CHAPTER 139: ADVENTURE GUILD VS GOLDEN DAWN GUILD

"Listen up," Scarlet said. "Things are going to get more difficult from here."

The faces of all those present grew serious as they heard this.

In truth, many of them had suspected something like this would happen, and now that it was confirmed by Scarlet herself, it only made the tension rise.

"We’re entering the second half of the event," she continued. "That means the other guilds—especially Olympus, Martial Palace, and the Holy Church—will no longer be content watching from the sidelines."

Scarlet took a deep breath and added, "From this point onward, monsters aren’t the only threat."

Bunny raised a hand from the crowd. "Wait, are you saying the other guilds might try to ambush us?"

"There are no rules in the competition," Scarlet explained, confirming the fear many already had.

"That means guilds can, and will, attack each other to mess with the competition," Gabriel mumbled, his eyes narrowing.

A wave of murmurs spread across the gathering. While some expressed worry, a few—like Ragnarok99 and BrawlerX—looked excited.

"Finally! I was getting bored of just smacking monsters. Let’s see some real action." Ragnarok99 cracked his knuckles with a grin.

He was still the highest-ranked player in Realm of Ascendency at Level 30, and surprisingly, following behind him was none other than IceQueen at Level 27.

"Chat, did you hear that?" Bunny grinned at her viewers. They lit up with excitement, already speculating about what could happen.

[NO RULES?? THIS IS GONNA BE A GUILD WAR!]

[Hope someone wipes the floor with Crimson Star first lol]

[Ragnarok’s about to go full psycho mode]

[Sir Broken would definitely carry!]

[Hahahaha, does this mean we’ll finally have Sir Broken vs Liang from Martial Palace?]

"There’s a high possibility of that happening," Bunny replied to the last message, which made the chat explode with excitement.

At that exact moment, Scarlet raised her voice, silencing all murmurs.

"From this point on, there will only be two squads, and we’ll stick close together in case of an emergency," she explained.

Because of the point disparity and the risk of targeted ambushes, the two squads would move in opposite directions to cover more ground. If one squad was attacked, the other could respond quickly.

"Squad One will be under my command," the vice leader announced. "Squad Two will be led by..." she paused for a fraction of a second before her gaze locked on Gabriel, "Gabriel Reyes."

Aside from a few grumbles from people like Brunt, who had assessed him during the guild test, everyone else seemed satisfied with the decision.

Most believed that after Scarlet, he was the strongest. In fact, ever since he defeated the Lake Serpent King, a small minority even believed he could go toe-to-toe with her.

Gabriel didn’t say a word. He simply nodded once, accepting the role.

For him, this wasn’t about prestige—it was about control. Being in charge meant he could pick their fights, take the best monster hunts, and avoid wasting time.

Afterwards, Scarlet quickly assigned the squads. Gabriel’s squad contained the likes of Ragnarok99, Bunny, the sniper-bow legend, Alice, Anna, and a few others.

Sophie, Cassie, Brunt, and Old Man Khrome were assigned to Scarlet’s squad.

Before they left, Scarlet reminded them, "If you encounter another guild, assume they are hostile."

"I’ll keep that in mind," Gabriel nodded.

Some time later, both squads split and began heading toward their designated directions.

Inside the broadcasting studio, Doodle announced with excitement, "Ohhh, now this is what I’m talking about! Scarlet’s splitting the Adventurer Guild into two deadly squads! And she’s handing the second squad to Sir Broken himself!"

Noel smirked. "It’s a risky play, but it’s efficient. Covering more ground means more points... but it also means a higher chance of running into elite teams from other guilds."

Doodle swiped to pull up other feeds. "Speaking of elites, the competition’s heating up everywhere! Olympus Guild is moving as a single unit, led by Jack Arefield and Aria. Martial Palace is pushing deeper with Liang and Evelyn in front, and the Holy Church’s Alfonzo is rallying their forces near the fortress zone."

"The top dogs are all in motion. The second half of the event isn’t going to be a monster hunt anymore—it’s going to be a battlefield."

---

"Vice Leader Liang," Evelyn, the beautiful jade-skinned woman with flawless features, called out softly.

"What is it?" Liang replied.

They were heading deeper in search of monsters. Behind them trailed dozens of otherworlders and members of Martial Palace.

