Alvorada Guild headquarters was a thirty-story building in the heart of the upscale district. On the top floor, in a luxurious conference room with reinforced glass walls, Vane paced back and forth, holding a glass of whiskey.
“They should’ve called by now!” Vane roared at his assistant. “They were three Rank B mercenaries. How does some punk who just leveled up make them disappear?!”
“Sir... we checked the alley cameras near the auction,” the assistant said, his face pale as he clutched a tablet. “The mana signatures of all three mercenaries vanished simultaneously twenty minutes ago.”
“Impossible! That bastard Leo was Rank F until last week! He must be using borrowed artifacts or...”
BOOM!
The office floor shook. A deafening crash echoed from the lower floors, followed by emergency alarms and the sound of shattering glass.
The conference room’s reinforced double oak doors were ripped from their hinges and hurled against the wall, splintering into fragments.
I calmly walked through the smoke, carrying the Greatsword of Agony resting on my shoulder. Dozens of the guild’s elite guards lay sprawled in the corridors behind me, unconscious or disarmed.
“Vane,” I greeted him coldly. “You look surprised. Weren’t you expecting me to come settle the score?”
Vane dropped his glass, and it shattered across the floor. He backed toward the marble table, drawing the gold-plated sword he liked to show off during interviews.
“You demon... How did you get in here?! This headquarters has Rank A defensive barriers!”
“Your barriers were delicious,” I replied, letting a spark of black mist slip from my hand. I had devoured the energy of the building’s barrier generator on my way to the top.
“Guards! Kill him! I’ll pay ten million to whoever brings me his head!” Vane screamed in panic.
Vane’s four personal bodyguards, all experienced Rank A Hunters, charged at me simultaneously with axes and wind spells.
I activated [Shadow King’s Domain].
The space around the room darkened. Gravity seemed to triple instantly. The four bodyguards froze in place, unable to take another step, as if invisible chains were pinning their souls to the floor.
I walked past them without even looking and stopped two steps away from Vane.
“Last time we saw each other in the Dungeon, you kicked me to the ground and said nobody cared about a Pack Mule,” I reminded him, raising the black blade. “Now tell me: how much is the life of the Alvorada Guild Leader worth?”
Vane fell to his knees, the golden blade slipping from his trembling hands.
“M-mercy, Leo! I’ll give you the guild! All my money! I’ll sign over the assets right now!”
I looked at the system interface that appeared beside his face: [Revenge Quest Detected: The Traitor’s Downfall] [Objective: Judge Vane.] [Option 1: Devour completely (Massive Attribute Gain).] [Option 2: Seal powers and turn him over to the Association (Public Reputation Gain).]
I looked at Vane, then at the illuminated city outside the window.
“The Association needs an example,” I said, bringing my hand close to his chest. “But you won’t need your mana where you’re going.”
I activated [Devour] on his magic core alone.
Vane screamed as his entire capacity to use magic and Hunter attributes was permanently extracted from his body, leaving him an ordinary, weakened civilian.
[Rank A Core Devoured!] [Strength +20, Mana +100] [Quest Complete! Alvorada Guild Reputation transferred to Player.]
I tossed the unconscious, powerless Vane to the assistant in the corner of the room.
“Call the police and the Association. Tell them the guild’s new owner cleaned house in the administration.”
I picked up the guild documents from the table. Now I had resources, a headquarters, and superior Rank A-level powers.
In four days, the Rank S Dimensional Rift would open. And I’d be ready for the real challenge.