Champions, in my estimation, are probably around level 400-500, so it's no surprise that the man possesses many items that might interest people who are a bit over level 200 at most.
Their plan is painfully obvious. During the expedition, most of the Angry Kittens will unfortunately perish, and the remaining members will be absorbed into the grand Serpent's Eye guild.
Lily doesn't seem to be the only one they're interested in. They've also got their eyes on Tess, and I barely noticed, but I caught the guild master's glance towards Sophie. They seem to harbor some information or suspicion regarding her skill.
There's a bit more information they provided, but I leave it to the others and return to my room, still feeling a wild rage under my skin.
Without hesitation, I sit on the bed and close my eyes, then start another round of Active Tempering.
I calm myself, set the Mana Regulator to thirty percent, and kinetic energy enters my body as I slide into deep [Focus].
As kinetic energy flows through my body, I move my mana in the way Lissandra showed me, and I've further refined it. My mana infuses my bones, muscles, nervous system, and veins, and the strain I feel intensifies.
Taking a short pause and a deep breath, I change the frequency of the kinetic energy. Something I learned to do thanks to the Absolute from the second floor, and improved upon by observing the undead bear on the third.
When everything is ready, I weaken my passives and reinforcement construct. I don't even need to turn them off fully since the amount of mana I possess is much higher than during the first active tempering and my constitution hasn't increased much.
I'm certain I would die if I turned them off completely.
Then, as kinetic energy starts pummeling my body, I increase the amount of mana turned into kinetic energy. Everything else fades from my mind, except for my body being pummeled by the energy flowing through it. My body is about to break but endures thanks to the right frequencies and my [Mana Infusion].
It's painful, and I taste blood in my mouth, but as the minutes pass, I don't stop and continuously increase the setting on the Mana Regulator.
Then I remember the man, his tone when he mentioned our guild name, his laughter.
Immediately, I completely turn off my constructs and passives, and the pressure multiplies. I barely get all this energy under my control, multiple wounds begin to appear, one after another, and my body feels as if it's being pulled apart by a force too strong to handle.
I remember when the man slapped my cheek gently and patted the top of my head.
The setting on the Mana Regulator changes again.
Then I remember the way he looked at members of Group 4 as if they were already his.
I lower the effect [Focus] has on my anger, and for a few minutes, while getting blasted by all this force, I just continue to enjoy the feeling of my emotions.
When I get my feelings back under control, active tempering comes to an end. Right after, I turn kinetic energy into thermal, and while my body radiates the heat, I feel my passive working and using that heat to heal me. Slowly, but surely. None of the wounds are big enough to require Lily's help, yet there are so many of them.
Then I check my stats.
Constitution increased by 40, strength by 15, and dexterity by 10.
Lvl 159
Strength: 66
Dexterity: 59
Constitution: 187
Mana (Stage 1/3 - Vast Mana): 609 + 609
For a moment, I stare at my stat screen and then send my mana through the house while my passive continues to heal my body.
I locate every single member of Group 4, all of them actively discussing something in the living room and throwing ideas around.
A few simple words come to me. They are mine.
Group 4 is mine. They are my people and I will fuck up anyone who tries to hurt them or take them away from me.
Flashback - Nathaniel Gwyn - 15 years old
“Freak!” The man swings his fist, and the thin, black-haired boy crashes against a table before falling to the floor. Yet the boy's face remains emotionless as he rises, confronting the man, a growing bruise evident.
“Rob! Stop!” a young woman screams, rushing to the boy, hands cradling his face. “Look what you did to Nat!” She berates her husband, then turns back to the boy, “Does it hurt?” she asks tenderly.
Both, mother and her son, possess the same striking black hair and similar facial features.
“Thalia, that brat and his sister creep me out.”
“They're your children, our children. How can you say that!” Although smaller in stature, the woman confronts the man, fury in her eyes.
“Who knows? Maybe you've been messing around,” the man retorts with a cruel smirk on his face.
