The tavern was completely silent except for the heavy, panicked breathing of the Silver Fang squad. They quickly dumped all their gold coins, healing potions, and low-tier monster cores onto the table, not daring to look Aryan in the eye.
Aryan casually swept the loot into his Sovereign's Spatial Ring with a wave of his hand. It wasn't much compared to his million gold coins, but it was about the principle.
"Good dogs," Aryan muttered, turning his back on them.
"Halt!" A booming, thunderous voice echoed from the grand staircase.
The temperature in the room dropped significantly. The heavy wooden doors of the tavern slammed shut. A terrifying, suffocating pressure descended upon the entire hall.
The low-level hunters in the tavern fell to their knees, gasping for air. Even the Silver Fang mages collapsed, unable to withstand the sheer weight of the aura.
Footsteps echoed as a tall, muscular man with a thick beard and a massive broadsword strapped to his back walked down the stairs. It was Marcus, the Guild Master of the Awakened City.
Aryan's 'Eye of the Sovereign' flared to life.
[Target: Guild Master Marcus]
[Level: 45]
[Class: Berserker]
[Intent: Anger, Curiosity, Suppression]
Level 45. To the people in this room, Marcus was a walking god. His aura alone could crush the bones of an F-Rank hunter.
Marcus glared at the unconscious Kael and the destroyed tables. "Fighting inside the Guild Hall is strictly forbidden. The penalty is the destruction of your mana core and permanent exile."
He turned his blazing eyes toward Aryan, intensifying his aura, fully expecting the boy to drop to the floor and beg for mercy.
[Ding! Host is being subjected to Level 45 Aura Suppression.]
[Passive Skill: Absolute Invincibility (Level 1) activated!]
[Aura Suppression nullified. +50 EXP gained.]
Aryan didn't even blink. He just stood there, looking at Marcus with extreme boredom. In fact, he actually let out a small yawn, stretching his neck.
"Are you done flexing?" Aryan asked calmly. "Because your aura feels like a gentle summer breeze, and I have places to be."
The entire tavern—those who were still conscious—stared at Aryan as if he had grown two heads. Did this kid just mock the Guild Master?!
Marcus's eyes widened in genuine shock. His Level 45 aura was fully unleashed, yet this teenager wasn't just standing; he was completely relaxed. Furthermore, when Marcus tried to probe the boy's mana level, he found absolutely nothing. It was like looking into an endless, terrifying black hole.
Impossible, Marcus thought. Even an S-Rank hunter would feel my pressure. Who is this kid?
The anger in Marcus's eyes vanished, replaced by a sharp, calculating gleam. A Guild Master's job wasn't just to enforce rules; it was to find absolute monsters and recruit them before other cities did.
Marcus slowly retracted his aura. The hunters on the floor gasped in relief.
"You're not an F-Rank Porter," Marcus stated, crossing his massive arms. "No porter can shatter a B-Rank sword with their bare hands. What is your real rank, boy?"
Aryan smirked, tossing a silver coin into the air and catching it.
"I don't know," Aryan replied, locking eyes with the Guild Master. "Why don't you let me take the Rank Re-evaluation Test and find out?"