Luxe stood beside Steve in front of a sleek, newly renovated building.
A large emblem hung above the main doors—a dark silhouette of a prism shadow, glowing faintly in hues of blue, purple, and black.
Beneath it, bold letters read: "Veyrath Guild."
"Hehe, what do you think of our guild? Cool, right?" Steve said, nudging Luxe playfully.
"It's impressive," Luxe replied, eyes glinting as he gazed up at the structure. "The renovation must've cost a fortune, though."
"Hahaha, don't worry about that! Wait until you see the inside! It's smaller than other guilds, sure—but fully equipped!" Steve grinned and pulled Luxe toward the entrance.
They stepped inside, greeted by the scent of fresh paint and the sound of tools clinking. Construction workers were still painting the walls, installing lights, and arranging furniture across the wide lobby.
"This," said Steve, spreading his arms wide, "will be our main lobby! The place to welcome guests. And right over there—" he pointed to the wall behind the half-finished reception desk— "we'll install the big Veyrath emblem. Made of rare metal, for that elegant look."
He patted Luxe's shoulder proudly.
"All walls in this building are layered with Beast Core Essence. Strong enough to withstand an Elite Beast attack—safe even during emergencies."
Luxe nodded slowly, eyes sweeping across the half-finished interior—the polished dark granite floor, the crystal lights above, and the faint purple shimmer pulsing from the core-infused pillars.
"Come on," said Steve with a wide smile, clapping Luxe's back. "You haven't seen anything yet!"
He led the way down a corridor glowing faintly with violet light. "Alright, I'll show you everything—this is our official base, Luxe!"
He pushed open a large door. "First, the meeting room—where we'll plan strategies, discuss contracts, and handle expeditions."
He moved on to the next room. "This one's the master room—the main office for the Guild Leader and Vice Leader. The furniture's made of essence wood, resistant to aura pressure."
A few steps later, they entered a cozy lounge with circular sofas and the scent of warm drinks.
"This is our lounge. A place to relax after missions. There's even an essence vending machine—try it later, it tastes weird but refreshing."
Steve tapped the heavy metal door nearby.
"Next, the Core Vessel Storage Room. Every member's Beast cores and rare equipment will be kept here—protected by Essence Locks. Only authorized members can open them."
They continued to an arena bathed in blue light.
"And this is our training ground! The Essence Field can change environments—snow, swamp, night, desert—you name it."
Then they climbed to the second floor.
"Up here's the dormitory. Private rooms for active members, plus a dining hall and recreation area."
He ran his hand along a stone wall. "Behind here will be the research and crafting rooms. I've already booked a blacksmith spot, so we can forge and upgrade equipment ourselves—no need to go through the Association!"
Finally, Steve stopped before a massive door engraved with the Veyrath emblem. Essence energy rippled through the carvings.
"And last…" he said with a proud smile, "the Marking Room."
The door opened slowly, revealing a circular chamber filled with rotating essence pillars. Prism lights shimmered softly, reflecting across the walls.
"And now…" Steve turned with a wide grin.
"This is the surprise I mentioned last night!"
He raised his hand, summoning two glowing sigils—one crimson, one gold.
WHUUM!
From the first circle, Crag Bull emerged—its chest already bearing the shadow-prism mark of Veyrath. Its body was now twice its former size, skin hardened like obsidian, magma-like veins glowing across its shoulders and legs. The floor trembled under its hooves.
Then came Tigrix Rex, towering nearly two meters tall, its golden-black fur gleaming beneath the light, the Veyrath emblem glowing on its chest.
The Beast's muscles rippled with raw strength, eyes burning with golden-red intensity.
Luxe stepped back slightly, eyes widening.
"So this is your surprise?"
Steve grinned proudly. "Heh, awesome, right? Crag Bull's reached Growth Form, and Tigrix finally hit Juvenile Form! Both leveled up! I almost fainted while feeding them essence!"
Luxe gave a small smile. "Not bad. Crag Bull looks like a living fortress… and Tigrix Rex's aura—it's getting close to a young Beast Lord."
Steve laughed and patted his Beast's chest, which hissed like heated stone.
"Haha! We'll crush the other guilds in the tournament at this rate!"
Luxe chuckled softly. "We'll see about that."
Steve clapped his hands once.
"Alright! Now it's your turn—time to mark all your Beasts and equipment with the Guild emblem!"
