Chapter 268

Zain walked with Ashley down the main street of Paradise's second level, flanked by four elite guards in shimmering gold armour, each bearing the crest of the Adventurers Guild engraved proudly on their chest-plates. The city buzzed with the chaos of players preparing for the upcoming event, but even so, the crowd parted instinctively for Zain's procession.

Zain's gold and royal blue coat fluttered behind him as he walked, his presence impossible to ignore. Ashley matched him step for step, looking elegant and poised in a sleek black skirt that hugged her figure perfectly. Her long violet hair glimmered in the sunlight, and the way she clung to his arm gave the illusion of a perfect power couple.

Eyes followed them as they made their way toward the towering marble mansion ahead—the Merchant Guild's headquarters. It was one of the most opulent structures on the second level, second only to the arena itself. Today, it served as neutral ground for the most powerful guilds to gather under the authority of a single host.

Administrator Toto.

The doors opened slowly as two guards in polished crimson armour bowed their heads at Zain and Ashley's approach. The heavy double doors creaked apart, revealing the lavish guest hall beyond.

Inside, a long, dark mahogany table stretched across the length of the hall. Plush, high-backed chairs surrounded it, each occupied by a figure of renown—a leader of a major guild. Their gazes turned sharply toward the entrance, and in their eyes burned quiet hostility.

They didn't bother hiding it.

Zain knew why.

At the head of the table, reclining in a custom-made chair shaped like a throne of carved wood, sat Toto. His long ears twitched, and his crimson eyes sparkled as he bit into a fresh carrot.

"Zain, take your seat. We're waiting on you," Toto said, pointing with the carrot to the two vacant seats opposite him.

Zain gave no reaction to the tone and walked forward confidently with Ashley at his side. They both took their seats without a word.

Toto crunched down on the carrot and leaned forward with a grin.

"Now that everyone is finally present…" he said, his voice playful but laced with a tone that commanded respect.

"As you all know, I am opening a gate to a world of my choosing. I expect the guilds to allow their members to enter and fight for glory."

His sharp red eyes swept across the table, pausing briefly on each face, measuring their reactions.

But the leaders weren't here for the pleasantries or the speech. They wanted one thing.

Information.

And Toto knew it.

"The theme is…" he dragged the words out, chewing slowly on another bite of carrot. His silence stretched, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

Frustration flickered across the room like sparks in dry grass.

"Fantasy," Toto finally said, almost casually.

SLAM.

A loud crash erupted from the middle of the table as one of the guild leaders struck the wood with his open palm, drawing everyone's attention.

All eyes turned toward a tall man in his early thirties. His right eye glowed white—a cybernetic implant that shimmered beneath his brow—and his synthetic right arm was bulked with mechanical plating.

The leader of the Mech Guild.

His expression was ice-cold.

"We will not participate," he said in a clipped, harsh tone.

He stood abruptly and strode out of the hall, his footsteps like thunder in the silence. His metal arm clicked and whirred as he walked, disappearing through the open doors without looking back.

The doors shut behind him with a hollow boom.

Several of the other guild leaders allowed themselves smirks or quiet scoffs. Everyone knew the Mech Guild thrived in tech-based worlds—and hated Fantasy. This was a brutal blow to them as other guilds will gain while they watch.

Toto didn't blink. He just chewed on his carrot like nothing had happened.

"What about the reward for the highest achieving player?"

The voice came from Toto's left. There sat a mountain of a man whose sheer size required two seats to contain him. His arms were crossed, and veins bulged from his forearms like steel cords.

Wu Gongfu. Rank #1. Leader of the Stone Guild.

Toto turned slightly and looked at him.

"Of course, I wouldn't have you send your precious apostles without a reward in promise," Toto replied, the sarcasm in his voice so thick it nearly dripped from his words. But he didn't break eye contact.

Wu's expression didn't change.

Then from the opposite end of the table, a soft voice cut through the tension.

"What is the reward?"

It was Evelyn.

Every head in the room turned toward her. The moment she spoke, a dozen rumours resurfaced—most cantering around her and a certain player. Whispers swirled in the minds of the leaders.

Toto smiled at her, unfazed.

"I will pick the reward depending on the player," he said. "The reward will be of very high quality and will suit the receiving player."

Evelyn nodded once, understanding exactly what he meant.

This wasn't just for guild apostles.

This was for them too.

The leaders. The players who sat at the peak of Paradise's hierarchy. If they dared to enter the gate, they too could claim the prize.

But then—

"But," Toto said, his voice suddenly louder, clearer, sharper.

Every gaze returned to him.

