Chapter 118: Recruiting Ember Guild

Deep within the branching paths of the underground cavern, the roar of battle and the screeches of monsters gradually faded, leaving behind only the faint hum of dissipating energy echoing against the rocky walls.

Three Level 18 Petrified Lizards lay dead amidst the rubble.

Each was comparable in size to a small truck, its rough, granite-like hide now covered in charred burn marks, frozen fissures, and deep slashes that exposed bone.

Yet all three had ultimately died the same way.

A clean incision across the throat.

The Devouring Soul Blade’s Armor Piercing trait had partially bypassed their defenses, allowing Aiden’s precise strikes to sever their necks with lethal efficiency.

But the true protagonist of the battle had been neither Aiden, wielding his newly acquired blade, nor Luna, who had provided elemental support and crowd control from the rear.

It was the shield guard who had stood at the front line and absorbed the overwhelming majority of the attacks.

Silas.

Silas leaned heavily against the tower shield that had accompanied him for so long, breathing slightly harder than usual.

Yet despite his exhaustion, something about him had changed.

A pale-red aura of blood and vitality steamed from his body, surrounding him like a thin mist.

Aside from several fresh scratches and a few grayish-white patches where the Petrified Lizards’ attacks had begun to affect his armor and flesh, his heavy equipment remained largely intact.

The most striking change, however, was in his eyes.

The simple, steadfast gaze they had always carried had disappeared.

In its place burned two almost tangible flames of battle intent.

There was something contradictory about his current aura.

He felt as immovable as a mountain...

Yet as aggressive as a raging fire.

Only moments ago, while facing the combined assault of three Petrified Lizards and their troublesome petrification breath, Silas had seemingly triggered a barrier buried deep within his bloodline—or perhaps his soul.

It had happened when he blocked a particularly heavy blow.

A power far hotter and more violent than his [Unyielding Battle Body] had suddenly erupted from within him.

Silas hadn’t retreated.

Instead, he met the lizards’ bites and petrification breath head-on with a deafening roar.

The sheer will contained within that roar had momentarily disrupted the incoming petrification energy, while forcefully rebounding part of the impact.

At the same time, the tower shield in his hand seemed to respond to his transformation.

The earth-yellow halo flowing across its surface became tinged with dark red.

Silas’s defensive power surged.

His block success rate increased dramatically.

And, for the first time, he stopped merely enduring attacks.

He counterattacked.

With a swift swing of his shield, he smashed the lower jaw of one of the Petrified Lizards hard enough to cover it in cracks.

The transformation hadn’t been temporary.

It had continued throughout the remainder of the battle.

Silas’s defense had become more aggressive, no longer simply absorbing damage. Every block now carried the momentum of an attack, as though he had instinctively learned to fight by striking through defense.

Attack through defense.

Trade injury for injury.

Turn endurance into violence.

Then—

[Ding! Congratulations! Your teammate, "Silas the Bulwark," has honed his talent class [Unyielding Battle Body] through high-intensity combat and sublimated it through his will!]

[The talent class has successfully evolved into the A-Rank class—[Berserker Overlord]!]

The system notification echoed through the team channel.

Aiden slowly sheathed his blade and looked toward Silas.

A flicker of understanding and approval appeared in his eyes.

Although he didn’t know the exact trajectory of Silas’s growth in his previous life, the fearsome reputation of "Silas the Bulwark" had clearly not appeared without reason.

Perhaps this was where his true potential had always been hidden.

The combination of an unyielding will and fierce battle intent had transformed his fighting style from purely defensive to something far more dangerous.

Hardness alone could make a good tank.

Hardness combined with ferocity could create a top-tier one.

Luna quickly ran over, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Silas, you were so cool just now! It felt like you became a completely different person!"

The flames of battle intent slowly receded from Silas’s eyes, restoring some of his usual simple and honest expression.

He scratched his head.

"I don’t know what happened either."

He looked down at his hands, still trying to comprehend the strange power coursing through his body.

"I was just taking hits. Then this fire started building up inside me."

He paused.

"It felt like just blocking wasn’t enough anymore."

His grin widened.

"Then something inside me just exploded."

He clenched his fist, feeling the scorching energy surging through his body.

"But it feels great!"

Silas laughed.

"I’ll be able to tank even better from now on!"

Aiden nodded.

"[Berserker Overlord]. It integrates offense and defense, nurturing battle through battle."

