Building The First Adventurer Guild In Another World

Chapter 302: Questions

The battlefield gradually fell into an eerie silence after the last thunderous clash faded away. But this silence was anything but peaceful; it hung heavily in the air, thick with the scent of blood and charred flesh.

The ground still trembled faintly, as if the land itself had yet to recover from the chaos that had just unfolded. Everywhere one looked, there were signs of destruction etched deep into the earth, long, jagged fissures stretched across the prairie like scars left by a furious god, some so deep that darkness swallowed their depths.

Massive craters filled with smoldering ash and glowing embers marked where Sage’s spells had struck with overwhelming force. Scattered across this devastated landscape were the shattered remains of green wolf-ants, their massive bodies torn apart, limbs severed and strewn across the ground.

Thick green blood stained the earth in wide patches, steaming faintly under the lingering heat of fire mana, making it seem less like a battlefield and more like a slaughterhouse where nothing had stood a chance. For several moments, no one moved or spoke, as if their minds struggled to catch up with what their eyes had just witnessed.

Gregor was the first to blink, his sharp green eyes regaining focus as he surveyed his surroundings. He exhaled slowly, tightening his grip on the hilt of his slender broadsword resting against his back.

Beside him stood Vanthrice, her bronze spear lightly planted against the ground. Her short hair swayed gently in the remnants of wind currents created by Sage’s spells as she gazed across the battlefield in disbelief. Brutus rolled his shoulders with a low grunt; his large frame remained tense as if anticipating another wave of attack at any moment.

Caelis rubbed his nose slightly; though calm in demeanor, shock flickered in his eyes as he tried to process the scale of destruction before them. Even other Adventurers, seasoned warriors who had faced many battles, stood frozen for a brief moment, weapons still gripped tightly in hand and breathing unevenly while they took in an aftermath that far exceeded anything they’d ever encountered.

Then almost simultaneously, they all turned their heads toward the center of devastation where Sage stood alone. His figure was framed by a faint glow of dissipating mana; his robe slightly torn at its edges while strands of hair danced gently in what remained of wind mana around him.

His posture was relaxed yet steady, as if this entire battle had been nothing more than a simple exercise and for a moment no one spoke because what lay before them felt unreal: a Mage standing amidst absolute destruction not as someone who barely survived but rather as one who had caused it all.

Mina was the first to break the silence. She suddenly dashed forward with quick, small steps, her tiny figure navigating the broken ground without hesitation. Her golden eyes sparkled brightly, as if filled with stars. In an instant, she leaped lightly and landed right in front of Sage, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Her face radiated excitement and admiration as she looked up at him and exclaimed in a clear, cheerful voice, "Petty Uncle Sage! That was amazing! Did you see how you blew them up? Boom! Boom! They didn’t even stand a chance!"

Her voice brimmed with pure enthusiasm as she began mimicking his earlier attacks with exaggerated gestures, making small explosion sounds with her mouth while completely ignoring the seriousness of the battlefield around them.

Hearing her words, Sage blinked once before a faint smile crept across his face. A hint of pride flickered in his eyes as he gently ruffled her hair and placed a hand on her head.

"Of course I saw," he said with a light chuckle, puffing out his chest slightly as he looked down at her with a smug expression. His tone dripped with confidence as he added, "Did you think your petty uncle Sage would lose to something like that? Those things were nothing, just a warm-up at best."

As he spoke, his relaxed arrogance made it clear that he truly believed every word. Mina’s eyes sparkled even brighter at his words; she nodded rapidly, utterly convinced.

Behind them, Gregor and the others finally approached, their footsteps crunching softly against the shattered ground. Several of them rolled their eyes at Sage’s shameless display but couldn’t hide their faint smiles that showed they were more amused than annoyed.

"Warm-up, huh?" Brutus muttered under his breath with a low snort. He crossed his arms and glanced at the massive craters and scattered corpses around them.

Shaking his head slightly, he remarked, "If that was just a warm-up, I can’t even imagine what you’d call a real fight."

