Meanwhile…
In the Berserker Guild’s towering branch office, the sparring area had become a battlefield of twisted steel and shattered dummies. Anya, the Guildmaster, stood in the center of the chaos, her fists flying with bursts of strength and speed.
She wore a tight black crop top and gym-like pants, both clinging to her frame, showing off the sharp definition of her muscles as she attacked each target.
Sweat gleamed on her skin as her purple hair whipped around her shoulders, her glowing red eyes narrowing with each punch.
“Spade!” she yelled, slamming her bare fist into a dummy with such force that the metallic frame shattered. “I’ll make you pay for this!”
Each blow sent a training dummy flying, sparking from the damage, the sensors struggling to register the force of her hits before going instantly offline. System warnings blared through the sparring room.
[System Alert: Damage threshold exceeded. Repair required.]
[System Alert: Training bots offline.]
[System Alert: Excessive force detected. Equipment failure imminent.]
Watching from the sidelines, the branch guild master, Klaus, stood with his arms crossed.
His bald head gleamed under the neon lights of the sparring room, and his dark brown eyes were locked on Anya, silently observing her as she tore through the last remaining dummies.
Dressed in black leather armor designed with silver metallic accents, his uniform signified his rank, glowing faintly as he shifted his weight.
Beside him, the vice branch guild master, Helena, was watching just as intently. Her sharp green eyes tracked every movement Anya made, her sleek bob of jet-black hair motionless as if even her body was holding its breath. Dressed in a similar uniform, hers had green glowing lines, as she gazed with intense focus.
“She’s going to break every piece of equipment we have at this rate,” Helena murmured with a touch of frustration.
“How long is she going to keep this up?”
Klaus shook his head, exhaling. “Who knows? I don’t think we’ve ever seen her this mad.” His eyes looked toward the smashed remains of a training bot, wires hanging loosely from its side. “This ‘Spade’ guy really pushed her over the edge this time.”
“Let’s just hope she calms down soon.”
“Indeed, or else the numbers in our bank accounts will,” Helena said as another dummy crashed to the ground, its circuits sparking.
Klaus grunted in agreement but remained focused on Anya. His wrist communicator beeped, and a notification popped up.
[Alchemist Team Leader calling.]
Klaus tapped the screen, bringing up a holographic image of one of the guild’s team leaders, Marik, the alchemist.
Marik had dark blue hair that was styled in a slick, professional cut, and his piercing yellow eyes gave off an air of intelligence.
He wore the guild’s signature uniform, with a bottle symbol glowing faintly on his sleeves.
“Marik,” Klaus said, his voice gruff. “You’re free now?”
Marik nodded from the other side of the communication, his expression sharp and focused. “Yes, the lab work is done. I’m ready to carry out Guildmaster Anya’s check-up.”
Anya had requested a check-up to be carried out on her heart. Ever since her encounter with Spade, the mere thought of him would spike her heart rate, and her body would fidget all over. She would almost feel his arm on her shoulder as he told her to stay put back then, and the chill she felt down her spine made her uneasy, her cheeks flushed.
The way it made her body feel was one she had never experienced before, and she didn’t like it.
She deduced he must have poisoned her, but healing proved otherwise, so she wondered if it was something chronic and decided to get a check-up to get to the bottom of what was wrong with her.
“Good. Get ready. She’s still working off steam, but I’ll let her know it’s time, so she should be with you in a few minutes.”
Marik’s yellow eyes looked toward the destruction visible in the background of the call. His brow raised slightly in shock, but he kept his voice neutral.
“Understood, Branch Master Klaus. I’ll be waiting.”
The hologram blinked off, and Klaus turned his attention back to the sparring area. He waited for the right moment as Anya obliterated another dummy, the system trying and failing to keep up with the damage.
“Guildmaster,” Klaus called out, his deep voice cutting through the noise. “It’s time for your check-up.” freewebnvel.com
Anya paused for a moment, breathing heavily, her fists still clenched. Her eyes flicked to Klaus, glowing with the remnants of her rage, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she turned toward the final dummy, gritting her teeth in annoyance.
With one last punch, the dummy crumpled under her fist, collapsing into a pile of wreckage.
With that, she grabbed a towel hanging on a nearby rail, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and slung it over her shoulder. Without a word, she began making her way to the exit.
As she passed Klaus, he gave her a nod. “Marik’s waiting for you.”
Anya said nothing, only giving him a glance as she headed toward the lab, her footsteps echoing down the hallway.
Helena, still standing beside Klaus, surveyed the wreckage of the sparring area, with a touch of exasperation and concern on her face.
She sighed, shaking her head. “We may be the richest guild, but even for us, that’s going to leave a dent in our funds.”
Klaus chuckled softly. “Well, we can always charge it to Spade’s tab once we find him.”
“You wish, even the Guildmaster herself was powerless against him. The only way we may be able to pin down the guy is if all branch masters from across the mega cities hunt him down together,” Helena said with a touch of frustration.
“Now that’s overkill. You make it sound like the man is a sandworm. Aren’t you giving him too much credit?”
“Who knows,” Helena shrugged. “He chose not to kill any of our guild members, even though he had the power to. So he obviously held back, and if he could subdue the Guildmaster after exchanging some blows, it really makes you question what his real strength looks like.” They both stood there for a moment, watching Anya’s retreating figure as she left the sparring room in ruins, flickering with malfunctioning lights and broken equipment.
…
Guildmaster Anya strode down the dimly lit hallway, the echo of her footsteps mingling with the low hum of machinery from the various rooms. Her towel hung loosely over her shoulder, the damp cloth absorbing the sweat from her intense sparring session. But as she moved, the adrenaline in her veins was not the only thing coursing through her body. Unwelcome memories began to creep in.
Her mind drifted back to the Wasteland Display event, to her brief but infuriating encounter with Spade. She could still feel the brush of his hand on her shoulder as he leaned in, his voice low and calm as he whispered…
“Remember this moment, Anya. This is what true power looks like. Now, for your next lesson, stay put, and don’t interfere.”
“An overlord’s orders are absolute. Do you understand?”
The audacity of his casual dismissal of her strength infuriated her. Saying what he displayed
was true power raced through her mind, and her body fidgeted involuntarily.
Her heart rate quickened, her muscles tightening as if she could still feel his presence
lingering on her skin.