CHAPTER 142: THE WORLD IS SMALL

"Guildmaster Mirinda ordered me to use my power to attract the attention of the monsters. She gave me two reasons. First, to make it easier for the other teams to rescue the citizens. And second, to train our members," Beltimore said while holding the thick book at his side.

"She’s still thinking about training at a time like this? This is very dangerous! If it were just us doing this, fine, but in our group, there are young adventurers and even some who’ve never experienced anything like this before!" William snapped. He never fully understood Mirinda’s intentions. To him, the lives of the young ones were of utmost importance as the future of the guild depended on them.

"Everyone has their first time, William. And today is theirs. I apologize, but I will follow our Guildmaster’s orders to the end. Besides, I’m not worried because you and I are here to watch over them," he said with a firm voice.

William clenched his teeth. He then turned away and sat on a nearby stone. He was truly angry, but at the same time, he had to follow his Guildmaster’s orders.

All the other adventurers had witnessed the exchange between their seniors and couldn’t help but whisper among themselves about what had just happened.

Blackburn, leaning on one of the pillars with his arms folded, watched the two.

"Hmph. Fighting in front of the members... How diligent," he muttered to himself.

ROAR!!!

Suddenly, a loud roar echoed from ahead.

All eyes turned forward, the party instantly on alert.

"About time," Blackburn muttered as he started walking to the front of the group. He tapped the magic item on his right wrist that shaped like a bracelet-like artifact. It glowed white, and a large shield materialized in front of him. He gripped it tightly.

He had chosen the Defender class. Boasting a sturdy defense, he had become the main tank of the group.

"Tank us properly, old man," Lee said, grinning as he and Mark stood behind him.

"Who are you calling old man, brat?! Kids these days have no manners!" Blackburn snapped. He was only forty, but his thick beard and mustache often made him look older.

"Enough chatting. Everyone, get ready!" William ordered. He and Blackburn served as the frontliners. William with a balanced Warrior build, and Blackburn more focused on pure defense.

All the party members took their stances. The sound of roaring grew louder and closer.

Then...

Boom!

One of the buildings in front of them suddenly exploded, hit hard from the side. Bricks flew, and thick white smoke spilled out.

Blackburn squinted, trying to see what had caused the blast. A moment later, he got his answer.

As the smoke cleared, a massive creature emerged from the rubble. A lion, its yellow eyes glinting, stepped through the cracked wall and locked its gaze on the group. It leaped down from the wreckage, landing with a deep thud.

It stood on four legs, towering at nearly five meters tall.

"Get ready, everyo-" William began, but he trailed off, stunned. Not just him, the entire party froze in disbelief.

Not because the lion was massive...

But because it had wings. Enormous, eagle-like wings sprouted from its back.

"What the hell?!" Lee shouted, staring wide-eyed as the lion flared its wings and prepared to charge.

But before it could flap and launch itself at them, something struck it from above, slamming into its head. The tiger was crushed into the ground, blood splattering as it lay motionless.

Then, from beside the fallen beast, a group of people appeared.

"Nice one, big sis!"

"Headshot! Yuhuu!"

"Taste that for scratching my butt! Puii!"

William looked at the group of people, and then he noticed their faces. They looked familiar. From atop the lion’s head, a bulky woman leaped down to the ground. And the one thing that confirmed his suspicion... was a man wearing a woman’s outfit.

"P-Cock?" William muttered.

"Why are they here?" Evelyn said, her tone wary.

"Tch! Of all people," Maya added. She instinctively touched her abdomen. The pain inflicted by P-cock seemed to resurface, perhaps from the trauma.

Everyone in William’s party tensed up, memories of being beaten down by them flashing back in an instant.

"Hmmm... did someone call me? Is it a fan?" P-Cock turned his head, and then his eyes landed on William, Maya, and Evelyn. Recognition struck immediately. His mind raced back to that moment in the forest.

"Kyaaak!!" P-Cock shrieked and dashed behind Phoenix, trembling.

"Huh? What are you doing?" Phoenix asked, clearly annoyed as the large man hid behind her like a child, making her uncomfortable.

"Yeah, what’s wrong, sis P-Cock?" Crow asked, confused.

P-Cock raised a trembling finger and pointed toward William’s group. Phoenix followed his gaze and when she saw the familiar faces, her blood began to boil.

She immediately stepped forward.

"W-what are you doing, big sis?!" P-Cock whimpered.

Phoenix ignored him.

"Well, well... looks like we meet again, and so soon," Phoenix said with a grin, eyes sharp.

"Yeah. This world’s a little too small, it seems," William replied, stepping forward to shield his group. He knew just how strong she was, a former A-rank adventurer. Currently, only Beltimore could stand on equal ground with her.

"Hmm..." Phoenix scanned the group, resting her hand on her chin. "Looks like a few people are missing."

William, Evelyn, and Maya immediately understood who she was referring to.

"Where are those two arrogant newbies? I want a rematch." She cracked her knuckles with anticipation. Ever since that day, she’d been waiting to exact revenge. Being humiliated like that had sparked a wave of rumors, rumors that her bandit team had been defeated.

"They’re not here. You came at a bad time," William said calmly.

P-Cock heard William’s words, and his posture immediately straightened. "They’re not here? Lucky!" he said, then quickly ran to Phoenix’s side.

"Oh? Is that so?" Phoenix tilted her head slightly. "Hmm... then I suppose I’ll just have to have fun with the rest of you."

She raised her sword, now in its rapier form, and pointed it directly at William.