Vanthrice let out a soft breath beside him; her lips curled into a faint smile as she added, "He’s not wrong though, the way he was casting spells... it didn’t feel like we were fighting alongside a Mage; it felt like we were watching a one-man army."

Caelis nodded lightly while keeping his gaze fixed on Sage. "His mana control is too precise; there’s no waste at all," he noted calmly. "Every spell landed exactly where it needed to go, it’s not just power; it’s control."

Sage simply waved off their compliments casually but couldn’t hide the slight upward curve of his lips that revealed how much he enjoyed their reactions.

Gregor stepped forward, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield once more before he turned to the others. "Enough standing around," he said firmly.

"This place won’t stay quiet forever. Gather whatever you can from the corpses, anything useful: cores, materials, anything we might need later." His words snapped the others out of their daze; they quickly nodded and began moving, spreading out across the battlefield to inspect the remains of the wolf-ants.

Their movements were efficient despite the lingering shock. Sage watched them for a moment before letting out a quiet breath, feeling the faint glow in his eyes slowly fade as he relaxed slightly. Deep down, however, he remained alert; even he knew this was only the beginning.

At that moment, a presence approached him from the side. Without turning his head, Sage already knew who it was. A second later, Valeria stopped beside him, her posture straight and her cold gaze sweeping over him as if examining every detail. For a brief moment, she said nothing; her sharp eyes narrowed slightly as if trying to see through him.

Finally, she spoke in a calm voice that carried a faint edge: "Why are you so strong?"

Her question was simple and direct no unnecessary words but it held weight that made Sage pause for just an instant.

Sage blinked once, caught off guard by her sudden inquiry. For a fleeting moment, he didn’t respond; his mind raced as he tried to process what she meant.

Quickly forcing a smile onto his face and scratching the back of his head, he replied lightly, "Isn’t that obvious? I’m just a genius; what else could it be?"

His tone was casual and almost joking,as if trying to brush off her question but Valeria’s expression didn’t change; her eyes remained fixed on him with sharp intensity.

After a brief pause, she spoke again with calm seriousness: "That’s not what I mean. According to Cassian, when you were about to split your soul, he said it might cripple you. Even if you survived, your strength should have dropped significantly and taken time to recover. But what I’m seeing now... it’s completely opposite."

As she continued speaking without wavering in her gaze, she added: "You didn’t just recover; you became stronger, much stronger, as if the soul division hadn’t harmed you at all."

Sage’s smile froze for an instant at her words, a flicker of something passing through his eyes before he masked it and returned to normalcy. Inside though, his thoughts spun rapidly; this wasn’t a question he could answer casually.

For the first time since battle ended, silence enveloped him as he searched for an appropriate response but found none that wouldn’t lead back to one problem: revealing the existence of the system would change everything and not for the better.

The others nearby, while pretending to be busy with the corpses, had clearly slowed their movements. Their ears were subtly tuned to the conversation, and the atmosphere around them shifted slightly, becoming heavier as they awaited his response.

Sage stood there in silence, his eyes lowering as if deep in thought. After a few moments of stillness, it became apparent he wasn’t going to reply. Valeria’s gaze softened just a fraction; she let out a quiet breath before speaking again.

Her voice was calm as she said, "You don’t have to answer, everyone has their own secrets."

She paused for a moment before adding, "But let me tell you this: don’t do anything foolish for power."

Her words were simple, yet the seriousness behind them was unmistakable. Without waiting for his response, she turned and began walking away, her figure moving steadily across the battlefield as if their conversation had never taken place.

Sage watched her leave, his eyes flickering with a faint, unreadable light. For a moment, he remained silent, processing her words.

Slowly, he exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding; his shoulders relaxed slightly as he muttered under his breath, "Yeah... I know."

It was unclear whether he was responding to her or reassuring himself. Surrounded by the aftermath of battle, with his companions moving about him and the faint smell of blood lingering in the air, he lifted his gaze toward the distant horizon.

His eyes narrowed slightly as a calm yet confident smile crept onto his face, a smile that held just a hint of danger.