Minerva Greysia, a Sequence 7 Ultimate Sentinel, met the leader of the Death God Guild for the first time. His name was Sir Vincent Caelthorn, a man who had recently emerged from decades of seclusion.
Minerva's boots echoed softly in the dark corridor lit only by dimly glowing crystals embedded in the walls. She stopped in front of two large doors carved with dragons. The doors slowly parted and opened, revealing a magnificent yet gloomy room. The entire room was illuminated only by the light from a wall carved with two dragons which coiled before her.
The man stood with his back to her. Sir Vincent Caelthorn's long, black hair flowed down to his waist, and his black robes brushed the cold stone floor.
Minerva bowed her head and clasped one hand to her chest in a gesture of respect.
"Sir Vincent, I am Minerva Greysia. I have come to answer your summons."
Sir Vincent simply nodded slightly without so much as glancing back.
"I accept your orders to take responsibility for Nolan and his two friends, including their supervision and guidance," Minerva continued. She lowered her head for a moment, then raised it again. "However, didn't you intend to supervise them directly?"
"For now, no," Vincent replied curtly. "You will be in charge of them."
The Guild Leader turned to face Minerva and looked at her sternly.
"I will also task you with observing and guiding the others," he said. Before the Transcendence Trial, the Aurora Association is planning a field competition for the Sentinel Saints. Bring Nolan and the others to participate."
"Yes, sir," Minerva replied without hesitation.
She bowed again before leaving the large room. It was then that Minerva truly realized that those Sir Vincent spoke of were the golden generation of the Death God Guild: the young Sentinels who had set numerous records and made significant contributions to various missions and battles.
***
Two days had passed, and Nolan's condition had improved significantly. Meanwhile, Selena and Julian were slowly returning to their training in the Death God Guild's training room. Although they hadn't gone on missions for several days, meaning they had no income, the guild still provided food and supportive facilities for its members.
Selena spent her time training and regularly visiting the guild library. The library had much more complete data and was equipped with hologram boards containing history and other important information.
Unlike Selena, who read diligently and meticulously, Nolan was more selective in his reading habits. He skimmed through only the sections that caught his attention, without wasting time examining the entire contents in detail.
The metallic tablet he was using was similar to an e-reader on Earth. There, the development of digital books had made it possible for readers to stop carrying stacks of physical books—they could simply open a single device. The principle was the same, except the book-sized metallic tablet could store the numerous copies of books that Nolan had taken from the guild library, eliminating the need to carry multiple reading materials.
Nolan sat on the edge of his room's balcony with Selena. The short-haired girl looked intently at the hologram screen floating before her.
Nolan's attention was drawn to the threads connecting his death at the hands of the Demon Emperor Hades. He was also researching the Snake Goddess Organization, led by the Ninth Demon King, Medusa. Although the Daemon race led it, most of its members were Dark Sentinels. In the eyes of the government and the Aurora Association, they were all classified as dangerous criminals responsible for numerous deaths.
He fingers continued to scroll through the pages, moving from one data point to another.
"Nolan, are you holding a grudge against Charlie, the gravity user?" Selena asked curiously.
Nolan, who had been focused on the hologram screen, finally turned to Selena, raising his eyebrows slightly. "No," he replied curtly. "I'm just interested in something."
Selena moved her face very close to Nolan's. "Ah, the Nolan I know," she said softly. "He wouldn't lie to those closest to him."
Selena's words were like electric shocks running through Nolan's body. However, he remained calm. Eventually, he realized that he would never be able to act like the shy and nervous Caelthorn.
"Maybe someone's death would be enough to change my dark past," he said calmly.
Selena paused for a moment before exhaling softly. "But Nolan, I completely understand how you feel. You were always so restrained and raised so harshly that you have difficulty socializing and interacting with others." Her voice lowered. "I'm so sorry."
"So you understand," Nolan replied evenly.
He returned his attention to the hologram screen in front of him. Unnoticed, the sky outside turned gloomy as evening approached. The door to his room slid open, revealing Julian in a tracksuit jacket. His face looked tired, and his body was slightly drenched in sweat. He sat with Nolan and Selena on the balcony and downed a bottle of water.
"So tiring... so tiring," Julian complained with a sigh. "The training facilities at this guild are so complete. I've tried so many methods to improve my Titan power."
"But you don't seem happy because you haven't received a mission yet," Selena said without looking up from her hologram screen. "You even borrowed money from Nolan just to send to your grandmother back home."
Julian frowned, then sighed several times. "If I don't send her money, how will she be able to eat and meet her daily needs?"
A cool breeze blew gently, carrying the fresh scent of the clear lake in the distance. Nolan turned his head for a moment to gaze at the view before Selena's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Nolan, have you heard anything from Mentor Vincent?" she asked curiously. "We haven't seen him in a few days. Is he really busy?"
Hearing the question, Julian wiped his face with a towel. "I also asked some of the seniors. They said he's gone into seclusion again. Maybe tomorrow we'll get a new mentor."
Selena sighed, sounding somewhat relieved. "That's much better. Just being trained by him once felt like hell. I hope the new mentor will be a little more compassionate."
"Haha, Selena," Julian chuckled. "I thought you were a rude, scary girl, but it turns out you can be scared, too."
His laughter was cut off when Selena smacked him on the head.
Nolan shook his head slowly, watching Selena and Julian fight again. Instead, his thoughts drifted to Vincent, his uncle, who, after saving him and his two friends, had gone into seclusion again. At least, that's what some of the older students he'd met had told him.
On the other hand, his father, Antares, and Vincent had a very close relationship. Despite everything, they were still brothers, bound by blood. This bond seemed strange, considering Vincent had slaughtered the entire Caelthorn family, including their parents, before relinquishing his title of crown prince and handing the throne to Antares.
Nolan's thoughts were interrupted when the door to his room slid open.
A woman wearing a dark blue formal dress stood in the doorway. Her hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, and her eyes were sharp as she stared at the three of them.
"New junior," she said coldly. "Come with me. Now."
Her tone was commanding and firm—and, frankly, quite annoying. However, Nolan knew that beneath her stern demeanor, she had always treated them warmly.
Senior Minerva Greysia.
Ultimate Sentinel Sequence 7, Fighter Path, weapon user.
For Selena and Julian, Minerva's presence was a sign of doom. It meant only one thing: hell training.
Without giving them a chance to refuse, she led them out of the room and into Training Room Three. It was a place far from comfortable.
There, Selena and Julian were truly the butt of the joke.
Minerva had changed into her training attire: a loose-fitting track jacket, a short skirt, and black knee-high socks. She held a long, pointed spear in her hand. Nolan could clearly feel the dense, controlled flow of mana energy enveloping the weapon.
Julian advanced first.
His body was enveloped in a red Titan aura as he sprinted and threw a punch. From a safe distance, Nolan immediately realized one thing: Julian's movements were still too slow for a real fight.
Minerva didn't use a single long-range magic attack. She concentrated all her energy in the spear, turning it into a deadly extension of her body.
With a light step, she dodged to the side. Julian's Titan aura fist flew over her head.
In one swift movement, Minerva spun around and swung the spear.
The impact struck Julian hard in the waist.
His massive body flew through the air, hitting the wall with a heavy thud before falling to the floor.
Without hesitation, Minerva turned her attention to her next target:
Selena.
As a Sentinel of the Mage Path, Selena immediately fired a barrage of water bullets. But one by one, they were cut off in midair. Minerva's spear moved swiftly, destroying each projectile as if they were fragile bubbles.