Adrian walked into the main building. As he walked in, he was greeted by the tense atmosphere that pervaded the entire structure.

He slowly ascended the stairs until he reached the top floor.

He walked into the room, the lights inside was dimly lit, with only a few lamps Illuminating the entire space.

Adrian's eyes scanned the room, and his gaze paused on the man sitting in the dark corner.

The man's eyes glowed like a predator stalking his prey in the darkness.

"I've been expecting you."

"You've come this far... I didn't expect it. I was seriously Impressed."

" I thought that you were just a weakling, but you are a wolf... a wolf in a sheep's clothing."

"A wolf like me."

"Join me. I will make you my vice guild master. Together we will be the biggest guild in this town."

"I know that we have grudges. I've killed your old man and you killed all of my members."

"Let's just forget about all that, Adrian..."

"forget about all those weaklings that died. Strong ruled the world. Join me, Adrian and we'll dominate the world."

"Have a seat, let's have a proper conversation." The man said, gesturing towards a chair opposite him.

Adrian cautiously approached the chair, but he didn't sit down.

Standing, he kept his eyes locked on the figure of the Leader of Iron Blood.

"There's no need to be fierce. Have a seat, the Guild master of Iron Blood said In a commanding town. He released his overwhelming aura in a bid to subdue Adrian.

"My grudge will only be solved if one of us die."

"So, be it."

Adrian felt the pressure of the Guild master's aura, but he just shrugged it off. He remained standing, unaffected by the aura.

Adrian's face twisted in a strange way. "Do you think that weak aura of yours can faze me?" He laughed with a maniacal voice.

Adrian slowly released his killing intent. The atmosphere in the room grew tense as Adrian's killing intent mixed with the Leader's overwhelming aura.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

The Leader's expression hardened, realizing that Adrian was not to be underestimated.

The Leader's eyes narrowed, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. "You may be more formidable than I anticipated." he admitted, gritting his teeth.

The tension in the room intensified as both individuals prepared for an imminent clash of power.

Adrian continued to laugh maniacally, "Your guild will cease to exist today."

Adrian unsheathed his sword. As the conflict between them grew imminent, the air crackled with energy as the aura and murderous intent dispersed after an intent clash.

Adrian appeared before the leader and swung his sword with a swift and calculated strike.

The Guild master managed to block the attack, their swords colliding with a deafening clash.

The room erupted in chaos as the battle between them started.

Adrian coated his sword with mana, increasing the power and intensity of his strikes.

Each swing cut through the air with a blazing trail, leaving behind a faint trace of magic.

The Guild master, now realizing the true threat before him, fought back with equal ferocity.

As their clashes continued, the building slowly collapsed, with the walls crumbling and debris raining down.

But despite the chaos, both fighters remained focused on their duel, their determination unwavering. The sound of their swords clashing echoed through the crumbling room.

As the building totally collapsed, Adrian found himself buried beneath the debris. He forced his way out, and the Iron Blood Guild master did the same.

"..."

We stare at each other for a moment before continuing our clash. I used the sword techniques that I knew in the past to match the leader's power.

As our clash continued, I realized that I was slowly losing. My stamina can't keep up with the leader, and I was getting further drained the longer we clashed.

I knew I had to come up with a new strategy if I wanted to defeat him

I searched for any weakness or opening in his defense, hoping to turn the tide of the battle in my favor.

I evaded his attack and delivered a precise strike to his leg, temporarily immobilizing him. As he stumbled, I seized the opportunity to catch my breath and gather my thoughts.

It was clear that brute force alone wouldn't be enough to defeat him. I needed to exploit his weaknesses.

Every time he attacked with his skill, I noticed that he left his guard down on his left side for a brief moment.

It was a small opening, but it was enough for me to exploit.

After he recovered, he immediately charged at me. He lifted his two-handed sword above his head and shouted the words crescent slash and strikes me downward.

I lifted my sword from my right hand and parried his attack, but the edge of his blade left a deep cut in my shoulders, and the sheer power resulted in a few broken bones on my right hand.

Taking advantage of the brief clash, I stabbed the dagger that I had been holding in my left hand on the left side of the chest.

He staggered back in pain, And I seized the moment to stare into his eyes and activate [Demonic stare].

He became monetarily rooted in the ground.

Taking advantage of the situation, I stabbed my sword coated with mana into his legs and swung it upwards towards his arms, severing his left limb and arm in one swift motion.

Blood sprayed from his severed limb as he let out a scream of agony.

With his mobility compromised and the unstoppable bleeding coming from his severed body parts, he pleaded to me.

Stuttering, he pleaded to me, his voice is trembling due to fear and desperation.

He begged me to spare his life, his words stumbling out in a broken rhythm.

Ignoring his pleas, I gripped the dagger tightly in my left hand and pressed it against his chest, just above his heart.

The pain caused him cough up blood, clutching at the wound with one hand while fear filled his eyes.

"Wait, wait, I'll tell you everything I know... Please SPARE ME! I'll TELL YOU EVERYTHING!"

"Speak"

"It's that baron, the old friend of your grandpa. Years ago he ordered us to harass your grandfather's business, even the potential customers of your shop, w- we also harassed som-."

"He's envious of your grandfather's talent and wants him out of the smithing business.

"He even wanted to kill your grandfather, but your father's disappearance posed an invisible deterrent to him.

It's all his fault he funded us in exchange for doing dark things for him, even suppressing you as a kid. He's afraid that you might have the talent, and he even asked me to send thugs to beat you up every day."

As the wounded guild master pleaded for mercy, he revealed the dark truth about the baron's involvement in his grandfather's life.

The baron had not only funded their nefarious activities but also orchestrated a campaign of violence against Adrian.

Despite already uncovering this information, Adrian now had a firsthand account confirming his suspicions.

"Ple- please spare me!"

My crazed face turned into a sinister one after I learned about the truth. "It is just as I expected."

"Is it also his order to kill my grandfather today? If you answer this question, I'll spare you."

"Ye- yes, yes, He's the one."

"Really?" My lips curled upwards.

"You're lying."

"A girl came here earlier, right? She admitted to having witnessed me killing those three of your guys.

"And after that, you ordered your men to depart. And you said that a dying old man and a weak kid like me dared to trample on Iron Blood's dignity." I chuckled and stared at him.

"I already knew everything from the beginning. I just want you to despair."

With his already weakened will and mind, the demon's stare became more potent. I activated [demonic stare] as I skinned him alive. So that he could gradually suffer both physical and mental torture before dying.