Ch 74 - The Sky Turned Crimson

Heavy footsteps pounded across the city's pedestrian street as a massive figure appeared, making everyone nearby freeze in shock before instinctively backing away. Fear quickly spread across their faces, and within seconds, they looked completely terrified.

"M... Monster!" several people cried out in panic.

"Arghhh!" others screamed, crashing into one another as they stumbled backward, some falling onto the ground while desperately trying to get away.

The morning air was still wrapped in a thick layer of mist, making it difficult to see very far ahead. The towering figure remained little more than a dark silhouette until the fog slowly drifted aside, finally revealing the stranger standing in the middle of the street.

The giant casually lifted a hand and waved with a bright smile.

"Hey, good morning! How's everyone doing today?" he said.

Instead of calming anyone down, his greeting only made the crowd even more frightened as they turned and ran in every direction.

He was an enormous man wearing rough armor made from a mix of hardened leather and heavy metal plates, decorated with dark yellow patterns. Parts of the armor were covered in thick fur, giving him an even wilder appearance.

He easily stood around two and a half meters tall, with a broad, powerful build that made him look even larger than he already was. His long, curly hair fell down his back, woven into dozens of small braids.

"You always scare people. Can't you try looking just a little less frightening for once?" a much smaller voice complained.

A girl stepped out from behind him, only reaching about his waist in height.

She wore a stylish fitted dress with a short flared skirt, mostly black with bright yellow highlights that matched her lively personality. Her long blonde hair was tied into twin ponytails behind her head, and she walked confidently in a pair of elegant high heels.

The girl held a closed yellow umbrella with both hands, resting its tip lightly against the ground as she stood beside the giant.

"So this is the city everyone keeps calling boring, miserable, ugly, quiet, and completely lacking in entertainment?" the girl muttered with obvious disappointment.

"This big idiot always comes up with the dumbest ideas and somehow convinces everyone else to follow them. And he seriously believes we're going to find what we're looking for in a place like this?”

“Why would the Guild Master order every single member of the Vesperion Guild to gather here? There had better be a very good reason after dragging all of us across the world for this."

"Serissa," the giant said.

"What is it, Kingston?" the girl replied.

"I think all that shouting is making those people run away even faster."

Serissa glanced ahead.

Not a single person was willing to come closer. Instead, everyone kept moving farther away, crossing the street or taking different routes just to avoid them.

"They're running because your face is terrifying. Hmph." Serissa folded her arms with a smug little smile. "Otherwise, they'd already be lining up to ask for my autograph."

Serissa simply started walking again, and the enormous man behind her quietly followed. Every one of Kingston's long strides forced Serissa to take two quick steps just to keep up with him.

"So, where are we supposed to go now? I don't want to waste any more time. The trip here was already painfully long, completely boring, and such a huge waste of my precious time. I swear, if this place turns out to be as dull as everyone says, I'm going to blame every single one of you for dragging me all the way here. There'd better be something worth seeing after everything we've been through."

Before anyone could answer, two figures appeared from the opposite direction. The moment one of them spotted the pair, they immediately broke into a run while enthusiastically waving both hands above their head.

Serissa came to a stop, and Kingston stopped behind her. A wide smile spread across his face as he happily waved back.

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"Could you please stop waving at every single person you meet, Kingston?" Serissa said with a sigh.

"But that's Windious."

"Yes, I know. I could recognize that idiot from a mile away."

A young man wearing a white and green outfit with pieces of light armor rushed over. His short black hair bounced slightly as he ran, and an excited grin stretched across his face.

"Serissa! Kingston! Hahaha, you two finally made it! Your timing couldn't be better. I literally just started my livestream too! Hahaha! You won't believe it, but I have way more viewers now than before. My channel has been growing like crazy lately. Everyone's been waiting to see what the Vesperion Guild is doing next."

"Shut up. I don't want to hear another word about your livestream," Serissa replied without the slightest bit of interest.

Another girl slowly walked up behind Windious. She wore a fitted outfit reinforced with dark green armor, while her long black hair was tied neatly into a single braid. She folded her arms across her chest as a teasing smile appeared on her face.

"Well, well. Look who finally decided to show up. Miss Princess herself. Did you spend the whole trip complaining again, or did you actually give everyone a chance to enjoy the journey for once?"

