Pendant seems to notice. A small crease crosses her face. I wonder what she's thinking.
Pendant knows me. She knows our guild better than anyone. She probably knows exactly what
Adrian looks out the window, a tired expression on his face.
Many people react to magic in different ways. Some, like Adrian, reject it completely. They see it as a dangerous force humans should not touch.
The world is already fragile and lifting restrictions doesn't free people. It reveals the worst in them. It fuels greed, cruelty, and recklessness. For these individuals, unrestricted magic only worsens corruption. Magic reflects the fears humans already hold within themselves.
Others accept magic as part of life. A force that exists alongside the natural world. It is neither good nor evil, only a tool the world offers. They treat it like navigating a river or reading the wind. It's something to understand and adapt to. Magic becomes a layer woven into reality, affecting everything. These people focus on observation, integration, and coexistence rather than morality.
Then there are people like Sho and Valen who view magic as a tool for ambition. They see it as a way to overcome limits set by society or nature. Power is found in its raw form. A means to dominate and achieve greatness.
If the world is chaotic, why not use it? Magic lets them tilt the scales in their favor. For them, it is tangible ambition, a way to carve their path and secure their place at the top. They don't fear it, carry it as a burden, or question it.
They use it fully and let it define them.
"Yin," Hex says, his voice colder than usual.
Yin tilts her head. Her hair falls over her shoulder. "What is it, Hex?"
"I swear I've seen you before," he says.
"I would hope so," Yin smiles, but the smile feels off, cruel. Her voice stiffens, different from what I've heard before.
"That's where it was," Hex taunts. "What was it …? What did I steal …?"
"OH," he laughs, realization hitting him. "I stole that ring from your guild. Is that why you wanted to know what kind of magic I use? Pathetic. Rhy couldn't beat me with one hand tied."
"I think you underestimate the distance between your side and mine," Yin says, a smile creeping across her face.
And he's right, I think.
The gap between the top five players and the bottom ten is night and day. The distance between the surface and the heavens. The distance between Sho and Valen is even greater, far beyond what we could hope to reach.
"What ring did they steal?" Lyra asks, her mana pulsing slightly.
"They…" Yin begins but is cut off.
"We?" Hex mocks. "I stole one of the Ten Suns Rings."
"One of the ten rings," Rhy replies. "I was always too lazy to rename it."
Rhy's hair is a fiery orange, though she often dyes it in other colors. It reminds me of someone I know.
"I heard you bought it for quite the haul," Hex laughs. "I sold it for half."
"You're not worried about dying?" Rhy asks, a trace of concern in her voice.
"Why would I?" Hex shrugs. "The nature of thievery is risk. I want to make as much money as possible."
"Money isn't everything," Yin sighs.
"Be careful," Hex taunts. "Or I'll steal your and Anya's gems."
Anya grits her teeth but remains silent.
"Try, if you like," Yin replies, a small smile forming.
"Sorry, Anya. Did I scare you?" Hex asks, tilting his head toward her.
The two guards step forward, their armor rattling. I recognize one from the rankings; the other I'm unsure about.
"RG shouldn't even be here," Hex complains, tightening into his chair. "They're only a top guild because of NPCs and sub-members."
"Yet you're so focused on rankings," Orin rolls hid eyes at him.
"You have no room to talk, Orin," Hex snaps. "The only reason you got this far is because of Valen."
"Ha," Orin laughs. "If you think so."
"I know," Hex says, looking at Valen. "It's the same with Sho. Your guilds are top tier but you take Sho out of her guild, and it plummets. Take Valen out of Ascend, and it plummets. At least with the Slayers, they have multiple top-ten players."
"You could say the same about Black Cats," Orin counters. "Take you out of your guild, and it plummets."
"That's not true," Hex signs. "Take me out of Rank Five, and Archer is still in the top seven. With Ascend and Sho, Sho has no other top-30 members. Hell, the top rank after Valen is fifteen for Risto, and that's debatable. Risto isn't exactly a great fighter."
