Chapter 335: Out of Character

As much as Sol wanted to explain to Amber what had happened, they first had to deal with the aftermath of his transformation.

The rampant mana and psychic energy radiating from the inn had not gone unnoticed. Even ordinary townsfolk could feel the disturbance. Though the worst of it had been contained, the residual energy had spread through half the town, sending civilians fleeing in panic and summoning the town guards, who quickly surrounded the inn with weapons drawn.

Seeing the commotion outside, Sol made a sheepish smile. "I'll explain later. For now, we need to deal with them."

Reverting to his human form was the first step. His horns retracted, his scales vanished, and his figure shrank back down. Yet, as he transformed, he noticed subtle but undeniable changes. He was now a few inches taller, his body more robust and athletic. His skin was smooth, without a single blemish, as if newly born. The changes weren't drastic enough to make him unrecognizable, but they were significant.

Though tempted to inspect himself more thoroughly, Sol set the thought aside and headed outside, with Amber following close behind.

The guards outside stood tense, weapons at the ready. They had felt the immense mana and were braced for confrontation, unsure of what—or who—they would face.

"Where's Nemer? He told us to wait here, but for how long?" one guard asked, his voice tinged with nervousness.

"I don't know," another replied, his eyes fixed on the inn. "Just be ready for anything."

The guards, all seasoned fighters above level 50, were uneasy. The scale of the disturbance suggested they might be dealing with a powerful B-Ranker at the very least but what they truly feared was the chance of it being an A-Ranker.

Their wait ended as Captain Nemer of the town guard arrived on the scene. A tall man with twin short swords strapped to his back, Nemer carried himself with confidence despite the situation. At his side was Tinerma, the Guildmaster of Brestfol's Adventurers' Guild. She carried no visible weapon, only a harp slung over her shoulder, but her presence alone seemed to ease the guards' tension.

Nemer addressed his men. "Maintain the perimeter. Guildmaster Tinerma and I will go inside."

"Yes, sir!"

As they approached the inn, Tinerma glanced at Nemer. "Are you sure about this? It might be better if you stayed outside. The mana I felt… there's no doubt it's an A-Ranker."

Though she worried for Nemer's safety, her concern wasn't unwarranted, he was only a B-Ranker after all. If a fight broke out, his proximity could put him in grave danger.

Nemer's lips curled into a determined smirk. "I'm sure. Can't let you have all the fun now, can I? Plus, I know you'll keep me safe."

The two have shared plenty of battles together since before she was even an A-Ranker. He knew he could count on her if anything happened.

Tinerma chuckled. "Alright, but you'll owe me drinks afterward."

The captain of the guards staggered and looked back at her with a pained expression. "But your salary is much higher than mine! Argh whatever fine, let's talk about this later."

As much as he didn't want to pay a Guildmaster that made more than ten times his salary, the two became serious as they entered the building. As they entered they found Sol and Amber were already there waiting for them.

"Were you the cause of the disturbance?" Nemer asked eying the two trying to figure out if they were friend or foe. His hand hovered near the hilt of one of his short swords, ready to draw it at the first sign of hostility.

Tinerma, on the other hand, studied the two with calm but piercing eyes. Despite her relaxed demeanor, her presence exuded quiet authority, and the subtle tension in the air suggested she was ready to act at a moment's notice.

Sol, still feeling the aftereffects of his transformation, met Nemer's gaze with an expression that was uncharacteristically sharp. "What if we were?" he said, his tone dripping with defiance.

Nemer frowned, taken aback by Sol's hostility. "We're not here to fight, but the scale of the disturbance you caused put the entire town in panic. We need answers—now."

Sol took a step forward, his voice rising. "Do I owe you answers? You come barging as if you have the right to demand anything from me. Maybe I am the cause of the disturbance. What will you do about it?"

Amber, standing silently at his side, glanced at Sol but didn't intervene.

Tinerma raised an eyebrow, her gaze locking onto Sol with a mix of curiosity and caution. "You're young, aren't you?" she remarked, her tone even. "Let me give you some advice, as a fellow A-Ranker. Just because you became one doesn't mean you're untouchable. I've dealt with plenty of hot-headed youths who think they're invincible, and couldn't control their power well enough to make me break a sweat. Calm down and let's talk."

Sol's eyes narrowed, and a surge of anger welled up inside him. Her calm, almost dismissive tone felt like a challenge, and he wasn't going to back down. "Is that so?" he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Let's see how much your experience is worth."

Without warning, Sol's mana began to head into the ground causing the earth to tremble and the shadows in the room began to move on their own. 

Tinerma's instincts flared, and she stepped in front of Nemer, readying her harp. She wasn't about to underestimate him.

Before Sol could unleash his power, he felt a firm grip on his wrist.

It was Amber.

Her expression was unreadable, but the strength of her hold spoke volumes. The contact was enough to jolt Sol back to his senses. His breath caught, and the storm of emotions raging within him began to subside.

'What am I doing?' He thought, unable to understand how he got here. He wouldn't normally be so antagonistic but the way she spoke angered him for some reason. He was absolutely ready to attack her for speaking to him in such a way but looking back on it felt very unnatural. For a moment, he wondered if she had used some kind of ability to provoke him, but he quickly dismissed the idea.

Then it struck him.

It was the law technique: [Draconification].

[[Draconification] Lv 1: Law technique. Unearth your latent dragon bloodline and partially transform into a dragon. While in this state, all attributes increase by 500, and your affinity for a specific element (depending on the type of dragon bloodline) is massively enhanced. Caution: The dragon bloodline carries one sin that is greatly amplified when the skill is in use. All attributes increase by 100.]