His eyes briefly swept over Silas.

"It’s a good evolution. Your basic attributes should have increased as well. Familiarize yourself with the new power once we return."

Aiden understood what this evolution meant.

Silas’s strength had increased, but that wasn’t the only benefit.

His potential had also been revealed.

And potential was one of the most valuable things in this world.

A powerful subordinate wasn’t merely an increase in combat strength.

It was also an invisible source of deterrence.

More importantly, it could become a reason for others to seek out Dark Abyss.

Just as the three finished cleaning up the battlefield and collecting the materials dropped by the Petrified Lizards—primarily their tough hides and earth-element crystal cores—an urgent encrypted communication suddenly came through from [Phantom Eyes].

"Boss, we have a situation."

Aiden’s expression remained calm.

"Speak."

"The leader of the Ember Guild, ’Flame Spear’ Blazewind, is hovering in the surface area above our safehouse cavern with two core members."

There was a brief pause.

"They appear to be waiting for us."

"Hostile?"

"No."

[Phantom Eyes] answered immediately.

"They haven’t displayed any hostile intentions. In fact, it looks like they’re here to establish contact."

Aiden’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"What did they say?"

"Blazewind wants to meet Mr. Reaper personally to discuss something important."

Another pause.

"He also said they’ve brought ’sincerity.’"

Aiden’s eyes flickered.

Ember Guild.

He remembered them.

It was a mid-sized guild that had been heavily suppressed by the Dragon Sovereign Guild.

When Aiden had previously begun economically targeting Dragon Sovereign, he had used several black-market channels to sell some valuable materials and a small quantity of potions to Ember Guild.

The prices had been high, but still favorable enough for them to accept.

At the time, it had been nothing more than a convenient transaction.

Now, however, it seemed that seed had begun to sprout.

"What else?"

"According to our perimeter observers, they’ve genuinely only brought three people. They’re alert, but there are no signs of hostile intent."

[Phantom Eyes]’s voice became slightly more serious.

"There’s another development. Dragon Sovereign’s suppression of Ember Guild has intensified recently. They’ve lost several resource points in succession, and their situation has become extremely difficult."

Aiden fell silent.

He wasn’t surprised.

The pieces were falling into place exactly as expected.

Dark Abyss had recently become increasingly visible.

They had repeatedly frustrated the Dragon Sovereign Guild, shattered its plans, and even destroyed one of its elite assault teams.

For smaller and mid-sized forces being crushed beneath Dragon Sovereign’s influence, Dark Abyss represented something extremely tempting.

An opportunity.

A shield.

Perhaps even a path to survival.

And now Silas’s evolution had provided another form of advertisement.

If someone followed Dark Abyss, they might actually become stronger.

Aiden made his decision.

"Take them to the third backup contact point."

He looked toward Silas.

"Silas and I will meet them."

Then he glanced at Luna.

"You stay here and maintain vigilance."

Luna nodded.

"Got it."

---

A short while later, inside a hidden rocky cave concealed beneath thick vines above the main cavern, Aiden met with the leader of the Ember Guild.

Blazewind was a man in his thirties with a square face, dark skin, and sharp eyes.

A crimson spear rested across his back.

He was around Level 13, and although his aura was calm, there was a ruggedness about him that suggested years of surviving through countless dangerous encounters.

Behind him stood two other people—a man and a woman.

The man was a shield warrior.

The woman was a priest.

Both were Level 11–12.

Unlike Blazewind, however, the nervousness and anticipation in their expressions were impossible to conceal.

When Aiden and Silas entered, Blazewind immediately stepped forward.

Aiden hadn’t bothered hiding his face.

His expression was cold, his demeanor stern, and his presence carried an oppressive sharpness that made the three visitors instinctively straighten.

Blazewind immediately bowed his head.

"Mr. Reaper. Silas. Forgive us for the intrusion."

He lowered his posture even further.

"I am Blazewind, leader of the Ember Guild."

His gaze briefly moved toward Silas.

Then he froze.

The fresh battle marks on Silas’s armor, the faint red aura surrounding his body, and the residual battle intent that still lingered in his eyes caused Blazewind’s heart to tighten.

The rumors were true.

Dark Abyss’s members really were growing at an astonishing rate.

Aiden didn’t bother with pleasantries.

"Speak your business."

Blazewind took a deep breath.

He knew immediately that this man disliked wasting time.

