The tavern was bustling on its ground floor, where tables were filled with men and women all drinking, shouting, and dancing. The atmosphere was light and warm, and the emblem of the Fire guild was visible on every one of them.
The tavern girls were working hard, serving food and drinks and dodging the perverted hands of the players who loved to release their carnal wants in worlds like this, where it was much easier to get their hands on who they wanted whenever they wanted.
But to their fortune, this pack of players was led by someone who didn't tolerate these actions. At the centre of the tavern, sitting at the biggest table with the highest-ranking players, was the leader of the Fire guild on the second level and a renowned high ranker in Paradise.
She was a tall and muscular woman with tanned skin and braided black hair that matched well with her hazel eyes and the fighting spirit on her face. She had a tomboyish personality but was a strong leader despite some of her lacking characteristics.
The main one would be…
BITE
Luciana took a wild bite out of a chicken leg and took a big swig of her beer before smashing it on the table. She looked very wild in everything she did. One could also mistake her for a man with her actions, if not for her large breasts held back in a black sports bra and her wearing a thong every time she wanted to relax, disregarding how revealing it was.
Not because she was a flashy type of person but because Luciana didn't quite understand human standards much, since she didn't come from a modern Earth.
"When is she going to fucking ascend, for fuck's sake? I'm sick and tired of the barbarian's bullshit…", one of the players sitting in a corner whispered to his close friend, who nodded and sipped from his tankard.
"Agree, I swear she looks more suited to be in one of those slave cages than lead a guild, all muscle and no brains for real. Why are we even in this fucking shithole when we should be farming missions in better places than the backwards part of the kingdom?", he commented quietly, but then their eyes met a man who was sitting alone at the counter with a large katana on his back and guns at his belt.
"What are you looking at, newcomer?", the player set down his drink and walked up to the man dressed in black, not the red of the guild.
"You should watch your mouth, kids", the man said without looking back at them.
"You know age doesn't matter between players, don't you, old man?", the other player said, flaking him.
"So why don't you mind your business and go lick your master's feet, dog? Go on…", the player got closer to his face, trying his hardest to push him over the edge and start a fight.
SIGH
The man picked up his katana and stood up, standing taller than the two before him. He looked at them through his tinted sunglasses and walked between them, heading for the stairs.
"Bitch…", one of the players said, turning around and heading back with his friend to their spot. "Apostle's bodyguard, more like maid.", he said, leaning back on the wall and staring at Luciana, who was now arm wrestling on the main table.
Mark hand tightened around his katana as he stepped up the stairs. 'Fucking retards, they don't think she knows what they're saying… Well, it would be for the better if she kills them anyway', Mark thought before he got on the upper level of the tavern, where the guild rented all the rooms to sleep in.
He looked down the corridor, and his eyes widened. His heartbeat slowed, and immediately he reached for his Glock, which he aimed at the masked man standing and staring into the apostle's room, the person he's supposed to protect.
"Ali", Mark said quietly, as not to have those below them hear and force the man to act.
"Mark", the masked man responded but didn't look away from the young blonde who was sleeping peacefully on her bed.
"Please don't…", Mark said as he stepped closer slowly. He knew very well that if Ali wanted to do something to Claire, nobody could stop him from this distance.
"Lower your gun Mark, you know bullets wouldn't help you", Ali said, turning towards Mark. The door to Claire's room closed on its own quietly.
"What are you doing here, Ali?", Mark asked, finally lowering his gun, but the tension was still thick.
"To talk", Ali said.
"About what?"
"Your guild getting the fuck out of here", Ali said calmly, taking the mask off.
"You can't just force an ancient guild to do what you want, Ali", Mark said, shaking his head. His heartbeat calming down. 'I fucking hate having to deal with him. Offering to keep tabs on him was the dumbest thing I ever did in my life', mark thought as he found dealing with Ali very difficult.
"Your boss is downstairs?", Ali asked.
"You know she is…But it's not a good time. She's drunk right now and might just blow up if she saw you walk down there", Mark said.
"Luciana, right? That's a modern name for a prehistoric human like her…", Ali said.
"So you know about her, huh! I thought you liked to keep to yourself, but it seems like you're making friends in Paradise", Mark said, remembering the small list of players Ali was close to.
