The hall plunged into silence so absolute that it was impossible not to realize the mention of that name had triggered some reaction.
Lucien, however, didn’t understand why the atmosphere had shifted so drastically at the mention of his name, or why an NPC was panicking over it.
The young attendant pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him. Then he whispered:
The boy emerged from behind the counter and walked to the side, then behind to a door. The door led them to the hall’s backyard, and soon they were climbing stairs to the next floor. There, the backyard—which wasn’t really a backyard—was a mini arena filled with white sand.
The building was constructed in a square structure, its center open to the sky. Within minutes, they entered a passageway that led them to another hall, but this one was sparse. Instead of the counter, Lucien could see a large, dark-brown wooden door.
Beyond that door pulsed an energy that made him deeply wary.
"I’m sorry, where exactly are you taking me?"
The attendant turned back, smiling pleasantly.
"There’s no need to be afraid. I’m taking you to the Guildmaster, and you really should thank me, player Cien."
His words were sincere—Lucien saw the light.
"I should thank you?"
The attendant turned forward as he continued.
"There’s no telling what would have happened down there. Since you’re a very renowned person and no one has ever seen you, I had to remove you from the situation before it escalated."
Lucien frowned beneath his mask.
’What in the actual— What is going on?’
Gaya was as confused as he was, but she walked silently beside him, her expression betraying none of her thoughts.
The attendant finally opened the door, and Lucien was ushered into an opulent office.
The chamber featured rich mahogany furnishings, including an ornate desk centerpiece and luxurious leather seating. Three large Gothic arched windows with decorative stonework allowed natural light to filter through heavy dark curtains adorned with golden emblems and winged crests.
In front of the ornate table sat a man with golden hair, and behind the desk sat a man who looked to be in his early forties, with long, disheveled dark hair and piercing eyes.
He looked at the attendant and raised a brow inquisitively.
"I told you, Andria. You cannot—"
"Listen, Guildmaster, I have something crucial to tell you."
The Guildmaster frowned.
"It better be the most crucial thing in your life, or nothing will save you from going back to your father’s house."
Andria scratched his cheek sheepishly.
He paused for a moment and turned to Lucien and the young lady.
"This is the Guildmaster of the entire Rhamira Adventurers’ Guild. Please introduce yourself."
Having introduced himself before—which had caused this uproar—Lucien was quite skeptical beneath the mask.
He hesitated for a moment and was about to speak when Gaya’s voice boomed.
"He is Cien, so what’s the big deal? Why is everyone acting like they’ve seen a ghost that ripped their guts out through their assholes!"
’I do like that she’s speaking for me, but every word in her statement is so vile. Can she not curse at every opportunity she gets?’
The Guildmaster, however, gripped his chair and nearly stood, grinning as though he’d just been told his wife had given birth to healthy twins.
His voice, powerful and full of authority, boomed out.
Lucien remained silent for a moment.
"Yes, I am player Cien. May I ask what this fuss is about?"
The man sitting in front of the Guildmaster stood up, his long brown coat over a deep green suit straightening out.
He looked at Lucien with warm, unreadable blue eyes.
"Permit me to explain in a manner he will understand."
The Guildmaster looked at the man and nodded in agreement.
The man smiled slightly as he studied Lucien.
"Player Cien, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person. You are a very renowned newcomer."
He glanced at the lady beside Lucien.
"Player Cien here is a man who has distinguished himself through back-to-back astounding achievements. The first player ever to become a Dungeon Master, he also discovered an entire region. The Mist of the Forgotten is a place that has remained unexplored because of its obnoxious difficulty—even players like myself had to be cautious. It might be a low-level region, but it’s filled with Deviants and high-rank monsters."
He gestured toward Lucien as he continued.
"However, Player Cien here managed to accomplish this without the backing of any Faction or Clan. He is an outstanding individual."
He fixed his gaze on Lucien.
"You might feel like your achievement carries no weight and all this feels like an over-the-top reaction, but to simply explain the situation for you: A new Legendary-rated class was discovered because of what you did. Players are now battling quests linked to the Mist of the Forgotten. It’s only a matter of time before they dig deep into the War of the Beginning, which will undoubtedly help us all further the flow of the world—by this I mean, the main scenario of Evolution Online."
Lucien looked at him, not having much to say.
"I see... you’re all welcome, I guess..."
He turned to the Guildmaster.
"Can I register as an Adventurer now?"
The golden-haired man stood with a slightly shocked expression, looking at Lucien with blank yet intrigued eyes.
He then allowed a soft smile.
"I see... you just want to register as an Adventurer. You must be one of those types..."
’...those visionless bastards, only driven by luck, grabbing hold of what shouldn’t belong to them and having no clue how to best put it to use. Yet drowning in foolishness and ignorance!’
Even though he was seething with anger, he let out another soft smile and said:
"How about we do this instead? I am a Tier 10 Adventurer—I could help you become a Tier 5 just by going on a dungeon raid with you. You’ll be privy to exclusive quest rewards, and all you need to do is..."
The man suddenly stopped as the room grew cold.
Lucien’s eyes gleamed with icy white light.
"Why... would I do that?"