Kaito could have taken them straight through King-level difficulty from the start.
But he didn't.
He knew better than to rush.
Even with top-tier equipment, Zephyr, Velena, and their elite team weren't yet familiar with Glory's dungeon mechanics. If he had taken them directly into King Mode without preparation, they would've stumbled, made mistakes, and possibly failed the run. Worse, they might've begun to doubt his leadership, undermining the very reputation he was trying to cement.
So instead, he gave them a free run through Hard Mode.
Not out of charity.
But because it was the fastest path to efficiency.
Only once they had experienced the terrain, mob patterns, and formation strategies firsthand did he escalate to King-level. And the result spoke for itself: a clean, dominant clear—and a new record to show for it.
....
As he made his final statement about the guides, Zephyr and Velena finally came back to their senses.
For the entire duration of the King-level run, they had been completely absorbed—reacting to Kaito's commands, responding to his tempo, trusting every call without hesitation. They hadn't had the mental space to process just how terrifyingly realistic and dangerous Glory's dungeons had become.
And now that it was over, one truth was clear:
Even if they followed Kaito once, they wouldn't be able to clear King Mode alone.
Not without his insight.
The moment he mentioned selling the guides, both Zephyr and Velena opened their mouths to speak.
But they were too late.
A surge of footsteps and excited voices surrounded them. One after another, the leaders of nearby guilds rushed forward, their eyes shining with eagerness—and greed.
They had seen it all.
They had watched Kaito lead two of the top-performing guilds through both Hard and King difficulties in a single day. Not just clearing them—but breaking even Genesis's previous record.
After everything that had happened, the idea of wasting time on clearing Hard Mode was completely thrown out of their minds. The opportunity for the first clear was already gone—now, what they truly desired was to engrave their guild names onto the leaderboard under the banner of King-level clearance.
They assumed Crimson Rose and Storm Life had paid him to carry them through the dungeon. And if he could be bought once, why not again?
They didn't care about cost.
"We'll pay double!"
"Name your price!"
"Ten gold per run—just take us through King Mode!"
"We'll give you a cut of the drops too—just help us clear once!"
None of them realized who Kaito truly was.
Despite leading the whole Genesis, he remained the only member whose face was widely recognized. The others—Aika, Kaede, Suzune, Hiroto, and the rest—had kept a low profile. And Their Hard Mode attempts hadn't generated enough buzz yet. So the crowd simply didn't remember them much.
To them, he was still just a famous solo player—an elite mercenary for hire.
But Kaito didn't even entertain the offers.
His eyes calmly swept over the noisy crowd.
Trusting these people? Not in this life.
He had seen too much in his previous life to make the same mistake twice.
Among the gathering crowd, his gaze locked briefly onto a familiar face—Kael Draven, the team leader of Obsidian Thorn's team can be considered an elder of obsidian thorn.
Kaito's expression cooled slightly.
He knew Kael.
In the previous timeline, Kael had been a genuine talent—a strategist who nearly brought Obsidian Thorn from a third-rate guild to second-tier prominence. But all of that came crashing down when his guild leader betrayed him.
Obsidian Thorn was quietly sold off to the Orion Syndicate, one of the very forces responsible for ruining everything.
Kael had trusted his guild. He had believed in loyalty.
And in return, he was cast aside, stripped of decision-making power, and gradually faded into obscurity.
Another pawn swallowed by the system, Kaito thought bitterly.
The past echoed like a warning.
So, as the guild leaders pressed closer, their offers rising in volume and urgency, Kaito prepared to shut them all down—
But before he could even open his mouth, Zephyr and Velena stepped forward.
Like clockwork, the crowd parted at their sudden movement.
"Can't you all see we're still speaking with him?" Velena said coldly, her violet eyes narrowing. "Step aside. We have important matters to discuss."
"Back off," Zephyr added, his voice firm and commanding. "This isn't the time."
But the crowd didn't listen.
Their desperation had crossed into obsession.
Several even tried to force their way closer.
That was when Zephyr and Velena raised their hands—weapons flaring in their palms.
The air around them crackled with pressure as they activated their class skills, releasing a sharp, visible aura that forced the frontmost players to stumble back.
The message was clear:
We're not done here. Stay out of our way.
