A week had passed since Hayato’s hard-fought victory in the event. Now, he moved swiftly through the dense forest, hunting down monsters that resembled towering, ancient trees. The Lightning sword in his hand crackled with energy as he cut through his enemies, dispatching several at a distance with powerful, arcing energy slashes. A system message flashed before his eyes: LVL 55.

Hayato paused, opening the level rankings to check his progress. His eyes locked onto his position—second place.

Thanks to the artifact, I’ve climbed the ranks, but it’s still not enough to reach first place, he thought, frustration simmering beneath the surface. Maybe solo players do have their limits… but even so, I can’t see myself joining a guild.

He closed the ranking window with a sigh and noticed a large group of players approaching from the edge of his minimap. Leading them was Kurogiri, his usual mischievous grin plastered on his face. Hayato’s eyes darted around the group, noting the absence of Nagareboshi.

Kurogiri greeted him with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "What a coincidence, fate bringing us together again."

Hayato eyed the group warily. "You seem well-accompanied for just a coincidence."

Kurogiri’s grin widened. "Oh, can’t a guy visit a friend?"

"Visit? I thought this was just a coincidence," Hayato replied dryly.

"Don’t get caught up in the little details. But, changing the subject, that artifact of yours—very interesting. It suits you perfectly," Kurogiri said, his tone laced with casual admiration.

Hayato narrowed his eyes. "So, you’re here to try and steal my artifact?"

Kurogiri chuckled. "Oh, just kidding! How could I possibly steal from a friend?"

"There it is again. ‘Friend,’" Hayato muttered.

Kurogiri’s tone turned mock-serious. "How could you forget? We fought together and protected each other in that battle against the GM. Isn’t that the ultimate proof of friendship? And thanks to that, you have your artifact."

Hayato’s patience was wearing thin. "What do you want?"

Kurogiri feigned a hurt expression. "Ouch, you’re wounding my feelings… All I want is to help you."

"I don’t need your help," Hayato replied curtly.

Kurogiri sighed dramatically. "You rejected my offer without even hearing me out… You’ve really hurt my feelings this time. But I’ll tell you anyway. Join my guild, DesertLotus, and you’ll have all the support you need to reach the top spot and protect your artifact. I’m sure all the other guilds are planning to steal it."

Hayato barked out a laugh. "You and your guild protect me? HAHAHA!"

Kurogiri’s expression didn’t waver. "Need I remind you that it’s thanks to me that you have that artifact in the first place?"

The laughter died on Hayato’s lips, and he grew serious. "It wasn’t just you… but fine. This is the perfect chance to settle this. Let’s decide this with a fight. It seems like that was your plan all along."

"Now, now, don’t be so hasty," Kurogiri said with mock innocence.

"I’ll give you all an advantage. If any of you can land a single hit on me, I’ll join DesertLotus. You can come at me one at a time or all at once; it makes no difference to me," Hayato declared confidently.

Kurogiri’s grin widened, and his eyes gleamed with excitement. "If you were so eager to join, you could have just asked. You’ll be more than welcome."

The other players chuckled at Kurogiri’s quip.

Hayato smirked back. "DragonForce is at least twice the size of your guild, and they couldn’t even scratch me."

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The laughter from the DesertLotus members abruptly stopped, and now it was Hayato who wore a mocking smile.

"So the rumors were true," Kurogiri muttered, his eyes narrowing.

"After this, I won’t owe you anything," Hayato stated firmly.

Kurogiri nodded. "Sounds fair… Alright, everyone, back off!"

The DesertLotus members took several steps back, spreading out around Hayato, who watched them with a hint of confusion.

Kurogiri noticed Hayato’s reaction and grinned. "Don’t worry, none of them will interfere. I’m more than enough."

Hayato and Kurogiri faced each other, the tension between them thick in the air. Hayato remained alert, his eyes darting around, wary of any trickery.

"When you’re ready…" Hayato said, his voice calm but his muscles tense.

Kurogiri leaped backward, flinging his daggers at Hayato. With a swift motion, Hayato blocked the daggers with his sword and immediately advanced, aiming a slash at Kurogiri’s chest. Kurogiri dodged backward again, the blade grazing him slightly. He continued to retreat, trying to avoid any direct contact, but he couldn’t shake Hayato, who landed several more glancing blows (HP: 80%).