“Rob, you know I'd never... I love you,” Thalia whispers weakly.
The two are both in their thirties. A young couple who became parents in their teens.
After another exchange and a few more cruel words, the man storms out after shouting a few more curses.
Thalia sighs and embraces the boy, "You have to understand, Natty. He wasn't always like this. You also should remember how he was when you were younger," Her petite frame seems even smaller compared to her 15-year-old son.
“Mom, it's fine. Don't worry about me, okay?” Nathaniel tries a comforting smile but fails terribly. A weird grimace appearing on his face.
“Silly boy..." the woman sighs, pain in her eyes. Pain and hope, "I believe Rob will come back to his old self,” she smiles at her son. Even now she is hoping, but a small part of her seems to realize that it might be too late.
The boy, with his two differently colored eyes, sees through his mother's facade but remains silent.
“I'm sorry, Natty, sorry that you go through all of this because of your stupid mom. You and Victoria,” the woman's voice becomes weaker. “I'm so selfish and weak.” She sounds like she is about to cry.
“Don't be like that. It's something I chose to endure. It's all on me,” this time a genuine smile appears on his face. “I will do that much for you. So please, just be happy.”
“You and your weird pride,” the woman stays quiet for a moment and then whispers, "Thank you. I love you, Natty, and I'm so sorry," she then lets go, forcing a smile on her face, “I'll prepare something to eat.”
Nathaniel just nods, and the smile disappears from his face when his mom leaves the room. His expression once again becomes an emotionless mask as he stares at the door through which the man exits.
The woman thinks she's hidden it from her son, but he's noticed.
He's seen how thin she's become, he felt the twitching of her body as she tried to hide her bruises from him and the heavy layer of makeup masking even more.
Although his face remains unchanged, the look in his eyes shifts and for a while, he looks at the door before forcing a smile on his face and joining his mother in the kitchen.
Turns out the Serpent's Eye guild master is a normal-looking man. Average height, has a plain face, and even the clothes he wears aren't eye-catching. The man doesn't seem strong, dangerous, or authoritative. Yet, his level...
[Mana Harbinger - lvl ??]
Somewhere deep inside, I feel my competitive spirit rise.
So, how did we find the man? Well, we didn't. He found us.
It was late afternoon and on arriving back at our base, my luxurious house at the top of a hill overlooking the city, I see the open door.
"I hope you don't mind that we let ourselves in," says an average-looking man, seated on my couch, as we enter. He moves a bit to make himself more comfortable and continues, “Or did you think that we didn't know about your clumsy attempts at spying on us?”
Looking around I notice 12 more people spread out in the living room and kitchen, all of them over level 150.
"In fact, the lot of you were so clumsy, I would almost consider it cute. Angry Kittens indeed." He continued in a deep voice, exuding confidence and a bit of a sneer at the end.
Some of his goons seem amused by what he said, snickering even while others are carefully looking around or appear bored. They seem to not understand why their guild leader would be bothered to personally meet this group, most of whom felt weaker than them.
It isn't surprising, since I am the only one in our group over level 150.
The looks they give us are annoying.
The guild master, nonchalantly seated on my couch, props his legs on my table.
It's infuriating.
“Anyway, you must understand that I'm quite annoyed that you guys beat up my people. Twice,” he shrugs his shoulders. “And I don't know how you got the lynthari to stop sticking their noses into this but don't misunderstand. That's all they'll do. They won't care anymore, no matter what happens to you.”
The twins keep everyone connected, and they've been talking ever since we arrived. I'm the only one who hasn't joined the conversation and blocked their attempts to do so.
“Hey, you, weirdo, stop staring at me,” the man bangs the table with his boots, a big smirk on his face. When I don't react or answer, he laughs out loud. “Go on, keep hiding your mana. You might surprise some people with your immense mana pool.” As if on cue, several men who came with him giggle.
Should I just kill him right now?