"Just because I can't beat you doesn't mean I'm not a great fighter," Risto says.
"I went through the same way you did."
"No, you didn't," he laughs. "But let's focus on the ring."
"I only sold it for ten platinum."
"You sold it for ten million?"
"Hey, I'm sure the buyer is happy. I didn't need it."
"It's a priceless artifact," Yin complains.
"So what?" Hex sighs. "I don't intend to die, so it doesn't matter."
"Those are the rings that grant one respawn," Circe says, her voice low and uncertain.
"Correct," Ripley replies. I look at her pin mask, wondering what she's hiding… something like mine, perhaps.
"Why would you sell something like that?" Circe asks.
"Our guild doesn't care about climbing this tower," Ripley says.
"Don't you want to get home?" Circe interrupts.
"The hope for that is gone, child," Ripley replies.
"Why say that?" Risto asks, glaring at Ripley.
"Well," Archer began. "Let's ignore obvious things like mortality. There's no point climbing this tower. This world is ten times, or a hundred times, better than Earth."
"I would beg to differ," Risto says.
"Our world is always the same," Archer replies. "Even you use magic, do you really want to go back to a world with none? Where you'd be weak and struggling?"
"You don't know my life," Archer.
"I don't intend to understand it," she replies. "This world is better in every way. If our guild claims the tower first, we will wish to stay here."
"What about you, Archer?" Orin asks, looking at the Ten Slayer group. "What would you wish for?"
"I'm sure you agree with us."
"Actually, we are on opposite sides," Pendant smiles. "Our guild intends to completely remove magic from the world."
Adrian, who hasn't been paying attention until now, looks toward Pendant.
"Is that why you invented anti-magic?" Hex asks.
"Of course," Pendant smiles. "But our plans are far from complete. We need a purpose."
"What are you talking about?" Ezekial asks.
"Nothing," Pendant sighs. "Let's just get this over with."
"Hahaha. Getting rid of magic is impossible," Arthur says, sending smoke curling into the air. "You'd need to kill every slime, and more importantly, the Slime Queen."
"You think we can't do that?"
"If you do it, I will forever serve your guild," Arthur bows mockingly.
"We don't need useless people," Lilith replies, her voice calm, almost eerie in its steadiness.
"Useless?" Arthur repeats, a trace of disbelief in her tone.
"Is that why Crusaders challenged the Slime Queen?" Lyra asks, leaning forward. "Are you working together toward this goal?"
Adrian glances back toward the table, his eyes glowing faintly gold. "I don't care if people use magic. If they remove it, I'll remain as powerful as I am now. Nothing changes."
"Wouldn't your friend perish?" Veil murmurs.
Adrian grits his teeth. Yuto sits beside him, a small smile on his face. "Let's stop talking about hypothetical situations," he says. "I'm sure every guild has plans that will never be realized."
Even Ezekial adds, frowning, "The main problem with this summit is the agenda. The question is whether the Slime Queen can remain part of Adrian's guild."
"And how will you stop it?" Adrian asks, leaning back. "There's no world where I give up my friend."
I look at Shino. She seems smaller than I've ever seen her. Nervous. The world feels slower as our eyes meet, and I know exactly what she's thinking.
"He does have a point," Veil adds, stroking his beard. "A force of nature should be allowed to participate in guild wars, at the very least."
A knock at the door interrupts us. I turn my head, catching a familiar scent, familiar mana. Sho leans against the doorway, her presence unmistakable.
Sho stumbles slightly into the room, almost like she's drunk, and makes her way to her seat with assistance.
"Man," Sho groans, stretching slightly. "I'm tired."
She slams into the chair and props her feet up onto the table. Her toes are painted bright red.
She leans back. She exhales sharply.
