novelraw Chapter 319: Meeting the Guild Master.
Chapter 319: Meeting the Guild Master.
Seated inside the clean room, Thoren calmly looked at the beautiful woman sitting before him. The room itself was simple and modest.
A crude wooden table stood between them while two plain chairs faced each other across the room.
Apart from that, only a single window hung along the left wall, allowing warm crimson light to spill gently into the room.
On the opposite side stood a heavy weapon rack filled with different blades, spears, and axes polished to perfection.
Above the weapon rack hung the massive skull of an unknown beast.
Its hollow eye sockets stared downward like a silent guardian watching over the room.
Thoren studied the skull briefly but failed to recognize the creature it belonged to.
Still, he did not dwell on it for long.
His attention quickly returned to the Crimson Arc Guild Master seated across from him.
For several quiet seconds, neither of them spoke.
The atmosphere inside the room remained calm and steady.
The Guild Master quietly observed him without blinking.
Curiosity filled her sharp purple eyes.
She wanted to understand what kind of person sat before her.
More importantly, she wanted to know why this young man had confidently declared she would definitely agree to meet him.
Normally, she would have ignored such arrogance completely.
Anyone else attempting such a stunt would have been thrown out of the guild headquarters immediately.
Still, her curiosity won in the end.
That alone was enough for her to grant this meeting.
Her long purple hair flowed naturally over her shoulders, glowing faintly beneath the crimson sunlight entering through the window.
Combined with her calm expression, her appearance carried an almost regal elegance.
"I never expected you would agree to meet me so easily." Thoren finally broke the silence.
His voice sounded relaxed and casual.
There was no nervousness inside his tone.
Most awakeners trembled before powerful guild leaders.
Others desperately tried gaining favor by flattering them endlessly.
Yet Thoren displayed none of those emotions.
Of course, he knew the woman before him possessed overwhelming strength.
Still, that knowledge did not shake his confidence even slightly.
In his mind, surpassing her was only a matter of time.
Why should he feel nervous before someone he would eventually leave behind?
The Guild Master narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Hmm?"
"You know nothing about me or this guild."
"Then why are you so certain about what I would do?"
Her tone remained calm but carried a faint warning underneath.
"Assuming too much will shorten your life."
"You should correct such a dangerous habit while you still can."
Thoren’s expression barely changed.
Only the corner of his lips curved upward slightly.
"Do you usually offer advice to every visitor?" he asked casually.
Then he leaned back against the wooden chair comfortably.
Although the chair lacked comfort completely, he showed no sign of discomfort.
The Guild Master stared at him silently for a moment.
Then her expression gradually cooled.
"Tell me why you wanted to meet me."
"Otherwise, this conversation ends here." Her voice became colder and more serious.
Hearing that, Thoren straightened slightly.
He realized he had relaxed too much. Because of his connection with the Crimson Arc Guild through Arin, he unconsciously treated the atmosphere too casually.
For a brief moment, he forgot this was not the first floor anymore.
"Sorry about that."
He rubbed his forehead lightly before continuing.
"On the first floor, I became close friends with Arin."
The moment she heard that name, her cold expression shifted slightly.
"You know Arin?"
"Of course."
Thoren nodded naturally. "He is a good guy"
"I just hope he reaches the second floor before I ascend to the third floor."
"We already promised to drink ourselves to stupor when we meet again."
A bright smile appeared on his face while speaking. Watching him carefully, the Guild Master realized he genuinely meant every word.
A faint melancholic sigh escaped from her lips.
Naturally, she knew who Arin was.
Every guild leader selected on the lower floors had their information reported upward.
Once upon a time, she herself had also served as the Guild Master of the first floor.
Back then, she possessed the same determination and ambition burning inside her heart.
Then she ascended.
Now, years later, she once again found herself serving as Guild Master on another floor entirely.
Time truly passed too quickly.
She shook her head gently before focusing once more on Thoren.
"Now you have truly gained my curiosity."
"The Arin I know never formed many close friendships."
"So tell me."
"Who exactly are you?" Her tone became noticeably more serious.
Thoren’s posture remained completely relaxed.
"I am Thoren Starfall."
"Most people know me as the Grim Reaper."
He announced it casually, almost as if he were introducing himself to an ordinary stranger.
What!
The Guild Master instantly shot to her feet.
Her purple eyes widened dramatically while disbelief filled her face.
"H-How is that possible?"
Now that she looked carefully, everything finally connected together inside her mind.
Several weeks ago, information from the first floor had already reached the second floor.
The report had spread through many powerful guilds.
A single individual had overturned the first floor completely.
At first, many guilds believed the intelligence report was exaggerated nonsense.
Others treated it cautiously but still believed the so called Grim Reaper would require months or years before reaching the inner region of the Bleeding Desert.
That included her.
After all, countless awakeners spent years struggling across the desert.
Many never reached the Crimson Dunes at all. Yet now the impossible stood directly before her.
Silver hair.
Deep blue eyes.
Calm expression.
The details matched perfectly.
"He really is..."
For several long seconds, she simply stared at him silently. The young man seated before her had already become a legend on the first floor.
An impossible legend.
He confronted the Federation openly.
He challenged the Beast God Sect directly.
He destroyed the Slave Trade Guild repeatedly. Most shocking of all, he survived every confrontation. The Guild Master slowly returned to her seat while continuing to study him carefully.
The more she observed him, the stranger he felt.His aura lacked arrogance.
Instead, it carried quiet certainty. Finally, she released another long sigh.
"Now I understand your confidence."
A faint amused smile appeared on her lips.
"Should I feel honored that someone like the Grim Reaper personally visited my humble guild?" she joked lightly.
Yet Thoren’s expression never changed.
"Indeed."
"You should feel honored."
"If not for Arin, I would not have bothered visiting in the first place." His tone remained completely flat and calm.
For a moment, silence filled the room once again. Then unexpectedly, the Guild Master burst into laughter.
Her laughter echoed warmly through the room, breaking the previously tense atmosphere completely.
Outside the room, several hidden guild members nearly stumbled in shock after hearing their Guild Master laugh so openly for the first time in months.