The D-Rank Guild Master of the No. 1 Guild

I wondered what the viewers thought of me right now.

“Rudel doing something this foolish? Out of character?”

“She’s probably got some hidden strategy.”

“Remember when Rudel deliberately took a beating from Ispan to awaken her unique ability? This seems similar.”

“Exactly. No matter how bad Akata looks, Rudel isn’t the type to get this emotionally worked up.”

The narrative I built in the first round made the viewers expect something from me, even in this state.

They were likely thinking, “There must be a twist,” and kept watching, despite how unpleasant it was to see me like this.

I was confident I wouldn’t disappoint them. This situation was part of the plan, after all.

But, to be honest, deep inside…

Seeing Akata with his wrists and ankles shattered did make me angry enough to charge at Ispan.

And, as planned, I got thoroughly beaten.

At some point, the foot kicking me withdrew. I spat out the blood that had pooled in my mouth and searched for Ispan with my swollen, narrowed vision.

Ispan stepped back a few paces, admiring the mess he made of me as if it were a piece of art he created.

Yet, even while doing so, I noticed he was moving towards Akata. I growled out a warning.

Ispan smirked.

“I have exactly one health potion.”

He pulled a red bottle from his inventory and held it up.

“I’ll show you a bit of mercy. Choose who gets it—should I give it to you, or to this kid?”

He jiggled the red bottle, laughing as if he found this hilarious. Even the lackey guarding Akata didn’t laugh.

Groaning, I lifted my head.

I might have broken a rib. I hoped it hadn’t punctured any organs as I leaned more heavily against the wall, trying to steady myself.

I scrutinized Akata’s condition.

From the outside, I might look worse than Akata.

But I was still thinking clearly, while Akata lay there unmoving.

He was drenched in sweat, and his limbs, broken for so long, looked horrific.

We were both in such bad shape that it was hard to say who was worse off.

I had no regrets.

Akata’s anomaly was something I couldn’t ignore as someone who used cheats.

“My decision to pursue Akata wasn’t wrong. I just need to endure this beating to win in the end.”

I didn’t need a health potion. In fact, it would disrupt the plan.

“Give the potion… to Akata.”

Ispan, who had been watching me, tilted his head slightly.

“Putting on airs, huh?”

He swore, then tossed the red bottle to the lackey.

Watching the lackey pour the health potion into Akata’s mouth gave me a bit of relief.

Then Ispan strode towards me, finally drawing his sword.

‘So, now he plans to skin me alive.’

From now on, the viewers’ screens would be rated beyond mature, probably even blocked.

The next day, it would be announced that the character Rudel had died in the 1.5th round.

Although I would resurrect back at the guild fortress, the drama of the situation wasn’t lost on me.

I kept my eyes locked on Ispan without flinching.

He was getting closer, just like when he approached to kill me in the first round.

‘He was careless then, and he’s careless now.’

His blade was aimed at my eyes.

At the last moment, I opened my inventory window.

Special Item.

Feeds on the owner’s blood, delivering a killing blow that ignores all defenses.

Ispan, you aren’t the only one who found a special item.

Why wasn’t I surprised by the existence of special items?

Because I found the Blade of the Mad Demon before you found your camcorder.

I obtained the blade in the first round, but the enhancement item only became available a few days before the start of the 1.5th round.

The enhancement item was unlocked then.

At that time, I wasn’t sure how to use it, so I kept it in my inventory…

‘Now’s the perfect opportunity.’

You dared to mess with me. Last time, I let you hit me on purpose and then counterattacked.

You think I’ll fall for the same trick twice?

Filled with the thrill of impending victory, I envisioned the blade in my hand and clenched my fist tightly.

‘Although I can’t kill you outright due to the rules, this should incapacitate you enough…’

But then…

Thud.

My heart gave a small leap.

Caught by a strange sensation, I inadvertently looked past Ispan.

When did he regain consciousness?

I met Akata’s clear brown eyes as he finally lifted his eyelids.

