The next day_10:45 AM... Outside the Valeborne Family Skyscraper
VROOM!
A sleek, obsidian-black Mercedes-Benz GLE pulled to a graceful stop in front of the towering Valeborne GeneX skyscraper. The engine purred to silence, and the tinted windows shimmered in the morning sun.
Behind the wheel sat Anna, her hoodie slightly pushed back, revealing her sharp eyes and a calm expression.
Standing outside, waiting beside the revolving glass doors, was none other than Caelum Valeborne.
She had just returned from an errand one that involved selling every last gem Caelum and Selira had unearthed from the abandoned tire factory days prior. The sales had taken place at the Guild, and now she had returned not only to report back but to pick up Caelum for a different kind of trip... a return to that same Guild.
Oh, and in case you'd forgotten, this is still a fantasy novel, after all. Of course Guilds exist.
Anna made a staggering £1.2 million pounds from the sale.
She had used only a sliver of that sum to book out the Guild's Beast Training Hall_for the entire day.
Caelum slid smoothly into the passenger seat, and Anna resumed driving. He couldn't drive today—not because he didn't want to, but because he had no idea where the Guild was located. This was, after all, only his first month in this world.
Guilds. The Pulse of Every Fantasy World.
A staple in every self-respecting fantasy realm, Guilds were powerful communities and enterprises composed of supernatural ability users_beast hunters, dungeon raiders, cave conquerors.
They operated in a brutally competitive monarchical world, risking their lives to earn their bread_and sometimes more.
It was a dangerous life... but one where the potential reward was uncountable.
Within this line of work, team synergy and unique abilities made all the difference between success and annihilation.
Screech!
The vehicle slowed as Anna veered off into a bustling district.
"We're here," she announced casually, pulling into a curbside stop beside a heavy foot-traffic zone. "We'll have to walk from here."
"What?" Caelum's brows furrowed. "Five years ago, nobles_and commoners_could drive right into the Guild parking lot, no questions asked." He said nothing aloud but questioned the change silently as he stepped down and walked beside her.
Anna sighed softly. "Well, I know you haven't been here before, Lord Caelum, so you wouldn't know…"
She took a breath, her voice dropping slightly as she continued.
"But the Valeborne family… we're no longer granted special privileges anywhere in Ukraine. Our influence has dwindled."
Those words hit Caelum harder than he expected.
She didn't need to say anything more. He understood it immediately.
Only recognized nobles were allowed to drive into this part of the Guild district now. And apparently, the Valeborne name didn't carry that weight anymore.
It made him utterly sick.
Still, he clenched his jaw and swallowed the bitterness like poison.
Without a word, he kept walking.
The duo moved along the sidewalk, weaving through pedestrians as they followed the curving street and made several turns. The path was long, but the destination was worth it.
And finally–they arrived.
"Nice," Caelum murmured, his eyes widening slightly at the sight before him.
The Blue Eagle Guild
A large oakwood billboard stood boldly to the right, carved with gilded letters that read:
BLUE EAGLE GUILD
The building it guarded was nothing short of stunning.
A massive, three-story fortress, lined with titanic stone pillars, greeted them. Every corner of the structure gleamed with state-of-the-art magical enhancements—from surveillance runes to reinforced mana barriers. This wasn't your dusty, medieval fantasy guild.
No.
This was a modernized guild, forged in elegance and built for war.
Inside, the atmosphere buzzed like an electric current. The ceilings arched high above their heads. Guild members of every kind moved about_rich, elegant, sly, cunning, bulky, muscular, a chaotic mix of supernatural talents all brushing shoulders in a space that pulsed with ambition.
Caelum and Anna made a beeline for the receptionist desk, where they were warmly greeted by a petite woman with pink lips and bright eyes.
"Welcome to Blue Eagle! You must be Caelum. I'm Shelly, I'll get you registered in no time," she beamed.
The process went quickly, almost too smoothly.
And throughout, Caelum was careful–very careful–not to answer any questions that would reveal too much. After all, he wasn't here to become some run-of-the-mill adventurer.
The Beast Training Hall
Once registration was complete, Shelly smiled and gestured to a nearby staff member, who arrived moments later to escort them downstairs.
Access to the training hall was exclusive, only permitted because of Anna's long-standing membership with the Guild.
Creak!
The giant marble door groaned as Caelum pushed it open.
And what he saw took his breath away.
The hall was immense. A vast, open space that stretched wider than any stadium, with a shimmering dimensional barrier at its center, pulsing gently from the dozens of magic artifacts channeling its power.
As Caelum and Anna stepped forward, the man who escorted them gave a respectful bow and turned to leave.
But before he could, a brash voice echoed sharply through the corridor behind them.
A New Challenger Approaches
"Hmph! I demand you open this door! I want to use the hall immediately!"
The voice belonged to a young man draped in expensive adventurer's gear, every inch of him radiating ego. He looked fully equipped for war, armored boots, enchanted gloves, and a flowing crimson coat adorned with golden embroidery.
The staff member flinched slightly, stammering, "S-Sir, the hall has already been booked… You'll have to wait your turn."
But the young man stepped forward arrogantly, clearly not used to hearing "no."
