Draco arrived in the Common Room of the Guild Hall, where the majority of the Umbra players were hanging out in their off time. While a good amount had immediately rushed out like madmen to fulfill the quests, others were more relaxed about it, especially the upper ranks.
With the exception of Riveting Night, all other members of Umbra's upper echelon were currently inside the Guild Hall. Draco, his Five Generals, Sublime Notion, Rambunctious Buttlover, Warm Spring, Fitter Cleric as well as three more people.
All three were seated on the most luxurious sofa in the Common Room exclusive to core members, however as soon as they saw their legendary Guildmaster enter, they came over as a group to greet him.
On the left was a girl who was skinny to the point of anorexia. She appeared like a willow, with a slim waist, a slim torso and slim legs. She had short cropped hair that was very formal and her visage was hard like stone.
She wasn't exactly pretty by the average male standard, but she heavily exuded a no-nonsense vibe that really struck the viewer. Her attire consisted of medium armor like Draco, with the metallic segments much shorter in order to reduce the weight.
Draco was stunned to see someone who had been as skinny as him in the beginning, but he immediately recognized this girl.
Her name was Sheila Banks, a daughter of an important American Army General. Her father had been killed after America lost the war, branded as a failure, all his assets forcefully confiscated, turning the life of his sole remaining daughter upside down in a single day. Slim Fatty, as she was called in the game, looked exactly the same as she did the first time he had met and befriended her as a fellow harveey for Darkrow.
Draco was not surprised that he seemed to encounter many players he had interacted with in his previous life. In fact, it seemed quite logical that without Eva establishing Darkrow in this timeline, all the competent players from the Sturgehaven Kingdom had been rushing to join Umbra.
Rambunctious Buttlover was yet another former harveey, only in this timeline his fate had been different. He had managed to immediately get accepted as a core member, just like Slim Fatty. It was not as if those two suddenly became super players in an alternate timeline. No, in fact their actual capabilities had never been factored into their recruitment for Darkrow.
As an already long-established guild from the time of Eva's father, the foundation of Darkrow's guild members and upper echelon had been set from the very start. They only lacked one thing, harveeys. Umbra on the other hand was like a blank sheet of paper, seeking talents to fill the ranks of their main members as well as harveeys alike.
Draco smiled at Slim Fatty and nodded his head. "It is a pleasure meeting you. I hope everything has been to your liking in my guild?"
She was startled by his amity, but felt her heart thump a little as she replied. "I have nothing to complain about, thank you. I came to pay my respects to the Guildmaster and to show my allegiance to the guild."
She bowed a little at that, with a noble curtsy. Draco smiled at this and remarked that the multiverse theory seemed to be slightly off. Different timelines could exist, but without an external variable like him or Eva, events and people seemingly would never change.
To see the hardy and strong willed Slim Fatty bowing to him, Draco was happy deep down. He could help his close friend climb up into power through his guild, and give her the chance to regain the life she lost when she had been thrown into the depths of poverty.
"Thank you for your kind words. I am happy to have you aboard. Eva told me that your performance in the core test was remarkable. If you have any requests for an equipment set, send me a private message."
Draco directly added her to his friends list as he said that, making Slim Fatty feel stunned yet touched deep down.
Anyone who had lived a hard life could easily understand her sentiments. Being treated kindly without expecting much in return was an extremely rare thing to encounter in the darker areas of society.
Normally when a man treated a woman so nicely, she would assume that there were hidden intentions but…
She was the farthest thing from 's.e.xy' right now, so she doubted that. Unless Draco's tastes corresponded to her kind of body, which would be pretty… unique.
No matter how mature or well-composed she was, her heart couldn't help but sway at the idea of being someone's s.e.x.u.a.l interest. Especially since Draco was so god damn attractive.
For a girl looking at Draco, it was the equivalent of a guy looking at a mixture of Eva and Zaine. His physical attraction was strong, but it did not induce love, only desire.
That was why despite her hardy and militaristic nature, Slim Fatty could not help but feel her heart beat faster.
Draco turned to the fellow in the middle, who was another familiar face, one he slightly expected to join the guild. Before him stood an average looking fellow with brown hair and brown eyes with a v-shaped face. He wore a robe that covered him from head to toe in its black livery.