The moment our eyes met, it felt like all my strength drained away.

Despite having exhausted so much of his life force, how could he still appear the most beautiful and enchanting of all I’ve ever seen?

The boy’s delicate facial features glowed dreamily under the candlelight, and his brown eyes were mesmerizing.

Seeing the situation, his eyes widened, and deep shock quickly overtook them.

“Aria…?”

A faint voice slipped from the boy’s lips.

Aria? Did he just call me Aria? Who is that?

At that sound, both Ispan and his lackey turned to look at him.

In that instant, Akata stood up abruptly, using his elbows for support since he couldn’t use his hands.

Ispan’s lackey hesitated to intervene, likely due to Akata’s severe injuries making it difficult to touch him.

“Don’t die, don’t die…”

Whether it was my imagination or not, Akata kept muttering those words while staring straight at me.

Suddenly, he let out a piercing scream, far louder than when his bones were breaking.

“Aaaah!”

With the sound of something cracking…

Shing!

It felt like the thin wall of reality itself was shattering.

Then, vivid crimson flames erupted from within Akata’s body.

Woosh!

“Aaaaah!”

The intense heat was palpable even from a distance, causing Ispan and his lackey to panic and throw themselves to the ground.

Soon, the cave walls were bathed in a fiery red glow. The oppressive heat made the entire atmosphere feel suffocatingly hot and red.

Akata’s brown eyes glowed with a dazed intensity as he looked at me.

“……”

What happened next shocked me to my core.

With just a glance from Akata, the two who had been threatening us burst into spontaneous combustion.

In an instant, they were engulfed in flames, and soon after, they were reduced to ash, leaving no trace behind.

…How could this be? Moreover, his ability was similar to mine, a fire ability.

But Akata’s flames seemed on a completely different level.

If we were in a forest, his flames would consume it to the roots, and even on the vast ocean, they would burn like oil on water.

For a moment, it seemed like a sun-like entity rose from the flames filling the cave.

Born from fire, wielding eternal power until its heart of flame extinguished, an immortal entity.

The blaze Akata conjured resembled a phoenix.

‘This is impossible. It can’t be real.’

Sub-characters in the 1.5 round shouldn’t have unique abilities.

Moreover, Akata wasn’t a character who died in the first round and revived. He was a newly created character in the 1.5 round.

However, if I recall that everything I see is data, and this world is a vast program…

‘Akata might be the only ‘error’ in this perfect game.’

I was right after all.

From the moment I couldn’t see Akata’s status window, this was all destined to happen.

I recalled the conditions for unlocking Pure Nature.

‘When life is on the brink of death, or there is something equally desperate.’

The boy hadn’t felt any desperation in the face of his own death, and despite his broken bones and loss of consciousness, he hadn’t awakened his ability.

But then, I realized that he awakened not because of imminent death, but because of something as desperate as death itself.

[“I don’t care if I die. But I can’t bear the thought of you dying.”]

Shortly after, his determined, melodious voice echoed in my ears.

Despite barely being able to move his limbs, Akata slowly crawled towards me, leaving a trail of his own blood.

When he finally got close enough, I reached out my trembling arms.

As I embraced him and lifted him, he wrapped his arms around me, clinging to me tightly, and buried his face into my shoulder.

“Aria, Aria…”

He called out a name desperately.

His body was burning hot, like a flame. As he panted heavily, he finally lost consciousness in my arms.

I wished he had fainted sooner. How much pain must he have endured until now?

Despite knowing he was critically injured, I hugged him tightly as if he might shatter.

I couldn’t exactly define or express my feelings, but if I had to describe it… it was like finding something incredibly important that I had forgotten.

…I want to take him somewhere safe.

[Guild Return]

I reached out with my battered hand and pressed the button on the status window.

The scorching hot air quickly turned cool and comforting. The surroundings were no longer dark.

In an instant, we were back in my small, cozy fortress.

Realizing this, my body, now battered and bruised, started to shake uncontrollably.