"Friends is a strong word", Ali said with his cold tone and expressionless face that Mark really hated.
"Well, she was given the name by another player when she entered Paradise, the same player who taught her how to be a normal human being to an extent, and it turns out she was talented enough to absorb it all pretty fast", Mark praised Luciana as he had a high opinion of the woman.
"Let's go", Ali said, walking forward, and Mark sighed, leading Ali down the stairs.
Eyes went to mark who came back pretty quickly. Some expected Claire to be following him, but they saw another man following behind him, and they all tensed up, reaching for their weapons. The fire of the torches in the tavern suddenly grew larger, and some of it slithered across the floor to players who held the fire between their fingers.
Luciana slowly turned around to watch the man finally step down the final stair and reveal his face to everyone, whose eyes widened. Now they all stood up, scaring the tavern girls who rushed behind the counter.
"Fuck Mark, you know who you got there", a player shouted, pointing at Ali.
"Calm down, all of you. He's here to talk", Mark shouted back and raised his arms to signal for all of them to lower their weapons, but none did.
As for the reason why these players didn't just straight out run out the doors for their lives, it was because of Luciana, who stood up and dropped the tankard from her hand. She smiled wildly, and her braided hair turned red as the temperature in the tavern rose to a point everyone was sweating, except Ali, whose body naturally cooled to fight the heat.
"So you finally changed your mind, ah?", Luciana shouted with her wild smile, looking at Ali, who took off his cloak and showed his long-sleeved black shirt that was tight on his muscles.
Ali simply walked forward to the centre table. The fire guild players parted and watched him closely as he walked up to Luciana. Most men would have to look up, but not Ali, who looked her straight in the eyes as they were of similar height.
"Let's sit", Ali said, his black eyes matching her hazel-coloured eyes.
"Sure", Luciana said, flicking her hand, and the table behind her went up in deep red flames, turning to ash in one second, not even taking the time to burn. The players around her smiled, feeling pride from seeing their leader stand up to Ali.
Ali didn't react and simply turned around to the counter where he sat down on one of the chairs and turned around to look at the more than seventy players standing before him with fire slithering between them.
The tavern girls behind him were shaking under the counter.
"So what are your demands?", Luciana asked, confusing her guildmates around her.
"Demands?", Ali asked, even though he knew what she meant.
"For joining the Fire guild and becoming our apostle", she said, her eyes never leaving his. The players around her opened their eyes wide in surprise, except for the high-ranking ones who understood how big of a deal this would be. It would push the Fire guild to the number one guild on the second level immediately.
How strong is Ali for a newcomer and without the blessing of a god? Now imagine him with the power of an apostle and time to enter more worlds. That is a very frightening image that guilds would pay dearly to have and pay more to make sure he is killed if any guild other than theirs were close to having him.
"No, no, no", Ali repeated, shaking his head. "I'm not here to join you", Ali said.
"I'm here to tell you to pack your things and get the fuck out of my playground.", Ali said, leaning back on the counter with his elbows and his cold eyes watching their reactions.
"Your playground?", a high-ranker asked.
"You're here by request of the Adventure's guild to kill a baron, no?", Ali said, and they all turned to Luciana.
"What does that have to do with you?", Luciana asked.
Ali didn't answer right away; instead, he tapped on the counter, and a head popped up from under the counter, sweating buckets from the heat and adrenaline in her heart. The tavern girl looked over at the players staring at her now, making her even more nervous.
"Tell me, who's been the talk of the city the past week?", Ali said to the girl who couldn't stop shaking and slowly opened her mouth.
"T—T-The Baron to the south, Dragon Rider Ali", she answered, and the players now understood. They were here to kill Ali.
"Luciana, did you know?", Mark asked Luciana, who tightened her fist, and the heat turned up a notch again; the tavern was more like a sauna now.
"Why would I ask for the name of some baron, for fuck's sake…", Luciana said, and the players all sighed in unison.
"So if you all understand now, then tell the guild you're abandoning the contract and get out of the viscount's land by sunrise.", Ali demanded.
"Or?", Luciana said, looking down at Ali.
"Or stay and die with the viscount. I already killed an apostle a couple of days ago. I wouldn't mind adding killing you lot to my record", Ali said.
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