He held a staff of deadwood that seemed to radiate an eerie portent of demise.
The name above his head read 'Dreary Traveler', one of the top 5 players of Sturgehaven Kingdom and the second Combat Player among the three. He had been at the 5th spot back then and had maintained his position as the playerbase increased in levels and skill.
He had gotten one of the more noticeable hidden classes, Necromancer. This class was his path to success, as Necromancers were exemplary during any form of combat. The more people participated, the merrier a time a Necromancer had, which was also why they had been dubbed as "one-man army". They could single-handedly decide the outcome of a large-scale fight, as long as they stayed well protected.
"Hello there, it is reassuring to know that we have such a capable Necromancer among our midst." Draco greeted him in a friendly tone.
Dreary Traveler was the silent type, so he nodded but still spoke some words. "Guildmaster, I thank you for your recognition."
Draco turned to the last fellow, who was a man with a beard and rough features. His eyes showed wisdom and maturity, telling one of the wealth of experiences he had gained over his life.
He was tall and very well built, showing that he still remained active despite his old age. He looked like a noble gentleman, with those smile lines on his face and those gentle blue eyes that displayed kindness to the world.
His name was Happy Saint and he was an extremely talented crafter. The old man used to be a prominent blacksmith in the real world and to this day sometimes starts up his forge. Apart from his job, his former hobby had also accompanied him to this day. He had been playing as a crafter in every RPG game since his youth back in the late 20's.
He had acc.u.mulated so much skill and experience that even Boundless failed to defeat him and his talent was no less than Draco's.
Draco gazed at him with complex emotions hidden within, as Happy Saint could be described as the closest thing Draco had had to a mentor and had been the one to teach the younger man blacksmithing. Back then, he had to be trained and taught like everyone else. Without that kind of foundation, as well as the acc.u.mulated experience from his past life, Draco would not be the hailed genius he was currently.
"Good day, sir. I hope Umbra is to your liking. If you have the time, it would be my pleasure to discuss some forging techniques with you."
Happy Saint nodded slowly and gazed at Draco with respect and reverence, which made the fellow feel bizarre deep down because that was the same way he had looked up to Happy Saint in his past life.
"Your guild is the perfect place for me to grow my skills. As such, I will do everything in my power to see it grow to the top. If Guildmaster finds the time, I shall consider it my honor to exchange theories with you."
Happy Saint had a very masculine and baritone voice that made the females in the area perk up. It was the kind of voice that left a good impression on the listener, and coupled with Happy Saint's gentlemanly features, he came off looking really pleasant in the eyes of women.
"That is good to hear. I look forward to seeing your progress."
Draco responded with a nod and cast his eye around the Common Room.
"Does anyone know where Rambunctious Buttlover is?" Draco asked with a frown.
"He was here a little while ago, so he shouldn't be too far. I remember he said something about wanting to find L.u.s.ty Wench (Rina)."
It was Slim Fatty who answered the question, which Draco nodded in response.
"Then I shall take my leave. If you have any suggestions or ideas on how to help our guild move forward, see me directly. You are of the utmost importance to Umbra's future. Also, please just address me as Draco."
Draco spoke this lightly, but in the ears of the three core members it resounded very heavily. Their hearts couldn't help but move when they heard the importance the legendary Guildmaster placed on them, whether it was the serious Slim Fatty, the benevolent Happy Saint or the introverted Dreary Traveler.
Draco moved down to the Training Room, which was where he expected the bard to be. Just as he predicted, that was exactly where the fellow was, happily playing some tunes while Rina tried to develop her skills even further.
Now shouldn't someone as important as Rina of the Five Generals choose a private room? What a joke!
How was she supposed to attract the l.u.s.tful glares of males if she hid herself away? And with RamButt there to attract even more attention, all eyes were glued on her as the tunes of the music gracefully accentuated her prowess.
Rina was fully content with her life this way.
So, one could imagine just how stunned and excited she became when she saw Draco enter the Training Hall. The other players who were training in the public areas too became extremely lively, trying to show off to their almighty Guildmaster in the hopes that he would notice them.