“So, my offer is simple, and I would recommend you guys not refuse. It's a great opportunity,” another round of cruel laughter ensues. “Serpent's Eye will be joining Storm Brigade and going on an expedition fairly soon. You might be asking: why is he telling us this?”
The man's eyes scan each one of us, taking turns. Despite his taunting demeanor, his skill seems real. No matter how cartoonishly evil you appear, you won't become one of the most powerful people in such a large city without some skill.
“It's quite simple! Both Serpent's Eye and Storm Brigade, two of the big five,” he pauses briefly, emphasizing the fact, “can take one small guild with them on this expedition. You know, mentor some people, bring in talented individuals from guilds under them. The usual stuff. And we've decided to pick Angry Kittens.”
The way he says our guild name disgusts me to my core.
I hold myself back. The rage that keeps trying to surge to the surface is well-controlled, to the point where I almost want to smile, given how angry I am.
How dare he act like that in my house, towards my people. The man doesn't know he just signed his death certificate.
I finally allow the twins to connect me to the others, and immediately the conversation stops when they notice I've joined.
(Tess, accept his offer,) is the only thing I say before cutting off the twins' [Connection].
For the rest of the conversation, I look around and etch the face of each man present into my memory. I remember the words the guild master said. I remember the faces of the men who laughed the most. I remember their mana signatures.
Then, when the conversation ends, the guild master stands up and approaches me. He reaches out, gently tapping the top of my head a few times and then my cheek, all to the laughter of his men.
“Good boy, you're hiding your mana sooo well,” he says condescendingly, as if talking to a child. Even more people start laughing.
This time I answer, “Thank you, sir.” I feel the corners of my lips turn upwards, and I smile at the man, "Thank you very much."
The expedition the man mentioned? Well, apparently they plan to sneak into the old capital. You know, the place that is taken over by one of the four Calamities, the Living Tree.
Two out of the five big guilds of the city – oh, the city is called Virelia – so yeah, two guilds are joining forces. By using a map they recently acquired, they plan to sneak into the city and into the house of a man who used to be a Champion.
There are multiple pieces of high-graded equipment they want to get, along with all the wealth the man might have amassed.
Champions, in my estimation, are probably around level 400-500, so it's no surprise that the man possesses many items that might interest people who are a bit over level 200 at most.
Their plan is painfully obvious. During the expedition, most of the Angry Kittens will unfortunately perish, and the remaining members will be absorbed into the grand Serpent's Eye guild.
Lily doesn't seem to be the only one they're interested in. They've also got their eyes on Tess, and I barely noticed, but I caught the guild master's glance towards Sophie. They seem to harbor some information or suspicion regarding her skill.
There's a bit more information they provided, but I leave it to the others and return to my room, still feeling a wild rage under my skin.
Without hesitation, I sit on the bed and close my eyes, then start another round of Active Tempering.
I calm myself, set the Mana Regulator to thirty percent, and kinetic energy enters my body as I slide into deep [Focus].
As kinetic energy flows through my body, I move my mana in the way Lissandra showed me, and I've further refined it. My mana infuses my bones, muscles, nervous system, and veins, and the strain I feel intensifies.
Taking a short pause and a deep breath, I change the frequency of the kinetic energy. Something I learned to do thanks to the Absolute from the second floor, and improved upon by observing the undead bear on the third.
When everything is ready, I weaken my passives and reinforcement construct. I don't even need to turn them off fully since the amount of mana I possess is much higher than during the first active tempering and my constitution hasn't increased much.
I'm certain I would die if I turned them off completely.
Then, as kinetic energy starts pummeling my body, I increase the amount of mana turned into kinetic energy. Everything else fades from my mind, except for my body being pummeled by the energy flowing through it. My body is about to break but endures thanks to the right frequencies and my [Mana Infusion].
It's painful, and I taste blood in my mouth, but as the minutes pass, I don't stop and continuously increase the setting on the Mana Regulator.
Then I remember the man, his tone when he mentioned our guild name, his laughter.
