The flash of a thousand cameras illuminated the grand entrance of the Aegis Guild Tower.
Located in the absolute center of the Military Safe Zone, the skyscraper was a monument to wealth and power. Today, it was the center of the world's attention. Every major news network was broadcasting live as Silas, the newly appointed Guild Master of Aegis, stood at the podium.
Silas was sweating through his bespoke suit, but he forced a triumphant smile for the cameras.
"Today, the Aegis Guild secures the future of humanity," Silas announced, his voice echoing across the plaza. "We have officially signed Cadet Elias from the National Hunter Academy to an exclusive, unprecedented ninety-ten revenue split. He will operate as our Vanguard Commander with total autonomy!"
A shockwave of murmurs ripped through the crowd of reporters. A 90-10 split in favor of the Hunter was unheard of. It meant the Guild was essentially paying for the privilege of associating with him, taking on all the logistical costs while Elias kept almost all the profits and monster drops.
Standing slightly behind Silas, Elias wore a sleek, pitch-black tactical trench coat provided by the guild. He looked completely bored by the flashing lights. He simply nodded to the cameras, signed the digital contract on the floating holographic screen, and walked into the tower without answering a single question.
The media went wild. The "Miracle Summoner" had chosen Aegis.
Five minutes later, on the absolute top floor of the skyscraper, the heavy oak doors of the Guild Master's office clicked shut. The soundproof, mana-laced walls activated, cutting off the noise of the city below.
Silas immediately dropped his triumphant facade. He let out a shaky breath, his knees giving out as he practically collapsed onto the expensive carpet.
Elias didn't even look at him. He walked past the trembling puppet, stepped behind the massive mahogany desk, and sat down in the Guild Master's luxurious leather chair. He leaned back, resting his boots on the edge of the desk.
"You did well today, Silas," Elias said smoothly. "The bait was swallowed whole."
"T-Thank you, Boss," Silas stammered, wiping his forehead with a silk handkerchief. "The other Guilds are furious. Magnus Valerius called me personally, demanding to know how we outbid Crimson Dawn. I told him it was a matter of guild philosophy. He hung up on me."
"Let them be furious," Elias smirked. He tapped a button on the desk, opening the hidden vault compartment. Inside sat the massive haul of High-Grade Mana Crystals and the Cloak of the Nightwalker that the other S-Rank Guilds had desperately bribed him with the night before. "They paid for my army, and now they can't touch me without declaring war on a state-sanctioned Guild. It's the perfect shield."
Suddenly, the shadows in the corner of the office warped.
Silas flinched, scrambling backward as Aria Sterling materialized from the darkness. She was out of her Academy uniform, dressed in her signature black assassin gear. She looked around the opulent office, then locked her amethyst eyes on Elias sitting in the boss's chair.
"You really did it," Aria said, crossing her arms. A rare, genuine smile touched her lips. "You conned the most powerful people in the country, stole their resources, and took over a top-tier Guild without firing a single spell. My father is furious he didn't think of it first."
"I told you, Aria. I don't play by their rules," Elias replied, gesturing for Silas to leave the room.
The puppet Guild Master scrambled out of the office as fast as his legs could carry him, leaving Elias and Aria alone.
"So, what happens now?" Aria asked, walking over to the floor-to-ceiling windows to look down at the city. "You have the wealth. You have the political shield. Are you just going to sit in this tower and play CEO?"
Elias laughed. It was a cold, sharp sound.
"I'm a Necromancer, Aria. A throne means nothing if I don't have an army to protect it." Elias pulled up a holographic map on the desk. "The tokens and the low-level gates were fine for the Academy, but I need Commander-grade souls. I need absolute monsters."
He tapped a blinking red icon on the map. It was located in the frozen wastelands far north of the city.
"Military intelligence just flagged an A-Rank 'Red Gate' forming in the tundra," Elias explained, his eyes glowing with that familiar, terrifying blue light. "Red Gates lock from the inside. Once you enter, you can't leave until the Dungeon Master is dead. The environment actively tries to kill you. The military is too scared to send their A-Rank squads inside."
Aria's breath hitched. Red Gates were infamous. They were mass graves for Hunters.
"You want to raid a Red Gate? Just the two of us?" Aria asked, her heart pounding.
"Not just the two of us," Elias said, standing up from the desk. The shadows around his boots began to boil, and the heavy, suffocating aura of the Death Knight and the Void Chimera leaked into the office. "I want to test the limits of my Legion. Pack your winter gear, Assassin. We're going hunting."