"I heard it's those puny Valebornes that booked this hall. I demand you refund their money at once_my status is higher! Don't you know who I am?!" the man began cursing loudly, his voice echoing through the lobby.
Then, growing impatient, he shoved the receptionist aside without hesitation and stormed into the hall.
He had come to barge in and assert his dominance over the Valebornes today. But the moment he stepped into the hall, he collided with something, or rather, someone, that felt like a wall of stone.
Kpash!
The arrogant noble slammed into a solid frame with a heavy thud. Dazed, he looked up, and froze.
Caelum stood before him, his eyes blazing with restrained fury, his presence radiating suppressed violence. For reasons he couldn't explain, a cold shiver ran down the man's spine.
"I'm Cashmere Vladimir, second son of the House of Vladimir! I want this hall vacated immediately!" Cashmere barked, still trying to maintain his arrogance, even though he'd already sensed the strength difference between him and the man in front of him.
"We're currently using it. Please leave," Caelum replied flatly, not even raising his voice. He couldn't be bothered to waste words. To him, the man before him was just a ridiculous clown.
"Wait a second… I didn't think you Valebornes still existed. How did you even afford a place like this?" Cashmere mocked, directly implying that the Valebornes were beneath him, financially and socially.
He had no idea just how quickly things were about to change.
The Vladimir Family
The Vladimir family was one of the Ten Great Families of Ukraine. With an extended and deeply rooted bloodline, they were known for a rare trait called the Bloodline Ability—an inherited power passed down identically through generations of the same lineage.
The Vladimir Patriarch had once been Lord Alaric Valeborne's closest friend… until the day he pledged allegiance to the Phoenix Monarch in a desperate move to survive. Since then, he had sided with the Valebornes' enemies and taken pleasure in tormenting the fallen noble house.
"I'll repeat it once more," Caelum said, voice now low and sharp like a blade. "Please leave. I'm busy."
The veins in his arms pulsed visibly beneath his sleeves, roaring with restrained power.
Cashmere's bodyguard saw danger flashing like lightning in Caelum's eyes and immediately intervened.
"Lord Cashmere, I've already booked a better hall. One where the Valeborne monkeys aren't around. We should leave at once," the butler whispered urgently into his master's ear.
"What? No! I want these Valebornes thrown out now!" Lord Cashmere shouted, stamping his foot like a spoiled child.
The butler sighed inwardly. There was only one way to end this scene quickly.
Leaning in once more, he whispered the magic words, "There are already lots of girls waiting for your arrival... just the way you like them."
His voice was ecstatic_laced with mischief.
At once, Lord Cashmere's expression transformed. His eyes lit up like a child promised candy.
"Well, why didn't you say so earlier? Let's go! I'll deal with these fools later. Hmph!" he said with a dramatic toss of his coat, finally turning to leave.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," the butler said quickly to Caelum and the others as he bowed and trailed after his master.
Sigh.
Caelum exhaled deeply, relieved.
He had no real intention of fighting. Not today. The Vladimir family was still far too powerful for the Valebornes to challenge directly. Caelum didn't understand why the butler had helped them avoid confrontation—but he was grateful, regardless.
"Release the mutated wolves," Caelum ordered.
At once, several large, monstrous wolves emerged through the glowing dimensional barrier on the other side of the hall.
The Dimensional Barrier Artifact
This artifact allowed you to summon beasts and monsters directly from a pocket dimension. Once you called out the name of the creature you wished to face, it would be released.
And if the summoned monster ever became too dangerous—strong enough to threaten your life—chains embedded within the artifact would activate, binding the creature and pulling it back into the dimensional rift.
Caelum wanted to test the Static Rune's effect on himself first.
As soon as he saw the beasts, he pulled out the rune he'd brought with him and pressed it to his chest.
Pow!
The Static Rune sensed a surface—and latched on. The moment it touched his skin, it glowed with blinding light, channeling its amplified energy through Caelum's entire body like a supercharged current.
"Whoa… this feels incredible," Caelum whispered, clenching his fists as power surged through his veins.
His strength had reached a new level. He didn't even need to activate Thunder Force, the rune alone was enough.
Woof!
The mutated wolves snarled and lunged forward, mouths foaming with hunger, claws sharpened to razor points.
These were the weakest monsters commonly found in dungeons—
Mutated wolves.
Stronger than goblins, but still weaker than true werewolves.
Whoosh!
The first wolf pounced straight at Caelum.
Bam!
Caelum twisted his body, drew back his right fist, then spun with explosive speed, slamming his punch directly into the creature's ribcage. Bones shattered on impact, the force sending the beast flying like a broken ragdoll.
But the other wolves didn't hesitate. They saw their comrade fall… and charged anyway.
Pow! Pow! Bam! Bash!
One by one, Caelum crushed them. His movements were fluid, brutal, and efficient. Each strike was precise. Each dodge was deliberate.
It was as if the beasts were no threat at all.
The Static Rune was simply too powerful.
And Caelum was only just getting started.
When the final wolf dropped to the ground, twitching and defeated, Caelum turned to the artifact again.
He cracked his knuckles and grinned.
"Release another round of mutated wolves," he announced, stepping forward.
The experience was… thrilling.