CHAPTER 175: BACK IN THE GUILD

The next day in the morning inside the Hunter’s guild.....

Plates slid across a wooden table in the main hall.

Steam rose from bowls. Sounds of bread breaking and laughter echoed.

It was Gideon’s party. His chair was empty though.

Ronald poked a sausage with his fork like it was a tiny monster. "Can’t wait for today’s raid." Then pouring it into his mouth he started chewing and spoke again. "By the way. When the hell is that kid going to return?!"

Luna’s hands paused around her cup. Her eyes lowered. "Yeah! It’s been so long. Is he really going to return or not?" Her voice was small.

Melissa grinned and leaned in. "Why? Miss him that much?"

Luna’s ears went pink. "I.....I was just asking."

"Mm-hm." Melissa wiggled her brows. "Just asking."

Ronald chuckled and almost dropped his fork. "Careful. You’ll make her cry."

"I’m not crying," She protested and looked away trying to hide her embarrassment.

Jessi wiped the corner of her mouth while eating. "He’ll be back when he’s ready. Four months is long, but he told Elizabeth he had something important to do."

Ronald frowned. "Important what?"

Jessi tilted her head in annoyance. "Am I his guardian? How the hell would I know?!"

Raphael sat quietly at the edge of the bench. He watched and listened but said nothing.

Across from them, Lilith rested her chin on her palm and looked at Gideon’s empty seat. "This Aiden," she said. "Is he strong?"

Melissa shrugged. "He acts calm. Talks less. But his strikes? Damn! Those are hardcore. It’s hard to believe he is only 12 and already a C-class hunter like me."

"How hard?" Lilith asked, eyes bright now. "Like... ’don’t stand in front of him’ hard?"

Melissa laughed. "Like ’don’t be in the same postal code’ hard."

Ronald whistled. "So he’s stronger than me?"

"Ronald," Jessi said gently, "everyone is stronger than you before breakfast."

He blinked, thought about it, and nodded. "Fair."

A chair scraped.

Gideon walked up, one hand holding a sealed dungeon scroll. He dropped it on the table.

"I’ve selected today’s mission," he said. "This time, it’s in a mountain region."

Melissa’s smile thinned into focus. "What rank?"

"D-rank of course," Gideon said. "Though we have been performing well recently, we are not yet that strong to take on higher-level dungeons."

Jessi leaned forward. "Mountain paths. Ice on the shade side."

"Wind shear," Ronald added, trying to sound smart.

Gideon clapped him on the shoulder once. "Good. You remembered a big word."

Lilith perked up. "New terrain. I like it."

Luna looked between them and squeezed her cup. Then continued drinking tea without saying anything.

Melissa nudged Luna’s arm. "Worried about what if someone returns when we are gone?"

"Melissa," Luna hissed.

Melissa giggled.

Gideon tore a loaf in half and spoke without looking up. "Finish your meal quickly. We move in ten minutes, guys."

The table settled. Spoons scraped bowls. Boots knocked the bench legs. The hall around them breathed...the steady din of hunters, barked orders, the dull bell of a new posting on the board.

After a few minutes, Gideon stood up. "Gear up."

Chairs pushed back. Belts tightened. Blades checked. In a minute, the table was empty.

They left for the gate.

————

Inside Logan’s room.....

Silence. Logan was still immersed in his cultivation.

But suddenly....

He opened his eyes.

He then stood up slowly.

Energy settled under his skin like a tide at perfect balance. No noise. No waste.

"I can’t believe it took me just one day to refine the rest of the spiritual energy." He whispered with awe and looked at his clenched fist.

"Grandmaster realm. Mid phase."

After reaching the Grandmaster realm yesterday, his speed in cultivation accelerated like his inside was a void, hungry for energy.

The last traces of Spirit Nectar finished refining inside him. Not a drop left.

He lifted his hands and watched the veins move like fine threads. He could feel it. The sensation. The energy surging through his body.

A faint smile touched his mouth. It didn’t last long though.

Because he knew.... Still a long way to go.

But just then, noticing something strange, he crossed the room and stopped in front of the mirror.

He stared at his reflection in it. "What in the.....!"

He was totally shocked. He looked taller. By almost fifteen centimeters.

His frame had leaned out. Lines under the skin cut sharply. Not bulky. Not thin. Toned. Coiled.

He smiled. "It always has its perks."

He then entered the bathroom for a shower. The stench was becoming intolerable to even himself. After all, it had been four months since he last took his shower.

Water ran. Steam rose. He scrubbed four months of dust from his skin and stepped out new soon.

Grey tunic. Dark trousers. Belt. Boots.

Mask on.

Hood up.

He opened the door and walked down the stairs.

Delicia’s morning hit him like a warm wave—stew, bread, butter, low voices.

He felt the cravings, not for food but its taste. He entered pushing the door open.

Sylvie was at the counter, tallying coins. She looked up hearing the creaking sound of the door.

And.....

She froze!

Her eyes climbed his face, then his shoulders, then his height. "You..."

"It’s me," he said.

"You...." She blinked, searched for a word, and tried again. "Is it you, Aiden?!! How did you get that tall?"

Logan scratched his head awkwardly. "Maybe the hormone is in its prime now."

"But you are looking handsome. Is that also the hormone’s doing?"

He tilted his head and laughed. "You can’t even see my face."

Her mouth found a smile too. "I can’t see. But I can tell."

He nodded once. "In that case, thank you. I would like to have breakfast."

"Grab a seat. You will have it quickly. Your usual menu, right?" she asked.

"Yes."

Sylvie went in and was back soon with the order.

He ate at the corner table. Quiet. Efficient. No rush, but no delay.

Sylvie kept drifting back, as if to make sure he was still there. "You were gone for a long time," she said.

"I had something important to do."

She wouldn’t ever imagine that Logan was just upstairs this whole time.

He slid the payment after he was done eating.

"Come back soon again. Tasty meals will be waiting."

"Sure." With that, he stepped out into the street.

The sun had climbed. The city breathed. Cart wheels. Horseshoes. A vendor calling pears fresh, pears sweet.

He walked to the Hunter Guild.

Though his pace was normal, something was different. His posture. His aura. The way his eyes moved. Every step looked calm, but there was weight in it.... enough to make people glance twice without even knowing why.

Soon he reached the guild gate and pushed it open.

Creak.

The noise inside died almost instantly. Conversations stopped mid-sentence. Mugs froze halfway to their mouths.

Heads turned.

A few hunters frowned due to the sudden shift in the air. Others just stared in silence, feeling the pressure before they even realized who it was.

Logan didn’t slow. His steps echoed against the wooden floor as he walked further inside.

But Elizabeth at the reception desk froze. Because she could recognize exactly who the newcomer was.