Mr. Sato steps through the door behind her and quietly shuts it. His presence calm but deliberate. Sho lifts her feet and rests them on the table, her gaze sweeping the room.
"Valen," she commands, voice sharp, "swap seats with Rhy. I don't want to sit next to you."
Valen obeys.
He slides into Rhy's seat, and she moves beside Teruki. The two exchange a small, tense glance. A unspoken understanding passing between them.
Sho leans back further, surveying the rearranged seating. The room feels smaller, tighter, every eye drawn to her. A quiet authority hangs in the air, and no one moves without her consent.
"Hello, everyone," Sho sighs, rubbing her forehead. "I have this glaring headache, so let's get this over with."
No one reacts. It's as if this is normal for her. To me, it feels like she's testing the boundaries. She's seeing what she can get away with and how far she can push the other guilds before they object.
"Sho," Hex mutters under his breath.
Valen leans forward. "Maybe we should postpone this for another day," he suggests.
"I have responsibilities," Sho replies, exhaling. She glares at Arthur, who is still smoking.
"Put it away," Sho commands, her voice sharper now. Arthur hesitates. Sho lifts her hand The wind swats at the stick, and it snaps in half.
"Now," she says, more resolute. Arthur obeys, extinguishing the flame and tossing it out the window.
"For those who don't know me," Sho begins, her voice steady, "my name is Sho. I am sixteen, and I specialize in wind magic."
"So what's on the agenda for today?" Reyna asks.
"My father is bringing a list of items I want to cover," Sho says, scanning the circular table. "But for now, is there anything you want to ask me?"
"There are a few things I'd like to cover, Sho," Risto says almost inaudibly.
"Speak up, will you?" Sho snaps.
"I think everyone wants to know about Reapers," Risto replies, sitting up, hair falling abruptly around her face.
"Ugh," Sho groans. "They were a clan of player-killers. They deserved what they got."
"Sho, you answer to the world government," Anya interjects. "You don't get to make these decisions."
"I agree. They should have gone through a court or law," Yin adds.
"They killed .... And if any of you want to fight me over this decision, we can," Sho replies, unwavering.
"Not everything can be solved with violence," Ezekial says. "If the public didn't view it as…"
"Exactly," Sho cuts him off. "The public sees it as warranted. They think I'm on the right side, so why does it matter?"
"Sho, none of us should be attacking and slaughtering a guild in the middle of the night," Veil says.
"It was morning," Ripley mutters.
"Semantics," Yin replies.
"Would you want one of us to attack your guild?" Arthur asks, half-joking.
"Hah," Sho laughs.
"Is there anything else?" Sho asks again, her voice calm but commanding.
"I don't even believe this happened," Hex mutters. Sho turns her head toward him but says nothing.
"You expect us to believe a guild leader snuck onto another floor, found a secret base, and slaughtered everyone with no witnesses … and better yet, one of the most popular guild leaders? I doubt that," Hex says.
Sho leans back. Her expression unreadable. The room is silent. All eyes on her, waiting for her to break it.
Sho doesn't say anything.
"What I think happened," Hex begins, "is they died in the dungeon. Sho claimed it so the public wouldn't be scared."
"That's not too crazy," Lyra says, shrugging.
"What did you do with the bodies, Sho?" Ashen asks, voice quiet but probing.
Sho's expression doesn't change, though a flicker passes her eyes. She begins, deliberately calm.
"I think there's an evident misunderstanding about me," Sho says, voice calm but firm. "I am one of the strongest players in the tower. Just because you couldn't do what I did doesn't mean I can't."
Hex laughs. "Well, whatever you say, kid."
Sho goes silent. Her expression hardens, eyes sharp with anger.
"I hate when people call me that," she mutters under her breath. "No guild compares to me. That's a fact. You may think you can take a victory, but you can't."
"Didn't you almost lose to G2?" Han asks, voice skeptical.
