Building The First Adventurer Guild In Another World

Chapter 304: Secret

On a place that felt enclosed yet vast at the same time, like something built with a purpose rather than formed naturally, and what stood there was a massive circular arena that looked like an ancient coliseum, its structure rising in layers of worn stone that curved upward in perfect symmetry.

Forming tall walls that surrounded the entire area like a giant bowl, the surface of the stone cracked and aged, covered in faint moss and strange markings that glowed dimly in the shadows, giving the place a mysterious and slightly eerie feeling, while above, instead of an open sky, there was a strange barrier of faint golden light that acted like a ceiling.

Casting a soft glow downwards, enough to illuminate the arena but not enough to make it feel warm, the air itself felt heavy, thick with mana, and there was a faint echo that followed even the smallest sound, making every movement feel louder than it should be, as if the arena itself was watching, waiting, observing.

At the very center of this massive structure stood two figures, one tall and slender, the other round and breathing heavily, and naturally, those two were Lyana and Boren, both standing amidst the aftermath of a recent fight.

The ground around them marked with shallow cuts and small cracks, nothing too destructive but enough to show that a battle had taken place, and scattered around them were four lifeless bodies of strange beasts, their forms twisted and unnatural.

Their blood pooling slowly across the stone floor, while Boren stood there gripping a sword in his hand, the blade covered in dark blood, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he panted like a man who had just run for his life, sweat pouring down his face as he struggled to catch his breath.

His legs even trembling slightly from exhaustion, while Lyana stood a few steps away from him, her expression calm but focused, and under her feet was a large glowing green magic circle, intricate and bright.

Spinning slowly as thick plant vines burst out from it, the vines twisting and coiling around the corpses before slowly retracting, leaving behind faint marks on the ground.

Boren stared at her, his eyes wide, his mouth slightly open as if his brain was still trying to process what he had just seen.

After a few seconds, he finally managed to speak, his voice shaky and breathless as he said. "What the hell... you... you’re a Mage? And not just any Mage, you’re a 2-Star Intermediate Mage at that... I thought... I thought you were just a normal person."

His tone carried disbelief, shock, and even a hint of betrayal, because this was something he had never expected, not even in his wildest thoughts, and Lyana, hearing him, simply rolled her green eyes.

Her expression slightly annoyed as she replied in a calm voice, "Who told you that? I just didn’t feel like showing it, that’s all."

She said it so casually, so naturally, as if hiding something like that was no big deal at all.

Boren blinked, clearly not satisfied with that answer, his mind still struggling to accept it as he asked again, his voice rising slightly. "Wait... you can do that? Just hide your strength like that?"

Lyana turned her head slightly to look at him, a faint smile appearing on her lips as she nodded and said, "Of course, it’s not that hard."

Her tone was so confident, so matter-of-fact, that it made Boren feel like he was the strange one for not knowing something so basic, and he just stood there for a moment, staring at her as if he was seeing her for the first time, his thoughts spinning wildly as he tried to connect everything, and then suddenly, another question popped into his head.

"So... does Gregor know?" he asked quickly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stared at her, "And what about the others... do they know?"

For a brief moment, Lyana’s eyes flickered with a strange light, something subtle but noticeable, before she shook her head slowly and said.

"No... my brother doesn’t know, and neither does anyone else." Her voice was calm, but there was something deeper beneath it.

Something that Boren couldn’t quite understand, and hearing that, he felt another wave of shock hit him, his mind almost going blank as he looked at her in disbelief.

"This is insane..." he muttered under his breath, shaking his head slightly as he tried to wrap his mind around it, because this wasn’t just a small secret, this was something huge.

Something that completely changed how he saw her, and then suddenly, another thought hit him, making his eyes widen even more as he took a small step back and said, "Wait... if that’s the case... then even Valeria... she didn’t notice? She didn’t sense your mana at all?"

Lyana glanced at him again, her expression calm as she replied. "With the right tool, hiding your strength is not difficult."