Draco walked up to Rina and the poor woman could only close her thighs as tightly as possible as she felt her juices begin to leak. Her face became red and her breathing was misty.
Even animals in the forest wouldn't dare to call themselves in heat when Rina was around. She had l.u.s.ted over Draco badly when he was in his normal form, but with his rebuilt body it had become even worse.
She could barely stay sane when she was so close to him. Most women found Draco pleasing to the eye and considered laying with him, with varying degrees of urgency depending on their personalities and s.e.x drives.
After all Draco was like an incubus in real life, having the same effect on females that succubi did on males. Some males would be able to resist succubi, and similarly some females would be able to resist incubi.
For Rina though, there was no hope. She was so enamored with Draco that she was like a starving man seeing fresh steak right in front of him, but was unable to eat it because there was a tiger eyeing him by the side.
This kind of temptation with no hope of fulfillment was a kind of torture that sounded funny from the sideline, but was actually really terrible and painful for the one involved.
RamButt saw her reaction to Draco but wasn't bothered. It wasn't like he was madly in love with Rina himself, he just revered her fat bum. He was also aware of the obsession Rina had for the Guildmaster and was cool with it.
Besides, he didn't own her and could not control who she liked. It was rather unfortunate that the Guildmaster didn't show much interest in her, so instead of envy he rather felt pity towards Rina.
"G-Guild L-Leader…" Rina was barely able to form coherent words between her panting.
Draco smiled at her and cupped her chin. "I see that you still desire me. How far are you willing to go to sate your l.u.s.t, hmm?"
Draco didn't intentionally mean to tease her, since she was really suffering unfairly due to the circ.u.mstances, but his devilish side couldn't resist.
Rina felt her negative emotions, her l.u.s.t and desire, being pulled away from her by Draco, bringing back her clarity of mind. She was initially ashamed of her lack of control, then grateful to Draco for helping her out.
Draco felt his bloodline energy strengthen a bit, but not in a permanent manner. It was like an athlete taking in an energy drink, where one's spirit would slightly increase for a short period of time.
He then turned to Rambunctious Buttlover, who had been staring at Draco with a strange expression.
"So, you are the legendary Rambunctious Buttlover. Our very first core member... you don't seem like much."
Draco smirked as he said this. Rambunctious was a bit baffled at this kind of reaction, which came out of nowhere, but his confusion quickly made way for bubbling anger.
He didn't care if Draco was the Guildmaster, he would not allow anyone to belittle himself!
After having endured bullshit core exam to fight while protecting an egg, he would never allow anyone to tell him that he did not deserve his place among the elite.
"Neither do you, pretty boy! To treat a treasure like her in such a dastardly way, I dare say you might not even know the truths of the universe!"
Though the fellow had said nothing of the sort, it was his body language and the look in his eyes gave Rambunctious the feeling as if everything Draco had done so far was all to make him challenge the Guildmaster to a battle of philosophy.
RamButt was correct, as Draco had indeed been aiming for such a battle from the onset, only that as the Guildmaster he couldn't be the one to propose such a thing. As his past and future best friend fell hook line and sinker into his trap, Draco laughed:
"Fine, let us speak of the truth. Rina's bum here is the greatest you have seen so far while in Umbra, correct?"
RamButt's face changed as he was easily seen through. His heart couldn't help but tremble when he realized something extremely dangerous right now.
Was it possible? … could it be that the Guildmaster was a kindred soul? Another worshiper of the female booty?! A Grandmaster, whose life was sworn to the booty and who researched and understood all the intricacies of the booty?!
RamButt suddenly felt pressure coming off Draco's calm and superior demeanour when discussing booty. After all, to him, Rina was his goal that he had to defeat in order to become stronger and purer of heart.
Could it be that the Guildmaster had seen something even more amazing than Rina's butt? Preposterous! Now was not the time to doubt his own convictions!
"Yes, she is! I daresay the shape, roundness and clap of her backside is unparalleled under the heavens!!"
Rambunctious roared this out with all his energy, making everyone in the area gaze at him with pity. It was clear he was at a disadvantage when facing Draco, with no avenue of escape.