"The scouts report that the Adventurer Guild has split into two groups. Scarlet leads one, and the other is led by... Gabriel Reyes. The same man who soloed the Lake Serpent King," Evelyn reported.

For a brief moment, Liang’s eyes narrowed. During the break, he had learned about that name from otherworlders.

Evelyn’s words made him glance at her. "Gabriel Reyes... That’s the one who soloed the Lake Serpent King?"

"That’s right," she confirmed. "The otherworlders say he’s insanely strong for his level. Some even claim he’s the reason the Adventurer Guild climbed so high in the rankings this fast."

A look of interest shone in Liang’s eyes.

Evelyn continued, "If he’s as strong as they say, leaving him unchecked could be problematic. And with Scarlet covering one direction, the other is exposed to us."

Liang’s lips curled into a faint smile. "Interesting. If the opportunity presents itself, I’d like to meet this person who can fight enemies far above his level. However... for now, focus on clearing the monsters."

---

Gabriel led his squad toward the eastern direction. It was a forested area with towering trees that shielded the ground from sunlight.

Naturally, he led at the front, followed by Anna a few steps behind.

Above, Alice constantly used her Blink skill, darting from tree to tree, scouting ahead for any enemies.

They moved quickly, slaughtering any monsters they came across. Lesser guild teams in the area caught sight of them and immediately backed off—no one wanted to risk provoking the Adventurer Guild.

Even if they had considered it, the moment they saw who was leading, they abandoned the thought.

A little over an hour into their hunt, they finally reached a clearing. Thanks to his perception, Gabriel could sense at least ten people ahead.

And unlike the smaller guilds, these individuals were boldly approaching.

Gabriel’s Sapphire Eye activated instantly.

[Dawn Graves]

[Level 55]

[HP: 1700]

The squad stepped into the open clearing, and sure enough, a group in gold-trimmed armor turned toward them. At the center was a tall young man with slick blond hair, a gleaming sword at his side, and a smug smile that practically screamed noble upbringing.

"Well, well," the young man smiled. "This year’s dark horse in the flesh."

Gabriel’s gaze was flat. "You know me?"

"Of course." The man stepped forward, his guildmates spreading out behind him. "I’m Rynold Graves, young master of the Graves family... and leader of the Golden Dawn Guild."

Gabriel didn’t reply, waiting for him to get to the point.

Rynold’s smile widened. "Everyone’s been keeping an eye on you. You’ve made quite the name for yourself in this event. However, I feel you’re overhyped."

He drew his sword in one smooth motion, the blade catching the sunlight.

"So I’m challenging you. One-on-one. Winner takes points."

Alice blinked. "Gambling... with event points?"

They could do that as well?

"Exactly," Rynold smirked. "You win, my guild hands over half our current points to you. You lose... and the Adventurer Guild hands over the same."

Gasps rippled through the squad.

"He expects us to hand over half of our points? That would automatically put them in the top five!"

"What does he take us for, fools?"

"I just checked—Golden Dawn is in seventh place. This must be their tactic to rise through the ranks."

The frown on Alice’s face deepened, and subconsciously, her hand twitched toward the daggers at her waist.

Gabriel raised a hand to stop her.

The Golden Dawn members all looked confident—some even smug—as if the outcome was already decided.

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed slightly, his tone calm. "And if I refuse?"

Rynold chuckled. "Then I suppose we’ll just have to... take them the old-fashioned way."

Hearing this, his guild members burst into laughter as if it was the most funniest thing they had heard.

Bunny, however, realized something. They hadn’t seen the fight between Sir Broken and the Lake Serpent King. They had only heard of his strength, never witnessed it.

Looking closely, there wasn’t a single player among Golden Dawn’s ranks. That only made her more certain of her theory.

Gabriel finally stepped forward calmly, putting away Crimson Judgement, which confused the Golden Dawn members.

"You want a duel for points?" he asked again.

Rynold nodded excitedly. "That’s right."

Gabriel’s lips curved ever so slightly. "Fine."

"I hope you’re as good as they say, Sir Broken," Rynold bowed mockingly. "It would be a shame for this to end too quickly."

Bunny looked at the scene and shook her head. She then addressed her viewers. "Chat, how many seconds will the fight last?"

***