He pointed to the rune-lined metal table at the center.
The walls pulsed faintly with blue light as energy flowed through the markings, illuminating the room.
"Place everything here, Luxe," Steve said, readying a small prism device with a spinning core at its center.
"Wait," Luxe asked, frowning slightly. "Why does your marking tool look different from the Association's?"
Steve chuckled. "Haha, come on, Luxe. The Association's version is insanely expensive and fully automated—it needs a whole chamber and a dedicated power source."
He twirled the prism device in his hand. "My father made this compact model himself. Smaller, cheaper, and works just as well!"
Luxe nodded and placed his black scythe on the table, removing his Swift Boots. Then, raising his hand, he summoned his Beasts.
SHHHWUUUM—
The air trembled violently.
Prism Ward, Miravore, and Cinder Bird appeared together, their combined auras swirling through the Marking Room like waves of light and heat.
Steve's eyes widened. "Whoa… they've grown even stronger! Especially Miravore—last time he looked like Tigrix Rex! Damn, I'm not the only one showing off surprises today!"
Luxe only smiled faintly. "Let's begin."
Steve nodded and activated the device.
"Alright. Since your equipment still carries the old marks, we'll erase them first."
CRZZZK!
A thin blue light swept across the scythe and boots, burning away the faded Association marks.
Then he switched the prism's color—deep violet light spiraled out, forming the Veyrath emblem: a dark shadow-prism with glowing "Veyrath" text beneath it.
One by one, the marks were applied—the scythe, the boots, and finally, each Beast.
On Prism Ward's chest, the mark pulsed in rhythm with his prism energy.
On Miravore, it gleamed between the scales on his chest, glowing faintly as if fused into his body.
And on Cinder Bird, it shimmered beneath his left wing, flaring every time it breathed out embers.
When the final mark was set, the runes across the floor shone brightly—WUUUM— before slowly fading back into silence.
Steve exhaled, grinning wide.
"It's official now. All your Beasts and gear are part of Veyrath. Anyone who dares mess with them… will be messing with us! Even if our approval's still fresh! Hahaha!"
Luxe examined his newly marked scythe, the faint glow of the emblem reflecting in his eyes.
"Good," he murmured.
"For now… everything's safe."
Just then—
DRRTT—DRRTT—
Steve's phone buzzed loudly, breaking the silence.
He glanced at the caller ID, and his face instantly lit up.
"Well, speak of the devil!"
He answered quickly.
"Yes—ah, understood. I'll head there right away. Thank you!"
As the call ended, he turned to Luxe, practically glowing with excitement.
"Luxe! The Association just approved us—Veyrath is officially registered!"
Luxe raised an eyebrow. "Already? Didn't you say it'd take a week?"
Steve laughed. "That was the estimate! But since my father helped with the paperwork, it went way faster! Haha!"
He dialed another number immediately.
"Hey, yeah—get over here. Right now. Yup, to the guild!"
Once he hung up, he turned back with a grin.
"Listen, three of my father's most trusted people are joining us. You'll meet them soon—they're all licensed Slayers."
Luxe nodded calmly. "Alright. I'll wait."
About twenty minutes later, footsteps echoed down the newly polished corridor.
Three figures appeared—two men and a woman.
The first, Jug, had short-cropped hair, a trimmed beard, and sharp eyes. His black suit stretched over a solid frame.
"Jug. Rank B. Pleasure to meet you, Sir Luxe."
The second, Sai, a man with tired eyes and mullet-style hair, gave a small nod.
"Sai. Rank C."
And the last, Yoori, a woman with shoulder-length brown hair and gentle amber eyes. Her face carried an elegant, quiet confidence.
"Yoori. Rank C."
Steve clapped his hands once.
"Alright, introductions done! From today onward, Veyrath officially stands as a registered guild!"
He pointed toward the exit.
"Now, we're heading to the Association to sign the official documents. After that, we'll register for the Guild Tournament—though the registration deadline is still a few days away!"
Behind him, Yoori leaned closer to Sai, whispering,
"Seriously? Rank F?"
Sai shot her a warning glance. "Shh. That's the Young Master's friend. Watch your words."
Luxe caught the exchange but only smiled faintly.
Without saying a word, he followed Steve and the others toward the door.
They moved quickly down the street toward the Association—the first official step of Veyrath Guild had just begun.