Zain appeared infront of the doors of the guild and sense an unfamiliar aura.
He entered the guild, saw a beastfolk talking to the receptionist and guildmaster. It looks like the guild mast was instructing the beastfolk to his office. He knew the unfamiliar energy he felt belong to the beastfolk but didn't mind it.
He walked towards the receptionist.
"Good morning Miss."
The guildmaster and beastfolk was about to head upstairs when they heard a voice behind them.
"Good morning Lucas. How can I help you today?" Sarah said to Zain in pleasant tone.
"I was thinking of..."
"Who are you?"
Before Zain could finish talking, the beastfolk cut him off in a disruptive voice. The beastfolk looked wary when she looked at Zain.
"Isn't it more polite to introduce oneself before you asked who the other person is?"
Zain said that in a polite manner. Zack and Sarah were surprised because they know that so far, Zain only speaks casually to everyone around him. So this tone of speaking was surprising.
The woman beastfolk became more wary when Zain said that. She wore black adventure clothes, carried a long sword and wore long black jacket with metal plates on her shoulders. She had a black hair and got cat ears. She had a knee pads and her front was covered.
She stood in a defensive stance were she can be ready to draw her sword at any time.
"My name is Rhaelis of the Moonclaw. What's your name?
[Pronunciation: Ray Lis]
"My name is Lucian of the Dawnbreaker. You can call me Lucas." Zain said as he looked straight at Rhaelis.
Rhaelis looked at Zain with wary in her eyes and body's gesture.
"Lucas, why can't I smell you?"
The whole guild weren't silent when she said that including Zain. Zain seems to recall something he read in a book that certain beastfolk can smell strength and emotions.
"Probably because...." Zain was about to respond when he realised that there's nothing he can say, "I don't know how to respond to that."
Rhaelis looked wary because she can't tell if he's lying or not. She thought to herself, 'Why can't I see his aura or why can't I smell him? He's standing infront of me but he's not infront of me.'
Zain saw that she was in thought while staring at him. Zain kept looking at her without backing down. Sarah appeared besides Lucas to say something.
"Lucas, Miss Rhaelis is an S-Rank adventurer. So you better be careful since she's powerful than the guildmaster." Sarah whispered to Zain
Zain suddenly remembered something that to become an S-rank, you need a recommendation from 2 S-Ranks or a recommendation from the king.
"Miss Rhaelis, I heard you're an S-rank adventurer."
Rhaelis looked at him but still nodded.
"So I want to become S-Rank adventurer. I already have Guildmaster Zack for a recommendation and now I only need one recommendation. Can you do me a favour?" Zain said that with his hands in begging gesture.
Rhaelis's face twitched a little when Zain said that.
"I won't do that." Rhaelis said in irritation.
Zain shrugged his shoulders like he doesn't care about what Rhaelis said. Rhaelis became even more irritated when she saw the gesture that Zain did.
"Okay. I can do that."
"Why does it seem like there's a but coming?"
"But You have to give me 100 gold coins for the recommendation."
The adventurer in the guild began to murmur around themselves. They were not surprised by her demands becomes she's known for being hungry with money.
"I refuse."
Zain said in a serious tone that his eyes changed colour for split second. Zack and Rhaelis noticed that change in eye colour for a split second.
"If you don't have money Lucas, I can loan it to you." Zack said to Zain.
"No. I have the money, I'm just refusing."
"Why are you refusing?" Rhaelis said to Zain. Zain realised that Rhaelis is either blunt with her words or just doesn't like talking much.
"My strength is determined by recognition and not by wealth." Zain said in serious tone.
"Let's fight." Rhaelis said to Zain and Zain knew that she was blunt with her words.
"Since you don't want to give me 100 gold for recommendations then you need to beat me for recommendations. If you lose, you give me 100 gold coins. It's a fair deal." Rhaelis said to Zain as she smirked towards the end.
Zain realise that it's a trap that she's been doing for God knows how long. It seems everyone has fallen to her trap everytime.
"Why would I bother when I've already won?" Zain said to Rhaelis in an arrogant tone.
"Why do you think that?"
"You can't even sense me, am I wrong?" Zain said as he smiled towards the end
"Detection has nothing to do with strength. So, you're still a rookie I see." Rhaelis said with bored expression and turned to Zack to say something. "Zack I think we should go and talk about why I'm here."
"Yes miss Rhaelis." said Zack.
"Wait!" Zain said and everyone looked at him.
"Let's fight."
"Why should I fight you?" Rhaelis said to Zain in bored manner. Zain realise that there's no reason for her to fight but he still need to make a reason for her to fight.
"How about this, if you make me bleed you get 100 gold coins and if you cut any limb, you get 1 000 gold coins. Are you still willing to fight?" Zain said with a smile on his face.
"Deal and my offer still stands. You beat me, you get recommendation and you lose, you pay 100 gold coins."
Guildmaster Zack instructed Zain and Rhaelis to the back of the back on where Zain fought him. They followed Guildmaster.
It seems everyone wanted to see the fight because every adventurer in the guild followed Zack.
They arrived to the training ground. They stood in the middle of the training ground. Rhaelis saw Zain not holding a weapon and said, "Where's your weapon?"
"I'll draw it when I'm about to die." said Zain.
Zack signalled the fight to start and no one made the first move. "Aren't you going to attack?" said Rhaelis with her hand on her hips.
Zain charged forward with a punch towards Rhaelis but she dodged it without any effort at all. Even though Zain didn't use flash but fast movement.
Zain kept throwing punch and Rhaelis kept dodging them all. The fight look super fast to other Adventurers but the guildmaster and Sarah could see there movements.
Rhaelis began to throw a straight punch and Zain dodged it. They began to exchange punches but they both dodged each punch.
Rhaelis made a distance to draw her sword.
*FLASH STEP*
She used flash step to close the distance and tried to slash Zain. Zain realise that he can't fully dodge it without getting attacked. So he deflect her sword with the back of his hand and through a punch straight at Rhaelis's gut which couldn't be dodge in time.
"You're good." Rhaelis said to Zain with a smile on her face.
*FLASH STEP* *FLASH STEP*
Rhaelis began to use flash step to attack and Zain began to use flash step to dodge and counter. Rhaelis surrounded her body with aura and began to attack Zain. Zain saw that it's going to be dangerous and with no way of dodging or countering.
"*ONE SLASH*"
Rhaelis said as the technique activated and attacked Zain's neck. Zain blocked her sword with his right hand because she was attacking the right side of the neck.
The blade stopped on the hand and Rhaelis withdrew her blad. Zain realised that his been cut.
"That should've sliced your hand." Rhaelis said to Zain in surprise and Zain realise something.
He's bleeding.