Building The First Adventurer Guild In Another World

Chapter 318: Sudden Strike

The moment the massive beam of light crashed down from the sky, the entire ruined city trembled as if something ancient buried beneath the ground had just been forcefully awakened.

The impact was more than just a collision of energy and stone; it erupted violently, tearing through the already broken structures. Dust, debris, and shattered fragments of buildings flew in every direction while the ground cracked open in jagged lines that spread outward like a spiderweb.

The sound alone was enough to make ears ring, a deep, heavy boom echoing endlessly between the hollow shells of collapsed towers. For a split second, everything vanished into that blinding light, leaving Sage and his companions standing there with their vision washed out and their senses overwhelmed by an unexpected surge of power.

Sage barely had time to react. His body was still recovering from an earlier encounter, and his mind was grappling with the truth about the Abyssal Mana Leviathan when instinct screamed at him louder than anything else, a sharp warning that cut through lingering shock and forced his muscles to tense before his eyes could fully adjust.

Even as the light faded, a sharp streak of silver sliced through it like a blade tearing through cloth. Before Sage could form any thought, that streak closed the distance between them in an instant, carrying with it a killing intent so cold and direct that it felt like a blade pressed against his neck.

A sword, long and gleaming, shot straight toward his head with terrifying speed, aimed not to wound or test but to kill in one clean strike that allowed no room for hesitation or defense.

There was no time to cast a spell, no time to dodge, no time even to curse.

Clang.

The sharp metallic sound rang out clearly amidst the chaos of falling debris. In that instant, Valeria had already moved; her body shifted slightly as if she had merely taken a step.

Yet her hand appeared right in front of Sage’s face, deflecting the incoming blade with nothing but the back of her bare hand as if it were merely an annoyance.

The force behind the strike didn’t dissipate; instead, it exploded outward like a shockwave across the ground, cracking stone beneath their feet and pushing dust away in wide circles.

But Valeria remained steady, calm and cold, with her crimson eyes fixed on the figure who had attacked.

Sage blinked once; breath caught in his throat as reality settled in. For a brief moment he realized that if Valeria hadn’t been there or if she’d been even a step slower, his head would have rolled across the ground.

He didn’t have time to feel fear before shifting his focus forward; his eyes locked onto the figure stepping out from behind the fading beam of light and when he saw that face, something inside him snapped: something sharp and heavy burned deep within his chest.

Riven.

He stepped out slowly, moving with a relaxed grace, his expression adorned with that same faint smile that felt more like mockery than anything else.

Despite the absence of one arm, his presence remained undiminished. In fact, the calmness with which he stood there, enveloped by the dimming glow of the beam, made him seem even more dangerous, as if losing that arm had not weakened him but instead sharpened whatever madness or confidence propelled him forward.

His gaze swept over Sage and the others, taking them in one by one. When his eyes finally landed on Valeria, that smile deepened slightly, hinting at amusement intertwined with something darker.

"So you’re still alive," Riven said, his voice calm and almost casual, as if greeting an old acquaintance rather than someone he had once tried to kill.

Then he shifted his gaze slightly toward Sage; while his expression remained largely unchanged, the intent behind his eyes became unmistakably clearer. "And you... it seems I underestimated you last time."

Sage didn’t respond immediately. His eyes were locked on Riven, and for a moment, the ruined city around them faded into oblivion. replaced by a flood of memories that crashed in without warning: the Guild under siege, chaos and bloodshed; members screaming and fighting desperately for survival; Mina lying unconscious and pale; Caelis stood there; the acrid smell of smoke mingling with the sound of collapsing walls.

His jaw tightened as fingers curled into fists, nails digging into his palm. Though he remained still, the air around him thickened with a tension unrelated to Mana, an intensity fueled by anger.

Gregor’s reaction was immediate.

The moment he caught sight of Riven clearly, every muscle in his body tensed. Without warning, a surge of Mana erupted from him, wild and unstable, swirling around like sharp currents slicing through the dust-laden air.

His green eyes turned bloodshot almost instantly; gone was his usual calm demeanor, replaced by raw violence that instinctively made everyone else take a step back.

He gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly that his knuckles turned white as an overwhelming killing intent radiated from him like a storm unleashed after too long held back.

"You..." Gregor’s voice emerged low at first, trembling not from fear but from rage, the kind that had been simmering quietly until it found its target at last. "You’re the one..."

He didn’t need to finish; everyone understood.

Mina stirred awake enough to grasp what was unfolding before her wide eyes; her small face tightened as memories surged back unbidden.

Though she said nothing, her hands clenched tightly, a playful expression replaced by something heavier and quieter. Caelis stood nearby with his arms resting at his side; though not consumed by explosive anger like Gregor’s, he fixed Riven with a cold stare that spoke volumes about pain already endured and unresolved.

Brutus adjusted his grip on the hammer, his brows knitted together and jaw clenched. Vanthrice’s eyes narrowed, her stance lowering slightly as she silently prepared for what was to come.

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted around them. The beam of light faded completely, unveiling what had been concealed in its glow. They were surrounded.

At first, it was just shadows flitting between the crumbling structures, figures emerging from behind collapsed walls and shattered pillars. But within moments, those shadows solidified into dozens, then hundreds of individuals clad in dark gear.

Each one bore weapons and stood with a discipline that made it clear they were not mere random fighters. They formed a loose circle around Sage and the others, blocking every possible escape route; their presence was silent yet oppressive, a wall that had closed in without a sound.

Sage quickly scanned his surroundings, assessing the situation: counting numbers, gauging distances, noting positions. Yet deep down, he understood that escaping this trap would not be easy. The once-quiet ruins had transformed into a deadly snare with them at its center.

Riven stepped forward slowly, his boots crunching softly against the debris-strewn ground.

His gaze remained fixed on Sage and Valeria while ignoring everyone else for now. "You’ve really complicated things for me," he said calmly, as if discussing a minor inconvenience rather than addressing a failed assassination attempt that had cost lives.

"I went to great lengths to orchestrate that last attack, and here you are... still standing, breathing, and even stronger than before. It’s almost impressive."

Sage exhaled softly, a faint smile forming on his lips though it didn’t reach his eyes. He took a small step forward to position himself ahead of the others, his posture relaxed yet focused like a coiled spring ready to unleash itself at any moment.

For an instant, he held Riven’s gaze in silence; the weight of everything that had transpired hung heavily between them until finally his smile widened just slightly, not out of amusement but something deeper.

"So," Sage said quietly, his voice steady and calm in a way that felt almost threatening, "you finally decided to show up."