So he went straight to the point.

"Mr. Reaper, the Ember Guild wants to join Dark Abyss."

His voice became solemn.

"We will follow your lead in everything."

Even though Aiden had already expected this answer, the directness still caused Silas to raise an eyebrow.

Aiden’s expression remained unchanged.

"Reason."

Blazewind didn’t hesitate.

"First—survival."

A trace of bitterness and resentment appeared on his face.

"The Dragon Sovereign Guild has been squeezing our living space for a long time. We could barely survive before, but ever since you fell out with Dragon Sovereign, they’ve begun taking their anger out on every force associated with you—or anyone unwilling to become their vassal."

His fists tightened.

"Their suppression of us has intensified. They’ve seized our resource points, deliberately PKed our members, and continuously interfered with our operations."

His voice lowered.

"We’re barely holding on."

He looked directly at Aiden.

"Joining you is our only lifeline."

Aiden remained silent.

Blazewind continued.

"Second—the future."

His eyes burned with fervor.

"We’ve seen your strength and your methods."

"Breaking records like it’s nothing. Counter-ambushing Dragon Sovereign’s forces as though you knew their plans beforehand."

His expression became increasingly excited.

"Even Dragon Sovereign’s elite assault team was destroyed after coming for you."

He glanced toward Silas.

The meaning behind that glance was obvious.

"Following you means we have a chance to become stronger. A chance to see a future beyond merely surviving."

Then his expression hardened.

"Third—grudges."

Blazewind clenched his fists.

"Ember Guild has had conflicts with Dragon Sovereign for a long time. Many of our brothers have died because of them."

His voice became cold.

"If we can follow you and oppose Dragon Sovereign, we’re willing."

The reasons were practical.

Survival.

Interests.

A common enemy.

Three things that could bind people together far more effectively than empty words.

Aiden stared at him for several seconds.

Then he spoke one word.

"Sincerity."

Blazewind immediately understood.

He reached into his clothes and withdrew an inconspicuous leather package.

Holding it with both hands, he presented it to Aiden.

"This is the most valuable thing currently in our possession."

Aiden accepted it.

Blazewind continued.

"Inside is a detailed map marking three small mithril veins around Ashford City, as well as a stable spawn point for Moon Shadow Grass."

His voice became solemn.

"This is the Ember Guild’s final trump card."

"We offer it to you."

He paused before continuing.

"Our guild currently has fifty-seven official members and more than a hundred peripheral members."

"We aren’t as powerful as Dark Abyss, but we can gather intelligence, explore the surrounding areas, mine resources, establish contacts, and handle miscellaneous tasks."

Aiden swept his mental energy over the package.

The information was genuine.

The map was accurate.

Mithril was a valuable enhancement material for rare-grade equipment and above, while Moon Shadow Grass was an essential auxiliary ingredient for several intermediate potions.

For Dark Abyss, which had yet to establish stable external resource channels, the value was considerable.

But Aiden didn’t immediately accept.

Instead, he looked directly at Blazewind.

His gaze seemed capable of seeing through the man’s very soul.

"Joining me isn’t a courtesy you can take back."

His voice was calm.

"There is only one rule."

"Absolute obedience."

Blazewind’s expression became serious.

"My orders must be carried out whether you understand them or not."

"My enemies are your enemies."

Aiden’s eyes grew colder.

"And the consequences of betrayal will be ten thousand times worse than anything Dragon Sovereign can do to you."

The words were spoken without anger.

That made them even more frightening.

The three members of Ember Guild felt a chill run through their bodies.

Blazewind didn’t hesitate.

He stepped forward and dropped to one knee.

"I, Blazewind, swear on my life and on the future of every brother in the Ember Guild."

His voice was firm.

"From this day forward, I pledge allegiance to Mr. Reaper."

"I will follow your orders and never harbor a second heart."

"If I betray this oath, may heaven and earth destroy me."

The shield warrior and priest behind him immediately knelt as well.

Aiden watched them silently for several seconds.

Then he spoke.

"Get up."

The three rose.

"The name Ember can remain."

Blazewind’s eyes brightened.

"From this point forward, however, Ember Guild will operate as an external affiliate organization of Dark Abyss."

Aiden began outlining their responsibilities.

"First, use your existing channels and contacts to gather intelligence on the movements of the Dragon Sovereign Guild and its affiliated forces. Compile everything and submit it through the designated Dark Abyss channel."

