Chapter 130: Promise

The chitter of the many members gathered together quieted all at once. They were in their civilian clothes, but based on their youthful appearances, they must’ve been the group of low-level awakened Kaiden and co were here to help clear the dungeon.

“Kaiden?” Vaelira immediately recognized him. “Is that you?”

“Long time no see,” Kaiden replied without a single ounce of joy visible in his features. He wasn’t the kind of person who would pretend to like someone if he didn’t, just so no bad feelings would arise.

“You’ve changed so much!” the blonde woman said with wide eyes and a happy smile. “A big growth spurt did you good, and even with all your clothes, I can tell you’ve been taking care of your body. It’s nice to see you again!”

Vaelira acted as if he was a friend she hadn’t seen in ages and was glad to reunite with, letting Kaiden know she was still the same two-faced bitch he knew her as.

Seeing he wasn’t very fond of meeting her again after the four years of separation since their high school graduation, she elected to keep the conversation going on her own.

“You won’t believe what happened to me! After finishing the graduation ceremony, my parents bought me a Merced*s. As soon as I sat down on its seat, I awakened! I’m an A-tier mage-type, the only one with this high of a tier in the guild. My class is called Arcane Puppetteer.”

‘Arcane Puppeteer… How fitting of a class for this woman…’ Kaiden thought inwardly with a dry chuckle.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out why she joined a weak guild like Nova Circuit. She could be the queen bee here, always remaining the most important person in the room. In a higher-tiered guild, she would have to contend for attention, but here, it was given to her on a silver platter. Even their guild leader was only B-tier, and Vaelira was of the Arcane subtype to boot, fitting the guild’s theme like a glove. This was the perfect place for her to continue being a nasty woman without suffering any repercussions.

Vaelira then smiled innocently. “What about you? How has life been treating you?”

“I can’t complain; all is fine.”

“Isn’t this that guy? I thought Tessa was joking!” a buff man with blonde hair and blue eyes leered.

“What do you mean, Jack?” Vaelira’s question was answered with mocking laughter as multiple other men joined Jack in roaring at Kaiden. The blonde man fought hard to regain control over himself long enough to reply.

“This ‘tard is one of those desperate F-tier awakened who shoot porn to make a living.”

Hearing this, Vaelira turned her attention back to Kaiden, examining him in search of the truth. A big grin slowly emerged on her lips. She didn’t even try holding it back to keep up appearances. “I see… I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“I don’t need your sorry. My life has never been better, I’m as happy as can be.”

Replacing her grin, a grimace emerged on her features before she immediately dispatched any such gestures, though her eyes were no longer shining at him in a friendly manner. “… Is that so?” I’m happy for you then.”

“But why did Tessa invite an F-tier merc? Surely someone better was available!” a redhead woman grumbled with a great deal of dissatisfaction. She was standing slightly behind Vaelira, signaling her status as her doormat.

“I heard we’re getting four additions, I’m sure the rest will be better.”

“From what I know, they’re this dude’s teammates. We contracted a group called Valhalla’s Sinners instead of four individuals.”

“Dang, sounds like a heavy metal band.”

“… Or a kinky porn studio.”

Just as the randoms were beginning to laugh and chat with each other once again, Kaiden clapped his hands together, drawing their attention to him. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kaiden Grey, I’m the leader of the group that’ll be accompanying you on today’s journey. Although we’re at a low level, we strive to become professional combatants, and our attitude reflects that goal of ours. As such, I’ll treat you people with respect, but I expect you to do the same in return. We’ll be fighting together, and our lives might depend on how well we function together.”

Kaiden’s gaze swept over the room, and immediately, a palpable shift took place. The once-warm air that brimmed with chatter was reduced to an eerie chill. Some of the weaker awakened shivered, rubbing their hands against their shoulders as if an icy wind had crept through the walls.

The temperature drop wasn’t real. It was the effect resulting from the mere presence the Paragon of Sin had when he was about to utter a threat he meant with all his heart.

His eyes darkened, and the crimson shade of Wrath began bleeding into his irises like liquid fire.

“However,” his voice came out low but resonant, cutting through the silence like a blade.

The room stilled, and breaths were held.

“There’s one golden rule I have all of you need to follow if you wish to maintain amicable relations with me. You must not, under any circumstances, mock my teammates.”

It felt like his words weren’t just a warning but a decree. For a few seconds, no one moved. Even Vaelira, despite being the type of person who was always on top of her group, was taken aback by the shift in atmosphere. She had recognized Kaiden the moment he stepped into the room, but now, as she stared into his menacing eyes, she found herself questioning if the boy she had mocked in high school had truly become this man.

Then, the silence was interrupted by Jack’s dismissive scoff. With heavy steps, he made his way toward Kaiden, squaring his broad shoulders and cracking his neck like he was gearing up for a fight. His lips twisted into a cocky smirk as he asked, “Or what?”

The temperature plummeted further.

Kaiden’s irises shifted.

Half of each eye turned a burning orange, while the other half became blood red. They didn’t settle into place. No, his eyes began swirling like whirlpools of uncontrollable rage and insatiable hunger. Wrath and Gluttony churned together, dancing in his gaze.

“Or I’ll devour you.”

The words were spoken calmly, but they carried the ominous weight of inevitability. Kaiden did not talk metaphorically nor rhetorically—he merely conveyed a simple fact. A promise.

And Jack, for all his previous bravado and being the group’s most prominent tanker, felt a primal shudder crawl up his spine.

“This guy is an F-tier…?” the haughty redhead woman standing behind Vaelira muttered with shaky knees. “No way, right?”

Hearing this, Jack was reminded of the fact that the man standing in front of him was indeed an F-tier nobody. Gathering his bearings, he growled, “You certainly have a way with words, F-tier, but at the end of the day, you’re just one of the wannabes.”

The blond man didn’t do his homework. As soon as he read up on Kaiden, he saw he was an F-tier awakened shooting adult videos, so he stopped researching him immediately. As a result, he had no clue that…

“Didn’t he defeat an A-tier?! We should get Jack to back off before…”

“That was at level 1!”

“Yeah, this loser had just awakened. Unlike the noobie Arcane Archmage, we’d been training for years, getting ready to enter the dungeons prepared. Jack would eat this rookie alive.”

The chatter of the audience continued until a single, low grunt sounded from Kaiden.

“As you wish.”

With that, he got ready to make good on his promise.