But the tension didn't stop there.
But at this moment… Rhine stepped forward.
"Well, well, well…"
A slow, mocking voice rang out as the pressure in the air shifted.
Rhine, the arrogant leader of Everhold Dominion, stepped forward, cutting through the crowd like a spear through smoke. His tone was dripping with sarcasm, his lips curled into a confident sneer.
"If it isn't the two top-tier second-rate guilds of South Glade Town—Storm Life and Crimson Rose. And look at you… trying so hard to ward off the rest of us from something that belongs to no one."
He paused dramatically, sweeping a hand toward Kaito.
"He's just an independent player, isn't he? Not bound to any guild, not flying any banner. So don't act like you can claim him. If you could make him an offer, then so can we. Or are you two planning to monopolize him now?"
"Don't you think that's going a bit too far?"
A low murmur rippled through the crowd.
Zephyr's jaw tightened. Velena's eyes narrowed to icy slits, her hand twitching toward her weapon. If Rhine had spoken another word, either of them might've blown his head off on the spot.
But before the pressure could escalate—
Kaito stepped forward.
Calm. Composed. Unbothered.
He didn't spare Rhine even a glance.
Instead, he turned toward the surrounding guild members and spoke clearly, his voice slicing through the tension like a blade.
"Let me make this clear. I wasn't hired by Storm Life or Crimson Rose."
"My guild has an alliance with both of them."
The effect was immediate.
A collective gasp ran through the players nearby. Eyes widened in disbelief.
"Guild…? He's in a guild?"
"Wait, isn't he a solo player?"
"is it Genesis?"
"I thought he was just doing carry runs!"
Their assumptions shattered in an instant.
But even so, their desperation hadn't died.
One hopeful voice rose from the back.
"Then… can we also form an alliance with your guild?"
Kaito's eyes swept over them.
Cool. Distant. Final.
"There's no need," he said flatly. "Please leave. I won't be taking any requests."
That was all it took.
The guild leaders, now visibly disappointed, slowly backed away. One by one, the crowd began to disperse, until only Rhine remained—arms crossed, expression hard.
He took a step forward.
"You think you're untouchable now, Raen? Just because you ran a few dungeon clears?" His voice dropped an octave, eyes glinting with menace.
"Tell me how you cleared it, and I'll let go of our feud. Otherwise—" he leaned in slightly—"Everhold will make sure you regret stepping into this town. Every time we see you… you'll die."
Kaito finally turned to him.
His expression didn't change—but his eyes grew colder.
"You know," he said casually, "it's a pretty sad thing to say for someone who's already been wiped out twice by the same person."
He took a step closer.
"Even if you let go of this 'feud'—I won't. So it doesn't matter what you do. Or what you think."
He turned away without another word.
Zephyr and Velena followed, both giving Rhine a faint, mocking smirk as they passed him. Zephyr's was calm. Velena's was cutting.
Rhine stood frozen, teeth grinding behind clenched lips.
Just you wait…
When Nightshade Vale takes action… that's when I'll make you pay.
.....
Once they were far from the entrance of Echoing Deep, leaving the noise of the crowd and Rhine's venomous glare behind, the atmosphere finally began to relax.
Kaito stopped at a shaded clearing just beyond the canyon's ridge. The dust had settled. Behind him, Zephyr, Velena, and their five elite squad members followed quietly, the tension of the last confrontation still lingering in the air.
Kaito turned around, his voice casual but firm.
"So, what do you think?" he asked, glancing at both of them.
"Do you still want the guide?"
Velena and Zephyr exchanged a look—brief, silent, and resolute.
They didn't need to discuss it. The answer was already clear.
"Yes," Zephyr said, his voice steady.
"We agree to all your conditions," Velena added without hesitation.
"We'll provide the fire-infused ore, the Silverleaf Bellroot, and the life skill drops from our first three King-level runs of Echoing Deep."
Kaito's expression didn't change much, but a flicker of satisfaction crossed his eyes.
This wasn't just a business deal—it was proof.
Proof that his effort, his planning, and his guidance weren't just acknowledged—they were valued.
He gave a light nod.
"Good," he said simply.
For the first time that day, Kaito allowed himself to relax—just a little.