"Why the rush? Let’s enjoy the fight," Kurogiri taunted, though his mind was racing.

I can barely keep up with his movements. Counterattacking is impossible, Kurogiri thought, struggling to find an opening.

Hayato thrust his sword forward, but Kurogiri managed to dodge and create some distance this time. Hayato immediately launched an energy slash that struck Kurogiri square in the chest (HP: 60%), sending him flying back.

Kurogiri grimaced but decided to change tactics. Instead of retreating, he charged toward Hayato, who watched him carefully as he approached. As they closed the gap, Kurogiri feinted an attack toward Hayato’s feet. Hayato simply stepped back, expecting the feint, but Kurogiri continued the motion, slamming his dagger into the ground and raising a curtain of dirt between them, blocking their view of each other.

It doesn’t matter how talented or skilled you are. The assassin’s "dagger throw" skill has the initial speed of a bullet at close range, and with this dirt wall obstructing his vision, he’ll only have a fraction of a second to react. I’ve won, Kurogiri thought confidently.

He hurled both daggers through the dirt cloud, one aimed at Hayato’s chest, the other at his face. Hayato, driven purely by instinct, deflected the first with his wrist and dodged the second by tilting his head. The dust began to settle, revealing Hayato standing unharmed, his health bar untouched.

"That was your trump card?" Hayato asked, his voice flat.

Before Kurogiri could respond, Hayato slashed him across the chest, sending him stumbling back. Kurogiri’s HP dropped to 20%, and he seemed to lose the will to fight, his head hanging low. But just as Hayato prepared to finish him off, Kurogiri darted to the side, pulling an item from his inventory and smashing it on the ground. A thick white smoke spread throughout the area, obscuring vision but leaving shadows faintly visible.

Kurogiri and his guild members are trying to confuse me, Hayato thought as he focused on one of the moving shadows. He kept an eye on the others as well, prepared for an attack from any direction. Hayato sent an energy slash toward the shadow he was tracking, missing but clearing the smoke in its path. The cleared smoke revealed Kurogiri, who was charging at Hayato, shouting desperately.

He’s panicking… It’s over, Hayato thought, preparing to strike.

But just before Kurogiri entered Hayato’s range, a shot rang out, hitting Hayato’s shoulder (HP: 95%). Not far away, Nagareboshi was perched in a tree, her rifle aimed, with her heat vision skill activated. Kurogiri’s frantic demeanor vanished, replaced by a sly grin as he approached Hayato, giving a light tap on the shoulder where the bullet had hit.

"Welcome to DesertLotus," Kurogiri said with a smile.

Hayato’s mind reeled with disbelief. "What? No…"

He couldn’t believe what had just happened, barely registering Kurogiri’s words.

"It would be a shame if people found out that the owner of the first artifact and currently second place in the level ranking is someone who doesn’t keep his word," Kurogiri whispered, snapping Hayato back to reality.

"You said there wouldn’t be any interference, and that you were more than enough!" Hayato shouted, his anger boiling over.

Kurogiri laughed, his tone mocking. "And you believed me?! HAHAHAHA!! How naive. Didn’t you say we could all come at you at once?"

Hayato’s face flushed with a mix of rage and humiliation. He opened his mouth to retort, but the words caught in his throat.

Kurogiri, still smiling, extended his hand to Hayato. "I know you’ve never been in a guild before… but traditionally, a handshake seals the deal."

For once, Kurogiri’s smile seemed genuine, almost friendly. Hayato, not meeting Kurogiri’s gaze, hesitated, then slowly reached out his hand, but before he could pull it back, Kurogiri grabbed it firmly.

"There, now all that’s left is to accept the invite," Kurogiri said, his grin returning to its usual mischievousness.

Hayato, his face still red with anger, slashed at Kurogiri, decapitating him in a single, fluid motion. Kurogiri’s head flew off, his laughter echoing even as his body disintegrated. Hayato reluctantly accepted the guild invitation, and the name "DesertLotus" appeared above his character, his name turning orange due to the PK.

Hayato stood still for a moment, trying to process everything that had just happened. The guild name hovering above his head felt like a brand, a constant reminder of the trap he’d fallen into. His grip tightened around the hilt of his sword, his frustration and anger simmering just below the surface. But for now, there was nothing he could do. He had made his choice, and he would have to live with it—at least for now.