He grinned, the carrot now resting on the table like a sceptre.

"I have decided to shake things up this time… and make it more interesting."

The room leaned in. Even the ever-composed Wu Gongfu's eyes narrowed slightly.

"The reward will not be automatically given to the player with the highest grade," Toto declared, his voice suddenly turning grave, "instead, every single player who has achieved an A + grade or higher will be given the choice to enter a tournament. The winner of that tournament will receive the reward."

The hall instantly turned tense.

Frustration flickered across nearly every face at the table. Their careful plans and strategies for the perfect S-grade run—thrown into uncertainty.

Evelyn, however, showed none of that frustration. Instead, a soft smirk curved the edge of her lips. She folded her arms under her large chest and leaned back slightly in her seat, black nails tapping her sleeve idly.

'Heh… That means the reward no longer goes to the guild that dumps the most resources into securing the highest grade,' she thought, eyes half-lidded with cool amusement. 'Now it belongs to whoever is strongest.'

That fact made her blood simmer with anticipation.

SLAM.

The leader of the Lightning Guild rose to his feet, an expression of indignation twisting his features.

"Wait, why?" he asked, struggling to contain the edge in his voice. "This has never happened before—and as far as we know, this isn't how it's done on the other levels."

A second voice chimed in—older, calmer, but carrying the weight of authority. A long-bearded man in thick animal hides leaned forward slightly, resting both hands on the polished head of his cane.

The Beast Guild's leader.

"And this is unfair to a player who managed to achieve the highest grade," the old man added, "to then be thrown against the strongest players. That seems more like a punishment for those who over-perform."

The air thickened.

Toto's red eyes narrowed, and the playful glint vanished in an instant. He set his half-eaten carrot gently on the table.

"Oh come on… who are you trying to fool here, human?" Toto's voice was sharp enough to cut steel.

His long white ears twitched and rose upright. His crimson gaze swept across the table like a scythe, and everyone felt it—the shift in air pressure. It turned heavy. Suffocating. Invisible hands seemed to press down on their lungs.

"Even the stupidest of your kind knows that the highest grade will belong to one of your guilds, who will throw everything they have at the gate until they get what they want."

"Are you insulting my intelligence?"

The old man's eyes widened, a bead of sweat tracing down his temple. He scrambled to rise to his feet, his cane clattering to the floor.

"No—of course not, Administrator. A slip of the tongue. I apologise!" the elder said, bowing as low as his body would allow.

Toto tilted his head slightly. The weight vanished.

Breaths resumed.

"As for you," Toto turned sharply to the Lightning Guild's leader, who couldn't meet his gaze now—his head slightly bowed, fists clenched beneath the table.

"This is happening on the second level because I want it to. Because I think you bastards have turned my realm into a museum of mediocrity."

"I don't see players hungry for strength anymore," he continued, his tone sharp with contempt. "Not the ones who sacrifice everything. Not the ones who crawl through blood and fire just to taste evolution."

"Instead," he said, his voice now lower, darker, "I see politicians. Leeching cowards. Borrowing strength from levels above to feel important down here…"

His glowing red eyes landed directly on Wu Gongfu as he spoke the last line. The colossal man didn't flinch—but his narrowed gaze hinted that he heard the jab clearly.

Toto huffed and jumped off the table with a sharp thump, landing on the floor without stirring a single grain of dust.

He turned to face them all, standing beneath the flickering chandeliers that now seemed far too dim under his burning glare.

"And if any of you think you can unite and boycott my gate in some pathetic attempt at protest…" his eyes narrowed to slits, "then just know this—I already have someone committed to entering."

His tone was absolute.

"And that player is prepared to swallow the world behind the gate. To consume its power and rise… and use that strength against all of you."

The room went deathly still.

Zain and Ashley straightened in their seats, and Evelyn's black eyes flickered with a trace of interest. Who could Toto be referring to?

Toto turned, his fur catching the light like woven silver, and pointed at the two guild elites with a flick of his long ear.

"You two. Follow me."

He hopped down the hall toward the double doors, which creaked open the moment he approached.

Zain stood. So did Ashley. They followed without a word, but before Ashley crossed the threshold, she turned over her shoulder and smiled at Evelyn.

Evelyn returned the smile—but her gaze held fire behind it. The kind of smile one woman gives another when both know exactly what's being said.

The moment the couple disappeared behind the closing doors, the Fire Guild leader slammed her palms against the table and stood tall.

"I'll see you on the other side." She turned, her red cloak trailing behind her like a flame, and stormed out of the room.

One by one, the remaining guild leaders sat silently in contemplation.

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