Chapter 45 : Confrontation

"Halt!"

The cold voice stopped Ragna from his track. He had to stop, otherwise, he would bump into a group of blue-robed man who was blocking his path.

Ragna turned around to see whose voice it was that told him to stop. His expression was calm. He didn't feel intimidated at all. He had been through too many similar occasion that he was already being used to it. A number was just a number for him.

He coldly looked at the man who called him. The man was wearing a blue robe with intricate design. He could see that all of the man's equipment were adorned in the same pattern. It was obvious that the man in front of him wore a set equipment. The Blue Salamander Set.

Blue Salamander Set was a set that is suited for Magicians. It increased the wearer's Intelligence, Wisdom, and Magic Damage. Also, it slightly reduced the casting time needed to cast a spell. Judging only from this point, one could conclude that the Set had an exorbitant price. Even great guilds couldn't give this kind of set to anyone. One had to be an elite to be eligible to wear it.

The man lightly waved the staff that he was holding, causing the group of men who was surrounding Ragna to back down a bit. Without even removing his hat, the man spoke coldly to him.

"Are you the one who raised 6 levels in just one day?", at this point, Ragna could faintly see the man's eyes. It was dark blue in color, emanating a deep pressure and coldness.

Ragna didn't answer. He just kept staring at the man.

"Not going to answer huh? Well, I think I already know the answer seeing how you've raised another 4 levels today", the man's facial feature slightly contracted, revealing his handsome face. However, his expression was one of viciousness.

Ragna knew that there was no way to hide his secret. At some point, someone will notice. If he restrained his leveling speed to stay hidden, that would be similar to throwing away a great opportunity in front of him. Main Event Quest that gives players extra experiences didn't come often after all.

He calmly replied, "Then? What do you want?"

"My name is Crane. I admire your skill. I, representing the Azure Dragon Guild, offer you to join our guild as my personal scout", When he said 'skill', there was a hint of disdain hidden in his tone. It was apparent that he didn't really acknowledge Ragna's skill.

At this moment, the onlookers were starting to pay some attention toward them.

"That's Crane! The rising star of Azure Dragon Guild! Rumor said that he's one of the Nines. Oh my god, is he stirring up a trouble again?"

"That guy must've offended him in some way. Poor guy, his life won't be easy from this point on"

"Wait..! Crane is giving him the offer to join the Azure Dragon Guild! God, such an opportunity. He should accept it. No, He has to!"

Everyone was discussing by themselves. They made their own speculations about the matter. The atmosphere was getting more lively as the number of crowds increased.

Lily was also inside the crowds. She looked at Ragna anxiously. She was really worried about him. It was never a good thing to offend Azure Dragon Guild. Even though Azure Dragon Guild wasn't a top guild, their rank was quite high. They had the power necessary to pressure anyone. Especially one that didn't have any proper backing and was a mere level 20 player.

Wait.. level 20 ? Wasn't Ragna only at level 10 two days ago?

Hearing what Crane said, Ragna didn't even lose his composure. He kept his indifferent expression as he said to him, "I have a Guild already"

An imperceptible glow flickered in Crane's eyes. At this point, there was no way to confirm the authenticity of Ragna's word. That was the reason behind Ragna's answer.

The crowds were buzzing with conversation. They too understand that if Ragna was already inside a Guild, then it was normal for him to reject Crane's offer. However, they still wanted to know how Crane would react to it.

Strangely, there was no change in Crane's expression. As if he had already predicted everything he replied to him, "That's a pity then. May I know which guild it is?"

"Unfortunately, I can't give you an answer to that question", Ragna replied without a pause. It was apparent that the other party wanted to judge his reaction. Sadly, their opponent was Ragna, someone who was already used to deceptions and mind battles.

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Seeing Ragna's reaction, Crane paused for a bit. He then continued, "Your secret, I want to buy it. I'll give you a suitable compensation"

At this point, the crowds erupted into a buzzing sound of conversations. They now understand the reason why Crane approached Ragna. It seemed like Ragna was holding a secret, one which was coveted by Crane. As for what the secret was, they had no idea.

However, Lily already had a rough idea about what the secret was. But it only made her become increasingly worried.

Ragna replied with a slight smile on his lips, "I don't understand what you're talking about. I have no secret"

The group of blue robed men's face fell. They once again tried to surround Ragna. But before they could, Crane waved his staff, indicating them to stop. The blue gem embedded in his staff was glowing with resplendent light.

"Again, such a pity. We will take our leave then", He turned his body, eyes radiating coldness, "See you tomorrow. Ragna". He slightly emphasized the word 'Tomorrow' and 'Ragna'. It was clear that Crane was silently threatening him.

Even though player's name was usually hidden, there were many ways to investigate it. There were also many occasions that force players to show their name. When fighting, the name would also became visible. By knowing Ragna's name, it was clear that they had marked him.

Crane left with his group following him. The crowds were also dispersing. Everyone had different opinions, but most of them were sympathizing Ragna.

Lily immediately approached him. She looked right into Ragna's eyes and asked him, "Are you okay? You really have a guild.. right?"

Seeing Lily genuinely worried about him, Ragna couldn't help but smile. It seemed like he could believe in her.

"Nope, I don't have any", he answered truthfully.

"Holy sh*t! What are you going to do then!?", she yelled angrily.

Ragna shrugged his shoulder, "Let's see about that later"

Lily was dumbfounded when she heard Ragna's answer. This guy! YOU are the one in trouble! Why am I more anxious than you!

Seeing Lily's expression, Ragna couldn't help but laugh. He changed the topic and immediately opened the trade screen, "Hey, I was looking after you. I want to sell these materials and loots"

"Hey! Don't change the topic, you --", before Lily could finish her sentence, Ragna already shoved the trade screen to her face. At first, she didn't really pay any attention toward it but suddenly she noticed something strange.

Her eyes went wide with disbelief when she saw the materials Ragna wanted to sell. Lizardman's skin.. Lizardman's scale.. Blue Lizard's Glove. There was no way that Ragna could get this much amount of materials without actually hunting them.

This... Don't tell me he really hunted level 29 lizardman..?

Lily foolishly stared at Ragna with her mouth agape. She didn't know what to say.. exactly because she had too MUCH to say!

Ragna noticed Lily's strange expression but he only smiled in response. It was as if there's nothing strange happening.

Seeing Ragna's innocent expression, Lily could only shake her head helplessly. This fellow.. can't you be more mysterious? Why do you have so many secrets?!

...

Inside a tavern.

"Boss, why did you let him go? Did you really believe him?" One of the Blue Robed men asked Crane who was sitting while lightly playing with his staff.

Crane coldly stared at the blue robed man who seemed to be one of his subordinates. He then yelled harshly, "Do you really think I'm THAT stupid? We'll act tomorrow"

Another blue robed man asked him, "But what if he really has a Guild backing him? Won't our action offend them?"

"Hahaha..", Crane laughed, "It won't matter even if he really has a Guild. The fact that he was moving alone means that he is keeping it as a secret to his Guild too"

He calmly explained, "If he has a Guild. That's fine, we can tell them that one of their members was keeping a secret from them. A big one at it. Maybe, they'll even be grateful toward us"

Crane's calm expression suddenly turned vicious, "If he doesn't... Then we'll just destroy him until he speaks"

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Author Note : Hundred Favs bonus chaps! Anyway, thanks for the reviews! I'll be very grateful if you guys could point out my grammar mistakes!