Draco took a step forward and placed an arm around Rina's shoulder. He turned to her and asked; "So you claim that this the perfect butt, one which cannot be surpassed in any way shape or form? Let me test your theory. Rina, may I touch you?"
Rina's face became a little redder as she used all her willpower to slowly nod her head.
Draco smiled and grabbed her bum and measured it gently and with a smooth grope. Rina m.o.a.ned a little as he did and felt her legs go weak, which impacted poor Rambunctious Buttlover so strongly that his lips became blue.
Draco let go of Rina, while smiling at her gently before refocusing a superior gaze on Rambunctious Buttlover.
"I grade Rina as an SS class booty. After feeling the texture, firmness and smoothness, as well as the malleability, this is my judgment. I agree with you, it certainly is a superb butt, yet it still lacks a bit before it can be called one of perfection. Based on your estimations, what was your grade?"
Rambunctious Buttlover barely managed to speak at this moment.
"S… cla…ss…"
Draco was surprised that the early RamButt was so proficient. The two had spent years together developing the grading system for booty as their favourite pastimes as two losers in Darkrow.
It had gotten them into trouble countless times back then, but that was the flavor of youth, especially when you had a best friend who loved trouble as much as you did.
He had been so close to the mark and that was commendable, but RamButt needed to be suppressed if Draco wanted him to be obedient.
It was one thing to have fun and play around when you were just a small cog in a much larger wheel, however in this timeline one was the Guildmaster of the number one guild, and the other one of its core members.
As a normal guy, he wouldn't be able to control this fellow, especially since Draco knew Rambunctious' behavior too well. Luckily, he knew exactly what RamButt needed to be tamed.
"Haha! Look at that, so close yet so far away! You cannot even get such a simple thing right and you call yourself a connoisseur of booty? You are too weak!"
Draco might as well have punched Rambunctious in the face physically, because his words had the same effect as Rambunctious Buttlover froze for a full second before he fell to his knees.
BLERGHAH!!
He spat out a full mouthful of blood as his organs were injured by his depression and the pressure from Draco.
The bystanders couldn't help but worry for Rambunctious, as it was clear that he was in way over his head. His enemy was their almighty Guildmaster, how could he manage to overcome him?
Rambunctious too understood this, but he felt a surge of energy emerge within him. It was fiery hot and tyrannical, allowing him to regain his color and his clarity of mind. The pressure Draco pushed onto him became nothing to him.
He stood up from the ground with a sharp and ferocious glint in his eyes and blood dribbling down his lips.
Draco's expression froze as his heart skipped a beat. He had been perfectly suppressing Rambunctious right now based on what he knew of his personality after years of being friends, so what was going on?
"You might be much more handsome than me, able to just whisper words into the ears of women and have their booties at your beckon…"
"But that doesn't mean anything!! You are treating booty and women like mere playthings! Women are great because of their various booties and their booties are great because of them!"
"Without women, there would be no booty in the world! Without booty, there would be no women in the world!"
"By fighting and clawing for the right to access their booty, that is the romance of life, the true path of the Dao of Booty!"
Rambunctious Buttlover pointed at Draco with a sharp finger and glared at him with maddened eyes. "You are not a true follower of the Path of the Ass! You... are just a f.u.c.kboy!!!"
Rambunctious' words impacted Draco so strongly that he had to take a few steps back to regain his footing, his face flushed and blood leaking from his nose as well as the corners of his mouth.
Bystanders became baffled then nonplussed. What the f.u.c.k was this? What kind of exaggerated theatrics were these two putting up? Did they think it was funny or something?
However, how could they possibly understand what it was like to have a battle of convictions and beliefs?
Draco wiped the blood from the side of his mouth and stared at it for a full minute, eventually smiling as he gazed at his own blood.
Then, he broke into laughter.
Everyone stared at Draco with non-comprehension. Why was he laughing after taking such a heavy blow?
Rambunctious Buttlover, who had also been so murderous one moment, also broke into hearty laughter with all his energy.
Ah?
Now this one too has lost his gumptions?
What floored the members of Umbra even more was that these two walked up to each other and bearhugged like they had been friends for years.
"Brother Draco!!"
"Brother Rambunctious!!"
Truly, guys were really hard to understand sometimes…