"Clover, I know exactly what you're trying to do," Serissa answered, narrowing her eyes. "And trust me, you don't want to start with me the second I arrive. I'm really not in the mood to deal with your teasing today."

"Come on, you two. Calm down, calm down." Windious quickly stepped between them with an awkward laugh. "It's still early in the morning, the weather's beautiful, and today is way too nice to start arguing already."

Serissa immediately pointed her closed umbrella straight at Clover like it was a weapon.

"Y... You old hag! You're always the one who starts it first! Every single time! Stop acting like you're innocent! You're the worst! The absolute worst!" she shouted.

Clover only smirked, clearly enjoying every second of it.

"Oh? Look at this little ojou-sama throwing another tantrum." She tilted her head with an amused smile. "You really haven't changed at all. I was wondering why the morning felt so quiet. Turns out it was just missing your daily dose of dramatic complaining. I think you need a little entertainment. How about a small warm-up before the real mission begins?"

"What did you just say?!"

Serissa's voice exploded across the street.

The force of her shout echoed through the entire avenue, startling birds into the air and making the surrounding crowd instinctively flinch. By now, the commotion had drawn plenty of attention. Local residents had stopped whatever they were doing, while groups of players also gathered nearby, all watching the scene unfold with expressions ranging from confusion to curiosity.

Before long, the street had become packed with spectators, everyone wondering what kind of people could cause such a loud disturbance the moment they arrived.

Then another set of footsteps echoed through the street.

They were neither loud nor hurried, yet every step carried a strange presence that naturally drew everyone's attention. It was as if the rhythm itself had been enchanted, making every pair of eyes turn toward the newcomer without even thinking.

"Ahahaha... Well, look who's finally here. You guys really never stop arguing, do you? I like seeing this much spirit."

The two girls immediately stopped bickering and turned toward the voice behind Windious.

Two figures stood there.

Both had blonde hair, but their appearances were distinctly different. One wore a crimson left-side cape draped over a stylish outfit, giving him a bold and striking presence. The other was dressed in an elegant crimson robe that flowed neatly around her, making her look calm and refined.

"Shut up, you idiot, Siki!" Serissa yelled the moment she saw him. "This is all your fault! Your stupid idea is what's stressing me out! You kept saying we'd find something interesting here, and after dragging us all the way across the continent, this place still looks boring! You'd better have a really good explanation!"

Siki simply laughed even harder, looking completely unbothered by her complaints.

Around them, the gathered players stared with their mouths hanging open, many too stunned to say anything at first.

"What... What are all six members of the Vesperion Guild doing here?"

"Are they on some kind of major quest? I know Siki and Naevys arrived a few days ago... but now Windious, Clover, Kingston, and Serissa are here too?"

"We have to tell everyone! Hurry! Spread the news! This is huge! The entire gaming world is going to want to see this!"

While the players were busy taking pictures, recording videos, and excitedly talking among themselves, they suddenly noticed Serissa rising into the air as though she were standing on an invisible platform. Within moments, she was floating nearly as high as Kingston's head, glaring down at the crowd.

She pointed her closed yellow umbrella at them like a commander addressing an army.

"Don't any of you dare take pictures of me without my permission! Delete them right now! And stop pointing those cameras at us! Do you hear me?!" she shouted angrily.

Her voice echoed throughout the street, causing many of the nearby players to instinctively flinch. Several hurriedly lowered their cameras, while others stood frozen, visibly trembling under the girl's fierce glare.

Until… Serissa suddenly jerked forward.

Her eyes widened in shock, and she instinctively covered both ears.

A tremendous roar erupted across the land.

The ground violently shook beneath everyone's feet. Buildings trembled, windows rattled, and the air itself seemed to quiver as an enormous explosion echoed from somewhere far beyond the city walls. The deafening blast rolled across the horizon like thunder, powerful enough to make everyone's hearts skip a beat.

The entire crowd stood frozen.

For a brief moment, Serissa herself looked completely stunned. She slowly turned toward the distant city walls.

Beyond them, through the lingering morning mist, she could barely make out the source.

Then she saw it.

Massive bolts of crimson lightning tore across the distant sky, crashing down again and again with overwhelming force. Each strike painted the fog blood red for a split second before vanishing into the haze.

"W... What the hell... is that?" she whispered, staring ahead with her mouth hanging open.