"Second, organize reliable personnel to secretly mine the resource points marked on the map."

"Sixty percent of the resources will be turned over to Dark Abyss."

"The remaining forty percent will belong to Ember Guild for your own development."

Blazewind nodded repeatedly.

"Third..."

Aiden’s gaze sharpened.

"Continue maintaining a certain degree of confrontation with Dragon Sovereign publicly."

"Draw some of their attention toward yourselves."

Blazewind immediately understood.

Dark Abyss didn’t want Ember Guild to openly declare their allegiance.

At least not yet.

Aiden wasn’t providing them with core military support or revealing any of Dark Abyss’s deeper plans.

Instead, he had assigned clear, executable tasks.

It was both an opportunity and a test.

Blazewind wasn’t disappointed.

If anything, relief appeared on his face.

The fact that Dark Abyss was willing to accept them, give them responsibilities, and provide them with a stable resource arrangement was already far beyond what he had expected.

It proved that they had value.

"We will strictly follow your instructions!"

Blazewind’s voice was solemn.

"The Ember Guild will not fail your trust!"

"In the future, contact us through the designated Dark Abyss channel."

Aiden turned away.

"Do not come here directly unless it’s an emergency."

With that, he took Silas and disappeared into the shadows of the rocky cave.

Only after the two figures had completely vanished did the three members of Ember Guild finally relax.

The female priest looked toward Blazewind, still unable to believe what had just happened.

"Boss..."

She swallowed.

"Did we really make contact with Mr. Reaper?"

Blazewind nodded heavily.

He stared at the darkness where Aiden had disappeared.

"That man is unfathomable."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"But perhaps following him really is our chance to be reborn from the ashes."

His expression quickly became serious.

"Pass the order down."

"Everything about this meeting must remain absolutely confidential."

"From today onward..."

His eyes hardened.

"We are the eyes and limbs of Dark Abyss."

---

Below the rocky cave, Aiden and Silas made their way back toward the main cavern.

Silas remained silent for a while before finally speaking.

"Sir Aiden."

"Hm?"

"Are those people... trustworthy?"

Aiden didn’t slow his pace.

"They’re useful."

Silas blinked.

"That’s enough for now."

Aiden’s voice remained calm.

"Trust takes time. And it requires something stronger than words."

"Interests."

"Give them responsibilities. Give them resources. Give them a path toward survival and becoming stronger."

He glanced ahead.

"They’ll work harder than anyone else."

Silas thought about it for a moment.

"And loyalty?"

Aiden’s expression remained indifferent.

"Loyalty isn’t something you demand."

"It is something you cultivate."

He paused.

"When the light of Dark Abyss becomes dazzling enough, the moths hiding in the darkness will naturally flock toward it."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"And when we no longer need a particular moth..."

His voice remained utterly emotionless.

"There will always be another waiting to take its place."

Silas nodded slowly.

He understood some of it.

Perhaps not all.

But one thing he knew with absolute certainty.

Sir Aiden’s decisions had always been right.

---

When they returned to the cavern, Luna immediately came over and asked about the situation.

Aiden briefly explained what had happened.

He then copied the resource map and sent it through an encrypted channel to [Old Smoke], instructing him to verify the information and arrange a secret mining operation.

Only after everything had been handled did Aiden walk toward the edge of the cavern.

Below him, the underground river surged through the darkness, its turbulent waters reflecting faint traces of the cavern’s dim light.

Aiden stood silently, his thoughts turning.

Recruiting Ember Guild was only the first step.

Dark Abyss was no longer merely a small group operating independently in the shadows.

It had begun developing its first connection to the outside world.

An intelligence network could now be expanded.

External resources could be acquired more consistently.

Information could flow in from multiple directions.

And manpower was no longer limited to the few people directly around him.

The transformation had begun.

From a lone avenger...

To the leader of a force hidden within the darkness.

Aiden’s gaze slowly turned cold.

The Dragon Sovereign Guild was probably still racking its brains trying to capture those three elusive enemies.

They had no idea how much Dark Abyss had already grown beneath their notice.

A cold arc appeared at the corner of Aiden’s mouth.

"Damien..."

His voice was barely audible.

"What you see is only the Dark Abyss you want to see."

His eyes descended toward the endless darkness beneath the cavern.

"And the true Abyss..."

"Is already beneath your feet."