Chapter 19 - The Rank Beneath the Truth

The noise of the guild didn't feel overwhelming anymore. It felt… structured. Controlled chaos. Riven stood near the entrance for a moment, eyes scanning everything again—but this time, not with confusion. With intent. "…Adventurers… ranks… parties…" His gaze shifted toward the large board filled with requests. Quests. Rewards. Danger levels. Everything organized. Everything measured. "…So this is how the world moves." But his mind wasn't fully here. Not yet. That presence still lingered. That man. That impossible movement. "…Xavier…" The name echoed again. Riven clenched his fist slightly. "…That wasn't an illusion." It couldn't be. It felt too real. Too aware. And that last line— "So it's starting already…" His eyes darkened slightly. "…What's starting…?" No answer came. Of course not. So he did what he always did. He moved forward. The counter stood ahead, where adventurers registered. A woman sat behind it, flipping through papers lazily before glancing up. "…New?" Riven nodded. "…Yeah." She gestured slightly. "…Name." "…Riven." "…Background?" A pause. Riven didn't hesitate long. "…Independent." She raised an eyebrow slightly, then wrote it down. "…Fine. Rank starts at E. Everyone does." Riven nodded again. No reaction. That was expected. "…Any special skills?" That question lingered for a second longer than the others. Riven's mind moved quickly. System. Powers. Training. Survival. Then— He shook his head slightly. "…Basic combat." A lie. A clean one. The woman didn't question it. Just wrote it down. "…Alright. E-rank adventurer." She handed him a small tag. Simple. Metal. Marked. Riven took it quietly. His fingers brushed over it for a second. "…E-rank…" The lowest. The weakest. The most overlooked. Exactly where he wanted to be. "…Less attention." He muttered internally. The woman leaned back slightly. "…If you want to earn, join a party. Solo E-ranks don't last long." Riven nodded. "…Got it." He stepped away from the counter, attaching the tag loosely. His eyes moved across the guild again. Groups. Teams. Parties forming and breaking. Experienced ones stood out immediately. Confident. Loud. Stable. Then—his attention locked onto one group. Four people. Their presence was different. Not loud—but solid. Their gear—better. Their posture—disciplined. Their energy—controlled. "…B-rank…" Riven could tell instantly. Not beginners. Not reckless. Reliable. Strong. Exactly the kind of group he needed. Not too high to attract attention. Not too low to be useless. He walked toward them calmly. They noticed him immediately. One of them—a tall man with a heavy sword strapped to his back—looked at him directly. "…You lost?" Riven stopped a few steps away. "…No." A pause. "…Looking for a party." The group exchanged quick glances. Then a girl with short hair and sharp eyes spoke. "…Rank?" "…E." Silence. A faint scoff came from another member. "…E-rank?" The tall man crossed his arms slightly. "…We're B-rank." Riven nodded. "…I know." Another pause. The air shifted slightly—not hostile, but testing. "…Then why come to us?" Riven didn't look away. "…Because you won't die easily." That answer caught them off guard. Just for a second. The short-haired girl narrowed her eyes slightly. "…And?" "…And I won't slow you down." Confidence. Calm. Not arrogance. Just a statement. The group leader studied him carefully. From head to toe. Clean now. Composed. But something about him—felt… off. Not weak. Just… hidden. "…Name?" "…Riven." The leader exhaled slowly. "…I'm Kael." He pointed slightly. "…Lira. Dren. Sova." Each of them nodded slightly—but their eyes stayed on Riven. Measuring. Weighing. "…You don't look like an E-rank." Lira said quietly. Riven didn't react. "…Looks can lie." Kael let out a faint chuckle. "…True." A moment passed. Then— "…Fine." Riven's eyes shifted slightly. "…We'll test you." Kael continued. "…You survive. You follow orders. You don't panic." His tone hardened slightly. "…You stay." Riven nodded once. "…That's enough." Dren muttered under his breath. "…This better not be a waste of time…" Sova just observed silently. Saying nothing. But noticing everything. Lira stepped closer slightly. Her eyes sharp. "…One mistake… and you're out." Riven met her gaze calmly. "…Then I won't make one." Silence again. Then Kael turned. "…We move in ten minutes." Just like that—he was in. No celebration. No reaction. Just another step forward. Riven stepped back slightly, leaning against a nearby pillar. His eyes lowered for a moment. "…B-rank party…" His fingers brushed against the tag again. "…E-rank adventurer…" A faint exhale left him. "…Hiding isn't new." But his mind didn't stay on that. It shifted again. To something bigger. Something heavier. Those faces. Those names. The ones that didn't belong. KiritoSunrakuLevi AckermanItachi UchihaIchigo KurosakiMonkey D. Luffy And now— Xavier Riven's eyes darkened slightly. "…Why are they here…?" This wasn't coincidence anymore. This wasn't random. Different worlds. Different systems. Different realities. All… leaking into this one. Or maybe— He was the one who crossed into theirs. "…Trapped…" The word felt heavier now. Because if he was trapped— Then what about them? Were they trapped too? Or were they something else entirely? Fragments? Echoes? Players? Or… something worse? "…Ten minutes!" Kael's voice cut through his thoughts. Riven straightened slightly. His eyes returned to the present. Calm again. Focused again. Because answers wouldn't come from standing still. They never did. He stepped forward, joining the group. No hesitation. No doubt. Just movement. Because whatever this world was becoming— He was already inside it. And now— He wasn't alone anymore. 🔥