Immediately, I completely turn off my constructs and passives, and the pressure multiplies. I barely get all this energy under my control, multiple wounds begin to appear, one after another, and my body feels as if it's being pulled apart by a force too strong to handle.
I remember when the man slapped my cheek gently and patted the top of my head.
The setting on the Mana Regulator changes again.
Then I remember the way he looked at members of Group 4 as if they were already his.
I lower the effect [Focus] has on my anger, and for a few minutes, while getting blasted by all this force, I just continue to enjoy the feeling of my emotions.
When I get my feelings back under control, active tempering comes to an end. Right after, I turn kinetic energy into thermal, and while my body radiates the heat, I feel my passive working and using that heat to heal me. Slowly, but surely. None of the wounds are big enough to require Lily's help, yet there are so many of them.
Then I check my stats.
Constitution increased by 40, strength by 15, and dexterity by 10.
Lvl 159
Strength: 66
Dexterity: 59
Constitution: 187
Mana (Stage 1/3 - Vast Mana): 609 + 609
For a moment, I stare at my stat screen and then send my mana through the house while my passive continues to heal my body.
I locate every single member of Group 4, all of them actively discussing something in the living room and throwing ideas around.
A few simple words come to me. They are mine.
Group 4 is mine. They are my people and I will fuck up anyone who tries to hurt them or take them away from me.
Flashback - Nathaniel Gwyn - 15 years old
“Freak!” The man swings his fist, and the thin, black-haired boy crashes against a table before falling to the floor. Yet the boy's face remains emotionless as he rises, confronting the man, a growing bruise evident.
“Rob! Stop!” a young woman screams, rushing to the boy, hands cradling his face. “Look what you did to Nat!” She berates her husband, then turns back to the boy, “Does it hurt?” she asks tenderly.
Both, mother and her son, possess the same striking black hair and similar facial features.
“Thalia, that brat and his sister creep me out.”
“They're your children, our children. How can you say that!” Although smaller in stature, the woman confronts the man, fury in her eyes.
“Who knows? Maybe you've been messing around,” the man retorts with a cruel smirk on his face.
“Rob, you know I'd never... I love you,” Thalia whispers weakly.
The two are both in their thirties. A young couple who became parents in their teens.
After another exchange and a few more cruel words, the man storms out after shouting a few more curses.
Thalia sighs and embraces the boy, "You have to understand, Natty. He wasn't always like this. You also should remember how he was when you were younger," Her petite frame seems even smaller compared to her 15-year-old son.
“Mom, it's fine. Don't worry about me, okay?” Nathaniel tries a comforting smile but fails terribly. A weird grimace appearing on his face.
“Silly boy..." the woman sighs, pain in her eyes. Pain and hope, "I believe Rob will come back to his old self,” she smiles at her son. Even now she is hoping, but a small part of her seems to realize that it might be too late.
The boy, with his two differently colored eyes, sees through his mother's facade but remains silent.
“I'm sorry, Natty, sorry that you go through all of this because of your stupid mom. You and Victoria,” the woman's voice becomes weaker. “I'm so selfish and weak.” She sounds like she is about to cry.
“Don't be like that. It's something I chose to endure. It's all on me,” this time a genuine smile appears on his face. “I will do that much for you. So please, just be happy.”
“You and your weird pride,” the woman stays quiet for a moment and then whispers, "Thank you. I love you, Natty, and I'm so sorry," she then lets go, forcing a smile on her face, “I'll prepare something to eat.”
Nathaniel just nods, and the smile disappears from his face when his mom leaves the room. His expression once again becomes an emotionless mask as he stares at the door through which the man exits.
The woman thinks she's hidden it from her son, but he's noticed.
He's seen how thin she's become, he felt the twitching of her body as she tried to hide her bruises from him and the heavy layer of makeup masking even more.
Although his face remains unchanged, the look in his eyes shifts and for a while, he looks at the door before forcing a smile on his face and joining his mother in the kitchen.