"Lose?" Sho scoffs, leaning forward. "That's a complete misunderstanding of what happened. I limited myself to using only magic that night, and I was barely scratched. I would have won if Reyna hadn't used her Soul Skill… or whatever it's called."
"What do you say, Reyna?" Yin asks.
"I agree with Sho," Reyna admits quietly. "I got lucky."
"And what about your fight with Tenshi?" Pendant asks. Valen's expression shifts from calm to tense in an instant.
"My sister's fight?" Valen snaps.
"Who are you," Sho asks.
"My name is Pendant and I am the smartest being in the tower."
'Am I supposed to know who you are ?"
"After that fight, you improved your armor so she couldn't bypass it again," Pendant continues, voice tight.
"I doubt any of you could. She only got through because I… let her pass. That was my choice."
"Why did you fight? How did my sister get past your armor?" Valen shouts.
Sho falls silent.
"No, Sho," he yells, more forcefully now.
"Valen … be quiet"
"Sho ..," Valen interrupts, releasing a surge of blue mana.
A crackling energy field spreads from his body, filling the room. Everyone feels it instantly.
Adrian seems fine, though I can't tell if it's because of his own mana or because Sho is protecting him.
Even Shino doesn't seem to notice.
"Don't act like I can't walk down your entire guild … Valen," Sho says, eyes flashing. "Don't test me."
Sho doesn't move, doesn't flinch. The energy around her pulses like a heartbeat, calm but deadly. Her feet remain upright on the table.
"Is that sufficient?" Sho asks, her voice steady.
The mana dissipates and no one replies.
"And what does your boyfriend think of this?" Archer asks, eyes narrowing.
Sho's expression shifts for a moment, almost imperceptibly, before returning to her usual calm.
"Adrian? Why don't you ask him yourself?" she adds lightly.
Adrian exhales slowly. "About what."
'The PKers."
"I wouldn't have stopped her. I probably couldn't have anyway. They were player-killers. Sho didn't act without reason."
"Isn't there a saying … if you kill someone, you become them?" Risto asks quietly.
"Tell that to all the families with dead people," Adrian says sharply. "None of you understand the pain of the average person because you're so far removed from it."
"Far removed," Ezekial says, leaning forward. "Adrian, your refusal to use magic is far removed from the lives of the average person as well."
Adrian sighs. "I said what I had to."
Sho moves her feet forward and back, almost amused by everyone's tension. She finally speaks, voice calm but deliberate.
"I also want to ask you, Sho … what will become of Shino?" Veil says.
Sho glances at Shino. "Honestly, it's up to her. I doubt I could stop her from competing in guild wars if she tried."
Shino looks over, a small, serene smile on her face. "I don't intend to meddle in human affairs. I only act when Sho calls on me. However, I do want to see the world. If that requires defeating a boss or two, then I will."
"What about what ten players said?" Anya asks. "Will you get into conflict with them?"
"I don't intend to go through the ranking process. I've already forfeited mine. I believe it requires an overhaul. As for guild wars, I will compete in those."
"What?" Hex blurts.
Sho leans back slightly, voice calm but unwavering.
"Arthur, that shouldn't be allowed," Hex adds.
"And why not?" Sho asks.
"It makes this guild untouchable," Arthur says, frowning. "A force of nature shouldn't be allowed to interfere with humans."
"I don't see the problem," Sho says lightly. "We can vote on it once my father gets back."
"Is there anything else?" Sho asks, scanning the table.
"I want to talk about…" Ripley begins, but before she can finish, there's a knock at the door.
Mr. Sato enters, carrying a notebook and papers. His familiar scent fills the room. He passes the notebook to Sho, who places it carefully in her lap.
"Put your feet down," Mr. Sato orders.
Sho exhales, stretching her legs reluctantly. "Fine, Dad," she mutters, lowering them.
She looks around the table, a faint, confident smile on her face.
"Alright," she says. "Agenda 1: Guild Wars and Rankings."