She said it so simply, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, and Boren just stood there, completely speechless, his mind going through a roller coaster of emotions, shock, confusion, disbelief, and even a little fear.

He slowly took another step back, his grip on his sword tightening as he looked at her with a wary expression and said, "Wait... you’re not going to kill me to keep this secret, right?"

The moment those words left his mouth, Lyana froze for a second before facepalming hard, her expression filled with frustration as she said. "Are you serious right now?"

Boren immediately nodded, his face completely serious as he replied."I mean... it happens in stories all the time."

Lyana just stared at him for a moment before sighing deeply and saying, "Relax, I’m not going to kill you, just don’t go around talking about it."

Her tone made it clear that she was done with this topic.

Before Boren could say anything else, a low growl echoed through the arena.

Both of them froze.

The sound was deep, rough, and carried a dangerous edge, and it didn’t come from just one direction, it came from multiple sides, surrounding them, and immediately, both of their expressions changed drastically,.

Boren’s face turning pale as sweat began to pour down his face again, his hands trembling slightly as he gripped his sword tighter and said in a shaky voice.

"Wait... don’t tell me... there are more..."

Lyana didn’t reply immediately, her eyes scanning the surroundings carefully, her body tensing slightly as she prepared herself, and within seconds, the source of the sound revealed itself.

From the shadows of the arena walls, dozens of creatures began to emerge, their forms strange and unsettling, looking like a twisted mix between a boar and a snake, their bodies thick and muscular like a boar but elongated.

Their skin covered in rough scales that shimmered faintly under the light, their heads resembling that of a wild boar but with elongated jaws that stretched unnaturally, filled with sharp teeth, while their bodies coiled and slithered across the ground like serpents, their movements fast and unpredictable, and as they stepped into the open, their eyes locked onto Boren and Lyana, a low hiss escaping from their mouths.

"Great... just great..." Boren muttered, his voice trembling slightly as he swallowed hard, "Why is it always us..."

Before he could complain any further, the creatures moved.

They attacked.

In an instant, several of them lunged forward, their bodies shooting across the ground with surprising speed, and Boren reacted immediately, raising his sword and stepping forward despite his fear, his instincts taking over as he swung his blade, meeting the first beast head-on, the clash producing a sharp sound as sparks flew.

The force pushing him back slightly, his feet scraping against the ground as he struggled to hold his position.

"Lyana!" he shouted, his voice tense, and before the beasts could press further, the magic circle beneath Lyana flared brightly, and in the next moment, thick vines shot out from the ground, wrapping around the bodies of several creatures.

Their thorns digging into their scales as they struggled to break free, hissing loudly as they thrashed around. Boren didn’t waste the opportunity, charging forward with a loud shout as he brought his sword down, cutting through one of the restrained beasts, its body splitting open as dark blood spilled onto the ground.

The fight continued like that, a constant back and forth between the two of them and the swarm of creatures, Boren taking the role of the main attacker, moving forward again and again despite his fear, his swings not perfect but strong enough to deal damage.

While Lyana supported him from behind, her vines controlling the battlefield, restricting the movements of the beasts, creating openings for Boren to strike, her control precise and steady, showing that despite her calm nature, she was far from inexperienced.

The beasts were not weak, their strength matching theirs, their attacks dangerous, their movements quick, forcing Boren to stay alert at all times, his body taking a few hits here and there, his armor scratched, his breathing growing heavier with each passing moment, while Lyana’s mana was slowly being consumed as she maintained her spells, her expression becoming slightly more serious as the fight dragged on.

But even so, they held their ground.

They fought together.

And slowly, one by one, the beasts began to fall.

Yet even as they fought, even as they pushed forward, the number of enemies didn’t seem to decrease fast enough, and the pressure continued to build, the arena echoing with the sounds of battle, the growls of beasts, and the clashing of steel.

And just as Boren raised his sword once more, preparing to strike again,

More growls echoed from the shadows.

More were coming.

The fight was far from over.